Under the Sky

Zeff

I looked at my phone, waiting for Josh to answer my text.

_Chill man, I'm finishing some work here and I'll be down there. May I remind you I'm covering your ass as you wander around._

_You suggested that!_

_Because you need to find your mate, man. Derion is being pushy with the council-_

_I know that!_

I drank from the beer in my hand, irritated at the response. I placed the phone on the table and leaned back in the booth, nostrils flaring. The Parr was coming soon, and I was becoming increasingly agitated.

Josh suggested we meet at Marvin's pub. The owner was a great friend of his, and the pub was in an urban area where a lot of people frequent. As Josh pointed out, it's a great place to start looking.

I didn't like being surrounded by humans. I had nothing against them, but their stares could send shivers of uncertainty down my spine. A guy like me wasn't exactly the best at blending in. A six-foot, 220-pound guy covered in our reservoir tribal tattoos isn't the easiest to overlook. People in the area knew about the Darwood Reservoir—the indigenous people of Missoula, sacred and strong.

But some have other ideas, which we had to tread lightly before all the truth breaks through.

Today my wolf was rather impatient. He would whine and huff, pacing and annoying the little patience I had. _′Stop it, Gaius.'_

_′I need to mate.'_

_′Don't you think I know that?'_

Our conversation was diverted as a woman came into the pub. She was carrying her bag and lunch bag with a tired composure. She was pale, fit, and curvy like an hourglass, her black hair pulled into a long wavy ponytail, falling in loose curls behind her shoulders. As soon as she reached the bar, she let go of her burden and sat down on the stool, leaning her head on the bar.

_Mate!_ I heard my wolf exclaim as I watched the woman thank Tom, the bartender, for the beer. Then the woman reached out to her ponytail and let her hair loose, falling like ebony waves behind her back.

And that's when the smell I yearned for years came in.

Blackberries.

It filled my lungs with delight, my lips almost watering at the smell of fresh ripe blackberries ready to be plucked and eaten. My wolf sniffed hard and sighed, howling in delight. _′She's here!'_

I looked around, yet my eyes landed back on the black-haired woman. A human. It had to be her.

Her eyes slowly scanned the pub until they landed on me.

I had to hold on to the booth as the gravitational pull was incredibly strong, like a magnet. Her amber eyes looked at me, curious, and it took all my willpower not to jump and just mark her. Humans don't feel the same pull until they are marked. Marking them would make other wolves and supernaturals aware that the person is off-limits.

My wolf was desperate, and I had to fight to calm him into taking control and shifting. _′Settle! She's human, and you'll scare her!'_

She broke eye contact and blushed. Gaius whined, yearning for attention. Did she feel something?

_′Do something!'_

My body was instantly pulled to my feet as I walked briskly over to her, sitting beside her. She looked up from her plate and stopped chewing. It was the most adorable gesture I'd ever seen. I wanted to reach out and lick the sour cream from the corner of her lips.

"Please brain," she muttered, yet it was crystal clear to my sensitive hearing.

I leaned down, trying to gain her attention. "Please what?"

I saw her leap a bit from her seat as I spoke, the bite from her quesadilla stuck in her throat. She started coughing. Instantly, my hand reached out to help her, patting her back.

Even through the shirt she was wearing, her skin sent sparks all over my hand, and her warmth was inviting. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, taking a gulp of her beer. "Yes, sorry."

My hand was so comfortable where it was that I smiled, truly smiled at the feeling. God, how I wanted this!

"Do—do I know you?"

"I wish I did," I replied, my fingers slowly moving from her back to her right forearm to her hand, where she was holding the quesadilla.

I took a small bite off it, my piercing stare never wavering. I could taste her saliva from the previous bite, and a warm satisfaction ran down my throat. Her aroma of blackberries became stronger, and I just engulfed myself in it. Her breath hitched, her heart now pounding in her chest.

Jesus, her reactions are killing me.

"Zeff Gunnolf," I said, my hand touching her forearm with a soft touch. For a human, her warmth was incredible. We werewolves tend to have a higher body temperature than humans. Can you imagine how it would feel to have her naked-

"Liliam," she said almost breathlessly, her gaze captivated by mine. "Liliam Black."

I wanted to smell her, relish in her amazing scent of blackberries. I gently pulled her hand away from the plate, the quesadilla forgotten, and guided it to my lips. I kissed her fingers, my eyes never leaving hers.

An electrifying jolt ran down my hand, and my wolf howled. I wanted to pull her closer, but I needed to be patient.

"Don't you know how to answer your phone?"

The voice snapped me back to reality. She pulled her hand away and looked at the other male, standing in the middle of the entrance with an annoyed glance at her. He was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.

My wolf growled, a hard breath hitched in as my muscles contracted and tightened. Who was this fucker talking like this?

"I'm sorry—"

"Hurry up!"

My eyes glared at the man, nostrils almost flaring as my wolf simmered at the surface with jealousy. _′Easy Gaius. We are in human territory!'_

A low growl escaped my lips, and I knew the dark eyes of my wolf were visible.

"Nice meeting you, Zeff," she said with a smile, following the male back to the car. My wolf whined, my body feeling the pull towards her, yearning for her warmth once more. For a second, she stopped, but with a heavy sigh, she shook her head and followed the other male.