by C. D. Gorri
What is wrong with me? Getting undressed should not arouse me?
Just yesterday, she’d turned over in bed and the feel of her sheet rubbing across her nipples had made them harden. If this change didn’t end soon, she’d truly end up screwing a stranger in a club bathroom. Her wolf perked up at that thought.
“Quiet, girl,” Iris had chided her beast. “If left up to you, I’d be getting bent over a toilet seat right now.”
Her wolf howled. Iris grew still when she heard her mother’s footsteps coming up the stairs. Damn it. She’d wanted a shower to cool herself down. Now, she didn’t have time for that. Trying to avoid her mother, Iris teleported into her closet.
She grabbed the first outfit and pair of heels she saw then dressed quickly. Her goal was to be out of the house before her mother burst into the room. Much like the stranger in the club, her mother wouldn’t knock before entering. Iris paused. He hadn’t knocked before entering!
He’d come into the lady’s room and burst into a stall like he’d owned the place. Perv! Her wolf growled her approval. Shaking her head, Iris slipped her heels on and told her wolf, “Alpha assholes are not on our to-do list. I prefer nice guys.” Technically, Iris shouldn’t have been in the shifter club at all.
Her mother hated for her and her sister to be around supernatural beings outside of those who lived in their village. She feared if they spent too much time with outside supes, their secret would be found out and certain factions would try to harm them.
Tonight, she’d snuck out for a night of fun. She blamed it on her wolf. And her friends. Just as her mom turned the doorknob, Iris teleported herself back to the club. That was close, she thought as she walked to the front. Looking down at herself, she realized she’d grabbed the skin-tight black backless dress her friend, Sasha, had left at her house.
It had been part of Sasha’s discard pile, outfits she hadn’t wanted to wear out last weekend. As usual, her discard pile had been left on Iris’s floor and had ended up in Iris’s closet. Now, one of those discarded pieces had ended up on Iris. Damn it.
Iris ran her hand through her dark hair falling loosely over her shoulders. She walked over to the club window and stared at her reflection. She looked like a partier. This look was much different from the jeans and crop top she’d sported earlier. It wouldn’t have been her first choice, or second, but it would have to do.
Iris stared at the club door and hoped the wolf who’d spooked her earlier was nowhere in sight. She whispered a prayer for strength then pushed open the doors and entered the club. Quickly, her friends spotted her and waved her over. Once she reached the group, the scent of her male hit her again and she barely managed to calm her nerves.
Act natural, she told herself. It wasn’t surprising that her friends were no longer alone. One of the guys at their table introduced himself as Jihun or something like that. Iris had been too busy searching for the wolf she knew was coming for her.
There he was. He’d been talking to another guy. As soon as he spotted her, he started in her direction. Act natural. She started fiddling with a pack of peanuts on the table. She had no idea who they belonged to. Maybe she should order herself a drink.
Oh, no, she’d forgotten her wallet. Well, it didn’t matter anyway. She’d left home before switching her cards and money from her old wallet to her new one anyway. The pink wallet was empty.
“Hey,” Jihun, her friends’ tablemate, called to her.
Iris’s gaze returned to him. “Uh, hi.” We’ve already spoken. Your weirdness is making me more nervous than I already am. The scent was getting stronger. What to do? Acting natural wasn’t helping.
Jihun smiled, as he leaned closer, gently grabbed her elbow, and whispered, “Welcome to the family.”
This club was full of pervs! Confused, she’d taken a step back just as Jihun turned to introduce her to the one whose scent was causing her to mess up a new pair of panties. Wait! She’d forgotten to put on panties. And it was too late to run. He had arrived! Suddenly, Jihun was being knocked across the table.
Iris stood face to face with the man who’d just punched a seven-foot shifter and sent him flying over a table without even breaking a sweat. Their eyes connected. She damn near got lost in his gaze. A hot flash sizzled across her body, igniting every nerve ending she possessed.
Her mother had always told her she would recognize her mate by his scent and by the feeling that came over her the first time she looked into his eyes. Being a hybrid, she thought she’d never find a mate. Boy, had she been wrong. She’d found one.
A big one. Now that she’d finally found him, she didn’t know what to do with him. Well, she knew what to do. But the things her wolf wanted to do were probably illegal in a few states. Also, they might hurt. Boy, was he tall. Iris thought she and her sister were tall with them both being five foot nine.
In front of her stood the most gorgeous seven-foot-tall man she’d ever seen. His dark brown eyes held her mesmerized. His tan skin looked like it had been kissed by the sun, the heavens, and everything in between. Everything except her. Her gaze roamed over him, taking him in.
It was hot and humid tonight. Which was probably why he was dressed in a muscle shirt and camouflage shorts. Even in something as casual as that, he still stood out in the club. She watched his muscular chest rise and fall with each breath he took.
He was simply breathing, simply existing, yet, he was driving her wolf wild. Iris licked her lips and heard him growl. She glanced back up at his face in time to see him rush towards her, leaping over the table to get to her. Her wolf cheered him on. But Iris took a step back as he collided with an invisible wall. Valera laughed. Iris’s gaze jerked to the witch.
Val winked at her. So, she was the culprit behind the invisible wall and she was the reason Iris’s mate was fighting against invisible ropes. She glared at her witch friends. They knew she was going through the change and that he could scent her.
From the looks on their faces, they also knew she was his mate. Damn sneaky ass witches. They’d probably set this entire thing up. They were always telling her to get laid. Now, they were taking action. What was the use of having enemies when you could have witches as friends?
The beast inside of her was screaming to be released. Her wolf was driven by desire, by emotion. Iris wasn’t. The logical side of her knew she couldn’t be the mate of a wolf. Not tonight. Not ever. If he found out what she was, he would probably rip her in half.
Of course, the witches knew what she was. They’d been a part of her family for as long as she could remember. They accepted her and her sister for who they were, mainly because they too had secrets. They were like family and would not let anything happen to her.
Not that she couldn’t defend herself. Her mother had made sure her daughters could protect themselves in any situation. Yet Iris didn’t know if she could protect herself from him or not. The way he was growling, fighting an invisible hold on him, let her know he was too much wolf for her.
The way his muscles flexed let her know he was too much man for her. But the wild side of her wanted to test him out, to see if her theory was correct. Iris licked her lips again then immediately regretted it. Her mate growled louder, drawing the attention of people in the club.
“Stop it, wolf,” Iris begged. “We can’t have him. No matter how badly we want him.” Her wolf wasn’t listening to her. It was still calling out to his wolf, getting him riled up. It would be best if she left.
“I’ll meet you guys back at home,” Iris told her friends.
It was hard to turn her back on the male who her heart and wolf said was her mate, but her mind said was her enemy. Everything in her screamed for her to stay with him. She couldn’t. Turning away from him, she fled the club. Onlookers lost interest in the little show and went back to dancing and drinking.
Once outside, she inhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh air that wasn’t tainted with the spicy scent of her mate. There were too many cars pulling into the club’s
parking lot. If she went to the back of the club, some perv might follow her. So, she headed to the woods.
It wasn’t safe for her to teleport in front of others. Standing behind the cover of a tree, Iris calmed her mind and focused on her bedroom. As her body began to dematerialize, she heard the club door burst open. That spicy scent she’d probably dream about for the rest of her life filled the air.
Her mate called out for her. The amount of longing she heard in his howl broke her heart. She wouldn’t be swayed. Her disappearing was for the best. It was better he lost her now, before getting to know her. Rather than lose her in the future by his own hand.
Chapter Two
The witches let him go after his mate rushed from the bar. He growled at them as he raced for the door. When he made it outside, his mate was nowhere in sight. He followed her scent to a nearby tree but she wasn’t there. It was like she’d disappeared into thin air. He raced through the forest, trying to pick up her scent.
But there was no helping it. She was lost to him, again. Frustrated, Yung returned to the club. The witches were still there, drinks in hand, smiling at him. His brother and cousin were seated at the table with the witches. They were also staring at him.
Yung walked up to the group of idiots and demanded, “Who is she?”
The witches ignored him and continued drinking their drinks.
“Maybe if you asked them nicely brother, they would be more inclined to answer.”
Yung glanced at his brother and growled.
“Now, that’s even worst, bro. You’re gonna have to do better than that.”
The witches laughed. Yung’s anger was rising. His brother turned to the redhead called Valera and whispered something in her ear.
The witch laughed and smacked his hand before saying, “None of that mister, or I will have to tell your girlfriend.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend, yet. And if I did, there’s enough of me to go around.”
Jihun winked at the witches, who in turn looked at each other and burst out laughing. Yung didn’t have time to stand there watching them flirt. His eyes began to glow. His beast was climbing its way to the forefront. It wanted his mate. So, did Yung.
Valera must’ve sensed this change in him and decided it was time to stop toying with the wolf. Because she stopped flirting and told him what he needed to know.
“Her name is Iris,” Valera said.
The other witches gasped and faced her. Yung pulled up a chair in front of Valera. The other two witches rolled their eyes at him. Clearly, they felt as if Val was betraying their friend. He could understand their sense of loyalty. He was happy his mate had friends like them. But they didn’t have to worry about him hurting their friend. She was his mate. He’d protect her with his life.
“How do I find her? You obviously know what she is to me.”
Val toyed with the straw in her beverage. For a while, he’d thought she wasn’t going to reply. When she did, disappointment washed over him.
“I can’t tell you that,” she told him before taking a sip of her drink. “I’m truly sorry. Look on the bright side, if she ever wants to see you again, she knows where to find you.” Val laughed, along with her sisters.
He didn’t find a damn thing funny. But, he’d already gotten off on the wrong foot with them and with his mate. He needed to show them that he wasn’t normally this aggressive.
“Please,” he said. “I’ve waited so long for her. I can’t bear to lose her already.”
“Awww,” the witches replied in unison with dreamy expressions on their faces.
Yung didn’t know if they were being serious or joking again.
“How sweet,” one of the witches said. Around her neck was a gold necklace with the name Victoria on the charm dangling from it.
“How adorable,” the other witch added. She too wore a necklace with her name on it. Hers had Venetia etched into the charm.
His gaze flew to Val’s neck. She too wore a gold necklace with her name on the charm. Interesting. His gaze met Val’s. He hoped she could see the desperation in his eyes. He hadn’t given anyone the puppy dog eyes since his mother was alive. Would they work on this witch? Desperate times called for desperate measures.
The witch sighed. “Cease with the puppy dog eyes,” she told him. “I truly wish I could help you. But I can’t betray the confidence of a friend. Iris is like a sister to me. My loyalty lies with her, not you. And since she ran away from you, it wouldn’t be right for me to tell you where she ran to.”
Damn. Her reasoning made sense. Still, damn.
“But,” she continued. “I will give you some advice.”
He’d take whatever he could get. “I’m listening.”
“Iris is innocent in all ways.”
Hyun and Jihun laughed. Yung growled at them. They stopped and the witch continued.
“She is also very different from you.”
“Do you mean because she’s African American and I’m Asian American? None of that matters to me. Love is love.”
Again, the other witches said, “Awww,” as if he’d just said something astounding. Love was love. Everyone had a right to love who they wanted to love. It wasn’t up to others to decide who a person should love.
“I’m glad you said love is love,” Val told him. “Remember you said that. And if Iris does one day give you a chance to woo her, take things slow with her. You seem kind of… animalistic.”
Yeah. He blamed it on his wolf. Plus, this was their first time scenting their mate. The next time, he would be more of a gentleman. He hoped. He prayed.
“That’s all the advice I have for you. With that said, we must go.”
The three witches got up to leave. They all seemed to move at the same time, like synchronized swimmers.
“Wait! How can I find her?” Yung yelled to the witches as they neared the exit. “Where does she hang out?”
“I got this one,” the witch called Venetia said, before glancing over her shoulder at him. “Our Iris does not hang out. She spends most of her time with her family. The rest of her time is spent picking berries in the forest or swimming in the lake, training, or sleeping. She sleeps a lot.”
The other two witches turned to her with startled expressions on their faces.
“Well,” Venetia said with a shrug. “It’s best he finds out sooner than later. Plus, if he becomes a problem, I will just erase his memory.”
Erase my memory?
“Wait, you can do that?” His friend, Hyun, asked.
Ignoring the question, the witches turned and left the club. Onlookers watched them leave. Some guys whistled at them. Others made suggestive noises at the three of them. They ignored the clubbers and continued out the door. Yung couldn’t help but wonder if that was the same impression he’d made on his mate.
Had he come across as a club perv to her? His wolf growled, this time in shame. “We have to do better next time,” Yung told his beast. “We can’t have her afraid of us. We can’t have her thinking we’re like these jerks.” He stared around the club.
His gaze stopped on the door the witches had just exited. He was tempted to follow them. But his instinct told him they would not tell him anything else about his mate. Patience, he told himself. He had to be patient.
“I think you owe me an apology, bro,” Jihun said, causing Yung to stop his daydreaming.
“For what?”
“For punching me.”
Yung could feel himself getting angry all over again. “You were touching my mate. I haven’t even touched her yet.” Yung's eyes began to glow again.
“Calm down,” Jihun told him. “I was just kidding. I knew from the moment she walked into the club that she was your mate. Her scent hit me also. Oh, stop growling and let me finish. Her scent hit me too, but it didn’t make me want to claim her. So, I figured she was yours. You know siblings can sometimes feel when their brother’s mate is nearby. I was preparing to tell you that when you went all Hulk smash and punched me
in the nose. If it wasn’t for those lovely witches saving me, you may have killed me.”
Hyun laughed at Jihun’s joke. Yung shook his head. His brother was always making jokes. This was no joking matter. What if his mate had confused his brother’s scent for his? He and his brother were only fraternal twins, not identical. Could she still confuse their scents?
She’d seemed less nervous with his brother. Did she want Jihun instead of him? Was that why she’d allowed him to touch her? Yung shook his head trying to clear his mind. She was his mate. And no one, not his brother or those witches, would stand between him and what was his.
Yung looked over at his brother and cousin. Both men were staring at him with huge grins on their faces. They were enjoying his discomfort. Neither of them was interested in finding their mates anytime soon. They didn’t know how long he’d secretly yearned for a mate.
They didn’t know that he stayed up some nights, wondering what she would look like, wondering what she’d sound like, wondering what she’d think of him. Now that he’d seen her, smelled her, there was no way he was letting her go. He’d always assumed he and his mate would have an instant attraction to one another.
He could tell from her scent that she’d been aroused by him. Or had that been the change causing her to want him? When a female wolf went through the change, her need for sexual release was her top priority. It was all she could think about at the time.
In most packs, during the change, an unmated female could choose whoever she wanted to see her through the change. As long as the person she chose was unmated also. If the female was mated, then her mate was the only person with the right to aid her.
A female wolf needed to have a release every few hours when she was going through the change. Sometimes it took more than one male to aid her. The change was something that could not be avoided. Therefore, it wasn’t frowned upon when a female took more than one lover during that time.