Marge pulled into the driveway and I got out, only to be embraced immediately by Carol and then Al. “Welcome to our Pack, Ella. We’re so glad you could visit.” I could see Carol’s happiness, she almost glowed as she looked at her true mate.
It went better than I thought. The mother of one of the lost warriors came up and hugged me at dinner; she thanked me for bringing part of her son back to her. I told her that despite what we told the Alphas, we had sent the men off to Luna with the funeral prayers. I just regretted that we didn’t collect the ashes.
We talked with the Alphas and the pack leaders about many of the same things, but there were a few questions I asked her in private that were different. “I met my true mate, Carol.”
“That’s amazing! Where is he?”
“I don’t even know his name.” I talked through our first meeting when our cars were attacked, and described the wolf that stopped in detail.
“Ermagerd…” She was shaking her head. “I can’t believe it.”
“What? Do you know him?”
“Yes.” She looked in my eyes, tears pooling. “It’s Olivia’s twin brother, Craig. That white streak on his chest is distinctive. He wasn’t at the gathering, you know. He was back home with his Mom, he had a soccer tournament.”
Thoughts were swirling in my head. My mouth hung open, and finally I started to laugh. I laughed so hard I cried.
“What’s going on, Ella?” Carol was on the floor with me as I tried to get control of my emotions again.
“Fucking soccer. I hate that sport.” I started sobbing, burying my face on her shoulder as I let it all out. “Don’t you see? If it wasn’t for his stupid soccer tournament, he would have been in that reception line. I would have met my true mate, he would have claimed me, he could have taken his place at my side since he isn’t the heir. The Packs would have their ally and NONE OF THIS STUFF WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME.” I broke down even more at that, and she cried with me.
She must have linked her mate to help, because I felt myself being lifted off the floor by strong arms and carried to the bedroom I was using. Carol and Marge undressed me and put me in pajamas while the emotions continued to pour out of me; Marge went to get changed as Carol sat holding my hand. “Carol, can you do something for me?”
“Anything, Ella.”
“Do you have his email address?” She nodded. “Send him a copy of your father’s trial. It includes my story, and he deserves to know what happened to me. Tell him I’m sorry. If he asks, give him my phone number.”
“Of course, I’ll do that right now.” Marge had come into the room and was getting under the covers behind me, there was no way she was going to let me sleep alone tonight.
I could only hope he hadn’t rejected me already.
*******
I hadn’t let my phone get out of reach for the last week. I was almost obsessively checking it, making sure there were no missed calls or text messages from my mate, but there was nothing. Carol did send me a photo he was in from the summer; I cropped out everyone else and saved it on my phone to look at. I was beginning to wonder if my home screen was the closest I’d get to him.
We had left the North Shore pack and had made the rounds through the Wisconsin packs (Flambeau, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Black River Falls and LaCrosse) before going back through Minnesota and South Dakota. Stops there included Rochester, Sioux Falls, Rosebud and Deadwood before heading back home. Marge and I were completely wiped out by the time we were done, but it had been a good trip. We had established or built on our previous relationships, had multiple offers of help, and I had found three more wolves to join my revenge quest.