Page 1 of Breathe Again

Cole

Chapter 1

When Westin Pack started aligning more closely with Collier Pack, I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd end up back in Collier territory. Escorting Liam and Maddie Westin to visit her family for her brother’s celebration ceremony as he assumed the role of Alpha of Collier Pack was not something I had looked forward to, even knowing Lily Westin would be there to flirt with and help ease my nerves.

When Lily found her one true mate was Thomas Collier, the alliance between the packs was sealed. Sure, the two packs had always been amicable, but with the Westin twins mated to two of Zach's children the alliance was tight and virtually unbreakable.

What did that mean for me? More time spent in Collier territory, the one place I dreaded more than anything.

It had been over a decade since I had last seen Elizabeth Collier, and I wasn't that same kid anymore. Once upon a time, I had been just as enamored with finding my one true mate as the Westin children had been. Jason Westin, our Alpha, until he transferred power to his son after being injured in a battle against the Bulgarian pack, had always made true mates an important part of our Pack. Of course, every wolf shifter had free will to fall in love, or not, with whomever they chose. But Jason had always stressed the strength and power of true mates, so Westin Pack had a much higher number of them than most other packs.

Finding your one true mate took time. Some would go years, decades, or a lifetime even before crossing paths with that one soul who would complete them and set their animal spirit at peace. Jason made it feel like it was worth the wait. Because the odds could be high against it, many alphas stressed the importance of mating and growing the pack, regardless of whether or not they were true mates. We called those compatible mates. It was only one of the things that set Westin apart from other wolf shifting packs.

A shifter could have numerous compatible mates, but only ever one true mate. I used to believe in the power of true mates. I believed it when they said you would know immediately, and it would alter your life the moment you met, like some sort of ridiculous fairy tale. Yes, I, Cole Anderson, Westin's resident elusive bad boy, standing at six foot four and weighing in at two hundred and forty pounds of solid muscle, most of which was covered in tattoos, was once upon a time a hopeless romantic. That was then, before Elizabeth Collier.

I had just celebrated my eighteenth birthday. I was a clean-cut all American teen with high hopes and promising expectations. Jason Westin had recognized me as alpha potential at a young age, confirmed when my wolf surfaced at only sixteen years of age.

My parents were good people and raised me to be considerate and dependable, but not willing to take any shit from anyone. I loved them deeply, and as an only child, I had a closer than average relationship with them. My parents had been true mates. My dad was killed in a car wreck, and because he and my mom had been fully bonded, I lost them both to that accident.

I remember the day clearly. Mom and I were cooking dinner together and laughing and talking. I had just graduated high school and had already been accepted into university. She hugged me tight, telling me how proud they were of me for everything. And then she was gone, collapsed in my arms.

I didn't know what was happening. We had been waiting for Dad to return from a business trip. He worked for the Westin Foundation and had been out of town. I couldn't wake her and when I realized she wasn't breathing, I started to freak out.

I called Jason, only to find he was already on his way, having received a call from my dad's partner. He had been driving when their car was T-boned on the passenger side. He had lived, my dad had not. I was suddenly an eighteen-year-old orphan.

Jason had encouraged me to take an internship with Zach Collier. They had started doing that in an attempt to strengthen both packs. He thought it was best if I got away for awhile, and I couldn't have agreed fast enough. I spent that whole summer before my freshman year at university in Collier territory shadowing Zach Collier.

I would never forget the day I met Elizabeth. She was sixteen years old with long brown hair that fell in waves halfway down her back. She had bright blue eyes that mesmerized me from the first moment I saw them. She stirred my wolf in a way I had never imagined, and I was convinced she was to be mine.

It had freaked me out a little, but I was excited. I took leave that night and drove an hour to a hotel. I had called my Alpha and told him what was happening to me. I explained how I felt, how the hair on my arms had literally stood up and my whole body tingled with nervous energy. He was happy at first, until I told him I thought my one true mate was Elizabeth Collier.

Lizzy, as everyone always called her, was two years younger than me. Jason was quick to squash my hopes and dreams, telling me that he knew for a fact that her wolf had not yet surfaced and that there was no way that my wolf could possibly recognize her before then. He told me I needed to be patient and wait.

I waited and watched her all that summer, never acting on the emotions I felt. Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of Zach Collier, and her mate would someday be second in line to the Alpha. She was highly protected, as were all the Collier daughters. . . all six of them.

A week before I was due to leave, Lizzy wanted to go shopping for the upcoming school year. She was heading into her junior year and finally would be an upperclassman. Zach asked me to escort her, which meant he was entrusting me with the protection of his daughter. It was a big deal, and the first true responsibility I was given that summer.

I was nervous, my palms were sweaty, the whole cliché just sitting next to her in the car. Her scent overwhelmed my senses and I couldn't think straight let alone carry on a coherent conversation, so I didn't even try. She didn't last long in the silence though before she began to babble on about this and that, asking me questions. To my surprise I managed to answer then without bumbling like a complete idiot. It made the drive go by much too quickly, and by the time we arrived at the mall over two hours away, we were on comfortable, friendly terms.

It amazed me how easy she had been to talk to. Once I let go of my nerves, being with her was truly as easy as breathing. I opened the car door for her upon our arrival and she reached for my hand, pulling herself up. The fire that shot through me felt like I'd been hit by a lightning bolt, and I was again convinced this girl had to be my one true mate. Yet she looked entirely unaffected.

She wrapped her small hand around mine and kept it there as we headed in to shop. I had imagined that shopping with any girl would be a nightmare of an experience, but not with Elizabeth. It didn't seem to matter what we did or where we went: life was just better with Elizabeth Collier.

That shopping experience was only the first. The next day she told her dad she hadn't found everything she wanted, despite having a new wardrobe that would clothe half her pack, so she asked if I could escort her to another mall a little further away this time. He didn't even hesitate to say yes to her.

Elizabeth had not shown any signs of recognition, as Jason had warned would be the case because she hadn't yet shifted, but that didn't seem to stop the chemistry between us. I was trying to tell myself it was all one-sided. My wolf didn't want to hear it; he wanted this beautiful creature. There was no doubt in my mind that it was not just my personal infatuation with her.

Busying myself with reminders that she did not feel the same, or feel anything at all for that matter, I ignored all the signs she continued to send out, like the fact that she always held my hand when we walked through the stores, or the way she'd look away and blush when I caught her staring at me—I couldn't let myself give in to the turmoil my wolf was experiencing that told me she was our mate when it wasn't even possible.

She had gone into the dressing room of a department store to try on a few things when I heard her yell out my name. Fearing the worst, I immediately ran to her dressing room door.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?" I demanded, my wolf already on high alert.

"Nothing," she said sweetly. "I just need your opinion on this outfit."

She opened the door and I hesitated but entered. It was the largest dressing room I'd ever seen, with a long bench that ran down one side. But that was all missed as I stepped in and stared at Elizabeth standing in the middle of the room in nothing but a sexy black lace bra and thong panty set.

I froze, certain my mouth hung open in shock. My tongue felt dry and sticky just before I started salivating. Still, over a decade later, she was the sexiest damn thing I'd ever laid eyes on. No moment before or since has ever been as great at that day.

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