Page 43 of Because You Rejected Me

He took my hand begrudgingly, letting me haul him to his feet. Dusting himself off, he gave me a playful punch in the shoulder.

“Can’t you let me win? Just once?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

“Is this because I teased your mate?”

“Maybe a bit.”

“He did stab me.”

“And you told Andy all of our business,” I said, lifting an eyebrow in his direction. “Fair is fair.”

“Ugh… fine,” he sighed.

I turned back around, expecting to see Matt sitting there, shaking his head at the pair of us for acting like pups. But I didn’t see him. A few of the guys came over, shaking my hand and congratulating me. Even after they cleared out, I didn’t see Matt.

“I think he went to the bathroom,” Andy said, reading my mind as I joined him at the picnic table. “He’s been drinking like a fish all night.”

I nodded. “He cleared through more beer than I expected,” I laughed, opening the little cooler we’d brought. “I should’ve bought more.”

“It’s always the tiny ones that can pack it away.”

My lips began to form a reply when I heard the first pop of fireworks behind us. Everyone in the pavilion got up and walked out onto the grass, their heads turned toward the beach as the first whistles and cracks happened. I glanced around, hoping to see Matt returning, but didn’t notice anything.

A large boom drew my attention upwards, a shower of gold and red sparks filling the sky. As they started to fade, I looked over my shoulder toward the bathrooms on the far side of the park. A wave of relief washed over me as I saw Matt standing there, his face craned up toward the sky. Even with the oncoming darkness, I could see another person over there with him, probably one of the other guys.

Another loud boom, this time followed by blue showers of sparks, lit up the sky. The second figure was closer to Matt now, but he either didn’t notice or wasn’t concerned. Once the light of the fireworks died away, I could no longer see them in the darkness. I kept my eyes fixed on that direction, figuring Matt would be heading my way any moment.

However, when the next firework lit up the sky in bright pinks and reds, there was nobody there. Matt and the other figure were gone. My heart gave a sort of strange twist as anxiety filled my chest. I was probably overreacting, but something felt off. I continued to stare, but with each flash of light, I didn’t see anyone heading my way.

Then, the wind shifted.

A smell reached my nose that sent a wave of panic crashing through my body. It was the scent of that rogue wolf I’d chased away during the full moon, the one that had been nosing through Matt’s bag. And that wasn’t the most concerning part. There were also traces of blood mixed in.

Matt’s blood.

“Matt…” I muttered, my eyes wide. “MATT!”

Without a second thought, I kicked off my boots and ran. I felt my eyes dilate, the Alpha gold taking over them in an instant. Hands tore at my belt, jeans, and shirt, ripping them from my body as I can. I tossed them aside without care. At the edge of the woods I finally stopped, removing everything else from my body before the shift took over me. Bones cracked and fur sprouted from my pores. In less than a second, I hit the ground on all fours, my nose in the dirt as I searched desperately for Matt’s scent.

Voices rose up behind me, calling my name, but I paid them no mind. Matt, my mate, was hurt, and that drove everything else from my mind.

It only took me a few seconds to find the drop of blood, then another a few feet closer to the woods. One thing was for sure; he hadn’t lost enough to be dead, but he was definitely hurt. I growled as the scent of the stranger mixed in with Matt’s. He took him. I just knew it. But I’d just seen them a minute or two ago. Even if he shifted, he couldn’t have gotten far.

Leaving the party behind, I darted into the woods. Matt’s trail was easy to follow there, his body brushing against the underbrush as they trampled through. The blueberry plants that littered the forest floor were scrubby and sharp, grabbing pieces of his clothing as he went by. Not only that, but they all smelled exactly the same. Tracking them would be easy.

I put my nose to the ground and trotted through the woods, going as fast as I dared. Losing the trail wasn’t an option. Matt’s life depended on it, and I wasn’t going to lose my mate. Not after everything we’d been through.

My wolf heart pounded as my claws dug into the dirt. The woods near the beach were filled with steep dunes. The trees held them in place, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t tough going through all the sand. I slipped and slid as I worked my way up the steep hill. It only took me thirty seconds or so to reach the peak of the ridge. There, the trees fell away, a beautiful wide-open view of Lake Huron spreading out before me. But that wasn’t what I was there for.

The scent went up and over the ridge, but it would be easier and faster to find them if I could just get a visual. I scanned the dark woods below, hoping for some hint or glimmer that gave them away. Just as I was about to give up, another firework shot into the sky and exploded with a loud boom. This one was made of white-gold sparks, the eruption of light illuminating the entire forest for a brief instant.

That’s when I saw them.

Down below, halfway to the beach, was the dark figure of a man with another smaller figure thrown over his shoulder. He was glancing back at the fireworks, a nervous expression on his face. His eyes flicked up toward the ridge and widened.

He saw me.

---