Chapter Four
“Where the hell did she go?” Laird roared and threw one of the chairs in his way once he and Jackson had finally dealt with the bear debacle and ran back to the conference room. “Why does my mate keep on doing this?”
“Alpha Gandry is your mate?” Jackson squeaked as another chair flew past his head.
“Yes, she is. Go get the truck. We’re going on a road trip.”
Ten minutes later they were flying down the highway.
“So, what’s your plan?” Jackson’s words interrupted the inner ramblings of his own distracted mind.
“Plan?”
“Yes, plan?” Jackson sighed a little over dramatically in Laird’s opinion, “What are you going to do to convince her to be your mate once we get there? Clearly, she needs some convincing.”
Laird’s low growl filled the cab of the truck as he stared back at his second.
“Umm you know, because she’s so stubborn.”
How was he going to convince her to come back with him? Jackson had a valid point. His mate seemed to have some kind of issue with what happened between them. The question was, was it an issue with mating in general—or more specifically, an issue with mating him?
Laird had no illusions when it came to his dominant tendencies. He knew he could be overbearing … and intense … but he was the Ruling Alpha for Goddess’s sake! He was supposed to be all those things, and his little spitfire of a mate would just have to get used to it.
“I will ask her what her issues are to us mating, and then I will remove the obstacles, just like any other task.” He was rather proud of the plan he’d just come up with. “Simple.”
However, the roll of his second’s eyes seemed to imply that Jackson didn’t think it would be so simple after all.
****
“Where the hell are you going now?” Gage jumped out of the truck and followed her when they’d finally pulled into her driveway at home. He grabbed the keys Bella threw towards him as she headed for the shed at the edge of the woods they all used to hide their shifting from the human guests.
“I need some time alone to sort things out with my cat right now, Gage. If you need me just send someone up to leave a message at the cabin. I might be a couple of days.” Bella only hoped that a few days out in the woods in her other form would stop this incessant ache in her chest. She felt like she’d left a piece of herself behind with Laird, and if she couldn’t get it to stop, then she was going to have to find a way to live with the pain.
When she was safely hidden away, she shed her clothes and placed them in the cabinet to keep them dry, and then she bounded out the back hatch door on four feet and into the soothing embrace of her forest home. The crisp air smelled of incoming snow, and she let her mind wander as her body took over and followed the familiar route through the woods, up to her favorite spot. She’d been coming to this place, where the river fell off and tumbled to the lake below, ever since she was a cub and was finally allowed to roam the forest on her own. It was her sanctuary, and she lay down on the huge flat rock overlooking the waterfall, thinking about the changes that had happened in her life the last two days.
Bella had been surprised at the Alpha Council meeting that her position hadn’t been challenged, very pleasantly surprised actually. Having to fight tooth and nail to get here, it almost seemed anti-climactic that the council had accepted her so readily. She wondered if that had anything to do with Ruling Alpha Connors. He’d known she was a female Alpha before he knew she was his mate—and still, he didn’t contest, so perhaps he didn’t have an issue with her position? Sure, he might not have an issue with a female Alpha, but surely he’d want his mate to join him wherever he resided and be at his beck and call for their life together, right?
Of course, he would. Don’t be stupid, Bella. Wishing for things that can never be.
Her cat consoled itself by pushing rocks off the edge of the cliff to watch them plunge into the foaming water below.
After an hour or so, even her thick fur couldn’t keep her warm when the snow arrived, so she made her way through the trees, chasing and playing with the angry squirrels that lived along the well-worn path to the cabin in retaliation for the acorns that were thrown her way. She knew the small cabin would be well stocked with cocoa and canned soup, and Bella was starving after the wandering she’d done today. Who wanted to eat a raw squirrel or rabbit when there was cream of mushroom soup just a shift away?
Bella shifted quickly and squeaked as the freezing air hit her bare skin. She grabbed the hidden key from the planter out front and opened the door. She locked it behind her and ran over to the fireplace to light the wood that had been left in preparation. Once she had the fire started, she headed for the shower to warm up and clean off. The hot water felt amazing, but there was a downside she hadn’t anticipated to shifting back into her human skin. Not only was the ache in her chest still there, but as her hands moved over her skin with the soap, the memory of Laird’s scorching touch invaded her mind. It was almost as if he was here with her, warming her from the inside out.
As her fingers trailed lower over her stomach, she could feel her body growing wet with desire. She closed her eyes and imagined the soothing scent of his warm skin. Bella remembered what it had felt like when his stubble covered chin had rubbed against her inner thighs, and when his talented tongue had finally reached her pussy and made a proper meal of her. She let one finger move down her body until it found her needy clit, Bella imagined it was her mate's strong fingers that stroked her until she was coming with his name on her lips.
She couldn’t stop the tears that filled her eyes, the emptiness inside of her only more obvious after the hollow pleasure of coming without him here.
What am I going to do? How am I going to live without him?