Alpha Gideon’s deception

Meeting Jesse

Sam continues to speed right up until he gets closer to the lakeside, the lake that separates his territory from that of the Forest Grove pack. The terrain is more unpredictable here. He knows it will be too dangerous to use his bike, so he’ll have to continue by foot.

That’s fine, there’s no need for speed; he can tell his mate is close by as the scent is almost overwhelmingly strong. Parking his bike against another tree yet again, he continues through the woods, edging closer and closer to the lake where the smell is coming from. Using his full werewolf vision, he tries to spot her, but the woods here are dense – tree trunks and leaves are obscuring his vision.

Now that he is closer, he can pick up her scent in full. Amidst the delightful notes of her essence, he notices the distinct odour of fear. It’s concerning. Is she coming towards him… or fleeing from something else? What has made her so scared?

Suddenly feeling concerned for her, he picks up speed, moving through the dense bushes and trees as fast as he can. Colby is getting impatient, keen to take over, and Sam decides to let him; he will be safer in his wolf form. Danger could be afoot.

Slipping out of his clothes rapidly and dropping them on the forest floor, he allows his wolf to take over. Colby wastes no time doing so — muscles and coarse hair start to rip through his shirt before Sam’s had time to take it off. He barely has enough time to pull it over his head, fully transforming into his wolf by the time the shirt falls on the forest floor.

Colby jumps into action straight away, heading straight towards the lake. Colby is able to run much faster than Sam, breaking branches and pushing through the terrain forcefully. It only takes a few seconds before they reach the edges of the forest, finally seeing their mate for the first time, a few meters away.

For a second, Sam feels excited observing her. The woman is tall, graceful in her stance and truly stunning. But neither he nor Colby have long to reflect on her beauty.

Taking in the scene in front of him, it immediately becomes clear why she smelled fearful. A large bear is standing near her, getting ready to attack.

The woman is gripping a tree branch. Does she want to climb into the tree? Or is she trying to break it off? He can’t really tell. She is still in human form, no match for a fully grown brown bear. She’s a werewolf, her scent makes that abundantly clear to him, so why hasn't she shifted? Without her wolf, she could get attacked and killed at any moment.

She needs help, and soon.

Colby jumps into action, running on pure instinct. He sprints towards their mate, making noise as he moves. The bear, noticing the sound, pauses and stares in Colby’s direction, forgetting about his human prey momentarily. It lets out a loud, defensive roar as soon as it spots the wolf, taking a defensive stance. The creature’s anger only fuels Colby. The wolf seldom backs down from fights, and now his mate is in danger, he would rather die fighting than let harm befall her. Running towards the lake, he lets out an angry howl, making the woman aware of his presence.

Getting close to the scene, the werewolf has to ensure his mate’s safety, so he can’t simply charge straight at the bear. The woman is in human form, vulnerable and easily harmed, so his best bet is to avoid her. Setting off at the sharp rocks around the lake, the wolf leaps over her, landing on the other side of the bear.

Colby has fought bears before. He knows he has to be fast and injure the creature before it has a chance to attack him. The wolf is stronger than the bear and can survive the fight, but he is all too aware of his enemies’ sharp claws, the force behind one single swipe of the bear’s powerful arms. He could get hurt badly if the fight doesn’t go his way.

Landing behind the bear, the wolf attacks it before it has a chance to turn around. His jaw grabs hold of the bear's side and bites down, drawing blood. He moves backwards, deeper into the water, maneuvering the bear away from his mate and closer towards him. He bites down on the creature’s sides and belly, keeping his head low to avoid getting hit by the sharp claws as his opponent angrily swipes at him. Moving fast, rotating around it, he can dodge most blows, but some land still, claws digging deep into his fur.

Feeling the pain soar through his body, he whines, but persists. He knows he has to ignore the pain and keep going to win this fight. Jumping up against the predator, he bites every area he can reach. Belly, neck, chest, belly again. Blood is now gushing from various wounds and Colby’s enemy is visibly weakened, but still it's fighting back viciously, dealing out hard blows that make him wince in pain.

The wolf shakes the blood off, getting ready to attack once more, when he hears a loud, cracking sound. A branch hits the bear's head from behind, temporarily disorientating it.

It takes Colby by complete surprise. He’d expected his mate to move away from them and get herself to safety. He thought she was too weak and vulnerable to fight. Yet here she is, joining the fight and making a difference, absolutely fearless even when facing mortal peril.

The bear wobbles unsteadily, losing focus for a moment as it tries to orient itself again. Now is the werewolf’s chance. He jumps against the bear once again, pushing with all his might. The bear topples over, falling backwards into the water. It's still conscious, scrambling to get up again, but Colby moves in before it is able to move fully. Grabbing the creature’s neck, he slashes it open with his sharp teeth. The already weakened bear, now facing a lethal wound, finally gives up his struggle and passes out. The lake turns red as the water mixes with its blood.

The fight is over.

Colby turns towards the young woman, checking her. She moves over, getting closer to him, petting his thick fur.

“Thank you.”

The wolf has to control his excitement when she touches him for the first time. Her touch is gentle, soft, wonderful.

Now that the immediate danger is controlled, and his wolf is no longer needed, he decides to shift back, showing her his human form for the first time. Anxious, hoping she will approve of him, he tries to gauge her reaction; but she doesn’t show a strong response. She does seem to stare at him for a little while. He can’t help but wonder if that’s a good or a bad sign.

Samuel isn’t quite sure what to do. He’s excited, keen to hug her, kiss her, and acknowledge their mate bond, but she seems remarkably still and unresponsive. She doesn’t reach out or encourage him in any way. Maybe now that she has seen him, she feels disappointed, underwhelmed by his appearance? Or maybe the bear encounter has thrown her nerves?

Sam, too, is acutely aware he could have lost her if he had arrived any later —mere seconds could have made the difference between life and death. He doesn’t want to push her into romance if she’s still in a state of panic.

Glancing over at her with some concern, he notices she’s injured. Blood is trickling from a nasty looking gash in her leg. Worried, he leans in and carefully touches the wound, checking in with her. “Are you okay? Did that bear hurt you?”

The question breaks her stare. She relaxes a little, directing her focus towards the wound. She gives him a gentle, reassuring smile.

“I’m okay. Nothing a bandage won't fix. Are you okay? Did the bear get to you?”

Her voice is deep and ever so slightly husky, which he finds quite attractive.

The young woman shifts her focus towards him now, eyeing the scratches and cuts on his body. Her expression shifts to that of... sadness, or perhaps guilt? The scratches still sting, the pain more apparent now the adrenaline is starting to wear off, but Sam barely pays any attention to them. He’s far too distracted by his mate's presence.

She’s stunning. Breathtaking, really.

Long, curly, shiny hair reaches all the way up to her lower back. It is dark, with warm brown undertones that look almost caramel where the sunlight hits. Her eyes are large and bright amber, emphasized by long eyelashes. Her body shows off defined muscles on her arms and legs, but it is curvy in all the right places. The shape of her body is emphasized by her now soaking-wet outfit, that clings to her hips and chest.

Trying to respect her boundaries, he does his best not to stare, but struggles to redirect his gaze. He tries to focus on her words, staring out into the water.

“It's just a scratch. I’m an Alpha, I heal quickly.”

Samuel looks at her, his brow furrowed. The situation is starting to feel off. The woman appears to be calm, collected, no longer distressed in any way, but she still hasn’t acknowledged him as her mate.

He’s seen mates meet for the first time. Most of the time it’s a passionate encounter with kisses, embraces, declarations of love. But his mate has barely touched him at all, treating him with the polite coldness of a perfect stranger. It’s unnerving. It stops him from reaching out and hugging her, even though he’d like to do nothing more. Does he have her consent? Logic says yes, but her body language says no.

What’s going on? Is she insecure, afraid of rejection? Why would she be? Surely she must know he feels the same. Her wolf must be going crazy with desire right now, just like Colby.

Her wolf.

Where is her wolf? Why didn’t she shift when the bear went after her?

He can’t help but stare at her as the realization dawns on him. The words come tumbling out almost immediately — he simply has to know.

“Why didn't you shift? That bear would have killed you. Why didn't you use your wolf?”

He looks at her expectantly, making a silent demand of her. But she stays silent, looking troubled, as if she’s fighting some sort of battle within herself.

What has happened to her? He can recognize the pain in her expression as she ponders the question. Who or what hurt her?

Further away, at the other side of the shore, a person has appeared. They’re yelling something at both of them, but Sam ignores the sound, waiting for Jesse to finally break the silence. She parts her lip, about to tell him what happened to her wolf, when she, too, notices the noise. She spins around in her tracks, staring at the other side of the lake.

A man is standing at the shore across the lake. He’s broad, but short, an Alpha type at first glance. He appears to know the woman, bellowing her name loudly.

“Jesse? Is that you? Are you okay?”