Alyssa's Wolves (Wolf Masters, Book 4) (4 page)

“You look fantastic. Stop that.” Lindsey grabbed Alyssa by the wrist and pulled her back toward their seats.

On wobbly legs that had lost their ability to function normally, Alyssa followed or, rather, was dragged.

“What happened?” Kara stood to make room for them to pass.

“Alyssa thought she scented her mate.” Lindsey’s words sounded awkward. Strained.

“Your mate?” Jessica wrapped her arms around her middle and frowned.

Why was this concept so difficult for anyone to grasp? All three of these women had met their own mates, six in total, in a similar fashion. What was the surprise?

“Are you sure?” Kara asked.

Alyssa cleared her throat. “Of course I’m sure. What’s the matter with you guys?” She stared into the face of each woman. Something was definitely amiss. None of them smiled or offered congratulations. They didn’t actually even seem to believe her. Not one of them. That was just weird.

“Well … where is he?” Jessica asked finally.

“Gone.” Alyssa shook her head. “I don’t get it. One minute he was here and the next gone. Why would he do that? Do you think he didn’t notice me, feel me, smell me? Is that even possible?”

Kara coughed into her hand as though there were a frog in her throat before she nodded. “That could be it. Maybe.”

“Even if he didn’t scent me, where did he go? The rodeo hasn’t started yet.” Alyssa rubbed her arms with her hands. A chill crawled up her spine. “It’s as though he didn’t like what he saw, and he ran.” Tears threatened now.
Don’t cry
.

The last thing she wanted to do was start bawling like a baby.
You are a cute—no, scratch that—grown woman. No man would hightail it to get away from you. Stop it right now.

But what other explanation did she have?

Chapter 2

Michael Masters dug his cell phone from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and tapped the button to connect the call. It was his sister, Tessa. What would she be calling about?

“Michael?”

“Yep. Who else would it be?” he teased.

She didn’t laugh. “Listen…”

Something was wrong. Michael froze. He leaned against the fence where he’d been looking out across the vineyard and braced himself for the worst. “What’s the matter? Is it Mom?” The one thing that had made him the most nervous about moving to Spain was fear that something would happen to one of his family members or Alyssa, and he’d be too far away to do anything about it.

“No. No. Nothing like that. I just wanted to call and tell you that Alyssa thinks she found her mate.”

“
What?
” He screamed the word into the phone.
Fuck and goddamn
. There
was
something worse that could happen while he was away.

“Well,
found
might not be the right word. She hasn’t actually seen this mysterious mate. She smelled him. Last night while they were at the rodeo. Personally, we’ve all been hoping she was mistaken. But, she woke up this morning still distraught and insistent. So that’s why I’m calling. And Michael … he’s lupine.”

Michael struggled to get a breath. Impossible. No way.

“What do you want us to do?”

“Nothing. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Guess his jaunt across the ocean was over. Time to head home. ASAP.

“Okay. Be careful, Michael. Don’t get all crazy or anything. Whoever this guy is, he didn’t even have the decency to show himself.”

That did not comfort Michael. He wasn’t about to take any chances. He’d book a flight right that second and wrap up his affairs. “I’ll call you with my flight information soon. And Tessa…” Michael swallowed.

“I know. I’ve got it covered. Don’t worry.” He may have been gone two years, but his sister knew him well. She’d never let Alyssa just run off with some stranger while Michael was clawing his way home. That much he could count on.

* * * *

Three days later Michael fought in desperation to stop jiggling his leg. He gripped his knee with his left hand to hold it steady. Staring out the tiny window of the airplane, he pleaded with God to make the plane go faster. He couldn’t get back to Oregon fast enough.

From the moment his sister had called until today, his world had been a frenzy. He’d never accomplished so much under such duress in his entire life.

Two years, three months, and six days. That’s how long it had been since he’d seen his mate. But who was counting?

Michael motioned for the flight attendant and asked for another beer. His nerves were shot to hell. The flight was long, and he still had a layover in Chicago before he continued on to Portland. And then the long drive. His heart thumped so hard, it was a wonder it didn’t beat out of his chest. He could hear his pulse ringing in his ears and half expected the people surrounding him to comment on its loudness.

He glanced back out into the sky.

The woman he knew was his seemed to believe there was another man, no, not a man, another wolf, out there destined to mate her. She was sadly mistaken. It had been over two years, but there’d been no doubt in the world she was his, and his alone.

Don’t get cocky, dude. Your brothers each share a mate with another man
.

Michael cringed, again. That lifestyle was not for him. He refused to believe it could happen to all of them. Couldn’t just one escape that strange twist of fate?

Not that there was anything wrong with it. It just wasn’t what Michael wanted for his life. He longed to claim Alyssa and spend his life doting on her and worshipping her sexy, lithe body all by himself, not vying for her attention because he had to share her with another man.

His oldest brother, Justin, had been relieved to find he shared Kara with Trevor. Of course, Trevor and Justin had shared women nearly their entire lives. It was a lifestyle they enjoyed. They were happy as could be to find the perfect woman to complete their ménage.

Ryan, the second oldest of the brothers, hadn’t been quite as tickled at first. But he’d gotten over it in a hurry. Probably he’d just been pissed Alejandro had gotten his hands on Lindsey first.

Charles, the third brother, and his friend Reese had been secretly toying with the lifestyle themselves when they met Jessica. Well, not exactly secretly. The entire family had been suspicious, but whatever.

Michael had never been happier than that Christmas day when he’d agreed to pretend to be Alyssa’s mate. As soon as he wrapped himself around her for the fake claiming and nuzzled his nose into her neck, his knees had grown weak, threatening to buckle.

Alyssa had giggled at the unexpected touch, her neck ticklish. She’d been so young. She’d not reacted with the sexual abandon of a woman who moaned to have her neck nibbled on.

Nope. Michael knew for certain, even without her reciprocation, Alyssa belonged to him. He’d also known without a doubt that she needed time, and he’d given her that.

Now he’d fled his new life in Spain at the drop of a hat. No one expected any less from him. Both the Ramos and the Masters families had known this day would come. Michael just hadn’t expected this kind of call, the devastating news from across the ocean that Alyssa believed she’d met her mate.

Met was a rather strong word in this case since, after having scented him at the rodeo last week, Alyssa had not once set eyes on the supposed wolf in question.

Strange circumstances, but Michael wasn’t taking any chances. He needed her with a renewed sense of haste. And he intended to make his wishes known immediately.

Could she have been wrong? What were the chances of that?

Slim. But a guy could hope, couldn’t he?

* * * *

It was nearly noon when Michael pulled up to the front of his childhood home. He’d rented a car in Portland and would need to return it locally later. There was plenty of time. Hell, first he’d need to buy a new truck to replace the one someone in his family had claimed ownership of when he’d left town.

Michael took a deep breath and stared out the window for one silent moment. This was it.

With a sense of pride, Michael climbed out of the car, unfolding himself from the tight confines, and headed for the front of the house. Everything was just as he’d left it. Even the porch swing rocked gently on its hinges, squeaking in the same fashion it had all his life.

The front door wasn’t locked. It never had been. This area outside Corvallis was the safest in the country as far as he was concerned. No one locked their doors. Hell, there was rarely a time when the house was empty of all occupants.

Right now proved to be one of those rare occasions. He knew his family was around, tending the land or in the barn, but for this brief block of time, no one was inside.

Michael leaned against the door as he silently pushed it closed. He tipped his head back, took a deep breath, and smiled. Her scent was everywhere. It permeated the entire house. He’d know that smell anywhere. His mate. The woman who’d starred in two years of wet dreams. The one whose image he’d masturbated to in the shower.

Except for his parents, Alyssa was the only one still living in the main house. His brothers had all moved to homes on other parts of the property.

A noise made Michael jerk his attention across the great room as the screen door swung shut with a loud bang.

“Michael.” The sweet voice of his mother rang out across the distance just before she dashed across the room and flung herself into his arms. He felt like a man returning from war, except the battles he’d fought on the vineyard weren’t nearly as dangerous.

Michael smiled and laid his chin against his mother’s head as she hugged him.

She hadn’t changed. At least not much. Maybe a little older, but she was still very youthful.

“Missed you, Mom.”

“Me too, son. Me too.” Nancy Masters leaned back and looked him up and down from head to toe. She’d done the same thing when he’d left for kindergarten. Hopefully her intentions were different this time. When he’d been five, he was pretty sure she’d been assessing his wardrobe to make certain he wasn’t leaving the house in mismatched clothes. This time she just took him in with no comment about his attire.

Michael grinned at the memory. “Do I match?”

His mother simply swatted his arm and tugged him into the kitchen. “You must be thirsty after that drive. And hungry. Are you hungry?”

The woman lived to feed people.

“Nope, I’ve eaten several meals since I left Spain.” What he really should have been was tired. For him it was late in the evening. He’d gained the entire daytime hours during the flight west.

But sleep would not come. It would be a long day of revelations before he’d even consider closing his eyes.

“Sit,” his mother commanded. “Tell me about your flight.”

“Mom…” Michael took a seat at the long kitchen table, but his flight was the last thing on his mind. “Where is she?”

Nancy turned from the refrigerator with a jug of iced tea in her hand and a smile on her face.

“She went to Kara’s to help with the kids for the day. I thought you’d need some time … to adjust, get unpacked.”

Michael swallowed. What he needed was Alyssa in his arms, in his bed, in his life, not a day of emptying his suitcase.

As soon as the cool glass of sweet tea landed in his hand, Michael nearly drained the contents.
I guess I was thirsty after all
.

“Has this fictitious mystery mate made an appearance?”

“Nope.” His mother glared at him. “And I don’t think you should take that attitude about it either. I see the look in your eyes. Maybe Alyssa was mistaken, maybe she wasn’t, but you need to be prepared either way.” She sat across from Michael and demanded he look her in the eye with just her stare. “I know you’ve never wanted the kind of relationship your brothers have, but you need to open your mind. If you alienate Alyssa with your close-minded thoughts, you’ll lose her. You understand?”

Michael gulped. She was right. He closed his eyes. Damn it all to hell, she was right.

“It’s going to be all right.” Her voice had lowered, soothing him. Her hand landed on top of his from across the table. “I love you, Michael. You’ve grown into quite a man. I can see how much you’ve matured in the last two years in the twinkle of your eye. Don’t be rigid. Keep things light. Take it slow. Alyssa is still young. She’s not … even had a boyfriend. I hope you don’t have visions of sweeping her off her feet in one afternoon and carrying her to your bedroom. It won’t likely happen that way with her. And she’s going to be confused when she realizes the implications of this situation.”

Damn. The woman was right again. Where had Michael gotten off thinking he was going to swoop in here and fix up his perfect life in one day? Christ, his cock hurt just thinking of waiting for Alyssa to warm up to him.

“Just think about it, okay?” His mother looked at him, her face warm and stern at the same time. “Alyssa is like a daughter to me and your dad. We love her as much as any of you kids. We want the best for her, and we want her to be happy.”

“You know that’s all I want too, Mom.”

“Of course you do, son. But in the presence of a mate, sometimes men tend to rule with their little heads instead of their big ones.” She grinned.

Michael gasped at his mother’s blunt statement. He groaned.

“Don’t get all shocked on me, Michael. I’ve raised too many boys and live surrounded by too much testosterone to not realize how it is for you men. Thank God I had your sister around before the rest of you were born, or I’d have lost my mind.”

“Mom…”

“I’m just sayin’. Think about things before you leap. Promise me that?”

“Of course.” Damn, the woman had a point. Michael needed to take a step back and get a grip on himself before he faced his mate and started the mating dance. It was hardly a dance, but he could picture the two of them circling the room in a standoff as old as time when she realized what she was to him.

Michael prayed he’d at least get the opportunity to hold her tiny, sexy body against his and bury his face in her floral-scented hair today, just like he had the last time he’d been in the same room with her.

Only this time he wasn’t pretending. This time it would be for real.