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I am not stupid. I know that many of the women who have chased after me over the years were only interested in gaining a position of privilege in the pack. A fated mate like Maya, an alpha female, one to whom I’ll have to prove myself worthy, is a true prize. She already has power within her pack. She doesn’tneedme, but I want her towantme, for me and not what I can do for her.
“You’re better at this alpha stuff than you think. Any chance you want your job back?”
Rex jerks back like I’ve struck him, and a deep rumble starts in his chest.
“Fuck no. It’s torture. Being beta was bad enough. Cooper can’t get back to work soon enough, and Ethan needs to get his shit together and come home.”
I laugh as he wraps an arm around my shoulder in an awkward, side-on bro hug. He’s not one for affection and it means a lot that he is showing me how much he cares. Leah has been good for him. Like my mate will be for me.
“Come on. I have better things to do than chase you around the woods all day. Talk to your mate.”
CHAPTER 10
NATHAN
When we return to the packhouse, Rex leaves me with a reassuring nod and an encouraging pat on the shoulder. As he goes off in search of his own mate, I’m left alone with my thoughts. There are still plenty of wolves hanging around, enjoying the food and drink laid on for the new guests. Nobody seems to have noticed my sudden departure, and I’m grateful. Not in the mood to join in, I trudge up the stairs, staring with longing at Maya’s door and willing her to come out so we can talk. Her alluring scent is powerful, and my wolf is alert, sensing his mate nearby.
She’s in there, but there’s no movement, which means she knows I’m here but doesn’t want to speak to me. As much as it kills me, I won't pressure her. We'll both be here in the morning.
With a reluctant sigh, I turn to my apartment. Pushing open the door, my brain floods with slightly happier mental images of carrying my mate in my arms through here just hours ago. It could have been perfect.
Without meaning to, I find myself at the door to my bedroom, drawn to the giant bed. It's tidy now. The sheets are perfectly back in place. There are no signs of our encounter. Somehow, seeing that all the evidence of our passion is gone makes me feel even worse. Did she want to pretend it never happened? Is that why she put everything back in order before she left? I had hoped tomorrow morning would be the first time we'd wake up in each other's arms, and we'd be starting the rest of our lives together.Now, I’m bereft at the idea of not sleeping near her. I’m debating how weird it would be to curl up on the floor outside her door just to be near her.
I can’t bear getting into bed to stew over what I could have done differently, or what’s going to happen next, so I return to my living area, searching for something to keep myself occupied. My gaze lands on a fresh stack of documents Kim must have left for me to review. Her scent still lingers in the air, and I huff out a breath, not liking anyone else’s scent in my space. I’ll have to give out to her for working late when there’s a party going on, even though secretly I’m glad for the distraction of work.
Plucking the folder from the top of the pile, I wander aimlessly into the kitchen while I read the update on a new project we’re hoping to start soon, grabbing a bottle of cold beer from the fridge while I’m there.
Despite replaying Maya’s frantic words that I’m not her mate, over and over in my head, I still can’t work out what happened. Genuine fear shone in her eyes when she thought I was going to bite her. If she knew I was her mate and felt anything like I did, you wouldn’t be able to fake fear like that. She really doesn't know.
Something else is going on, but I can’t figure out what.
Growling in frustration, I toss the bottle cap into the sink and return to the sofa, propping my feet on the coffee table and piling the contracts on my lap.
There is no hope of getting any sleep, not with my wolf so on edge and our unclaimed mate right across the hall. He wants to stay up all night to keep her safe. So, instead of even trying to get some shuteye, I dive into some mind-numbing proposals and costings to keep myself distracted.
This deal would be massive for the pack. I can't let my personal problems derail it. Cooper has other things to worry about. Rex is doing the best he can covering for him without a beta to help, and with two new grandbabies arriving imminently, my parents are distracted. Rightly so. They've done their bit for the pack. We can't drag them out of retirement every time things get busy.
As I work, a plan forms in my mind.
Rex is right. If she were human, and I had to win her over, what would I do? I’d charm her, talk to her and let her get to know me, and never give up until she chose me to be her man. We need to spend time together where we can both relax, have some fun, and I think I know just the place.
If my little wolf doesn’t know she is mine, I’ll show her. Our future life together is worth putting in the effort, and I’ll keep showing her until she believes me.
MAYA
Breakfast is a hurried affair. I rush downstairs to grab something to eat before Nathan comes looking for me, because I know he will. It’s tempting to stay locked away in my room forever. I won’t hide, but I’m not sure the pack dining hall is the time or place for the discussion we need to have.
I heard him pause outside my door when he returned last night. For a moment, I thought he was going to knock, but he left with a heavy-hearted sigh, and I’m not sure whether I was relieved or disappointed. We need to talk at some point, preferably today, but I’d like some caffeine flowing through my veins beforehand.
Leah waves me over when she sees me, and even though I really don’t want to hang around, it’d be rude to run off. Which is why I’m sitting at a table with Leah and another wolf from the pack, John, when I feel his presence. My heart pounds in my chest, and it takes all my concentration to keep my eyes fixed forward and not swivel in my seat to get a good look at him, to drink him in.
As he passes the table, striding confidently through the room, his eyes meet mine and I can’t breathe. It’s not fair how handsome he looks. Even if I don’t like what he tried to do, I must admit he has an unnatural effect on my body. Could it really be the mate bond? My wolf is keen on him, but he’s sex on legs. Who wouldn’t be? The power of my reaction could be a natural reaction to an unmated alpha wolf desiring us.
Closing my eyes to break the spell, I tilt my head down and take a few slow, deep breaths to calm myself. When I finally open them again, he’s gone, and, once again, I feel bad. I’m not trying to push him away, but I don’t want to encourage him either when I don't understand what’s going on myself.
Leah’s eyes glaze over and then she looks at me with a wide grin plastered across her face. When she doesn’t say anything, just continues to stare, I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my system and a trickle of concern run down my spine.
“What?” Now I'm getting paranoid. I rub my cheek self-consciously. “Have I got something on my face?”
