Once back at camp, everyone's mouths hang open. And Cricket blinks his eyes a few times.
I have never been so proud to be me. No vampire, no zombie or ghost, just werewolf.
"What did you do?" Crickets gasp.
" Zero's Potion brought me back into being a werewolf."
Cricket blows out air from his mouth. "Yeah, Zare, but as a different wolf."
"What?" That makes no sense
"That wolf died with Zare, so Zero just created a new wolf, which means it'll have its own Mark mate," Cricket explains.
"If my wolf died with my body, that means Chetan hasn't been my mark mate for months."
"Yup," Cricket says.
"I haven't felt any different with him." I really do love Chetan not just because he was Mark's mate. I grin.
"That's because you love him," Dev says.
"But what if this wolf finds her Mark mate? What then?" Chetan asks, his face looking worried. Chetan's mouth is straightened, and his eyebrows pull up.
"Then you are fucked," Dev remarks.
I move towards Chetan. Grabbing his face with my hand, I stroke his cheek. Taking my nose, I rub it against his. He smiles and kisses me all over my face.
"You have nothing to worry about, nothing will ever keep me from loving you ."
"Except another Mark mate," says Dev.
"Shut up."
"Fine," Dev laughs.
Surprisingly, I hear Chetan laugh. "Welp, if another Mark mate shows up, I will just beat him to a bloody pulp."
"That's a little dark," says Dev, raising an eyebrow.
"Not dark, just Savage," says Chetan.
I see Chetan turn because Kirsten was talking to him.
I watch as Dev takes out his chewing tobacco from his back pocket and puts a small amount into his mouth. Walking over, I hold out my hand.
"Put it into your mouth quickly," he tells me while taking a peek at Chetan.
Luckily Chetan's back was turned, he hated when I chewed and told Dev to stop giving it to me.
Riya walks over and wraps her arms around Dev's waist. He grabs her arm and lays back his head, kissing her on the cheek.
"Want to go for a swim?" she asks him.
"Yeah." He grins. He spits the chew on the ground.
"Yuck, that's so gross." Riya wrinkles up her nose.
"That's so gross," Dev mocks her, making his voice sound like a girl.
"Sometimes you are so immature," she rolls her eyes, dropping her hold on him and walking away. He slaps her butt as she walks by.
"You want to come with us?" He directs his attention to me.
"No thanks, I was never into watching pornos."
"What about a three sum?" Dev laughs so hard, that he barely got the words out.
"Isn't Smoke the one who usually makes the awkward sexual jokes?"
"I would honestly, but then regret afterwards, when Chetan whoops my ass," he says laughing.
"You're a mess."
"Dev," I hear Riya call.
"See ya."
"Wouldn't want to be ya," Dev says with a nerdy grin.
I see Chetan sitting with Kirsten, they are playing with the cards Ajay made, it was the sweetest thing.
"I hope Dad is back soon," she tells Chetan.
"Ajay will be back." He smiles at her.
"Kirsten, you want to take Atsila to the river for a bath? Kiara calls.
She grins, leaving the game and racing toward Kiara.
"Why do you correct her with Ajay instead of dad?"
"Because he's not her dad, and I think that's a little strange", he says, cracking open a beer.
"But she lost her mom and dad and has a lot of comfort in Ajay."
He chugs down the drink. "I don't know, that's just my opinion."
"With you being Alpha, shouldn't you not be drinking? You know, have a clear head?"
"A few beers will hardly get me buzzed."
Smoke sits down next to Chetan. "Poker?" He asks.
"Sure."
"How about Strip poker Zare?" Smoke says smiling.
"Do I look like the type of girl willing to take my clothes off for anyone?"
"Do I really have to answer that?" Smoke says, biting his lip.
Chetan laughs. Really what an asshole.
I raise an eyebrow at him. "Maybe I'll start taking my clothes off for no one."
"Ouch," says Smoke, punching Chetan in the arm.
I walk away as the boys start playing poker. Normally I would go look for Ajay, my heart hurts that he isn't here. I feel like a child who just lost a pet and looks for them, realizing that it won't be there.
I want to go searching for him. I long to find him. He always comes to find me. Listening to laughter, I notice that Cricket and Ash have joined the game. They will be playing for hours, but he will notice I am gone.
How long would I have until Chetan comes searching for me? One hour? Two?
I move over to Chetan, he stops playing and acknowledges me.
"Are you sleepy baby? Are you ready to lay down?"
I shake my head no. "I am going for a run, I will probably be back in the morning."
"Zare Ajay's limits are still in place," Chetan tells me.
I nod. " Okay."
Chetan takes a drink of his beer. "You want me to come with you?"
"No, you stay here and play."
I kiss him on the cheek.
Dev approach. I see water dripping from his hair. His chest is still wet.
He sits down by Chetan, his eyes analyzing the situation.
"Zare, I really hope you're not looking for Ajay," Chetan tells me.
"I am not."
"Whatever," he responds, looking down at his cards.
"You know as Alpha, you can tell her no," Smoke pipes in.
"She's fine, everyone needs time to themselves," Chetan says as I change into my wolf form and run into the woods.
Lifting up my head, I sniff, trying to locate Ajay. The more I run, the more frustrated I get because I can't smell him. Where did he go? Soon I am way past Ajay's limits and still no Alpha.
I see the grocery store, where the vampires killed our friend. There's a new group of friends there now, and they will know if Ajay was in the store. I walk toward the store, I hope I will get answers.
Pushing open the door, I hear its charm as it opens. In my mind, I see a picture of the poor girl the vampires killed. I see her giving me cupcakes. I shake off the memory.
"Zare," the cashier calls.
"Have Ajay been through here?" I try to relax my face to not cause any alarm.
"A few hours ago", she remarks.
"Did he say where he was going?"
"No," she shakes her head.
I let out a breath.
"He told me if you showed up, for me to give you this piece of paper," she hands me a thin piece of white paper.
I open it, hoping it reveals some secrets.
Zare,
Go back to camp.
-Ajay
I laugh. He knows me so well.
Rolling my eyes, I smell Dev's scent. "
Wow, that was some run", says Dev as he walks through the door.
I roll my eyes. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I knew you were up to something," he says, moving his fingers back and forth, making the no sign.
"So you're going to help me look for Ajay too?"
"No", he answers with a laugh, walking towards the cashier.
"Two cans of fine cut please," he tells the cashier. "I need more chew, can't you see?" he says to me. "
"See ya."
"Yeah back at camp," he smirks.
"Dev, he always came looking for me." I stump my feet.
"Zare, he is fine. I really think he needs time alone to think."
"But, I am worried about him."
"He will overcome this, I know," he says, grabbing my hand. "Now let's go."
"Does Chetan already know?"
"That you disobeyed him as Alpha?" Dev says, giving me a death stare.
"Yeah, that."
"No, but if you come on, I won't tell him."
"How come you can come to the market and buy chew?"
"I can't, sometimes I disobey Alpha's orders," he smiles.
"Hypocrite." I laugh.