Page 19 of Rejected Sold Mate (Crystal Creek Wolves #4)

The first warning sign was a low, dull ache in my lower belly, but I’d been a woman long enough to ignore cramps in that general area and write them off as menstrual cramps.

I told myself it was nothing and continued on with my day, even as the ache began to intensify to a pain that I couldn’t ignore.

I was downtown when it first started, my hands full of canvas grocery bags that I was hauling back to my car.

Jayce kept the kitchen stocked, but I liked to maintain my independence in little ways, which included shopping for my own food when I had certain cravings or a desire to try out a new recipe.

I’d admittedly skipped breakfast, but the cramps didn’t feel like hunger, and as I popped the hatch and loaded the bags into the back, a wave of pain hit me that was decidedly different from any monthly pains I’d ever had.

Heats weren’t totally foreign to me, but I’d always ridden them out on my own, locked in my home and trying to sleep through most of it.

I’d heard that they were way more intense once you were mated, but I hadn’t thought much about it, since Jayce and I hadn’t slept together since the mating bond manifested.

But as bad as the cramps were, they were eerily familiar, too.

I recognized the ache that spread, a wash of warmth behind it that had me breaking out in a sweat even as I fought to catch my breath.

Oh no, I thought, bracing a hand on the car’s hatch so I didn’t fall over. Not here. Not now.

The air was crisp with the oncoming autumn, but I was burning up all of a sudden. The wave of pain ebbed, and I managed to shut the hatch, looking around to see if I had been noticed.

No one had seen how oddly I was acting, but I was all too aware of how many other shifters were out.

All four allied packs frequented Crystal Creek’s downtown, and while I hadn’t had any trouble with single male wolves since I’d taken Jayce as a mate, heat changed things.

I didn’t need anyone to scent me and lose their good sense, but it was early enough that I was probably safe for a few days.

Once I was behind the wheel, I exhaled, considering my options.

I certainly wasn’t going to ask Jayce to help me through my heat, but that meant I’d have to stay far enough away from him that he couldn’t catch on to what was plaguing me.

I placed my palms over my lower belly, and I could swear I almost felt the heat simmering there, ready to ruin the rest of my week the moment it hit fully.

I didn’t know what to do, but I did have an idea to at least take the edge off while I thought things over.

After dropping the groceries off at Jayce’s house, I aimed my car towards the bar that had caused all my Jayce-related problems in the first place.

I hadn’t been to the Broken Barrel since that fateful night, but it was just past 6 pm, and I figured it wouldn’t be too busy.

I was desperate for a drink and a quiet corner to hide in while I sorted out my options for getting through my heat while sharing a space with my Alpha mate.

Inside, the air was stuffy, but I was one of maybe a dozen people, which was what I was hoping for.

I decided to treat myself, ordering a lemon drop martini and carrying it back to a corner booth where I could go unnoticed while keeping an eye on the rest of the crowd.

The drink was blessedly cold, and I started to relax.

I was halfway finished with it when the front door opened, and his scent slammed into me. Jayce. I was able to smell him before I saw him, my senses running on overdrive because of my heat, but it wasn’t nearly enough time to escape.

He filled the doorway, broad shoulders and significant height, gaining everyone’s attention as soon as he stepped inside.

His long hair was surprisingly loose, and the sleeves of his red flannel shirt were rolled up.

Hunger and warmth threatened to overwhelm me—God, he was gorgeous— but I shook my head until it was clear.

Jayce hadn’t spotted me yet, and I intended to keep it that way as long as possible.

Watching him was…fun, in a way. When we were near each other at the house, the pull of the bond made it necessary to keep my distance if I didn’t want to feel seriously compelled to touch him.

I spent my time sneaking glances and keeping my eyes down the rest of the time, because if he noticed my glances and tried to make a move, I would have been powerless to stop him.

Or myself, honestly.

But from a distance, when he didn’t know I was there, watching him became like a game.

I could soak in all the little mannerisms of his that I found so charming, and watch the way his muscles moved beneath his clothes, all to my heart's content. It was my little secret. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand it long, with my heat so close, but at the moment, I was in no hurry to leave.

Everything was fine until the woman approached him.

Pretty, with long blond hair and a killer smile, she leaned on the bar next to him so casually that I thought they knew each other at first. Jayce was surprised, but he quickly adjusted, and her smile grew brighter, and she leaned in to talk to him.

It was more than talking, though. It was flirting.

I gripped the stem of my martini glass so hard I was afraid it would break. Breathing slowly, I forced myself to relax. Jayce was my mate, sure, but we had no physical or romantic relationship. He could talk to whoever he wanted. We weren’t together. We weren’t anything, really.

But oh, my heart didn’t understand that one bit.

The more I watched them, the more my heat twisted inside my belly, sharp and uncomfortable. There was no tension in his shoulders, no lines of concern between his brows. All of his attention was on the woman, and it made me feel ill.

Stifling the urge to cry, I downed the rest of my drink like it was water, grabbed my bag, and decided to make a run for it. He could flirt with all the women he wanted, but that didn’t mean I needed to stay there and bear witness to it.

My wolf was restless beneath my skin, possessive, and it threw me off. I’d never been jealous of anyone, ever. It had to just be a side effect of the heat and the mating bond complicating everything inside of me.

After dropping a few bills on the table, I made my way towards the back of the bar, planning on slipping out through one of the patio exits. It was still light out, but the sun was setting. If I hurried, I could be back before dark and in my pajamas before Jayce even got home.

If he even came home. The idea made my stomach roil.

I was nearly out of the bar when I felt the hand on my shoulder and froze. Dammit. I was so close.

“There you are,” Jayce rumbled, his mouth shockingly close to my ear.

I turned slowly, pulse hammering, heat rising like the tide to greet Jayce’s voice. He was so close that our bodies brushed together as I turned, the touch way too intimate for the frame of mind I was in.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Jayce’s tone was relieved. “When you weren’t in any of your normal spots, I had a feeling I’d find you here.” He smirked. “Back at the scene of the crime.”

I ignored his teasing about the night we hooked up. “I was just running errands and felt like a drink afterwards. That’s all.”

“Hm.” It didn’t sound like he believed me, but Jaye didn’t push. “There’s a pack bonfire tonight at the brewery, and I want you to come. I know last time was a little rough, but now that our bond is out in the open, I think it will be good for the pack to see us together.”

Keeping my mouth shut would have been the better option, but I felt high-strung, looking over at the woman he’d been flirting with earlier. “Are you sure there aren’t other people you’d rather invite?”

His laugh was genuine and unexpected, as if he took actual joy in seeing me uncomfortable. “Rhie…surely you aren’t jealous?”

A flush was creeping up my neck, “No.”

He reached up to tap the tip of my nose, but the touch led to his fingers trailing over my jaw, making my breathing stutter. “I think you’re lying, little Omega, but I’ll let it slide for now. You’ll come to the party?”

I scoffed, but my heart wasn’t in it. All I could focus on was how close he was and how my oncoming heat made it hard to think outside of how badly I wanted to feel his hands on me.

I didn’t want to go to a damn pack party.

I wanted Jayce to take me home and fuck me until the beginnings of the inferno inside me subsided.

My body was screaming for it, and my brain was hazy.

Jayce had asked a question, but I was too overcome to answer, and he frowned. “Rhie, are you okay?”

I shook my head, hard, trying to clear the cobwebs away. “I’m fine,” I snapped, but when he didn’t look convinced, I doubled down. “Really, I’m fine, Jayce. Leave it alone, please.”

His jaw tightened, and I knew he wanted to press the issue, but I was relieved when he nodded once. Off the hook, I took a step back from him, which was way harder than it should have been. “I should go,” I told him quickly. “I have things to do if you really want me at this party.”

Jayce reached for me, but I ducked out of the way. “Rhie—”

I didn’t look back, calling over my shoulder, I’ll see you tonight!”

Slipping out the door, I sighed as the cool air hit me, the first bit of relief I’d had since Jayce cornered me. If I’d stayed any longer, I might have ended up begging him to take me right then and there in the middle of the bar.