The Alpha's Mate: (6 page)

Chapter Seven

Adam’s plans for a cosy dinner to get to know his mate were sunk.  Adam had tried to reason with her but Rosalee in light of his confession about wanting to buy her house and land said she had changed her mind and instead insisted on going to Bar Luna.  She said she wanted to see more of the little town, which naturally included the local watering hole.

He
suspected that Rosalee was planning on flirting up a storm to make him jealous.  Part of him was a little pleased that she wanted to make him jealous.  As childish as it was it meant that she wanted him to care. 

He planned to dispel any feelings of
annoyance she had by lavishing her with so much attention that she completely forgot that there was anyone else even at the bar.  An easy task, he doubted he would even be able to take his eyes off her.

She was wearing a short emerald green sheath dress with a pair of gold strappy sandals.  Her long silky brown hair flowed loose, the ends teased into curls. 
God she looked gorgeous
.  He was in a constant state of arousal because of her anyway but the dress she was wearing almost sent him wild. 

Rosalee sashayed into the bar with Adam trailing behind. 
Hell she knew how to make an entrance.
  A multitude of men immediately looked up and admired her.  On seeing the Alpha’s scowl they immediately looked away.  His beast snarled at the other men but was content at their submission.

Adam greeted
Andy the bear bartender and introduced him to Rosalee before ordering drinks.  They settled at a high table set against the back wall of the bar.

Rosalee
scanned the bar, there were some good looking guys here although sadly they did nothing for her.  She already had god’s gift to women standing only inches from her, the heat from his body almost giving her sunburn.  Every other man seemed inadequate.

She did note that Hans the wolf, and unhappy Pizza Moon chef, was sat in one corner of the bar.  He was with
the two Deputies, Gabe and Jake, she met the day before and a hunky man who looked to be a couple of years older than her.  He raised a beer in Adam’s direction and grinned, Hans meanwhile stared daggers at the occupants of a table at the other end of the bar.

Melody the witch, and unhappy Pizza Moon waitress, was sat in the other corner with two other young women and a young man.  Melody was too busy throwing narked looks at Hans to notice anything
else.  The young man was draped over the blonde young woman and they were chatting whilst the black haired woman seemed to be smirking in her direction, it was a little disconcerting. 

“Who are they?”  Whispered Rosalee, using her eyes to motion in Melody’s direction.

Adam’s lips curled up.  “You haven’t already forgotten Melody have you?”  She gave him a little growl which made his arousal twitch and his wolf leap in joy.  “Alright, alright.  The blonde is called Kayleigh and the other is Dena, both witches.  The guy is Gary or Greg I think, he’s a mechanic.  And human.”

Adam was irritated to see the looks flowing between Melody and Hans.  Good job Hans’ brother Acksel was here. 
He better keep a tight rein on him tonight
.

Adam had thought to surround Rosalee with happy couples, which might entice her to want to mate and stay with him.  Unfortunately the majority of mated couples his age had young pups and were too exhausted and busy to come out and make him look good.

Adam had tried to entice Alec to bring Liv to the bar, but Alec being Alec he had kyboshed any thought of bringing his little mate to a bar containing single males.  If Alec had his way he would have kept her locked in their home.  His next thought had been Terri Lin the librarian and a younger wolf in his pack called Mal Tanner who were currently dating.  Terri unfortunately had a stomach bug.

Slim pickings meant he
had to settle for his sister Mac and her ‘friend’ Luke.  Adam didn’t really want to ask what was going on there.  As far as he was concerned Mac was a virgin, and would stay that way until the day she died.  He had also considered Carly and on again off again boyfriend Bryce, but their constant bickering wasn’t exactly the picture he wanted to paint.

Rosalee nudged him. 
“Hey look there’s your sister.”

“Hey Rosalee!” 
Mac called out and walked over to them.  “Nice to see you again, you still bustin’ my brother’s balls?”

Adam growled at his sister.  Ros
alee looked at him sideways and smiled wickedly.  “Would I do that?”

“No Luke
tonight?”  Rumbled Adam.

Mac jutted her chin at him.  “No
, we’re just friends you know.”  She snapped at him. 
Clearly he’d touched a nerve.

“Drink Mac?”  Andy’s voice rolled over them.
 

Mac turned and looked at him. 
“Yes, please... a beer please.”

Adam didn’t fail to notice the longing looks that passed between the two of them.
  Adam growled lowly and the two snapped to attention.

Mac
turned back to them and the three of them chatted pleasantly about the bar and the patrons who all called out greetings to Adam.  He was on a first name basis with nearly everyone in town. 

Rosalee
was talking animatedly about her experiences as a waitress in Mexico.  They laughed and listened enraptured.  Adam ignored his concerns regarding getting her to mate with him and instead let her melodious voice flow over him. 
It soothed him
.  Covertly he looked around the bar.  Mostly men.  A lot of whom were casting glances at Rosalee.  Their focus settling on her legs.  Their arousal was evident but none seemed inclined to do anything about it in the Alpha’s presence. 
Good
.

Casually he placed a hand round
Rosalee’s waist.  She stiffened slightly before relaxing into his touch.  Her cheeks pinkened but she continued her story undeterred as if having his hand on her was the most natural thing in the world. 
Which of course it should be
.

Adam
pricked up his ears at a familiar man’s voice.  He recognised that man.  Where from?  He spun round to see Ed Buchanan emerging from the back office with Kim.  They were talking lowly and chuckling between them.

Ed was a red wolf
shifter who lived in Alexandria.  He was a close friend of Liv, having grown up together.  Thankfully his easygoing nature hadn’t been tempered by Alec who, when trying to woo Liv, had attacked Ed thinking him to be a potential threat.  Ed if anything had actually found it funny.

Adam was glad.  He liked Ed.  His nature although more docile was very akin to his own.
  The incident hadn’t deterred him from returning to Rosalee, although Adam suspected that had more to do with Kim, the gorgeous six foot wolf shifter and manager of Bar Luna.

“Adam!  Mac!”  Ed came over while Kim made her way behind the bar.

Mac greeted Ed enthusiastically and introduced him to Rosalee.

As much as Adam liked the man h
is wolf huffed at this interloper.  His hand tightened at Rosalee’s waist and angled her body closer to him.  He growled when she shook Ed’s hand.  She smirked at him and leaned up to whisper in his ear, “down boy.” 

Mac and Ed sniggered
. 

“How’s work going?”  Asked Mac politely.  “Ed’s a big fancy pants lawyer in
Alexandria, he just occasionally comes down her to talk to us little people.”

Ed grinned smugly. 
“We managed to settle a big case out of court, so I’m celebrating.”

Mac roared with laughter.  “And you thought the best place to celebrate was in
snoozeville?  Seriously?  Where’s the after party?  A morgue?”  Mac really didn’t stop to think before she spoke.

A look of mock hurt covered Ed’s features.  “Are you questioning my mad party skills?”  He shuffled his hips in a small dance.

Mac kept a straight face.  “Yes, yes I am.”

He grinned.  “Fair point.  It’s just been kind of exhausting recently, I decided to celebrate by just having a few nice quiet
drink here in my favourite watering ... and oh god I have literally turned into my grandfather.  Now that I say it out loud I hear it.  If I start asking any of you to sit on my knee so I can tell you how I lost my eye in the war please punch me.”

“Consider it done.” 
Adam slapped him on the back and everyone laughed.

Ed called over to Kim to get him a beer giving her a devilish grin and a wink.  Handing it to him she winked in return. 

Adam looked up as a pretty red head came into the bar.

Oh shit
.  Adam swallowed and tried to think quickly.  Her name was Julianne. The last time Julianne was in town she had spent the night with Adam.  They had met at this very bar.  Julianne had been forthright and asked him to spend the night with her.

He accepted and they spent a satisfying few hours together.  She had gushed at how good he was and told him to look her up if he was ever in the city.  He agreed that she should do the same if she was ever back in Rose.
 
He worried that she had come back for him
.  That wouldn’t go down well with his mate.

He roughly grabbed
Rosalee’s hand.  “I need to talk to you.”  He hurriedly dragged her down the back corridor into the office, her protests dying on her lips.

He shut the door behind them and gently pushed her against one the walls.  He put a hand on either side of her head and leaned down towards her.  His mouth was only an inch from hers.

“I need to tell you a couple of things and I don’t want you to get all pissy or scared and run away.”

Her body shivered with awareness at how close he was.  She was constantly aroused in his presence but being caged in like this made her insides quiver in anticipation.  Despite
herself she enjoyed the feeling of dominance radiating from him and heat pooled between her thighs.  Her voice sounded strangled.  “Oh?”

He tried to keep his voice as even as possible.  Not easy given that the scent of her arousal was flooding the room.  “That woman
who just came into the bar, her name’s Julianne and I slept with her.  I told her to look me up if she were ever in town again.”

Rosalee
pouted. 
Was he dumping her to go off and have sex with another woman? 
He moved one hand to her face and ran his thumb over her bottom lip.  She wanted to take it in her mouth and suckle it.  Her mouth yearned to taste him anyway possible.

“I’m telling you this because I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.  I’ve been with lots of women but that doesn’t change how I feel about you.  Here and now
is the only thing that matters.”

Her mind was hazy from lust but she could just about make out the
jist of what he was saying.  She closed her eyes trying to concentrate.  “Us?”

“Yes, I wanted to tell you someplace nicer than this but...
you’re my mate.”

Her eyes snapped open.  The look in his eyes was intense.  Passionate, animalistic but also longing and needful.  “Mate?!”

“Yes.  We are mates.”

Was this real?
  “How can you be so sure?”

“Well the fact that I’m walking round with a tent down my pants twenty four seven is a dead giveaway.”  He smirked but quickly sobered when he saw her anxious expression.  He ran his fingertips down her cheek, gently stroking her.  “I can scent that you are my mate, my whole body knows that you were meant to be mine.  My wolf has been going crazy for you, the urge to mate you, protect you and provide for you has been pushing him.  You are my true mate, that other half of my soul.  You are the only woman in the world for
me, you were literally made for me.  You are mine.”

She stared at him numbly.  “Please say something Rose.”

She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.  While he was giving that speech she almost forgot to breathe. 
Could it be true?

She’d never had such a physical reaction to a man.  She was so aroused when he was near and
deflated when he wasn’t.  She knew all supernatural creatures allegedly had a true mate but she was human so she’d never really given it much credence.

She wanted this man. 
This wolf
.  But could she really be with him forever?  Would her own flighty nature allow her to stay with him?  As wonderful as he may be wouldn’t she just get bored with him eventually?  Wouldn’t it be fairer to end things now before it was too late and they both got hurt?

The thought of not being near him was painful though.  Being without him, she could only see a cold, lonely, dull future.  One without love or happiness or children...  The thought of any man other than Adam already made her shudder, if she rejected him now part of her was certain that she wouldn’t be able to face be
ing touched by anyone else.

She was so confused she wanted to cry.  She wanted to lean against his hard chest and bawl into his shirt.  She wanted his comforting arms surrounding her, his deep voice telling her that everything would be okay...