Page 15 of Knot Quite Ready

Casimir

My heart pounds against my ribs as I drive into Cabria Falls, the wolf within me rising like an inferno, demanding its mate and threatening to consume me in a blaze of unbearable agony.

My eyesight shifts from one sight to another as unearthly growls rumble from deep inside my throat and razor-sharp claws emerge from my fingertips. Inhaling deeply, I try to quell the tidal wave of emotions crashing over me, but patience is wearing thin.

After waking up three days ago from Tristan’s blow to the back of my head, who, despite shifter healing, was still limping after I beat the shit out of him, I’ve been fighting every instinct roaring within me to get back to my mate. Not out of choice, if it were up to me, I would have rushed back the moment I woke up, but in the middle of beating Tristan’s ass, I found out that Michael was having an issue with a rogue Leopard pack.

After reaching out to Pierce and visiting the University, we were finally getting back. While I could have sent Tristan in my stead, he needed to heal, and there was too much going on with the pack. We were in the middle of building the pack homes and the schoolhouse and were getting shipments of wood and materials every second, it seemed. With our shields in place, thanks to our witch alliances, we are able to have human help knowing that they won’t remember anything other than taking a job for a wealthy businessman who decided to build a wilderness retreat. Between the humans and wolves working together, we were making a hell of a headway.I just had to quiet the voice saying that we were doing all of this for naught. Considering we weren’t a formal pack yet.

But that was a concern for another day. After returning, I stopped long enough to shower and change before jumping back into my car and driving into town. My intention was to sniff around the entire town like a feral savage, but within moments of parking on Main Street, I picked up the hints of rose and lavender in the air weaved in with… a rump roast?

Frowning, I shove my keys in my jean pocket and follow the scent until I’m standing in front of a small restaurant bustling with shifters and humans alike.

“Casimir, I thought you found your mate. You’re going to have to stop seeking me out like this. I’m not into wolves, man,” Ramiro slaps my shoulder in greeting, and I roll my eyes. We had gotten to know each other while dealing with the rogue pack, and every moment I was grateful Tristan wasn’t with us. Both of them together would probably do me in.

I turn to see Pierce chuckling. “I do have a mate, asshole,” I direct to Ramiro, my voice deep and more wolf than man. “I scented her, and it’s coming from here,” I wave at the restaurant.

Ramiro smiles brightly, “Good taste then. This is our family restaurant. Get your mate, man. And try the roast. Shit is amazing!”

I shake my head as he enters the restaurant with a loud ‘whoop.’

“Go get your mate, Cas. If you need anything, you know how to reach me,” Pierce slaps my shoulder with a knowing smile before striding after Ramiro.

For a second, I close my eyes as my wolf slams against me.Do you wish to terrify her? You need to control yourself, Monti.I’ve seen too many Omegas be treated as if the only thing they were suitable for is to be bedded and bred. An Omega is special, a mate even more so. She would be mine, of that I have no doubt. But I will not rush in like a savage.

With a grumble, he settles, barely, and once I feel more in control, I stride into the restaurant. Her scent grows stronger with every step forward, and as if being tugged by an invisible thread, my eyes immediately hone in on a table in the back.

The carefree sounds of her laughter hit me like a runaway squirrel dashing through a forest rave. The scent gets heavier, and once again, I wrestle for control, my wolf raking at my insides, wanting to get out and kill whoever is making my mate laugh.

My eyes flash, and the horse shifter she’s with looks in my direction and stands with a knowing smile. He kisses her cheek and whispers something in her ear that, even with my shifter hearing, I cannot make out with the din of the restaurant and the blood rushing through my ears.

He walks in my direction and pauses briefly when he reaches me. “Alpha to Alpha, her best friend is my mate, and by your reaction and the pheromones you’re giving off right now, Aneira is yours. Good luck,” he says the last with a deep chuckle and a slight shake of his head and strides out of the restaurant.

I scoff internally as I make my way to where she sits, confusion marring her features. I didn’t need luck. She ismymate. I spent the past few days working this out and had a simple plan. I would stake my claim, letting her know I was her forever, take care of her heat and live happily ever after—the end. Taking advantage of her confusion, I sit across from her.

“Hello, Little wolf,” I growl out softly. Her gaze snaps to mine, her wolf pushing for supremacy as she scents mine, and her eyes start to glow softly. My wolf surges to the surface in response, and I take several seconds to undress her fully with my eyes, peeling off that turquoise dress that is so lovingly caressing her curves and holding in her full breasts, knowing that soon I’ll be following every dip and curve on her body with my tongue.She is a fucking vision. All golden skin and defined muscle that spoke to her training, and yet she was undeniably feminine.

“Holy hotness,” she stutters, and I laugh, pulled out of my fantasy by her words paired with the most delectable deep, yet feminine, throaty voice that all wet- dreams should be made of.

“I usually prefer Alpha, but holy hotness works too,” I smile, but the corners of my mouth quickly turn down as her expression shutters. “Hello, Aneira,” I add, testing the name on my tongue, and I find that it suits the wolf in front of me well. It gives me a little thrill of satisfaction that she jerks back in her chair, her eyes narrowing.

Her nostrils flare, and despite the sweet, pervasive scent of her arousal, she glares at me angrily.

“So,Casimir,you do know who I am, then. Which means your ass was what? Hiding after you scented me?”

My eyebrows shoot up. I quite liked my name on her tongue.

She scoffs, squirming in her seat, “Oh, yeah. I did some research after I told my hussy-ass wolf to calm down when we scented you at the club. We couldn’t find you, though. Which is fine because I’ll have you know I am not about to be another notch on the rollercoaster of wolf-fanged destiny. I may be a little blind-sighted by all of this,” she points at herself and then back at me, and I bite back a smirk.

“But itches can be scratched, and then you’re going to have to leave me alone. I don’t want a mate,” she huffs angrily.

Internally I rear back as my wolf growls at her attempt at rejection. Outwardly, I lean forward and watch as the pink of her cheeks deepen, and her eyes darken with lust as I cut off her tirade by placing my hand on top of hers.

“Breathe, little omega. I know your name because that delightful horse shifter told me. Unfortunately, you couldn’t find me because my asshole of a second thought that I would lose it at the club and knocked me out, and then I had a pack emergency, or else I would have been in your arms and your bed that same night.”

She rolls her eyes, “you seem quite sure of yourself there, Cas.” She shortens my name like a curse, her eyes flaring, and it takes everything in me not to whisk her out of this restaurant and see how far I can push that defiance until she submits to me. I lick my lips at the thought and watch her eyes as they track the movement, and she visibly swallows.

I chuckle and meet her gray eyes with mine, “Yes, little wolf. I am very sure. You’re my mate, and now that I’ve found you, there isn’t anything that can keep me from your side. We belong together.”

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