The Alpha's Temporary Mate (Fated Match) (11 page)

Every eye in the restaurant had been on her when she walked in. More than one man had been smacked by their date as they openly drooled after the succubus. Even Kieran had been unable to look away.

But unlike the other men, he’d fought the attraction long enough to correctly deduce Jessica’s nature. Chloe had never seen that happen before. She hadn’t lied when she’d said Jessica had mastered her gifts. Men simply did not get away from her.

Especially ones not really in love. How had Kieran done it?

Now the pair appeared relaxed, carrying on a conversation as if Jessica hadn’t just tried to seduce Kieran and he hadn’t managed to break her spell. Even for a magical being, this was a weird night, Chloe thought, as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

When the waiter came to take their orders, she automatically picked the first dish off the pasta selection. Food didn’t matter. Figuring out her date and her best friend did.

“You guys are leaving at the end of the week, right?” Jessica asked Kieran, reaching for her wineglass.

“Yes. On Friday, to beat the weekend traffic.”

“Sounds like it will be a fun party.” Jessica turned her way. “Tasha and I divided up your files. Everything is set for you to be spirited away into the forest.”

“That sounds great,” Chloe said.

Jessica whistled. “A couple’s retreat in the woods is pretty intensive. You sure you guys are ready for that?”

Kieran reached across the table to catch her hand. “We’re ready,” he said, pressing his lips to her knuckles before releasing her.

“This is the moon mating thing Tasha is so excited about, right?”

“Mating moon,” Kieran corrected. “I’m sure there will be a mass exodus of werewolves from the city this weekend. Those who can get away will try to, especially the larger packs with territory of their own to go to.”

“Yes, we’re planning for a lighter caseload in the next couple weeks,” Jessica said. “It works well, as it gives us a chance to go through our annual audit. First time in years Chloe won’t be there to supervise, though. She never dates werewolves.”

“Is that so? Who does she usually date then?”

Jessica waved her hand. “A few witches, a few non-predatory weres. I think there was a griffin in there somewhere. And a couple humans.”

“Really?” Kieran’s eyes flicked to her.

“She’s never really had a type. Well, not a species one anyway.”

“Jessie,” Chloe hissed.

Her friend just tossed a grin her way. “What Chloe goes for is on the inside.”

“Ah,” Kieran said. “So am I her type?”

Jessica snorted. “Hardly. Part of the reason I was so concerned.”

“What do you think I’m missing?”

“Well,” Jessica said, eying Chloe. “She likes smart men.”

Kieran arched a brow.

“Yes, yes, on that front you qualify,” Jessica said. “But she also likes honesty. Someone she can trust and laugh with. Someone kind.” She thought for a minute before adding, “Fidelity. That has always ranked high on her list. And you, wolf-man, didn’t seem to fit that bill.”

“Not until I met Chloe,” he said smoothly.

Chloe reached for her wine and drained the glass. “We need more alcohol,” she declared. “Immediately.”

Jessica laughed as Kieran signaled to the waiter. “Am I embarrassing you, darling? That’s what best friends are for. Besides, after months together I’m sure Kieran knows you through and through.” She turned to Kieran and said, “Chloe is terrible at keeping secrets.”

She rolled her eyes behind her friend’s back. If only she knew.

“Do you enjoy working at Fated Match?” Kieran asked, taking pity on her and steering the conversation in a new direction.

“It’s a great gig,” Jessica replied as the waiter refilled their wineglasses. “I love having a job that makes a difference. It’s not like a human dating agency. When we make matches, they last centuries. That’s a pretty awesome feeling.”

“I can imagine.”

“Chloe has a wall of matches in her office. Every couple she’s helped bring together earns a place of honor on the wall. She and Vivian vie to see who can make more matches since they’ve been at this the longest. Though just between us, I think Chloe is the clear winner. Her matches adore her. You should see how many weddings she goes to in a year.”

“A wall of matches, hmm?” Kieran asked her.

“I like to remember them,” Chloe said defensively.

“Plus she’s an utter romantic.” Jessica took a sip of wine and murmured appreciatively at the flavor.

“Yes, that I picked up on my own.”

Her gaze flicked to his. He had?

“You can see why we at the office are protective of her,” Jessica said. “She’s part of our family.”

Chloe blinked. She’d worked at the office for several decades, but in that time, staff and clients had come and gone. She hadn’t really thought of it as being part of anything other than a team.

Though Jessica was oblivious to the effect of her words, the intensity of Kieran’s gaze proved that he wasn’t. To cover her moment of shock, she reached again for her wineglass.

By the time the food arrived, Chloe was embracing her decision to use alcohol to cover her embarrassment. Jessica was regaling Kieran with yet another story that prominently featured Chloe. He was getting a crash course on her past, which wouldn’t be a problem if they’d actually been going out for a year and he had some frame of reference for these stories. As it was, he was either getting the inside scoop on her most embarrassing moments or having to sidestep questions that had the potential to reveal how little he really knew about her.

“Jessie, you should tell him more about your succubus gifts. I’m sure that’s a topic everyone is interested in.”

Jessica sliced a bite of steak and popped it into her mouth. “Trust me, Kieran is far more interested in the stories I can tell him about you,” she said when she finished chewing.

“Just you wait until I’m isolated in the woods with
your
family,” Chloe hissed in warning to her date.

He tossed her an unrepentant grin. “Jessica, why don’t you tell me what Chloe was like when you first met her.”

Jessica took another bite as she thought about her answer.

Chloe sighed and spun some pasta onto her fork. Her friend would no doubt launch into yet another tale about her chipper personality.

“Sad,” Jessica said at last.

They both turned to stare at the succubus, who shrugged. “Fated Match didn’t have many staff members that stuck around long in those days. All Chloe had was Vivian, and she’s about as cuddly as a sea witch.”

“I’m never sad,” Chloe scoffed.

This time
she
was the recipient of two stares.

“But,” Jessica said, ignoring Chloe’s protest. “In the time since you’ve officially come into her life I’ve noticed her being far more content than she has been in years.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Chloe said.

“Is it?” Jessica shrugged. “You always wanted stability. A real home. What else do you call finding your mate?”

She looked at her plate. Jessica wasn’t saying anything wrong—not if her audience really were a couple in love, planning on forever. But Kieran wasn’t that. Instead he was a man paying for her time, and humiliation scalded her. She knew good and well she wasn’t the kind of girl he normally wanted, and Jessica’s talk of her need for commitment was just underscoring that fact. As if she needed a reminder Kieran would never be hers.

“Excuse me,” she said, pushing back her chair. “Too much wine. I’ll be right back.”

Not meeting either of their gazes, she pushed to her feet and quickly navigated the path to the ladies’ room.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she stepped out of the main dining area and into the long washroom, with its dark wood doors on one side, and glass trough sink and massive mirror on the other.

Walking to the sink, she leaned on the glass and looked into the mirror. Pink colored her cheeks, thanks to the wine she’d consumed. But her eyes looked different. Less sparkle. Less hope.

Jessica had said she was sad when they first met and maybe she was right. So much of the time she focused on being cheerful, being happy, and maybe the reason was that if she didn’t look for the positives, the negatives would drown her.

“Chloe?”

Her breath caught when Jessica stepped into the bathroom with her.

“Hey,” she greeted, straightening from the mirror.

“I’m sorry,” her best friend said without any further urging.

“For what?” As far as she could tell, Jessica had been a delight tonight. She was the one dragging the mood down.

“You obviously don’t want me sharing so much with him. I’m sorry. I just thought these were things a mate should know.”

“You’re right,” Chloe agreed. “A mate should hear all these stories.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Jessica walked closer. “Are things not working out between you two?”

Chloe hesitated, wanting so much to confide in the one person who had never betrayed her. Never lied to her. Never treated her the way she was treating Jessica right now.

“It’s just the mating moon,” she said instead. “I’m nervous about meeting the family.”

“Honey, you don’t need to be. They’ll love you. Just like he does. I know I wasn’t the biggest fan of this match when I first heard it, but I think I was just upset you hadn’t trusted me.” The succubus frowned, looking down. “And truth be told, maybe a little jealous. I’m far older than you, and I’ve never gotten so close to finding my mate.”

“But you don’t want to be tied down,” Chloe said, surprise coloring her words.

“I don’t,” Jessica agreed. “I love my life, my independence. But you’ve seen the same stats at work I have. Our kind usually either find mates early or late in life. I missed my chance at early, and lately I’ve been wondering if I’m one of the unlucky ones who has to wait centuries to find their matches.”

“Of course you’re not,” Chloe said. “Matches just show up when you’re ready. You know that.”

Jessica sighed. “I do. But being wanted for just my body is starting to grate, for all that I need the energy to survive.”

“If you want to seriously start looking for your mate I can help you,” Chloe offered. “We’ll revamp your account tomorrow if you want.”

Jessica smiled. “I’ll think about it. But for now we need to get through tonight. What can I do?”

“So you approve of him now?”

A small embarrassed smile curved her lips. “I changed a dozen times before meeting you tonight trying to decide if I wanted to come as the friend ready to support you no matter what you were walking into, or as—”

“A sex goddess ready to do battle on my behalf and reveal my date to be a player with no morals?”

“Yes. But he didn’t want me, Chloe. Sex is my arena. I can sense lust a mile away, and what my magic inspired in him can’t hold a candle to what he naturally feels for you.”

Chloe drew a shaky breath. That was good for their cover, bad for her willpower.

“I like him. He’s not who I would have picked for you, but maybe that’s for the best. You need a little shaking up.”

“He’s definitely doing that,” she murmured.

“Just tell me my boundaries, and let’s go back to our meal.”

“No more revealing stories,” she said. “You can talk about work, what’s in the news or yourself. No more spotlight on me.”

“Scout’s honor,” she promised. “And if I say anything untoward just kick me under the table.”

Jessica looked so serious Chloe had to smile. Reaching out she dragged her friend into a tight hug.

“Thank you for looking out for me,” she said.

“Come on,” Jessica said, stepping back. “We’re not exactly being subtle. Let’s go back to your man.”

My man
.

If only.

Chapter Eleven

“D
o we count the evening as a success?” Kieran asked as they entered the penthouse.

“Jessica liked you,” she replied, kicking off her heels next to the door. “She’s no longer worried you’re impressing me with your paycheck.”

“Excellent.” He watched as she drifted toward the living room instead of retreating to bed. For once, he wasn’t annoyed a partner wanted to string out their evening. Extra moments with Chloe never seemed to grate.

She collapsed onto the beige sofa as she waved her hand in the air. A handful of the dimmer lamps flared to life, bathing the room in a cozy, soft glow.

“You had an eye-opening meal,” she said.

“I did,” he agreed, moving toward her with careful steps. “But you wish I hadn’t.”

Her eyes followed him as he grew closer. “I don’t like you knowing intimate details about my life that you don’t need to be privy to.”

He nodded, remembering how he’d reacted the first time she’d tried to pry into his past. “Except this meal made me realize the exact opposite,” he mused. “There were points in the conversation where I should have known things about you, things a real lover would. We were saved due to the brevity of the interaction, and Jessica being worried about rocking the boat with you. Neither condition will occur at the retreat.”

She shrugged. “What’s your point?”

“My point is the same one you made the night we went to the gallery. You said we needed to know each other better. Know inner workings and secrets.”

“Yes, I did. Then you shot me down.”

“I was wrong.” The words stuck in his throat. Had he ever uttered them before? If he had he couldn’t remember. He was used to always being in the right. Even if others disagreed, few voiced their displeasure as Chloe had a penchant to do.

But in this case, he’d had everything backward. He’d thought this ruse could be accomplished while he and his partner remained strangers. Never had he thought this enterprise would require the true intimacy of a relationship rather than a facsimile of it.

“You were wrong?” she repeated. “Can I get that in writing?”

“Be kind.”

The stare she leveled at him was not exactly friendly. “What happened? You heard a few Chloe stories and decided we needed to bond better?”

Exactly.
What’s more, he’d liked hearing the stories about her past and her work. He’d been privileged to see a side of her reserved for the friends she loved.

And dammit all, but he wanted more of it.

“Yes,” he answered simply.

A beat of silence reigned before she shook her head. “We’re supposed to be professional.”

“Wolves don’t do professional. Not within the pack.” He stepped closer to her. “Bringing an outside lover to a wolf gathering is…intimate. I don’t want to spill my secrets to you any more than you do to me. But meeting Jessica showed me that it’s an eventuality we need to be prepared for.”

Chloe hissed through her teeth. “You already know more about me than I know about you. This is a game I’m way too sober to play.”

“Then let’s fix that.” This, at least, was a problem he could handle. Going to the sideboard, he grabbed two shot glasses and a decanter of whiskey from the cart.

“What are you, nineteen?” she demanded as he walked back to her.

“No,” he replied. “I’m four hundred and twelve. And that was your first question, which means you have to take a drink.” He dropped onto the couch by her side and poured out the first drink.

“Wait, what?”

“We need to know uncomfortable facts that we’d only share with long-term lovers. As we are not in that kind of relationship, we need a shortcut. Alcohol loosens tongues.” Or at least he hoped to God it would. They needed to know each other’s secrets. Logically, he understood that. But he’d rather walk on nails than speak of Lisette. If the whiskey couldn’t help then they were both doomed.

“We can’t drink wine like adults?”

“Takes too long,” he replied. “Ask a question, get an answer, take a shot. Quick, painless, and we’ll be unconscious before we can regret the mistakes we make.”

“Where’d you get this idea?”

“Tonight, when I saw you loosen up as Jessica and I plied you with wine.”

“Then you have an unfairly sober head start.”

“Fine,” he said and poured himself a shot and downed it before she could protest. The whiskey was a familiar burn running down his throat. Some immortals had a high tolerance for alcohol, to the point where they could drink gallons without the slightest buzz. Kieran wondered at his partner’s tolerance. Immortals with more human physiology tended to have similar weaknesses. If he were playing completely fair he’d admit it would probably take far more questions to get him drunk than her, but a smart hunter never gave away any advantage.

“Tell me about the last man you slept with.”

She inhaled sharply. “Not exactly easing into this are you?”

If there was one thing he’d learned tonight, it was they didn’t have time. In a week they’d be surrounded by his packmates, people eager to know every minute detail of their relationship. They weren’t ready for that, and if they kept their secrets so closely guarded, they never would be.

“We need to know the details people might ask about. Exes are common fodder for interrogation,” he explained.

“That means I’ll be asking about yours.”

Despair spiraled through him, though he kept his expression blank. “I know.”

And he’d have to answer. He needed to be as open as he was asking her to be. He tossed back another shot at the thought.

“You’ll really answer?” she breathed, obviously intrigued despite herself. “Anything I want to know?”

“Anything,” he agreed before he could regret it.

“Might be worth a headache in the morning,” she mused, eying her full shot glass. “Fine. My last ex was a griffin named Edward. It only lasted a few months.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I lost interest. He was nice enough. Did all the right things. It was me who walked away.” Pointing to the bottle she added, “I answered your question, drink up.”

Inclining his head, he tossed back another shot.

“My turn,” she said. “Tell me about your ex.”

Ah, a brief reprieve. Chloe needed to learn when playing with wolves to have a care for her words. “She was a model named Candy,” he said. “Seriously. It was on her birth certificate.”

“That’s not the ex I meant.”

“Then you should have been more specific.” He handed her a shot. “Bottom’s up.”

Sighing, she drank down the fiery alcohol.

He took a minute to think about his next question. What did he want to know about her?
Everything.
He pushed the thought away and tried to focus on the specific details that might come in handy. He could ask her more about her lost coven, perhaps details of her past relationships.

But the question that emerged from his lips was far from planned.

“In the car, why did you look so lost?”

The smile slipped from her lips. “That has nothing to do with our ruse.”

“Doesn’t matter. I asked you a question, you answer. That’s how this works.”

“And if I don’t want to respond?”

“Three shot forfeit.”

She gaped. “That will put me on the floor. Plus you can’t change the rules once the game has started.”

“Of course I can.” His wolf paced inside him. Just like the man, it wanted answers. Wanted to figure out the inner workings of Chloe. If he were a gentleman he might retract his question, given her discomfort, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind he dismissed it. She was a puzzle he had to figure out. One way or another he’d hear her confessions, even if it meant giving a few of his own.

“Tell me the truth,” he repeated. “What were you thinking about?”

S
he wanted to tell him to back off. Her realizations about her own desires had nothing to do with his plot. But she’d agreed to this game, and the alcohol was already flowing insidiously through her veins. Truths she’d regret tomorrow seemed a small price to pay for information she wanted today.

Take a page out of his book.
Distance yourself from your emotions. Just lay out the facts.

“I realized I want to find my mate,” she said, chin up. “When we are through with our ruse, I’m going to start actively searching for him.”

The smile slipped off Kieran’s face. “You want to settle down?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t think so, but these few weeks made me think otherwise. I suppose I have you to thank for that. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have realized I was ready for something real.”

“If not for me, huh?”

Reaching for the decanter, she poured him another drink. “Yeah. At least something positive is coming out of this.” She held the glass out to him.

Saluting her, he tossed it back.

“Now, tell me about her. The woman you don’t want to talk about.”

He sighed, setting the shot glass back down on the coffee table. “Lisette,” he said. “Her name was Lisette.”

Chloe swallowed at the pain she heard in that simple sentence. Who had this woman been to him? Whatever had happened, it had obviously been brutal enough to leave scars. “What happened?”

“What always happens,” he replied. “We loved too hard. The drama that fueled our passion grew too unstable. It overwhelmed our lives. Every little thing blew up into a fight until eventually, we forgot about the love and only focused on the anger.”

She swallowed hard. “Did you leave her?”

He smiled, staring at his hands. “She left me. At least, I suppose that’s what you can call screwing another man in our bed.”

“What?” she breathed. “That’s just…” Chloe shook her head. “Unconscionable.”

“We’d been growing apart for a decade,” he replied, his voice unnaturally even. “It was inevitable.”

“Parting, maybe. But not so cruelly.”

His gaze rose to hers. “I wasn’t the alpha when we first got together. For years we were happy, until my father decided to step down. When you’re immortal, there are only so many lifetimes you can do a job before you tire of it. He was at the end of his reign, and I was ready to take my place as head of the pack. But that time of transition put…”

“Pressure on your relationship,” she filled in. “You had new responsibilities, and Lisette wasn’t your only concern anymore.”

“She wanted to lead, but she didn’t want to be tied down to the needs of the pack.” He shook his head. “There’s a reason ruling alpha pairs are rare. Not everyone is cut out for such a relationship.”

Chloe scoffed. “That’s nonsense. If a curve ball gets thrown into your relationship, then you adapt. At least you do if it’s worth fighting for.”

Dark eyes caught hers. “We’ve already established, my lovely witch, that you think differently than other women.”

“Not most other women,” she said, sliding closer to him. “Maybe differently than ‘Candy’ but only because I care.”

“Yes,” he murmured, running a thumb along her jawline. “You do. About everyone. Strangers, friends. You care more than you should. Why?”

“Is that your question?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

Chloe gazed up at him, knowing she was too close. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of the way I grew up. I had no one. I was nothing. I grew up during a war, watching people waste away in front of my eyes. Everyone matters, Kieran. No matter how insignificant they might seem.”

“So you fight to bring people together,” he mused. “And you keep a record of your successes. Because every match matters.”

She nodded, unable to speak.

Both hands cupped her face. “How did you survive?” he whispered. “So naive, so hopeful. How did the world not crush you?”

“It tried.” Again, and again.

“But you fought back. Just as a wolf would.”

“I’m not a wolf.”

“No,” he agreed. “Just as strong as one.”

The words brought a real smile to her face. “I think,” she said, “that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Really? Then I’ve been remiss.”

Her breath caught as his gaze dropped to her lips. It’d be so easy to give in and close the space between them. Too easy.

“You need to take a shot,” she whispered. “I answered your question.”

He leaned back. “And I answered yours.” Pouring two glasses, he passed one to her. “Cheers.”

Their glasses clinked in the quiet room, then she choked down the alcohol. Already she feared she was in trouble. Never one to hold her liquor at the best of times, a couple drinks of hard liquor on top of wine would push her past her usual boundaries.

And nothing good would come of losing control around her tempting wolf.

“Why the models?” she asked as her next question. “Why pick the women who don’t bother you?” It was an answer she thought she knew but wanted to hear from his lips.

“Because I don’t care,” he replied. “Actively. I do everything I can think of not to care about those around me. I would die for my pack, but when it comes to my personal life, I want to take the easiest way out I can find.”

“Sex with no strings,” she said. “Companionship without conflict.”

“I’ve been alive far longer than you, sweetheart. I’ve seen centuries of indifference and brutality. I was born to be a warrior. Raised to do battle to protect my kin. After all the years I’ve lived, an easy out is…calming.”

“I don’t believe you,” she whispered with a courage she wouldn’t have had sober. “My friend is mated to a vampire twice your age, and the years never weighed on him until he lost someone he cared for. Just as you did. It’s not your immortality that makes you shy away from relationships. It’s Lisette.”

He set a shot in front of her before saying, “You know this because of your expert insight? Tell me, Chloe, in all your decades have you ever been in love?”

Her gut response was to say no. The word even started to form on her lips before she silenced it. Had she ever been in love? Not with any of the men who had come before Kieran, certainly. They’d never managed to be exactly what she needed.

Yet in the past two weeks, this werewolf had. He’d seen when she was sad and done his best to correct it. He’d known when she needed something and went out of his way to provide it. They’d laughed as she’d never done with another. Depended on each other in ways she’d never known, even if necessity dictated it. When something happened during her day, Kieran was the one she wanted to call. He was the man she thought of every night before she slept. The one who crossed her mind as soon as she woke.