Page 5 of Jacked-up Mate
I had a wish to make.
Walking away before Gretchen could convince me to stay, which she was very good at, I beelined for the apple cider booth and grabbed a cup. The warmth soothed me, so much so that I became lost in the scene around me. Couples, families, and children enjoying the festival. The bellow of laughter. The sight of some cuddling their scarfs tighter as the pumpkin-scented breeze whipped at their bodies.
Couples kissing under the light of the flickering lanterns.
I wished on the moon at that moment though it wasn’t visible yet. I sent my prayer up to the Goddess for my omega. Not because I didn’t want my curse anymore or because turning into a pumpkin bothered me but because I wanted love in my life. The contentment of my omega and me. The joy of watching them smile. The honor of caring for them and keeping them happy.
If there was an omega out there for me, I hoped they showed up soon.
Chapter Four
Foster
I had to hurry to be able to enjoy as much of the festival as possible before my evening shift at the diner. Jeb had done a great job of training me before he left for his new job on the cruise ship. He would be cooking, and his mate was a shipboard entertainer. They had met when Jeb took a vacation the previous summer, and it had been beyond hard for them to be separated for months, so I was very glad for them to be together again.
It must be incredible to find your fated mate and be starting out together. Not everyone would be so lucky, but I had a lot to be thankful for. When I’d chosen not to leave Whisper Grove for the job I’d originally accepted, it had seemed like a big risk. The company I had to let down did not take it graciously, making it clear that if I regretted my choice, they would not have a place for me. And I knew no more about being a line cook than being a deep-sea diver.
Even after Jeb’s patient guidance, I had a long way to go, but I liked the diner and all my coworkers, Chris was a kind boss, and the customers were overall understanding when I took longer than they had a right to expect to prepare their meals.
And the best part of the whole experience? The cabin I rented for a ridiculously low rate. Not big or fancy, at all, but well made, a true log structure from another era that could not be more different from my apartment in the city. I loved it and was settled in, looking forward to spending cozy afternoons in front of the fireplace as the days got shorter and colder.
The festival was all anyone could talk about since I got here and while there would be certain events I wouldn’t get to enjoy in daylight, it should still be fun. I’d seen things getting set up in Autumn Square, although nobody was allowed in except thoseon the committee or volunteers until this afternoon. The trees were strung with lights I just might be able to see from the diner.
Every booth was decorated with pumpkins and leaves and sheaves of corn. Spooky, and, in one area, a little cute for the young ones who would be going home by the time I headed for work. Their giggles and squeals rang out, reminding me that I had no mate or young. Would I ever? Or did Fate have other plans for me? I really wanted a family one day, but there were no guarantees.
The scents surrounded me. Sweet-and-salty hot kettle corn. Cinnamon almonds. Sausages grilling over charcoal. Spiced cider…and something else. It teased my nose, riding over the other scents to waken my wolf.
A combination of all of those other things with a hint of woodland underneath. Should have been chaotic, but instead, it was utterly intoxicating. But I couldn’t pin down where it was coming from, so I made my way from one booth to the next, trying to find whatever it was that was emanating such an enticing scent.
And familiar.
As if I’d smelled it a long time ago, and it struck me to my core. The booths were lined up along a pathway that wound back and forth, making it difficult to track down what I sought. At each display waited a townsperson or two or three, all of whom I’d served at the diner at one time or another. And, of course, they all wanted to show me their wares or get me to play their games or just chat a minute. And I couldn’t be rude to those who were so kind to someone new in town like me.
So, I played a few games—hooked a rubber duckie, came in second in a vampire-themed squirt gun battle, popped a balloon and won a gift card for a free slushie at the local gas station convenience store—sampled some treats and bought a hot applepie, and generally wanted to jump out of my skin and leave it behind while I hunted down my mate.
But time was passing and I’d need to leave for work in the next little while. In a town this size, if my mate was a local, I’d no doubt run into them at some point. But since I hadn’t so far…there stood a good chance, he was a visitor, perhaps someone come to enjoy the festival. I couldn’t take the chance on missing him.
I pulled out my phone to call off or at least say I’d be late then remembered the day line cook would be waiting for me to arrive so they could have some time at the festival. Shoving the phone back in my pocket, I inhaled deeply, trying to get a fix on my mate. Then, the wind shifted and I spun, ducking past someone in an inflatable frog suit who was probably at least an acquaintance, but I didn’t have time to find out. Not with my mate’s scent stronger with each step I took.
My wolf zeroed in on him, and I sped up, knees weak with anticipation. What would he look like? I couldn’t wait to find out. And then he came into sight and I sucked in a breath. He was perfect. Lean and a couple of inches taller than my height, sipping from a paper cup and looking around. Then our eyes met and locked. I opened my mouth to greet him, but his expression went from welcoming to alarmed. He dropped the cup and turned and ran away.
Elation to confusion to grief. My mate had just rejected me. Could Fate be this cruel?
Chapter Five
Jack
I ran for my home faster than I ever had. My home wasn’t even my destination; away from that man was.
He was the most gorgeous person I’d ever laid eyes on, but my thoughts flicked to the terrified or disgusted faces he might make if he saw me, and my mind was immediately made up.
Run before he can see the real me.
Run before he curls his lip in horror.
As soon as my feet hit the step of my porch, my head began to change. A quick look at the setting sun told me the change had come on faster than all the other times.
And this time, there was no drawing out the phase from human to pumpkin head. It was instant. Powerful. So quickly that I stumbled backward with the power of it.
