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Chapter 8

I distanced myself further than normal, deciding to stay on the ground.  The forest showed few signs of life, but I knew he was here. I could sense his presence long before I could catch his scent. I pressed my back into a white oak tree, the breeze from the wind whistling through the trees.

"You're late, darling." His silky voice sent butterflies to my stomach. It never ceased to affect me. "Don't tell me you've replaced me with a toy."

I laughed, fiddling with the bottom of my shirt.

His shirt.

"And if I have?" I teased, pulling my bottom lip with my teeth.

"My restraint is already thin, little wolf. Don't entice me. " He warned, a hint of seriousness in his tone.

My face grew warm with his words, and I sucked in a shaky breath. My eyes fell on the crescent moon floating high in the sky. I was tempted to poke the beast. Cave into my desires since the moment I met him.

The tension was already strong between us and it only grew every moment we spent apart.

But it wasn't time.

Not yet.

"Did you enjoy your trip away?" I wondered. There was no point asking which pack he went to. I wouldn't know. I really only knew about our pack, and if I didn't hear stories every now and then, I would think ours was the only one that existed.

"If it was up to me, I would have never left," he admitted. "It's my obligation to maintain allies, however. If attending a few boring meetings keeps everyone protected in our time of need, I'll do it in a heartbeat."

"What about floater wolves?" My voice grew quiet. "Would you protect them, too?

He didn't respond. I pressed my head into the bark of the tree, a pit of sadness clouding over me. His hesitation said more than words ever could. Still, I waited to hear what he would say. He could prove me wrong.

"They're different." He finally sighed. I felt a pang in my chest. "I have no responsibility over what happens to them. It's their cost they have to pay."

His words stung, but I wasn't surprised. It was obvious how everyone felt about us. 

"What if you were mated to one?" I whispered.

My heart raced in my chest as I waited for his response. I didn't want to ask. I feared what he would say, but I needed to know. I yearned for reassurance that I wasn't doing all of this for nothing.

I wanted to believe in my mate.

He laughed quietly," I'm mated to you, little wolf. It's impossible."

"But what if-"

"It's not worth discussing. As I said before, it's impossible."

Impossible.

"Yeah," I forced out a laugh. My eyes watered," It was a dumb question."

It was time to leave.

I couldn't say anything more. This was painful enough. I wrapped my arm around myself. I took one step forward, the leaves crushing under my foot.

"Don't go."

I froze.

His words felt like a sharp knife stabbed me in the chest.

"I have to," I said, softly. "Take care, Alpha."

I ran off quickly before he could say anything else.

I pushed harder than I ever had before, letting the trees fly by in a hypnotic blur. I felt numb to the sticks slicing against my skin as I kicked my feet across the forest floor. I felt numb to the ball of emotions threatening to erupt.