CHAPTER FIVE

Sean was freshly amazed at his mate's astute abilities. His magic may be light, but it was still effective. "Did you happen to get a read on any of the other wolves?" He asked.

"They were following Cory blindly. Cory was not angry, but his companions were plenty angry. They wanted our blood, and they wanted it to be painful. Somehow, they felt justified in what they were doing as if we had affronted them in some way." Lowell was much calmer and seemed to be handling everything quite well, or perhaps he was burying it.

Sean couldn't get a clear sense of Lowell's feelings or understanding. Fate always blurred things a little in an attempt to balance the relationship. He seemed okay, and Sean would have to go with that for now.

"Who do you think Cory was working for?" Sean turned to Eamon, hoping he had a name that they could pursue.

"Could be anyone." He said and that was not what Sean wanted to hear. "Some of the elders are lobbying for individuals as well as locals pushing for their own desires."

Eamon stared mindlessly at his coffee cup for a few seconds, deep in thought, before looking up and capturing Sean"s gaze. "There are those that are already considered contenders who may be looking for an advantage. It"s just too many possibilities. We need to be able to narrow it down in order to end this particular madness before all hell breaks loose."

They discussed the many possibilities further and made some theories regarding the challenge. Lowell asked if Sean would drop him at the hospital so he could visit his friends, and although it was an innocent request, Sean felt a tightening in his stomach at the thought of being separated from his mate. It was ridiculous, and he had to deal with it, but still, it was going to be damn difficult to let him go.

"Of course." He responded tightly. He heard Eamon"s phone go off, and he took the call right there since it was from his friend who was overseeing the vote.

"Who did they choose?" Eamon asked. Sean was confused by the sudden look of shock on Eamon's face that then turned to aggravation. "Thank you and keep me posted." He closed the call and after a few seconds of a very heavy silence he spoke.

"They"ve named three contenders for the position of Alpha, and they are Jaron Micheals, Murphy Lewiston, and Eamon O"Hara." The last name caught him by surprise, but it was the best choice, in Sean"s opinion.

"Congratulations, man. I couldn"t imagine anyone better suited to the position." Sean patted him on the shoulder. Eamon just kept shaking his head.

"This is going to be a fucking mess." Eamon stated. Sean turned to Lowell, who was silently taking it all in.

"I"ll take you to your friends, but I"d like for us to have lunch downtown when you"re finished. Call me when you"re ready, and I"ll pick you up." Sean couldn"t leave Lowell without securing another point of contact. His wolf was already upset that he hadn"t pushed to claim Lowell last night, but Lowell wasn"t in a headspace to tolerate a claiming. But now, in the clear light of day, he was questioning his decision to wait.

"Oh, okay." He was too noncommittal for Sean's liking. They had shared some close and tender moments last night and he was under the impression that they were working on a relationship. Suddenly it seemed that Lowell was attempting to step back. Sean would have to make himself clearer in regard to their relationship and where he saw it going. He would leave no questions in terms of his regard and intentions.

"If you have time this morning," Eamon spoke to Sean. "I have to go to the council building and meet with the elders, and I"d appreciate it if you could accompany me. I don"t know what to expect and I"d like to have someone I trust there with me."

"Certainly, of course. I'll drop Lowell at the hospital and meet you at the Council building." Sean agreed.

"Thanks."

"How in the hell was Eamon O"Hara brought into the mix? No one mentioned his name to me." Jaron shouted at no one in particular, but everyone in the room cringed. He grabbed one of his men by the shirt collar and brought him up close face to face. "Did you know they were considering Eamon?"

The man shook his head. "I did not know, sir." Jaron released him and shoved him out of his way.

"He won"t be as easy as Murphy, but we"ll deal with him." Jaron seemed to be talking to himself now. He walked over to the window and stared out. "Get me everything you can on Eamon, including his daily schedule. We"ll deal with him, and he won"t be a problem." He then stopped suddenly and turned to regard the men standing behind him. "Find those humans who escaped death last night and kill them. Make sure everyone knows it was a wolf attack."

"Two are in the hospital, and the third is with Eamon and his friend Sean." One of the men pointed out. Which would make a wolf attack rather difficult.

Jaron looked like he was about to explode. "Don"t tell me what you can"t do, Harold; tell me when you have it done." Everyone quickly exited the room.

Lowell was eager to see his friends, but he was sad to leave Sean. The drive to town was uncomfortably quiet, and Lowell wondered what Sean was thinking. Unlike with others, he was finding it hard to get any sort of sense of the man. His mood and emotions were clouded.

"Thank you for everything, Sean. My friends and I will stay out of the woods until the pack issue settles, and you have my word. I will never breathe a word of what I know." Lowell wanted to get that out there before he was to be dropped off. He doubted if Sean would follow through on lunch since Eamon was finding himself in a situation.

Sean will have to give the majority of his time and energy to his friend and Lowell completely understood. Lowell knew he needed to give him the space to walk away. He pined for his dream man, but it didn't look too promising. That thought brought on additional sadness and Lowell was getting fed up with all his unwanted emotions.

"What's wrong Lowell I thought we were getting on together quite well. I thought we had a connection. Why are you pulling away from me? Are you afraid?" The sudden questions and the fact that Sean pulled to the side of the road and parked had Lowell wondering once again what was happening between them. He felt a constant growing attraction and respect for someone he knew very little about.

He knew he was a shifter from Maine, and he was an enforcer in his pack but he knew very few details and yet it felt as if he'd known Sean Brendon for years. He knew him on a level that was not just basic information it was spiritual, and he shuddered to say the word because it was so fake in most cases. But what he felt for Sean could be described in no other way.

"I"m afraid of those crazy wolves, but I"m not afraid of you." Lowell turned to him, and Sean reached over and took his hand while looking deep into his eyes.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He swore and squeezed Lowell's hand.

"I know." Lowell nodded his head.

"No, I don"t think you do know." Sean glanced away for a moment and then turned back to regard him with an intensity that had Lowell catching his breath. "What"s going on, Lowell? You"ve been pulling away from me. I felt it this morning when we woke, and I felt it at breakfast, and I"m feeling it now." Lowell was taken aback by his statement.

"I didn"t want to impose on you. I was, a lot, last night. . . and I know it. Normally, I"m more pulled together, less grasping, and needy, but I just lost my head and was all over you. I had no right to make demands on you." Sean attempted to speak, but Lowell kept going.

"I am trying to give you space and let you know that I'm not your responsibility. I appreciate all that you have done for me and will never forget it, but I also understand that you have a life, and you need to get on with it." Lowell took a breath and dropped his gaze.

"Don"t pull away from me, and you have every right to make demands." He said firmly and then continued by detailing his own feelings on the subject. Lowell realized he"d read it all wrong. "I don"t need space, and I"m not afraid of a little responsibility. There is much more to my concern for you than simply being a nice guy." He stopped and appeared to be contemplating his next words. Lowell could see the strain on his face.

"I thought I was making myself clear last night. I know now that I should have put my feelings into words and not assumed that my action would be interpreted correctly." He paused again as Lowell held onto every word. He didn't want to make any rash assumptions, but this sounded serious.

Sean stared at him silently and then suddenly pulled him into his arms and kissed him. Sean wrapped Lowell in his arms and took his mouth in a kiss that was intense and powerful and so deep Lowell could feel his body trembling to his toes. It was exactly like the sensation he felt in his dream with his dream Sean. His dream had not been a fantasy, it was a prediction.

The kiss went on and on and got more and more intimate, going deep and ravenous. Lowell had not known a kiss like this, but he loved it. His body reacted, and he tried to calm himself, but it was impossible as long as this gorgeous man was touching him.

"Don"t resist, my love. Feel it, know it, and know that it is me who is making you feel this way." Sean slid his hand down Lowell"s chest and cupped the hardness pressing against his jeans. The thrill was instant. Lowell caught his breath with a gasp and closed his eyes as Sean took his lips once again.

This was not the actions of a man who wanted space or saw him as too much trouble. This was a man who wanted him, this finely tuned sculpted warrior, this wild man wanted him, and Lowell was melting on the spot. The taste and the touching and the sexy words and desires flowing from his lips were making Lowell pant with a raging need that grew larger by the second.

Slowly, Sean eased it to an end, pulling back but still holding Lowell in his grip. He trailed kisses down his neck and across his shoulder before taking a deep breath and sitting back in his seat.

"You drive me crazy, baby. Everything about you calls to me, pulls me near, and makes me want to ravish you. Last night was pure hell, lying there holding you and having to control myself. I wanted you so badly I barely slept, and my wolf paced in my mind all night long, demanding that we claim you." His gaze remained trained on Lowell, and those eyes were piercing right through him.

"I thought it was just me and I didn't want my attraction to make you uncomfortable. I didn't know you felt the same I can't read you like I can other people." Lowell admitted his feelings but still kept it low key. Sean started to chuckle softly and turned his head to look at Lowell.

"I can"t read you either." He said and then paused as if he were considering something. "It"s Fate"s design." He paused again. "We are a fated pair, and you are my mate. When Fate brings a couple together, she keeps the playing field level so that neither partner has an advantage over the other. I can"t touch your mind, and you can"t touch mine. Something that works on everyone else will not work on your mate unless it"s a positive ability like healing."

"I"m not sure I know what it is you"re talking about," Lowell spoke haltingly as some of it made sense, but his involvement in it all was not clear.

"You've read people around town." He said and Lowell nodded. "You've read shifters." Again, he nodded. "Have you encountered shifter pairs, Fated shifter pairs?"

"I"ve seen people who were bonded in a way that was beyond what I would describe as normal. Their bodies and their minds and everything about them were in tune with one another. The emotional connection was off the charts. These were people with strange auras and energies, which I now attribute to being paranormal." Lowell explained as best he could.

"What you witnessed was bonded, fated pairs. They are called mates because they are predestined to be together and recognize one another by sight and scent. It is amazing, and every wolf shifter has a mate out there somewhere, and they are called Fate"s gift.

Not everyone finds their mate, but the majority do, and some settle for someone they care about rather than wait to see if their mate will come to them. I was waiting for my mate; no one would satisfy me but my true mate." He smiled, and it touched Lowell"s heart.

"Usually, the mates are both wolves but sometimes a mate is human or another shifter species, but we won't go into that right now. You, Lowell French you are my mate. I knew you when I entered the fight in the clearing." Lowell sat there stunned and confused but he did not doubt him, he believed the things that Sean was telling him.

"I can see why you didn"t try to explain this last night." Lowell attempted to lighten the moment. "I recognized you as well once you shifted. I"d seen you in a dream, a very provocative dream." The broad smile returned to Sean"s face, and Lowell blushed just a little under the heat. "What does it mean that I am your mate?" He asked.

"It means that you and I are meant to be," Sean stated and then pulled the car back onto the street and continued to the hospital.

"That sounds really nice, but you barely know me."

"I know you. Wolves know their mates. Like I said, I recognized you in the clearing, and I took you home with me because I needed to make sure you were safe and well. It was a driving need." He enunciated each word for effect. "Seeing you attacked and injured was terrifying to watch. I could not lose you." Sean was so serious, and emotions were running high. He was trying to make himself clear, and he wanted Lowell to understand.

Lowell thought back to the couples that he"d observed who were absolutely meant for each other, and it had always amazed him that such couples existed. Now, it would seem that he was part of such a couple, and the thought of it filled him with warmth and excitement.

They pulled into the hospital parking lot, and Sean parked near the door. He squeezed Lowell"s hand and leaned over, stealing a kiss that thrilled him to the bone. The man had skills, and he could play Lowell like a fine instrument. The discussion they"d just had was unreal, but Lowell could detect no lies, and Sean"s regard for him came through clearly with every touch and every kiss. His instinct was to believe, and his instincts were never wrong.

"Give me a chance, Lowell." He said. "You know we belong together; you can feel it."

"I feel it." He readily admitted. "It was obvious in the way I acted last night. The need for you to be close and to be touching me was burning through me. Nothing satisfied me except having you hold me close." Lowell offered some truths since Sean was being very open. "I don't comprehend everything you've said but I trust you and that's all I need to make my way through it all."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Another kiss and Sean stepped back. "Visit your friends and call me when you're finished."

"I will." Lowell watched him walk away. He looked back at him over his shoulder several times, and Lowell could see the affection. It was real.