Chapter Six
Mitch
Icouldn’t stay away from the Wolf’s Bite, not when my entire essence was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. From the moment I laid eyes on her in the diner, something raw and instinctual awoke within me, a force so powerful it threatened to consume me whole.
My mate.
The words echo through my mind, reverberating deep within the recesses of my soul. She”s here. Finally. Breezing into Willowbrook, as near impossible as that is.
The Wolf’s Bite was the easy choice for Sally to send her. My sister, Cindi, runs it even when there aren’t many guests, least of all humans who find their way here. And none in the past twenty years.
There were always a trickle of humans with wolf shifter blood who would find our town but for some reason, that trickle slowed to a stop. Sarah is the only new female to arrive here in years, which makes her appearance more than remarkable.
The urge to whisk her away from the Wolf’s Bite, to covet her in my bed in my own lodgings is overwhelming. I have to play this right because the consequences of scaring my mate away is too big to fuck up.
Cindi laughed when she found me waiting in the hotel’s kitchen at the crack of dawn, demanding to know the female’s name, that knowing glint in her eye telling me she was already aware of the significance of our newest guest. News travels fast in a town like Willowbrook.
Especially when it involves the alpha and his potential mate.
And Sally.
The entire pack is buzzing with speculation. There had been witnesses at the diner, those who had seen the way my control nearly slipped the moment my gaze locked onto her.
Tongues are wagging, theories flying as to the identity of this mysterious woman who woke such a primal response in me. Some whisper that she must be my destined partner, the missing piece of my soul that I’ve searched for all my life.
They”re right, of course, but until I have the chance to tell her myself, to explain the intricacies of our world and the bond that has already begun to form between us, I”ll keep her identity a closely guarded secret.
As the sound of footsteps echoe from the hallway, my entire being goes on high alert, every sense attuned to the tantalizing promise of her presence. And then, she appears in the doorway, and it”s as if the world itself grinds to a halt.
She”s even more breathtaking up close, her fiery tresses tousled from sleep and her soft and hazy eyes. The soft, worn fabric of her T-shirt clings to her curves, leaving little to the imagination, and I have to clench my jaw to keep from growling possessively at the sight.
But it”s not just her physical beauty that ensnares me–it”s the haunted vulnerability that clings to her like a shroud, a sadness that tugs at the protective instincts of my wolf. I ache to know what could have put such sorrow in those captivating eyes, what could have dimmed the light that should shine so vibrantly from within her.
As she takes me in, her gaze roaming over my frame with a mixture of curiosity and something far more raw, my wolf perks to attention. He”s eager, impatient to claim what is rightfully ours, to pull this extraordinary woman into our embrace and never let go.
Don’t scare her off, asshole. This is too important. We can’t rush this, can’t risk scaring her away before we have a chance to explain who she is to us.
My wolf grumbles his displeasure, but he acquiesces, simmering beneath the surface as I turn my focus back to the vision before me.
I hand her a cup of coffee, her intoxicating scent washing over me, a heady blend of wildflowers and warm summer rain that has my wolf straining at the leash. I taste the notes of arousal laced through her natural fragrance. Mouthwatering.
She thanks me. She doesn’t know I’d feed her by hand if she’d just let me. Every bite of every meal for the rest of her life. My gaze is locked on those plumps lips sealing around the rim in a way that turns my blood to lava. Images of those same lips wrapped around my aching flesh assault my mind, and I have to bite back a guttural groan.
Get a grip. You’re being as much of an asshole as your wolf, Stokes.
I force my gaze away from the tempting sight before me. Before I can offer myself intimately like that, she has to understand the true nature of our bond. She must embrace her place at my side as my mate. My forever.
But first, she has to accept that the only reason she’s my mate is that she also has wolf shifter blood running through her veins, which she’ll be totally ignorant of.
I need to be patient and tread with care. I don’t want to scare her off, because if it comes down to it and she really wants to leave, I’ll let her. I will never force my mate to do anything she doesn’t want, and that includes accepting me as her mate.
”I was actually hoping to speak with Cindi,” she says after taking a fortifying sip of her coffee. ”I need to check out and be on my way. Have you seen her?”
The words are like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs as a wave of pure panic washes over me. She can”t leave. Not without the time for me to offer us a chance. A strangled sound comes out of my mouth. One I quickly shut off when she starts to look nervous.
”Is everything all right?” I ask, struggling to keep my tone even and measured. ”If there”s an issue with your accommodations, I can have it addressed immediately.”
Her brows knit and a spark of something flickers through her eyes. ”There”s no issue. I just didn”t plan on staying more than one night and I think Sally booked me in for a few days.”
”But why the rush to leave?” The words tumble from my lips before I can stop them, laced with a desperation that I instantly regret. ”Willowbrook is a peaceful place. There’s lots to explore.”
Including me.
“Thank you but...It”s better for me to keep moving.”
She regards me for a long moment, her gaze roaming over my body and a line forms between her brows. I know why she’s confused. She’s fighting her nature. The knowledge gives me a boost. Even with this short time together, our bond is winding it’s path into her heart and soul. All I need is a little more time. And to keep us together.
My wolf snarls in protest, railing against the very notion of letting our mate slip through our fingers. But I force him back, tempering my instincts with reason and logic.
We’ll only ever have one mate. She’s it for us. Forever.
She’s so valuable. So precious. And she has no idea.
She will soon, my wolf grumbles.
Yes. Soon.
If you don’t push too hard.
I incline my head in acquiescence, offering her a small, reassuring smile I don’t feel. ”I understand,” I lie, the words tasting like ash on my tongue. ”At least stop by the diner and let Sally pack some food for you. The next town is more than a few miles away and I don’t want you to go hungry.”
Her hand splays over the slight curve of her abdomen. She’s plush. Soft. Sexy as fuck in those brief clothes she’s almost wearing. The only way she’d look better is if she was naked in my bed with those wild curls splayed over my white pillow, her thighs parting to gift me with the paradise between them. But it’s the halting gesture. The way her fingers clench in the hem of her T-shirt that she tugs away from her curves, as though she’s trying to hide herself from me, that has me frowning.
“Is everything okay, Sarah?” My voice contains more than a touch of my wolf’s growl.
Her eyes flare wide and her lips part. Shit, I should have not sounded like that, but I can’t stand to see her look shrunken in on herself. As though she’s less than. When in reality, she’s a fucking goddess.
“How do you know my name?” she asks.
I know her name because I damn well demanded it from my sister when I turned up here before dawn. “I’m the sheriff. I asked Cindi to give it to me. I like to keep people safe around her. It’s quite the wilderness out there,” I offer, holding my breath to see if she accepts my words.
“Oh, well. Thank you. I guess. That’s very hospitable of you,” she says, and I’m worried because she still wears that frown.
I smile at her, delighting in the way her pupils dilate and her delicate scent fragrances the air. “We’re a small town. It’s my job to make sure everyone stays safe.”
That at least, is the truth.
“In that case, could you tell me where the garage is? I’ll need to fill up with gas before I leave,” she says.
I give her directions over the rocks in my mouth, while my mind spins with ways to keep her here.
She offers me a small, hesitant smile. “Thank you for the directions and the coffee, Sheriff.”
She turns. The door closes behind her and she’s gone.
My wolf snarls, not liking her out of his sight where he can’t protect her, but I settle him down.
She might be gone for now. But she’s still not gone for good.