Page 39 of Wolf Forgotten

I cleared my throat and slung the bag over my shoulder. “We should go before I talk myself out of listening to you.”

I was too far involved now to turn back.

Chapter Sixteen

Eli

One of my favorite ways to relax was to garden. With the warmer weather and no sign snow would come again, it was time to clean the flower beds and prepare the garden for spring. Now that my mate would join us, I was even more motivated to make the yard look the best it ever had.

Right after Cole left with Ivy, I set to work weeding, edging, and mowing the front and back. It felt good to feel the chill of the morning give way as the sun warmed the earth.

Sara told me I needed to "woo" Ivy and show her what an excellent mate I was. I was competing against Cole though, and despite him being grumpy at times, he had the whole alpha male thing going for him. What did I have?

Sighing, I shook a bundle of weeds, getting the dirt off. I was the least likely in the pack to find a romantic partner with another wolf. It's just the way it was. My life was the well-being of the pack.

Cole's truck pulled into the driveway as I was scooping up the last of the weeds I had dug out of the flower bed by the front steps. They had been gone all morning, and I was excited to see Ivy's reaction to the work I'd done.

That was until Cole came around the front of the truck and opened Ivy's door. Their scents overwhelmed me, and a growl I couldn't control bubbled up inside me and ripped out of my mouth. "Mine."

I dropped to the ground and shifted faster than I'd ever shifted before. I lunged for Cole just as he shifted mid-leap and we collided. Anger and regret swirled inside me as Cole and I tumbled across the lawn, teeth digging into skin. He'd probably win, but I had to try. Ivy was my mate, and he'd fucked her.

"She's mine!"Cole was pissed as he got me onto my back. I didn't give in and bit his front leg as I thrashed to escape from under him.

"She's my mate!"We circled each other, all teeth and snarls."You just couldn't resist getting your dick wet with the new wolf, could you?"

Cole's growls increased, and he closed in on me. My instincts told me to give in or I was going to get my throat ripped out, but I couldn't.

"I'm the alpha of this pack and-"Cole didn't get to finish because a cold, hard burst of water hit both of us.

We yelped and separated, turning our attention to where the assault had come from. Ivy was standing with the water hose in her hand, her fingers ready to pull the trigger again.

"Stop it! If this is the welcome I'm going to have to deal with, you can just take me back home right now. Stop acting like toddlers."

I swallowed down a whimper and lowered to my stomach with my ass in the air, my tail wagging. My wolf didn't want to see our mate pissed off at us.

Cole's wolf had a different idea though as he stalked toward her, his body lowered in a position that would have made me tuck my tail.

"Cole, stay the fuck back or I will spray your ass again." Ivy stood her ground and pointed the nozzle right at Cole's face. She had it on full stream blast too, so it would sting.

Cole, being the stubborn alpha he was, didn't listen. One more step forward was all it took for Ivy to squeeze the trigger and hit him with a powerful stream of icy cold water.

He yelped and tripped over his own feet as he scrambled to get away. She didn't let up, stepping closer and trying to squirt him in the nuts.

Hell yeah. That was my fucking mate.

"Damn it, woman! Stop!" Cole shouted as he shifted back and curled into a fetal position on the wet lawn.

Ivy laughed and stopped her assault. "That's what you get for fighting with someone smaller than you."

I wasn'tthatmuch smaller. I shifted back and stood naked as the day I was born. Her eyes locked with mine and her lips pressed together.

"Ivy." I slowly approached and took the water hose from her, dropping it to the ground. "You're my mate."

Her eyes widened as I cupped her cheek. Did she not feel our connection? She seemed far too shocked by my revelation.

"What do you mean I'm your mate?" She leaned into my touch and didn't pull away. That was a good sign. "Cole's my mate."

My brows furrowed, and I looked over her shoulder at Cole, who was frowning with his arms crossed over his chest.

---