Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 31591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 158(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
“My mate hates me,” I concluded as despair swelled in my gut.
Hunter squeezed my shoulder. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Yes it is. He walked in on me fucking that other guy.” I didn’t even know the other guy’s name. He was just a hookup to relieve some tension; tension that I now realized I felt because my meeting with my mate was near. But I blew it. “He’s human and maybe I came on too strong. I chased him and tried to talk to him to apologize, but he was so scared. He pepper sprayed me and ran off. I don’t even know his name. How will I find him?”
“Oh, stop being so dramatic,” Rowdy insisted. “Lions are great trackers. Besides, maybe someone here knows him; what did he look like?”
“He’s so beautiful,” I sighed. “He’s shorter than me and thin, and has soft brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing glasses and a patterned sweater that could’ve walked off of a 90’s sitcom.” My lips spread into a smile as I thought about him. “He looked like a sweet, innocent little papaw.”
“Oh, that’s Brandon,” Rowdy replied.
I sat straight up and grabbed the collar of his shirt with excitement. “You know him? You know my mate?”
“Yeah, I met him tonight. We talked for a while.”
Jealousy ripped through me and I shook my friend so hard that his head bobbled. “Why were you talking to my mate?”
“Easy, Tal,” Hunter soothed, prying off my fingers. “Didn’t you just say that you were fucking someone else?”
“Oh, my poor Brandon,” I sighed again, and Rowdy snorted a laugh at my roller coaster of emotions.
“I’m so glad I came to work tonight.” When I glared at him, Rowdy added, “He and I were just being friendly; he seems really nice and a little shy. I made him a drink and he told me that he was working on an art project.”
“He’s an artist,” I swooned, making Rowdy snicker again.
Just then, the bathroom door opened up and the blond man from earlier emerged, holding hands with our voyeur. Apparently the two of them finished the deed when I went after Brandon. Blondie held a book out to me and said, “Your friend dropped this. I cleaned it off.”
“Thanks.” I took the item, seeing that it was a sketchbook. Wanting everyone to know my good news, I told Blondie, “But that man wasn’t my friend; he was my mate.”
“Aw, congratulations,” he smiled, before turning to the other mystery man. “Wanna grab a drink before round two?”
“Hell yes.” The duo wandered off and I looked back at the book in my hands. I wanted to peek at Brandon’s work, but I also didn’t want to snoop in his business.
“I need to get this back to my mate. Did he mention where he lives?”
Rowdy shook his head. “He did mention that he was in college, though. Fairmont University is the closest school, so I’d start looking there.”
“Perfect.” I leapt to my feet and told Hunter, “Grab Felix and Enzo. We need to get to Fairmont right away.”
“You may want to rethink that,” Hunter argued. “If Brandon was scared, tracking him and showing up unannounced at his doorstep may only make things worse. Give him some time to settle down before you try to speak to him again.”
I could always count on Hunter to be my voice of reason. And even though I didn’t like what he was saying, I knew he was right. I nodded my head in agreement; I’d give Brandon some space.
“But don’t wait too long,” Rowdy interjected. I understood what he meant; when a shifter met his mate, he immediately felt the pull to stake his claim and bond with his beloved. Every day the bond went unsecured, his animal became more restless and aggressive until instinct took control. An agitated, horny lion was the last thing sweet Brandon needed coming after him.
Bonding could be a tricky balance, especially when humans were involved. Brandon deserved to be courted and wooed, but I was on a ticking timeline to reveal my identity, win his heart, and claim him for all time. It wouldn't be easy, but I knew without a doubt that my mate was worth it.
Chapter Three
Talon
I chewed on my bottom lip, searching my brain for the best way to approach my mate. After our brief but disastrous meeting last night at the club, I came to the Fairmont University campus in search of his living quarters. I used the late hour and cloak of night to inspect each dormitory entrance, sniffing for any trace of his sweet butterscotch scent.
When I found his place, I fought against every instinct to piss on his doorframe to mark my territory. I had to play this cool and not do anything that could make Brandon nervous. So, I went with the second obvious option and hid in the bushes all night, watching his door to make sure that he was safe.