by Eden Cole
Not My Wolf
Copyright © February 2011, Eden Cole
Cover art by Anastasia Rabiyah © February 2011
Amira Press
Charlotte, NC 28227
www.amirapress.com
ISBN: 978-1-936279-70-8
No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-mail, without prior written permission from Amira Press.
Chapter One
“You can’t put it off forever, you know,” Blaine reminded him. “Every day, more and more of the men are asking about when you’ll mate.”
“It’s not like my mate is sitting outside my door waiting for me to take her,” Corey complained. “You know that as well as every wolf out there. And the bigger issue here is not whether I have my mate. It’s whether we’re going to escalate this issue with the rival pack.”
Blaine nodded. “Yeah, there’s that too.”
Corey growled at him, but his second in command was not fazed in the least. Blaine was a good man, a great fenrir shifter. He’d stayed beside Corey for many years and was comfortable not challenging him for leadership of the pack. The others might assume it was because Blaine was openly gay, but Corey knew better. Blaine was one of the strongest, most self-assured men he knew. He was comfortable in what and who he was, but he also felt his place was to support Corey. If today or tomorrow, Blaine changed that view, Corey knew he’d learn it from his Beta firsthand. That made Blaine his best friend aside from his duties.
“Anyway,” Corey began, breaking eye contact with the other man and staring down at his desk, “I might be meeting my mate a lot sooner than you or I thought.”
Blaine, who had been rearing back in his chair with his face hidden beneath his Stetson, shot forward. His chair slammed down on the floor. “What? Why didn’t you say anything, you ass? Where is she? How do you know?”
Corey winced at the explosion of sound. All of the fenrir shifters in his small Rocky Mountain pack had sensitive hearing. “Watch it, would you?” he snapped. At Blaine’s apology, he continued. “I had a dream last night—”
“A dream?” Blaine whistled. “So you did get the gift from our ancestors. Shows up in the Alpha sooner or later.”
“Yeah,” Corey agreed, “and that’s another thing that others have questioned about my authority. Not those who want to challenge me of course, just troublemakers.”
“The dream?” Blaine led.
Corey hesitated again. The dream had been sensual, hot. He’d awakened that morning drenched with sweat, his cock rock solid. If the experience wasn’t a premonition of what was to come, it was at least enjoyable, until he woke up. “She was in it, my mate. I’m pretty sure it was her because I heard myself say ‘you’re my mate?’” He shrugged, all of a sudden feeling stupid.
Blaine laughed. “You didn’t sound too sure.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” he insisted, becoming more so as he spoke. “The feeling was right.” He closed his eyes and leaned back remembering the scene with them together, both naked on a bearskin rug. The setting he recognized too, his cabin. The pack lived on a plot of land kept for their own kind, and the occasional stray from another type of shifter. Ownership had passed from one Alpha to the next over the last centuries. They worked the land to produce their livelihood, whether it was crops or cattle, all to allow them a sanctuary away from the big city.
Fenrir shifters were different from regular wolf shape-shifters. They were descendents of the Norse god Fenrir, and their fur when they changed to their animal form had an electric blue quality to it. They were bigger and stronger than regular wolf shifters. They were fewer in numbers than other groups. This was partially the reason his pack members kept pushing at him to find his mate, so that he could have children and keep the bloodline going. The more Corey looked out over his small pack and watched as they mated and started families, the lonelier he became from one year to the next. But the matter was more serious than him just picking out one of the unattached women and going for it.
“What did she look like? Maybe she’s one of us or someone from a neighboring pack.”
Corey shook his head. “I’m not sure. Actually the entire scene was hazy. All I could see very clearly was my cabin. She was there with me. We were having sex in front of the fireplace. She has long, black hair. And when she touched me…
“Touched you?” Blaine asked, doubt in his tone.
Corey frowned. “I know what you’re going to say. It seems more likely that when I touch my mate, I connect with her and feel that she’s the one. But well…honestly, it was her touch that got me. I can’t explain it.” He knew his face must be red. He sounded like a damn woman. “Look, don’t give me grief. All I’m saying is, I believe she’s it. So what I need to do is—”
“Is find a black-haired woman and have her touch you.”
“If you’re not going to take this seriously…”
Blaine held up his hands. “Okay, okay, buddy. I get it. And you’re in luck.”
Corey narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why’s that?”
“Because, my friend, it so happens that I need a double.”
“No.”
“You haven’t heard me out yet.”
“I said no.” Corey stood up. “I’ve got rounds to make. I’m not going on a double date with you. I’m not gay, Blaine, and I’d appreciate it if you would remember that.” Corey reached for his hat and placed it on his head before continuing toward his office door.
Blaine surged to his feet and followed. “Okay, but the double would be with my new friend’s sister,” he emphasized. “And she’s got long, black hair.”
Corey stopped with his hand on the doorknob and glanced over his shoulder. He should jerk the bastard up in the collar and plant him a facer just for playing with him, but he let it go. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
Blaine only grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets. “So that’s a yes?”
“Yes,” Corey spat. “But no kissy stuff in my presence. You know how that irritates me.”
Blaine brushed by him and jogged down the three steps to the asphalt. “I wonder why.”
Corey didn’t bother arguing. They’d had the discussion many times before. Blaine seemed to think just because he enjoyed men, everyone should, including Corey. He had never, nor would he ever, take a man to his bed.
* * * *
“Why are you dating him, Devin? He’s not your mate,” his sister asked softly.
Devin growled and snapped, “Do not question me, Corrin.” When he saw the surprise and hurt in her eyes, he relented. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. She’d know the truth soon enough, so why hide it from her? They were twins, and he shared everything with his sister. Not to get her to help him make decisions, but just because she was his companion on their trek up north to Colorado.
They had been born in Texas, and that’s where they spent most of their lives with a pack that they didn’t exactly fit in with. When Devin dreamed that he’d find his mate in Colorado, he headed out immediately. They had been here for months with no leads. He’d heard there were fenrir shifters in the area but had seen no evidence of them. Corrin and he weren’t full-blooded fenrir wolves. They had only a quarter of that special blood running through their veins. Apparently, that was more than enough to make them outcasts in their common wolf pack. That along with the fact that Devin was bigger and stronger than even his Alpha, a fact that no one took kindly to. Devin didn’t know how to keep his head low and his mouth shut. So when he had the dream, he left home, and Corrin had come with him.
“He’s a fenrir, full-blooded. Weren’t you able to tell that from his scent and his size?” he asked. “There’s n
o telling if his pack will accept us or if they will be the same as the others, thinking we’re beneath them and hardly worth notice. Either way, my mate is here in Colorado. I know he is.”
“And he’s a man?” she asked.
He grinned and nodded. “Darlin’ you know I’ve always preferred men. And yes, it was a man in my dream.” If he wasn’t driving at the moment, he would have closed his eyes and brought up the vision he knew by heart now. “He is perfect in every way, big, sexy, and most importantly—mine.”
Corrin chuckled. “I’ve never seen you so happy as when you’re talking about your mate. I shouldn’t be surprised it’s a man, but I am. Shifter mates have always been matched in order to procreate.”
Devin shook his head. “We gave it that emphasis. Our ancestors believed that they were not born complete. There was someone out there with a part of their heart and soul. When they found that person, then they were one. Having offspring was a gift that came from that union, but it wasn’t the focus.”
“If you say so, big brother.”
Devin glanced at his sister and wondered not for the first time if she was happy or content. She went wherever he did and didn’t complain a lot about her own situation. Corrin voiced her opinions more when she worried about what was happening with him. He was not some delicate flower who could not adapt to his surroundings. After all, he was doing fine in Colorado even though it was much cooler than Texas and very mountainous compared to the flat area they grew up in. Anyway, he would be thrilled when he could meet his mate. That’s all that mattered.
His cock tightened every time he thought of the man. Big, muscular, blond. Devin was going to bend him over and take him until they were both sore and exhausted. He had exchanged a few kisses with his new friend, but nothing more. Devin’s sex drive was high—all shifters were that way—but knowing he was close, he didn’t want to have sex with Blaine. Tonight, though, he intended to push to be taken around his pack. A man among them might be the one.
“I don’t see why I’m being dragged into this date,” Corrin said, cutting across his thoughts.
“You’re not being dragged.” He pulled his pickup to a stop at a red light and looked over at her. “Blaine says his buddy needs to get out more, and he thought the double date would be good for him. No big deal.”
She straightened her dress and brushed at it as if there was lint. Corrin was not good in social situations. She clammed up with people she didn’t know well. Shifters might be aggressive, but Corrin did not fit the mold.
“Is he ugly?”
“Have you met a shifter that is?”
“No.” She grinned. “But I’m not like everyone else, so you never know.”
The light changed, and he pulled off. “Don’t worry, darlin’, everything will be fine. You’re not being asked to marry him or even date him after this. I’ll size him up first to make sure he’s okay to even breathe your air. If he’s not, I will send him on his way.”
Corrin laughed. “My hero. Don’t start any fights.”
“Do I ever?”
She gave him a look that encompassed all his past run-ins with members of their previous pack.
“I don’t start them. I just finish it.” He gripped the steering wheel, turning his knuckles white. “We don’t have to apologize for what we are. We don’t have to bow to anyone. Period. If Blaine’s pack doesn’t accept us, and my mate’s not there, we’ll keep moving.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean leave Colorado?”
“No.” He sighed. “He’s here. Somewhere. And I intend to find him. I’ll lay my claim to him, and then things will get better. Wherever he is, that’s where we’ll belong until you find your mate.”
“All right, then I’ll trust you.” She squeezed his arm and turned her attention to the road ahead.
Devin looked too. They had arrived at the bar and grill where Blaine asked to meet him. Just at the horizon were the Rocky Mountains. He might talk big, but nervousness fluttered in his stomach. Devin believed in a place to belong. He’d never had it, but he’d always thought it would come when he met his mate. Just thinking that Blaine might take him to see his pack and one of those men might be the one had him light-headed.
But what if Blaine refused or became angry because he felt like Devin was using him to get to his people? Pack members were fierce about protecting their own. Should he have come right out at the beginning and admitted that he was on the hunt for his mate? No, all of them were looking one way or another, whether they were actively traveling from place to place or just hoping to stumble upon the one. Blaine couldn’t fault him for that part of it, but he might have a problem with Devin letting him think they’d become lovers.
Oh well, too late to turn back now. He threw his truck in park and hopped out to walk around and help Corrin. At least he could spend the evening talking and drinking with a new friend. The loneliness could be staved off a little while and meet him in the morning when the alcohol was gone.
Chapter Two
Corey sat in the booth seat across from Blaine and raised his bottle of beer to his lips. He never sat with his back to the door so he could always be aware of who entered. Of course they could smell a shifter coming from a mile off. He just liked the added security of seeing faces, especially watching eyes. Blaine, on the other hand, was such an easygoing type of man he could care less. He didn’t expect trouble, yet it had never taken him by surprise when it came.
Corey knew when the brother and sister drove up. He smelled them, one scent as familiar as if it were his own identification. He’d never picked up on it before today. His heart raced, and his palms had become sweaty in an instant. He ran them down the legs of his jeans and tried to compose himself.
“Hey, buddy, relax,” Blaine advised with an expression of amusement on his face. “I’m sure they won’t bite.”
“Shut up,” Corey ground out, but then he glanced toward the door. A man had just opened it and moved aside to let a woman step ahead of him. They paused just inside of the entrance and scanned the crowd. A few whistles pierced the air, and the woman colored. Corey could understand their feeling. She was beautiful. Long, thick raven’s wing hair extended halfway down her back. Her face was that of an angel, and her figure slender with good-sized breasts. Corey registered all of this impersonally, which soured his mood. She was not the one. He’d come for nothing.
He shifted his gaze to the man out of curiosity. The man was taller than the woman by several inches. If he had to guess, he’d say about his height, six foot five. The man was built like most fenrir shifters, huge and muscular. No one would mistake that these two were brother and sister because the man had dark hair like hers, long, but not as long as hers. His extended to his shoulders and was tussled, like he combed it more often with his fingers than anything else. His eyes were dark and cagey. Corey guessed he’d hold his own in a fight and expected at any moment someone would challenge his ability.
He scanned the man’s clothes, a bomber jacket, collared shirt, and jeans that fit him a bit too tight for the package they hid. Corey blinked and felt his face warm. What the hell did he give a crap about the man’s package for? He flicked his eyes back to the man’s face, and this time his eyes were focused on Corey. Something went through him—recognition. He followed it with denial. Hell no! Not possible!
All of a sudden, Corey’s chest hurt, and he fidgeted. He forced fingers through his hair and turned to face Blaine. His friend narrowed his eyes. “What’s gotten into you, Corey? You act like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Blaine turned toward the door and spotted the two. He stood up and waved them over. Corey wanted to yank his arm down, but he sat stock still. Now he wished he hadn’t been so hopeful. That damn dream meant nothing. He was lonely for a woman in his bed. That’s all. Maybe this woman wouldn’t be so bad, he decided.
Blaine hugged the man. Corey hated how he wanted to tear his friend away from the guy. He gritted his teeth. He noted that the guy hadn’t taken his eyes
off him since he’d arrived.
“Corey, this is my friend, Devin,” Blaine said. “Devin, this is my leader, our Alpha, Corey.”
Devin’s eyes widened. “The Alpha?”
Corey sneered. “Yes, the Alpha. Do you have a problem with that?”
Devin’s lips curled in a grin. “No problem at all. I could never have imagined…” He continued to stare at Corey like he was a piece of prime rib. Corey told himself he hated the man’s Southern drawl, the way he dragged out all of his words. The two were obviously from somewhere south, and he couldn’t remember if Blaine had ever told him from where. After that first look, Corey refused to look at him. He focused instead on his sister, and Devin at last caught the hint. “Oh yes, this is my sister, Corrin.”
Corey and Corrin, he thought like a teenager. That could work.
“Hello,” the woman whispered. Corey picked up on her voice because he could, not because she’d spoken very loud. He wasn’t into the shy type. Damn.
Devin settled in the booth beside Blaine, and Corrin sat beside him. His Beta kept tossing him looks, but Corey ignored him. Blaine knew he was acting weird, and he knew it too. He couldn’t get a hold of himself. Being completely aware of another person in so consuming a way went beyond anything he’d ever experienced. He didn’t appreciate it. Still, he felt it when Devin looked at him and when he glanced away. He sensed his mood, excitement and confusion mingling.
After the siblings had ordered and received drinks and they’d sat around talking about nothing important, Devin leaned forward over the table, his eyes on Corey. “Don’t you want to ask me anything?”
Corey frowned at him. “Why would I want to?”
“You know,” Devin insisted. He tapped his bottle on the table, the only sign of his nerves. He didn’t color in embarrassment like Corey did or anyone else he knew when the situation made them uncomfortable. Corey sensed it in him—the ability to be an Alpha, maybe even more so than Corey.