Blake POV
Even though I know she’s not here, I can’t help scanning the aisles of the store as I enter, searching for her. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I can hear my blood rushing in my ears. Her smell is setting my body on fire. Every cell is tingling in anticipation of meeting her, and the hair is standing up on the back of my neck.
I shake out my hands, trying to ease some of the tension firing through me. She’s not here, I repeat to myself, and if I don’t calm down, I’ll miss something that might tell me who or where she is. When I reach the counter, the kid still has his wide eyes fixed firmly on me and his fingers grip the counter tightly. If he has an alarm under there, I'd say he's about two seconds away from pressing it.
I must be throwing out some angry alpha vibes to be making him so nervous so I try to reign in my emotions as best I can. Using one hand, I smooth down the front of my shirt, drawing his attention to the expensive suit I’m wearing and the watch on my wrist. He seems to register my clothes, eyes narrowing as he looks outside and spots my luxury SUV. Realisation dawns on his face that while I may be worked up about something, I’m not about to rob him. The tension in his shoulders eases a little, and he meets my eye for the first time, swallowing hard.
“Good evening,” I say evenly, using my reassuring alpha voice and hoping to ease his nerves further. “I’m hoping you can help me with something.” I raise an eyebrow in question and he nods thoughtfully.
“Sure, I’ll try anyway. What’s up?” He tries to sound unaffected by my presence, but the slight wobble in his voice gives his anxiousness away.
“Well, I’m late to meet a lady friend and her phone has gone dead. I think she might have popped in here just a second ago before taking off. Did you see which direction she went? She's quite the catch. I don't want to miss my shot.” I smile my most charming smile, trying to make him feel like we're buddies here, and he slowly smiles back, giving me hope he might have some useful information for me. But his mouth quickly drops into a frown. I can see the disappointment in his eyes that he doesn't know.
“Jeez, dude, I wish I could. There was a hot chick in here, but I didn’t see where she went,” he apologizes, reaching up to scratch at his patchy beard. I grit my teeth at the disrespectful words he uses to describe my mate. The future mother of my children. Chick. I should snap his skinny neck.
Focus.
“Shit,” I curse, balling my fists and turning to go back outside. I jog for the door, but just as I push out into the night, I hear him call out behind me.
“Hey, mister! Check the diner. Earl doesn’t miss much, especially when it’s this quiet.” My eyes flash to the white building next door and I veer towards it, sniffing the air as I go. She was definitely here too, even earlier, though. Her scent is very faint now, but I can still follow it to a booth along one wall. No other scents. At least she was alone.
I can’t believe she was sitting here, and probably less than half an hour ago, but now she is gone. And just a hint of her smell remains, like a ghost of her presence.
I can’t let her slip through my fingers. Bending down to pick up a receipt from the clean floor, I bring it to my nose. She touched this and held it in her hand. I close my eyes and breathe deep, needing it to keep my head as all sorts of horrible scenarios flit through my brain.
What if she was just passing through on business? What if she lives on the other side of the country, and this was the last stop on her way out of town?
I spin and see an older gentleman watching me with curiosity from behind the immaculate counter, which he has been pretending to wipe down since I walked through the door. Shoving the receipt into the inside pocket of my jacket, I walk confidently over to him and extend a hand. He looks at it for a second, then back up to my face, before reluctantly reaching over to shake it, staring me straight in the eye as he does. I don't fail to notice the extra little squeeze he gives before he releases me.
“I’m looking for the woman who was in here a while ago, sitting there.” I point over to the booth and the man I am assuming is Earl doesn’t follow my finger. He knows exactly who I’m talking about. There aren’t many fresh scents in here. Things must have been really quiet this evening. Earl stands back to his full height, and despite his age, he’s tall and well-built. This man is no pushover. And he doesn't seem to like me.
“You the FBI?” he asks, looking up and down derisively at my dark navy suit, a hint of a smirk playing at one corner of his mouth. He's mocking me. I bristle, not used to anyone questioning me, especially in such a dismissive manner.
“No,” I admit, “but-” Earl cuts me off by raising his hand up, palm facing out, shaking his head as if to say don't even bother.
“Then tell me why I should tell a stranger, a suit like you, who’s clearly not from around here, anything about one of my customers? And a woman, no less.” He raises an eyebrow at me and rage courses through my veins like hot lava.
This is wasting precious time. She’s getting further away from me every minute I stand here talking, but I respect what he’s saying and what he’s doing. I could be a creep. Sniffing the receipt probably didn’t help my cause.
I take a deep breath and pause before I say something that I might regret. A quick glance around tells me this is a well-run place. Everything is immaculate. I can see lots of framed awards and recommendations on the wall. While it’s not busy tonight, it usually is. And I bet Earl is here every single night. He knows everyone and everything that goes on in this place. Maybe honesty is the best tactic because bullshitting him definitely won't get me anywhere.
“Because she’s the love of my life and I’m going to marry her,” I say, with a completely straight face. “If she’ll have me, of course.” He barks out a booming laugh at that and slaps a hand to his thigh as he doubles over. That wasn't what he expected.
“You?” He bursts out laughing once more, as though this is the funniest thing he’s ever heard, and looks me up and down again, stopping for a second to take in my shiny dress shoes. Assessing me but clearly finding me lacking. Good. I’m not worthy of my mate. I already know that. He doesn’t have to find it quite as hilarious, though. Wiping a tear from his cheek, he meets my eye again, and I tilt my head in question.
“Oh, Lord. Ok, you're serious. And we’re really having this conversation,” he says, shaking his head as he comes back to the counter. “Then tell me, Loverboy, why have I never seen her with you before?”
Jackpot.
She’s not some stranger drifting through town; she’s a regular. Which is why he’s so protective of her.
“It’s a recent development,” I answer smoothly, and he raises his eyebrows, sensing no deceit in my answer.
“Then why don’t you know where to find her? I’m sure as hell not going to tell you where she lives if she hasn’t herself,” he scoffs, eyeing me dubiously.
“I was supposed to meet her, but I got here late and missed my chance. And I’ll never forgive myself if I mess this up,” I say honestly. And I was meant to meet her. It’s destiny. And if I mess this up, I’m doomed. Because after knowing what it is like to find your mate, to feel those urges, I know what it would be to give this up. I can’t even fathom doing that now that I've had a taste. There's no going back. If I wasn’t already feeling the effects of the madness, I could wait. I could come here every day until she re-appeared. But the one thing I don’t have is time. I need to find her now.
“Sorry, buddy. I feel for you, I do. But she’s a wonderful gal. And I’m sure she’ll give you a second chance. I just can’t give out someone else’s personal information. It’s not right.”
He’s right, of course, but fuck! It’s a crushing blow after being so close. So fucking close. My skin itches with the need to see her right now, to touch her, to hold her. I’m already working out how much time I can take off work to come down here and stake the place out when a throat clears from the doorway to the kitchen.
“Blake Steel, isn’t it?” a soft feminine voice asks, and I whip my head up, connecting with the big brown eyes of a wolf. Not one of mine. Not one of any pack. A rogue. She holds my gaze for a second and I see a glimmer of knowing sympathy in them before she turns to Earl and walks over to him, placing a hand gently on his arm. “It’s ok. Zoe mentioned him.”
Zoe.
“Zoe.” My mate’s name sounds perfect as it rolls off my tongue. Earl looks at me as though I’m not of sound mind as I repeat her name again.
“He doesn’t seem like her type,” he quips, tipping his head towards me again. The mere suggestion that she has a type, that she has anyone other than me, causes my breathing to quicken. My chest rises and falls rapidly. The brunette gives me a warning look as she smiles a disarming smile up at Earl. If I don't behave myself, I won't find out anymore tonight.
“And how would you know? She’s never brought anyone in here,” she says kindly, for my benefit, and Earl huffs, still eyeing me warily.
“I’ll vouch for him, Earl. He’s a good guy. I know his friends, know the charity work they do. They're great people. You never know, he and Zoe could be soulmates. Take pity on the man,” she laughs as she looks towards me and I blink slowly at her, a silent thank you for having my back. Earl rolls his eyes, but they crinkle with the small smile that crosses his face.
“You sure about this?” he asks, looking at me appraisingly again. I try to make myself look as harmless as possible.
“Absolutely,” she replies, nodding firmly. Earl's shoulders drop as he relents. He must be an old romantic behind it all. The soulmates part got to him in the end.
“Fine. You’ll find her at the Shady Pines et Clinic. But you leave her alone till the morning.” He points a finger right in my face, a stern look fixed there. He's unaffected by the broad grin that appears on mine as I nod vigorously in response. I can’t believe it. I’ll get to see my mate tomorrow.
“Thank you, sir." I shake both his hands in mine and mouth thank you to my saviour standing at his side. I owe this little wolf big time.
“So, help me God, if you mess with her, you’ll regret it. She’s an angel,” Earl warns firmly, and Mandy nods along beside him. Mandy meets my eye with a cool stare, something that’s unusual for any wolf but particularly a packless one, to do with an Alpha. She doesn't seem to have a submissive bone in her body. A smile plays on her lips as she turns back to Earl and chuckles.
“Anyway, if he does anything wrong, Zoe’s used to castrating dogs.”
Zoe POV My mind races as I run through all my options. There aren’t many. Maybe because I’m driving his jeep, I try to think about what my brother would do. He wouldn’t just meekly wait to see what the creepy driver wants, that’s for sure. But I’m no fighter. I need to get myself somewhere safe, but my nearest neighbours are too far away to run for it. Fuck it. With only a half-baked idea in the back of my head, I press my foot to the floor, grateful for the sudden acceleration driving a manual allows, and take off, bouncing over the pothole-filled laneway. I have no elaborate plan other than to get inside, lock the door, and call the police. And pray that they happen to be nearby. A quick glance in my mirror tells me I’ve caught whoever it is off guard. Any lingering hope I had that this is a customer and that they’re going to think I’m nuts for driving like a crazy woman is dashed when I see them pick speed. I’ve extended the distance between us. Not by much, but hopefully, it’s
Blake POVNormally, I am a man of my word. Tonight, however, I leave Earl’s diner and drive straight to the vet practice that Zoe owns, fully intending to go back on the promise I just made. I won’t try to see her tonight. I want our first meeting to be special, but there is absolutely no way I can just drive back to the cabin without at least seeing where she lives. Zoe, my mate. I love how that sounds. It’s heaven to finally know her name. The woman who already owns me, heart, body, and soul.Grinning to myself, I whistle and drum my fingers on the steering wheel to some imaginary tune as I follow the winding road out of town. I am perfectly content, or in all honesty, excited, about the prospect of sleeping in my car tonight, once I can be close to her. Cooper, one of the Alphas under my command, once told me how he used to sleep in the woods outside his mate Hayley’s house when they first met, just to keep his wolf calm. That never made sense to me before, but it does now.Six mo
Zoe My fingers touch my lips gently as I sit back down, dazed, behind my desk and fire up the feed to my cameras again. They still tingle where he kissed me. I don't think I've ever reacted like that to a man. Particularly a bossy man. Who I don't know. In the middle of a robbery. After I shot him with a tranquilizer dart. Before he went out to protect me, drugged up to his eyeballs. I don’t need the butterflies in my stomach or the goosebumps on my skin to know that this man is different. I watch him stand tall and face the two men bravely. His stance is relaxed and confident, but in his expensive suit and immaculate white shirt, he looks more like a high-priced lawyer than a brawler. I can barely watch as the first of the thugs takes a threatening step toward him, crowbar bouncing against the palm of his other hand menacingly. Tattoos snake down his wrists and out from the edge of his sleeves. A distinctive jagged scar runs down the side of his neck. These aren't kids looking to
Zoe A gigantic, dark grey wolf is lying passed out on my clinic floor, injured. Just when I thought we were over the crazy part of this night. I’ve never seen a wolf up close before. The vet part of my brain is in awe. The rest of me is looking out the window at the full moon, putting two and two together, and making ten. I’d like to think there is a reasonable explanation, but for the life of me, I cannot think of anything that is going to explain this. Other than the obvious. Which is that the man I just kissed is a werewolf. An image of Blake lying in the same spot just seconds ago flashes into my mind, but I push that away. I need to focus. I can freak out and worry about my sanity later. The drugs pumping through his system mean he’s not dangerous, for now anyway. As I edge closer, trying to get a look at his hind leg, I can admire how magnificent he is. Thick grey fur covers his body. He’s in perfect condition. Except for the deep cut still oozing bright red blood out onto h
BlakeAs I uncurl my stiff body, I bury my nose deeper into the soft blanket that smells like heaven. The fog clears from my brain, and the cold air and hushed voices drifting underneath the door bring me back to my senses. I sit up slowly and fight back the wave of nausea that washes over me. I squint against the bright lights of what appears to be a utility room and rub a hand over my head, trying to figure out how I got in here.The last thing I remember was propping myself up against the door to Zoe’s office, struggling to keep my eyes open, and praying that I wouldn’t shift to heal once the drugs kicked in. Given I’m stark naked, I can safely assume that’s exactly what happened.Feeling groggy, I haul myself to my feet, but one of my legs gives way and I land hard on my knee on the tiled floor. I bite back a curse and I try again, this time gripping the countertop beside me to pull myself up to standing. A dull ache in my leg draws my attention to the neat row of stitches I can f
ZoeThe bed dips as someone pulls back the covers and climbs in beside me. I open one eye but slam it shut again when I see the sun streaming in through the window. The curtains are wide open. I was too tired or too lazy to close them when I fell into bed last night. It can't be morning already. I'm still exhausted.“Please tell me that was all a horrible dream,” I groan as I roll over to lie on my side facing my sister. She has her hands tucked under her cheek and her pose mirrors mine exactly. It reminds me of when we were teenagers, and we’d climb into each other’s beds late at night to gossip about school and boys.“I wish I could, sweetie,” she says sadly, stretching out a hand to brush the hair back from my face. “But it’s going to be ok.”I blow out a breath and screw my eyes shut, wanting to pretend for another minute that my clinic wasn't destroyed last night and I don’t have a whole mess to deal with today. The police arrested the two intruders last night, but the clinic is
Blake The noise of the shower turning off upstairs distracts me from what Max is saying. My wolf is itching to see his mate again. It nearly killed him to stay away last night. “I’m wasting my time,” Max mutters as I continue to ignore him, and Cooper laughs. They’re perched on stools at the small kitchen island, watching as I open and close every cupboard in the kitchen. As I bang the last one shut, probably louder than necessary, I whirl around to face Cooper. “What does she eat? There’s no food here,” I complain as I yank open the practically empty fridge and pray for a miracle. “That’s probably a good thing. You can’t cook, remember?" Max comments, watching with disbelief as I pull out a frying pan and a few basic rations and set to work. “I can feed my mate,” I mutter, cracking eggs into a bowl and adding some milk, flour, and oil. Max’s eyebrows shoot up as he glances at Cooper to gauge his reaction. Max has already guessed and even if Cooper hasn’t yet, there’s not much p
ZoeThere are so many questions swirling around in my brain that I barely register taking Blake’s hand as he helps me climb into his luxury jeep. As he strides confidently around the driver’s side, wearing his tailored suit and looking every inch the suave business executive, I can’t help feeling out of place. The leather seats are buttery soft, and one look around at the spotless interior tells me he’s not used to having people with mucky boots like mine climbing in and out of this thing. It’s immaculate.“So, you like things neat?” I comment, as I make sure I don’t knock any more dirt off my shoes onto his freshly valeted floor.“I suppose so. But you don’t need to worry about that,” he says, noticing the way I’m sitting rigidly in my seat. Damn right I'll worry about it, but not in the way he's thinking.“Hmm,” I respond. “And you live in Black Hill?”“I do.” Blake keeps his eyes on the road, but I can tell he’s listening intently to my every word. It’s both refreshing and unnervin