He barked at her upon approaching and bowed low to the ground. She nodded and stood, hopping over to him and climbing aboard, clinging to his fur. Then he made his way back to the spring.
Once again, he bowed low. She dismounted, and he took a long drink from the flowing spring to demonstrate its cleanliness.
“Oh, this water is drinkable?” she asked.
His wolf head nodded, and she kneeled beside the spring and gathered the cool, clear water in her hands and drank of it deeply. When she’d had her fill, she wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist, and then Seth dipped his head to drink until he could drink no more.
Again he bowed, and she mounted him. He quickly made his way toward the cave, and he ducked his way through the narrow opening and carried her to the pine bough bed he’d made for her.
She slid off his back and said, “We’re sleeping here?”
He shifted and said, “Is this alright?” He hoped she’d not been expecting more elaborate accommodations.
“It looks fine,” she said. “Quite cozy.”
“I’ve made a bed for you so you don’t have to sleep on the ground,” he told her, waving his hand toward the pile of boughs.
“Thank you, Seth,” she said. “But where will you sleep?”
“I am quite comfortable sleeping on the ground,” he told her. “I’ll be shifted into my wolf form so that I may react quickly to any danger, and it is much more comfortable to sleep in that form here, anyway.”
She snuggled down onto the pine boughs and shifted her position several times. She looked uncomfortable, and he frowned.
“Is this unacceptable?” he asked her.
“It’s fine,” she said. “It’s just the pine needles keep poking me through my clothes.”
“You will have much more comfortable sleeping quarters back at my den,” he promised. “I wish I could do more for you now.”
“Oh, don’t worry, this will do just fine,” she said pleasantly. “I just need to find the most comfortable position.”
After a while, she managed to nestle into her little nest of pine boughs and she began to relax. The night air began to creep in from outside the cave, and he noticed she was shivering.
“Are you cold?” he asked her.
“Only a bit,” she said, though her teeth were clearly shattering as she spoke.
“I must keep you warm,” he told her, and he lied down beside her in human form and wrapped his arms around her.
She stiffened at first, and he thought she might ask him to move away, but she slowly began to relax. Her trembling eventually subsided, and the warmth of his body lulled her to sleep.
He snuggled closer to her, feeling her soft curves melding against him and wishing she were naked so he could feel her skin against his own. His nose nuzzled into her hair, breathing in her delicious human scent, and he struggled to hold back the raging erection that threatened to interrupt her sleep.
Patience, he thought to himself. She will accept you as her mate soon enough. As he listened to the rhythmic sound of her breathing, he slowly fell asleep.
Chapter Twelve
When Callie awakened, the morning sunlight was spilling into the small cavern and warming her face. She shifted her body and then realized that Seth was nestled close beside her with his arms wrapped protectively around her. Her heart began to thump rapidly at the thought of his nakedness so close to her.
He stirred, and she immediately tried to still herself, not wanting to wake him. The feeling of lying beside him was pleasant, and she didn’t want it to end. Unfortunately, her own movement had already woken him up, and he’d sat up and taken his pleasant warmth away from her.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she answered politely.
“Are you hungry?” he asked her.
“No, not yet,” she answered truthfully.
“How is your ankle?” he asked.
She wiggled her foot and there was only a bit of tenderness. “It’s a bit better,” she said. “Still just a little discomfort, but not nearly as bad as yesterday.”
“Then we should get started soon,” he told her. “The den is still a few days journey from here.”
She nodded, but disappointment knotted up in her throat and threatened to make her cry. She’d been enjoying their intimacy, and she wanted more of it, but she couldn’t find the words to tell him without risking embarrassment. She still didn’t have enough self-confidence to truly believe this gorgeous man could really be attracted to her, or even in love with her, though she’d seen it herself in his eyes.
“Shall we begin travelling now, or would you like to eat something first?” he asked.
“I’d just like to drink before we start out,” she answered. “There’s no telling when we’ll find clean water again.”
“Agreed,” he said. “Can you walk?”
He stood and offered his hands to her, and she took them. He pulled her to her feet and she tested putting weight on her ankle.
“It’s not too bad,” she said. “I believe I can walk.”
She had a fairly serious limp, but with Seth’s assistance, she made it back to the spring and they both drank their fill of water.
“Are you ready to continue our journey?” Seth asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m ready to see what your den is like.”
“Our den,” he corrected her. “It is your home now, even if you do not choose me as your mate.”
“Alright,” she agreed. “Our den. I like the sound of that.”
Seth shifted, and without prompting, she quickly hopped onto his back and grabbed handfuls of his fur. She leaned forward, inhaling his musky wolf scent, and he took off through the forest, the wind whipping through her hair.
* * *
As the days went by, they got closer and closer to the den. The longer they traveled, the more excited, and nervous, Callie became.
How would the rest of the pack react to her? After all, she was just an outsider. Maybe they wouldn’t even accept her as one of them and she’d be forced to go back to the city and face whatever horrors waited for her there.
No, she couldn’t stand to think of that. She couldn’t go back. She just couldn’t. Even if Seth decided he didn’t want her, or his pack couldn’t accept her, she made up her mind she wouldn’t go back. She’d just have to learn what she could from Seth so she could try to survive in the woods alone.
She thought about this as they traveled. She made plans for exactly what she would do if Seth or his pack rejected her. She just knew that going back would never be an option.
As they traveled, Callie found herself growing more and more fond of Seth. He was strong and protective. He was a good provider, and he brought her fresh food and tended to her ankle regularly. She could see that Seth would allow no harm to come to her.
So why did she still feel so reluctant to accept Seth’s offer? Why couldn’t she commit to being his mate?
As she clung to his fur, he seemed to be desperate to get her back to his den. He seemed to be racing against time, and she found herself burying her face into the nape of his neck as they traveled to keep from getting seasick from their relentless pace.
Something continued to stir inside her. This wolf was offering her solace. He was offering her protection. He was offering her everything she needed and wanted. But still… something just wasn’t quite right. Something was missing.
Chapter Fourteen
The journey home seemed to take longer than the journey to Madge’s cottage, and Seth felt it would never come to an end. Despite the fact that he rain had long since ceased, he couldn’t wait to get Callie home and get her settled into life in the den. He was certain he could make her want to be his mate if only he could get her home.
The longer he was with her – smelling her delicious human scent and feeling the warmth of her body nestled atop his as he carried her home – the more he wanted her.
The more he hunted for her, fed h
er, protected her, and cared for her, the more she felt like his mate. Her small hands held fast to his fur as they traveled, and he could feel the electricity surging through him at her touch.
And to think that Seth had wanted to throttle Wyatt for even suggesting that he visit Madge. Now he felt like he should thank his brother. After all, this young woman with her flaming red hair now seemed like the one thing that could bring his life together in one perfect piece.
How could this woman be the key to everything he ever wanted when he had always been certain he wanted to spend his life alone? He was utterly befuddled, but the fact of the matter was that Wyatt had been right. Madge was a genius.
They’d been making good time when Seth sensed discomfort in Callie. He sniffed the air for the scent of water and turned off his path slightly, veering toward the scent of running water. He soon came upon a small brook babbling its way through the forest. A cursory sniff test told him the water was safe, and he lowered his body. Callie slid off and gasped in pain.
Seth quickly shifted, just in time to catch her as she started to tumble toward the ground. His arms hooked around her waist and held firmly, and she shifted all of her weight onto her healthy ankle.
“Your ankle is swollen again,” he noticed.
She nodded, her face drawn with pain. He helped her hobble to a moss-covered boulder beside the brook, and she grunted as she lowered herself onto it, breathing heavily.
“You should have alerted me to your discomfort,” Seth admonished her. “I was so focused on getting us home…”
“It’s fine,” she said quickly. “I wanted to get there, too.”
“But you must let me know when something ails you,” he said, bending to examine her ankle more closely.
Callie winced and hissed a sharp breath in through her teeth at his touch, and he could tell the pain was even greater than she was letting on.
“You need to soak it in the brook,” he told her, gently moving her foot toward the little brook. “The water is cool. It should at least numb the pain a bit.”
She gritted her teeth and her eyes watered as her foot submerged itself into the water. He could see her knuckles blanching pale as she dug her fingernails into the moss beneath her.
He felt like a failure. He’d been so focused on getting her home that he hadn’t noticed her pain. He should have been paying more attention to her!
Her stomach growled, and he closed his eyes and tried to quell the intense self-loathing that had begun to sweep across him. Not only had he not noticed her pain, but he’d neglected to keep her fed, as well. How could he be a good mate when he was so thoroughly self-absorbed?
“You must eat,” he said. “Will you be alright here while I find you something to eat?”
“I’ve already found it,” she said.
He raised his eyebrow at her quizzically, and she simply bobbed her head once to an area on the other side of the brook. His eyes followed her nod to a small tree that was hanging full of fresh, ripe apples.
“Well spotted!” he exclaimed.
Seth hopped across the brook and filled his arms with the plumpest, juiciest fruit, which he brought to her and laid at her feet. He plucked one from the pile and handed it to her, and she immediately sank her teeth into the crisp flesh.
“I’ll pick as many as you can fit into your bundle and hopefully they will last you until we arrive at the den,” he said. “It will save us time if I don’t have to hunt for you.”
“What about you?” she asked. “Don’t you need to eat?”
“I’d rather just get you home,” he said. “I can eat once we get there.”
“You need to keep up your strength,” she argued.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I can go for weeks without eating if necessary.”
“But it’s not necessary.”
“You’re right, it’s not necessary that I go for weeks without eating,” he said. “But another day or two I can handle. How is your ankle feeling?”
She carefully waggled it under the water and shrugged, taking another big bite of the apple. Juice dribbled down her chin, and she wiped it away with the back of her wrist. She chewed and swallowed.
“Feeling a bit better, actually,” she answered. “I should be good to go in a few more minutes.”
“Don’t rush,” Seth warned her. “We still have another day, perhaps two. But I promise I won’t let you get into such a state again. I will be more vigilant.”
“Seth, it’s fine, really,” Callie said. “You’ve done so much for me already.”
“I’m ashamed of myself for not noticing sooner,” he said. “It won’t happen again.”
Callie said nothing, instead focusing on eating her apple. Seth hoped she would forgive him, and that in time she would realize that he was the right mate for her. He’d just have to be especially careful to attend to her needs in the future in order to prove that to her.
Once Callie had eaten and he had wrapped her apples carefully in her bundle of clothing, he shifted into wolf form and Callie mounted him. His stomach was gnawing pitifully inside him, but he just wanted to get his new mate home.
Chapter Fourteen
Callie heard a long howl in the distance, and Seth reared his head back and howled his response. He dashed toward the sound, and Callie spotted another wolf, a bit smaller than Seth, but with the same coloring, standing on a hill.
The wolf dashed down the hill toward them, but Callie was unafraid. Seth had made no motions to defend them, so she knew this wolf must be one of his pack, or at least one he recognized as no threat.
As the wolf approached them, he sniffed the air deeply and then shifted. Bones cracked and bent, and before them rose a tall, lean man who looked a bit younger than Seth, but was every bit as gorgeous. He was tall with sandy hair and blue eyes. Callie swallowed a gasp, but her eyes widened.
“You must be Seth’s new mate,” he said, coming to stand beside them and extending his hand. “I am Wyatt, Seth’s brother.”
Callie took the proffered hand and shook it. When she tried to release it, Wyatt squeezed it harder for a moment as if reluctant to let go. After a moment, he finally released her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Wyatt,” Callie answered.
She slid off Seth’s back and he quickly shifted, greeting his brother with a firm clap of the hand into his brother’s waiting palm.
“How have you been, brother?” Seth asked. “Is the pack doing well?”
“There have been no disturbances in your absence,” Wyatt answered, his eyes shifting between his brother and Callie. “So this is your new mate, huh?”
“Not yet,” Seth said. “She has not yet accepted.”
“What’s the holdup?” Wyatt asked, his eyes suddenly piercing into hers. “Are you not attracted to my brother?”
She cleared her throat and shifted back and forth between feet, uncomfortable at being put on the spot right in front of Seth. She wasn’t sure how to answer.
“I… I just… I’m not ready to…”
“Wyatt, humans require a bit more time before making a lifelong commitment,” Seth informed his brother. “They prefer to get to know one’s personality on a deeper level before making things official.”
“I see,” said Wyatt, his eyes traveling up and down her body and making her breath quicken. He looked directly at Callie and said, “You never answered if you are attracted to my brother or not.”
“Wyatt, this is not an appropriate line of questioning,” Seth warned his brother. “Do not make her feel uncomfortable here or there will be consequences.”
“I don’t mean to make her uncomfortable,” Wyatt said. “I only mean to find out her intentions.”
“I have no intentions as of yet,” Callie shot out confidently, jutting her chin forward and crossing her arms defiantly. “Not that it is any of your business if I did.”
“Feisty!” Wyatt exclaimed with a wide grin. Then he growled, “I like it!”
Callie gla
red at Wyatt through narrowed eyes, and he chuckled at her, further infuriating her. Seth grabbed his brother’s shoulders and whirled him around, pushing him back toward the hill.
“Time to go,” Seth said.
Wyatt leaned back against this brother’s hands, struggling against their forward momentum. He glanced over his shoulder at Callie and grinned.
The Alpha's to Share: A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 6
