Strength to Find Her Way

Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Liam POV

Leaving Quinn was the hardest thing I've done thus far in life. That's saying a lot because of my position. My wolf was fighting me every step I took away from her door. There was no way I was going to go against her wishes though. I wasn't just doing this for her, I was doing it for me as well. I needed her to trust me. She has to know that when I give her my word, I will uphold it.

I finally made it back to my room and I shut and locked the door behind me. I momentarily wondered if I should leave it unlocked in case Quinn tries to find me in the middle of the night but I knew that was only wishful thinking.

I did my nightly routine and changed into a fresh pair of shorts to sleep in before settling into bed. I laid perfectly still for a few moments seeing if I could hear Quinn. If I really focused I thought I heard soft even breaths coming from the wall connecting our rooms. I stayed up for a while just listening to her breathe. It calmed my wolf to the point where I was able to settle as well.

I'm not sure how late it was when I finally fell asleep but I woke with a start hours later when the sun peeked through my window. I should have closed the shades, I grumbled to myself. It was then I heard a noise next door and I knew Quinn was up as well.

I had in fact dreamt of her last night, though I almost always do. I wonder if she dreamt of me, I thought idly. This time it wasn't a vision, but a reality though. Quinn was with me. We didn't do anything special in the dream. She just held me and I did the same to her. It was almost as if I could feel her in my arms still. It was the best dream I'd had yet.

I decided I'd have to get up now if I wanted to see Quinn off before she left for school. Rolling over, I saw the numbers on the clock reading six thirty. Quinn's school doesn't start until eight. Why is she up so early? Then I remembered she likes to go for runs in the morning. My wolf was on high alert now and was begging me to go stop her. I knew there was no way I could stop her though. The only way to calm my nerves was to see if she'd allow me to join her.

I wasn't sure how soon she'd be ready so I rushed through my morning routine. I threw on a pair of shorts and a tshirt and rushed out the door. Just as I left my door, Quinn was softly closing hers. I let out a low growl as I saw she was dressed the same as she had been the day before when I arrived at the training facility.

"Quinn," I greeted.

She jumped slightly. Had she not noticed my presence? This alarmed me slightly. She really shouldn't be out alone if she couldn't sense a wolf ten feet away.

"Liam," she said breathily. "What are you doing up so early? I'm usually the only one up at this time."

"I heard you up and was wondering if I could join you on your run this morning. Would you mind?" I flashed her my most charming smile, hoping it would help convince her.

She looked taken aback at first and then looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose," she looked unconvinced though.

"I promise I won't get in your way," I offered, lifting up my hands.

"Fine. But don't hold me back like Ethan did yesterday. That beta of yours really needs to get in shape," she laughed.

I laughed as well. Goddess, she's so beautiful. "You have my word," I replied.

She smiled softly and turned to head down the stairs. She stopped in the kitchen briefly to grab some water. I decided to do the same. I'll probably need the extra hydration the way Ethan was talking about her workouts yesterday.

We walked in silence out the front doors into the bright, new morning. It was beautiful here. She took a deep breath before starting to stretch. I had to turn away to stop the less than pure thoughts that were going through my mind as she leaned over in her barely there shorts. Had she done this in front of Ethan yesterday? I'm going to have to talk to him later.

I began stretching as well and within a few minutes I could tell Quinn was ready. "Ready?" she asked while bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Always," I replied confidently.

She took off without another word towards the forest. I followed closely behind as best I could. She was fast. Holy crap, I could barely keep up with her.

"Isn't it best to warm up at the beginning of a run?" I asked, trying not to give away how difficult I found this already.

"This is the warm up," she quickly responded before bounding further into the dense brush.

Oh goddess, what did I get myself into? The border around her pack was a few miles long. I think we practically sprinted the whole way. Quinn greeted all the guards by name as she ran past them. She really was a central part of this pack. All the guards responded with a smile and a wave, sometimes responding with their own greeting in return. She was well loved by the people around her, that was for sure.

We came back to where we had started our run but Quinn kept going. By this time I was quite winded but I didn't want Quinn to know that. I'd never seen a wolf run like her before. I'm not out of shape by any means. I spend my time honing my skills and preparing for any battles I might need to take part in but this was next level. There's definitely something special about my mate.

I could smell water in the distance. We were approaching a small stream. I could see it now a few feet away. We broke through the trees once more and she came to a halt at the water's edge.

"Would you like to go for a swim?" she asked innocently.

"Sure," I agreed.

I was nervous she would strip off her clothes and I wouldn't be able to control my wolf but she surprised me by jumping in without a second thought, clothing and all. Her head popped up a few feet away from where she'd entered. I was standing there dumbfounded when I felt some water splash my face. She was giving me a challenging look and I knew I'd have to get her back for that.

"Oh, now you've started it," I growled as I threw off my shirt. I could swim in it but it would be more fun this way.

I saw her eyes trail up and down my naked torso before a blush covered her beautiful face. I went to jump in next to her but just before I'd left the bank, she dove underwater again. I landed in the cool water and surfaced near where she had previously been. I looked around searching for her but she was nowhere to be seen.

Just then I felt another splash coming from behind me. She'd swam upstream this time and was a few feet away from me.

I smirked. "I'm going to get you now!" I taunted as I broke into a swift crawl towards her.

She squealed and started swimming away from me. This really set me wolf off. He loved a good chase. She was fast though. How was she this fast in the water as well? I pumped my arms and legs faster, trying my hardest to catch up and I was finally gaining on her. She noticed just as I was about to grab her ankle but then we heard a noise coming from the bushes on our right.

"What do we have here?" I heard a gravelly voice ask.

"Rogue," both Quinn and I said at the same time.