Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 32

Jax

The lingering fragrance that denoted only Willow teased my wolf as he swiftly stalked off after our mischievous mate, making sure to give her a generous head start.

Her petite legs would be no match for the speed my wolf could manage if pressed, or so I had thought, but that was not the point of this little foray into the forest anyway.

As my wolf ran through the trees, I was a bit surprised to realize the distance Willow had already covered, causing my wolf to pick up the pace.

My wolf felt immense pleasure at our mate’s superior speed, but he was eager to finally catch up with her.

Damn, she was fast I could not help but add in my head as we continued loping off after our wayward mate at a steady speed.

The sound of the river increased the further we ran, reducing the distance I could reach with my hearing, but the sight ahead of me was well worth it.

I could see Willow’s wolf darting skillfully through the bushes and low-hanging branches, carving her own route through the woods. She was not too far ahead of me, but she was getting close to the water now.

My wolf and I were growing eager for the pursuit to finally conclude, but I was constantly reminding myself to remain vigilant, knowing there were still dangers out there for Willow. My father’s voice also rang loudly in my head, reminding me to pause to enjoy the moment too.

Sensing no one else in our immediate vicinity, my wolf put on a burst of speed to catch up with our elusive mate at last, playfully nipping at her elongated, chocolate colored tail before coming up even with her on the trail as we ran.

I had to dodge a few of the lower hanging branches jutting out from the sides, but my wolf was content to run side by side with our mate for hours.

Unfortunately for him, the river was much closer than he would have liked it to have been. In fact, Willow would run straight into the glacier-like water, just as I had done, was it only earlier this morning? if she continued at the same breakneck pace. Time somehow seemed to stretch on forever when we were with our mate.

Nevertheless, my wolf came to an abrupt stop and let out a loud yap to alert Willow of her impending ice bath if she did not slow down swiftly.

Yet, she surprised us both by speeding up instead, splashing straight through the freezing water, drenching me in the cold liquid for the second time today in the process.

Instead of replaceing myself angry at the situation, as I would have been if anyone else had pulled the exact same stunt, my wolf bounded forward, splashing and playing in the flowing water with Willow’s wolf for an immeasurable amount of time. Later, we curled up together under a nearby tree.

When I finally glanced up, the sun was already well on its way in its descent in the western sky. Thank Luna no one had disturbed our intimate moment because I was definitely not being as diligent as I should have been, despite my earlier promises to myself.

I knew Reese or Asher had set up patrols to ensure the area’s safety, but I felt personally responsible for guaranteeing that no further harm would come to Willow. I would always protect my mate no matter the cost, a sentiment my wolf fiercely agreed with.

Willow seemed to notice the late hour as well, moving away from the warmth of my side where she had been curled up, dozing as my wolf provided a safe and comfortable place for her to rest her weary eyes.

I knew shifting had gone a long way to helping her heal more fully, but it had also taken a lot out of her. We must have roused her when my wolf was checking our surroundings. I was a bit irked that he had awoken our mate with his carelessness.

Although, if I were being truthful, she did need to eat, and I needed to get her back to the lodge so that she could settle in for the next couple of weeks. No way in hell was I taking her back to that gargantuan house now that I knew how she felt about being there.

Willow moved forward and nudged my side with her head while I was already two steps ahead in my mind. My wolf looked down and amusingly noticed that the top of her head barely reached our shoulders, her wolf’s miniscule size causing her to seem childlike in size compared to my own overgrown beast. Laughing in my head, I dared my wolf to tell Willow that to her face.

Instead of responding, he lightheartedly nipped at Willow’s flank, encouraging her to start heading in the direction of our clothes. It would be more convenient after we had completed the bond that was already starting to develop. Then, we would be able to communicate through a mind link, just like I could with any other member of my pack or other alphas.

My father had told me that the mating bond goes a bit deeper than that, but he had not gone into specifics, only stating that it was a connection that was unparalleled to any other. However, until we took that final step and sealed our union with matching claiming bites forged in the passion of the moment, the bond would be incomplete, and I was, therefore, stuck with using nonverbal means to communicate while remaining in wolf form.

She acquiesced pretty easily, but not before retaliating with her own spirited attempts to sink her teeth into my wolf’s fur in return. After a few minutes passed with her being unable to replace purchase, she gave up with a huff and took off running towards our starting location.

Without wasting anymore time, my wolf darted off after our mate, quickly catching up to her and keeping pace, ensuring we remained attentive to our surroundings the entire time we ran.

We arrived back at our clothes quicker than expected. I allowed my sense of smell to take in the area to make sure that no one had disturbed our belongings. Once my wolf was satisfied, we allowed Willow to move towards her clothing.

Before another awkward situation could ensue, my wolf dashed forward, grabbing my pants with his teeth and scurrying off behind a large tree. My wolf receded with little effort and minimal pain, eager to ensure our mate’s needs were cared for.

The shift from wolf to man took considerably less time than Willow’s inverse shift had earlier, but she had been subjected to extraordinary circumstances. I swiftly pulled on the pants that my wolf had so thoughtfully brought with him behind this huge oak tree.

I went to immediately round the trunk of the ancient tree, keen to make eye contact with Willow’s lovely orbs again and not liking the feeling of being constantly on edge when she was out of my sightline, but I forced myself to at least prolong the urge, digging my toes into the damp earth as my claws sank into the rough bark of the tree.

Willow would be shifting back into her human form, and I remembered her earlier discomfort when faced with the prospect of undressing in front of me.

I hoped she would get over this aversion quickly, but, in the meantime, I made sure to listen for any sign that she might need my help while I impatiently waited.

My wolf was remaining strangely quiet as we waited for Willow to finish dressing, but I quickly put the thought out of my head for the time being when Willow’s tentative voice sounded from a few feet ahead of me, just on the other side of the massive tree.

“Uh, I am dressed now, Jax. Well, kind of, but you can come out.”

Her soft voice rang clearly in the silence that surrounded us. We truly were in our own little realm in this section of the forest that we had managed to wander upon earlier by chance alone.

It seemed as if not another soul knew its whereabouts here, tucked safely away from the rest of the world with the Willow trees serving as silent sentries to our secret space.

Her words had also confused me, but I wasted no time in retracting my claws from the scarred wood and stepping out from behind the foliage, not allowing the sound of her saying my name to distract me in my quest.

The vision that greeted me instantly sent b***d pounding through my system, and it all went to the same place. I felt my c**k begin to harden in the rough denim of my borrowed pants, causing it to rub painfully over the stiff fabric that already squeezed my manhood too tightly without the added strain.

Willow was standing there, wearing nothing but my t-shirt as her long hair cascaded in gentle waves down her back. She shifted slightly from foot to foot as I admired the sight before me.

I reached a hand down to adjust my balls without thinking when I noticed Willow’s hungry brown eyes tracking my hand’s downward movement. Her pink tongue darted out quickly before she bit down into her plush lower l*p again. My wolf chose that moment to surge forward, causing me to stumble those last few steps forward until she was within my arm’s reach.

I knew the bastard had been laying low for a reason, but his sneak attack had taken me off guard, seeing as I wanted the exact same thing he did. Before I could think too much or talk myself out of it, I reached out and snagged Willow around the waist, drawing her into the circle of my arms and sealing my lips over hers.