Page 5 of Mate Forsaken

She nodded. She had had reservations about the position because she wasn’t sure she wanted to return to this world, but now she was glad. As she walked through town, following the alpha and beta, seeing how people smiled and greeted them, she knew she’d made the right decision.

The school was separated into three tiers—elementary, middle, and high. She would be teaching the children from ages six to ten, with emphasis on math, English, and shifter history. Perhaps the best part about returning to a pack was that she didn’t have to pretend she was fully human anymore.

As they walked along Main Street, Alpha Jericho pointed to the diner, which looked to be the hub of activity.

“That’s probably the best place to eat,” he said. “It’s owned by my wife, Payton, and another wolf named Esmeralda. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask either of them.”

“All right,” she replied.

“The post office is down that street,” Beta Ledger said. “And over there is the healing facility.”

“We’re a tourist town,” Jericho went on. “Lots of people like to hike the trails so we’re extremely busy during the summer months. We still get some traffic through town in the off season, but not much. The apothecary is there and is run by an Other.”

She frowned. “Other?”

“An enchantress.”

Circe raised an eyebrow, wondering if they were messing with her.

“Yeah, we didn’t know either,” Ledger said dryly. “Kinda makes you wonder what else is out there.”

“The elementary school is down this way, at the end of the road,” Jericho said, turning onto a picturesque road lined with cute little houses. The branches of tall trees kept the area in shade. “And this little house is yours.”

The charming bungalow-style house sat a little back from the road. Thelow-pitched roof held gables decorated with lattice trim. Steps led up to a large, covered front porch. The front door sat off-center.

“I hope this is acceptable.”

“I love it,” she said, completely entranced.

“There’s only basic furniture. If you want to change anything, let Leger know so he can move whatever you don’t want into another home.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely.

The alpha smiled at her. “You’re welcome. Let’s get back so you can grab your car and get settled in.”

As they left her home, a feeling of contentment filled her. It was something she hadn’t felt in a very long time and she had to blink to chase away the tears of happiness. School started in a few short weeks, and she couldn’t wait.

Chapter Three

His father never told him how much paperwork an alpha had to sort through. It seemed he was always one stack behind. Miles sighed and straightened, rolling his head on his shoulders in a circle to try to loosen the tension. Then he lifted his arms over his head and bent side to side, and several pops cracked up and down his spine. Needing a break, he pushed away from the desk and stood. The clock on his phone told him it was almost midnight. Time to go to bed.

He shut down his laptop and turned off the desk lamp, but just as he pulled the door closed behind him, the landline phone rang.

“Damn it,” he grunted under this breath, and marched back into his office. The landline was mainly for those wolves who lived on the outskirts of Shadowhide Pack land and shunned most technology. Plus, there wasn’t a cell tower out there. He picked up the receiver. “Yes?”

“Alpha Kenneally?”

Miles frowned, not recognizing the feminine voice. “Who is this?”

“Is the reward for information still available?”

Everything in his body froze, unsure he heard correctly. “Excuse me?”

“Um. The reward.”

He shook his head trying to move his sluggish thoughts. Surely that didn’t mean … could it be, after all this time?

“Yes,” he replied. His heart thumped heavily in his chest. “It is.”

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