Page 24 of Mated in Darkness

“I do. Thank you. I need to meet with Jason soon to discuss a few things, and then I’ll be on the hunt.”

“Yeah, whatever you need from us. We need to find out who did this to Spencer, and more about these black bite marks.”

I nodded. “Okay. I’m going to do whatever I can. I refuse to even allow the idea that I won’t find this traitor. This attacker.”

“What makes you think it’s a traitor?”

He tilted his head as he said it, curious, and I relaxed. He wasn’t trying to prove his dominance, wasn’t trying to take over. He was genuinely curious. I didn’t know much about this Alpha, but I liked him, which surprised me.

“I meant more so traitor to our way, not where he came from. Or they. I’m not even sure what’s exactly is going on, but I will figure it out. My Alpha has given me leave to stay here until I do.”

“And we welcome you as a guest to the Pack, Kaylee Jamenson. Is it okay if I send Dane and Rio with you for most of this?”

“I don’t mind.”

Honestly, I didn’t. Of many of the wolves that I had met, they were the least annoying, even though I had growled a bit with Dane. Rio was nice, a little sweeter, but he probably held that edge hidden, where he would just come out and slash at whoever came at him.

“Good then. Do you know where Jason lives?”

“He gave me his address.”

“Well then. I need to go meet with the elders, but I’m here if you need me.” He tilted his head again. “I would have said if you need help with anything, but I do believe I know exactly where you’ll go to ask for help.”

He winked as he said it, then left, and I held back a growl.

I was pretty sure I’d just been propositioned by an Alpha, by not being propositioned by him.

He knew I had found my mate.

And damn it, what was I supposed to do about it?

My nipples hardened and I squeezed my thighs together, annoyed that just the thought of Jason brought me to that need. This damn mating urge. This is not what I needed right then.

You do not fall for your mate at first glance. You needed time. You needed to walk through your life together and see if they work.

This wasn’t the time of my parents when mating just happened, and things worked out. It couldn’t be.

And yet, it seems that’s what my wolf wanted.

I wasn’t my wolf, though. I picked up my bag and headed out of the hotel room, going to the rental car that I had gotten from the Pack. Dane and Rio were nowhere to be found, so I assumed they gave me the lead to head to Jason’s on my own. Maybe they were already there. I didn’t know. They would find me if they needed to. This was their territory, after all. It is what I would do in their place.

I made my way across Pack territory to a set of apartments along the edge. I could sense Jason around, and that worried me. There were other humans everywhere, even a few witches and a couple of wolves that seemed to live in this apartment building. And yet, I could pick Jason’s scent out of all of them.

Damn it.

Growling, annoyed at my wolf’s needs and the fact that the human part of me seemed to want to follow far too earnestly, I slammed the door behind me and snarled my way through the apartment building. One submissive wolf gave me a look and then lowered their head quickly, fear wafting off them. I cursed under my breath, hating myself.

“I’m sorry. I’m in a bad mood. It has nothing to do with you. I’m truly sorry. I’m Kaylee. From the Redwoods.”

The wolf looked up at me then, not meeting my gaze, but the fear dissipated quickly.

“Oh, I’m Heath. I’m mated to Alice, one of Riaz’s lieutenants.”

I nodded, my wolf coming forward, interested in this dynamic.

“And you live here then? You don’t have to answer that,” I said quickly, holding up my hands. “I was just interested.”

“Oh, no worries. I’m tutoring somebody that lives in the apartment building. We live in the den, since Alice is lieutenant and we need to be near. I guess you’re here visiting Jason?” Heath asked, the teasing lilt to his tone telling me that he was a submissive and fearful of the dominant wolf scowling through the hallways, but he also had a backbone of steel.

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