THE CALL

Chapter 2

Derek came to help clear out the situation with the police, and the enraged driver. He looked up from the paperwork to study Len's restless demeanor. To any passerby, it seemed he was patiently waiting, as he leaned against the car. Derek knew better. Len was on edge, his index tapping consistently on his bicep as his blank stare bore into the void sky.

Derek thanked the officers and handed the insurance information to the angry driver. The latter sent one last nasty look at Len before making his way back to his car, right as the tow car pulled over the side of the street. Derek moved out of the way and headed towards his friend. Len didn't turn, and when Derek followed his gaze, he realized that his friend was now intensely focusing on a spot under a large willow tree. Raising an eyebrow, he then turned his gaze on the wrecked car that was being strung up, the mechanical whirring of the machine emanating a loud noise.

He finally caught Len's attention when he whistled lowly in regard to the rear.

"Man... Seneca is going to loose her shit when she sees this, especially with all those pregnancy hormones."

Len sent him a glare before opening the passenger's door. Derek frowned when he didn't get the reaction he was expecting and followed suit. Once inside, he turned to his Alpha.

"So," he paused, "What exactly happened?"

Derek knew that any wolf's reaction would have been sharp enough to prevent such an accident, especially with an Alpha's response time.

Len let out a frustrated sigh, not knowing how to confront this situation.

"I saw her," he hesitated before continuing, "I-I found my mate."

Derek's shock reverberated through their mind link.

"I'm confused," he muttered when he regained his senses. When mates found each other, they would immediately reveal themselves to each other, which usually led them to claim one another and mate. Derek had not seen a bite mark on his friend's neck, and his scent had not changed. What had gone wrong?

Len paused, which further perplexed his Beta.

"What is it? Is she a rogue? Did she run away when she saw you?" It wasn't completely unheard of, especially if a wild wolf would come across an Alpha. They tended to scurry away instead of risking prosecution for trespassing. But it wouldn't take them long to realize that their mate was near them. It reverberated throughout their body like the awakening of another sense.

"No, it isn't that. Look, just keep this to yourself, would you? I want to figure this out before I tell anyone. Especially given the fact that everyone has a hard time keeping anything from each other in this pack. And not a word to Seneca." He stared down Derek until he nodded.

"Don't worry Len, you know I can keep things down, when I want to."

However, Len did not relax, which only put Derek on edge. He had never seen this kind of behavior before and he did not know how to get him out of this funk.

"Look, if you want things to appear normal, you have to snap out of it, L, or else people are going to ask questions."

"It's not as easy as it seems, Derek," he gritted out. "Every nerve in my body is telling me to go find her. I haven't been able to think straight since I caught a whiff of her scent. God, all I can smell is mint. Are you smelling mint right now?"

All Derek could do was shake his head. The only thing he could smell was the warm fall air.

"OK, you're starting to freak me out here. We're almost at pack territory, so how about you get your story straight before Seneca strangles you."