Page 13 of Daddy's Friend’s Mate

She smirked crookedly. “Dad, nobody says that anymore.”

“What do they say now?”

Regina wound her fingers around my hand. The gesture dragged my gaze over to her, encompassing my focus with an array of periwinkle and lilac. Flowers danced in her eyes, an entire summer meadow waiting to be turned from snowy silver to decadent purple.

I could have sworn her eyes turned purple once. Flashed purple, maybe. There was more to her than what she presented; I knew that for sure. But I wasn’t entirely certain of the extent of her personality. She was a lot like her father, cool under pressure and resolute in her actions with flexibility for change.

I cleared my throat. “I didn’t know witches could do that.”

Her eyes crinkled slightly as she grinned. “Do what?”

“Calm shifters down like shifters do.”

“All I did was touch your shoulders, Eric.”

The air sharpened as the crowd noise diminished. Alpha Blake and Alpha Troy walked across the stage to the microphone. On cue, everyone fell quiet. Alpha Blake lifted the microphone and tapped the end of it, sending a crackle through the speakers.

He cringed. “Sorry about that, friends. How are we feeling this afternoon?”

A mixture of murmurs traveled through the tables closest to the stage.

Blake nodded. “We’re happy to announce that we’re opening the pumpkin patch this year for shifter families visiting Beaufort.”

Agreement mixed in with the murmurs. Mostly nods from the general audience. As more people wandered in and took their seats, Blake paused, smiling patiently as everyone got settled again. Troy beamed beside the leather-wearing alpha with a demeanor of calm wisdom.

A few moments later, the crowd quieted again.

Blake pulled a card from his pocket. A few people groaned. Some people chuckled. I leaned back in my seat, realizing I had gotten yanked into a meeting about the one thing I didn’t want to hear.

“More mate pairings,” Blake announced, “which I know you’ve all been dying to hear.”

Laughter circulated the tables around me. I crossed my arms over my chest, accidentally taking Regina’s hand with me and smooshing it against my peck. While embarrassment coursed through me again, I released her hand and delicately set it on the table. Kiara hadn’t seen a thing, her eyes glowing with excitement as she monitored the stage with a stiff posture.

I tuned out the nonsense, focusing on my mental plan to get to Athens and back in one piece. The roads would be fine for traveling since we weren’t in the middle of any significant holidays. Most of my apprehension involved our journey back to the pack since we would likely be evading the capture of other vampires.

Because my chat last night with Regina told me that this mission was important to her. And even though vampires were on my shit list, I didn’t want to make a habit of making enemies with them. Maybe that was why Steven wanted her to go with me. He knew I had a bit of a temper. Clearly, by touch and touch alone, Regina could calm me in an instant.

Or maybe that was more of Steven’s spell at work.

My left ear twitched. I noticed Kiara looking at us, her mouth moving without much sound. Thank the Marines for teaching me how to read lips.

I hope I’m next.

Irritation locked into place like a deadbolt. My daughter was nuts if she wanted to be next in line to be paired. All of it was just for show, anyway. There was nothing magical about being forced to mate with somebody. Love like that couldn’t be shoved together. Besides, the whole mate thing was nonsense. Everyone knew it.

They were just bored, and they liked the drama that ensued with each new pair. I swore Blake did it just to give us gossip. Troy didn’t seem to mind either even though he had been opposed to the whole affair when he first arrived. I didn’t get it. I didn’t want to get it.

I just wanted to get the hell out of here so I could finish packing.

“…next pair is unconventional, but I can’t stop hearing their names. So, I’m pleased to present to you the next mated bond: Eric Barrett and Regina Navarro.”

Kiara went white as a sheet as she glumly turned to look at me and her best friend. No, this wasn’t happening. It wasn’t possible. Regina wasn’t even part of our pack. I was too old to be paired with someone, too antisocial to ever consider it a proper ritual.

I was done with love. I packed it into a neat box and shoved it on a shelf in my closet. Nothing could make me take it out—not even my alphas.

A moment of silence passed. And then another. I felt the way the room ebbed and flowed around me, silence pressing in as my peers observed my mechanical movements. With the calmness I typically used in dangerous situations, I stood up and folded my hands behind my back.

I bowed my head. “With all due respect, Alpha Blake, I think there’s been some kind of mistake here.”

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