Chapter 4

DAMON.

"Stop it already!" I snap at my wolf.

"I want to run," he growls back.

"You ran this morning."

"And I want to run again. What? It's not like you have anything better to do?" he snarls.

He does have a point.

All these documents are just variations of the same thing.

"I have a daughter or a female mateless wolf, and we can offer her to you as a mate; let us have an alliance."

Disgusting, greedy, power-hungry vultures.

The whole lot of them.

The Blackwater pack is the most powerful and lethal in this side of the hemisphere, and everyone wants to be its friend.

And instead of going about it the usual, honorable way, they offer their she-wolves up as a bargain.

Like they didn't matter.

I wish I could find my mate already.

It would certainly put a stop to this nonsense.

"Run."

"Okay, okay. I have heard you," I mutter as I stand up. "We will go for your stupid run."

I pack up the collated files and dump them in the trash as I walk out.

I get to the mansion's entrance, and in one long leap, I jump out into the woods, shifting in mid-air and tearing my clothes.

Mother is not going to like that.

I race through the woods, letting the breeze run through my fur and the sounds of the woods beating in tandem with my heart.

I love running.

It is the one time I am free to be myself.

It is also the only time I get to admire my wolf.

It is a magnificent creature.

Huge, with a mass body build.

And Gold.

Yes, gold.

The only people who have seen it are my parents and my sister.

No one else is allowed to see it.

Only when I find my mate.

Per my mother's instruction.

Why? She wouldn't say. But I trust her, and let's be honest, having a gold-coated wolf is reason enough to listen to her order.

I have never run with my pack, a fact that grieves me but one I have to continue.

Fortunately, they trust me.

Well, most of them do.

A few years ago, a group of rebellious wolves spread a rumor that I was wolflees and their leader had challenged me to a duel.

He had shifters in his will form and attacked me before I could get in position.

I killed him with just one twist of my hand on his neck.

Still in human form.

The rest of his gang were quickly executed, and dissent was quieted.

This knowledge somehow spread to other packs, causing fear and wariness.

Some took it as a challenge.

For some reason, the previous Alpha of the Skylight pack had taken that as a challenge.

He and some of his warriors sneaked into my lands and sought to kill me.

In my own home.

I sent back only his headless corpse for burial. His head and the corpses of the other wolves were hanged at the front of the pack for a week as a warning to those who would try anything similar.

Suffice it to say I earned the fear and respect of everyone.

All I need to accomplish is my mate.

I am brought out of my musings by the most delectable scent ever.

It is Light, floral, and fresh like the scent a waterfall gives when it splashes down on the surrounding vegetation.

Mate.

Without a second thought, I change direction and head for the scent, only one word winging in my ears.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

I caught sight of the most unusual colored wolf ever.

Silver coated. A match to my good coat.

It's to slow down my wolf so as not to spook her, but he ignores me and runs straight into her, knocking her over.

To my surprise, the wolf gets back on her feet and growls.

At me.

An Alpha.

This is interesting.

CATHERINE.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I scream internally at my wolf.

"He knocked us over," she snarls.

Her response takes me aback, not specifically at the words but at the tone underneath the anger.

She is excited.

"You are trying to kill me."

Without waiting for a response, I quickly shift back to my human form, kneeling, and head to the ground.

"I am sorry," I gasp out. "She didn't mean to growl."

"Yes, she did."

I see the tallest, muscled, and most handsome man walking away.

He is also naked.

Very... naked.

"Huh?" I ask stupidly.

He says nothing in response as he returns, holding an oversized black shirt out to me.

I stare at him briefly before taking the shirt from him.

What is wrong with everybody in this pack? Are they all just very helpful toward strangers?

Once I am clothed, he immediately scoops me into his arms, bridal style, and begins walking.

I did mention he was naked, right?

I am stunned by his behavior, yet I say nothing, scared of what might happen.

Somehow, I managed to calm down and became aware of his scent.

A very intoxicating scent.

It is woodsy and fresh, like pine trees wetted by morning dew.

It is... relaxing.

"It is," my wolf purrs.

Purrs.

"I know I have asked this before, but what the hell is wrong with you?"

I am not even surprised by her silence.

It was just my luck to be paired with the most irritating and self-absorbed wolf.

"Hey!"

"Am I wrong?"

I become aware of our surroundings changing; the woods thin out, and a vast mansion is revealed.

The man carries me through and up a set of winding stairs.

"Um... excuse me..."

He doesn't show any signs of having heard me.

Instead, he opens a room and dumps me on the large bed before joining me and latching onto my lips in a searing kiss.