Secrets Of The Past

•Chapter Two• Hello Tomorrow

Mathew

I was in my office, trying to get some work done, but for the life of me, I just couldn't concentrate. My mate would be arriving soon, though not fast enough to suit me or my wolf. Groaning in frustration, I raked my fingers through my hair before rising to my feet. Leaving my office I  made my way to the back door, intent on going for a run.

Once I was outside, I headed straight to the woods which were yards away. Once I'd removed my clothes, I shifted and took off like a bat out of hell. Urgency had me feeling anxious and I picked up speed. Running through the woods gave me a sense of freedom. I always enjoyed the sensation of the wind caressing my fur and face. I ran as fast as my legs allowed, dodging trees and small bushes along the way.

There was one place I felt close to her and I needed to go there now. My wolf was anxious as well and wouldn't let me have any peace until I could appease him. About fifteen minutes later, I broke through the trees and came to a stop underneath the very tree I had last seen her. The most beautiful creature on the planet, my mate, and the owner of my heart.

Seventeen years ago I had laid eyes on her and even though we were both so young, my wolf had informed me she was ours. I'd been so happy to know I had found my mate. But that happiness turned to sadness once I learned her uncle was taking her far away. The pain I felt was gut-wrenching and pierced deep into my soul. My wolf howled nightly for months, crying for the mate he missed he craved and missed.

I laid down at the very spot I had held her in my arms briefly and placed my head on my paws with a soft whine as my mind recalled her sweet scent, strawberries with a hint of vanilla. Though she was only five, she was breathtaking to me. With beautiful big, green eyes, thick, auburn hair, and creamy, soft skin, I'd fallen head over heels.

It may sound a bit perverted, but you have to understand, there was nothing perverse about it. It was the love a mate feels for their other half. A love that only intensified as the years went by and grew. When her eyes closed, I was crushed and couldn't hold back a whimper. I wanted to continue to gaze into her beautiful eyes and watch how they sparkled like stars in the night sky.

Werewolves, unlike humans, possess two souls, one human, and the other wolf. We are born with a human soul and then granted a wolf soul on the day we first shift. Alpha's shift at the age of twelve, while other ranks shift at the age of eighteen.

Due to that, I was able to find my mate when she was five. A rare thing but one I wholeheartedly welcomed. Unfortunately witnessing the death of her parents caused her to shift at a young age which is dangerous.

Werewolves that shift at such a young age can become feral, since their immature mind can't take the stress of the first shift, and they kill indiscriminately. They eventually have to be put down. To prevent that, my mate had to undergo a binding ceremony.

The binding ceremony keeps a wolf dormant until they find their mate. But since I declared she was my mate on that day, and because we lived so close to each other, her uncle decided to move her, as well as the pack, to a gated community out in Florida.

I was devastated, but I clung to the hope she'd come back once she turned seventeen, so I waited but she didn't. A fact that drove my wolf and me nearly insane. For seventeen years I've waited patiently. The longing to have our mate was nearly unbearable for us. Many times I've wanted to go find her and drag her back, but I couldn't force her. I loved her too much to do that to her.

Taking one last look around her father's deserted territory, I got up and shook out my fur. Turning around, I entered the woods once more and hurried back to my territory. As I ran I could feel joy fill my being, knowing that my mate will soon be close again. My excitement carried me swiftly back to the packhouse. I couldn't wait to lay my eyes on her and inhale her delightful scent again.