by M. A. Church
“Aidric?”
“What?” I snapped.
“I’ve already given you my word nothing bad will happen to you here.”
“That’s supposed to reassure me?”
The growl that came across the phone line lifted the hair on the back of my neck.
“You question my word? My word? That’s an insult in so many ways I don’t know where to begin.”
By the goddess’s right paw, what was I thinking? “Okay. That was uncalled for, and I apologize, but you have to understand how uncomfortable this makes me.”
“Apology accepted. I do understand, and I promise you if any of my wolves lays a hand on you, they will regret it.”
Well, hell. He meant it. I heard the conviction in his voice and pinched the bridge of my nose. A voice in the back of my head whispered this was a disaster waiting to happen, but I couldn’t see a way around it.
It’d be easier for me to go there, even though the thought left me trembling. On the other hand, what better way to see if I could tolerate living among the wolves? Better to find out now before we mated, than later when there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
“Fine. I’ll come there.” I clutched the phone as my stomach dropped to somewhere around my knees. “But understand this—the moment I feel threatened, I’m out of there.”
“Understood. If that happens, I want to know about it immediately, because you won’t feel that way for long, I promise you. Would you consent to staying for a couple of nights?”
Yep, the aforementioned headache just sank its claws into the base of my neck. “Might as well.”
“Thank you. I know this is difficult, but all I ask is that we sit down and discuss this like two rational adults.”
Then we were already screwed, because I’d never known a werewolf to be rational, but why throw that into the conversation? “Agreed. Send me your address so I can program it into the GPS.”
“I will. Is the snow awful down there?”
Oh yay. Small talk and the ever-safe topic of the weather. “No. Not really. The temperature is supposed to rise tomorrow. That’ll get it melting quickly.” Which sucked, but it was better for driving. “I need to talk with Dolf and square this with him so I can have the time off. I’ll probably leave tomorrow after lunch. Since it’ll be Sunday, the traffic shouldn’t be too bad.”
“Excellent. Send me a text so I know when you leave.”
Already with the demands. “How about you ask me to send you a text? I’m not Temple or Shea, even though I hold the same rank. And you’re not my Alp… well. You know. You might want to remember that.”
“But I do hold the same rank as Dolf. You might want to remember that.”
I gritted my teeth. We were already off to a rip-roaring start. “While I am perfectly willing to give you the respect your rank deserves, I kiss nobody’s ass. If you want me to do something, ask instead of demand. I’m your mate, not your beta.” I cursed softly for my slip of the tongue.
“You’re right. I….” Carter sighed. “Will you send me a text before you leave?”
That was better. A firm believer in starting out how I meant to go on, I answered him in the perkiest voice I could muster. “Sure. I can do that.”
“I’ll see you when you get here. Have a good evening. Good night.”
“You too. Good night.” On that cheerful note, I ended the call and slipped my cell back into my jeans pocket.
If we didn’t kill each other within the first hour, it’d be a miracle.
Chapter Two
Carter
I TOSSED my cell phone on the desk and scrubbed my hands over my face. The conversation had been as painful as I feared. Stacking my feet on the desk, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. During the last week, thoughts of my mate had plagued me endlessly, but all I seemed to do was circle the subject.
I was bisexual—werewolves were—but I honestly believed my mate would be female. If I wanted my line to hold the Alpha position of the pack, I had to have a male pup who was an Alpha. Worst-case scenario was I could name one of my nephews as my heir, but one had proven unreliable, to say the least, and the other was still a child.
My sister, Missy, was mated and lived in my pack. Her mate was Darius Gordon. Jack was their child, but there was nothing to indicate he had the ability to run a pack. My brother, Abraham, had a pup too, but the child was only ten by human standards.
If I mated Aidric, we’d have to explore other options—like maybe using a werewolf as a surrogate. I had no idea if he even wanted pups. There were also the reactions from the pack elders to worry about, which would probably be less than enthusiastic.
They wanted me mated yesterday, and I grimaced. This was a perfect example of being careful what one wished for. They wanted me mated? Okay then. Hoped they’d be happy—they’d gotten their wish. Somehow I didn’t think they’d be thrilled.
Oh well. I was one hundred sixty-five years old and had been actively searching for my mate for the last sixty-five years. When I laid eyes on Aidric a week ago, my life changed. Suddenly the colors around me were sharper and more vibrant. As soon as I smelled him, I knew. My species believed the wolf god, Fenrir, created mates, and I’d found mine.
Of course, most of the time the person was another werewolf, but not always, as proven by Aidric. I was unprepared for my mate to be anything but a female werewolf. I enjoyed bedding the ladies. They were soft and smelled of delicate things, but males…. Males had hard bodies.
They smelled like men—clean sweat and masculine—not to mention certain parts of their anatomy especially appealed to me. Nothing was better than holding another’s manhood in my hand and watching him squirm with pleasure.
There were also times I craved sex on the rough side. I relished pitting my strength against another male, fighting for dominance and then pounding someone’s ass until we both screamed in pleasure. I couldn’t deny I fantasized about Aidric and me rolling around on the sheets. Every scenario ended with me fucking Aidric.
If I understood correctly, Aidric was a beta. Which worked perfectly since I was an Alpha, but I couldn’t sense…? I didn’t know the correct word I wanted. Obviously Aidric was tough, but it didn’t roll off him as it did most werewolves.
Even humans, who didn’t know what we were, often moved out of our way. The vibe we sent out was of something dangerous. Maybe that was the word I was looking for—I didn’t sense anything dangerous about Aidric.
Temple cleared his throat, and I looked up. I resisted the sigh threatening to escape. Here was yet another problem I needed to deal with before Aidric arrived. My beta nervously shifted from foot to foot.
“I brought her like you asked, Alpha,” Temple said.
“Thank you, Temple. You may go.”
Temple dipped his head in acknowledgment, scooted around Sabrina, and fled the office—there was no other way to put it. Temple hightailed it out of there as if somebody were chasing him with a rolled-up newspaper.
I envied my beta. “Sabrina? Come in and have a seat.”
There was no denying Sabrina was a beautiful woman who oozed sex appeal. Just under six feet, she was totally my type—high, perky breasts, a small waist, long legs, and a beautiful smile. She also had a logical mind to go with that stunning body. Dark brown hair fell around her shoulders in generous waves—hair I’d gripped as we fucked.
Her skin was beautifully pale and without a blemish. Perfectly shaped eyebrows highlighted striking chocolate-brown eyes. Her nose was small, and her lips were lush and red. Sabrina came from a high-ranked family in our pack—her father was an elder. She was powerful, authoritative, and frankly everything I enjoyed in a sexual partner. Then I met Aidric.
Sabrina glided into the office and walked to me. She pushed my feet off the desk and settled on my lap. “Having your beta bring me to your office was insanely sexy. It has to be a first too.” She trailed her fingers over my bald head. “I wonder, what could you possibly want?”
>
That move had always sent need rocketing through my body before. Now her wandering hands irritated me. “I’m afraid you’ve misread the situation.”
Sabrina squirmed on my lap. “Really? You’ve ignored me for a week. I’m sure you’re ready for some relief.” She leaned closer and blew in my ear. “I know I am. Shall we put this desk to good use?”
I clasped her hands and gently but firmly made her stand. “I’m afraid not. Have a seat as I asked, but this time on the other side of the desk.”
Sabrina pursed her lips but moved around and sat gracefully in the chair. “What’s going on? First you zip over to meet with the kitties, and then when you return, you growl at everybody who gets within a foot of you. And your poor nephew!”
I wasn’t impressed with her impassionate speech. Sabrina didn’t give a damn about my nephew or his mother.
“He does nothing but eat, sleep, and work since you came down on him like a ton of bricks, and over what? A werecat? Missy is so upset over this.”
“I highly doubt that, and if she is, she can get over herself. Jack stalked, harassed, and caused property damage to the West Falls Clowder. He threatened a mate. He destroyed another mate’s property.” My voice rose. “His actions reflect on me.”
“They’re werecats.” Sabrina shrugged. “So what?”
I slammed my hand down on the desk. “You don’t get it, do you? They were in the right, and we were in the wrong. I had to go to another Alpha’s territory and apologize, not to mention pay for the damages Jack caused because of his inability to understand the word no.”
Sabrina rolled her eyes. “They should be glad you decided to pay for the damage Jack caused. I still say you overreacted. So he threatened a silly werecat? Big damn deal.”
I rubbed a hand over my head. “One of the werecats he threatened is mated to a Vetala. A Vetala, Sabrina. I don’t know exactly what they are capable of, but this one is exceptionally powerful.”
Sabrina flipped her hair up her shoulder. “So are you.”
I took a deep breath. “One of my werewolves threatened his mate. He could’ve killed Jack, and I wouldn’t have had a legal leg to stand on because my stupid nephew stalked that Vetala’s mate. Missy should be glad all I did was make Jack work in one of my businesses, which would’ve been kind of hard to do if he was dead.”
Sabrina blinked. “You almost sound… concerned.”
She was just now catching that? “Let’s just say I’m glad he didn’t kill my nephew and leave it at that.”
“Well, darling, that’s all well and good, but I really don’t see what that has to do with us.”
There was the opening I’d been waiting for. “That’s why I asked you here. I apologize for ignoring you this last week, but I’ve had quite a bit of things demanding my attention, the least of which revolved around the werecats.”
“But that’s resolved now, isn’t it? Didn’t you just meet with them?”
“Yes. That meeting is what I need to discuss with you.”
“With me? I can’t see how that would have any bearing on me.”
There was no easy way to do this. “I’m afraid it does because, you see, I met my mate.”
For several seconds there was no sound. I’d heard how explosive Sabrina’s temper could be. Her porcelain skin flushed, and I prepared himself.
“What?” Sabrina shrieked, digging her claws into the chair arms. She leaned forward. “I am your mate.”
“Actually no, you’re not, and you damn well know that. I told you from the beginning I wasn’t ready to commit. Just because the elders were pushing for that didn’t mean I planned to accommodate them. I never formally asked you to be my mate, and I damn sure didn’t lead you on. I made it very clear it was just sex.”
“But, but… everybody knows we’re sleeping together,” Sabrina growled. “The whole pack is expecting some sort of formal announcement any day now.”
“I’m not overly concerned with what people are expecting.” I raised an eyebrow. “And if the pack is expecting an announcement, where did they get that idea from? Hmm?”
“From me, of course. I’m the one sleeping in your bed, keeping your house, attending your needs, and doing everything I can to make your life run smoother. That’s what a mate does.”
“Running the dishwasher is not ‘keeping my house.’ The only needs you attend to are your own. My betas are the ones responsible for making my life run smoother, which they do. I’ll give you the ‘sleeping in my bed’ part since you have been, but that’s all. Even then I made it clear that was all you were doing.”
“The elders are demanding you mate!”
“So you assumed since you were in my bed, you’d be my mate, and started dropping hints to the pack? Is that what I’m hearing?”
“There’s nobody here better than me to be your mate.” Sabrina jumped up and slapped both hands on the desk, her claws still extended and bosom heaving. “The pack knows we make the perfect Alpha couple.”
I wasn’t remotely moved by the sight. “Ah, but see? There’s a key word in that sentence you overlooked.”
Sabrina leaned back. “What was that?”
“You said there was nobody here, and you’re right. My destined mate is not a member of this pack.”
Sabrina’s legs suddenly gave out from underneath her, and she plopped down in the chair. “You can’t be seriously considering…. Who is she, then? Where is this destined mate?” Sabrina covered her mouth with her hands, horror on her face. Slowly she removed her hands. “You cannot be serious. Surely not. Tell me she’s not a werecat.”
“Yes and no.”
Sabrina scowled. “Just what exactly does that mean?”
“It means that yes, I met my destined mate, and yes, my destined mate is a werecat. I never once said that mate was a female.”
Sabrina’s eyes grew large. “A male?”
“Yes.”
Sabrina blinked several times before a delighted smile crossed her face. “Oh, darling, this isn’t as bad as you’re making it out to be. Of course you can’t mate with a male. You must have pups. The answer is obvious.”
My wolf bristled. From the look on Sabrina’s face, I already knew I wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “Oh?”
“Of course. We mate as planned—”
“Again, I never planned that.”
“Semantics.” Sabrina leaned forward until she sat on the edge of her seat. “There’s no reason for that to change. I, unlike your werecat, can give you pups. Leave your little kitty over there with the rest of the cats. He has no business here. It’s perfect, don’t you see? Whenever you get the urge to do him, you just pop over there and fuck him.”
I took several deep breaths before I trusted myself to speak. Was she even listening to herself? What she proposed horrified me. Horrified and insulted me. Hell’s bells, it insulted me, Aidric, and Sabrina. Was she that desperate to be an Alpha-mate? I knew she was power hungry, spoiled, and self-centered, but this surprised me. It also said clearly it wasn’t me she was interested in; it was my position.
Desperately, I tried to hold on to my temper. “You’d not only have me treat my mate in such an atrocious fashion, but you too? You’re saying you’d be perfectly happy with me having an affair?”
“Why should I care? I can give you what you need, and in return I’ll be the Alpha-mate. We both get what we want. What you do with him is no concern of mine.”
Holding on to my temper was growing more and more precarious. How had I missed this side of her? “Unbelievable.”
“I don’t see what’s so unbelievable about it. For you it’s the perfect resolution. You get your heir and the dick you’re obviously fond of. I get to be Alpha-mate. Who knows: if he’s sexy, maybe we could share him.”
Oh fuck that. The idea of anybody putting hands on what was mine sent my wolf into a snarling rage. “Leave. Leave now before I…. How dare you try to reduce my mate to nothing more than a…. To imply I would share him w
ith…. Get out! Now!”
Sabrina scrambled out of the chair and ran for the door.
It took every bit of self-control I possessed to stay in my chair. Sabrina’s running came close to triggering the predator who lived inside me. My wolf was infuriated over the things she said and already wanted her throat between his powerful jaws, but her running was what almost set me off.
Every muscle in my body tensed, but I refused to let this get out of hand. I gripped the arms of my desk chair and concentrated on breathing as I repeated that I wouldn’t shift, that I wouldn’t chase her down and rip out her throat. My wolf howled angrily in my mind, demanding retribution for her insults.
A trickle of sweat ran down the side of my face as I fought my instincts. The harsh sound of something snapping finally drew my attention. I glanced down, unsurprised to see I’d snapped off the desk chair arm.
“Should I just put in a standing order of desk chairs with our supplier?” Temple asked from the door.
Temple’s voice, with just a hint of amusement in it, finally broke the killing rage threatening to overtake me. That had been entirely too close. I tossed the chair arm on my desk in disgust and wiped away the sweat dripping down my face.
“That went well.”
Temple leaned against the office doorframe. “It did?”
“Yes.”
“You say that because?”
“Because she made it out of here alive.”
Temple whistled. “That bad, hmmm?”
“Yes. According to her, I should keep Aidric as my side piece and go ahead and mate her since she can give me pups. She even went as far as to suggest we could share Aidric.”
“Um, yeah. Like that’s going to work. Always thought she was a crazy bitch.”
I sighed. “Yes, well, seeing is believing.”
“I’m sure. Also just let me say how relieved I am your eyes finally shifted back to their normal color.”
“Not surprised. My wolf wasn’t overly fond of the idea of anybody touching our mate but us.” What an understatement.