Chapter Four

The bullet train took us down into the city's skyscrapers built for the harsh weather amongst the mountain. This place looked like it stayed frozen year round. The city- everything from the neon flashing signs to the tinted windows was made to withstand. The bullet train's tracks were the only thing not covered in snow since it went so fast the snow did not have time to conjugate. There were open rooftop saunas with steam so thick it was hard to make out who was using them. 

This town had me on edge. What kind of wolves survived here? The train lead into the woods by the edge of town and came to its last stop where a small community with residents owned private weather resistant mansions. The community's buildings were thinner since the cover of trees protected them from the environment's harsh conditions.  

The train's station was nested twenty feet above the ground near the tree tops where it would circle in a one-way loop and leave for the city. I followed Aimee off the train and down the station's building toward the exit. There was nobody in the station except for an old lady in a janitor's jumpsuit. The building itself seemed to be operating on its own. 

Cas took my hand in his when we came across the exit. His touch gave me a shiver as realization dawned on me. It was freezing here. He looped his arm around my neck when he noticed. His over protective mannerisms seemed to kick in as we walked outside. 

"What now?" Cas asked Aimee as she stopped dead in her tracks. It was as if she seemed loss. 

"It's this way," she said as if glitching out of her loss. She lead us down the street and toward a side road leading toward the woods. 

"Jossie is getting cold," he told her as he looked at me with concern. As if I haven't made a run similar to what we're about to go on. I just survived last night. This won't be a big deal. "We can't go just yet. She won't make it in this weather," he said. I glanced after his hand as he gestured toward the woods. There was a thick dust preventing us from looking in the trees and seemed to be headed in our direction. It was like a storm. My teeth began to chatter as my hair pushed back from a gush of wind coming out from the woods.

"We're gonna have to postpone," Aimee whispered as she stopped dead in her tracks. She began to back up toward us. She waved for us to turn around. "Jossie, come on," she ordered as she grabbed my hand suddenly. "We have to get you to cover." She started to drag me after her as Cas let me go and began to follow. We ran as the storm's rushing wind began to cry at us as it picked up and was coming. She took us a few blocks down the road before we came across a convenience store. A woman was about to lock the doors but flung them open for us when she noticed we were coming. There were two sets of doors protecting the store from the storm. Two layers as it had its very on foyer. 

We made it inside and I turned around to find Cas helping the lady shut and lock the first set of doors leading to the outside. The wind carried into the store and knocked a few stands over as the snow piled across the floor. They got the second set of doors and I was full of relief. 

"What were you doing outside in that?" The lady asked with concern as she turned toward Aimee. "Ms. Aimee!" She bowed politely as she recognized her scent. "It's an honor to have you here." She flickered her eyes to me before coming over fast. "My dear... Your lips are blue," she said as she rushed me toward the weenie stand to get me close to the only source of heat. I moaned slightly as the scent of meat hit me and my mouth watered. 

"I'm on orders to secure these two safely to the boarders," Aimee explained to the pack mate as she shook off some snow in her hair. "Do you know how long that thing outside will take to pass?"

"It's gonna be here all day," the lady supposed as she never took her eyes off me. She began to rub my hands to warm them up by hers. They were hot and comfortable. Cas growled angrily as he looked outside at the weather. 

"This is your fault," he accused as he looked at Aimee. "You knew that thing was coming didn't you? But, you brought us here anyway!"

"I don't keep up with the weather," Aimee snarled. "If your girlfriend knew how to shift like any normal wolf we could be on our way right now." I gasped as Cas' body started to make bone crackling snaps. He was fighting a transformation right now! I went toward him but was stopped as the lady wouldn't let my hands go and held still. 

"Cas stop," I pleaded. Aimee didn't looked fazed by him as she moved my way suddenly and reached over me to take a weenie straight off the rack and threw it his way. 

"Eat a dog and stop barking," she growled. "You're pissing me off." She looked at the lady holding onto me. "Put a bill up for us we're hungry." She looked me in the eyes suddenly. "Eat whatever you want it's on Alpha Artyom."

"Have whatever you want," the lady told me cheerily as she squeezed my hands. 

I nodded as I looked in Cas' direction to see him still fuming. Our eyes locked and he seemed to calm down on behalf of me. His eyes darted to the weenies and even I noticed he couldn't resist it. 

"Do you have a phone, I need to call the Alpha," Aimee said as she darted toward the resister. The lady separated from us to go after her and explain where it was. There was a small area in the back of the store where tables were set up as if this happened a lot. We took one of the closest tables and waited for Aimee to come over with hopeful good news.

Aimee came over after fifteen with a better expression on her face. She carried a corn dog as she spun it around in-between her fingers it was already half ate. 

"Artyom is arranging for us a ride out of here. It should be here shortly and take us straight to the boarders. We're gifting it to you. Think of it as the first of many..." She looked at me suddenly as she spoke. "He specifically ordered me to say for you to think of him as an ally..." 

Ethan's POV:

Yellow roses, sunflowers, and pink tulips were the first to be seen when I opened my eyes and raised my head slowly. Those were recognizable flowers for patients getting well in the hospital's ward. I smelled the hospital's bleach stench of sterilized equipment. I could hear the heart monitor slowly accelerating. There were get well cards by my flowers that must have came from the family. I growled lightly as flashes of that bastard defeating me went through my mind. I trembled as I tried to stay cool from ripping the room apart.

"Ethan!" I heard a cheery voice say from the doorway. I faced away from the windows to see Charlotte's huge smile crossing her face.

Everything paused as I took her in.

My heart pounded hard in my chest.

It was breathtaking to see her be the first person here after I wake. Her bright smile promised I was the only person to make her feel that way. I was entranced. Her curly red toned brown hair was down today meaning she was off from work. Camren probably gave it to her after last night. She came here because she wanted to. Not for business. She was dressed in a black overalls outfit with a V-neck button up knit long sleeve underneath. It was off shoulder revealing her bra straps underneath. She had on a pair of old sneakers which made me suspect she had went out for a run recently.

"You're awake! The doctors said you wouldn't be awake for at least another day." Her heels clicked as she came over to my bedside. She held a purse in one hand with my familiar duffle bag in the other. She dropped them when she reached me and leaned in toward my body as she seemed to touch something on my head which made me flinch as pain shot out from my head. I remembered then suffering from my cousin's jaws cracking my head in before leaving me barely alive in the cold wet snowy creek's bed. "Ethan, how bad does it hurt?" She asked me worriedly.

I grabbed her wrist to stop her touching me and gave it a squeeze as I yanked her across until she was tumbling into my chest. I pulled her into a quick hug as I leaned down into her neck and smelled a sweet vanilla perfume warding me of no scent. I squeezed her tighter as I felt my eyes watering up.

"Should I get you a nurse?" She whispered as she stayed very still in my arms. Almost obeying whatever I chose to do next. I could hear her heartbeat throbbing in her chest as if she was nervous now... or excited. I widened my mouth just an inch. I was very subtle as I felt the urge to lunge my jaws into her neck and let loose.

"Ethan," I heard Camren's voice suddenly as he revealed himself in the doorway. Cam looked like he had been busy all morning. He smelled dirty like the earth and mud of the boarders near the rogue pack. He had a healing wound gashed out across his neck running around it and down at the same time. He looked like he had been in a fight last night and the only ones I have ever seen leave a scar across his body was his own father, an alpha. He was wearing a joggers outfit that came from one of the boxes out in the woods nearby, I recognized the color coding. He came from a hunt, the kill fresh on him with dry blood smeared across his body leaving a killers scent on him. His head leaned down as he came into the room. I let Charlotte go as she scrambled to get off me and ran for the doorway.

"I'll get a nurse," she told him as she bowed in his direction. Camren stepped out of her way as he watched her leave before giving me a confused expression.

"Did you..." he trailed off as he gave a small smirk as if he caught on to me already. "Wake up that way?" He asked suddenly as his eyes looked away from me. I cringed as I felt something twitch and it dawned on me. I looked down at an arch in the sheets. I was rock hard and fairly obvious. "Or did she make you that way?" He asked me as he sat down in the only chair for guests in the room.

"Man," I said as I grabbed one of my pillows and shoved it down over my hard on and felt it slowly deflating in his presence. "If you ever say anything about this I will use this very pillow to smother you in your sleep," I warned him jokingly. He laughed as he looked at me lovingly.

"I'm so glad you're ok man," he said as he pushed his hand into his jaw and cracked a few knuckles. I waited for some time as I was hoping the nurse would come in but when she didn't the silence was too strong for me to bare it any longer. I had to ask the question sitting in the room. It was the main purpose of everything that happened last night. Everything he prepared for and I could smell didn't happen.

"So did you mark your mate?" I asked as I knew the answer already when he stepped into the room. He still smelled unmated. Something happened last night, I can see it in his eyes its more than just what happened with Artyom.

"She took off to Artyom's territory with that fuckwit who convinced her they're mates," he growled angrily as his whole face vibrated with jealous anger. His eyes darkened as I could tell her was thinking something vile. "I don't understand... He had her scent all over him. Why did she mark him? We're mates- we're mates! There is no such thing as more than one mate. I don't understand how he convinced her. When I get my hands on him I swear I will-"

"So she's in Artyom's territory?" I asked with concern. That's not very good...

"Yeah."

"That rogue won't stand a chance," I whispered.

"Artyom will kill him."

"What will Artyom do with her?"

"I don't know... he's so unpredictable."

"I thought he would kill me," I whispered.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Not that I remember, Camren. I was barely breathing when he so obviously decided last second to let me live."

I would not tell him even IF I did remember anything he might have said to be. Camren doesn't need to know of any malicious last words that bastard shared with me before I lost consciousness. It won't help the situation now.

"I need a shower... Come find me when you're released," he told me as he stood up. "I didn't plan on being here for long. Mother is upset with me about last night. She thought she would have grandbabies on the way by now but instead her future daughter in law ran away with a different mate last night. I have to smooth things over and reassure her everything is fine."

"Your mother is insufferable."

"I'm convinced all mothers are." He got up and headed toward the door but stopped as he looked back at me then at the flowers before at me again. "Why don't you just mark her already? I see the way you look at my assistant. I won't judge you if you prefer to mark an omega."

"No," I told him firmly. "It's not my place to steal her from a chance of happiness with her real soul mate. I wouldn't accept being a stand-in lover anyway."

He nodded as he looked to accept it as he turned and left through the doorway. I felt a sense of relief wash over me as I lifted up the pillow to see it went down at last. Camren... He really can ruin a mood. I stuffed the pillow back behind my back as I heard footsteps coming light enough to be recognizable as the nurse and Charlotte.