Forbidden Mate by Stacey Espino

“Where’s your mate
then?”
    “She’s none of your concern.” His tone took on a
deeper octave, one of warning. It was commonplace for shifters to be overly
protective of their females, so Wesley wasn’t fazed by the implied threat.
    “If you have a mate, then why is another male living
under your roof?”   asked Wesley.
    He knew Marco had holed up in the waterfront
cottage. His scent was everywhere—distractingly intermingled with the human
female’s sweet fragrance.
    “There something wrong with sharing a house? I’ve
had a roommate long before the princesses jumped ship. Has the queen passed a
new law I’m not aware of?”
    The wolf was snarky and difficult. Usually the
shifters in town bent over backwards to comply with their will, an inbred sense
of fear for the Elite passing from generation to generation. These two wolves
seemed immune to their intimidation. Was it because they lived way out here? Or
were they rebels plotting something against the queen?
    “No, but I think one of you is hiding something,” he
said. “We’ve been looking for a suspect. A wolf. It
seems like a coincidence that I find two here, both with grudges, just miles
from the palace.”
    “Think whatever the fuck you want. I’ve committed no
crime.” The wolf stood and walked up the steps to the porch, dismissing them.
    Wesley’s panther clawed within him, seriously pissed
that some common wolf dared to speak so disrespectfully. It only proved his
place as palace guard was losing its reverence, the position becoming dated.
    There was no point sticking around. Not without hard
proof. Cade shifted along with him, and they began the quick hike through the
overgrown forest. A layer of dew already collected on the low-lying foliage,
moistening Wesley’s short black fur. He’d only have a few hours rest before his
night shift at the palace, so he needed to get back to his room in town.
    When they neared the outer edge of the lake, he came
to an abrupt stop. Helen’s scent was overpowering, taking control of him like a
virus invading his system. He was forced to relive their night together. Wesley
could feel her, smell her, and hear the mewling sounds she made when he touched
her. He tried to fight it—to think of duty and honor instead of weak emotions
like love and desire.
    “ What now?”
    “Go
ahead of me. I’ll see you at the bar tomorrow night when I’m off.”
    Wesley watched the golden cougar bound into the
underbrush. He stood still, listening to everything around him from the wind
through the highest leaves in the forest canopy to the wings of the moths
passing near his head. He took a deep breath, the earthy scents filling his
lungs and energizing his body. Every fiber of his being wanted to follow after
Cade and forget the girl. The human girl.
    He chalked up his unhealthy obsession to curiosity.
He’d never bedded a human, always turned off by the thought of them.   They were soft, fragile, and from his
experience, intolerable. He could only hope these desperate feelings would pass
as quickly as they appeared.

Chapter
Five
     
    What
am I doing? Seriously, what was I thinking?
    Helen scanned the bushes on either side of her with
the flashlight. The forest was immeasurably more foreboding in the darkness. The
cone-shaped beam of light was her only sense of security. There were curious
noises everywhere, keeping her nerves on edge—screeches, rustling, and low
growls.   She was tempted to turn back
around on more than one occasion, but something inside her urged her to keep
going. She’d played it safe for too long in her life. It was time to go with
her gut.
    She’d agree to a dinner date. It would be rude to
just not show up—or so she kept telling herself. This was what she really
wanted. Helen wanted it all—the impossible dream—love, passion, and a happily
ever after to rival all others.
    Helen picked up her pace, not willing to stand
around and wait for a predator to close in on her. She was already