Their Mate Between

CHAPTER 1.

Two years later…

The moment they found Whisperden, Ravyn knew she was home. Two years of going from place to place had taken a toll on her. Now, all she wanted was to settle down in a nice, peaceful town. A place like Whisperden.

A shifter community in Eureka, California. Surrounded by dense forest, and protected by shifter law, neither aligned with an Alpha nor involved with any of the other packs fighting for dominance. A place filled with different species, all come together to live as one. No discrimination, no uproar.

Outsiders rarely found it, and those who did usually didn’t stay long unless they were shifters themselves.

Ravyn loved it here, and the best part of everything was Calvin. A guy she and Rion met two months ago, who was now a huge part of their lives.

He was the only one her brother trusted. It also helped that his sister, Quinn, was part of the law enforcement and had promised to help keep an eye out for the Alpha they so desperately needed to hide from.

But none of this stopped Rion from being overprotective and over bearing. He wouldn’t let her do anything, or go anywhere, for fear that she might attract the wrong sort of attention.

Ravyn felt stuck. When she realized her tantrums weren’t getting the job done, she turned to Calvin for help.

“I just need to get out of this house before I disintegrate from boredom,” she cried.

“Don’t you think you’re being way too dramatic?”

“Calvin, please,” she pleaded. “I’m begging you. Talk some sense into him, or I swear I’ll pack up one night and disappear forever.”

“No way you’d survive on your own,” Calvin said. She growled in response, making him lift his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Cool your b***h. I’ll talk to him.”

And he really did.

She didn’t know how, but he’d actually come through. Somehow, Rion had not only agreed to let her go with Calvin, but her brother didn’t even want to tag along. In Ravyn’s books, that was a win. It was more than she could ask for.

So, without asking questions, she put on the prettiest dress she owned and let Calvin lead the way.

***

The club wouldn’t have been her first choice of places to go to, but Calvin managed to convince her, and now she was regretting her choice.

This is way worse than staying in a house, she thought. The loud music, the disco lights, the scent of bodies pressing against one another in heat. She could almost smell the arousal bottled up inside of strangers she knew nothing about.

Worse, Calvin was nowhere to be seen.

“How much to get to the top floor?” she asked a bouncer standing by a corner, blocking the partway to the stairs that led to the rooftop balcony.

He took one good look at her, nodded, then stepped out of the way.

“That was easy.” Murmuring, she made her way to the very top, but just as she opened the door, a set of body collided into her, pushing her backwards.

“Hey!”

Regaining her posture, she watched as the asshole that hit her sprang back up, lunging forward to attack another man. Intrigued, she stepped into the scene, closing the door behind her.

There were a bunch of people littered all over, most of them now observing the fight taking place at the center. The men, both almost equal in size and height kept struggling to one up the other. Ravyn stared, eager to know how the brawl would end and hoping the man who had hit her would be beaten to a pulp.

“Stay away from my girlfriend, you f*****g prick.”

The man Ravyn was silently rooting for swung his right hook and nailed the other on his jaw. Again, the prick in question stumbled backwards into her. This time, they both crashed to the ground.

“Get off me!” she yelled, pushing him aside.

“This is your last warning, Kade.” The winner crouched down at them. “Next time, I won’t hold back.”

The man next to Ravyn spat out blood, still spotting a wide grin. “Maybe you need to tell your girlfriend to stop hitting on me, Timmy. I can’t help it if she’s all over me.”

Antagonized, Timmy took Kade by the collar and prepared to reign down blows. Ravyn, however, was done with the drama.

“That’s enough!” she bellowed. “You know, I don’t think he’s wrong. Even if he was hitting on your girlfriend, why didn’t she just walk away?”

Timmy paused. Kade let out a chuckle. The girlfriend who was standing behind, watching, averted her eyes.

“Whatever,” Timmy finally said, letting go. He angrily took his girlfriend’s hand and dragged her out the door.

“Thanks.”

A low raspy voice spoke beside her. Rolling her eyes, she replied. “I didn’t do it for you.”

Kade smiled. “Still, I’m grateful.”

Ignoring him, she got to her feet, wiped down on her cloths and walked to the edge of the roof, where she could now have a moment to herself and her thoughts. She was trying to decide if Rion was right about her not leaving the house.

So far, she’d ended up at a club, and stopped a fight. What else was next?

“You must be new in town. I’m kade, and you are?”

She sighed, desperately hoping the bloody man hadn’t followed her and she was not who he was now speaking to.

Turning around, ready to rebuke him, she took in a breath of fresh air. His face came into contact, and she realized she hadn’t really looked at him until now. Dark, tousled hair, eyes that gleamed like the sea under the dim lights, and a lazy smirk that made heat pool low in her stomach.

He stood before her, more charm than man. And even with his slightly bruised face, he still looked magnificent.

Ravyn froze, her breath shallow. Mate. Her wolf yipped in excitement.

His dreamy eyes took all of her in, staring intently like he was attempting to reach her soul. A deep tug curled in her chest, she found herself gripping at the seam of her dress, fingers clutching aimlessly.

“You’re my mate,” she blurted out.

He furrowed his brows. “What?”

“There must be some kind of mistake,” she stated, moving away. “You were just all over some other guy’s girlfriend, and now…”

“I thought you were convinced she was all over me.”

“Oh, please,” she rolled her eyes once more. “We both know that wasn’t true.”

“Then why’d you defend me?”

“I don’t know!”

He gawked, assessing her again. A look Ravyn was sure she didn’t approve of, especially since it made her feel all sorts of way.

“Are you done eye f*****g me?”

“As a matter of fact—”

“Were you really not trying to get with his girl?” she asked desperately, determined to find out the kind of man the goddess would pair her up with.

When he smirked, she knew the answer.

“It was his damn fault for letting her out of his sight.”

She scrunched up her nose in disgust. “That Timmy dude was right, you’re a prick.” She made to leave, but he stopped her, blocking her part.

“You know, you never answered my question.”

“I don’t think I owe you an answer,” Ravyn gritted out.

“Fine.” To her surprise, he stepped out of the way, and she hurriedly resumed walking. “Names don’t matter anyway. This could be a one time thing.”

She paused, turning around slowly. “What did you say?”

He gave her an innocent smile. “My best friend works at this club. She stays in the studio apartment. We could go there, and get to know each other more.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

“I’m giving you a chance to get with me.”

Without thinking, Ravyn planted a slap on his cheek. Oh, sweet goddess, why me? “How dare you assume I’d want to sleep with you? I just met you. Jerk!”

As she turned and walked away, she heard his last statement behind her.

“Everyone wants to sleep with me.”

Seething from the conversation she’d just had with her so called mate, she shoved bodies until she found Calvin, and demanded he take her home.

This was not how the interaction with her mate was supposed to go. She’d always pictured the moment to be sweet and full of love, nothing like the disaster she’d just walked away from. Yes, he was cute and so very hot, but he lacked manners and needed someone to knock some sense into him.

He was not the one for her.

“Are you okay?” Calvin asked as they pulled up outside the house she shared with her brother.

“I’m fine,” she replied tightly.

He sighed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken you to a club. I should have started small, like a café or the movies.”

“It’s not your fault, Cal,” she feigned a smile. “It was just really loud and crowded. I’m sure you’ll do better next time.”

“Oh, I will.”

A bulb went on in Ravyn’s head. Even though her first meeting with Kade hadn’t quite gone the way she’d like, she still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was having a bad night and was acting out. Maybe he wasn’t really all bad.

She turned to her only friend in Whisperden. “Cal, do you know Kade?”

Calvin’s face went sour. “Kade Draven?”

She hesitated. “I don’t know if that’s his last name, but he was at the club.”

“Definitely Kade Draven,” Calvin confirmed. “What about him?”

“Nothing really. I just want to know what he’s like.”

Calvin’s face fell, he turned to look at her, his expression extremely serious. “He’s bad news, Rae. He’s Whisperden’s residential playboy. He’s got women falling over themselves for him, but he never takes any of them serious. He’s an asshole who doesn’t know how to stick to one woman. He goes around breaking hearts, and has sworn never to claim a mate. He’s just too messy. You have to stay away from him, okay? Promise me?”

Ravyn sat back in her seat, stunned into silence. He doesn’t want a mate? Ever? She swallowed hard. Well, I don’t want him either.

How could the goddess bind her to someone who didn’t even want her? What a sick, twisted, unfortunate turn of events. It was just her luck. Of course, she’d be the one who ended up with a playboy whose libido seemed insatiable.

And why did her wolf want him?

The mere idea of staying away from him agitated her wolf and made her insides coil in pain.

Noticing Calvin’s eyes were still on her, waiting for a response, she cleared her throat. “Okay, I won’t go anywhere near him.”

Her wolf let out a sharp cry. Shut it. You heard him. He’s sworn never to take a mate.