Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Rushing out into the night, he stopped as he looked down the street. There was a woman walking away, and without thinking, he rushed to her side, grabbing her arm. She let out a cute little yelp, and her hands went into fists as she looked at him. The smell was right there.
His senses, as well as his wolf, were going into overdrive, and he stared into Darcy Pine’s eyes. She was a forty-year-old woman, unmated, and he had often heard some of the pack refer to her as being unwanted.
He hadn’t seen her in a long time. Whenever he did, though, he couldn’t help but look her way. She always drew his attention, even when he was growing up. She was the nicest person in the whole pack, and some of the pack took advantage of that.
Staring at her now, she offered him a smile. “Mr. Johnson, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were back.” She released her fists and held her hand out.
Holy fucking shit, this was his mate.
She wasn’t wearing her brown hair back, as he remembered her always wearing it in a loose ponytail. His heart raced.
“Joe,” he said. “My name is Joe.”
“Yes, I remember. When did you get back?” Darcy asked.
Wade and Ryan arrived at his side. She looked between all three.
“Is there a problem?” She frowned as she looked at them.
“No, there’s no problem at all,” Joe said. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that.” He let her go and she smiled at him.
“Well, you guys have a nice night.” She pulled away, turned on her heel, and left.
“Dude, what’s the problem?” Wade asked.
Joe watched as Darcy left. He knew exactly where she would be going. She’d be walking to her small cottage. She lived close to the outskirts of town, and had a small yard. She loved to garden and did a lot of homey things. He’d heard some people say no man wanted to mate her as she was so boring.
Darcy was his mate.
Is that why he had been fascinated with her all his life? Even the last seven years, he had tried not to think about her, but she had often invaded his thoughts. His friends didn’t know about his little obsession with the cute brunette.
No one knew that on Valentine’s Day, he’d saved up his pocket money and sent her flowers, or that he’d been the one to give her a card.
Darcy had never told anyone. He didn’t know why she hadn’t, but on a day for love, he’d wanted her to know he was thinking about her. He also made sure he sent her birthday cards, Christmas cards, and presents.
“It’s nothing.”
“You know, some shit never changes, and I feel for her, man, I do,” Ryan said.
Joe turned toward Ryan. “Why?”
“No one ever wants her. I hear she’d bore the balls right off a man.” Ryan tutted.
Joe’s hands clenched into fists, but he wasn’t about to punch his friend.
He couldn’t help but glance down to see that Darcy had already turned to leave. Running a hand down his face, he was going to have to tell his father, but first, he would have to face Darcy.
She must have felt it as well. They were mates, and there was no getting away from that.
He should have known there was more to his crush and little obsession. Darcy was his, and now that he was sticking around, he wasn’t going to let her go.
****
The following morning Darcy opened her front door, and she wasn’t surprised to find Joe standing there.
“Joe, is everything okay?” she asked.
The alpha’s son stared at her and she felt her heart start to race.
“Hello, Darcy,” he said. “You and I both know why I am here.”
She tensed up. Last night had been so scary. She looked past his shoulder, but no one was waiting in the wings to laugh and mock her. Nibbling her lip, she didn’t know if she should try to avoid the truth or give him a chance.
“Come in,” she said.
Stepping away from the door, she moved to the kitchen, so that the island separated them. This was insane. Joe was younger than her.
He had his whole life ahead of him, and she had gotten used to being alone. She had gone on dates, but none of them had ended well. Some of the guys she dated only wanted to have meaningless sex, which she wasn’t interested in.
She heard Joe close her front door and seconds later, he stood in her kitchen. Her home was small and cozy, which was one of the many things she loved about it, but right now, it seemed a little too small with Joe in her kitchen.
Neither of them spoke for several minutes. They just looked at each other, and she didn’t know how to say what needed to be said.