Chapter Six Greetings

Standing next to the river I am finishing gathering the fish I have tossed onto the bay, completely naked the air breezes past my bits making a chill go through me. Quickening my pace I gather the fish that I caught onto the rope i put it through their mouths and loop it through the gills of the catfish. Glancing around I feel like something is coming, not dangerous but something is going to happen kind of feeling. Another breeze across the rippling blue river sends another chill down my body, I have better shift into Gypsy before I end up sick. Tying the rope into a tight not i shift back into Gypsy and take the rope into our mouth. The catfish dangling as the rope gets pulled up, swings back and forth slightly, the smell of fish hitting my nose making it crinkle some. As much as I come her to fish I swear the smell of fish will always get to me, but it does make a pretty good meal. Ignoring it like always I trot back towards the path leading to my cabin. Happy with my big catch today tail wagging behind me I make my way to the path the fish swooshing back and forth as I go. As we run closer down that path and about half way down that smell from the shop hits my nose again, my mouth watering. Making me forget about the awful fishy smell that lingers just below my snout. Why did it follow me, wasn’t that smell at the shop?

“Katie” Gypsy mind links me, seeming a little more antsy than usual “it’s mate Katie”

My heart suddenly plummets down through our paws, then straight back up and into my throat, mate? Oh I’m so stupid how did I not realize with all the teachings that Helen had given me.

“Because you wouldn’t listen to me,” she interrupts my thoughts again. Annoyed again that I keep shrinking into my thoughts instead of listening.

“I’m sorry Gypsy, I was just in a rush to leave I wasn’t trying to ignore you..” I tell her, she knows how I feel about going out and the anxiety it gives me to go into town. After so many horrible run ins with townies and just being a pure outcast, I really hate being in crowded places. It’s never been ideal for me to stray to far from my cabin since I’ve made it into a home. The scent is becoming stronger now and we continue to run towards it, my heart is thundering again like that horrible night. Flashbacks threaten to erupt from within. It fills me with terror and something else I can’t quite place. I don’t feel like I’m in danger as I run towards the mouth watering scent of my mate but I’m still scared. What if he doesn’t accept me. Or what if he scented me only to reject me as the rouge mutt I am.. my mind starting to race.

“Stop it,” Gypsy growls “ a mate is a blessing from the Goddess herself, the very half of you only your soul knows you need. He will love every piece of you, even the scars. You have those scars through battles that were fought, and bless the Goddess above that you made it out. Even if we are scarred, we are strong, we have fought battles no young wolves should ever have to face and made it out the other side. You’re mate will love you Katie, just keep fighting.”

“I know” is all I can say as her words give me strength, pushing me to keep going.

“Besides we already know who it is, and you would have know at the shop if you didn’t suppress me.” She says pointedly.

Thinking back there’s only one male I talked to today.. Jax. But he didn’t say anything, shouldn’t he have said something if he had known. But he clearly followed me home somehow, so he must have followed my scent.. but I’ve been to town a million times and this has never happened. He must have been in crowds before too? I have travelled a lot around this area and he surely would’ve picked it up. What even day is today.. thinking I realize something. It’s my birthday. My 18th birthday. That would explain why he wouldn’t have scented me before today.. I was so busy with today that I didn’t even realize what day or month it even was, hell I didn’t even notice my mate.. my mate, the thought sends more chills down my spine and my stomach straight to my throat.

I’m not quite sure what all I am running towards but I know for a change it’s nice to run to something, not away.