The Reluctant Mate
1 Intoxicating

Porter

Angie’s was a human bar in a town nearby our pack, a place where mundane humans could socialize and have a good time. More importantly for me, it meant a night off from my responsibilities, as long as nothing went wrong while we were out. When our luna, Carrie, had suggested a night out, I had agreed at once. Being beta of a growing pack was thirsty work, and I’d wanted a break. To help improve the mood, I’d smuggled a flask of FJ—the magically enhanced alcohol that hit shifters harder than the regular stuff—along to spike the human booze, because I was planning on having fun while it lasted. It would be back to patrols, paperwork, and pack the next day, like usual.

A waitress came around and took our order, and we claimed a table to wait for our luna’s human friends to arrive. The waitress brought us our drinks and some shots, and we tossed them back. Jason glowered at a human who looked at his mate too long and barely took his hands off of her.

Mates. I scoffed inwardly. I still respected Jason because he was a damn good fighter and leader besides just being my friend, but he’d been completely pussy whipped since about ten seconds after replaceing his mate. Don’t get me wrong, I respected mate bonds having seen how great they were from an outside perspective, and I also respected my luna because she was pretty badass herself, but whenever the two of them got within sniffing distance of each other they could barely stop flirting.

I didn’t get too hard on them about it though, because most couples calmed down after a while so we just had to endure through this excruciating touchy-feely period. I firmly believed that my entire career as a beta wouldn’t be loudly coughing or intentionally slamming into things as I approached the alpha’s office so I wouldn’t catch them making out—or worse. My poor not-so-virgin eyes. I’d also become a master of breathing through my mouth to avoid too much sensory information, just in case.

It had been a stark change. While we had been on the run after Stonemason killed our original pack, other than Max, we really hadn’t talked much about mates. Both Jason and I had known life as reluctant rogues wasn’t the life we wanted for someone we cared about, although we did okay for ourselves once we managed to blend into the human world. Not every wolf could pull it off, but camouflaging among the humans was actually pretty safe. Then, when we decided to start a new pack, neither of us had been interested in dragging our mates into that uncomfortable life, so neither of us tried looking for them.

Of course, it didn’t matter that Jason hadn’t been looking, because Luna Carrie had practically fallen straight into his lap.

Max was a different story, he had desperately wanted to replace his mate, but that was because they were already marked and mated. He and Lillian were both from Glenhaven, and they had realized they were mates when they were both almost sixteen, a true tale of childhood sweethearts. They’d been inseparable until tragedy had forced them apart. Max swore up and down that she was still alive somewhere because he could feel her, and who was I to argue? I didn’t know what that bond felt like.

Through the dim haze of the bar’s atmosphere, I watched my alpha possessively put his hand around his mate’s shoulders and pull her closer to him. I could see where his possessiveness was coming from. She was pretty hot, although I wasn’t stupid enough to voice that observation out loud. Jason had a lot of restraint but it would be stupid for me to make it harder on him. Plus, I would never come between a mated pair, and doubly so when it came to my friends.

Glancing around surreptitiously, I snuck out my flask and brought my glass towards me before adding a quick shot of FJ to it. Looking at Max, I said, “Do you want me to spike yours—?”

I saw her at the exact same moment her scent hit me and I was struck dumb as she strode into the bar confidently like she owned the place, and then her gaze settled on Carrie and she began to walk over.

Damn, she was hot, red hair and smooth creamy skin, and eyes that I was certain would flash with anger as much as they would light up with delight, and she smelled indescribably amazing. It was something my wolf instantly knew we wanted. He was as excited as I was, and then my brain caught up to my senses and figured out exactly what was so great about her.

She must be my mate. There was no other explanation why my heart would be pounding like this, why my palms would be suddenly sweating, or why I already had half a hard on at just the sight of her. Not that she wasn’t sexy enough to make me spring to attention, but it wasn’t like I was a hormone fueled fifteen-year-old anymore.

My mate came forward like she was as drawn to me as I was to her, but then she turned and spoke with Carrie. I tried to force my eyes away from her. I couldn’t even hear what they were saying because my mind was filled with a low buzz. She leaned in towards the luna and whispered something in her ear, and I could only hope she was asking about me.

I couldn’t remember my mate’s name and I was kicking myself for that now. I’m sure Carrie had said it more than once, but she’d just been an uninteresting random human at that time. I strained my mind trying to see what I remembered about her, but other than the fact I surmised that she was just human because the luna had been surrounded by humans before she found Jason, I knew absolutely nothing.

I wanted to know everything about her now. They kept talking, and I tried to calm my excited wolf. I had to be cool, I didn’t want to freak her out. Humans took things slow, right? And that meant I’d have to date her first, then explain the truth about my nature, and then finally I could have her in every way once she got used to the idea. I gripped the table, trying to get a hold of myself.

My wolf just wanted to grab her and carry her off right now, forget waiting for her comfort level. Darn wolf.

She finally stopped talking and looked over at me, and I immediately glanced away, not wanting her to know I had been staring at her exactly the way I had been staring at her. From my peripheral vision I saw Jason get up and drag his mate up to the dance floor, and my mate and her friends sat down at the table.

I didn’t have to look to know she had sat across from me, because I could smell that intoxicating scent. Who knew humans could smells so good? Who needed FJ when she was around? I looked towards her.

Her eyes met mine without flinching. She smiled at me, and my heart leapt.

“Porter, was it?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” I said. Way to go not listening, Porter, that’ll be your way to your mate’s heart.

Her smile didn’t fade. “It’s hard to hear in here,” she said, making an excuse for me since she didn’t know I had werewolf hearing and really should have known what was said. I didn’t correct her. “I’m Amanda,” she said, and extended her hand towards me. I shook it, and the contact between us shook me. This, this, was what everyone kept going on about between mates. It felt like fire between us, but the burn was so good. My wolf could have died happily in that second.

I held on just slightly too long and she pulled her hand away. She didn’t seem to blame me for my awkwardness, though. “So, what do you do?” she asked.

“Assistant manager of Bronson Construction,” I said quickly. It wasn’t actually a lie, the pack did operate a construction company. “How about you?”

Her smile dimmed just enough to tell me she didn’t love her job. “Customer service, my job sucks, you don’t want to hear about it. I’ve had a couple setbacks, but I keep moving forward.”

I liked that attitude, although the idea of her having ‘setbacks’ did not please my wolf. I was here now and would be able to help her with whatever she needed. My poor mate should come live with me and I could share her burdens. She already got along with our luna.

Once I convinced her to be with me. It was probably going to be more difficult than it would be with another werewolf, not that I would trade my little human for all the female werewolves in the world. Patience, Porter, patience. I didn’t want to push my human.

I was already sure the wait would be worth it in the end.