David POV
I stalked back into the home and headed to my office. I trudged along the hallways, trying not to shift. And I made a concerted effort not to ruin anything in the process. I only completed one of those tasks, and shifting was what I had not done when I walked two feet into my office.
I can't even recall what I hurled, crashed, or flung carelessly through the hallways and rooms on my approach to my office. It made no difference. There was only so much I could do to contain my enraged wolf before he lost all control.
I wanted to be alone, so I slammed the door behind me. Behind me, I could hear multiple sets of footsteps searching for the precise reason for tonight's events. I'd yelled at everyone to go and terminated the gathering early, but no one knew why. Nobody knew why I was so damned angry, and rightly so. If only they were aware of it.
I growled to myself, "Doesn't she know what's happening?" and with more force than I meant, I threw my chair out from beneath my desk. It shot towards the window, and if the glass hadn't been strengthened, it would have broken through and plummeted three stories below the ground.
I had questions for her, but I had no one to ask. "Does she not know that she is my mate? Can she not tell by my scent like I can tell by hers? What is wrong with her? Is she just frightened? Was she just overwhelmed because I am the Alpha?" All I wanted to do this evening was be by myself.
"Alpha?" a persistent knock on my office door caught my attention. In return, I gave a growl. "We need to talk about this evening." He demanded. Alistair was the most persistent of the elders, he was the typical liaison for them and hence one of the biggest thorns in my side lately. I was growing resentful of him.
I yelled toward the door, "Not now."
Alistair urged, "We need to talk about what happened this evening, Alpha."
I yelled in an even louder voice, "I said not right now." "Go away and leave me be for now, we can discuss things tomorrow." I gave him an order, fully aware that he would have to comply.
He gave in and said, "As you wish, Sir." Even though I couldn't see him through the door, I knew he would at least be bending his head. That's good, I won't have to deal with him anymore tonight.
I had to get moving. I had to reflect. I had to locate her. I was thinking about all of these things at the time. I took a breath of fresh air as I stepped outdoors after opening the balcony door. I was probably going to lose control over the wrong person if I didn't change soon.
I kicked off my shoes and peered down at the ground three levels below. It was more difficult to replace quality shoes than clothes, but I was too impatient to take my time.
I jumped off the balcony and flipped midair as soon as the shoes were securely placed aside. My paws dug into the ground as I fell to all fours. It seemed familiar and reassuring to feel the mud and leaves pushing up between my toes.
I understood that running toward the town would not be a good idea. I would want to track her down and bring her back home. I couldn't decide whether to embrace her or chastise her for running away. My human and wolf minds were at odds with each other when I was thinking. However, I was aware that my only chance of finding her tonight would be to terrify her. For some reason, she had already seemed afraid of me.
I ran in the mountains for the most of the night. It was just what I needed—the tougher the run went, the higher I climbed. Hour by hour, I could feel the frustration draining.
When I returned home at last, it was almost daybreak. I moved and made my way to my room as quietly as possible. I needed a long, hot shower right now.
Usually, I would take a short shower—get in, wash, and get out—as there was no time to linger. But this time, I realised there was value in staying. My emotions and rage seemed to be dissolving in the hot water, leaving behind the tiredness I had hoped the run would cure.
I showered, dried off, and put on a dark grey t-shirt and a pair of hunter green sleep pants. I was worn out. From the gathering, to the evening run, to the morning run, to finding and losing my mate twice in one day. I was psychologically and physically worn out. I fell into a restless slumber.
I had constant dreams about a girl. A girl I'd only really seen in passing up in the distance. Up close, I had seen her physique perfectly fine, but I had not seen her face at all. She was sporty yet short and slender. The delicate, supple feel of her flesh was enhanced by the rigidity of muscles beneath the skin of her arm.
She seemed shorter than most she-wolves, although that might have just been because of how we were standing. She was so much shorter than me. I considered all women, including pack women, to be short because I was taller than the typical male.
Her beautiful, dark brown hair caught my attention as she ran away from me. Waves of it cascaded down her back, mesmerising. Her skin tone gave off the impression of having been kissed by the moon. She appeared to be a natural colour; she was pale but not terribly pale. Additionally, it enhanced her beauty. I wish I could have seen her face. In the dream, I told myself over and over. I would then have a full image.
even from within the dream, my body was responding to her. Both when I first landed on her and when I grasped her arm, I felt a thrill go through me. Until the mating was complete and I marked her, our bodies would continue to call to one another.
The dream was getting darker as it went on. There was a deep purple cloud that began to engulf the sky and creep across the ground. everything it touched appeared to scream in agony and pain; it was unnatural. The girl who would be my mate was standing just out of reach as the cloud surrounded her, and pack members were fleeing from it in terror. She was gone when it faded. I couldn't tell where she was.