A Wolf's Mate

Evernight Publishing ®

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2015 Vanessa Devereaux

 
ISBN: 978-1-77233-240-7

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Kerry Genova

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized
reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
 
No part of this book may be used or
reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All
names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events,
locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

A big thank you to my editor
Kerry Genova for all her wonderful work on the stories in this series.

A WOLF’S MATE

Kalispell
Shifters, 6

Vanessa Devereaux

Copyright © 2015

Chapter One

Nick
leaned against the doorjamb. He raised the Styrofoam cup to his mouth and
sipped on the chai latte. Maisey walked to the front of the room. She’d
delivered what she’d promised, a business venture that would turn a profit
within its first few months of being launched. Nick was never one to brag, but
he couldn’t help but feel some satisfaction in knowing that, so far, he’d never
been foolish enough to pour his money into a half-assed idea.

She
raised her arms in the air before bending over.

He
smiled as a host of naughty thoughts raced through his head. He’d had her, had
her in a threesome, but he’d bowed out knowing that she wasn’t his intended
mate but the destined partner of the other alpha in the threesome, Lucas Black.
Maisey’s engagement ring flashed as she raised her arms again. He took another
sip of the spicy brew and watched as she got into a position that only she
could. She was a fine yoga teacher, but it was probably her wolf half that made
her so damn supple.

Downward Facing
Wolf,
they’d called their joint venture. He’d thrown out the name to her, thinking
she’d find it condescending or stupid, but she’d loved it. Since they’d opened
three months ago, not only were the yoga and other exercise classes popular
around town, the spa services were gaining popularity, and only last week
Maisey informed him they’d need to hire more workers. Whether they’d be human
or shifters, well, he’d leave that up to her. He was after all, the silent
partner.

Maisey
winked at him as she went around to each of her students and assisted them with
getting into the correct form. He waved to her before downing more tea. He should
get out of here and back to work before she suggested he join
in,
but today he was taking things easy.
Outside the
sky
couldn’t decide whether
it wanted to produce
rain
or snow and he
didn’t relish going out in it. The yoga studio was toasty warm and he was
feeling downright lazy.

Maybe
he’d get a
massage
. Maisey had hired
Jill,
a fellow wolf shifter, for the job. She’d
even invited both
he
and Jill to dinner
with her and Lucas. Maisey had vowed to find him a mate as a Christmas gift so
he knew what his business partner had on her mind. While Jill was attractive,
and yes he’d slept with the massage therapist twice, he wasn’t a guy who’d be
forced into being with a woman just to please a friend. When his mate came
along,
he’d know it.

Taking
another sip, he watched as Maisey walked over to assist a young woman in light
blue leggings and a matching top. Maisey rested her hand on the middle of the
woman’s back, easing her over into the bend. Whoever this student was, she had
one nice
ass.

Nick
coughed because the tea had gone down the wrong way. There were a lot of nice
asses in the class today but for some
reason,
this one now acted like a beacon to him. She wasn’t
skinny
but curvy and round, and the type of lady he loved best.
Maisey had moved on to the next
student,
but Nick was fixated on the lady with the blue leggings. Something was
happening. His blood was rushing around his body, and all his nerve endings
were suddenly ignited. If he didn’t control
himself,
he’d shift right here.

Had
he found his mate perhaps? Was she the young woman in the blue leggings?

Putting
his nose in the air, he took a deep breath, amazed that it was human he smelled
and not wolf scent that was coming off her body and exciting him. She held her
position, ass in the air, him turning harder with each second she held it there.
She was the first human that had ever caught his interest. First one to give
him a hard-on.

Something
had to be wrong with him. He touched his forehead to make sure he didn’t have a
temperature. Nope, he was perfectly all right. Having a human as his intended
mate wasn’t in his plans. No
one besides
another wolf shifter would do. He’d have to fight this.

“Okay,
if you want to, come out of your poses and have a good stretch. After that
we’ll cool down,” said Maisey walking back to the front of the classroom.

He
watched as the human stood back up and raised her arms in the air. She turned
his way so she could stretch her back. Wow, she was gorgeous. He quickly
reminded himself he didn’t do humans. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t
watch one.

“And
take a deep breath. Hold it for five seconds. And now let it go,” said Maisey.

Nick
took another sip of his tea but realized in his obsession with watching the
human he’d let it get cold. His lips puckered.

“That’s
it for today, see you on Thursday. Namaste,” continued Maisey.

Human
picked up her water bottle and towel and walked toward him. Her scent got
stronger. Human perspiration mixing with some tantalizing perfume that made his
cock stand up and take notice. Only his intended mate was supposed to do that.
He looked directly at her as she passed by, but she totally ignored him. A
female had never done that to him before. If she was supposed to be his
mate,
she’d know it too.

Arrogant human.

Maisey
slapped him on the arm making him jump and spill the remaining tea down the
front of his jacket.

“And
which one of my students has gotten you so worked up?” she asked.

“What
are you talking about?”

She
pointed to his crotch. His erection was on full display. He pulled on the front
of his pants, hoping to hide
it,
but it
was of little use. He wasn’t small in that department and when he got excited,
man oh man, the whole world usually knew about it.

“Spill
the beans, which woman did that to you?” she asked.

“Wasn’t
a woman.”

“So
it was one of the guys. Let me think which one of my students you’d be
attracted to. It has to be Brian.”

“Maisey
King, you know damn well I’m not into men.”

She
burst out laughing. He knew she loved to tease him. In all
honesty,
he liked to do the same to her.
Nothing better than business partners who could have some fun together.

“Tell
me which one or I’ll assume you are and you know I can’t keep secrets very
well.” She had that naughty grin on her face. It
was either admit
the truth or pay the consequences.

“The
one with the blue leggings.”

There
it was out.

“Blue
leggings…ooh, you mean Ava.”

Oh
damn, even her name sounded sexy.

“You
know she’s human, right?” asked Maisey.

“Sure
I do. I could smell her a mile away.”

“But
you hate humans.”

Nick
looked
around. Hopefully
no one had
overheard that last comment. Well, at least not any nonshifters.

“Could
you have said that any louder? We’re supposed to be humans too, in case you’ve
forgotten,” he told her.

“Nope,
I never forget that. However, it’s true. You think they’re all strange and
can’t be totally trusted.”

“When
have I ever said that?”

“Nick
Pearson, name one human friend you have.”

“There’s…
what’s his name, and how about that guy, can’t think of his name either.”

She
was right. He didn’t make friends with humans but kept his circle of buddies to
shifters and not just the wolf kind. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make
friends with humans, but not having to be on guard around someone, watching
what you said, what you did, made life so much easier.

“I
don’t hate them, it’s just I don’t like them that much.”

“However,
you’ve found this one attractive so maybe you’re weakening. Maybe there’s hope
for you yet. Lucas and I should throw a dinner party and invite both you and
her so you can get to know one another.”

“You
know her?”

“Only
through the yoga classes. She’s been attending for the last few weeks. She’s
from out of town. She’s a journalist working on some local stories so she could
be very lonely and in need of some company.”