Chapter Two
Toronto, six weeks later
The blinding lights of the city spread out below him as Caleb stared out the picture window of his friend’s condo. He hated the city. Hated the crowds, the noises, the smells. Dear God, the smells. Body odour, car fumes, chemicals of all varieties, all left him feeling nauseated until he’d made it back to his refuge up north.
So why the hell was his wolf so eager to go out there?
He couldn’t explain what had even brought him to the city in the first place. A sudden urge to visit Jake had taken over, and like an itch that wouldn’t go away until scratched, he found himself following the urge right into downtown Toronto.
“What do you mean, you want to go for a walk? Are you insane?”
Caleb turned to face his childhood friend. “I don’t know. My wolf just keeps telling me we have to go outside.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “You and your frigging wolf. You make no sense.”
“I know, but I still want to go.”
“Have it your way, but don’t go puking all over my condo if you get sick again.”
Caleb winced at the reminder of previous visits gone awry. There was a good reason he didn’t make it to the city more than a couple of times a year. But fighting his wolf was a losing battle, he’d learned, so when the wolf said, “Go to Toronto,” Caleb went. As Jake grabbed his keys and gestured for the door, Caleb wondered what was guiding the animal within him.
Sounds and smells assaulted his senses the moment they stepped from the lobby to the sidewalk in front of the building. Caleb choked for a moment before getting his bearings. Jake shook his head, muttering about how crazy this was, and though Caleb agreed, he knew he had to get moving.
Without giving it any thought, he let the wolf take charge of directing them, finding it amusing to watch Jake struggle to keep up the rapid pace Caleb set. Humans. They wandered the streets, his wolf clearly searching for something, but the sensory overload of the city made it difficult to find, especially when Caleb didn’t really know what the wolf wanted. Within an hour, Jake was complaining about the cold, and though Caleb didn’t feel it as keenly as his friend, he was growing frustrated.
He was just about to suggest turning back when he caught a scent among the stink of the city. Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Caleb closed his eyes and inhaled. Loam. Pine. And something tantalizing he couldn’t name.
It smelled like home.
He set out to follow the scent, the wolf growing more eager as the scent grew stronger, and at last they stopped in front of an old building with a Chinese restaurant on the ground level. People hurried by on the sidewalk. Cars whizzed along the street. A homeless person huddled in the doorway of the neighbouring building.
“Chinese? You just wanted fucking Chinese food?” Jake panted beside Caleb. “We could have ordered take-out.”
Ignoring his friend, Caleb closed his eyes and zeroed in on the scent. When he opened his eyes, he was staring at the homeless person. A woman, he realized. Her hair hung in dirty strings around her face, and she was dressed in a ragged coat, with no hat or gloves, despite the sub-zero temperatures. A tattered box containing a few coins sat in front of her. As Caleb made his way toward her, he recognized the telltale scent of a wolf.
What the hell was a wolf doing begging on the streets of Toronto?
He stopped in front of her, not saying anything, but watching closely. For a moment, she stared down at her hands, but then her spine stiffened, and she turned her face up to look at Caleb, eyes wide. The scent of fear poured off of her and she tensed. She was getting ready to run.
“I won’t hurt you.”
Her gaze darted around and Caleb had no doubt she was analyzing her options. So he sat down on the ground beside her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and then looked down again, settling a bit. When Caleb was sure she wasn’t going to run, he spoke again. “I’m Caleb.” She said nothing. Caleb glanced at Jake who motioned he was going into the restaurant. “What are you doing out here on the street? Where’s your pack?”
He knew she heard him. Her hands gripped her coat a little tighter at the mention of a pack, but she didn’t seem to want to speak. His wolf nudged him, anxious to make contact with the woman, but Caleb couldn’t figure out why.
Mate.
Caleb sucked in a sudden breath, causing the woman to look at him. As he studied her deep brown eyes, he knew it was true. According to wolf lore, every wolf had a soul mate, though it was rare to actually meet them. Fewer than a quarter of the wolves in his pack were fated mates, and those who found their other half were considered blessed. The other wolves just fell in and out of love like everyone else.
He’d found his mate. But why was she begging on the city streets? Where had she come from? So many questions. One thing he knew for sure, he’d have to get her back to Jacob’s soon.
“I don’t know why you’re here, or where you came from, but I want to help.” He figured it was a bit too soon to spring the idea of being mated on her yet, though her wolf must have recognized him by now.
“You can leave me alone.” Her voice was so quiet only a wolf could hear, but the determination in it was clear. “I don’t need help.”
“If you don’t need help, why are you begging on the streets? Do you even have a place to sleep?”
She glared at him. “It’s none of your fucking business. Get away from me.”
At last she showed some spirit. “No. I’m not leaving until you come with me. My friend’s condo isn’t far—”
The woman recoiled and jumped to her feet. Grabbing the box with its meager collection, she bolted.
“For fuck’s sake!” In spite of his wolf urging him to pursue the woman, Caleb stayed where he was. The humans wouldn’t take too kindly to a man chasing a woman through the streets. He punched a brick in frustration, wincing slightly at the scraped knuckles. As he stared at his hand, the minor wound knitted itself back together until his hand looked good as new.
He went to find Jacob. He’d been beaten tonight, but now that he’d scented his mate, his wolf could find her anywhere.