His Reluctant Luna

Ch 29 - I Killed My Mate

ATTENTION RADISH READERS! Please don't leave any spoilers in here or you'll be getting a spanking from Iona. Or Kole. Or Konnor. Whoever you'd prefer. 😘

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Kole.

We ran for hours, following the tire tracks. Our senses permanently on the look out for the Gulfs, but we heard no sign of them. I could only hope we'd beaten them so savagely they had given up the fight for tonight. Or they had doubled back to the pack lands and were ending my family at this very moment. My stomach clenched at the thought but there was nothing I could do about that and the helplessness clawed at me.

Helplessness.

Not something an Alpha should ever feel but still I had become all too familiar with it. She made me helpless. She clawed me open and held my beating heart in her hand and everyday she squeezed it tighter, threatening to pop it altogether.

Eventually, the dawn broke and I caught sight of something that lit hope inside me again. The truck was pulled over on the side of the road. She'd finally ran out of gas.

I slowed, nodding at my warriors to fan out and surround the vehicle in case she made a run for it.

As we approached, my heart sank as I realised she was gone. Growling in frustration I sniffed the air, my warriors pacing, their noses to the ground. Konnor yipped at me and I followed. Her scent led into the treeline, running parallel with the road.

My brother pressed his shoulder to mine, comforting me. His eyes warm. I knew what he was trying to tell me. We had the advantage now. She had a head start but on foot, we would catch up easily. Hope bloomed in my chest at the thought of having her safe again, then dread at having to drag her back. She had hated me before, I didn't want to know how much she would hate me after.

We followed her trail, panting hard, exertion at running all night starting to catch up with us but it wouldn't slow us down. We were gaining, gaining...she was maybe a mile ahead of us when I caught a scent that made my blood run cold. Grizzly. There was a grizzly ahead.

I stopped, using my nose to figure out where exactly it was...a few miles ahead of us, directly in her path. If she kept going she would run straight into it, if we hurried we might catch her but that would risk her running into the bear.

Gritting my teeth there was nothing for it. I howled, hoping alerting her to my presence would send her in another direction, away from the bear.

I stilled, scenting and listening, after long moments her scent had shifted due east. It had worked but it had sent her into the woods, away from the road. If she went too far she would be well and truly lost. But that didn't matter, in a few minutes I would be with her again. She wouldn't need the road anymore.

We set off, delighting as I realised she was heading for the cliffs. I had backed her into a corner. There was nothing behind her but rushing rapids.

Relief flooded me - I had found her safe and in a few hours she would be home again.

We reached the base of the cliff and every one of my nerve endings lit up. She was there. My mate. Everything in me screamed to run to her, pin her and claim her as my own. My lust was up, soaked in battle and blood and adrenaline, but I paused, calming myself instead.

Slowly, I approached her, hoping not to spook her. I'd talk to her, calm her down. She had no where left to run now.

She turned, but instead of seeing defeat on her face I saw defiance. Her ice blue gaze zeroed in on me the way it always did. Even though she hated me, treated me with disdain and indifference, her body always turned towards mine, her gaze drifting in my direction without her meaning it.