Chase the Moon (On Hold)

Thirteen

"And here, take some rolls, too," Ruth insisted as she shoved some in a zip lock baggie.

"It's not like I'm going to starve out there," I chuckled. She was now digging through the kitchen pantry like a madwoman. "I know how to hunt and cook meat over a fire."

"That still doesn't mean you have to live like a barbarian out in the woods. Oh, the jerky. Take some of that."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine, Ruth."

"I know that," she replied indignantly with her hands on her hips. "It's just- I've been taking care of you since you were a little pup, and now you're leaving- and I-"

I pulled her into a tight hug. I didn't want a repeat of last night. One emotional goodbye from Ruth was quite enough.

"I'll be back before you know it," I promised as I rubbed small, soothing circles on her back.

"I know, I know," she said as she tucked all of the food into my backpack. I had three pairs of shorts, a pair of pants, and a few extra shirts packed as well along with a few hundred Canadian and US dollars. She put two metal water bottles into the side pockets before zipping it up and pushing it into my hands. "Go on then," she started pushing me towards the kitchen's side door. "Go find your girl before I change my mind and make you stay."

I chuckled as soon as I was outside and swung the pack over my shoulder, "Don't miss me too much while I'm gone."

"Get out of here," she shooed me away as she clutched the door frame, "and travel safe."

"I will," I promised as I started walking off into the woods. This was it. There was no turning back. I wasn't coming back until I found my mate.

^^^°^^^

I went east, like I'd told the Alpha, and began to wonder what laid ahead of me.

When I'd asked Teddy how he'd known Gwen was his mate, he had described to me everything that had happened in the moments leading up to their meeting.

"First," he had said, "your wolf starts to get restless. They can sense that their mate is nearby long before we can. He spent the entire day pacing and whining in the back of my mind, telling me to go in some direction or the other. Then, you get a whiff of the most indescribably intoxicating scent that you have ever smelled. It's stronger than any other scent around you, and it swallows you until you have no choice but to follow it. Gwen smells like strawberries and peanut butter. I still can't get enough of it. Once you follow that scent, your wolf becomes even more restless until finally, you see her. She'll be the most beautiful, perfect woman you could ever dream of. Your heart will stutter, your stomach will flutter, and when you finally lock eyes, one word will bubble out of your lips before you can stop it. Mate."

"Mate," I whispered under my breath as I trudged through the woods. I was going to find her, even if I had to travel the world three times over. I was going to find my mate.

As I wove around trees, I followed that gut instinct farther to the east. I would wander into the Little Valley pack in about three days, but until then, I would be traveling in no man's territory. In Rogue territory.

They shouldn't be bothering me anytime soon. I think I made it pretty clear what would happen if they did.

I started to think about my mate again. What would she like to do?

Would she like to paint? To cook? Maybe she was super competitive. Maybe she was super sweet.

I couldn't stop all the different scenarios going through my head.

What did she smell like? What color was her hair? Did she have a large family?

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't wait to find out. I picked up the pace a little, determined to put in a few extra miles before sundown. 

I just hoped, that after all of this, I'd be happy with her, and that my wolf would become less homicidal with her around. Of course, I tried not to get my heart set on it, but I couldn't help but hope.

This girl, my mate, could be my savior. My world. My everything.

I was holding on to that.