Wait, you had another mate before this one, the wind whispered urgently.
Yes, she answered.
The wind whispered in awe, the first one did not call to your wolf, but the second one calls to your wolf. If this is true, daughter of Alpha Troy, then it means that the second one is your true mate. The one that calls to your wolf is the one that your wolf really wants; sometimes one can mistake lust for a true mate but it is not the wolf calling, it is the human. A true mate is defined when both the human and the wolf want that one person and their wolf.
Grace was shocked as she did not know that both the human and wolf halves had to want the person to define them as a true mate.
Most cases though this only happens with second mates. Those who choose their first mates wisely, which means with their wolf, then they do not need to look for second mates. Second mates are rare for they are for those who Fate decides deserve the second chance of being happy.
The wind whisper stopped but Grace listened to its words long after it stopped. Her first night was full of surprise and the second night was deciding what she was going to do. The third night she headed home to sleep in her own bed. As for Artur, she would decide that when she saw him again.
Grace went up to her room as she realized that the house was empty. Everybody was probably at the pack house or patrolling. She was undressing when she heard noise downstairs, and she frowned as she opened up her hearing senses to their full potential.
“Amy, when do you think Grace will be back?” Susan said as Grace heard cabinets closing. From the sounds of the cabinet doors opening and closing, Grace figured that they had gone shopping and bought food for the house.
“I don’t know, Susan,” Amy said, and Grace caught a hint of sadness in her voice.
“Honey,” she heard Steve say as he came into the room, “we are going outside to do some training.”
“Okay,” Amy said, and Grace heard six pairs of shoes going out the back door. She knew who was here, but the one she really wanted to see was not one of them. She sighed to herself as she finished undressing so she could take a shower. She sneaked down to the bathroom after everyone went outside including Amy and Susan. She was enjoying her shower that she did not sense when Artur showed up. She finished her shower, and she dressed more comfortably than she had for the last three days. She slipped on a pair of black leggings and a long violet shirt that matched her eyes but settled around her hips. She slipped her feet into black hush puppies, and she pulled her hair into a very lose ponytail. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, and for once, she liked what she saw. She went back upstairs to place her dirty clothes and other things back in her room, and then she headed to the kitchen. Looking at what she had, she went to work making a great meal for her friends.
Artur was sweating as he and the others called a break from their training. He grabbed a water bottle as Steve said, “The training is going good. Good work, Pack.”
They all nodded their heads as they started to walk back inside, Amy and Susan went in first then just froze that the others bumped into them hard.
“Amy, Susan, why did you stop?” Steve said, and then he heard the music and everyone gasped as they looked into the kitchen.
“Hi,” Grace said giving them a smile as she worked at the stove. The music poured from a small radio that she placed on the kitchen counter.
“Grace,” Susan and Amy screamed, and they went running to her that she quickly stepped away from the stove.
She laughed as she said, “I take it that you missed me and I only been gone for a few days. I needed to do some thinking.”
She turned back to the stove, and so she missed Artur, as he was the last to head for the house walk in, but her wolf recognized him immediately. Grace stilled at the stove, and she turned around to look into his blue-gold eyes. As soon as she looked into those eyes, she knew what she was going to do; she was going to give them a chance.
“Hi Artur,” she said huskily. Artur looked at her for a moment then he turned and walked back outside. Grace felt her heart stop then start back up slower. She wanted to go out to him, but she feared that he did not want her to. Amy took the spoon that she was using to stir the sauce, and pushed her to the door.
“Go,” she ordered, and Grace nodded her head. She rushed to the door, and the others moved out of her way. Once she stepped outside, she looked around until she spotted him leaning against the gazebo that her dad built for her mom. She walked quickly to him not realizing that in her haste, she still did it silently.
“Artur,” she said softly and she was shocked to see him jump turning around quickly. She swallowed as she looked into his eyes. “I am sorry, but I needed to think about some things. Also I have to apologize to you.”
Artur looked at her and he wanted nothing more to drag her into his arms, but instead he asked, “For what?”
Grace blushed embarrassed, “I was asking the others about Lana, and I am sorry for prying into your private life.”
Artur could not take it anymore as he dragged her into his arms and crashed his lips onto hers. Grace did not even struggle but wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him back as passionately as he was kissing her. Both wolves sighed in satisfaction as their human parts discovered their own passion in each other’s arms.
They broke apart breathlessly and Artur leaned his forehead against hers, “I missed you, Grace, so very much.”
Grace did not want to ruin the moment but she had to ask, “What about Lana?”
Artur pulled her tight to his body as he said, “I will tell you about Lana, but right now, I think you need to feed some hungry people including myself.” He whispered in her ear as they drew apart, “Although it is not the only thing I am hungry for” that Grace blushed, but her violet eyes shined with her passion, and Artur had to stop himself from pulling her back into his arms. She laughed at him teasingly and took off running for the kitchen that Artur was shocked for a moment until he took after her.
The members in the kitchen smiled as Grace came running into the kitchen a few seconds later followed by Artur who laughed as he caught her waist, and swung her around in a circle.
Amy laughed but she said, “Grace, can you take this back over because I think I am burning it.”
Grace squeezed the hands at her waist then slid away to check her sauce. Everyone smiled as they saw the look of happiness that crossed Artur’s face and the blue-gold eyes that shined with a passion that each of the males could understand.
They were all sitting down to eat when Steve’s cell went off. He was laughing at something Ace said when he answered, “Hello.”
The laughter left his face and everyone at the table knew something was wrong.
“Yes, Alpha, we will be there in ten minutes,” he said, his face was set and his eyes turned cold as Amy placed her hand on his arm. His arm twitched before it stilled and Amy’s eyes filled with fear.
After he hung up, he caught her hand in a tight grip as he said, “The Alpha wants the strongest of our pack to meet him at his pack house. There was attack tonight, and a family of three lost their lives. He wants us to help with the hunt.”
Everyone started getting up from the table, as the males got ready to leave.
Steve hugged Amy and kissed her soundly. Then breaking away from her, he said, “We can take you back to the pack house. Grace, you should come too.” Grace shook her head as she started to gather dishes, and Artur grabbed them from her placing them back onto the table before he hugged her tight to him. He went to speak when she pulled back and placed a hand against his mouth.
“Don’t make any promises that you know you might not be able to keep,” she whispered. Artur frowned as he could see the sadness in her eyes, and he knew she wanted to offer her help. His mouth tightened slightly in anger, as he also knew that the Rain Cloud pack would sneer at her offer. He felt Grace’s nails dig into his arms and when he looked down, she shook her head silently.
/> He sighed and nodded his head before leaning down to place a light kiss on her lips.
“I really wish you would go to the pack house,” he said softly as he pulled away. She shook her head, and Amy said quickly after a nod from Susan, “We will stay here with her.”
Steve frowned, and then he nodded his head as the men headed for the door. Susan, Amy, and Grace walked them out, and Ace gave Susan a kiss before he shifted following Steven and Artur who had already shifted.
“Good luck,” Grace called out to them in a quiet voice, “and be safe.” Her eyes lingered on Artur’s brown wolf as his golden eyes stared at her before he howled lightly then turned away.
Grace did not hear Susan and Amy’s words as they used their mate links to speak with their mates, but each woman felt something in them clench tight in apprehension as one, the wolves turned and ran in the direction of the pack house.
“How long do you think they will be gone, Grace?” Amy asked as she and Susan followed Grace back into the house.
Grace closed the door behind them before she said with a catch in her voice “I do not know, Amy, I just do not know.”
Amy heard the fear in her voice, and she stepped forward wrapping her arms around her friend only to be surprised when Susan wrapped her arms around both of them.
“They will be fine,” she murmured confidently although Grace could hear just a slight twinge of fear weaving within that confidence.
Grace closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she pulled back and said with a smile, “That is right, they will be fine. So how about you two help me clean up from dinner?”
“Which we didn’t even get to eat,” Susan said copying Grace’s attitude, and Amy could not help but laugh although she knew exactly what they were doing.
“I say finish eating, and then we clean,” Amy suggested as they headed for the kitchen.
“I second the motion,” Susan said with a sharp nod.
Grace only laughed as they sat back down at the table to finish the food on their plates trying to look at the other plates sitting around the table.
Chapter 11
It was going on the second day since Artur, Steve, and other pack members left to check out the rogue attack, and Grace was worried although she was not sure why. One thing she was glad of is that the harassing phone calls stopped, for the time being anyone as she assumed they would start back up when the men returned.
She started out of her thoughts when a knock sounded on her door, and she frowned as she answered.
“Hi, Grace,” Amy said with a big smile, and Susan and Ashley, Kale’s mate, waved as Grace sighed and moved to the side allowing them to enter.
“I thought I told you to wait at the pack house for the others to come back, “Grace said noting the small bags that each girl carried.
Amy bit her lip and then told her, “I do not want to leave you alone just now especially with the harassing phone calls you have been getting.”
“If it is that, then you do not have to worry Amy,” Grace said heading for the kitchen after motioning for them to put their bags down in the living room.
They followed her as Grace pulled out bacon and cheese from the refrigerator before going to the counter grabbing the hotdogs she pulled earlier, and then looking up she asked, “Are you staying for dinner?”
Amy said “yeah” looking at the ingredients with quizzical eyes and Grace only laughed as she opened the package of hotdogs placing them on a plate.
Susan shook her head as she asked, “So why do we not have to worry about the phone calls, Grace?”
Grace explained as she continued making dinner, “Ever since the men left to hunt down the rogues who attacked that family, I have not gotten one single phone call.”
“So the person who is calling you is in the Rain Cloud Pack,” the newcomer said, and Grace looked up at her with wary violet eyes before she nodded her head.
“I always assumed that, but I do not who it is,” Grace told them as she began to wrap the cheese-filled hotdogs with bacon.
After Grace filled each hotdog with cheese and wrapped them in bacon, she put them on racked pan before placing them in the oven.
“What is exactly is that,” Susan asked a frown on her face.
“Bacon cheese hotdogs,” Grace said with a straight face although there was a twinkle in her eyes as Susan rolled her eyes.
“We can see that, Grace,” Ashley stated crossing her arms over her chest.
“Try them first then tell me what you think,” Grace suggested as she turned to her cabinet and opened the door. “What would you like with them?”
They looked at each other before they tossed out ideas until finally, they settled on macaroni-n-cheese, and Grace frowned as she began to make it.
“Not a very nutritious meal,” she muttered, and the others laughed.
Almost an hour later, they were seating at the table finishing dinner and Amy said in astonishment, “Those were actually very good.”
“Thank you,” Grace said with a nod of her head before she drank from her glass.
Susan asked quietly, “Do you think that they are all right?”
“Yes,” Amy and Ashley said with confidence, and Susan looked at them in surprise.
“You feel it, Susan, if Ace was hurt or worse,” Ashley told her. “Since you two are fully mated, then you will feel his pain if something had happened.”
Grace frowned slightly and Ashley noticing the frown, said worriedly, “I am sorry, Grace, I did not mean…”
Grace shook her head as she began to pile the dishes up and she said with a small smile, “That is okay, Ashley. I understand and I am glad that as of right now, it seems that they are fine.”
She started taking the dishes to the sink and the others helped her clean up before Amy said, “Grace, go sit down and talk with Susan. Ashley and I will do the dishes.”
“You don’t have to…” Grace began only to be cutoff as both Amy and Ashley gave her a glare.
She laughed raising her hands in the air in defeat, and they heard her say to Susan as she sat back down at the table, “They can be scary when they want to be.”
Susan busted out laughing and Amy smiled as Ashley said aloud, “Damn right.”
Once they finished washing dishes, they sat around the table just chatting but everything and nothing as the night drifted on, and finally going on midnight, Grace suggested, “Let’s head to bed. I am enjoying our talk, but we all have things to do tomorrow and we need to be fresh when the men come back.”
Susan and Ashley laughed as Amy shook her head, but Grace only grinned and got up from the table.
She said ‘goodnight’ telling the women to take any room they want since the rooms where still set up although not being used, as Steve had wanted the others who did not go on the hunt to protect the pack house. One of the reasons that he had not wanted Amy and any of the others to stay with Grace, and another reason Grace had told them to go back to the pack house.
As she got ready for bed that night, though, she admitted that she was glad they were there.
For the next four days, Grace went to work while the others went about their duties, but each evening they were all back at Grace’s house waiting on word about their mates and the outcome of the hunt.
The week was coming to end when Amy decided she needed to go to the pack house for a few extra things. She immediately said, “You are coming with us, Grace.”
“Amy…”Grace began only to have Susan and Ashley jump in with other reasons for going.
“I need to get my notebook,” Susan said as she grabbed her purse.
“I need some more clothes,” Ashley said only to have three pairs of eyes turn to her. She sighed admitted, “Okay, I don’t need more clothes, but I want to see if there is any news and you, Grace, are coming with us.”
Grace sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and although she scowled, she said, “Fine, I will go with you. I really dislike pack houses though.”
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br /> They filed into Amy’s car and Grace could feel the looks that they were giving her although no one asked her the question that they were dying to ask.
There were a few miles from the pack house when suddenly Amy gasped. Susan and Ashley were smiling as they hugged each other.
“Is something wrong?” Grace asked looking at them worriedly before suddenly her wolf told her He is nearby; I do not how I know it, but Artur is back and unharmed.
“They are back,” Grace stated, and each woman nodded as Amy’s foot pushed harder on the gas.
They arrived a few seconds later and they all filed out although Grace hung back as the others rushed up the stairs heading for the front door.
“Grace, come on,” Amy called out her voice stern, and Grace shook back the fear that suddenly rushed through her as she caught up with the others as they entered the house.
Amy went in first and she looked around noticing one of the unmated males, Rob, standing in the hallway looking up the stairs.
“Where did they go, Rob?” Amy asked him as they surrounded him.
Rob answered absently his eyes still looking up the stairs, “They came in, and said they were going to shower before heading out to see their mates.” He looked so dejected that Susan asked, “What is wrong, Rob?”
Rob looked at her as he said, “Sandy and I were making out when they came back. She jumped off my lap and followed Artur upstairs. He could have any girl he wanted, why did he have to take her too.” The last part he muttered and he did not explain that Artur had paid no attention to her as she went after him. He would have if he saw the shattered look that crossed Grace’s face, but he walked off muttering to himself so he did not see it.
“I am sure that he told her to get out before closing the door in her face,” Amy said quickly, and the others backed her up.
Grace closed her eyes and opened her ears to listen. She found his room right away, and she heard the bathroom door open, “What are you doing here?” she heard him ask.
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