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I make my way from my office to open the front door. Roxanne stands on my porch in a short robe, barely tied at her waist. I never should have told her my plans today.
She’s here because she knows Cass is bringing a new female to join the pack. Trying to stake a claim, she knows there is nothing she can do when I take someone else to my bed. We aren’t together, haven’t been other than sexually in years, but she likes to make the other females think we are. She rubs her thighs together like just the sight of me has her ready. I’m sure it does, we’ve been together countless times over the years, her body knows what mine can do to hers.
“Roxanne, I told you when you called I have business today. Why are you here?” Ignoring the edge in my voice, I’m sure she hears.
A shiver of excitement runs down her spine, like I just told her I’m going to bend her over the front porch railing. Maybe she’s not ignoring it after all. I think she is mistaking my anger for passion. Her lips part, eyes dilate as she walks close to me. Her hands go to the white t-shirt stretched over my chest, her nails lightly tracing up and down. She watches her hands and pouts. “Mase, I haven’t seen you since Saturday. I miss you, don’t you miss me?”
Honestly, no, I haven’t. Before I can answer her, my phone I’d left in the office rings. Grabbing her hands, I push them away. “I’m busy. I told you I was busy. Yet you show up here like this.” I point to her state of undress. “I know exactly what you’re up to Roxanne. I told you years ago there is no future for us. I don’t want to hurt you.” That part’s true, I don’t want to hurt her. “At one time, I cared very deeply for you. I can’t give you that anymore. If you still have feelings for me, I’m sorry, sorry if you thought it would ever lead to more. I’ve let you get away with this charade for far too long. Stop telling people we are close to a commitment, that someday we will marry. You will never be my Luna. I am truly sorry, but it stops now.” The last words are spoken softly to try and soften the blow, but she hears the finality in my tone.
Her eyes are glossy, and her face is pink. No tears fall. I think she’s more angry than sad. I know she cares for me, she just cares more for what the status of being Luna to one of the largest packs would give her. “What happened to you? You loved me, I know it. You could again if you let yourself.” She is still trying, her voice is soft and sweet, trying to mask the anger I see in her eyes.
My phone starts ringing again. Before I turn to go get it, I answer the only question she asked that matters. “I can’t, and I won’t.”
“Sid,” I say when I pick up.
“Yeah, whoever Cass is bringing today has a few of the guys in a stew. Not sure why, but even a few of the unMated married fellas are sniffing around.” I hear the worry in his voice “They headed your way?”
Just what I need. “Fuck me, is she close to being in heat?” I ask. No wonder Cass can’t stop talking about her.
“I’m not sure, Mase. She smells different somehow, even to me.”
I’m taken back by his response. Sid’s been Mated for a little over a year. He’s barely out of the honeymoon stage. “Shit. Okay, yeah, they’re headed here. I’ll see what I can find out and let you know.” I hang up as I hear a car coming up the hill. When I walk up to the door, it hangs open, and Roxanne’s on the front porch like some naughty housewife come to greet them. Looks like she’s still trying to run her game.
The white Jeep stops and so does my heart. It’s her. Dear God, it’s her, my Mate after all the years I’ve spent looking for her. She’s sitting in my driveway with my lovesick fucking brother, but how? Everything Cass said to me hits me like a bullet. The pain in my chest nearly drops me to my knees. Losing her parents, foster care, alone. Abandoned by her Mate… what have I done!
Her cries break through the fog, and I see her on my brother’s lap. All rational thought is gone. “MINE,” roars my wolf.
Leaping over the porch rail, I rip the door open and grab her from my enraged brother. He jumps from the car and closes in on me. “If you try to take her from me, I will kill you,” I growl.
Realization dawns, and he knows I’m the bastard that ruined this poor girl’s life. He’s rightfully horrified. He doesn’t understand how I could do it. “Mate,” I say aloud.
Her tiny body falls limp in my arms, and I want to rip my own throat out. She’ll never forgive me. My wolf doesn’t care she passed out. He wants what’s his.Mark now, can’t leave us, he says. I almost do it. I’m so close my face is buried behind her ear. Her scent is intoxicating. The only thing that stops me is the look on Casper’s face. Like he knows what I’m about to do, and he’s disgusted with me.
“I didn’t know. I’ll fix it,” I implore him to believe me. “I didn’t know little one, please forgive me.” A few tears leak out before I can stop them.
Cass finally speaks. “Why?” is all he says.
“I’ll explain everything I can, Cass, I promise,” I say defeated.
I turn to carry her to our home when I see Roxanne still as a statue staring at me holding her. The tears she held before now fall freely from her lashes. Now it’s real. She knows I’ll never again be hers. So much has happened I can’t even feel bad for her.
“You were here, with her.” Cass sneers at Roxanne. “While she was alone?”
“Casper, please let me get her comfortable. I’ll explain. It’s not what you think.” I’m exhausted. I’d like to lock us both in my room and make her understand why I left her, but my brother knows her. My wolf doesn’t like the sound of that.
“Roxanne you need to leave. Don’t come back without permission again.” I see the hurt in her eyes.
She tries to recover. “Mase, what’s going on? I can help.”
“If you think your fuck buddy is still gonna be coming around, then hand her over now, and we’ll leave. You won’t ever have to see either of us again,” Casper says angrily.
That’s all it takes for my tenuous hold to break. I pull her soft body even closer to mine. “She is MY MATE! MINE! You will not be taking her anywhere. I’m trying very hard not to break your arms and legs for touching her, let alone having her on your lap. If you say another word about her, I don’t know if I will stop myself from doing it... do you get me?” I’ve used my Alpha tone, so I hope he knows how serious I am. He drops his head submissively. “I know she’s your friend. I know you care… for her. I will tell you how this happened, but please don’t test me again brother,” I add a little gentler.
I want to put her in my bed, but I know that’s not the right move, yet. So, I take her to the living room and lay her on the sofa. She’s so tiny, she can’t be much more than five feet tall, her long chestnut hair hangs almost to the floor. I pick it up and smooth it down her side. I felt her curves against me when I held her, wide hips, small waist, soft belly, and full breasts. Her face is flawless with tiny, light brown freckles dotting her high cheeks and small pert nose. Her lips are a full dusky pink, slightly parted as she breathes. I know when she opens her eyes they’ll be a honeyed amber framed by long dark lashes. She’s breathtaking. It kills me that I could have lost her. God, I hope I haven’t.
I sit next to her hip on the couch. I need to touch her, to make sure she’s real, she’s here. I don’t want to explain myself to Cass, but she knows him, possibly trusts him. Maybe he’ll help me explain it to her.
Stroking her lovely face, I tell him, “This might be hard for you to believe, but everything I’m going to tell you is true. Michael is the only other person that knows. I met my Mate five years ago, almost exactly five years ago.”
