Chapter 206

I unlocked the door to the monitoring room, slipping inside and closing it behind me. The blue glow of multiple screens illuminated the otherwise dark space. I crossed to the main console, flipping through the different camera views until I found what I was looking for—wildlife cameras scattered throughout my territory.

On screen, I could see my pack members moving through the forest, searching for the gray wolf. I spotted Solon, my Beta, carefully stepping through a dense section of trees.

"Disarm the traps in your vicinity," I ordered through our mind-link. "In case she stumbles into one."

On the screen, I watched Solon pause and look up, almost as if he could sense me watching him.

"Alpha, may I ask why we're searching for this wolf?" Solon's voice echoed in my mind.

"I'll explain when I'm certain," I replied, my eyes scanning the other camera feeds.

"I didn't imagine it, Samuel," Max insisted in my head. "She is our mate."

I rubbed my temples, fatigue washing over me. Second-chance mates weren't real—they were stories told to comfort those who had lost their true mates. Yet here was Max, insisting with complete certainty that the wolf we'd freed from those rogues was meant for us.

Either I was going insane, or the universe had a twisted sense of humor.

Hour after hour, I stared at the screens, scanning each feed meticulously. My eyes burned, but I couldn't tear myself away. Then, finally—movement. A blur passed one of the cameras near the eastern border.

I switched to another camera feed, closer to where she'd been spotted. My pack members had caught the movement too; they were converging on the area.

There—stepping into the brush—I saw her. The chain still trailing behind her, she crouched low, hiding from my approaching pack members.

She could sense them—I could see it in the way her ears flicked back and forth, how her body tensed, ready to bolt.

"I found her," came a voice through the mind-link.

On screen, the she-wolf's head snapped up. She'd been detected. She took off, running toward the river.

She knew she had entered claimed territory.

"No one touches her," I commanded again.

"Yes, we know," someone responded.

I stood, rushing to my room to grab a pair of shorts before heading out. I needed to get to her before she disappeared again.

"She's gone into a cave behind the waterfall," Solon's voice came through the link.

"Stay there. I'm coming," I replied, locking up the pack house and heading for the trees.

"The cave doesn't have another exit, does it?" I asked, wanting to make sure she couldn't escape.

"No, it's just a small dead end. She's not getting past us," Solon confirmed.

I quickened my pace, Max urging me forward, eager to confirm what he already believed to be true—that she was our mate. I followed the river, heading toward the base of the mountain where the waterfall cascaded down.

When I arrived, I found seven of my pack members guarding the cave entrance.

"You can go," I told them, and they nodded, disappearing into the trees.

The entrance to the cave was obscured by the falling water. I couldn't see inside, but I knew she was there. We must have passed by her hiding spot during our earlier search.

I waded into the water, gripping the rocks to keep from being swept away by the current. The waterfall pushed me down as I forced my way through, submerging me briefly before I emerged into the cave.

Her scent hit me immediately, filling my senses. A low growl emanated from the darkness, a warning.

I stepped further into the small cave. The air was damp and musty. It was pitch black to human eyes, but I could see perfectly. I walked to the center of the space and stopped.

She lowered her head, baring her teeth, her throat rumbling with a growl. Her eyes looked wild with fear, her body poised in a fight-or-flight stance.

She would fight to escape. I knew that look. To reduce the threat I posed, I sat down.

She quieted but kept her eyes fixed on me, waiting for my next move.

"I mean you no harm," I said softly. She remained on guard, like a cornered animal. Which, I supposed, she was.

"Let's wait her out," Max suggested. "Once she realizes we're not a threat, she'll settle down."

Hours passed. The she-wolf stood stock-still, watching me. She might as well have been a statue.

"Can you communicate with her wolf? Or her human half?" I asked Max.

"I've tried. She doesn't respond, just growls at me," he replied.

I reached out through the mind-link to Solon. "Bring some clothes, food, and water."

"Yes, Alpha," came his immediate response.

The wolf had finally lain down, her head resting on her paws, but her eyes remained alert, tracking my every movement.

"What's your name?" I asked, my voice echoing slightly in the small cave, making it sound louder than intended.

No response.

"I'm Samuel," I tried again. "Little mate, you can shift back. I won't hurt you. I just want to talk."

She didn't move, didn't even acknowledge that she'd heard me speak.

"Do you know what a mate is?" I asked, but still no reaction.

Half an hour later, there was movement outside the cave. Solon's scent drifted in. The she-wolf immediately jumped up, backing away until her spine hit the rock wall.

"It's just a pack member," I said, raising my hand in a calming gesture. "He won't come near you."

Solon walked into the cave, curiosity evident in his expression as he looked at the wolf. He handed me a waterproof bag.

"Thanks," I said, taking it from him.

Solon pushed his wet black hair back, water dripping from his shoulders. "What's wrong with her?" he asked.

I opened the bag, pulling out its contents. "She's my mate," I said simply.

Solon stared at me in disbelief. "What? But—" He couldn't seem to finish his sentence.

"I don't understand it either, but Max insists, and I can feel the connection," I explained, arranging the items from the bag.

Solon glanced toward her, earning another growl. "Then why is she over there?"

"Rogues had her chained to a tree," I said, and Solon nodded in understanding.

"I saw the chain. There are wire cutters in the bag," he said.

"Alpha, would you mind if I left for a few days? I want to—"

"Go," I cut him off. "If they want to hunt down those men, go." I knew exactly what he wanted to do—find the rogues who had chained her up.

Solon took one last look at the wolf. "I'll see you in a few days," he said, then turned and walked out of the cave, disappearing through the waterfall.

After he left, the she-wolf seemed to realize he wasn't coming back and sat down again.

I rummaged through the bag, taking out a sandwich and an apple. "Hungry?" I asked, holding out the food, attempting to establish some initial connection.