Page 28 of His True Mate

“That better be fresh, and you better have a great excuse for coming back early. We just spoke yesterday, and everything was set.”

“Things changed,” I said not quite knowing how to tell him about the girl in my bed. “I haven’t slept much. We drove through the night.”

“Why?”

“Well first can I talk to my friend? I’ll explain it to my Alpha in a minute.”

He rolled his eyes. “We’re really doing this again?”

“Yup. I need my friend to be happy for me before my Alpha scolds me for doing something stupid.”

“Oh great. What did you get yourself into this time?”

“You say that like it’s normal. I’m not Austin.”

He chuckled. “Touché. So what’s up?”

“I found my true mate.”

Thomas’s eyes went wide. “You did? When? Congratulations man! I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Thanks.”

“So that’s the happy news. What does your Alpha need to know about this?”

I sighed. “It’s possible I may have inadvertently started a Pack war over it. I don’t really know. She says it’ll all blow over, but I just need you aware in case something comes of it.”

“A Pack war? What the hell, Clay? I’d expect this from Emmett maybe, definitely Austin, but you? What happened?”

“So Winnie, that’s my mate, was part of this traveling rodeo. They’re all wolf shifters. Cruz and Brady talked to a few of them, but when I came around, they weren’t real pleased about it.”

“Your wolf is strong, Clay. That’s not surprising.”

“Right. So, I tried to steer clear of them, but then we went to the rodeo, and I saw Winnie. She was performing on a bronco. Man, she is gorgeous. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, and then my wolf told me who she was, and I was shocked, but I swear, I kept my cool. I tried to find her back in the stables and some asshole put his hand on her. I dunno, man. I just saw red. I punched him hard enough to knock him out.”

“And that’s why you think you’re in some sort of trouble?”

“Not exactly. See, Winnie already had her bag packed and was planning to run away. She didn’t seem to have much of a plan, so I talked her into coming back with me, but meanwhile her Pack was looking everywhere for her. We got out just before they started closing the highways on the hunt using the local human police to assist.”

“Great. I think I might need something stronger than coffee today.”

I pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured it into his coffee and then in mine.

We toasted.

“To true mates. They sure can be a pain in my ass,” Thomas said as we clinked our glasses together and took a long swig.

“She’s worth it though, right?”

“Always worth it, Clay. I’m happy for you. I am going to need the name of her Pack and her Alpha. If he’s that worried about her it could get a little ugly, but I’ll handle it.”

“Thanks, Thomas.”

The creek on the floor alerted us to her presence as we both turned to see Winnie watching us from the hallway.

“You must be Winnie.”

She didn’t acknowledge Thomas as she watched me instead.