It's definitely her. Laila is my mate. The second I looked into her eyes, there was no denying it. She feels the pull just as much as I do. Unfortunately, I'm not ready for her to know it's me yet. She doesn't even know who I am.
In wolf form, I run through the woods away from her cabin. Amelie and Faith are close by, and so is Micah and Zayne. It kills me to be away from her, but I know she's protected. Not that she needs protection. I've heard her powers are beyond comprehension. Still, she's my mate, and I have a responsibility to keep her safe, to be by her side.
It feels like I've run for hours, but there's only one person I can trust to be honest with me. Brutally honest. It's what she's known for. When I arrive at Tyla's house, she's on the front porch with her feet propped up on the wooden railing with a bowl of ice cream in her lap.
She doesn't look my way, but I know she senses me. "Are you lost, sweet puppy?"
Once I'm out of the forest, I shift to my human self. "Ha-ha," I grumble as I climb up the stairs and join her on the front porch.
Tyla's grin widens. "What? No witty comeback? You're off your game tonight, Cedric."
I don't even feel like myself anymore. "I need to talk to someone. You're the only one I know who can help me."
Smile fading, she stands and sets her empty bowl on the table beside her rocking chair. "I think I know what this is about." She slowly walks toward me. "Sebastian told me about the meeting. You think Laila is your mate, don't you?"
I shake my head. "I don't think, I know. I saw her tonight. The second she looked in my eyes, I felt it."
"Did you talk to her?"
"No. Laila saw me through the window. I was helping watch over her."
Tyla nods and starts for the door. "Let me get you some clothes. Then, we can talk as much as you want." She disappears inside and comes out carrying a T-shirt and a pair of black tights.
I hold them up. "Seriously? What the fuck is this?"
She bursts out laughing and rushes back inside, this time bringing out a pair of Sebastian's pants and throwing them at me. "I wanted to see if you'd wear them."
"You just wanted to see me look like an idiot," I growl, throwing the black tights at her.
She catches them and drapes them over the railing, trying her best not to smile and failing miserably. "Okay, fine, I was hoping it'd make you laugh. I guess this whole mate stuff has you stressed."
There's another rocking chair beside her, so I slip on the clothes and sit down. I run my hands through my hair and over my face. "You have no fucking idea. She's never officially met me."
"And that has you worried?"
I glare over at her. "Really? I saw how you were with Sebastian before you two were mated. You gave him hell."
She shrugs. "That's because he was an ass. Hopefully, you learned what not to do."
Sebastian did make some mistakes. He thought making Tyla jealous by parading other women in front of her would make her act on their bond. All it did was push her away and drive him insane. I'm not that fucking stupid.
"I don't want to make her jealous, Tyla. That's the last thing I want to do."
"Good," she says, sighing with relief, "then you shouldn't have any problems. I know how you boys get before you complete the bond. It's like all common sense escapes you."
Huffing, I lean back in the chair. "What am I going to do? Laila's different. Not to mention, she doesn't even fucking know me. How the hell can I expect her to want to complete the bond?"
Tyla places a hand over mine, and I look over at her. "Simple. You get to know each other. Spend time together, and everything will fall into place."
I shake my head. "That's easier said than done, Tyla. I've already heard from everyone how she's more fae than a wolf. What if she doesn't feel the bond as much as I do?"
Tyla blows out a sigh and looks off into the woods. "Good question. I don't know. Laila's a strong woman with a shit ton of power. She doesn't have all the animal instincts we do with her, not being a full wolf. In our minds, we live and die for our mates. I have no clue what's going on in her mind right now."
That doesn't sound too promising. All I can do is try to be worthy of her. "What is she like? I want to know everything about her."
Tyla turns back to me and smiles. "For starters, don't be impatient. She just got away from a pack who tried to control her. You don't want to piss her off, not with the kind of power she has."
I've heard of her powers, how she has an affinity to the earth. "What else?" I ask.
"Let's see," she replies, pursing her lips in concentration. "Laila loves gems and stones, just like her mother. They hold magical properties. She also loves interior design. Zayne's been introducing her to some of his clients." It's not much, but it's a start. Now all I have to do is figure out when I'm going to approach her.
"And you also know she has a protective father and two uncles," Sebastian calls out. He appears from out of the woods and joins us on the porch. Tyla tosses him the black tights and gives him a wolfy grin. He looks at her, then at me, and then down to the pants. After a few seconds of contemplating, he slips them on, stretching them until they are almost see-through, and it's damn near the funniest sight I've ever seen.
"You're actually wearing those nut crunchers?" I ask him.
Tyla bursts out laughing, and Sebastian walks over to her, kissing her on the lips before turning back to me. "Hey, when your pregnant mate gives you something, you take it without question. I've learned my lesson with this one."
"See," Tyla quips, "that's good advice."
Sebastian crosses his arms over his bare chest. "I'll go to Zayne and talk to him. I think he suspects something after you the way you were at the meeting."
"He won't try to keep me from her, will he?" I question. If he does, we're going to have a severe problem.
Sebastian shakes his head. "No. He knew this was bound to happen. I just want him to have a heads up so that he can give you both your space when you're around. Right now, he's her protector, but if you are truly her mate, there's no other person she'll be safer with." He clears his throat. "However, you will probably want to ask his permission to be with her. He's old-fashioned like that."
Tyla snorts and glares at Sebastian. "Yeah, I remember someone going behind my back with my parents."
Sebastian looks at her and chuckles. "Didn't have a choice. One way or another, I was going to make you my mate."
"Again," Tyla says, focusing on me, "whatever you do, don't force the bond. It'll come naturally. Just get to know each other like normal people. It'll happen, and you'll both be happy."
She makes it sound so easy, but deep down, I don't feel like it's going to be anything like that.
* * *
All night, my mind drifted to Laila. Sleep wasn't my friend. Every time I closed my eyes, visions of her red hair spread across my pillows and having her naked body beneath me tormented me. My wolf wants to claim her, to mark her as my own. How the hell am I going to be patient when all I want is for her to be mine?
Ryker and I finish surveying the trails early, so I head back home to get ready to watch over Laila. I volunteered to take as many shifts as possible. Basically, I don't want anyone else around her. When I get home, I toss my wallet and keys on the counter just as my phone rings.
I pull it out of my back pocket, and Sebastian's name pops up on the screen. "Hey," I answer.
"I talked to my brother," Sebastian replies.
"And?" I walk into my bedroom and kick off my boots.
"And he's okay with backing off a little bit. Laila and Faith are on their way to go hiking at Leigh Lake. He says he'll keep his distance while you watch over them, but if you screw up, he'll skin you alive. Trust me, he'll do it. I've seen it before, and it wasn't pretty."
"Nice to know."
"You'll be fine. I have faith in you."
"So do I!" Tyla yells in the background.
Chuckling, I unbutton my pants and kick them off. "Thanks." We hang up, and I take off the rest of my clothes. The Leigh Lake trail isn't too far away, but it's still several miles through the woods away from my house. Fully naked, I walk out the back door and into the snow. Thankfully, I don’t live around humans that could spot me getting nude and turning into a giant wolf. Closing my eyes, I can feel the magic take over my body. In movies and TV shows, when werewolves turn, it's always depicted as being painful. Not with us. When the magic takes over, it's euphoric, one of the best feelings a shifter will ever experience.
The ground is cold beneath my paws, and the smell of the earth is thick. I run through the woods until I catch Laila's scent. I know exactly where she is.