Faster than even the night of my first shift.
At first, I could hear the thud of paws against the earth as Cole gave chase, could smell her angry scent, carried by the howling wind at my rear, until I realised I could no longer hear or smell her.
I didn’t slow down to check. I wouldn’t risk it. Couldn’t.
I ran blindly. I didn’t know the land or where I was. All I knew was that so long as I was a moving target, I had a better chance of survival.
As I careened through bushes, I was greeted by Cole waiting, shoulders hunched and head down, eyes focused expectantly, a growl rumbling low. Like she had known exactly where I would end up and was waiting for me.
Trying to stop my run, I began to skid uncontrollably towards Cole. My limbs twisted, and I was no longer skidding but tumbling, disoriented, before I collided with what I thought had been a tree trunk, given how still it was despite the force with which we collided.
I shook my head, trying to regain my senses. I looked up. Cole.
She had not wavered on impact; strong and solid.
She prodded at me, roughly with her snout, and I realised she was encouraging me to untangle myself.
I was prone, with Cole’s front paws at my sides, pinning me in place.
I made a sound similar to a groan when I lifted a paw to try to scramble away, but a loud warning growl stilled my movements.
No.
This was it. I was going to die. Torn apart by my true mate.
I waited for the searing pain of teeth ripping into my flesh.
I hoped it would be over quickly.
But nothing.
Cole did not attack me, but when I tried to move, to get up, she shoved me back down, keeping me pinned beneath her for the whole night until the moon set and I felt the familiar chisel strike between my shoulder blades.
Shifting back to my human form was as painful as shifting into my wolf form.
I lay on the cold, hard ground and hugged myself, small.
I hated the silent tears that ran warm paths across and over my cheeks, dampening the ground.
This wasn’t fair.
True mates were rare; they had almost a fairy-tale status.
It wasn’t meant to be like this.
I curled further into myself. I didn’t care that Cole had to be next to me, seeing me, naked and crying on the forest floor.
I didn’t want to care about anything anymore.
A cry that sounded like a howl tore through me when I was lifted from the ground.
Cole was warmth to my coldness. I didn’t care that she was as naked as me. I pressed myself tighter to her, skin to skin, chest to chest, greedily stealing her heat, needing it.
She placed me down gently beside the backpack, then turned away without looking at me and opened it, pulling out its contents.
I hugged my knees to my chest and watched as she dressed in the spare clothes she had packed. She turned to me once she was dressed, looking at me.
I didn’t look away. Only held myself tighter.
