by K. S. Martin
Once Mated
Twice Shy
By
K.S. Martin
Once Mated Twice Shy©2013 by K. S. Martin All rights reserved.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
~Epilogue~
Chapter One
Summerville Virginia 2013
Colette mated Jordan Giroux when she was fifteen years old. Their parents thought that it was a good idea not to stop them and decided it would calm them both down. At the time, they were both running wild, literally and hormonally. They were so in love that it was legendary. She scoffed at that thought. “Not anymore.” She muttered. Lettie scrubbed the kitchen floor for the third time this week and it was only Wednesday. There was nothing that Lettie hated more than a mess. Jordan Giroux was officially a pain in her ass. For the past few years, he’s had a bug up his butt about climbing the hierarchy of the pack. Lettie didn’t give a whit about pack politics and never had. The Jordan that she fell in love with didn’t either. All she ever wanted was to have a home with her mate, maybe a pup or two someday and to be happy. Happiness was evading her. Happiness was not scrubbing mud off the floors. If he came home once more with muddy boots, she and he were going to duke it out. He would stomp in from God knew where and leave mud on her floors. She may not whip his ass but he’d know she’d been there. That thought lifted the corner of her mouth. Lettie had been itching for a fight for awhile now. She was sick and tired of all of it and they needed to work this out one way or another. What happened to the romantic wolf she’d married? He used to bring her flowers that he picked on his way home because he was thinking of her. She hadn’t seen a petal in years. Lettie wrung out the mop and turned it upside down on the back porch to dry. She straightened her long golden brown pony tail and went to the fridge to get the chicken to start supper. His heavy boots stomped up the back porch. Lettie narrowed her golden green eyes on the back door waiting for him.
“Lettie!” His voice thundered as he slammed through the screen door in his muddy boots. “Where’s dinner? I got to go back out soon, pack business.” He plopped down in his chair at the kitchen table. As angry as Jordan could make her, he was still the sexiest man on the planet. Dark brown tousled hair fell over his forehead and amber brown eyes watched her. His nose twitched then he bared his teeth in a half smile. He stomped in here with muddy boots on purpose, she thought.
“I just mopped the floor and look what you’ve done.” She pointed at the boot prints crossing her clean floor. “Well?” He looked down at the footprints.
“You want my boots out of the kitchen?” He looked up at her angry face with one eyebrow peaked. He had that sarcastic look on his face that she wanted to smack off his face. It was the look that said ‘I’m about to piss you off and I’m thrilled about it.’
“Duh.” Her head jerked back and forth on her neck. He stood and marched through the kitchen, across the living room and into the bedroom. “Jordan! Damn it!” She screamed and followed him. He was sitting on the side of the bed taking his boots off. Mud splattered across her favorite shag rug, the one her Grandmother hooked by hand, as the heavy boots dropped to the floor with a thud.
“Dinner ready?” She blinked and narrowed her eyes at him. “What good are you anyway?” Lettie launched herself at him ready to tear his eyes out. He flipped her easily across the bed. “I remember what you’re good for now.” Jordan pushed her skirt up while he held her down with the other hand. He was laughing.
“Go ahead and do your business so I can mop the floor for the second time today.” Lettie climbed to all fours and waited. He froze staring at his mate. Her head hung between her shoulders as if she was waiting to be beaten. When had all this gone so wrong? Jordan wondered. When had they wandered so far from each other and so much farther from love? He flipped her skirt down and put his other boots on. Lettie looked over her shoulder at him on the side of the bed. “Well? I got things to do.”
“Go do them.” He didn’t look at her. The muscles in his back writhed under his tight tee shirt as he laced his boots and her fingers wanted to touch them but her mind held her back. They were fighting.
“It’s Friday.” She said hoping he would make a move. Her brows knitted over hazel green eyes.
“Yep.” He grunted and kept lacing his boots.
“Do it now Jordan, I’m not waiting up for you.” She brushed her ponytail over her other shoulder. Demanding never worked with him and she had no idea why she bothered.
“Don’t.” He didn’t look at her.
“You don’t want to?” His head shook and she set her jaw clearly miffed.
“Nope.” He got up and stomped through the house then slammed out of the back door. Lettie sat on the edge of the bed looking down at the muddy boots and sighed. She plucked them up with two fingers and carried them out to the porch then flung them out in the yard. Lettie grabbed the mop and refilled the bucket with pine cleaner. Jordan hated pine cleaner and she’d already decided to mix it strong. He said that it didn’t smell like pine at all, just chemicals. Every time he muddied her floor, she would mix it stronger. She was so tired of his crap.
***
Lettie scented him before he came through the bedroom door. He’d been with a female and he’d been drinking. Lettie stayed curled on her side watching him in the dark. It felt like a hole was opening in her heart. He stumbled around pulling his clothes and boots off then finally flopped down on the bed next to her. “Who have you been with?” Lettie asked as calmly as she could.
“What do you care?” He didn’t sound drunk at all, in fact he sounded quite sober. Jordan pulled the sheet over himself.
“I care that you’ve climbed into my bed smelling like another female. How dare you Jordan!” Sitting up, Lettie pulled the lamp chain and looked at him.
“Leave it be.” His brown eyes flashed amber and a growl rumbled through his chest.
“I will not!” She glowered down at him snarling.
“Fine.” Jordan got up and pulled his clothes back on then got his duffle bag out from under the bed. He started flinging clothes in the bag while she watched. He didn’t look at her until he packed it as full as he could. His brown tousled hair tumbled over his brow and he shoved it back impatiently. The zipper whizzed closed. “This was obviously a mistake. We don’t want the same things so I’m rejecting you Colette. Have a nice life.” His eyes flashed at her. “See you around.” Jordan stomped through the house and slammed out of the back door like he did every time he left. Lettie waited for him to come back. They’d fought before and he never got to the end of the block. He always came back and apologized. She sat with her arms around her bent knees until dawn. One fat tear rolled down her cheek when she finally accepted that he was not coming back this time. Lettie got up, followed the trail of muddy footprints to the back porch, and got her mop.
Chapter Two
Two years later- Summerville Pack Meeting
“A challenge has been issued by a pack beta, Jordan Giroux to the pack alpha, Francis McKnight.” John, another pack beta announced to the crowd. Lettie sat in the back row, alone. She wasn’t very high in the pack hierarchy anymore. Jordan made sure of that. When he left, she’d gotten a job working for a human in town, a human that knew about them and gave her a fair chance. She worked hard for him but it wouldn’t help her standing in the pack. Still though, she made a decent living and supported herself. Lettie’s pride would not let her touch any of the money that Jordan
had in the checking account even though the statements that came every month said that he wasn’t touching it either. She lived on peanut butter sandwiches for the first two months until she’d gotten her job at the small grocers. Now, Jordan was challenging the alpha. Lettie feared for his safety but she also hoped that Francis kicked his butt nine ways to Sunday. If she’d had even an inkling of the ego this wolf had when she mated him, she would’ve found a way to control herself. She followed the rest of the pack outside. She couldn’t care any less about Jordan’s challenge but according to pack rules, every available current pack member must witness challenges. Those were the rules, so she watched from the sidelines. It was disappointing to say the least. Francis was twenty years older than Jordan, shorter, smaller, and weaker. The only thing he had going for him was the fact that he’d been the alpha for the past twenty years. Hopefully, that confidence would win this challenge and he would dominate Jordan. The last thing that Colette needed was for Jordan to be in charge. The two wolves, fully morphed into their animals circled each other in the ring that the other pack members formed in the front yard of the alpha’s house. Some of the wolves around the circle were rooting for Jordan and some for Francis, Frank for short. Some of them eyed her suspiciously. Lettie and Jordan had split but she still wore his mark and that confused the pack. The available males were interested and the females suspicious. More than one of the females paid Jordan a lot of attention. Lettie didn’t care anymore. Well, she did, but he didn’t need to know that and neither did his she-wolves. Jordan lived here in the alpha house as Frank’s guest since he’d rejected her and left her two years before. How rude. Lettie thought. To stay in someone’s house for two years, eating their food and then you challenge them to an alpha fight. Jordan would always be an ass. Jordan was bigger, stronger, younger, and the fact that Frank was the alpha for the past twenty years did not matter in the end. Jordan took him down quickly in a flash of eyes, teeth, and claws.
“You’ll be expected to leave Frank.” Francis nodded and limped away, defeated. The new alpha had no pity for the old one. What an arrogant ass! Colette thought again. “There will be a cookout tomorrow to celebrate. You’re all welcome to come.” Jordan looked directly at her. Lettie huffed out a disgusted breath and turned to walk back to her small empty house. She got her keys and her purse from the bedroom then went outside to the pickup truck. It belonged to Jordan’s Dad at one time, he’d let her drive it since he inherited it, keeping the new truck for himself. The new truck had air conditioning, this one did not. She climbed in and turned the key. The old truck’s engine protested and was not going to start, but what else was new? Lettie climbed out, wrench in hand, and raised the hood with a rusty squeal. Climbing up onto the bumper she looked down into the engine and started tightening everything because that’s what worked before. She jiggled the battery cables as a last resort.
“She giving you trouble?” Her new alpha was standing behind her.
“No more than usual.” Lettie climbed down and tried to start it again with no result. Jordan reached into the engine. It still wouldn’t start.
“Got a screwdriver?” Lettie went inside to the tool box, brought a screwdriver back, and handed it to him. “I stopped by for the checkbook, do have that handy?” Lettie went back inside and got it for him. What did she care? She wasn’t using the money. In fact, she refused to use the money. She laid it on the front of the truck. “Try it again.” Lettie reached in and started the truck. It rumbled to life. “You should let me have her. She just gives you problems anyway.” Lettie nodded and reached inside the truck to turn it off. She threw the keys at his chest and went back inside the house to put her purse away. Lettie locked the front door when she came out. He was still standing there watching her. “You’ve become a non productive member of this pack Colette.” A large ball of fear formed in the pit of her stomach. First, he’d rejected her as a mate, now his first order of business as pack alpha was to reject her as a pack member. Would this man ever stop? Didn’t he have enough? He took her happiness, her truck, the money, and now he was going to take her pride. She nodded and bit her lip, watching him. “You know what I’m going to say?”
“I’ll move out over the weekend. If that’s not soon enough you let me know. I have to get to work.” She shifted into her wolf not giving him time to say another word and sprinted down the gravel road that led to town. Lettie was sobbing by the time she got to work and leaned against the back of the building trying to pull her shattered nerves together. She wiped her eyes and straightened her hair before ducking inside.
“Are you okay Colette?” Another wolf, Aiden asked. She nodded and went to the ladies room. Aiden didn’t need to hear about her screwed up life, he was just a kid. She wiped her face with a cool wet paper towel. When she could breathe again without shaking, she went to work.
***
“Sir?” Jordan looked up from his computer screen at Lucas. Lucas was a few years older and below beta in the pack hierarchy. He was a nice enough wolf, and seemed like he was an honorable wolf. “A word?” Jordan motioned him into the office. Lucas sat down in the visitor’s chair across from Jordan. He seemed nervous and Jordan watched him closely. “It’s about Colette.” Jordan nodded. He’d screwed that up earlier. He didn’t mean for her to leave. He only meant that she needed to participate with everyone else and that she should try to help with pack matters like these damn books that he was trying to balance. Now that he was pack alpha and her mate, she should deal with female pack members. He’d meant that she shouldn’t stay inside the house all of the time. But like nearly every conversation they had, he said one thing and she heard something else. Of course, he didn’t always say everything he intended to either. It didn’t help that the last five years of their relationship he’d spent most of his time trying to get her goat. Riling her was always his favorite sport, and at one time, it ended in the most fantastic sex but not at the end. By the time he was leaving her, it always ended in hard feelings and tears. “Sir, is it okay?” Shit he hadn’t heard a word Lucas said and the wolf looked expectant.
“Is what okay? I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind today. Can you repeat your question Lucas?” Jordan ran a hand through his hair and tried to pay attention.
“I asked if it would be okay with you, since you were her mate and all, if I courted Colette.” Lucas had a look on his face that was a cross between lust and giddiness. It disgusted Jordan. Hell no he couldn’t court her.
“What? Are you seeing her? Is she interested in you?” Jordan tensed further.
“Well, I’m not sure if she’s interested. Sometimes we run together, I mean we run into each other sometimes when we are out running. You’re mark, you rejected her, but it still repels me. Is she free or is she your mate?” Jordan drew a deep breath and let it out trying to calm himself. He was the alpha now. He needed to stay in control of himself, the situation, and of the pack. “You don’t want her Lucas.” Jordan put up a hand when Lucas began to protest. “She doesn’t want any pups. Family doesn’t interest her at all. I rejected her because she’s not a good mate, between you and me.” He looked disappointed. “You wanted pups? Right?” Lucas nodded. Jordan shook his head. “Yeah, me too.”
“Thank you for telling me sir.” Lucas climbed out of the chair and left the office. Jordan ran his hands through his hair and went back to balancing the books that Francis had left in terrible condition. Lettie could fix this. She was a whiz at this stuff. It was what he’d meant by productive, he wanted her to help. He needed to fix this before she left. She couldn’t leave. He still loved her. It was why his mark repelled Lucas. He’d said the words to her but he hadn’t meant them and Mother Nature knew it. He hadn’t lied to Lucas, Lettie didn’t want pups, she said they cost too much. That argument was the beginning of the end. Jordan clicked on the next bill to be paid.
“Damn it.” He hissed. This just got worse with every account. It was a blessing that Lettie never touched their bank account. He wondered how she’d
survived without using one penny from their savings. Of course, they had no mortgage, the house belonged to the pack, but she had electric, water, gas, cable and phone. How did she buy groceries without money? She always could rub two nickels together, pay all of the bills, and still have some left for savings. Sure, they were his paychecks that went into the account. It was Lettie though, who built the account balance. God he missed her. He missed holding her, sitting across the dinner table from her and he missed listening to her. Lettie could always come up with something to make him laugh. Damn did she have a sexy smile! Now, she was going to leave because he was an ass. Jordan ran his hands through his hair again.
“Jordan?” Aimee. Crap. This she wolf was a constant pain for him. When he’d left Colette, Aimee made a play for him. She’d gone as far as crawling into bed with him one night when he was drunk. Luckily, he’d been so drunk on moonshine that he’d been unable to perform, but it didn’t stop her constant pursuit.
“Yes.” Jordan didn’t look up.
“I thought the alpha could use some company.” Shit, not this again. “I’m here to provide it.” Jordan sighed.
“Not now Aimee.” She came up beside him smelling like she’d bathed in perfume. That was something else that he loved about Lettie, she smelled like the outdoors. Fresh and natural like sunshine, spring air, and rain. Nice, she smelled nice. Lettie’s was a scent that relaxed and aroused him at the same time. The smell of this one made him choke, her perfume literally closed up his throat. “I said I’m busy.” He elbowed her away. She chuckled.
“You don’t have to play hard to get Jordan, I’m a sure thing.” She dropped to her knees and reached for the fly of his jeans. He pushed her hand away and his eyes flashed. Jordan grabbed her arm and stood bringing her up to her feet. She stumbled purposely falling all over him. “Come on Jordan, a wolf needs satisfaction and you haven’t had any in a long time. I’m just trying to help my alpha.” Her red nails scratched gently down his cheek. Jordan grabbed her hand away from his face and twisted her hands behind her. He pushed her down the hall way to the front door and shoved the curvy red head gently outside. Lettie’s wolf trotted by looking up the steps at them then turned for home. Her speed increased to get out of his sight. He could sense her hurt and her desperation. Jordan cursed under his breath. “Just let me do this for you Jordan.” Aimee had turned and was caressing his crotch for Lettie to see.
