Chapter 77: Epilogue.

Eight Months Later

Colt was wiping down the splashes and spills on the bar at the end of her shift. She didn't need the job, but she liked being busy, and the small village pub seemed to be the best way to do that. Plus, it had also helped her to get to know the locals in the area, being that it seemed to be the main gathering point, everyone eighteen and over seemed to flock to on an evening after dinner. They were licensed to stay open till one in the morning, but as it was a week day, and it normally quieted down from ten onwards, the owner always let Colt off early. It didn't hurt that Jimmy, her boss was an older horse shifter, and had taken a shine to her after he spotted a her out on Solaris, a few days before her interview.

"Oh come on," Iona, her cousin begged, knowing she was coming close to the end of her shift. "Please stay for a drink, just one? Please."

Colt laughed at her Mom's niece, the nineteen year old had been ecstatic when Colt had shown up in the Highlands, and had made it her personal mission to integrate herself into the elders girl's life completely. There was a serious lack of female solidarity among the wildcat women of the county ot seemed, and Iona had definitely claimed her cousin as her own, and was unprepared to retract her claws anytime soon. Not that Colt minded, the girl was bubbly and fun, with no brain to mouth filter which caused at least eight cases of her lodging her foot in there a day. But, the young vet nursing student had a good heart, and bonded instantly, when Colt had helped her rear an injured sky lark chick back to health.

"Nope, I want to head home and get some sleep. You should do the same." She said, wagging her finger sternly at her cousin.

"Oh don't be like that, it's not even eleven, yet. Plus, it's barely even dark outside." She chided. "And, I know something you don't know." The bubbly brunette teased.

"I'm beginning to think your a bad influence." Colt laughed.

"Oh weisht, you!" Iona laughed, sipping her vodka and coke. "Look, Calum MacGregor is meant to be home, and I heard he is stopping by here tonight!" She squealed loudly, making Colt laugh.

"Aren't you already mated, Iona?" Colt asked speculatively.

"Kind of, its complicated." She waved her hand about, brushing off Colt's comment. "Anyway I only want to look, Calum is... unavailable. He seen his true mate jump to her death or something, after his chosen, well... Anyway, he spends most of his time in Ireland looking for her, or her body, I guess. It's really sad." Iona explained.

"Well for his sake I'm sorry, and I will not be adding to the group wanting to turn him into a circus attraction." Colt scolded her cousin.

"Fine." Iona relented. "But, I'm staying." She said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"You're going to hell. You know that right?" Colt said, as she signed herself out on the till and turned to head through to the back, giving Jimmy a nod on her way.

"If you loosen up a bit, I might just get to save you a seat." Iona called to her retreating back, as Colt went through to the back room to gather up her belongings.

Colt was pickinging up her purse, and was about to go back out to leave through the bar when the bell above the door rang, and an intoxicating scent hit her. Her body was on fire in an instant as it descended over her. Making a rash decision she dropped the purse and spun on her heels out of the emergency exit at the back, as fast as her feet would carry her. She didn't look back, not for a second.

Colt knew exactly what that scent meant. It was the scent of her true mate. She did not want to see Elijah, and there was no way in hell she would let him catch her. Thankfully she knew exactly how to hide.

Mid step of her run, she shifted, her wildcat form darting into the wooded area at that bordered the Strath's river. Thankfully the village was remote and the Strath it was situated in was great for her wildcat form and her wolf to truly let loose. But right now she needed trees, and she ran through the village towards the river as fast as her legs would carry her.

Before long she had completed her loop and scrambled up a tree, hiding in a large nook between some branches, as she desperately fought to control her breathing. Her heart was still pounding in her own ears when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. Then they seemed to fade off and she relaxed. Relieved and grateful about the promise she made Zachary to only reveal how she could hide from Elijah when he was there. The opportunity had never arisen, and she was now able to use her trick again.

Her relief was short lived though, when a large hand grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and lifted her out of the tree, cradling her close as the man jumped and landed poised on both feet, with barely a vibration reaching Colt.

Instinct took over, despite the smell and her senses telling her otherwise, and Colt began to hiss, loudly. That was the only warning she gave before her body became a blur of teeth and claws, latching on wherever she could manage. She bit and scratched, desperately trying to get away from her mate. She wouldn't let Elijah take her, not without a fight.

It was only when she heard him swear that she paused. Her teeth were still sunk deep into the muscle of his arm as he looked her in the eye, and asked in his thick Scottish brogue, "Are you quite done with your tantrum now? Or is my mate completely feral?"

This man wasn't Elijah. He now held her out from himself looking at her like she was a petulant child.

"Shift back! You have some fucking explaining to do, Woman!" He ordered, clearly pissed off.

Colt took in his appearance, his hair was a chestnut brown longer on top, but shorter around the sides. He seemed tall, though it be hard to know for sure how tall he was, unless she was in her human form. He had thick corded muscles under his badly torn t-shirt and his thick muscular thighs bulged under his leather trousers. But the most striking thing to catch her eye was the sleeve of a tattoo marred with blood from her attack that covered his long arm and hid away under his sleeve, she could see whispers of it across his chest where t-shirt hung open thanks to her claws. Her eyes made their way back to his, they were hard to make out fully in the dim light, but she thought they must be green.

Then she noticed the smirk on his face, and she realised she was fucking purring at him.

"Woman, as flattered as I am of your appreciation, 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.

Colt was freaking out. This man wasn't Elijah, but he smelled every inch her mate. Unfortunately he also had an attitude that she wasn't particularly fond of. Her bones starting cracking as she began to shift. And she smirked inwardly at the lesson this man was about to learn.

Colt would be lying if she claimed she didn't enjoy the look of shock plastered on the man's face as her legs lengthened, and her tail lengthened, and her coat was replaced with a darker black one. She would be lying if she didn't enjoy him swearing in fright when he dropped her and staggered backwards, looking at her standing before him growling in her wolf form, teeth bared and hackles risen.

She stood tall and proud as he backed off shocked, and awe struck. Then she sprung into the night, running away from this man as fast as her legs could carry her.

All she could think as she sprinted was, Not another one.

Author's Note: I told you he wasn't forgotten about..... To be continued in book 2.... Desired. Coming soon.