The sky was beginning to dim by the time they meandered back to her Bronco. He didn't want to let her go. Beck was enjoying learning the little things about her far too much. The way she worried at her lower lip in thought, the nervous tick of swiping her dark hair from her eyes, the way her eyes narrowed when she was annoyed with him. Beck had already fallen for Millie, hard. Hopefully, she was true to her words, because otherwise he was screwed. The girl had him wrapped around her finger.

The two of them stopped when they reached the Bronco. Millie turned to him, her back to the driver's side door. He was painfully aware of how close they were, how her breath was sweet and warm, slipping out in a sigh as her lips parted.

"When can I see you again?" He murmured to her, his fingers clenching into a fist to keep from touching her.

"Tomorrow," she sighed, her deep brown eyes swirling with... Desire? The male could only hope. Her skin pulled into taut goosebumps at his nearness. "We need to figure this all out, don't we?"

Right, they had a job to do. Figure out why she was the way she was. That's why she wanted to see him. He kicked himself internally but managed a cool nod. "Of course." Finding out the truth was important to him though. Beck desperately wanted to know too.

Millie nodded but seemed to hesitate. They were both caught in between moments. Waiting for something neither could name.

"All of this," Beck gestured vaguely, his eyes tilting up to the sky. "It's a lot to take in."

Millie's eyes were naturally wide as she peered up at him.

"Are you... Are you okay?"

"I haven't been okay for a long time, Beck." Millie said in a matter-of-fact tone that Beck found both endearing and disturbing. Given the context of her statement. Her honesty shocked him. "I'll adapt. I always do."

Millie turned from him before either one of them could make another move but seemed to hesitate before she got in. She turned back to him abruptly. "I just have one more thing," she said determinedly, worrying at her lower lip. Her dark brows were pulled together in determination.

"Fire away," he responded with a subtle quirk of his lip. Beck couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was.

"What is a mate?" Her eyes centered on his face, she left no room for avoidance. Her boldness shocked the smirk right off his face, in fact, his eyes got incredibly round. In time, Beck would learn that she was full of surprises. But in that moment, he swore his stomach bottomed out.

Beck couldn't move any closer to her than he already was. They were a mere foot apart, breathing the same cold air between them. She didn't move from her spot, he knew she wasn't scared of her. Like the day before, Beck was aware that she gave up no ground, a true Alpha. It struck warmth into his heart, leaving it weeping with longing. 

"A mate is a term shifters use to describe what is essentially, their soulmate. Do you know what that is?" He asked so seriously.

"The other half of someone's whole," Millie murmured. "I've heard stories about them. I didn't think they were true."

"They are," Beck responded, tightening his self control to fight off the urge of touching her rosy cheek.

"You said I was yours yesterday," her voice lowered to a whisper, though she didn't know why.

"We are each other's," Beck corrected softly. "I didn't mean to give it away so fast. I thought you were a wolf. Or rather, aware of it."

"How do I know for sure?" Millie asked, her eyes locked on his, but her fingers curling to prevent herself from taking a hold on him.

"Trust your body," he said, looking back through her eyes. This time, he did allow his hands to run down her forearms to grasp her hands. Fire chased through their veins, flushing to the surface and heating the skin under his grasp. "Does it not feel different when I touch you? When I say your name? When you look at me?"

"It does feel different," Her lips parted in a silent gasp as Millie truly realized the extent of what she had been feeling.

Beck nodded, "Our bodies are naturally inclined to want each other. We are one another's perfect missing piece, destined by the goddess. The choice is an alignment of our genetics, birth or bite, and the spirit. Which means our spirits, our souls, have been together for many lifetimes before this. That's how the stories go, at least."

"Wow," Unconsciously, her hand grasped his, but her eyes remained locked into his gaze. Her tone was filled with awe, an accurate description of her mind. It was terrifying, the whole concept was, but at the same time... She had never heard of anything so right in her whole life. As if for once, she was finally understanding something between all of the fucked up things she had experienced.

"Truthfully, Millie," He took a step closer, nearly bringing them chest to chest. She could smell him, it made her mouth water. "I don't know how to do this. When I thought of finding my mate, I didn't think she wouldn't know she was a wolf, wouldn't know the history or culture. I didn't think I would accidently drag you into this world like I did. And anyway, I am sorry you had to find out like this."

"Is there no choice in it?" Millie asked, her dark brows furrowing together. She was more human, Beck realized gravely. Humans didn't like the idea of being locked into an eternal relationship without any choice in the matter, especially human females. But in the shifting world, it was a privilege to meet your mate. The question was vaguely insulting, but he swallowed it down.

Beck looked like she had struck him, but managed to school his expression. He cleared his throat, "You always have a choice, Millie. Always. You can reject me if you want to, but it's not... The easiest thing, per say." He truly felt heartbroken at the mere possibility.

"Okay," Millie responded easily, taking the mental note. Having options, she learned, is always essential.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Beck smiled down at her fondly. He couldn't remember the last time he had smiled this much in a single frame of time.

"It's called being efficient," She smiled back at him cheekily.

"I like it."

Millie blushed against her will, she wasn't one to flirt, and she wasn't sure if that's what this was. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Well, I suppose I should woe you, it would only be proper. Not very efficient, but proper." Beck teased, squeezing Millie's heart.

"So tomorrow?" Millie asked, those deep brown eyes locked onto him. Beck swore she could see straight into his soul.

"It's Saturday, why don't I treat you to breakfast?" Beck responded.

"Alright, where?" She bit her lip to hide the little smile threatening to spill over

"Right here." He noticed her skeptical look and smiled. "Don't worry, I've got it covered."

"Are we hiding?" Millie quirked a brow.

"No," Beck balked. "We're protected here."

She looked up at him, doe brown eyes wide and wandering across his face. She looked about ready to say something, but instead turned at the last minute and climbed into the Bronco. The door shut between them and his hands were left limp and meaningless at his sides. Millie manually rolled down her window and peered out at him. "Tomorrow morning then... I do need to gather my thoughts. This really is a lot."

"You take as much time as you need, Millie."

"Tomorrow." She confirmed, nodding to him. She brought the Bronco to life with a roar from the old engine.

"See you then," he murmured, smiling slightly as he rapped his knuckles twice on the side of the truck and backed away. He stayed put on the side of the road until she pulled away and went back the way she came. Once she had turned the bend, he let his head tip back so his face was to the sky. He let out a long breath through his nose, trying helplessly to pull himself back together, before turning and making his way into the trees.

- - - - - - - - - - - - 

The Texas heat was intense for barely being an inch into the Spring season. The land hadn't seen rain in weeks, proven by the red tinged desert dust that coated every inch of the compound. White tents flapped in the hot, dry wind and the sun beat down on the compact dirt. The group had gathered near the unlit fire circle, tanned skin beaded with sweat and eyes squinted at the leader who stood at the head. He was their Alpha.

The man was massive in every sense of the word. He towered over his followers, casting them in his shadow. They cowered beneath him, but they worshipped the sand he stood on. They were Sun Chasers, this was how they lived.

Sun Chaser wolves were followers of the Sun, or Sol. They were different than the Northern wolves who worshipped the Luna, Goddess of the Moon. Luna was the lover of Sol, but also his biggest enemy, as legends said. The southern wolves were different to the core of their beliefs when compared to the northern wolves. The southern wolves were nomadic due to the increasing human populations and the decreasing availability of land to inhabit. Therefore, they lived in desert compounds that could easily be picked up and moved.

Alpha Jaro was the name of the large wolf who headed this pack. His large arms were roped with thick bulging muscles that were coated in tattoos that reached across his large pectoral muscles. His eyes were a bright emerald green that captivated anyone he talked to. Barely into his thirties, he had been leading his people for nearly twelve years. He was feared across the desert and known across the nation. But he was elusive. He was deadly.

At the back of the group stood Jaro's highly regarded trackers, a mated male and female. They had troubled the Alpha in the past when they had stolen a young human girl. He had not figured out why they had done it, but it had infuriated him beyond belief. The infiltration of a human into the shifting community put his people and their status at grave risks. Jaro would have much rather avoided killing the little girl, but he had to protect his people. He ordered the couple to kill her and get rid of the evidence, no matter how sick it had made him to think about it. It had been 9 years since that Winter. His trackers had been punished, harshly, so they knew never to commit such a crime again. Jaro couldn't get rid of them, they were assets. They were trained by the best tracker shifting wolves had ever known. They had saved Jaro's ass more times than he could count.

The female tracker, Ruth, was tall and lean. Her black hair fell to her waist in two tight French braids. Her skin was milky white, glistening with sweat. Her eyes were so brown they may as well have been black. Jerome was her opposite. He was gold: golden curls of hair, honey-colored eyes, and bronzed skin. He was just as tall as her, but wide with muscle. His face was hard when Ruth's was soft. His chiseled jaw was peppered with stubble and his mouth was quirked in a permanent frown. They were dangerous together, like two finely tuned knives. Wolves knew this about them, and money came their way with ease. Lazy Alphas desperate, but not desperate—or able—enough to take care of problems. Jaro provides them sanctity as they make enemies at every turn. As much as Ruth and Jerome would rather go on their own, making their own money, the couple requires their Alpha. And he requires them. It's a working relationship.

Dusk was quickly approaching in the desert. The Sun Chasers lowered their heads in unison and said a farewell prayer, bidding the Sun goodnight, a ritual they performed every night at base. As the sun sank, rippling and red in the horizon, a man was crossing the desert towards the compound. He was looking for the trackers.

The man was Lyle Sarcos. He was tall, lean, and handsome. Women had thrown themselves at him for as long as he could remember. But only one had ever caught and held his attention: Sandra. Until his daughter came along, the light of his life. When she had been abducted, everything changed. The rifts of his marriage with Sandra were torn wide open, and without their daughter, and then without justice, the union was unmendable. Lyle knew it was his own fault. He had been desperate for justice, desperate to find out who had taken and dumped his little girl. Almost a decade later, he had nearly found them. The last time he had seen his daughter, they had moved to Wyoming, and were hopefully much further by now. Before he had gone off to track down the kidnappers, he had told Sandra to keep her safe, and get her as far away as possible.

Sandra had been furious at him, but she got over it. She didn't understand his drive for justice. The want to have her family whole again consumed her, when she didn't get her own way, she left. They were separated, but they had never even had the time to divorce.

Nine whole years Lyle spent tracking the couple down. Finding information on them had been beyond difficult. But he had his resources. Lyle had grown up a cowboy on his father's massive ranch. His father had run a tight business, one that got what it needed at any cost. They had connections. Lyle was supposed to take over the business, but he met Sandra, and before they knew it she was pregnant with Millie. It didn't make a difference that Lyle had been trained his whole life to take over that ranch one day, and it didn't make a dent in Lyle's father's love for his granddaughter. Lyle had the means to track down his daughter's kidnappers.

Lyle knew a lot about Ruth and Jerome. From his research, they were trackers for a nomadic cult, hated by rich men who owned small towns. Wolves played a part in it, but he had yet to figure out how. The couple were in their early thirties and seemed to make a lot of money tracking down folks, sometimes killing them, but the evidence wasn't concrete. All the more reason for Lyle to kill them. But first Lyle wanted to know why they took his little girl.

The white tents, flapping idly in the hot breeze, came into view. The desert turned red gold as the sun slowly sank between the mountain peaks. Lyle's cowboy hat was tipped low over his eyes, he walked purposefully. In his waistband was a shiny silver pistol, in his Laredo boots was a knife. At the edge of the compound, he stopped, his eyes scanning the gathered crowd. At the front stood the leader, tall and menacingly large. Almost inhuman, Lyle thought to himself. The leader, dressed only in dark brown linen pants slung low on his waist, spotted him immediately. The group finished their prayer and began to disperse. Lyle's eyes scanned the crowd, to his pleasure, at the back of it stood Ruth and Jerome. He wasn't prepared for the rush of adrenaline he experienced at the sight of the two. His palms began to sweat in anticipation and his heart thudded hard in his chest. On the outside, he was stoic, calm. However, the rage and anger that simmered under the surface of him was very palpable, burning in his constricted pupils. Nine whole years he had searched, and finally, here they were. Ruth and Jerome's eyes were also on him, but there was no recognition at his presence. The leader approached Lyle, who remained still and observant outside the limits of the compound.

"Who are you, trespasser?" The leader's voice boomed though he didn't yell. Lyle found he couldn't seem to look the man in the eyes, his presence alone was crushing. Internally, he found this odd.

"It doesn't matter, I am looking for two of your people."

The leader narrowed his eyes.

"I'd like to speak with Ruth and Jerome, then I will leave you alone." Behind the leader's broad shoulder, the couple whipped around to look at Lyle, though he couldn't have possibly spoken loud enough for them to hear.

Jaro narrowed his eyes further. He knew anyone looking for Ruth and Jerome was his responsibility. Especially because he could smell gun powder on the man. "Tell me who you are," he commanded.

Lyle sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He had dealt with enough stubborn men. Somehow, his mouth opened on its own accord. "Lyle Sarcos. Let me speak to Ruth and Jerome."

Jaro knew the name immediately. He was related to the little girl Ruth and Jerome had taken, maybe this was her father. That could only mean he was seeking revenge. The Alpha respected Lyle for his efforts, highly impressed by his ability to track, even though it had taken him almost a decade. At the same time, he was greatly unnerved that a human was able to track down their entire pack in the middle of the desert. Jaro made a decision, behind him Ruth's eyes were wide while Jerome's brows pitched together. They hadn't expected a loose end out of him.

Jaro sighed, shaking his head. "And why is that?" His voice was cool and collected, but his own anger simmered under the surface of his sun-kissed skin.

"Ruth and Jerome kidnapped my daughter," Lyle spat, his anger breaching the low tenor of his voice. "I have a right to know why."

"I suppose you do," Jaro replied. "You must understand this just isn't possible. You should go now."

Jerome approached from behind Jaro. His teeth were clenched, barely concealing his growl. The last thing he wanted was this piece of shit drunk father showing up to further traumatize his mate.

Lyle's eyes found the bright golden irises of Jerome and held his furious gaze. "Right after this," he stepped to the side to fully face the kidnapper.

Jaro growled at the two of them, beside his best judgement. Jerome only flinched. "What more do you want, Sarcos? She's fucking dead now. Let her spirit rest and go home to your wife."

"Know a lot about me, do you?" Lyle spat, but something caught him off guard. The man seemed to pause, a gesture that the Alpha and Jerome both caught. Only years of practice in reading body language translated his brief second of hesitation to the two. Behind them, Ruth was quivering despite the heat.

"She's not dead. Is she?" Jaro's voice had dropped to an icy grumble that struck fear through Jerome's chest.

However, Jerome didn't know. Ruth had decided to kill the little girl, sparing Jerome from the chore. But Jerome never saw her commit the act, he could never truly say with certainty that she was dead. Only Ruth knew the truth, he would never sell her out.

Lyle's face happened to say it all.

"Fuck," Jaro growled, and with one startling fast punch, knocked Lyle out cold. He whirled on Jerome. "You are in some deep fucking shit, Carlson. I don't know what heard nine years ago when I told you and Ruth to kill her, but it must not have gone through. Now I have to take care of it." He snarled out at Jerome, taking a crushing grip on his jaw. "You and your mate will go find her and kill her for real this time. Or I will do it, and I will take out you two as well. Do I make myself clear?"

Jerome nodded against the bruising grip on his jaw. Jaro threw him to the dirt where Ruth rushed to his side.

"I'm going to take care of Lyle. Get fucking moving. Now." 

thank you for all of your patience as my updating schedule has been less than ideal... i hope you are enjoying this story nonetheless! thank you for reading! <3 i love you all 

LS