Every Were Gets A Mate

Chapter 28

Torque asked, "Are you going to be leaving us after we deal with Fisher, Cade?"

"Jessica and I are going to join the Pacific Coast Pack where her family lives now."

Torque's eyes lit up. "Nice. Wine country, isn't it?"

"I believe so."

Marcie frowned. "Don't tell us you're actually a wino, Torque."

"No, but I do enjoy savoring a very fine wine. The beaches are nice too. Maybe my mate will be there." Torque grinned at the thought.

Marcie smiled back at Torque before turning to Cade. "How did you find Jessica? Second only told us that you found her in town and probably wouldn't be back until today."

Cade smiled at me fondly. "James came back from dinner in town last night. I was taking a walk, and he waved to me. He was upwind of me, and I caught the faintest trace of the most amazing scent. It wasn't anything I had ever smelled before; you know I would identify it."

They all nodded and smiled.

"I ran up to James and started sniffing him. Her scent was on his right hand." Cade winced. "I couldn't stop myself. My instincts forced me to taste it. I licked his hand."

Everyone laughed, including me.

Torque said, "Second told us that too. We just wanted to see if you would admit it."

Everyone frowned, and Ratchet shoved Torque's shoulder. "You weren't supposed to say so."

Cade laughed. "It's okay. Finding Jessica is worth being remembered only for licking Second's hand. I don't care how many times the story is told."

The flame Cade ignited in me last night flared up. I rubbed my cheek against his.

Cade turned his head and nuzzled his nose against me.

Marcie said, "Go on with the story. We don't know what happened after."

Looking around the table, I noted wistful sadness and remembered how difficult the long wait was for those in Traveler.

"Of course Second looked at me like I was nuts." Amused smiles returned as Cade spoke. "I asked him who he had touched recently. I could tell he was getting an idea of what was going on because he said he met a lone wolf, a young woman, at the restaurant and shook her hand. I told him I thought she was my mate and asked where I could find her. He looked confused and said she had told him she already found her fated mate but he died."

The group looked at me with confusion. "I thought I wouldn't have a real mate after what happened with Colton. When James asked me questions, I worried Fisher had contacted other packs to find and hold me for him, so I lied about who I was."

"Smart move." The others agreed with Warden and looked back to Cade.

"I told him that was unlikely because I really thought this scent belonged to my mate. Second told me she was on a long trip, just temporarily between packs, and planned to stay the night in a hotel here. So I asked him to bring me around to all the hotels by the interstate to sniff them out. I caught her delicious scent in the lobby of the third hotel we tried and sent Second home. I got in the elevator and got off on each floor, sniffing around. I caught the scent again on the third floor and followed it to a door."

Cade's eyes returned to me, and he smiled. "When she opened the door..." He stopped speaking, staring at me and probably reliving the moment.

I blushed and nearly laughed.