His H(a)unted Mate

04. Close yet far

GARRETT

“How are you feeling?” Shane’s voice drifted through the train of my thoughts. Ever since I met my mate, my head was somewhere in the clouds, living its own dream and forgetting about the bittersweet reality.

“I’m alright.” I replied, waiting for the nurse to unfold the bandages around my torso. The scratches healed nicely. What was left were just burn marks on my chest and the bite mark on my neck. The bite mark left by a demon was fading away too. Slowly. The doctor said it would take years for it to completely disappear.

“You should have let Hannah heal you while there was still a chance.” He sighed, his eyes tracing the ugly burn marks. It was him who poured liquid wolfsbane on my body. Back then I surely deserved it. Nowadays, I could see regret in my brother’s eyes.

“It’s just scars. I’m not dying, am I?” I shrugged my shoulders, ignoring the fact how hideous the scars looked like. Even the nurse twisted her mouth in disgust when she had to touch my burned flesh. And she must have seen a lot of nasty stuff in her professional life.

“I need you to leave and go back to Amaroq as soon as possible. Are you fit to travel?” I glared at my younger brother. He promised me some days off while he was meeting with all the Alphas of Yukon territory. He was making alliances, establishing peace between our nations which hated each other for centuries. It must have been quite urgent if he wanted to send me back home so quickly. I was tired. I didn’t have the slightest interest in returning home. The emotional wound after the betrayal of our mother was still fresh and it stung. But who was I to say no to the King?

“What’s the rush?” I asked. He waited till the nurse left the room.

“Rogues started to attack villages. They are spreading in Alaska like plague.”

“I thought the last group was wiped out months ago.” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. Rogues were not common in our lands. They invaded Yukon and other realms in the east. The last time we had to deal with a pack of rogues was when Hannah, my brother’s mate, crossed the borders. She was followed by a dozen rogues but the army, led by me, killed them all.

“Seems like there is a breach. Up until now, they were only Yukon’s main problem. But when we opened borders between our realms, some might have slipped through. Their numbers are increasing, Garrett. It’s like an epidemic.” Shane hit the table with his fist. Rogues were known for robbing small villages, kidnapping or raping females, some even inclined to cannibalism. They were feral and brainwashed animals without any order and hierarchy. Any form of cooperation between those beasts would be dangerous to our packs.

“Garrett, I trust you the most. You are the general of my army. I know you deserve some vacation, and you will get it. But first, we need to safeguard our kingdom. You need deputies. You are in charge of several packs, and you barely have any Betas for all of them.” That was true. The reason was that I had some trust issues. For a very long time I thought no one could lead my packs. My ears were deaf to the advice of my Betas. I refused to promote anyone to Gamma. It all originated from my mother’s influence. But that needed to change now. I couldn’t deal with everything solely on my own.

Previously, I was fine with being alone. I had occasional lovers. Some joined me in bed willingly, some didn’t. I wasn’t proud of myself and being under the influence of my mother wasn’t an excuse for such behavior. I was blind for so many years, but I could finally see clearly. Especially after I met her. I would build a thick wall behind my past life and try to be a better person.

“I only need you to cover for me till Hannah’s coronation.” He wanted to make her his Queen as soon as possible. I could see the longing in his eyes. He was so madly in love with his mate. I guess I could relate to such a feeling. Maybe. It was still too soon. I didn’t even know her name.

I had to do what Shane requested me to do. He was not just my brother, but he was my King.

***

As I packed my stuff in a simple bag, I asked for the head nurse. I couldn’t leave without seeing my angel one more time. I had no intention of disappearing without saying goodbye. I wasn’t sure if she was interested in me at all, she acted unpredictably around me. One moment, I had the impression she liked me and wished to be close to me. A moment later, she freaked out and kept her distance. Maybe someone told her who I was. Maybe she was against Alaskans in general. Or just against me in particular.

“The lady who I met at night in the vending machine area. Who is she?” I attacked the head nurse with direct questions, not bothering with any formalities. She raised a brow at me, shaking her head in disapproval.

“Mr Amar, we do not share confidential details about our patients.” She didn’t like me. Not even a bit.

“I only want to know her name.” I tried to remain polite although my wolf growled furiously, demanding me to press the nurse against the wall and force her to give us all the necessary answers. But I had to behave. The peace between the Amaroq kingdom and Yukon territory was new, fragile. I couldn’t fvck it up for my King.

“I am sorry. We have a very strict privacy policy.” She turned around, not paying me any additional attention. Argh!

“Can I at least speak to her doctor? She is a patient here, isn’t she?” I wasn’t going to give up that easily. If I had to track my angel down by sniffing the air for her scent, I would do it.

“Dr Marie is having a group therapy session right now. She’s not available in the building.” The head nurse replied, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

“When is she back then?”

“I don’t know how much time they will spend in the forest...” I could feel how she mentally slapped herself. She revealed something she shouldn’t have. A small smile twisted the corners of my lips. Forest. Maybe my mate was there too. If not, I would get a chance to speak to her doctor instead.

“Thank you, ma’am.” I bowed my head to the annoyed nurse and rushed outside the building.

“I feel her.” Torin announced as I took a lungful of fresh air, searching for her lovely scent. His tail wagged excitedly.

“Yeah, me too.” The scent which I could have recognized thousands of miles away. The sweetest fragrance which gave me a taste of heaven. My legs worked on their own accord and guided me to the maze of pine trees. This wasn’t an official path which led from the main entrance of Golden Meadows clinic, but I wouldn’t get lost. The hypnotizing aroma lured me to its angelic source and my heart thudded louder with every step getting closer.

Being completely bewitched by the magic of mate bond, I forgot to be cautious. I made quite a noise around me, jumping on old branches, making them crack under my feet. I could already see her silhouette although she was still far from me. She heard me. She flinched and grabbed the blanket from the ground, wrapping it around her body. She looked stressed. S.hit. I was crawling behind her like a creep! Of course, she would freak out.

“Who is it? Show yourself!” She shouted into the emptiness of the woods. All its inhabitants ran away because of two wolves wandering their premises.

“Hello angel.” I stepped forward so that she could see me. My hands were lifted up in a surrender. I wanted to demonstrate that I came in peace.

“Stranger.” She breathed out, her cheeks blushing slightly. “What are you doing here?” She asked shyly, tucking herself into the blanket almost as if she tried to hide from me. Almost as if she was busted doing something inappropriate. Maybe she was ashamed of her own body. But that was crazy. Didn’t she know that I already considered her the most beautiful creature in this world?

“Maybe you should tell her that. She can’t read your mind like me.” Torin huffed at me, irritated by how slow I was in this matter. I guess he was right. People tended to make assumptions while the truth was hidden elsewhere.

“It’s quite warm for the blanket, don’t you think?” I leaned against the tree, watching her curiously.

“That’s not your problem, don’t you think?” She imitated the tone of my voice, and I was amazed by her bold behavior. Then she lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, angel.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Would you rather prefer it if I left?” I turned on my heel and started to walk away.

“No!” She expressed her wish too quickly and when she realized it, her head almost vanished between her shoulders. She was cute. I tried hard to suppress the ear-to-ear grin. “Ahem. I wanted to say, I am not in a position to tell you what to do. I don’t know you.”

“Let’s fix that. What’s your name?” I was again facing her, approaching her. She gulped hard, hesitantly stepping back. I stopped. Did I make her uncomfortable? But why?

“Alright. Too soon for proper introduction, I guess. Anyhow, I am here to ask you out.” I tried my luck. She seemed to be a kind of girl who took baby steps when it came to relationships. Maybe she needed me to woo her. I wasn’t very good at it. As an army general, I didn’t have time to make any extra impressing moves on females. They just came and then they were gone again. I have actually never dated anyone. At least not long-term.

“Out? Like a date?” Her mouth gaped.

“Like a date.” I reconfirmed. She shook her head and got lost deeply in her own thoughts. I couldn’t help it, but her reactions confused me. She wasn’t sure if she liked me enough to go out with me. It sucked. It pained me. It made me angry, restless and disappointed. Were my scars that much repulsive to her? Did she despise me because of that? Or was it something else?

“Why are you doing this?” She asked after a moment of silence, which felt like eternity.

“Why? Seriously?!” I burst out angrily. How could she ask something that stupid? Wasn’t it crystal clear that I was her mate and I wished to claim her as mine? What kind of weird game was she playing with me? I rushed towards her, feeling how my temper sparked and turned me into an impatient jerk. I grabbed her by her shoulder without even realizing it. She fidgeted and kicked me on my knee, using the moment of surprise to create a safe distance between us. Huh?

“Don’t get any closer to me. I will scream!” Despite her voice sounding calm, it was laced with fear.

“You idi0t!” Torin roared at me. He was right. I shouldn’t be forcing her to like me. If it did not feel natural to her, then we most probably weren’t fated.

“I am so sorry! Please don’t be mad. It’s just… I don’t understand you. I thought we had a connection before. Didn’t you feel it too? Was it all just in my head? Be honest.” I sat on the leafy ground and ran a hand through my hair, being a bit desperate. I had no idea what her problem was. She watched me silently at first and then mimicked my movements. She sat opposite me, the blanket safely tucked around her neck, covering half of her body. And I just wished to replace that blanket with my own body. I suffered being this close and yet far from her. It pained me not to touch her soft skin.

“I won’t say you’re mistaken, stranger.” She whispered, lighting a little flame of hope for me.

“Then why do you fight it, my beautiful angel? Why do you push me away before I even try to approach you?”

“I… I am not ready for this.” She sighed heavily. I took a better look at her beautiful face. She was sad. Very very sad. Something troubled her soul, and it was difficult for her to open up. I moved with my butt a bit closer, testing her limits. If she needed more time to adjust, then be it. I would take it slow. Really slow. And this time I wouldn’t mind.

“But you will be. One day?” Again a bit closer. The distance between us narrowing.

“Maybe.” She looked at me through her lashes. What was it on those stunning lips? A smile, perhaps? I was already sitting right next to her, hearing how her heart beat loudly. But that was a beating of excitement, just like that night next to the vending machine.

“Listen. I must leave now. But I will be back. And I will win your heart.” I pushed my luck even further and caressed her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She did not object. I leaned closer, until my lips touched her little ear. “Meanwhile, you can think about this.” I whispered, kissing that ear gently. She trembled. She liked it. It encouraged me to do more.

“And this.” My lips found her cheek, placing there another gentle kiss. And she sighed, closing her chocolate eyes. My hand caught her chin, slowly rotating her to me. I could already feel her hot breath on my mouth, the taste of it creating tingles all over my body. Hmm, angel. How sweetly do you taste? I must know.

“And this.” Her heart was pounding like a trillion beats a minute as I scooted closer to her. I bent my head down and pressed my lips against hers, feeling her jolt of surprise. Maybe time stopped when our lips met, but the flutter only intensified. My own heart was dancing wildly in my chest but all I could focus on was how soft she felt against my mouth, how addictively it invaded all my senses.

Did I dream it? Or was there a raw emotion in the way we kissed? I kept my eyes half open, sneaking a guilty peek at her every time she came back for air. I only wanted to make sure this wasn’t a product of my imagination. She was here and she was kissing me back, open-mouthed, soft-lipped-kissing-me back. She was nervous, I could tell. So, I put my hand on the back of her head, and stroked her hair in a reassuring way, making her initial nervousness fade away.

What a kiss! Tender and passionate. Full of endless longing and eternal promises. And when I finally lifted my head, her expression was stark, honest, intense. She gasped, realizing there was a strong bond pulling her to me. It was irresistible and it was electrifying. I stood up, glancing at her over my shoulder.

“I’ll come back for you. That’s a promise.” And then I left.