Marrec smiled like a proud father. “That’s my girl.”
She stepped away from him. “Have a great time tonight. Everything is free for you and your Pack. Enjoy.”
“We will.” He turned to head back to his mate.
“I’ll miss you.” She whispered, knowing he would hear her. He nodded once and walked away.
“Are you okay?” Angelina put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. All three of them had been close to Marrec, for varying reasons he was the only father the three of them had ever known.
Sara took a deep breath, “Yeah. I’ll be okay.” She was feeling such a huge sense of loss that she wondered how she could face the rest of the night.
Miki appeared at Sara’s elbow but she was glaring at Angelina. “You know, I wasn’t doing anything wrong.” Clearly she had been arguing with Angelina in her head for the last 10 minutes. “Just seeing what their play-drive is like. That Conall guy clearly has a big play-drive.”
“They’re not dogs, you idiot.”
“Um… I know you didn’t just call me an idiot.”
“Um…” Angelina imitated back, “I think I just did.”
Yup. There went that sense of loss. Sara realized that when she left the next morning there would be no tearful goodbyes with these two. This wasn’t goodbye. These crazy women would always be her best friends. Besides, you never get rid of friends like these. They follow you to hell so they can torture you for eternity.
When Angelina poked Miki in the shoulder with one manicured fingernail, Sara left. Zach had disappeared, but she followed his scent into the woods.
Zach leaned against a tree. He was about half a mile away from the rave. He was waiting for her. And he knew she’d find him.
He smelled her lust even before he could hear her coming. Shit. His dick went hard again.
“You runnin’ away from me already?” Now that she’d healed and become what she truly was always meant to be, Sara moved with a grace and power that he found amazing. She was truly becoming the ultimate she-wolf and loving every minute of it.
“Nope. Just trying to figure out how I could live in California all my life and never once say ‘dude.’ But after hanging out with you three bitches for five days, I suddenly sound like an idiot.”
She punched him in the shoulder. “Dude. That’s harsh.”
Sara grinned and Zach rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “You’re going to make me crazy.”
“It’s a gift.”
He decided to change the subject. “Your friends arguing, how long will that be going on anyway?”
“Finger pointing just started. Next there’ll be yelling. Then, depending how bad it gets, a good old-fashioned slap fight. So it could take hours.”
Her friends were definitely crazier than she was, but only marginally. “Interesting. Any nudity involved?”
Sara nuzzled him under his chin and Zach leaned in and smelled the fresh scent of her hair. “Sorry, mister. No other bitches for you. You’re stuck with just me. Golden Retriever Sara.”
He laughed, “Who?”
She kissed him, “Forget it.”
“Gladly.” He ran his hand across the scarred side of her face. She didn’t flinch away, but instead leaned into it. “You’re sure about this, right?” He’d never asked her if she wanted to go home with him. He’d just assumed, but he was starting to realize that assuming anything with this woman was a bad move.
“I don’t know. California. Actors. Hollywood.” She stuck her tongue out, “Yuck.”
“Don’t stick that thing out unless you plan to use it. And it’s Northern California. Completely different from Southern California. Worlds apart. Besides, you were born there. Not here.”
“I may not have been born here, but I was made here. And don’t you forget it.”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
Sara was busy running her hands over his abs, her hands under his T-shirt, and wasn’t remotely paying attention. “About what?”
He sighed, deeply, and for some reason that seemed to make her chuckle. “Are you coming with me?”
“Sure. But on one condition.”
Zach closed his eyes, “It involves them doesn’t it?”
“They’re my family. So that means every Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Fourth of July, and because Angelina’s Catholic, Easter. You attend dinner and you’re cheery.”
“I’m never cheery.”
“But for me, you will be.”
He shook his head in resignation, “Fine. Whatever.”
“Good. Then yes, I’m coming with you.” She grabbed his hand and began to pull him back to the rave. “Now, feed me, wolf. Your mate’s starving.”
“Sara. Wait.” She turned and looked at him. “I think they want to say goodbye.” Sara frowned as he motioned toward the forest. A female, the alpha of the full wolves, walked into the pale light cast from the rave. Her Pack stood behind her, the dozen pair of eyes watching Zach closely. They still weren’t sure he was good enough for her. He smiled. Without even trying, Sara earned a loyalty from man and beast that he’d never seen before.
The female brushed against Sara, her big body pushing against Sara’s legs. Then she circled them once and returned to her Pack. Zach waited for them to leave, move on silently into the night, but the female had one more thing she had to do before she could let Sara go.
The she-wolf tilted her head back and howled, her Pack joining in. But when the Packs at the rave howled back, both Zach and Sara exchanged startled glances.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Zach whispered in awe as the howling continued. “Three Packs.” He ran his hand down Sara’s back, “Three Packs howling to you, baby.”
Sara turned and looked at her mate, a frown flitting across her beautiful features as recognition dawned. “It was you the other night, wasn’t it?” She asked quietly as she brushed his hair out of his eyes. “That howling I heard that wasn’t like the others. The one I felt…” She closed her eyes for a moment, the memory washing over her. “It was you.” She repeated as her gaze focused on him. “You called to me.”
Zach didn’t reply. He didn’t have to. She already knew the answer. Instead he gripped his mate tight around her hips, pulling her into him. Sara nuzzled her face against his as she trapped him against the tree with her long body.
“I thought you wanted to go eat?” He growled as he felt her hands move down his body. A few more inches and she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“You better fuck me first, wolf.” Her hand unzipped his jeans and slid inside. “Your mate’s starving.”
~ End ~