Forsaken by E. M. Moore
10
The chill in the air barely touches me. It’s a shifter superpower. We hardly ever need coats to keep warm because we have full-fledged wolf DNA hidden inside us. Despite what I initially thought when we rolled onto the alpha’s grounds, we’re not imprisoned in the cabin. Everyone has left at some point today—some to see their families, others to check in with their mates like I’m getting ready to do.
I slip my shirt over my head, bundling it neatly in the backpack I brought. It’s a shifter’s best friend. I’ll pack everything in here, then when I get to the edge of town, I’ll shift back into my human form, get dressed, and continue on like nothing happened.
My wolf is eager to get out and run on these grounds. She hasn’t done it since the night of our first shift.
I unclasp my bra, tucking it away neatly before slipping my panties off last. Once I’m fully naked, I quicken my pace. As shifters, you’re bound to see some skin, but I don’t make a habit of changing slowly either. Zipping the bag, I leave it at my feet, and then mentally move myself to the back as my wolf claws forward, ready to make her appearance.
She’s so happy during the shift that I almost don’t feel the twist of muscles and snap of bones as my body rearranges itself into its new form. The first time I shifted, it fascinated the shit out of me. Sure, I’d seen others do it, but I couldn’t fathom how my body would do the same. It was so nerve-racking. I honestly thought I was going to be a dud, but that day was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. I even got a mate out of it.
Well, for a whole ten seconds until Gayle keened so loudly I thought someone died.
I shake my head. Her howl had stopped me in my tracks, and I hate to even think of it now. It reminds me of my own pain. What she’d felt, I felt a split second after when Sean turned his back on me. I’ve often wondered who hurt more: The girl who had him when they were human? Or the mate that fate paired him with? I suppose there’s not a scale for grief.
Once in my wolf skin, I don’t feel the cold at all. Daybreak lives up in the mountains, so it’s several degrees cooler than Greystone Academy. If you look carefully, all the Daybreak shifters have a thicker coat than the others.
Being in my wolf while she’s in control is pretty cool. It’s like sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Sometimes, I find myself wanting to pump the brakes, but with shifter abilities comes shifter skills. My wolf dodges trees, leaps over brush, and stretches her legs without even making herself work too hard.
Despite never fully exploring this area of Daybreak before—human or wolf—I find the edge of the city easily with my superior sense of smell. Sean’s work happens to sit kitty-corner from a chocolate shop, so I homed in on that aroma as I made my way here. Now that I’m this close, it’s super potent. My wolf’s nose wrinkles. She’d rather eat raw steaks.
She drops the bag behind the tree and lies down on her stomach. As soon as she places her head on the floor between her pawed feet, we start to shift. It comes much easier now than it did when I first got to Greystone. That’s one thing I’ll always agree with Kinsey about. It’s not really fair to send newly shifted wolves away when they’re just getting used to their wolf bond. Of course, not every wolf who ends up at Greystone is a newbie. Sometimes, they’re made to wait until their fated pair shifts at a later date. Those cases are rare, though.
Bearing down on my jaw, I hold back the flash of searing agony as I switch from one being to another. I let out a whoosh as soon as the shift is complete and then immediately get to work putting on the clothes I brought with me. I settle down once I have my bra and underwear on. If anyone were to spot me now, at least I’m wearing as much now as I would at a public pool.
My wolf and I have always been seamless companions. I’ve seen other shifters struggle against their true nature, so I guess I’m lucky to have found a partner rather than someone who wants to fight me on everything.
I stash the backpack to come back for it later. Sean never texted me again, so I have no doubt my sudden appearance will be a surprise to him. I check my phone one last time before I start off for the tree line. Nothing.
Nerves bottleneck inside my throat, pushing down into my chest until my heart rate picks up. I haven’t seen Sean in three weeks. Tuesday would’ve been a mandatory meeting, a meeting he most likely would’ve attempted to get out of using the solstice party as an excuse.
Every time I see him, it’s like a punch to the gut. It’s an attraction that isn’t reciprocated. I’ve often wondered if fate got it wrong, or if she only mated us on my side but not his. He never talks about a pull toward me. He never talks about a superpowered magnet that brings us together. In the year it’s been since fate paired us, we haven’t bonded as much as Kinsey and Jonah did and they were only mates for a few weeks.
I take a trail that leads from the woods to the sidewalk. Dirt-beaten paths like this exist all over town for the very reason why I’m using it. People run in their shifter forms and then end up near town, so these paths became a necessity for getting around.
Unconsciously, I smooth down my outfit. I’m wearing a simple pair of jeans and a forest green V-neck shirt. I have no idea what Sean’s plans are—if anything—so I went with casual. And yes, I totally bucked the system. If they want me to wear my Daybreak uniform, they’re going to have to make me.
Curious glances watch me as I set a pace toward the law offices. I nod and smile to some of them and get surprised, clipped responses back. Their eyes are on me like I’m a sideshow exhibition. Not all of them are mean-spirited, though, some are just curious and far too many are sad. They’re probably mated and can’t imagine what life would be like without their mate.
I check my watch. I’m a couple of minutes early, so I wait outside, leaning against the brick building. From this vantage point, I can see all of the major downtown area. A couple streets on either side of Main host businesses before the landscape moves to residential areas. At that point, the property lines expand, giving the families ample room to shift and play in their yards. The extra square footage means Daybreak reaches out further than a normal city, even if the populations are similar.
The bell rings on the door, and I stand at attention. My heart rises into my throat as I peek around the side of the building. It’s not Sean. It’s the principal of my old high school. Slinking back, I let her leave without seeing me and check my watch again. It’s five minutes past six. There’s still no text, so I decide to head into Sean’s office to see what’s going on.
Blowing out a breath, I run my hands through my newly dyed hair and push the door open. I blink, using my wolf’s vision to adjust to the change in light. Despite it being a little later, there’s still a major difference in light levels as I step over the threshold.
In an interior room, I hear Sean’s voice, and I follow it until I hit a barrier of a woman sitting at a desk. She blinks at me. “Mia, is that you?”
I freeze where I am, shocked when I see Daisy, one of my friends from school. “Oh my gosh, hey,” I reply. “I didn’t know you worked here, too.”
She comes out from around the side of the desk, and I stiffen again. “That’s because you’ve been gone for so long,” she chides, as if I have a say in what happens with my life right now.
Seeing her, listening to her casual conversation, makes me bitter. I can’t believe she gets to work with Sean every day and has the gall to tell me it’s because “I’ve been gone.” The reason why I’ve been gone is someone she works with.
“I’m here to see Sean. I thought I heard him.”
“Oh yeah, he’s in the back. He and Mr. Caproli do a rundown after every day. I’m sure he’ll be out shortly.”
I tap my foot. I don’t know why, it’s not as if I’m not used to waiting for him.
“You must be so excited to be back in town,” she says.
“Yeah,” I tell her. “Thrilled.”
“I’ll be excited to see you at the Winter Solstice festivities this year.”
“Me too,” I say dryly.
I was worried this would happen. I’ve been away for so long that it doesn’t feel like I fit in anymore. Everyone else went about their lives while I’ve been stuck at the academy, pining for someone who just has to sign his name on a dotted line for me to get out. Hell, I’d live with him as a nun if it meant I could escape from Greystone. Yet, somehow our society thinks this is the best way. It’s supposed to teach us about being better shifters; better mates.
Everything is about mates.
“It’s such a shame—”
I decide to stop her right there. “Hey, I’m so out of touch. Have you mated with anyone?”
Her face falls. “No, not yet.”
A pang of guilt hits me. Her revelation hasn’t made me feel any better about my own situation. At least one good thing comes out of it: she doesn’t talk to me again. She turns and moves back behind the desk.
Somewhere to my right, a door opens. Sean’s big laugh echoes around the lobby, and my back immediately straightens. Inside, my wolf’s ears perk up. I turn to find him exiting a room with his head facing behind him still. I see his awareness of me before he even confirms I’m here. His jaw tightens, nose pulling back just the slightest bit. I instantly recognize his scent. To me, he smells like fire—something spicy and hot.
He turns slowly, and I pull my shoulders back. “Hi, Sean.”
He inspects me from head-to-toe, stopping at my hair for a while. “Hey, Mia.” He checks his watch. “Is it that time?”
“It is,” I say, wondering if he made me wait for him on purpose or if he really didn’t care enough to make sure he was on time.
Mr. Caproli gives me a sour look before marching into an office. He’s done some work with my parents before, so he knows who I am, but he must not be worried about keeping up the acquaintance anymore.
Inside, I begin to panic. It’s what I always feared. Even if Sean did take me back, do I even belong here anymore? Will I always be the shifter her mate didn’t want?
There are other rejected mates in Daybreak that came back, but none of them were gone as long as I have. Everyone here must think I’m persona non grata.
“Let me grab my stuff,” Sean says.
His deep voice rumbles through me, and the flicker of recognition that we’re a mated pair flames to life. It’s not as all-consuming as it used to be, though. The longing was so strong when it first happened that I thought it would break me. To be honest, a part of me was glad that Sean stopped coming to so many meetings. After each one, I feel like shit. It’s like being next to something you can never have and trying to be okay with it. It’s stronger than a want, though. It’s a need. A clawing, desperate sort of need.
He turns and disappears down the long hallway. Neither Daisy nor Mr. Caproli pay me any attention as I wait for him. In a few minutes, he comes waltzing back out. He’s unbuttoned the first button on his black polo and untucked it from his khaki pants. He appears more casual now, and it sets me a little at ease as he walks forward.
I stand there awkwardly. I’m usually already in the room when he shows up. He just goes right for the couch, plopping down opposite me, avoiding eye contact. Right now, however, we’re eye-to-eye. I’m on his level. I stare at him, practically daring him to do something different.
He stops in front of me, gesturing toward the door. “You ready?”
I nod, turning to leave the office. I glance at Daisy and find her staring. She looks away as soon as I catch her, but I’m sure she’s already texting my would-be friends. None of them kept in touch with me after I got sent away. There were a few who sent condolence texts, like they were somehow grieving with the person who died, but that was it.
I walk out, my sneakers hitting the cement. Behind me, the door rattles closed, and I turn to ask Sean where we’re going, but he’s already marching down the sidewalk and around the side of the building. I follow him, holding tight to his heels. When we move out of view of the street, he whirls on me. “Just what the fuck do you think you’re doing coming into my work, Mia?”
Recognition spears me in the face. There he is. There’s my supposed mate.
