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  “Then don’t pick one,” she says. “My pack mates aren’t going to let anyone force you. But I do hope there is a least one good one waiting for you. Being happily mated is…” Her eyes flick to the door as Rafe comes back out for another trip. “Amazing.”

  “Yeah, when you have that hunk of steel as your mate,” I say. “I’ll probably end up with some gold digger.”

  She raises a questioning eyebrow.

  “Apparently my parents left money for my pack.”

  “Ah, smart move.”

  I shrug, unwilling to forgive them for whatever other un-smart moves led them to abandon me and get themselves killed. I should be mad at their killers, but all I have is a childhood of knowing I wasn’t wanted. That someone who owed me nothing had to take me in and care for me. I know they loved me, but if my parents had just been careful…

  “So, you ready to go in and find your room?” she asks.

  “Sure,” I say. “Sounds good.”

  “Great,” she says, picking up a bag. I grab one too, as Rafe has everything else balanced on those huge shoulders. Benefits to alpha males indeed. “And then when we’re settled, we can start talking about what you want in a mate,” she says. “‘Cause you’re going to have your pick.”

  “So I hear,” I say, following her, still in awe of the grounds and the columns. “So I hear.”

  Someone pinch me, someone wake me up. If not, it’ll be too late and I’ll have finally accepted that this is all real. And waking up after that would just be too painful.

  Chapter 4

  Today is the day. The pamphlet of bios that Rowan made for me a while ago is wrinkled and worn from frequent study, and by the end of the day I’ll have met in person all the men I’ve been meeting through the hottie catalogue. The thought is vaguely terrifying.

  Aspen left last night, on Rafe’s insistence. Lindon texted earlier, telling me he’d be over in a few hours, before anyone else was due to arrive, and to not open the door before he got there. I can do that.

  I drag myself to the bathroom and take a look in the mirror. I stopped trying with my appearance when I was a teen. No one was going to pay attention to someone so chubby and plain, so what was the point? Instead I focused on studying, reading, thinking.

  Hiding.

  I brush my thick hair back from my forehead and hold it all back with one hand so I can study my face. It’s time to confront things honestly. Exactly how do I look?

  I think I have nice eyes, if I do say so myself. A pretty deep brown color with long lashes. Curly dark hair that’s thick and unruly and bunches around my face and shoulders no matter what I do. Definitely not as curly as my birth mother’s though. I kind of envy her tight curls. Nevertheless I wet my hair and work some gel into it and blow dry it back from my face.

  I put on some makeup and look in the mirror. I don’t usually wear makeup, but I guess a day where I’m meeting nearly ten guys is as good a time as any to start.

  My eyes look brighter with the lipstick, and I do have pretty nice, even brown skin with naturally rosy cheeks. And with my hair gelled and pulled behind my ears, I can see the face my mother gave me. A soft, heart-shaped face with a small nose and a wide mouth and eyes. A unique face, but a pretty one. Feminine, if nothing else.

  I turn my attention to my body, lumpy under a misshapen hoodie. My typical uniform. I remember something my foster mom said once, just offhand, not trying to be hurtful.

  “Honestly, Misty, if you just stopped wearing such baggy clothes, you wouldn’t look so big.”

  I never listened. If I wore tighter clothes, people would see exactly how big I was. And nothing I did seemed to make any difference. Even when I gave up on diets and exercise and started eating donuts compulsively, it didn’t change anything. I just am the way I am, and that’s a little fat.

  But still…

  I go back to my room and change into a blue, tunic-length tee in soft material, one I’ve never been brave enough to wear before. I pair it with some jeans I bought months ago but never had the guts to go out in.

  It’s weird seeing my body more accurately. Even though I’m soft and chubby, I definitely have an hourglass, a curve to my waist that looks sensuous even to my eyes. A great ass that is lifted and defined by the jeans. Great, high breasts. Formidable breasts.

  I grin at the mirror.

  Anyone who doesn’t like this can suck it. I’m gorgeous.

  Yeah, keep trying to believe that, Misty, and maybe one day it’ll be true.

  Well, fake it till you make it.

  I tie my hair back into a soft ponytail so I can keep it out of my face while working with Lindon to get things ready.

  Then the doorbell rings.

  I take another look in the mirror. Am I ready to let him see me like this? He’s the whole reason you got ready, my heart whispers. You wanted to impress him.

  I wave the thought away. As if someone like me could ever impress someone who looks like an airbrushed rendition of a beautiful angel.

  The doorbell rings again. Anxious to not have him go off on me for making him wait, I swallow my nerves over my appearance and head downstairs.

  But then I make a fatal mistake, and don’t check the keyhole before undoing the lock and swinging the door wide open.

  Standing on the porch is a man with dark hair and jade green eyes. Tall, like Rafe. Cut, masculine features that are a little rougher than any of the shifters I’ve met so far. Rafe and his family have high cheekbones, fine bone structure and massive bodies.

  This man has a broad jaw and blunt cheekbones, but a deeply sensuous mouth and long-lashed eyes that take me over with a heated gaze that makes me realize Rowan wasn’t lying after all.

  Men like this really will want me.

  He’s holding a bouquet of roses, and my eyes drop to them, then back up to take him in. Nice suit, beautiful shoulders and chest. A straight nose that fits perfectly in his masculine face. Grade-A male.

  But I wasn’t supposed to open the door without Lindon. I’m not supposed to let anyone in, but I can’t just leave him here on the porch with his flowers. I can’t just shut the door in his face.

  I shut the door behind me, deciding to compromise by just not going inside alone with him.

  He comes a little closer, just a few feet away now. He reaches for my hand and I give it. He yanks me forward and wraps the hand holding the roses around my waist as he pulls me close to his body. He raises my hand to his lips, places a slow kiss there while his eyes sear into mine. “Misty, I presume?” he asks.

  I nod, completely robbed of breath by being up against his body. He smells absolutely amazing. So tall, and those sleepy, jade green eyes…

  “Alright, stop right there,” a deep, familiar voice calls. “Let her go, now.”

  Lindon shuts a car door, presumably having just pulled up in the nick of time, and he storms toward us, rolling up his immaculately tailored sleeves as he goes.

  My suitor turns to face him, not releasing me. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

  “Lindon, of Rowan’s pack, and if you don’t get your hands off her in about five seconds, you’re going to wake up in about an hour not knowing your own name, let alone mine.”

  Flower guy’s eyes widen and he backs up, releasing me suddenly and holding his hands up. His eyes flick between me and Lindon. “I wasn’t aware anyone from Rowan’s pack was competing.”

  Lindon goes past him and ushers me toward the front door, shoving me inside ahead of him before turning back to the man. “I wasn’t aware we had to answer to you about how we arranged this. I’m as eligible as anyone.”

  “Your pack already has its unfair share of alpha females.”

  Lindon shrugs and grins, flashing a fang. “Maybe we just have better genetics.”

  The other man tightens his hands into fists and the plastic wrap on the roses crinkles. Then he shakes his head and composes himself. “I’m Jack, by the way.”

  “I don’t care,” Lindon says, folding his arm
s and raising to full height. “You’re early and you weren’t invited to be here early.”

  “And you were?”

  “I own the place,” Lindon says calmly.

  Jack’s eyes flick to me. “But not everything in it.”

  Lindon’s lips curl in a sneer. “We’ll see.”

  Jack snaps his teeth together and sucks his cheeks in. “Fine. We’ll see.” He turns on his heel, then seems to remember his flowers and holds them out. Lindon swipes them before I can reach for them, and then raises an eyebrow at the other man, as if to suggest now there’s no reason for him to linger.

  “Whatever,” Jack says, turning on his heel. “We’ll see, when the alpha challenges begin.” Jack throws me a charming smile when he reaches his car, and I can feel my cheeks flame. “I’ll see you soon, Misty,” he says, blowing a kiss as he gets in his car.

  Lindon pretends to catch the kiss, then chucks it down at the ground and mimes grinding it underfoot. But Jack is already pulling away, giving me a silent wave.

  I’m still trying to breathe properly. He’s a little rough, striking looking, but even more handsome than his photo. So that’s Jack. I can’t wait to meet the rest.

  “Will they all smell like that?” I ask, as Lindon glares at me.

  He tsks. “Probably, so if you like it, good for you.”

  He walks past me, and a faint scent comes off him. Absolutely, undeniably amazing, the best scent I have ever smelled. But faint, like it’s being suppressed. He pulls me inside and shuts the door behind me. “You weren’t supposed to open the door without me,” he says.

  “I forgot to check. Why do some smells smell stronger?” I ask, still confused how Lindon can smell better but yet the smell is very faint.

  “Um, it…” I think I can see a light flush on those perfect, high cheekbones, and golden eyes flash in irritation. “I guess it depends on several things. How much the alpha is ready to mate, how much they like what they see, and of course, the level of arousal…”

  I bite my lip. Oh.

  “And some males frankly have a lot less control over themselves.”

  “Is that why I can barely smell you?” I say, following him into the kitchen as he goes to get a glass of water.

  “Yes. I’ve gotten quite good at suppressing my scent.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m not looking to mate with anyone,” he says, leaning easily against the counter as he sips water from a cut crystal glass, looking completely at home in this luxurious environment. He’s wearing a navy sweater over a white, tailored shirt, and fitted chinos. I can still make out the shape of his body, those proud, wide shoulders, large deltoids curving to heavy biceps and thick forearms that taper to delicate wrists and hands with long, slim fingers.

  And that face. A long nose, perfectly straight, situated over a beautiful mouth with naturally pigmented lips and a deep indent in the middle of the top lip that gives him a perfect cupid’s bow. A tiny dimple in one cheek when he’s either irked or grinning. Perfect, arched brows in a dark gold shade. Black lashes fanning out around golden eyes. A jaw that was drawn with two straight edges. A stubborn chin that juts slightly. A proud, tall forehead with a nice hairline. His hair is thick and soft, and I realize for the first time…

  “Your hair, you cut it…” It used to be longer, sort of falling around his face and ears and collar. Now it’s short, maybe an inch on top and tousled, some kind of gel obscuring the beautiful shimmering colors in it.

  He looks taller this way, sharper. Equally beautiful, but even more masculine.

  “I really may let you take a picture if you’re going to keep ogling me like this…” he murmurs, setting his glass down on the counter.

  “Maybe I will,” I mumble, slumping in a seat at the table.

  “Look,” he says, folding his arms. “If we’re going to do this together, I need to know you’re going to listen to me. Do what I say.”

  “Right, a man who wants me to do as he says? What a novel idea in your world,” I say sarcastically.

  “It’s for your own safety,” he says.

  “Said the patriarchy,” I retort.

  He sighs and puts his hand up to his face, resting there as if trying to gain patience. “Look, this isn’t the human world. There are issues, if I hadn’t showed up.”

  “If he’d done anything I didn’t want, I would have hit him in the nads. I’ve never had any trouble with guys before.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I shrug, thinking of a few incidents involving the bus stop or a public pool. “I just mean, like most women, I’ve met a few guys who didn’t know where to keep their hands, and I took care of it.”

  His eyes narrow in anger, deepening the gold color, but then he shakes his head and braces both hands on the counter on either side of him. “Look, those were humans. Of course you’d be stronger as a shifter. These are shifters. Not just shifters, the strongest of their lines.”

  “Right, right, I need you. Are you sure this isn’t just Rowan’s way of trying to get another alpha female for one of his sons? I mean, trying to convince me you’re some kind of protector? I mean, come on, you taking on someone like Jack, let alone ten of him?”

  Lindon glares at me. “Maybe you shouldn’t talk about my dad like that when you’re obviously wrong about him. And if you don’t want my protection services, you’re welcome to not avail yourself of them.”

  “I won’t,” I retort. “You’ll see. Just because they want me…”

  “You’ve never had an alpha try to seduce you,” he snaps back. “You are an ignorant little girl.”

  I stand up out of my chair. “Don’t you dare tell me who I am,” I say. “When you obviously don’t know me at all. You haven’t even tried to.”

  “Because I don’t want to,” he says. “I told you, I’m not worried about taking a mate, and that’s why you’re here. So let’s just try not to annoy each other to death while we’re doing this.”

  “Fine.”

  “And let’s start by you agreeing you’ll do what I say, because I know this world and you don’t.”

  I shrug. “Do I have a choice? You’re just going to keep lecturing me if I don’t.”

  He takes a step toward me, closing a lot of distance quickly with those long, lean legs of his. I back into the table and he crowds me in, putting me at eye level with those beautiful pecs. I kind of want to lick them.

  His eyes flick to me at that thought, and the scent in the room changes. Like a glass door is up, I can fully scent Lindon. Oh my hell…

  He smirks, watching me squirm as the scent affects me. I feel dizzy, heady, desperate to drag him to my room and make him take me.

  “You see, we have something in common, Misty. We both smell a little more…irresistible to the average shifter…the difference is I’ve learned to control mine. Suppress it. But I can let it out as needed. You don’t want that, do you?”

  I look up at him, not sure what I want anymore, except for him, inside me.

  “What you’re feeling, it’s not even scent really. It’s pheromones, telling me you’re an alpha and telling you that I’m alpha, and that we should mate. That you’re ready and I should take you. That’s what my body says.” He presses in closer against me, crowding me, making my whole body burn with heat at this beautiful devil. “This is how you’re going to smell to them,” he says, pulling away finally to fold his arms, leaving me to slump slowly to the ground, one hand weakly on the chair next to me.

  I stare up at him in shock at the sheer effect he could have on me.

  He grins. “Didn’t see that coming, did you? And that’s why we’re going to do this my way.”

  I frown and brush hair off my slightly sweaty forehead, composing myself as I stand. “No, I didn’t see that coming. But next time, I will. And as I already said, if someone tries something, I’ll kick them in the nads. The rest will learn not to try it.”

  “Ha!” Lindon turns on his heel and walks out of the kitchen,
then stops and throws an insolent glance over his shoulder, sliding those beautiful gold eyes over my entire body. “Ha!” he says again, and then he disappears through the front door, presumably to get the bags.

  I sink onto the chair, then realize he’ll be coming back in, and bolt out of the kitchen through the living room and up the stairs to my room. I shut the door and press my back to it, still breathing heavily.

  What the hell was that? And why do I get the feeling it will only be like that with Lindon? I run my hand softly over the center of my chest, feeling my stammering heart.

  This is going to be tough.

  Chapter 5

  I’m up in the bathroom fiddling with my makeup, nervous about the men coming, when Lindon comes in and leans against the door frame in that way he has of looking comfortable while trying his hardest to make me uncomfortable.

  “I’m sorry for earlier,” he says quietly, staring down at his folded arms.

  I ignore him and flick a clump of mascara off one of my lashes. My lashes are curly and don’t like to take the mascara nicely, but I think I did okay, for never doing it usually. I stand back and blink a few times at my reflection, checking the effect. Fine I guess.

  “You don’t have to be doing all this,” he says. “You’re fine as you are. As you saw with Jack before.”

  “What if they only want me for my money?” I ask. “Or my lineage, I guess.”

  He shrugs. “And it would be better to want you for your looks?”

  I shrug back, leaning into the mirror to check my face for blemishes. “It’d be a first.”

  His face goes thoughtful and he takes a step into the bathroom. “Misty, you’re a beautiful woman. Surely you don’t need me to tell you that.”

  I shrug. “That would also be a first.”

  Anger flashes in those gold eyes and he takes another step into the room, arms still folded. “That’s too bad. Are the men in the human world complete fools?”

  I shrug again, feeling it’s the default reaction for anything I can’t really answer. “I suppose it’s my fault too. I guess I liked to hide a lot, never wanted to try. But if meeting a bunch of hot guys isn’t a good reason to overcome that, then I don’t know what is.”