Chapter 2

Rosy began cleaning our equipment while I went to take care of the yard. I drug the hose out to the field and began spraying all the blood away. We had to make sure that the civilian world didn’t know anything about what we were doing here.

I’d been at it for about 10 minutes when I heard tires in the driveway. I had hosed down the major spots, so it was enough that people would have to look closely to notice.

I turned around and watched as a young man stepped out of the police cruiser.

“Missoula Sheriff's Department” was written on the side of it. That was when a smell hit my nose, causing me to freeze in shock. Pine needles and rain.

MATE! My tiger, Amanda, yelped excitedly in my mind.

No, no! He can’t be! I growled, still frozen in place.

Go to him! Stop being stubborn! She pushed me forward.

The man had paused outside his police cruiser staring at me in awe. Even from this distance I could tell he was a werewolf. He had the smell of my mate, but also the scent of his pack. He was roughly 6’3” with dark brown curly hair, and piercing blue eyes. I could see his muscles struggling to show under his uniform.

Oh Moon Goddess, he’s pretty, Amanda sighed dreamily.

Yes, he is, I admitted. But I don’t want a mate! Remember?

Amanda growled at me, clearly not pleased, I know YOU don’t, but you know I

do. So go to him, at least give him a chance to say hi.

I sighed and attached the sprinkler head, that had been in my pocket, to the hose,

and set it in the middle of the bloodbath to ensure that it would eventually clean the field. As I walked towards him, the water from the sprinkler fell all around me, making me glisten in the sun.

He was smiling leaning against his cruiser when I reached him. I stopped about 10 feet from him and crossed my arms, trying to ignore the pull I felt towards him.

“Can I help you Officer?” I asked innocently.

His blue eyes bored into mine as he stood up straighter. “Your neighbors called again because you and your sister,” he gestured to the house, “were apparently being really loud again.”

I smirked, “That was about an hour ago. We turned the music down since.”

He sighed and opened his mouth, but as if on cue, Rosy came running outside with our stereo system, blasting Toxic, by Britney Spears.

“I fixed it!” She squealed.

I got you sis, She mind linked me, smiling.

The man arched an eyebrow, “You fixed it?”

Rosy turned down the music, and nodded, “Yes Officer! We had it loud enough earlier that we blew a speaker. I had to swap it out.”

He shook his head and I finally got a good look at his nametag. His name was Dylan McGuire.

“Well, just do us all a favor and please don’t blare Britney Spears again!” He chuckled.

He’s my mate! I mind linked Rosy.

I saw her eyes widen in shock.

Dylan noticed it too. “Are you okay?” He asked.

She shook her head with a smile, “I’m fine Officer. I just can’t believe you don’t like Britney Spears!”

He’s a werewolf! She replied to my link.

I know, I sighed through the link. I noticed that when he pulled up. I’m sure he feels the bond too. It’s almost impossible to ignore!

He thinks we are human though! Rosy pointed out.

I know! I have our scents disguised. Both our witch and cataclypse ends, I explained.

“Oh I like her music just fine,” Dylan interrupted our conversation. “I just don’t think your neighbors do.”

I smiled sweetly, “Understood Officer! We will make sure to keep the noise down.”

He gave me a knowing look, as this was not the first time the Sheriffs had been called out here, and it wouldn’t be the last time. “Was there anything else we could do for you?”

He grinned at me and I felt his eyes scan my body. “Nope, not today. Just please keep the noise down,” he smirked.

He handed me his card. It had the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office phone number, and on the back it had his personal cell phone number.

“If you need anything, please feel free to give me a call.”

With a wink, he hopped back in his cruiser and backed out of the driveway. My heart fell watching him leave, and Amanda wasn’t happy either. She knew I had blocked out our scent so that he would think we were human, and she whined as she retreated to the back of my mind. I knew she wanted her mate, but I wasn’t sure I did.

Rosy squealed and rushed off the porch, once Dylan was far enough away that he

wouldn’t hear her.

“Oh my gosh! You found your mate! I’m so excited for you!” She squealed, wrapping me in a hug.

I sighed, “Yeah, but he’s a werewolf.”

Rosy let me go, but held me at arms length by the shoulders, giving me a firm look.

“That doesn’t matter!” She was not happy that I was so emotionless about having found my mate. “”He’s your mate. You’re destined to be with him!"

I pulled back out of her grip, “You know we’re supposed to keep this a secret! What we are and what we do! A mate just complicates everything.”

She grumbled, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Lets just continue on cleanup for now,” I sighed, pushing past her towards the house.

We didn’t talk too much over the next couple hours as we cleaned and resharpened our weapons. So long as our arrows didn’t break upon impact we could clean and sharpen them for use again. Our weapons all stayed in the kitchen in the pantry cabinet. This was to ensure that if we had any company over, that they wouldn’t ask questions.

By around 7 in the evening we had cleaned up everything and put the hose back.

We sat quietly at the kitchen table drinking more coffee.

I finally broke the silence with a grumble. “I don't understand why you’re so upset about me not being excited about finding my mate.”

Rosy sighed and took a sip of her coffee. “Look, I just wish you would understand how wonderful this is. You found your mate, the person you’re destined to be with. This is a blessing, not a curse.”

I took a deep breath before replying, “He’s a werewolf. That makes this difficult on a whole other level. Werewolves belong to packs. He would have to cut his pack ties and move here and become a rogue, or I’d have to leave and become a part of his pack.”

Rosy looked like she was beginning to understand, but I continued to talk to make my

point. “We’re not just witches, or just cataclypse, we are both. We are so rare that we are

to the point that people use us as bedtime stories. Mom and dad told us to stay hidden, and that we have to protect the crossing point. That’s what I’m trying to do. I don’t need a whole pack knowing about us.”

You’re just afraid of love! Amanda yelled at me, finally coming out of hiding.

I am not! I just don’t want a mate! I growled at her.

Rosy shook her head, “I get it, but you should talk to him, see how he feels.”

I took a sip of my coffee, “We’ll see.”