Page 11 of True Wolf

I had experienced this before. An inexplicable pull. An unshakeable connection that could only belong to my other half.Mate.I was mistaken once already, so instead of giving in, I pushed the feelings somewhere deep. The last time I felt thisurgent whisper of fate I spent months chasing a dead end that left me hollow.

Xander paused, glancing at me with a knowing look. “You alright?” he asked. The impatience was gone and now concern fully consumed his features.

“Yeah,” I replied, forcing a casual shrug. “Just…feeling out of place.”

“I had that same experience when I came home.”

“I wasn’t gone that long,” I argued, feeling annoyed by the comparison. I kept the thought to myself and followed Xander to the elevator where we both paused but my senses were still going haywire.

The air was thick with a scent both intoxicating and foreign. There was a hint of something that made my gut twist with longing. It was unmistakable. My fated mate was here. I could almost taste the connection, electric and alive, but doubt tugged at my resolve.

You have no fucking clue how to sense her.

I took a deep breath, letting the moment wash over me, trying to discern if I was truly sensing her presence or if my mind was playing tricks on me again. It was a dangerous game to let hope creep in, especially after the last disappointment.

“Zi, what the fuck is wrong with you? You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I growled.

“Then let’s go,” he urged, motioning toward the elevator. I could see the impatience in his eyes, but I hesitated again as soon as the elevator doors opened. My instincts flared out of control.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

My wolf took over, clawing under my skin.

“Wait,” I said, my voice barely audible. “Something feels off.”

“Off how?” he asked, crossing his arms.

I clenched my fists, trying to ground myself. “I’m not sure yet. Just… a feeling. It could be nothing.”

Xander narrowed his eyes, studying me like I was losing my shit. “You’ve been out there too long, Zi.”

Maybe he was right, but as I stepped closer to the elevator, the sensation sharpened, pulling me toward the stairwell. I couldn’t ignore it. Deep down, I felt a gravitational pull.

“I’m taking the stairs,” I said suddenly, and Xander raised an eyebrow, but he followed my lead. Each step felt heavier than the last. The scent was stronger now but it made no sense.

As we reached the second floor, I paused, eyes scanning the hallway. Heart pounding, I could feel it, the unmistakable presence ofher, just beyond the door at the end of the corridor. My fated mate was close, had to be, but doubt still lingered in the back of my mind. What if this was just another moment of my mind playing tricks on me?

I turned to Xander, a mixture of fear and need tightening in my chest. “Give me a minute.”

“Jo is going to murder both of us. I had explicit instructions, the top two being, don’t show up without you and don’t be late. We’re already fucking late, Zi?”

“Jo will be fine. Just go, I’ll meet you up there.”

I stepped forward and approached the door but before I could knock, it flew open and a woman stepped out, fumbling with several large shopping bags. I lifted my chin, inhaling deeply before I dropped my eyes to her and stepped closer expectantly but…

Nothing.

I tapped into this woman’s unease and smelled her fear, but that was all I could pick up, which further pissed me off because I also sensedher…

Dark brown eyes widened and blinked several times before they shifted over to Xander at the same time he was in my head.

You want to tell me why the fuck you’re scaring the shit out of this woman. - Xander

It’s nothing. - Me

“Who lives here with you?”

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