Fate Mate

Chapter 19

I didn't sleep that night. Nolan plagued my every thought. Every minute, I grew too uncomfortable or too hot and resorted to tossing and turning until the sheets tied ropes around my ankles. I must have tried out every pillow on the king-sized bed and subsequently thrown them onto the floor when they failed my comfort-test. 

All the while, I meticulously planned a speech for Nolan. My mind sorted through at least a dozen scenarios for when I saw him again in the morning: Where have you been? Look, I get that you're angry with me, but you have to understand that I'm my own person! You don't own me. I'm glad you gave me space last night... Why didn't you stay up for me?  

I couldn't help from dwell on that last thought, even if I would never admit to the hurt that festered deep in my heart. 

Of course, it didn't help that Nolan's scent encompassed every surface in the bedroom. Pine and peppermint and musk and... I groaned out loud. This is hell! 

Against all odds, counting sheep helped. I counted seventy seven white, fluffy lambs that softened the harsh edge of worry that jabbed my thoughts. By the time sleep weighed down my eyelids, the sun's fingers sought to peel back the bedroom curtains and creep across the floor. I had only an hour of sleep before the light reached the pillow where my head rested. 

When the bright orange against my eyelids became intolerable, I woke up. Note to self: Ask Lizzie to ship my old zebra print eye-mask  to the Black Lupis pack house. 

Given my less-than-restful night, I could have laid in bed for hours, but the familiar click and creak of the cottage's front door had my heart accelerating. Finally! Nolan had come home. I scrambled out of bed, narrowly avoiding a nasty tumble in the twisted sheets, and opened the door into the living room. 

A male figure occupied the space in front of the door way. But it certainly wasn't Nolan. 

"What are you doing here, Dylan?" I growled. The annoyance in my voice certainly conveyed my word's underlying meaning: You are not who I wanted to see this morning. 

"Nice to see you too, brat," Dylan yawned, but his words dripped with sarcasm nonetheless. 

I let out a long breath. I was being unfair. Dylan didn't deserve ill-treatment just because I felt on-edge. But I couldn't shake the worry that gnawed at my very core like a parasite. I blamed my dormant wolf... Somewhere, hidden deep within myself, she needed her mate. 

I clenched my teeth together with shocking pressure, an attempt to release some of the frustration I felt before I unleashed any more of it on the poor man in front of me. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me." 

"Damn right," Dylan snorted. 

I painted a painfully false smile on my lips and spoke through gritted teeth, "Let me try again: Good morning, Dylan. What are you doing here?" 

Amusement danced in his eyes at my shoddy attempt at making amends, but he moved on. "I'm here to baby-sit you, remember? Alpha's orders." 

"Hmph," I muttered, crossing my arms against my chest. I walked closer to the male, "And where, exactly, is our wonderful Alpha?" 

There was no denying the sarcasm that laced my words, but, then again, there was no denying the fact that Nolan and I did not get along. Dylan undoubtedly knew about all of our spats and arguments, yet he did not treat me any differently. Truthfully, I was grateful to have a friend in Dylan, even though he'd been forced onto me by my mate. 

"He's out with-- Holy hell, Charlie!" Dylan rushed toward me, eyes widened in shock. 

"What-is-it?!" I half-yelled, hands automatically flying to my hair. Is it a spider?!  I brushed imaginary cobwebs and critters from my hair as a precaution, but soon realized that Dylan wasn't looking at my hair at all.