Finally, Ray reached her through their link. “Sheba, little one, answer me! What’s going on? Are you all right?”
It took her several more moments before she realized she was now lying on Tilly’s sofa, Ray kneeling on the floor beside her and her Healer hovering over her. “I’m having some issues with my beast. She’s acting . . . strange. When Tilly said I needed to listen to my Wolf, my first thought was no and she went crazy and the next thing I knew I was here on the sofa.”
She took several gulps of air in, trying to calm her madly beating heart that seemed to think she’d run a marathon. Her skin was damp, her muscles cramping, and her throat dry as a bone, but it was Ray’s next words that had her shocked as hell.
“Sheba, that was almost ten minutes ago. You’ve been out of it for ages. We’ve been worried sick. You’ve been thrashing around and your fur was coming through on your skin then disappearing. It was fucking strange as hell.”
Her eyes popped open and she held her hand out trying to sit up. “Hell’s fire! What the heck was that all about?”
Tilly’s face was white as a sheet as she handed over a glass of water. “I guess your beast wants to fulfil what the Goddess wants her to, Alpha, and I don’t think you should deny her.”
Ray seemed to agree, his eyes shooting up to the Healer. “We can’t have that happening again. That scared the shit out of me. Now, Tilly, tell us, what does she do now before things get any worse.”
Tilly came around, sitting down in the armchair opposite the sofa and nodding. “Okay. You need to just let your Wolf know that you know what’s going on and that you agree that your mate is close. That’s the first thing. It should appease it for now and should, hopefully, stop another episode like that from happening. Second, you need to actually allow your Wolf free rein and let it go in search of your mate. It’ll take you to him, Sheba, he must be nearby or this Hunger wouldn’t have started.”
Ray got up, unfurling his long legs and looking down at her he said. “Then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll tell Dion that we’re going out together to scope the land for rogues. That way nobody knows what we’re up to and you won’t be alone, because one thing is certain, Alpha, you are not going out there without me for back-up.”
Sheba saw his steely determination, and truth be told she couldn’t argue with his logic. It would be foolish to go out on her own, Alpha or not, if she were caught off guard by rogues she could be in trouble. But it was the love for her that she felt flowing from her friend that was her undoing, tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to disperse them quickly. Ray’s arms crossed across his chest as he stared down at her with his dark eyes as if daring her to disagree, and Tilly sitting holding her breath with a hand at her throat.
“Shit,” she said quietly, the word slipping from her unbidden. “What the heck will I do with a mate?”
Tilly snorted, the sound rude as she followed it up with a slap to her knees. “If you don’t know by now then you’re in more trouble than I thought! But I can give you some lessons if you want.”
Ray’s lips tugged up, smirking as Tilly laughed. Sheba didn’t find it funny, not one bit. “I didn’t mean that, as you well know. I’m just not sure I’m ready for a man in my life. Heck, I’ve enough trouble keeping some of the assholes in the Pack in line, what if this guy is like them? Knowing my luck, he’ll be one of those fucks that think women should be tied to the kitchen sink and pop out kids every year. Hell, that’s just not happening, and if he’s anything like that I won’t be mating with him, no matter what the Goddess thinks. I’ll knock him on his ass and be back here before the sun sets and to hell with this Hunger. I’d rather die than tie myself to someone like that.”
Sheba’s skin tingled at the thought, and not in a good way. Not with the “a mate for life, love all around” kind of way. No. It was as if she was being strangled and she fought to draw a breath in as she saw herself fighting against the person who was supposed to be by her side and help her, complete her, love her. Shit. What if he was a misogynistic asshole? One who thought he should be in charge ahead of her? She would not stand for that. If he could not stand by her side as an equal he would not be at her side. Plain and simple.
Thank goodness her beast seemed to be in agreement as she huffed inside. “Yes!”
Ray held out his hand, chuffing too. “He better not try any of that shit or he’ll have me to deal with.”
She took his offer of help to stand but not his offer to deal with said mate. “That’ll be my place, Ray. If he isn’t up to the task then it’ll be me that tells him, not you.”
“I suggest you get some rest and start off early tomorrow, Sheba.” Tilly clapped her hands excitedly. “But also take care . . . there may be danger ahead so be ready for anything.”
“I’m always ready, Tilly, you should know that,” Sheba replied, smirking.
“Plus,
