Fighting Fate

CHAPTER 10

Move-in day had come far too soon for Nathaniel’s taste. The summer had been glorious, he’d spent the last month traversing through Canada, meeting new werewolf communities.

Secretly, he’d hoped to encounter his mate (as did most young men), but the trip was still worthwhile if he wanted a leadership position someday. It gave him the chance to observe other pack structures and learn the skills needed to gain acceptance to other wild wolf packs.

The experience was invaluable, he was trying to build a resume.

But time waited for no man, be he human or Were, and now he found himself back on campus. The heat of the summer hadn’t abated yet, but he knew Fall would be arriving all too soon.

Indiana didn't have the vistas of Wyoming, but it had its own beauty. Plus, there were some surprisingly decent wolf conservation operations here he’d found worth establishing relationships with. It was never too soon to start networking.

He called out to a friend walking across campus, headed toward their dorm.

“Another year bud. Have a good summer?” He grinned, hugging his friend in greeting

“Nate the Great! Yeah man, great summer. You?” his friend Adam replied, clapping him on the back

“No complaints, took an awesome Canadian trip.” he said wistfully, wishing he were still there.

“Find yourself a rugged Canadian girl eh?” Adam joked.

Nathaniel chuckled, “Met a few, yeah, but no keepers.”

“Meh, we’re too young for keepers anyway. Sow the wild oats man!” Adam punched him playfully on the shoulder.

“Not my style, you know that, I’m waiting for…” he stopped abruptly mid-sentence, swiveling around, eyes searching the sea of people.

He’d caught a scent. A tantalizing scent. It was faint, but impossible to ignore.

“Uhhhh, Nate?” Adam broke his concentration, looking puzzled by his behavior.

“Sorry Adam…I, uh, just realized I…left my phone in the car. I’ll catch you later.”

Without a backward glance, he set off to find what, or who, was pulling on his senses.

Winding his way through the mob of students arriving for the new school year, the scent was almost impossible to hold. Then a breeze would blow and he’d pick it up again in another direction.

This was maddening. Stopping under the shade of a tree so as not to block the pathway, he gathered himself. Taking a deep breaths, he tapped into his tracking skills.

His human nose was nowhere near as useful as he wanted at the moment. But he did have a keener sense of smell than most people he knew. He just had to calm down, focus, tune out the distractions.

Closing his eyes, he placed a palm flat against the bark of the tree, grounding himself in it’s stability. Inhaling deeply, he sought out the scent.

It had gotten a bit stronger to his right. Turning to face that direction, he inhaled deeply to lock it into his memory. He opened his eyes slowly, but kept his gaze slightly down to keep him from trying to search every face. When he felt comfortable with a bearing, he began moving deliberately.

He tried to keep his face and posture casual. He didn’t want to rush around like a lunatic. When he reached an open expanse between buildings, he stopped again to focus his mind.

Every nerve tingled, the hair on his arms rose, and he salivated slightly. Had he been lupine, he knew he’d be panting now. The scent was steady now, still a ways off, but the direction had become fixed.

Moving again, he felt it gradually grow in strength. Suddenly, as if crossing an invisible barrier, his shoulders tensed and his head snapped up.

There, across the way, he locked eyes with a tall, thin woman with pale red hair pulled into a bun. His body vibrated in response to her. She was staring as well; one hand gripping the shoulder strap of a bag, the other moving up to cover her lips in astonishment.

Both frozen, he could feel the anticipation building, like he was preparing to pounce on a hunt. She dropped her hand from her mouth and, eyes flashing, took the first step. He strode purposefully toward her, as if being drawn by a magnet. She lengthened her own stride to meet him.

The two came within two feet of one another and stopped. Her pale face was flushed and her breaths came rapidly. It took everything in him to maintain control of his body as he drank her in with his eyes. Neither seemed to be able to find words. It was he who finally spoke first, after an intoxicating inhalation of her glorious scent.

“Is it you? You feel it?” he whispered, his hand twitching with the need to reach out and touch her.

She smiled hesitantly. “I’m Samantha. I feel it.” Her eyelashes fluttered as she took him in.

“Nathaniel. You’re a freshman?” he asked, knowing the answer. If she had been here before, he’d have already found her.

Samantha nodded. “I didn’t think this would happen so soon.” her voice sounded nervous, but she took a step closer and lifted her eyes to his.

He closed the gap between them, and her hand brushed his arm. They both inhaled sharply at the touch, but leaned into it.

He raised a hand to her shoulder, hers resting on his waist. Leaning down, he brought his forehead to hers, cupping his other hand behind her neck. Her other palm pressed flat on his chest.

They stood there, absorbing each other’s presence for what felt like ages. He could feel her quivering, and her touch sent a thrum through his body.

“So, this is what they all talk about.” he smiled without opening his eyes.

“It’s no joke. How the hell did you find me in this crowd?” she replied.

“Tracked you from across campus. When did you notice me?” he asked curiously.

“About 10 minutes ago. The girls I was walking with might think I’m crazy now.”

“You’re not crazy. You’re perfect.” Leaning back slightly to take her in, he smiled broadly.

Absolutely perfect. And his.

“Well,” she shrugged “Only to you. But I can’t say I mind the flattery.” Her smile was teasing.

“Nice to meet you Nathaniel.”

Despite being strangers, it felt as natural as anything to cup her cheek in his hand. She felt smooth and delicate.

"You too.”

Impulsively, he lowered his face to hers and captured her lips. She gasped with him, a surprised moan escaping her lips. It was like nothing he’d experienced; a heat spreading through his body as if his blood had been ignited. He could only assume she felt it too, because her mouth opened eagerly under his, their tongues tasting one another.

Nothing could have prepared him for this. It was utter bliss. It was his mate. He belonged to someone. And nothing in the world felt more right than belonging to this woman.