Ch. 89: I’m Glad It’s You

CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE:
Ally~
I froze in my tracks.
“I- Nick,” I searched for words that didn’t seem to come.
I just looked at him, the car, the guys and Rachel - and - the head. I turned to the side, seeing it again and feeling sick.
“Hold on,” he said calmly. I kept my eyes fixated on a tree and heard his footsteps retreat. After a few moments he started walking back. I looked up at him again. The sight of him walking toward me made my breath hitch. He smiled. That made me all warm again. I could feel my cheeks flaming.
I breathed in deeply. It was him.
“It’s you - you smell like…” I started then hit the brakes. I might just die here of embarrassment.
“What? Tell me?” his eyes brightened and he stepped even closer.
How does one breathe again? I’ve forgotten.
“I can tell you what you smell like to me?” his eyebrows went up a bit. “Like freshly baked cinnamon rolls.”
“How?” I squeaked.
He turned his head to the side and scratched the back of his head as he thought. A breeze came by and the apple pie scent increased. I had to force myself not to take a huge inhale of it. I wanted to wrap myself up in the warm comfort of it. I could just melt right here.
“Do you know what mates are, Ally?” he asked me.
I thought for a second. “Like friends? Or - like…” I thought of Rachel explaining how Sean used the word ‘soulmates.’
My eyes widened in understanding. He smiled at me genuinely and took another step closer to me. I fought the urge to do the same.
“Is that - real?” I asked him.
“It is for werewolves. I know a few other species have other words for the same thing,” he began to explain. He closed the distance between us and reached out his hand again.
My hand flinched forward but I stopped it.
He looked hurt.
“I just need a minute,” I assured him. This was a lot. Soulmates. Nick. This incredibly kind and intelligent guy standing in front of me was telling me that we were destined. “We’re so young-,” I started rambling aloud. “I need to wrap my mind around this- I just started working on being a Witchling, understanding magic. I’ve just had to help a friend through something horrible, and Rachel was nearly kidnapped, and now-” I looked back at him and he looked really concerned.
“I understand Ally, I wasn’t expecting this today either…” he dropped his hand to his side.
I didn’t mean to make him think that-
“Nick I’m, I’m new to all this,” I said, gesturing to the guys in the distance. Evan waved and I ignored his antics.
He nodded and put his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels, looking down at the ground.
“But-” his head shot back up, hope on his face, “but I’m glad it’s you.”
I let the words hang there. I wasn’t lying. He was anyone’s dream guy. For him to stand here in front of me, heart on his sleeve, clearly excited about the prospect of an ‘us’ - it pulled at my heart. He pulled at my heart.
He exhaled and his eyes shone with something so deep it stole my breath.
“Me too,” he said.
It was my turn to take a step forward. And so I did. One step. And his stance loosened. He reached for me again and this time I took his hand.
The shock of his touch zapped up my spine again and I felt giddy all over.
“I don’t know what to do now,” I admitted.
“I’m sure he’s got some ideas!” Evan yelled from far off.
Nick turned to him and growled, pulling me a little closer as my cheeks heated. I hid my face where his chest and neck met and I breathed in his scent deeply. He squeezed my hand in response. I felt heat radiating from his body, and could hear his heart thundering.
“Ally, when you’re done gushing over there, I would love your assistance with the big bad wolf!” Kyle yelled.
I let a laugh out and backed up a little. Nick was radiating happiness and was just pure joy. I’d known him for years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that happy.
“Coming!” I yelled back at the guys.
I went to let go of Nick’s hand but he didn’t let my hand go, so we walked over to the staircase together.

Nick~
I might die of happiness. I never would have guessed the Goddess would bless me with such a kind and intelligent mate. I’d always had a little bit of an eye for her but never let myself feel anything else, knowing for sure at the time that I had a werewolf mate out there for me. I have never been so ecstatic to be so very, very wrong.
Ally was very quiet in class back in middle school. She took her studies seriously, and I had a deep respect for that. I’d always been enraptured by her smile and laughter when she was out on the blacktop, joking with friends. While in class she was as quiet as a mouse, with her friends she always blossomed.
I hope I’ll be her new reason to blossom. Her words, ‘I’m glad it’s you,’ echoed in my mind and made me so da*n happy. I’m keeping those breathtaking words into the deepest part of me and remembering them forever.
We have the most beautiful mate, Asher said in my mind. Our mate is beautiful, smart, and soon very powerful.
I agree with all points, and have questions for another time about the last thing he said…

Evan~
I was so happy for Nick. Really. But seeing and hearing the two of them start to work this mess out, and watching Jake hold Rachel like that as he sat on the stairs… It hurt me too. Xavier whimpered in my mind, as if to say ‘me too bro.’
They walked over, holding hands, and I pushed myself to pull my feelings apart for later. Now, I need to be a Beta. A wolf of action.
“Okay, I think we all need to start with what happened,” Nick began.
“Well, Rachel was with Kyle and I at the park, then she walked home. After like an hour of speaking with my grandmother, I noticed a missed call on my phone from Rachel. I heard her voicemail and at the end of it she yelled out, so we booked it up here,” Ally recounted.
My action-focused eyes noticed the way Nick took a step closer to her when she talked about the Fae guy, Kyle. Though from the way Kyle’s eyes almost never left Rachel, I think Jake has the bigger problem.
“When we got here we saw someone putting her in the trunk,” Kyle chimed in and gestured toward the car. “We got into a fight with him and Ally knocked him down, when he stood up we saw it was Vance. He knows what she is. He was trying to figure me out when he got close enough for me to grab him. I threw all my magic at him and knocked him out. Then we were trying to grab Rachel when we were attacked. We woke up like two blocks down the hill. When we woke up we ran here, and well, you know the rest.”
I looked to Jake to say our piece but he was still not saying a word since yelling at Kyle during the whole Ally-Nick-are-mates thing.
“Jake’s wolf felt she was in trouble and we drove here, jumped out and saw two people here. One was that guy,” Nick said, pointing a thumb backwards to the brush where he tossed Vance’s head. “Another was a woman. Tiny thing. Older. But-”
“She got away,” Jake rumbled, pulling Rachel closer in a tight squeeze.
“Yeah…” Nick responded.
“That’s who got the jump on us,” Kyle said, “I remember seeing her shoes…”
He seemed to get lost.
“Okay, well. How is Rachel doing?” Ally interrupted.
“She’s okay, she’s in a dream state. Very deep down though. I told the mean wolf to let her sleep,” Kyle said, rolling his eyes.
Jake’s jaw moved slightly, and Aamon’s eyes came to the surface.
“So she’s alright. But I think it’s time to get her home. Her mom will start to worry, I can hear her moving around down there,” I pointed out.
Jake - or maybe Aamon - growled.
Ally stepped forward, unafraid. Her left hand still in Nick’s.
“Jake, you know he’s right,” she said softly, leaning down to look at him at eye level.
They pretty much had a staring contest until Jake grunted and stood up. He started walking down the stairs.
“Jake,” Ally said, making him stop.
He was shaking his head before she even said the rest.
“It has to be me,” she said. “Her mom will flip out if a guy is carrying her unconscious daughter home.”
“Can I see you tomorrow?” Nick asked her, knowing she was about to leave us.
“Of course,” she smiled warmly at him. “I’ll let you know when I get her home?” She looked around all of us and then pointedly looked at Jake.
He sighed and nodded.
Nick let her go and she waited a split second before quickly rocking back on her feet to give him a small peck on the cheek.
Dude looked like he was going to burst into song.
Ally gave Kyle some look and he followed her down a few steps. Nick tensed a bit watching him get to follow her. And Jake started to pull Rachel to the side but she just stopped in her tracks and looked at him. He exhaled and loosened up.
“Why don’t you seat her on that bench there? Kyle will help me wake her up once it’s safe to do so,” Ally started. Her phone rang.
“Ah crabapples,” she muttered. She answered, “Sorry mom, yeah. Something happened,” she glanced at Rachel then back up at Nick. “Yeah, can you come to Rachel’s? We’re on the staircase going down the hill to her apartment building… okay.”
“My mom’s coming, she’ll help,” she said, turning back to Jake. “You should go, you need to settle yourself.” Her warm, motherly tone, and the way she was able to read Jake reminded me of Nick. A perfect match of intuitive souls.
“Jake, she will be protected. We need to go after the woman who escaped,” I reminded him.
Like a battle commander, I was focusing on action. He looked up and nodded at me once. He settled her in Ally’s arm, and gave Kyle a snarling glare in warning, before starting back up towards where we stood. I moved first, knowing if I didn’t pull them away from their mates we’d be standing here even longer.
“Nick, you need to call our parents. We need reinforcements,” I ordered.
He shook off the dreamy look on his face and refocused at those words.
The three of us marched to the top of the hill and began looking through the car for clues.