Chapter 2

My dreams of Claiming my Mate shattered. The female I’d found looked about fourteen. The pull and my interest in her shamed me. I couldn’t Claim her. She was little more than a child. And I’d stopped and watched her kiss a girl like the apparent pervert I was.

For almost three weeks I’d thought I’d been hours away from Claiming my Mate. Now, I was years from it. I wanted to howl, curse, and hit something.

What was I supposed to do now? I knew Gabby wanted me to bring her back. I’d thought I’d be returning with my Mate. What did Gabby expect me to do with this girl? Kidnap her?

My phone was out of my pocket and in my hand before the tall girl walked away.

I dialed Gabby’s number, furious and frustrated.

“Hello?”

“Gabby, I found her, but—”

“Luke?”

“Yes. I understand you think she’s important, but she’s not even eighteen. How am I supposed to get her to come with me?” I certainly wasn’t about to approach her.

“I can’t believe you actually found her! I need to talk to her. If she’s like me, which I think she is, you had better bring her to the Compound.”

Bloody hell.

“I hate to admit it,” Gabby said with a sigh, “but the Elders need to know.”

I wanted to throw the phone. The Elders could go bugger themselves. They wouldn’t care that she was a young human girl. They would only care that she was a potential Mate. I eyed the girl and realized the danger she would be in if I left her here. Some other wolf who wouldn’t care about her age could stumble upon her. My jaw clenched at the thought of another of my kind even coming near her. She could barely stand. She wouldn’t have a chance on her own. Exhaling slowly, I realized the truth of what Gabby was saying. Only under the protection of the Elders, would this girl be safe from unwanted attention.

“Fine. You better be there when we arrive.”

I hung up and stared at the girl. She was lucky I’d been the one to find her. I’d keep her safe and hand her over to the Elders. My resentment at the situation only grew with my decision. I’d waited so long for her. Now I would need to wait longer.

While I studied her, she remained oblivious to everything around her and continued to sway on her feet. The girl who’d remained at her side, nudged her when her eyes drifted closed.

I’d decided to shadow her until she was alone but changed my mind when her kissing friend returned.

“I got you some caffeine pills and a Monster, but rent-a-cop over there is watching us. So how about you tell us what’s got you so messed up. And don’t say no sleep, we got that.”

Caffeine pills? Monster? I watched human news. That combination was linked to several teen deaths. Was she trying to kill herself?

“Haunting memories. Let’s leave it at that.”

Hearing her voice pulled at my insides. I should have been celebrating the pull, not wanting to run from it. Yet, I couldn’t stand by and let her endanger herself.

Cursing Gabby, Clay, Elders, and every other living creature on the planet, I approached the group.

The girl’s non-kissing companion saw me.

“Hottie approaching,” she said quietly.

The girl tensed a moment before I tapped on her shoulder.

“Pardon, do you know where the loo is?” I asked, playing up my childhood accent.

She looked over her shoulder, disdain pulling at her features. Her scent didn’t change. Her pulse, however, did. It skipped a beat, a sign she felt the pull, too. She turned fully to face me, and I briefly forgot about her age.

Her eyes were the most brilliant blue, appearing almost violet in the light. Against her dark hair and pale skin, the intensity of the color stunned me. She eyed me slowly, still slightly swaying. The top of her head barely reached my chin. Her long sleeves clung to her thin arms, accentuating her frailty.

Her gaze narrowed slightly, and her stance firmed.

“Oh my God, an accent. Take me, I’m yours.”

Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on me. I smiled as her friends laughed. Then, I caught a faint trace of her true scent. The smooth sweetness of vanilla mixed with the spicy tang of cinnamon. I leaned in, unable to help myself.

“You smell amazing.”

Her pupils dilated then contracted, and her pulse jumped.

A sign of her interest in me? I wanted to grin at the thought that my Mate recognized me and wanted me.

A small sound escaped her, and the girl she’d kissed moved defensively closer. It took a moment to register the distress in my girl’s eyes. Brought back to reality, I straightened. Her pulse continued to increase, proving she wasn’t feeling interest, but fear. What was I doing? She was too young, and I was a bloody git for scaring her.

“I need a minute,” she said to her friends. The other two girls eyed me before moving away.

“I do not smell amazing,” my girl said, lowly. “I smell like I need a shower. Badly.”

I held up my hands. It was time for a strategic retreat.

“No offense, luv. I’m just looking for the loo.”

She narrowed her eyes slightly and lifted her hand to point at a rather large restroom sign. Standing at the entrance was a uniformed security woman who was watching us. Perfect. If I left the girl now, she’d likely take the pills and caffeine drink from her friend. Would the security woman notice? Would the girl be detained? I didn’t want to scare her or cause her trouble, but I also didn’t want her hurt.

The girl watched me closely as if waiting for me to do something scrupulous. I most certainly needed to leave.

I opened my mouth to say farewell but her expression became even more guarded. Knowing I’d lost the opportunity for a friendly exchange, I nodded my thanks and walked off in the direction she’d pointed. The guard watched me approach. I smiled at her and made my way into the men’s restroom.

How was I supposed to get the girl to the Compound? She was young but obviously not stupid. She didn’t even trust the reason I’d approached them; what reason could I give her to take a cross country trip with me?

This was going to end with me arrested. I leaned against the sink and stared at myself. The girl needed protection. I couldn’t walk away and leave her discovery to someone else. She was mine to watch over until I presented her to Gabby and the Elders. Even though I knew my right to her was still a long way off, I felt a rush of satisfaction.

“She’s fourteen,” I said to the mirror. I couldn’t let myself forget.

When I left the restroom, the guard was gone and so was the girl and her friends. Despite the foot traffic, her odd scent was easy to track. She’d left through a set of side doors. I followed the trail on foot through the parking lot to a bus stop and swore.

The bike I’d borrowed was in the adjacent lot. Jogging to it, I took the key from my pocket and hoped I’d be able to follow the exhaust of the bus. Now that I’d finally found her, I didn’t want to lose her and start the search over.

With the wind hitting my face, it wasn’t easy to discern one specific vehicle from the emissions clogging the air. After two mistakes that required me to backtrack, I found myself driving through quiet neighborhoods until I caught a concentrated area of the girl’s unusual scent at a corner bus stop. Driving slowly, I tracked it to a small, neat house bordered with trimmed hedges. The home didn’t fit the girl. Everything about it looked maintained and cared for.

Parking in front, I wondered what kind of life the girl had. What would I be taking her from? I slowly strolled up the front walk and knocked on the door. I waited and knocked again, a bit louder. There was no answer. After a casual look around to check for witnesses, I gave the knob a sharp twist and let myself in.

The entry opened into a modest kitchen. The girl’s unusual chemical scent soured the otherwise clean space. The sink was clear of dishes and the table decorated with a flowering plant. On the surface, I spotted a note and phone. Both looked out of place in the uncluttered setting.

I moved to the table and looked down at the note.

Mom,

School’s not for me. I want to see the world. I’m sorry for leaving like this but hope you’ll understand someday.

Bethony

Bethony. I smiled slightly at finally knowing her name, then frowned and stared at her words. She’d run? Why? Turning away, I followed her scent to her room. It was a complete mess, entirely opposite of the rest of the house. Clothes piled onto the floor, the bed, and half hung out of her dresser drawers. A bathroom connected to the bedroom. I checked and saw the toothbrush holder was empty and no hairbrush in sight. Girls always had a hairbrush handy.

Walking out, I eyed her room once more then left. If she was running, I needed to keep following her trail or I would risk losing it.

Back outside, I got on the bike and slowly pulled away from her home. Bethony, a caffeine addict on the run from what looked like a completely stable home. I hoped things would start making sense soon.

Her trail led me to another bus stop several blocks in the opposite direction of the first. It wasn’t as quiet or small and had a schedule posted just inside the clear walls. I checked the laminated paper and took off again, following the bus’s route.

At each stop, I tested the air for her scent. I didn’t rush. Overlooking anything would mean losing her. I would not lose Bethony.