Warrior's human mate

Chapter 17

James

It was Monday morning when I entered the kitchen, fresh after a shower. The morning training was the perfect way to release my frustration after the disastrous date. It was the second time in a few weeks that I had screwed things up. Lucas noticed my sour mood as he kept eating dirt during our sparring session. He commented on me being upset a lot lately, but I just growled and kept on sparring. I remember how he danced with Laila and how I kicked his a.ss badly. Since we were cousins, we were pretty evenly matched. Though he was the Beta of the pack, our sparring matches were usually 50/50. But today, I was pissed and upset, so I gave everything I had in training. It helped—I felt like I had unwound most of the pent-up energy.

As I entered the kitchen, my family was sitting around the breakfast table. I plopped down on the closest chair and huffed. All the heads turned to me, four pairs of eyes filled with questions. I looked at my plate and shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about it. But since I never masked my emotions, I knew I would have to share everything. They wouldn’t let me leave this breakfast table before I spilled the beans.

“She hates me,” I murmured, still looking at my plate.

“She hates that I’m rich. Have you heard of that? Her problem with me is that I’m rich and handsome! It’s bullshit!”

As I talked, frustration built up again. I was riling myself up.

“It’s exactly those things that made all the other girls cling to my neck…” I said quietly, shaking my head. I wished she would go for the same things. I didn’t care about the others. I just wanted her to be pulled to me, to be attracted to me, to want me, to want to do everything with me, to want to get married to me… Though marriage wasn’t popular among werewolves since we marked each other, but because I had a human mate, I had been thinking about it a lot.

“She is not like all the other women and never will be. You know that, James,” my mom said seriously, cutting through my thoughts. I glanced at her.

“Yeah, I know,” I said quietly.

“Dad, can you make James poor? Like, cut him off from the inheritance or something?” Fay asked with an evil smirk.

“Haha, very funny. I’ve been earning my own money for years,” I shot back.

It was true. I earned money as a lead warrior and did security jobs for humans as well. I had saved a lot, still living with my parents and having minimal expenses.

“Well then, Dad, kick him out of the house so he starts spending his money,” Fay continued, smirking.

“Or you should just give all your money to our pack and announce bankruptcy, James. Maybe then she’ll take pity on you,” she snickered. I glared at her. I would need that money when I started a family with my mate. Maybe I should buy us a separate house—whatever she wanted. I needed to marry her too. And I needed to travel to her homeland to ask for her mother’s blessing. The expenses were piling up. After all that, I might actually have to declare bankruptcy. f***k. I guess I needed to take on more side jobs in human territory.

“Better tell us how the date went,” my mom asked, cutting off our bickering. Did I want to confess?

“A disaster,” I muttered, hanging my head.

“No way!” Mom exclaimed. “What happened?”

“It was all good and nice… until it wasn’t.”

I didn’t want to confess the real reason. It was stupid and embarrassing.

“I wanted to give her a gift, so I got her this pretty wolf necklace with moon-shaped earrings covered in diamonds. But she said she couldn’t accept them and would sell the necklace and donate the money to charity.”

“Oh, bless her! Such a selfless soul!” Mom said with joy. I looked at her. From that point of view, I had to agree with her.

“Now I feel rather guilty for having so much expensive jewelry. Maybe I should sell it too and give the money to my orphans,” Mom said thoughtfully.

“Don’t you even think about it!” Dad said firmly.

“I gave them as gifts for very special events. I still remember every single piece I gave you and why,” Dad said, pointing a finger at her.

“Oh honey, I know, I know. But we will always have those memories! On the other hand, these children need at least proper living conditions,” Mom tried to convince him.

I sighed and fell deep into thought. My mate was changing me and my family without even really being around us. Without even being together with me. My heart hurt. She should be sitting here, having breakfast with us. But it was all just wishful thinking. I had dreamed for more than a decade of meeting my mate. And now that I had, I just kept on dreaming. Nothing was real yet.

My family moved on to other topics, so I silently stuffed my belly with food. After that, I headed to the Alpha’s office. We had issues to solve. My mate was my priority now, but she had said she didn’t want to see me until Wednesday, so I had to distract myself. Besides, I had neglected some of my regular duties while obsessing over her and trying to spend as much time as possible with her.

***

After a long day of work and several hours spent training, I locked myself in my bedroom. I took a shower and plopped onto my bed. I started thinking about Laila again. Since I couldn’t meet her, I felt incredibly sad. My wolf was restless. An idea popped into my head—I could check all her social media and see what I could find about her. Yes! I loved this idea!

I grabbed my phone and started searching. Her f*******: and i********: accounts were locked. There were just a few things available to the public, mainly some shares from other people. Some things were in her mother tongue. I sent friend and follow requests on both platforms. I hoped she would confirm them soon.

I guess now it was time to find out everything I could about her country. Maybe then I could understand her better. Our environment shapes us, right? I Googled it and read for hours—history, statistics, blogs, articles, YouTube videos. I found a fun site called "A Million Reasons Why Latvia is the Best Country in the World." The funny thing was, it was full of failures, stupidities, and lame stuff. Some parts were in Latvian, but most I could understand. I could relate to a lot since I had seen similar things swirling around social media in the States. It was already midnight when I started to snooze off. I put my phone on the nightstand and hugged my pillow. I imagined it was her I was hugging.

***

In the morning, I woke up groggy. I had slept only a few hours and kept waking up. My first thought was—how would I win her back? What should I say? What should I do to make her forgive me?

All day long, these questions swirled in my mind. As I got back into my room, I knew I had to come up with a perfect plan. The more I thought, the more frustrated I got. But I felt I had to go big. Yes! I nodded to myself. Go big or go home, James! That was the only way.

Tomorrow. I will see her tomorrow. That thought comforted me and my wolf, even if only a little.

That was the only way I could get her back on my good side. After the date, it was clear—jewelry wasn't going to do it. As tempting as it was to go grand, I knew better. If I gave her another expensive piece, she’d tear me apart. Even if she was human, I was certain she’d find a way to make me regret it.

Girls liked flowers too, but even that wasn’t enough. What if I... I contemplated my idea for a moment. I liked it. It could work. I nodded to myself, a frown tugging at my lips. At least, I hoped it would. The rest of the apology, though? That would have to come from the heart.

I wanted to rest for a bit. My mind kept spinning around her—everything about her. I needed to forget the world for a moment. Forget her. Just for a while. I needed a distraction. So I put on my earphones and hit play on my iPod.

But of course, the songs that came on only reminded me of her. Every lyric seemed to echo the feelings I couldn’t shake. "Butterfly" by Crazy Town played, and I was done for. Come my lady, come, come my lady, you're my butterfly, sugar baby...

Laila was my everything. She was the sweetest sugar and the most beautiful butterfly that had ever flown into my life. So to keep you by my side, there's nothing that I won't try. I would do anything. I’d try again and again, no matter how many times she rejected me. Cause I can't sleep, I can't hold still—yeah, that was me. I hadn't slept properly since I met her. And even before her, I was restless. I’d push myself until exhaustion just to fall asleep. But now? I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

The only thing I really know is she got s**x appeal. Da.mn. I licked my lips, my body reacting in ways I couldn’t ignore. No, I couldn’t go down that road. I wasn’t going to take another cold shower. I can feel, too much is never enough, the song continued. Yeah, I’d never have enough of her.

When these times get rough, I was lost, now I'm found. I realized what had been missing in my life ever since I was fifteen—the void in my heart that only she could fill. Her mere existence, her scent, her smile, her laughter—they healed me. Even when her words cut deep, her presence made me whole again.

Ever since you’ve been around, you’re the woman that I want. I wanted her. I needed her. Only her.

I'll make your legs shake. One day I will. You just wait girl, just wait. I grinned to myself. You make me go crazy. Yes. Every damn second. Even when she wasn’t with me, and especially when she was. Her words, her attitude, her proximity—it all drove me wild. Was everyone this crazy about their mates, or were they just all lovey-dovey and happy? I hated them. Jealous? Da.mn right. I hated them.

I pulled the earphones from my ears and tossed them onto the nightstand. This was bullsh.it.

Tomorrow. I’ll see her tomorrow. I told myself, hoping it would calm the storm inside me.

Laila

The workdays passed in a blur. There was someone constantly lingering in the back of my mind, but I kept pushing the thought of him away. It usually worked, but he kept coming back. He was annoying me even when he was not around. Was he? I tried to dig into the truth, but it didn’t matter. He was occupying too much space in my head.

I wasn’t the type to obsess over men. My life didn't rotate around them, I enjoyed living my life alone, with friends, but he—James—was persistent, but I didn't need an intruder.

I usually checked social media on weekends, but today, I was bored and needed something to distract me. Scrolling through my feed, I saw a friend request. Guess who it was? James Montgomery. I scrunched my nose and frowned my lips.

I clicked on his profile, and there he was—muscular, in a tight white T-shirt, sunglasses, smiling that perfect smile. Summer tan and all. It was ridiculous how handsome he was. I sighed. Why couldn’t he be ugly? I asked the sky again. I could lick him off the screen now. I shook my head, fighting the temptation. Self-respect. I had to remind myself of that.

I scrolled through his pictures, but there wasn’t much else. Whether he wasn’t active on f*******: or had hidden everything from others, I wasn’t sure.

Should I accept his request? I wondered. He was my client. But then again, he had been flirting with me.

I decided against accepting it. Not yet.

The next day, James called me. After some convincing, he got me to agree to meet him at four p.m. So I wrapped up my work early and went downstairs to meet him.

The first thing I saw was him, struggling to hold a massive bouquet of flowers. I couldn’t help it. I laughed, my head thrown back. He looked like he’d bought out an entire flower shop.

He was a big guy, strong, yet those flowers seemed to be more than he could handle. There were so many, all kinds of colors mixed together. Someone had even tried to wrap them into a bouquet with a red ribbon. The whole scene was too much, but it was hilarious.

He was standing next to a pickup truck, obviously needing it to carry the flowers.

I walked down the stairs, still laughing, and he beamed at my reaction. As I hit the last step, I stopped laughing and sighed. Somehow, everything felt right again.

“You’re crazy, James!”

“Yeah! I’m crazy for you!” He grinned.

“Still with the loud words and flattery,” I said, shaking my head.

“Are you crazy for me or my body?” I arched an eyebrow, teasing him.

“No, it’s not like that,” he said quickly, sincerity in his voice.

“I like you for you. Your personality, your sense of humor, your view on life... I’m sorry if I made it sound like I only wanted your body.”

He looked genuinely regretful.

“To prove my true intentions,” he added, “I’m ready to take any punishment you want.”

“Punishment?” I frowned.

“Like... you want me to s***k you or something?” I asked, bewildered.

“Well, if you’re into that kind of thing…” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Your perverted mind is a bit much for my ‘normal’ personality,” I said with pointed eyebrows.

“But maybe I could think of something else.” I tapped my chin, a wicked smile forming.

“You’re right. I should punish you...” I glanced at the flowers. There were too many to keep in my apartment. I barely had room for three vases.

But I hated wasting things.

“Okay, I’ll take these,” I said, picking out a dozen dahlias. They reminded me of my mom’s garden.

“And this sunflower…” I pulled it out, struggling a bit with the mass of blooms.

“Do any of these have a fragrance?” I asked, sniffing around. James just shrugged. But I found some red roses that smelled lovely.

“These smell nice. I’ll take these too.”

He nodded while I held my chosen flowers.

“You know what your punishment is?” I grinned mischievously.

James stiffened, clearly expecting something harsh.

“You have to give each flower to any woman or girl you meet on the street. And when you hand it over, you have to give a genuine compliment. No fake stuff or plain flattery. It has to be real.”

“Especially to older ladies and teenagers.” I smiled, watching his reaction.

“I can do that,” he said confidently, a little relieved.

“Good. I'm looking forward to seeing it! ” I gestured down the street.

We spent the next three hours wandering the streets. I helped him to carry one third of the original bouquet if you could call it that. True to his word, James made a sincere effort to compliment every girl and woman he met. He was focused, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration as he thought of genuine words to say. Yet, the moment he approached someone, his face lit up with a warm, effortless smile.

Schoolgirls giggled, their cheeks flushing as they accepted his compliments and flowers. Young women’s faces brightened with surprise and delight. But the best reactions came from teenage girls, who blushed and stared wide-eyed at the model-like man handing them flowers. I could only hope this small act would boost their self-esteem.

Older women were just as receptive. The way their eyes sparkled was heartwarming to see. Three elderly ladies sat on a bench, their laughter echoing as James addressed them like a true gentleman. They were stunned at first, then giggled like schoolgirls. One woman, her white curls framing a kind face, stood up and cupped James’ cheek before pressing a kiss to the other.

I pulled my lips inside my mouth and press them hard to stop the laughter threatening to burst out.

“Oh, what a charming young man,” one of them cooed.

“It’s rare to find a gentleman like you these days,” another chimed in.

One of them turned to me, her eyes twinkling. “You’re a lucky girl.” She winked.

I didn’t correct her. It didn’t matter what they thought of me and James. I simply smiled and let them believe whatever they wanted.

We moved on, and soon, we saw a homeless woman sitting on the sidewalk. James didn’t hesitate. He crouched down to her level, offering her a dozen roses and a gentle compliment about her striking blue eyes and good deeds she probably has done during her life.

She stared at him as if he was an angel descending from heaven. A toothless smile spread across her face before her expression crumbled, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Thank you,” she whispered, then repeated it again and again, her voice trembling with raw emotion.

God only knew what had happened in her life to bring her here. Was she laid off? Did she spend everything caring for a sick mother, drowning in medical bills? The American insurance system—or lack thereof for so many—was one of the worst I had seen around the world.

We said our goodbyes and walked on. James still had plenty of flowers left, but the sky was darkening. He turned to me with a playful smirk.

“Should I start giving these to guys too?” he teased.

I raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. “Don’t tempt me, or I just might take you up on that offer.”

I grinned wider. “But aren’t you afraid?”

He tilted his head. “Afraid of what?”

“That you might give flowers to a gay guy and he’ll jump you—r****h your mouth,” I giggled, watching him scrunching his nose in mock disgust.

“Gross. Why would he straight do that? ”He asked with a frown.

I burst into laughter. “Oh, come on! You know how it is nowadays—everyone’s desperate to find a significant other.”

He smirked. “Are you desperate?”

I paused for a second, then shrugged. “Not really, but… I guess it would be nice to have a boyfriend. It’s been a while.”

Years, actually. I missed a lot of things that came with a relationship. The companionship, the small, intimate moments.

“I’m almost thirty,” I continued, voice light with mock dramatics. “I should probably start looking for a husband before it’s too late.”

James glanced at me, his expression unreadable.

“My grandma says I’m already a maiden—doomed to live alone forever,” I added with a laugh. It was ridiculous. Most of my friends weren’t married yet, and plenty didn’t even have relationships. We were just living life, enjoying the ride.

James suddenly stopped walking. He turned to me, his gaze intense.

“You should seriously consider me,” he said, his voice steady. “As a potential boyfriend. And maybe, one day, as your husband.”

I froze.

Wow. Just… wow.

This was, by far, tops everything he had ever said to me.

I always believed that women were the ones who immediately envisioned the future in a relationship. The moment we started dating someone, we asked ourselves, Could I marry this guy? If the answer was no, it wasn’t even worth pursuing.

Men, on the other hand, were the opposite. They dated first, saw where things went, and only later—if at all—considered marriage.

Yet here James was, standing in front of me, saying this.

I shook my head, trying to process his grand words. It was hard to take seriously. He was a playboy. I was just a passing moment in his life.

“You live across the ocean,” I said finally, my brows furrowed. “You don’t exactly fit the ‘boyfriend and future husband’ category.”

His shoulders tensed. He looked away, mumbling something under his breath before continuing forward.

Eventually, we found a small café. Instead of letting the leftover flowers go to waste, we handed them out to customers and staff.

James, unsurprisingly, was met with cheers from the women. I think he messed up a few dates as some guys didn’t look too happy. I suspected a few of them regretted not bringing flowers themselves. Wrong move, boys. Wrong move.

By the time we hailed a cab, my legs ached. I had walked way too much. As we arrived at my apartment, I turned to James, smiling softly.

“Thanks for tonight. It was fun.” I clutched my bouquet, realizing the flowers were starting to wilt. I needed to put them in water.

He smiled back, warm and sincere. “Thanks for the punishment. Honestly, it felt good saying all those compliments. Some of the reactions were priceless.”

“Glad to hear it,” I said. “Okay, James. See you.”

“Wait.” He hesitated. “Can we go out tomorrow? Lunch? Or maybe dinner for a change?”

I tilted my head, considering. “Lunch sounds good.”

His face brightened. “See you.”

I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me again.

“Wait! You didn’t accept my friend requests on Fa.ceb.ook.”

Ah. That.

“Of course, I didn’t.” I smirked.

His brows furrowed. “Why?”

I grinned. “You’re still my client, James. Face.book is for friends—not business.”

His lips twisted into a pout. “Fine. Bye.”

I laughed, waving. “Bye.”

As I walked up to my apartment, I brought the roses to my nose, inhaling their fading fragrance. Today had been a good day. And at the end of it all, James had still managed to make me smile.

I sighed, staring out into the night. Maybe… maybe it would have been nice if he lived in Europe. Wishful thinking.