Back From Beyond (Sample)

1. Patrol

Adeline's wolf blazed a path through the trees and she felt like her heart could sing it was so free. Coming to the edge of the border of her land, her wolf seemed restless within her. For once, Adeline let her wolf take full control of their shared body, to let the she-wolf inside consume her completely. It felt like her wolf was trying to tell the human part of her something.

Living in Northern California at the base south of Lassen Peak, her favorite thing to do was patrol the woods and let her wolf run free while doing so. It was the ultimate high, liberating her wolf for those lengthy runs.

Her father, their pack's Beta, always wished them to go in groups of two or three, but Adeline rarely ever listened and she hadn't been harmed as of yet. She was careful as one could be, alone in the woods at night. She felt it an obligation to keep her pack safe, and though she could have taken any number of wolves with her, she wanted- no needed- the alone time.

Being at the age of twenty years old, she was glad that this year she would not be required to attend The Claiming. It was a yearly ritual where all unmated males and females above the age of 20 were to come to together. Whether they found their true mate or not, no she-wolves would go unclaimed that night.

It was for that reason- and that reason alone- that she wished to find her mate sooner rather than later. A claiming mark and pull was dull compared to the pull she would feel for her true mate. If she were to be mated, she would want nothing less than her true mate to do it.

Adeline had almost come to the southern most edge of the territory when she smelt a lovely cedar scent. Cedar trees were not as prevalent in the woods around her territory, so the smell made her cautious and curious.

She halted her wolf and felt her stir restless once again in her mind, nearly prancing with... whatever the wolf was feeling or sensing.

Hearing a crunch of leaves towards her left, she watched with trepidation as a strange wolf carrying something in its mouth slowly padded towards her. Its scent became stronger and was mixed with a refreshing scent of pine as well.

As the wolf came closer, she ached to touch the soft golden fur of the beast. It looked soft, almost silky, and she wondered why she had the need to reach out and caress the beast.

Once the large golden wolf came closer, a tug in her solar plexus became almost unbearable. This wolf was a were, a shifter. The tug could only mean one thing.

He was her mate.

Adeline then took a moment to find a likely tree and saw the hole that had been strategically dug into it. Pulling out a long t-shirt, she went behind the same tree and phased back to her human form, tugging the t-shirt on quickly.

She came back out from behind the tree, thinking she would see the wolf still standing there, waiting for her. Instead, there was a tall, muscularly built man wearing the shorts he had recently held in his mouth.

He was statuesque and power rolled off him in waves. His hair was short and blond and he had piercing blue eyes and a scruffy looking 5 o'clock shadow. He was the most delicious thing she had ever seen.

"What is your name, strange wolf?" she asked of him. "And why are you here, so close to my land? You don't smell of rogue, nor does your presence emanate the feral qualities of one."

"I am Hunter Douglass of the Lassen pack, son of William Douglass, Alpha to said pack," he told her. He had a deep baritone that made Adeline shiver with its huskiness. "And you, my future Luna? What is your name, my beauty?"

Adeline stopped herself from flushing at his words and cleared her throat before speaking again.

"My name is Adeline Warner of the Willow pack. I am daughter to our pack's Beta, Corbin Warner," she replied. Her voice was strong, proud.