Untamed

Chapter Twenty

Mason, Elijah, Maeve, and I were finally leaving pack turf after three weeks of being here. Maeve looked nervous to leave but kind of giddy and that made me sad more than anything else.

She had to give up a lot just because we were mates and she didn't even want the connection.

I couldn't get enough of her. No amount of time was enough. If I stepped away, she was all that was on my mind and if I was around her I couldn't get her out of my head.

And yet here I was dropping her off at her fiancé's house. It took everything in me to realize that maybe I wasn't where her happiness lay. If she loved someone more than a mate bond, how could I interfere with that?

And yet everything she did made me love her more. She was kind and caring and just made everyone feel special.

A memory of her returning Violet's family heirloom that I knew meant a lot to her trickled to my mind. Or the book on bird watching she'd given to Mrs Meyers. She was always thinking of others.

If she did this with wolves who she was still uncomfortable around, I couldn't imagine what she did for people she genuinely loved.

We walked along the path to Charles' house mostly in silence. I was in an awful mood and I didn't want to wreck this visit for her.

"One can only wonder what heroic acts we'll have to accomplish today," Elijah mused to himself since no one was listening to him.

"The act of walking is not often considered heroic," Mason responded in monotone.

I guess he was listening to him.

"Are you kidding?" Elijah stated giddily, now that someone had engaged in a conversation with him. "We could be attacked, flanked, circled in on, surrounded-"

"Thank you, Elijah." Maeve interrupted, my ears perking up at the sound of her voice. "That puts my mind at ease."

Elijah scoffed, "Like you have anything to worry about with me around." He flexed his bicep, "pure muscle awaiting your orders, Maeve."

Mason slapped the back of Elijah's head.

Maeve trailed back with me and I noticed again how aware we were of each other's movements. I would always notice how she moved, what she focused on, how her body travelled.

"Are you doing okay?" Maeve whispered to me as the other two travellers walked ahead. I knew they could still hear but at least were giving us the courtesy of pretending they couldn't.

I nodded curtly. Don't ruin this for her. Don't ruin this for her. Don't ruin this for her. "Are you excited?" I choked out the words.

She gave me an anxious smile, "nervous actually."

Nervous about seeing her fiancé after so long. I wondered what they'd get up to- no. I couldn't think of that thought. It was pure physical pain.

A warm hand suddenly enclosed over mine and I looked down to see Maeve clutching mine as we walked, so casually. My heart thumped at the contact.

"I can feel your nerves," she said quietly.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Sorry," I muttered sheepishly.

She shook her head and was about to respond when Elijah's booming voice interrupted, "We're here!"

Mason glared at his younger brother. "What?" Elijah asked genuinely. "Is this not the house?"

Maeve let go of my hand and it felt cold and desolate again.

"No, this is the house," She confirmed. She walked towards it before turning back to face us. "I'll see you guys after?"

Meaning: don't interrupt me and my fiancé while we got up to fiancé things.

We all nodded in unison. "We'll be waiting in the woods," Mason responded when I didn't.

She nodded but her eyes were on me. "Don't worry," she whispered to me, before turning abruptly and walking straight into the small home.

Elijah turned to me, "Well that was awkward."

"Thank you Elijah, you're observant as ever," I remarked sarcastically.

We walked into the woods where we'd be out of ear shot but could still keep an eye on things and I sat down on the forest floor, my head leaning back into the trunk of the tree. I tried to shut my brain off and find inner peace but her face kept taunting me as she probably kissed her fiancé and told him how much she missed him. How she was probably hating being near me and how much she wanted to come back to him.

"What's on your mind there?"

I opened an eye to see Mason staring down at me in concern. I raised an eyebrow in a what do you think kind of way.

"You know she loves you," Mason stated nonchalantly and I snorted in return. "She might not know it yet," he clarified. "But she always positions herself so she can see you. Wherever you go. Even on your walks around town. She's always responding to you. I guess what I'm saying is don't give up. This happened for a reason and I'm starting to see why."

"Why then?" I asked in a disgruntled tone. "Because I find it hard to see what you apparently know."

"As a saving grave for our kind, Liam. As a second chance for wolves to find their humanity. A way for us to make amends for everything we did to lose the favour of having mates in the first place. You're blessed and don't forget that just because the road is difficult right now."

I paused momentarily. "What are you talking about?" I laughed slightly.

"That's the most you've ever talked,"Elijah stated dumbfoundedly.

"You don't think this happened for a reason?" He asked me, completely ignoring his brother.

"For what reason, Mason?" I asked in exasperation. "It's not like we're even real mates. Shall I remind you what we're currently doing here in the forest?"

"Waiting around as Maeve visits her fiancé?" Elijah asked.

"I'm telling you. There's no way this isn't part of a larger picture. I felt it when I heard your call and I know it's true. This happened for a reason," Mason said in a final tone as he walked away from the tree and peered in the distance of the forest.

I had no idea what he was talking about. My mate didn't even want to be mates. Some duo we made. I couldn't see how this changed anything for anyone other than for me, for the rest of my life. Never being able to find happiness with anyone else. And never being able to be with Maeve.

"This is sounding more and more like a quest," Elijah murmured excitedly.