Page 24 of Harvest

Xander nodded. “I think we’ll do well together. She’s a bit of spitfire, but honestly the fact that she identifies as a submissive, even if just at a club, should make it easier for her.”

“Hmm, perhaps I ought to start going to Torch Light again.”

“I always wondered why you stopped.”

“I found it difficult not to play with she-wolves, but if I scened with them more than once they began to think I was courting them. I got tired of fending off other alphas tryingto make alliances with us. Better just to go for a run as wolf and either find a willing she-wolf in her wolf form or run until exhaustion supplants lust.”

“I promise I’m not being a nag, but Damian you need a mate. The difference now is that I understand your need to find your fated mate.”

“That fact hasn’t escaped me. I know she’s out there; I’m beginning to think she’s hiding. I no longer believe I will be gifted with a mate who is sweet and biddable.”

“Thank God for that,” said Xander.

Damian’s head jerked up, glaring at him.

“It can’t have escaped your notice that you can be just a wee bit intimidating can it? What the hell would you do with some she-wolf who never acted out? Never challenged you? Never thought for herself? You’d be bored within a month. More to the point, I think you already know that and are looking forward to conquering her.”

Damian sighed. “You may be right. But for today, let’s just celebrate your bonding.”

“Welcome toLuna de Lobo,” said Kayla. “I have to say I hoped you’d find someone here, but I don’t think I expected Xander and especially not this fast.”

“We did sort of do it at warp speed…”

Kayla reached over to her. “But you’re okay with it?”

“Oddly enough, yes. I was opposed to the idea, but once I really looked inside, I knew I wouldn’t be complete without him. One of the things I learned from what happened to me was that nothing in life is certain and that when something good comes along, you have to grab it with both hands and hang on.”

“What are you hanging onto?” said Xander, setting a plate down in front of her, kissing the top of her head and sitting next to her.

“Obviously, your mate can’t keep his hands off you,” said Damian indulgently.

“Don’t worry about it, Stephanie. He’s just jealous,” teased Xander.

“He’s not wrong,” said Damian. “He fears I will grow old and toothless without a mate.”

Xander snorted. “You? Toothless? Never happen. We just need to make sure your mate has the claws and teeth to handle you.”

“Shasta has claws and teeth…” offered Evan.

Damian rolled his eyes and growled. “Why I let her father talk me into letting her join us is beyond me. I swear she can’t go a week without getting herself in trouble and getting her to yield becomes more and more difficult. The girl is notorious. She needs a wolf who will put her in her place, under his thumb and keep her there. If Xander had been a proper beta he’d have taken her in hand and left Stephanie for me, but no he goes into the city…”

“At your request,” laughed Xander.

“That’s irrelevant. You swooped into the city and snagged Stephanie before I even had a chance to meet her. I ought to challenge you to your mate, Beta.”

“Problem with that, Alpha, is even if you won, you’d have to take me on in the next round,” teased Stephanie.

“God save me from the spitfires,” Damian said with a smile.

“You’d be bored with anything less,” said Kayla.

In the space of a few hours, Stephanie knew in her heart that her new alpha as well as her mate were not only respected but well liked and loved.

“You mentioned some ideas you had discussed with Luca?” asked Evan.

Stephanie nodded. “Luca was thinking that as old as both of these vineyards are, it might be a good idea to graft and exchange vines between the two to strengthen the existing grapes as well as breathe new life into them and perhaps produce some unique varietals.”

“He might be onto something. It’s hard to do from different continents…”

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