Chapter 14

Since she left, Zoe hadn’t come to the mountain for anything. She didn’t even go to the parks and trails people use for recreation or exercising.

But every inch of the road was fixed in her mind. Every inch closer to Damien was a ton of bricks off her back.

She didn’t know what she was going to say, where would she start? Even worse, she didn’t know if Damien would be around. The crew had told her that they left for days at a time, she crossed her fingers hoping Damien would be there... after about twenty minutes her index finger was numb but she didn’t care. Please be there, she said.

She tried rehearsing what she was going to say, but there were so many aspects to their relationship that she didn’t know where to begin. So many problems. Stupid problems, like commuting here every day; and real problems, like she being a human and Damien a shifter. There were the Shadowlands attacks, the danger, everything.

But they could make it work.

They would think of something. Damien was smart, and their relationship had so much potential. It was going to be the best thing, like Romeo and Juliet, except without the rivalry between gang things, there are no gangs out here, she thought, and we’re not teens, no teenage angst either... and I’m not really okay with the mutual suicide at the end. Okay, maybe it isn’t like Romeo and Juliet at all. She smiled. It’s freaking better: the place is better, the sex is better, and the guy is definitely cooler.

And there it was.

A few hundred yards in the distance, the small trail heading towards the mountain. A million butterflies fluttered in her stomach, she smiled and almost yelled in anticipation.

***

The trail out of the mountain was easy for Damien, its sharp turns had nothing on his truck. He could not wait to get to Rosenberg and find her. It’s not going to be easy, you messed up, he thought, but you can’t let her go again.

He pressed the accelerator, his truck roaring, dirt covering its lower side. He felt better. The mere thought of seeing her again put a smile on his face. His bear inside was satisfied, at least for now. It wasn’t the wild beast it usually was.

He was on the final stretch of the mountain trail, just a few more turns and he’d be on the lower road, and from there about an hour to Rosenberg.

It was still early, he’d be there by dusk and look for her. He didn’t want to barge into her life and claim her like a barbarian, though you should, he thought, take her home and explain things on the way. That girl is a wild one, she’d understand. He smiled at his dumb joke.

Out in the distance, a car approached.

What? A car coming up here? The dirt road was not easy to find, there were no directions, people were encouraged to go to the national park, not here.

Then he noticed.

The light gray color, the model and make, what in the world...?. The Nissan was coming in slowly, carefully. It wasn’t made for these kind of roads, so it threaded carefully. It’s her. For some reason she was coming back. His plan was simple: get to Rosenberg, find her and tell her how he felt. The first part of his plan was useless now, hopefully the other parts would go better.

He blinked his highlights. She blinked hers back.

If this is how it has to happen, so be it, he thought. He lowered his speed, this place is as good as any other. He moved to the side of the road, parked his truck and got out. Big trees towered above, silent witnesses to the scene.

Her car stopped a few yards away. The engine was still running, windows still up.

She looked almost as nervous as the first time they met. Her hands were still on the wheel, her eyes not meeting his. He stepped towards her, and she finally turned off her car and got out, looking at him, not saying a word.

He almost gasped, she was even more stunning than he remembered. Four weeks ago you let her go, the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. Four weeks of being apart, you’ll have to make up for the lost time.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.”

They both stood under the trees, awkwardly silent.

“Listen,” he finally spoke, “I was coming for you”.

Her eyes met his, she smiled.

“That’s why you were driving like a crazy person?”

“Yes,” he said.

The wind picked up, passing through the swaying trees.

“It’s not really recommended to drive through these parts like that,” she said, “I think you said that.”

His eyes widened, then he laughed, moving closer to her.

“I don’t remember saying it. But it’s the truth. Sometimes you have to risk everything for your mate.”

She tried to hide her surprise at that word.

“What about this place being dangerous for humans?” she asked.

“I’ll make it safe for you.”

“I want to be with you, Damien.”

“I want to be with you, too,” he said, “this place is not for everybody, but if you let me, I’ll be the man you deserve, I’ll make you happy every day.”

“This place is perfect.”

“You are perfect.”

She laughed, then contained herself.

“What about the White Paws?”

“They are strong. They know you are my mate, they know that you and I, together, are stronger than on our own. You make me strong, Zoe, you make me a better leader, you make me much more than I ever was. I always thought I was all right by myself but I can’t fathom living without you now.”

Her eyes were watering, her face pure bliss. He walked to her, held her, and lifted her from the ground and kissed her. A long, sweet kiss, their lips hungry for each other, bodies burning.

They kissed and they smiled and then they couldn’t keep themselves from laughing. Foreheads touching, Zoe in his arms, her feet suspended in the air.

“We’re having a feast tonight, a celebration,” he said.

“What about?”

“Us. You’re here now, there’s no better reason to celebrate."

“I’m in,” she said, “as long as I help preparing something.”

“Maybe I’ll let you, if you’re a good girl.”

She laughed and hugged him.

“I don’t think I feel like being a good girl tonight, Damien.”

He growled faintly, his cock starting to harden, then remembered.

“Hey but... what about your life, your business? Mav told me about it, you seem to be doing pretty good, I don’t want to make you feel constrained or—”

“Don’t worry about that, I’m an accountant, I crunch numbers, I do all the work from home. My place is with you. Being here frees me, makes me more me, makes me happy.”

They kissed again, this time it was hotter, Damien had to keep himself from hugging her too hard, she fit perfectly in his arms, but he didn’t want to harm her.

“There was no one for me until I met you, Zoe,” he confessed, “you are the only one on this Earth I would ever want to share my life with.”

He kissed her hard. How did he live without her all his life? His hands on her legs, his sex hard as a rock.

“You are my destiny,” he said, kissing her again.

She put her legs around his waist, enjoying every second of this. Everything had gone much better than she anticipated. He carried her up to the hood of her car and laid her there, she could feel the bulge in his pants getting harder and harder. Oh my, I missed this, she thought, unable to grind her center hard enough into him. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck, kissing and biting it, touching her legs, her waist, pulling her to him, letting her feel his thick cock beneath all the layers of denim.

Her breathing was loud now. He moved his hand to her blouse, slowly unbuttoning her from the top, kissing her chest and burying himself in it.

She was soaked now, she’d never got so wet so fast but his contained fury, his intensity, the hunger in his deep blue eyes made her feel so wanted, like she’d never felt before.

“I missed you,” she rasped, her ragged breath reaching his ears.

He growled, ripped open her blouse and softly kissed her exposed breasts, slowly turning his attention to each of them with a passion she hadn’t yet seen in him. His mouth found her nipples, pushing her bra down with his chin, his hands on her ass pulling her closer. He satiated himself and looked up, found her face again and kissed her.

“I missed you too,” he said, unbuttoning his jeans, she could see his cock against the denim, completely swollen for her, thick and hard. His blazing desire just as she remembered. She touched it, their mouths and tongues combined in a fiery passionate kiss, she felt it with her palm and started a jerking movement, Damien moaned.

He grabbed both her hands and put them on the hood, “I want to taste you first,” he told her, “I want your taste in my mouth, I want to taste your folds, I want your honey.”

Her center was ready for him, her panties soaked. They had waited long enough.

“Taste me.” she implored

He knelt, his head between her legs, and unbuttoned her denim shorts, anxious to get to her, to open her folds with his mouth.

Then he realized.

There was no wind now. No sound at all. Everything was completely still. His senses were sharper than ever, he knew it, and he couldn’t sense any wildlife around. No birds, no mammals, nothing.

He stopped, standing up with a questioning look, trying to listen. Trying to make sense of what was going on.

To Zoe, his intensity suddenly changed. He was enveloped in her, and suddenly his hands tightened. He pulled her closer to him, his breath turning from wild, hot ferocity to cold calm. His eyes were not looking at her any more.

“What is it?” she asked

“I don’t know honey, you should get in the car.”

He loosened his grip on her and turned around, looking at the forest. His fists were clenched hard now, his knuckles white. His bear was on full defense mode now.

“Something’s wrong,” he said.