“So I guess Gerri had been right after all. Looks like you found your mate.” Ethan was the first to break the silence.
“Looks like it. I just wish I could talk to her.”
“So she’s human?”
Of course, his brother would have picked up on that little tidbit. “Seems like it.”
To his surprise, Ethan didn’t say a word. Not a single one. He should have been happy about it, but he wasn’t. It annoyed the fuck out of him. “Just say what’s on your mind. You always do.”
“What is there to say? Your mate’s human. It’s not something you can control. I know you wouldn’t have asked for a human mate, but it’s something you need to make amends with and fast. I know how you feel about them, so I imagine it won’t be easy.”
As always, his older brother was right. The last thing he imagined was that the Fates would saddle him with a human mate, but they did. Was he happy about it? Gods no. Would he make do? He’d have to figure it out.
Wyatt held his breath as the office door opened.
“She’s gone,” his wolf said.
“What do you mean, she’s gone? There’s only one way out of that office and we’ve been standing here the whole time.”
“Where’s my mate?” Wyatt demanded the second Cam emerged from her office.
“She’s gone.” Cam tied an apron around her waist.
“Where the hell did she go?” Wyatt stepped into the office and looked around.
The window. “Fuck!” he shouted to his wolf.
Why hadn’t he bothered to think that she’d bolt? He’d stupidly believed they would talk, all would be okay, and he would claim her within the hour.
How stupid—no, arrogant had he been?
Wyatt spun on his heel. Cam would give him answers or he’d bring the diner down around them.
“Where did she go?” He’d caught up with Cam who was busy clearing dirty dishes from one of the tables.
“You think you can just storm in and demand answers when I know nothing about who you are or where you’re from? You may be a wolf, but you can bet your ass you’re not the biggest or the baddest in town. So you need to back the fuck off. Callie isn’t ready to talk to you yet.”
Rage. Pure fucking rage surged through his body. He’d been dreaming of his mate for months. Months! He would not allow this woman to stand in the way of him and his mate.
Wyatt’s voice thickened. His canines lengthened. He could feel the flimsy tether that had kept his wolf contained slipping.
A firm hand landed on Wyatt’s shoulder. “Why don’t we sit down and talk… maybe calm things down a bit.”
A surge of undiluted power rushed over Wyatt. His wolf whimpered in his mind, bowing to the restrained show of force.
“The Alpha.”
As much as Wyatt wanted to buck the Alpha and push for information about his mate, he knew better. He didn’t need his wolf to tell him what a supremely bad idea that would be or how badly it would end for him.
Wyatt turned and nodded to the Alpha.
“Cam, can you be a sweetie and grab us three of the specials, and three Cokes? We’re going to grab this corner table over here and have a chat.” Calder motioned for Wyatt and Ethan to join him.
“Sure thing.” Cam smiled at Calder and set off on her task.
Wyatt didn’t know what to think. Most Alphas that he’d run across would have kicked his ass out, not ordered him to stay for lunch. He eyed his brother warily. Maybe he knew what the hell this was all about.
Ethan simply shrugged and went to join them.
“So, why don’t you boys have a seat and tell me what brought you to our humble little town. I know you didn’t come all this way just to harass Camryn.” Calder pulled out a chair and took a seat.
Wyatt folded his tall frame into an open chair. What would be the easiest way to explain to the Alpha why they were there without sounding like a total perv? He sure as hell had no desire to tell him about the dreams that led him to this point, so he opted for the partial truth.
“Gerri Wilder sent us. She told us that we’d find exactly what we were looking for at Twisted Tail.”
“Ah. The infamous Gerri Wilder strikes again.”
What was that supposed to mean? Did the Alpha know Gerri? Wyatt looked to Ethan, who looked equally confused by Calder’s statement.
“Do you know Gerri?” Wyatt asked.
“I owe everything I’ve become to Gerri.” Calder smiled at the thought.
Wyatt arched an eyebrow at the Alpha’s cryptic statement. He had absolutely no idea what the fuck Calder was talking about. He took a closer look at Calder, noticing something different about his appearance. His eyes had changed. When he first looked at the Alpha—sizing him up—he’d noticed they were amber. Now they were solid black, not a speck of white to be found anywhere. Shivers raced over him as Calder turned this blank, blacked out gaze to him and then his brother.
“Hey, man. Are you okay?”
Calder shook his head, seeming to come out of some sort of trance. “Yes, sorry. Just looking for the truth. And to answer your question fully, Gerri is the reason I found my mate, Daisy. She’s been here to visit a few times, so I’m assuming that’s why she sent the two of you.”
Wyatt had listened to what the Alpha had to say, but he was still creeped out over the thing with his eyes. It wasn’t something he could just let go.
“What did you mean? Looking for the truth?”
Calder eyed the two men once again, as if he debated something in his mind. When he finally spoke again, he simply said, “Sometimes it’s easy to see what’s in someone’s heart or soul when you look clearly.”
Wyatt looked again to his brother, Ethan, for some sort of interpretation. Ethan shrugged once again.
“Do you have any idea what this is about?” he asked his wolf.
“None,” the wolf replied.
Camryn swung by their table to drop off three burgers, fries, and Cokes.
“Thanks, Cam. Tell me if you would. What did Callie think of all the commotion this morning?”
Cam sucked in a deep breath and let out a long exhale. “She was shaken by all of it. You know our Callie. She wants nothing more than to be strong and independent.”
Calder nodded. “Thanks.”
When Cam left them alone, Wyatt asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means you can’t simply barge in and expect to claim your mate. She’s human.” Calder grabbed the ketchup and squirted much more than necessary on his burger.
“I don’t see how that makes any difference.” Wyatt took a bite of his burger.
***
Calder chewed on a couple of fries, looking over the brothers once more. He’d taken a deep look into each of them, searching their souls to find out the good and bad that had been housed within them. To his relief, he’d found that while they’d shared a similar past involving the tragic death of their parents at the hands of humans, they were still good wolves.
“My mate was human when she first came to me. A good friend of mine gave me Gerri’s number when I found out in order to be the Alpha of Twisted Tail, I had to have a mate by my side. I didn’t believe in all the hype that she could find anyone’s mate anywhere in the universe, but lo and behold, not only had she found her, she’d sent her right to me.”
The brothers seemed to be drinking in what he’d said.
“What do you mean she was human when she first came to you?” It was Ethan that had asked the question, which surprised Calder because Wyatt was the one who’d found out his mate was human.
“She was human. There was nothing about her that was dual natured, like us.”
“How is that possible?” Wyatt eyed him skeptically.
“How are we possible? How is anything in our world possible? Through the majik of the gods.”
Calder still couldn’t believe his luck. Not only had Gerri sent his mate to him, she’d become one of them.
“So, she’s a wolf now?
Like us?” Wyatt asked with amazement in his voice.
Calder nodded. “She is. The pack knew she was human when she first came here. After we completed the mating ritual, there had been some commotion in town one night, she not only saved my life but changed in front of everyone gathered. Scared the shit out of her and everyone who had been unfortunate to be near her at the time.”
What a night that had been. Calder had never been so awed by his mate or more proud. He could practically see the wheels in Wyatt’s head turning, wondering if it was possible for his mate to become like him.
“I wouldn’t try courting her with the sole intent of thinking the change will happen for her after the mating ritual.”
Wyatt looked up at Calder, shocked. “Stay out of my head.”
Calder rocked back in his chair. “I don’t need to read your mind to see what’s written across your face. Heed my warning, pup, if you approach Callie with the hopes she’ll become like us—you’re going into it for the wrong reasons. She may be human, but she’ll still hand you your ass.”
Chapter Nine
The Alpha had given Wyatt a lot to mull over. After their impromptu lunch, Wyatt and Ethan piled back into his truck and headed to the motel they’d booked when they had first arrived in town. Neither said a word as they bumped along the quiet country road.
Wyatt was the first to break the silence. “What do you think of the Alpha?”
Ethan flicked on his signal to turn into the parking lot of the Full Moon Motel. “He seems like an honest man. From what I picked up listening to some of the customers, most seem to like him. There are a few on the fence about him, but even those people are grateful for his leadership versus the old Alpha.”
Once again, Wyatt was thankful for his brother’s gift—though Ethan had considered his ability to hear other’s thoughts as a curse.
“Were you able to get anything off of my mate before she bolted?” Wyatt had to know what she’d been thinking. More specifically, he wanted to know why she had run off after promising to speak to him.
Ethan sighed as he placed the truck in park. “Are you sure you want to know, brother? A person’s first reaction to a situation isn’t always what’s in their heart.”
He’d given Wyatt that warning many times and it had always kept his curiosity in check. Until now. “Just tell me,” he snapped. His patience had expired.
“Very well. The only thought I was able to discern once she was awake—was fear. She was terrified about dating a shifter again, even if she’d seen you in her dreams.”
***
Callie had a lot to think about. More than she thought she could handle. After fleeing the diner and sprinting back to her apartment, she finally took a deep breath and calmed herself before she slid her key in the door and let herself in.
She’d barely had a moment to brace herself before she walked into the line of fire when her mother noticed she was home well before her shift was due to end.
“Is everything okay? Why are you home so early? Are you hurt, dear?”
And now she wished she’d have sucked it up and faced the man from her dreams. At least that option seemed less scary than trying to explain any of this to her mom.
“I’m fine. Everything is fine at the diner.” Callie had honestly hoped the short answers she’d given to her mother would have placated her for the time being. She had thought wrong.
She could practically see the gears churning in her mom’s head. “Well, if everything is fine, why are you here?”
Callie sucked in a deep breath. Damn. She so didn’t want to involve her mom in any of this, but what choice did she have? Any minute she expected the burly shifter to knock on her door, demanding the conversation she had promised him—but instead had run away from.
“Where’s Max?” Callie asked, hoping to change the direction of the conversation.
“I just put him down for his nap. Thankfully, that will give us some time to talk about what’s going on with you. You’ve been acting squirrely for weeks.”
Callie hung her purse up on the hook by the door and sighed. “I’d hoped you hadn’t noticed.” She should have known better than to try to fool her mom. She may be a normal human being, but her mom was as sharp as ever though her health had been on a steady decline.
“I was just getting ready to heat up some soup for lunch, why don’t you join me and we’ll see if we can’t figure out whatever it is that you’re dealing with together.”
With an offer like that, how could she possibly refuse? Her mom would push until she felt satisfied that Callie had told the truth. She’d forgotten how her mom had always acted as a human lie detector. There hadn’t been a single lie that she could’ve gotten away with in her youth. Seems the trend was going to continue. She felt like an awkward adolescent all over again as she marched to the kitchen table to confess something she’d much rather keep to herself.
***
The conversation with her mom had left Callie drained emotionally. Just the simple thought of dating another shifter brought back memories she had no desire to relive. Terrified didn’t even begin to cover how all of it made her feel. Her mom had no solution to her problems, but then again, she hadn’t expected her to.
They no sooner wrapped up their conversation when Callie heard Max calling from his crib. One look at her little guy and she let her feelings of fear wash away. She tried not to stress about the hours at work she’d missed or the tips from what looked like was going to be a busy afternoon. She’d ask Cam if she could make up the hours when she went to work tomorrow.
There’s nothing I can do about it now.
After spending a quiet evening collecting as many snuggles as Max could give, Callie fell into bed confident she’d sleep soundly through the night.
She’d been wrong, oh god, so wrong. The minute she had closed her eyes, Wyatt invaded her dreams. Callie wanted to deny him, but one look at him was all it had taken to lose her resolve. His lips slanted over hers. A kiss demanding that she yield. Even in her dreams she knew she should push him away, but she couldn’t. It had been so long since she felt anything other than sorrow and regret over a man.
Surely it would be okay to give in, just this once. Right? After all, it was only a dream.
Chapter Ten
“Where are you going? You said we could talk, and here you are, running again,” Wyatt asked, exasperated by his new mate. He had spent a long night camped outside of her apartment building, waiting for a chance to talk to her.
He’d had zero intent of seeking out where Callie lived. He’d hoped to be freely given an invitation. One that included maybe dinner and a bit of romance. Until he’d bolted out of bed, startled by the intensity of his mate’s latest dream. Wyatt tried to fight the urge to run through town on four legs and covered in fur, but he had failed. Each dream that she had throughout the night had proven to be more powerful than the last. And that had been his downfall.
He’d huddled on a small deck outside of her apartment in wolf form, where he remained the rest of the night. The thought of knocking on her door and offering to relieve her need had passed through his mind more than once, but after the speed in which she bolted from the diner, he knew it was an epically bad idea.
“Talk while we walk then. I need to get to work.”
“Work? You mean back to that diner to wait on tables?” Wyatt wished he could suck the words back into his mouth. They’d been on the tip of his tongue. He had no intention of speaking them, yet they seemed to sneak out anyway.
Callie paused mid-step. “Is there something wrong with waiting tables?”
Wyatt stuttered, “It—it’s just not something I had pictured my mate doing.”
“Fuck!” he shouted to his wolf. “A little help here?”
He felt like he was treading water when it came to his mate. Barely keeping his head above the water before she pushed him right back under.
“What is it with shifters? You all act so damn high and mighty. What’s wro
ng with me being a waitress? And I’m not your mate.”
“Nothing. I—uhh…”
Callie cut him off, not quite done with her rant. “I have a baby to take care of and it’s not like decent paying jobs fall into my lap every damn day.”
“A baby?” This time, Wyatt was the one to pause. His heart felt like it had not just skipped a beat, but paused all together.
“Yes. A baby, as in tiny human. You know what they are, right?”
“Of course I know what a baby is. Is that why you’ve been refusing me? Because you’re already with someone?”
The thought of his mate not only having someone else’s child, but possibly being in a committed relationship didn’t sit well with him.
***
Callie looked away. Gods, the man was going to drive her nuts. Just being around him set her traitorous body on fire. “No. We’re no longer together. We haven’t been in quite a while.” That was as good of an answer as she was going to give. The less Wyatt knew about her and Max the better.
“Why did you run, yesterday?” His voice was soft. He didn’t demand an answer. He seemed genuinely curious. His fingers wrapped around hers. She tried to pull back, to pull away from the energy that leapt from his fingers to hers, but he held tight.
“Because I—” Callie wasn’t sure how she wanted to word her answer without giving away the farm. Cam had told her it was likely that they were both having the same dreams, yet he’d not even brought up the dreams. Thank god!
He had, however, alluded to her leaving him hanging for months. Something she would have to examine later.
“You can tell me anything, as I will always be honest with you.”
Callie wanted to stay angry. Lord knows she did, but when she looked at those full lips of his, it was like her brain short circuited. All she could think of was kissing him. Would his kiss scorch her soul, like it did in her dreams? Or would it be even better?
Paranormal Dating Agency: Her Twisted Heart (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Twisted Tail Pack Book 3) Page 4