Not His Mate

Chapter 3

The word echoes in my mind as I inhale the scent of fresh pine and smoky campfire that resonates from the silver-haired man seated at the table. His back is toward me, and I let my eyes travel down his creamy, sinewy skin to the top of his leather pants. His hair is stick straight and twisted into a braid that falls halfway down his muscular back.

And then he turns to face me.

My heart stops for a moment as our eyes meet, and his cool blue eyes soften as he inhales a deep breath.

Then he rises from his seat and strides toward me with all the confidence in the world, but I feel no fear, no trepidation, only certainty.

I’ve found my mate.

He gently puts his hands on either side of my face, and his mouth opens slightly as he releases the breath he was holding.

“Mine.”

With one simple word, relief floods through my soul.

He knows it, too.

“Told you,” Gabriella says, and I blink rapidly before I remember she’s only standing a few feet away.

“You did,” my mate breathes without looking away from me.

“Told you what?” My mind races to catch up to them, but I can’t think of anything other than this gorgeous, statuesque wolf whose hands haven’t left my face.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” he chuckles and lets his hands slide down to grasp mine. “My sister has a certain, ah, gift.”

“I get visions,” Gabriella supplies with a grin. “And I knew I recognized you from one I had a long time ago. I didn’t know you’d be his mate, but I knew you were important.”

“So, you’re Gabriella’s brother?” I ask as I try to sort out the information.

“Oh, right, you don’t know me.” He lets out a booming laugh that fills me with a sense of utter happiness. “My name is Roman.”

“Roman?” I repeat with wide eyes. “As in, Alpha Roman of this pack?”

I can’t believe it.

“So, you’ve heard of me?” Roman chuckles and squeezes my hand. “I wish I could say the same, though it feels like I’ve known you my whole life.”

“Well, I heard the others talking about you,” I say with a shy smile as I look down at my bare feet and blush. “I never thought…”

“I did!” Gabriella claps her hands and grins. “And her name is Krista, by the way, since she’s been too googly-eyed to tell you. Anyway, she’s super hungry, so I’ll let you two catch up over the food, and I’ll be literally anywhere but here.”

With that, my mate’s sister bounces out the front door and leaves me alone with the man I wasn’t sure I’d ever find, let alone in less than a week of searching.

“Come over here,” Roman says in a low voice as he guides me to the table.

I hadn’t even noticed it was covered with meats, cheese, fruits, and bread. It was one hell of a spread for being leftovers set out for one person, but I knew I could wolf down at least half of it—pun intended.

Roman starts to pull out a chair for me and shakes his head as he grips my hand and pulls me closer. His other arm snakes around my waist before he sits in his chair and pulls me into his lap.

Not only had I never been this close to a male before, but I’d never wanted to. Yet somehow, I know exactly what Roman is feeling. He doesn’t want to let go of me, and I have no desire to be free of his warm touch.

I happily pick up a piece of ham that smells like honey and brown sugar and tear off a bite while Roman’s hands roam over my body.

Everywhere his fingers graze my skin, a fire erupts beneath the surface, and my breath catches in my throat. I can’t feel the hunger for food anymore, but a hunger for my mate has taken its place.

I finish the piece of ham as I turn toward him and lick my fingers clean. His eyes shift back and forth between my tongue and my eyes, and I can feel the warmth between us grow hotter.

Is this what finding a mate is always like?

My parents never talked about their mating, only how they waited several years to have me. I’d always found it odd that I wasn’t born much sooner in their marriage, since one of the main reasons for mating at eighteen is to have several pups before we become too old. Yet, they’d only had me.

A flicker of sadness passes over me, and Roman seems to sense it immediately.

“What is it?” he asks as his blue eyes search my green ones for answers.

“Nothing to do with you,” I promise. “I wish my family was here to see that I found you.”

“I’ll bring them here if you wish, my love,” Roman replies easily. “You will have whatever your heart desires as my mate. I can promise you that.”

“I’m not sure what I want to do about them yet,” I murmur and slide my body over to straddle him. “But I know my heart only desires you. As long as we’re together, I’m happy.”

Did I really just say that sappy stuff? This mate thing is a whole other level I’d never expected.

“Then you’ll never leave my side,” Roman vows as he presses his forehead to mine. “Krista, my Luna, my mate.”

Luna? Oh, hell. He is the Alpha of this pack, whose name I don’t even know yet, and being his mate means being the Luna at his side.

“Roman, I have no idea how to be a Luna,” I confess. “I mean, my parents always wanted me to learn about it because they thought I’d be mated to our Alpha’s son, but I knew he wasn’t in my future. So, I never paid attention to the lessons.”

“You can learn.” Roman shrugs and lifts my chin to look at him. “I wouldn’t want anyone else as my Luna.”

He leans down and presses soft lips to mine. His kiss is warm and feathery, though I can feel him holding back. He wants more, and, to be honest, so do I.

But we resist the natural urge for the moment. While our inner wolves are chomping at the bit to consummate our mating, we seem to have an unspoken understanding to get to know each other better first.

Though our wolves won’t want to wait for long.

The thought sends tingles down my spine, and I press my body against his to deepen the kiss. I feel Roman’s hands wrap around me as I run my fingers over the stubble on his jaw.

When we break away, we’re both breathless, and I can feel his resolve slipping away. I clear my throat and turn to grab a piece of cheese off the table. He watches me eat it with his own hunger, and I decide to work on the getting to know him better part so we can get to the consummation part sooner.

“So, what’s the name of your pack?” I ask casually.

“Our pack,” he corrects me with a wink. “We are the Silver Creek Pack.”

I eye his silvery hair playfully. “Is that why you’re already going gray?”

“I was born like this,” Roman chuckles. “So was Gabriella, and my father. I’m not sure how far back it goes, but the family story is the creek was named after us when humans caught glimpses of silver wolves running the forest.”

“Epic,” I breathe. “So, you and Gabriella are close?”

“Very,” he confirms with a smile. “For a long time, I was the only one who knew about her visions. She thought our parents would think she was a freak, but I never did. I thought it was cool how much she knew ahead of time, and it’s helped us run the pack since I took over.”

“And you’ve never chosen a Luna since you became Alpha?” I ask meekly as I look down at his chest.

“No,” he replies easily. “I’d rather be alone than force a loveless union just to have a Luna.”

“Even if it meant you didn’t produce an heir?” I press.

I don’t know why I’m suddenly so concerned with the thought of competition for my place at Roman’s side. He’s already said it’s for me, yet my heart aches at the thought of some other she-wolf taking it from me.

“I’d have gone looking for you before I gave in to that,” Roman says with a fire in his sapphire eyes. “Gabriella had her vision about you a long time ago. Even though we didn’t know you were my mate, we knew you meant something. I would have found out what it was.”

“Did anyone else know about her vision?” I ask suddenly.

My mind traces back every moment since I was captured, and it sticks to the green-eyed wolf who didn’t want to let me go. Maybe he stared because Gabriella had told him about me already.

“No.” Roman shakes his head and frowns. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s silly,” I say as I purse my lips.

“Not if you think it’s important,” he insists and takes my hand. “Please, my love, tell me.”

“Well, one of the warriors who brought me in seemed interested in me,” I start and then hurry when his nostrils flare with jealousy. “Not like that, honey. He just looked like he knew me, but that’s impossible. Until three days ago, I’d never left the Black Shadow Pack.”

“Black Shadow Pack,” Roman repeats in a low voice. “One of our warriors used to be in that pack a long time ago. He, too, found his mate in our pack.”

“That has to be it!” I squeeze his hand excitedly. “Maybe he just recognized me from a long time ago.”

“We will certainly find out if that’s what you want,” my mate says with a calmer smile. “Anything you want. But right now, I want to take you home.”

“Home?” I echo and raise my eyebrows.

“Yes.” He laughs and brushes a kiss across my cheek. “We won’t be living in my sister’s house.”

“Oh, right,” I say with a blush.

Roman barks another laugh as he scoops me up and rises to his feet. He sets me down gently beside him and takes my hand, and I walk next to him out of Gabriella’s house and back into the clearing.

I hadn’t paid much attention to the area when I first arrived, but now that I know I’m staying here, I breathe it all in.

Dozens of cabins are set up in perfect rows to my right, and a large fire pit spreads out in the stretch of grass in front of them. A few werewolves are roasting what looks like a hog over the smoldering fire, and they look up at us with interest.

Roman nods to his pack members before he glides across the lawn to the left. I can’t help the gasp that escapes my lips as I stare up at the cabin before us.

Calling it a cabin seems ridiculous.

It looks more like a resort with its tall glass windows, sprawling gardens, and long garage off to the side.

“Wow,” I breathe. “Is that…”

“Yep,” Roman replies with a twinge of pride in his voice. “Home.”

We approach the front steps together, and before I know it, my mate sweeps me into his arms and walks in the front door.

“What are you doing?” I giggle as I wrap my arms around his neck.

“Carrying you across the threshold,” Roman growls and nips at my arm. “And I’ll do it whenever I please.”

“Of course, Alpha,” I say with a wink.

Everything comes so naturally with Roman. I never understood how wolves would do literally anything for their mates, but now I see.

I would die for this man, and I’d only known him for an hour.

“Alpha Roman,” a familiar gruff voice interrupts our banter, and Roman sets me down to face the leader of the warriors who had captured me earlier. “I see you’ve found the rogue.”

His dark eyes slide over my body with a mixture of annoyance and disgust, and Roman releases a low rumble from his chest.

“I’ve found my mate,” he hisses. “And your future Luna, so show some respect, Cameron.”

“I apologize, Alpha.” Cameron drops to one knee and lowers his head, though the negativity still emanates from his body. “I didn’t know.”

“Soon, everyone will know,” Roman declares. “Spread the word. I’ll be making an announcement tonight at the dinner roast, and everyone’s presence is required.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Cameron replies as he stands up and meets Roman’s gaze. “I’ll go now.”

With that, the warrior strides past us, and I’m back to admiring the beautiful space I now get to call mine.

The ceilings soar above us, and I can see the railing to a second story beyond the living area, which is at least twice the size of my entire house from before. Plush red and silver couches line the sides of the room, and a giant TV hangs on the wall across from them.

“Do you like it?” Roman asks as I walk forward to explore. “I can change anything you want, just tell me.”

“It’s perfect,” I sigh and lean against him. “You’re here. That’s all I need.”

Roman shows me around the first floor and then the second until he reaches a large door at the end of the hall and pauses.

“Are you ready to see…our room?” he asks carefully.

I feel a shiver of anticipation wash over me, and I don’t trust my voice to stay even, so I just nod.

Roman smiles and tugs me through the doorway into our room.

It’s almost as large as the living area, and I can’t help but stare at everything I see. From the California king size canopied bed to the ornately carved wardrobe to a huge tub I can see just through the opening to the bathroom.

“It’s incredible,” I finally say. “I love it.”

“Good.” Roman sounds relieved and shuts the door behind us. “Do you feel at home?”

“I’m sure I will,” I reply with a shrug. “The place doesn’t matter as long as you’re in it.”

A wide grin stretches across his beautiful face, and he pulls me over to the bed. He sits down, and I take my place on his lap. Before I know it, our lips have resumed their magnetic connection, and our hands are exploring each other’s bodies with a frantic need for more.

“You know,” he murmurs against my mouth. “There’s a reason I saved this room for last.”

And I knew the resistance was over.