Micah's Mate

by Abigail Raines

  Micah’s Mate

  The Quinton Shifters Book 2

  Abigail Raines

  © Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved.

  It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One: Luna

  Chapter Two: Micah

  Chapter Three: Luna

  Chapter Four: Micah

  Chapter Five: Luna

  Chapter Six: Micah

  Chapter Seven: Luna

  Chapter Eight: Micah

  Chapter Nine: Luna

  Chapter Ten: Micah

  Chapter Eleven: Luna

  Chapter Twelve: Micah

  Chapter Thirteen: Luna

  Chapter Fourteen: Micah

  Chapter Fifteen: Luna

  Chapter Sixteen: Micah

  Chapter Seventeen: Luna

  Chapter Eighteen: Micah

  Epilogue

  Check out Werewolves of St. Neuri, my other Werewolf Shifter series.

  About the Author

  Chapter One: Luna

  I crank up The Killers and bob my head along to the beat, swinging my hips as I dance around in an all too empty apartment. The only upside to my former roommate, Michelle, being gone is that I now have more room to dance and that I can play my music louder. I consider it a lousy trade-off. I miss my buddy. I keep reading some stupid tweet and looking up to tell her about it and she’s not there. I never realized how much I’d become used to having her around all the time. But Michelle fell in love and after some drama (which she thinks I don’t know about) surrounding the nature of her romance with Aaron, they’re not only married but also have a baby and live in his fancy condo. Of course, I could always take on another roommate but the truth is, I don’t need Michelle for the rent anymore, not with the way my career as a kitchen designer is going. I just liked her. Now, however, her room is empty and I’m trying to figure out what to do with the space because I like my apartment. I know I’ll end up turning it into an office, but it’s fun to imagine I might suddenly start collecting PEZ dispensers or something

  I’ve been a little stressed about Michelle and Aaron getting together, though I’ve tried not to let it show. But I’m happy for Michelle and that outweighs everything else. I’ve also become an Unofficial Aunt to the single cutest baby in the world. I haven’t seen enough of baby Trevor. That’s my fault. I’ve sort of been avoiding Michelle and her hubby. It’s not their fault and sooner or later it’s going to get sticky. But every time I get near those Tremblay brothers, my palms start to sweat. I’m just so afraid they’ll find out what I really am.

  It also doesn’t help that one of brothers looks at me like I’m his dessert every time he sees me. And what’s worse: Micah is stupid hot. But the thought of him only scares me. It’s impossible. I’ve only met him a few times. Even though nothing bad happened, I was jittery for every second I spent with him. If the Tremblays ever found out what and who I am, I’d never be able to talk to Michelle again.

  But I don’t like to think about all that when I don’t have to, so I don’t. It’s a lot easier to not think about when I avoid them. So, instead of hanging out with my best friend, which I know she’d like me to do every once in a while, I dance…alone…in my empty apartment.

  On top of that, I’m also ostensibly reorganizing my books for the third time in a month because I like to organize when I’m stressed. I dance over to the shelf behind the couch and pull out all the books. I’ve decided to organize everything by color this time. It will make finding the book I want to read impossible, but it will look very pretty. When Michelle took her lovely bamboo shelving away, I replaced it with floor to ceiling white shelves. Now I’m hoping I can pull off a rainbow effect if I do it right. I bob my head as I group red books together, orangey books, yellow books…

  My phone buzzes and I frown. Michelle is calling. My stomach tenses up. I’ve been playing off the amount of anxiety I feel about the Michelle situation, but the truth is, it keeps getting worse. I’m thrown into a near state of panic just by her calling now because if she wants to see me, I might end up seeing several Tremblays.

  But I’ve already dodged a couple of her calls this week. I owe her one. So now I heave a sigh and pick up the phone.

  “Hey!” I say, and even I can hear a bit of the tension in my voice.

  I can also tell that Michelle hears it, too, but all she says is, “Hey, yourself.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Um…nothing really,” Michelle says. “Aaron’s at Xander’s helping him with some tax problem.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Okay…” She sounds like she’s waiting for me to say something else. I bounce on my toes and chew my lips, nervous energy coursing through my veins.

  “I’m reorganizing the books!” I say in a rush.

  “Are you,” Michelle says flatly.

  “Sure am.”

  “Luna.”

  “Michelle.

  “Luna!”

  “Michelle!”

  “God, can you just stop pretending this isn’t weird? You’re my best friend. Cut it out.”

  I sigh heavily. This was inevitable. I’d just hoped I’d have a little more time. “Alright,” I say, uncertain.

  “You’re totally avoiding me,” Michelle says.

  “I know,” I say, my voice wavering because I’m not sure what I’m going to say next. “I’ve just been stressed out because I’ve had a lot of...stress. At work. For a while. So that’s why I haven’t-“

  “For months?” Michelle presses. “Like, since before Trevor was born?”

  “Well…” I really didn’t expect her to push about it. Now my heart is racing.

  “Maybe since I got together with Aaron?”

  “That’s not entirely true,” I say, trying to cobble together a defense. “I mean, it’s not like I haven’t hung out with you guys.”

  “Barely!” Michelle says. I plop down on the couch and squeeze my eyes shut. I can practically see her in front of me; she probably has that disappointed look she gets. It’s the same look she used to get when I left one of her Blu Ray discs out of its case.

  “I just get social anxiety, is the thing,” I say, because it’s the best excuse I can come up with on the fly. “New people, new situations. Stressful!”

  “Luna,” Michelle says dryly. “You’ve never had social anxiety in your life. You always introduce yourself first and then ask everyone twenty questions and you’re charming and confident. Why are you bullshitting me?”

  That stings, but I can’t exactly argue. I’m absolutely bullshitting her. I pick at a loose thread from the seam of my jeans. “I just…can’t… Listen, it’s not your fault,” I say. “Or their fault either.”

  “But there is something!” Michelle says. “I knew it. Girl, you better tell me what it is.”

  “I can’t,” I murmur.

  “Did somebody say something to you?” Michelle says, sounding careful. “Did Xander say something? He can be a little much sometimes, I know that. And listen, I love my man forever but if Aaron spoke out of tune, you better tell me-“

  “No!” I say. “None of them said anything. I told you, they haven’t done anything.”

  “Is this because Micah has a crush on you?” Michelle asks. “Because he absolutely does and to be honest, I don’t know why you’re not going for it, Luna. He’s
totally your type and he’s very cute. But if he’s making you uncomfortable-“

  “Oh my God, no!” I blush at that. Whenever I do see Micah I get that wobbly legged feeling, but it’s not my fault. The guy looks like a young Brad Pitt except he’s got these gray eyes that devastate me. I’ve met him maybe three times and I could practically feel my panties dropping to the floor whenever he looked at me. “It’s not Micah.”

  “Well, I’ll be honest with you,” Michelle says. “That’s pretty disappointing. Because it means you just don’t like them, I guess.”

  My breath comes up short. That sounds so mean the way she says it. It’s also not true. And yet, it would be an okay excuse. Before Michelle and Aaron got together, I was their biggest cheerleader. I thought it was stupid that she was so hot for her boss and insisted on keeping everything professional. So many couples meet at work anyway. But it would be easy. It would be the easiest out in the world to just say that I was happy for her, but that I didn’t like her husband and his brothers.

  Except that I can hear the sting in Michelle’s voice. The thought of it hurts her feelings. Of course, she wants her best friend to like her husband. And the truth is, I do like Aaron. He’s just snarky enough that I can get along with him but best of all, he’s super sweet to Michelle and I know they take good care of each other. He’s also a good dad from everything I’ve seen and heard. I don’t dislike him at all. In fact, I’ve sat around by myself on a Friday night wishing I could drag some board games over to Aaron’s place and get his brothers over for a nice game night. I think the Tremblays are potentially fun, especially Micah. And Mason is a sweetheart. Xander is a little gruff, but he’s a good guy.

  This is all my problem, and none of theirs. I can’t let myself off the hook so easily. It just wouldn’t be fair.

  I finally fully realize that I’m not going to be able to avoid the Tremblays forever, not if I want to remain friends with Michelle. I’ll just have to be very careful not to give myself away. In fact, avoiding them so conspicuously might have been bringing more attention to myself.

  Oh.

  I hadn’t thought of it that way before.

  I’m just going to have to suck it up and take a chance, both to save my friendship and because it might be the smarter call, anyway.

  So I take a deep breath and start talking out of my ass.

  “Honestly, it’s nothing at all like that,” I say. “I’ve just been insecure and stupid. Because, ya know…Tremblays.”

  “What about the Tremblays?” Michelle says, sighing.

  That makes me laugh in spite of myself. “You’re already used to it,” I say. “But I might remind you that your husband is one of the wealthiest people in the Pacific Northwest.”

  “Oh, pfft,” Michelle scoffs. She’s definitely rolling her eyes. “His family is super wealthy. Xander’s a billionaire, probably. But Aaron’s not-“

  “Yes, he is,” I say. “He just chooses to live pretty modestly. But it’s his money too.”

  The Tremblay Company is all aerospace and tech. Aaron’s oldest brother took it over from their father who was only too happy to retire and turn the job of ruling an entire industry over to his son.

  “Okay fine,” Michelle says. “I married up-“

  “Well, that isn’t what I meant.”

  “I know,” Michelle says laughing. “I’m kidding. I’m just saying, yeah they’re rich. But they’re not snobs. Not by a long shot. You haven’t even met Aaron’s mom. Oh, she’s such a sweetheart, Luna. You’ll love her!”

  Now Michelle sounds excited. That makes sense. After all, I just presented her a problem she can easily solve.

  “And it’s not like Aaron and his brothers are so fancy or anything,” Michelle goes on. “They’re only a little fancy.”

  “They eat gourmet food,” I say. “But they eat it with a very large fork?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Alright, I definitely need you to come to dinner at the estate on Friday,” Michelle says.

  Yep, I figured that was coming.

  To sell the lie I told Michelle, I hem and haw. I tell her I’m afraid of using the wrong spoon or dropping my napkin in the consomme. I tell her that I don’t have anything good enough to wear to an “estate.” Michelle is sympathetic, because she’s like that, and negotiates me down to dinner at her place with Aaron. Just Michelle, her hubby, and little baby Trevor. Well, Aaron makes me nervous, but not nearly as nervous as being around all four of them, especially Xander. I figure I’m getting a pretty good deal.

  “Alright,” I say, finally giving in after putting up enough of a fight. “I know I’m being silly, I just-“

  “Yes!” Michelle says. “You are absolutely being silly. “

  “Should I bring something?” I ask.

  “Just your charming and beautiful self,” Michelle replies.

  “I’ll bring something,” I say, chuckling. “Hey, how’s my tiny rascal?”

  “Breaking records of adorableness,” Michelle says. “I had to join a moms forum online because I’m annoying everyone with the way I’m talking about him so much.”

  “Yeah,” I say. “I can tell by your Instagram.”

  I proceed to tease the crap out of Michelle, but only out of love. She tells me pretty much every single thing Trevor has done in the last week even though she already texted me the highlights. Some of it, I find cute or amusing. Some of it I find dull as hell but I tell her it’s all magic because she is my best friend and people get that way when they have kids.

  When I finally say goodbye and let Michelle go, I feel a little better.

  But the feeling passes soon enough.

  There’s a good reason I’ve been avoiding Michelle’s new family and any time I’m left alone with my thoughts, that reason is all can I think about.

  I continue to obsess about it all evening; as I eat takeout, and in bed when I’m trying to get to sleep. At work the next day, I’ve got kitchens to design. My work is high end. People have had me fly out all the way to California to look at and measure their kitchen space and to get a feel for their homes before designing their kitchens. Then I come home to work from my office in Quinton, Washington. If needed, I come out and consult with our company’s contractors. The irony is that my own kitchen is humble at best. Although, despite its lack of size I make it work well enough.

  I totally stumbled into my job. I majored in design at a state school, having run off to Seattle from the rougher reaches of rural Oregon. Or rather, my mother and I ran off because we had to. Then she helped me work through school before she died. I met Michelle just when I needed somebody I could call family.

  Ten years later and I’m perusing layouts on my laptop in my big, glassy office, surrounded by stone tile samples. My office looks out on a giant showroom that displays several different examples of the luxurious types of kitchens we design. Now I’m just staring at them, worrying. I’m making a new profession out of worrying. But it doesn’t pay anything and if I don’t focus on my real job, eventually I’m going to get into trouble.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket and it’s Michelle.This time, instead of feeling dread I perk up. It was good to clear the air, or at least pretend to clear it.

  But when I read her text, my stomach drops to the floor again.

  Micah is coming to dinner.

  I can’t escape the fear that somehow they’ll know even if I’ve been careful to cover my tracks, and the more of them there are around, the more of them could possibly figure it out.

  Can’t you get rid of him?

  Well no, I’d like to be friends with my brothers in law.

  I knoooow.

  I feel bad for coming off like such a jerk.

  Michelle texts back, Micah is nice! You guys have the same sense of humor!

  I don’t respond to that. I’m too busy banging my head on my desk.

  Finally I throw Michelle a bone and say, Fine. It’s fine. I’ll deal.

  I think you’ll survive, Miche
lle says.

  I reply with a vaguely annoyed gif and toss my phone on the table. Great. I was getting used to the idea of a casual evening with Michelle and Aaron and the kid and now the brother is crashing. The devastatingly handsome brother with bedroom eyes and a mischievous smile. Except for when he actually talks to me. Then he gets a bit tongue-tied, which is even cuter. It’s also mind blowing. I can’t get my head around the idea that I make somebody who looks like Micah Tremblay get tongue-tied.

  This is going to be very tricky, I think. Because Michelle is right, we do have the same sense of humor. In fact, Micah is drool-worthy in every single respect. He’s also completely impossible for me as an option. So seeing him just out of my reach is only going to drive me crazy.

  Yet, Michelle keeps texting me messages brimming with positivity and confidence boosts and even though I’m well aware that her intentions are coming from total ignorance of the real cause of my fears, it makes me feel better. Maybe everything will be fine.

  If the Tremblays could actually tell what I am, wouldn’t they have figured it out already?

  I hang onto that thought all week and start feeling a little better. On Thursday, I take myself out shopping. Even though it’s going to be a pretty casual dinner, I want to look nice and I will never turn down an excuse to buy a new dress. I get a long and form-fitting gray rib-knit dress with just a bit of a slit on the side. It’s casual yet sexy, because, okay, I would like to look cute for Micah with the bedroom eyes. I’ll wear sneakers and put my hair up. It’s the best of both worlds.

  But on Friday evening when I’m doing my makeup, I look at myself and see the same eyes that were once so young and scared of where I come from. I shut my eyes, trying not to think about it all.

  When I open them, I see my wolf.