The Professor's Second Chance Mate

Chapter 15b

Just a few minutes after the encounter, my lovely mate, Lara, emerged from behind a nearby maple tree. I had seen her earlier, and I knew she would come over when she felt ready. What caught my attention was that during my conversation with Chloe, the leaves on the tree behind Lara had rapidly changed colors from bright green to yellow, then to fiery red and brown. A few leaves even fell off the tree. However, the tree’s leaves reversed back to their original bright green when Chloe walked away, almost as if the tree was responding to Lara’s emotions. From where she was standing, with the aid of her wolf’s enhanced hearing, she would have heard everything.

I was surprised by this magical phenomenon, but it seemed that Lara hadn’t even noticed it. Thankfully, very few others did either. It all happened so quickly that I assumed, I hoped, people would assume they imagined it.

A wolf with elemental powers? Perhaps she had dormant witch blood in her line. I needed to have another conversation with Bodie about this.

Despite my confusion about Bodie’s treatment of his daughter, I believed that he loved her and did what he did to protect her. However, he clearly didn’t tell me everything I needed to know. Immediately, I wondered if her unique ability had something to do with why those shadow creatures had appeared.

Our school was close to several large, forested state parks and national parks. Lara smiled sweetly, occasionally blushing, as I drove higher into the mountains. She didn’t say much though, lost in thought, I gathered. Seeing me with another woman, even one I didn’t want, had probably irked her and her wolf. Feeling so possessive and territorial was probably something she hadn’t experienced before. She didn’t seem upset, just introspective. I gave her time to process her thoughts, hoping that was the right move.

Once we parked, I grabbed the picnic basket. Moira had bought the thing the day after I told her I’d met my mate. She insisted I’d need it. She b****y winked at me and everything.

“This way, love.” I almost reached out to take her hand, but pulled back. She was wringing her hands nervously. Her eyes darted in every direction.

It’s only her second date. And the first one ended in a s**t storm, Knight muttered. He was alert too.

No one knows we’re here, buddy. She’s safe.

I dangled my free hand beside hers. My fingers wiggled occasionally, itchy for hers. I’d let her decide when she was ready to reach for me. I felt like a teenager. I was never this shy around Darla. She was my first, but it wasn't ever really love, it was l**t. When Lara did take my hand, I could feel her anxiety ease a notch. As did mine, truth be told.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous up here.” She remarked as we trudged up the narrow hiking path. I’d picked a fairly steep trail, but we’d be rewarded with the most amazing views of the valley when we reached the top. We were both fit, it wouldn’t be a problem for us.

Tell her we have great stamina, Knight commented. I swear I imagined his eyebrows wiggling like a teenager. He was right though.

“Yes it is,” I replied though I stared right at her while I did. “Stunning,” I added when she blushed. Goddess, I lived for that blush.

We walked, breathing in the aroma of fresh earth and forest notes, in comfortable silence. Listening to the birds, insects, and leaves rustling as squirrels dashed around the ground. The scent of pine needles and other conifers mingles with the sweet fragrance of wildflowers and fresh mountain air. It’s dense and alive up here, it’d thin a little when we reach the granite-topped peaks.

She gasped as she took in the expansive view up there. I smiled as I set out the picnic on a flat granite outcrop overlooking the best view in the area. I was happy that she was happy and relaxed.

“You know,” she said after we’d been chatting and eating for a while. “This is the most comfortable and safe I’ve felt in… as long as I can remember. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” It both thrilled me that she felt that way with me and broke my heart that she didn’t feel that way in her home pack. A sense of belonging and security were exactly what packs were supposed to provide their members.

After we finished eating, I packed everything up and stashed it under a rock ledge to retrieve later.

“Come on, let’s go for a run.” Her face lit up as I took her hand and pulled her up.

“Like… shifted?”

A thought occurred to me. “Haven’t you shifted yet?”

“No, I was… well, one thing after another, and we haven’t tried.”

“You’ll be fine, I’m here with you. Just let Maya take over. She’ll control it.”

She grinned. Likely she and her wolf were as excited to meet Knight as we were to meet her wolf. I thought she’d wander away for privacy and strip behind a tree to transform into her wolf. I thought, being segregated in her pack, that she’d be shy about getting n***d in front of me and vice versa. That, and I was fairly certain she’d never been with a man before. Not that I would have cared either way. I just thought she’d be more wary of getting n***d together so soon. Especially since she’s typically shy.

Instead, she held her head high and began to undress, her eyes holding mine. I kept my eyes firmly on hers despite the aching need to be the old man creep that slowly raked his eyes over her perfect form. My d**k twitched constantly. I wanted to grab it and rub one out to ease the tension, but that would probably weird her out.

Soon we were both n***d, eyes still locked. The moment was easily the sexiest and most intimate of my life. I felt alive and vulnerable with her in a way I had never before. I also felt like an idiotic horny teen instead of the damn near forty-year-old man I was.

“Ok, Maya. It’s all you.” she whispered as she closed her eyes.

In a second, her form shimmered and no longer was Lara standing in front of me. Instead, a truly magnificent golden wolf stood before me. Her fur had tinges of dark gray around her face and along the ridge of her back where her hackles were, but overall she was a soft golden buff color.

“Absolutely breathtaking. A rare beauty,” I murmured, taking a step forward. When she didn’t back away, I reached my hand into her thick soft coat. Goddess, I was lucky. She leaned into my touch, rubbing her scent on me, but then suddenly shied away. I chuckled as I realized I was buck-a*s n***d, and my c**k was jutting out straight in her face. The first time she would have seen one up close and personal, I gathered.

F@ck, I was so painfully hard for her. She could breathe on the thing, and I’d explode.

“It’s all yours, my darling,” I chuckled before I stepped back.

Corny a$$hole, Knight muttered.

Maya snorted in amusement.

“Knight is looking forward to meeting you, Maya,” I said, right before I shifted into Knight.

He looked like a typical Northwestern wolf. Except we were huge. My underbelly was white, whereas I was gray up top. My tail was black tipped. I stood still for a moment waiting for her to make the first move. She did. And quickly. She practically skipped forward to greet me. Damn she was fast. Her beautiful snout touched mine, softly at first, testing her boundaries. I didn’t have any, not where she was concerned, but she didn’t know that yet. To her, I was an alpha wolf with a reputation. She was still a little timid around me. Well, Lara was timid, her wolf, Maya, not so much.

Our noses touched, and she sniffed all over my face. Still, I didn’t move. I wanted her to have her moment. I wanted her to have control. Soon she sniffed down my back. Then she rubbed her body all the way along mine, thoroughly scent marking me. Maya was claiming Knight. Her tail wagged. I took that as approval and Knight wagged his tail in return. He was thrilled.

Suddenly she lunged forward, licked my face and bounded off through the forest. I waited a moment. Knight loved the thrill of the chase. I was a little concerned about what would happen when he caught her. He, we, wanted her so badly. Neither of us wanted base instincts to overtake and harm her. We needed a moment of clarity to reign in our excitement.

We ran for hours, exploring the woods and chasing each other playfully. It was exhilarating to be free and wild, to feel the wind in my fur and the ground beneath my paws. Mostly, it was the thrill of being with my mate. A couple of times, Maya and Knight’s playful wrestling almost turned to mating. I had to pull on my metal link to remind Knight that Lara and I needed to discuss that first. He whined that Maya wanted him too. She clearly did. The little minx was the instigator as often as he was.

The sun was low in the sky, when I bumped her gently and jerked my head in the direction of our starting point. It was still about a half hour until sunset but up here, in among the trees, it was already starting to get dark. I wanted to be in the car before the light fully faded. Just on the off chance, those shadow creatures made an appearance. When we finally returned to our lookout where we’d stashed our belongings, we were both breathless and happy.

“That was amazing,” Lara said once she shifted back to human form, her cheeks bright from exercise this time.

“It was,” I agreed.

“Maya.. um… well… wanted to... you know.”

I wanted to tease her and say I didn’t know. Explain it, lovely little mate. But time was of the essence.

“Knight too. I told him you and I would discuss it first. See what you are comfortable with.”

“It’s ok. If they… well… that would be ok. It seems they are both ready. I shouldn’t make them wait.” She’d pulled on her shirt and was gently wringing the bottom of it.

I swept forward and kissed her.

Today was perfect. I had a horrible feeling something would ruin it.