HER MATE

BADLANDS TERRITORY/SHIFTED LOVE CROSSOVER

FIONA DAVENPORT
Copyright © 2020 by Fiona Davenport
Cover designed by Elle Christensen
Edited by Editing4Indies
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 CONTENTS

Her Mate

1. Luke
2. Adley
3. Adley
4. Luke
5. Adley
6. Adley
7. Luke
8. Adley
9. Adley
10. Luke
Epilogue
Epilogue

About the Author

 HER MATE

Luke Besnik wasn’t looking forward to visiting the Badlands Territory. His
alpha has given him the impossible task of talking some sense into his
selfish sister. But the moment he met Adley Hoyt, his trip was more than
worthwhile.

Adley has yearned for a fated mate ever since her adopted parents told her
about shifters. Just when she almost gave up hope, Luke turned up in town.
Discovering she was meant to belong to him was a dream come true—until
she realized his connection to the girl who’d made her life miserable for the
last year.
 1

LUKE

M y cell phone dinged with a notification as I was shoving the last bite
of the leftover lasagna my mom had heated for my lunch into my
mouth. After swallowing and flashing my mom an apologetic smile, I
pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the screen. Although my mom
wasn’t a fan of electronic devices at the table, I was glad I hadn’t waited to
check to see who the message was from. “I hate to eat and run, but Kace
needs to see me. Sorry about cutting my visit short, Mom.”
“Do you know what the alpha wants to talk to you about?” she asked,
twisting her hands together.
I hated seeing how anxious she’d become over the past few months.
“No, but I’m sure it isn’t anything bad. He’s been vocal about how happy he
is with my contributions to the pack. There isn’t anything to worry about.”
Ever since my sister fucked up and got herself a temporary transfer to
another pack, my mom had been nervous about my place in ours. Although
our alpha had been more than lenient with Heather’s punishment after she
had tried to cause trouble for his new mate just because she was human, my
sister’s absence had hit my mom hard. My mom had hoped Heather would
clean up her act, so her exile from the pack wouldn’t take too long. As the
months added up, my mom’s mood worsened, and my frustration with my
sister grew.
Heather had still been hurting for another pack mate who had become a
loner after being denied by the human female fate had paired him with.
She’d had a crush on Aaron ever since he saved her from drowning in the
river when she was ten—if that was even the right word for it since shifters
didn’t feel a physical or emotional pull toward anyone other than their fated
mate—but that didn’t excuse the shit she’d pulled. One of our most sacred
rules as shifters was not to interfere between mates, but Heather hadn’t been
willing to listen to reason. It pissed me the fuck off that my mom was
paying the price for her transgression just as much as she was.
Her brow was still wrinkled when she nodded and said, “Okay, but
please come to see me as soon as you’re done speaking with Kace.”
I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around her body, lifting her
off her feet as I gave her a fierce hug. “I’ll always take whatever excuse I
can to stop by and visit you, but there really isn’t anything to worry about.
Do me a favor and take a bath, read a book, or have a glass of wine while
I’m gone. Take some you-time; you more than deserve it.”
She smiled at my suggestion, and some of her tension melted away. I
wanted to do a fist pump but limited myself to brushing a kiss across her
cheek before heading toward the door. If my mom knew how worried about
her I was, she would just have something else to be anxious about, and that
was the last thing she needed. I wished I could do more to help, but Heather
wasn’t prone to taking my advice. Taking other people’s feelings into
consideration—even our mother’s—wasn’t something my sister often did.
She was young and spoiled. I hoped her punishment would help her mature,
but I was losing faith that anything would open her eyes to the damage
she’d done.
That was a concern for another day, though. My alpha was waiting for
me, and he didn’t like to waste time. Especially not since his mate had their
first child. Kace was an excellent leader who cared deeply for every
member of his pack, but he fiercely protected his schedule so he could
carve out as many hours each day as possible to spend with Larissa and
Talon. His mate and pup were the center of his world, which was exactly as
it should be when a shifter found the person who was fated for them.
Since my parents’ house wasn’t too far from where Kace lived, I
decided to jog over. It only took about five minutes before I was knocking
on his front door. “Come in!”
I paused inside the doorway, my lips curving up in a grin at the sight of
the tough alpha who fearlessly led our pack with a tiny, sleeping baby
strapped to his chest. I didn’t want to wake Talon, but Kace waved me
closer. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come back after his nap?” I
whispered.
 “No, once he’s conked out, it would take a lot more than us talking to
wake him up again.” Kace pointed at the smoke detector on the ceiling. “I
don’t even know that the blare of the alarm would bother him.”
I dropped onto the chair closest to the couch he was sprawled on. “My
parents had shared horror stories about how the slightest noises used to
wake Heather and me up when we were little, so you definitely got lucky.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he grumbled, rubbing his hand up and down the
baby’s back. “Noise doesn’t pull Talon from sleep, but the second I have
Larissa under me, the boy goes from a deep sleep to screaming his head off
in the blink of an eye. My son is almost as possessive of his mom as I am.”
I chuckled and shrugged. “He’s an alpha in the making. What did you
expect?”
“For him to be able to walk and talk before he started tossing attitude
my way.” His smile didn’t match his disgruntled tone, communicating
without words that he didn’t truly mind that his son’s dominant nature was
already making itself known.
I didn’t want to take too much of his time, so I asked, “What was so
urgent that you wanted to see me during Talon’s nap?”
His expression turned serious as he answered, “I need you to go to the
Badlands Territory.”
“Fuck,” I groaned, scrubbing my hands over my face. Kace’s request
was the last thing I’d been expecting to hear. My parents had gone to visit
my sister, but I hadn’t seen her since she’d been sent there for her
punishment. “What kind of trouble has Heather gotten into now? Please tell
me she hasn’t pissed off Jackson Havoc.”
“No, if there was an issue with the alpha of the Havoc pack, I’d go there
myself,” he assured me, shaking his head. “It isn’t so much what she’s done
as it is what she hasn’t. The separation had gone on for longer than I
expected when I handed out Heather’s punishment. And I hate seeing the
pain in your mother’s eyes. She’s always been one of the first pack
members to welcome babies into the pack, but she was the last to visit after
Alena was born.”
My mom loved babies so much—and could barely wait for the day
when I found my fated mate because then she could start demanding
grandbabies—but the recent births in the pack had seemed to bring her
more pain than joy. I knew she was happy for our alpha, beta, third, and
their mates, but seeing them with their babies made her miss Heather more.
Especially now that Tane and Calliope had a little girl. “I’m sorry—”
Kace held his hand up to stop me from finishing what I’d been about to
say. “You don’t owe me an apology. None of this mess is your fault, but I
still need you to help me fix it.”
I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and heaved a deep sigh. I
wasn’t sure how I would make Heather understand how bad things were
getting for our mother, but if my alpha wanted me to step in, that was
exactly what I’d do. “What do you need me to do while I’m in the Badlands
Territory?”
“You’re not going to like what I’m asking of you,” he warned.
I grimaced, steeling myself for what I was going to need to do. With my
mother’s happiness on the line, I was willing to try just about anything. “I
figured, but I’m still in.”
“Normally, this is a task an alpha would do, but this message needs to
be delivered in person, and it will be a while before I’m willing to leave our
territory for anything other than a life and death emergency.” He got to his
feet when Talon stirred and let out a little whimper. Pacing back and forth in
front of the couch, he added, “But your sister needs a swift kick in the ass to
get her back on the straight and narrow. If it’s not going to come from me,
you’re the next best option since your dad has a tendency to coddle her.”
“You don’t have to worry about me going easy on Heather. Not when
my mom is paying the price for her fuckup.” My knuckles turned white
because of how tightly my hands were clenched into fists. If anything, I was
going to need to hold myself back from wringing my sister’s neck for not
pulling her head out of her ass sooner.
 2

ADLEY

“H ey, sweetie.” My mom brushed her hand over my head as I turned

to look up at her. “What’re you doing out here all by yourself?”
I lifted my tablet to show her I’d been reading, but it really was just an
excuse to get out of the house that hadn’t felt much like a home for me over
the past year. I was trying my best to pretend everything was okay because I
didn’t want to make my mom or dad worry about me. Having saved me
when I was a toddler, they meant the world to me. I didn’t know what
would have happened if they hadn’t taken me in after my parents died in a
car accident on the highway running through the outskirts of the Badlands
Territory.
Several members of the Havoc pack came running when they heard the
crash, including my adopted dad, who had pulled me from the car before it
burst into flames. My injuries had been minor, only some scratches and
bruises, but my parents hadn’t been as lucky. When I was old enough to ask
questions, I’d been assured they’d died on impact and hadn’t felt any pain
when their bodies were burned in the aftermath. The alpha had instructed
my adopted dad to bring me to his house so his mate could get me cleaned
up and tend to my wounds.
When they couldn’t find any living family members, my adopted mom
insisted I stay with them. She’d always wanted a daughter of her own, but
she and her mate hadn’t been able to have children. Since I was happy with
them, the alpha had granted her request. It hadn’t taken long for us to
become a happy family, and I didn’t remember a time when they hadn’t
been my parents. They never gave me a reason to doubt their love for me,
and I’d grown up with their relationship as a model for what I wanted when
I fell in love.
“Ah, another romance novel.” The worry eased from her eyes as she
smiled at me. “I should have known that’s why you disappeared into the
backyard.”
I pulled my legs up so she could join me on the hammock, laughing
softly when I had to hold on because it swung wildly when she dropped
down. With her reflexes, she didn’t have to worry about getting thrown off
the hammock, but I was only human and wouldn’t land as gracefully. With
my luck, I’d probably end up breaking something and being stuck in a cast
for the next six weeks. “Yeah, it’s such a beautiful day. I thought I’d get
some fresh air while I finished my book.”
My mom folded her arms behind her head and leaned back to stare up at
the sky. “What an excellent idea. Mother Nature had certainly blessed us
with great weather today.”
Since the snow from our last storm had only melted a few days ago, the
sunshine and sixty-degree temperature had been a welcome surprise when
I’d headed outside an hour or so ago. Fall was my favorite season, and I
liked nothing more than to bundle up in a sweater and blanket to enjoy the
crispness in the air. For a couple of months of the year, it wasn’t rare to find
me stretched out sound asleep in the middle of the night. At first, the habit
had driven my dad up the wall because he worried something would happen
to me. But when I’d explained how I knew he’d keep me safe no matter
what, he’d melted like a marshmallow and put a tent up in the backyard so I
could still sleep outside when it was a little bit colder.
But the temperature had steadily dropped as we headed into December,
making it hard to sit comfortably outside. So the unexpectedly warm day
made it easier for me to get away and helped me forget why I was hiding
out here in the first place.
I tucked the blanket I’d brought out with me over her legs, too. “Maybe
we’ll get lucky, and the warm front will stick around.”
“I hope so,” she agreed.
We sat there in silence for a while, enjoying the feel of the sun beating
down on us before my mom finally got around to bringing up what had sent
her outside looking for me. “You’ve been awfully quiet lately. It reminds
me of when you first came to live with us. We could barely get a peep out
of you.”
 I needed to be careful with how I responded because my mom was
likely to go into protective mama bear mode if she found out what had been
going on lately. Even though she shifted into a wolf, she reminded me of a
sow defending her cubs when she thought I needed to be protected. I
couldn’t lie to her and say nothing was wrong because she knew me too
well, but there was something else on my mind that was a safer topic to
discuss. “It’s been difficult to see so many matings around here lately. I
want everyone in the pack to be happy, and I’m thrilled for everyone who
has found their fated mate. But I can’t help but feel as though it’s not going
to happen for me since I’m human.”
“Just because you’re human doesn’t mean you aren’t someone’s fated
mate,” she pointed out as she wrapped her hand around my ankle and gave
it a squeeze. “Our alpha’s mate is a human, after all.”
“I know,” I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. “But there’s no guarantee
for me like there is for shifters. I may not be one of the lucky ones who gets
a mate who loves them as unconditionally as Dad does you. Maybe fate
didn’t pair me up with anyone.”
“Life doesn’t offer guarantees to anyone, sweetie. You know that as
well as anyone,” she reminded me.
She made a fair point since plenty of shifters never found their fated
mate. Even worse were the few who were rejected and spent the rest of their
lives pining over the person they were meant to be with. But I would never
do that. If I was lucky enough to have a fated mate out there waiting for me,
nothing could stop me from being claimed by him. Only I was starting to
doubt it would ever happen for me. “Yeah, but it would really suck to be
stuck falling in love the human way when I’ve been dreaming of a mating
of my own ever since I realized you and Dad were shifters, and you
explained how it all works.”
“I never expected that conversation to go so easily,” she laughed,
remembering how I’d reacted when she’d told me she and Dad could shift
into wolves. “I’d spent years worrying over how you’d take the news, and
all you wanted to know was why you couldn’t change into a wolf, too.”
Most of the tension eased from my body as I thought about how excited
I’d been by the possibility of running around in wolf form. I’d been so
disappointed to find out I didn’t have the same abilities as the parents who
adored me. But the possibility my children would be shifters had given me
hope. “And if I’d have a fated mate.”
 “Yes, that too.” She sat up and pulled me into her arms, somehow
keeping the hammock steady, so neither of us fell. “Don’t give up hope,
Adley. You’re still so much younger than most shifters are when they find
their mates. There’s plenty of time for you to find the same happiness I have
with your dad.”
“Maybe,” I conceded as I snuggled into her embrace. “But I’ve already
met every unmated male in the Badlands Territory, so I feel as though the
odds of me being someone’s mate is slim.”
“Hush now, sweetie. You’re letting your fears surpass reason,” she
chided, patting me on the back. “So many of the recent matings happened
because someone new moved into town, came to visit, or thought they were
just passing through. The same thing could happen to you. For all you
know, the man of your dreams is on his way to town right now, and you’re
getting all blue for no reason.”
I pulled back and saw the sincerity shining from her eyes. She really
believed there was a mate out there for me somewhere, and her certainty
gave me hope again. “I guess you could be right.”
“Of course, I am.” She pressed her hand over my heart. “You’ve never
felt a thing for any of the boys around here, and I choose to take that as a
sign your soul is waiting for the person fate intended for you.”
“Another good point.” Most human girls my age would have crushed on
half a dozen boys by now, judging by the ones I went to school with. But I
hadn’t met anyone who’d made butterflies swirl in my belly. I’d never even
felt the tiniest spark of desire for a boy before. Now that my mom had
pointed it out, I couldn’t help but believe my libido was sleeping because it
was waiting for the perfect moment to come roaring to life—when I finally
met the shifter meant just for me.
 3

ADLEY

T he weather turned the following day, so I headed into town to my

favorite coffee shop to get out of the house. My plan was to snag the
corner booth and spend the afternoon people watching, reading, and
drinking delicious lattes. The owner would be more than happy to ignore
me since I wasn’t an alpha male. Brea’s sights had been set on Havoc even
though she knew they weren’t fated mates. I kind of got where her
desperation for a mate came from since her position within the pack was
similar to mine. Her mom was a human, but her dad was a shifter. I had
always thought it royally sucked she didn’t get an inner wolf from her
father. I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t leave the alpha alone when she
darn well knew how shifter matings worked.
I could only assume she’d been fixated on him because of the power
that came with being the alpha of a pack, which fit with the talk around
town about how awful she was to her employees. It was a good thing fate
hadn’t paired her with Havoc because I could only imagine the power trip
she would’ve been on if she’d been claimed by him. Luckily, she’d finally
been forced to see reason when Cora came to town and turned out to be
Havoc’s mate, but only after she tried to cause trouble for them.
I was contemplating how my parents would’ve handled me if I’d acted
the way Brea had—and cringing over how disappointed they would’ve been
in me—but my thoughts came to a halt when I spotted a stranger in my
favorite spot in the coffee shop. Grumbling to myself over the fact that I
was going to have to sit somewhere else, I headed to the back of the line at
the counter. Even though I knew the menu by heart, I stared up at the board
above the register and tried to decide which baked good I wanted to have
with my latte. By the time it was my turn, I’d decided I deserved a special
treat if I would have to wait someone out for the booth I considered mine.
“Next in line,” Brea called without bothering to look up.
“Hey, Brea.” She met my gaze but didn’t bother to smile or greet me. I
didn’t let that stop me from flashing her a grin before telling her what I
wanted. I hadn’t forgotten the lessons from our childhood about being kind
to fellow members of the pack. I wasn’t about to let her bitchiness make me
do something that would disappoint my mom. “I’ll take a cherry Danish,
chocolate chip muffin, and a latte with extra foam and an extra shot of
espresso, please.”
Brea’s gaze raked down my curvy body, and her lip curled up in a sneer.
“You don’t really need all the empty calories, but I’m more than happy to
take your money if that’s what you want.”
My cheeks filled with heat, and I was grateful no one was behind me to
listen to her crap. Any of the shifters in the shop would’ve caught her dig at
me since she hadn’t bothered to lower her voice, and they had great hearing,
and that was bad enough. Without saying another word, I shoved a twenty-
dollar bill at her and waited for my change. None of it went into the tip jar
in front of the register, earning me a little huff I ignored as I moved to the
end of the counter to get as far away from Brea as possible. It didn’t do me
much good because she hissed something at her employee making my latte
before coming out from behind the counter to wander over to my favorite
booth.
I shamelessly eavesdropped when she started talking to the sexy
stranger who was sitting there, turning my body as I leaned an elbow
against the counter so I could see them out of the corner of my eye. “Can I
tempt you with a muffin or Danish? We’re famous for our baked goods.”
“Nah, I think I’ll pass.” His gaze darted in my direction, and he winked
as he added, “I’d need an extra workout to burn all those empty calories,
and I’m not sure how long I’ll be in town.”
My cheeks filled with heat again, and I ducked my head so he couldn’t
see how embarrassed I was that he’d overheard her insult. Brea didn’t take
the hint and kept trying to get the guy to talk, and I groaned when I realized
the only open booth was right next to them. I kept my head down as I
walked past her and set my stuff down on the table. I quickly slid into my
seat and heaved a sigh of relief once the booth separated me from the guy
she was trying to chat up. When she finally realized she wasn’t going to get
anywhere with him, she huffed, “Whatever, I was just trying to do you a
favor.”
I let my hair fall in front of my face to block my expression from Brea
when she stomped past my table, biting my lip to keep myself from
laughing. After she stormed into the back—after yelling at one of her
employees not to fuck everything up while she was gone—the guy behind
me grumbled, “What is it with small-town places to eat and pushy
waitresses? She probably won’t even remember I wanted a refill on my
coffee.”
I turned in my seat to peer over the back of my booth and whisper,
“Sorry about that. Brea can sometimes be a pain in the butt, but she has
good reason for being wary of newcomers. She ran into a bit of trouble with
some newcomers a while back.”
“She wasn’t grilling me because she was scared. If I’d sensed any fear
from her, I would’ve been a lot more understanding.” The guy lifted his
head, and I felt the punch of his gaze when our eyes met. Then his nostrils
flared, and heat filled his dark orbs. His reaction made my heart race, as I
began to hope it meant I was his mate.
I would owe fate big time if I was paired with him. With his brown
eyes, dark hair that was longer on the top and shorter on the sides, angular
jaw, the slight dimple in his chin, full lips that were begging to be kissed,
and lean but muscular build, he was the hottest guy I’d ever seen up close
and in person. Brea’s interest in him suddenly made sense, even if it turned
out he wasn’t an alpha visiting from another pack. He was handsome
enough that even Brea wouldn’t care about how much power she’d gain by
being his mate.
I would have been happy to stare at him all day, but I couldn’t think of
an excuse to stay twisted around in my seat. It would have been awkward,
even for me. “Sorry.”
I started to turn back around but froze when he asked, “Do you want to
join me?”
The offer was surprising, but I was quick to take him up on it. “Uh,
sure.”
I grabbed my stuff and brought it over to his table, setting the plate with
the muffin and Danish between us in case he wanted to share. Once I was
settled in my new seat across from him, I flashed him a shy smile.
 “I’m Luke Besnik.” He stretched his arm out to offer his hand to me.
“I’m Adley Hoyt,” I replied as I slid my palm against his. It felt as
though a bolt of electricity jumped from his body to mine. I yanked my
hand away and shook it. “Whoa.”
“That was unexpected.” Luke’s animal flashed in his eyes so quickly
that I thought I might have imagined it. But his husky tone let me know his
inner beast was close to the surface.
I touched the metal lid on the salt shaker to make sure I didn’t shock
myself again. “I guess we got rid of all of the static already.”
He tugged on my hand and interlaced his fingers through mine. “It looks
like you’re right.”
“Yup,” I agreed as I glanced down and thanked my lucky stars the goose
bumps I was feeling weren’t visible.
“Sorry,” he rumbled as he released my hand. “I figured that was the
easiest way to make sure the static shock wasn’t on my end instead of
yours.”
“Uh-huh.” It was official, my dormant libido had roared to life and left
me incapable of speaking in full sentences. Luckily, Luke didn’t seem to
mind.
He grinned at me and cocked his head to the side, a dark lock of hair
falling against his forehead. “Or it might’ve just been a convenient excuse
to touch you again.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me,” Brea whined, her gaze darting
back and forth between the two of us as she returned to the table to drop
another cup of coffee down in front of him. The hot, dark liquid splashed
onto the table, and she tossed some napkins down before stomping away
again.
“What’s her problem?” Luke muttered as he wiped up the mess.
I wasn’t sure how to answer his question without totally embarrassing
myself. I was pretty sure Brea had assumed we were fated mates, but I
didn't know what to think. Shifters didn’t flirt with anyone except their
mate, but Luke was being extremely subtle if I was meant to be his.
 4

LUKE

“W ith Brea, it could be just about anything.” The gorgeous woman

sitting across from me leaned her elbow on the table and
propped a fist under her chin. Her long, blond hair spilled over her shoulder,
and sincerity shone from her bright blue eyes. “Don’t take it personally. She
tends to throw her bad attitude all over the place.”
The question I’d asked was rhetorical, but Adley’s answer worried me.
There was no doubt who she was to me—not when her scent made my cock
as hard as steel for the first time in my life. I finally met my fated mate, but
I was torn over how to handle the situation. She was human, so I couldn’t
just toss her over my shoulder and find the nearest flat surface. Although
the Badlands Territory was home to many packs, it seemed likely that
Adley had no idea shifters existed. Her delicious scent carried a trace of
wolves, but she could be unaware that some of the people she came in
contact with on a regular basis carried an animal inside them.
“Just so long as she doesn’t toss her insults your way again when I’m
around, I won’t let her get to me,” I grumbled.
I felt the smile she flashed at me to the depths of my soul. “You’re too
sweet.”
Staring at the woman fate had picked for me, I wanted to kick myself
for never asking Kace or Zeke about how they’d told their women about
shifters and mates. Tane had lucked out because Calliope had been let in on
the secret since it would have been difficult to hide when both of her best
friends were mated. But I might not have been as fortunate and possibly
needed to figure out a way to break the news to her without sending her
running in the other direction. Being turned away by your fated mate was
rare, but I was acutely aware of how badly rejection hit a shifter after what
had happened to Aaron. My pack mate had gone lone wolf after the woman
who should’ve been his decided she’d rather marry a rich guy she had zero
feelings for than mate the only man she’d ever desire.
The situation had sent my sister spiraling. She’d never admitted to it,
but I was certain she’d been hoping that he would turn out to be her mate
when she turned eighteen. She was devastated to discover differently only a
week before her birthday and had been acting out ever since. I’d been so
angry with Heather for the shit she’d pulled, but it turned out that I had to
be grateful things had gone down the way they had. In the ultimate twist of
fate, her refusal to see how wrong she’d been had brought my fated mate
into my life. Now it was up to me to make certain Adley didn’t have any
reason to reject me. I’d never tried to flirt before, but I had spent enough
time around the mated pairs in my pack—including my parents—to know
how to treat the woman who was going to be mine.
“I think you’re the first person who’s ever called me that.” I picked up
the chocolate chip muffin she had set between us and quirked a brow. When
she nodded, I tore a piece off and popped it into my mouth. After I
swallowed and took a sip of my coffee, I added, “Maybe if I eat more stuff
like this, that’ll change.”
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “The first time I came in, I was
surprised to discover how amazing the baked goods are here. I would never
have guessed that Brea would serve anything that tasted this good since I’m
pretty sure she survives on salad and caffeine.”
“She should start eating what she sells.” I nudged the plate closer to her.
“Maybe then she wouldn’t be so bitchy.”
My gorgeous mate started to giggle, but then she bit her bottom lip to
hold back her laughter. “Careful.” Reaching over the table, I tugged her lip
free from her teeth. “It would be a damn shame if you bruised yourself.”
Her tongue came close to brushing against my thumb when she wet her
lips before murmuring, “Thanks.”
My wolf leaped for control, trying to burst through my skin to get to his
mate. I fisted my hands and squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to keep him
reined in. When he finally settled his ass down after I warned him that he
would send Adley running in the opposite direction, I opened my eyes
again. I was surprised to see the huge-ass grin on her face. “What?”
 Her gaze darted around the coffee shop before she leaned closer and
whispered, “You don’t have to hide from me. I know you’re a shifter of
some kind.”
“You do?” My wolf brushed against my skin again, smug as fuck that
his pushing had prompted Adley to admit she knew about our kind.
She nodded and grinned. “Yeah, the signs are impossible to miss since I
was raised by wolves.”
Holy fucking shit. Not only did she know the score about shifters, but
she’d also grown up with my kind. Fate had been more than kind to me. I
stretched my hand out and twined our fingers together. “Do you know about
fated mates, too?”
“You mean how shifters don’t feel complete until they find the other
half of their souls?” I nodded, and her smile widened. “And that they don’t
feel desire for anyone other than their mate?”
I could barely stand how adorable she was. It was a major turn-on for
me. “Yeah, baby. I mean all of that.”
“Then yes, I know about fated mates.” Her blue eyes lit with so much
happiness that the blue orbs practically glowed.
I loved how she teased me, and so did my cock, which was flexing
against my zipper. “How would you feel if I told you that fate paired us
together?”
“I’d be over the moon,” she breathed, her hand clenching mine. “Ever
since I learned about fated mates, I’ve hoped that I would be lucky enough
to have one out there waiting for me.”
“Sorry it took me so long to find you, baby.” I brushed my thumb across
her knuckles. “If I’d known you were in the Badlands Territory, I would’ve
been here a fuck of a lot sooner.”
“I was a little worried that I’d stay a virgin forever because I was
holding out for a false dream.” Her cheeks turned pink as her gaze drifted
from my face to my chest and back up again. “But then I saw you sitting
here, and I felt things I was starting to think my body was incapable of
experiencing with anyone—shifter or human.”
Even though she knew shifters had someone out there who fate intended
for them to be with, Adley had no guarantee she was paired with one. I was
relieved as fuck to learn she had still saved herself for me, since that wasn’t
always true for human mates. Sometimes the doubt got to them—or they
had no idea why their bodies didn’t feel desire since they didn’t know that
shifters existed—and they forced themselves to try a relationship with
someone else. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
“I’m so glad I didn’t give up hope until you found me,” she admitted
softly, a pretty blush filling her cheeks again.
My wolf and I were primed to take Adley somewhere private and mark
her as ours. But she was human and might not be feeling the mating urge as
strongly as I was. Even though she was happy to find out we were fated, she
might need some time to get to know me before she was ready to take that
step. I didn’t want to assume anything, so I straight up asked, “Do you want
to wait before I claim you?”
“Nope, I don’t see any reason for us to hold back.” She tugged her hand
free from mine and leaned back a little, putting some distance between us.
“Unless you do?”
“Fuck no,” I growled as I slid to the edge of the bench seat on my side
of the booth. “We can head out now if you’d like.”
She heaved a deep sigh of relief and grinned. “Sounds like a plan to
me.”
I stood and looked down at the stuff on the table. “What about your latte
and pastries?”
“The only thing I need right now is you,” she declared as she scooted
out of the booth.
The trip was just long enough that I’d decided to book a hotel room, but
all I’d done was check in and drop my stuff off before heading to the coffee
shop. I hated the idea of my mate being hungry later, so I suggested, “How
about we take everything to go? I don’t think my hotel has room service,
and we’re going to need sustenance later.”
Her cheeks turned the most adorable shade of pink before she darted
over to the counter to grab a bag and a couple of to-go cups. I couldn’t wait
to get her all to myself in my room so I could see how far down the color
went.
 5

ADLEY

W hat a difference an hour made. When I left my house, I was

frustrated with my life and feeling blue, and now, I was walking
down the street, hand-in-hand with my fated mate. Even better, we were
headed to the hotel a couple of blocks down so Luke could take my
virginity and claim me. Quickening my stride, I urged, “C’mon, I know you
can go faster than this.”
“I’m good with rushing to the hotel, but I’m not going to let you hurry
me once I get your body under mine,” he warned with a wink.
I pictured what would happen once we were in his hotel room, and a
shiver raced up my spine. We’d only found each other less than an hour
ago, but it felt as though I had waited forever for this moment. “I can’t
make any promises.”
He picked up his pace, practically dragging me behind him as he
growled, “The only promise I can make right now is that I’m going to make
you scream so loud every shifter in this territory will know that you belong
to me and only me.”
“Holy freaking crap,” I panted even though I wasn’t out of breath from
the walk. Luke had me so turned on that my panties were about ready to
spontaneously combust. I heaved a sigh of relief when we reached the
hotel's side door, and Luke swiped his key card in front of the sensor. A few
minutes later, the door to his room slammed shut behind us.
“About damn time.” He swept me off my feet and strode over to the
king-sized bed. As soon as he dropped me on the mattress, he yanked his
cable-knit sweater over his head and kicked off his shoes. His jeans were
the next thing to go.
Getting to my knees, I pulled my sweatshirt and long-sleeved T-shirt
off, leaving me in a camisole and bra. Before I could get to my boots, Luke
gently pushed me to my butt and pulled them off my feet. My socks and
jeans quickly followed, and I was down to just my panties, bra, and
camisole. I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t any shyness about
being almost naked in front of Luke. Then again, if there had been, the
masculine appreciation in his gaze would have gone a long way to making
me feel comfortable.
“You’re so damn beautiful, Adley.” He tugged my camisole over my
head and unclasped my bra, stark need flaring in his dark eyes. “Fucking
perfect.”
I slid my palms up his bare chest. “You’re not too bad yourself.”
“I’ll show you not bad.” His lips curved up in a cocky grin as he pressed
on my shoulders until I was lying on the mattress. Stretching out next to
me, he cupped the back of my neck, and it felt as though his hand was
burning into my skin. Then he fisted my hair and tugged my head back to
claim my lips. The move was dominant and sexy as heck. “I want to take
your cherry, make you come, fill your pussy until it’s overflowing, and then
sink my teeth in your shoulder to mark you as mine for the rest of your
life.”
“Yes, please,” I gasped, rolling on my side until my body was pressed
against his. With only my panties and his boxers between us, I felt the heat
from his hard on. Blood started rushing through my ears, and my heart
raced. Our mouths met again, opening for each other immediately. My hair
was still fisted in his hand, and he held me firmly in place while his tongue
played with mine. It was only a kiss, but it was so sensual that I felt as
though I’d never be the same again.
When Luke broke off the kiss, I stared into his dark eyes as his hand slid
down to my waist, and his thumb lazily rubbed back and forth over my
skin. He bent his head, and his breath was warm against my ear when he
rasped, “I can’t wait to feel your tight pussy wrapped around my cock. You
want that, too. Right, baby?”
“Uh-huh,” I panted.
Luke’s lips grazed the delicate skin right below my ear as he murmured,
“I waited my whole life for this moment. I’m going to make it last. Feel you
come over and over again before I claim you as my mate.”
Whoa. My panties were already drenched, and his brand of dirty talk
was making me even wetter. His hand slid to my back and dipped down to
the swell of my ass and slid under the thin material to give my cheek a
squeeze. I let out a little moan, and he started working his way down my
body. “I need to get my mouth on you first. I want to drink down your
release before I take you the first time.”
His hands played with my breasts, cupping the weight and pushing them
together when his mouth got close. When his lips wrapped around one of
my nipples, my back arched off the mattress. “Oh, wow.”
“You like that, baby?” he asked as he moved to the other side.
“Yes,” I whimpered, feeling the tug of his lips all the way to my core.
My legs were restless, and I rubbed my pussy back and forth over his hard
length.
He let my nipple go with a pop and asked, “Do you need my mouth
lower?”
My inner walls clenched at the thought of how incredible that would
feel. “Oh, god…yes.”
He whipped my panties over my hips and down my legs. Then he
wedged his shoulders between my thighs and buried his face in my pussy.
When his tongue slid between my folds, the pleasure was more intense than
anything I’d ever felt. He had to grip my hips to keep me from grinding
against his face. “Fuck, your pussy tastes perfect, baby.”
“Don’t stop,” I whimpered, threading my fingers through his hair and
tugging on the strands.
He devoured my pussy with his tongue and lips until I was writhing
beneath him. Then he started to work a finger into my tight channel. Once
he was able to get the digit past the knuckle, he added another. His lips
stayed on my clit, alternating between light flicks and circling around the
hard, little nub. “Come on my face, baby. Give it to me,” he urged before
sucking my clit into his mouth and twisting his wrist until his fingers
stroked my G-spot.
A scream ripped from my throat as my head flew back against the
pillows, and my orgasm barreled through me. “Yes! Oh, Luke! Yes!”
I didn’t think I could take more, but he didn’t let up. He continued to
work me with his fingers until I had two more orgasms. Then he shoved his
boxers down his legs and settled his body on top of mine. “I feel as though
I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t have you soon.”
“Then don’t wait,” I offered as I lifted my knees to cradle his waist
between them. “I want this as much as you.”
The head of his dick nudged against my opening. “Are you sure you’re
ready to take me, baby?”
I twined my arms around his neck and stretched my neck up to brush
my lips over his. “After three mind-blowing orgasms, I think I’m as ready
as I’m going to be.”
He reached down and grabbed the base of his cock, and then he started
to work the tip inside my body. I started to tense up, but then he pulled his
hips back and slammed his cock deep inside, tearing through the proof of
my innocence with one powerful thrust.
“Luke,” I cried out, tears filling my eyes. Having him all the way inside
me was more painful than I was expecting, but after the initial shock, it also
felt better faster than I thought it would.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” He kissed the tears off my cheeks and whispered
in my ear until my body started to relax.
“So fucking tight,” he groaned, holding still to give me time to adjust
until I did an experimental little wiggle. “That’s it, Adley. Take my dick,
baby.”
My nails dug into his back as he pulled out and pushed back in. “That
feels so good.”
“It’s a damn good thing you’re enjoying this so much because I plan on
being inside you every chance I get,” he grunted as he gripped my hips to
put some more power behind his thrusts.
I started to whimper as he crashed into me harder, sending shockwaves
through my body. The orgasm that was building in me felt as though it was
going to be never-ending. It grew bigger with each pump of Luke’s hips,
and all I could do was hold on for the ride.
“You’re mine, baby. My beautiful mate,” he murmured as he nipped at
my jaw. “I’m the only one who’ll ever get to see how incredible you look
when you fly apart. Who will get to feel how tight your pussy is.”
My fingers dug deeper into his shoulder blades, and my whimpers
turned to moans. “I’m so close, Luke.”
“That’s right, baby. Let yourself go so I can finally come deep inside
your pussy,” he commanded with a swivel of his hips as he slid his hand
between our bodies to flick my clit. The tension in my body snapped, and
my orgasm crashed over me.
“Mine,” he growled as he exploded inside me. The intensity of my
release was too much, and I collapsed onto the bed. Luke’s heavy weight
followed, pressing me into the mattress while his still-hard length stayed
inside my pussy.
 6

ADLEY

“A re you ready for my mark?” He grazed his teeth over my

shoulder, and my body shuddered beneath him. I’d already come
four times, but the gentle scrape against my skin had me close to the edge
again. “Once I bite you, there won’t be any going back. With your pussy
full of my come and my teeth in your shoulder, the mating process will be
complete, and you’ll be mine forever.”
I stroked my palms up his back and neck to tangle my fingers in his
hair. Pulling his head down to mine, I brushed my lips against his in what
was supposed to be a quick kiss. But as soon as our lips touched, Luke took
over. His tongue licked at the seam of my mouth, and when my lips parted,
it swept inside to tangle with mine. Then he tilted my head to the side to
deepen the kiss and didn’t lift his head again until I was breathless. “I know
you want to come again. Your pussy is already fluttering around my cock,
keeping me so fucking hard. When I give you my mark, the pleasure we
feel is going to be explosive. From what I’ve heard about matings, the
orgasm my bite will trigger for you is supposed to be stronger than anything
you’ll ever experience.”
“I want that so badly.” My hands drifted down to his biceps, and I
gripped the taut muscles. “Not just the orgasm, but to belong to you forever.
I’m beyond ready to start our lives together. To be your mate, now and
forever.”
His eyes flashed wolf, and I knew his animal was close to the surface. I
felt the softness of his fur beneath my hands for a moment, and then his
incisors lengthened. A deep growl rumbled up his throat before he lowered
his head. I twisted my neck to the side to give him better access to the spot
he was going to mark, and just as I felt the tips of his teeth against my skin,
a loud pounding sounded on the hotel room door.
“Motherfucker,” he growled, pulling back to turn and glare over his
shoulder. After another series of knocks, it sounded like someone was
kicking the door. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”
I dropped my hands from his arms to search for the edge of the blanket.
“I don’t think they’re going to leave.”
“I know you’re in there, Luke. Open up!” a feminine voice shouted. The
sound was muffled by the door, but I could have sworn I recognized it from
somewhere.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Adley.” Luke dropped his forehead against my
shoulder and pressed a kiss over the spot he’d been ready to bite before we
were interrupted. “You’re right. She won’t go away until I talk to her.”
“No,” I whimpered when he pulled out of me, and his cock dragged
against my inner walls.
“I swear I’ll make it up to you,” he vowed, nuzzling in the valley
between my breasts before lifting off me. Then he rolled off the mattress
and grabbed his jeans from the floor.
I muttered under my breath when he headed toward the door without
putting anything else on. I didn’t like the idea of some woman getting to see
his bare chest, and I was even less happy with the person who had
interrupted us because of it. Scooting to the edge of the mattress, I yanked
my pants off the floor to toss them on since I wanted more than just the
blankets covering me in case she came into the room.
The woman didn’t give Luke the chance to say anything after he inched
the door open. “What the hell are you doing in the Badlands Territory,
Luke?”
Oh, crap. I recognized that voice. I’d certainly heard it often enough
since it belonged to the person who’d made me feel uncomfortable in my
own home for the past year.
“Kace sent me to talk to you,” he answered, keeping his foot and palm
on the inside of the door so she couldn’t push it open.
I flinched when Heather Casey insisted, “Let me in.”
“No,” Luke grunted, staying in front of the door so she couldn’t get past
him.
 “C’mon, big brother. I don’t want to air family business to anyone who
walks by.”
Big brother? Learning how my nemesis was connected to my fated
mate freaked me the heck out. I frantically searched for my bra and
camisole while they continued talking through the small gap in the
doorway.
“Then you shouldn’t have stormed over here to confront me as soon as
you heard I was in town,” he argued.
“What did you want me to do? Sit around twiddling my thumbs while
you took a nap?” she scoffed. “You know me better than that.”
Heather finally shoved past Luke. I’d only pulled on my pants, bra, and
camisole and was sitting on the edge of the bed. When her gaze landed on
me, there was no way she missed what had been happening between her
brother and me before she arrived. “Oh, you’ve got to be freaking kidding
me. You and her? Really?”
“Shut the fuck up, Heather,” Luke growled as he slammed the door shut
and crossed the room to sit down next to me. “I don’t want to hear any of
your bullshit.”
“Seriously?” she shrieked, jabbing her finger in my direction. “You
want me to keep my mouth shut when fate has saddled you with her of all
people?”
Luke flung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his side.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve only been in town for what...an hour or two?” she asked,
tossing her hands up in the air. “I’ve been here for an entire year. If one of
us knows what they’re talking about when it comes to Adley Hoyt, it’s me.
Not you.”
I stared down at my hands, twisting my fingers together as I came to
terms with what was happening here. In all the years I’d been dreaming
about belonging to someone the same way as my parents did to each other,
I’d never considered the possibility that their family would be against us
being together. Fated mates were sacred among shifters. Everyone in our
pack knew better than to interfere in their pairing. Even though she’d been
awful to me, I didn’t understand why Heather didn’t seem to care that Luke
and I belonged together.
“I don’t give a fuck what you think you know,” Luke barked. “Adley is
my fated mate, and I’m not going to let you try to mess with her like you
did Larissa.”
“What’s with fate and screwing over the males in our pack?” Heather
ranted, pacing back and forth. “There are so many shifter females out there
who’d be more appropriate matches for you. But no, you get stuck with the
likes of her.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I’d put up with Heather’s crap all
this time and kept quiet about everything she’d said to me because I
sympathized with her situation. There had been plenty of times throughout
my childhood when I’d felt like an outsider because I was human, and I
hadn’t wanted to do anything to make her feel as though she wasn’t
welcome. Not when my parents had volunteered to take her into our home
when she’d been sent to stay with our pack.
I’d been so freaking nice to her, even when she was horrible to me. Yet
she still had the gall to question my right to mate with Luke. It was the last
straw. She’d finally pushed me beyond my limit.
“I’m sorry. I can’t deal with this right now.” I slid my feet into my boots
and stood, bending over to grab Luke’s sweater off the floor since it was
closer to me than the rest of my clothes. He stretched his hand out toward
me, but I darted out of his reach and shook my head. “I need a little time to
wrap my head around the curveball fate just tossed at us.”
“Curveball?” Luke echoed in shock, his confusion evident in his dark
eyes.
“Out of all the shifters in the world, you had to be her brother?” I shook
my head. “No. Just no.”
I didn’t give him the chance to convince me to stay. Darting around
Heather, I ran for the door and didn’t slow down until I was out on the
sidewalk. My head was spinning, and I needed to be in the place that
brought me comfort while I came to terms with the idea of spending the rest
of my life with a sister-in-law who hated me just because I was human.
 7

LUKE

M y wolf didn’t want to let Adley get away from me without his mark
on her shoulder, but her request for time made me pause. I was
driven to give my mate anything she needed, even when it was the last thing
I wanted. But as I thought about the tears that had filled her eyes, I decided
that I couldn’t just let her run off by herself. Not when she was upset
enough to cry.
Without bothering to put on my socks, I shoved my feet into my shoes
and dug in my bag for a sweatshirt since Adley had grabbed my sweater.
Once the material cleared my head and I was sliding my arms into the
holes, I headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Heather whined, tugging on my arm.
I turned on my sister and got in her face. “You just ran my fated mate
off in tears. Where the fuck do you think I’m going?”
“You can’t chase after her before you tell me why you’re here,” she
protested with a pout, taking a step back and crossing her arms over her
chest.
I knew my sister was selfish, but I couldn't wrap my head around the
fact that she was more worried about herself than the fact that my fated
mate had just run from me. “Please tell me you’re fucking kidding me right
now.”
“What? No. Why would you think I’m kidding?” There wasn’t a speck
of understanding in her eyes as she shook her head, and her lack of
awareness pissed me off more.
 “You interrupted me just as I was about to mark her,” I bit out,
determined to make her understand the magnitude of her fuckup, even if I
had to spell the situation out for her.
“Eww.” Her nose wrinkled as her gaze darted toward the bed.
“Don’t you get it?” I jabbed my index finger in the air. “If you’d waited
one more fucking minute, I wouldn’t have to worry about Adley changing
her mind about mating with me. You didn’t, though. And now she’s out
there somewhere wondering if fate screwed her over by pairing her with me
because you’re my sister.”
Her eyes went wide. “Do you really think she’ll reject you just because
of some stupid stuff that’s happened since I’ve been in the Badlands
Territory?”
“Yeah, I really think that’s a possibility,” I growled as I scrubbed my
hands down my face. “Of all people, you should know that mates have been
turned away for less after what happened to Aaron.”
My sister walked over to the chair by the desk and sat down. She buried
her face in her palms and mumbled, “I-I-I guess I didn’t think of it that
way.”
“I hope the fuck not because it would fucking suck to find out that my
own sister doesn’t care if I go through the same thing Aaron did.” I flung
my arm in the direction of the door Adley had just slammed shut. “You’ve
been so bitter over what happened to him, and now your actions may have
put me in the same damn position. Is that what you want for me?”
“No,” she gasped, her head jerking up before she shook it back and
forth frantically. “That’s not what I want at all.”
“Then help me out here,” I pleaded, striding over to her. Crouching low,
I took her hands in mine. “Tell me what the fuck you did to Adley to make
her run from me like that.”
The guilt in my sister’s gaze was like a punch to my gut. I braced
myself for how bad it was going to be and was glad for it when she
admitted, “The people who took me in when I was sent to the Havoc pack?
Um, well...they’re the same couple that adopted Adley when her parents
died when she was little. I was still so angry about what that human female
did to Aaron and getting kicked out of my home after Kace mated with a
human, and Adley was right there in the room next to mine. The perfect
outlet for all my frustrations.”
 I fell on my ass and clasped my hands together so I wouldn’t do
something I’d regret later—like strangle the fuck out of Heather. My need
to protect my mate was at war with all the years I’d looked out for my little
sister. There was no doubt whose side I’d take if Heather forced me into the
position of choosing between her and Adley. My mate would always have
my first loyalty. “Please tell me you never hurt her.”
“Absolutely not,” she gasped, her eyes filling with tears. “Do you really
think I could do something like that?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know what you’re capable of anymore. I never
thought you’d try to cause trouble for our alpha and his mate, but you did.
And now you’re telling me that you vented your anger over everything that
happened on Adley.” I shook my head, running my fingers through my hair.
“So forgive me if I need you to spell out exactly what you did to my woman
that would make her run from me the way she did when she found out
you’re my sister.”
“I know I’ve been an idiot, but I swear to you that I’ve never laid a
finger on your mate,” she promised as she leaned toward me. “I was mean
to her, but I never went past verbal taunts.” She paused, and her eyes
dropped to the floor. “Some of the stuff I said was pretty horrible, though.”
I heaved a deep sigh, relieved to know Heather’s sins hadn’t gone that
far. “How bad did it get?”
She ducked her head even farther and rattled off a list of insults she’d
tossed at my mate. The list was lengthy and got steadily worse as she
continued, making me cringe. When she was finally done, I didn’t know
what to say. I finally let out a dry laugh, but my chuckle was without humor
because there wasn’t anything funny about how much my sister had
managed to fuck up the situation. “Well, that’s ironic as fuck.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“The message Kace sent me to give you would’ve been a fucking
blessing if you hadn’t been such a bitch to my mate all this time. It would
have just taken a few words from her, and you would have been welcomed
back into our pack with open arms,” I explained.
She reared back in shock, her eyes going wide. “I don’t understand.
How could Adley help end my banishment? None of you knew her before
you came to town and discovered she was your mate.”
“You weren’t banished, Heather,” I reminded her with a frown. “Kace
never intended for you to be in the Badlands Territory for this long.”
 Her lips turned down in a pout, and she wrapped her arms around her
torso. “It felt like it to me, though.”
“You weren’t the only one who suffered for your mistakes,” I hissed.
“Mom hasn’t been handling your absence well, and it’s only gotten worse
as time has gone on. Kace wanted to give you a chance to end your
punishment, so he sent me here to deliver a message. You can come home if
a human from Havoc’s pack is willing to vouch for you. But I’m guessing if
you burned that bridge with someone as sweet as Adley, then odds aren’t
good that you made friends with any of the other humans in the Badlands
Territory.”
“Oh, crap,” she cried, shaking her head. “No, I definitely haven’t hit it
off with any of the humans in Havoc’s pack.”
“Good luck figuring out how to mend those fences,” I drawled as I rose
to my feet to stride over to the door again. “I’m going to be busy trying to
convince Adley that I’m nothing like you even though we grew up in the
same house. I need her to know that I’ll treat her with care and always
protect her from anyone who wants to hurt her so she’ll accept me as her
mate. If I can’t manage it, then I don’t know what the fuck I’ll do.”
Heather jumped up and walked toward me with a determined gleam in
her eyes. “There’s still time to make this right with Adley. I refuse to
believe that she’ll turn you away after I’ve heard her and her mom talk
about how much she wanted to be someone’s fated mate.”
“I hope you’re right, but my mate just shrunk away from my touch. I
don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to fix what’s wrong when I don’t
even know where to find her!” I yelled, raking my hands through my hair.
“I’m pretty sure that I do,” Heather whispered, tugging on my arm. “We
might not be friends, but we’ve lived in the same house the entire time I’ve
been here, so I’ve learned a lot about your mate. Including where she goes
when something is bothering her.”
I was relieved at the possibility that my sister knew how to find my
mate. But it fucking sucked that it was because she’d been the one to give
Adley plenty of reasons to search out her favorite spot to lick her wounds in
private.
 8

ADLEY

“A dley? Is that you?” my mom called out as I tried to shut the gate
to our backyard behind me as quietly as possible.
My shoulders slumped as I eyed the hammock before walking up the
steps to the back porch. Sliding the sliding glass door open, I poked my
head inside the kitchen and answered, “Yeah, Mom.”
She looked up from the cookies she was spooning onto a baking sheet.
“I thought you were going to spend the afternoon at the coffee shop?”
“I changed my mind.” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder. “It was
more crowded in town than I expected. I know it’s a little chilly outside, but
I decided to come back and hang out in the hammock until I get too cold
and need to come inside to warm up.”
My mom pointed at the rows of cookies cooling on the rack. “Come in
and grab a blanket and some of these before you get comfortable out there.”
I’d run all the way home, hoping to sneak into the backyard without my
parents noticing so I could think about what had just happened without
having to talk about the situation with anyone. I should have known better,
though. With their heightened senses, getting past them was almost
impossible. Now I was stuck trying to pretend nothing was wrong. “Sounds
like a great idea, Mom. You know how much I love your loaded oatmeal
cookies.”
She grinned at the compliment. “That’s why I make them so often.”
I only made it three steps inside before my dad walked into the kitchen,
and his nostrils flared. “Why is the scent of a strange wolf all over you?”
 The only thing I could smell was delicious cookies, but I should have
known the aroma wouldn’t cover Luke’s scent after we’d had sex. “I found
my mate.”
“You did? That’s wonderful,” my mom cried, clapping her hands
together as she peered over my shoulder. “Where is he?”
I twisted my hands together. “Um, I-I left him at the hotel with
Heather.”
“Is he from her pack?” my mom asked, her lips curving down at the
edges.
She was probably worried that I was going to leave with him soon,
which was jumping the gun quite a bit since I’d run before he could mark
me. “He’s her brother.”
“Oh, what a lucky coincidence.” My mom looked up at my dad.
“Taking Heather in during her time of need brought our baby girl’s mate
practically to our doorstep.”
“I’d love to agree with you, darling.” My dad flung his arm over my
mom’s shoulders and pulled her against his side. “But our girl doesn’t seem
happy to have Luke for her mate.”
“Oh.” My mom peered at me and frowned more. “I guess you’re right,
dear. But that doesn’t make any sense. You’ve always wanted a mate,
Adley. And from all of the stories Heather has told your dad and me about
her brother, he sounded like such a good person. What went wrong?”
My dad dropped his arm from my mom’s shoulder and cracked his
knuckles. His wolf flashed in his eyes, and I knew he was thinking the
worst. The last thing I needed was for my dad to take off and hunt Luke
down when he hadn’t intentionally done anything to hurt me. I hurried to
explain, “I met him at the coffee shop, but we didn’t stay long once we
realized we were mates. We, uh, went somewhere private to um—”
My mom eyed my dad and ran her palm down his arm in a soothing
gesture. “Even after all these years, we remember how it is when fated
mates first meet.”
My dad grumbled, “Not something I need to think about when it comes
to my baby girl.”
“Oh, please. Now you sound like my father when you and I met,” my
mom chided while rolling her eyes.
“We’re getting off track here.” My dad looked at me, lifting one brow.
“I don’t see a mark on your neck, so we need to get back to your mom’s
question. What went wrong?”
“Things were going great.” My cheeks filled with heat as I thought
about how close Luke had been to marking me before we were interrupted.
I shook my head to clear the sensual fog the memory invoked. “But then
Heather showed up at the hotel, and things went sideways after I realized
they were related.”
My mom’s brow wrinkled, and she cocked her head to the side. “I don’t
understand. Why would that be a problem?”
Oh, crap. I’d let my scattered wits open a door I’d planned on keeping
closed. But I supposed it was for the best since my parents wouldn’t
understand why I hesitated to let Luke claim me without knowing what had
gone down with Heather. Gesturing toward the kitchen table, I suggested,
“You may want to sit down for this.”
“Shit,” my dad muttered, searching my face before leading my mom
over to one of the chairs. After he got her settled, he pulled another seat out
for me and claimed the one between us. “What’s been going on?”
“Things haven’t been great between Heather and me since she moved in
with us.” That was a major understatement, but I figured I should ease them
into the crap she’d pulled under their roof.
“How not great are we talking here?” my dad asked.
I bit my bottom lip and considered the best way to explain so he
wouldn’t lose his temper. When he started tapping his fingers on the table, I
realized it was a lost cause and that the longer I put this off, the worse it was
going to be. “She has this weird issue with me being human and a part of
our pack. At first, she just said stupid stuff about how I didn’t belong in the
Badlands Territory, and Havoc should kick me out of the pack since I’ll
never be able to contribute anything of value because I’m so weak.”
My dad latched onto a key part of what I’d said. “At first?”
“I think my lack of reaction just pissed Heather off because her
comments got worse as time went on.” I cringed as I admitted, “She was so
persistent in telling me how you should’ve never taken me in. That I should
have been raised by humans so you guys could’ve adopted a child who
actually belonged here instead. That I didn’t deserve to know shifters
existed and never would have been let in on the secret if the accident that
killed my parents hadn’t happened nearby.”
“Oh, Adley. Honey.” My mom’s eyes filled with tears.
 I shrugged as I struggled to explain the impact Heather’s insults had on
me. “Eventually, I guess I started believing some of what she had to say.”
My mom stretched her arm over Dad’s lap to squeeze my hand. “Is that
why you’ve been so quiet lately? Because you feel as though you don’t
belong with us anymore?”
“Maybe.” I started to cry, too. “I love you two so much. I can’t imagine
what my life would have been like if the alpha hadn’t brought me to you
after the accident. The worst day of my life was also the luckiest.”
“You have it backward.” My dad wrapped his arm around my shoulders
to pull me close. “You’re the best thing that happened to us. We couldn’t
have asked for a better daughter.
“Your dad is right, sweetie,” my mom agreed. “We’re incredibly lucky
to be able to call you ours and love you so much.”
I flashed her a watery smile. “I know you do.”
“Then why did you keep this from us?” My mom wrung her hands
together as she sniffled. “We never would have let her stay with us if we’d
known she was making you uncomfortable in your own home.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you what was going on. I didn’t want to
be responsible for Heather getting kicked out of our house while she was
dealing with being sent away from her pack.” I sighed and shook my head.
“I guess I didn’t think far enough in advance, though. I wasn’t expecting the
situation to last this long. I figured she’d be able to go back to her own
home long before now.”
My dad pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “You never should have
been put into the position of sacrificing your happiness for someone else in
the first place.”
“You’re so kind, and that girl took advantage of how deeply you feel for
others,” my mom muttered.
“What did her brother have to say about the hatred Heather spewed at
you?” my dad growled.
“I didn’t exactly give him the chance to say anything.” I grimaced and
glanced away, not wanting to see how disappointed they’d be in my answer.
“Oh, Adley. It isn’t fair to judge Luke by what Heather has done,” my
mom chided, wagging her finger. “Just because they’re siblings doesn’t
mean they’re anything alike.”
“And if he doesn’t take your side, I’ll kick his ass,” my dad grumbled.
Then his head whipped around to stare over his shoulder in the direction of
the front door, and I knew my time to think had run out. Luke had found
me. And judging from the flare of anger in my dad’s eyes, Heather had led
him here.
 9

ADLEY

W e all held still as the front door creaked open, and Luke hissed,
“You better be right about her being here.”
“If I’m wrong, at least she’ll turn up eventually. This is her home,”
Heather insisted.
My dad started to stand, but we each gripped one of his arms to hold
him in place. My mom cautioned, “Don’t do anything you’ll regret later.”
“It’s fine, Dad. I’ll handle this,” I assured, patting him on the shoulder
as I got to my feet. “Things would never have gotten this bad if I’d just
stood up for myself in the first place.”
“She does have a point, dear,” my mom agreed as they followed me out
of the kitchen. “Adley is all grown up now and may be mated soon. We
need to let her manage her own life, even if she hasn’t done a great job of it
the past year.”
“Mom,” I cried, glancing over my shoulder at her with wide eyes.
She shrugged and gave me a pointed look. “What? You know darn well
that if you’d come to us sooner or stood firm with Heather when she was
being mean, then the situation wouldn’t have gotten so bad.”
She was right, but it didn’t feel great to have her point out that I hadn’t
handled things well when I was already upset. Heaving a deep sigh, I
continued to make my way down the hall that led to the front of the house.
“Go easy on her, honey,” my dad murmured.
“I’m just saying that we raised a strong young woman who can stand on
her own two feet.” My mom’s compliment eased most of the sting from her
earlier words, but I was filled with a new kind of pain when I entered the
living room and found Luke and Heather there. I wanted to throw myself
into my mate’s arms, but we needed to settle some things before I could
commit myself to a lifetime spent in his pack. Especially since his sister
was bound to return there eventually.
“Adley, you’re here,” Luke gasped, swiftly moving toward me.
I held my hands up before he got too close, and my parents flanked me
on either side. “Mom, Dad, this is Luke. Heather’s brother.”
“And your fated mate,” he growled, his wolf flashing in his eyes as he
glanced down to where my dad was holding my arm.
“Oh, please. Don’t be an idiot, you Neanderthal. He’s my dad,” I
protested with a roll of my eyes.
My dad dropped his hand and chuckled. “Until you wear his mark on
your shoulder, I’m sure it will be next to impossible for Luke to see another
male touch you, even me.”
“Seriously, Luke?” Heather jabbed him in the side with her elbow. “We
came here so you could fix things with Adley. Getting all territorial over
something as trivial as her dad being near her isn’t going to help.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” My mom leaned forward to wink at
my dad. “I enjoy it when my mate gets all growly and possessive over me.”
“It’s expected with fated mates.” My dad eyed Luke up and down. “I
would respect you a whole lot less if you weren’t feeling territorial over my
baby girl now that you’ve found her.”
“And you got something seriously wrong, Heather,” my mom added.
Heather’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “I did?”
My mom nodded. “Luke isn’t the one who’s responsible for what’s
broken here. You are, which makes it your responsibility to repair what
went wrong.”
“Oh.” Heather’s eyes went wide as her skin lost most of its color. “You
know?”
“Yes, our daughter finally saw fit to tell us what you’ve been up to since
you’ve been here,” my dad confirmed.
“I’m so disappointed in you, Heather,” my mom scolded, shaking her
head. “We welcomed you into our home in your time of need, and you
repaid our kindness by treating our daughter horribly.”
Heather looked down, staring at the floor as she mumbled, “I know. I’m
so sorry.”
“That’s not how you give a proper apology, young lady.”
 Heather’s head jerked up, and her spine straightened. Nothing was
remotely funny about the current situation, but I still found myself biting
back a giggle at her reaction to my mom chastising her as she did me a
million times when I was younger.
“You’re right, Mrs. Hoyt.” Heather’s gaze darted toward her brother
before she shifted her focus to me. “Please don’t turn my brother away
because of what I’ve done. He doesn’t deserve to pay for my mistakes, just
as you didn’t deserve to be my verbal punching bag. I was supposed to
work through my issues while I was here, but I didn’t see how much I’d
spiraled until I realized that my behavior might cause you to reject Luke.
I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you for finally apologizing.” It was tempting to let the matter
drop since my entire body yearned for Luke, but too much damage had
been done to let it all go so easily.
“Please, Adley. Tell me what I can do to make up for all of the crap I
said,” she pleaded.
She sounded sincere, but I still had lots of doubts about her ability to
accept me into her family after everything she had said. My gaze darted to
Luke, and my heart raced when I saw the same need in his eyes as I was
feeling. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him as I said, “There’s
something I need to know.”
“Anything,” he rasped.
“My question is for your sister.” I took a step forward as I asked,
“Why?”
Heather didn’t try to pretend not to understand what I needed her to
explain, and I respected her for not playing dumb to try to get out of
answering. “Ever since I was little and a member of our pack saved my life,
I had a crush on him. Then about a year and a half ago, he found his fated
mate. She was human and cared about money more than love, so she
rejected him. Not only were my dreams about us crushed a mere week
before I turned eighteen, but then he left the pack to roam as a lone wolf.”
“Oh,” I gasped, pressing my fingers to my mouth as I thought about
how difficult that must have been. Shifters normally didn’t sense who their
fated mate was until they came of age—although there were some
exceptions, especially with more dominant shifters. It had to have been a
huge blow for Heather to have spent her childhood hoping for a specific
mate only to have everything go horribly wrong so close to when she
thought her dreams were going to come true.
My mom shook her head and sighed, “That’s so sad.”
“As tough as the situation was for my sister, it’s no excuse for the bad
decisions she’s made since then,” Luke grumbled, earning himself an
approving nod from my dad.
“True,” my mom conceded with a sigh. “But a young girl’s heart can be
such a fragile thing.”
Being only a little older than Heather, I couldn’t disagree. But her story
raised another possible issue. “Do other members in your pack feel the
same way about humans after what happened?”
“Gosh, no,” Heather denied, shaking her head. “That’s how I ended up
in so much trouble. Our beta mated a human, and then our alpha discovered
her best friend was his mate. I wasn’t thinking clearly and really messed up
by trying to stir up trouble in the pack by questioning how well Kace could
lead the pack with a human mate at his side.”
This time, my mom and dad gasped with me. My dad was the first to
recover from his shock. “You interfered with your alpha’s mating and only
received a temporary exile from your pack?”
“Yes,” Luke confirmed, glaring at Heather. “And it’s only been this long
because she didn’t pull her head out of her ass until now.”
“You were given a second chance, girl. Stop messing it up,” my dad
advised.
Heather pressed her hand over her heart and promised, “I swear I’ve
learned my lesson. Seeing how wrecked Luke was when Adley ran out was
the wakeup call I needed. No more interfering in other people’s
relationships.”
“And?” my mom prompted, quirking a brow.
Heather quickly caught on to what else she needed to say. “And no
more being mean to people who don’t deserve it.”
“Especially those who are way more understanding than you had any
right to expect,” Luke muttered.
It felt amazing to hear my fated mate stick up for me. My heart felt as
though it was in my throat as I stared at him and whispered, “Luke.”
He took a couple of steps forward but didn’t get far.
“Not so fast, son.” My dad pressed his hand against Luke’s chest. “Can
I trust you with my daughter?”
 “Yes, absolutely,” Luke vowed, sincerity shining from his dark eyes.
“Nobody will ever hurt Adley. Not on my watch.”
“Good answer.” My dad dropped his arms and stepped back.
Luke reached for me and asked, “Will you come with me, Adley?”
I put my hand in his as I gave him the answer that bubbled you from the
depths of my soul. “Yes.”
 10

LUKE

I couldn’t get Adley back to my hotel room fast enough. Once the door
was shut behind us, I flipped the lock and the deadbolt. I was tempted to
shove the table and chairs in front of it, but I figured that might be taking
things a little too far, even if she had run from me earlier. Adley must have
caught on to my fears because she came up behind me and wrapped her
arms around my body, pressing her cheek against my back. “I’m sorry I left
before. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I turned and pulled her against my chest, running my palm up and down
her spine. “It’s okay, baby. I don’t blame you for having doubts when you
found out Heather was my sister. I’m just sorry she put you through all of
that.”
“It’s not your fault. Not even a little bit.” Adley leaned her head back to
stare up at me. “And I feel a lot better about what happened now that
Heather has apologized and explained where she was coming from.”
“How in the hell did I get so lucky?” I whispered, blown away by my
mate’s gentle spirit. I would gladly spend the rest of my days protecting her
from anyone who would try to take advantage of her kindness.
“I don’t know.” She grinned up at me. “But I think we’ve tempted fate
enough already today. We probably shouldn’t wait too much longer for you
to fully claim me, or we might push our luck too far.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me.” I tossed her over my shoulder
and strode to the bed. I wasn’t ready to let her go, so I sat on the edge of the
mattress with her on my lap as I started to help my beautiful mate out of her
clothes. With her help, it didn’t take long for both of us to get naked.
 Flipping her onto her back, I dropped to my knees and yanked her ass to
the edge of the bed. Determined to make her come before I sank my cock
inside her tight pussy again, I spread her legs wide and started kissing my
way up the inside of her thigh. When I got to the crease of her upper thigh,
she threaded her fingers through my hair and lifted her hips off the bed.
“Please.”
Gripping her hips, I licked around her pussy and chuckled. “Don’t
worry, baby. I’ll give you exactly what you need.”
I finally ended my torture and flicked my tongue over her clit before
making my way to her center to lick between her swollen pink lips. “I’ll
never get tired of your taste,” I growled against her wet flesh.
“Feels so good,” she panted.
My tongue got to work, building my mate’s pleasure higher and higher.
Her little cries spurred me on, and I buried my face in her soaked pussy
since my tongue couldn’t capture enough of her slick juices to satisfy my
craving. “So fucking delicious,” I growled between strokes of my tongue
inside her tight channel.
“I’m getting close,” she gasped, her fingers gripped my scalp as she
rode my face.
It should’ve been impossible since I felt as though I could pound nails
into concrete with my dick, but knowing how much she was enjoying what
I was doing to her made me harder. I was driven by a fierce need to give her
pleasure before I took my own. Sliding a finger inside her pussy, I sucked
her clit into my mouth and wanted to roar in triumph when her body bowed,
and she flew apart while screaming my name. I kept working her pussy and
clit until she came a second time, her walls pulsating around three of my
fingers.
I stood while Adley was catching her breath and climbed onto the
mattress, dragging her limp body over mine. With her hands pressed against
my chest for balance, I settled her over my cock and pulled her down until I
was seated balls deep in her tight heat.
“I want you to ride me, baby.” I slid my palms up her body to cup her
full breasts. “Let me see these sway while you bounce up and down on my
dick.”
She flung her head back, pressing her tits into my palms as she moaned,
“Luke.”
 “Show me how well you can take my cock.” Adley grabbed my
shoulders, and after a few torturous wiggles of her hips, she finally started
riding my dick. She started out slow at first, but once she got the hang of it,
she was bouncing on my hard cock like she’d been born to do it. Which she
had because she was made for me. “Your pussy takes me so good. I love
knowing I’m the only man who’ll ever feel how fucking amazing it feels to
sink inside you. To taste you and feel how hard your pussy clamps down
when you come.”
“You can’t talk like that, or I’m going to come,” she panted, lifting her
head to stare down at me. Her blue eyes were hazy with passion, and her
cheeks were flushed. She looked so fucking gorgeous. I could hardly
believe she was mine.
“That’s not a good reason for me to stop. I’ve only experienced it four
times so far, but I already fucking love to watch you come, baby.” Curling
up, I sucked one of her nipples in my mouth and flicked the hardened peak
with my tongue. Her pussy fluttered around me, pushing me closer to the
edge. Her arms wrapped around the back of my head, and she held me in
place as I feasted on her round tits. My hands went to her hips so I could lift
her up and down my length since her wiggles and panted breaths were
driving me out of my mind. As I drove her close to the edge, I had to work
harder to thrust back inside.
My fingers dug into her hips until I sensed she was about ready to come.
Then I laid back and watched her as she chased her release. Her hands
pushed on my chest as she worked her hips over my dick. “That’s it, baby.
Take my cock and send us both over the edge,” I grunted.
“So close,” she panted, her nails digging into my chest.
I was too close to shooting off myself, so I reached between our bodies
and started playing with her clit. “Come for me, Adley. Now.”
She threw her head back and screamed as her pussy clamped down on
my cock. I couldn’t hold back any longer, and jets of come shot out of my
cock and filled her until our mixed releases dripped down her inner thighs.
Once our climaxes were over, she collapsed on my chest.
My wolf was determined to solidify the bond with Adley before
anything else could stop us, and my canines pushed against my gums.
“Please tell me that you’re ready for my mark.”
“Yes,” she panted, turning her head, so I had better access to her
shoulder.
 Inhaling our combined scents deep into my lungs, I licked over the spot
that was going to hold my mark for the rest of our lives. My wolf was
beyond ready to claim our mate, and fur brushed against my skin. “You’re
mine,” I growled before I sank my teeth into her soft skin.
Her pussy rippled around my cock as power surged between us, leaving
a sense of completeness in its wake. Now that Adley had accepted me as
her mate, my soul had found its missing half. I wasn’t sure how long we
stayed locked together, enjoying the closeness that came with our bond.
Eventually, Adley asked, “Can we stay in the Badlands Territory for a little
while? I’d feel better if I got to know your sister here, where I feel more
comfortable, instead of in a new home where I’ll need to figure out my
place.”
“Whatever you need,” I promised, pressing a kiss to the top of her head
as I gave her a little squeeze. “When I call Kace and let him know I found
my mate, he’ll give me as much time as I need.”
“Your alpha sounds kind of awesome,” she mumbled against my chest.
“He is.” When the territorial side of me won out, I added, “But not as
awesome as me, even though he’s the alpha.”
I felt her lips curve up before she tilted her head back so I could see her
smile. “I know. As far as I’m concerned, you’re more awesome than anyone
else in the whole, wide world.”
Fate really has smiled upon me by giving me Adley for a mate. She was
so damn sweet; I was already starting to fall in love with her. I had no doubt
the feeling would grow each and every day for the rest of our lives.
 EPILOGUE
ADLEY

“L uke,” I moaned before pressing my fist to my mouth to keep any

more sound from escaping. Oops. That had been a little too loud.
In the three weeks that Luke and I had been together, I’d stayed with him in
his hotel room. But I’d begged him to spend Christmas Eve at my parents’
house so it would be just like all the Christmases I could remember. Except
this time, a sexy as sin man was in my bed.
“Baby,” he growled in warning as he lifted his head from between my
legs. “I agreed to spend the night at your parents’ house as long as I wasn’t
deprived of my bedtime snack. So unless you want your parents to hear
what you sound like when you come, which would make me lose my
fucking mind, you need to keep those sexy moans quiet.”
Luke waited until I bobbed my head frantically and silently before
returning to eating my pussy. My hips pumped up in desperation as I
climbed close and closer to climax. “Fuck. You taste so good,” he groaned,
his low voice further muffled from being buried in my sex. “Give me more,
baby. Come all over my face so I can drink your nectar.”
Trying to keep from screaming, I bit down on my bottom lips so hard it
drew blood. Luke’s filthy mouth was like gasoline on a fire. Mere thoughts
of him turned me on, but I became a quivering mass of need when he said
dirty things.
Luke’s hands slid up my sides until he was cupping my breasts. I gasped
when the hard tips scraped his palms. Ever since he’d smelled his pup in my
belly, they’d been more and more sensitive. He gave the globes a solid
squeeze before pinching my nipples just as he sucked hard on my clit. My
climax barreled through me, and I grabbed a pillow and shoved it down on
my face as a scream ripped from my chest.
“Fuck, yes,” he growled, the vibrations from his voice fluttering over
my clit and making me come even harder.
Before I’d completely descended from my orgasmic high, he was
blanketing me with his body and pushing his big, hard cock into my
drenched pussy. He growled and dropped his head into the crook of my
neck. “So fucking tight.” Once he sheathed from root to tip, he slowly
withdrew almost all of the way before slamming back in. I gasped, and my
hands flew to his biceps, holding on to him as waves of sensation crashed
over me. On the next thrust, I bucked my hips and my legs locked around
his waist. He set a fast rhythm that quickly pushed us to the edge. I felt a
soft lick over the mark that proclaimed I was his, right before his teeth suck
into my flesh, and I felt a brush of fur against my fingertips. My grip
intensified, my nails drawing blood as I mashed my lips together in an
attempt to stifle my cries of ecstasy. “Fuck, I love you,” Luke groaned as
the warmth of his release spurted in my womb. I was a little dumbstruck at
finally hearing the words I’d been longing for and too chicken to say first.
But between that and the way he was rocking his dick against my clit, I
came so hard I almost blacked out.
When Luke’s body went limp, he rolled us over so that I was sprawled
over him with his semi-hard cock still snug in my pussy. My cheek rested
on his chest, and I smiled when I felt the brush of his lips on the top of my
head. We snuggled for a few minutes in silence, and I contemplated whether
to bring up what he’d said. In the weeks since he claimed me, and even
after he’d knocked me up, he’d never once mentioned love. I felt it in his
touch, and in the way he looked at me, though. Still, I wanted the words.
Eventually, I pulled up my figurative big girl panties and lifted my head
to look into his deep brown eyes. “Did you mean it?”
Confusion flitted across his face before it was quickly replaced with
understanding. His lips curved up in a soft smile, and he gently ran a hand
over my hair. “I did.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t just because you were caught up in the heat of
the moment?” I pressed, terrified to hear the answer.
Luke cupped my face in his palms and stared into my eyes with
sincerity shining from his dark orbs. “Adley, I’ve loved you from nearly the
moment we met. I was trying to wait until I knew you felt the same because
even though you know all about shifters and fated mates, I was worried you
still might feel overwhelmed by how fast this was all happening.” He shook
his head and smiled with a hint of sheepishness that I found completely
adorable. “I’ve wanted to say the words to you so many times. This
certainly wasn’t how I’d planned to tell you, but frankly, I’m surprised it
didn’t slip out long before now.”
I giggled, and my mouth spread into a dopey smile. “I lo—”
“Wait.” Luke cut off what I was going to say and grasped my hips,
gliding my body up until his cock was cradled between my thighs. Then he
slowly pushed my legs to the side and urged me to sit up so that I was
straddling him. He lifted me up and brought me back down as he impaled
me on his rigid dick. “Now tell me,” he growled as he began to work my
body up and down.
“I-I…yesss.” My thoughts were scattered as my body began to tremble,
and I shook my head to try to clear away the cobwebs. “What?” I asked
when I still couldn’t grasp what he wanted.
“Tell me you love me, baby.” He shifted slightly, and the new angel hit
everything just right.
“Oh!” I sucked in a breath and exhaled with a moan. “I love you, Luke,”
I rasped. “So, so much.”
“I love you too, baby,” he responded in a gravelly voice. “Ride me hard,
Adley. Then I want to hear you say it again while you come on my cock.”
There was something so dang hot about his request that I was falling
over the edge in no time. “I love you!” I shouted. Despite being mid-
climax, I immediately stilled, and my eyes swung to my shut—and
thankfully locked—door.
But Luke didn’t give me time to worry as he began to drive in and out
fast and hard. The quivers of my orgasm burst into shudders as my insides
splintered apart.
“That’s it, baby. Milk my cock,” Luke grunted. “Fuck, I love these tits.”
His hands cupped my breasts, and I had to bite my lip to stifle another cry.
“I love the way they bounce when you’re working that tight pussy on my
dick.” He raised up off the mattress far enough to lick and suck each nipple
until another orgasm hit me right on the heels of the last. “Fuck,” he
grunted. “I can’t last when your pussy is gripping me so damn hard.” He
shoved his hips up one last time and growled my name through clenched
teeth as he let go.
 Sometime later, after we’d caught our breath and our racing heartbeats
had begun to even out, he wrapped himself around me from behind and
hugged me close. “There,” he whispered, “Now we both said it for the first
time while coming.”
I couldn’t help the giggle that worked its way out. It was funny, but it
was also sweet and made me love him even more. “I love you, Luke,” I
murmured as I snuggled deeper into his embrace.
“Love you too, baby. Forever.”

T , I tugged Luke’s hand as I pulled him out to the living

room. “Come on! It’s Christmas!”
The living room looked as though Christmas had thrown up all over,
and I loved it. I’d always loved this holiday, but Christmas morning was
always my favorite part. Watching my parents’ faces as they opened the
gifts I’d bought or made for them was better than my mom’s homemade
cinnamon rolls. And that was saying a lot because those decadent treats
were like a bit of heaven in your mouth.
I was a little nervous this year, though. Luke and I had learned a lot
about each other in the past few weeks, but I couldn’t help worrying that he
would hate the presents I had for him. But he’d lit up with each gift he
opened, and it officially became my favorite Christmas in my life so far.
I was flabbergasted when I opened a box from him that contained my
favorite romance series in hardbacks, each one signed by the author. He
laughed when I screamed and launched myself into his arms, peppering
kisses all over his face. The gift had been even more meaningful when I
unwrapped a beautiful, handmade bookshelf from my dad. They had clearly
collaborated, and it made me feel warm inside to see Luke becoming a part
of my family.
My mom squealed with delight, and I turned to see her holding up the
shirt that said, “Promoted to Grandma” with the year our baby would be
born. I knew my parents had scented the pregnancy, but it was still fun to
pretend I was telling them for the first time, and my mother’s reaction made
it even better. When my father opened his, he practically melted into a
puddle. I ran over to hug them both, and even though I was ready to return
home with Luke and start our lives together, I cried because it would be
difficult not to see them every day. But they assured me they would visit
often, and I imagined it would be even more once the baby was born.
The front door suddenly opened and shut. Luke’s whole body stiffened,
his wolf flashing in his eyes as they locked on me. There was a protective
gleam in them that had me hurrying over to him. He pulled me down into
his lap and wrapped his arms around me as though to shield me from
whoever had arrived.
My mom stood and walked out to the foyer, returning shortly with
Luke’s sister trailing hesitantly behind her. A low growl emitted from my
mate, and he tucked me against his chest as he glared at Heather.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she held up her hands and shook her head.
“I come in peace. I promise.”
After Heather’s apology, she’d done a one-eighty and had made an
effort to get to know me better. Since I was staying with Luke, I’d
convinced my parents to allow her to continue living with them. But I
hadn’t been able to talk Luke into letting her join us for Christmas morning.
He wouldn’t budge because he didn’t want anything ruining our first
holiday together, and he was still wary of his sister’s sincerity.
We’d respected his wishes, and she’d rented a room in the hotel for the
night. However, I’d talked Heather into coming back in the late morning. I
hated the idea of her being alone on Christmas, and I felt like it was a great
opportunity for us all to continue burying the hatchet.
Luke’s hold on me didn’t lessen, but I felt a bit of the tension in his
body slip away. “Merry Christmas,” he murmured.
Heather smiled tremulously as she came farther into the room. “Merry
Christmas.” She sat in an overstuffed chair near us and lowered the bag on
her shoulder to the ground. Then she dug through it and retrieved some
small, brightly wrapped presents. She handed one to each of us before
returning to her seat and shrinking into it while her hands twisted nervously
in her lap.
Luke unwrapped his box and opened it to find a thick platinum band
nestled in the tissue paper. His brows lifted, and he looked at his sister in
surprise. “Grandpa’s ring?”
She nodded and gestured to the present. “I know the men in our family
like to wear rings so that even non-shifters know they are claimed. And
even though Adley was raised in this pack, I thought that since she is
human, she might like to get married.” A lot of shifters considered the
claiming enough, but some didn’t. Particularly those with human mates as it
was a tradition in our culture. I was impressed with Heather’s
thoughtfulness and hoped she was turning her life around continued to
blossom.
Luke looked down at my face and smiled tenderly. “Is that something
you’d like, baby?”
I hadn’t realized until right that moment how much I wanted to marry
him, and it seemed almost funny that I had Heather to thank for helping me
come to that realization. I nodded, and he bent his head to kiss the tip of my
nose. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
Heather sighed, but it wasn’t an irritated one. It sounded more like
relief. I glanced at her, and she jutted her chin toward the present in my
hands. “If you’d said no, this gift would have been a little pointless,” she
said with a sheepish shrug.
I ripped open the red and white paper and lifted the lid. My breath
caught in my throat when I saw a beautiful, diamond-encrusted ring with a
round diamond on top, flanked by deep blue sapphires.
“Heather,” Luke’s shocked voice drew my attention to his face. “Are
you sure?”
She nodded and smiled at me. “That was my great-grandmother’s ring.
She was also human. It was passed down to me, but I think it should be
yours.”
“I can’t take this,” I sputtered as I tried to hand the ring back, but she
wouldn't take it.
“Who knows if I’ll even find my mate, and that ring shouldn’t just sit
around waiting. It’s meant to be worn by a woman in love. If my mate
shows up someday, I want to have something new made. Something that
reminds me I’m a different person. Hopefully, someone worthy of him.”
I was too choked with tears to respond, so I simply stood and took a few
steps to her chair, pulling her up into a hug. “You will be,” I told her.
The rest of the day was full of love and laughter, and I was delighted to
see the ice between Luke and Heather thawing. I truly believed she was on
the path to becoming a better person, and eventually, I believed she had
earned the right to return home. So, I approached my new alpha and spoke
on her behalf. He seemed genuinely pleased with the situation and gave his
blessing.
 Luke’s family had welcomed me with open arms, but it wasn’t until
Heather came back that I felt as though I’d been blessed with two complete
families. And when our daughter Sloan was born, my parents came to visit,
and those families merged into one.
 EPILOGUE
LUKE

“H ey, baby,” I greeted Adley as I walked up behind her and slid my

arms around her waist. I kissed her neck, and as usual, even after
ten years together, a shiver raced down her spine. My chuckle vibrated
against her skin as I dragged my lips up to nibble on the shell of her ear. “I
missed you,” I breathed. I’d only been gone twenty-four hours while
completing an assignment given to me by my alpha, but I hated any lengthy
time away from my mate.
Adley twisted around and twined her arms around my neck, lifting her
face for a proper kiss. Eagerly, I pressed my lips to hers and groaned before
licking along the seam of her mouth. She opened for me, and I tangled my
tongue with hers, starving for her taste. The kiss began to heat, but before I
could sweep her up in my arms and carry her to our bed, our three-year-old,
Zuri, came running into the kitchen, exclaiming when she spotted me.
“Daddy!” I groaned at the interruption and nipped Adley’s lip when she
stifled a laugh. I adored my children, but it hadn’t taken me long to
understand what Kace had been talking about. Our pups had perfect timing.
Anytime I had Adley beneath me or was about to find a private place to
have a quickie, one of our kids inevitably needed something.
“I thought they were with Calliope,” I mumbled before turning and
crouching down to catch my daughter as she threw herself into my arms.
Before she could answer, Calliope strolled into the room with our
seven-year-old son, Wren, following with his eyes on the floor.
“Wen said I can’t shift ’cuz I’m a girl,” Zuri wailed dramatically.
 I narrowed my eyes at my son when he quickly glanced up but verbally
responded to my daughter. “You know he’s just teasing, pumpkin. Sloane
can shift, and she’s a girl.”
Zuri pulled her head back and looked up at me with crocodile tears
running down her face and her little lips trembling. My heart cracked at
seeing my baby girl so upset.
“I said she probably wouldn’t be able to shift as early as me since she’s
a girl,” Wren muttered, digging the toe of his sneaker into the floor. “Not
that she wouldn’t ever be able to.”
“I’m sorry,” Calliope spoke up. “This was my fault. Azlyn’s been upset
because Rush shifted a week ago.” My eyebrows rose at this news. Rush
was only three, a year younger than his sister Azlyn. It wasn’t unheard of
for kids to shift that early, but it didn’t happen often.
“She’s convinced herself that it’s because she’s a girl since Kyla didn’t
shift until she was around eight. Wren obviously heard her complaining and
relayed the theory to Zuri.”
Adley waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Kids have
misunderstandings all the time, and Zuri tends to be…” she glanced at our
daughter still crying softly in my arms and whispered the rest, “a little
overly dramatic.”
Calliope chuckled. “She and Azlyn are going to be competing for an
Oscar someday.”
“I don’t want a mate named Oscar,” Zuri suddenly wailed as she began
to sob hysterically again.
“Let’s just hope the selective hearing goes away soon,” Adley said as
she rolled her eyes, but her tone was amused.
“Hey, pumpkin. Can you calm down for me, please?” I cajoled.
Zuri hiccupped and sniffed a couple of times before nodding her head.
“Good girl. You’ll shift when you're ready, Zuri,” I told her gently. “Do you
believe me?”
My daughter nodded again and wiped her tears away with her sleeve.
“Yes, Daddy. You know everything.”
I beamed but tossed a small glare at my wife when I heard her coughing
to cover her laughter. “That’s right, pumpkin,” I said smugly.
Zuri snuggled into my embrace, and I picked her up as I stood. Calliope
gave a quick wave and said goodbye before she headed out.
 Adley offered to make a snack, and Zuri clapped happily, all traces of
her despair wiped away. I set her down in a booster seat at the kitchen table
and placed a kiss on her head before turning to face my son. He’d been
sneaking toward the door but froze when he felt my eyes on him. His head
swiveled around, and when he saw the expression on my face, his shoulders
slumped.
“Let’s talk,” I said, tipping my head toward the back door that led to a
large backyard that ended at the edge of a forest. I strolled over and opened
the door and watched as Wren trudged over. He looked so pathetic; I had a
hard time holding in my smile. Zuri wasn’t the only dramatic one around
here. I maintained that they inherited their flare from their Aunt Heather.
Whereas Sloane, my pragmatic child, took after me.
Wren plopped down onto the plump cushions of one of the wicker
chairs at our patio table. I took the chair next to him but rotated us to face
one another.
“Am I in trouble?” he asked softly.
“No.” Wren sighed with relief, but I didn’t let him off the hook so
easily. “But I’m disappointed that you would say things to Zuri that you
knew would upset her.”
My son grimaced. I didn’t have to punish him often. Seeing my
disappointment was usually enough to have him asking forgiveness and
correcting his behavior.
“She was going on and on about shifting, and I didn’t want her to get
her hopes up.”
I cocked my head to the side and studied him as I responded. “I
appreciate what you were trying to do, buddy, but she’s three. She doesn’t
understand the logic the way we do. Next time, tell Mom or me, and we’ll
handle it if we think it’s necessary. Got it?”
Wren nodded and dug the toe of his shoe into the ground again. “Sorry,
Dad.”
I pulled him from his chair and gave him a big hug. “Thanks, buddy.
But I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”
He stepped away and stoically marched back into the house, making me
chuckle.
When I walked in, he was telling Zuri he was sorry and giving her a
hug. Then he threw me a smile and announced, “I’m going out to play!” as
he bounced out of the room, clearly over the whole incident. Adley
snickered, and we shared a look of amusement. Life was never dull in our
house. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Y ’ ,” Adley panted later that night when the kids were

finally asleep, and my mate welcomed me home with a silky scrap of fabric
that quickly landed on the floor in shreds.
“That is the word on the street,” I teased as I spooned her and tucked
her into my body.
Adley snickered and reached back to poke me in the ribs. “Like anyone
else would know.”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks but you, baby.”
She let out a little sigh of contentment and her fingertips floated softly
over my arm, sending little zings of pleasure over my skin. “While I fully
admit that you are amazing in bed,” she acknowledged, “I was talking about
as a husband and father. I still can’t believe that fate gave me you as a
mate.”
Frowning, I rolled Adley onto her back and came up over her. “You are
everything, baby. If anyone should be shocked at their good fortune, it’s me.
I can’t think of anything I did to deserve you, but it doesn’t matter anyway
because I’m never letting you go. You’re mine.”
My mate smiled, and it lit up her beautiful face, filling me with love and
a healthy dose of lust. “Such a neanderthal,” she muttered with a smirk.
“Maybe I am,” I consented with a wink. “But you love it.” One of my
hands drifted down to cup her soaked pussy. “It gets you so wet. Are you
needy, baby? Do you want your caveman to fuck you?”
Adley licked her lips, making my mouth water, and nodded. “Please,”
she begged, wrapping her legs around my waist.
Flames of desire engulfed me, and I thrust my hard, fat cock into her
tight channel and fucked her with wild abandon.
“Luke!” she hissed. “Yes!”
“Fuck, baby,” I groaned. “I’ll never get enough of this pussy. So damn
good.”
“I’m so close—”
“MOMMY!”
 I stilled and buried my face in Adley’s neck as I growled, “Son of a
bitch!”
“Hold that thought,” Adley whispered with a snicker. Her walls
clenched around my hard on, and my hips punched forward involuntarily. I
groaned at the sheer ecstasy and scowled at her as she pushed me away and
climbed off the bed.
“You’re going to pay for that,” I warned.
Adley smirked as she threw my T-shirt over her head. Looking sexy as
fuck in my clothes, she pranced to the door and quipped, “I hope so,” before
disappearing. I fell to the bed with a laugh and a tortured groan.
“DADDY! There’s a momster!” Zuri yelled at the top of her lungs, and
I chuckled as I rolled out of bed. “Momsters” were Daddy territory. I
grabbed a pair of sleep pants and put them on before heading off to be a
hero. My kids might have been little cock-blockers, but along with their
mom, they were the loves of my life. I’d do anything for them, including
slaying “momsters.”

If you want some more PNR from us, we also have vampires in Dusk
Before Dawn!

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The writing duo of Elle Christensen and Rochelle Paige team up under the Fiona Davenport pen
name to bring you sexy, insta-love stories filled with alpha males. If you want a quick & dirty read
with a guaranteed happily ever after, then give Fiona Davenport a try!

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