Page 4 of Seducing His Mate

“You’re such an asshole,” Jenna finally managed, after catching her breath. She presented quite the picture, stomping into the woods wet and naked.

Trent hadn’t laughed that hard in years, but quickly regained his composure and trailed behind, admiring her curvy ass and toned legs. “You’re so small for a grizzly bear. Why? And why are you living in a tent in the middle of nowhere?”

“That’s none of your business,” Jenna quickly answered, over her shoulder, without breaking stride.

“You’re my mate, so I’m making it my business.”

Jenna only huffed and threw one hand in the air but didn’t stop until she reached the campsite. Trent watched with a dumb grin while she yanked on her clothing and started gathering wood to build a fire. It didn’t take long to put the pieces together, and it annoyed him to no end for some reason. There were very few personal items and no traces of food. “You’re homeless.”

Jenna glanced his way but didn’t bother to offer any information.

“I don’t see any food.” He wasn’t trying to be a jerk.

“You’re very astute, Mr. King.”

At least she spoke, Trent thought to himself. “Let me help you.”

“Why? Why do you want to help me?” Jenna asked, whipping around to face him.

It was a very good question and one that caught him off guard, so he blurted the first response he thought of without thinking of how it sounded. “I don’t know. I just do.”

“I’ll be fine.”

The slump of her shoulders, the sadness in her eyes, and the wordfineall said she wasn’t fine, but he really didn’t know how to deal with female emotions. Annoyance and attraction, plus the fact that they were mates seemed to be the basis of their relationship, so he reasoned that was the way to chip her armor.

Trent strode to her tent, reached with one hand, and pulled a pole free, sending the entire structure crashing to the ground. Pings filled the quiet as poles smacked together and rolled across the ground. A wicked grin spread at the mess he made. He was quite pleased with himself.

“Oh my God!” Jenna shouted. “Why did you do that?”

Trent lifted several pieces of the wood she’d gathered and hurled each one, in opposite directions, into the forest.

“You’re insane,” Jenna growled, before shoving his chest. “Stop it.”

Trent leaned over to accommodate her height and make direct eye contact. “Get your things, put them in your vehicle, and follow me home, or I’ll carry you to my car, and retrieve them tomorrow. Don’t fight me because I know who owns this land. Besides, I’m bigger and I’m stronger.”

Jenna rolled her eyes to the night sky just as twin tears slid over her cheeks. He thought she might argue, but her shoulders slumped before sighing in defeat. “Okay,” she whispered, so low he barely heard it.

“Okay? No fighting or sarcastic words?”

Her lips twitched and she inhaled a deep breath. Wet hair plastered to her face and her eyes remained full of unshed tears when she finally lifted her gaze to his. “I need help. You’re the first and only person to offer. I’m tired of fighting and I know I can’t win against you anyway. I just want a chance at a life where I’m not dependent on anyone else. Thank you although I’ll probably regret it.”

She managed to shock him yet again. How did she continue to do that, and how did she manage to look so beautiful in such a ragged state? His heart thumped hard against his rib cage. The urge to gather her in his arms was too strong. In that moment, he knew he would protect her, die for her, and love her to the best of his ability if she’d give him a chance.

Bears were territorial creatures, finicky and naturally wary, and this one was cornered and desperate. Desperation led to dangerous decisions, so the situation would need to be handled with finesse. Anything she saw as a threat would send her into hiding. Now that he had her scent, he could locate her, but that wasn’t a chance he wanted to take. The fact that they were mates only heightened every emotion. Female bears could be vicious in this state, but she had accepted his offer to help. It was a lifeline he grasped with both hands and wouldn’t surrender so easily. Jenna was his mate, and she needed the man he wanted to be…for her.

Chapter 6

Jenna didn’t know why she trusted him, but she did. Maybe it was the mate thing, or maybe it was something else, but the emotion in his eyes drew her like a bear to honey. Everything she had learned about Trent warred with the man with his heart on his sleeve before her. She desperately needed help and had passed the point of salvaging her pride days ago. A little over two thousand remained in her bank account and it wouldn’t last long.

Trent helped her gather her meager belongings and walked with her to her vehicle. He even rode with her to his parked car, occasionally stealing glances, and grunting incoherently. He was so annoying at times but could be so sweet, even if he did it with threats.

“You won’t run again?” He quietly inquired, before exiting her vehicle.

“No. Where would I go?” Jenna snorted, but it was the truth.

The simple exchange seemed to satisfy him as he climbed into his expensive sports coupe and pulled onto the road. The drive into Kingston only lasted an hour, but it was enough time to regain control of her emotions. They both parked before a small, navy blue structure withVeterinarian Trent Kingpainted on a sign by the door. She’d seen photographs of the business on the internet, but now it felt surreal that she was about to enter his business and home.

The front porch extended the length of the building, inviting and warm with rockers for customers to wait with their beloved pets. It resembled a home more than a business. Trent slept here, she knew that, so it must have a separate residence attached or a basement.

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