Page 36 of Fated Protector

Being the Mate of a Rougarou Alpha doesn’t come with the perks I’m used to.

Instead of a corner office, I have a dilapidated old cabin with a makeshift desk made of an old oak plank. Instead of the hustle and bustle of downtown New York, I’m surrounded by houses on stilts and the croak of stubborn bullfrogs. And instead of pencil skirts and high heels, I’m now the proud owner of running shoes and a lot of activewear. You have to be flexible with your clothes if you’re gonna chase after your pack under the full moon.

The company took my resignation with the usual grace, meaning they stared at me in shock, said it was typical behavior of a woman, and proceeded to make terrible decisions that nearly dumped their stock in the toilet. Needless to say, I didn’t miss that life's constant ups and downs.

And life without my Mate, no matter what the trade-off, is no life at all. Besides, I haven’t gotten out of the bookseller’s game completely.

During the week, we live in the Rougarou village, where Jack leads with the grace and strength of his father, along with his own snarky cleverness. Will is there, supporting him every step of the way, even when they fight like cats and dogs. Er, werewolves.

Hilda is recovering from the shock of losing her Mate. She won’t ever be the same, but she doesn’t have to be. An important chapter of her life has closed, but that doesn’t mean she can’t flourish in the next one. Her new hobbies are decorating the rebuilt cabins and reminding us that we owe her a grandchild, grandpup, or whatever the correct term is.

However, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are for Jack and me alone. We drive into the city, hide his motorcycle behind a pile of garbage in the nearest alley, and open the bookstore for business.

We’ve renamed itSasha’s.Although our main clientele remains average, knowledge-seeking humans, we also stay busy with our supernatural clients. As my Mate, Jack has equal ownership of the bookstore, and he throws himself into the role with the excitement of a schoolboy. He may have accepted his role in life as an Alpha, but that doesn’t mean he can’t love the quiet, peaceful life that he tried so hard to have. Ultimately, he is part of his father’s legacy and the life he loved with Sasha.

We haven’t heard much from the vampires. Steven Bloodletter, the new Alpha, rules with a strong but neutral hand. We still call him the Butler, but never to his face. We can only hope he honors the treaty like Michel before him, but we know that the world constantly changes, and we must change with it. Whatever happens, Jack and I have vowed to protect our pack.

And as for me? When I can, I tend to the makeshift garden at the back of the bookstore, paying particular attention to the magnolia tree and the honeysuckle bush. I hang pictures around the apartment in cheap, gold-painted frames that I find at the local thrift stores. I spend every day loving Jack with all my heart and becoming the leader I know I can be. And most of all, I laugh loudly and boisterously every day, and if I want to add the tackiest purple scarf I can find to my wardrobe, I do it with no regrets.

And on the long summer nights, when Jack and I sit on the old garden bench and gaze up at the waning moon, I sometimes hear an answering laugh that is just as boisterous as my own. I know I’ve made my Aunt Sasha proud.

Stay tuned for the next Protector series by Abbey K. Burns coming out mid-September 2022. Email [email protected] if you have anything exciting to share with me! Love my paranormal pack:)

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