For long moments I just sat there staring across the room, feeling my eyes go wide. I slowly slid my hand down the front of my shift, stopping right before I got to the place between my thighs that ached.
I was… wet. Oh Gods. I was wet from just looking at that male. Who was he and why was I feeling arousal for the first time in my life?
I didn't want to think too deeply on the hows or whys of what was happening because if I did I’d know fully well what was transpiring.
I’d just found my mate.
Chapter Four
Luna
I hadn’t been able to sleep the entire day after coming to the realization that more than likely I’d just experienced what it felt like to find your fated mate.
I was terrified. Confused. But most of all I felt this blossoming heat that kept growing in me until he was all I could think about. Him and the arousal that sure as hell wasn’t letting up.
Clearing my throat, rubbing my hands up and down my thighs and staring at the innkeeper, all I could do was nod and try and listen to what she was saying. I was stalling, dragging out the conversation with the innkeeper because the sun hadn’t fully set, and I couldn't leave the cottage yet. I was positioned strategically in the shadowy corner, the glow muted enough I didn't feel the energy sucking the literal lifeforce from me.
But I wasn't worried that she thought there was something wrong with me as I kept rambling questions. She genuinely seemed happy to talk, as if she were starving for socialization.
She’d seemed concerned with my staying in the room all day, but I’d told her I was still trying to adjust from traveling, which she accepted easily enough.
I started asking her about things to do around the village; hidden gems and natural attractions that she could suggest I check out, ones that were off the beaten path. I wanted to have some time alone with my thoughts, to sift and sort through what I felt and what this all meant.
What I knew without a doubt was that if that male figured out his mate was here, if he picked up on my scent, he’d hunt me down.
When a male in the Otherworld found their mate there wasn't anything in this world or in the ether that would or could stop them from finding her. They became the quintessential predator searching for their prey.
It was different for females in our world, where we might feel a change in us, an awakening—like I had. But I’d never feel that click in me the males did, that instinct that clawed at me and demanded I find my other half.
After finding out about a few places that were secluded, I decided I’d check out a small waterfall located a short distance from the village center, but deep enough in the woods that it would afford me privacy. The waterfall, I was told, was nestled in a network of shallow caves at the base of the mountains that surrounded the village.
The innkeeper assured me evening was the best time to go, as the moonlight would come down through the gaping crevice at the top of the mountain and reflect off the pool of water below.
“You take this,” she said in a sweet but very persistent motherly voice and shoved a satchel of food at me so I had something to eat during my short trip.
I clutched the cloth-wrapped package to my chest and gave her a smile. My stomach clenched as another hunger was starting to grow in me. I’d managed to consume blood before leaving the US, but I’d been in Europe for almost two weeks and was pushing the limit of how long I could safely go without satiating my other dietary needs.
I’d have to deal with that soon, but with the forest thick around the village, finding an animal shouldn't be an issue. Not that animal blood could fully quench that thirst or hunger, but it would buy me more time until I could figure something else out.
After a little wave and smile, I left out the front door but stopped and looked around. I half expected that male from last night to be hulking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on me.
I inhaled, not smelling anything but livestock, muck from the long day, and the lingering scents of the villagers from earlier.
But I didn’t smell anyone from the Otherworld, and as I exhaled, there was a part of me that felt relief, but another part that was disappointed.
Shaking off the conflicting emotions, I hurried through the village and followed her directions into the woods and toward the cave system. For the next twenty minutes I just enjoyed following the overgrown trail, the trees towering over me, the sounds of birds chirping and small animals scurrying about filling my head.