The Mating Rite (Big, Beautiful Werewolf) (Werewolves of Montana) Read online

  After trying for several minutes, she failed to access the account. Tristan had bought the ad for her, but used a different password to set it up.

  “Tristan? Tristan? Tristan!!!”

  Her call to the wizard went unanswered. Closing her eyes, she buried her face in her hands. Maybe no one would see it. It was a password-protected site and what were the chances anyone from her former life, such as her former alpha, would see her photo on a Skin dating site?

  She checked the email box and her heart skipped a beat. One person had responded. “Jimmy” requested drinks at the Heathman Hotel bar on Friday at seven.

  Panic faded, replaced by sheer interest. Jimmy’s photo showed a balding male, wearing glasses and looking nerdy. He looked safe enough for a first Internet date.

  Feeling more confident and hopeful, she responded. I’ll be there, wearing a flowered dress and carrying a Coach purse.

  From very far away, she heard a faint chuckle.

  Four days later…

  Darius had found his dead mate on Werewolf Match. And she was living in Portland, a plane ride away from his house.

  He’d wasted no time in responding to her ad and then taking said plane ride.

  Now he waved off the bellman as he wheeled his suitcase into the Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland. The Heathman was a familiar haunt, as he’d conducted business here for the Mitchell ranch, wrangling prices with owners of meat companies while sipping the finest wines.

  Good place to formulate a plan while tracking down his now-alive mate.

  Samantha is alive, alive, alive. The chant echoed in his mind as he unlocked the door and went into his room. After unpacking, he collapsed on the king-sized bed and stared at the ceiling.

  Something inside him shattered like brittle glass. He wiped away moisture gathering in his eyes.

  He’d forged a new life and became Aiden Mitchell’s beta as they formed the Mitchell pack. Then Darius had risked everything to return to see Sam, only to hear her mother declare Sam had died.

  Ellen had brought him to the granite stone marking her grave.

  The news had crushed him. His mate, dead, before they’d even consummated their bond. For ten years he’d been lost and alone, hiding grief behind a wide grin and masking his pain by bedding several women. But no matter how great the sex, it left him empty and cold, because it wasn’t with Sam.

  The thought of never seeing her again, never hearing her voice, had turned him into an empty shell. The only solace had been planting tiny fairy slipper orchids in the forest abutting the ranch. Sometimes he’d sit there for hours, letting the wind dry the tears rolling down his cheeks as he remembered Sam’s sunny smile and her teasing laughter.

  His heart had died along with her.

  And now she was alive? Had been alive all along?

  Emotions churned through him. He didn’t know whether to shout for joy or punch the wall.

  “Oh fuck,” he said aloud.

  Pressured by others in his pack who’d already selected their life partners, and knowing his alpha would request him to finally settle down, Darius had joined a very secretive dating site for Lupines. He needed to find a mate. No more womanizing, indulging in one-night stands with Skin females. He knew the time had come to finally put memories of his beloved Sam to rest and move on with his life.

  And then he’d clicked through the ads and seen Sam’s face. Darius had felt as if someone thrust a knife into his guts.

  Why was she searching for a mate? Didn’t Sam realize how much he’d wanted and cared for her? How he’d almost died when he’d heard she’d passed? How the guilt and grief had ground into him like broken glass until he wanted to scream and beg and plead for someone, anyone, to end the pain?

  “Fuck,” he said again.

  Flinging an arm across his forehead, he closed his eyes and fell into a dream.

  The familiar, sweet fragrance of freesia and crisp snow filled his nostrils. He knew it, had imprinted it on his mind years ago before leaving his father’s pack.

  A small, gray wolf sprang onto the bed. He blinked and smiled, inhaling her delicate scent.

  “Hello, Sam.”

  The wolf regarded him with big violet eyes, loped over to him and licked his chin. Laughing, he caressed her fur, rubbing her pointed ears. All his worries were pointless. She was the same as ever, fun, frisky and very much his beloved Sam.

  Then she shifted back. Naked, she sat before him. Relief sharpened into aching, very male need. Darius reached to pull her back onto the bed with him.

  And embraced empty air.

  Rubbing the dream out of his eyes, he glanced at the clock, cursed and raced into the shower.

  Minutes later, he combed out his damp, black curls and stared into the closet for ten minutes. Sweat dampened his palms. Darius rubbed them against the hotel bathrobe.

  Fur was best. Hell no, both of them in wolf-skin, and then just human skin. Naked and in his bed. Eventually, he’d tear off his clothing, and hers, and tumble into bed with her to finally consummate this mating.

  He chose a crisp white dress shirt, powder blue tie and dark gray suit. Instead of his usual cowboy boots, he wore polished Bruno Maglis.

  Riding the elevator down, he ignored the two women giving him the twice-over. In the lounge, Darius choose a quiet table by the window. His heart pounded hard against his ribs. Sweat trickled down his back, pooling in the waistband of his black Jockey shorts.

  Samantha. Samantha. He checked his gold Cartier watch. A few seconds later, he checked it again.

  At precisely seven, a woman walked into the hotel and hesitated at the top of the stairs. The tantalizing scent of freesia and crisp snow teased his Lupine senses. Mesmerized by the vision of ethereal beauty, Darius stared. Dressed in a green floral dress, clutching a big black designer bag, she wore pink strappy heels that accented legs that, whoa, went on forever.

  Gone were the coltish lines of youth, replaced with a mature female form. Masses of shining hair the color of corn silk spilled down her backside. She was voluptuous, with generous breasts, wide hips and a slight curve to her belly. She had grown up and filled out quite nicely. But the flushed cheeks, full rosebud mouth and big violet eyes remained the same.

  It was Sam, his mate.

  He’d wanted her for ten years. No one but Sam could satisfy him. Every other woman paled in comparison. Darius felt as if he’d been handed his life back.

  He set down the wineglass, unable to drag his gaze away. Ten years spent mourning her loss. Ten years spent with other women in his bed simply to forget her. Ten years spent dreaming of holding her close, only to awaken and find his arms empty.

  The dreams had been woven from opaque memories he’d fought to keep alive. And now Sam stood on the steps in the flesh. He could taste her scent on his tongue, hear the increased pounding of her heart, see her expression alight with hopeful anticipation. She was real.

  He forgot about the Skins crowding the bar.

  He forgot he was meeting her on the pretext of a blind date.

  He forgot everything, except the ancient Lupine call to mate and claim.

  The slow heat building inside him became a consuming need, a snarl, then a possessive frenzy triggering the instinct to rush up the stairs, tear off her clothing, toss her down on all fours and cover her. Mine.

  Deep inside, the man wrestled for control of the wolf. With every ounce of considerable strength, he roped his beast and held it at bay. Thoughts of Sam naked and soft beneath him burned through his brain. Darius gripped the table’s edge.

  Something cracked beneath his hands.

  He looked down.

  The marble table had a wide fissure running through it. Oops.

  Covering the line with his linen napkin, Darius drew in a deep breath. He adjusted his tie and tried to look like any other normal, eager man hopeful for a first date. Maybe a glass of wine leading to animated talk and then a good dinner, and if he were lucky, a tumble between the sheets.

  N
ot what his wolf snarled to do. Forget the wine, the food, the formalities. Get the female naked, and pleasure her so completely that her brain cells scrambled, then do it again and again until she clung to him, begging, screaming his name, sealing the bond of flesh between them. Keep her trapped in his bed for three days until she lay exhausted, her belly filled with his young.

  Oh yeah, yeah, his wolf panted, nodding eagerly. Let’s do it.

  “Down, boy,” he murmured. “Easy. Let’s do dinner first.”

  Darius pushed away from the table, glad the dark trousers were loose and hid his raging erection.

  A balding, wiry man in thick glasses entered the hotel. She turned to the newcomer. “Jimmy?”

  A snarl arose in Darius’ throat. No one got between a Lupine and his mate. How dare this Skin think he could have Sam?

  The man pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled. “No, I’m sorry.” He gave Sam a long, admiring look. “I’m very sorry.”

  The stranger headed into the hallway.

  “Samantha!” Darius called out and waved.

  As she turned, a baseball clogged his throat. “Samantha,” he said thickly. “Sam.”

  The hopeful smile on her face turned into horror as her gaze settled on his face. His beloved mate took two steps back.

  “You?!”

  Then she started for the door in a sprint.

  Chapter 2

  Darius raced up the steps before she even reached the door. Blood drained from her face. As she swayed, he caught her elbow, steadying her. Awareness surged through him at the feel of her soft, warm skin. For a moment he stood gazing at her, fighting the savage impulse to kiss her senseless.

  “I think I’m going to faint. I don’t feel so good,” Sam whispered.

  He slid an arm around her waist and helped her down the stairs to his table. Darius pulled out a chair, and she sank into it.

  “Easy now,” he told her.

  See? I can be a gentleman, he told his wolf.

  Yeah, right, his wolf growled back. Enough of this gentleman crap. Get the girl, get her upstairs and get her naked.

  Darius signaled the waiter and when he arrived, ordered a glass of water. Sam stared at him with huge eyes. “Darius. Oh, Darius.”

  He sat, his heart pounding like a war drum against his rib cage. A huge knot rose in his throat as he stared back with equal intensity. Every stupid little thing in his life became inconsequential. Darius watched as moisture glistened in her eyes.

  Her beautiful violet eyes. How he’d missed watching them crinkle with laughter or widen with delight.

  The waiter hurried over with a glass of water. Sam grabbed it and gulped down a huge swallow.

  “Hey,” he said gently and touched her wrist, relishing the contact. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. It’s okay. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  Samantha blinked and her expression turned glacial, as if someone had erased everything familiar between them. She pulled away and rubbed her wrist as if he’d burned her.

  “What are you doing here?” She turned her head, searching the lounge. “I have a date. He’ll be here soon.”

  “Jimmy?” At her puzzled look, he added, “I’m your match. I answered your ad on the website.”

  “That wasn’t your photo. You don’t have a receding hairline and glasses.”

  Shrugging, he kept his gaze centered on her, reluctant to share the full truth. After spending ten years mourning you, I didn’t want to risk an impersonal rejection on the Internet. I had to see you again in person and find out what the hell happened to you.

  He needed to touch her, connect with her once more. Lupines craved touch. They needed it as much as they needed fresh meat once a month to shift. Darius slid his palms across the table to cover hers, but Sam yanked away. Damn it.

  He chose his words with care. “Thought I’d play it safe with someone else’s photo. Jimmy, who’s in my pack and has been happily mated for five years, volunteered his.”

  “So, this Jimmy, is he as much of an asshole as you are?”

  Frantic lust faded into total confusion. “What?”

  “A guy who leaves women hanging for oh, ten years?”

  He took a deep breath. “I promised I’d return for you…”

  “You didn’t. What happened? Bored? Run out of other females to fuck?”

  Whoa. This was Sam, his sweet-tempered, good-natured friend who used to blush when others cussed around her? Darius tensed. “Sam, I was told you were dead.”

  “That’s a first. I’ve been called lots of things by men, but no one’s used the death excuse. Must write that in my journal.”

  Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward, pinning her down with his stare. “It’s the truth. Speaking of truth, why the hell are you searching for a date?”

  Sam rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I got tired of buffing my nails and pining after you, grew a spine and decided to have a life.”

  “Sam…”

  “And find a nice guy to screw so I could lose the title of the world’s oldest virgin.”

  His composure snapped. A low growl rumbled from his throat as he envisioned her in bed with another male. His wolf nudged him into taking action. “Want to lose your virginity? I’ll be happy to oblige, right here and now. This table should suffice.”

  Her mouth wobbled precariously and she looked away, her fingers curling tightly around her purse straps. Half-perched on her chair, Sam looked ready to bolt. Damn it, this was going downhill fast. He had to regain ground or he’d lose her.

  Be civilized. You can do this.

  He tried again. “Sam, you were the only one I ever wanted. I’ve never stopped thinking of you as my forever mate, even though I’d been told you died.”

  “Then why were you answering ads on a singles dating site for Skins?”

  Darius gave her a level look. “It’s Werewolf Match, a site for Lupines, not Skins. And what were you doing on it?”

  She sagged against the chair. “Tristan. Damn it. That sly wizard…”

  “What did he do?”

  “He placed the ad for me. I thought it was a dating site for humans. I wanted to meet a nice guy.” She shook her head. “Not a wolf. A wolf is the last creature I ever wanted to meet.”

  Sam took a long sip from her glass. He watched her full, red mouth grow wet and his body tightened with desire. His inner wolf panted like one of those cartoon animals, long red tongue hanging out. Oh yeah, baby, drink that water and I’ll lick the droplets off your sweet lips and then I’ll spread your legs wide and lick your other lips…

  STOP IT!

  Why? His wolf asked. Leave this to me. I’m the expert.

  Darius softened his voice. “Sam, I did return for you. I risked my hide to sneak back into Maxim’s territory and find you.”

  A little frown line appeared between her silky brows. “When?”

  “About a year after I left. It was the night of the full moon when I knew Maxim would be running with his chosen pack members. I snuck through the woods to your cabin and knocked on the door.”

  “I wasn’t living in the cabin. After he threw you out of the pack, Maxim said since I was claimed, I had to live in the lodge with the other mated couples. Did my mother answer the door?”

  A thick lump clogged his throat as he remembered those awful moments when he’d eagerly asked for Sam, only to watch Ellen dissolve into sobs. “She was home. Your mother told me you died. She even took me out back and showed me your gravestone.”

  The frown line deepened. “My mother said that? Why would she lie?”

  He leaned forward, his mouth tightening. “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “My mother never said anything about you returning.”

  “She kept me apart from you for all these years. I want to find out why. Call her right now.”

  “Late much, wolf? She’s dead. Four years ago her heart finally gave out.”

  Regret tightened his chest. Never having known his own mot
her, he couldn’t imagine how much the loss hurt Sam. He slid his hand over to touch hers. “I’m sorry.”

  This time she did not pull away. For a moment, she remained silent, her lower lip wobbling precariously. Darius stroked a thumb over her soft hand. Such delicate hands for such a strong female. She’d taken care of her little family for so long. They’d relied on Sam, who always made sacrifices so they could have a somewhat normal life.

  Normal for Lupines.

  A strong suspicion overcame him. “And Marcia?”

  More of that woebegone look, but she withdrew her hand. The loss of contact left him feeling cold. “Marcia died a year before I lost Mom.”

  “I’m sorry.” Darius steeled himself for her shock. “She fell ill with a fever and was too weak to fight off the infection.”

  “How did you…”

  “When I returned for you a year after I’d left, your mother said that’s how you died. Not Marcia. She showed me your gravestone, engraved only with your family name.”

  Sam did not meet his gaze.

  “Because your father didn’t give my sister a proper burial. I worked my fingers to the bone to pay our keep in the pack and that bastard kept every penny. I had to borrow money to pay for the gravestone and Maxim paid for the engraving. Her last name only. He was too cheap to pay for anything else.”

  “My father was cheap, and worse,” he admitted, forcing his voice to remain calm. “But your mother had her faults as well. She lied about your death.”

  She leaned back, looking stunned. “She knew how much you had meant to me. She must have lied because she was afraid if I left the pack your father would kick her and Marcia out. And she told me she didn’t think you could provide for all of us.”

  Furious at his father and her mother for keeping them apart, Darius steadied his voice. “She never gave me a chance, Sam. I told her I’d found a new pack willing to take in all of you. And then she told me you’d died.”

  Sam bit her bottom lip. “Mom told me the safest place for me was Maxim’s pack and I shouldn’t leave. I thought it was because you gave me that mating mark and no male would bother me. Now I wonder if it was something else.”