From Heartbreak to Mate

Chapter 11

Carrie and Drew had gotten their drinks and moved to a sitting area in a corner of the living room. Others came and went as they spoke, but they had been unbothered by their presence. The pair were getting along as if they had known each other for years, and while Carissa was unaware of why, Drew understood it was the mate bond already forming between them. That bond had also allowed Carissa to be relaxed enough to tell him about herself and the conversation she and Kyle had earlier in the day, which had infuriated him and his wolf.

“So, you really like my idea?” Carissa questioned.

“I love it!” Drew replied. “Being home-based, it would be much more cost-effective and would benefit everyone. What do you think of my idea for a school for my employees’ children?”

“It’s genius,” Carrie nodded as she took a sip from her glass. “I wish more companies and CEOs would do things like that. If your workers know their children are safe and being well cared for, they will be more productive at work. It is a simple principle that is well proven.”

“Then I believe that after the first of the year, we will need to put our heads together and make both of our ideas come to fruition,” Drew said with a smile.

“Yeah, I will have to call you about that. After what Kyle told me, I’m still processing, and have to figure out what to do with the information,” Carrie said with a scowl as she thought of Kyle and what he had done earlier.

“Is there any way that I can help you with that?” Drew asked, sincerely wanting to help her.

“I doubt it. Although I have to admit, you are a good sounding board, which I might need,” Carrie said as she glanced at the clock over the fireplace. “Oh, gosh. Have we been sitting here talking for that long? I have to find my boyfriend. He hasn’t even seen me in my dress yet. He will be so mad at me.”

Drew felt as if someone was squeezing his heart. It had started the instant she had mentioned her boyfriend. The idea of someone touching what was his made his blood boil, and he wanted to find Carrie's boyfriend before she did and remove him as a problem.

“If he is mad at you, tell me, and I will take care of that issue,” Drew said. His tone was neutral, but his eyes held a darkness that Carrie was not expecting to see. “I need to speak with John for a few minutes, so it is probably a good thing you need to find your boyfriend.”

Drew stood and offered his hand to Carrie. She took it and felt the same tingles as before, making her wonder if there was something on his skin that was irritating hers. The pair walked to the doorway and from there went their separate ways. Drew took one final look at Carrie, walking away before he went to find John.

-

“John, I need to speak with you in private,” Drew whispered to his friend as he leaned close.

He had found John laughing with a group of mutual friends. Of them, John was the only one who knew Drew's true identity. He looked at Drew quizzically, his expression changing to concern when he saw the look on Drew’s face.

“Of course,” John replied without hesitation. He gave the group a quick nod and hurried to his office with Drew. When they were away from the others, John asked, “Is something wrong?”

“I’ll explain in your office,” Drew said.

John furrowed his brow at his friend, but said nothing as they walked. John opened the office door, ushering Drew inside. John had barely closed it behind them when Drew spoke.

“I found my mate, and I have no idea what to do,” Drew said with an explosive exhale. He ran his hand through his hair as he continued, “She is human. I doubt she has any idea that werewolves exist, and even if she does, when she finds out who I am, she will probably run for the hills. Thanks to Hollywood, werewolves don’t exactly have the best reputation.”

“Take a breath and sit down,” John calmly told him as he pointed to a leather sofa against the wall. “We can have a drink while you explain to me how you met her and who she is.”

“That’s easy,” Drew said with a smile as he sat, and John poured two glasses of scotch. “You introduced her to me.” Drew paused until John looked at him. With a smile, he added, “Carrie is my mate.”

“Carrie!” John gaped before he regained his composure and joined Drew on the sofa, handing him his glass. “Are you sure it’s Carrie?”

“I am,” Drew said. He took a gulp from his glass and let the liquid warm his throat and settle in his stomach. “I felt the tingles of the mate bond when I shook her hand. I couldn’t scent her until after Hailey’s perfume cleared out. I swear, whoever created the fragrance she is wearing needs to be charged with manufacturing chemical weapons. Anyway, Carrie and I have been talking since you introduced us. My wolf, Onyx, recognized her as our mate and has been alternating between lovesick puppy and overprotective nut job, rolling around in my head, purring with delight or standing on guard, growling because someone walked too close to Carrie.”

John chuckled, “I can’t argue with that one. I have tried for years to explain that a little goes a long way, but subtlety is not my daughter’s forte.”

“That’s an understatement,” Drew snorted. “And that goes for more than perfume.”

“Also true,” John scoffed. “Back to you and Carrie. How can I help?”

“I don’t know,” Drew said, getting to his feet. He began to pace as he ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head as he moved. “Alice might have some suggestions. She has witnessed werewolves finding human mates before.”

“Alice knows?” John asked, his eyes wide.

Drew paused in his pacing and chuckled, “Not only does she know, but she is one. I am her Alpha. She is a well-respected member of my pack. I hate that I told her secret. If she hadn’t told you by now, there must have been a reason.”

A smile slowly crept across John’s lips as he said, “From what you have told me about werewolves, that does explain much about Alice, and as far as I am concerned, I never heard what you just said.” He cleared his throat and said, “Back to you. What do you need from me?”

“Carrie is off looking for her boyfriend, so it might be a while before she returns. Until then, if you don’t mind, I will step out back into the yard and try to relax. My wolf wants nothing more than to claim Carrie right here in front of everyone, and I need to convince him what a bad idea that is,” Drew said before he drained his glass and set it on John’s desk.

“Do whatever you need to do,” John said as he emptied his glass. “I will find Alice and tell her what’s happened. From there, we will locate Carrie and join you out back.”

“Thank you. I’ll be waiting for you,” Drew said.

He turned and left the room without further conversation. John remained on the sofa, shaking his head, before he rose to his feet. He was not looking forward to anything that was about to happen, with the exception that it might mean Kyle would no longer be able to upset Carrie the way he had earlier in the day.

A wicked grin crossed John’s lips as he muttered, “Oh yeah. Drew might very well take care of the Kyle issue for everyone.”

-

Carissa’s mind was racing as she hurried to her room to retrieve her cell phone. She had planned to leave it there for the duration of the party, but after receiving the gift for her parents that John had presented to her, she wanted to call and thank them. She was kicking herself for not doing it sooner, but after her conversation with Drew Fenn, she was sure that her parents would forgive her for delaying the call.

She threw the door open to her bedroom and stopped in her tracks. Hailey and Kyle were in the room, and they had not been expecting her. Carrie was frozen in place as she took in the scene.

Hailey was sitting on the dresser, Kyle facing her. Her dress had been unzipped, and the shoulder pulled down to expose her right breast. Her hands were in Kyle’s hair. His suit jacket was on the bed, and his shirt was untucked. One of his hands was between Hailey’s legs, disappearing under her short skirt, while the other was on the back of her neck to hold her in place as he kissed and bit her exposed breast.

“What the…?” Carissa breathed as the air rushed from her lungs.

That made Hailey and Kyle aware that she had entered the room and made them panic.

“Carrie! It isn’t the way it looks,” Kyle said as he stepped in front of Hailey as she struggled back into her dress. He was adjusting himself and zipping his pants as he spoke. “Please, just let me explain.”

Carissa shook her head, her eyes burning with tears. “No,” was all she could say before she turned and raced from the room.

Carissa ran down the hallway, tears streaming down her face. She tried to gulp air in gasping breaths, but her lungs failed her, leaving her feeling lightheaded. She ran past startled guests and out the closest door, which led to the backyard and the garden it contained. Carissa stood, hugging herself, sobbing as she stumbled away from the house into the darkness. A part of her needed to be alone, and another part of her hoped that the darkness would swallow her, and she could simply disappear.

A twig snapping further into the dark made her freeze. She was able to silence her sobs, but tears still slipped down her cheeks as fear accompanied her pain. Carissa turned to see yellow eyes glowing in the dark that were far too tall to be a raccoon or something else small and harmless.

“Carrie?” a voice quietly called from the dark. Drew stepped closer, showing that the yellow eyes were his. He slipped off his suit jacket and placed it around her shoulders as he softly asked, “Carrie? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Kyle,” Carissa said as she began to sob again.

Drew wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her close to his chest as she cried. He said nothing as he waited for her to say more so he could understand what had happened.

“Kyle cheated with Hailey,” Carissa said between breaths. “I went to my room to get my phone and found them together.”

Drew stiffened. His wolf wanted to rip out of him and rip Kyle and Hailey apart, but he could not allow that to happen.

“They are not worth your tears,” Drew whispered as he held her. “I promise, they are not.”

“What is going on out here?” John demanded as he and Alice walked outside. John was wearing a heavy coat while Alice wore only her usual cardigan sweater. “Carrie, what happened?”

Carried kept her face buried in Drew’s chest and continued to sob. The only response she could give was to shake her head.

“Drew?” John asked.

“From what I can gather, Carrie walked in on Kyle and Hailey together in her room when she went to get her phone. Her boyfriend and her best friend betrayed her in one move,” Drew answered through clenched teeth. “Hailey is your daughter, but I will not allow Carissa to be hurt by her or Kyle again.”

“Neither will I,” John sighed. “I love Hailey with all my heart, but this is unforgivable, especially after the way she threw herself at you when you arrived.”

“Carrie!” Kyle called out as he stepped into the yard. His hair was still mussed from Hailey running her fingers through it. If not for that, no one would have been the wiser that he and Hailey had been doing anything. “Carrie, I’m sorry. It just happened. Hailey and I have been getting closer and closer, and today, we just…” Kyle trailed off as Hailey joined him.

Hailey had arrived and was clinging to Kyle’s arm. “Carrie, I promise we did not plan this. It just happened. I love Kyle like I have never loved anyone before. I hadn’t acted on it because I didn’t want to hurt you. I still don’t,” Hailey tried to explain.

Carrie raised her head to look up at Drew. He was holding her tenderly, doing his best to keep her warm against the biting Montana cold. She stayed in his arms as she turned to face Hailey and Kyle. Tears were still flowing, leaving her makeup in a streaky mess, but at least now she had calmed enough that she could speak.

“I was going to leave everything I have here to go with you to Missoula when you started law school,” Carrie said to Kyle. Those words made him look at the ground, but he said nothing. She turned her attention to Hailey and said, “You were my best friend. I have thought of you as my sister for as long as I can remember, and I still do. Why didn’t you tell me that you had feelings for Kyle? At least then I would have been prepared for you two to stab me in the back.”

“We didn’t stab you in the back, and we can still go to Missoula if that is what you want,” Kyle said, trying to defend himself.

Hailey glared at him and asked, “What do you mean by that? I thought you and I would go to Missoula after we told Carrie. I could work as a makeup artist while you go to school.”

“I don’t want to leave Bozeman. I never have. I was going to do it for you,” Carrie spat at Kyle. She could see the confusion on Hailey’s face. Hailey had thought she and Kyle would be together forever, and he had just shown her the truth. “Hailey, you are welcome to him, but I suggest you leave him to deal with the fallout of this on his own. As angry as I am at both of you, you deserve better than him. It’s pretty clear he was lying to both of us.”

Kyle scowled at Drew and Carrie with contempt. “So, you are already hooking up with this guy,” Kyle said, waving his hand at Drew, who still had his arms around Carrie. “You literally found out about us minutes ago, and you are already in this guy's arms. He’s holding you like he is the love of your life and never plans on letting you go.”

“My name is Andrew Fenn, and I am the one who is going to make your life a living hell,” Drew said in a dangerously quiet tone.

“You’re Drew Fenn?” Kyle questioned, paling noticeably.

“I am. I am also friends with the board members who decide who gets into law school. All it will take is one phone call to explain your behavior and character, and I doubt you will have a place in January. I doubt that you will still have a job with John’s law firm after this. I have the feeling that by January first, there will not be a firm in the entire state of Montana that would hire you to sweep their floors, much less as a paralegal or attorney. That is, if you manage to get into law school in another state, which I doubt will even happen,” Drew said with a hint of a smile.

“Even if you can do all that, it doesn’t mean you can have Carrie,” Kyle said, his eyes wide.

Drew gave a wolfish grin and replied, “Yes, it does. Carrie is mine, and there is nothing you can do about it.”