Page 32 of Two Wrong Turns

With my delicious drink in hand, I decided a short walk through the town would be good for me. If I just so happened to swing by the station to see my mate, then it was purely coincidence.

I cannot be expected to go without him all day when I was actually able to leave the house.

Surely, I sounded like some lovestruck idiot who had separation anxiety. Fun fact, I was definitely a lovestruck idiot who had separation anxiety. I was also deep in a cabin fever zone.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved our home. It was beautiful, and I felt inspired to paint every second I could.

But wanting to be there and having to be there were two different things. I was thankful to not be confined anymore.

I moved through town happy as a clam until I reached the police station. From a distance, I saw a figure that looked a lot like my mate. He was talking with someone else. Honestly, it looked more like he was yelling at someone else, which was very odd considering my mate didn't really get flustered like that.

He was not quick to anger. The most I had seen him blow up, even for work-related things, was to get a little tiffed at someone on the phone.

The closer I got, the more I realized it was my mate and the reason for his anger was actually me.

“What do you mean no one knows where he is? He can't have gone far.”

I moved closer and cleared my throat. "I'm here?” I said like it was a question.

Nolan and the other man's heads whipped my way.

"Mate," he growled, then reached out and crushed me to his chest.

I breathed in his scent, sinking into him and relaxing. The other man chuckled and fled while my mate was distracted.

"What's wrong, Alpha?" I asked him.

He nuzzled into the top of my head and purred. "I felt your anxiety a few moments ago. There was something wrong and when I sent one of my guys out to check on you at the house because they were near there, they said you didn't answer. They also said that the car was gone."

I shrugged. “I didn't feel sick today. I needed to get out of the house before I lost my mind. Are you mad at me?"

He shook his head quickly, pulling me back so I could see the movement. "There's nothing wrong with what you did, mate. I was simply concerned about your safety. With you carrying our cub, I feel even more paranoid about your safety. My Alpha side lost its cool. I apologize for you seeing that."

I reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. "No, Alpha. I’m sorry that I didn't message you. I should have said something. Forgetting that this bond is a two-way street is no excuse. You're so good at hiding your emotions from me. I need to get better at it too.”

He smiled softly. "I'm not hiding them for that reason. It's just that I deal with a lot of things throughout the day. I don't want you to have to pick up on any of the emotions I’m feeling. Sometimes I get aggravated, and I don’t want you worrying. If it was something simple or just general day-to-day stuff, I'd leave my shields down.”

I bit my lip, my gaze on his handsome face as I acknowledged the truth of his words. Not only could I sense that he was being honest, but I could feel the hum of contentment through our bond.

It really was a very powerful connection.

I could see how shifters would meet their mates, fall in love, and trust everything from there. It wasn't like with humans where they could lie and deceive one another. There was no possibility of something being misconstrued or anything beyond a short argument.

I felt like a superhero in our relationship, even though I didn't hold near as much power as Nolan did. His Alpha was strong, and his bear was glorious compared to my weaker human form.

He had shifted for me a few more times in the last few weeks because I was greedy for every drop I could get of his beast. There was something so captivating about him when he was in that form.

I don't know if it was because the human side of him was buried so deep or if it was merely the fact that he looked so much like the drawings I had spent months working on. I only knew that I loved being around him as much as possible.

“What else do you have planned while you're out?” Nolan asked me, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Not much," I told him. “I really just wanted the fresh air and some decaf. You know everything is better when you buy it out instead of making it at home.”

He laughed. “I don't know about that. There are some things that I much prefer to get at home.”

He squeezed my waist where his hands had settled while we talked. I shivered at the touch, the reminder of just what we could get up to at home coming to mind.

I felt slick build in my underwear, and I cursed, shifting out of his hold. “I don't want to mess up my pants while I'm out right now. So no more of that, mister.”

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