Page 5 of Warrick (Rocky Mountain Pack #1)

Aspen

“Hey, can you and the girls meet up with me at Flick the Bean? You will not believe what happened yesterday,” I say to Hazel over the phone.

“Alright, I’ll be there,” she says before hanging up.

I’m still in shock over Warrick showing up.

It's been four years since we found out that we were mates and not one single time has he ever sought me out. I figured he was content to reject the mating. It’s always seemed that way, with all the women he has coming and going.

I thought the only reason he hadn’t actually rejected me was because he wanted me as an option.

Shaking my head, I finish putting my boots on. I have to head out if I am going to be at the coffee shop at the same time as the girls. It would be weird to ask them to meet me there and then I am the one late.

Fifteen minutes later, I’m opening the door to the coffee shop to find the girls already giving their orders to the barista. Damn them for being such good friends. Even Nova, who should be absorbing all the freshly mated time with Silas, is here to be a friend to me.

When the girls hear the bell above the door chime, they all turn to see who came in.

“Aspen!” They all cheer at the same time. It brings a broad smile to my face. Being with friends can turn any day around.

I come up behind Nova, who is studying the menu as if she will order anything different. I can guarantee you she won’t, but it is cute to watch her try. “You know you are going to order the hot chocolate with whip and chocolate shavings.”

She glances over at me. “Why does everyone have that memorized already?” she asks, gently shaking her head.

“Uh, because you literally order the same thing every time,” Willow says, as she leans around Hazel.

Nova lets out a huff. “Fine, I’m ordering something different because you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” She stomps her foot like a toddler.

Hazel brings her arm around Nova’s shoulders. “You know, it’s okay that we know you that well. It means we love you and care about you.” She is rarely wrong, even when you want her to be.

Nova drops her shoulders on a sigh. “Yeah, I know, but it’s just not something I am used to.

Don’t get me wrong, Nellie can do it, too, but that is the only other person.

I’ve known her for years, so it’s expected, I guess?

But, with you guys, I’ve only known you two months, so it’s taking some getting used to. ”

“Nov, it’s okay. We get it. It’s just part of being a pack member.

It’s said that we are all given a soul match, not quite like our mate, but almost. Someone who understands you in a way that no one other than your mate would.

We believe that friendship is a key part of a bountiful life.

To encourage us to find our soul match, every pup is brought together from a very young age.

Once you find them, you are paired together for every training, lesson, and run.

Our elders encourage us to build that bond.

So, for us, it’s our nature to nurture our soul match by knowing what they like, love, and dislike,” I say with pride.

She looks over at me. “Is that why you said that you felt like I was your long-lost soul sister?”

I nod my head. “I knew you didn’t know about pack life yet, so I didn’t want to scare you away. But I think you are my soul match.”

She leans in and bumps her shoulder with mine. “I feel the same way.”

After we all order our coffees, I watch in humor as Nova tries her new coffee.

Flick the Bean is full of quirky coffee drinks, like “The Cum Shot,” which is an Americano.

Apparently, she decided to live a little by grabbing the “Forgive Me Father,” which is cold brew with three shots of espresso, caramel, and whipped topping with cinnamon, caramel drizzle, and chocolate shavings.

She is trying so hard to convince us she is going to love it.

It’s hilarious, really. She takes that first sip, and her face bunches as it hits her taste buds.

I giggle behind my hand as I watch her keep sipping it, as if she will suddenly love it.

“How’s the coffee, Nova?” I ask.

Her eyes shoot at me. “Oh, it’s…uh…great.”

We all burst out laughing because it’s so easy to see that she doesn’t like it at all.

Knowing already that we aren’t going to let it go, she quickly changes the topic.

“So Aspen, what is it you wanted to tell us? As much as I love coffee, we all know that isn’t why you dragged us out this early in the morning. ”

Figuring that I might as well rip the bandaid off, I tell them, “Warrick showed up at the bookstore yesterday.”

Hazel and Willow gasp in shock, while Nova looks back and forth between all of us. “Wait, why is that so shocking?”

Willow whips her head to Nova. “That asshole hasn’t bothered to come around in years, and now he wants to show up?” She turns back to me. “What did he say?”

Flipping the napkin corner between my fingers as I stare at it, I shrug. “He wants me to mate with him. Claims that he is done with all the women and all that.”

“Oh my,” Hazel whispers.

“You don’t honestly believe that, do you? After years of him flaunting them in front of you, not caring how it affects you, now suddenly he wants to settle down?”

Continuing to flip the corner of the napkin, I don’t dare bring my eyes up to meet theirs, scared of what they will see.

“I don’t know what to believe. You can’t blame me for wanting to give into it.

You all know, well except you Nova, that I’ve dreamed of the day that I found my mate and bonded with them.

Humans dream of weddings, but female wolves dream of their mating.

Every time I inhale his sage, sea salt, and amber scent, it gets a little harder to remember why I can’t give into him.

Just because he is my mate doesn’t absolve him of his cheating.

Sometimes, though, when it's close to the full moon, when the heat is closer, it’s really hard to remember through that haze that I don’t want Warrick.

At least not until he makes some serious changes.

Thankfully, Gail showed up before anything could happen.

It was weird, though. She wanted a book recommendation. ”

“Wait, I’m lost. Remember, I haven’t been here my whole life,” Nova says with a slight chuckle.

Willow takes a sip of her coffee before setting her cup down. “Warrick is Aspen’s mate, but he has ignored that ever since we found out.”

Nova’s mouth drops open. “Why?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter why he has. Tell me not to give into him.”

“I know that I haven’t been around, nor do I know the whole backstory here. But, I think you should give your mate a chance. Not necessarily just giving into him. I am all for making him work for it. But he is your mate, who the goddess chose for you,” Nova says encouragingly.

Willow slams her hand down on the table, “Absolutely not! I’m sorry, but after everything he has done, with no care for your feelings…. I won’t see you get hurt again.”

Hazel places her hand over my own that is fidgeting with the napkin.

“Aspen, look at me.” I bring my eyes to hers.

Concern etched deeply on her face, she says, “I have to agree with Willow. We have been here consoling you after every girl that left his bed. We know you have Chase now. Even though it can’t be long term, at least he cares for you.

At least he concerns himself with your happiness.

We are here for you, whichever you choose, but know that people don’t just get to wake up and decide to choose their mate. ”

Pulling my hand out from under hers, I pick up my coffee, taking a sip.

The liquid flows down, warming my soul. I know that we were young when he cheated on me, but that isn’t the only time he has chosen someone other than me.

Everyone in our community knows about the constant flow of women in and out of his bed.

How can you do that to your mate? He doesn’t care about me.

He might have a reason for wanting me now, but that doesn’t take away from all the years he chose someone else.

A few months ago, after many margaritas with the girls, I confessed that I was tired of feeling alone.

I cried for hours about all the feelings I had kept bottled up over the Warrick situation.

Hazel mentioned something about a situationship, for which we all looked at her like she had a third eye on her forehead.

After a thorough explanation, one I needed again when I was sober, the idea took root in my mind.

I could totally do something like that. A person who is meant to be there for companionship, comfort, fun, and what each person needs without the romantic aspect of it.

One night, as I was walking home from the bookstore, Chase stopped me to ask if I was walking home alone this late at night.

I thought it was odd, but endearing at the same time.

Needless to say, he walked me home, and we realized how much we had in common.

After exchanging numbers, we spent hours chatting over the phone that night.

We both were drinking glasses of wine, we realized we had the same bottle, which is another reason he is perfect.

Three glasses in, I pitched the wild idea of being in a situationship and he agreed.

Looking back now, it should have concerned me that he was so agreeable while barely knowing me.

But something about Chase put me at ease.

Since then Chase has been nothing short of amazing.

Outside of dragging me to the mountains for hikes, he is the most supportive, attentive boyfriend.

Warrick might be my mate, but he has always chosen others over me. It’s time that I choose someone over him.

Shaking my head to pull myself out of my feelings, I look up at Hazel.

“It doesn’t matter why he wants to claim me now, because I have Chase.

I’m not going to throw away a perfect boyfriend for the one who broke me.

It doesn’t matter that Chase is a mountain lion.

We both know that we can’t breed or mate.

We both want this for the companionship and fun that it can bring, at least until he finds his mates. ”

Nova's face scrunches in confusion. “Speaking of, why can’t you breed or mate?”

Willow speaks up before I can. “It’s part of the treaty that allows all of the species to live in Jasper.

Dating casually is acceptable, however, permanent relationships with other species are forbidden.

We all have intended mates, even if we haven’t found them, and it goes against our way to choose someone else. We can’t genetically breed anyway.”

“Huh, the things you learn. Is there anything else I should know?” Nova asks.

“There is quite a lot actually, but, off the top of my head, I would say that we aren’t allowed to fight other species without being provoked, which is why we all co-exist so peacefully.

Everyone does what they can to keep the tension low between species.

” Willow shrugs as she picks up her coffee again.

The girls continue to chat and teach Nova more about pack life as I sit and think about why Warrick showed up.

Nothing he says makes sense. How did he go from having no issue being with others to finally wanting me?

As I watch the girls chat, I can’t help but wonder if Nova giving into Silas has anything to do with why he finally changed his mind.

The possibility seems plausible with it happening so soon after they mated.

Yet, I can’t help but worry that his intentions aren’t in the right place.

Does he want me for me or is it simply because ‘fate said so’?

. While I might deeply want my mate, like a piece of my soul is missing, I don’t want Warrick, at least not yet.

The Warrick that walked into my bookstore demanding I give into him isn’t the mate for me.

I want him to want me for me. I know that fate says we are perfect for each other and that’s great and all.

But you don’t spend a lifetime reading about these epic, world-challenging styles of romances only to settle for someone who doesn’t even know you well enough to know that demanding me will never work.