Page 7 of Mates for the Rejected Wolf

“Cool.” She smiles and nods. “I will keep in touch. And if you ever want to come hang out with me at Lake Antoine, that’d be awesome.”

Something intense and powerful surges between us as our eyes lock. I’m stuck, and this is exactly where I want to be. I would skip work for the whole evening just to be with her…

“Okay, well, I have to go inside,” she says, shattering the magic of the moment, which is probably for the best. “But I will see you soon, okay?”

I nod and smile, unable to form words because I’m so intrigued by here. IknowI probably shouldn’t really be thinking about a date with Fern because my duty is to the pack, whereas she clearly has other priorities. Plus, I don’t think her dad would be too pleased about me trying to date her, and his opinion as a pack elder isveryimportant. But at the same time, I can’t help wanting to throw all of that out the window to just do what I want to do.

“Hey.” I jump as another all too familiar voice captures my attention. Echo. What the hell is he doing here? Checking up on me? Is he about to yell at me for talking to Fern when I’m supposed to be working? “I have been looking for you. I want to talk to you.”

“You do? What about?”

“About the meeting and what we have to do. I know you aren’t too happy about it, but I’m not thinking about the immediate. I’m thinking about the long term.”

“I know you are, Echo, it’s just frustrating, that’s all. I hate what the Nightshade Hunters are doing to our town.” I start walking and he walks with me.

“I hate it too,but we need to think about clearing the town up in a way that doesn’t affect everyone in a negative way. We want the Nightshade Hunters to slink out of town with their tales between their legs, not leave a trail of destruction behind. Wehaveto be smart about this, we can’t be impatient.”

I guess I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand. He is trying to be level headed and smart, which is why he is the alpha of the pack and I am a protector. He really is so much wiser than me. I nod and let Echo know that it makes a lot of sense.

“I’m going to follow along with whatever rules you set in place,” I remind him. “I do see your point, it’s just hard to see our town be affected like this.”

That’s basically what Fern said to me. She’s smart as well as smoking hot, which is why I hope our paths cross again sometime soon. Maybe to work together, but I’m increasingly hoping that we lean towards the date idea because I like that way more. That way I might get to kiss those beautiful lips of hers.

5

JACE

Why isn’t Madison answering her phone? We’realwaysin contact late on a Friday night, it’s the way things have always been with us. Nothing in the week, and definitely no sleepovers, but Friday nights are ours. So why is she ignoring me?

I guess I know where I can find her. The onlylatelate-night place in town—Club Sin in the middle of Iron Mountain. I know she’s working there tonight, just as she does every weekend, but she’s usually done by now. I don’t like going to the club while she works because then I have to acknowledge what she does for a living.

Maybe I’m an asshole for hating that Madison’s a stripper, but I can’t find it in my heart to accept it. But that isn’t the only reason we’ll never be more than fuck buddies. We don’t connect on anything more than a sexual level; there just isn’t anythingtherebetween us. Although, there doesn’t seem to be anythingtherewith anyone. It’s pretty depressing to know that I don’t have that connection with anyone, and I never might. I’m sure it would have happened by now if it was going to, so I’m stuck here in this limbo where I’m lonely, but I can’t find anyone to make me not want to be alone anymore.

If Madison is ignoring me because she has already found someone else to be happy with, then so be it. That’s usually the way these things end. With my fun time buddies finding the loves of their lives, and I end up by myself again. I’m going to Club Sinto find out for sure.

Downtown is busy tonight, like it always is on a Friday night. The people of Iron Mountain need somewhere to blow off steam and this is it. I much prefer a quiet drink in a normal bar with quiet music playing. Maybe I’m boring, but this just isn’t my scene. Plus, I know a lot of Nightshade Hunters hang around in this area, doing whatever it is that they do. I don’t want to know, so I stay away.

But tonight, with my head down so I don’t have to make contact with anyone, I head for Club Sin with a heaviness in my heart. I just know I won’t like what I see when I get inside. I can’t believe I’m chasing after a woman I don’t even want to be with long term, just so I know where my late night hookup is.

The music thumps so heavily, it feels like it’s becoming a part of me—thundering through my veins, shuddering my organs. I should go, I know I should, but something keeps my feet fixed to the spot. I can’t go anywhere, not yet.

“Hey there, handsome.” A hand trails down my arm before I can even acknowledge what I’m feeling and what I intend to do next. “What can I get you to drink?”

I barely even look at Felicity, who can turn down the charm if she wants. We went to high school together, so this is more than a little weird. “Just a beer, please.”

She steps away and I try to see through the dark, foggy atmosphere to find Madison. She isn’t on stage or with a table, which has me worried that something might be going on behind those privacy curtains. I know all too well that the private dances don’t usually stay dances.

I feel like I’m losing my mind, and I hate it. I pull my cell phone out of my pocket, just to see if Madison has messaged me, but instead find a text from Echo to see if I have found anything about the Nightshade Hunters yet. Actually, that’s a good excuse for me to be here. Especially if we’re looking for drug activity. If anything is going to happen, it will probably happen in a place like this. I text Echo back that I’m downtown on the drug hunt, to see what will happen next on our stupid slow search.

I agree with Slane and everything he said in the Iron Mountain Wolf Pack meeting. Wearemoving too slow and it is too dangerous. This town is being destroyed in the process. But arguing with Echo never gets anyone anywhere. He’s the alpha, so we all have to trust that he knows exactly what he’s doing. To be fair, he usually does, so I’ll put my faith in him for this. It’s not like I’d be able to do anything by myself.

“Here is your beer.” Felicity leans over so I can see down her top. “Is there anything else I can get you today? Anything to make your dreams come true?”

I immediately shake my head. I have no desire to get sucked up in this seedy world. I’m uncomfortable enough as it is. But Felicity doesn’t listen, pushing my chair back and perching on the edge of my lap. Weird, considering we barely talked in high school.

“You know, you come in here a lot, Jace,” Felicity purrs, overexaggerating my appearance at Club Sin. “But I don’t think that I have ever seen you let loose and enjoy yourself. Are you unable to do that? Because I can show you how…”

I shake my head again, a little firmer this time around. I need her to understand that I’m never here for anything to happen. “Look, I just want my beer. I’m waiting for—”

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