Let's Get To Work.

GUNNAR

Where the hell was she now?

I kept staring at the direction my second-chance mate had gone after the little argument we had. Although I had tried my best to restrain my anger back then, her hurt and pain still buzzed down the mate bond like a white noise.

She had no idea how damn lucky that my wolves were near when the hyenas attacked us. The effects of the drug were barely fading now, but if they hadn't come to our aid, we would have surely died back there.

That's why I snapped at her. She might have been fortunate to survive up to now, but with this naive character, she'd be chewed up and spat out in my pack in a matter of seconds.

“Damn it, she's taking too long, Odin.” I said to the gray wolf by my side. From what I could sense from the mate bond, she certainly wasn't in any form of danger, so why hadn't she returned yet? Unless...

I shot to my feet, feeling my blood boil in anger as I considered the possibility of her running away. Her scent still lingered in the air, but it was getting fainter as seconds passed by. “You don't think she ran because I scolded her, right? What kind of wolf is she?”

Odin opened its eyes and gave me a look I knew so well. It was the second-strongest wolf apart from Saint and one of the unfeeling creatures I had ever encountered.

I snarled, “No, I'm not overreacting, Odin! That woman is up to no good, and she could endanger our lives any second!”

Aqua didn't know about the life bond I shared with the eight wolves of the Fire Storm pack, and that was a secret I didn't intend to tell her. Those wolves saved my life on multiple occasions, and they were like my family. I just couldn't gamble their lives because of a woman I had met in less than a fucking week!

“That's it,” I said, brushing off the dust from my jeans. “We have to find her.”

We moved through the forest, tracking her down with her scent as we walked in the direction I knew she had taken. My breath came in short, sharp bursts as I called out her name, the sound swallowed by the vast, whispering darkness. Twigs snapped underfoot, and the faint rustling of leaves sent shivers down my spine.

Heavens, what if something bad happened to her?

“Aqua!” I shouted for the umpteenth time, desperation creeping into my voice. The cold air bit at my skin, making me shiver despite my heart pounding in my chest.

Just when I was about to change direction and return to the Wind Ridge Pack, I suddenly caught a glimpse of movement in a small clearing up ahead. My heart leaped into my throat as I quickened my pace, stumbling over roots and low branches.

There she was, kneeling on the damp forest floor, her delicate hands gently plucking wild herbs from the ground. Aqua lifted her head as soon as she sensed my presence, her face illuminated by the soft moonlight.

I ran my hands across my face, relief washing over me, but the feeling of anger quickly took root in my chest. I growled, “What the hell are you doing here, gathering some weeds? I thought you said you needed to pee, Aqua.”

She flushed red and then held up the plants, shaking some sand from the roots. “These are not weeds. They're medical herbs that are good for healing wounds.”

I shot her a look that said there was no way in hell I was going to let her use those plants on me. To me, she was just a little jinx given by the moon goddess to punish me for refusing to repair her dilapidated temple in my pack.

Still, this was just too much, wasn't it?

My second-chance mate wasn't just naive; she was clumsy and reckless. I had never come across someone who simply had a death wish like this one, and she was driving me insane.

“Look, I know you don't trust me, but I just want to fix whatever damage I caused for your wolf and leave.” She gathered the herbs in her hands and stood up. “I'm sure you and I can come up with some sort of arrangement to break the mating bond no matter where we are, right?”

My temper flared again, causing me to approach her in slow, deliberate steps. My hand curled around her elbow, yanking her towards me. I scowled, “The only arrangement between us is the one we agreed on before I saved your life. You are not returning to your pack tonight, and you are going to get rid of these damn plants before I do it myself. Do you understand me?”

“Y-Yes,” she whimpered, her body trembling in my grip.

Odin gave me a warning growl from behind, but I ignored it. I had always been a person with extreme mood swings, and it was very difficult for me to stay in the middle ground. But at least I was doing well until she came along and turned my world upside down.

She recoiled the moment I released her, rubbing her elbow with a glare that could’ve scorched the earth. Which was kind of funny since she couldn't maintain eye contact with me for more than ten seconds.

“What a big bully,” she murmured, bitterness lacing her voice. “All he does is force his opinion on everyone.”

I snapped my head towards her direction, my eyes going wolf. “What did you just say?”

“I-I said I can't wait for this mate bond to be broken.” Her voice shook as she flinched right in front of me. “That's what you want, right? To get rid of me?”

The anger in my heart vanished when I heard the slight tremor in her voice. The wolf behind me retreated into the shadows of the forest while I approached her. “Yes, that's exactly what I want. So let's get to work.”

Aqua’s eyes widened in disbelief. She whipped her head around, scanning her surroundings as though she couldn’t comprehend what I’d just said. “Here? You want us to... do that here?”

“It's what your wolf wants,” I shrugged to mask the intensity of my words. She didn't reply but I could sense her disbelief pressing against my mind so I added. “You might not have done your research but we are currently in the first stage of the mating ritual. Don't you notice the overwhelming urge to be with me at all times? Don't you feel the desire to touch me, skin to skin?”

She trembled for a second and then, nodded with wide eyes. “How did you know that?”

Exasperation mixed with amusement coursed through me as I studied her silly expression. I spent most of our time together talking about the mate bond, but she clearly hadn't grasp the full weight of it. So I replied, “That's what my true mate, Tia once told me.”

“Your true mate? How did she—”

I grabbed her and started walking before she could complete that sentence. The last thing I wanted was to talk about my true mate with a throbbing erection so I said, “Do you know what your problem is? You need to stop talking and start doing some action instead. Follow me.”