Chapter 6

Karter

I pull out of the parking lot and head north on I-15 toward Broken Falls. It takes less than thirty minutes before I pull off at the truck stop / diner and into a spot next to my brother’s old diesel truck. I can smell him, his mating pheromones stinking up the place. This is a shifter-owned diner, but Lucille is a widow and has been without a mate for a long time. I’m not sure if she shifts anymore, as that isn’t the kind of thing you ask someone.

It’s simply not polite conversation in our world.

Holding the door open for Valery, I lock eyes with Kade whose nostrils flare as he takes in my stench. A wry grin twists his lips as he lowers his mouth to Dinah’s ear.

She looks up and waves. “Hi guys!”

I point in their direction as Kade stands up. “Over there.”

“Holy shit,” Valery murmurs as we walk the twenty feet across the room. “Are all the men in your family big?”

“Yeah,” I chuckle.

Kade helps Dinah slide out of the booth to stand by his side.

“Valery, this is my brother Kade and his fiancée Dinah.”

Dinah steps forward and wraps her arms around Valery who goes ramrod straight in the petite woman’s embrace. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Honeysuckle, take it easy,” Kade chuckles and pulls his mate back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist.

I don’t know why, but a jealous stab twists my gut. I wasn’t there when his bear found its mate. I wasn’t there to witness any of Kade’s torment while winning over his woman. Maybe it was harder than he made it seem, but looking at them together right now, their love seems like the easiest, most natural thing in the world.

“Sorry.” Dinah grins. “I’m not sure why I did that. Maybe we should sit down?”

“Don’t you have something for me in your truck?” Kade raises his brow in my direction, while telepathically telling me, “Let’s talk.”

“Uh, yeah. Let’s take care of that.” I place my hand on the small of Valery’s back and motion to the bench. “Have a seat. We’ll be right back.”

She sits down, slides to the end near the window to leave space for me, and smiles. “Do you want me to order you something to drink?”

“Iced tea would be great.”

Kade leans down and lays a kiss against Dinah’s temple, whispering in her ear, “We’ll be right outside the door. You’ll see us through the windows.”

“Okay. Love you.” Dinah smiles up at him with pure love and devotion.

Kade smiles back with equal adoration. “I love you too.”

My bear grumbles and I spin on my heel, feeling Kade’s happy bear at my back and damn near hating him for it. This is asinine. I’ve met Dinah before and felt no jealousy for their relationship whatsoever.

We get outside and walk to the back of his truck, lowering the tailgate and taking a seat.

“Man, you are fucking wound tight.” Kade chuckles, as if he finds my grumpiness amusing.

“Is it that obvious?”

He quirks his brow. “You know I can hear your bear. He’s bitching and moaning like a caged animal.”

“You didn’t say it would be this hard. Didn’t you meet Dinah during a full moon?”

“Yeah, but I had years of experience controlling my bear around humans before I met my mate. You have virtually none.” Kade sits next to me, his voice soothing. “Dad said your naked ass pinned her against a wall, your bear in full control of the situation. You’re lucky you didn’t hurt her.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” I snap.

He ignores me. “What are you going to do?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. She has no reason to stay after we get her van fixed. How did you keep yourself from touching Dinah in the beginning? I feel like I’m going to die if I can’t pull Valery into my arms and hold her, much less everything else I want to do.”

Kade shrugs. “I got lucky. Dinah sought comfort and welcomed it in the form of physical touch. Obviously your bear is pushing out your mating pheromone in full force. You reek of it. Do you think she feels a pull to you?”

Nodding, I run my hand down my face. “I think so. I mean, she didn’t scream, punch, kick, or knee me in the balls when I had her pinned against the wall. Hell, she’s even teased me about it on the drive over.” Hanging my head, I let out a slow breath. “I don’t know how to do this, bro. I don’t know how to flirt with, much less seduce a woman—human or otherwise. Why would the Fates do this to us?”

“I don’t know, but I’m glad I’m not the anomaly. You remember my buddy Wiley?”

“He’s a wolf shifter and SpecOps medic, right?”

“Yeah. He met his human mate while Dinah and I were visiting you in Fortune Falls a few months ago. Obviously, we saw shifter-human pairings occasionally in the military when we were surrounded by them, but nothing like this.”

I jump off the tailgate and look at the two women sitting across from each other in the booth.

Our mates.

One claimed, one… who knows what will happen?

“I’m supposed to lead the pack tonight,” I say absently.

“That’s not going to happen.” Kade scratches along the scruff on his neck. “You should come back to Broken Falls with us. I don’t think it’s safe for her in Fortune Falls on a full moon.”

“I have no choice. I have to get the parts to Dad, and we have to work on her van. Otherwise what excuse do I have to keep her away?”

“Shit. You’re right. But you have to keep her out of sight. If Siren James catches scent of her, he’ll make your life hell.”

“I know.”

“Let me talk to the boys about taking over tonight. It’s time they step up, anyway. Worst case, I’ll come do it. Meanwhile, you need to use every minute you have getting to know each other and see what you can do about seducing her.”

“Fucking her isn’t the same as claiming and marking her, unless I’m confused about how this works.”

“No, it’s not the same, but the closer you get, the happier your bear will be. Maybe it’ll shut him up for a while, so you can think clearly.”

“I fucking hate this,” I grumble, kicking at a stone in the parking lot.

“It’s called dating—except you’re on a condensed timeline—and everyone hates it.” Kade chuckles and stands up. “Skip the festivities tonight and take her to the cabin.”

“Fates, I forgot about the cabin. I haven’t been up there in years.”

“The boys are there all the time, so I know it’s kept up. Do they know about her yet?”

Shaking my head, I stuff my hands in my pockets. “Not unless Dad told them.”

“I don’t think he told anybody besides me. He was really worried about you this morning when he called me.”

Dad’s worried, Kade’s worried, and I’m worried.

I’m a man with no experience and zero game.

How the hell am I going to pull this off?

Glancing at Valery, my heart constricts. “She’s beautiful, huh?”

Kade nods, a knowing grin spreading his lips. “Yes.”

I don’t take my eyes off of her. “She’s smart too. Educated and successful. Why the fuck would she pick me? I have nothing to offer her. I don’t have a home for us to live in, or a career, or even disposable income.”

Kade stands and wraps his hand around the back of my neck, pulling my attention to him. He forces our heads together, foreheads touching, his bear coaxing my bear to relax like he did when I’d first shifted in my teens. “She’ll pick you because you will love, honor, and protect her like no man ever will. Deep down, as your fated mate, she knows it. The rest of it—money, house, education, career—is noise. Besides, if you mate her, we’ll build you a cabin on the property. You know we take care of our own.”

“I know, but what if she doesn’t want to stay in Fortune Falls? Her plan is to travel the country and visit all the national parks. What am I supposed to do about Kylian, the boys, Dad, or the pack? Like I said last night, something foul is going on with the wolves and?—”

“Sorry to break it to you, little brother, but none of that matters anymore. Right now your only responsibility in life is your mate. You postponed chasing after anything you wanted to take care of the family when Dad couldn’t and Kash and I left. You’ve kept this family running for over a decade, long before you should’ve had to. Now it’s time for the rest of us to step up. That woman in there is the only thing that matters, and if you have to leave Fortune Falls and follow her around the country to claim your mate, that’s what you’re going to do.”