The Chase
“Deal,” I answered, accepting her hand and giving it a firm shake. I couldn’t help but smile at how her body tilted forward before she regained her balance, clearing her throat and beaming up at me as if she had just won the lottery.
I understood her surprise at how easily I had agreed to her proposal. Traditionally, werewolves and witches didn’t get along. The folklore surrounding us often painted a grim picture—many believed that all werewolves originated from a curse, one that had lingered for centuries. The last family to suffer under this curse had only broken it a couple of decades ago, thanks to the birth of a daughter from the descendants of the witch who cast the spell and the wolf it was placed on.
Some werewolves harbored deep-seated hatred for witches, convinced they had punished their ancestors long ago. Others resented them out of a misguided belief that their magic somehow gave witches an upper hand over werewolves, who, despite their powers, were still just humans compared to us.
Not every werewolf was cursed. Some, like my alpha, were bitten, while others, like me, were born into the wolf lineage. Regardless of how one became a werewolf, the hierarchy of the pack didn’t differentiate. A bitten human could rise to be a powerful alpha, while a born werewolf could be the weakest member of the pack.
The real struggle for werewolves was overcoming the ingrained mistrust of witches. It was almost in our DNA, which made it all the more fascinating that I had become best friends with Anthony and was welcomed by his entire family.
I had known Paige since she was sixteen when I came home with her brother from Pacific Academy at fifteen. Back then, she was just my best friend’s annoying little sister. But on her eighteenth birthday, everything changed. She had grown so much in just two years. I recall her mother chastising her for yet another nose piercing, making it three in total—a ring in each nostril and one in her septum. I could barely focus on the argument; my senses were overwhelmed by the sweet aroma of her skin.
In that moment, it became clear: she was my mate.
It took everything in me not to claim her then and there, but I knew she wasn’t ready. I would have scared her away, and I was just as confused as she might have been. It wasn’t typical for a werewolf and a witch to be mates, especially with my status as a future alpha and her belonging to a powerful witch family. Logically, we should have been paired with someone of our own kind.
Even though I hadn’t claimed her, I made sure she was safe—running off any potential dates and guarding her day and night, except for last night.
I ground my teeth at the memory of her being chased through Sunset Cliffs National Park. I knew she often took that route home to collect herbs for her mother’s spells. If I had known she would take that path, I would have ensured I was there to protect her. Instead, I was at the packhouse, accepting my title as the next in line to be Alpha.
I had always known this moment would come, but last night was supposed to be ceremonial, more for show and tradition than necessity. I would have traded it all in a heartbeat to be there for her. The thought of her running in fear, pursued by an unknown werewolf, filled me with anger.
“So when should I move in then?” Paige asked, snapping me from my thoughts. “My premonition has me a little on edge, and the cards showed me that a hidden enemy is in my present time—so the sooner, the better.”
“You’ll move in tonight,” I said, walking back to her house to discuss the plans with her family.
“Whoa, wait! Hold on, I know I said the sooner, the better, but can I at least have time to tell Mom what’s going on and pack my stuff?”
“Don’t worry, darling,” I assured her, opening the door. “I’ll handle all that.”
“What are you handling?” Anthony asked from the kitchen table, his scowl directed at us.
I smirked, throwing my arm over Paige’s shoulder and pulling her close. With a killer smile I knew melted hearts, I announced, “Paige and I are mates!”
“Thank Venus! My prayers are answered!” her mother cheered, throwing her hands into the air.
Paige stood frozen, staring at her mother, then turning to Anthony, who remained skeptical, narrowing his eyes at her face.
“I’m going to have to move her to the packhouse tonight, Mrs. Ramirez. I apologize for taking your daughter on such short notice, but it’s pack law for mates to live together.”
“No, no!” Mrs. Ramirez exclaimed. “I understand. I’ll get her things packed. Important items first, then you can come back for the rest.” She moved toward the stairs, paused, and ran up to hug both Paige and me. “Welcome officially to the family!”
Paige followed her mother upstairs, calling for her to slow down and not touch her things. I smiled after them, ignoring Anthony’s disapproving glare from the table.
“What the hell was that?” he demanded.
“I told you,” I replied, turning to him as Paige disappeared from view. “Our mate bond snapped into place.”
“That’s total bullshit, and we both know it.” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair. “You told me just yesterday that she wasn’t ready to accept it yet… that you were still waiting. What the hell changed?”
“Someone followed her through the park last night,” I admitted, his expression darkening as I explained. “He led her to believe he was her mate, and now she wants to find a way to dissolve that bond.”
“What does that have to do with you announcing she’s your mate? Did you tell her or something?”
I shook my head. “No, she thinks this is all an act. She asked me to pretend to help her avoid whoever followed her until she finds the spell to reject the bond.”
Anthony stepped closer, his dark brown eyes piercing mine. “What are you going to do about the pack?”
With a cocky grin, I shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, an alpha does what he wants. If they don’t like the mate that fate has gifted me, then they aren’t my problem.”
“Derrick isn’t going to like it,” Anthony mused. “Aren’t you the only one he’s even considered taking his place as Alpha?”
“Yeah, but he’ll be fine. Even if the pack rejects my claim as Alpha, he won’t kick me out. Not with everything going on. He needs all the strength he can get on his side.”
“How the hell do you put on a shirt?” Anthony suddenly asked, confusing me with his abrupt change of subject.
“What? Same as you. What kind of question is that?”
“Well, with that big ass head of yours, I wasn’t sure,” he teased, laughing until I punched his arm.
Just then, I heard Mrs. Ramirez and Paige bickering over what clothes were necessary. Anthony straightened, his playful demeanor replaced by seriousness.
“You better take care of her, Nyte. I know she and I talk a lot of shit together, and I think she’s the most annoying little shit alive, but that’s my baby sister. Best friend or not, if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
I smiled, patting his shoulder reassuringly. “I won’t hurt her,” I promised, silently adding to myself, Not in any way she wouldn’t like.
When Paige returned from her room, pulling a suitcase and a duffle bag, I took the bags from her and led the way to my car. After packing everything inside, I glanced back at the porch to find Mrs. Ramirez emerging with a third bag, holding it out to a confused Paige.
“I’ve been saving this for you, Mija, for when you find your true love. My mother gave me what she called a Hope Chest, filled with things she hoped for in my life. She gave it to me on my wedding day. This is my Hope Bag for you.”
“Mom,” Paige gasped, trying to return it. “Don’t give it to me; I’m not getting married yet.”
“Marriage is a human construct, Paige,” she said, pressing the bag into her hands. “A mate bond is deeper than marriage; it’s timeless. It’s the purest form of true love you will ever know, rivaled only by your love for your future children. I’m giving this to you now because there’s no better time than when you seal a bond forged by fate.”
I smiled at her mother’s words, even though I could sense they hurt Paige’s heart. She didn’t realize how accurate those words were for her now. She thought she was lying to her family, and it would break their hearts when they discovered what she believed was the truth. There was fear in her scent because she believed whoever chased her last night was her mate. She also feared that her mother’s words about the bond would bind her to him, no matter how hard she fought against it.
Paige forced a sad smile, turning from her mom with the bag in hand as she walked toward my car. I took the Hope Bag from her, placing it in the back with the other two bags. Just as she was about to open the passenger door, I stopped her, her eyes questioning.
“One more thing,” I said.
“What’s that?”
“This.” I pulled her head to the side, lowering my mouth to the crook of her neck. My teeth sank into her skin, and she gasped in surprise as a rush of heat coursed through our veins. She wouldn’t understand what I had done; she would think it was merely for our charade. For now, I allowed her to believe that.
I lifted my head from her neck, admiring the mark I left behind and the change in her scent. My scent began to mingle with hers. Not enough for a fully sealed bond, but enough that any wolf who caught her scent would know who she was and to whom she belonged. My pack wouldn’t be thrilled about this, and they might even demand my removal, but I didn’t care. Paige was mine, and I wouldn’t let some obsessive stalker take her away.
Paige reached up to her neck, pulling back her hand as if expecting to see blood. There was none. The mark was different from a typical bite; it wouldn’t turn her into a werewolf or leave a visible mark for anyone else to see. It was a scent marker between mates, and while it could be reversed if two people were merely lovers, this mark would stay with her for life. If she thought she could find some magical remedy to rid herself of my mark, she was in for a rude awakening. Once I took what I wanted, I never let it go. That was why I had held back until she was ready.
I smiled as she glared up at me, her hand falling to her side. I stepped aside, opening the door wider for her to slide into the seat before closing it behind her. Anthony’s disapproving gaze met mine over his mother’s shoulder, who was smiling and waving goodbye to Paige through the window.
This wasn’t how I envisioned taking Paige as my mate. It wasn’t the right time or situation—nothing like what I had promised Anthony when I shared that she was my mate. But fate had a way of pushing for what it wanted, and they knew exactly how to pull the strings with Paige and her abilities. What better way to influence a seer’s decisions than to give her a partial premonition that forced her into her mate’s arms for protection?
Well played, you devious bitches. Well played.
I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, buckled my seatbelt, and revved the engine before pulling away from the curb.
“Did you really have to bite me?” Paige demanded, scowling at me across the middle console.
“Come on, Paige,” I teased, glancing back at her with a wide smile. “You know you liked how it made you feel.”
She turned away quickly, trying to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks, but she didn’t deny it. I grinned wider, turning my attention back to the road as traffic picked up around us.
“But yes,” I added, “I had to give you my mark before we got to the packhouse. It’s the best way to sell our mate bond to other wolves.”
Paige stiffened in her seat, finally realizing what I was telling her.
I smiled. That’s right, little darling. No going back now.