HIS Young Mate: "Sequel to Her Young Mate"

Part Forty Two: Jumped

When I look back down at Durst, tearing my eyes from the night sky, I see more than I could have hoped for. I see a silent determination, I see his strength, and I feel his bond with me. He nods, and puts me down. "Let's go," he says and grabs my face. He kisses the top of my head and nods for me to go. "Meet me after?" I nod and start to run, not looking back until I'm wolf again and he's following.

Daniel calls out again, this time for us, and we both respond back loudly, quickly. It takes us a while to catch up, but we fall into formation, in our new spots. We're running close together, and Daniel gives me a look of hesitancy, but I shake my head and keep following. My wolf is stronger than I am, she pushes us forward as I recede to the back of my mind. All I feel is the familiar pounding of my paws on the ground. I don't see, or think, I just allow for her to take over. I hear Daniel mention the scent of others in our territory, there's mention of the possibility of rogues. A flash vision of the man in the forest plays on my mind, and it causes my wolf to growl and push harder and faster to follow orders. Durst and I are sent forward, as the Luna is with child, and so she can't head the pack if there are rogues.

Durst catches wind of something, and I follow, but he warns me to stay back. I want to ignore his warnings. My wolf wants to ignore his warning, but I push  to the front of my mind and demand she listen to him. We slow down only enough to let him lead. I'm worried for him, I know there's someone out here- or was- but I don't want to lose control or do anything wrong. My mind is at a constant war of this- rebel, retreat, rebel, ask for forgiveness, rebel, work hard, rebel, follow in line. Daniel calls for the back of the pack to follow us, probably because Beckett, Hunter, and Kaylee aren't with child either. It stings to know this is the likely reason, but again I have to understand. It's salt on a fresh wound, but it's unintentional. As the others catch up to me I feel comforted that my closest friends are near me, but also ashamed of the scene I had caused earlier. They now know something I had shared with so few, and I feel exposed to them. I have to keep it out of my mind now, though. We have possible rogues to chase, and I know in this moment that I can't be the focus for anyone even myself. We're a pack, we have to think as one singular entity.

We follow Durst's cues, but I quickly realize where it's leading us. We're at the coast. Just a mile or so up from where I had sat just an hour ago. Durst paces it's edge. He lets us know that the trail ends there. We hear one word from him.

Jumped.

I don't think any of us know what to do with this information. Surely whoever left this trail- and I don't mention it, but I think it's the man I saw earlier- they couldn't have made it. The cliff was a sharp drop to the ocean. Could I have possibly witnessed that mans last moments? Had he wanted to jump where I had sat, but saw me there and decided to walk further down the cliffs edge? Could I have stopped him if I had said something?

Wolf?

I ask Durst and he nods.

Rouge.

I had to take his word for it. I had wondered it myself when I had seen the man, but Durst knew better than I. Hunter behind us started to pace while looking back from where we came. I know he's seen many rogue attacks before, he must think there's a possibility this is a trap. I know there's things he saw his sister go through- not to mention the Luna- that shook him to his core, and it seems those memories are advising him to be on alert. Durst nods us in directions to follow the trails back into formation after letting Daniel know the trail ended. He'd give more details later I'm sure, but there wasn't much to give. A rogue took his life at the cliffs edge. It was bizarre, but it also meant that the smell had lead to no threat.

We combed the whole territory, all night, but that was the only sign we had found of anyone on our land. I knew after a night of no other leads that I had seen the man who killed himself. His face haunted me as I realized it. I wonder if it always will. There was a familiarity about his face that I just couldn't get over. In a sick way it almost felt like looking in a funhouse mirror. Though he didn't look like me he felt like me. I had sat at that edge and thought of doing what he had done. What if I had?

When we get back from running I step out of the woods and am greeted by Daniel first.

"Do you want me to walk you to your room?" He asks. I shake my head as I finish pulling on my socks- it had taken me a while to find my clothes out there as I had thrown them off angrily. I had gone back ahead of the rest of the pack with the intentions  to change . Also with the intentions of being alone for a moment, but Daniel and the Luna split off right behind me after telling the others to circle one more time. It didn't leave a long time for us to talk privately, but apparently Daniel wanted to.

"To her room?- She's coming home with us-"

"No, Luna, I'm fine." I say as she walks up behind me buttoning her flannel. She hadn't even bothered to find her pants or shoes, just stormed out of the woods behind us in her underwear and bra. She was brash when she was angry, and I wondered momentarily who I got that from more so. Her or Daniel. Maybe her.

"Fine?! I heard what happened- I'm going to punch Durst right in the god damned mouth-"

"Cora, calm down, you aren't supposed to get worked up with the babies." Danny reminds her, but then I see it on his face. That awkwardness I knew would forever be bestowed upon me. That same awkwardness that had washed over people's faces countless times when they said the wrong thing around Alice or Sam. I didn't want their sympathy right now, I didn't want their attention over this at all. I wanted them to see me as the Beta and respect me as such.

"Look, Durst and I will talk. You two don't need to be involved in our marital problems. Other than that I want you to know Alpha that we followed the rogue scent to the cliffs edge and the rogue had taken his life by jumping. There was no other threat. I'll be ready for training in the morning." I say in a steady voice. "If you have any other concerns you can ask Durst, but I believe that's all the information available. Luna I'd appreciate if you didn't punch my husband, but I also can't stop you. If you don't mind I'd like to be dismissed for the night."

Daniel looks at me for a long moment, I can see Luna is speaking to him telepathically by the way she looks at him, but he's not listening very well. He's reading me. I don't falter.

"Alright," he sounds like my brother when he says that single word, "good job out there Beta, I'll see you in the morning for training," now he sounds like my Alpha. I bow my head at the both of them and head towards Durst's room. I see a couple others who've already made it to the front of the scout house as I pass, but no one stops me or even looks in my direction. My steps are determined and my heart is racing. I need to see my husband, and I don't want to waste anymore time.

"Lavender, I-" he's walking towards me with his hands out, palms towards me, ready to talk, but I cut him off with my lips, slamming my body into his. I don't have words right now. I might in the morning. Right now I just want to show him how much I'm in need of him.