Page 27 of Run Free

It was true that there were protocols to mating, but many packs, including mine, omitted all of that for true mates.

“You’re my true mate, Gage. There’s nothing to worry about. Dad will be happy for us. And if it makes you feel any better, he stepped down as Alpha when my brother’s powers strengthened.”

“He gave Alpha to your brother?” he asked.

“Yes. It was a recent change, but what he felt was best for the pack.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

I smiled broadly. I loved my family and it put me at ease to tell him about them. “I have five sisters, and Thomas. I’m the second oldest. I guess for the moment that puts you third in line for Alpha.”

He hung his head and swore again. I wasn’t sure why that bothered him so much. Most shifters would give anything for that coveted role, the highest rank in any pack.

“I don’t want to be Alpha, angel,” he said honestly.

I shrugged. “With Thomas and Cole that’s really not much of a concern. I just thought you should know.”

He nodded, trying to absorb the bombshell I’d just dropped on his lap.

“What pack are you from?” I asked.

“I don’t have a pack, Clara,” he said. There was a bit of regret in his voice.

“Were you born into one or have you always been alone?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

I didn’t think he was going to answer me at first, but then he spoke. “I was in a pack once. I’m not ready to talk about it. I’m sure someday I’ll tell you everything, but not yet.”

I was disappointed that he wouldn’t open up with me, but I dropped it and changed the subject. “Well, how about your favorite food?” I asked, thinking of the first benign question that popped into my head.

He laughed, and the tension between us eased some. “Pizza. You?”

“Steak,” I confessed. “We raise cattle in Wyoming and while the human side of me despises that, the other side always wins in the taste buds.”

He laughed with me, understanding what I meant. I hated the thought of raising cows for meat, but there was simply no way my wolf heritage would allow me to be a vegetarian.

“Favorite color?” he asked.

We went on like that for several hours, all through drinks, dinner, and dessert. He had a fun, playful side to him that I found I loved. Gage still wouldn’t open up to me about anything truly important, but I hoped in time that would change. Right now, the little things were just as important.

As we left, he took my hand. That simple gesture gave me butterflies. It was getting late, the sky was dark, but since we’d slept much of the day away, I wasn’t tired in the least.

“Want to go for a walk?” I suggested when we returned to the zoo.

He nodded, helping me out of the vehicle and again holding my hand as we started down the path towards the lake. Several of the animals stirred as we passed. The majority of the zoo had been restored, and the animals replaced in their habitats. All the shifters we’d rescued had moved on, except Byron and Tatum, and of course, Gage. Alfred and Miriam were still hanging around, too, but that was normal for them. They wouldn’t leave until we started packing it up.

We didn’t talk as we walked, until we came to a bench by the lake.

“What you’ve done here is nothing short of a miracle,” he said.

I shook my head. “I’m just overseeing the project. The real credit goes to the workers, like you. You really stepped up and got things rolling. Rick’s still working on the elephants, so imagine how much longer things would have run if you hadn’t picked up his slack.”

Gage shook his head. “I only helped to get you out of here faster. I didn’t want to be responsible for you,” he said, the first heartfelt thing he’d told me all night. It made me cringe with a feeling of rejection. I think he sensed it because he quickly backstepped. “I’m not leaving you, Clara. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can’t. I couldn’t think straight and yes, it irritated me a bit. This was the last place on Earth I wanted to be and I certainly didn’t want you here.” He looked solemnly out across the water. “I hate that you saw those videos.”

I sighed. “I’m not sorry I saw them, but I do hate that it bothers you so much. What I saw watching those videos and what you saw are two very different things. I saw a man beaten down in the harshest of ways, yet who never let them beat him. Your strength and resolve through all that is inspiring, Gage. Few are strong enough to survive something like that. I didn’t blame you for not wanting to be here. I didn’t blame you for not wanting me here either, yet you pushed past all of that and supported me, whether you realized it or not.”

I could see he was struggling with what I’d said, but he grinned sheepishly, changing the subject and lightening the mood. “How long did it take for you to realize I was here?”

“Longer than it should have because I was too busy sulking in my office,” I admitted.

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