CHAPTER 17 – SNOOPING

CHAPTER 17 – SNOOPING
Nathan P.O.V

“We should shift; it would take too long on foot. You said it was around fifteen kilometers to the west, right?” Daniel confirms with Sloane, and she nods.
She hasn’t said a word since we started this quest. Even when I’ve asked her how she was doing, she purposely ignored me, not acknowledging my existence. This attitude of hers is seriously starting to piss me off.
Sloane and Daniel find two large sequoias to strip and shift in private, while I shift directly in my warrior’s suit, which is studied to adapt to our wolf form. When they come out from their hiding spots, with their clothes in their mouths, my wolf and I are immediately mesmerized by the powerful red wolf which I know without a doubt is Sloane. Regardless of her mighty size, which is understandable, being her an Alpha, she moves with a grace and elegance that takes my breath away. Her brilliant blue eyes glow like sapphires in the night, emphasizing the stripe of white fur which runs from the top of her head to her cute nose. 
My wolf is excited and on edge, he wants to be close to his mate, and before I can stop him, he starts rubbing his side against Sloane’s like a damn cat. He wants to leave his scent on her, to claim her in some way. Proudly, I notice that I’m still a head taller than Sloane’s wolf, and this alone makes my wolf’s ego inflate some more.
Sloane bares her teeth at him and snaps her jaws in warning, well at me, as I’m the one she’s angry with. My wolf whines but keeps his distance, and before anything else embarrassing can happen, Sloane speeds west and Daniel and I follow behind her.
When we reach the farmhouse, my eyes widen in surprise, I’ve never heard about this building, although some of the guards on duty are dudes I often train with, they live in my same warrior building. And I immediately saw what Daniel was talking about, the building is surrounded by tight security, which means that the goods which are either produced or stored here are of high value.
Before we get too close to the perimeter, I shift back into my human form, my suit changing with me, and I signal to the others to do the same. We are not connected through mind-link, it would be difficult to coordinate in wolf form.
When Sloane passes beside me to go shift and get dressed, I extend my hand and pet her thick fluffy fur, earning a murderous glare from her. 
I remind myself that I need to be patient and show her that I care for her, and eventually she’ll come around.
“That’s a hell of a suit, Anderson!” Daniel whisper-yells, eyeing my suit in wonder.
“I know! It changes to adapt when we shift and it’s also fire-resistant and waterproof. Alpha has spent a lot of money in research to make these, and has equipped all soldiers with at least one,” I say proudly. This being the only good thing Axel has done in his life.
“Please,” says Sloane irritably, “these suits are so tight you can see more than through an x-ray. I bet Axel designed them like this on purpose, to freely check out all the warrior chicks in his coop.
I catch Sloane subtly trailing her gaze down my chest to my groin and blushing fiercely before turning her gaze elsewhere. Devilishly cute. I bet she’ll look outwardly in one of these, like a warrior goddess. Fuck, I better stop thinking on how the fabric would stretch on her breasts, before I get hard. This suit won’t leave much to the imagination.
So, I clear my throat and get down to business.
“Listen, I think my warrior’s badge can get me through the gate, but there are cameras everywhere and you two are too noticeable to go undetected. So, I’ll go in and try to find out what this place is, while you wait here.”
Sloane doesn’t seem happy with my suggestion, but she is a known Alpha and everyone would recognize her at first glance. 
Thus, while they stay hidden behind the trees, I round to the side get, where there are only two guards on watch, and swing my warrior’s badge on the electronic pad. It takes three long and sweaty seconds for the pad to flash green, luckily my senior warrior rights are enough to grant me access, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of it.
Once inside the fence, I quickly, but not fast enough to be suspicious, make my way into the building where I nearly blow my cover, when I see Axel standing in the foyer talking with a bunch of people dressed like pharmacists.
Before he can see me, I inconspicuously take the first corridor to my right and walk until I’m sure I’m no more in his visual range.
If he’s around, I need to be very careful; if he as much as gets one glimpse of me, he’ll know that something is wrong.
After what feels like hours of snooping around, and not seeing again Axel’s shadow, I finally get out of perimeter and rejoin Sloane and Daniel in the forest.
“Took you long enough,” Daniel comments displeased, probably bored out of his mind.
“Not my fault, Alpha was there, I had to be careful.”
At the mention of Axel, Sloane’s ears perk up, and even if completely illogical, because I know she doesn’t have a thing for him, I still feel a pang of jealousy.
“Have you found out anything?” Daniel continues his interrogation.
“Let’s go somewhere else, I don’t feel safe talking here. It’s too close.”
We start walking slowly deeper into the forest, and when we are far enough that we can’t be heard by the guards, we run faster, putting more distance between us and that shady place.
When we stop, both Daniel and Sloane turn toward me, expecting me to spill the bins, but instead of reporting everything I’ve seen, I propose a bargain,
“I’ll recount everything to Sloane, but I want us to be alone.”
Sloane immediately gives me the stinky eye, and states angrily, “Anything you can say to me, you can say to Daniel too. We don’t have secrets between us.”
“Good to know, but my condition still stands.”
Sloane glares at me with such intensity, like she’s trying to burn a hole in my face, while Daniel chuckles, earning a glare from her too, and says, “It’s fine by me. Alpha will tell me everything afterwards anyway. Just, make sure she gets back safe, ok?”
“Sure thing,” I reply with a smirk, while Sloane’s eyes turn to two thin slits of fury.
“I’m an Alpha, I don’t need anyone’s help to stay safe. I can take care of myself,” Sloane states boldly.
“Yes, like last night at the club, when you let Axel drug you, and then ended up mastur…” 
Sloane slaps a hand on my mouth before I can finish that sentence, pointedly looking at me with her eyes round with panic.
Daniel tilts his head questioningly, sporting a wide smirk on his face, “Anything I should be aware of, Alpha?” 
“Leave, now,” Sloane orders Daniel, infusing her Alpha command. 
And he complied without complaining, but I can see his shoulders shaking in silent laughers before he disappears into the forest.
Now that we are alone, I open my mouth and lick the palm of her hand which is still pressed on my mouth.
“Yuk, why would you do that? And why would you say that?” she whispers yells at me, worried that Daniel might still be in earshot.
“To rile you up and make you finally talk to me?” I reply with a tad of sarcasm, arching an eyebrow.
She crosses her arms over her chest and glares at me with unmasked annoyance and disdain.
“It’s not like we have much to talk about. You don’t want me as your mate, plus you already have a girlfriend, end of the story. I’ve already come to terms with it, I just need some more time to gather up the courage to reject you. It’s not that easy for me to go against everything I’ve believed my entire life, to me, the mate bond is sacred.”
“Then don’t,” I say quickly.
“Don’t what?” She asks irritated at my elusive wording.
“I mean, don’t reject me. I told you, I want us to be friends, spend some time together. This will appease our wolves, and you won’t have to go against you believes.”
It’s a win-win.
For a moment she stares at me like I’m stupid, then she turns her back to me, possibly not wanting me to see her expression.
“I don’t think that’s possible. For you maybe, but for me, these feelings are so strong, they could either make me the happiest person on the planet, or they could slowly destroy me.” Before she continues, she lowers her head and hugs herself, this posture making her look even smaller, frailer.
My heart aches seeing her like this, knowing that I’m the one who caused her all this pain. I should do the right thing and reject her, but I’m a coward and I’m not ready to lose her so soon.
“You will never accept me, which means there’s only one option left for us.”