Authors: Jana Leigh
She had of course screamed, and then she had needed time to think about what they were telling her. She got the basics, but she had a lot more questions that needed to be answered. So far, she had not had enough time to sit with her friend and talk, since they had come to Denver. At one time, they told her she needed to think about joining a Pack. They said she needed protection and did not want her to be out on her own. Jo had protested at the thought of moving to Denver, but things may be looking up.
“What do you want to know?” Tey said and sat down in a chair with a big sigh.
Jo sat down across from him, folded her hands on the table, and hid her smile. It seemed her big hunky man was a little impatient. “So what is this mate thing? Like, are we supposed to be dating or something?”
Tey laughed and said, “Or something. When a wolf finds his mate, it is for life. We can only have one mate, and if we find them and do not claim them, we will go crazy.”
“Wow, no pressure there.” Jo mumbled.
“Just giving you the facts. We can wait for a while, to see if you will change, if that makes you more comfortable. We can spend time getting to know one another. To be honest, I am a little freaked out about all this." Tey said and lowered his head. He did not want to wait, but he also did not want to have a mate who resented him.
“So, if we do this, will I have to move here?” Jo asked.
“Uh, this is where my Pack is. When you and I mate, you will have the same benefits of my status as Enforcer. In a normal Pack, you would be a member, kinda the low man on the totem pole. I am third in line of this Pack. Devon, and of course the Alphas are ahead of me. We are the protectors of the Pack, and we are the teachers of the young members. I personally have been in charge of showing the younger members the rules and the laws of the Pack. The old traditions have not been taught in the United States.
This is one of the reasons we were sent here. To provide order where there has been so much chaos over the years. I would, of course, expect my mate to help with those things and set an example. We have been dealing with a lot of shit also over the last few weeks.
I am sure Cami explained to you, there are Rogue wolves like the one that attacked you, which have been plotting in Denver to try to take over this Pack. Cami was a victim of an attack, and we are working to find those who ordered it. So far, we have not been able to find much and because of that, all of our mates are under protection, especially those who are in the leadership. You will become my responsibility, as well as still protecting Cami, but know that mates always come first.” Tey said.
“I guess it really doesn"t matter where the hell I live. I can write anywhere and I have been missing Cami anyway. I do not have much in the way of possessions that need to be moved, and we can send for them. My agent would be able to arrange for that. There are a few things that I want to tell you though. This may be a deal breaker for you.” Jo said and looked at him.
“There is no deal breaker. You are my mate. I will never find another one that will fit me so completely, and I can promise you I have no desire to do that anyway. Since seeing you and smelling your scent, I have felt more at peace than I have ever felt in my life. I never knew that finding your mate would have such a profound effect.” Tey said looking at her intensely.
“Listen before you make up your mind. There is something I have to tell you.” Jo said and took a deep breath. This was hard to say to a friend let alone a stranger. Cami knew her whole story and that was because she had called her and asked her to come and help her after the beating had taken place. She was in bed for two weeks and needed someone to take care of her. Jo was embarrassed. She had let it go on for so long, and she did not tell anyone until the doctors refused to release her, unless she had someone to care for her. Her relationship with Tim had become so unhealthy because of his jealousy of anything that took her attention away from him. She had been cut off from all of her friends for years. The only one who stood by her and refused to be ignored was Cami, and that is why she contacted her when she needed help.
Not ready to say the words out loud Jo stood up and began pacing the room. Tey watched her as she nervously wrung her hands and then muttered to herself. If it were not so apparently serious, he would have laughed at how cute she was when she was worried.
“Whatever it is, just say it, I guarantee it will not change anything for me. We can work out whatever we have to in order to make this work.” Tey said quietly.
Jo snorted and finally stopped and looked at the gorgeous man. She actually wanted this to work. She had met this man no more than an hour ago, and she felt a strong pull toward him. She wanted to try to see where this was going to lead her. It was crazy that she barely knew the man and yet here she was thinking about the future. Taking another deep breath, she started to tell him her story.
“When I was younger my father was an alcoholic. My mom avoided the whole thing by finding things to keep her away from the house. Because of that, I was the one who had to take care of him when he passed out, or go and get him when he was arrested. I got so tired of it, I ran away when I was seventeen. I went to Chicago and worked my way through a community college. That is where I met Tim. I was so happy about getting out of my house that I never even saw what was coming.” Jo said and looked at Tey, who was nodding and encouraging her to continue. “I thought we were happy. When I look back on it, of course I realize that there were signs. Like, I never asked him to move in, he just did. And when he would make plans for us without asking, I would have to cancel anything I was doing in order to make him happy. He became possessive and then abusive.”
Tey growled and was ready to find that asshole for daring to put his hands on his mate.
Jo looked up in surprise and then laughed.
“That will take some getting used to. What"s with the Scooby impression?” She asked.
“Nothing, continue.” Tey smiled.
“Okay, well it took me a few broken bones and a lot of counseling before I realized that if I did not leave him, he was going to kill me.” She whispered. Tey growled again. “I moved into my own apartment and was getting back on my feet. Tim was pissed, but he would never do something in front of other people, and I always made sure someone was with me. I had a good security system in my new apartment, and I guess I just never thought he would keep trying to get me. Six months ago, after a party for my first book, I was walking home, and there he was. He beat me within an inch of my life. I really thought I was going to die. When I woke up, the cops said, I had been mugged. I tried to tell them that Tim was the one who did it, but he had an alibi, his loser friend who probably stood and watched. I had a list of injuries a mile long, but the worst is when they told me I would probably never have children.” She said and looked at the man sitting in front of her.
“Okay, but you are recovered?” Tey said trying to keep the rage in check. He could feel his teeth getting longer and his hands clench as he tried to control his change. That would not be good; in the mood, he was in, Tey would scare the shit out of his mate and then hunt the asshole down and tear his throat out.
“Yes, but you understand what I am saying. I cannot have kids. I understand if you want to find someone else. Who wants a defective mate?” She said sadly. Jo had been dealing with the feeling of emptiness at the thought of being childless. She had always dreamed she would have a little girl or boy she would take care of and spoil, as she never had been as a child. Tears started to gather and slip down her cheeks.
Tey stood up and growled again. His mate was distressed and he did not like it. “I don"t care about that. You do not understand the whole mate thing. You were chosen for me.
I do not get another chance at finding my mate, you are it. I do not care if you can have kids or not. We will figure it out. Wolves mate for life, and now that I"ve found you, I will never let you go.” He said and stood in front of her and gently took her face in his hands and raised her face until she was looking at him. Tey wiped the tears with his thumbs and gently kissed both of her eyes that were red and puffy already. Jo always hated when she cried. She was not a pretty crier like some women.
“Stop.” She said not wanting him to be so sweet. She still thought he would change his mind after a few years when he wanted children, and she was unable to provide one.
Then what? She would be left in the cold, and he would find another woman who could provide him with what he needed. She would not be able to stand that type of rejection.
From the moment she found out, she was not going to have children, she knew finding a man who would be okay with that would be almost impossible. She was destined to be on her own and lonely; Tim had made sure of it.
“No, I will say it and hold you until you get it through your head that I am telling you the truth. I am your mate, your other half. Do I want children? Yes, with you and only you.
We have a long time to work that out. That to me is something small. What is important is that you accept me as your mate.” Tey said and kissed her lips gently.
Jo groaned and leaned into him. He was a great kisser. Jo opened her mouth to allow him access, and he deepened the kiss. She protested when he drew back and broke the contact.
“I would love nothing more than to bury myself in your sweet warm body for hours. But we have more to talk about, and I do not want there to be anything stopping us once we start. I plan on fucking you so hard; you won"t be able to think for a week.” Tey growled and then leaned in to kiss her briefly again. “Sit, I will order us some lunch.” Jo walked around the table and sat, while she watched him take the phone on the wall by the door and bark orders into it. He was delicious. Jo could not believe that he was single. If he were not a wolf, she knew he would have a lot of girls begging to be with him. She did not know if she would ever get used to this whole wolf thing.
Tey finished ordering their food, and turned to look at his mate. He grinned when he saw she was staring at his ass, and now that he turned, she was staring at the erection that was pressing against his zipper. Jo licked her lips and smiled before looking up and taking in his entire body. Maybe they could just talk quickly, Jo didn"t know how she was going to sit in the same room with him and not jump his bones.
“We have a few minutes before the food will be here. So let"s get down to it. What are your questions?” Tey said and sat down next to her.
“Well, first and foremost, do I have to have sex with you when you are a dog?” Jo asked seriously.
Chapter 3
Jo and Tey sat and talked for hours. The food came and went, and they continued to hash out their relationship, if that is what you wanted to call it. Jo was feeling overwhelmed. She came to Denver to see a friend and promote her book. She ended up with a mate and huge headache. It was scary that she was actually thinking about moving all of her stuff from Chicago to here, and setting up house with a big hulking wolf man. It was crazy, right? They laughed and got to know each other, and Jo knew she was going to do it.
Tey stood and held out his hand for her to take. Her back was sore from sitting in one spot for so long. “What now?”
Tey grinned at her and then leaned down to kiss her. “I am going to show you our new home.”
Jo smiled shyly and nodded. They had been in the conference room for a long time.
When they exited the room, she laughed when she saw her friend and her mates sitting in the lobby arguing.
“I will not leave until I know exactly what is going on!” Cami yelled at her mates.
Quin growled and Jaden shook his head. Apparently, they had been waiting for a while, because Cami had a stack of books next to her.
“Baby, you can"t sit here all night. It is not good for you, or the babies.” Quin said through his teeth. Jo smirked and waited for her best friend to respond.
“Listen, I refuse to leave here until I know my best friend is happy and safe. There is nothing you guys can say or do, that will stop me. If you try, you will be sleeping in the guest room, are we clear?” Cami said. Jo then laughed out loud. Her friend found out she was pregnant two months ago with twins. Jo could not have been happier, and had been entertained when she saw the two men try to smother her by taking care of her.
Cami was too independent to be told what to do.
“Are you giving your men problems?” Jo teased her friend.
“They think they can tell me where and when I am supposed to go, like I am a child.
Well let me tell you something, they are going to have to get used to having a female with a brain around here. I do not do whatever the great Alpha says just because he speaks.” Cami said sweetly and then looked closely at her friend and Tey. “Well, what"s the news?”
“Baby, I think maybe you can wait until they have had a little more time.” Jaden said and looked at Tey and Jo apologetically.
“Nope.” Cami said and stood up and pulled Jo into the ladies' room that was in the corner. “Dish.”
“Well, we talked and I think that I understand everything.” Jo started and then her friend interrupted.
“Blah, Blah, yeah he is nice and hunky, whatever. Are you moving here?” Cami asked looking expectantly at her.
“Uh, yes.” Jo said and then cringed when her friend screeched.
She laughed as she watched Cami dance around the bathroom. “Yeah, my best friend is back!” She crowed.
“Okay, Cami. I am so happy you are excited about it all.” Jo said.
“Hey, do you know how long it has been, since I had someone I could confide in? I love my men, but sometimes I just want to go shopping and have a little pedicure with the girls. There are nice Pack women here, but they all feel like they have to listen to what those over protective men say. Sometimes I just need to get away. Now I have the perfect person to escape with. I love Tey too, but you will see what I am saying after a few weeks of him taking care of every single whim you have, sometimes you just need to let loose. Also, none of these wolves know the meaning of the word fun!” Cami said.