Chapter 18: Eighteen.

Calum parked his bike in by the village's war memorial, the large stone plinth stood with faded material poppy wreaths at its base from rememberance Sunday, last November. It listed the names of all those who were lost locally, in both world war one and two. It had a small well maintained grassy lawn aroun it and was walled in, by a traditional dry stone dyke to protect it from the wandering sheep that existed on the common grazing surrounding the village. They were known for occasionally helping themselves to the community council's half whisky barrel planters of flowers, dotted throughout the village as a means of beautifying the local space, so no chances were taken on the space that was maintained as a way of honouring the servicemen of the past. Every fifth of November, the small carpark was packed full with those wishing to pay their respects to those men listed who had died, giving their lives to secure our freedom. And, as he always did when he used the car park, he stopped and nodded his head in thanks to the lost souls, compelled by his conscience to always be grateful for their sacrafice, before he would continue on on his way.

As he walked down the street, Colt's scent filtered out to him before he was even at the pub door, it became stronger with every step he took down the road, reeling him in, all the closer to her. Before long, he was just outside the pub, his hand placed shaking on the door handle, ready to enter and come face to face with his mate.

Calum swung the door open with more force than he had actually meant to, wincing as he awkwardly tried to grab it before it hit the wall, and ultimately failing. He instantly was scanning the area, all eyes were on him after his dramatic entrance, except the two he longed for. Briefly he noticed Alasdair stifling a laugh, before he heard the back door go, and in a blind panic he shocked everyone. In three strides he had fully entered the building, and reached the bar before leaping over the it, landing silently on his feet behind it, where Calum then took off after Colt. Following her scent, like his life depended on it, and leaving more than one patron in the pub open jawed in his wake.

The slam from the backdoor reverberated as he threw it open, this time uncaring of the force he used. His chest was already heaving and his heart rate was through the roof, as his feet followed after his nose, his lungs pulling in as much of her fragrance as they could possibly contain. Legs pounding into the pavement, he propelled his body after her. He only slowed slightly coming to an abrupt stop at the pile of clothes lying strewn across the green patch of lawn before the wood, that ran along the riverside.

Instantly he knew, his mate had shifted, before she ran into the wood in an effort to lose him. Picking up the top and lightweight trousers, he lifted them to his face and inhaled deeply. Every muscle in his body tightened, every sinew came alive, while his nerve endings lit up with a sudden electrical charge.

It wasn't just wolves who enjoyed to hunt, wildcats were predators too, only they, like a lot of cats, relished in the thrill of toying with their prey.

Calum walked on calmly now, his instincts taking over, all his senses were on overdrive, taking in every little detail of the familiar treescape, as he stalked purposely after Colt. He didn't bother masking his foot falls, not anyway yet, he wanted her to know he was closing in.

This was his home afterall, he knew these woods like the back of his hands, after all he grew up playing in them, honing his ability to stalk, hunt and even hide. Many of the trees here were marked by his very claws, as he had sharpened them, and certain ones, if you knew where to look had the perfect size hiding spots. He learned that, while ditching school as a teenager, on more occasions than he cared to admit.

No, Calum had no need to rush anymore, Colt was in his territory, she wouldn't be difficult to find. Especially if he kept his cool.

Calum walked on, eyes alert and his pupils dialated to the extent his iris was practically invisible, while he scanned the darkened area. He followed her scent, looking all around. Smirking confidently when he noticed her tactics, and the flaw in her plan, he walked right up to the base of the tree where her scent was at its most powerful, ignoring the false trail of her scent which tried to pull his attention to the right. But, when he looked up his suspicions were confirmed, and he couldn't help the smug grin that settled upon his face, when he seen the pointed tips of two cat ears, rotating frantically, as she clearly listened to him below.

*It was ironic,* he thought *that she should choose this tree to hide in, it was always one of his favourites.*

Shrugging happily, and being the typical cat he was, he began to walk away, waiting till the sound of his feet would have truly faded. Allowing his prey the relief and hope of escape, when in truth, she had lost that the moment he found out her identity.

He hadn't just spent the past week cursing the weather. Calum knew some of Colt's history, he knew of her resort in Montana, he could name her five brothers, their four mates, and children. The youngest wolf, was unmated as of yet. He knew his future father in law was not a man to be trifled easily with. Kalvin Merrier, headed up arguably one of the largest security companies in the world. Her family were their own little wolf pack it seemed, but with at least two blood feline relations and another mated into their family, he was confident they would also in time, accept him.

Deciding he was far enough away now, and that it was time to finish his game of playing with his prey, he ran back towards the tree. Silently his feet would lifted from the earth on each step, before the forest carpet could even register their impact, and when close enough, he leapt onto that very tree, high enough that he could grab Colt by the scruff of her neck. Swiftly pulling her to his body, to protect her from the impact of their landing. His feet hit the ground gracefully, with his knees bending to absorb the impact.

Everything was a blur from there on out. The wildcat female in his arms did exactly what he should have realised she would do, it was what all cornered wildcats did, and Colt was no different. She went on the attack.

It was his first miscalculation, and he couldn't contain her as she sliced her claws into him, causing him grunt after grunt of pain. He knew his clothes were becoming shredded, and her teeth had joined the party of trying to escape. Her jaw was ridiculously strong as she tore tooth and claw into the flesh of his upper body. She was relentless, and he would be lying if be claimed he wasn't a little turned on by her right now. The uncontrollable thought of biting her back and claiming his mate swirling to the forefront of his mind.

He tried to find a way to restrain her, without harming her, but any part of his body that came into contact with her was subsequently mauled. She wouldn't stop, her desperate need to be free was completely evident, as she thrashed at him with a vengeance he wasn't entirely convinced he deserved.

"Fuck!" He swore loudly, when her claws reached around and deeply lacerated the tender flesh inside his upper arm.

When her movements suddenly stilled, he lifted his arm higher, with his mate still attached, not wanting to miss potentially, his only opportunity, and he looked into her confused eyes, before asking, "Are you quite done with your tantrum now? Or is my mate completely feral?"

Shifting his grip on her, he held her out at arms length, his hands around her ribs while her legs, dangled below. He noticed with relief that she had finally retracted her claws.

"Shift back! You have some fucking explaining to do, Woman!" He ordered, clearly pissed off. Calum had, had enough nonsense now.

But his eyebrow cocked up, as did the side of his lips when he noticed Colt's eyes were no longer on his face, in fact they were slowly scanning his body, excruciatingly slowly. She was taking in every little detail about him, it seemed and he longed to do the same to the woman who had shown him nothing but defiance. Her fiesty nature continued to turn him on, and he hadn't even seen her in person yet.

He knew his ego would soar, and know no bounds the moment she started to purr, and the very realisation that she not only approved of what she saw, but that she took pleasure in their physical contact, had him stiffening painfully in his bike leathers. Which was an incredibly uncomfortable experience, he was loathed to discover. When her eyes finally met his again he gulped, feeling the force of his bond to her snap into place.

He was completely hers. It was a strange concept for a man who had always lived to please himself.

"Woman, as flattered as I am of your appreciation," Calum began, "I swear to God, if you do not shift back right now, I will shift myself and make love to you here on the forest floor, in cat form." He demanded.

Calum felt Colt's body begin to displace, finally he would be able to look her in the eye, to hear her voice, and he would be lying if he wasn't still considering, making love to her on the ground beneath them right now.

However, his face distorted into one of shock, when before his very eyes, the sleek elegant cat's body transformed, revealing a black coated angry she wolf, who was snarling menacingly at him, as he instinctively lowered her to the ground.

Holding his hands up in surrender, he created some space between the two of them, but he swore she flashed him a smug look of her own, before she turned her head and trotted away into the night, leaving him alone, confused and still carrying her folded up clothes, looped through his belt.

*Author's Note: We made it! The epilogue! Calum's version...

What did you all think? Was it as good as you hoped?