Page 5 of Jace’s Mate (East Coast Territory #1)

J ace drove through streets lined with abandoned warehouses and broken glass, the SUV’s window rolled down so he could take in every scent.

The city was a living thing—loud, shifting, full of heat and movement.

But it was the scent that thrilled him most.

Urban air was dense with stories—hot tar, old oil, cheap cologne, blood and life and something wild. It was exhilarating, the chaos of it. Still, nothing compared to the pure, soul-cleansing rush of running through the woods, his paws pounding the earth, heart beating in time with the wild.

And if he was feeling the urge to shift and run, then the rest of his pack was probably wrestling with their instincts too.

Tonight , he thought. If nothing explodes in the next hour, I’ll take the pack into the woods.

Parking inside a crumbling factory, he slid the keys into his pocket and hit the switch to lower the garage door.

As the metal shutter groaned and began to close behind him, he breathed in deeply, cataloging the smells.

Two blocks north of this old warehouse, the world was different.

There were neatly painted boutiques, busy storefronts, and a multi-story department store.

A few blocks to the west was the start of the suburban sprawl.

The larger houses would be further out, but within two or three miles of this place were the quaint row houses and craftsman style homes built in the fifties.

His triad allies entered the meeting space from different directions. Sorcia, High Priestess and leader of the city’s witches, usually slipped in through the front of one of the boutiques. Lord Viktor Rastan, the enigmatic vampire leader… who knew. Viktor was a shadow even among allies.

Elsewhere in the world, witches, vampires, and wolf shifters were enemies locked in blood feuds.

But here?

Here they shared territory. Uneasy, yes—but stable. And it worked.

Or it had until the scent hit him.

Jace froze.

A breeze slipped through the narrowing gap of the garage door, and with it came something unexpected—intoxicating.

He turned, chest tight, breathing in again.

There.

A second whiff—sharp and electric—hit him low in the gut.

He moved forward, just a step, instinct pulling him toward it.

She was here.

Not in this building, but close. Close enough that his body knew.

Another inhale confirmed it.

She was sweet. Spicy. Bright. There was a tang of something unfamiliar layered beneath it all—something that made every nerve ending fire to life.

His mate.

After years of waiting, of not even daring to hope —she was near.

Jace lifted his head, breathing deeply again, trying to absorb every nuance of her. His entire body was tense with anticipation, every cell tuned to her frequency.

She wasn’t right outside. But she was in the city.

Within three miles.

His eyes scanned the cracked windows along the warehouse walls, taking in the quiet street. Just a few of his men stood guard, disguised as loiterers near other “abandoned” warehouses.

One of them stirred—tilted his head and sniffed.

Jace narrowed his eyes, watching. The man paused but didn’t react strongly. He hadn’t caught the full scent.

Good.

Jace didn’t want to fight one of his own, but he would.

He’d tear apart anything or anyone who stood between him and the woman who was his .

His instincts were stronger than anyone else’s in the pack. That was the mark of an Alpha. Where his men could scent a few hundred yards out, maybe a mile at best, he could scent over three. He didn’t question it. It was how things had always been.

And now… she was near.

His mate.

He could almost picture her—sharp edges and softness, wildness and warmth. The spice of her scent suggested stubbornness. Fire. Curiosity.

Maybe a hint of strawberry.

She was young. Mid-twenties, no more than thirty.

Perfect.

Shifters lived for several centuries. Vampires longer still. Witches? He never asked Sorcia her age. He valued his limbs too much for that.

But this girl?

She was human. Or shifter. Or maybe something more. He didn’t know.

Yet.

But he would.

Very, very soon.

“Are you coming in?” a feminine voice called out behind him. “You’re the one who called this meeting, after all.”

Jace ignored her for a moment longer.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the street again.

She wasn’t within view—but she was close.

His mate.

The word echoed in his chest like a drumbeat.

He was about to step into the room when another sensation swept over him—strange, subtle, but powerful enough to make him pause.

A song.

Old. Familiar.

It took a second to recognize the tune, but it was there. Playing quietly in the back of his mind like a radio he hadn’t turned on.

“It’s another tequila sunrise…”

What the hell?

Why was that playing in his head?

“Jace?” a male voice interrupted, sharper this time. “What’s wrong? You said you needed recommendations for a repair. We’re here. Let’s figure this out.”

Only the three of them knew this magical room existed.

And it would stay that way.

Jace turned slowly, breathing in one last time, letting the scent burn its way into his memory.

Sweet. Spicy. Wild.

It had wrapped around him like a silk noose, invisible but undeniable.

He would find her.

Later.

Because now that he’d scented her—now that his wolf had recognized her—he had no choice.

She was his mate.

And he was going to claim her.