A Mate's Denial: by P. Jameson Page B

closer to the table, Asa spoke low. “I owe him my life. I know he seems… hard, but his biggest problem is his heart is too big. Being an alpha didn’t come natural for Cael. He did it out of spite. It was something to work for, a goal to conquer.” He shook his head before speaking again. “His love for that female is eating him alive. And if he goes through with this, he’ll just end up hurt. I’ve been protecting him too long to let that happen.”
    Trager looked to the bar to see two furious bronze eyes zeroed in on him.
    “Shit,” he muttered.
    Asa turned in time to see Cael and his man, barreling through the crowd toward them.
    “Relax. It’s fine.”
    Trager’s wolf growled low, already wanting to challenge rather than bow.
    Cael walked right up to them, slamming his palms down and leaning low over the table. “Who are you?”
    Ignoring Buzz-cut, Trager straightened. “Who are you ?” He knew if he backed down now, he’d lose this battle of wills.
    “You’re a wolf, in my bar. I guess that makes me your motherfucking alpha.” Cael’s eyes skated the edge of crazy, the way they blazed.
    “It’s not your bar.”
    His mouth formed an evil grin. “It is tonight. You Ozarka?”
    “No.”
    He stood up, tossing a look to Asa before turning to his partner. “Haze, it looks like we have a new recruit to train.”
    Trager stood to his full height—which left him almost eye-level with the alpha. “I’m no one’s,” he growled. “I’m a loner, and I intend to keep it that way.”
    Cael’s gaze narrowed. “Is that right.”
    Trager nodded once.
    “ Asa, explain why you’re hanging with a drifter.”
    The old man sighed . “You want the long or the short.”
    Cael’s eyes broke away from Trager to glare at Asa. “Try the short.”
    “I hang with whoever I want.”
    The alpha looked like he wanted to throttle someone. Lots of someones. But specifically, the graying wolf. “Give me the long.”
    Asa shrugged. “He doesn’t have a pack because they kicked him out when the Elders had a vision that his mate would reject him. Sound familiar? I was talking to him about joining ours, but he’d rather be a lone wolf. Then you walked up with your attitude hanging out, and pretty much sealed the deal, I think.”
    Seconds passed before Cael turned back to Trager. “Your mate rejected you?” His question was quiet, almost inaudible in the noise that had resumed in the building. But what struck Trager as odd, was the fact that he didn’t seem to be judging him. Trager was used to people looking at him like he was a leper, but this wolf seemed almost… puzzled.
    “Not yet.”
    “And when she does?” he ground out. “What will you do then?”
    The guy might as well have punched Trager in the gut. For the past four days, he’d tried hard not to think about that scenario. Because the truth was, he didn’t know. He didn’t know what he’d do if he had to live without her.
    “It’s really none of your business.” He tried for a calm tone but didn’t quite pull it off.
    Cael stared at him, clearly thinking something over. Then his brow relaxed a fraction. “I think you’d better go now,” he said. “Ravendale doesn’t need your kind around.”
    Yeah. Trager was no fool. If this alpha was letting him go so easily, there was a reason for it. But that didn’t mean he was waiting around to find out. Buzz-cut looked like he was itching to teach someone a lesson.
    With a quick glance at Asa—that hopefully conveyed that he should get his ass in gear and figure out a way to stop this war—Trager brushed past the big-ass duo and made his way toward the door.

Chapter Nine
    There were decisions to make, and Kerrigan didn’t have enough brain power to make them no matter how much coffee she pumped into her system. She stared at the items she’d pulled from her kitchen cabinets, then at the two giant boxes on the floor. TRASH or KEEP. That was the question. Anything she couldn’t take with her