CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER4

LUCAS

After following my senses all day and getting nowhere, thankfully a lovely kid named Felix gave me a lead.

The bells dinged as I walked into the bookstore and my mate looked up, his gaze connecting with mine. His eyes widened, unsurprising given my size but I could both sense and smell his arousal also.

I couldn't help but smirk. My mate was pleased by what he saw and it made my wolf sit proudly.

My gaze roamed over him head to toe, committing his every feature to memory. He had light, ashy colored hair which looked so soft that I couldn't wait to thread my fingers through it. I could see now that his pale eyes were in face a stunning icy blue with a dark blue ring around the iris.

His perfect pouty lips looked so kissable and I had no doubt they would look wonderful around my cock too. My wolf perked up at that thought, agreeing with me. I willed my dick to settle down, not wanting to freak him out by walking in with a tent in my pants.

"Hi, can I help you find something?" he offered.

"Hi, I'm Lucas. What's your name?"

"I'm Noah, welcome to The Book Nook. Are you looking for something specific today or just browsing?"

Noah. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful man.

"I found what I've been looking for last night," I murmured. Images of our epic mating flicking through my mind.

I noticed that he was wearing a turtleneck sweater and it upset my wolf that he would cover our mark. I reminded him that our human mate does not understand what mates and their bites mean yet.

"Um… that's good. Can I help you find something else then?" he asked, assuming that I had been talking about a book.

"No need, I'm not looking for a book. I've been looking for you."

"What?" he asked, his voice getting high pitched.

I could sense his fear. Shit, way to go at not freaking him out.

It was just so hard to keep my desire in check around him. I've waited so long to find my mate and now that he's right in front of me, smelling of his sweet desire, I was desperate to hold him. To kiss him. To lick my mark and make him soar with pleasure.

"It's okay. I mean you no harm," I said, holding my palms up in a peaceful gesture. "Just like I didn't mean you any harm last night in the woods."

I could see on his face the moment it all clicked into place. His hands started to shake and he stepped back.

"You… that was you?! You're a were-" he stuttered, unable to get the word out.

"Wolf. Yes. Please don't be scared, I mean you no harm."

"No harm?! What the fuck was last night then?" He asked as he backed up some more.

I could sense him starting to panic. That was not good.

"I'm sorry it happened that way. It was a full moon and I can't control the shift then, I couldn't shift back to human. I didn't harm you though, if you remember?"

"Really? Then what the fuck is this?!" he asked, pulling his neckline down and pointing at the angry red bite mark.

I felt a swell of pride at seeing my mark, but also a pang of regret. Not for marking him, but for biting him when in hybrid form, even if it was out of my control. The bite wouldn't have been that big and deep if I had been in either my human or regular wolf form.

A hybrid bite to a human is pretty harsh and it will take longer to heal. It'll leave an impressive mark though, one worthy of an alpha's mate. No other wolf would dare lay a finger on him with a claiming bite that large and my wolf felt smug about that.

"I'm sorry for that. It's the mating bite, completely unavoidable. But you enjoyed everything else, didn't you?" I asked, wanting to remind him of how wonderful our joining had been.

Noah blushed. He knew that I knew how much he'd enjoyed it because he kept saying so during the mating. Begging me to take him harder and rocking into my thrusts.

"That's not the point. This ," he said, pointing at the mark, "is not okay!"

I couldn't keep in the growl that escaped my throat. Noah stepped back, obviously feeling threatened.

"I'm sorry. Please don't fear me," I said, holding up my hands to try and calm him. "That bite is the mark of mates. It's a mark of honor and when you say it's a bad thing, my wolf gets upset."

"Well, tell your wolf to keep his jaws to himself!"

My wolf was becoming agitated and I again reminded him that our mate doesn't understand yet. That he needs to let me deal with the human aspect of courting him.

"I can make it heal faster. Let me help you, wolf saliva has healing properties."

Noah held up a hand in the universal stop sign.

"Oh no, I know exactly what happens when you lick it!"

I couldn't contain my smirk when he said that. The last time I licked it, he had shuddered beneath me as I gave him pleasure until he climaxed again.

"You need to leave now." He said firmly but stepping back again and essentially backing himself into a corner.

I didn't realize that I'd been stepping forward each time he'd stepped back, wanting to get closer to him. I was considerably larger than him and I didn't want him to feel threatened so, I stepped back, as difficult as it was.

"Okay, I'll go. But you need to understand that we're mated now. The bond will draw you closer to me and the more you try to fight it, the harder it will be on the both of us," I said before turning and walking out of the bookstore.

I went back out to the street, walked over to my bike and waited. I'd found him and I wasn't letting him out of my sight now. My wolf wanted to claim our mate again, remind him of our connection but I forced him down.

I moved to a spot further down the road so he wouldn't see me waiting. If he knew I was there he'd either call the cops or run back to hide in his store. I needed to find out where he lived so I could guard him at night and ensure his safety.

After half an hour, he finally walked up the stairs and rushed to a car around the back of the building. I followed him home at a distance.

We drove for a little while to the outskirts of the small town, where he pulled into the driveway of a quaint little house. It was very neat and tidy, obviously well loved and looked after.

It was at the end of a small street making it very private. There was also a nature reserve behind it.

It was quite isolated which was both good and bad. Good, because I didn't need to worry about neighbors seeing me but bad because it meant he was vulnerable.

News that I'd found my mate hadn't gotten out yet, so there was minimal risk, but I needed him on pack lands as soon as possible to best protect him until our mating is complete and he's been through his first shift.

It won't happen until the next full moon which meant he would have no hope against an attack from another wolf until then.

If a wolf loses their mate, it's like losing half of yourself. The pain and grief is brutally painful and it weakens them considerably. Challenging a weakened alpha is an easier way to take over, claiming their land and pack.

Unfortunately, there are is another pack nearby with an alpha that is eager to gain territory. Taking out my mate would be an effective way to weaken not just me but my pack, making it an easy claim. All he'd need to do is challenge me and I'd likely die.

The best course of action is to get Noah to the pack so I can keep him safe until he shifts.

I watched him walk up to the door and enter the house, so I parked my bike and stalked around the house to the back yard, checking the entries and exits of the building for weak spots so I knew what areas to keep an eye on.

I sent a mental image to Drew, giving him the address, so that if there was an emergency he knew where my mate lives and can protect him.

I found a spot in the backyard, prepared to settle in for the night.