“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “And you smell so good, too. Like honey and lavender. I want to taste you, Ivy.”
“I’m not your mate,” I told him, even though my body was screaming for me to say yes. I wanted him to kiss me.
“I don’t care about that,” he said, his gaze searching mine. “I want you. And I know you want me too.”
“I don’t,” I lied. “Now please, Brandon, just let me go.”
He pulled away, a growl rumbling from his chest. “Fine. But know this, Ivy. I’m going to make you mine.”
I shivered at his words, even as my heart raced.
He turned and walked away, disappearing into the forest.
I let out a sigh of relief as I made my way to my cabin, my body still on fire.
Brandon Jameson had no interest in me. He had plenty of women at his beck and call, and he didn’t need to chase after the pack loner.
But if that was true, then why did my body react the way it did?
Why did the thought of him chasing me make me feel so good?
I shook my head, opening the door of my cabin. I didn’t need a man in my life right now, and especially not the pack’s manwhore.
I was fine on my own. I really was.
But I still dreamed about his lips brushing mine.
I still wondered what it would feel like to be beneath him, to be claimed by him.
I was attracted to him.
But it wasn’t anything more than that.
I wouldn’t allow it to be.
I wiped my brow, taking a sip of beer from the bottle. I stared out across the backyard of the pack house, watching as my fellow wolves celebrated.
The barbecue was in full swing, the fire pit lit, and the tables full of food. Everyone was laughing and having a good time.
I couldn’t help but feel a little bit like an outsider, though. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the pack, because I did. It wasn’t that the pack didn’t like me, because they did.
But I wasn’t like them.
I was… different.
I was quiet. I liked being alone. I didn’t mind it when my brother forced me to attend pack functions, but I didn’t really enjoy them either.
I liked being by myself. I liked doing my own thing.
I liked living my life without anyone else around.
I glanced around the party, my eyes scanning the faces. There were some I recognized, and some I didn’t.
The younger wolves were all running around, playing games, and having fun. The older ones were lounging around, chatting, and watching the younger ones with a fond gaze.
And then there were the ones my age. They were the ones I didn’t recognize, the ones I had never met before.
They were the ones that made me uncomfortable.
The girls were all scantily clad in bikinis and short shorts, their midriffs bare. The guys were all wearing swim trunks and no shirts.
And that made me feel even more like an outcast. I wasn’t perfect. I never would be.
I was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt. I hadn’t even bothered to put makeup on or do anything with my long brown hair.
I didn’t see the point. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
I took another sip of my beer, grimacing at the taste. I hated beer. It was bitter, and it always made me feel bloated. But I was at a barbecue, and that’s what people drank at barbecues.
I wished I had a glass of wine instead.
“Are you going into the lake?” a female voice asked from beside me.
I jumped, almost dropping my beer. I looked over to see a blonde girl standing next to me, a friendly smile on her face.
She was wearing a bright yellow bikini, her long blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she looked at me expectantly.
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“Oh,” she said, her smile faltering a little. “Well, why don’t you come lay out with us then? We have a big blanket and some chairs set up over by the fire pit. You could join us.”
I wanted to say no. I didn’t know her, and I didn’t want to. But then she smiled again, and her scent washed over me.
She smelled like peaches. Sweet, juicy peaches.
I smiled back, nodding my head. “Okay. Sure. I’ll come join you.”
“Awesome,” she said excitedly. “I’m Lauren, by the way.”
“Ivy,” I replied.
She looped her arm through mine, pulling me across the yard. I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. We stopped next to the fire pit, and she let go of my arm, sinking into one of the chairs.
“You can sit next to me,” she said, patting the chair beside her.
I sat down, looking around at the rest of the group. They were all beautiful people, but there was something about them that made me uneasy.
They were all staring at me with a calculating gleam in their eyes, and I swallowed hard.
“So, Ivy,” Lauren said, drawing my attention back to her. “What do you do?”
“I’m an artist,” I replied. “And you?”
“I work at the bank in town,” she said.
“Oh,” I said, looking down at my hands.
“Are you mated?” one of the guys asked.
I looked up, meeting his gaze. He was a good-looking guy, tall and muscular with brown hair and brown eyes. But there was something about him that put me on edge.
“No,” I answered, looking away again.
“But you’re unmated, right?” Lauren asked. “Like you don’t have a mate?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I had never met my mate, and I wasn’t even sure that I had one. “No one’s ever claimed me, and I don’t feel the call of a mate. But maybe I’m just broken.”
Everyone laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile. I was broken. I knew that I was.
But I was okay with it. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything.
Because I didn’t want a mate.