Chapter 111

Natalie POV

I was completely at a loss about what just happened. One minute I'm preparing to fight this she-wolf, then next thing I know she's flying through the air with a gray streak of fur behind her. I caught the scent only briefly and it was somewhat familiar. I turned to make sure that Shawna was following me as we traipsed through the underbrush of the forest in the direction the two had flown. It took us about five minutes before we came upon the giant gray wolf. He had the woman pinned to the ground, his teeth barred in her face. Tears streaked down her cheeks, causing trails of dirt to leave trails on her face. "I'm sorry, I will leave her alone." She cried this over and over. As I stepped closer, the wind shifted and I caught his scent.

"Mate," I whispered. Then it dawned on me. The gray wolf had scented me and thought I was in danger. Mates are very protective of each other and he immediately jumped to my rescue. "Mate," I said louder. "You can let her go, she's weak and not a very good fighter." The wolf didn't move, he just continued to hold the woman down with her paws.

"What's happening?" Shawna whispered.

"My guess is that he's from this pack and he's talking to her with the mindlink. He's very angry," I said quietly.

"Ya think?" Shawna said in a whisper.

"Carl, please I swear. I'm done. Don't kill me," the woman blubbered. "I swear it, just let me go."

"Carl," I gasped. "It's you? You ARE my mate," my insides flipped. "Shawna, he's my mate," I said with a smile.

"It seems so," she said in return. "This might be my cue to leave then," Shawna said. I waved her off and she disappeared into the woods, likely heading towards the waterfall as we had previously discussed.

I carefully walked towards the gray wolf, that I now knew was Carl. "Carl, let her go," I told him firmly. "She's not worth it." I had no clue what his wolf's name was but mine would know if I shifted. When Carl made no move to get up, I decided to do just that. I quickly stripped off my running shoes, followed by my shorts and sports bra. Then, before anyone could blink, I shifted into my wolf. Carl's wolf must have sensed it because his head swung around and we made eye contact. I pleaded with my eyes for him to let her go. Stepping towards him, I sniffed the air and howled into the night. It was the howl of the wolf who had found its mate.

Carl shifted into his human form and stood before me, naked. His muscles were ripped and sweat gleamed off his body in the moonlight. Behind him, the woman lay on the ground weeping. He didn't bother looking back at her, he just stared at me unwavering. My eyes roamed his body, my wolf alight with excitement. "Shift," he commanded me. My wolf held her head high and stared back at him. With a deep sigh, he turned around. "Would you get the hell out of here before I decide to just kill you already." She stopped crying and jumped to her feet, running off into the dark.

Carl turned back around and took a step toward me. "Please shift. We need to talk." I was concerned that we'd be standing here in the middle of the woods without any clothes on, as hundreds of others ran around us. I was slightly uncomfortable with the thought, only because my brother was out here some place. I thought about that for a second and realized how ridiculous that sounded, considering he's probably found Shawna by now and they could be humping in the woods like two horny teenagers.

I shifted into human form and stood before Carl. His eyes went wide as he took me in. "Natalie? I thought it would be you."

"I thought it would be you as well, " I admitted. "I felt like it might be anyway."

"How do you feel about it?" he asked. "I'm kind of an old dog," he laughed.

"Old? Your thirty-two. That's hardly old." Carl shrugged and stepped towards me.

"I could have handled her, you know," I told him. He paused and smiled.

"Of course you could have. I have zero doubts about that. I didn't attack her for that reason. I wanted her to know that I wouldn't stand for her bothering you, or anyone else for that matter. I think she's clear on that now, don't you?"

"I'd say she probably is," I admitted. Carl stepped towards me until we were only a breath from touching and then he pulled me into his arms. My breath hitched in my throat when I felt his hardened member rub against my stomach. I didn't have time to say anything or to react to that feeling, because his lips slammed on mine and heat surged through me instantly. I had never felt such intense feelings before, and so suddenly. My core clenched and I moaned into his mouth.

"Natalie," he whispered, pulling back. "I don't want to do this here. My room?" he asked. I was too tongue-tied to speak, so I simply nodded in response. I had a moment of pause, wondering where Shawna was and if she was okay, but then it was forgotten as Carl seeped me up into his arms and ran through the woods holding me tight. We were pack to the pack house in minutes, and he didn't slow down, just ran right past it. I recalled that he was now staying in Dawson's old apartment and I smiled with the realization that I was about to finally mate, and it was going to be with my fated mate, one of the hottest men I'd ever laid eyes upon.