Page 6 of Alpha's Promise

"Stupid," he chastised himself, yet he couldn't shake the certainty that gripped him—the conviction that letting Dakota walk away would be an error he'd regret more deeply than any other. It was a feeling more profound than mere attraction, more binding than the casual flirtations that usually danced through his days. It was as if the very earth beneath his feet demanded action.

His fingers tightened on the leather strap of his tool bag, its weight a solid reminder of reality, even as his thoughts spun with possibilities and what-ifs. He glanced in the direction of Redstone, the lights of the town a soft glow on the horizon in the encroaching darkness. Between here and there, that's where he would find her, where he needed to be.

Without a backward glance, Landon turned the ATV toward the road and away from the compound. He couldn't explain the pull, the invisible thread that seemed to tug him after Dakota with an urgency that left no room for doubt. He didn't need explanations—not when every instinct he possessed screamed that she was important, that she mattered in ways he hadn't yet unraveled.

The road to Redstone stretched before him, the first stars of twilight starting their vigil overhead. With his things gathered and his focus laser-sharp, Landon set off after her—she couldn’t have gotten that far on foot. He was determined to catch up with Dakota, to decipher the allure that tied her to him, as unavoidable as the moon's call to his hidden nature.

The notion of fated mates had always been a tale for others—a myth spun by elders and romantics—until his brother had experienced just that. Yet, as Landon moved through the twilight shadows, he couldn't shake the feeling that destiny had played its hand. He was drawn to her in a way he’d never been to anyone else. Inside his mind, his wolf reared its head and howled—could it be his wolf knew more than he did? Could Dakota have some kind of latent wolf blood? The very idea sent a shiver down his spine, not of fear, but of recognition. It was as if a piece of the sky had descended upon him, profound and unfathomable.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely more than a growl lost to the wilderness. He had seen enough in life to know that coincidence rarely painted the full picture. Each glance from Dakota had been a piece of the puzzle his soul yearned to solve.

Concern gnawed at him when he recalled the state she'd been in—those worn shoes, evidence of many miles, and the dark circles haunting her eyes like specters of sleepless nights. He could still see the way her gaze flickered with a mix of defiance and exhaustion, a silent plea that tugged at something primal within him.

"Trust is earned on its own damn time," he said to the darkening sky. He knew he would have to tread carefully, to listen more than speak. Dakota was a fortress with walls built from necessity, and if he moved too fast or too recklessly, she might vanish like mist at the break of dawn. As the road beganto level out, Landon slowed his pace, his senses attuned to everything around him.

"Play it by ear, Savage," he said, reaffirming his resolve. He had learned long ago that the land spoke to those who listened; perhaps the same could be said for people, especially ones as complex and compelling as Dakota.

With a final look at the town ahead, Landon steeled himself for the encounters to come. There was no turning back now; the trail he followed was one of whispers and wonder, of shadows and sighs. And though the unknown lay heavy on his shoulders, there was no denying the thrill that came with the chase, the promise of what lay just beyond reach.

As he closed the distance between himself and Dakota, night draped around him like a cloak, stars twinkling with a secret knowing above. He stopped the ATV and walked towards her, his breath came out steadily, visible in the crisp air, mingling with the earthy scent of sagebrush and dust.

When he finally caught up to her, his heart clenched at the sight. She seemed barely able to put one foot in front of the other, her silhouette wavering like a candle flame on the brink of being snuffed out. He reached her just as she stumbled, his hands instinctively shooting out to steady her as he stopped alongside her.

"Whoa, there," he said gently, noting how her body tensed at his touch. "You look about ready to fall over."

Dakota's eyes met his, and even in the dim light, he could see the exhaustion etched into her features. "I'm fine," she insisted, though her voice was a mere thread of sound, thinned by weariness.

Landon shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips, softening the concern in his gaze. "No, darlin', you're far from fine. Let me take you to the ranch and give you a ride wherever it is you’re going.”

She hesitated, pride and vulnerability warring in the depths of her eyes. It took everything in him not to wrap her in his arms then and there, but he held back, giving her space to make her own decision.

"All right," she conceded. "But only because my feet are staging a mutiny."

"Fair enough," he replied, the relief evident in his voice.

Leading her back to where he'd left his ATV parked under the twisted branches of an old mesquite, Landon fetched a helmet from the storage compartment. He handed it to her, the gesture bridging the gap between them with unsaid promises of protection.

"Here, put this on," he instructed, watching as she slipped the helmet over her tousled hair. "It's got a built-in mic and speakers so we can talk on our way back." In answer to her eyebrow arched in question. “I know I should have used them earlier, but I knew it was going to be a short ride, and we weren’t on pavement.”

While both of those things were true, the main reason was he hadn’t wanted her face obscured in any way when he caught a glimpse of her—either over his shoulder or in the mirror on the handlebars—and he’d liked the feeling of her head resting against his back.

She nodded, fumbling slightly with the strap beneath her chin, and Landon's fingers brushed against hers as he helped secure it. The brief contact sent a jolt through him, a current of electricity that surged beneath his skin.

"Ready?" he asked, once the helmet was fitted snugly.

"Let's go," Dakota replied, her voice sounding clear through the speakers, laced with a determination that belied her frail state.

He swung onto the ATV, the engine rumbling to life beneath him, and extended a hand to help her up behind him. Shehesitated only for a heartbeat before grasping it, her touch sending another shockwave through him.

As they started toward the ranch, the night air whipped around them, carrying the whispers and weight of secrets and silent truths. Landon focused on the path ahead, the feel of Dakota's presence against his back grounding him. The road stretched out before them, shrouded in mystery and moonlight, leading them back to the heart of Copper Canyon—and whatever fate awaited them there.

The ATV's engine growled like a restless beast as Landon navigated down the worn path along the fence, the scent of dust and sagebrush thick in the air. Dakota clung to him, her body a warm counterpoint to the cool night that shrouded them in shadows. Overhead, the moon began to rise in the obsidian sky, a cold-hearted orb indifferent to the unfolding drama below.

"Tell me about yourself, Dakota," Landon's voice crackled through the helmet speakers, his tone casual but probing.

Her grip on his waist tightened before she answered. "There's not much to tell. I'm just passing through."

"Nobody's just passing through Redstone without a story," he countered with a hint of humor, trying to entice her into opening up.

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