Evelyn

Chapter 8: Maximus

I raced through the forest, dirt, and snow grinding beneath my paws as I embraced the earth. Trees covered in snow flew by me and melted into a sea of green and white as if racing through a tunnel. My vision was clouded in anger.

I knew I had no right to be angry.

How could she know?

She didn't know I was her mate, and any closeness I had fostered over the past few days was destroyed in the single lie I was forced to tell her. But, she had looked at Conner with a smile that hadn't graced her face since I had stolen it and it had enraged my wolf. I had found myself racing out the door, stripping my clothes, and running into the forest. A fire had burned in my veins that I didn't know how to put out.

My black fur coat stood out starkly against the white winter world that enveloped me. I ran and ran until all anger had been drained and all that was left was a hollowing sorrow. My paws began to slow as I went from a sprint to a run, to a trot, to a walk. My pace became more leisurely as I slowly crept away from the forest's edge and towards the white home, I had initially run from. I sat down, tucking my tail beneath me, as I looked up at my mate's bedroom window. She was standing in front of the window, her beautiful hair in a French braid. She wore a cotton tank top and shorts pajama set that had a blue floral pattern on it. If I had been in my human form, I might have had to clear my throat at seeing her gorgeous figure being defined.

She is beautiful, I grinned to myself.

I was so entranced looking at her that I failed to notice the person across from her until she threw her head back, covering her smile and placing a hand on the person's shoulder. I tensed up before looking and seeing her friend Kayla on the other end. My shoulders dropped.

Kayla was snorting as my mate laughed and turned to look at someone else. A girl I hadn't seen before entered the room. She had blonde hair that was tied into a braid on the side and a soft glow to her skin. Something about her seemed familiar. I was surprised when I inhaled, trying to catch her scent, and found the overwhelming smell of Conner masking it. I shook my head, pawing my snout before inhaling again. But still, the scent remained.

  Lucky bastard, I realized. Conner had found his mate.

I laughed as best a wolf could at the petite girl who handed my mate and Kayla tea. She was so opposite to Conner. Conner was a loud jester at heart, always making a scene and whining. In difference, this girl was quiet and observant, sitting down beside my mate and silently sipping tea occasionally throwing in a quiet laugh, masked by the girl's own laughter.

I refocused my attention on my mate. Her laughs had died down and she focused intently on her blonde friend who suddenly seemed saddened. She half-smiled at Conner's mate, softening her eyes and offering her a hug as the girl began to cry. There was a gentleness to my mate as she held her friend close to her, offering her a smile and words of assurance. There was a strength in her kindness, a regality of sorts. She made empathy seem like an art form.

I laid down now, continuing to watch my mate from afar. I let hours pass by, watching her every move and behavior attentively and noting each unique detail. I noticed how she got tired very early in the evening, yawning and fighting to keep her eyes open. I noticed the way she would widen her eyes before bursting out laughing. I watched the way she twisted and played with the tip of her braid when she zoned out.

Before I knew it, her friends were asleep on a pallet on her floor and she was turning the light off, and crawling into bed. She reached towards the curtain and moved to close it when she paused. I froze as her eyes landed on the place I was laying in the forest. Despite the white around me, the trees cast a nice shadow on me which I hoped covered my outline. She stared for a few moments, in a way that made me feel as if she was boring her eyes into my soul and seeing me.