His Miracle Mate

Chapter 2

Ezra's POV

Damn wolf.

I'd been feeling restless for days. I went hunting three times in the past week, and went for more runs in my fur than I could remember, but my beast just wouldn't settle down.

I ran toward the cabins. Branches and twigs snapped under my paws, and the woods' critters scurried away.

I shifted back to my skin mid jump and pulled a pair of shorts from a tree burrow where we kept them, quickly putting them on before walking the rest of the way on two feet. The last thing I needed was a human stumbling upon my wolf in the woods. Although we had magic barriers, one could never be too careful.

I emerged from the edge of the trees towards the back of my cabin. I paused, raising my nose to the wind, and took a deep whiff. There was something in the breeze, the hint of a scent, there and then gone, that made my instincts snap into focus.

I looked around and took deep breaths, but nothing stood out. I frowned. Did I just imagine it?

Shaking my head, I made my way into my cabin and took the stairs two at a time. My wolf just growled in the back of my mind, pacing around in circles.

Zach was probably in the cabin next door with Ashley, his mate.

The word instantly sent an intense surge of pain through my chest. My wolf whined, but I pushed him back and jumped into a cold shower. Maybe the cold water would help clear my head.

Zach and I got held back in the pack this morning for some business. It didn't turn out to be a big deal, however, so we headed here earlier than expected, luckily for Zach.

He went to surprise his mate, while I took my wolf out on a run, hoping to calm down. He'd been more cranky than usual today. It was as if he was anticipating something, and I had no idea what it was.

After I dried off, I went into my closet and pulled on a black t-shirt and sweats. Everything in the closet was black. Everything had been black since that cursed day.

Somedays, I still woke up in the morning wondering why the moon decided to save my cranky ass and not them. Some days I wondered if things would have been different had they been alive, if things would have been better.

I pushed back the pain behind my usual wall of coldness, and made my way downstairs for coffee. But a quick look in the kitchen told me there was no coffee to be had. We hadn't gone grocery shopping yet. I sighed. I would just have to get it from one of the coffee shops.

I patted my pockets. Damn it. I didn't have my wallet or my phone. I gave them to Zach earlier before my run.

I growled under my breath, annoyed with myself and my wolf, and hit the front door. Zach would be at Ashley's.

As soon as I stepped outside, my wolf stopped pacing. I froze, sniffing the air. It was that smell again. Except it was much stronger. I tilted my head and followed the thread of the sweet scent to Ashley's cabin.

The closer I got, the faster my heart beat. My stomach tightened, and my wolf howled in my mind. He was trying to tell me something, but the scent was all my senses could focus on. What was wrong with me?

I knocked on the door, my hand moving on its own. Deep breaths. I couldn't get enough of it. The world retreated to the background, and blood rushed to my ears.

A movement inside, followed by the most addictive voice I had ever heard. "I got it!"

The word was a whisper on the edge of my mind. It got clearer as the person on the other side of the door got closer. My heart pounded faster and harder, and my blood felt like molten lava running through my veins. A bead of sweat trickled down my back. What was happening?