The Lost Werewolf's Mate

Heading home

Gabriel sat in his hotel room, waiting to head downstairs to meet Matthew. His mind raced with thoughts of his father, Markus. He had always looked up to him, admiring how he easily led the pack and found his mate at such a young age. Gabriel was now 27, and he still hadn’t found his mate. He worried he might never find her, and that thought was picking away at him.

“Zeus,” he called out to his inner wolf, “why can’t I find my mate? What’s wrong with me? I’ve been searching for years and still haven’t found her.”

Zeus stretched in Gabriel’s mind, his presence soothing. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Gabriel,” he said. “Sometimes, things just take time.”

“But it’s been years,” Gabriel said, his voice heavy with frustration. “I thought I would have found her by now.”

Zeus signed over their mind link before he said, “Perhaps you’re looking too hard,” he suggested. “Or maybe you’re not looking in the right places. Or maybe you must learn to trust the Moon Goddess’ plans for you and your mate, Gabriel. You can’t control everything.”

Gabriel sighed, feeling the weight of his doubts and fears. “I don’t even know what she looks like,” he admitted. “How am I supposed to find her if I don’t even know who she is?”

Zeus rolled his eyes at Gabriel. “Sometimes I wonder why you’re Alpha. You don’t need to know what she looks like,” he said. “The mate bond will guide you to her when the time is right. And when you find her, you’ll know it. You’ll feel it in your bones and your soul.”

Gabriel nodded slowly, absorbing his inner wolf’s words of wisdom. “But what if she’s not out there?” he asked, his voice small. “What if I end up leading the pack alone?”

Gabriel was a strong and secure Alpha. Sometimes he allowed himself these moments of self-doubt with Zeus.

Zeus growled, a low rumble in Gabriel’s mind. “Don’t even entertain that thought,” he warned. “You are meant to be with your mate, Gabriel. The Moon Goddess did not create you to be alone. Be patient and believe she will come to you when the time is right.”

Gabriel felt a pang of sorrow in his chest, the ache of loneliness and longing weighing heavily on him. “It’s just hard,” he admitted. “Seeing my father with my mother, they are still so in love after all these years. And here I am, still searching.”

Zeus relaxed, trying to comfort Gabriel. “Your father’s love story is not your own,” he said. “You have your path to follow, your destiny to fulfill. And when you find your mate, your love story will be just as beautiful and true.”

Gabriel smiled faintly, feeling a sense of hope rising within him. “Thank you, Zeus,” he said. “I needed to hear that.”

Gabriel leaned back in his chair. He may not have found his mate yet, but he knew he would find her when the time was right. The worst part was that he could feel the mating bond pulling at him, even though he had not yet found his mate. It was a constant ache in his chest, a feeling of incompleteness that he couldn’t shake.

He took a long hot shower and headed downstairs for a quick bite to eat before their trip back home. There was no reason to fret about this more tonight. Nothing could be done.

Matthew was already in the lobby when Gabriel got off the elevator. They went to the airport, and Gabriel’s thoughts drifted to his pack. He wondered how things had been while he was away. He trusted his gamma to care for things but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Gabriel and Matthew exited the taxi at Toronto Porter Airport, eager to return to the Moondance pack's comfort. They retrieved their luggage and headed to their gate.

“So, how was your night?” Gabriel asked while boarding the plane.

“It was alright. I miss my mate, you know?” Matthew replied with a sigh.

“I hear you, brother. But I don’t want the details. You keep that to yourself,” Gabriel said with a grin.

Matthew chuckled. “You happy with the conference?”

Gabriel nodded. “Yeah, it was productive. We secured a new alliance with the Redwood pack. And I also met with some other Alphas interested in doing business with us.”

“That’s great news, Gabriel. I’m sure it will thrill the pack to hear about it,” Matthew said.

Sitting in their business class seats, they chatted about pack business and caught up on personal matters. Matthew discussed new warrior training techniques with Gabriel. They also discussed pack politics.

About halfway through the flight, Matthew’s thoughts returned to his mate. “I can’t wait to see her again,” he said, more to himself than to Gabriel.

Gabriel noticed the longing in Matthew’s voice and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, brother. We’ll be back soon enough.”

The flight back was uneventful. When Gabriel and Matthew finally landed at the small airport near their pack lands, Gabriel was eager to see his pack again. As they drove back to the pack house, he noticed things seemed different. The air was thick with tension, and there was a palpable sense of unease.

Thomas was waiting for them when they finally arrived at the pack house. The man looked tired and worn, and Gabriel could tell something had gone wrong while he was away. He asked the gamma to fill him in about what had happened.

Thomas hesitated, then sighed heavily. “We found a she-wolf while on patrol last night,” he said, his voice low. “She was unconscious when we left her in the dungeons. Doc checked in on her and will go again this morning.”

Gabriel’s heart sank. He had hoped that it was something simple, something that could be easily handled. But a lost and unconscious she-wolf? That was a big deal.

Gabriel nodded, then turned to Matthew. “Let’s get the leadership team together. I want to know everything that happened.”