Dancing with the Shadows // #wattys2019

Chapter 6

Cedric sighed, leaning back in his chair. His eyes swept the office around him, and fell on the open window, onto the trees outside.

He'd left her. He'd had to leave her. He'd had business to attend to back at the pack. He'd left Roman and his Delta, Thom, behind to sort out the logistics of the trip. But, he hadn't been able to stop himself from opening the email Thom had sent him with all information he'd been able to get from Caia's social media accounts, university pages, and anything else he could find from Midnight Star.

Cedric had spent a very unproductive afternoon browsing through it all. Kimber Alman. It must have been so easy, just say that was her preferred name, and let everything else fall away. He was curious why she had opted for Midnight Star when her uncle's pack was so close by, but the thought fell aside as he became wrapped up in pictures from the last four years.

A picture of her and a group of freshman girls in their dorm, celebrating coming to the university.

A picture of her with a dollop of ice cream on her nose, the sun shining off her still-red hair.

A picture of her with her surrounded by books, complaining about finals.

A picture of her at the gym, posing with another girl, the muscles in her back much more pronounced.

A picture of her with her arms around Jason and her brother, Wren, celebrating a weekend visit up from Pennsylvania to the city.

Cedric shut the lid of the computer and ran a hand through his hair. He'd decided, once he'd left her apartment, that that was it. It didn't matter what he'd felt. She'd rejected him, and he'd had to live with that. He'd had to live with the knowledge that he'd driven his mate away, and was comfortable knowing that she was tucked away in New York where he would probably never see her again. He'd had half a mind to call Morninghill and tell them that only Teleri was required.

But then, he'd been awoken by his wolf at five in the fucking morning, to that scent that felt like a drug, and he'd been out the door in a minute, only half in control of his body as he let his wolf steer.

And Caia had been there, chest heaving, looking like she might kill him, run from him, or pounce on him, he wasn't sure which.

He wasn't sure how or why she'd managed to get away from him again, but he could still feel her lips on his. Could still feel her in his arms.

"Fuck." His fist hit the desk, and his hand was at his neck undoing the tie already hanging loosely there, stripping off the shirt, and throwing the wide window open. He jumped, and shifted in mid-air, heading for the forest.

Cedric hadn't even considered that he might run into her while in the city. He'd seen the names Teleri and Brendon, and that had been it. The plan had only been to go from the car to the meeting, to the hotel, and back to the pack the next day.

Four years. Four years he'd survived without a Luna, four years without a mate, without a partner. And now he was acting like a dumbass twenty-three-year-old again because a girl smelled like a couple of plants.

He sprinted on all fours along the territory. He ran until he could focus on the landscape, could only taste the scent of the river on his tongue.

His mother, Sophie, was waiting for him at the pack house, clothes in her hands. "The Silver Claw representatives have arrived," she said quietly, "Go get changed, they're waiting in your office."

His office that he had thrown his shit around in, in his momentary temper tantrum.

He nodded at her and padded around the side of the house, where she followed. She handed him the clothes after he shifted, and he quickly changed and began his way back up to his office.