Claiming His Mate
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Claiming His Mate
Copyright © 2015 by M. Limoges
ISBN: 978-1-61333-665-6
Cover art by Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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Black Hills Wolves Stories
Wolf’s Return
What a Wolf Wants
Black Hills Desperado
Wolf’s Song
Coming Soon
When Hell Freezes
Portrait of a Lone Wolf
Taming His Mate
Seducing the Schoolmarm
Alpha in Disguise
A Wolf’s Promise
Reluctant Mate
Diamond Moon
Tempting the Wolf
Claiming His Mate
Black Hills Wolves
By
M. Limoges
Jace Matthews’ eyes followed the rhythmic sway of his mate’s heart-shaped ass as she walked up the aisle to the sales counter. Damn, he couldn’t wait to strip her bare and sink his teeth into that tender flesh. Suddenly, those tempting globes stopped. He blinked and his gaze shot up to find Michelle frowning over her shoulder at him.
Shit
.
Embarrassed she’d caught him staring, he snatched the closest book on the shelf beside him, waving it in the air like a kid who’d won a life-sized stuffed animal at the county fair. “Got it. Thought it might be out of stock.”
Real smooth, jackass.
She arched a delicate brow over the rim of her glasses. “Are you ready to check out, Jace?”
“Yep, I think this’ll do it.” He soaked up the sound of her sweet voice and followed her to the register.
Two months ago, when he’d come to check out the new owner of a large parcel of land adjoining his pack’s hunting territory, he damn sure hadn’t expected to find Michelle Sanders. Once he’d stepped inside the small, quaint bookstore she’d owned in Collins, he’d caught a scent that had eluded him for thirty-two years.
His mate.
The first time he laid eyes on her, his wolf had fought tooth and nail, urging Jace to stake his claim in the primitive way of his people. Hunt her down, mark her, and claim her as his own. That wouldn’t have worked with Michelle. He had to proceed with caution. She was human after all.
Of course, he had no idea how to court a human, or whatever the hell it was they did. In his world, it was hard, fast lust. No relationships, just quick flings that were over as soon as they started. With his own kind. But, he didn’t want a quick anything with Michelle, he wanted
forever
.
His prim little mate waited patiently for him to slide his purchase across the wooden surface between them. She reached for the book and his hand purposefully settled over hers. In the weeks he’d come in, it was the first time he’d purchased anything. The first time he’d touched her. He stared at her face, ignoring the tiny currents racing up his arm. Her startled, bespectacled blue gaze darted to his, and she pulled her hand away.
Fuck yeah.
She felt it, too.
The scent of her lust drifted up his nose, and he almost dragged her over the counter right then and there to sink his teeth in her shoulder. His control teetered on a dangerously fine line in her company.
Michelle blinked away her confusion and nodded toward the book under his hand. “Find something you like?”
More than you could ever know
. He moved his hand and she picked up the book. “Yeah, I’ve been waiting on that one for a while,” he lied. “Can’t get enough of that author.”
Jace couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the book. It was just an excuse to linger in her store. Slow, his pack kept telling him, go slow with her. Well, he had, damn it. Since his shy little mate appeared skittish, he’d come in, browsed the shelves of her store twice a week, making friendly conversation, forming an easy friendship, and biding his time until he had her in his bed and life permanently. But, the time for waiting was over.
Recently, he’d caught another scent when he ran on her property.
Hunters.
The bastards had been sniffing around his pack’s borders and camping on Michelle’s land. No doubt without her knowledge. That gave Jace all the more reason to speed up their odd courtship. Her protection was at stake, and he’d be damned if he left his mate in danger. She was his future.
Michelle’s head popped up, humor sparkling in her pretty eyes. She held up his purchase. “I love the abs on this one.”
He gawked at the semi-naked male torso covering the matte-finished paperback he’d snatched from the shelves without looking.
What. The. Fuck.
***
Michelle bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud at the shock written on Jace’s face, though it came as no surprise to her. The hot specimen of male virility that she’d lusted over since he’d sauntered through the double doors of her bookstore was gay.
She winked in an attempt to ease his visible distress. “It’s really a great read. Good choice.”
“It’s not for me,” he choked out.
Bless his little baby heart
. “Sure.” She moved to the register and rang up the romance novel.
“Seriously, it’s for my sister, Kate.” His downcast, grimacing face tugged at her sympathy.
Michelle had discovered the surprising revelation of his sexuality a month ago on one of her nature walks through the wooded property behind the house she’d inherited from her Aunt Cecelia. She’d stumbled upon him there. With another man. Both in various states of undress. Then his equally hot
friend
had chucked his damned pants. She hadn’t stuck around to witness any man dangle action. Instead, she’d gotten the hell out of Dodge before she could technically be arrested as a voyeur.
Discovering Jace’s sexual orientation had somewhat depressed her. An entire week after she’d seen him in the forest, she hadn’t been able to meet his gaze out of embarrassment. To learn something so intimate and personal about him without his knowledge, it shamed her to feel the way she did about him. She’d foolishly imagined he’d made the twenty minute drive over from Los Lobos each week to her store in Collins, South Dakota because he might’ve been interested in her. At last, she’d found the man of her dreams, and he turned out to be gay.
She’d shrugged off her disappointment. It wasn’t his fault, and she wasn’t about to lose the only friend she’d made since moving here. But that hadn’t stopped her from lusting after the hottest guy on this plane of existence. The fact he was gay hadn’t affected her late night fantasies one iota.
Michelle deposited his money in the register and slid the drawer closed with a soft click. She placed his book in one of her pretty paper bags with the polka dots and set it on the counter in front of him. “Hope your
sister
enjoys your purchase, Jace.”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. His lips curved with a sensual smile she’d be sure to dream about tonight. “What are you doing Friday night?”
“Let me think.” Michelle scrunched her nose and tapped her chin with her finger. Then she snapped her fingers. “Oh, that’s right. Not a thing.”
He released a deep, throaty laugh that did funny things to her insides. Shit, she had to get laid soon. She could practically feel her damn eggs dropping. If she didn’t watch it, she’d tackle her sexy, gay friend without a tad of remorse. She repressed a shiver and waited for him to continue.
Amusement reflected in his dark brown eyes. “Perhaps you could help me out. I have this date night coming up with my sister….”
Huh?
Her eyebrows rose. She knew it was a small, country town, but—
“No, wait.” He held up his hand in a halting motion. “I mean, it’s a double date. With her and her boyfriend. I’m supposed to bring someone. Would you go with me?”
Well, she hadn’t expected that. “I’m not so sure, Jace.”
“I’m sorry.” He fidgeted with the handle on his paper bag. “I should’ve asked if you were seeing someone.”
Michelle bit her tongue to keep from blurting out
no, but you are
. “I’m not, but wouldn’t you rather ask someone else?”
“Why?” He frowned and appeared genuinely perplexed.
Hmm, what’s a polite way to say this?
“I just thought…I might not be your type.”
A scowl formed on his handsome face. “Why wouldn’t you be? You’re perfect.”
His reason for asking smacked her in the face as if he’d flung his bag at her. He needed a cover in front of his sister, who probably had no idea he was gay.
Michelle noticed her fingers thrummed the wood countertop. She laid her palm flat to still the nervous action.
Oh, what the hell? It wasn’t as if she had a social life to speak of. Jace had been nothing but kind to her, bringing her cherry Danishes and coffee from the diner down the road each week when he stopped in. He was the only person in her new small town who’d taken the time to get to know her somewhat. Apparently, everyone else thought she had the cooties or something.
Michelle huffed out a breath. “All right. Sure, why not? Where? And what time?”
“How’s seven p.m. sound? I thought we might grab some dinner in Los Lobos. Is that all right?” When she nodded, his face brightened and he smiled a sinful grin that hit her below the belly.
“Excellent. Jot down your number and address, and I’ll stop by your place at six-thirty to pick you up.”
She did as he asked, printing her phone number and directions on a piece of receipt paper. He leaned forward, laid his hand over hers, and squeezed, sending a strange burst of energy through her arm once more. As he extricated the slip of paper from her grasp, she almost reconsidered. This increasing attraction she felt toward him couldn’t be good.
With a parting devilish grin, he turned and sauntered to the exit, calling back over his shoulder. “I’m looking forward to it, Michelle.”
“Me, too,” she croaked.
Sweet little baby Jesus in a manger, what had she gotten herself into now?
The blare of her phone on the bathroom counter startled Michelle, causing her hand to jerk. The cheap razor nicked her below the knee, and blood ran down her leg.
“Bitches.” She threw the razor in the bottom of the tub and covered the stinging cut with a washcloth.
Wow. Was it any wonder she didn’t go on dates often? Hell, it wasn’t even a real one so why was she bothering to shave her legs?
She dried her hands and reached for the phone to check who’d called. As soon as the number popped up on the screen, she rolled her eyes and placed her phone on the counter again. Ever since she’d inherited Aunt Cecelia’s property, a local land development company had been hounding her to sell.
Granted, she could use the outrageous sum they offered, but this was her home now. The eccentric aunt Michelle barely remembered from childhood had left her this place, and she’d sunk every last cent of her savings into the bookstore she’d opened in town. She wasn’t going anywhere.