Page 17

That territory was indeed empty. Still, it was too close for comfort, and every time I looked at the bastard, I couldn't get the image of him and Nayeli in the forest together out of my head. My wolf was getting restless, and I couldn't stand his presence.

"This alliance is important, and it's why our packs have thrived without challenge," Joe continued. "So we're here to make sure that there won't be any trouble."

Jayce shook his head. "None. The Blacktide pack has no interest in expanding any further or making any kind of claim on this town. This is just the place we're settling for now. If you have a problem with that, then take it up with me directly. Don't bother my pack."

"And what are you going to do?" Samson asked, his tone still antagonistic. "I've never even heard of your pack, and I have contacts all across the East Coast."

Jayce's eyes flashed. "We're...well. A lot of my pack are outcasts and rogues. We've kept under the radar, but now we're ready to settle down. And..." He licked his lips, looking briefly at Joe before turning back to us. "I want the Blacktide pack to be part of your tri-pack alliance."

I saw red. Our alliance had been carefully built, and it had been a battle to make it work. It was a rarity among packs, and now some no-name wanted to come in and mess with that equilibrium? "You've got some nerve, thinking you can come here and just take a piece of what's ours."

"I think you misunderstood," Jayce said, frowning. "I'm not asking to be given anything, and with our combined strength—"

"No," I interrupted, my voice knife sharp. "You don't get to walk in and act like we owe you something. You're not a part of this."

Joe shot me a warning glance, and I could see the exhaustion in his eyes from trying to keep the peace. He was struggling to keep things civil between us and the new Alpha. "Take it easy, Scott. Let's not turn this into a battle when it doesn't need to be."

I stood, chest heaving, fighting the urge to let go of all the anger I was feeling.

A small voice in the back of my mind told me that this was because of the bond and that I should have better control, but it was meaningless.

Something had snapped, and I had to get the fuck out of there before I did something I would regret.

"I'm done," I told Joe simply. "I don't need to hear this. Not from him."

Joe and I both looked at Samson, who had his arms crossed but hadn't risen. He thought for a few moments before speaking. "I'll give you five minutes, but then I'm gone too."

I didn't expect him to walk out with me, but the solidarity would have been nice. Oh well.

Joe was resigned, waving me towards the door without saying a word. I didn't spare any of them another glance as I stormed out—I just didn't trust myself. Not with Jayce, and especially not with the fucking spell bond messing with my sense of control.

It wasn't until I was back in the Land Rover and halfway home that I realized I hadn't even gotten a donut, and I was starving.

Oh well. I wouldn't be going back for one.

The ride home was filled with the same thoughts as usual—anger at Jayce and annoyance at Samson—but this time there was something new.

I couldn't stop thinking about Nayeli and how she'd looked when I kissed her.

The way her body felt under mine as I lifted her onto the counter, and the soft noises she'd made when I ran my tongue along her neck.

There was only one solution—I needed to see her. Talking to her wasn't enough. I needed to have her in my sight, to be near her. To touch her, maybe.

The thought should have shocked me, considering I'd spent years avoiding contact with her, but I'd given up on understanding why in the hell I wanted her so badly now. All I knew was that I couldn't get enough of her.

There was a way to solve both my problems at once, and I made the turn to head downtown instead of back home.

Today was the soft opening of Howler's Coffee, and Nayeli would be working.

I could go in under the guise of observing the workers, get something to eat, and be near Nayeli all at the same time.

It was the perfect plan, really. I could have everything I wanted without looking like I was going out of my way.

The cafe was nearly empty when I got there. It was a decent size, with pale wooden floors and matching tables. In the corner was the coffee counter, complete with a pastry display. The walls were painted a light gray color, and the atmosphere was clean and welcoming.

Nayeli was helping another customer, but she gave me a quick smile and a wave. Once it was my turn to order, I got an espresso and a blueberry scone, but I was really hungry for something else entirely.

My mate.

She was dressed in the standard uniform, a white button-up shirt with a black apron.

Her wavy blonde hair was pulled back in a loose braid.

The outfit was fairly simple, but it still hugged her body, showing off her generous curves and ample cleavage.

I found myself staring at her for several moments before I came back to my senses, ordered, and then moved away.

I took a seat at one of the tables and pulled out my laptop.

I did actually have some work to do, so I got to it, but I couldn't focus.

There were other things on my mind—namely, Nayeli.

She was flitting around the shop, cleaning tables and helping customers, and I couldn't help but watch her out of the corner of my eye.

It wasn't just the bond. It was...everything about her.

Her kindness and generosity, the way she was always ready with a smile and a joke, the way she worked hard no matter what she was doing.

And God, was she gorgeous. Even the thought of her was enough to make me hard lately, and watching her bend over to clean or stand on her tiptoes to get something down from a high shelf had me going nearly crazy.

I'd never wanted anything more in my life than I wanted her, so much so that I'd happily claim her right there in the kitchen, feet away from everyone else.

I could have had her for years at this point. I was the stupidest motherfucker on the planet. How had I given her up?

Eventually, she made her way over to me, and I shifted to hide my erection. She gave me another bright smile as she leaned forward to clean the table next to me. Her scent flooded my nose.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked, a little breathless from her work. "Another espresso, or...?"

"I'm fine," I said, my voice rough. Her eyes flitted to my throat, and I swallowed hard as she watched the movement of my Adam's apple. I had the distinct feeling that she was just as affected by this bond as I was.

"Well, then," she murmured, looking away from me. "Let me know if you change your mind."

She turned to leave, but before I could stop myself, I grabbed her wrist. "Nayeli—"

"Yes?"

I'd grabbed her without knowing what to say once I did, and the feeling of her smooth skin against my palm made my head even emptier. I floundered for something to say, anything to keep her close to me for as long as possible.

"I'm having a grand opening party for this place tomorrow night," I blurted out. She surely knew about it already, considering that she worked at the damn cafe, but it was all I could think of at the time. "Come with me."

She half-smiled. "I was already going, despite the urge to stay home and read."

"No, I mean...come with me as my date. What do you think?"

I'd always had trouble keeping my mouth shut.

She froze, her eyes widening, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head. "As your..."

"Yeah. As my date. To the party."

Nayeli's cheeks were pink now. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I mean, we've only just started getting along, and..."

"We have," I agreed, forcing myself to keep calm. "But we're still mated. Still bound together."

She gave me a strange look, "Not mated, really. Married though...yes."

‘And I would like to spend some more time with you. Get to know you better."

Her expression went blank as she stared at me. "Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Scott, we're not...friends. We never were. And now we're just...roommates. For lack of a better word."

I laughed, but it sounded empty. "No offense, but I don't want to be your roommate, Nayeli."

Her cheeks flushed a deeper red, and she looked away. "Well, what do you want, then?"

"To go out with you. You're my wife and I—"

Nayeli's eyes darted around the shop, and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Finally, she sighed. "Fine. But no possessive bullshit."

"I wouldn't dream of it," I replied, but that was a lie.