Soul Mates

Chapter 9

What was he doing? That’s all Cole could think as he raced back towards the pack house. It wasn’t like him to go adventuring off the territory like that. Especially not to some strange human girl's house to stare at her through her bedroom window. But, he couldn’t fight the pull any longer.

He’d been fighting it for close to a week now. Ever since he had watched her dad’s SUV disappear with her in it. Ever since their first, and only, meeting in town. Cole had struggled against his desire to follow that pull to her front door. Until today, that is. Something in him wouldn’t allow him to fight it any longer.

Just like, it wouldn’t allow him to even think about touching another female at his impending Choosing Ceremony. Even with his father in his ear and up his ass about the upcoming event and his lack of interest in the females available to him.

When he had confronted his father about the human female and this odd connection, his father had informed him he had no idea what he was talking about. His father had brushed him off and the strange occurrence, changing topics to the Choosing Ceremony.

It seemed that’s all that anyone could talk about anymore. This stupid ceremony that was approaching in the next few weeks. One that, the more he thought about, the more he knew he needed to get out of it. He didn’t feel excitement in his chest when he thought of the ceremony. No, all Cole felt was dread.

Cole knew something was off with that, but he could not seem to force himself to be excited over the idea of the life that would follow the Choosing Ceremony.

“Where have you been?” Ezra asked as he caught up to his best friend.

“Making stupid choices,” Cole thought to himself, but until he shifted back to human form, he was unable to respond. Instead, Cole let out a growl.

Ezra just chuckled as he walked close enough to Cole that his shoulder rubbed against the wolf’s furry leg. It was almost as if he knew what Cole had been up to. Not only that, but he was amused by it.

Cole headed over to where he’d stashed a pair of shorts beside a tree. He shifted to his human form and tugged the shorts up his legs. Once he was covered, he headed back around the tree to Ezra.

“I don’t want to hear it.” He grumbled and shoulder bumped his best friend on his way by. Ezra let out a loud laugh and jogged to catch up.

“Did you go see your hot human piece? Get a feel of something different before spending your entire life with the same woman?” Ezra joked.

Cole knew it was a joke. He knew his best friend didn’t think, just spoke. But, he couldn’t stop the growl that crawled up his chest. He couldn’t stop himself from slamming Ezra’s back into the nearest tree.

“Never say anything like that ever again about her.” He growled in Ezra’s face. His eyes searched the shocked eyes of his friends. Cole didn’t even know what had come over him and made him pin Ezra like that, but it scared even him. Something about his friend making jokes like that about her made his blood boil in a way he’d never felt before.

“Damn, dude. Sorry, it was just a joke.” Ezra shoved Cole away and pushed himself off the tree.

Cole took a step away from Ezra and ran his fingers through his hair. He dropped his head and shook it.

“I’m sorry, man. I don’t know what came over me. You made a joke, I know it was a joke. But the animal inside of me? He freaked out when you made that joke.” Cole said to the ground. “Man, I don’t know what has happened to me lately. All I can think about is that human. Every single thought, every second of the day.” Cole confessed

Ezra dropped a hand on his friend's shoulder. He may be a jokester, but he knew when to be serious. Now was definitely one of those times.

“Did you go see her today?”

“Yeah. I stared at her through her window like a creeper until she saw me. Then, I ran away like a coward.” Cole met Ezra’s eyes. He clenched his jaw in frustration.

“I’ve met a lot of cowards in my life, but you are far from a coward.” Ezra removed his hand from Cole’s shoulder. “You are going through something strange and it is affecting you in ways we do not know how to predict or how to handle. I say, we go start trying to find answers.”

Cole nodded. He knew all of that, but now the big question became, “How? None of the pack elders knew anything?”

“Maybe they will know something about that.” Ezra nodded his head to a strange marking on Cole’s chest.

“What the f**k?” Cole muttered as he looked down to examine whatever Ezra was talking about. Resting right on his left peck, over his heart, was a wolf made up of swirls and vine style lines. The letters ARY were barely distinguishable amongst the swirls, but Cole could tell they were there.

“What? You’ve never noticed that before now?” Ezra asked, shock colored his voice.

“No. Never.” Cole mumbled and then took off in a fast jog. It was time for some answers.

Cole made it to the pack house, where he busted in through the front door and made his way upstairs. Ezra was hot on this trail every step of the way.

“Dad, we need to talk,” Cole announced as he entered the pack Alpha’s office. The door had been wide open while his father was working at his desk on some paperwork. It was customary for the pack Alpha to leave the office door open unless in an important closed door meeting. This allowed the pack members to feel safe to enter and speak with the Alpha about any matter they deemed necessary. Not that many took Alpha Austin up on the offer.

“Yes, son?” Alpha Austin was a tired man. Cole had been in and out of his office the past few weeks worrying himself sick over this human female and all of the changes he had experienced.

“Any clue what this is?” Cole pointed to the new marking on his chest.

“We need to take a trip to the elders for this one. I think I know what has happened.”