Page 5 of Stalking His Mate

I know what I’m going to do now.

“Yesenia, do you have a moment?” I call out, shoving my way to the female’s side as we exit the meeting.

Yesenia has recently taken over as faction leader for the coyote pack, but she and I dated once, long ago. As the adage goes, dogs and cats don’t mix well but we had some good times and broke up amicably. She’s the only one I can trust to do this for me.

She waves away the group she was walking with and turns her full attention to me. “I have a moment, what do you need Dante?”

Her angular features and bronze skin, matched with thick black hair used to get me hard, even after we split ways. But now all I want is my ginger haired and freckled beauty.

“I need to cash in that favor you owe me,” I tell her, flashing my most charming grin.

4

AMY

The throaty roar of a motorcycle speeding by has my head snapping up to look out the window, instead of listening to the older man who’s order I’m supposed to be taking. When I see that it’s just some long haired old man on a Harley, I force my attention back to my customer.

It’s been almost a month since Mr. Bacon-Burger started coming into the diner every afternoon to ask me out on a date. Now every throaty engine that passes has me conditioned to the sound of his fancy yellow sport bike.

Get over it, Amy, I tell myself for the millionth time. Guys like that aren’t looking for down-on-their-luck single moms with a minivan full of baggage. Which is why I turn him down.

Every. Single. Time.

Snapping my notebook shut, I smile at the old man and promise to have his food out to him shortly. It’s almost closing time, and he’ll be my last customer for the night, besides the woman who I’ve been loading up on coffee at the bar. She’s closer to my age and has been on her phone the whole time making me wonder what would bring her here to drink bad diner coffee just to sit on her phone.

After I drop my ticket off with the kitchen, I grab the coffee pot and make my way behind the counter.

“Want another refill? Or are you ready for the bill?” I ask her.

The woman’s head snaps up and she looks around like she forgot where she was at. She’s lovely. With a rich brown complexion and long straight black hair that makes me think she could be indigenous. Her eyes are dark and wide set, her nose is straight and she’s got the kind of full lips I’ve always wished for.

“Woops. I didn’t realize how late it was.” We both look at her mug that hasn’t been touched since the last time I refilled it. “I’ll take the bill, please. Sorry for taking up this spot for so long.”

I wave my hand, dismissing her worry as I type her order into the register. “Don’t worry about it.”

When I slide her bill across the bar, she reaches out with a speed that startles me. Long brown fingers wrap around my wrist and when I look up at her, she has a serious expression pinching her beautiful features.

“I’ve been trying to think of how to bring this up to you, without sounding creepy or out of line,” she says. Her grip on me is stronger than I expect when I try to pull my hand away. “I overheard your conversation earlier.”

My heart lurches in my chest with sadness as well as embarrassment. I thought I was being quiet when Chad called me. Then Bruce had to put in his two cents about taking personal calls during business time, even though I was technically on a break. I swear, sometimes I wonder if they’re both in together to make my already difficult life a truly living hell.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken that call. My ex?—”

The girl shakes her head and waves away my concern. “You don’t need to explain or apologize. In fact, I’m hoping that I can help you.”

I look around the diner. My only customer is patiently waiting for his food and Bruce is back in his office, probably playing online poker. The woman still has her fingers wrapped around my wrist and I lean in, propping my elbows on the bar. “I’m listening.”

She reaches into her back pocket with her free hand and pushes a small white business card across the Formica bar top.

“Once a month there is an auction.” When I start to pull away, she holds me in place. “Hear me out first. Let me give you all the information and then you can make your decision.”

She has the sincerest look on her face. A face that at first looked like she’s never had a struggle in her life, but now… I notice there are shadows in her eyes that someone so young shouldn’t have.

The same could be said about you…

I glance around once more and then lean forward on my elbows again. “Okay.”

“My name is Yesenia, and I’m part of an underground society that helps women just like you. Women who have no way out of their situations. The auction I told you about, has a starting bid of one million dollars and you’ll receive half of the winnings. Tax free and untraceable.”