The Wolf's Mate Book 1: Jason & Cadence by R.E. Butler Read Free Book Online Page A

bouquet of sweet peas, her
favorite flower. She felt another little crack heal and took the
bouquet and pulled him down for a tight hug and kissed his cheek.
"You are adorable, Chris. How did you know what my favorite flower
is?" He followed her into the kitchen, looking delicious in dark
jeans and a tight black t-shirt. Nearly every wolf would be wearing
just about the same thing, at least the ones in their age group. He
had a leather jacket on, not one of the motorcycle jackets but a
fitted dark brown one that was very soft.
    "I think it's just one of those things I've
always remembered. My mom used to grow them, in the flower beds,
and you always picked them, made crowns for yourself. And I think
you tried to put one on me, once, too." He grinned, leaning against
the refrigerator, watching while she pulled a vase down from the
cabinet and filled it with water. They were very pretty and they
smelled incredible. She had no clue where he got them in the fall,
but they'd probably cost him a good bit from a florist.
    "If I ask you something, will you be straight
with me?" Turning around, she leaned her butt against the kitchen
table where she set the vase down in the center.
    He went very still and then relaxed. "If I
can be. You know that there are things that I'm not allowed to tell
you, because you're not technically pack."
    "Never mind then." She sighed and reached for
her jacket. He picked it up for her, holding it open, and she slid
her arms into it while he pulled it up over her shoulders, sweeping
her hair aside and lingering with his hands on her shoulders. "If
you're wondering why I've picked now, to be extra sweet to you,
then you have to know that part of it is because you're done with
college and not taking off again."
    "This is you being extra sweet?" She gave him
a smirk, turning around to look at him.
    "Well, sweeter than I used to be, anyhow." He
laughed. "Cadence, I've known you my whole life. Hell, I was in the
hospital when you were born, screaming little thing that you were.
I've never had a friend, a real friend that was a girl, except for
you and I think I haven't really been as nice to you, or as
friendly, as I should be. I just want you to know that you have
options, for your future." He held out his hand to her, and they
walked through the house and out onto the front porch, stopping
while she locked up.
    "What's your future look like, Chris?" He
opened the passenger door of his sleek black pickup truck and she
sat down. He looked thoughtful as he shut her door and walked
around to his side, opening his own door and sitting down.
    “Well," He started the truck up, glancing at
her with a half smile and said, "I'm not really sure. The pack
wants my dad to step down in the next few years, and that's going
to be tough to deal with. He's a great alpha; it will be hard to
fill his shoes. And I can't exactly have the get togethers at the
condo. Somehow I think the association would frown on about 70
wolves showing up to hang out and blare rock music."
    She laughed as he pulled out of the driveway.
The darkness enveloped them, the headlights bouncing along the dirt
road that led from her driveway out to a rural route that led
across town to his parents’ house, nestled back in the woods on a
hundred acres. "I should probably find a mate, too." He said
suddenly, picking up their conversation. "Packs don't like it when
the alpha is single."
    "Why is that?" She looked at him in
surprise.
    "Well, because it makes the females fight for
the position, for one. You see how the females in Jason's pack act.
Any female that even looks at him sideways gets trouble from the
others. Until he chooses someone, it will always be like that, and
that screws up the men, too."
    "Why?"
    He sighed in an exasperated sort of way but
smiled. "Because the females don't want to pick a mate on the
off-chance that the alpha might pick them. His pack wouldn't be so
volatile if he had a mate, he's hobbling his own people. It's the
natural