An Unexpected Mate

Chapter 14 - Back to Stalking

Braxton had never thought of himself as a creepy stalker, but he was starting to really feel that way. Ever since he woke up in the hospital he had needed to see Lily. The pull that he had spent months ignoring and trying to sever as much as possible felt stronger than even before. 

He had begun to note her movements, check on her when she went to work or did errands, watched from afar as she shuttled her kids about and went on with her life. Could he leave her alone? Could he still let her be? In all of his stalking, he had not seen or sensed her husband. Was Lucas correct in assuming that he was no longer present in Lily's life? Had she found out that he was cheating on her? Brax had so many questions running through his head it had been difficult to focus on the pack and his obligations. Not only were they still working on modernizing the pack life, but now he was dealing with both external and internal strife. Some of his pack were questioning his ability as alpha after his month-long coma. Furthermore, there was now rumors about the human woman that had been seen in the hospital during his stay. They linked her to the reasons for his disconnect with his wolf and, tangentially, his pack altogether. Braxton used this as an excuse to be concerned about Lily and check up on her, that it wasn't just because he missed her and needed her...but what if other packs, those that he had some conflict or issues with learned about his human. He hadn't heard any rumors that she was his mate, only that she was somehow involved with him, connected to him.

As Braxton's mind wandered on the past month of struggle within his pack and beyond, he did not catch himself as he followed Lily into the coffee shop. It was the same place that he had first sensed her so many months ago. The memory came flooding back.

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He was sitting in the corner of the coffee shop, looking over some reports, when he first noticed the scent - it was a mix of caramel, chocolate, and something sweeter that made his mouth water. Brax felt all his senses come alert and had to mentally struggle from jumping up. Glancing around the room, he could not place it. A number of people had walked in since he had sat down.

The scent became stronger, the aroma pulling him from his daydreams. There was a well-dressed, blonde bombshell placing her order at the counter. He stared for a second, catching her attention and getting a saucy look from the women before turning away. Behind her were three older teens, maybe 19 or 20, that were giggling and looking over at him. Brax brushed his gaze past them with a smirk. Then the smell of caramel increased and he noticed a woman hurrying past him from the back hallway out of his peripheral vision before she sat against the opposite wall, slightly obscured by other patrons.

Brax kept trying to move his gaze, but he was losing an internal battle. He could barely keep himself from leaping across the room, let alone looking away. He let out a slight growl - whether it was at himself or the situation he didn't know.

As she finally looked up into his eyes, Brax felt like he had been hit by a bus. She had reddish blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun with curly strands falling out. Her eyes were a deep blue, but he could see that she was tired by the slight bags beneath them. Her gaze was strained, but he could also see a slight shock when their eyes met. As she brushed another loose strand of hair from her face, Brax tensed...a diamond had winked in the light.

Little had he known what the next months would bring.

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Braxton moved a bit closer to his mate. He could sense where she was, even through a throng of other people. As he moved closer, Brax kept all of his senses open. He could feel his body humming, his wolf coming alive more with each step he took towards Lily. There was no ring on her finger, no scent of the husband intermingled with her.

Braxton couldn't help himself:

"Lily"

The messy red haired women of his dreams looks up and he is hit by blue eyes he will never forget. She looks tired, but lovely.

"You were there - thank you."