He Found Me

Chapter 2: Everly?

Him

I only stayed for about an hour longer before I finally said goodbye to Margaret. Fortunately, she didn't press me to talk anymore. Instead, she told me about her family and what she'd been doing for the last few years. At one point, I had become so comfortable that, for a moment, it felt as if I was talking to my mother back in our living room like we used to do when I was younger. It shocked me how much Margaret reminded me of her although she was a few years younger.

When I finally left, I felt a very small amount of relief. I stood up a little straighter and held my head a little higher. Maybe this was the start of a much needed recovery from the loss and heartache that I had so much of in the past.

I'll never forget Everly. I'll never let her go. My wolf stated in my head.

"And neither will I," I whispered to myself.

It was still snowing really hard which meant that I had a long way to walk to get to my car. There were barely any parking spots when I got here. Everyone had parked in front of their apartment buildings, not wanting to leave because of the snow. So I had parked a few blocks down, something that I was finding very annoying at the moment. Sure, I couldn't feel the cold, but that didn't mean that I like the feeling of wet socks. It didn't help that snow melted faster on me because of my increased body heat. So I was basically soaking wet. I walked faster.

I did have to admit that it was a pretty city. There were trees lining the street, snow shining on their branches. I passed a quaint little bookstore and a happy couple walking their dog. They smiled at me as they passed even after noticing my lack of winter clothing. I could see why Margaret wanted to live here. I mean, it wasn't as nice as the pack territory, but it would do.

Suddenly, a particular scent hit me at full force. I stopped dead in my tracks. I knew that scent anywhere. My heart started to beat faster as my wolf surged forward, also recognizing the smell.

It was the scent of our mate.

I looked around, confused as to where it was coming from, who it could possibly be. It couldn't be my mate. She was dead, long gone.

I had held her disembodied head in my own hands. I thought to myself. I shuttered hard at the memory, shivers going up and down my spine as a wave of complete agony hit me hard. I suddenly felt very nauseous. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to clear my head of the thought that haunted me every day.

Don't think about that right now, you idiot! Why are you just standing here? Follow the scent!

My wolf was right. Even if it wasn't my mate, it was still very much worth investigating.

I started to jog down the street, passing my car when I came to it, still following the scent as it got stronger. I started to run, not taking heed to the ice beneath my feet from the snow. I soon came to stop in front of a small coffee shop called "Four Beans". The scent was coming from in there. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it.

I walked up to the window, putting my hands around my face to look inside. I couldn't see anyone inside. No one was sitting at any of the tables and no one was behind the counter. It looked as if the coffee shop was closed. Had I been making it all up?

But then a small girl appeared out of the door in the back. Her red hair was swaying at her back with every step she took and she was wearing jeans and a red turtleneck. She appeared to be cold as she wrapped her sweater covered hands around the mug she was holding and took a sip from the drink. She moved behind the front counter where she plopped down on a chair behind the cash register, took out a book from beneath the counter, and began to read.

My heart had gone into my throat. I stood frozen in place, staring at the girl through the window. She looked exactly as I remembered her, pink cheeks, freckled nose, crazy hair. She was beautiful. She was so so beautiful.

I felt myself moving toward the door before I comprehended it. My hands shook as I reached for the handle and pulled the door open. I stepped inside, looking at the girl who I had longed to see for so long, missed so much, sitting behind the counter.

"Everly?"