Chapter 4: My Curvy Mate

Callum's POV

She was exactly my type — those curves, those hips, and the soft fall of chestnut hair that made my whole body want to close the distance between us. If we weren't standing in enemy territory, I would have taken her already and given her the privilege of being my mistress.

It wasn't every day you got to witness a fully fleshed, gorgeous woman standing this close to the most feared wolf in werewolf history.

Yet, only moments ago, she'd had her face buried in another man's worn-out boxers. My teeth ground together and my stomach churned in a way it never had before.

I wanted to lunge at her, tear her away, and make her mine on the spot. But that would be stupid. What were the odds that she was also my mate?

Her eyes curved up at me with such clear innocence. Other women cowered under the sheer weight of my aura, shaking with fear — she didn't even flinch, like my reputation meant nothing to her.

I wanted to go after her, claim her, make her mine. My wolf clawed at my mind, and it took biting down hard enough on my own tongue to taste blood before I could rein in the urge.

Damn the moon goddess. Or whatever Crescent Pack was really up to. Making it seem like I'd finally found my mate was pathetic — well-played, too, if only they knew how impossible that actually was for someone like me. Not since the door on that particular hope had closed for good, long before tonight.

What technology had they found to imitate a mate bond? Who was helping them?

Those were the only questions that should have occupied my mind right now. Instead, I couldn't think about anything except her — about making her mine, about claiming her in front of the whole world.

She'd come to me and kissed me with raw, reckless passion. She was daring. I liked it.

My hands slid over her curves, and her skin — soft, warm, achingly real — sparked a warmth unlike anything I'd felt before.

Other women had tried to tempt me with their feral bodies before, only to fall apart under me within moments running with the sheets covering up their nudes. So much that I had given up trying.

She… she took all of it like it was nothing.

Crescent really had done its research before handing me a fake mate.

Just as I was starting to enjoy myself, she pulled away with a soft groan. Damn it.

My wolf roared with primal, ancient desire, not minding that we were gathered by flashing naked eyes. "I want her."

I shoved him back. Listening to him now was the fastest way to strip this damsel naked in front of the entire council — and every Alpha in that hall.

"I will take the pain off our rejection... both of us!"

Was she serious? The same sharp-tongued diva who'd tried to shoo me out of a hallway like a stray dog was now offering to shoulder my pain?

No, princess. Not until I find out exactly what game Crescent Pack is playing on me — and have a taste of you of course.

Alpha Dan stepped forward and the scowl on his face earned a complimentary smirk. He scowled harder. "Reject him!" There was enough hate in his voice to make anyone else flinch.

Seemed the Alpha's son didn't know about his father's little game either.

My wolf punched and growled inside me. Even though I knew — knew — there was no way in hell I could actually have a mate, blood pumped hot into my veins anyway.

I stared at him, wanting to tear him apart. Then I looked at her face, and my wolf whimpered instead.

Anger coursed through me, watching the way she stared at him — with so much affection, that looked like longing. He was the owner of those worn-out shorts she'd buried her face in only minutes ago.

Her red, swollen eyes flicked from me to Alpha Dan and back, indecision written plainly across her face.

"He hurt our mate, Callum. Tear him apart and make him pay."

Fake mate. And as much as I liked the idea of carving a few permanent reminders into the Alpha's son for what he'd done to her, doing it now would blow up the entire reason I was even at this conference.

I drew her closer until our skin met, and she shuddered. The pressure in my chest eased. I took in every bit of her — her softness, her scent — and I didn't want to let her go. She shouldn't dare reject me. Not yet. Not before I understood what the hell was actually happening here.

But the choice was still hers, as much as I hated that.

I held her gaze until it locked with mine. "I will make you mine if you accept me — and ruin you if you don't."

She needed to know exactly what she'd be walking into. I would make her mine, over and over, until she was the one begging to be claimed.

I felt the subtle shudder move through her skin. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again — caught somewhere between everything she wanted to say and nothing she could.

What was so hard about choosing between me and Alpha Douchebag?

Douchebag reached for her, and I snarled hard enough that he stepped back on instinct.

"For your own good, Brave, you don't want a mate like him. I'll take you back — isn't that what you wanted?"

The offer smelled like wounded pride more than love, but she flinched anyway. Hard. I hated it enough to want to break him into pieces.

My grip tightened at her waist. That was enough to bring her back — she raised her head for the first time and stared straight into Douche's face with something close to a sneer.

Not quite the fury I wanted for her. But it would do, for now.

A smirk cut across my face. "That's more like it, mate."

"You rejected me, Alpha. The moon goddess only gave me a second chance. It wouldn't be right for me to reject him."

"Brave—" Douche lunged, and I stepped between them with a growl.

"You heard my mate. She made her choice."

He held my stare for a long moment, and I leaned in until my breath — laced with my Lycan aura — brushed against his skin.

"Do you want to fight me?"

"You can try. Preferably to the death." He sneered, then stepped back, his face hardening.

"That's more like it, Alpha Douchebag." I turned back to my fake mate with a smile.

"You should be rewarded."

Instead, her eyes were wet.

My brows drew together. She'd just walked away from a complete douchebag and landed the most feared werewolf alive as her mate instead. Shouldn't she be leaping for joy? Why did she look like she was about to cry?