The Run (SAMPLE)

C h a p t e r S e v e n

Coming to a stop her chest is rising rapidly as her breathing continues to be labored. Looking around for a direction to head she spots a large willow in the middle of a nearby clearing. Deciding to climb in there so she can get a little breather she breaks into a sprint again in its direction.

Rae slows down a bit when she catches that same scent that’s been taunting her the past few days. It isn’t something familiar but it was something that catches her attention. The scent, the other times, is a pleasant clean signature but doesn’t carry the flowering scent from before. She frowns as she looks around but keeps walking towards her original destination instead of going to investigate. She doesn’t want to accidently stumble on a mating in progress or something.

Rae’s feet freeze in place though when a deep growl echoes in the woods. Turning towards the sound she sees nothing but trees making her frown. Where the hell did that come from? Shrugging it off as one of the other male wolves hunting their mate Rae turns back toward the tree but stops mid-step again when a second growl sounds though this time unmistakably closer.

“Hello?” She calls into the darkness before wincing at how stupid that sounds.

“Mine.”

Rae frowns deeply as she looks around. She still doesn’t see anyone. She still doubts that whoever it is has that ‘mine’ directed towards her. Wouldn’t her wolf have told her already? Still she can’t help but be intrigued by the voice.

“Mine!”

Rae screams loudly as two arms wrap around her waist and lift her clean off the ground. The scent is surrounding her as she tries to beat the arms off her. She doesn’t know what the hell this guy thinks he’s doing but just grabbing someone is beyond rude.

“What the hell? Let me go!”

“No!” the voice snarls as the arms squeeze her tighter against them, “Mine!”

“What? Is that your one word? Put me down!”

She felt her captor freeze behind her before slowly lowering her down to the ground. Quickly turning around she feel like she was just physically slapped. Her breathing gets caught in her throat as she comes face-to-face with a beautifully crafted brown leather wolf mask. That rich indescribable scent is heavier in the air now and she can finally hear her wolf’s low growl in her mind.

Ours.

“Oh dear god.” She croaks, feeling panicked.

His visible full lips tip up into a smile, “I prefer to be called Colton but if that works for you…”

Rae feels her cheeks heat. “Uh…sorry. You just…startled me.”

“It’s fine.” He smiles.

Rae doesn’t have a response to that so she just stands there awkwardly. The guy, or Colton, continues to just stare at her. The longer they stand there in silence the bigger his smile seems to get. Rae tries to rack her brain for something to say but after almost a full minute of coming up with nothing she just blurts the first thing she can.

“So…what do we do now?”

He laughs making her gut tighten. Smiling still he steps towards her as he shoves his hands in the front of his jeans. “Well you could accept me as your mate.”

Rae is momentarily too distracted by his bare chest, abs and arms that she doesn’t register his words. When she finally does she raises her eyebrows in surprise at his boldness. Is he always going to be this cocky or is this just a byproduct of the awkwardness?

“I don’t even know you.”

“True.” He nods. “But I’m not seeing any reason not to at least accept that we feel something, right?”