Page 3 of Unwilling Mate

There have been very few times I regretted my choice to leave my clan twenty years ago. Today is one of those instances. If I had another shifter to talk to, I could maybe make sense of this, but I don’t, so I have to figure this shit out on my own.

My chest rumbles, my wolf growling in my ear to let him out. He also knows something is wrong. Maybe I should let him deal with this.

“Fine,” I mumble to myself.

Grabbing onto the hem of my shirt, I pull it off and throw it on the floor by the door. My worn jeans are next, and then I’m out the door, kicking it shut on my way.

I’m not even off my porch when I shift. My wolf bursts out like never before, eager to be free. As soon as I’m on all fours, I’m running.

The burning sensation is still there, but now that I’m in my wolf form, there is something else. A pull I didn’t feel before, like an invisible force pulling me toward something. I don’t know what it is or where it's leading me. All I know is that I have to get there, and I have to get there fast.

My paws pound against the forest floor furiously as I weave through trees so fast I don’t think anyone would recognize my shape. The sun is setting, and the forest is draped in dusk, but my vision is sharp as ever.

I keep running at full speed, but my body doesn't grow tired. If anything, I’m growing more energetic. It’s like part of me is waking up from a long deep sleep. Refreshed and ready to live again.

I run until the forest thins out, roads and houses I haven’t seen in a decade peek through the trees, and I know I’m at the city's edge. Sucking in a deep breath, the change of the air surrounding me becomes more apparent.

Normally, all I smell are the trees, the moss on the ground, water running down the mountains, and the sweet scent of flowers growing in the meadow. This close to a human city, the air is corrupted by gasoline, and a heavy smog rolls through the trees, threatening to choke me.

Even with the unpleasant smell invading my senses, the need to run toward this unknown force never wavers. Only when I get to a long winding driveway does the tight pull on my chest slightly ease, and I slow down enough to take in my surroundings closely.

At the end of the dirt road sits a large white house. The front yard is mowed and kept up but only with bland bushes and not a single flower in sight. Nothing to hide the smell of humans living in this place.

Why am I here?

Just as the question runs through my mind, a sharp pain penetrates my gut as if a hot arrow rips through my flesh. It’s so vivid that I look down to make sure I haven’t been shot. When I don’t see anything sticking out of my fur, I will the phantom pain away and keep moving closer to the house.

Knowing that what I’m looking for is inside this human dwelling, I shift back into my human form. I might be a three hundred pound, six and a half foot tall naked man, but a naked man is still better than an angry wolf knocking on your door.

I walk up the steps and stop at the last one. Raising my arm, I rap my knuckles over the heavy wooden door. I already hear multiple footsteps approaching and female voices whispering, but no one makes a move to open the door for me.

Annoyed, I knock again. “Open up, or I’ll kick the door in,” I yell loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.

Seconds tick by, and though the door remains closed, the urge to be inside this house only grows. I guess I’ve warned them.

Taking a small step back, I raise my leg and swiftly kick the door close to the handle. The wood breaks away with ease, shattering under the force my foot delivered. With the entrance open to me now, the shrieks of three women meet my ear. Ignoring their distress, I enter their home without their invitation.

“Calm the fuck down and stop screaming. You’re hurting my ears,” I growl, and to my relief, all three press their lips together and quiet down.That's better.

Silence settles over us, but the storm inside me is still raging. I suck in a calming breath, but it turns out to be the opposite of calming. There is something in the air, something… sweet and innocent. Something that’s… mine.

“Where is she?” I demand from the three women.

Three pairs of eyes stare at me in confusion, but only one of them speaks, “Who? The maid?”

“Where is she?” I repeat, my voice low and threatening as I take another step toward them. The older one out of the three points up the stairs without a word while the younger two shamelessly gawk at my body.

Ignoring their stares, I walk past them and follow the sweet scent leading me to the second floor. As I head up the stairs, I become aware of my hardening cock swinging between my thighs.What the fuck?

I follow the invisible string attached to my chest, pulling me forward and down the hall to another set of narrow stairs. The scent becomes stronger, and my feet move faster once more. The slightly curved staircase is almost too small for me, and when I get to the attic door, I know I have to squeeze through it sideways to fit.

I reach for the doorknob, wrapping my fingers around the cool brass, and turn. As soon as I push the door open, the intoxicating sweet scent fills my lungs completely and a possessive growl rumbles in my chest.

Mine.My mate is in this room. The realization hits me hard enough to knock the wind out of me. My legs go weak, and for a moment, I think I’m going to fall to my knees. The only thing keeping me upright is knowing that I’m about to meet her… my mate. My human mate?

No, it can’t be. Not again. This has to be a mistake. I’m making a mistake. I need to turn around and leave. My wolf roars into my ear at the thought, but I fight against him.

Don’t you remember what happened before? This is wrong!

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