Rising Storm (Westin Force #2) - Julie Trettel Page 0,53
female, mated or not, at least until our bond was sealed.”
“You’re true mates then?”
“We are. And all he had to do was bite you?”
“I suppose if you want to simplify it, then yeah.”
“He didn’t have to pee on you?”
She laughed. “No, that’s just a figure of speech. They don’t mean literally peeing on you.”
“Well that’s a relief. Thank you, Sondra. I think I’m going to go for a walk now. It was nice talking with you.”
“Anytime, Emma. And don’t worry. You’re doing great.”
I walked outside thinking over what Sondra had told me. I wondered why it seemed so hard for Painter to talk about it. He always put it off when I asked him about it. That didn’t sound so hard though. Maybe he just didn’t want to bond with me.
I stopped and looked around seeing the woods off to my right. I headed in that direction. It felt odd to be outside alone. I’d been in captivity for a while before Painter found me. Since I came to live at the Lodge, I’d only left it twice: once when he took me out to his nest and then for ladies’ night. Both times I’d had an escort with me the entire time.
Sure, I was left alone in the apartment, and I could have left at any time, Lord knows I tried at first, but I just couldn’t leave him. Then he was shot, and everything changed. Now I’m not sure I can ever leave him.
I should feel trapped in this life he dragged me into, but it didn’t feel that way at all. I felt free to truly be me for the first time in my entire life.
Knowing there were possible humans in the area, I waited until I was under the cover of the forest to strip out of my clothes and change into my gorilla. I hadn’t really let her out in a while, and I needed to remember to do that more often. She wanted to spend time with Painter’s gorilla, too. I couldn’t give her that, but I could give her this.
I climbed the closest tree and used the branches to move across the trees. They weren’t really meant for gorillas though. I had to remember this wasn’t the jungle. Still, I managed to make it to the nests with only a few broken limbs.
I checked out the nest he hadn’t let me go near. One sniff and I knew I’d been right. It was Silas’s nest. I climbed up into Painter’s high nest and settled in. I liked his bed just fine, but it would never compare to my mate’s nest.
I laid there staring up at the sky and thinking through the last few weeks as well as what I wanted for my future. I had choices now. I was no longer a prisoner. I was free.
Laying there surrounded by Painter’s scent helped me feel it too.
A rustle in the leaves beneath me set my gorilla on alert. I froze and stayed low in the nest listening. Sensing no danger, I slowly peeked out. Below me was a beautiful white wolf. He quirked his head to one side just as curious about me as I was about him.
He shifted and, this time, a fully naked male with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes stared back at me. I was certain I’d never seen him before.
“Painter? Is that you? I thought you guys were getting deployed,” the stranger said.
I immediately shifted to find out more.
“Deployed? What does that mean?”
“Uh, you’re not Painter. What are you doing here?”
“I’m Emma, his mate.”
“Oh. Hi. I’m Shawn. I’m on Echo team. While we’re stuck here on a bogus witch hunt, Bravo is heading back out into the field. They roll out this afternoon.”
I knew that must have been what the morning briefing was all about and why they wanted Painter recovered and back to work immediately. I never should have left the Lodge. I stared up at the sun trying to determine the time. The sun was high in the sky above. It had to be noon or later.
“It’s nice to meet you Shawn, but I need to get back before they leave.”
He smiled. “Figured you would. If you hurry, you should be able to catch him before he leaves.”
“Thank you.”
I shifted back to gorilla form and climbed down the tree. Instead of taking to the trees again, I ran across the forest floor. I didn’t want him to leave without saying goodbye.