Fate's Divide

3. Mystery Mate

Alpha Lane approached the doctor just as she laid eyes on her mate, and she quickly noted every feature about him: Nearly as tall as an alpha. Lean, but she could see muscle definition in his arms. There was power hidden in his lean frame. Dust from the blast clung to his clothes and face. He was wearing gray slacks, a torn white button-up shirt, and a matching gray vest that was unbuttoned. His sandy brown hair was styled in a spikey, loose style, though it was a bit disheveled, understandably. Several deep lacerations covered his arms, all varying in length but no longer bleeding. Lena could see where blood had soaked through his clothes in a few different places. He was one of the unfortunate ones to be hit with shrapnel, but the wounds had already stopped bleeding, indicating the quick healing abilities of a high status wolf.

Lena wanted nothing but to run to him and heal him. To hold him, to touch his skin, feel his warmth, and drench herself in his scent. Her cheeks burned from the new wave of desire. Most wolves were accustomed to controlling their strong emotions, yet Lena faced difficulty remaining composed in front of her pack leader. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to catch his eyes, but was interrupted by the alpha as he cleared his throat.

“After the investigation concludes, we'll know certainly if this was an attack from the ratmen. For now, our pack is secure and it's safe to go home. Could you write up a report of what you've done for me now please?” Alpha Lane asked.

“Of course,” Lena replied, refocusing her attention on her leader. “Are you hurt?” She didn't see any injuries on him, though his shirt had a little blood on it, presumably from helping others.

He shook his head. “A little sore, but nothing a little rest won't fix. Thank you, doc.” Lane dismissed Lena and she bowed her head. Much to her disappointment, the group disbanded during their conversation and her mysterious man disappeared. Why hadn't he sensed her? Maybe his injuries distracted him, she thought. She felt as if part of her soul left her and she searched for him. It was futile; she knew he was already gone because his scent was untraceable.

The doctor stood just outside of the partially destroyed castle, looking out towards the dark forest beyond the fence. A breeze whispered in the trees and sent a shiver through Lena's body. Gooseflesh covered her arms when the cool air reached her. Suddenly, she craved the safety of the walls of her home. She turned quickly and jogged home, no longer wanting to be exposed to the ominous night air.

Once she arrived home, Lena checked each room for intruders. Her sense of smell never failed her, but she had to have visual confirmation in order to relax. Satisfied, she went to her phone and sent a message to let Tristan know she was okay and asked about his family.

Tristan.

What was she to do now? She never got the chance to decline his offer of living together, and now she knows she has a mate, even if they haven't exactly met each other yet. There was no longer any interest in her current lover, a realization that sent a pang of guilt through the doctor. Lena made a decision to explain her predicament and end the relationship with Tristan as soon as possible.

Lena rubbed her face, fighting exhaustion from staying awake for nearly twenty-four hours. A shower was in order. She quickly stripped off her clothes, depositing them directly into the washing machine, and stepped into a warm, steamy shower. Afterward, she fixed herself a cup of coffee and typed up the report Alpha Lane had requested.

The clock on Lena's laptop read four a.m.. Sleep beckoned her. She tossed and turned in bed, but the tragedy of the ball tormented her thoughts. Her mate's face was etched into her eyelids and she fought a mixture of horror, panic, desire, and confusion. She couldn't rest. It was too much. Her chest heaved up and down rapidly, shooting the distressed doctor out of bed. Lena ran through the house and desperately clawed open the sliding glass door. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She grabbed the wooden bench to steady herself, dizzy with overwhelm. Dawn was breaking over the horizon now. Lena gasped, taking in huge gulps of fresh, cool air, and her heart rate began to slow. She focused on the changing colors of the sky: still mostly midnight blue, but starting to lift to dark blue, light blue, then a glorious yellow at the horizon.

This was not at all how she thought meeting her mate would feel. It was all wrong. In the middle of a crisis, where there were dead and wounded all around them. He didn't even see her. As Lena began to come down from the panic, she wondered if she imagined the mystery man. Like it was her mind's way of coping with the disaster.

It was not imagined, her wolf, Rendell, told her. Lena puffed. That did not make things any easier. Rendell did not present herself often, usually only when she needed to guide her human through a major decision. There was no arguing with her. Lena thought for a minute. Perhaps a little investigation would help, to place a name to the man's face.

That would have to wait for now, as the sun was well on its way to the sky and Lena needed to head to work. Frustrated and exhausted, the doctor dressed, gathered the report, and headed to the infirmary, walking furiously the entire way.

~~~~

Dominic's POV

The drive back to the Alderson pack was long, hardly a word spoken between the alpha and his beta, Dominic Longton. The winding, hilly roads only seemed stretch longer in the dark. A spectacular, historical ball, permanently tainted by an act of t*rrorism. No doubt the proceeding events would never be held at the White Haven territory again, to no fault of their own.

The White Haven pack rarely faced opposition, so their boundary defenses weren't strong. The explosion itself was a sloppy job. Two bombs failed to detonate, and they were placed throughout the castle without rhyme or reason. Everyone was certain it was the work of wererats, who were still despondent over their destroyed underground community, done by the hands of said pack. An investigation would prove their hypothesis right or wrong.

Dominic thought about the victims that died. He knew none of them. Several of his acquaintances suffered wounds and burns of varying degrees. He was also wounded by shrapnel while covering his superior from the explosion. He looked down at his dirty, crumpled shirt, surveying the tears and blood. A night of solid rest would heal him, but the lesions still ached; however, that wasn't the source of his unease.

Growling in his head, Dominic’s wolf, Mingan, alerted to the presence of his mate in the aftermath of the explosion. It was more irritating than exciting, as the revelation occurred at the same time as the debriefing in the castle, with the other alphas and betas. His wolf would not shut UP, not even now, in the drive back home where they couldn't smell her delicate scent. Mingan howled madly, begging the beta to turn back around and find her. They needed her badly. As badly as the Moon needs the Earth. Dominic's grip on the steering wheel tightened, threatening to break the wheel into pieces. The distance between the White Haven and Alderson territories was great, a two hour drive, and the entrance to his home grounds was nearly in sight. No turning around now.

“What bothers you?” Dominic's first in command asked, raising an eyebrow. Dominic shook his head and sighed.

“My mate was there,” he replied. Gregory remained silent, waiting for a response, and rolled his eyes when he didn't get one.

“Care to elaborate?” he grunted.

“My mate was there, and I never saw her. Well, only a glimpse. She wasn't there during the ball. I felt her in the aftermath, when all the medics arrived. But I didn't get the chance to look for her. She was standing at the top of the hill in front of the castle when we left,” Dominic recalled. The image of her beautiful long hair flowing in the wind sent a shiver down his spine. If only he had seen her before they started driving back.

“Ah,” Gregory replied, “You could have stayed there. I would have been fine driving myself.” He paused a moment, processing the words his beta just told him. “So your mate is a medic?”

Dominic sighed. “I don't know. It was so dark, I couldn't exactly see if she was wearing medic gear. I might do a little digging tomorrow, if that's alright.” The first in command smirked, giving the okay to do whatever he pleased. They finally arrived at the pack grounds and parked in front of the main house where they resided.

Alpha Gregory was ten years older than Dominic, but they had grown close in their time working together, like best friends. They were perfectly in sync and a force to be reckoned with, as any leaders should be. The two said good night and parted ways.

Dominic headed straight for the shower once he reached his room. Stripped of soiled clothes, he investigated his injuries in the mirror of the bathroom. He didn't have time to turn his back when the bomb detonated, so his torso and forearms took the brunt of the blast. A large gash took up most of his left breast, reaching diagonally from armpit to sternum. Healing had already begun, but it was a deep wound that could use some special attention.

Touching his injuries tenderly, he couldn't help but think of his mate and how her potential career in medicine could help him right now. He fantasized about her in the shower, dreaming of her closeness while she tended to him. He longed for a woman he had never met. Yes, he would have to make a call to the White Haven pack very soon.