Intrigue

Kate and Derik rushed out, forming a protective barrier around Kat, while Jack charged toward the wolf, shouting to deter it. The creature, its fangs dripping with saliva, growled menacingly.

"Leave! You don't want trouble. Go!" Jack's voice echoed. The wolf locked eyes with each of them, lingering on Kat for a moment before snorting and retreating into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Jack confronted Jason, who cowered in fear after wetting himself. With a single effortless motion, Jack hoisted Jason by his shirt collar, delivering a chilling warning, "If you ever show your face here again, I won't intervene next time. The wolves will have their feast, and I'll enjoy the show." Jason trembled as Jack tossed him aside like garbage, scrambling to flee in his car.

"You're nothing, Kat. You never meant a thing to me," his cowardly parting words.

Kat stood bewildered, enveloped in Kate's comforting embrace. She couldn't even muster the strength to return the hug. Approaching her, Jack demanded her keys, and she obliged.

The drive home was silent, no questions asked, no answers given until Kat broke the silence, "You've got a wolf problem here, don't you?"

Catching his gaze, she saw a hint of acknowledgment in his eyes. "Something like that," he admitted. Kat couldn't help but tease, "Is that your only line?"

Jack responded with a smile. Arriving home, he dropped her off and left without a word. Kat entered cautiously, checking every corner for signs of Jason's presence.

Terrified by tonight's events, she resolved to speak to Earl tomorrow, to apologize and arrange to move on. Exhausted, she collapsed into bed, only to awaken in the middle of the night with an eerie sensation of being watched.

Peering out the window, she was met by the intense gaze of the black wolf from earlier. They locked eyes, sharing an unspoken connection, before the creature disappeared into the night.

Kat couldn't shake the feeling of melancholy as she drifted back to sleep, pondering the mysterious encounter.

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Elijah's view. 

I felt irritated. It was against our policy to involve tourists with the pack, yet Nick went ahead and invited her to meet us! If she was planning to stay, I needed to investigate. We'd made it deliberately tough for humans to settle here, but a few managed somehow. None knew about the Shadowfang pack, except for mates, and they were rare.

As I approached the diner, a tantalizing scent filled my senses. My clenched fists relaxed, and I found myself inhaling deeply. It was a blend of evergreen, jasmine, and an artificial coconut scent (ew, I don't think that was supposed to be there). "Mate! Mate! Mate!" echoed in my mind. Enzo, my wolf, was ecstatic, but I couldn't believe it. We couldn't find our mate for so long. I slammed open the diner door, and there she was, seated among my Beta, Gamma, and my Gamma's mate. She was the most stunning being I'd ever laid eyes on—deep brown waves cascading down her back, mesmerizing brown eyes, and lips that begged to be kissed. I could sense her arousal, or so I thought. Then, abruptly, she turned away. "She doesn't want us?" Enzo whimpered. My heart sank, and anger surged through me as I stormed out.

Shifting into my wolf form, I dashed into the woods, running aimlessly for what felt like hours. Lost in my thoughts, I was jolted back to reality by her cry, "What are you doing here, Jason?" Who the hell was Jason? I bolted to investigate and saw that scumbag attempting to lay hands on my mate. Without hesitation, I intervened, swiftly incapacitating him before he could harm her. Enzo was wild with fury, and I struggled to control him. Standing over the wretch, I fought the urge to tear him apart. "Leave! You don't want trouble. Go!" Jack's voice snapped me back to my senses. He was my most trusted warrior, grounding me in reality. I glanced at everyone, ending with my mate. She seemed repulsed. With a shake of my head, I snorted and retreated into the night. 

She haunted my thoughts, her rejection etched on her beautiful face. It tore at my heart. But why? Were we not appealing to her? As a human, she wouldn't experience the bond like wolves do, but there should have been some connection, however faint. After pacing restlessly in my secluded cabin—a refuge from the bustle of the pack—I finally opened the mind link. This cabin, nestled away from the packhouse, was off-limits for miles around, a private sanctuary known only to a few. Jack entered the mind link. "She's safe at home, sir." "Thank you, Jack, I appreciate it," I replied, pausing for a moment. "You know, don't you?" "The longing in your gaze was unmistakable, but it's not my place to pry, sir. I won't breathe a word of it. I don't think the others picked up on it." "Thank you, Jack, you've always been a loyal friend to me and my kin," I expressed, but there was no response as the mind link dissolved.

Deciding to take a glimpse of her, I shifted and ventured to the barn. I startled her horse, as Nick had described, but paid it no heed. Standing in the clearing, I listened to her rhythmic breaths, lost in my thoughts until her rustling drew me back to the window. Our eyes met, and time seemed to halt. Enzo yearned to approach her. "We must proceed cautiously, Enzo," I asserted. "We need to gauge her interest first, and then win her over. She's human; she doesn't feel as we do." Enzo whimpered but turned back to the woods, leaving our potential mate behind once more.