Page 3 of Never His Mate

Of course he wasn’t. After all, this is the first time that I’ve come to his cabin and every single wolf in the room knows it.

“I need to talk to you.”

“We’re in the middle of something—”

Ryker lifts his hand. Shane goes quiet.

“I’m almost finished here,” Ryker says to me. “We can talk then, unless it can keep ’til morning.” He tilts his head slightly. “Can it?”

You know what?

“No. Sorry. I don’t think so.”

He searches my face. I’m not giving anything away, and he eventually nods. “That’s fine. Why don’t you wait for me outside and I’ll come get you when the meet’s done.”

Wait for him outside? Luna forbid I get to sit inside and witness what happens when the inner circle gets together. And going into another part of the cabin? Of course that’s out of the question since I’m not his mate yet.

If Trish is right, I might never be.

I shake my head. “No need for that. I’ll be quick. It’s about Trish.”

Trish Danvers. One of the pack females, she ranks higher than most of the others—but not as high as me and she knows it. With a sweet smile and hatred in her soft brown eyes, she’s had it out for me from the moment I arrived in Accalia.

I can’t say the feeling isn’t mutual.

Behind me, someone draws a sharp breath at her name. Another of the council members mutters a curse. Since it’s not Ryker, I ignore them. I’d rather do this without an audience, but if I have to? Oh, well. I told him I couldn’t wait, and I refuse to be sent outside like a trouble-making child.

“Trish?” His tone is neutral. “What about her?”

The tips of my claws prick the fleshy part of my palm. I try to relax my fingers before I stab myself, but just the casual way he says her name like that has my hackles raising. “I’m your intended,” I say softly. Softly because, if I didn’t force myself to keep to a whisper, I’d start shouting. “Is she your chosen?”

Because that’s exactly what she tossed in my face moments before I threw her out of my cabin. I tried not to let it bother me, but I stewed over it for hours before I realized that while Omega Gem might take that lying down, I can’t.

I just can’t.

Ryker leans back in his seat. “I don’t think this is the right time to have this conversation.”

Oh? That’s funny. Because I think it’s the perfect time.

“I told you. It can’t wait.”

Shane clears his throat. “Ryker. Alpha. This seems like this is between you and your mate. Maybe we can have this meeting tomorrow, leave you two together to hash this out.”

“No.” My voice is a little stronger. Not a shout since I’m struggling for control, but loud enough for the rest of the room to hear. “As I’ve been told too many times since I’ve arrived, I’m not his mate.”

Yet is how I always understood it, but I’m beginning to think I was wrong.

Ryker raises his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”

How can he ask me that? He has to know that there are more than a few of his—excuse me, our—packmates who don’t think I’m a good match for their Alpha. Trish is just the one who was bold enough to give me the reason why.

“I won’t be your bonded mate until the Luna Ceremony,” I remind him. “But I’m beginning to doubt that’s ever happening. So, tell me, Ryker. Is that something we’re actually going to do? Or are you just stringing me along?”

“I never—”

He did. Maybe he isn’t aware that that was what he was doing, but he did.

I swallow a growl. “Answer the question.” And then, because I might be an alpha, but so is he, I add, “Please.”

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