Havoc's Mate (Badlands Territory Book 2) Read online

  “No!” Brea snapped.

  I took another step back and said, “Uh, this has been, um, real, but I have to go.” Screw looking for a job. All I wanted to do was run back to the car and get out of there. Instead, I walked back slowly, even when I could feel the heat of his stare. On the inside, I was ready to vomit. I got in the car and sat for a moment to deliberate my choices in the world.

  Okay, it could take longer than a moment.

  Chapter Two

  Havoc

  I watched her go, and if it wasn’t for Alton’s tight grip on my arm, I would have followed her.

  Mate.

  My wolf was at the forefront, and he wanted me to chase her as well. But I couldn’t. She was human and didn’t have a clue about the “others” in the world.

  She smelled amazing, slightly aroused, but more prominent was fear. The last thing I wanted was my mate scared of me. Only it was probably inevitable, since my wolf was a bastard just like I was. Yet being a prick wasn’t the only reason I worried my mate wouldn’t want me. No. I was too angry all the damn time. Ever since my father was murdered.

  She can warm us though.

  Ignoring my wolf, I rolled my shoulders to lessen the tension. It didn’t help.

  Brea’s annoying voice registered for the first time after Alton barked, “Leave, Brea.”

  “Havoc, honey, are you going to let him talk to me like that?”

  Fuck, she was stupid.

  Didn’t she know I didn’t give a flying fuck about her or any female? Shit, I hadn’t even been with one. Shifters waited for our true mates to complete us in ways no one else could or would. Brea was a human with the knowledge of our kind because one of her parents was a shifter, but the gene didn’t pass on to her.

  Somehow, she got the idea I would fall for her eventually and had been trying to flirt with me for the last few months.

  Not that it would ever work. Not only was I not attracted to her, but I knew her type. There was a fuckload of her type. She liked power and money. She got off on it. Anyone could see it with the way she ran her coffee shop. I’d heard, and even seen a couple of times, how hard and demeaning she was with her employees.

  I had power and money. Two years ago, I became alpha to the Havoc pack after my father was murdered in a challenge. And it was murder, because it had been a setup. It wouldn’t have happened if I’d been around, but I’d been out of town and unreachable at the time. They drugged him and murdered him. So, as soon as I returned and learned the news, I ended Owen’s and his beta’s lives within moments.

  The Havoc pack wasn’t the only pack in the territory; there were many. Some were likable, some not. Yet, we all reached for the same goal. Peace. Badlands Territory was a neutral ground for us all. Sometimes shit got stirred and things happened, but it was always something we could handle. Most had gated communities within a certain area and kept to them, except in town, which was shared.

  Slowly, I turned my head and glared down at her. “I don’t give a fuck how he speaks to you. You’ll never have my attention the way you want it, so stop trying.”

  She ground her teeth together and glared up at me, but stared at my chin rather than meeting my gaze. At least she knew not to look me in the eyes out of respect for me being the alpha and in case I took it as a challenge. She opened her mouth, then snapped her lips closed, huffed, and stormed back into the building.

  When I turned to Alton, his hand dropped from my arm. I found him grinning like a fucking lunatic. He slapped my arm and said, “Your mate.”

  I nodded.

  Alton snorted. “Why do you look pissed?”

  “She’s human.”

  “Yep,” he said, popping the p. “You’ll have to woo the hell out of her. To a point where you’ll have to win her over before revealing anything about shifters.”

  Fuck.

  “Fuck.” There were other shifters with human mates, and honestly, it didn’t really bother me my mate was one. Humans lived as long as we did once the bond was completed. And this was without being turned into a shifter. All mates, no matter what species, were accepted. The only small issue I had was with the time it would take to win her over and have her at ease in the shifter community.

  Alton chuckled, and I wanted to punch him. His hands dropped onto my shoulders, and he gave me a shake. “You have a mate.”

  Elation expanded my heart almost painfully, and for the first time in two years, I sensed my anger had receded. I’d always hoped for a mate, aware the connection helped calm the beast within. I just didn’t realize it could help me as well.

  I had a mate.

  Finally.

  “Christ, I have a mate.”

  Alton’s grin didn’t fade even as his hands dropped away. “Kathy’s going to love her,” he stated. Kathy was his mate. They’d been together for years, and their love was still strong. Actually, having your other half—the one person made for you—meant the love would always stay strong. It’d been something I’d been envious of.

  I didn’t know what my next move should be. How the fuck did I woo a woman? I’d never had to before.

  Never.

  Women tried with me, like Brea, but I turned them all away. Christ, the one woman who was made for me was human and seemed skittish. How did I approach her? What did I say? I couldn’t just bend her over and claim her like my wolf wanted me to.

  Alton snorted. “I can see the panic written on your face. Don’t stress, Alpha. You’ll win her over.”

  “How?”

  “Invite her to Josephine’s tonight. I’ll have Kathy there; everyone warms to Kathy. You can get to know her without being….”

  “What?” I barked.

  “Shit, ah, just don’t be full-on. You’ll have to hold off from sniffing her, grabbing her, and taking her.”

  I fisted my hands at my sides. “Fuck. Fine.”

  “Great. Let’s test it out.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’ll head to her place and invite her. I’ll need to come so you don’t fuck her right there and then.” If I did, it would complete the bond needed to make the connection between us. Yet, I wasn’t a fool. In doing so, it would also scare my mate. I would wait and hopefully win her over, even if my wolf didn’t agree with me waiting.

  I nodded, already hard behind the confines of my jeans just thinking of her. I jerked my head back a little. “What’s her name?”

  “Cora Smith.”

  “Cora,” I said softly. My body hummed. I fucking loved her name, her curvy body, her blonde hair, and her having the bluest eyes I’d ever damn seen.

  Alton chuckled. “Let’s go before you start humping the ground thinking of her.”

  “Fuck you,” I snarled, then added, “Wait, how the hell do you know where she lives?”

  “On the way to the coffee shop, I ran into Beverly Will. She told me how she’s rented her daughter’s place out and hopes they’ll like it enough to stay and buy it.”

  My jaw clenched. “She’s out in the middle of fucking nowhere,” I roared.

  “Shit,” Alton cursed. “Relax, she might not be living on her own—”

  I roared and raced to the car, fighting back the change. My wolf wanted to get to her side right away.

  “Christ, Havoc, wait. Alpha, please calm down. She’s alone in the house. All alone.” As we reached my Dodge Ram, his arm swung around my neck in a headlock. Growls erupted from deep inside me. We were pissed at being stopped and were about ready to kill.

  “Don’t kill me, Alpha, okay? Seriously, don’t kill me, but you have to calm down. For her. Do it for Cora. Your mate.”

  I stilled and took a deep breath. “Get off me,” I demanded.

  The weight of him dropped away. “Right, good. Just keep reminding yourself to be calm for Cora.”

  “I will,” I clipped with a nod and ignored my wolf still wanting to rip Alton to shreds for touching me. He wanted respect, but I knew Alton had done it to save me from scaring Cora even more than
I had in our brief interaction.

  Jesus Christ, why did I sniff her right away?

  I gripped the steering wheel as we pulled up out the front of the house where my Cora was. Only there weren’t any other vehicles around. Didn’t she say she was going home? Stepping out of the car, I took in a deep breath. She wasn’t close, but I saw movement through the front windows.

  Someone was there.

  My chest rumbled with unease.

  “Alpha,” Alton said gently. “Take a breath.”

  Slowly, I turned my gaze to my beta and knew my wolf was shining through my eyes when he gulped.

  The front door swung open, and an older woman stood in the doorway with a smile on her face as she waved. She stepped out and moved to the edge of the porch.

  Ease swept through me now I knew it wasn’t a man. I made my way toward the house and sensed Alton following.

  “Hi, hello, strapping young men. How can I help you?” She looked over her shoulder and said, “Shut it, I do not sound loco.” She faced us again as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “Hello, I’m Alton, and this is Havoc. We’re looking for Cora.”

  Her eyes brightened in delight, only to quickly dim and turn hesitant. “Why are you looking for her?”

  Alton answered for us, saying, “We met her in town and wanted to invite her to the bar tonight for a quiet drink. My ma—wife will be there as well.”

  The woman went back to looking happy, wearing a warm smile, and a twinkly in her eyes. “That sounds lovely. I’m Everly, Cora’s mom. Cora isn’t home right now. Why don’t you both come inside and wait?”

  Alton and I shared a look. I didn’t know what he was thinking—the only time I could was when we were in wolf form—but all I thought was if I stepped inside this house, there was a chance Cora’s mother would hate me and warn Cora away from me.

  “Come on now. I don’t bite,” she said with a laugh. Turning, she walked back into the house without waiting for us.

  “Alpha?” Alton whispered.

  “Don’t let me fuck this up,” I told him. After I received a nod in return and ignored his smirk, I stomped up the stairs and inside. The place was open-plan—the living, dining, and kitchen all in one, which must have left the bedrooms for upstairs.

  “Have a seat, and I’ll get you a coffee, unless you would prefer tea?” She rolled her eyes at something beside her. “They could be tea drinkers.” She scratched her cheek with her middle finger.

  Was she… was there something wrong with her? She kept talking to someone who wasn’t there.

  “Coffee,” I said, probably a bit gruffer than I should. “Please,” I added through gritted teeth.

  “I’d love one too, thanks,” Alton said. How did he do this shit so easily? Usually I didn’t care what people thought of me. I knew I wasn’t the best shifter to be around. People put up with me because I was alpha. I was in charge and protected my people. But trying to be pleasant to a point where Cora’s mother wouldn’t think bad of me? Yeah, I worried it’d be a struggle.

  Shit, would Cora even like me?

  Terror twisted inside me, and a low rumble dropped from my lips. It caused Everly to slowly turn toward me from the sink. Alton’s kick to my leg under the table got me to stop.

  Everly’s gaze snapped to the side, and she glared. “There’s nothing wrong with him.” She turned back to me and smiled before getting back to making coffees.

  I shared a puzzled look with Alton, the tension lessening inside me because of her words. I still wasn’t sure if she was in the right frame of mind.

  Did it mean my mate was the same?

  Would she talk to someone who wasn’t there?

  Had she shown any signs of it in town? I would have to ask Alton when we were alone.

  “What was Cora in town for?” Alton asked.

  “She’s looking for a job. We only got here yesterday, but already she’s worried about money.” She placed our mugs down in front of us and then grabbed a plate of cookies. “Dig in. They’re homemade.”

  Alton took a cookie and bit into it. Nodding, he said, “Hmm, they’re great.”

  Everly beamed. “Thank you.”

  Cora needed a job. I had a position available, but would she take what I could offer? Maybe if I stopped being a dick. I didn’t want her to work anywhere else. I wanted her close, needed to know she would always be safe.

  Everly pushed the plate my way. “Try one.” She smiled.

  Reaching out, I took a small one off the plate and raised it to my mouth. The front door burst open, and in it stood a puffing Cora. Wide-eyed, she strode forward and slapped my hand. The cookie dropped from it onto the table. At the touch, though, a jolt of what could be described as electricity shot through me. Cora’s brows dipped as she looked at me; she must have felt it as well.

  “Mom, did you inform these gentlemen the cookies have pot in them?”

  I glanced down at the cookie, then to Alton, whose eyes were the widest I’d ever seen, and I couldn’t hold in the mirth even if I tried. I started laughing.

  Chapter Three

  Cora

  Great, just effing great. How many had Mom fed them? Though, as I looked at the chuckling man called Havoc, I couldn’t help but smile. How could I not when he looked gorgeous? My heart hammered in my chest at his reaction. It had already been beating hard when I’d spotted the strange car out the front and raced inside to Mom. But now my organ was having its own jazz dance from just watching the handsome man laughing. The frantic beat should have been from nerves or fear. It wasn’t. Other parts of my body were reacting to this man—a sure way of telling me the last thing I felt was frightened. My nipples hardened, my clit throbbed, and I just knew my panties were damp.

  This—my reaction—was strange. So very strange and embarrassing.

  It was as if my body wanted this man even before I knew him.

  However, I wouldn’t jump into anything. There was no chance of that, since I’d learned my lesson when it came to men. I would ignore the urge to kiss him, ignore how I wanted to reach out and run my hands over his face, through his hair, and down to his massive, hard, sexy body.

  It was suddenly getting hot in here.

  Clearing my throat, I asked Mom without looking away from Havoc, “How many did he have?”

  His laughter waned when he took in a deep breath. His eyes warmed, and he took his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down. I wanted to do it for him. I wanted to suck on the plump lip while I straddled his thighs and rock—

  “Cora?” Mom said, her tone light with humor.

  “Um…” I cleared my throat again. I had to look away from him, but I couldn’t. No. It wasn’t that I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. He took my breath away. He appealed to me like no man ever had, even after just one look.

  What made him so different?

  Tattoos peeked out the top of his collar, and it was strange how much I wanted to kiss there. He wore a long-sleeved Henley top, but it didn’t cover his hands. More patterns of tattoos decorated his tanned hands. I wanted to see what they looked like against my skin.

  “Cora,” Mom said, a bit more snappish.

  I blinked and knew I was flushed. The heat had me wanting to fan my face, but I didn’t. Havoc looked at me like he wanted to taste me, and I wanted to let him. But I couldn’t… right?

  Suddenly parched, I cleared my throat one more time and dragged my gaze away. I rested it on the safe zone. Mom.

  “What was I…?”

  She picked up the plate of cookies.

  “Yes, the cookies.” I glanced at Havoc and then away again. “It’s best not to eat them.” But he could eat me. Dammit, Cora, no. I laughed nervously. “Mom likes pot.” And that was probably not the best thing to say. “Anyway,” I drew out. “Ah, what are you two doing here?” How did they get there so fast? Then again, I had sat in the car silently cursing myself for a while before I’d left the town.

  “We were hoping you—and your mom—wo
uld like to come to Josephine’s tonight for a ‘welcome to the town’ drink?” Alton explained. When I looked at him, I did so without having the same type of reaction I did with Havoc.

  That was good.

  I didn’t suddenly move to a town and somehow become a hussy with every man. It was just the one.

  “I’m not sure,” I said, glancing from Alton’s smiling face to Mom’s. “It’s very nice of you to ask, but—”

  “Even if it’s just one drink to get to know some of the people around town,” Havoc said, his deep, gruff voice causing me to shiver and clench my thighs together.

  That reaction toward Havoc left me cautious about going out that night. Especially where there would be alcohol.

  “We’d love to, thank you,” Mom answered, and I swung my wide eyes to her. My breath suddenly caught in my throat.

  “We would?” I asked.

  “Of course. It’s good to get to know the people in town.”

  “Great,” Alton said as he stood from his chair. “Josephine’s is down the end of the main road. We’ll be there around seven.” He nodded toward the cookies. “You mind if I take one for the road?” he asked.

  Mom beamed at him. “Go ahead.”

  “Havoc, let’s go.” Alton moved around the table, but I didn’t hear Havoc get up, my attention still on Mom. I was also possibly frozen in shock because I was going to a bar with my mom, and a man who I was… attracted to? Obsessed with? Lusting after?... would be there.

  No doubt I would embarrass myself.

  “Havoc?” Alton called.

  It was then I sensed him stand. His heat—warm and comforting—hit my side. I felt a gentle tug at my hair, which brought out a shiver, before he said, “Tonight.”

  I managed an “Uh-huh.” He moved around me and then I heard the front door open and close.

  “Well,” Mom started. “If I didn’t know what sexual tension was, I would now.”

  “Mom!”

  “What? It’s natural.” She glared beside her. “It is, Mike. How do you think you got me? If we weren’t so attracted to each other on a different level, I wouldn’t have noticed you across the party.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s not creepy. He’s sweet. I can also see he would protect our girl with everything he has.” She smiled. “Yes, that is good.”