Crissa's Mate

Chapter Twenty-Three

Walking demurely forward, Crissa waited for that anticipated look from David. As he became aware of her presence, he turned his head and she could clearly see his eyes widen. Closer still, he smiled and reached out for her hand. The others looked on with surprise as they had apparently not seen much movement or any animated responses from him since becoming conscious that morning.

"Well," Dr. Dekker commented, "I see our guest of honor this morning has noticed something which definitely appeals to him," Crissa was too hopeful about David to react immediately to the professor's insensitive remark. The others in the group smiled nervously for her, and though she did blush, the discomfort was quickly eclipsed by her feelings of relief and attraction to the young man once more.

"I'm glad you're here . . . at the meeting," David said softly to her.

All eyes were on Crissa for her response as she released his hand and nodded, shyly. She took a seat across from him and their eyes stayed connected for several moments while the professor began the proceedings.

"Well, as you know," he said officiously," we were scheduled . . . all of us . . . to be transported back to Berlin early tomorrow morning. And from there, catch our flights back to North America. But one of us is, unfortunately, still not here."

Everyone looked furtively at David as he said this. They waited for his own reaction or explanation about Julie's absence."

For the moment he was silent.

"What do you think is holding her up, Dave?" Brad asked, pointedly.

"She was with me in the beginning," he said with some difficulty. "We were running with the others. But then . . . as I went out on a hunt with several males, she and Lara stayed back with what I thought were just the females. I learned when I returned that there were other males with them."

Everyone listened on nervously to his narrative.

"One of them . . . a darker male, strong like the others, made it clear he was the one who had bitten her. Days earlier. While out on our trek to the caves. It was that male which had apparently caused her. . . her transformation."

Again, silence from the group.

"No one challenged him," David continued softly. "And she seemed to understand it. She spent the rest of the time when I saw her with him. The last day and night I did not see the two of them at all. They were . . . alone somewhere."

The group then looked into each other's eyes, contemplating the unthinkable for Julie.

"Lara was all the time with her male as well. He never left her side."

The professor took a deep breath and cleared his throat to speak.

"Did you feel compelled to mate with any of the other females, David?" he asked. This caused Crissa to look down nervously at the floor.

"There was a female. And she approached me. She made it clear she had some connection to me. And yes . . . I did feel strangely attracted to her. It was a strong impulse which I cannot explain. I sensed she wanted to mate. And I was certain she was the one who had bitten me . . .while on that trip to the caves."

David then looked over at Crissa. Directly into her eyes as she slowly looked back at him.

"But I resisted." he finally said softly. "I knew what it would mean. I felt the way of the wolves. It was so clear during my short time with them. That they live by their own simple laws . . . but I did not allow it to happen."