Forbidden Mate (6 page)

She stepped down from the bus and took a deep breath
of fresh pine. The air was cooler under the shaded cover of the trees. With an
hour to kill, she might as well take a look around herself, rather than sitting
and thinking too much. She knew the
Chupacabra
sightings were a load of crap created to entertain the die-hard believers of
paranormal activity. But they’d pay the bills for this week, so she didn’t
complain.

Laughter and muffled voices drifted away in numerous
directions. The bus driver had already fallen asleep in his seat.

She wandered off on her own. Once completely alone,
she looked up at the forest canopy. It was so green, so beautifully perfect.
And quiet. Her body and mind meshed for the first time in years. She took
another deep breath and began to walk. The soft crunch of moss under her shoes
muffled her steps. It didn’t take long for her to realize where her feet were
taking her. She was heading in the direction of the lake—and that man.

What else did she have to do for an hour? She was
just innocently exploring, nothing more, or so she tried to convince herself.

The lake came into view between the breaks in the
trees—a crisp blue against the lush greenery. She was drawn to it, like a
parched man in search of a drink.
 
When
she reached the rocky bank of the lake, she squatted down and cupped some water
in her hands. It was cool and clear as it ran between her fingers. The cottage
was far off, too hard to see without the powerful binoculars. She wondered if
he was still standing on the balcony.

Helen began her trek on foot. Even with the light of
day, there was a foreboding shadow that seemed to hang over the forest. She
worried about coming face to face with something dangerous or hungry. Even
visions of the fictional
Chupacabras
came to mind.

After half an hour she questioned turning around but
kept trudging on. If she ran into the guy, she’d just explain that she was
hiking with a group of tourists. It wasn’t completely a lie. People got lost in
the woods all the time. She could ask if he got home okay or something similar
to start small talk.

Helen laughed at herself. She was thirty-five and
acting like a teenager. She was single for a reason—she repelled the opposite
sex, or at least the good ones.

“Something funny?”

She gasped and whipped her head around. It was a
stranger, a man she’d never seen before. He was gorgeous, his features chiseled
and strong. His cotton shirt clung to his muscles, most of the buttons undone.

“I guess I’m a bit lost.” Helen had been peeking at
the cabin from between two large oaks. She was so close to it now, trying to
work up the courage to move in even closer. Now that she was caught, her cheeks
felt like they were turning every shade of pink. She was surprised she hadn’t
heard him approach.

“Have you tried getting help at that cabin?” He
nodded his head to the one right in front of her. The one she’d been secretly
stalking.

“That cabin? No, not yet. I hate to bug people.”
 
She bit her lip.

“Well, seeing as I live there, I promise you won’t
bug me.”

She furrowed her brow. She’d seen the guy from town
on the porch. Did they
both
live
there? Were they lovers? Her stomach began to sour.

“I’m sure I can get back on my own.” She started to
walk backwards the way she’d come. “Sorry for the trouble.” As she turned fully
around, he was in front of her. Helen stopped dead in her tracks. How had he
moved so fast? She even checked behind her for an identical twin and came up
empty.

He blocked her path, not allowing her to move
further. She pressed her hand against his bicep to push him aside. Instead, she
found her fingers lingering on the rock-hard muscles, even testing their
strength.

“You’re in heat,” he said matter-of-factly.

“I’m a little chilly, actually. There’s too much
shade in the forest.”

“Shadows,” he corrected, lowering his head to her
neck. She nearly toppled back as she attempted to put a safe distance between
them. When she heard him breathing her in, his satisfied groan ignited
something powerful inside her. He was as animalistic as Wesley had been. Those erotic
memories assaulted her.

“I–I should go…”

Every warning she’d ever heard about strange men and
strange places came rushing into the forefront of her mind. Then she recalled
the attack she’d endured just the night before. Panic began to well up inside
her as she thought of the terrifying possibilities.

“You’re afraid,” he said, an evil glint in his eyes.
“And human.”

“I need to get back.”

He took a section of her dark hair and felt it
between his fingers.
 
“I promise I won’t
hurt you.”

She swallowed hard, fighting an inner battle of lust
and fear. The man was strongly built and should be intimidating, his dark eyes
roving tauntingly over her curves. It was odd how her body felt safe with him,
even though her mind screamed for her to get away.

“What’s your name, pretty girl?”

“Helen.”

“Very nice.”
Then
he sounded out her name slowly, his deep voice giving it an erotic edge.
“
H-e-l-e-n
.”

When she dared to look him in the eyes rather than
avoid them, she was lost.

“My name’s Targus. I want you to have supper with me
tonight. Will you do that?”

“Okay.” After she spoke, she realized she’d just
mindlessly agreed. Was she insane? What kind of woman accepted strange
invitations to a man’s house? God knew what was in store for her.

She tried not to think of the delectable X-rated
images forcing their way into her mind. She didn’t need to know things like
what he looked like without his shirt on or how his muscles would flex if he
supported his weight over her body. Helen needed to think of things like axe murderers
and heartless kidnappers for her own security. For once, she had to refuse.

Chapter
Four

Humans had ventured into their neck of the woods. Targus
was outside scouting their territory when he found
her.
His mood wasn’t the greatest. Marco had stayed out all night,
but no matter how much he worried about his good friend, he refused to feed
into his destructive cycle. Although Targus was relieved he’d come home in the
morning, he couldn’t deal with him yet.

When he saw the cute brunette he could have sworn
she was a she-wolf. She had the curves, and she was alone in the forest. It was
only after he took in her scent that he knew she was a human. Not just any
human.
His mate.

Targus had resigned himself to never having a woman
of his own. He’d worked too hard to be the perfect mate for one of the wolven
princesses, jumping through hoops to be one of the chosen suitors. It wasn’t
about love, but position, respect, and honor. His parents expected great things
of him. When the princesses returned home with men they’d personally selected,
he lost any chance of achieving his goal. Targus retreated from shifter
society, keeping to the fringes. He felt cheated, angry, and no other female
would ever compare to royalty.

Until now.

He tried to piece together what was happening to
him. Targus had never experienced the mating call, so he wasn’t sure how to
handle it. A she-wolf would have allowed him to fuck and claim her with no
reservations. The mating call would be obvious to both of them, an unspoken bond
drawing them to each other. But Helen was human, innocent to their ways.
 
He wasn’t sure how to move forward and show
her that they were meant to be together. So far, all he did was scare her.

“Do you want me to pick you up?”

“For what?”

“Our dinner date,” he reminded. They all learned
about human culture in school when they were pups. Apparently their mating
rituals were long and drawn out, like some carefully choreographed dance. He
didn’t want to fail.

“About that…”

He was losing the mating game before playing. What
was he doing wrong? Did she think he was a beta male? He needed to prove
himself before he lost his chance.

“I hope you’re not changing your mind, Helen. I’ve
been waiting a long time for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Targus forced her to walk backwards, hoping a
dominant display would earn him her respect. She was small and soft with big
brown eyes. He tilted her chin up so she’d stop looking to the ground when he
spoke. “I guess you’d call it fate. Do you believe in fate?”

“That’s the stuff in fairy tales, right? I think I
stopped believing in those when I was a girl.”

“Why? You should never stop believing. You’d be
surprised how much remains hidden if you keep your eyes closed.”

He snapped the end of a small branch off near her head.
She gasped, and he swore he could hear the blood rushing through her veins.

“What do you see?”

Her brow furrowed.
“A stick?”

“For some it could signify a weapon or shelter.
There’s more to everything. You just have to look with an open mind.”

 
“Now, tell me
what you see when you look at me?”

“A stranger.”

He cringed, knowing it would be a challenge to court
her.
 
“Go on…”

“Muscles?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was thinking more
on the lines of protector or provider. I assure you I’m capable of both.”

“I still think stranger’s more appropriate.”

“That’s because we haven’t had dinner together yet.
After that, I’m sure you’ll have a change of heart.” He winked, trying to put
her nerves at ease.

Helen looked conflicted, continually looking past
him toward the forest path one minute and outlining his body with her eyes the
next. Despite her fear and uncertainty, the faint scent of her desire wasn’t
overlooked by him. His inner wolf howled in satisfaction knowing his mate wanted
him in return. Now he just had to convince a human that life with a wolf was
better than any she could have with a weak human male. Considering he’d focused
his entire adult life on the wolven princesses, he had a lot of work on his
hands.

A bus horn broke the quiet hush of the forest, the
irritating sound blaring on and on in the distance.

“Oh my god, I have to go. I was supposed to be back
on board in an hour.”
 
She pushed past
him, fears forgotten, and began running through the woods.

“Be back here by eight, little human,” he called
out. Targus didn’t expect her to return in the pitch black of night when even
the sunlight terrified her. He’d have to think of another strategy to get on
her good side. For the first time, he wanted a woman for love.

****

Wesley and Cade followed the scent of the wolf
through the forest once the sun went down. If Marco had such ill feelings for
the queen, he’d be capable of anything. What better way to get revenge for his
mate’s death? He had to have something to do with the plot to infiltrate the palace.
It only made sense that outcast shifters living on the fringe of society would
have something to do with the threats to the palace.

They reached the freshwater lake. He remembered
swimming in it when he was a carefree, young boy.
Before he
gave up his life for the monarchy.
That was a long time ago.

“
He has to be
in there
,” said Cade. They both stood on the bank looking over the darkened
lake. The light coming from the cottage’s windows was warm and inviting,
lighting up strips across the water’s still surface.

“
I guess so.”

“
From how you
described him, I expected he’d be living in an abandoned bear cave. You sure
you got the right guy?”

Wesley’s jaw twitched. He wasn’t sure of anything
anymore. “
Let’s just check things out
.”

He knew the wolf hunt had become an obsession. It
was the only way to get that female off his mind. She plagued his thoughts,
forcing him to question his loyalty to the throne. He was beginning to
understand Ulric’s choice to trade everything for his mate. The bond was so
powerful it could drive a man to do anything—even kill.

They continued to move in on the cottage, their wild
cats navigating the forest with speed and stealth.
 
After making it only halfway around the lake,
Wesley stopped to test the air. That sweet scent was undeniably hers.
Fuck.
He didn’t need any more
complications in his life, especially not a forbidden mating call. He was
an Elite
, a shifter married to the monarchy. Taking a mate
of his own
was completely out of the question. Taking a
human would be the ultimate sin.

“
Why you stopping?”