The Alpha’s Tempting Mate

We’re threading through the streets of Mexico City when Sedona finally speaks. “How did you find me?” Despite the ordeal she’s been through, she looks vibrant, youth and vitality oozing from her, as if her wolf loved being mated.

“My mate found you.” There’s so much fucking pride in my voice when I speak, I’m sure Amber can feel my love back in our hotel suite.

I’m coming for you, baby. Almost there.

Sedona lifts weary green eyes. “Your mate?”

I touch the back of her neck where her bite marks are healing. “Looks like we both mated this moon.”

Sedona’s eyes fill with tears, and she looks away. I’m ready to kill the asshole who did this, and I’m dying to get her story, but I force myself to remain silent. If I get aggressive, she’ll clam up.

“Tell me about her?” Her voice is choked with tears.

I drop a kiss on the top of her head. “Her name is Amber. She’s a human psychic and an attorney. And my next door neighbor. When you went missing, I volun-told her we needed her help, and we brought her along to Mexico. She helped us follow your trail to Mexico City, where we found your captors-they’re already dead, by the way-and then she helped get the information on this place.”

“A human, huh? Never would’ve figured.” I don’t hear a trace of judgment in Sedona’s voice, or I would’ve gone on the defensive. I’m still expecting more shit from my dad.

“Me, neither.” I shrug. “My wolf picked her.”

Sedona’s face clouds, sadness penetrating her gaze. “Yeah. I guess that happens.”

Fuck. She must’ve fallen for her mate, whoever he is. Could’ve been Stockholm syndrome.

“You sure you don’t want me to go back there and kill the entire Montelobo pack? Because I won’t hesitate if you give the word, little sis.”

She shakes her head. “I’m sure. Don’t let Dad go back, either. I think… they’re just a really fucked-up pack.” She turns her face up to mine. “So where’s Amber, now? When can I meet her?”

I know she’s pasting on a sunny face for me, and it kills me. We pull up in front of the hotel. “She’s in our suite. Come on. You can meet her now.”

We pile out of the van, and I get into the elevator with Sedona, Trey, and Jared. I notice Sedona is quick to join me, just like she was quick to get in my van. She doesn’t want to deal with our dad. I don’t blame her. I drape an arm over her shoulders, and she leans against me.

I’ve only been gone six hours, but I’m dying to see Amber. Fates, I hope her bite wound hasn’t caused her trouble. She’s probably been miserable.

I stick my keycard in the door and swing it open. The moment I do, I know something’s wrong.

Amber’s scent isn’t there. Well, traces are, but she’s not in the room. “Amber?” I call out, even so. There’s a note on the table, and I snatch it up.

Garrett,

I don’t want to bind you to something that happened while under the influence of stress and a full moon. I know that mating with a human will change your position with the pack and with your father, and I don’t want to have that weight on my shoulders. Let’s write this off as an interesting second date and be done with it.

I caught a plane back to Tucson. Please give me some time before you stop by my apartment-I’d like some distance to heal.

Love,

Amber

No.

My roar shakes the pictures on the walls. I crumple the note and throw it to the floor.

She can’t be gone.

I won’t fucking accept it.

I grab my phone and stab in her number before I remember her cell doesn’t work here. I let it ring and go to voicemail anyway.

“Amber. I need to talk to you right away. Call me.” I want to say a million other things, but I don’t trust myself not to fuck it up and say something stupid. Trey, Jarod, and Sedona are all wide-eyed and cautious, staying out of lunging distance but pulling sympathetic faces. “Trey, get Kylie to find out what plane she’s on.”

“I’m on it, G.”

I stalk a tight circle around the room and slam my fist through the wall.

“Garrett,” Sedona says sharply.

I swivel to face her, fists clenching. My growls make it hard to hear anything.

“If you want your mate back, you’d better have a better plan than punching holes in plaster.”

I blink at her. It takes a full minute for her words to sink in, but then I realize she’s right.

“Fuck.” I burrow all ten fingers through my hair and hold my head.

I don’t have a clue how to win my mate back. Clearly, I had no clue how to court her in the first place, since she said our first two dates were epically bad.

Trey’s phone beeps. “You’re in luck. She was booked on an early flight out of Mexico City, but she never boarded. She is now rebooked for a flight leaving in”-he looks at his phone”one hour. Let’s go.”

I’m relieved to let Trey lead for a moment while my brain tries to rein back my wolf’s ferocious desire to reclaim his mate. We all follow him into the elevator and take it down. My dad and some of his pack members are still in the lobby, and they speak to us, but I can’t hear for the buzzing in my ears. Somehow they end up joining, too, and we all stream back into one of the vans.

As the vehicle shoots through traffic, my mind plays the reel of every moment I’ve spent with Amber since the day I met her.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

If I’d had any doubt as to why I picked her as a mate, it’s clear as day now. A glow pervades every interaction we had. Amber Drake is a gift. To this world. To the kids she helps. To me. She has the heart of an angel and shifter courage. She’s delicate but strong. Powerful in her own right. Her capacity to love, to forgive, to offer her time and heart to others knows no bounds.

I need her.

Not just for my wolf. For me.

And I’ll do anything in this world to make myself worthy of Amber Drake.