The Contrary Mate

I slept poorly, my wolf more fitful than usual and I woke far earlier than I needed to. When it became apparent that I wasn't going back to sleep, I dragged myself out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and pyjama pants. Then I went to find coffee, the one precious thing that would get me through this long day of celebrations.

The wolves who worked in my kitchen made the best, strongest coffee, since like alcohol, our bodies processed caffeine faster than I would have preferred if it had been up to me. Maybe the fae could come up with a magically enhanced version of the beverage like they had with fairy juice. As I clutched a mug and left the kitchen, I considered if that was something we could potentially invest in. It wasn't exactly what Meteor did as a rule, but maybe...or a personal investment? Either way, I was sure it would have a faithful customer base if it was possible to invent such a product.

My wolf's increasing activity pulled me out of my musings. He almost felt agitated. Was it just the nearness of the full moon, or was something else bothering him? I scanned the area for any signs of trouble or anything of interest. Nothing, but my curiosity was piqued and I followed my instincts down the hall. My wolf only grew more frantic as I found myself nearing the hall intended for hosting pack gatherings and other events as the occasion called for it.

A sweet, tantalizing scent hit my nose. It couldn't be, could it?

For one moment I stopped, afraid to find out I was wrong again, but my wolf didn't hesitate and pushed me forward into the room. A few wolves who worked for me walked around doing various tasks—decorating or something—and greeted me as they saw me pass. I responded, but my attention wasn't on any of them and I couldn't spot the source of the scent anywhere.

My nose led me to the bar, and I jumped over the counter to investigate further.

"Morning, Jack," Irini said. The tall blond gave me a curious look at my behaviour, but didn't question me further. She was probably going to play bartender that evening, since the girl always loved to be in the thick of everything. I didn't care who did what, and things got done when pack wolves worked together so it wasn’t like there was a need to micromanage my staff.

"Morning," I agreed, but didn't waste time, because the scent was getting even stronger. My wolf was trying to bust out of me as I stepped into the staff only area behind the bar.

There were a couple of people back there, as well, but I dismissed each in turn as not being the source of the tantalizing scent. I was almost to the rear supply doors when finally my wolf found what—who—we were searching for.

She was blond and lithe under a light purple dress, graceful and delicate in her movements, and my wolf was instantly fixated on her with an interest I’d never before experienced.

And she was walking out of the building. My first instinct was to panic and grab her before she got away. Luckily, before I could do anything so ridiculous, my better sense took over and I realized she was simply helping unload the delivery truck that was parked at the loading dock. She carried a case back in, and I got my first proper glimpse of her lovely face and my heart nearly stopped. She was gorgeous, with eyes the aqua of a tropical ocean, a colour I had never seen before on a person, either human or werewolf.

Which made sense, since she was clearly one of the fae. Her slight form, the subtle sharpness of her ears, the scent more subtle than a typical human's.

My wolf and I couldn't care less what kind of creature she was. I simply gaped at her for a long second, before it hit me that I couldn't just stand around and wait for the bond to affect her, because she wasn't a werewolf. I would have to win her over, just like I would have had to win over any other female if I had wanted them. I stepped forward and smiled, not my usual one of cynical charm that I used to try to influence people in my favour, but a real one, because I'd finally found her.

"Can I take that for you?"

She glanced at me. "Sure. Thanks." She passed me the case and then turned back in the direction she had come.

My wolf whimpered. She'd barely even noticed I was there.

I had to find out who she was before she got away. I glanced around and saw Irini behind me with a raised eyebrow, her ponytail swaying as she stopped to lean against a wall. "You alright, Jack?"

"Yes, where's this go?" I asked frantically.

She grabbed it from me and carried it over to a large walk in refrigerator and placed it neatly on the shelving unit. One of the people apparently working with my mate, a fae with blue hair so dark it was nearly black, walked around me on his way to set down his burden. He left again, and I got out of the way as another came by like a line of foraging ants.

"What's all this stuff?"

"It's that new shipment of fairy juice you apparently ordered."

"Oh. Right. That's great." I was about to become the biggest consumer of the enhanced alcohol if I needed to be to get her to come back here. Parties for supernaturals every night if necessary. My wolf hated the idea. We shouldn't need to get her to come back here because we shouldn't even let her leave. I stomped down on that inclination again.

She walked back in and I tried to look cool, like someone she would want to get to know better. She didn't look at me any more closely than she looked at the other obstacles in her path. "Excuse me," I said, my tongue barely functioning.

She glanced at me and it felt like my wolf was caught in her gaze. "Can I help you?"

Damn it. All my confidence and glibness seemed to have deserted me in this most critical moment. "Could I ask your name?"

She met my eyes with an expression that very clearly said she was trying to decide if I was a psycho or not. She finally answered, "Aura."

"Aura." It was like honey on my tongue, as beautiful as she was.

She shot me another questioning look. "Well, anyway, if you've got a complaint or something you can call my boss about it. We did our best to get this here on time, that order was pretty last minute. So, if you'll excuse me..."

Panicking, I reached out and grabbed the case she was holding. She didn't let it go and she looked at me like she was growing increasingly sure that I was insane. "I don't have any complaints."

"Then...?"

"Could I get your number?"

"Um, no, sorry. And I've kind of got to get this job done, so, if you don't mind..."

"Please, let me help."

She released her hold on the case and shrugged. "Fine." She turned around and walked out.

I nearly shoved the case on the shelf and Irini gave me a judgmental glare as she pulled me off to the side. "If she's your mate, just tell her straight out. That or turn it down a notch."

"What do you mean?"

"You're coming on way too desperate and freaking her out. Aren't you supposed to be charming nowadays? I knew that was too good to be true." She rolled her eyes, obviously remembering when we were young and I was still a gawky teen.

"I'm trying. She's a fae. I've barely even had a conversation with one before."

She shrugged. "Guess you'd better learn fast then, boss. At least you know where she works. And if you need my help, you know where I am."

I nodded and Irini left just as Aura came back with another load. Irini was right. Desperation was not an attractive trait. She set her burden on the shelf before heading back towards the vehicle.

Unfortunately, my wolf was incredibly desperate. I had to get him under control. I forced him back and focused on her. "Could I have a moment of your time? It's important."

She did not look impressed. She folded her arms. "What do you want? We've still got a couple more stops."

I exhaled. This might be my last chance. "I'd like to invite you to the celebration we're holding here tonight."

Her forehead furrowed and she cocked her head and inspected me. "What? You mean the solstice moon celebration? Isn't that a werewolf thing they do with their packs? I doubt fae are even welcome."

"You'd be more than welcome."

She just watched me with those beautiful ocean pools, steady and doubtful. I threw caution to the wind.

"You're my mate."