Chapter 4: The Savior

Chris POV:

Chris raced through the forest, stopping ever so often to check the scent trail. Despite his best judgment, he’d found a scent alluring.

Chris tried to figure out where the scent came from from.

The rusty smell of blood and the heightened smell of fear marred the scent.

He didn’t believe he smelled the scent before.

The scent enticed Chris.

The scent compelled him to follow, even though he never felt such a bone-deep need to be near the person who owned the scent.

That—that was it.

Whoever owned that scent, they were his mate.

Chris had a mate?

He’d been so against the whole thing but that all seemed a bit silly in the moment, because he couldn’t imagine not wanting to smell the scent again. His whole world seemed to be rearranging around that floral scent and his senses began to heighten as he searched it out.

Chris frowned when he realized that the sweet lilac scent that he’d pursued began to twist, enmeshing itself with a disgusting whiskey scent.

It raised his hackles and sent his inner wolf prowling.

Some other shifters scent covered up his mates, intertwining with it, trying to claim it as their own.

Some other shifter’s scent tried to ruin his mates.

That wouldn’t do.

He narrowed his focus on the scent, suddenly able to hear the thrumming heartbeat of the scent bearer.

His mate’s heart pounded in a staccato beat, signaling the fear he experienced.

His mate did not welcome this meeting.

Weaving through the trees, His mate's wellbeing consumed Chris' thoughts.

He just had to take care of the owner of the scent.

The scent began to get more clear and he growled as voices began to ring through the air.

“Please don’t, please.” A familiar voice called out and Chris tried to place it.

He knew that voice.

“I’m going to treat you well, and we’re going to be happy, the Moon Goddess has decreed it.” A new voice spoke and it set Chris’ teeth on edge.

“Please,” the voice begged and Chris peered through the bushes to see a shifter looming over that lilac scent.

Lilac, of course.

That scent belonged to Asa.

Felicity’s plea came into his head again.

‘Look out for Asa’

“What are you doing?” Chris growled at the man who loomed over the scent.

He turned his head and Chris snarled when he realized he recognized the shifter.

“Jacob!” He hissed out, feeling his fangs elongate.

He knew Jacob, more than knew. Jacob’s membership into the other pack didn’t stop Chris from knowing the other shifter well. The two represented the

“Chris, you’re interrupting something,” He said, as if Chris were a major nuisance,

Yet the other man did not seem to realize that he stood over Chris’ mate.

“Let him go,” He growled out and Jacob raised an eyebrow.

“He’s my mate,” Jacob said and Chris’ claws began to elongate as well.

He begun to phase.

“No, he’s mine. He said no to you,” Chris’s voice reverberated through his chest and throughout the clearing.

He drew up to his full height and Chris smeared.

“He is mine, you lost, get used to it,” Jacob said and Chris snarled.

“Get away from him!” He yelled before shifting,

His wolf form stood larger than most, his fur a deep gray with darker gray around the scruff of his neck. His legs were strong and thick, his trunk sleek but well-muscled. He made a striking figure in the bright moonlit night, casting an impressive shadow. Jacob snarled, shifting as well. His smaller brown wolf no match for Chris.

He chased the wolf away from the weak being lying on the forest floor. He caught up to the wolf, gripping his haunch in between his teeth and pulling him down to the ground. They rolled around, snipping and biting at each other as they fought. They were tearing out clumps of each other’s fur, their growls and snarls loud in the night. Their bodies were crashing through the thicket, reverberating off of the trees like loud cracks of thunder.

Chris finally ended up on top of the wolf, teeth at his throat.

He snarled out a warning, watching as the other wolf thrashed under him. He raised a paw, swiping across the wolf’s face. Jacob whimpered under him and Chris bared his teeth. Chris’ readiness to end it all for this sorry excuse of a wolf who decided to mess with Chris’ mate bubbled forth.

That hummingbird like heartbeat began to ramp up and Chris raised his head, focusing on it.

Was Asa waking?

He wouldn’t let Asa wake up alone.

He turned away from Jacob, racing back to where he left Asa.

He couldn’t fight the feeling in his chest telling him that he needed to get to his mate and ensure his safety.

The younger male curled up, trying to staunch the bleeding from his side.

Chris padded over to Asa and Asa pushed himself away, as if clearly frightened.

Chris pushed his head against Asa’s side before lifting it to peer into Asa’s eyes.

He flashed his auburn eyes at Asa, and Asa’s frosty green eyes flashed back, accepting the claim,

He shifted back to his human form, catching his shivering mate in his arms.

“You saved me,” Asa whimpered and Chris ran his hands though his hair.

“Of course I did, you’re my mate,” Chris said and Asa peered into his eyes again, his eyelashes sweeping against his cheeks as he began to blink back tears.

“It- It hurts- so bad,” Asa gasped out.

“I know, I’ll make it better, I’ll help you,” He said before Asa tipped his head back, granting Chris access to his scent gland.

Chris’ fangs elongated and he sunk his teeth into Asa’s creamy skin, claiming him as his own.

He lifted the younger male off of the ground and Asa put his head on Chris’ shoulder.

He carried Asa out of the woods, the festivities coming into view.

“Chris! You have a mate!” Felicity called, racing up to him before pausing as she saw who the person in his arms.

“Is that- Asa? What happened to him? Chris?” She said but Chris focused only on taking Asa away and making sure that no one could hurt him again.

He pushed away from the crowd, heading back to his den.

He had to keep him safe.