The New Mate

Chapter 1

Blaise

“Mr. Hanlan?” His secretary spoke carefully as she drummed her manicured nails on a stack of file folders in her hand. He hadn’t even noticed the door open when she pulled him out of his thoughts. The new threat that had been handed down to him from the council was tearing him up.

“Yes, what is it?” He spoke in his deep, even voice. He lifted his eyes to meet hers. Sheila took a slight step back as she stiffened. Dark pools of black swirled for a moment until they settled into still dark blue. She immediately cast her eyes down.

“You have a guest waiting in the lobby, sir.” Blaise pursed his lips for a moment.

“Who?” He commanded much louder and she shuddered slightly.

“Who else bothers you at work?” A cool voice spoke with a slight laugh as the blonde man shoved his smiling face through the door. Blaise let out a breath.

“Quinn.” He rolled his eyes as he spoke, then nodded to the nervous girl. “Thank you, Sheila.” She turned and left the room as Quinn walked further in. Quinn was almost his exact opposite. He had bleach blonde hair and bright, sky-blue eyes. He was much lankier than Blaise too. As Blaise’s beta he was strong and fast, but he looked almost scrawny compared to him. Blaise was thick with muscles and came to tower over nearly everyone. The biggest difference was Quinn loved to laugh and used his gorgeous smile to get whatever he wanted. Blaise hadn’t smiled in years and his laugh, though not often heard, was usually left for only his sadistic sense of humor that no one wanted to hear as it was usually their last.

“So what about lunch?” Quinn said as he sat on his desk and looked over his work.

“It’s not lunchtime Quinn. I thought you were supposed to be overseeing training today? There are a lot of newbies. I expect them to be at their best by the end of the month.” Blaise spoke in his alpha tone as he went back to the financial spreadsheets sitting on the desk.

“Don’t worry I’ve got Landon overseeing today.” He shrugged with a smile. “And it’s past lunch. Almost four.”

“Not what I told you to do.” Blaise looked up at him with a leveling gaze. “And yes I am aware of the time.” He looked back at his paperwork with a sigh.

“Then I suppose you are aware that you missed the one o’clock meeting with the Crystal Moon Pack.” Blaise stopped with a look of dread, then met his gaze.

“That was today?” Blaise asked as Quinn nodded slowly. “Shit.” He sat back in his chair with a deep growl and ran his hands through his black hair.

“Relax. I took care of it. I’ll fill you in later.” Blaise sighed in relief. Quinn was the best beta he knew. “Now you should eat something.” Quinn said with a smile. “Come on, there’s a great Italian place around the corner.”

“Are you my beta or my mate?” Blaise sneered, hating being treated like a child, but getting up from his chair anyway. Quinn just laughed and clapped him on his shoulder.

“Well if you’d take time away from your desk for a minute, you might find your mate instead of leaving all the work to me.” Blaise stopped for a moment without turning around and spoke quietly.

“I had a mate, Quinn. Don’t start trouble today. I’m in no mood.” He continued walking to the elevator and Quinn cautiously catching up to him.

“Yes, Blaise I am aware you had a mate and, yes, Alpha I am aware that you are in no mood. But you remember what Amber had told you. You have another out there somewhere.” They stood in front of the elevator doors waiting for them to open and Blaise gave him an odd look.

“That is not at all what she said. That is what you wanted it to mean. Damn riddles.” He mumbled the last part and Quinn shrugged with a smirk.

They took the elevator down the eight floors and walked down the street a couple blocks in silence. The sidewalks were busy with humans going here and there. They were two stores down from the corner restaurant when Blaise was hit with the most intoxicating smell of lemon and ginger. He slowed his walk as he bumped into a few passersby, sparks hitting him briefly; then he stopped completely.

“What is it?” Quinn asked with concern. Blaise turned around to see dark auburn hair turning the corner. He shook his head.

“Nothing, I just thought…Nevermind I’m probably just hungry.” They sat down in the restaurant and looked over at the menu. Blaise tried to shake the feeling he had just had and Quinn watched him with a strange look.

“What’s going on, Blaise?” He asked as Blaise searched all his pockets.

“It sounds crazy, but I almost thought mate.” He said as Blaise looked in his pockets again and Quinn’s eyes shot wide.

“Wh-What?” Quinn was dumbfounded with his words and Blaise stopped searching and looked up at him.

“And my wallet is gone.”