Page 3 of My Mate

She blew out a breath and then sighed, feeling a headache start to bloom. Most of the fence was painted and her father had said once the first coat was done, she should go back overeverything and do it all again.

Once she came to the end of the painting, which was at the front of the house, she paused, putting her paintbrush on the lid of the paint can.

“Uh, Casey.”

She frowned and turned around to see Buddy Anderson holding a bouquet of flowers, wild ones. There were several guys with him, and she tensed up. They had all been there, laughing and taunting as he started to hit her. The attack had taken her by surprise, which is why she hadn’t defended herself.

“What do you want?”

Then she noticed the black eye and the fact one of his arms was in plaster. Wolves were fast healing, but within the first few transitions, it could still take time to adjust.

“What happened to you?”

“I want to apologize for what I did. I will understand if you would like to pay me back. Name a time and place, and you can hurt me and everyone who hurt you, as this is your right.”

“Wait a minute here,” she said, holding up her hand for him to stop. This seemed completely ludicrous to her. “What the hell is going on?” This confused her more than getting beat up because she couldn’t turn into a wolf. The other, she understood. This, she did not.

“I shouldn’t have hurt you. It is not my right nor my place, and I am sorry.”

There was no way Buddy came to her to make amends. Something was going on here, and she didn’t like any of it. She glared at him, waiting.

“What is going on?” she asked again. “Who did that to your face and your arm?” The last time she saw him, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his arm.

“I am sorry,” Buddy said.

She was done with this, and quickly closed the distancebetween them. Even though he’d hurt her, she wasn’t afraid of him.

“Tell me.”

Buddy looked up at her, and even as he was attempting to apologize, she saw the disdain he had for her, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, that’s it. That’s the real Buddy. Now tell me, who did this to you?” she asked.

“There is only one person who could do this to me,” Buddy said.

Casey didn’t need him to tell her the rest. “Get lost.”

“But—”

“I said, get lost!” she yelled, and then headed in the direction of where she’d find none other than Dex Arlington. She didn’t know what he was trying to do, or if he even thought this was going to make her life easier. Like all the new transitioners, his jobs also came from his dad and Alpha, as he had to train to take over.

Not all his jobs were about community and being part of the pack. Dex’s was about taking care of the pack. Willing to do the jobs others hated, which for him right now was chopping logs for the coming winter.

Klaus considered it an Alpha’s job to gather the necessary tools. Casey was aware that they spent most of the summer as hunter-gatherers.

She didn’t care how long it took, she was about to have a word with Dex. He should leave her alone, and she was going to confront him.

Charging through the forest, she came to a stop right at the edge where he swung the axe down, and the piece of wood split in two. There was no need to slam it down or do anything else. Dex was strong. He always had been.

Casey held her hands together and clapped. “Well done,”she said, gaining his attention.

She also happened to notice he was shirtless. The symbol of the wolf pack was printed on his chest. New transitioners were not allowed the ink until they had completed their duties, but Dex was in line to be Alpha.

“What do you want?” Dex asked.

“Seriously?”

“I can tell you’re not here to thank me, and from that look on your face, you’re pissed.”

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