Mated To The Alpha Of The North
Chapter 69

Willow

After about an hour of practicing, with Jax refusing to so much as k**s me while we were training, we agreed to call it quits for now.

He had only managed to go over a few of the basics due to us being pressed for time, but I felt good about what he did teach me during the allotted period. I also thought that it was kind of cute how serious he was about my preparation if I was being honest.

Don’t get me wrong, I was just as invested in making sure that I knew how to protect myself, but I did not think one k**s would deter me from that goal.

Irrespective, I was in heaven when he finally leaned down and closed the distance between our bodies, smashing me against his chest as he hoisted me up with ease and thoroughly plundered my mouth.

He kissed me until I was out of breath, but then he pulled away, leaving my wolf and I unsatisfied with the loss of contact as he placed me firmly on the ground.

“I would love to stay here tangled up with you all night sweetheart. Even so, I have to go check in with my males patrolling the province, and Ryker needs to leave for the South. I have already deferred his trip long enough, and I want him to be there in case something happens so that Ronnie is protected.”

“I know baby, but can I come with you? My wolf is itching to run again, and it has been a little while since I last shifted.”

He seemed torn for a moment at my request. I understood his desire to keep me safe, but he could not stifle me the way that Zeke had either.

Thank Luna that he seemed to have come to the same conclusion because he replied after a minute had passed, saying, “I wish that you would wait at the pack house for me where it is safe, but if you insist on coming, I need you to promise that you will listen if I tell you to do something.”

I started to argue with the blanket vow of obedience, but he interrupted me as he went on, “I am not going to order you around, but I need to know that you are safe if a threat arises.”

His words halted the contention that was about to tumble from my lips. I knew this was the best bargain that I would get, and I could appreciate that he was at least attempting to meet me halfway, so I simply stated, “Alright, I promise.”

Next, I gave him a brief peck on the lips and sprinted right off the ledge and into the frosty pool of water collecting at the bottom of the cascading waterfall, which had so cleverly hidden the rocky cleft that had been concealing our presence.

I felt Jax’s transitory moment of fear through our bond, but then it was replaced by pure jubilation as he sailed through the air in his own downward descent and dove into the frigid water alongside me.

I swam to the edge and proceeded to slog through the water to the bank, not pausing to wait for my mate as I speedily ripped off my sopping clothing and shifted into my wolf without further delay.

The water temperature in the South had been cold, but it was a whole different level up here in the North.

Jax copied my actions and soon we were on our way, after he had pointed me in the correct direction that was. We loped through the forest at an easy trot, though we were more alert rather than playful this time around.

My wolf was dying to run full-out, to really stretch her legs, but I did not dare wander too far ahead, in spite of my intense desire to reacclimate myself with my home territory.

We ran in silence at first, both of us tuning into our wolf’s superior senses to keep an eye out for any anomalies in our surroundings.

I was not one hundred percent sure what that would be, outside of literally seeing a bear or Zeke appear out of thin air, with me having been gone for so long, but Jax did not seem to replace anything out of the ordinary.

I took note of a few wolves watching the woods as we made the rounds, yet I was sure there were numerous others behind the scenes, as well.

Once Jax was satisfied with the state of the security, we hastened back to the pack house, letting loose a tiny bit more than we had before our perambulation, but still remaining attentive to the possible dangers lurking about.

When we arrived back at the pack house, I shifted into my human form with Jax following suit and headed straight for the kitchen. I shrugged on some clothes from the duffel bag still lying beside the door as I entered the room, and my mate again mimicked my movements.

The workout session and succeeding run had taken a toll on my energy levels. I knew that I would feel better after getting some nourishment into my body, but I could not deny the exhaustion oozing in from the full day of exercise.

I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind as Jax said, “How about you start something simple for dinner while I run one more perimeter check around the pack house? Or you can sit down and relax, and I will cook for you when I get back. It is whatever you prefer sweetheart.”

“I can cook something baby. I don’t mind but thanks for offering.”

He dropped a k**s on my lips in response before retracing his steps out the door, his hand already reaching down to unfasten the button, that he had only recently closed, on his jeans as he went and sending dirty imaginings soaring to the forefront of my mind at the same time.

Not long after Jax had departed, I had the creeping feeling of eyes on me as I shook off my daze and moved around the kitchen, gathering the ingredients that I needed to make an easy shepherd’s pie.

I glanced around briefly, but I felt silly looking for nothing, so I dismissed the thought as I began to dice the onion with my mind drifting as I completed the repetitive activity.

I twisted the dial on the stove, turning the heat up and tossing the onions in so that I could sauté them. However, all of my plans for dinner came to a screeching standstill as the successive series of events seemed to simultaneously occur in the blink of an eye, making it difficult to be sure exactly what had transpired in the heat of the moment.

Jax’s voice invaded my head, ensuring that I was safe before he informed me that there was a large group of bears launching an attack near the boundary.

I was so engrossed with the conversation going on in my head that I must have missed the sounds of someone approaching me because I don’t know how he managed to sneak in without my wolf picking up on his entrance.

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to respond to Jax through our mind link before a chilling voice spoke up behind me, sneering, “Well, I see you have been awfully busy in my absence.”

I whirled around in an instant, my hand still grasping the knife, which I had been using to cut the onion, securely in my clenched fist as I came face to face with the man that had tormented my existence for the past two years.

I knew that Jax could feel my emotions coursing through our bond, but I was also aware that he had his own emergency to deal with. My wolf rose up as Zeke stalked closer, not stopping until only the island remained in between us.

As much as I wanted to allow her to handle the situation, there just was not enough room for two full grown wolf shifters to go to town in the kitchen without destroying it in the process, and I was not confident that I would come out on top with my wolf’s smaller size and my current level of fatigue weighing me down like an anchor.

I spit out the first thing that came to mind, resolving to stall him until Jax returned, as I queried, “How in the hell did you get all the way inside the pack house without being detected? We did not come across any signs of your scent during our patrol.”

“You always did think you were smarter than everyone else, but you are not the only one with friends. Mine just happen to have better resources it would seem.”

I was not sure how long my filibustering technique would work, but I persisted in launching questions his way while he appeared to revel in my obvious discomfort.

That was the only excuse I could come up with as to why he would bother responding, but I was not about to complain now. At least I was finally getting the answers to all of the questions that had been piling up over the years.

I was astonished by the truths spilling from his lips, but they all meant little to me with the last inquiry that was burning to come out, the answer having plagued my mind nonstop over my years in captivity.

I could not help but hold my breath as I finally asked the one thing that I was the most desperate to know, “Why me?”