The Lone She-Wolf

Chapter 5

Andrew's POV

When's she going to come visit us? - My wolf whined the only question he'd been asking since Diane had even promised to just see what our pack was like... and after a short and vague explanation from Cleo, Andrew wondered what about Diane's past made her wary of everyone around her.

"She'll get here when she wants to." I mutter under my breath as I continue to work on the pack's paperwork, but it was giving me a really bad headache.

I was always surprised with myself that I could even get any of it done on time, I was never the strongest with the paperwork and constantly had to ask for Charlie's help on understanding most of it. I was currently reading the last few of the emails that had been sent to me today and saved them for tomorrow's work, dreading the extra time I'd have to put into my office hours, when a new email came into the mail box from an email account I didn't know. I immediately opened the message to see what it was about.

Andrew,
       Check your Phone.

I felt my brow furrow with confusion as I then pulled out my cell phone as I made my way toward the office doors because I could hear a commotion starting up at the Pack house entrance. I immediately found a few messages from a phone number I didn't know and opened them up just as quickly as the email as I made my way down the stairs... but paused at the bottom of the staircase as I really read them and took them in.

Message 1
Finished work. I'm on my way.
(received around 5 hours ago.)

Message 2
The whole trip should be 4 hours and 30 minutes depending on traffic.
Already been driving for about an hour or so and traffics been light.
(received around 3 hours ago.)

Message 3
I don't know why I'm relying this, but my wolf can't wait to see your territory...
be there in less than an hour.
(received around an hour and 10 minutes ago.

Message 4
GPS says that I'm about 5 or 10 minutes away.

Before I can read how long ago the last message was sent, I get another one and my wolf begs me to open it right away... he's really excited to be reading these messages for some reason, and I oblige him as I hear a vehicle pulling up to the Pack house.

Message 5
I'm here.

My wolf is running around in an excited circle as I run past everyone, heading straight for the front door and burst through it. I immediately vault over the railing to the porch and run over to a wide-eyed Diane who has just come to stand in front of her truck as she was shoving her keys into her front pocket.

"You made it!" I can't help but exclaim in joy as I wrap my arms around her waist and lift her up into a spinning hug easily, sending sparks flashing between the both of us.

"Woah!" Her voice cracks as she wraps her arms around my shoulders in order to keep balance and when I finally set her on her feet, but not letting her out of the circle of my arms, I find her face to be flushed with a light blush as she searches my face for something, "Are you really THAT happy that I came?"

"You don't look like the kind of person to go back on a promise... and when you said you'd come in a day or two, three at the most, I knew you'd be here." I smile down at her brightly and her blush deepened.

I like her blushing... especially if Cleo said that she's only started because of us. - My wolf growls in a low under-tone of approval as I removed my arm from her waist but took her hand instead, the sparks reducing to just my hand and wrist now.

"You're right, I don't make any promise I don't think I can keep. I finished my work earlier than I thought, but I have to discuss something about my work with you... but I'm not allowed to speak in great detail due to the nature of the work that I was doing." She tells me, an expression of worry taking over her face and I knew it was one she wasn't used to wearing, "But I'll try to share as much as I can with you."

"Is it going to be your last job there?" I ask her as I begin leading her toward the Pack house.

"Yes." She answers me as she looks at me with that worried expression and I can't help myself, I bend down to kiss her forehead quickly.

"Then don't worry about it. You don't have to tell me anything about it, so long as you tell me when you have to leave for that job... and try to hurry back to me when you're not needed for it." I tell her as I look down at her with a gentle smile.

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Diane's POV

I looked up into Andrew's green eyes as I processed what he'd just told me. I couldn't wrap my mind around it, not completely.

"You don't care what my job is? You only want me to tell you when I leave to go do my last job? You want me to hurry back to you?" I repeat in bewilderment, "Why? Why would you show so much faith and trust in me?"

"Because you're my Mate. And even though I get the sense that you've been hurt and don't trust people easily, you're still trying to get to know me and my pack... it's why you said you'd come, isn't it?" He asks me as his face bears a confused expression as he stops leading me toward the house.

"Well, yes that is the reason I came here... you deserve my best shot at trying to let others in. Others who aren't just Cleo, her Mate, and her father." I tell him in an almost reassuring tone... a tone I didn't really use except for when I was comforting Cleo.

"So long as you're trying, everything else won't matter." He beams at me and I feel my heart pick up it's pace again since it had decided to have it's own mind ever since he'd picked me up in that awkward hug, and when he'd kissed my forehead quickly, and picking up pace whenever he smiled down at me... I could still feel the sparks tingling on my forehead, just as they were still within the hand of mine that he still held.

He has the sexiest smile I've ever seen. - My wolf purrs lazily and I wince internally at her remark.

As to what in comparison?  The sneers and smirks of those who had, or had tried to hurt us in the past? - I ask her silently as I looked down at Andrew's large hand holding my medium sized one as we walked up the steps to the porch.

I pressed my car-clicker, making sure my truck was locked up tight, just before passing through the threshold after Andrew... and coming face to face with most of his pack.

"Everyone, this is Diane... my Mate." Andrew tells them all with a bright smile as he lightly kisses my knuckles and sending even more sparks up my arm.

There were murmurs, some recognized me for my Rogue status, other's knew about me from some of the work I'd done for either my department or for Cleo's father... right now I was assuming that they were trying to size me up and decide whether or not I was good enough for their Alpha. That honestly scared me, because I really wanted to get the chance to change into the person that he wanted... into a person he deserved.