Her Mate Dilemma

19 - Liam Sees the Cave

Liam 

    It had been a trying couple of days with me feeling Alexandria's emotions.  I found it especially unnerving whenever I felt her arousal course through our mate bond.  I couldn't stop myself from worrying that she might not be able to resist the pull of her mate bond with Brady.  

    All I wanted was my chance to prove that I would be a great mate.  I would do anything and everything for my mate, regardless of the cost to me.  

    I decided to lay down early on the third night without her, because I was mentally drained from constantly thinking about Alexandria and feeling her emotions.  However, I was not able to easily fall asleep.  I was entirely way too excited about picking up my mate and bringing her back to the Pine Tree Pack.

    There were numerous ideas floating around in my head about things we could do together, while she was spending time with me.  One of the first things I planned to do was show her the cave on our territory.  I had recently learned that it was a special place for hybrids.  Alexander was the one who informed me about the cave, and how beneficial it could be for his twin.

    I don't know how he learned about it, and I didn't ask.  I was just grateful that he was willing to share the information with me.  There was still a lot of tension between Alexander and Valerie, but I was staying out of it.  They were old enough to deal with the problem on their own, and if things got out of hand, I was prepared to step in and put whoever was in the wrong in their place.

    I couldn't deny the fact that I was worried my mate would also have a problem with Valerie.  If she did, I would be on top of making sure Valerie didn't cause her any problems.  My mate was my top priority, and I wouldn't stand by and allow any of the Pine Tree Pack members to make her not want to be there.  

    After laying in bed for awhile, I finally felt my eyelids start to grow heavy, but that didn't last long, because I suddenly felt her arousal start coursing though our mate bond again.  Instantly, I groaned in frustration, then I angrily kicked the blanket off of me.

    I wanted to be the one making her feel aroused, or at the minimum be there with her, but that wasn't an option at that moment.  To calm me and my wolf down, I decided to go for a run.  I didn't bother pulling on a shirt or shoes before I left my suite, since I planned on shifting, as soon as I reached the tree line.

    However, I didn't even make it to the tree line, before my wolf, Linx took full control and made me shift into my wolf form.  Right away, he sprinted toward the forest, and I didn't even try to take control back.  He had been pacing in my head for hours, and I knew he needed this run more than I needed it.

    Of course, I could still see and feel everything that was happening.  The wind blowing through my fur felt great at that moment, and I could feel myself start to calm down.  My wolf was a very skilled runner, and he easily leaped over logs and fallen trees, not to mention how stealthily he dodged trees, bushes and other shrubs.

    I had no clue where Linx was going until we broke through a different tree line, and I saw the cave ahead of us.  I had never been to the cave before, and there was no stopping the excitement that I suddenly started feeling.  

    Linx slowed down his pace, then he sniffed the air around us, before he slowly walked through the entrance of the cave.  Right away, I found myself awed by the clear, glistening pond.  I could see the smallest ripples in the pond's water, and that made me wonder if there was fish or something living in it.

    At that point, I decided to take control back from Linx, and he didn't even attempt to keep the control.  I didn't waste any time shifting back into my human form, then I walked to the wall of the cave and ran the tips of my fingers along it.

    Instantly, I noticed how cool the wall was to the touch, not to mention how uneven the wall was from years and years of mineral deposits forming on it.  I continued to walk around the cave, as I admired the many stalactites and stalagmites that decorated it.

    I could still remember the day Bethany appeared in the pack house with Darren and the stalactite that pierced through his chest.  Even though, I knew how dangerous those formations could be, I didn't feel any fear, as I walked under them.  In fact, I felt calmer than I had since I returned from the Forest Pack.

    As crazy as it sounds, I could still smell Bethany's lilac and ocean scent in the cave.  It made me wonder if she had been there recently without anybody knowing.  I wouldn't have thought that, but the scent was so strong.  It was almost like she was standing nearby, but when I looked around, I didn't see anybody else in the cave.

    I ended up spending close to an hour admiring the beauty of the cave, then I shifted into my wolf form.  I gave Linx control again and let him navigate us back to the pack house.  I did that on purpose, so I could pay attention to landmarks for the purpose of returning with my mate.

    Since Linx shredded my boxers when he took control earlier in the night, I had to locate a random pair of shorts that were hanging in a tree.  Once I did that, I quickly pulled them on, then I sprinted into the pack house and up the stairs to my suite.

    As soon as my head hit the pillow, there was no staying awake.  Running through the forest and checking out the cave was just what I needed to push me past the point of exhaustion, and I had no problem quickly drifting to sleep.

Alexandria 

    I enjoyed my last full day with Brady.  We had fun together, and he acted like such a sweetheart most of the time.  Not to mention, the many sweet kisses we shared throughout the day.  If every day went as smooth as today, it wouldn't be hard for me to pick Brady if it came down to choosing just one of my mates.  

    When we laid down for bed, Brady immediately snuggled to me, then we shared a very, intense make-out session, and there was no stopping the arousal that coursed through my body.  The more time we spent together, the more my body craved him, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I couldn't take it anymore.

    Eventually, I pulled my lips away from his, then I buried my face in the crook of his neck and took a deep breath to calm me and my wolf down.  After a few seconds, I breathily mumbled, "We should get to sleep.  I need to be up early."

    Brady tightened his arms around me, then he huskily murmured, "Okay, mate.  Goodnight."

    "Goodnight, mate," I mumbled against his neck, then I let myself relax again.

    It took a little bit for my eyelids to grow heavy, and during that time, I reflected on the time I had spent with Brady.  Most of it was amazing, but there were those few incidents where he upset me.  However, I refused to hold those against him.  

    I couldn't blame him for feeling so frustrated about the situation, and I honestly felt a little bad about it.  I wanted to make him happy, but I also needed to make sure I would also be happy.  I couldn't take the chance of making the same mistake Bethany made by choosing Darren before she found her other mate.

    I had the chance to learn more about both of my mates, while trying to persuade Brady to become a trio of mates, and if I wasn't able to make that happen, I would be able to make a better, more informed decision on who would be the best mate for me.

    I was thrilled when I finally felt my eyelids grow heavy.  I knew it would be time to visit Liam's pack the next morning, and I was very much looking forward to it.  I would have loved for Brady to join me, but he didn't want to be around Liam.

    I was hoping to learn some great things about Liam, so I could come back and talk him up to Brady.  If I could convince Brady that Liam was a great werewolf, it would help with my attempts to change his mind, then the three of us could live a happy life together.