Page 1 of Alaric's Perfect Mate

Chapter One

Aubrey Night looked at the envelope and thewax seal that kept it closed. The wax was navy and thick, with acircular imprint that looked like a medallion with a snarling wolfin the center.

Her name was written in beautiful calligraphyin the center of the ivory envelope. Glancing at her assistant,Gretchen, she said, “Who dropped this off?”

She shrugged. “A guy in an expensivesuit.”

“Was he human?” Aubrey was human herself.

Gretchen, a wolf shifter, said, “I think hewas a fairy of some sort, but he also smelled like wolf.”

“Really? Do fairies work for wolves? Does thedelivery guy work for the people who sent the letter?”

“You’re asking me questions I don’t know theanswer to.”

“Because you’re always such a wealth ofinformation,” she said, smiling.

Gretchen and Aubrey had been friends sincehigh school. Aubrey’s brother, Caleb, was turned into a vampireseven years earlier. He became master of the city of Belle Terrathree years ago, and he opened a supernatural hotel and made Aubreygeneral manager. She’d immediately brought her best friend in asher assistant.

“Well, not on this. Sorry, babe. The seal isfrom the National Were-Fighting Association, though. That’s theonly thing I can tell you.”

Humming in her throat, she slid her fingerunder the flap and opened it, pulling out the card inside. Theheavy paper was burned around the edges, giving it a gothic feel.She read out loud.

“Jonathon Black requests the honor of yourpresence at the opening night games of the National Were-FightingAssociation on Friday, October 1. Please join him in celebratingthis ancient tradition, with opening ceremonies to take place atseven p.m.”

She pulled out four VIP badges and oneparking pass.

“Jonathon Black is an alpha wolf from theWest Coast. I don’t know what he’s doing here. Did Caleb approvethe NWFA to set up games in Belle Terra?” Gretchen askedskeptically.

“According to the address, they’re outsideour city limits. I don’t know if Caleb knows, but it’s nottechnically our territory.”

“Are you going?”

“Maybe.” Aubrey looked at the invitation forthe fights the following night. “I’ll see what Caleb says.”

Pushing away from her desk, she left heroffice on the first floor of the supernatural hotel and stopped atthe security desk. Because her brother was the master of the city,she never went anywhere without a guard. Sometimes vampires whothought they were more powerful than him tried to take him out orget him to step down, and becoming collateral damage in a fightover the city wasn’t Aubrey’s idea of a good time.

“I want to go see Caleb,” she told Gabriel,one of the wolf shifter guards who watched the hotel’s comings andgoings from behind a large circular desk in the lobby.

“I’ll go,” Lance, another wolf guard, said ashe stood.

Gabe made a face at Lance, and Aubreychuckled. “I know I’m irresistible guys, but don’t fight over me.There’s plenty of me to go around on the full moon,” she said,wiggling her brows.

They both growled, their eyes filling withheat and lust. Aubrey had known Lance and Gabe since they came toBelle Terra with their alpha, Sky, two years earlier. Although shewas human, the alpha had invited her to join their full mooncelebrations, and she’d enjoyed hanging out with the wolves. Theywere a fun group, and the males were notoriously horny. She’d spentseveral full moon nights tangled between the two ripped males.

“That’s in a week, you know,” Gabe said. “Ihope you’re well rested by then.”

Winking, she turned and walked with Lance outof the hotel. She hooked her hand on his arm as they walked thethree blocks to her brother’s office. She told Lance about theinvitation she’d received.

“You going?”

“I’ll see if Caleb thinks it’s a good idea. Idon’t know. Does Sky know about it?”

“Yeah. Some of the underground fightinggroups sanction to-the-death fights, but NWFA doesn’t. Most alphasare okay with the group and let their people fight. The winnersusually make a few thousand dollars a night, and humans like to getdressed up and watch our kind beat each other all to hell.”

“What for?”

Lance held open the door for her at theoffice building. “Hell if I know. Humans are strange.”

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