Page 5 of The Wolf's Bullied Mate
Mom gave me a thoughtful look. “And so you think you don’t have a mate?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Maybe I should try the annual mating games and decide on my mate on my own?”
Ryder and Caden had participated in the last mating games. Ryder had found Aria during the games—sort of. Aria had joined to get close to him, so she had actually been the one to find him. Caden, on the other hand, had matched with someone at the games but hadn’t chosen her to be his life partner. He still remained unmarried.
The mating games were a tradition of Moondust Hollow that allowed the Moon Goddess to give second chances to wolves who had not found their mates or who had been rejected by the ones She had chosen. The whole process of matching with someone was pretty elaborate, with three trials. It was an interesting event.
“You would have to wait another seven months to participate in the next mating games,” Mom pouted. “That’s way too long when there are other opportunities to meet someone.”
“Are there?” I arched my eyebrows. “I mean, I could just choose a woman from the ones I know and ask her if she’d like to go out with me, and later mate, but…” I trailed off.
None of the women I knew were of interest to me, if I had to be honest. I didn’t feel a special pull of attraction toward any of them. I was sure I would have acted on the connection if I had.
“I agree that if your mate was among the people you know, members of our pack, you would have found her by now. You’re pretty sociable, after all. It’s not like you’re shy about approaching women,” she laughed.
I frowned. I didn’t like being teased. Sure, I’d had a few casual relationships in the past. I hadn’t introduced any of those women to my parents, though, even if some of the women had wanted me to do so. However, being a public figure meant word about whom I was dating eventually got around the pack and back to my parents anyway.
“I have a plan,” Mom leaned in and whispered in a conspiratory way.
My eyebrows shot up. “Uh-huh. And what is your brilliant plan, oh mother of mine?”
I usually called her that elaborate title when she was being overly dramatic.
She smiled widely and put a hand into the bag she always carried around when she went out. Although small, the black leather bag seemed bottomless. It was as if she always held the answer to any problem in that purse of hers.
Mom fished out a hot pink flyer and gave it to me.
I stared down at the shiny piece of paper, full of hearts and a picture of a woman blowing a kiss. “Twin Tails Agency,” I read the header out loud. “An arranged marriage agency. Pairing wolf shifters in Missouri since 2012.”
I looked back at my mother. She was beaming and stepping from foot to foot like an excited child.
I glanced at the paper again. “An arranged marriage? You think this is a good idea for me?”
The thought of getting paired with someone I didn’t necessarily love or feel attracted to just to scratch the itch of my desire to marry felt wrong.
I opened my mouth to shut down this brilliant idea of my mother’s, but she raised a hand to stop me from speaking.
“Before you dismiss this idea, let me tell you more about the agency. I looked them up on the internet. When you register, you put in what kind of partner you want to be paired with. Once paired, you can chat with them via the company’s message app until you feel ready to meet. The agency brings your mate-to-be to your house, and if you decide you like each other then they help you arrange everything with your alpha and the alpha of her pack. Because they pair wolf shifters from different packs, they help with the paperwork. It’s really not as scary as you think,” she carefully explained.
I stared at her, processing the information.
“It really doesn’t sound so bad,” I finally said. “So you don’t get paired with someone completely at random?”
“If you put in whom you want to have chosen for you correctly, you should get a woman that’s exactly your type,” Mom said. “The agency has been around for over a decade. They have a history of good matches that have resulted in matings and people being together forever. They’re reputable, so you can go outside Moondust Hollow and search the entire state to find your mate.”
I nodded. If my mate did exist somewhere, I was almost certain she wasn’t in our pack. Maybe this agency could really help me find her?
“And what if I don’t like the person they selected for me?” I asked.
“They keep the fee you pay for being matched, but you’re not bound to go through the meeting or the marriage,” Mom smiled softly. “It’s not a bad idea, Oliver.”
“I will… think about it.” I put the flyer down on the worktable. “I really will. I never thought I would need such a service to help me, but… why not? I just have to get used to the idea.”
Mom’s smile widened. “Thank you, son. I’m glad you like my advice.”
“Always, Mom,” I returned her smile. “I know you and Dad only want what’s best for me. Maybe this will work out, maybe not. I will think about it and tell you later if I want to try it.” I looked at my watch. “I have to excuse myself for now. My break is over. I need to return to the townhouse and assist Ryder.”
Mom nodded and came in for a farewell hug. When she left the garage, I folded up the flyer, putting it into the pocket of my jeans. Then I went into the house to freshen up and change into a new shirt.
