Alyssa's Wolves (Wolf Masters, Book 4) Page 3

  With no haste, the women ambled toward the arena and headed to their seats—not without stopping at numerous booths outside to ogle over various knickknacks, cowboy hats, western wear, and jewelry.

  Instead of feeling aggravated, Tyler grinned. He wished his mother and the other women he knew in Oklahoma could live this easy life.

  Since he’d spent the last several years mingling with humans and other shifters at the university, he’d noticed that shifters in other packs behaved like humans. Enjoyed life. Laughed. The women in his pack did not.

  The Masters women most certainly loved life.

  As Alyssa rounded a corner to head up into the stands, Tyler followed. He glanced around the ramp wall, watched the women take seats about a dozen rows up, and then took the first step in their direction. And froze.

  Holy mother of God.

  Tyler stiffened and then quickly yanked himself back into the ramp. He plastered his back to the wall, his chest pounding, gasping for air. Alyssa’s scent permeated his awareness.

  “Are you okay, sir?”

  Tyler jerked his head up and found an elderly employee standing right in front of him, brow wrinkled in concern.

  “Oh, yes. Yes. Thank you. I’m fine.”

  Not even a little bit fine.

  Tyler had to get the hell out of there and fast. Like now. Run.

  Walking at least as fast as a gold medal winner for speed walking, Tyler scurried toward the exit, pushed through the turnstile to the outdoor arena, and fled for his car as though his pants were on fire. He had to get out of Dodge, and then Oregon, as fast as possible. Before the women saw him, before Alyssa spotted him. And Lord help him, he prayed, for her sake, she hadn’t noticed him. Maybe she’d been distracted enough laughing with her friends to not have scented his presence.

  He knew two things for certain. One—he never ever wanted Alyssa to know he’d been there. He would do nothing to upset her world or change the path she was on. The Masters were good people and perfect for her.

  And two—she was most certainly not mated to Michael Masters because Alyssa Franklin was his mate.

  *

  Alyssa’s head whipped up. She glanced around, the voices of her friends suddenly muted beside her. She gripped the armrests on both sides of her, white knuckling them until her fingers hurt. Her gaze darted back and forth, but no one seemed to be looking her direction. Not many people had even taken their seats.

  Her mate was here. There was no doubt about it. All three of her friends, the other Masters women as she fondly thought of them, had told her what it’d been like when they first caught the scent of their mates.

  And they hadn’t lied. Sensory overload. She breathed in his scent as though he were right next to her. It blocked out all other smells. Her body warmed. Her hands shook. She needed to see him like she needed her next breath. The man she’d spend the rest of her life with was nearby. And he was lupine.

  Where was he?

  “Alyssa? Hon? You okay?” Kara had a grip on her arm, and Alyssa looked down at her friend. She’d not even realized she’d stood.

  She couldn’t speak. Her mouth was dry, and her throat wouldn’t cooperate. Alyssa swallowed and licked her lips, her gaze still roaming the area. Without a word, she climbed over Kara and then a very pregnant Jessica and, in a panic now, rushed down the stairs leading up to their seats. The scent had vanished.

  Alyssa darted back in the direction they’d entered the stands. No one. She scanned the growing crowd. Not a soul was paying any attention to her, and the smell of her mate grew fainter by the moment.

  At the turnstile she looked out into the crowd and took a deep breath. The scent was gone. He was gone. Vanished like he’d never been there. Except Alyssa knew he’d been there. She wasn’t crazy.

  Where did he go? Why? Didn’t he sense her as she’d sensed him? Is that why he split so fast?

  She glanced down at herself. She was wearing her best westernwear—a sexy aqua top and low-rise jeans that hugged her to perfection. Her favorite outfit. Was there a chance her mate hadn’t liked what he’d seen?

  Without even seeing his face, her body had responded to him as quick as lightning. The crotch of her tight jeans grew damper by the second, and an ache filled her belly as if her womb insisted she find the wolf destined for her right now and force him to see reason.

  Alyssa flinched.

  “Alyssa? Alyssa?” Lindsey’s voice filtered through the crowd, and Alyssa turned to find Lindsey pushing between bodies against the flow of traffic to get closer.

  Defeated, Alyssa turned back toward the arena and caught up with Lindsey.

  “What happened? You looked like you’d seen a ghost.” Lindsey was breathless. She gripped Alyssa’s arms.

  “He was here.”

  “Who?” Lindsey’s brows squished together.

  “My mate.” Alyssa ducked her head. “He was here. And now he’s not.”

  “Your mate? But…” Lindsey bent her knees to get into Alyssa’s line of vision. “Are you sure? I mean, could you have been mistaken?”

  Alyssa shook her head. “Nope. It was him. Why would he flee? Do I look okay?” Alyssa stepped back, putting some space between herself and Lindsey as if the woman would need a better, closer look to affirm Alyssa’s level of appeal, as if Lindsey hadn’t already seen Alyssa for the last hour or so and couldn’t remember what she’d been wearing. “Do I have a giant smudge of makeup or…” She patted her hair.

  “You look fantastic. Stop that.” Lindsey grabbed Alyssa by the wrist and pulled her back toward their seats.

  On wobbly legs that had lost their ability to function normally, Alyssa followed or, rather, was dragged.

  “What happened?” Kara stood to make room for them to pass.

  “Alyssa thought she scented her mate.” Lindsey’s words sounded awkward. Strained.

  “Your mate?” Jessica wrapped her arms around her middle and frowned.

  Why was this concept so difficult for anyone to grasp? All three of these women had met their own mates, six in total, in a similar fashion. What was the surprise?

  “Are you sure?” Kara asked.

  Alyssa cleared her throat. “Of course I’m sure. What’s the matter with you guys?” She stared into the face of each woman. Something was definitely amiss. None of them smiled or offered congratulations. They didn’t actually even seem to believe her. Not one of them. That was just weird.

  “Well … where is he?” Jessica asked finally.

  “Gone.” Alyssa shook her head. “I don’t get it. One minute he was here and the next gone. Why would he do that? Do you think he didn’t notice me, feel me, smell me? Is that even possible?”

  Kara coughed into her hand as though there were a frog in her throat before she nodded. “That could be it. Maybe.”

  “Even if he didn’t scent me, where did he go? The rodeo hasn’t started yet.” Alyssa rubbed her arms with her hands. A chill crawled up her spine. “It’s as though he didn’t like what he saw, and he ran.” Tears threatened now. Don’t cry.

  The last thing she wanted to do was start bawling like a baby. You are a cute—no, scratch that—grown woman. No man would hightail it to get away from you. Stop it right now.

  But what other explanation did she have?

  Chapter 2

  Michael Masters dug his cell phone from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and tapped the button to connect the call. It was his sister, Tessa. What would she be calling about?

  “Michael?”

  “Yep. Who else would it be?” he teased.

  She didn’t laugh. “Listen…”

  Something was wrong. Michael froze. He leaned against the fence where he’d been looking out across the vineyard and braced himself for the worst. “What’s the matter? Is it Mom?” The one thing that had made him the most nervous about moving to Spain was fear that something would happen to one of his family members or Alyssa, and he’d be too far away to do anything about it.

  “No.
No. Nothing like that. I just wanted to call and tell you that Alyssa thinks she found her mate.”

  “What?” He screamed the word into the phone. Fuck and goddamn. There was something worse that could happen while he was away.

  “Well, found might not be the right word. She hasn’t actually seen this mysterious mate. She smelled him. Last night while they were at the rodeo. Personally, we’ve all been hoping she was mistaken. But, she woke up this morning still distraught and insistent. So that’s why I’m calling. And Michael … he’s lupine.”

  Michael struggled to get a breath. Impossible. No way.

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Nothing. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Guess his jaunt across the ocean was over. Time to head home. ASAP.

  “Okay. Be careful, Michael. Don’t get all crazy or anything. Whoever this guy is, he didn’t even have the decency to show himself.”

  That did not comfort Michael. He wasn’t about to take any chances. He’d book a flight right that second and wrap up his affairs. “I’ll call you with my flight information soon. And Tessa…” Michael swallowed.

  “I know. I’ve got it covered. Don’t worry.” He may have been gone two years, but his sister knew him well. She’d never let Alyssa just run off with some stranger while Michael was clawing his way home. That much he could count on.

  * * * *

  Three days later Michael fought in desperation to stop jiggling his leg. He gripped his knee with his left hand to hold it steady. Staring out the tiny window of the airplane, he pleaded with God to make the plane go faster. He couldn’t get back to Oregon fast enough.

  From the moment his sister had called until today, his world had been a frenzy. He’d never accomplished so much under such duress in his entire life.

  Two years, three months, and six days. That’s how long it had been since he’d seen his mate. But who was counting?

  Michael motioned for the flight attendant and asked for another beer. His nerves were shot to hell. The flight was long, and he still had a layover in Chicago before he continued on to Portland. And then the long drive. His heart thumped so hard, it was a wonder it didn’t beat out of his chest. He could hear his pulse ringing in his ears and half expected the people surrounding him to comment on its loudness.

  He glanced back out into the sky.

  The woman he knew was his seemed to believe there was another man, no, not a man, another wolf, out there destined to mate her. She was sadly mistaken. It had been over two years, but there’d been no doubt in the world she was his, and his alone.

  Don’t get cocky, dude. Your brothers each share a mate with another man.

  Michael cringed, again. That lifestyle was not for him. He refused to believe it could happen to all of them. Couldn’t just one escape that strange twist of fate?

  Not that there was anything wrong with it. It just wasn’t what Michael wanted for his life. He longed to claim Alyssa and spend his life doting on her and worshipping her sexy, lithe body all by himself, not vying for her attention because he had to share her with another man.

  His oldest brother, Justin, had been relieved to find he shared Kara with Trevor. Of course, Trevor and Justin had shared women nearly their entire lives. It was a lifestyle they enjoyed. They were happy as could be to find the perfect woman to complete their ménage.

  Ryan, the second oldest of the brothers, hadn’t been quite as tickled at first. But he’d gotten over it in a hurry. Probably he’d just been pissed Alejandro had gotten his hands on Lindsey first.

  Charles, the third brother, and his friend Reese had been secretly toying with the lifestyle themselves when they met Jessica. Well, not exactly secretly. The entire family had been suspicious, but whatever.

  Michael had never been happier than that Christmas day when he’d agreed to pretend to be Alyssa’s mate. As soon as he wrapped himself around her for the fake claiming and nuzzled his nose into her neck, his knees had grown weak, threatening to buckle.

  Alyssa had giggled at the unexpected touch, her neck ticklish. She’d been so young. She’d not reacted with the sexual abandon of a woman who moaned to have her neck nibbled on.

  Nope. Michael knew for certain, even without her reciprocation, Alyssa belonged to him. He’d also known without a doubt that she needed time, and he’d given her that.

  Now he’d fled his new life in Spain at the drop of a hat. No one expected any less from him. Both the Ramos and the Masters families had known this day would come. Michael just hadn’t expected this kind of call, the devastating news from across the ocean that Alyssa believed she’d met her mate.

  Met was a rather strong word in this case since, after having scented him at the rodeo last week, Alyssa had not once set eyes on the supposed wolf in question.

  Strange circumstances, but Michael wasn’t taking any chances. He needed her with a renewed sense of haste. And he intended to make his wishes known immediately.

  Could she have been wrong? What were the chances of that?

  Slim. But a guy could hope, couldn’t he?

  * * * *

  It was nearly noon when Michael pulled up to the front of his childhood home. He’d rented a car in Portland and would need to return it locally later. There was plenty of time. Hell, first he’d need to buy a new truck to replace the one someone in his family had claimed ownership of when he’d left town.

  Michael took a deep breath and stared out the window for one silent moment. This was it.

  With a sense of pride, Michael climbed out of the car, unfolding himself from the tight confines, and headed for the front of the house. Everything was just as he’d left it. Even the porch swing rocked gently on its hinges, squeaking in the same fashion it had all his life.

  The front door wasn’t locked. It never had been. This area outside Corvallis was the safest in the country as far as he was concerned. No one locked their doors. Hell, there was rarely a time when the house was empty of all occupants.

  Right now proved to be one of those rare occasions. He knew his family was around, tending the land or in the barn, but for this brief block of time, no one was inside.

  Michael leaned against the door as he silently pushed it closed. He tipped his head back, took a deep breath, and smiled. Her scent was everywhere. It permeated the entire house. He’d know that smell anywhere. His mate. The woman who’d starred in two years of wet dreams. The one whose image he’d masturbated to in the shower.

  Except for his parents, Alyssa was the only one still living in the main house. His brothers had all moved to homes on other parts of the property.

  A noise made Michael jerk his attention across the great room as the screen door swung shut with a loud bang.

  “Michael.” The sweet voice of his mother rang out across the distance just before she dashed across the room and flung herself into his arms. He felt like a man returning from war, except the battles he’d fought on the vineyard weren’t nearly as dangerous.

  Michael smiled and laid his chin against his mother’s head as she hugged him.

  She hadn’t changed. At least not much. Maybe a little older, but she was still very youthful.

  “Missed you, Mom.”

  “Me too, son. Me too.” Nancy Masters leaned back and looked him up and down from head to toe. She’d done the same thing when he’d left for kindergarten. Hopefully her intentions were different this time. When he’d been five, he was pretty sure she’d been assessing his wardrobe to make certain he wasn’t leaving the house in mismatched clothes. This time she just took him in with no comment about his attire.

  Michael grinned at the memory. “Do I match?”

  His mother simply swatted his arm and tugged him into the kitchen. “You must be thirsty after that drive. And hungry. Are you hungry?”

  The woman lived to feed people.

  “Nope, I’ve eaten several meals since I left Spain.” What he really should have been was tired. For him it was late in the evening. He’d gained the entire dayt
ime hours during the flight west.

  But sleep would not come. It would be a long day of revelations before he’d even consider closing his eyes.

  “Sit,” his mother commanded. “Tell me about your flight.”

  “Mom…” Michael took a seat at the long kitchen table, but his flight was the last thing on his mind. “Where is she?”

  Nancy turned from the refrigerator with a jug of iced tea in her hand and a smile on her face.

  “She went to Kara’s to help with the kids for the day. I thought you’d need some time … to adjust, get unpacked.”

  Michael swallowed. What he needed was Alyssa in his arms, in his bed, in his life, not a day of emptying his suitcase.

  As soon as the cool glass of sweet tea landed in his hand, Michael nearly drained the contents. I guess I was thirsty after all.

  “Has this fictitious mystery mate made an appearance?”

  “Nope.” His mother glared at him. “And I don’t think you should take that attitude about it either. I see the look in your eyes. Maybe Alyssa was mistaken, maybe she wasn’t, but you need to be prepared either way.” She sat across from Michael and demanded he look her in the eye with just her stare. “I know you’ve never wanted the kind of relationship your brothers have, but you need to open your mind. If you alienate Alyssa with your close-minded thoughts, you’ll lose her. You understand?”

  Michael gulped. She was right. He closed his eyes. Damn it all to hell, she was right.

  “It’s going to be all right.” Her voice had lowered, soothing him. Her hand landed on top of his from across the table. “I love you, Michael. You’ve grown into quite a man. I can see how much you’ve matured in the last two years in the twinkle of your eye. Don’t be rigid. Keep things light. Take it slow. Alyssa is still young. She’s not … even had a boyfriend. I hope you don’t have visions of sweeping her off her feet in one afternoon and carrying her to your bedroom. It won’t likely happen that way with her. And she’s going to be confused when she realizes the implications of this situation.”