Page 40 of Tempting His True Mate
The next morning, I got up slowly, trying to shake off the hurt from the night before. I needed to pull myself together, at least enough to face Mariam and Trace at breakfast.
I dressed and put on a little makeup to hide my puffy eyes before heading downstairs. A warm breeze blew in through an open window in the living room, carrying with it notes of wildflowers from outside. I breathed deeply, allowing the scent to work its soothing magic on me.
Mariam and Trace were already seated at the table when I entered; their conversation paused momentarily as they acknowledged my presence. Mariam gave me a sympathetic smile and motioned for me to sit next to her.
"Good morning, Ella," she said softly. "How are you feeling today?"
I shrugged, not quite sure how to respond. "Better, I guess. It's just a lot to process."
Trace cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "We were thinking of taking a run through the woods today. Maybe a little exercise will do us all some good."
I nodded, grateful for the distraction and a little surprised that he would be joining us. Jeremy never seemed to have time for a random run in the woods. Or maybe Dark Claw’s alpha could go for a run, and just didn't prioritize such things. "That sounds nice."
We finished our breakfast quickly and set out into the vast backyard, following a well-worn path that led us deeper into the heart of the forest. The further we went, the more I felt my tension melting away. The trees were tall and imposing, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor, and the air was cool and fresh.
We walked in comfortable silence for a while, the only sound coming from the crunch of leaves and twigs under our feet. Mariam and Trace kept a small distance from me, so I was able to enjoy the scenery without any distracting conversations.
As we walked, I couldn't help but think about Gabe. What would he be doing right now? Was he thinking about me?I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts aside. He was the last thing I needed to be thinking about.
Suddenly, Trace stopped in his tracks, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?" he asked with a hint of excitement.
Mariam and I exchanged a confused look, but before we could ask, Trace took off running, shedding his clothes as he went. His wolf form tore through the underbrush, leaving us behind. Mariam and I followed although we took the time to set our clothing down in folded piles. Ourown wolves were eager to see what all the excitement was about.
As we rounded a bend in the trail, we saw that Trace had taken off after a rabbit. Mariam and I didn’t get the opportunity to hunt very often growing up in urban California. My wolf was savoring getting to hunt in such an unrestricted place, and I knew Mariam must be feeling the same way. For the first time, it was like the two of us were friends rather than polar opposites. We had a camaraderie in the woods. I allowed myself to savor the thrill of the run. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how it would be if things worked out with Gabe and I moved to Tumblewild permanently. Maybe this was exactly what I needed.
When we were too tired to run anymore, Mariam and I collapsed in the tall grass near the creek that ran through the alpha house property. Trace joined us sans rabbit. The hulking black wolf made for an intimidating predator, but I had to wonder if he let the animal go. For some shifters, it was more about the chase. All of his prowess melted away as he snuggled up next to his mate. She yawned and stretched, making room for him to join us in our bout of laziness.
The sun was high above us when we trotted back to our discarded clothes. Trace had to spend some time collecting his, and he was teased mercilessly for walking around in his underwear.
“At least it’s a good view,” Mariam giggled.
“I should probably go back to the house and call Gabe,” I said. “Maybe he’s found something useful at the library.”
“If anyone could, it would be him,” she agreed. “Youknow that’s where we first met, right? I had just arrived at Tumblewild and was trying to find a way out of mating with Trace. Gabe helped me navigate all those dusty old books because he was there researching something for the council. I knew he was a kindred spirit when he treated the materials so well. Most male werewolves wouldn’t be interested in such things.”
“He’s very unique,” I agreed.
“Does that mean you’re going to give him a chance?” Mariam asked. “I think you should if I haven’t made that clear already.”
I smiled at her sadly. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up.” After he practically ran out of my room last night, neither of us should look too much into him researching a cure for me. Gabe was a good guy. He’d try to help even if he wasn’t interested in pursuing our mating bond.
Mariam looked like she wanted to argue the point, but her attention was diverted by Trace walking towards us without a shirt. He grabbed her roughly by the waist and hauled her to him, causing her to laugh and squeal with delight. I rolled my eyes and looked away. Seeing them like this wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be, but I still didn’t need a front-row seat to their lovefest.
Trace’s phone vibrated, and he gave Mariam a sheepish look.
“Go,” she said, rubbing his chest and kissing him on the cheek. “Duty calls, and Randy’s probably wondering if you’re showing up at the office at all today.”
“I was just saying that I need to go and check on Gabe at the library, too,” I offered. “Is there a car I can borrow? He took mine with him last night, I think.”
Trace nodded. “You can take Mariam’s, or I can ask one of the guys to drive you if you want. That way, Gabe can drive you both home afterward. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a little extra quality time with his mate.”
“Yeah, thanks. Sounds good.” I didn’t feel like arguing about Gabe’s intentions anymore, especially not with Trace. He might be my brother-in-law, but he was also a bit bullheaded. I remembered clearly how difficult it was to convince him of anything when he raided my house in search of Mariam.
Trace left in a hurry with the promise that a young council member named Jared would by shortly to bring me to the library. I told him there was no rush; I was more than a little grateful for the chance to clean up after the run.
Thirty minutes later, I was freshly showered, changed into a new outfit from Mariam’s closet, and ready to go. I realized too late that I had left my purse in the car, along with my phone and wallet. I made a mental note to grab those things ASAP.
“Ready?” Jared held open the door of the lifted truck for me. I should be used to the types of massive vehicles that shifter men seemed to prefer driving, but it took me a minute to hoist myself into the passenger seat nonetheless. Unfortunately, this one was also black and reminded me of Neil’s truck.
