attend pack gatherings and picnics he'd probably made
himself a target. The alpha didn't know him by sight, possibly not even by
name, so his chances of anyone other than his kids noticing he was gone were
negligible. And even then, considering his self-imposed exile and the
unnaturalness of living as a lone wolf, his kids would likely believe he'd
harmed himself like so many others before him.
As long as his pursuer hid the body, nobody
would ever be held accountable for his disappearance.
The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach
grew heavier.
~*~
Ryan skidded to a halt as his mate's fear
reached his nostrils. The man was very literally terrified. Unwilling to scare
his mate, even unintentionally, Ryan changed back into his human shape and
scanned the darkness around him.
"My name is Ryan," he said loudly,
hoping his words wouldn't be lost in the wind. "Ryan Cabot. Maggie sent me
to check on you."
He waited, praying to hear a reply, or at
the very least to notice a change in his mate's scent, but the wind still
carried his mate's fear to him.
"Maggie said you've been protecting
me," he called, turning slightly when his mate's scent seemed to come from
a different direction. "She thinks we might be true mates." He shook
his head, angry now that he hadn't asked Maggie more questions. "I don't
know your name, and I know you're frightened. I just wanted to know if it's
true, and maybe check if you're okay."
"She shouldn't have told you," a
voice said, the sound coming from a spot far closer than Ryan had expected.
"Why not?" Ryan asked, squinting as he tried to see past the thick foliage
around them. "Maggie's concerned for you. She wanted me to make sure
you're okay."
"She could have sent anyone. Anyone
else," the voice said, the sound moving away instead of toward him.
"I know Maggie's intentions are pure, but she should have respected my
wishes and let you live your life."
"Is that what you want?" Ryan
asked as dread twisted through him. His mate was moving away, ignoring the pull
that should have brought them together. The pain of rejection nearly dragged
him to his knees. Fuck, he hadn't expected this.
"Yes, go away. Tell Maggie I said to
leave me alone."
"Is it because I'm male? You don't want
to claim me because I'm not a woman?"
The silence stretched until Ryan thought his
nerves might snap from the strain. He never would have imagined how physically
painful such rejection would be. He dropped to his knees in the small clearing,
unable to fathom the ache seizing him.
"I just want you to be happy," the
voice finally said.
"But finding my mate makes me happy,"
Ryan said honestly, his emotions raw and transparent. He'd been shocked when
Maggie had mentioned his mate being male, but now that he had the man's scent
in his mind, no one else would ever have a place in his heart. He needed this
man as much as he needed his next breath.
"Maggie should have stayed out of
it," his mate said in a resigned tone. "She doesn't know as much as
she thinks she does."
The words sounded so final, like a death
knell signaling the end of something that had never begun. Ryan closed his eyes
as he fought back tears, his mind completely blank as pain lanced through him.
He had no idea how long he stayed that way,
mourning the loss of something he'd never had, but his heart beat much harder
when he finally realized his mate was coming toward him, no longer moving away.
He stayed still, wary of spooking his mate.
The man who stepped into the clearing was
beautiful. Sad eyes and a tight half-smile were framed with blond curls, longer
than expected, but perfect for the delicate elf-like features. Moonlight
glinted off a torso devoid of hair, the man's sleek, muscular frame much
smaller than Ryan's own.
He gave Ryan a sad smile and moved closer,
eventually reaching out to run a shaking hand over Ryan's close-cropped hair.
"I wanted so much more for you. You
deserve so much better."
Ryan shook his head slightly but
himself a target. The alpha didn't know him by sight, possibly not even by
name, so his chances of anyone other than his kids noticing he was gone were
negligible. And even then, considering his self-imposed exile and the
unnaturalness of living as a lone wolf, his kids would likely believe he'd
harmed himself like so many others before him.
As long as his pursuer hid the body, nobody
would ever be held accountable for his disappearance.
The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach
grew heavier.
~*~
Ryan skidded to a halt as his mate's fear
reached his nostrils. The man was very literally terrified. Unwilling to scare
his mate, even unintentionally, Ryan changed back into his human shape and
scanned the darkness around him.
"My name is Ryan," he said loudly,
hoping his words wouldn't be lost in the wind. "Ryan Cabot. Maggie sent me
to check on you."
He waited, praying to hear a reply, or at
the very least to notice a change in his mate's scent, but the wind still
carried his mate's fear to him.
"Maggie said you've been protecting
me," he called, turning slightly when his mate's scent seemed to come from
a different direction. "She thinks we might be true mates." He shook
his head, angry now that he hadn't asked Maggie more questions. "I don't
know your name, and I know you're frightened. I just wanted to know if it's
true, and maybe check if you're okay."
"She shouldn't have told you," a
voice said, the sound coming from a spot far closer than Ryan had expected.
"Why not?" Ryan asked, squinting as he tried to see past the thick foliage
around them. "Maggie's concerned for you. She wanted me to make sure
you're okay."
"She could have sent anyone. Anyone
else," the voice said, the sound moving away instead of toward him.
"I know Maggie's intentions are pure, but she should have respected my
wishes and let you live your life."
"Is that what you want?" Ryan
asked as dread twisted through him. His mate was moving away, ignoring the pull
that should have brought them together. The pain of rejection nearly dragged
him to his knees. Fuck, he hadn't expected this.
"Yes, go away. Tell Maggie I said to
leave me alone."
"Is it because I'm male? You don't want
to claim me because I'm not a woman?"
The silence stretched until Ryan thought his
nerves might snap from the strain. He never would have imagined how physically
painful such rejection would be. He dropped to his knees in the small clearing,
unable to fathom the ache seizing him.
"I just want you to be happy," the
voice finally said.
"But finding my mate makes me happy,"
Ryan said honestly, his emotions raw and transparent. He'd been shocked when
Maggie had mentioned his mate being male, but now that he had the man's scent
in his mind, no one else would ever have a place in his heart. He needed this
man as much as he needed his next breath.
"Maggie should have stayed out of
it," his mate said in a resigned tone. "She doesn't know as much as
she thinks she does."
The words sounded so final, like a death
knell signaling the end of something that had never begun. Ryan closed his eyes
as he fought back tears, his mind completely blank as pain lanced through him.
He had no idea how long he stayed that way,
mourning the loss of something he'd never had, but his heart beat much harder
when he finally realized his mate was coming toward him, no longer moving away.
He stayed still, wary of spooking his mate.
The man who stepped into the clearing was
beautiful. Sad eyes and a tight half-smile were framed with blond curls, longer
than expected, but perfect for the delicate elf-like features. Moonlight
glinted off a torso devoid of hair, the man's sleek, muscular frame much
smaller than Ryan's own.
He gave Ryan a sad smile and moved closer,
eventually reaching out to run a shaking hand over Ryan's close-cropped hair.
"I wanted so much more for you. You
deserve so much better."
Ryan shook his head slightly but
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