Life Without You

Chapter 12 - Tommo

I can feel her eyes on me as I slowly walk away. It takes every single bit of resolve that I have within me not to turn around. To not have one final look at her gorgeous face before we leave. She is beyond beautiful, the most stunning she-wolf I have ever seen. More than just her beauty though, there is a fire burning inside her that I want to feel, that I want to be burned by. A fire that excites me like no other she-wolf ever has. I never imagined that my mate would be a lone wolf, and not part of a pack. Yet the mate that I mark will be expected to take on the role of Beta female for our pack. A role that isn’t without its challenges sometimes. Growing up I watched my mum fulfill that role. Working tirelessly to keep the pack running smoothly, especially through its darkest days when we didn’t have a Luna. However, from the few short minutes that I have spent with her, I know that my mate is up to the role. The goddess wouldn’t have paired her with me otherwise. I was half-joking when I called her short, but she is shorter than I expected. I guess that’s down to her being a lone wolf too, I just always imagined my mate would be a ranked wolf. I love that she’s quite short, but then again I love everything about her.

“We shouldn’t leave her yet.” Ash protests despondently as he tries to take control to turn my head around, so that he can get a final look at her as well. I fear that if he succeeds, and I do get that final look, I might not actually be able to walk away from her again.

“We are already late. Everyone is waiting for us. Anyway, it’s best to leave her wanting more of us, not less.” I explain, trying really hard to believe my own words.

“What if she isn’t here when we get back? What if she runs away while we are gone?”

“She won’t.” I reply with a confidence that I don’t completely feel.

“She ran away from us last night, what if she does that again? How will we find her if she isn’t here? We won’t know where to begin to look for her.” Ash’s desperate questions come thick and fast. I can understand his concerns. He has always wanted to find our mate, and to now leave her here alone is tearing him apart, but we have responsibilities that we can’t ignore. We have to leave with Bren and the others. We have to be content with the fact that we have spoken to her, we know both of her names and she knows ours.

“She ran last night because she was scared. Hopefully she isn’t afraid of us anymore.” I explain as cheerfully as I can as I remember the cute way she stood in front of us with her hands on her hips whilst confronting us . She didn’t look scared, a little bit scary if anything.

“I wanted to mark her. I wanted to claim her so badly.” Ash confesses ruefully and I’m sure a part of him still does. Goddess, a part of me does.

“I know and I’m glad you didn’t. I think that might have scared her away.” I am almost certain it would have completely freaked her out. It’s not uncommon for werewolves to mark each other as soon as they meet, but she probably doesn’t know that. I don’t know how much about our world she knows. Lettie knew virtually nothing, but she had never met her father and her mother isn’t a werewolf. I take a deep breath and hold it, realising that her scent has almost vanished. I don’t think she is watching us anymore so I quicken my pace and jog back to the pack.

“These next two weeks can’t go quick enough.” Ash sighs quietly.

“I hope it only is two weeks, but it might be longer. I’m sure Uncle Rex will be keeping an eye on her anyway.”

“I don’t think we should tell him that she is our mate.”

“Me neither.” I don’t plan on telling anyone just yet. Not until I know more about her.

When we eventually arrive back at the pack my best friends are stood around one of the pack cars waiting for me.

“Your mum said you didn’t go back to the Beta suite last night.” Bren says probingly as I walk over to join them by the car.

“Did she?” I ask with a smirk.

“Where did you sleep? Or didn’t you sleep? You dirty dog.” Bren quips with a grin.

“A gentleman never kisses and tells.” I reply looking at each of them in turn for a reaction.

“You are no f*****g gentleman.” Frankie joins in their jesting.

“You’ve been out of range all morning, don’t tell me you drove back to the Dark Moon to take Freya up on her offer.” Jace adds and I wish I hadn’t shared that but of information with him now.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I say trying to put an end to the jokes so that we can get out of here.

“Bloody hell, you did. Do you think that she is your mate?” Frankie asks.

“I was not with Freya.”

“By the smell of you, you weren’t with anyone.” Bren adds as he takes a big sniff in my direction.

“I wasn’t with anyone.” I confirm glad that he hasn’t picked up Eva’s scent on me.

“So what the bloody hell have you been doing all night?”

“Hunting.” I suppose it’s not technically a lie.

“All night?” Jace asks and I nod my head in response.

“Well guys, looks like I’m driving then.” Frankie says snatching the keys for the pack car from Bren before we all take our seats inside it ready for the journey back to the academy.