We Have Each other's Backs ✔

07

"Want to go for a run with me Sierra?",Alison asks from the entrance of the cave. She's trying to get back down to her previous weight before Logan. Yes, Ethan was right with the babies gender. Logan is such a sweetheart, he's even grown on Ethan.

"Yeah, maybe I'll feel better",I wince as I lift myself off the hard cave floor. Ethan walks into the entrance with some game and carefully looks me over.

"Are you feeling better?",he asks with an emotion in his voice I couldn't read.

"Um. Sure",I answer shortly and walk toward Alison.

"Are you going out?",he grabs my arm to stop me.

"She's going on a run with me, she could use the sun's warmth. She could feel better",Alison answers for me.

"If anything goes wrong- anything. Even if you feel another wolf nearby. You howl, and I'll be there in a heartbeat",he brings his hand to my face and carcasses it. My heart starts racing at the action, and a blush flushes my cheeks. He notices it and the corner of his mouth tweaks up a bit,"be careful pup"

I can only nod as his hand falls from my cheek. He walks over to the empty fire pit and starts ripping fur from his game. I walk out of the cave and undress with Alison. We then shift and make our way west. My sickness wasn't as harsh now as a wolf.

"Sierra, may I ask a question?"

"Go for it"

"Have you been feeling sick ever since we visited the city?"

"I started feeling sick just hours after we were gone.. Why?"

She slows her running to a jog, then a walk, and then she stopped moving altogether. I copy her moves and look at her, waiting for her answer.

"Have you ever had a mate?",she asks, with worry now in her voice," because I know you and Ethan aren't mates, and I haven't seen a bond mark on your neck"

"No I haven't.. But what has that got to do with anything?", I was getting more confused by the second. What did me not finding my mate have to do with my sickness? She paces back and forth for a few minutes. She was driving me crazy so I had to interrupt her," Alison. Why does that matter?"

"Because. When I first found my mate, the one that was made for me, the one before Jasper.. Before we bonded, if we were a certain distance apart from each other we would get extremely sick. For mates to be apart and not be bonded after they find each other, its very serious and can often lead to death"

I let her words sink in, but it still didn't make sense.. My wolf hadn't sensed a mate, she made no sound at all. My wolf would've shifted right there in human territory and would've done anything to find him. But she didn't sense anything.

"Look south"

"What?",she definitely wasn't making sense now.

"Human territory is south, look south"

I confusingly did so. And I gasp, the sickness feeling numbs as I gaze into the forest.

"Are you feeling any relief?"

I nod at her words. Could it be possible? Could I have found a mate?

"I think you can put the pieces together Sierra.."

I have a mate.

---

We approach the cave, nervousness swallowing me whole. Surely Ethan would be overly excited for me to have finally found a mate. I would feel the same for him if he found his. Right?

A fire was crackling, embers floating everywhere. Ethan sat in front of it, slowly turning the animals so they were cooked evenly.

"Hi hon, Logan needs to be fed",Jasper walks over and hands Logan to Alison. She happily takes the sleeping baby and goes to the back of the cave to feed him.

I slide down next to Ethan, and I don't think my heart could be pounding any harder. He looks at me and smiles,"how was your run?"

I didn't know how to answer him. And due to my quietness he asks again but with more concern,"how was your run?"

"Alison and I figure-"

"Sierra! Can you help me?",Alison asks loudly from the back of the cave.

"We can talk later",he looks at me for a few more seconds, then turns his attention back to the fire.

I hesitantly stand up and wince as my stomach turns. Nausea rises in my throat again and I force it down. Alison hurries me over and pats the empty space next to her on the ground. I sit down slowly and give her a questioning look.

"I wouldn't tell him right now.. Wait for later tonight",she whispers.

Oh. I nod at her words and scoot closer to her," I don't know how to explain it to him"

"Well we should be leaving tomorrow.. Its been about a week since the last time you were around him. Its not good to wait any longer"

I nod and lean against the cave's wall. This isn't going to be easy.

---

"Dinner was nice tonight",Jasper compliments Ethan's meal.

"Thanks",he answers shortly, as he stretches his arms high above his head. I glance down as his shirt rises slightly. Ethan's not one to show skin, he barely shows his arms.

"Ethan can we talk outside?"

He looks at me and nods," of course we can",he stands up and reaches down to me. I place my hands in his, and he pulls me up. He places a hand on the middle of my back to guide me out of the cave. Once we're barely out he turns to me," what's up?"

"No we have to go further than this..",I feel incredibly nervous, and I shouldn't. This is my best friend I'm talking about. He'll love me no matter what I do.

We walk about half a mile west, where we get to a small frozen lake. I tell him to sit on a large boulder that sits on the edge of the lake. I stay standing and bring my hand to my mouth to nibble on my nails. I'm basically shivering with nerves. This could go two ways.. Good or bad.

Just get on with it Sierra, my wolf curses me. She's already on edge knowing our mate is without us. She's struggling too, she needs her mate. And as much as she loves Ethan, we need to get to our mate, immediately.

"Ethan. Um- look, when Alison and I went on a ran earlier.. She asked me a question..",I begin, I don't know why I couldn't just blurt it out and get it over with. I was taking my time with it and it was overwhelming me.

"Is everything okay?",he wasn't worried like he usually is, interest is what I found in his eyes at this very moment. My hands start sweating and shaking and he could sense every movement," you can tell me anything Sierra.."

"I know I can. Its just- its different",I cover my face with my hands, refusing to look into Ethan's eye for another second.

"Tell me"

With that I took a deep breath, it can't go on any longer. His hands find mine and he pulls them away from my face. I just blurt it out, and his expression made me want to take it right back.

"I have a mate"

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Yikes 😬

I apologize for the somewhat late update. I have a terrible cold /:

But for some good news, I will update on my birthday! So you get 2 updates this week (;

Xoxo