by Jayda Marx
I decided on a path that was two miles long and wound through a densely wooded area. I wasn’t excited about the steep incline of the trail, but I knew the views from the top would be incredible. I took a deep breath and started on my way, keeping an eye out for the little wooden signs with red triangles on them pointing me in the right direction.
I captured photo after photo as I trekked through the woods. I’d purchased a memory card with a lot of storage and planned to put it to good use. I snapped away at the red, orange and yellow leaves of the trees surrounding me. I zoomed in on all sorts of pretty wildflowers and birds perched on branches.
“Man, I need to work out more,” I huffed when I was halfway up a steep hill. There wasn’t much to me, but I also never went to the gym, so my slim body wasn’t used to this sort of cardio strain. “Oh wow,” I whispered, bringing my camera up to my eye. In the distance, a beautiful doe was feeding on a patch of tall grass. I took several pictures of her, capturing the serenity of the moment. When I stepped forward to get a better angle, a twig snapped under my foot and the deer’s head shot up from the ground. Her white tail flipped up and she trotted away. I called out “Sorry!” before realizing how ridiculous I was. I often spoke to animals or inanimate objects (like Betsy) even though I obviously wouldn’t get an answer.
I managed to make it to the top of the incline and my breath caught. From this vantage point, I could see over the rolling hills of the region, which were all painted with gorgeous autumn colors. I took dozens of photos, which were nice, but I wanted more. The trail was about twenty feet from the edge of the cliff that overlooked the valley below. If I could just get closer, I could see even more.
I left the dirt path and walked through long grass toward the rocky edge. As I got closer to the cliff face, the ground became rockier and soon all of the grass disappeared. A wooden guard rail lined the cliff, keeping hikers safe from the sudden drop on its other side.
I wasn’t stupid; I knew it was a terrible idea to climb on or over the guard rail. I wasn’t trying to die; it’d ruin my day. So instead, I stood close to the barrier and leaned over it, my body supported by my stomach against the plank. The view was amazing. I loved the way the dark evergreen of the pine trees popped against the other vibrant hues. I snapped a slew of photographs, lost in my own little world of happiness when I heard it. Crack!
I was falling before my mind could even process the sound. About halfway down the cliff face, I realized the wood of the guard rail must have given way. About three-fourths of the way down, I realized I was going to die. It’s true what they say about your life flashing before your eyes when it’s about to end. Thousands of memories flooded my mind in just a few seconds. I thought about my parents who didn’t want a gay son, and my very best friend whom I’d never get to talk to again. I wouldn’t get to tell Dax goodbye. If no one found my body, he’d never even know what happened to me.
Pain bloomed across my entire body as my right side slammed onto the rocky ground. Colors danced in my vision and my head felt as if it were being cleaved in two. Is it cleaved in two? Is my brain splattered everywhere? Well, I’m not dead yet, so I guess not. It wouldn’t be long, though; nobody knew I was down here and it was impossible for me to even stand, let alone climb back up the steep cliffside. It would be dark soon. It was getting colder. Animals would start hunting soon. Even if my phone survived the fall, I had no service here. Plus, I hurt too badly to search for it. I was screwed.
The pain in my head got even more intense. The color spots were overtaken by black shadows. I closed my eyes and succumbed to the darkness.
*****
Phoenix
I’d been wandering the trails for hours. After Rowan and Stone left for town, I tried relaxing on my own, but my body wouldn’t settle down. My wolf nagged at me to get out and explore. The scent of the mystery flower from earlier was at the forefront of my brain and I couldn’t let it go. I had no idea why; it was a flower. I’d smelled hundreds. What was so special about this one?
Still, I couldn’t fight the urge to enter the woods. I started my patrol early, so a few hikers were still out enjoying the day. I answered a few questions, gave tips on the best dinner spots, and went about my way. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. There hadn’t been a storm lately, so no limbs were down. Everyone I encountered were on their way out of the park with smiles on their faces, so why did I feel a pressing need to keep searching the trails?
Dusk gave way to night and I hadn’t seen another person for hours. The park was closed, but my wolf was going nuts inside me. It demanded I keep moving forward, so I pressed on. I always followed the gut instincts of my animalistic side. When I stepped onto the last trail, my wolf howled inside my mind. It wanted free. No one was around, so I slipped my clothes off and tucked them behind a tree.
My body bent and snapped. My spine hunched and my skull reformed. My hands twisted into paws and claws emerged from my fur-covered flesh. I stretched and shook out the muscles of my wolf body. When in this form, I was still in control. I was still me, but my senses were even sharper, my instincts keener, and my urges stronger.
I took a deep breath and froze. That’s the scent. It was faint, like it was attached to something or someone who passed through this area quite a while ago. I trotted forward with my nose to the ground, tracking the mystery scent. But it wasn’t just on the ground; it was in the air and all around me, clinging to every surface like a memory.
As I went on, the smell grew stronger. It was the sweetest, most enticing scent I’d ever encountered. It was like every flower and berry in the world rolled into one. I ran, desperate to find the source. When I reached the trailhead, the aroma was intense and intoxicating. It filled my lungs and enraptured my mind. I couldn’t get enough.
I followed the scent off of the path to the edge of the rock cliff, where it was the strongest yet. When I sniffed the air, my heart raced in my chest. My blood pumped feverishly through my veins. An uncontrollable whimper of longing left my mouth. It was then that I realized I wasn’t tracking something, but someone. I’d been following the pheromones of my mate.
My mind spun. My mate was here! With how strong the scent was, he was here today; maybe within the past few hours. I knew my mate was a male; not only was that my preference, but I could smell it. My mate was male and human. I pawed at the ground as thoughts raced through my brain. Who is he? Where is he? How will I ever find him again? Will he come back? How am I supposed to live without him until I locate him?
I paced back and forth, trying to settle my troubled mind. And then I saw it. My heart sank as I noticed a board that made up the guard rail along the cliffside was snapped in two. I instinctively knew something was wrong. I walked to the edge of the cliff and strained my neck to peer over the side. Though it was pitch black outside, I could make out an outline of a small body crumpled onto the rocks. Please god, no.
I sprinted along the rail and leapt over the board onto an area of the cliffside that sloped down at a more gradual angle; still too steep for human legs, but my wolf could handle it. I slid and tumbled down the dirt until I reached the rocky bottom. I jumped over a few large boulders until I was only feet away from my mate. His delicious scent permeated the air, but I couldn’t enjoy it. I was too worried about his welfare.
I stalked over to his body, trying to keep my hopes down and prepare myself for the worst. When I was next to him, my breath caught. He was beautiful. His black hair was shiny and combed back away from his face. His features were delicate, and his milky skin was smooth. Circular black framed glasses were askew over his nose from the fall. His body was a little on the short side and very thin. He’d need my protection. If I’m not already too late. My heart ached at the thought, and at the fact that I wasn’t here when he needed me. Who knows how long I’d left him lying here alone?
I licked his smooth cheeks, trying to rouse him. I whimpered when he didn’t budge. Just as I was about to shift into my human form to check for a pulse, my mate’
s eyes slowly peeled open. They were a beautiful shade of chocolate brown, but I was concerned by the way his pupils were constricted into small points. But he’s alive. Hope bloomed inside my chest.
“Hello, pretty wolf,” my mate whispered. His voice was quiet and strained, but still the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. He obviously wasn’t in his right mind, though; nobody would speak to a wolf as if they were greeting an old friend. I worried he had head trauma that was clouding his judgement.
“If I weren’t dying and if I had my camera, I’d take your picture,” he continued. “But you’re probably just here to eat me. That’s okay; nobody will miss me. Except Dax. I wish I could tell him goodbye and that I love him.” Jealousy and despair ripped through my body at his words. Not only was my mate injured, his heart belonged to someone else. “Just please don’t eat me until I’m asleep, okay?” With that, his eyes closed again. I tried nudging his face with my snout and licking him again, but it was no use.
I rooted my paws to the ground and tossed my head to the sky, releasing a long howl of anguish and need. I was calling out to my pack for their assistance. Within moments, two howls answered their Alpha’s call. Luckily, Stone and Rowan were back from town, and they were on their way. I looked back at my mate and whined when I noticed him shivering. It was freezing out here and he was only dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He must have been planning a short hike in the warmest part of the day. I lay my furry body over him, trying to keep him warm until help arrived.
Minutes felt like hours as they ticked by. I howled again and heard my pack’s answer; they were close. Soon, two wolf heads peeked over the side of the cliff before retreating. A few minutes later, one large gray wolf and a slightly smaller but still impressive black wolf jumped over the boulders and were by my side. We all shifted into our human forms to speak.
“This is the tourist I saw earlier,” Stone said as he looked over my mate’s face. That explains the scent I smelled on Stone this afternoon. A bolt of guilt shot through me; if only I’d recognized the smell earlier, maybe I could have found my mate before he got hurt. If I’d been the one to check out the noise, I could have kept any of this from happening.
“Jesus, is he okay? He fell almost thirty feet!” Rowan exclaimed, dropping to his knees and placing his hands on my mate’s chest. I couldn’t stop the growl that rumbled from me. Rowan recoiled his arms and stared at me with wide eyes.
“Sorry,” I offered, shaking my head. I’d never snap at my friend on purpose. “The sight of you naked with your hands on him was just too much.” Stone and Rowan both still looked confused. “He’s my mate.”
A slow smile spread over Rowan’s face. “Your mate? Phoenix, this is incredible. Congratulations!”
“Maybe we should save that for after we’ve made sure he doesn’t die on this rock,” Stone said. I growled at him too, but he just rolled his eyes. “I’m not being a dick; I’m saying let’s get him out of here.”
“Right, sorry,” I replied, but Stone just waved me off. “But how do we get him out of here? We can’t make it up the hillside in human form, but we can’t carry him in wolf form.”
“I’ve got rope at my place,” Stone answered. “We can rig up something to pull him back up over the cliff face.” He was a great critical thinker and didn’t allow emotions to interfere.
“I’ll stay here with Phoenix and look over his mate,” Rowan added. Stone nodded and, in a blink, he shifted into wolf form and raced back up the hillside.
“I’ll have to touch him to check him out,” Rowan said gently. “Is that okay?” I nodded. Rowan spent a lot of time with the healer of our last pack and learned a lot. He knew how to check for broken bones and set them if needed. He knew which herbs and oils soothed pain, as well as rashes and bites caught in nature. As shifters, we didn’t need such things as our bodies were difficult to injure and quick to heal, but many mates of our last pack members were human, so his skills were useful. It appeared they would be useful now as well, since my mate was human. Fate had a funny way of making things work out; everything happened for a reason.
Rowan gently cupped his hands around my mate’s head, running his fingers along his scalp. “I don’t feel any fractures, but he has a large goose egg on the side of his head.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “No head fractures is a good sign, right?” Rowan gave me a tight smile but didn’t answer, moving along with his examination.
He held my mate’s eyelids open and scrunched his face up with worry. “His pupils are constricted. If he had a brain bleed, they’d be blown.” Again, that sounded like a good thing, so why did he look concerned? “He’s got a pretty bad concussion.”
“Shit. So we need to wake him up, right? He shouldn’t be sleeping with a concussion.”
“That’s a myth,” he replied with a shake of his head. “Actually, the best thing you can do for a concussion is rest and let your brain heal.” His hands pressed down my mate’s chest. “Can you help me roll him onto his back?”
“Of course.” I eased my mate over until he lay on his back and placed my hand under his head. It wasn’t much of a pillow, but I wanted to give him at least a little comfort.
“May I lift his shirt?” Rowan asked, and I nodded. I appreciated his courtesy and concern; mates were the most precious and loved possession of any shifter. We were fiercely loyal and protective of them. Disrespect to a shifter’s mate or the bond shared between them was cause for expulsion from the pack. Even though I’d known Rowan all of my life and loved him like a brother, my loyalty lay with my mate from now on. I wouldn’t think twice about rejecting anyone who disrespected him, or killing anyone who harmed him.
Rowan raised my mate’s shirt and my heart raced at the sight of his smooth, creamy skin. His body was taut and slim, and I could make out the impressions of his last few ribs. Rowan pressed his fingers gently down my mate’s sides before looking at me. “I don’t feel any broken bones here either, and there’s no massive bruising or other signs of internal bleeding. I’m sure he’s bruised his ribs, though, and possibly jarred his back. He’s lucky he landed on his side; if he’d hit his spine, he could have done serious damage. Though nothing’s broken, when he wakes up, he will be in significant pain.” He lowered his shirt. “Plus, he’s been exposed to this cold weather and wind in such thin clothing. He doesn’t have much body fat, so I’m worried he’ll soon suffer effects of hypothermia if he isn’t already. Has he been shivering at all?”
“Yes. I was lying on top of him earlier to try to keep him warm. Oh god, you don’t think I hurt his ribs worse do you?”
“I think what’s most important right now is keeping him warm. His body can’t heal itself if it’s also trying to raise his body temperature. When we get him to your cabin, I recommend skin-to-skin contact and lots of blankets. Your body heat will help raise his core temperature. Plus, cuddling can reduce anxiety and help strengthen his immune system, so you will be helping him to relax and heal.”
I certainly had no issues cuddling with my mate; the very thought made my pulse race and my blood burn. There was just one problem. “He said he loves someone else,” I told my friend sadly. “Before he passed out.”
Rowan gave me a sad smile and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Mates trump all. If he thinks he is in love with someone else, he is mistaken. Once he meets you and spends time with you, he will see you’re the one he’s meant to be with.” I gave him a nod of thanks. “Give me your hands.” I did as Rowan asked, and he placed my palms on my mate’s chest. “Rub against his trunk to warm him until we can get him out of here.”
I massaged gentle circles over his chest and stomach, being careful not to press too firmly and risk hurting him. Rowan patted my shoulder and gave me an easy smile. “I’m very happy for you, Alpha. May I ask what it was like when you found him and realized he was yours?”
I smiled back at my friend, not surprised he wanted details. “It was incredible. I scented him nearly two m
iles away. At first I couldn’t place the smell; just that it was wonderful. I needed more; my body craved it. I needed to get to the source. It wasn’t until I got closer that I realized I was tracking my mate’s pheromones, and that it was his body calling out to me. When I saw he was injured, my heart shattered at the thought of losing him. You know now that I’ve met my fated mate, I can never have another man. I will never want another. I couldn’t stop thinking of an eternal life alone, missing and pining over a mate I never got to meet.”
Rowan whimpered his sadness. I wanted to console him, but also didn’t want to stop warming my mate, so I gave my friend another smile. “But then when I realized he was alive, my heart nearly burst with happiness. After seventy three years, I’ve found the man I’ll spend forever with.” Though I was still very young in shifter years, nearly a century was a long time to wait for my love. Thankfully the aging process in shifters slowed to a halt, giving even the eldest members the appearance of being in their mid-thirties. Otherwise, I was afraid my mate would not want me if I looked my true age.
“I have to admit I’m a little jealous,” Rowan replied. “I want nothing more than to find my own mate, but in the meantime, I can’t wait to get to know yours and welcome him into our pack.”
“Thank you,” I answered, bowing my head. “And I’m certain you will find your mate soon.” I hoped so; I wanted both of my friends to feel the happiness and excitement I felt as I looked upon mine. I sighed. “I wish I knew his name.” Although referring to him as ‘my mate’ felt amazing, I wanted to know the name of the man I’d love for all time.
“Let’s check for identification,” Rowan suggested. I felt like an idiot for not thinking of that, but I had been distracted by worrying my mate was dead.
