Alpha's Mate

Chapter 3

“So, you were saying about the lease?” Cami asked with a slight blush to her cheeks.  She needed to get down to business and quit worrying about what the man looked like naked.

“Let's get that out of the way so we can talk about other matters,” Quin said briskly.  “I assume you signed a lease with the old owners of the building with the intention of opening some type of business on the bottom floor.  We have decided to make the entire building into apartments.”

Cami groaned a little and closed her eyes.  Damn it, she was going to lose all of her money, and have to go back to work to find another place she could lease.  Of course, she could sue and tie them up in court until they agreed to lease her the bottom floor, but she didn’t have the time or money to really do that.  Cami almost groaned aloud when she thought about the quickest way she knew how to make money. 

“However, I have changed my mind.  I will honor the lease with you as long as we can negotiate on the terms,” he continued. 

Cami was so excited she almost missed the part about negotiation.  The place was hers!

“Such as, what type of terms?  I will not pay more for the lease.  I told the other owners that it was as high as I was willing to go,” she said cautiously.

“We will get to that.  Now that you know you still have the space, let’s get to the important stuff, getting to know each other.  I want you to tell me all there is to know about Cami Reynolds,” he said smoothly.

Cami frowned and wondered why he would really care about her.  If he wanted to know if she was a good tenant, he could have her investigated.  “Well, I have a degree in teaching and have been a librarian for the last few years.  I have always wanted to own my own shop and finally came up with the funding.  I plan to have a daily story hour and a coffee shop in the back for those who want to read and relax while their children are looking.  Why do you want to know all of this?  As long as I pay the rent, you should be happy.  It’s not as if I am going to kidnap little kids and store them in the basement.  I have a clean record and don’t dance naked under the full moon worshiping the devil.”  Who did this guy think he was?  He was her landlord—not her friend.  Well, maybe there was something there.  Cami felt the attraction, she decided after a few moments to go with it.

Quin watched the different emotions change across her face.  One second, she was animated when talking about her store.  It made her even more beautiful than before.  He wanted her to look that way when she talked about him, excited and content.  The next second, she was a little pissed about talking about herself.  The need to claim her was becoming unbearable as she talked, but he knew he was going to have to go slow.  The woman knew nothing about what he was and what her role would be when they mated.

Rodger walked to the table once again with wine and appetizers.  Cami looked surprised when he set the food on the table.  Of course, he had ordered dinner through their link, but she wouldn’t know that.  He silently cursed the fact that he had been distracted and forgotten the usual protocol when dating.

“Uh, what’s this?” she said and looked at him questioningly.

“Well, I believe it is a Zinfandel wine and Bruschetta.  They are the normal things brought to customers before they order.  This restaurant is known for its great hospitality,” he said smoothly.

“Oh, okay.”  She shrugged and tasted the crispy bread topped with tomatoes.  The flavors exploded on her tongue and she almost moaned.  She hadn’t eaten something this good in weeks.  “Wonderful,” she sighed and flushed when she saw the way the man was looking at her.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said, wishing she were doing something else with her mouth.

“Sir?” Rodger said and waited for him to order.

“Cami, would you allow me to order for us?” he asked politely.

Normally she hated when men presumed to know what she would like, but for some reason, she really didn’t care what he ordered.  “Go ahead,” she said shyly.

Quin ordered and then turned his attention back to her.  She had no clue what he said, she was more interested in watching the way his mouth moved, and fantasizing about having his lips on various parts of her body.  What the hell was wrong with her?  She never felt this wantonly before when on a date.  This guy had some serious mojo.

They talked quietly and got to know a little about each other while they waited for their food.  Cami was surprised to know he had been born in France.  He had no accent and seemed a bit more like an outdoorsman than a world traveler.  She asked about his family and friends, laughed when he described his brothers and growing up in a large household.

Cami shared the fact that she was alone in the world, although she never told him the whole story.  It was too painful to tell him her mother was probably still alive and living with the step-asshole.  Quin did get a laugh when she shared with him her experience in the phone s*x industry.

“If I had known you were on the other end of the line, I would’ve actually called your number,” Quin teased her and smiled when she turned a deep shade of pink.

When the food arrived, they continued their conversation as they enjoyed the best pasta Cami had ever eaten.  Even if she never saw Quin again, she would return here, this place was amazing, and she told the owners so.  The couple gushed over Quin and Cami; she still felt like there was something she was missing.  The waiters acted as if they were royalty instead of customers.

They were served coffee and a wonderful Tiramisu dessert.  Cami had not had this much fun in such a long time.  She was able to forget for a few moments that it wasn’t really a real date.  It was supposed to be a business meeting.

“Well, Quin, thank you for the wonderful meal and for approving the lease on the store.  I will let you return to your business and we can talk later about the details,” she started and began getting out of the booth.

She heard a growl and stopped.  Who the hell made that noise? she thought and then looked around expecting to see a dog had snuck into the restaurant while they were eating.  Seeing nothing, she paused, which gave Quin enough time to scoot around and grab her arm making her sit back down, this time closer to him.

She could’ve pulled away, but the intensity of his gaze was enough to make sure she didn’t leave.  She felt the sizzle from a connection between them and looked around to see if sparks were flying.

Quin grinned and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Cami, can we continue this at my place?”

“Uh, I really don’t think it would be wise to mix business with pleasure.  In the past, things haven’t gone well when this happened,” she said honestly, but she really wished she could just throw caution to the wind and take what he was offering.

“Please,” he whispered, and then leaned in and gently touched her lips with his.

The kiss was brief but held a lot of promise.  Cami had never felt this kind of connection with anyone.  It felt like she was coming home.  Then she felt the attraction begin to consume her, her body responded without her even thinking about it.  She leaned toward him as if to kiss him again, but he pulled back.

Quin lifted his head and looked into her eyes.  At that moment, she would have gone and done anything he asked.  She nodded shakily and leaned back in for another quick kiss.  The man had lips that could make a girl cry with pleasure.  One night, what would it hurt?  Besides, she hadn’t had s*x in months and was feeling the itch.  It wasn’t as if she had men banging down her door.  She was short and fat; most men liked tall and beautiful women who ate rabbit food.  She, on the other hand, loved to eat and was not afraid to let men know it.  Unfortunately, her size made it obvious to anyone looking that she loved to eat. 

Cami had long blond hair and a cute heart-shaped face, which is where the appeal ended, she thought.  Her boobs were too big and her hips were too wide.  This gorgeous Adonis was obviously slumming, but what did she care?  He was the thing wet dreams were made of—he was her perfect dream man.  Tall and handsome, such kissable lips, she wanted to lean in for another taste but she stopped herself.  Maybe he was embarrassed to be too affectionate in public.

Quin pushed her out of the booth, grabbed her hand, and started to rush her out of the restaurant.  “The bill,” she said and waited for him to pull out his wallet.

“Taken care of,” he said and pulled her to him.  One of the perks about being the Alpha of the pack was being able to make a quick getaway.  Margie and Rodger would get paid with a huge tip in the morning.

Quin once again pulled Cami behind him.  He felt her stumble, cursed under his breath, turned, and swept her up into his arms.  Walking down the street, carrying a little woman who was shrieking to be let down would have looked strange to most people.  Thank goodness they were on the three blocks he owned and most of the people who were out and walking around were his wolves.  They stopped and chuckled when they saw their Alpha carrying the small woman.  Of course, he had to broadcast over their link not to stop him because he had finally found his mate.  Most of them started clapping as they walked by.

Cami stopped struggling when she noticed people were cheering instead of calling the police.  What the hell was wrong with these people?  She buried her head in his shoulder so she could hide in case someone she knew saw her.  Quin groaned when she snuggled into his neck.  She grinned and placed a kiss against his throbbing pulse.

“Baby, you are playing with fire,” he growled.

“No, you deserve it!  I’m not a sack of potatoes to cart around.  Besides, by the time you carry me that far, you will have to rest.  I will probably be asleep by the time you catch your breath,” she said and laughed.

“Quicker my way, and do not talk about yourself that way.  You are perfect,” he said and entered the building they had come from a few hours before.

Cami looked around with interest when they went to the elevator and he pushed the top floor.  She had been on the floor below, she noted when she had been there earlier and had no idea the place held apartments. 

Quin watched the floors light up and tried to concentrate on not ripping her clothes off before they got to his place.  He knew they were going to have to talk a little before they actually had s*x.  She needed to know what she was getting into.  It was going to shock the hell out of her, but he refused to claim her before she could choose. 

Being an Alpha mate held a lot of responsibility.  He could feel the power in her and knew she would be the perfect mate but she had to come to the decision on her own.  Quin couldn’t force her into mating, no matter how much he wanted to.

The elevator pinged and he walked into his living room.  The entire floor was his apartment, and unless you had the code, you couldn’t get up to his penthouse.  Only the pack Beta and Enforcers had the code, it was his sanctuary.

Cami stared at the spacious apartment around her.  In front of them was a sunken living area with huge couches surrounding a fireplace and a mounted fifty-two-inch television against the same rock wall as the fireplace.  It looked rustic and beautiful, with deep reds and greens decorating the room.  Off to the right was the kitchen with a huge dining area and a table that would seat about twenty.  A small hallway on the other side of the room looked like it led to at least three bedrooms.  One at the end of the hallway had its door open, and Cami could see one wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, she thought it must have an amazing view.

Quin placed her on the couch, and kissed her nose sweetly before stepping back and asking if she wanted a drink.  She nodded nervously and then continued to look around.

Quin came, set a drink on the table in front of her, and then sat down next to her.  He pulled her back so she was leaning, cuddled to his side.

“We need to talk for a few minutes,” he said and smiled down gently at her.

“Sure, I can start.  I’m clean.  I haven’t been with any partners in the last few years, and was tested just this last month.  Everything was good,” she said softly.

“Great, but that’s not what I wanted to talk about,” he said.  “Although for good measure, I’m clean too.  I haven’t had s*x with anyone in a long time.”

“Okay, now that is out of the way,” she said and leaned into him to kiss him.

His mouth covered hers in a sweet slow kiss.  She felt as if she was being worshiped.  His tongue gently ran along the crease of her lips before pushing into her mouth.  He explored and tasted every inch of her mouth, and when they broke apart, she was panting heavily.  The man was a lethal kisser.

“Baby, we need to talk.  If I’m even anywhere within reach of you, I will have you flat on your back with my c^^k buried in you,” he said and stood, moving across the room.

Cami frowned and looked at the man who was pacing in front of her.  “Isn’t that the idea?” she teased.

Quin closed his eyes and groaned; thinking about pushing into her sweet, wet p***y was driving him crazy.  He needed to focus, this was too important to mess up now.

“Okay, when I saw you today, I felt something other than attraction.  It was more like a need for me to be with you.  I moved here from France over ten years ago, and never thought I would find my mate here.  I thought I lost the chance when I left the pack.  Therefore, when you walked in the door and I smelled you, it was a shock.  I want to make sure you realize what you are getting into before we go any further,” he said.

Cami nodded, the guy was crazy.  Damn it, for the first time in years she wanted a man, and he was certifiable.  She was trying to think of a way to get out of the apartment when she realized he had paused and waited for her to respond.

“Oh, listen, why don’t we just table this discussion until you can get some help?  I know of a place you can go.  They’re real nice and have lots of things for you to do, like making pottery.  With any luck, they will have you on medication that will straighten you right out,” she said gently, hoping the man would listen.

Quin chuckled and smiled.  “No, I’m not crazy.  I’m just going to do this, like pulling off a Band-Aid, you can’t go slowly.”

Cami nodded, as if she knew what the hell he was talking about.  She watched in fascination as the man began to take off his shirt.  He folded it over the chair closest to him and then kicked off his shoes.  He reached for his pants and began to unbuckle them.  She was starting to wonder what the hell the man was doing, but she figured when he was naked she stood a better chance of getting away.  Besides, whether he was crazy or not, he had a delicious body.  She wished he were sane so she could lick him all over.  The thoughts of whip cream and chocolate came to mind.  Her own personal sundae, with a cherry on top, she thought.

Quin grinned at her gently and then nodded.  “Look at my eyes,” he said in a hypnotic voice. She did.  Those beautiful blue eyes that she had noticed the first time she saw him.  Then she was staring at the same eyes, except they belonged to a big dog.  s**t a huge dog, no, a wolf!  Wait a minute.  Her brain refused to accept what it was seeing.  A minute ago, a good-looking, crazy man stood before her stripping, and now there was a huge wolf with the same eyes, in its place.

Cami had read all the books about werewolves and shifters.  Hell, she even dreamed she had been one a few years ago and had told Barry about the dream.  The old man had smiled and nodded, listening to her story.  Never once calling her crazy, or strange, since when she woke it seemed so real.  She loved that about him.

Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind.  The wolf walked toward her, and she jumped up on the couch.  “Good boy,” she said holding out her hand, hoping the wolf stayed where it was.

It c****d his head and looked at her.  If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought it was laughing at her.  It threw back its head and made a gruff noise.  Cami jumped over the back of the couch and turned to make a run for it when two strong arms closed around her.

“Cami?” he whispered in her ear.  “Let me explain.”

“Explain!  You turned into a wolf!  What is there to explain?  Seems normal to me, you know just last week I saw a little girl turn into a bunny!” she screamed.  She was becoming hysterical she knew, but really, who would believe her?  She could call the cops and tell them a man who could turn into a wolf had taken her home.  They would lock her up quicker than she could say werewolf.

“Cami, I am a shifter, the leader of a Were pack here in Denver, werewolves to be exact.  I was sent here by my parents to help establish a much-needed pack when it became clear the Were community was spreading to the United States.  Our traditions were being ignored, lost over here, and we needed to establish some order.  I am ninety-five years old and will live another hundred or so years.  My mate will have the same life span as me when I claim her, no matter if she is human or Were.  We mate for life, I can never have s*x with another person, nor would I want to.  I would cut off my right arm before I would hurt you,” he said calmly, turning her so she could look him in the eyes when he spoke. 

She looked at him and thought, I should be committed for even sitting here listening to this. 

Quin led her back to the couch and pushed her easily back to where she was sitting.  He calmly walked over and pulled his pants back on.  Foregoing the shirt, he came back and sat next to her.  Taking her hands in his, he continued to explain.  “Shifters are real.  I am a wolf shifter, but there are others.  I can only tell you about us.  My pack has about fifty or sixty members.  We live in the three blocks that I own.  We do things a little different from humans but essentially, we are the same.  We just shift into wolves, when we want; during a full moon, we have to shift.  We have our own laws and customs, all of which I will explain to you, but first, we have to talk about us.  I was explaining before when I first saw you that I felt different.  You are my mate.  The one chosen for me, the one meant to help me lead and guide the pack where it needs to be.  I am the Alpha and you will be the Alpha b***h.  You will have the same power as I do.  First, there is the claiming, then the introduction to the pack, and last, the ceremony that puts you as the head female.  The claiming is just as it sounds.  We have s*x and I mark you, then some of my life force is given to you.”

Cami sat and tried to process all he said.  Seriously, she had to be having a nervous breakdown.  He was talking about claiming and ceremonies as if she was going to just accept this. 

Frantically she looked around her, looking for the camera to explain what was going on.  She was a boring librarian for God’s sake.  She knew werewolves didn’t exist, but here a man was sitting in front of her, she saw him change into a wolf, and then back to a man. 

“I really need to leave now,” she said desperately.

“Honey, I need for you to understand.  You are my mate, we need to be together,” he said.  Quin tried to keep his voice gentle, but even he could hear the tension when he spoke.  If she left, he would never see her again.  Of that, he was sure.

“So you are telling me I can’t leave?” she asked, thinking she was going to go crazy if she couldn’t get away from him.

“How about we compromise?  You can sleep in the spare room.  Take all the time you need to get used to this, and when you are ready to talk, I will be here.  It’s not that you can’t leave.  It's that if you do leave, I will feel the need to go with you until you are claimed as mine.  My wolf is not going to let you out of my sight, or out of this building for that matter,” Quin reasoned.  He couldn’t stand it if she left him.

“Your wolf says I have to stay?” she said with a giggle bubbling from her lips.  No way was she staying here.  She needed space to think.

“Please, I will be here to answer all your questions.  I will not bother you unless you come to me,” he whispered.

“Fine, but I need space,” she said firmly.  How had they gone from s*x to this?  It didn’t make sense.  The first chance she got, she was going to go home.  She wondered if there was a phone in the bedroom, she could call the police and have them come and get her.  She just wanted to get out of here alive, and then she would re-evaluate her plans, and find another place for her store. 

Quin stood and guided her to the hallway she saw when she first came into the apartment.  He led her to the master bedroom.  If she were going to stay here, she would be where she would eventually live.  His bedroom was decorated very similarly to the living area.  He found the colors soothed him, and reminded him of the outdoors. 

“I will leave you.  If you need anything, let me know.  I have arranged for a few of your things to be brought here,” he said, which earned him another frown.

“What do you mean you have arranged for some things to be brought here?  I haven’t even given you my address,” she said.

“I got it from the lease,” he said sheepishly.

“You can’t just go around trying to run my life!  I barely know you, we just met today!” she said frustrated. 

“I am sorry.  I was just trying to make you comfortable,” he replied.  Quin knew he was lying to her but he wasn’t going to tell her that she wasn’t going back to her apartment, tonight, or any other night.  She belonged here with him, and she was going to stay here.

“Whatever,” she grumbled and pushed him out of the room and closed the door.  She was sure he wouldn’t be able to get into her apartment.  The doorman would call the police if he didn’t have verbal permission from her to go into her apartment.