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Reece

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The evening was already giving me a headache. I welcomed the main group that had already arrived by seven, Noah told me I should have waited since there was still a steady stream of pack members coming up the path.

"If they couldn't be here by the time it started, that's on them." I growled as I stalked off in the direction of the group I was supposed to be 'entertaining' for the night. The sooner I met with them and found out if any of them were my mate, the better.

Truth be told, I had already smelled my mate. This morning, in fact. What were the odds? I had been running in the forest outside the compound, trying to burn off some of this pent-up frustration I've been feeling.

I was running with no clear goal in sight, just circling around and around. And on one of my laps around the forest, I happened to catch the faintest whiff of something different. Something that hadn't been there when I had started.

I followed the scent to where it was strongest among the trees. Whoever she was, she had been running through the trees the same as I was. The scent was intoxicating. It had my wolf on edge and was almost enough to make me lose all control over him.

Whoever she was, she smelled like warm apples, vanilla, and some sort of spice. It was like an apple pie, and it was mixed with the smell of the wind just before a thunderstorm. I could smell the slightest trace of ozone and rain in her scent. She smelled sweet, warm, and exciting. And I had to find her.

I followed the trail again, as it led out of the forest and back to the road. There were old trails that led toward town, but the freshest scent was heading back toward the compound. I followed, but the mix of all the other wolves made it more difficult, still I wouldn't give up.

I had reached the upper section of the compound, meaning her family was high ranking. The elders would be happy about that. I didn't care. I didn't want a mate, my wolf clearly did, but I needed a mate. If I didn't find one soon, they would force me to step down and hand my pack over to my cousin Caleb. That spineless twit wouldn't know how to run the pack, we'd be ruined in no time.

No, I wasn't looking for this girl cause I wanted to, I had to. It made no difference that the smell of her was already tightening things in my body, and I was currently running around on four feet instead of two. No, simply put, I needed this mate.

"Alpha." I heard someone call out to me as I was getting close to finding where the scent was the strongest. Where my mate lived. "We have a problem." My Beta was calling out to me. Damn him, he would be getting an earful when we were back in my office. With a growl, I turned and ran back to my house in the forest.

I was now stalking toward the group of scantily clad women. They all looked like the same type I was used to seeing. The only thing they were good for was a distraction. Taking my mind off something for a night but never to warm my bed again.

I've never slept with the same girl more than once. None of them have ever been worth my time for me to go back to them again. All they were after was my money, my power, my status. They never really wanted me, just what they could get from me.

The group was exactly as I thought they would be. Giggling incessantly, grabbing onto me constantly, throwing themselves at me with no regard for their dignity or self-respect.

I played nice with them for as long as I could, but after nearly an hour their chatter was like nails on a chalkboard. It was driving me insane. I had to get away from them. None of them were my mate. None of them smelled like the girl from this morning.

The longer I stayed with them, the longer it would be until I actually found her. And wasting my time with these women was angering my wolf to no end. He didn't care about these useless she-wolves. I had to physically pull my wolf back by the scruff of his neck to stop him from changing.

I excused myself from the group. I hoped it was politely but judging by the looks on their faces it was probably more forceful and angrier than I had intended. I didn't care, I just wanted to get away from them and they would get over it.

I wanted to avoid as many of the pack members as possible. I didn't need them asking me how my mate search was going. I just wanted to be alone right now. I had to get away.

I had only made it halfway to the edge of the trees when I smelled her. She was here. My wolf roared within me. I nearly lost control of him again. I hauled him back with a grunt of frustration and followed my nose in the direction of the scent.

I did my best to avoid the people in my way as I hurriedly followed the scent. I admit I might have run into a few people or stepped on a few toes. But I paid no mind to them. I just kept moving with a single-minded focus.

I passed by the edge of the dance floor. Ducked under the tacky lights the elders had insisted on stringing up everywhere. The scent was getting stronger the further I went into the trees. She was still here. It was not like this morning when she had disappeared before I got there.

The night was dark, and the forest was darker, but that didn't matter. I could see just fine in the dark, and tonight I would just need my nose. I closed my eyes and followed the scent. The smell was stronger with my eyes closed, so intoxicating.

The scent had almost reached a fever pitch. My wolf was howling nonstop inside my head. I couldn't even hear the sound of the forest around me. My entire world had zeroed in and had closed down to be nothing but the smell of the girl my wolf was searching for.

With my eyes still closed I took one last step, and my foot collided with a fallen tree. In a display of utter gracelessness, something I never expected to come from me, I fell onto the tree. What I discovered when I fell, was that the girl was there, hiding on the fallen tree.

I fell, literally on top of the girl. She yelped a cute, yet muffled, scream when I landed on her. My face was filled with a mass of hair that caused me to let out an actual growl of pleasure. I felt the girl stiffen beneath me and I could smell fear instantly mingle with her intoxicating scent. Why was she afraid?

I disentangled myself from her, standing up to get a look at the person that fate and my wolf both said was my mate. I grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her up with me.

"Oh my Goddess." I heard her gasp as I stood. She had clearly seen who I was and recognized me, but just as I was about to get a look at her face, I heard someone call from the nearby party.

"Trin are you out there?" A female was saying hesitantly.

The girl before me gasped again. And while I was distracted, looking toward the voice that had intruded on us she turned tail and ran back toward the party. She grabbed the girl's hand and ran as fast as she could.

I followed after her, closing in on them. I saw that they met up with two males that seemed confused and were heading down the drive. If I didn't hurry, she would get away again.

"Alpha Reece!" I heard one of the giggling she-wolves from earlier call out to me. In no time at all the entire group of fifteen she-wolves had surrounded me, blocking my path to follow her.

"Where were you Alpha?" One of the gigglers asked.

"We missed you." They were relentless.

"Get out of my way." I growled. I heard their collective gasps of fear and indignation. I didn't care. I had to follow them, I had to find the girl before she got away again.

I pushed my way through the women surrounding me. I weaved my way across the entire gathering as fast as I could. But by the time I got there, they had disappeared. They were gone, and the scents were too mingled. I would have to track her another time. My wolf was furious. Unintentionally, I let loose a roar of displeasure that seemed to bring the entire gathering to a halt.

"Everyone leave! NOW!" I Yelled at everyone in attendance. I saw the fear, shock, and confusion on every face around me as I stalked back into the house. My wolf was angrier than he had ever been and if I didn't get him away from innocent people, they would be in danger.