The Wolf's Mate Book 2: Linus & The Angel (6 page)

Last night, when they made love before bed,
he kept starting to ask her things and then he would stop abruptly.
That fear, that little bit of brokenness, endeared him to her, but
also made her a little nuts. It would have been a lot easier if she
didn’t have to explain this whole thing to him. Not that she would
trade her travels for anything, though.

Her mom never left her birth-pack. Her
father, either. When he came of age, he knew that she was going to
be his. When she turned 21 several years later and that connection
solidified, they had waited for each other. Maybe Karly didn’t wait
to have sex because she’d known subconsciously that none of the men
in her father’s pack were going to be hers, she didn't know. In the
long run, it really didn't matter. Linus was hers now, and they’d
be together forever.

Picking up the phone, she dialed her mom who
would be done with the breakfast dishes by now. As the phone rang,
Karly could picture her bustling around the kitchen as she cleaned.
Her mother taught her to take pride in her work, and to always do
the best job, even if it was a lowly job like washing dishes or
sweeping the floor. Everything that made up the home was important
because the pack was important. Pack and home were words that were
interchangeable in the world she’d grown up in.

“I found him, mom.” She gushed as soon as she
answered her cell.

“You did? How wonderful! Tell me everything.”
She heard the sound of liquid pouring, the clink of a spoon, and
the creak of wood. Her mom sat down with a cup of coffee to listen
to her, as if she was still home. So Karly did the same as she
shared the story with her, making a small pot for herself and
sitting at the two person table in the efficiency kitchen.

She told her about nearly dying and being
rescued, her embarrassing wantonness and not remembering his name
but then making up for it, and the weekend that Linus and she spent
together. She and her mother had an open relationship. Although her
mother would have preferred her to remain a virgin until she met
her mate, she had armed her with the knowledge to protect herself
both physically and emotionally, and helped her have a strong sense
of self-worth.

“And he’s fourth?”

“Yeah. He’s the sweetest, most shy wolf I’ve
ever met.”

“He sounds perfect for you, darling, but of
course he would be. It’s a shame that his pack has lost the
traditions by modernizing. It’s what the alpha believes is pretty
much the fate of many packs now. Younger alphas that want more
freedom and less responsibility so they abandon the very things
that make them unique.”

Karly agreed wholeheartedly. “I’ll tell him
everything tonight. If he needs some time to come to terms with it,
then I’ll give that to him. But I could tell he was on the verge of
telling me he loved me, asking me to move in with him. He just
didn’t understand that I already belong to him.”

“Your father will be thrilled your wandering
days are over.”

She snorted lightly. “He’ll be thrilled? I’ve
been on the road for over a year. I just can’t wait to settle and
put down roots.”

“I’ll send word to your brothers. We’ll plan
for you to come out for a visit in the spring when the weather
clears. We can plan the wedding then.”

“Sounds good to me.” Although some might
consider that things were moving too fast, Karly knew from what
she'd witnessed over the years that once wolves found their mates,
they really didn't care to waste time to make them theirs
forever.

“Take care then, my daughter, and call if you
need anything.”

Karly hung up and finished her coffee. As she
rinsed off her mug and put it in the dishwasher, there was a knock
at the door and her neighbor’s shrill voice came through the door,
“Did I see you come home, Karly? It’s Lola. I brought muffins.”

Sweet, lonely Mrs. Beckinson. Karly would buy
her a new puppy to replace Jacques. It completely escaped Karly's
attention that she was probably worried all weekend. She opened the
door and Mrs. Beckinson hugged her with one arm, holding a small
muffin tin in a hot pad with the other. She smiled at Karly and her
eyes crinkled at the corners and then she started to cry. Karly
pulled her gently inside and shut the door, and led her to the
kitchen table.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. B. I found him, but I
slipped on ice and fell and passed out from the cold. A man
happened to be out and he rescued me, but Jacques was already gone.
I’m not even sure where it happened, but I can ask my friend if he
can remember so we can find him, and give him a proper burial.”

She wept quietly. Widowed, no kids, and
living in a week-to-week place because the mortgage on the home she
shared with her husband for thirty years had ballooned at the end
and she lost it right after he died. That little rat dog was all
she had in the world.

“I’d like that, dear. I was so worried about
you. I never thought you might get hurt out there, but when you
didn't come home I didn't know what to think. Where did you
stay?”

“The man that found me, his name is Linus. He
lives in Allen and he saved my life, and I stayed with him for the
weekend and I’m so sorry you worried. I would have called if I had
my cell phone with me or knew your number by memory.” She made
another pot of coffee, knowing that her morning was now shot
because she wouldn’t leave until after lunch at least. But Karly
could plan her dinner for Linus. Six o’clock couldn’t come fast
enough.

Mrs. Beckinson told her stories about her
little dog while they ate her homemade blueberry cream cheese
muffins. She was an excellent baker and she and her husband had run
a successful catering company for years but he was the driving
force behind it and she was just the “pretty cook”. Now she lived
off her pension and sold baked goods at flea markets in the
summer.

Karly shifted the topic slightly and told her
about Linus and Mrs. B. swooned over her romantic good luck. She
was one of those gals who read a lot of romance novels. She
believed in the knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel in
distress and then plowing her for days afterwards. Not that there
was anything wrong with that. It’s rather what happened to
Karly.

Karly made cold-cut sandwiches for them and
then Mrs. B. left, leaving two muffins. Karly had already made meat
sauce while she visited and made a pan of baked ziti, a loaf of
white bread and put a salad together. After she cleaned the small
place, which was little more than a front room, kitchen, bedroom
and bathroom, she took a shower and got ready.

Choosing her outfit carefully, she dressed in
a short, dark blue wrap dress that gave her good cleavage. She left
off the stockings and put on a navy blue satin bra and feeling
daring, she skipped the panties entirely and slid into a pair of
wedge heels. The table was set, candles were lit all over the
place, and soft music played from the romantic music channel on the
television hanging over the gas fireplace which was quietly
burning. Her nerves were a jangling mess as she looked over the
small place, her eyes falling again and again to the leather bound
book that marked her as the last Angel of her family’s line, at
least until she had a daughter to carry on the traditions of their
people.

When the knock on the door sounded just after
6, her heart leapt into her throat and stayed there. What if he ran
away? What if he thought she had lied to him? What if he needed
time to come to terms with what she was, what they were together?
What if his ex burned him too badly for him to recover?

With trembling hands, she reached for the
door.

Chapter 5

He sat in his truck outside her tiny
apartment for several minutes after he dropped her off. He wanted
to go back up there, tell her to pack and take her back home. He
didn’t like this place. He didn’t like that she lived outside
Allen. He didn’t like it at all.

Tonight, he told himself as he put the truck
in drive and headed to work. "Tonight I’ll tell her that she’s my
mate and I want her to move into my house," he said aloud. It
sounded right, good, and his wolf growled in agreement. If she
bucked at it, he would give her the master and take the spare
bedroom himself and promise to stay away from her until she was
ready, but he couldn’t help himself from wanting to know she was
safe. It wasn’t just the incredible sex; it was the amazing
connection he felt to her. Nothing had ever felt so right before.
Her scent, her laugh, her eyes. All of it was as if she’d been
carved to perfection just for him.

“You’re late.” Jason said from behind the
counter. “I’d think you would want to be on my good side,
considering.”

He tucked the cooler under his arm and
stomped the packed snow from his boots on the rug. He wasn’t that
late. “Considering what?”

“Considering you didn’t return my calls all
weekend or show up for your plow shift. What was so important that
you ignored all your duties?” Jason pushed his blonde hair away
from his face and gave him a narrowed, unhappy look.

“I had company, Jason. I didn’t even hear my
cell or I would have answered. It wasn’t until Bo and Michael
showed up that I even knew that you’d made plans for the pack to
help out with the plow trucks.” And, he’d turned off his cell
because Brenda had been calling him so often, and clearly he’d not
turned it back on after he got the new number.

“Please tell me that you’re not getting back
with Brenda, Linus. If you passed on pack business for her, I’ll
skin you alive.” The look in his eyes said he meant it,
literally.

“No, it wasn’t her, Jason. I, I did meet
someone, but it wasn’t Brenda. I cut ties with her this weekend,
completely.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed further. “And this
someone is human?”

“Yes.”

He scoffed disdainfully. “Do you have
something against wolves?”

His wolf sat up and it was all he could do to
not growl at his alpha. Jason wouldn’t take that lightly and he’d
wind up with a shiner or busted lip and a bruised ego. He didn’t
want to get into a fight with Jason. Not today. “I don’t, Jason,
but this girl is different. And I’m not really interested in
talking about her right now. I didn’t shirk my duties because of
her, it was unintentional.”

He moved further away from the counter
towards the back and Jason gave him another long look. “Yeah, well,
see that it doesn’t happen again.”

He nodded and walked away. He put the cooler
down on his work bench. He was dying to see what she’d packed for
him, but he was trying to wait until lunchtime so he could be
surprised. He was surprised enough as it was. She’d gotten up to
make him breakfast and cleaned the kitchen faster and better than
he ever could and then she’d managed to make him lunch, too. He was
toast. He was absolutely head over heels for his angel and that
terrified him on several levels.

“Hey, dick,” Michael gave him a friendly
punch in the arm. He looked tired. “Hope she was worth you pulling
my tow truck duties for the next two weeks.”

So that’s what Michael thought was worth him
taking an extra snowplow shift? Could have been worse. Michael was
a complete smart ass. That was about the sum total of his
personality.

“Thanks, man.” He said finally.

“So when can I meet her?” He leaned his elbow
on the workbench and looked at the cooler. Linus tucked it under
the workbench where he could keep an eye on it. He’d rip throats
out if anyone touched it. No one touched what was his. Not
anymore.

He tried to evade the question, grabbing a
few tools and turning to the bike he’d been in the process of
tuning up before the storm. “What makes you think there’s
anyone?”

“Well, first off your whole place smells like
sex. But other than that? You were naked and angry about the
interruption. Unless you were just saluting your own sailor,
there.” Michael smirked and folded his arms.

Linus sighed. “She’s, well, it’s a long story
and I’m not really interested in talking about her right now. When
I am, I’ll let you know.”

“Fine, fine.” Michael put his hands up. “Just
so you know, Jason is righteously pissed at you for ducking his
calls. If all you have to do is tow truck duty, you’ll be lucky.
He’s always relied on you to be there when he needs you.” He
watched Jason’s back. True. Linus was the most reliable of the top
ranked. But he wasn’t some faithful lap dog, and the whole thing
made him bristle.

Michael went to his own work bench and began
to work. A few months ago, Michael would have pestered him until he
was blue in the face, and Linus would have either had to spill his
guts or punch him in the teeth. Lately, though, ever since Jason
and Cadence had hooked up, Michael had started thinking about his
lack of a love life. Hell all of them had. Sometimes you see a
couple that’s right together and it makes you crazy for what you’re
lacking in your own life.

As he toyed with the wrench in his hand, he
wondered how he could have ever thought all that misery with Brenda
had been love of any sort. He’d been miserable the whole time they
were together and then worse afterwards. She’d sucked all the life
out of him. His thoughts turned to Karly and his whole body warmed.
She was just exactly what he’d wanted his whole life but had been
too caught up in trying to force himself to see it in other women.
None of the pack females ever did it for him. Maybe it was because
they’d all been around the block with every other male in their age
group and he didn’t really like sharing. Except of course for
Cadence, who he had never slept with, but she hadn’t technically
been pack or really a true wolf, and then there was her shadow
Callie, but Callie was so weak in the pack she was almost human
anyway. And other than friendship with those two females, and
theirs was weak to start with, he’d never had serious feelings for
anyone. Ever. Karly was like a breath of fresh air on a stifling,
humid day. A sunrise after a restless night. The ocean at your
feet.