Chapter 4 The Wolf Within

The following days had been a blur. Andrew couldn't get Jamie out of his head, the way golden hair had blazed in the light, the piercing of his deep blue eyes that had lingered on Andrew with a chilling focus as if he knew exactly what was coming. The attraction was there, but Andrew wouldn't acknowledge it to himself. He had a debt to the pack, a familial loyalty, and a fate that had already been established long before Jamie had ever come into his life.

Jamie was swept up in a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity. He couldn't help but feel that something was amiss-something about his very existence was changing, shifting in ways he couldn't grasp. He'd never felt anything like it before, this. calling. Anytime he was near Andrew, the feeling grew stronger. His heart would thump, his skin would prickle into a shiver of excitement, and still, he couldn't quite place why. He'd never been among the werewolf fraternity, and all of it was foreign, unbelievable. And yet there stood Andrew, at the very center of it, a figure both compelling and impossible to resist.

Jamie had always been the outsider, the one that did not fit. He'd never belonged to the wolf world, never to the traditions and expectations that ruled their lives. But now, for the first time, he felt that he belonged to it-and he was not sure if it was a blessing or a curse.

It was a dark morning when Jamie waited outside the pack's training grounds, his chest pounding with anticipation. It was fresh with the scent of damp earth, accompanied by the faintest whiff of something sweet-Andrew. Jamie was powerless against him like a moth drawn to flames, yet something held him back. What was it? Why him?

He had barely moved when he heard the crunch of gravel underfoot, the sound of someone approaching. He turned to find Caroline walking toward him, her arms crossed over her chest, a look of quiet understanding on her face.

"You've been avoiding Andrew," she said, her tone soft but firm.

Jamie turned his head aside, overcome by a tide of guilt. "I don't know what's happening, Caroline. I'm not like them. I'm not. I'm not a wolf."

Caroline's eyes became sympathetic. "You might not be a wolf yet, Jamie, but that does not necessarily mean that you won't be. You have the scent, Jamie. The bond is already formed."

Jamie swallowed dryly, his mouth dry. "But how do I. I don't even know what this is. What does it mean?"

Caroline regarded him for a second and then moved closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "It means you're Andrew's mate, whether you like it or not. It's not something you can avoid."

The words hit Jamie with the force of a punch to the gut. "I'm his what?"

"Friend," Caroline repeated, her tone soothing. "The Moon Goddess does not err. You are connected to him in ways that you probably cannot even start to realize yet, but you're here now. You're in him."

The gravity of her statement rested heavily on Jamie's shoulders, but before he had a chance to respond, a voice interrupted them from behind.

"Caroline, Jamie. You two are here."

Andrew's voice was unshakable, but Jamie felt the tightness behind it. He whipped around to him, his heart leaping up into his throat as their gazes met. There it was again-the attraction, the indeniable pull that made his heartbeat accelerate.

"I-" Jamie said, his voice breaking. "I didn't mean to. I just didn't know how to-"

"You don't need to explain anything," Andrew cut in dryly, his eyes unreadable. "I get it. But some things. Whatever this is, this isn't simple for me, either. You don't belong here. You're not ready."

The words stung, even if they were meant as a defense. Jamie wanted to argue, wanted to shout that he didn't ask for any of this, that he didn't choose this bond-but instead, all that came out was a strained, "I'm trying to understand."

Andrew's gaze softened, but the guard that surrounded him was still in place, clear evidence that he wasn't going to let himself be open yet. "I know. But knowing doesn't change what is happening."

Caroline, feeling the tension building between them, stepped forward. "Both of you need time. Jamie, you need to start seeing what you are, and Andrew, you need to stop in denial.".

Before either of them could respond, a sharp growl echoed through the air, followed by the sounds of several wolves shifting in the distance. The moment was broken, and Andrew's attention snapped to the source of the noise, his posture stiffening.

"I'll be back," he said shortly, his voice filled with authority. "Don't go anywhere."

Jamie watched him disappear, his mind racing with confusion and doubt. He couldn't help but feel the weight of the world pressing down on him. What did this all mean for his future? And more importantly, what did it mean for his relationship with Andrew?

Caroline's gaze lingered on Jamie, her expression one of sympathy. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out. But you're not alone in this."

Jamie wasn't so sure. But as he watched the pack members training, he couldn't help but think that everything was going to be different-and nothing he could do would be able to stop it.