The She-Wolf’s Mate (Book 2 She-Wolf Series)
Chapter 24

Ivar

Kate definitely hated me.

At least, I thought so. She was hard to read. I tried to just keep my distance, but I was constantly drawn to Sam who was enjoying time with the sister who rarely visited.

Sam at least seemed more at ease since their coffee and “girl talk”, but she still hadn’t indicated to me what our future looked like. I knew it was unfair to rush her, especially with her family surrounding us, but the importance of her decision weighed on me heavily.

It was late morning when Kate swept into the room, now dressed in cropped jeans and a sweater. Somehow she still looked like a movie star.

“Alright Lukey Pookey,” she announced, “You and the grandparents are taking me to see the pack house.”

“What? Why?” Luke asked, his mouth full of his third muffin.

“Because I’ve never been and I hear a lot of these hunky werewolf men hang out there,” she told him.

“Gross,” he wrinkled his nose. “I’ll pass.”

Kate gave him a pointed look and then darted her eyes toward Sam. Luke followed her gaze and rolled his eyes.

“Fine,” he scoffed. “Let me change.”

I grinned at the interaction. The aunt and nephew were close in age. I imagined she grew up like a sort of big sister to him.

I left Sam to follow Kate into the kitchen where she was gathering her bag and Sam’s car keys.

“Hey,” I said and she looked up. “Thank you.”

“I’m not doing it for you, Your Highness,” she said, sarcastically, her eyes narrowed.

“I know,” I told her, not used to such outward hostility. “Nonetheless, thank you.”

She nodded once. “You need to fix this. I’ll buy you a couple hours.”

“Understood,” I agreed.

With that she turned and strode out the door calling out a farewell to her sister as she gathered her parents and nephew.

I took a breath to steady myself. Every encounter with my mate’s sibling left me on edge. I wasn’t used to the blatant disregard for my title except from Trinity and Aidan. They had earned my respect as formidable warriors. The only reason I hadn’t ripped off the tiny human’s pretty head was because I still hoped her sister would be my queen.

I walked into the living room to find Sam smirking at me from her perch on the couch.

“Ready to kill her yet?” She asked.

I chose to feign innocence, “What do you mean, little wolf?”

She tilted her head.

“Please,” she intoned. “You don’t tolerate anyone speaking to you like that.”

I chuckled.

“For you, I’d walk over hot coals.”

“That might be more tolerable, though,” she giggled.

I loved the way her eyes lit up when she smiled. I tried to commit it to memory just in case. There was no doubt I would see her again, even if she chose not to be my mate, but I didn’t think it would ever be quite like this. I sat next to her and studied every inch of her.

“What’s on your mind, big guy,” she asked, a small smile still pulling at the corner of her lips.

“I’m at a loss, Sam,” I told her, staring at my hands. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“Ivar, what do you want to do?”

I thought for a moment as I searched her face for answers. In the end, she betrayed nothing and I was forced to look within myself.

“I want to tell you that I don’t know that I can live in a world that you’re not in,” I finally said. “That everyday I wake up and the only thing I want is to hear the sound of your voice and to see your smiling face.

“The thought of anything happening to you brings me to my knees, but the thought of losing your love is enough to stop my heart from beating. Most of all, I want to beg you to come with me, to spend every day at my side.”

She looked at me curiously for a moment, no doubt remembering our first encounter. The familiar fierceness returned to her eyes.

“Then why don’t you?” She asked.

I paused, not at first understanding. Then I rose from the couch and knelt before her.

“Samantha Paulson, I can’t be without you. From the moment I first saw you, I should have told you that you are the light in my world. I have waited my entire life for you - over a thousand years - and I didn’t even know what I was looking for. Now that I found you, I can’t lose you.

“Please. Come and be my queen, so that I can show you how much I love you every single day of our lives.”

Time seemed to stand still as I held my breath waiting for her answer. In the next moment she launched herself into my arms.

Samantha

I landed against Ivar’s chest with a thud, knocking him back only slightly as he wrapped his arms around me. I burrowed my face into the crook of his neck.

“Oof. Is that a yes?” He asked.

“Of course it is,” I said, leaning back to look at him.

Rankor showed through his eyes, and I cupped his cheek looking back.

“I love you,” I told him.

“I love you too, little wolf,” he said, sincerity ringing in his words.

He grabbed the back of my neck as he kissed me hungrily. I wrapped my arms around him and angled myself for better access. Surrounded by his scent and taste, desire tingled through my abdomen.

His hand snaked up the back of my shirt to unclip my bra. I smiled and nipped his bottom lip in challenge as he stood. He picked me up with him and laid me down on the couch behind me. He straddled my hips, so large over my petite frame, and pulled his own shirt off.

I grinned as I looked him over - my beautiful mate. As he leaned back down to kiss me, we both paused.

I could hear a vehicle tearing up the gravel driving at breakneck speed. So much so that rocks pinged off the trees that lined it.

“What the hell?” Ivar asked, standing and grabbing his shirt in one hand.

Tires skidded to a halt at the door while I struggled to quickly fix my top. Ivar stalked to the door, radiating the energy of a powerful warrior. He stilled when a familiar voice carried from the driveway.

“I hope you’re decent!”

“So much for a couple hours,” Ivar grumbled and Kate stormed through the front door.

She looked oddly disheveled. Her eyes were wild and strands of hair stuck to her lip gloss.

“We have an emergency,” she declared. “A crazed wolf is after me.”

“What are you talking about, Kate? Where’s Luke? And Mom and Dad?” I questioned.

“No time to explain,” she waved me off and turned to Ivar. “Do your king thing and send him away.”

“Who?” I asked, but then I heard a familiar sports car barreling down the driveway. “Kate, why is Emerick chasing you?”

“That fucking beta,” Ivar growled.

Before the pissed off King could make it out, Emerick burst through the door. Ivar grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. Emerick’s feet dangled in the air. Both men glared at each other as though they wanted to tear at the other’s throat.

“Okay!” I shouted. “Everybody calm down!”

The room quieted briefly as the occupants darted their eyes between each other.

“Drop it,” I commanded Ivar and he reluctantly let Emerick fall to his feet. “One of you better start explaining.”

Both Kate and Emerick started shouting at the same time, each drowning the other out. Ivar now had an amused expression, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his still bare chest. When I looked to him for help, he just shrugged.

“Guys!” I clapped my hands and our guests glared at one another. “I can’t help if you don’t chill the fuck out and tell me what’s going on.”

“She’s my fated mate!” Emerick exclaimed.

“What?!” Both Ivar and I said in unison.

Ivar’s bellowing laugh then filled the room. He doubled over and roared.

“She’s your fated mate?” He continued laughing. “The goddess is good.”

Well I had wanted to see him smile, I thought, kicking myself now.

“Pipe down over there,” I chastised him. “This is serious.”

“Right,” he sobered, slightly, a stupid grin still plastered on his face.

“What happened?” I asked, and then held up a hand as they both started to speak. “Kate?” I asked pointedly.

“Luke said he wanted to finally introduce me to Emerick since you guys are all so close,” she explained. “Then I walked into his office and he, like, went crazy, telling me I’m the one and he wants to mate me. Gross. Like what does that even mean? I’m not his mate -”

“Yes, you are,” Emerick growled.

“Em, are you sure?” I asked him.

Before he could answer, Ivar spoke up, “They are. I can sense it.”

Once he said it, I could also. It was like a small force in the room, a magnet gently pulling them together.

“Oh shit,” I whispered.

“You’re not buying this?” Kate asked, disbelieving.

“I’m sorry, Kate,” I shook my head. “But they’re right.”

“Well, then undo it,” she snapped.

“No,” Emerick said, his voice dangerously low.

“Why can’t she feel it?” I asked Ivar.

“I’m not sure,” he said, thoughtfully. “Maybe because she’s human? I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a human fated mate.”

“Or I’m just not his fated mate,” Kate argued.

“You are,” all three of us repeated.

She rolled her eyes.

“I’m so not dealing with this right now.” She turned to Ivar. “Make him leave.”

“Are you sure?” He asked, serious.

She nodded.

“You heard the lady,” Ivar told Emerick who glared back at him. “I’ll command it if you don’t. And I won’t make it just for now.”

Emerick looked ready for a fight before I stepped between them.

“Nobody is commanding anything,” I stared directly at Ivar. “Em, I will talk to her, but I think it’s best you go.”

He set his jaw but gave me a pleading look.

“You know that I know what you’re going through,” I pointed out. “But she doesn’t feel what you do. This is going to take some time.”

“Fine,” Emerick ground out.

He turned and slammed the door behind him. I fought back an eye roll and turned on my baby sister.

“You need to cut him some slack,” I told her.

She threw up her hands in frustration.

“Oh, I’m sorry I’m not ready to marry my sister’s ex-boyfriend two minutes after meeting him,” she said, sarcastically.

“Kate, that’s not what I’m saying,” I tried to keep my tone gentle. “It’s not something he can control. Every fiber of his being craves you.”

“Gross,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

“It’s not like that,” I argued.

“It’s kinda like that,” Ivar piped up and I shot him a look.

“How did everything go with you guys?” Kate asked, looking at Ivar’s bare torso. “Seems like pretty well.”

She smirked and wagged her eyebrows.

“Would’ve been better if we got those couple hours,” Ivar muttered.

“So let’s see the ring,” Kate held out her hand.

“Oh, that’s more of a human tradition,” I shifted, uncomfortably.

“Emerick got you a ring,” she pointed out, trying to appear innocent.

“He did what?” Ivar demanded.

I glared at Kate.

“She’s trying to create dissension. Distract from the current problem,” I told him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kate grinned.

“When the fuck did he get you a ring?” Ivar completely ignored me.

I looked up toward the heavens.

Was it too much to ask for a boring day?

~

My parents and Luke arrived a couple hours later.

“Kate, honey, what happened?” My mom asked her as Kate lay on the couch.

“Emerick tried to mate me!” She accused.

“What?!” Luke and my parents exclaimed.

I sighed. “He didn’t try to mate her. She’s his fated mate.”

All three of them looked dumbfounded. My dad recovered first.

“What the hell is in the water around here?” He mumbled going to the kitchen where I heard him grab a beer from the fridge.

“But, how?” Luke asked.

“I dunno,” Kate shrugged. “I’m not going to dwell on it. In other news, Sam and Ivar are getting married!”

“Kate!” We both shouted.

She just smirked.

“No ring though,” she continued.

“Oh my goddess,” I muttered. “Stop using me to distract from your problems.”

“Mom, I’m so happy for you,” Luke said, wrapping me in a hug.

“When’s the Ceremony?” Mom asked, excitedly.

“We don’t need to have one,” Ivar said, simply. “Mating Ceremonies were designed to bond non-fated mates using magic. We just have to officially accept each other.”

“Oh, I see,” my mom said, clearly crestfallen.

“We should probably have something,” I told Ivar. “The werewolves will want to celebrate their king.”

“Plus Cassie has been planning for the last year,” Kate pointed out.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Mom, you know she loves parties,” Luke said. “This is her dream.”

“Cassandra Stevens knows fated mates don’t need a Ceremony,” Ivar said, rolling his eyes.

“You don’t want a Ceremony?” I asked him, trying to mask my disappointment.

“I guess I just didn’t think about it,” he lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “We can have one if you want.”

My mom squealed in delight. “I’ll call Cassie!” She exclaimed.

I looked at Ivar but his expression remained impassive. It was hard not to feel hurt that he didn’t want to celebrate our love, but I decided now was not the time to explore it. My mom chatted on the phone happily with Cassie who apparently could have everything ready in two days.

I wrapped an arm around Luke.

“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “What changed your mind?”

I pursed my lips. “I don’t know that it was anything in particular,” I told him. “But I appreciated your support. Also Kate is moving in with you.”

“Wait, what?” He asked, brows furrowed.

Kate sauntered up and wrapped him from the other side.

“That’s right, kid,” she said. “Me and you.”

“Double trouble,” he said, winking at her.

They both chuckled.

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