Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2022 Jade Marshall

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0572-9

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For Celia Moolman

  My greatest supporter since before day one.

  She lived.

  She loved.

  She laughed.

  She left.

  She will be missed.

  21 November 1975—15 February 2022

  THE WRONG MATE

  Katu Wolves, 3

  Jade Marshall

  Copyright © 2022

  Chapter One

  Max

  Today is Raine’s eighteenth birthday. I have both been looking forward to and dreading this. I’ve been looking forward to this day for the past year, to prove to my know-it-all cousin that I’m not Raine’s fated mate. But at the same time, I’m dreading it because if she does find her fated mate, I will be losing my best friend.

  No male in their right mind would allow Raine, his mate, to be friends with me. I was destined to be an alpha in my own right before I lost that fight. Being a twin, I had to fight my brother to prove who was Alpha, and I lost. Now I am just a cousin to the Alpha, and Beta of the Katu pack. I am the best tracker in nearly five hundred miles and the local handyman.

  Besides, I am much too old for someone as young as Raine. Ten years is a hell of an age gap, especially for someone who has never even had a boyfriend. She shouldn’t be saddled with someone as jaded as me. But that won’t matter when I see her because I believe we aren’t mated.

  Gathering her present, I head out to meet her for breakfast at Xavia’s house. It’s a tradition we have had for the last year. Every Tuesday, we help Xavia bake bread and have breakfast together. If our day isn’t too busy, sometimes we even help Xavia with the gardening.

  I knock before entering, not waiting for a reply. I rarely do. But today, I wish I had. The scent that assaults my senses isn’t one I’m used to finding in this home. Chocolate and rich coffee filter in through my nose and coat me from the inside out. My senses are on high alert, searching for the origin of this delicious scent.

  I scan my surrounding but don’t find anything. But I do hear Raine and Xavia talking outside in the garden. Making my way to them, I listen to the melodious lilt of Raine’s voice, and when she laughs lightly, a bolt of recognition runs through my system.

  The smell, the fact that her voice and laughter affect me like never before. The fact that she turned eighteen today. It all makes sense. Calum was right, and I hate him for it.

  Raine is my fated mate.

  But I know I can’t do that to her. I can’t saddle her with a man ten years her senior. She needs to be able to live her life freely. And although I know the best thing for the situation would be to refuse her, I can’t imagine putting her through any kind of pain. I love her, have been in love with her for quite some time, but I never thought it would escalate to this.

  As I turn to leave before either Raine or Xavia can spot me, they walk into the kitchen. I am frozen to the spot, her beauty rendering me speechless. I always knew she was beautiful, but I see her in a completely different light now. No longer is she someone I see as a woman I can’t have but as the only woman I will ever want.

  Her curves are accentuated by her jeans hugging her full hips and plump ass. For the first time, I see how low her favorite blue top is cut, showing off her ample cleavage. Her azure eyes sparkle as she smiles, and her unruly blonde curls look like a halo around her head.

  I am in serious fucking trouble. I need to get out of here immediately.

  “Max,” Raine exclaims before heading my way for our customary hug.

  She bounces into my arms before I can find a way to dodge her embrace, and the moment she presses her curvy body and plump breasts against me, it takes all my willpower to push her back. My cock is raging inside my pants as I step back.

  “I can’t be here. I need to leave,” I rush out before leaving Xavia’s house.

  “Max!” I hear Raine call out after me, but I don’t stop to look.

  I break into a sprint, and without taking the effort to remove any of my clothing, I shift without a moment’s notice. My wolf bounds forward into the tree line before skidding to a stop. For the first time since my eighteenth birthday, since my first shift, my wolf and I aren’t in sync.

  My wolf pushes back against my wishes, wanting to return to the compound to claim our mate. And although it causes us both pain, I force him to move forward. Raine isn’t meant for us. She will be better off without us.

  Chapter Two

  Raine

  My heart breaks. Simply cracks wide open as I watch Max shift and run away from me. I knew the moment he entered Xavia’s house that Calum had been right. I know what he suspected, even though he and Talon thought I didn’t. People seem to underestimate the number of things I know. They assume simply because I am quiet, and an introvert, that I don’t know anything. But that isn’t true. I heard them talking about us. I just didn’t say anything about it.

  Secretly, I had been hoping and praying they were right. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn’t want Max to be their mate? The man is everything that epitomizes the perfect male. Long dark hair that he constantly puts up in a messy man bun, dark gray eyes that pierce your soul with just one look, a strong jaw always covered in a light scruff. He has a strong, toned body from all the hours he works outside, making sure that our pack stays safe.

  The way he looks in a pair of jeans is ridiculous, with his strong thighs bulging underneath the material with every step he takes.

  He excels in everything he puts his mind to. I have never met a better tracker, and I know all the work he does around the compound is invaluable to the entire pack. But it’s not just what he looks like or what he offers the pack that has me drawn to him. It’s the way he opens his heart to all those around him, the gentle way he handles Calum and Talon’s little boys, and the soul he hides beneath his gruff exterior that has me falling for him day after day.

  Okay, so obviously I see Max as more than just a friend. Technically from the moment, I laid eyes on him just a little over a year ago, I have been completely infatuated with him. He relegated me to the position of a friend, with which I was never truly comfortable. But it meant I could stay close to him, so I accepted it.

  People do the strangest things when they are in love, even accepting scraps of attention. I’m not stupid, I know my worth, but I was hoping he would realize sooner or later that we were meant to be together. All I had to do was wait it out and try to give him a little push every now and then.

  This is exactly why I am wearing what he deems to be my favorite blue shirt this morning. It isn’t my favorite by any means, but since I have matured and it became about two sizes too small for me, it frames my cleavage beautifully. The other boys at the compound around my age have noticed the changes in me, and have even tried to ask me out, but I only want Max.

  And with the way Max reacted to me earlier, scanning my body with his gaze and staring at my cleavage, he sees it now. So, with tears streaming down my cheeks, broken heart in hand, I make my way back home to cry in peace.

  The house is silent as it always is. My older brother is no doubt out looking to get laid in the local town of Katu Falls. He rarely if ever comes home anymore. Sometimes I wonder if the nomad lifestyle wouldn’t be better suited to him. He isn’t a bad guy, he just never really fit in anywhere.

  My mother is also gone. She hasn’t been the same since my father was murdered by the hunters. I thought we were going to lose her too, that she would die from a broken heart the moment he died, but she pushed through and lived. Well, sort of.

  She is a mere shell of the woman I grew up with. She no longer smiles or laughs, and she doesn’t talk unless she is spoken to first. All she does is wait for the time to pass as she drinks herself slowly to death. Every day my heart breaks a little bit for the woman and mother she once was, but that person is long gone now.

  For now, it’s just me against the world, just like it was before I met Max. Just like it will be until Max gets his head out of his ass and returns.

  Chapter Three

  Max

  I run, and I run, and then I run some more. I run until I tire my wolf out to the point where he simply collapses. The bond between us is strained because I’m forcing him to run from his mate, and with every step further away from Raine, he hates me just a little bit more.

  The moment we hit the ground, the shift takes over and I’m lying on the ground in my human form, staring at the night sky. My heartbeat slows down as I lie there, wondering what the fuck I’m going to do now.

  In my heart, I want nothing more than to return to Raine, but my mind knows there isn’t a worse possible choice to make. She needs someone better than me, someone closer to her own age, someone who can offer her the things I can’t. I’m nothing but a tracker, a hired thug used to find people and wolves that woul d rather not be found. I lost all respect from my pack the moment I lost the dual for Alpha to my brother.

  I am a rudderless ship that accidentally ended up on shore. The pack I live with now is not my own, but a pack that takes pity on me and allows me to stay. My skills are valuable to them, but if I ever tried to mate with one of the available women, surely Caine, my cousin and the Alpha to the Katu pack, would kick me out.

  Lying here, I know the right thing to do is to refuse Raine, sever the bond we have, and never return to her. And if it were only my safety at risk, if it was only me who had to endure the pain, I would do it in a heartbeat. But that would make it too easy. No, she has to endure the pain and suffering with me, and I could never do that to her.

  That leaves only one option available to me. I can’t return home. I will take on the nomad life and pray she finds someone to love. If she falls in love and decides to refuse me, the pain will be exactly what I deserve.

  Slowly, the exertion of the last couple of hours finally catches up to me and I drift off to sleep. I have not only put Raine, but myself and my wolf through the wringer today, and I will need all the rest I can get. Tomorrow, I will travel further north.

  ****

  I wake to the sun streaming through the leaves above my head, but something is wrong. I feel even more tired than I did before I went to sleep. But that can’t be possible, can it?

  Rising from the forest floor, I look around me, stunned to find the west wall only feet away. For the last year, I have been helping the Katu pack build and fortify this wall, making sure to keep anyone we don’t want inside out.

  I shouldn’t be back here. I ran for hours yesterday, trying to get as far away as possible. There is only one possible explanation for how I find myself back here. My wolf took over while I was asleep and brought me back. If I wasn’t so pissed off, I would be proud of his tenacity. The worst part about this entire situation is that I won’t be able to shift for the next twenty-four hours.

  My wolf is completely drained, and so am I. But if I stay here, I don’t know what I may be capable of.

  “Morning, Max,” Calum calls from a short distance away. “Glad to see you found your way back.”

  The smirk on his face pushes all my buttons this morning, and where I would usually just ignore him or smart off with a sarcastic answer, all I want to do is pound him into the ground.

  “Fuck off, Calum. I don’t have the time or the patience for your shit this morning.”

  “Oh, don’t be like that. Xavia told us what happened.” He squeezes my shoulder as he reaches me and hands me a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “Maybe you can tell me what you were thinking?”

  “I knew I had to get away, and if I can get my wolf to cooperate, stay away. I’m no good for Raine. Besides, I doubt Caine would want me mating the only available female when there are so many other suitable males around.” I growl at Calum as I get dressed.

  “You’re an idiot.” He chuckles as he walks away, leaving me alone to work out a plan.

  Chapter Four

  Raine

  I spend the greater part of the night reading a romance novel instead of sleeping. Besides, today is my day off, so I should just sleep in. I don’t want to face Xavia, Calum, or Talon after the mess that was yesterday, so I only get to sleep at six, just as the sunrise starts to peek out behind the mountains.

  Even after all the crying and questions, the wondering, and the waiting, I drift off quickly. But in my dreams, I can’t avoid what I want, and that is Max.

  I swim through the cool, crystal-clear water at the base of the waterfall. The surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful. The trees, the meadow, and the flowers are all in full bloom. It’s enough to take your breath away. As I step from the water and the beads run down my body, a light breeze blows past, caressing my skin.

  I stand beside the pool and stretch out my arms to the sky, arching my back. I prefer to let my skin dry naturally and may even sunbathe naked for a while. There is no one out here, and I might as well take full advantage of all the warm sunshine and privacy.

  There isn’t any time for that as large, calloused hands land on my hips from behind. I don’t know how I could have missed anyone approaching, but the moment the scent hits me, all fear flees my body and I relax into his hold. The scent of tobacco and whiskey envelopes me and bombards my senses.

  Max.

  He pulls me into his hard chest, placing a kiss on this side of my neck. His erection is massive and pressed right against the crease of my ass. Continuing to kiss down my neck, he roves his hands up my body to cup my breasts, but they spill over his large palms.

  “My goddess, you are gorgeous, Raine,” he whispers in my ear. “Just look at all these voluptuous curves I can’t keep my hands off.”

  His left hand leaves my breast to caress my ass, rubbing and squeezing, an involuntary moan escaping my lips. I know I should be stronger than this, perhaps even just try to fight him off for a little bit. He deserves to be put through the wringer like he did with me.

  Pushing my ass back into his erection, I try to distract him long enough to get away.

  “You left me,” I say, panting.

  I may know that I want to punish him, but my body is attuned to his and wants nothing more than to give in to this intense arousal. I need to stay out of his grasp for as long as possible or I will only give in. Max turns me in his arms, his rough hands cupping my face.

  “I shouldn’t have.” Max looks at me with an imploring gaze. “I thought I was doing what was best for you, but I’m back, and I want to correct my mistake. If you will let me.”

  My heart soars as I can hear the truth behind his words and see the earnestness on his face. He finally came to his senses and came back for me. He wants me.

  Without thinking, I wade back into the water, letting the cool liquid rise all the way to my hips. Max stands on the shore, watching me intently, waiting for a reply. I lift my hair above my head in both hands before releasing it, lowering my hands to cup my breasts. His eyes widen and darken as he watches me closely.

  “So, Max, are you ready to claim your mate?” I ask huskily.

  In my entire life, I have never been so brazen or felt so sexy. Max brings it out in me. He makes me feel like I could do absolutely anything. I watch as he strips out of his clothes before wading into the pool. I have never seen Max naked, although I have imagined it countless times.

  The man is ripped, tan, and absolutely gorgeous. A light smattering of dark hair covers his pectorals. And I can’t wait to feel them scrape against my nipples. His hands pull me closer to him, and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, positioning my pussy directly above his straining cock. His lips crash to mine in a passionate kiss as his hands knead the globes of my ass.

  One hand moves from my butt to the juncture between my thighs before I feel a finger probe at my entrance. The thick digit enters me, causing my back to arch. His lips wrap around a nipple, and he sucks hard as he thrusts his finger into me again and again.

  A noise startles me from my sleep. My gaze darts around the room, but I can’t find the source. My sheets are tangled around my legs as my pussy throbs with need. I have never had an erotic dream in my entire life, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Kicking the sheets off, I remove the oversized shirt I stole from Max.

  My skin feels like it is burning up, and I know I need to finish what the dream started. Slowly, I caress down my body before putting my hand into my lace panties. I feel the wetness gathered there, and I lightly touch my engorged clit.

  My back lifts off the bed at the first touch, and I am lost to my own desires. I slip my finger over my clit again and again until my orgasm peaks.

 

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