Chapter 5

Cooper POV

I fume all the way back to my house and there is silence for the entire 30-minute drive. I try to stay calm and fight the urge to kick Ethan and Leila out of the car and race straight back to the hospital. Even though I know Ethan is just enjoying winding me up, it doesn't stop me from wanting to tear his head off for daring to touch what is mine. My beat-up old blue pick-up is parked at the side of my small log cabin as we pull in and beside it is my dad's shiny brand new one. A loud sigh escapes my lips as I swivel and glare at my sister in the back seat, who at least has the good grace to look ashamed of herself.

"You told them?" I ask her in disbelief, "I haven't even met her yet and you told them? What are we, 17 years old?"

"I was just so excited!" she says sheepishly, "and I only told Dad. Not Mum. I'm not stupid. She would have been down in the hospital trying to fit her for a wedding dress already if she knew." I wish she were joking but that sounds about right.

Hopefully, Dad had the good sense to keep it to himself as well. I have enough on my plate without managing damage control from my mother. I climb gingerly out of the truck and walk slowly up my porch steps. Even with wolf healing, I still feel like I've been hit by, well, a van, and I need to rest. As I let myself into my home, I look at my rustic log cabin through new eyes. Now it is potentially my home with my mate. No way am I bringing her to stay in the packhouse with all those unmated males wandering around. A small rumble starts in my chest just at the thought of it and Ethan throws me a curious look as I cough to try and cover it up. I wonder what she'll think of this place though. Is it good enough for her? I immediately regret all the smart-ass comments I have made to the mated members of the pack when they do sappy romantic things for their mates. I can understand the impulse now.

As soon as I walk through the door, my father stands and shakes my hand, pulling me into a man hug and thumping my back. I can feel his pride as he beams at me as if I have done something epic instead of just stumbling across my mate. My parents are fated mates, and I know they are dying for us to experience the same thing.

"God it's good to see you boy," he says, his deep voice warm and emotional. "This is just wonderful, not only are you home in one piece but you've found your mate. This calls for a celebration." He hands me a beer and even though he has stepped away, he still has his hand on my shoulder squeezing repeatedly as he tries to contain his enthusiasm. I shoot another glare at Leila who shrugs her shoulders at me. She didn't give him the full story when she was filling him in on the latest gossip. Dad was probably planning his retirement on the way over, working out how quickly he can hand the pack over to me now that I have someone to help run it.

"I must be the only one who doesn't feel like celebrating around here," I growl, sinking into the couch and taking a long draw from the bottle of beer. My father looks from me to Leila, and back again, completely puzzled.

"She's human. I couldn't even meet her because she'd have seen that my injuries have healed already. What the hell am I supposed to do now? How do I explain all of this?" I gesture back and forth between us. My father's jaw drops and for a moment, the man who has known exactly what to do my entire life is stunned into silence. I know he can sense my misery, so he plonks himself down onto the worn leather couch beside me and thumps his hand on my knee in an awkward attempt to comfort me. Any mated wolf understands how strong the pull of the mate bond is, especially when you first recognize each other. He knows how crazy my wolf must be going to get to her.

I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling, throwing my feet up on my old wooden coffee table and wallowing in self-pity and frustration. I try to ignore Ethan and Leila, who are still loitering just inside the front door, ready to pounce on me again if I decide to make a break for it. My father's silence doesn't last for long thankfully, as he switches from Dad mode back to Alpha mode and takes control of the situation. He just can't help himself and for once I am extremely grateful.

"This pity party is not very becoming of the future Alpha, Cooper. No son of mine is just going to sit here and drown his sorrows," he says pointedly. I sigh and raise my eyes to heaven, resisting the urge to remind him he was the one who gave me the beer in the first place. I glance up and see Leila smirk even as she keeps her head down and hides behind a curtain of dark brown hair, obviously thinking the very same thing and trying not to laugh.

"Okay, practical stuff to start with. While I've never heard of an Alpha being mated to a human, I have seen it in other wolves. It's rare but it can happen. Your wolf is frantic at being away from her because you haven't marked or mated yet, and he will torment you until you do," he says as if he needs to tell me. "You'll feel better if you at least know that she is safe, so find out where she lives and where she works." I nod, that makes sense. I should be capable of thinking of this myself, but my exhaustion and wild emotions are taking their toll on my ability to think straight.

"Next, don't tell anyone who she is to you until she knows what you are and has accepted you. And for God's sake don't tell your mother!" He looks straight at my sister rather than at me as he says that part. "I don't care how excited you are, you'll be putting her in danger if anyone outside the pack finds out. And you'll open up the very real possibility that your mother will kidnap her for you." Ethan smirks but nobody laughs because we all know it's a distinct possibility.

"Go and see her. It should help your wolf relax a bit. Just don't do anything stupid. Then decide a reasonable time frame that you need to stay away, that wouldn't be too suspicious for you to be up and about. And use that time to work out how you can woo her." I hear Ethan snort from where he is standing at the door and shoot daggers at him. My father and Leila try to hide their smiles.

"Woo her? For fucks sake, what does that even mean?! You are all loving this just a little bit too much." I mutter, stabbing my finger in Leila and Ethan's direction. Leila pulls me into a hug and ruffles my hair, kissing my cheek.

"It's ok big bro, we can have a rom-com marathon so you can get some pointers." A giggle bursts past her lips. She knows that I am totally out of my depth. Wolf mating is normally very straightforward. You meet your mate; you feel the pull and recognize each other immediately. You mate and mark each other and live happily ever after. The relationship part comes after because with a true mate bond you know that this is the one person meant for you, perfect for you in every way. Except, in this case, my mate hasn't got a clue about any of this.

"Patience son, I know it is going to be a little bit harder, but she will be worth it. Fate has put you together for a reason." My Dad thumps my leg again before standing to leave, ushering Ethan and Leila out in front of him before they can wind me up anymore. I stretch out my long legs and feel a bit calmer now. Go see her, come up with a plan to make her mine, try not to come across like a stalker, simple. Just be cool.

I wait until dusk before leaving my house and heading for the address Ethan gave me. I leave the front door unlocked as always, and shift into my wolf outside, before bounding off the porch and into the trees. I know where the house she is living in is, it's been empty for a while and I didn't realize that it had been bought. It's crazy to think she has been living close by without me knowing it.

My sleek black wolf glides silently through the forest, and in no time at all, we are sitting on the crest of the small hill that runs down to the back of her property. I can smell her everywhere and it is driving my senses wild, she must come out here a lot. The house is an old ranch-style wooden cabin, but it has seen better days and needs a good bit of work to bring it back to its former glory. It's large, bigger than my place, and too much for one just person. I start to panic as I wonder if she already has a husband, a family, and that is why she needs all this space.

I force myself to calm down and think logically, I do a lap of the house but don't pick up any other strong recent scents. In fact, it doesn't appear that anyone else has been here in a good while, which in itself is a bit strange. I know she's new to town but surely someone has been here? Normally the scents of recent visitors, friends, and family would linger for a while. If someone else was living here, I would know. That doesn't mean she doesn't have a boyfriend, but if she does, he isn't coming round here.

All the lights downstairs are off and only the soft glow of a bedside lamp is coming from what must be the master bedroom. Satisfied that there is no immediate threat to my mate or any other men here to steal her away from me, my wolf relaxes. I return to my spot on the hill and settle in for the night, happy in the knowledge that my girl is safe and sleeping soundly close by.