I paced back and forth in my cabin for hours and while the seconds on the clock ticked by effortlessly, I had become more and more anxious. Hours ago, Katya told me that Ellie and Sage have requested to leave the territory to visit a werewolf only social bar occupied city an hour away. I repeated a mantra in my head. I shouldn't go after her because she can take care of herself. There was no need for me to run after my mate. She'll return. She'll be safe.

Yet it was a punch to my pride when I found myself following her. I told myself that I was just checking in on her. If she seemed alright, I'll return. 

An hour later, I rested my hand on the rough, ugly paintwork that coated the bar entrance door and pushed. The door hinges squeaked in warning of another presence to the lively bar but everyone seemed oblivious to the newest newcomer. Laughter overpowers the ancient jukebox. Dialogs swirl in a fog of strong cigarette smoke around the bar room. A sharp smell of tonic wafted toward me, like black fumes escaping from the chimney of a house. There was a strange stench of perfume, smoke, and body odor that tainted the bar. The place was dimly lit but werewolves can see easily.

I noticed Sage sitting in a circular booth with Ellie and Tommy. I decided to stay within a far distance from her but close enough to watch her. She sat on the edge of the booth so I had a clear perfect view of what she wore. She didn't dress to impress. Instead, she had on dark denim skinny jeans and a skin-tight black t-shirt that was all too revealing of her form. Her long burnt umber hair falling to her shoulder blade making even more seductive tonight. Right away, I knew the t-shirt wasn't hers. So, it could only mean that Ellie had asked her to wear it.

They were conversing and sipping tonic drinks. Every now and then, Sage would run her hands through her hair. I noticed that every time she did it, her eyes would scan the crowd but not out of curiosity. Her olive eyes revealed she was conscious of her surroundings, always on her guard. I stuffed my hands in my pocket and stood in the shadows of the bar. My attention lowered to her lips and watched them move while she talked to her friends.

Seeing Tommy sitting in the same booth as her and knowing he cares for Sage more than a friend, didn't sit well with me. Although I know the idiot won't harm Sage in any way, I still felt territorial over what was mine. Before Sage, possessive was never an emotion I felt. I was okay wandering from places to places. After meeting her, I didn't want anyone near her.

From the corner of my eyes, I catch a male werewolf from a different pack sauntered over to their booth. He leaned in with his hands propped on the edge of the table. His eyes were on Sage. I knew what he wanted, and a growl rumbled from deep inside my chest. Sage stiffened as if she heard me.

"No, thank you," she responded, dismissing the man without a glance.

An odd ball of burning possessiveness stirred deep in my chest. I felt my fur bristled and my skin tingling. A male competition threatening the mating bond was all that my beast sensed. He wanted blood. He wanted to rip the male werewolf into a million pieces.

Sage's eyes skimmed over the crowded bar slowly after the male werewolf got the hint and left. I watched her look at every single person's face until it stopped where I was standing. I watched those olive eyes dilate with recognition and surprise. Then she blinked and her face contorted to one out of anger.

She leaned over and whispered something to Ellie and Tommy before standing up. Instead of walking towards me, she walked to her left and down a dark hallway to where I believe was the bathroom. I lifted my hoody to cover my head before stepping out of the darkness with the intention of following her.

The narrowed hallway was small enough to fit two people side by side. The walls were filled with picture frames of old newspaper articles and magazines. There were two long light fixtures above me but only one was working.

"Sage," I said to stop her.

"What are you doing here?" she turned around at the end of the hallway to glare at me. "Are you stalking me?"

"No," I said but even I knew I was.

She snorted in disbelief. I took two more steps and stood right in front of her, blocking both the women's restroom door and anyone from seeing her.

"Are you going to be honest with me or are you going to stand there and lie to me?" she challenged.

I clenched my teeth in irritation, but her eyes never wavered from mine. She was one pissed off female.

"I didn't follow you," I grumbled.

She raised an eyebrow, cocked her hip and crossed her arms.

"Try again," she replied.

I huffed and averted my eyes.

"You followed me, Liam," she said.

"You're my mate. I'm supposed to protect you. You can't expect me to sit around while you step outside of territory into a bar filled with fucking male werewolves," I growled, taking a step towards her. We stood chest to chest; one refusing to back away from another.

"What do you think I would do? Kiss another male?" she questioned.

"No," I snarled.

"Fuck—"

"Don't even," I warned in a low feral tone. If she was going to tell me what I think she was going to, I don't think I could get that image out of my mind. It would send me on a killing spree.

She moved to step around me but the hallway was small. I grabbed her arm and yanked her back in front of me. She grabbed my wrist and twisted it so that I was pressed against the wall. I turned around to grab her other arm and pinned her against the wall with her opposite arm.

"Let me go," she growled.

"No," I replied.

"You're my mate, not my dad. I don't need you to smother me," she snapped.

My intentions were good but she made me sound like a fucking psycho. Shaking my head, I shoved my hands through my hair.

"Fine. You're here to have fun. I'm here to have fun," I growled.

By Gods, she was the most stubborn female I have ever encountered in my life. The defiant flame that lit those olive eyes grew and she jutted her stubborn chin out and walked past me to her friends.

I moved to sit in an empty stool by the bar. Signaling my hand for a drink, the bartender quickly obliged and opened one bottle for me. I took several large gulps before I placed it down on the counter. I was pissed off and irritated with her.

"Did you two fight with each other in the hallway?" Ellie asked.

"No," Sage snapped in irritation.

She was an infuriating woman. I understand her need for space but my beast and I can't allow it. The mate bond hasn't even been completed. She was traveling outside of the territory. It could be dangerous. I understand she can take care of herself but that doesn't stop the need to protect her.

"Hey handsome," a woman's voice whispered to my right. I turned and looked beyond the blonde woman to Sage who was looking back at me. Her eyes narrowed on the woman.

A flare of jealousy laced with the internal fury burning inside of her. I can see it in her eyes but then she blinked, looked at me with a face voided of emotions and looked away.

I don't know why but it ticked me off even more. I wanted her to care. I wanted her to be jealous and act irrationally. I wanted her to get this woman off my side but she was stubborn and refused to do what she just told me not to do. Smother me. Possess me. Mark me as her territory.

If she wasn't going to remove this woman off my arm, then should I even bother to as well?

The blonde woman's hand touched my right shoulder and then slid across my upper back to sling around my shoulders. She leaned closer to my ear.

"Want me to relieve some of that tension in your body?" she whispered seductively in my air.

My beast snarled his disgust. He wanted the woman's arm off from us. He wanted me to rip her arms from her shoulders and teach her a lesson.

"Sage!" Ellie snapped.

My eyes flew to my mate. She stood up from her seat indignantly and walked with purpose to the male werewolf that approached her earlier. She grabbed his arm, startling him for a second until he recognized it was Sage. She moved closer to the male werewolf. Her body was a little too close for my liking. My fingers tightened around my tonic bottle. Anger boiling inside me at this point.

She leaned closer and whispered in the male werewolf's ear. It must have been something fucking good because the guy smiled like a dumbass. Sage pulled back and flashed him a sexy smile that made my bottle cracked under my tightening grasp. The sound caught everyone's attention and their eyes flew to me. Sage smirked my way.

The damn female was going to drive my beast crazy. I shrugged the woman off me a little too harshly because she fell flat on her ass before I stood up and walked over to them with purpose. Grabbing onto Sage's arm, I yanked her back to my side.

"Hey," she protested.

"Let the lady go," the stupid dumbass said.

"How about you stay the fuck away from my mate before I tear your throat?" I growled dangerously.

The dumbass put up his hands, a tonic bottle in his hand, "I didn't know she had a mate."

I looked down at Sage.

"What are you trying to do?" I asked her.

"You tell me," she replied.

"You told me not to smother you," I growled my annoyance.

"It didn't mean for you to allow a woman to grope you," Sage countered and shoved me hard in the chest.

"She wasn't groping me. She was offering herself to me," I corrected but that seemed to piss her off even more. She looked ready to bite my head off.

Male satisfaction torrents through me. She was reacting like a jealous mate. She might not like it when I follow her but I loved it when she was jealous.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She glared at me.

I smirked. "No, but it made me feel better."

I sighed while pulling her further away from the male werewolf that I wanted to very much kill with my bare hands because she had touched him. We stepped into a private corner and I cupped the back of her neck for her to look at me.

"I came to check if you were ok. I'll leave but no more fussing around with male werewolves or I'll have to kill a few," I told her.

She rolled her eyes.

"I told him off the first time." She made a point.

"Keep it that way," I retorted.

She snorted before shaking her head at my response. I yanked her body close and slammed my lips onto hers only because I can and she was mine. I wanted everyone in this fucking bar to know that. She softened immediately in my arms.

I believe this is the only way I would get her to be compliant and willing-—when I am kissing her senseless. The stubborn mate of mine was bent on fighting me at every corner. My beast and I admired that trait about her. She wasn't afraid of us. She wanted us. She desired us in a way that no one can understand. She was ours to tame with our lips and hands.

When I pulled back she was in a daze and stumbled a little. Biting my bottom lip to stop myself from chuckling at her reaction, I steadied her with my hands before pushing her towards her friends. Once she was with them again, I turned to leave.

She was safe but my beast needed out. I can feel my skin tingling, burning to be freed.

I stepped out of the bar and disappeared into the nearest neck of the woods. 

Authors Note

dude this snapchat filter got me laughing...like for real...dont i look like A sly SOB? 🤣🤣 this is my face every time i write a cliffhanger