Life Without You

Chapter 9 - Tommo

Although it’s great to be back home, a strange unsettling feeling has been gnawing away at me ever since we got back to the pack. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but Ash can feel it too and it’s like he can’t stay still in my head. Alpha Hayden has thankfully kept us busy all day, getting us to show off what we have learnt at the academy, and now I am completely knackered. I volunteered to drive back tomorrow. Being the only one without a mate and therefore the only one to get a good nights sleep last night, and quite possibly tonight as well, it just made sense. However as the restlessness has built within me throughout the day, I'm not sure it was such a good idea after all. I start to pace around my bedroom whilst Ash continues to pace around inside my head.

“Me and Lettie are going to go hang out in Nelly for a while, you want to come?” Bren asks through the mind link. It’s a tempting offer, about as tempting as sticking needles in my eyes. I can’t think of anything more awkward than spending my final evening in the pack with a newly mated couple that is about to be parted for goddess only knows how long.

“No thanks, you go ahead. Im sure you want to spend some alone time with Lettie before we leave tomorrow.” I reply back through the link before closing it. I know he doesn’t want to feel like he is leaving me out, but considering the other three have found their mates and I haven’t, I don’t mind being sidelined this evening. However, not even a minute after I close the mind link with Bren my phone pings. I consider not reading it, I don’t expect it to be anything vital. Maybe just a message from Bren confirming that he wants me to go with them, but I really can’t be arsed tonight. I really should try and get some rest.

“Get your arse to Nelly NOW, or I will hunt you down and drag you there.” I read the threatening message out loud with a smile. If the message had been from anyone else, I wouldn’t take it seriously, but Lettie definitely would follow through with that threat. Although it would be quite funny to play hide and seek with her, the fact that Bren is certainly with her and can locate me with his Alpha abilities means it won’t be a fair game, so I make it easy for her and walk there myself. When I get to the old campervan that Lettie and her mother used to live in, I am pleasantly surprised to see it’s not just going to be the three of us. Frankie is also here along with Jace and Daphne. As we laugh and joke almost like nothing has changed between us, the feeling of unrest builds. When Frankie makes his excuse to leave so that he can call his mate before she goes to sleep, I think about leaving too but Lettie gives me one of her looks and I obediently sit back down.

“I can’t believe you are going back to the academy tomorrow. I wish you could stay longer.” Daphne says looking longingly into the eyes of her mate, who is sat behind her, his arm encasing her in a loving embrace. Her head is turned towards him, showing off the fresh mark on her neck. I’m so pleased that they have finally taken that step, but it’s going to be almost unbearable for him to be away from her now.

“Speak for yourself. I’ll be glad of a bit of peace.” Lettie says teasing Bren in her usual manner, before he shuts her up with a kiss.

“Shall we have an early night?” Jace says with a wink that leaves none of us in any doubt about what they will be doing in a mere matter of minutes. His mate nods enthusiastically and he stands, takes her hand and leads her out of the campervan.

“I need a run, Ash is driving me crazy.” I say no longer worried about Lettie’s wrath, as I stand up ready to make my way outside.

“I’ll come with you.” Bren offers.

“It’s ok. I’m not going to be long. You can come if you want, but I thought you would want to spend some alone time with Lettie.” I say, smiling at my best friends.

“Lettie would be quite glad of a bit of alone time, alone.” Lettie adds with a smirk.

“Thank you, but I would prefer it if you keep Bren with you. I don’t barely get chance to piss without him looking over my shoulder when we are at the academy.”

“Eww. That is gross. You should really let him piss in peace.” She scolds Bren as she moves to straddle his knees, placing both hands on his cheeks and pulling his face towards hers for a kiss.

“See ya.” I shout over my shoulder as I finally leave the two of them in peace. As soon as I am far enough away from the campervan I strip and shift into Ash, probably for the final time before we leave tomorrow. No wolf is happier than when they are running on their own pack’s land. Well maybe they are slightly happier when they are screwing their mates wolf, but you know what I mean. Ash sniffs contentedly enjoying the unique smell of our pack. A scent that we won’t get to smell again for weeks. When we get close to the border a strange sensation comes over us causing us to shudder. I sniff again harder, trying to get a sense of what is out there causing my hairs to stand on ends. A faint smell unlike anything I have ever smelt before dances on the warm breeze. I carefully walk as soundlessly as possible towards to scent.

“Mate.” Ash growls as he lets out a deep grunt. A pair of emerald green eyes shine in the dark night. Everything else around me pales into nothingness as I stare at those eyes. The dim light makes her almost invisible except for those hypnotic eyes. She isn’t moving, frozen to the spot, not blinking, those incredible green eyes boring into me. Then as suddenly as they appeared, they are gone. She turns and runs at lightning speed away from us. I want to follow her, but Ash stays rooted to the spot, breathless, powerless to move.

“Ash, Ash.” I call out to him and eventually he seems to snap out of the trance.

“Our mate is here.” He pants, shocked beyond belief.

“No our mate was here and you froze like a snowman’s dick.” I correct him.

“Our mate is here.” He repeats unbelievingly. “I never thought we would actually see her here.”

“Me neither. Who would have thought that our mate would be under our noses all along.”

“She is incredible.” He gushes still trying to catch his breath.

“You don’t know that, you don’t anything about her.” I try to reason with him, but he doesn’t seem open to reason right now.

“We need to find her. We need to be with her. I can’t leave without seeing her again.”

“She just ran away from us, she’s scared shitless. You must have felt her heart racing. I don’t think she is a pack wolf. I couldn’t smell a pack on her. She might not understand what she is feeling.” I explain feeling helpless to rectify this situation, however much I want to.

“Our mate is a lone wolf.” He smiles as he thinks about her, our mate.

“I think so.”