The Wallflower Mate

15

Mary's muscles were screaming for rest. The incline of the mountain was ridiculously high. She was running out of breath. Everyone around her seemed perfectly fine while she wanted to give up and fall to the ground.

A quick glance around her and she noticed how much more muscular in forms their wolves are. They seemed to be exactly what a dominant predator should be while she looked no more like a puppy-fluffy-on second thought as her tongue wagged feverishly in front of her; she looked like a miserable puppy that was about to die of exhaustion.

An inner battle brew inside her mind. A part of her wanted to push, to be a part of this pack but another part of her was telling her to just give up and take a rest. Just when Mary was about to call quits, she noticed that everyone began slowing down to a trot. Relieved, she almost wept and whimpered her pain out loud.

The sound of their paws treading through the dry terrain was as soft as the sound of the night. Quiet. Ryker turned around to face Mary, and she was glad that she was in her wolf form. She must look a complete fright at this point.

When they all stopped, her legs buckled, and she felt like a newborn puppy in front of everyone. Abraham was quick, though. He leaned his body up against her and pushed her back up to a standing position.

Mary took a heavy to inhale of air. Her lungs were aching, her eyes were watery from the lack of air and exhaustion. The climate change up here differed completely from down there. A little denser because of the elevation, but clean. The smell of fresh pine trees entering her nostrils.

Distracted, she wasn't looking at Ryker until she heard the wind change with a whoosh. Looking his way out of curiosity, it startled her to find Ryker naked and human. He stood in front of her in all his glory, like a Greek statue, without a single care in the world.

Her knees buckled again, but for a different reason altogether. The Gods and Goddesses gifted the male in all kinds of ways. She heard someone snorting behind her and immediately realized she had been gawking at him. Snapping her eyes down, she pretended to eye the dirt with obvious interest.

Waiting for him to get dressed, she kept her ears perked. Listening to the rustle of clothes. She wondered why he had suddenly shifted? Were they close?

Ryker appeared in front of her and she made sure not to look until she saw combat boots. Her eyes trailed up the body until a pair of mirthful eyes met hers.

"We are close to our pack town now. You can shift if you would like or you can run in wolf form," he offered.

Mary glanced behind her to one enforcer who kindly had taken her bag after she struggled to hold it in her mouth many miles back. He handed her bag to her. She took it between her teeth and patted over to a high bush that will hide her body from everyone.

When she shifted back to her human self, she changed into old clothes-a green t-shirt, skinny jeans, and white casual shoes. Not wanting them to wait too long for her, she was in a hurry. Grabbing her bag, she ran around the bush and smacking straight into Ryker's hard chest. He caught her before she could fall.

He had also changed into his old clothes but decided against wearing his leather jacket. She was a little disappointed. She rather liked the leather jacket.

Glancing around her quickly, she noticed that everyone had left them.

"Did I take too long?" she questioned guiltily.

"No, they are eager to get home," Ryker explained.

Relieved, she asked her next question. Knowing that everyone must be asleep, she wanted to know where she will stay.