Page 4 of Wild Fated Mate
“The winning couple gets a gift certificate to the Shadow Cat Cabins and Day Spa—to be used together if they’re lucky, or all alone if they’re not.” Jimmy made a sad face, and the crowd did their part, responding with a chorus of good-natured boos.
“The charity group they represent gets a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales, and a blue ribbon for being Wild Mountain’s best “Matchmaker”.” Jimmy lowered his voice and pretended to whisper into the mic, “And if you meet me ‘round the backside of this stage, I’ll be glad to mark your personal wagers in my little book.”
The crowd laughed as he straightened back up.
“Alrighty then! Katie, ready to match these suckers—I mean…lovely volunteers?”
Gavin
I’d heard Serena’s whimper, even through the noise of the crowd. This was a bad fucking idea. If my bear had jumped out at the mention of any other man who could potentially be partnered with my mate, what would happen if she was paired with anyone but me?
Growing fur and fangs on stage was not an option.
Being up here in the first place was a risk. But the possibility my bear would tear through the crowd to get to Serena and carry her off to my cabin was worse.
If she was paired with me, how the hell was I going to resist her the way I’d tried since the day I met her?
I’d gone to the bakery straight from the fireground, hungry for something other than hotshot crew cooking. I walked in as Serena stepped out of the back office. She’d been laughing at something my sister said, her face turned away from the front of the bakery, but the second she looked forward, I was lost…
She was practically naked, not wearing much more than a sweater. Every curve stretched and filled the thing, the white material barely covering her knees. Technically, she was only showing a strip of skin between where the dress ended and the smooth leather of her boots started.
I froze, but my bear didn’t. He knew. She was the one. I’d listened to Olivia rattle on about her new friend, how she was stunning and smart and sweet. She’d sounded too good to be true. My bear had no say, not without seeing her, scenting her, and I’d shoved down any hints of interest with each new story Olivia told me about Serena. I ignored it all as bullshit matchmaking.
Seeing her in front of me, I knew it wasn’t.
And now my bear knew it, too. The restless, agitated energy the fireground usually burned out of him surged and sparked under my skin. The things Olivia had told me about Serena rushed back, merging with the very real golden-haired angel in front of me and snapping into a picture of a whole person.
A person I wanted to know. A person my bear was ready to mark. Too. Fucking. Soon. I projected back at the hind-brained fucker.
Not for most shifters. One sight, one smell, one word. That was all it took.
Except she wasn’t a shifter. She was human.
What the hell had Olivia been thinking?
A ripple of air carried a thin, shiny strand past my shoulder. It couldn’t be…No.
I couldn’t risk touching her. I didn’t even want to hear her voice. My body shook with the effort of holding back the ferocious Ursus spirit stinging each cell as my bear tried to force the shift. If that happened, I would take her, and she would be mine, and I’d never let her wear something so flimsy ever again. She could wear my turnout gear. Turnout gear was solid. Not soft. Not form fitting.
It was also dirty as hell, smokey, grimy, and rough.
Like me.
Fuck. She was sunshine and light, pure, sweet, and perfect. And I was a firefighter who spent half the year living in a tent, digging fire lines, or dancing with blazing infernos.
My skin felt dirty. I felt dirty. My cock was rock-solid and did not feel dirty, but that was just one more point in the “hell no” column. She was curvy and luscious, but compared to me, she was tiny. I’d break her.
“Gavin.” Olivia waved her hands. “Hello, baby bro, are you with us?”
I grunted, not trusting myself to speak. Just what every woman wanted: a rough, bearded, grumpy hulk.
“Gav, this is Serena. She’s my bookkeeper.” Olivia raised her brows at me and bugged out her eyes. I read the message there. What the fuck is wrong with you?
I ignored her.
“Hello, Gavin. It’s nice to meet you,” Serena said. “I’ve heard so much about you.” Her pink, pillowy lips stretched into a wide smile that reached to her sky-blue eyes.
Any blood left in my head went straight to my cock. My bear pushed inside my chest, and I stumbled forward half a step.
