by Erin Havoc
I don’t know what to say. What to think. At first, I was grateful I wouldn’t have to face my co-workers. They can’t know this happened. I made infinite fun of Austin when his mate gave him the cold shoulder. Now I’m in a much worse situation. Because Austin’s mate had an excuse -- he had broken her heart previously. But Faith? She doesn’t know me and she doesn’t care. It’s as if nothing is going on between us. As if I’m the only one feeling the waves of heat between our bodies.
Unacceptable. Unbelievable.
No, this can’t be. Maybe she was having a bad day. Maybe she got frightened by my approach. I was kind of creepy, wasn’t I? Yeah, this has to be it. I have to find her and try again. Have a different, softer approach. Girls like that, right? I mean, I never had problems flirting around, but this is my mate. It’s understandable she’s different from every other woman in the world.
But when I go to the hospital the next day, they won’t let me talk to her. There’s no reason for me to see her, after all, since my arm’s still in the cast and I have no side-effects or other pains. Outrageous, yes. I thought I’d have the right to see her, but they won’t let me waste her time if it’s not an emergency.
It crosses my mind to break the other arm, but I quickly wipe that idea off. Ridiculous. How would I be able to kiss her with both arms broken? What a joke.
So I go home and I do something I’ve never done before. Not once in the entirety of my twenty-five years.
I sulk.
Playing video games is impossible. Reading doesn’t keep me focused. Even watching movies is not helping. My mind keeps wandering to her. To her thick thighs and the way her lab coat rose above her juicy ass. Damn, the woman is glorious. I can’t wait to see her out of her clothes. Plump lips stretched around my cock. Heavy tits bouncing as I fuck her sweet cunt.
At least I haven’t broken my dominant arm. I can jerk off thinking of her, developing plans for when we’re together. Stroking my length, I picture her on all fours, that big ass of hers high in the air. A tingle darting down my spine, I grind my jaw as I imagine her spread on my bed, holding her knees apart so I sink into her core. Come spurts from the tip as I grunt to the image of her touching her clit for me, her face flushed, lips open.
I need this woman. I need her as I need air and water, and I need her more than I need food. Her absence aches, and my lion paces inside me, caged. We can’t see her, we can’t go after her, and I can’t even shift to let him out and release the stress. A transformation wouldn’t do well to the broken arm. I wouldn’t even be able to stand.
Picking my phone, I go through some notifications. The guys back at the station discuss something about shifts in the group chat, and I mark it as read, not glimpsing at it a second time. I can’t wait to be out of this cast. If I were working, at least I’d have the distraction. Get her out of my head a bit.
A white muzzle logo blinks at me from the tab. It reads, “We miss you! Have you checked the app today?”
Oh, it’s that Shifter Dating App. I’ve had it for a while now, and I’ve dated some girls in here. One was a ninety percent compatibility, and we had a great time together. But she wasn’t my mate. She wasn’t Faith, and that’s a problem.
Pressing my thumb to the notification, I release a sigh, letting my head drop back onto the couch as I wait for the app to load. Days have passed in a mix of not-getting-dressed and ordering-takeout. I tried to cook once, and it was a disaster. Turns out you kind of need two arms to slice things correctly.
My lion thinks I’m a jerk for taking turns between burgers and pizza. Too many carbs, too low protein. He’s dying to go into the woods and hunt. A nice deer would last a few days, and I don’t mind having steak repeated times. But I can’t do that, and I’m not sure there’s a takeout in this city that sends deer.
Hunter, my captain back at the station, offered to cook for me and make some lunch boxes. Hell no. I’m not doing that. The jokes would have no end. And I’m already afraid someone will figure out what happened with my mate.
The app doesn’t show anything new. Same girls, same compatibility. Faith’s not here, it seems. Is she dating someone already? A shiver of dread covers my body in goosebumps. No. No, she can’t be. Well, she said she wouldn’t go out with me, but she never said why.
Do doctors wear rings, or do they take it out because of hygiene? God, don’t let her be married to some human. I can’t live with that. She’s older than me, somewhere along her mid-thirties, and she’s had longer to find someone. But I can’t bear the thought. Can’t even think about it. It makes my stomach hurt.
Some days later, I wake with one certainty. My arm is healed. And I need to see her.
After I shower, I get dressed for the first time in a week. I put on my newest shirt, one that marks my muscles and always got me some glances from women, and a pair of pants that’s tighter than usual. To be able to wear these pants is the reason I work my backside muscles. Adjusting my hair the best I can with one hand, I get out of the house with a goal in my heart.
See her. No matter what.
Taking an Uber to the hospital, I stride into the receptionist’s desk and tell her I need to have my arm checked for I know it’s healed. She doesn’t believe me until I tell her I’m a shifter. Her brows shoot up and her attention seems to shift to my chest. With a smile, I wait for her to satisfy herself with the view before she turns to her computer and types away.
“Is doctor Hale around? I’d like her to see it. Since she’s the one who started the treatment.”
The receptionist nods. “I’ll contact her. Please have a seat.”
My leg bounces as I wait to be called. When I am, I jump up and stride to the room waiting for me. She’s not here yet. I take that moment to check my hair in the camera of my phone. Still looking good. Come on now, Nolan. You can’t leave without her phone number.
Faith walks in with a soft smile that melts away from her face. The knowledge she doesn’t want to see me hurts more than before. A sharp knife to the chest. And a twist.
“Mr Sloan,” she says with a blank face, dropping the clipboard. “You did come back quite soon.”
“Yeah, I’m...”
“A shifter. Yes, you mentioned. Let’s get you to the x-ray room to check how you’re healing. If everything is all right, I’ll get the technologist to take the cast off and you’ll be free to go.”
“Faith,” I say, softening my voice and keeping my distance. She halts before she reaches the door, but she doesn’t turn. “I’m sorry if I looked kind of creepy the other day. I was just taken aback.”
She faces me, a crease between her brows. “By what?”
“By you. You’re so freaking gorgeous, it...”
She raises a hand to stop me. “Mr Sloan. I’ve already said I’m not interested.” Her gaze meets mine, but it slides down my body and I can see she enjoys what she’s saying. Faith cocks her head, locking gazes with me again. “How old are you, Mr Sloan?”
“Not old enough for you to call me that,” I joke, but she doesn’t smile.
Her eyes rake the clipboard in her hands. “Twenty-five. I’m ten years your senior. Shouldn’t you be chasing some girl your age?”
I shake my head fiercely. “I don’t want some other girl. I want you, Faith.”
She releases a sigh. “Why? Why did you randomly hit on me? Why can’t you accept a ‘no’?”
“Because you’re my mate.”
Oops. There it goes not being a creep. My lion’s such a desperate animal sometimes. He’s not taking this rejection lightly.
Her face relaxes back to blank. “Really? I’m the mate of a guy like you?”
I take a step closer, holding myself from touching her. “A guy like me?”
She shrugs. “Good looking. Fit. Young. This makes no sense, Mr Sloan. Please, refrain yourself from coming after me.”
“Faith. You’re gorgeous. You’re definitely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I don’t give a shit about age gaps. All I want
is to take you out so you can give me a chance and...”
Once more she raises her hand. My lion roars inside me. She’s still severe, uncaring. “I’m getting another physician to attend to you, Mr Sloan. Please, do not come after me.”
With that, she twirls around and leaves. My heart shatters inside my chest and I curl my hands, holding a roar back. My nails dig into my palms until they sting, but I keep the disappointment inside.
I don’t know what else to do. How do I get close to this woman? Why doesn’t she feel the same? She’s my mate. I can feel it.
But how am I going to convince her of giving me a chance? That’s all I need. One chance with her, and I know she’ll be mine.
4
FAITH
Some men can’t take a no.
Nolan clearly is the leader of them all. He doesn’t accept I don’t want to go out with him. In his gilded life, I bet no woman has ever rejected him. He thought he’d get an easy fuck with the fat girl and is shocked all he received was a no.
Sipping from my margarita, I release a sigh as my eyes run over the other people sitting inside the restaurant. There are several couples but there are also groups of friends. Sometimes, especially late at night when I can’t sleep, I miss having a relationship. I miss being married and always having someone by my side when I wake up.
What I don’t miss is what comes when the masks fall. For that reason, I’m single and happy.
“What is it?” Claire voices from the other side of the table we share. The dim light casts shadows across her perfectly shaped face, a set of white teeth glinting at me when she tilts a smirk. “You’re sighing.”
“Nothing, really,” I lie, digging into my nachos as I look away. Claire’s always been good at reading me, and I know the struggle is useless. She’s going to see through me soon enough.
Her dark skin catches the light as a trail of highlighter on top of her cheeks make her look golden as she squints. “You’re a terrible liar. I mean, we’ve known each other for ten thousand years, I don’t know why you still try to lie to me.”
I shrug, meeting her eyes and batting my lashes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“All right, all right...” She sits back on her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “Then let me guess.” She takes a moment looking around the place. “You’ve seen these couples and you’re thinking ‘oh I kind of miss being married, but I don’t want to get cheated on and divorce again’. From one to ten, how close was I?”
I roll my eyes, laughing. “Ten. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“See?” She pats my hand and gulps her drink. “I know you, darling. Stop wasting my time lying to me.”
I laugh again, nodding. “Fair enough. That’s me. Not wanting to get cheated on. Shocking.”
Claire flips her ebony hair over a shoulder. “No one gets in a relationship expecting to be cheated on, Faith. You should get over it, you know? You’re already separated. Move on. At least find a hot guy to ride and take you out. You’re always up to your neck with work, you deserve some time off.”
“I am having my time off,” I say, motioning at the food spread on the table between us. Picking a deep-fried shrimp, I wiggle it at her. “See? I’m even having seafood.”
“Big deal. And I’m hardly in town. If all the fun you’re having is going out with me, you’re lonely as hell.”
“I don’t mind, you know? I hardly ever care about it. The job takes too much of my brain space.” I chomp the huge shrimp, chewing on it, and groaning to the taste.
“Not even a fling? You can’t tell me there’s no cute doctor working with you.”
Nolan flashes across my mind, and my girl parts immediately squeal. The bastard keeps showing up. The way his muscles moved beneath his tight shirt, how hot his ass looked in those pants. And by looking away from his face, I found a very large bulge between his legs. The image refuses to let me sleep at night.
I open my mouth to answer a ‘no’, but Claire raises a finger, stopping me. “Don’t lie, Faith. I’ll spot it.”
My shoulders slumping, I tell her about Nolan. How hot he looked, but how I was sure he was just insisting because I rejected him. There are loads of men like that. Once they get what they want, they disappear.
“Wait, so a hot shifter guy is hitting on you and you don’t want to take him for a ride? Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
“You know I don’t do flings. I’ve always been a girl who liked to spend time with people, you know? And I get invested real quick. You remember how I was like in school.”
“I do remember. You know what I also remember? How that never helped you. You should find this guy and go out with him. Who cares if he dumps you the next day?” She grows breathless in excitement. “When was the last time you had great sex with a hot guy, Faith? Because I’ll bet it’s never.”
It is never.
“But I don’t like that. And I won’t bend my beliefs because of one hot guy. He’s a liar, Claire, and I’m through with liars.”
“What did he lie about?” She cocks a brow, pulling back dramatically.
I drain my margarita glass. “He said I was his mate. He tried to justify his insistence with that.”
Claire, who had been mid-gulp of her drink, chokes, spilling half of her drink back on her glass. I gasp as she enters a fit of coughs, slamming a hand to her chest as she glares at me with fierce eyes.
“Are you all—”
“He said that? Faith! What the fuck!”
“Shh,” I raise my hands to shut her up. Several people are glancing at us with how high her voice raises. “He was lying, clearly. Just to get me to go out with him.”
“I hate you,” she stutters through her coughs. “What if he is your mate, idiot? Then you lost your one chance at true love.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“Of course there is! I get it, you’re busy with work, but have you been living under a rock?” She shoots an arm out and grasps my phone. “I know how you can learn it, Faith. If it’s the truth or not. There’s this app. They have a DNA compatibility add-on.”
I squint as she swipes on my phone. “What? I understood a total of zero words you said.”
The glare she shoots me makes me quake a little. “I’m registering you to the app. You’re going to receive a box with instructions on how to collect your DNA. Then you send it back to them. They’ll run it through their database and tell you if this man is your mate or not.”
Is there a thing like this? I shake my head, reaching an arm out. “Give me back. It makes no sense. You’ll just get a bunch of viruses on my phone.”
“I’m on the app, silly. And several people have already gotten married this way.” She doesn’t look up as she continues. “If he is your mate, you’ll know. Then you can dive headfirst in the relationship because you’ll know he’s the sure thing.”
Twisting my mouth, I watch her go to town with my pictures as she picks one up for my profile. “I’m not sure, Claire...”
She presses her brows together, meeting my gaze. “You just need to send the sample, Faith.”
“You know I’m always busy...”
She slams the phone down. “If you do, I’ll pay your lawyer fee. For the divorce process.”
My eyes widen. Even as a physician, the lawyer fee is outrageously expensive. I could get the process done even quicker.
Get it over with. Never see my ex again. Closure.
Only a fool would reject that.
“Are you sure? Because I’d take you up for that. It’s really expensive.”
“I know,” Claire says with a final nod, reaching me my phone. “And I’m dying to see you through with that fucker. So I’m helping you help yourself. Money’s not a problem with me, you know that.”
I shimmy my shoulders, taking the phone back. “Yeah, you’re a famous instagrammer.”
“I hate that word but it works.” She laughs.
My glass’s empty
so I wave for the waiter and ask for a new drink. Claire raises her glass when mine arrives. “To your future happy fuck with a hot shifter.”
I chortle but clink my glass to hers. “And to signing divorce papers.”
And to never being lied to again.
5
NOLAN
Days passed as a sad, gray blur. I worked extra shifts. Ignored my co-workers. Ran into the woods as much as I could. Worked the pizzas off.
I’m many things. Good looking. Brave. Strong. But I’m not that smart. I haven’t come up with a plan yet. A way to see Faith again. To convince her to have me. And I’m terrified of approaching her once more and her calling the police on me, or something along those lines.
At the same time, I know there’s only so much I can take. If she doesn’t give me a chance, I just might go after her. Police threat or not. Hell, I’d easily go to jail for having one taste of her lips.
Against all odds, something changes. Fate gives me a shot.
The muzzle logo of the Shifter Dating App blinks on my notification tab. When I click on it, a shower of orange and pink confetti take the screen. I wait for it to settle, no hope in my heart as I read the words that change everything.
Congratulations! You’ve been matched.
My heart jerks inside my chest, and it settles off in a sprint ahead of me. When I click the big button in the middle of the screen, I’m taken to Faith’s profile.
She registered for the app.
That’s all I need to know.
Darting out of my place, I take my car and drive as fast as I can to the hospital. It takes me an awful long time to convince the receptionist of letting me see Faith. The moment she agrees, my woman walks out the door to the consultation rooms.
My heart thuds out of rhythm, and I hold back a cry as I meet her eyes. Her face is not blank this time. No, her brows hike up her forehead as she sees me, and strides take her closer. She’s not sending me off. She’s not rejecting me.
“Can we talk?” She says in a trembling voice and sets off before I answer her.
