Page 6 of Mismatched Mates

His bushy eyebrows lowered. “You heard me.”

“You want to set me up with amatchmakingservice?!”

My father's frown deepened, his eyes flashing gold for a brief moment. "This is no joke, Grant. It's time you settled down, found a mate worthy of your position in this family."

And what position isthat, I wanted to ask but held back.

“There’s the company gala in two weeks,” he said. “A chance to show off what we have to offer, improve public perception, and cement the solidity of our company before moving forward with the IPO.”

"Right, because nothing says 'true love' like an arranged marriage." The sarcasm dripped from my words.

"This isn't about love," Vince growled. "It's about responsibility. You may not be the future alpha but you still have a role to play. Your future and your inheritance depends on it. Things you'd best keep in mind.”

The words stung more than I cared to admit. I turned back to the window, watching a bird take flight.

Lucky bastard.

"And what if she's human?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, a quiet rebellion.

My father's jaw tightened visibly. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there but it’s not unheard of for shifters to marry humans.”

Things would be different if I were the future alpha. But that wasn’t the case, and different rules applied.

“I want you to come to the gala with a date, and be seen dating her for more than a couple of weeks. Prove to me—and the people who will shortly be investing in us—that you’re a responsible, loyal man.”

He handed me an application, already filled out with my information—name, address, occupation, hobbies, education— all the acceptable details of my life carefully listed in columns.

I felt the fight drain out of me, replaced by a weary resignation. What choice did I really have? I was still part of this pack, still bound by its rules – and its Alpha.

The air felt stuffy, the room too tight. A craving rose in my chest to let loose, run wild, and forget this whole charade. The pull of the wolf was always there, a constant reminder that there was more to life than sitting in boardrooms and pretending to care about things that never felt real.

I'd play along for now, but I had no intention of actually finding love. Love was for people who didn’t know better. No, I’d go through the motions, smile for the cameras, and then get back to my real life—no strings attached.

JANE

Did I make a wrong turn and end up at doggy daycare instead of the elementary school today? The high-pitched squeals and laughter were enough to make my heightened shifter hearing wince.

I watched Lance and Brandon dash towards the entrance, their backpacks bouncing wildly. A smile tugged at my lips despite the chaos. Those two could tear through the house like miniature tornadoes, but put them in front of their teachers, and they transformed into perfect little gentlemen.

Go figure.

As the last stragglers filtered into the building, my mind wandered back to Heather's suggestion about the matchmaking service. I snorted. Yeah, right. Because nothing says "romance" like filling out a questionnaire about your ideal mate. What would I even put? "Must enjoy long walks in the woods, preferably on four legs"?

I shook my head, banishing the ridiculous thought. No, I was better off focusing on what really mattered: my boys, my job, and treating myself to a latte on the way to work. Romance could take a backseat... or better yet, stay in the trunk where it belonged.

"Jane!"

I jumped as a familiar voice cut through my caffeine-deprived musings. Victoria stood in front of me, face beaming.

"Luke told me all about your new boyfriend," she gushed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I can't wait to meet him at the wedding!"

Oh, crap. That lie was now apparently making the rounds faster than gossip at a pack gathering.

"Oh, um, yeah," I stammered, forcing a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "Can't wait for you to meet him too."

Victoria's smile widened, if that was even possible. "This is so exciting! Luke's been worried about you, you know. It's great to see you putting yourself out there again."

Great. Fantastic.

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