Gathering my wits about me, I trail after him.A deadly being reduced to a scolded child.It's time to face the music.
Chapter Fifteen
Wyatt
JagandIleaveour vehicle at the gas station where Richard filled up and hike up into the woods before finding a shallow cave in which to stash our clothes.If Richard is still in the area, we'll let our wolves sniff him out.We picked up his scent at his house, so it should be easy.My wolf could use the exercise whether we find him or not.
The mate bond pulses as my wolf takes over.Mate is close!
Four paws fly across the ground as we dodge fallen limbs and avoid holes dug by various woodland creatures.Jagger barely keeps pace as we follow a stream deeper into the trees.
Mother goddess, slow down!Jag says through the Pack link.It's the only way to communicate efficiently in this form, but he keeps me out of anything other than a surface level connection.
He's close.We can feel it.
My wolf follows the tug on the mate bond, then we pick up Richard's scent.The cabin we find is miles away from the gas station, but I barely notice the distance.Andrew is here!
Relief washes through me.My wolf whines on prancing feet.Mate!
Morning sun filters through the leaves as we race toward the building.
No!Wait!I try to stop my beast before we're seen.We need to send Jag back for our clothes, and the car, while we keep watch.Andrew won't be leaving during the day.We need to wait for nightfall to try to get him out while we remain undetected.
My warning comes too late.Paws scrape the wood of the cabin door, and I wince internally.I'll have to pay for the damage.
The door swings open and my wolf darts inside, sniffing out our mate.Andrew is sitting on the sofa where we proceed to jump up and lick all over his face.Sometimes I think the exuberance my wolf shows for life is what my human side would have been like if I hadn't endured so much pain as a child.
"Andrew, is there something else you want to tell me?"Richard asks.
I pull back and sit on the floor by my mate's feet, taking in the man standing by the couch arm.
"This is my mate, Wyatt.Well, his wolf side, anyway.Would you grab a pair of pants for him so he can shift?"
Richard exits the room and Andrew lays his hand on my head."Please, don't be mad.I'm sorry I ran off, but I had to see him."
My wolf nudges his knee with our nose.Right now, I only care that we found our mate before anyone got hurt, or he drew the attention of Hunters.Everything else we can deal with.
Richard returns with some sweat pants and hands them to Andrew.
"You should turn around," my mate instructs him.
In seconds, I'm in human form, pulling on the pants.Andrew looks away shyly when I catch him staring and wink.
"Can I turn around now?"
"Yes.He's decent."
"Nice to meet you," I say when Richard faces me."How does it feel to get dumped in the deep end of the paranormal pool?"
There hasn't been time to talk about what Andrew has told Richard, but it's a good bet he knows everything at this point.Or, at least as much as Andrew knows, anyway.
"Definitely a shock.But Arthur was a student of folklore and mythology.You don't delve into that and not start to think maybe there's some truth to it.Some of his suspicions must have rubbed off on me over time.I have a feeling I'm not as afraid as I should be."
"I assume you know you can't speak about this to anyone.You weren't even supposed to know."
"Don't hold it against Andrew.He knows I would have kept questioning what happened, and kept searching for Arthur.Andrew is essentially Arthur's brother.You can't fault him for wanting me to have closure."
The sound of a car coming up the the drive stalls the conversation.
