Fate Mate

Chapter 27

*** Warning: This chapter contains some violence at the very end. I will put a * on the paragraph before it starts to warn you that it is about to happen. 

The Black Lupis Pack heard their Alpha before they saw him.

He came like a rowdy cyclone through the forests that surrounded the pack house. Eight paws, Nolan's and Raegan's, pounded against the crackling underbrush as the two powerful males approached. I could have sworn I saw the tops of the trees shake as they passed underneath.

Nolan appeared first, a massive black-furred beast that tore through the shadows of the woods and into the acres of clearing surrounding our pack. Not even half of a second later, Raegan crashed into the clearing as well. Although the males were still some distance from the celebration, the bare human eye could have easily seen their wolves panting to regain their breath.

By now, Nolan had seen the ever-growing gathering outside of the pack house, and he and Raegan trotted over. I took a moment to admire his wolf's physique: long, powerful legs that fed into well-muscled shoulders and hips. Thick black fur with grey tips covered his neck, giving the impression of a mane.

They slowed as they approached, coming to a stop two-hundred feet away. I stared at the Alpha and Beta with a lazy grin, unaware that I'd practically been stripping Nolan--or his wolf--bare with my eyes until he suddenly shifted back into his human form. His nude human form.

I practically jumped at the sight of him, immediately averting my eyes but not before I'd caught a glimpse of...

"Close your mouth, Charles... You're drooling," Dylan teased, jabbing my side with an elbow.

His words hardly registered in my mind, since my thoughts were preoccupied with something a bit larger at the moment. Moon Goddess, Charlie! Stop thinking about it! I mentally screamed, all while my insides melted into a warm pool in the pit of my stomach.

A wave of heat accompanied the blood that now rushed through my veins, and I became a bit light-headed. I swallowed the hint of nausea that crept up my throat, and focused all of my attention on a singular blade of grass at my feet.

After a few deep breaths, I regained composure and looked back up Nolan and Raegan. Two pack members had jogged over with sacks of clothing for their superiors, and Nolan now wore a pair of fitted sweatpants and a t-shirt. I'd never seen him look so casual, especially when another pack member approached with fists full of ice-cold beer.

Now armed with his first beverage of the evening, Nolan smiled at the crowd of his pack as he approached. Cheers of "Happy Birthday" erupted from the Black Lupis Pack, accented with a few shouts of "Surprise," and I lingered toward the back of the crowd while Nolan greeted his people.

A majority of the pack members hugged their Alpha, and some older women even kissed his cheek. I could only imagine how proud they must have been of him... If only the rest of the world could see this Nolan.

It took about ten minutes for Nolan to mosey his way toward me. Dylan had returned to the grill, outfitted in an apron that read "Chef Daddy" across his chest, and Reagan sat at a picnic table with Abby and their baby. I grabbed a glass of beer from a nearby cooler, praying that the liquid might chase the uncomfortable warmth that lingered in my muscles and head...

I brought the cool rim of the bottle to my lips, taking a long swig of the refreshing beverage, as Nolan arrived in front of me. His grey t-shirt did nothing to disguise the exquisite physique of my mate, muscles plumped after a long afternoon run. I didn't dare let my eyes drift lower to investigate whatever assets were hidden within Nolan's sweatpants.