Operation “How To Hate Your Fated Mate is”, so far, an epic fail.
But I'll make it work.I'll have to.
Because I am not going to end up mated to the man who ruined my father's life for dealing in medicinal herbs.
Chapter Four
Henrietta
The market in Cedar Run hasn’t changed much, with the weathered wood siding, and bins of fresh produce out front.I have ten dollars in my pocket that I have earmarked for shampoo and conditioner.
I can’t dip into the Moonstone Pack’s payment.We’ve bought ourselves a little breathing room, but that’s all.We don’t have to beg for food from the Shadowpine anymore, we can buy the pack’s children new shoes and clothes, but we can’t go crazy.We’ve got a whole corn season to get through.
I make my purchase quickly.I don’t bother browsing the aisles; there’s no point looking at what I can’t have.I walk back out into the April sunshine and take a deep breath.
The parking lot is quiet.A couple of Moonstone wolves are loading groceries into a truck.The bitter, pungent smell of coffee drifts from the Late Shift diner down the block.
As I approach my ancient Ford pickup truck, lost in thought, I don’t hear him coming.One second I’m alone, and the next a shadow falls over me
“Henrietta.”
Roderick Frost, nephew of the Frostbane Alpha.He’s big.Not Andrew big, but bulky in an awkward kind of way.Dark gelled hair, pale blue eyes, expensive leather jacket.I’ve never spoken to him directly, but I know who he is.I’ve got memories of him being a nasty little bully when we were kids.He liked to sneak up on kids and scare them.It looks like nothing’s changed.
I straighten up and meet his gaze.“Can I help you?”I lace my tone with impatience.No invitation whatsoever.
His eyes move over me slowly, top to bottom.He runs his tongue over dry, cracked lips.“Maybe.I heard you were back in town.You filled out nicely.”He stares directly at my boobs, then reluctantly moves his gaze back up to my face.“A plant mage with your kind of talent - we could use someone like that.”
His mouth caresses the word “use”, and my breakfast churns in my stomach.My wolf lets out a low snarl.
“Well,” I say pleasantly, “I hope you find someone like that.”
Something flickers behind his pale eyes.“Don’t give me any sass.”His lip curls up in a snarl.“You don’t have an Alpha.You’ve got a weak as shit broken-down old man playing pack leader.If I say you’re mine, then you’re mine.”
He takes a step forward.I take a step back and hit the truck door.
“We’re guests of the Shadowpine pack,” I say.My voice comes out steady, which is a genuine achievement.“We’re under their Alpha’s protection.”
Are we, though?
Kieran Holt let us stay on Shadowpine land, but we never asked if we were now part of the pack again.Maybe we were afraid to push our luck.
Roderick’s smile doesn’t waver.
He’s close enough now that I can smell his sour coffee breath.
A shrill voice rings out through the air.“Roderick!Help me with the groceries!”
Two older women have come out of the market, both of them Frostbane.Their arms are overflowing with brown paper grocery bags.Roderick’s gaze jerks over to them distractedly.
That’s all I need.
I yank the door open, leap into the seat, slam the door, and start the truck.I reverse.Fast.The tires kick up a satisfying spray of gravel that patters against his expensive jacket.
My heart pounds in my chest as I pull out of the parking lot.I’ve escaped – for the moment.But the Frostbane pack wolves never back down.
I’m halfway back to the Shadowpine pack lands before I realized that I dropped my shampoo and conditioner in the parking lot, and there’s no way I can go back for it.
Damn this life.Damn Andrew for what he did to us.