A Royal Mate

Anna knew that face but Aspen only saw her mate. Jack? Wh-How? This can't be happening. The black wolf who has been following me, is Jack? And Aspen thinks he is our mate?

MATE! MATE! MATE! He's our mate, Anna. Quit denying it. You know it. We both do. You can feel it and so do I. You didn't believe that I would ever come back, but Jett did. He knew I was here before his human did. Shift and show yourself to him. Please don't let him go.

I couldn't tear away from his gaze. It was like he was controlling me and he wouldn't let go. He tried several times to mind link but I cut off the communication. Letting my human come through, I shook my head and took off running towards my apartment but I was still new to these woods and soon I was lost. I had to have been running the wrong way because I found myself in a thick patch of trees and overgrowth that I didn't notice before. I tried to turn around but everything looked the same and soon I was panting and pacing and trembling from fear of being in unknown territory. I didn't know where the borders were so I only hoped I was still on Jacks pack land. I wanted to keep running but Aspen was getting tired so I shifted back and walked around a bit trying to find something that would lead me back home.

A few hours later I was no closer to getting out than I was before and it was getting colder as dawn approached. I found a bed of leaves and grass and laid down curling into a ball trying to warm myself. Aspen wasn't speaking to me so I knew asking to shift would be pointless. I knew I upset her but she just didn't understand. It was her hormones making her believe that he was our mate. But I knew otherwise. Mates didn't exist.

Just as I closed my eyes, the alluring smell of spicy pine filled my nostrils, instantly calming me and causing heat to creep all over my body. A black ball of fur came from around a tree and spotted me, whimpering in relief. He shifted and ran to me, falling to the ground and pulling me into his arms. I was so happy to see him and so was Aspen who was purring at his touch. I nuzzled into his neck wrapping my arms around him tighter and giving into his warmth. He picked me up and carried me through the woods until we arrived at his house. The sun was just peaking up over the horizon when we arrived and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I closed them and leaned against his chest letting him carry me inside and ups the stairs to his room. It smelled so much like him that it made me smile and I could feel Jack tighten his grip around me in a hug. He laid me down on his dark grey sheets and tucked me under the covers. He kissed my forehead and said "Sleep, my beautiful." And with that I relaxed into an effortless sleep.

I opened my eyes to see Jack sitting in a chair across the room with his laptop in his lap and a folder of papers next to him on the table. He was in deep concentration but when I stirred he jerked his head up and smiled. He placed the laptop on the folder and took only three long strides to the side of my bed. I had been dressed in one of his t-shirts and the smell had me intoxicated.

"Did you sleep well? I hope you don't mind wearing my t-shirt. After we got inside and I put you in bed, I walked to the closet to get you some clothes but you fell right asleep. So I dressed you." He had a lustful look in his eyes and I blushed.

"It's ok. I actually think it made me sleep better. How long have I been sleeping?" Looking around for a clock as I realized I didn't even know what time it was.

"It's 3pm. You practically slept the whole day. Running around like a wolf all night kinda does that to you!" He gave me a stern look causing me to hang my head but then it hit me.

"Oh shit, Val. She must me worried about me. Where's my phone or yours I need to call her." I jumped up looking for it but I couldn't find it. I must have left it back home when I chased the wolf into the forest. Thinking back that probably wasn't such a good idea. What if he would have been a bad wolf?

"Relax, Anna. I already called her and told her you were here. She was pissed and may have threatened me a few times but she calmed down once I sent her a picture of you sleeping." He said snapping me out of my frantic daydream.

"Oh, ok. Thank you for doing that and I'm sorry if she said something inappropriate but we are best friends and she was just protecting me. We're both all each other has." I say as I sit back down on the bed covering myself back up. I just realized I had nothing else on under the t-shirt. Jack walked to his closet and walked out with a pair of boxer shorts and a new shirt and handed them to me.

"If you're hungry I'll make you something to eat but why don't you take a shower real quick. The bathroom is right there. The towels are in the cabinet." He said as he walked to the door. He smiled at me and I all but melted right there in front of him. He really is gorgeous I had to give him that but was he really my mate? I did feel extremely at easy and incredibly turned on when he was around. And it would explain those electric tingles all over my body when we touched. But he is a man and I haven't had the best of luck with them. I just didn't know what to believe.