Page 20 of Never His Mate

What the fuck is he doing here?

He… he’s not supposed to be here. In Charlie’s. In Muncie. Anywhere near I am. He’s supposed to be in his cabin with his chosen mate, not staring at me as if he can’t believe that I’m here, too.

That’s all right. I’m probably pulling the same face.

Because I can’t. I can’t believe it.

Did I think that the whole bar watched when Aleks walked in earlier? That’s nothing compared to the reception Ryker gets. Even non-supes can sense that there’s something different about this male. Between his Alpha aura, his animal magnetism, and his looks… he’s almost as dangerous a lure as Aleks, just not so pretty.

That’s one thing I can say about the Mountainside Alpha. He’s not pretty, but hell if he’s not still the most alluring male I’ve ever seen.

He’s grown his hair out a little since I saw him last. Instead of being closely cropped against his skull, it’s shaggier than I remember, though I haven’t forgotten what a nice shade of chocolate-colored brown it is when he isn’t chopping it all off. Like his lush lips, it’s a small hint of softness on such a hard male.

His jaw. The sharp planes of his cheeks. A straight back that looks like its made of steel.

And those eyes…

Even from across the bar, I can see the immovable force of his alpha wolf peering out from behind those angry eyes.

I’m not afraid. I’m not.

Well. Not of him, at least.

I’m afraid of the way my body immediately betrays me. One peek at him and, if only for a moment, I’m that fifteen-year-old girl again, the one who looked at Ryker and saw her forever. I take his scent into my lungs, my knees going weak, my panties going damp, my heart singing out for its mate.

Only he’s not my mate. He can’t be.

He rejected me.

So what the fuck is he doing here?

I’ve never heard Charlie’s fall so quiet before. A hush, a murmur, a few shocked exhalations when the vampires realize that one of their enemy is walking so boldly among them. It doesn’t take long for them to peg Ryker as a shifter, but they can also sense that he’s not just any shifter. He’s an alpha, and not someone to fuck with.

Me? I’m fair game, for the most part; at least in comparison, I am. When it becomes even more obvious that his complete focus is on me, the rest of the bar starts sneaking peeks my way. They’re following my lead. And since I’m not about to sacrifice my new life in the vamp town for the sake of Ryker Wolfson, I bring the fakest grin to my face as I can, as if he’s just another customers and not the bastard who broke my heart.

“Hi, there. Welcome to Charlie’s.”

The spell breaks. The humans who don’t quite understand what’s happening just shrug and go back to their drinks, their food, their company. The vampires watch Ryker from the corner of their eyes, but they leave him alone. They might not know that I’m a shifter, but it’s obvious that the dark-haired alpha has come for me. Unless I give them some sign that I need help, they’re gonna let me take care of it.

Ryker makes a beeline straight for me. As if I expected anything less.

I reach for one of the spare waitress pads Charlie keeps under the bar. Always prepared, he has a bucket of pens and pencils down there, too.

“How you doing?” After a year working the bar, I don’t need to take down a customer’s order. With Ryker, though? I make an exception if only because, if I don’t have something to do with my hands, I’m not so sure I can control my claws. “What can I get you?”

He’s staring at me. I watch as his nostril flares, trying to catch my scent, before his rugged features form a deep scowl when his nose fails him.

Thank you, Aleks. It’s good to be reassured that his charm and his tea doesn’t just fool vamps. Seems like even an Alpha can’t pick up on my scent. Definitely good to know.

I poise the tip of my pencil to the pad. “Well?”

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

His voice is a deep rumble as he continues to stare as if he’s thought I’ve lost my mind or something. Maybe I have. That’s as good an explanation as any for how I feel drawn to the prick who cast me aside more than a year ago.

Keep smiling, Gem. “I did. I asked you what your order is.”

“Gemma—”

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