Elise’s mouth twisted into a hard line as her nostrils flared. Fury burned in her hazel eyes, threatening to consume her in the flames of her anger. “Collect myself?”

The words hissed out through gritted teeth. I could practically see the venom dripping from her lips. She jabbed a finger toward me, accusation etched in the sharp gesture.

“Or what?” Elise’s voice rose in pitch, crackling with outrage. “You’ll sign me up for this garbage and ship me out to the highest bidder? Should I be packing my bags, alpha?”

Orion shifted where he stood. Tara’s gaze dropped, finding sudden interest in studying the grass at her feet.

“I expect you to do your duty to this pack and welcome her. Kindly,” I ground out through clenched teeth.

“Oh, yes, we should all strive to be as dutiful as your little mate and simply lose all the thoughts in our heads.” Elise’s lips curled in a sneer. “You hear that, everyone? Follow your orders, shut your mouths, and let Rafe dictate our every move.”

“Come on, Elise…” Orion’s gruff voice cut through the tension, drawing Elise’s glare. “Maybe we should grab a drink. Somewhere else.”

“No, I want to meet the purchase Rafe is saddling us with.” Her eyes flicked dismissively over me. “Since you can’t find a willing woman on your own merits, you’ll just lock one down and force her to spread her legs. How romantic.”

Fury licked at my insides. My wolf howled and snarled to be released. How dare—how very fucking dare—she reduce me down to some brutish asshole without a care in the world.

I ground my teeth to keep the growl caged behind them. Patience, I urged my wolf and myself. Elise needed patience and understanding. She lashed out when she felt control slipping away. She’d watched me oversee the ruin of a pack that should have been hers—of course she had nasty words locked and loaded.

Orion held up his hands in a placating gesture as he stepped into the fray. “They both agreed to this. She knew what she was signing up for, and they have two weeks to back out if either side changes their mind.”

Elise’s eyes went wide, her lips parting in wordless outrage for a beat before she found her voice again. “You knew about this insane plan?”

“How much different is this from online dating, really?” Orion shrugged a shoulder. “A profile and a few dates aren’t like plucking her off the rack. Hell, you don’t even need those when you know she’s your mate. Like when Brielle?—”

Elise threw her hands in the air and turned her back on the enforcer. Like most newly-mated couples Orion and Brielle were disgustingly in love, and loved bringing it up. With every damned breath.

Not a worry with my arrangement, and I couldn’t welcome it more. Love was a trap and a weakness. Love served a person well until it was snatched out from under them. I’d watched pure love between my parents turn into a single mom withering away after my dad vanished.

Marcus, probably.

A muscle ticked in Elise’s jaw as she met my eyes with pure challenge. “And if this woman changes her mind once she’s here? What then?”

I held her gaze, willing her to see the truth in my next words.

“Then she’ll go free, with our thanks for giving us a chance. No cages. No coercion. Her choice to make.”

A low, distant growl cut through our argument. I cocked my head and caught the rumble of an engine growing louder, signaling an approaching vehicle.

Elise whipped around to face the source of the noise, her lips parting to unleash another barrage of accusations. I held up a hand, my voice low and firm. “Enough. The pack is mine, Elise. Not yours. You made that choice.”

Her jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in her cheek. For a moment, I thought she might challenge me, right here in front of everyone. But then she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest.

I turned towards the dirt driveway, shoulders squaring as I braced for the arrival of my future mate. A knot of apprehension twisted in my gut, a strange mix of duty and dread churning within me.

The dark green SUV rolled to a stop in a spray of dust, the engine cutting off with a final rumble. I tensed, coiled like a spring as the passenger’s side door creaked open.

And then she emerged.

Her scent hit me first, night blooming flowers and sea spray carried on the breeze. My wolf rumbled deep in my chest, a low, possessive growl as every nerve ending in my body suddenly awakened.

She was tall and slender, with reddish-brown hair that fell in waves just past her shoulders. Even from a distance, I could see the sharpness in her green eyes as they swept over the pack house, taking in every detail.

Mate.

The word echoed through my mind, a primal recognition that I couldn’t ignore. She was ours. The one we’d been waiting for.

I clenched my jaw, pushing down the instinct to claim her right then and there.