Page 30 of Tracking His True Mate

“You’ll never believe this, Mariam, but I do love you. I know you see me as a crazed asshole, but you’ll see. I’llprovide everything you need.”

I brushed his hand aside and turned to leave again, this time with a little more haste. His touch was addicting, and I didn’t want to get sucked in again. It wasn’t until I was alone walking down the stairs that I remembered his wolf had promised mine the exact same thing.

It was laughable, really. What could Trace possibly know about the things I need?

Chapter 12

Trace had left me to my own devices with the explanation that he had a lot of work to catch up on. His being away for a month had left many of his alpha responsibilities unmet. I resisted the urge to remind him that no one had asked him to take that month off searching for me. There was no point in stirring the pot with him again, but it was exhausting having to bite my tongue and simultaneously fight against the desire to climb up on his body. Time away from him would be a welcome relief.

Besides, maybe now I could explore the house without Randy holding me back. Maybe I’d even be able to scope out a means of escape, though that idea had my wolf huffing again.

Downstairs, Justine was curled up in a blanket with a book and a cup of tea. I entered the expansive living room to join her, and I was instantly drawn to the oversized windows that had caught my eye the night before.

The view of Tumblewild’s land from that spot was breathtaking. It showcased acres of hills and trees for as far as I could see. Occasionally, the rooftop of another home was visible in the distance, but other than that, it made mefeel like I was standing on top of a secluded mountain. When I stepped away from the glass, I could see that Justine had been watching me with a slight smile on her face. Like her brother, she seemed to be much more subdued this morning.

“That view is one of the best parts of living in the alpha’s house,” she said, taking a sip from her mug. “Growing up, I always took it for granted, but this has become my favorite room for that very reason.”

She patted the spot next to her on the deep leather couch, and I sat to join her. Her eyes swept over me, and she paused to focus on my turtleneck. She raised her eyebrows but didn’t ask what might be hiding under the high collar. I looked away. The last thing I wanted to do was discuss that with her.

‘So, Randy told me that you have been teaching at the school in town,” she said instead, catching on to my discomfort. “Do you think you want to continue working there? Or are you going to take some time off?”

My look of surprise must have given her the wrong idea because she rushed to qualify her question. “Of course, as the alpha’s mate, you don’t have to work outside of the home. You can just help with pack business if you want instead. And I don’t meanjusthelp with the packlike that or anything. It will take a lot of time and effort to--“

“It’s fine, Justine,” I interrupted, saving us both from her rambling. “I’d love to continue working at the school. As an assistant, actually, not as a teacher. But I assumed that Trace wouldn’t allow me to work there. Gabe and Randy didn’t seem to think so, either.”

Justine snorted. “He will absolutely allow it. It’s helpfulto the pack and something for you to do so you don’t drop dead from boredom,” she insisted. “Don’t worry; I’ll talk to him about it.”

I nodded, not wanting to argue. If she could get Trace to allow me outside of these walls, I wasn’t going to second-guess her ever again. “So…you know Trace really well. Is there anything I should know about him? Besides to try and stay out of his way, I mean.”

Justine tilted her head to the side and regarded me with interest. “Why do you think you need to stay out of his way? If I know my brother at all, he’s going to want to see you all hours of the day.”

I couldn’t tell if she meant that as an innuendo, but I quickly prayed that no one else in the house knew about me sharing Trace’s bedroom last night. “We just don’t get along very well, and I think arguing is stressful for both of us. So, I’m going to try and stay out of his way as much as I can.”

“What kinds of things do you argue about, though?” she pressed. “I don’t doubt that you have argued a lot while he is trying to convince you to be his mate. He’s stubborn, that’s for sure. And last night really shouldn’t count because he is kind of unstable at the moment, but if you give him a chance, I promise that he’s actually one of the most level-headed guys I’ve ever met. Gabriel not included, of course. As an omega, Gabe’s naturally more laid back.”

My former roommate had struck me as an omega with how helpful and accommodating he was, but omegas in Dark Claw weren’t allowed to be part of the pack council. I liked that Tumblewild didn’t restrict positions on the council only to betas and other loud males.

There was something else that I wanted to ask, but it feltweird to say it to Trace’s sister. She saw my hesitation and motioned with her hand that I should just spit it out.

“Okay, you don’t have to answer this if it’s too weird…but Trace said something to me, and his wolf said the same thing to my wolf. I just wanted to know if you might know what he meant….”

“Maybe,” she answered curiously. “What did he say?”

“He said that he would provide everything I need. Is that him saying that he will support me financially? Or emotionally?”

For the first time since I arrived, Justine blushed. “It’s actually a promise that a lot of male werewolves make to their mates. Your mom never discussed this with you?”

I shook my head. “No, she died when I was young. My dad was her true mate, and after she passed on, he was…a little out of it. He wasn't himself without her, and eventually, we lost him, too.”

Justine nodded, her eyes filled with sympathy. “Our parents are gone, too, but they died more recently. We had them with us until we were both adults, at least.”

She paused and seemed to search for the right words. “When Trace said that to you, he was promising to give you the structure and discipline you need. Although, as your mate, he will provide those other basic things, too, of course. All male werewolves feel the need to take care of their mates. It’s in their DNA or something. Alphas have a more stressful job because he also provides structure and discipline to the whole pack…but for you, it will be…different.”

Justine’s whole face was a deep blush at this point, and she was looking down at her mug to avoid my eyes. I feltbad for her but couldn’t understand why she was so embarrassed. I could remember my mom having rules from my dad when she was alive but was that really something to blush over?

“Oh. Well, I guess I should tell Trace that I really don’t need any of that, and he can save it for other members of his pack,” I said. “My former alpha tried to give me discipline and structure a few times, and it never went over well.”

She found my offer hilarious, and it seemed to help her get over her embarrassment. She laughed deeply, eyes sparkling.

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