The Space Between

Nathan 1-5

I was gone for three days. It was late when I returned to my home. It had snowed while I was out. I didn’t shift to my human form until I was standing at the back door, my wolf fur kept me warm. I was naked after all. I unlocked the backdoor of my house with the spare key, not bothering to turn on the lights. This door led into the laundry room of my house. The snow made everything quiet, and it was the first time in three days that my mind wasn’t racing. I couldn’t even tell you the number of miles I’d run the past three days. It was 250 miles just from Denver to the pack land.

I turned the shower on in the bathroom connected to my bedroom and stood under the hot water, letting it ease the muscles in my shoulders. I tried to keep my mind blank, because that was the only way I was going to get through the next twenty-eight days before I went after Brittany.

She didn’t know it, because she never asked, but she had thirty days to reject my mark. After that, it was permanent. It had been three days now. My feet were going to be in New York on day thirty-one. Something else she didn’t know was that I could feel every time she stroked that mark. Every. Time.

And she stroked it a lot.

It physically killed me to not, but I knew I had to refrain from touching my own. If I touched it and she felt me do it, then I was afraid she would stop touching hers. I didn’t want her to stop touching it. If she stopped touching it, that meant she wasn’t thinking about us, and I wanted her to think about us. I sighed as I turned off the shower and dried off before flopping on my bed and pulling the comforter over me. I would be in New York the week before Christmas.

I stood in front of the alpha’s desk, watching the man as he stared out the window behind him. The snow blanketed the ground and beyond you could see the evergreens and mountain peaks in the background. I’d taken a picture of that scene and sent it to Brittany last week. I told her it was almost as beautiful as she was. I’d been texting her a few times a week, sending her a picture of the scenery or telling her about something going on. Not a whole lot, just a line or two. One night, I’d broken down and told her about the three days I’d spent running as my wolf after I left the resort. She always looked at my messages, but she never answered, except that night, I watched the bubble pop up that meant she started to type something. It disappeared and I felt her stroke my mark. No, that was no stroke, she was full on rubbing that mark.

I groaned and laid back on my bed, instantly hard. Please tell me she wasn’t doing what I thought she was doing. Another grip on her neck over that mark told me she definitely was doing what I thought she was doing. My hand went for the mate mark on my neck, and I stopped within inches, grabbing my pillow instead. I laid there, breathing heavy, my groin aching, seeing her behind my eyelids, pleasuring herself while rubbing that mark, thinking of me.

It was the longest ten minutes of my life.

So now, I was standing in front of my alpha, ready to leave for New York the next day. I wasn’t sure how to handle this situation, I didn’t know how long it would take to bring her back. I was ready to give up my job and my position to do this. I’d basically handed in my resignation.

“I do not accept your resignation, Nathan.” Andrew turned to me.

“Excuse me, Alpha? I’m going to New York; how can you not accept my resignation?”

“You are the Beta of this pack. And when you return with your mate, you will be the Beta of this pack.”

“It could be months, Alpha. I would suggest you choose another.”

“Even now, you put the pack before yourself. Which is why you will always be my Beta. You can choose another when you are Alpha. I already made a choice”

I actually took a step back when he said that. Obviously, I knew he’d been considering offering me the position, but this is the first time he’d ever actually said it out loud. I actually didn’t know what to say. “Thank you, Alpha.”

“What is your plan, Nathan? I highly doubt you’re going to waltz into her life and just be able to carry her back here.”

“I plan on presenting myself at her brother’s club as a rogue, asking for a job. They’re always looking for more security.” I’d done some research online and found her brother’s club. Seems he had a soft spot for the magical community, especially ones in trouble. Not sure how she thought I wouldn’t be able to find her, she may as well have just told me her address. “From then, I plan on gaining her trust and her love. I hope to be back with her by spring.”

Andrew grunted at me. “Your plan may work, as long as he doesn’t run a background check and find out you aren’t a rogue.”

“If he does then I fall to my knees and beg her.”

“You may want to lead with that, Nathan.”

Naturally, my first day in New York was a day the club was closed, so I had a lot of time to wander the streets. I guess you could call it sightseeing. I couldn’t believe how many tourists there were still walking around, even in the cold and the snow. It was almost Christmas, I guess. I’d bought her something from one of the pack members. He was a very gifted jewelry maker and he helped me design a charm necklace for her. It was a wolf paw, with our mate mark design in the middle and on each claw was a tiny sapphire, because that’s what her eyes reminded me of. It was delicate but strong, just like she was.

On the day the club was finally open, I checked out of the hotel I’d been staying at, slung my backpack on, and headed over there.

Brendan St. John was large and imposing and, after looking at him, I decided there was also a giant in their bloodline. Him and Brittany looked alike, they both had the same honey brown hair, straight nose, and full lips. Brendan’s eyes were green though. Behind him, standing at the same height as me, was a blonde-haired male. Probably Brendan’s second in command. They were both fit and muscular, but I could tell who was in charge of that group.

“You’re a rogue, you say?” Brendan had looked me up and down, noting my appearance. I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, my favorite old leather coat around my shoulders, my backpack at my feet. I watched his eyes linger for just a moment on my mate mark, but no emotion showed in his eyes. “You don’t look like a f*****g rogue.”

“What do you expect a rogue to look like? Haggard and weak? Ripped up clothes? This is the twenty-first damn century.” The male, or whatever he was, behind Brendan shifted, but I ignored him, keeping my eyes on Brendan. He was the alpha.

“Why did you leave your pack?”

“I left my pack to find my mate.” I wanted to keep to as much of the truth as possible in case he could sniff a lie. I heard the man behind him mutter something about shapeshifters and their mates and I know my eyes changed when I looked at him. All my wolf heard was a possible threat against our mate. The man stood his ground but shut his mouth. When I looked back at Brendan, he had a small smile on his face. 

“What did you say your name was?”

“Nathan Wolf.”

“That’s a bit f*****g obvious, don’t you think?”

I shrugged at him, that’s the name he was getting.

“How do you know your mate is here in New York?”

“Trust me, I know she is.” Her scent was faint here, but I could still smell her. My nostrils flared.

“Do you have somewhere to stay?” That question caught both me and the other guy off guard.

“I have enough money to stay at a cheap motel for a few days.” That was a lie, but also not a lie. I had plenty of money to stay wherever I wanted.

“There aren’t any of those close to here.”

“I’ve slept on the ground before.” Not in my human form, but again, not a lie.

“Come with me,” he said as he turned to walk deeper into the club. Up until that point, I hadn’t been allowed past the entrance. I picked up my bag and followed him, the blonde guy following after me. Brendan led me around the outskirts of the club and through a door in back that said employees only. We passed the swinging kitchen doors and a few others before he stopped and opened one. I looked in and it seemed to be an unused utility closet.

“Brendan,” the guy behind me said, and it was the first time he spoke.

“Zak,” Brendan replied, “do you know where that army cot I have is?” I’m assuming he nodded. “Go get it.” Brendan stared at Zak until the other man sighed and walked off, then he turned his gaze to me. “I know you aren’t telling me everything, but I also know you aren’t lying.” Brendan said to me. “That’s fine. I also know you pose no threat to me or any of the creatures I watch out for.” He swept his arm out to encompass his club. “Because if you did, I’d have known it the second you stepped through the threshold.” He pointed to the room. “I can help clean this out for you and give you a cot to sleep on, blankets and pillows as well. Free room and board so when the club isn’t open, you’re here, watching over these walls. I live upstairs, but I can’t hear what’s going on down here when it’s quiet. There’s a bathroom with a shower through the kitchen. When the club is open, you do whatever work is needed, whether it’s barback or security, and I pay you. All I ask is you invite me to the wedding when you find your mate.” His eyes went to my mark again.

“That’s extremely generous of you,” I held out my hand to him, “I accept.”