Chapter 2
TWO
Camden
“You have got to be kidding me,” I snarl as I stalk toward City Hall.
Go back! my wolf howls. Get our mate!
I ignore him, gritting my teeth when he lunges for my throat.
We can’t! We have a Pack meeting. We have to focus, I remind him.
We have to get our mate, he snaps back.
He paws at me, and I wince at the sting of pain.
Of all the times to find our fated mate…
Mate. Mate, mate, mate, my wolf chants.
I do my best to ignore him. I hoped that putting some distance between her and me would help, but it hasn't made a difference. I can still smell her sweet scent, still see her lush curves in my mind. Every time the wind blows, her scent is pushed to me again. It’s like Mother Nature herself is taunting me.
Why now, when I have to focus on keeping my Pack safe? When we have to deal with that cult to the north of us?
An image of her beautiful face—high cheekbones, piercing gray eyes, and midnight-black hair blowing around her face and shoulders rears in my mind.
She was tiny, maybe 5’4”, with curves in all the right places.
My mouth waters as I think about the shape of her ass and how her shirt clung to her tits.
Get her, my wolf growls.
Not right now.
Entering City Hall, I head to the meeting room, releasing an exhale when I see I’m the first to arrive.
I’m not surprised. I’m always on time and usually the first one here for the Alpha meetings.
My dad was in the Marines, and he taught me the importance of punctuality.
If you aren’t fifteen minutes early, you’re late. I still follow that to this day.
I take my seat and let out a harsh breath.
What am I going to do now? I wasn’t looking for my fated mate, but now that I’ve found her, I’m not sure I’ll be able to ignore her.
Why would we want to? my wolf demands.
I scrub my hands down my face. We have a responsibility to our Pack to keep everyone safe.
And we’re doing that, my wolf argues.
We have a new threat now. We need to be completely focused on that. Our mate is a weakness—one we can’t afford right now.
I can tell my wolf wants to argue with me, but at that moment, the door opens, and Rhodes comes in.
He smiles at me, nodding before he sits in the chair next to me. Rhodes and I are probably the closest of the Alphas. We’re both so alike. Serious, no-nonsense, focused, and responsible. That’s how I’d describe us.
Rhodes has mellowed a bit since he found his fated mate, and I’m happy for him.
That couldn’t be me, though. I take my responsibilities as Alpha of the West Pack very seriously.
My Pack comes first. I need to be the best leader I can be for them.
I need to be strong, focused, and capable.
A mate would only split my focus right now, and this is when my Pack needs me the most.
I won’t fail them.
“What’s going on with you?” Rhodes asks.
I realize I’ve been glaring as I stare off into space. “I found my fated mate today.”
“Really? That’s great! Congrats, man!” Rhodes grins and claps me on the shoulder.
I grunt.
My wolf snarls inside me. Tell him the rest.
“What’s her name?” Rhodes asks.
“I don’t know. I didn’t talk to her,” I admit.
“What? What happened? Was she in a car?”
“No.”
“Okay… What the hell happened then?”
“She was on the street, but I had to get here,” I explain.
Rhodes stares at me like I’m insane.
I swallow, shifting awkwardly in my seat. “We need to deal with the cult right now. I’ll track down my mate once that threat is dealt with.”
“Is it someone in town?”
“No, I think she was a tourist or something.”
Rhodes frowns. “How are you going to find her if she leaves?”
I wince. “I’ll find her. I know what she looks like now.”
“Camden.” Disappointment drips from Rhodes’s tone. “You shouldn’t let her get away. There’s always going to be something to do as Alpha. You might never see her again,” he warns.
“I’ll figure it out,” I promise.
“Figure out what?” Cyrus asks as he and Foster enter the room.
I’m grateful for the distraction. My wolf, not so much.
“What to do about the cult,” I lie.
“We need to figure something out fast,” Cyrus says, plopping into his chair. “We’ve had reports that they’re taking girls passing through town to marry off to the leader.”
“Kidnapping people?” Rhodes asks in surprise.
Cyrus nods.
I growl at that news, looking around at my friends. They all look as grim as I feel, and I know we need to move quickly.
“Okay, how do we help?” I ask.
“I was thinking about that,” Foster says. “I talked to Selena about it, and she thought we could start a rescue haven in case anyone is trying to leave.”
All the other Alphas have found their fated mates. Everyone is happily mated and settled down. Everyone except me.
We could fix that! my wolf shouts.
“That’s a good idea,” I agree. “I can ask a few people in town if they’d be willing to help.”
“Sounds good. How are we going to spread the word to members of the cult?” Cyrus asks.
“We should take watches, and if anyone comes onto our land, we can help. Maybe they’ll know of a way to reach others in the cult. We can ask them to help us spread the word,” Rhodes suggests.
“Good. I can take the first shift tonight,” I say, and the others nod.
We create a schedule of who will be on shift when and decide to reach out to a few others to help with the watch. By the time we leave, I’m feeling good about our plan with the cult.
My plan with my mate, less so.
I try to reason with my wolf as I make my way home, but it’s no use. He wants our fated mate and doesn’t want to hear about any plan where that isn’t a priority.
I get ready for my patrol shift, wondering what the hell I’m going to do as I shift and head out into the forest.