© Amber Kalkes 2015
Song: "Run" By Snow Patrol
C h a p t e r T e n >
"Hi."
The hesitant greeting gets Cassidy's attention off trying to follow after her suddenly disappearing sister and on the speaker. Connor stands about ten feet away, shirtless and watching her with cautious hazel eyes. He's wearing a gray and bronze wolf mask. The bronze is ornately decorated around the ears, snout and forehead of the mask and long black ribbons that tie tightly around the back of his head. She can see a few strands of golden hairs flopping over the top of it, highlighted by the hanging full moon in the sky.
Cassidy wraps her shawl tighter around her and tries to think of something to say. She knew this moment would come but no faced with it she's at a loss for words. He looks so handsome and after her conversation with Poppy she feels silly for treating him like she did. She needed the time to think but now, only a few hours later, she can't remember why. A few minutes more of silence and Cassidy still can't come up with anything good to say. What can she say to the guy who's supposed to be the love of her life?
Cassidy and Poppy had been hiding for the past few hours on Poppy's insistence but suddenly she had wanted to go for a walk. Cassidy thought it was suspicious but figured they were just stretching their legs from being cooped up in that tree for nearly an hour. Now, Cassidy can see why. She must have known Connor was close by. It's the only explanation. Cassidy looks around for Poppy but doesn't see her anywhere, which has her internally cursing her to high heaven. A little warning would have been nice at least!
"Cassidy?"
She snaps her head in his direction with wide eyes, "Y-Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah," She stutters out before quietly adding, "A bit stressed but I'm okay."
He tilts his head to the side as he sticks his hands in the front pockets of his low hanging jeans, "Stressed about what?"
Cassidy tries to keep her eyes on his face but with the motion he's pulling the waistband of his jeans lower. She can see a faint V-shape indent to his hips that disappear into his jeans. It's distracting and has her mouth growing dry and her hands tightening into fists. She shouldn't be thinking the dirty thoughts she is right now. She's in the middle of the woods with a guy she's supposed to be having a serious conversation with. Just tell that too her horny teenage brain though.
"Just...things," She answers in a strained voice, making her wince. Could she be anymore obvious?
"You're wearing white," Connor observes with a hint of disapproval in his voice.
Cassidy looks down at herself and shrugs a little, "I'd already bought the dress."
"But don't you think it gives off the wrong signal? White is the color of a person without a mate."
"I know what it means," She tells him with a frown, "I grew up here as much as you did."
"Yet you still chose to wear it."
Cassidy gives him a full glare this time, "Are you going to always comment on my clothes? This is the second time now."
Connor smirks at her a bit, "Maybe."
"Well stop, it's annoying," She grumbles before looking up at him hesitantly, "Besides, I haven't accepted you yet and I haven't told anyone about our...bond yet."
"You think they don't already know?"
"Do they," She asks with a gasp, "Why didn't anyone say anything?"
He shrugs, "People like to let people deal with their own mate issues on their own usually. Also, I think no one wanted to scare you off from me."
"Oh," She breathes before crossing her arms over her chest, "Well, it seemed silly not to wear the dress anyway. We both knew you were going to find me either way. You'd probably track me down to the ends of the earth if you could."
He chuckles, showing off white straight teeth, "You don't see me denying it that's for sure."
He's only a few feet away from her. Definitely within reaching space. He could just grab her but he holds himself back. It's a relief to her really because she's still having a hard time wrapping her head around it. She never thought she'd find her mate, let alone before her first time at the run. Not to mention the fact that he's one of the best looking boys she's ever seen and her sister's best friend. It's a bit overwhelming but she made up her mind earlier and she won't back down on her decision.
"I.." She begins quietly before clearing her throat and keeping her eyes on her shoes, "I've been thinking about what you said."
"Which part?"
"You said a lot of things but the two things I keeping hearing in my head is that you would never hurt me and that you care about me. Do you?"
"What? Care about you? Of course I care about you. You're my mate."
"But...but what if I wasn't?"
She thinks he's frowning as he ask, "What do you mean?"
"If I wasn't your mate and you weren't a wolf would you even look at me twice? Would you have even looked at me and not seen me as Poppy's younger sister? Would you have ever tried to get to know me?"
Connor watches her silently and Cassidy feels her heart slowly begin to drop. She didn't want to ask but its something that she's been wondering ever since she knew what mates were. You're mate is practically pushed to care about you even if you're not the person they would have picked for themselves. Is that the situation with Connor?
He admitted to having had a crush on her sister, who is the polar opposite of her. The insecurity though not often brought to the surface rears its ugly head whenever Connor is concerned. She won't say she's better or worse than her sister just different. Way different. So the question begs to be asked, if Connor's wolf wasn't pushing him to be with her, would he still want her?
"Cassidy..."
"It's okay," Cassidy sighs while trying to ignore the tears in her eyes, "I know how hard this has been for both of us. It was a bit unfair to ask that question."
"No it wasn't," He says sharply as comes to stand a mere foot away from her, "You deserve to know the answer to that question."
"No, I—"
"I want to answer it."
Cassidy bites her lower lip and whispers, "Okay."
"Would I have looked at you without my wolf? I don't know but what I do know is that I'm looking at you now. We don't know each other as well as we could right now but I want to try my best to at least attempt to make you happy. So happy you can look over my annoying tendencies and maybe care about me as much as I care about you. That may not be much of an answer but that's the best I can do for now, Cassidy because we're just beginning. Ask me again in a few weeks and maybe I'll have a better answer for you but—"
"No," Cassidy says with tears building in her eyes, "That's the perfect answer."
"You're sure?"
She nods with a huge grin splitting across her face, "You don't have to be sure about me yet. I'm not sure about you I just need to know that you're willing to try to be with me as a person and not as a mate. I don't know how to be anyone's soul mate Connor but I know how to be Cassidy and as long as that's enough for you I'm willing to give this a try."
An equally spectacular grin splits across his face too as he asks, "Really?"
"Yeah," She agrees shyly, "I accept you."
"Formally?"
Cassidy laughs lightly before blowing out a breath, "Yes. I, Cassidy Applebee, accept you Connor O'Shea as my mate."
"And I, Connor O'Shea, accept you Cassidy Applebee as my mate."
Cassidy feels her whole body erupt with tingles. Her whole skin feels like its buzzing with awareness at his proximity. Her whole body instinctually leaning closer to his and her palm suddenly itching to touch him all over. She digs her nails into her palms to stop her from doing just that but Connor doesn't have the same idea. Instead, he reaches out and wraps one arm around her waist and pulls her flush against him.
With a squeak, Cassidy looks up him wide-eyed from under her mask and he smirks down at her from under his. She can feel his heat even through the fabric of her dress and she melts a bit against him. The hum of awareness moving across her skin makes her shiver and has her stomach in excited knots. Of their own accord her eyes fall down to his lips and her cheeks heat at her own thoughts. It's too soon to think about kissing him, surely.
Again, he doesn't seem to agree. Lowering his head, his lips are only centimeters from hers when he stops to ask, "Cassidy?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Yes or no?"
The eyes she didn't even realize she'd closed shoot open and she gives him a dazed stare, "Huh?"
"Yes or no to me kissing you. I don't want to push you but, if I'm honest, it's all I've been thinking about since the date on Flat Hill. You're lips are so plump, do you know that?"
"Uh..."
"Yes or No, Cass."
"Uh..." she trails before squeaking a nervous, "Yes."
He swoops his head down and connects their lips. Cassidy expects fireworks and in a small way there is but something else is distracting her from enjoying her first kiss. Their masks are making this uncomfortable and with a growl of frustration, Connor pulls back.
"Damn it!"
Cassidy giggles before reaching around to untie his mask from the back of his head, "No need to get all growly."
Pulling the mask off his face she's met with the full force of his affectionate hazel eyes. Connor returns the favor and reaches out to undo hers too. When it comes off he runs his hands lightly over her golden curls before cupping her face in his hands. His thumbs lightly caress her cheekbones before he swoops down to connect their lips again. And this time it's much better.
She can feel the tingles of their bond moving throughout her whole body. Her toes curl in her shoes and when he nips at her lower lip an embarrassing moan escapes her mouth. Cassidy goes to apologize but he muffles it with his lips again and she's lost again in sensation. She would have continued that way too if a loud cracking sound didn't cut through the woods at that precise moment.
"What was that," Cassidy asks breathlessly.
Connor is already looking around with a frown of concentration, "A gun I think? Shotgun?"
"Oh my god Poppy!"
His head snaps to hers, "What?"
"Poppy's out there! She ran off when she sensed you. Do you think she's okay?"
"I don't know," He says tightly, "But we need to find out."
><
Poppy is not okay.
She walks back through the forest in a daze. Nick is long gone and the fact of who he is and what he is has been distracting her from everything. Her mate...is human. He's not only human but also one that doesn't know anything about her kind or way of life. How could she even begin to explain who she is to him? Not even her family or pack are comfortable about who she is, let alone some outsider human!
The only humans allowed to know or participate in the run are those born within known bloodlines. Everyone else is ignorant and excluded to the knowledge of a shifter's way of life. Shifter safety isn't something to be taken lightly among the packs and keeping their presence a secret is key to that. So how is it that Poppy is mated to not only a human but also one outside the circle of shifter bloodlines? A rogue she could understand but an outsider human? What kind of bullshit luck is that?
Poppy's wolf has been alternating between whining and snarling at her to go after their mate but Poppy can't make herself do it. Nick has a life outside of this world. Would it really be fair to drag into it, let alone tell him that he's saddled with the pack freak? Maybe she isn't the only one with bad luck here. Maybe their both cursed in some unimaginable way either of them no about. It would be an easy out and explain so much to Poppy.
Carrying her shoes in one hand and mask in the other, Poppy just goes on autopilot as she heads back. She doesn't feel the cold anymore. She doesn't even mind the pain of the random rocks and sticks under her bare feet. She's even too deep in thought to even realize that she's in the clearing until she hears someone yell her name.
"Poppy!"
A body collides with hers and it only takes one deep inhale to realize its Cassidy who's hugging the life out of her. Pulling back, Poppy puts a shudder down over her emotions. She doesn't want anyone to know about Nick. Not until she can figure out a game plan about what to do first.
"What's wrong?"
"There were reports of shotgun fire near the pond," Colton tells her as he comes to stand behind Cassidy, "A sentry said he spotted you heading in that direction but none of us could mind-link you. Are you okay?"
She swallows thickly before answering, "Fine."
"Did you see anything?"
Poppy shakes her head, "No. I think it was just some random bar dispute. I heard some yelling but nothing else."
"We were so worried," Rae says as she comes over and hugs Poppy too. She pulls back suddenly though and frowns at her, "You smell odd."
"Do I?"
Rae nods and looks at her oddly but Poppy is looking everywhere but her. She doesn't want to discuss this now. Not when there are so many eyes on her right now. All she wants to do is go to her room, take a shower and think about this whole mess until she can work out a solution. She can't forget about him unless she rejects him but will her wolf even allow that? Doesn't he deserve a choice in this as well? The whole thing is giving her a headache.
"Must be the pond," Poppy mumbles as she steps away from Rae, "It smells a bit rank back there."
"Maybe," Rae says dubiously before shrugging her shoulders, "Or maybe my nose is losing its accuracy."
"Yeah..." Poppy trails off with an awkward laugh, "Maybe."
"Oh well, I suppose. Should we get the party?"
Poppy nods and walks past Rae while Colton throws an arm over his wife's shoulders. Cassidy reaches out and grabs Poppy's hand in hers and follows after her, helping calm Poppy's nerves a bit. She'd ask how the night with Connor went but the swollen lips, goofy smile and his scent all over her, she doesn't need to ask.
"I'm so glad you're okay Pop."
"There was no reason to worry anyway. I was fine."
"So," Cassidy starts hesitantly, "No sight of him huh?"
"Who," She asks tensely.
"You're mate."
Poppy forces herself to relax and shrugs, "Not that I caught anyway. I can see you had plenty of fun though."
Cassidy blushes and giggles, "We kissed."
The longing in her stomach Poppy expects to feel doesn't rise. Instead of being reassuring it only worries Poppy more. It only puts more evidence in the conclusion that Nick really is her mate. They're bond is already strong enough that he's negated her lingering feelings for Connor. It's madness. All of it is just plain madness.
"Are you sure you're okay Poppy?"
Poppy clears her throat and nods, "I'm fine."
"Of course she is," A snide voice says from behind them and Poppy keeps her eyes forward as she forces Cassidy to keep walking, "Three years of not finding a mate has to make you at least a little okay with being a loser, doesn't it? I mean it's not really shocking she came up empty handed...again."
"Shut up Laura," Poppy warns through clenched teeth, "I'm warning you."
Laura gestures over her head, "Full moon idiot. You're freaky ass wolf can't back you up this time. What are you going to do anyway? You're on thin ice enough as it is without the Alpha having to wrestle you to heel again."
"She told you to shut up Laura," Connor says suddenly as he walks beside them, "So do as she asks."
"Oh, the knight in shining armor shows up again to defend his maiden. But she's not yours is she? You went off and went with her less freaky younger sister. I have to tell you Connor, you really lucked out."
"Wow, you really are a bitch," Cassidy says in astonishment.
Laura scoffs, "Whatever. It's not my fault your sister can't even get a mate. With her luck he's be some mental patient or even better some drunken loser."
"Shut up," Poppy utters dangerously.
"Wait, I have a better one! What if he's some crazy Alpha again. Your family just attracts those."
"I said shut up!"
Laura doesn't have a chance to respond. Poppy is on her in seconds and grabs a hold of her hair to hold her still as she starts punching her repeatedly in the face. Screams are being released but Poppy doesn't hear them. People are trying to pull her off the bleeding girl beneath her but she can barely feel them. All she can sense is her wolf in her head, demanding that they destroy this woman who dare speak ill of their mate and Poppy gives in.
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If this chapter isn't very good you'll have to forgive me. I've been cleaning my house all day and I'm tired. But I said I'd update this today and so I did. hope you enjoyed it anyway!
Predictions about next chapter?
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