raised in a chorus of howls during a full moon. Never feel the strength of her beast inside or scent the wind and identify with startling accuracy what she smelled.
She loved Mark desperately, but did she love him enough to give up her very identity, what made her who and what she was? She didn‟t know but was very True Mates: Carol’s Mate
53
afraid the answer to that question was no. Could she expect Mark to feel any different?
Some undetermined length of time later, Carol rose stiffly from her chair, turned off the lights, and headed upstairs. She could hear the soft sounds of lovemaking coming from the alphas‟ room, and it brought a bittersweet smile to her mouth. She‟d grown up around such loving devotion. First with her parents, and later the alphas. She‟d looked forward to having the same with her mate. Now she knew she never would.
There was no way Mark would ever agree to give up his humanity to be with her. She‟d have to hold on to every moment, every memory they created, and pray that it was enough to sustain her into old age. She‟d never love another the way she loved him. Eventually, hopefully, when enough time had passed and the pain wasn‟t so fresh, she‟d find a male she and her wolf could tolerate. Maybe one who‟d lost his mate as well and was only looking for companionship.
She closed her bedroom door behind her, stripped, curled up on the bed, burying her nose in the mattress that held their combined scents, and allowed herself to grieve.
* * *
After a leisurely breakfast, the alphas left around noon to return to Refuge.
Carol got into her car and drove to a nearby state park. She strolled one of the lesser-used wooded paths until she reached a remote area. Testing the air, she assured herself that she was alone before taking off her clothes and hiding them behind a tree. Then she gave over to her wolf and lost herself in the joy of running.
She hunted a few rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons that came out of their dens, more for the fun of the chase than for any desire to eat. Later, she lay on a fallen log near a small, icy stream and basked in the sun. As the sun sank in the west, she slowly made her way back to where she‟d stashed her clothing, shifted, and dressed.
Shivering a bit in the dropping temperatures, she picked up the pace to get her blood pumping since she wasn‟t dressed for the weather. As a shifter, she could 54
Zena Wynn
tolerate the cold better than humans, but without her fur, even she could feel the cold if not properly attired.
Upon arriving home, she found Mark planted on the stoop of her doorway like he‟d been there for hours and was prepared to linger for several more. She opened the car door, and he was there.
“You didn‟t call,” he growled.
Everything in her came to a boiling point. The feelings she‟d spent the day attempting to outrun erupted in a conflagration of desire based in desperation, and she launched herself at him. Mark caught her midair. Carol fused her mouth to his as she wrapped her arms and legs around him like an anaconda.
Carol didn‟t know how they made it into the house. When she came back to herself, they were on the wooden floor of the foyer. What clothing hadn‟t been ripped to pieces was shoved out of the way.
Mark sprawled on top of her, panting. “Damn, baby, if being around your people makes you respond like this, they need to come more often.” Carol closed her eyes and gently ran her hands over his scalp in a tender caress. “I missed you last night.” Inside, her conscience was screaming, Tell him !
She swallowed hard.
He ran his hand down her side from breast to hip, displacing the few scraps of clothing that remained. “I stayed up late, waiting for your call.”
“I…we sat up late talking.”
He raised his head and looked at her. “Everything all right? You seem disturbed.”
She forced her eyes to open and gave him a smile that was strained around the edges. “A bit. The news they came
She loved Mark desperately, but did she love him enough to give up her very identity, what made her who and what she was? She didn‟t know but was very True Mates: Carol’s Mate
53
afraid the answer to that question was no. Could she expect Mark to feel any different?
Some undetermined length of time later, Carol rose stiffly from her chair, turned off the lights, and headed upstairs. She could hear the soft sounds of lovemaking coming from the alphas‟ room, and it brought a bittersweet smile to her mouth. She‟d grown up around such loving devotion. First with her parents, and later the alphas. She‟d looked forward to having the same with her mate. Now she knew she never would.
There was no way Mark would ever agree to give up his humanity to be with her. She‟d have to hold on to every moment, every memory they created, and pray that it was enough to sustain her into old age. She‟d never love another the way she loved him. Eventually, hopefully, when enough time had passed and the pain wasn‟t so fresh, she‟d find a male she and her wolf could tolerate. Maybe one who‟d lost his mate as well and was only looking for companionship.
She closed her bedroom door behind her, stripped, curled up on the bed, burying her nose in the mattress that held their combined scents, and allowed herself to grieve.
* * *
After a leisurely breakfast, the alphas left around noon to return to Refuge.
Carol got into her car and drove to a nearby state park. She strolled one of the lesser-used wooded paths until she reached a remote area. Testing the air, she assured herself that she was alone before taking off her clothes and hiding them behind a tree. Then she gave over to her wolf and lost herself in the joy of running.
She hunted a few rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons that came out of their dens, more for the fun of the chase than for any desire to eat. Later, she lay on a fallen log near a small, icy stream and basked in the sun. As the sun sank in the west, she slowly made her way back to where she‟d stashed her clothing, shifted, and dressed.
Shivering a bit in the dropping temperatures, she picked up the pace to get her blood pumping since she wasn‟t dressed for the weather. As a shifter, she could 54
Zena Wynn
tolerate the cold better than humans, but without her fur, even she could feel the cold if not properly attired.
Upon arriving home, she found Mark planted on the stoop of her doorway like he‟d been there for hours and was prepared to linger for several more. She opened the car door, and he was there.
“You didn‟t call,” he growled.
Everything in her came to a boiling point. The feelings she‟d spent the day attempting to outrun erupted in a conflagration of desire based in desperation, and she launched herself at him. Mark caught her midair. Carol fused her mouth to his as she wrapped her arms and legs around him like an anaconda.
Carol didn‟t know how they made it into the house. When she came back to herself, they were on the wooden floor of the foyer. What clothing hadn‟t been ripped to pieces was shoved out of the way.
Mark sprawled on top of her, panting. “Damn, baby, if being around your people makes you respond like this, they need to come more often.” Carol closed her eyes and gently ran her hands over his scalp in a tender caress. “I missed you last night.” Inside, her conscience was screaming, Tell him !
She swallowed hard.
He ran his hand down her side from breast to hip, displacing the few scraps of clothing that remained. “I stayed up late, waiting for your call.”
“I…we sat up late talking.”
He raised his head and looked at her. “Everything all right? You seem disturbed.”
She forced her eyes to open and gave him a smile that was strained around the edges. “A bit. The news they came
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