by Milly Taiden
He knew his mother got ahead of herself, but she never meant any harm. She was his mom. “Whomever I pick will be fine.”
“She’ll have good breeding though, right, son?” She gave him a bit of a panicked look. Really? Breeding was her biggest concern? Whatever happened to someone who made him happy?
“Stop worrying so much about breeding. There are worst things a person can have than bad breeding or muddy lineage.”
She scrunched her nose. “I wouldn’t know about that, but we’ll figure it out, son.”
She stood and smiled before waving her fingers in Spike’s face. Her black suit made her already pale skin look ghostly white. He’d tried telling her to wear some color but she stuck to black and navy, saying color wasn’t professional. Not to mention she liked black more than a goth at a KISS concert.
They both listened as the commotion of female voices distanced with his mother. It went to show wherever she went, drama followed.
Mate. Must have one as soon as possible. A deep rumble sounded in his chest from his wolf. The animal didn’t appreciate being told what to do. Yeah, good luck with that shit.
“You know,” Kasen leaned back in his chair, making the leather squeak, “she might have a point.”
Spike’s smile dropped so fast, Kasen had to bite back a chuckle at his friend’s shocked expression. “What do you mean she might have a point? About what, breeding? I thought you weren’t going to be pushed into anything?”
Yeah, Spike knew him well. Breeding didn’t mean shit if he ended up with someone that made him want to tear his hair out. Oh, his dad lived with that reality every fucking day. Kasen had seen his reactions when his mother pulled alpha status on him. She always wanted to be in control and there was never any peace at home. Not until his father had finally set up a business for her where she could be in charge and leave the pack to him.
“No, not breeding. Who gives a shit about breeding? And I won’t be pushed into anything.” He stood and glanced out the window at the women going into the front of the building with what appeared to be pies, cookies, and cakes in their grasp. His mother had done well. Telling them his preferences ensured they offered up something he liked. But two could play that game. “Where’s the card?”
Spike frowned. He glanced around the office. “What card?”
“The one you mentioned about a matchmaker, Gerri something or other.”
“Ah, yes. Gerri Wilder.” Spike nodded and shoved his hand into his pocket. “She matched my cousins. Their mother, much like yours, tried to interfere, but Gerri gave them the perfect mate.”
If his mother wanted to play hardball, then Kasen would play. He’d get a mate all right, but on his terms. Someone sweet, docile, and ready to do his bidding. And more importantly, someone who would show his pups some love. His kids were not going through life wondering why their friends got hugs and they didn’t. Or why during sleepovers their mothers tucked all the kids in but his didn’t. No.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Gerri.
“This is Gerri Wilder with the Paranormal Dating Agency. How may I help you?”
Kasen pasted a grin on his face. “Hello, Mrs. Wilder. My name is Kasen Steel from the―”
“Steel Claw Pack,” said a woman with a soft but all business tone. “I know a few of your pack members. How are you, Mr. Steel?”
Great, her knowing of his pack made things a bit easier. “Good. I’m going to get down to it. I need a mate. I need someone nice, self-motivated, and able to put up with the demands of an alpha. She’ll want children and know to put family above everything else.” He thought about all the other things that he should request but realized he’d happily put up with anything if he got a woman who would work by his side instead of becoming a needy hindrance. “She’ll also know that I have a pack to run and can handle our children and minor household issues on her own.”
“Mr. Steel―”
He lifted his jean-clad legs onto his desk and pushed his leather chair all the way back. “Please, call me Kasen.”
“Kasen. What about chemistry? Love?” Gerri asked
Kasen laughed. “I’m not under the belief that this is anything but what it is. While love and chemistry would be great, I am not going to give up on anyone just because that isn’t there.” You’re not? “Love can grow with time. My main concern is keeping my pack tight. It’s time I found someone to grow my family. I want a woman who will love our kids.”
He went through his request in his mind. It sounded reasonable. Any woman looking for a match with him needed to be willing to start a family and give their family priority status. Fuck anything else. This was something he wouldn’t back down from.
There was a slight silence and Gerri took a slow exhale. “Kasen, do you have time for some coffee later today? I’d love to see what we can come up with together.”
“Sure,” he said and glanced at the piles of blueprints on his desk. These weren’t going anywhere anyway. Besides, once he had a mate, he’d be able to dedicate more time to work since she’d have the household under control.
After he hung up the phone, he glanced at Spike’s surprised expression. “What’s wrong?”
“You do realize Gerri Wilder is known because none of her matches ever fail, right?” Spike shoved his hands in his jeans and leaned against the frame of the door. “It’s why I found it so interesting that I had to take her card.”
Kasen snorted in disbelief. Like anyone could guarantee anything in life. “Great. If she’s so good, then she won’t make a mistake.”
Spike chuckled. “My friend, what you might consider a mistake, she might feel is the right person to send your way.”
He considered this for a second as he picked up the glass of water on his desk. She knew nothing of Kasen or his past. He doubted highly that she’d get the perfect woman for him, but even so, he was willing to try because his pack needed a female leader, and well, because Kasen wanted kids. End of story.
FOUR
Gerri glanced at both applications. A wolf and a lioness. This was not her usual course of action, but these two belonged together. She remembered how specific they had both been about asking for what they thought would be the right mate for themselves. Wrong. So wrong.
Neither had a clue who they belonged with. Gerri knew though. She’d set them both straight. Though her usual pairings ran with shifter and human or most recently shifter aliens and human, this was new territory, but she liked the idea. Besides, she shouldn’t limit herself when so many out there needed her help.
She picked up her phone and called Kasen Steel.
“Kasen, Gerri Wilder. If you have some time, I’d like to ask you to do me a favor. The woman I have in mind for you lives in a rather remote area. Do you feel up to taking a drive and meeting her?”
She listened to his acceptance of her request with a smile.
“Is there anything I need to know about this woman?” Kasen asked. He had the type of voice that would make most women stop and stare. This was going to be fun.
Gerri laughed. “You might want her name. Ms. Miranda Colilla.” She bit her lip to keep from giggling at her plan. “Be sure to not overwhelm her. She’s a shy little thing.”
“She already sounds perfect,” he said, enthusiasm clear in his tone.
Once the call was over, she dialed Andi.
“Gerri,” Andi said. “It was really nice meeting you yesterday. I’m hoping you are calling with some news?”
Gerri grinned. She liked Andi. Being an independent woman and having to deal with everything on her own, she was under the impression she needed a man who would just sit by and let her lead. Nope. What she needed was a partner. A man just as alpha as her who would not only help her lead, but challenge her, and at the same time, stand up to anyone who brought problems to his mate. Andi had no idea what she needed in a man, but Gerri knew.
“I’m calling because I’ve found someone I believe fits exactly what you need,” Gerri said.
> Interestingly enough, neither of her clients had bothered to request that she pair them with their own type of animal. They probably took it for granted that she would. Oh well. They were about to learn that when they hired Gerri, they got what they wanted in their hearts, not what came out of their mouths.
“I’m so relieved to hear that, Gerri!”
Gerri bit her lip. She wasn’t sure that relief would last. “I’m hoping that when you meet him you still feel that way.”
Andi gave a soft laugh. “You have quite a reputation. I’m sure he will be more than adequate for my needs.”
“Andi―”
“Gerri, I’m sorry. I have a bit of a commotion in my office. I’ll get back to you tomorrow. We can discuss me meeting this man soon. Thank you!”
Gerri glanced at the phone and shrugged. Oh well. She hoped Andi liked surprises.
Andi glared at the group of women who’d taken it upon themselves to show up at her office. They were older matrons of her pride. Elders.
“Miranda, we need to speak to you,” Shantelle, the oldest of the elders, spoke. Her adoptive niece, Claudia, helped her to walk. Claudia was quiet, shy, and disliked commotion. Andi could already see the girl’s eyes wide with fear due to the large gathering of loud women.
“Shantelle, did it ever cross your mind to speak to Naya and set up some time?” She slammed her open notebook closed. No use letting them see that she’d been making a list of things to discuss with the man Gerri was sending her. What she really wanted was a contract, but it would probably turn off a man to be handed one of those upon first meeting.
Shantelle sat on one of the chairs across from Andi, the other women gathered behind the matron in a show of support. This was one of the reasons Andi had such a hard time getting her pride to listen. The men thought she was up for grabs like some free meal at a local restaurant and the women wanted her to do what they said because they were elders. It was enough to make her lioness want to bite some hides off.
“Miranda, it has come to our attention that you have several of our sons wanting to court you,” one of the women who stood behind Shantelle said. Lulu. She wasn’t a troublemaker, but she adored her son, Josh, who was one of the pride guards.
“Lulu,” she took a breath to let out her frustration and not disrespect the older woman. “I can make my own choices. I don’t need anyone here looking for a man for me.”
“Be that as it may,” Shantelle started, “you have caused quite a frenzy amongst the males. They are ready to fight each other in the hopes of getting your attention and hopefully approval for mating.”
Andi shot to her feet. Her chair shoved back and slammed against the wall. “Has everyone in this place lost their fucking mind?”
Shantelle sighed. “Calm down, child. We are here to help you stop this madness.”
“I don’t need any help. I have this under control.” She went around her desk and stopped in front of Shantelle. “I’ll have a mate within the week.”
Shantelle raised her brows. The other women gasped and even Claudia glanced at her with surprise.
“I’m glad this will finally be put to rest. Who have you chosen?” Shantelle asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Andi replied. “Now, I have to go. I’m doing a check of the cabins down by the river and want to make sure I order supplies before the day is out.”
Shantelle’s smile showed off the wrinkles around her lips and eyes. “Go on, girl. We’ve learned you’re a doer and don’t like putting things off. But if you need help, I am here.”
She nodded and walked out of her office, leaving the women silently chatting behind her. Naya came up to her side like she always did, ready to assist.
“Those cabins need complete rehab, Andi,” Naya said.
“I’m heading out there and checking them out myself.” Andi started walking. She’d been down by the cabins enough times she could do the walk with her eyes closed in the dark. “When I get back, we’ll discuss supplies and hiring someone to do the work.”
“Wait!” Naya called out.
Andi stopped and turned to see Naya rushing toward her, her curls bouncing around her shoulders. She glanced around and then gave Andi a worried look. “Belinda is worried. Maybe stop by and make sure Catherine is okay.”
She frowned and squinted at the sun’s glare. “Cat’s going through her first heat?”
Naya gave a sharp nod. “Belinda being so much older, she can’t ensure her granddaughter is safe from anyone of these boys just showing up and taking advantage of the girl.” Naya gripped her arm, the light of her own lioness coming to life. “You know this is a difficult time for a female. She can’t help wanting to breed. But with time she’ll learn not to just take any male.”
“Yeah. I understand. I’ll pop in and check on her. The last thing poor Cat needs is to end up unable to turn a male away due to her condition.”
“Thank you,” Naya gave a slight sigh of relief. “Are you taking the fast route?”
She nodded and swiped sweaty palms on her jeans. Damn, it was unusually hot for the season. Then again, she was so close to her own heat it was insane. She hoped whoever Gerri had in mind worked out. “I’m going down the road and then cutting through straight down the hill. I’ll be back before sundown. Maybe I can give Cat a few pointers on how to make things more bearable for herself. If she has a boyfriend, now’s the time to see if he’s the one her lioness wants.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later.”
FIVE
Andi turned back to the dirt road. One of the things she appreciated about living in the remote Pennsylvania town of Rock Canyon was that they had their own community without worrying about too many humans in the area. Though her pride had nothing against humans, they’d rather keep to themselves.
She darted down the road toward the cabins. The cabins were far apart so it would take her a while to get through seeing each one, but she was Prima and took her job seriously. Everyone knew she had a head for keeping the pride business running smoothly. Her multiple degrees in business and accounting helped her ensure the financial stability of her pack while at the same time teach her members how to grow their money.
Having a pride that used their skills to own small businesses and to ensure the sustainability of their small town was a big deal for them. She worked damn hard to get them all to help each other.
Her mind thought back to her years in college. She’d been so naïve. For a while, she’d dated a human man and forced herself to be what he wanted. Docile and quiet. What a joke. Their relationship didn’t last long, but it had been impactful.
At first, his need to tell her to lose weight was somewhat off-putting. Since he was human, he didn’t know she was in extremely perfect health and her curves were something she was proud of. After a while, it seemed he’d gotten over her voluptuous body. Or so she thought.
She remembered clearly his asking her to marry him. She’d thought that was what she’d wanted, to be a wife and to be his partner, but then she’d gone out with him and seen how he’d expected her to not voice her opinion.
The fucker had told her to shut up, that her thoughts weren’t required during the conversation. When someone brought up weight, he had the gall to bring back his thoughts on her body and how much better she’d look in a smaller dress size. She’d told him if size didn’t matter when it came to his dick, then it shouldn’t matter when it came to her jeans.
There had been an awkward silence after that. It had taken all she had not to rip his neck open in front of his friends and let her lioness tear him limb from limb to assert her alpha status. She learned then that human men might not understand her kind. And she had no patience for stupid, bossy men who wanted to change her and put her down because of her body size or because she was a woman who led a group of people who depended on her. She wouldn’t allow anyone to make her think she wasn’t good enough to lead her pride.
She had to do what she needed for herself. Leaders led.
Andi needed a man, yes, but more for her to have a partner in name and someone to give her the kids her lioness wanted so badly. Other than that, she could handle her pride on her own. The issue was finding a male lion her lioness wanted. She so hoped Gerri had found someone for her picky, bitchy cat.
Zigzagging her way through the trees, she inhaled her favorite scent. Spring. She needed to figure out what to do about her males losing their objectivity and starting to act like she was only a piece of…pussy.
She might have one, but that did not define her as a person. Not to mention it annoyed the shit out of her when they made it seem like she was supposed to pick one of them and let him be in charge of her pride. Good fucking luck with that one. She’d walked what felt like forever before she started slowly going down a steep ravine off the main road.
Perhaps walking wasn’t the best way to do things, but she needed to clear her head and other than shifting, walking provided her the time, space, and peace of mind to do that. Not to mention she could dive into the trees and not be bothered for a while. Sometimes a lioness needed quiet and alone time.
She was close to Belinda’s cabin, the outline of it easily seen ahead. Sounds of trees and bushes shaking and crunching surrounded her and forced her to stop in her tracks. The lioness pushed to the surface. Something was very wrong. The human side told her to run while the animal side argued for her to shift.
Her instincts were usually spot on when it came to listening to her lioness, but this was her land. Whoever dared to come with any ill will, she needed to speak and make them know who was in charge.
Out of nowhere, Josh and a few of his friends slipped from between the trees. She glanced around, seeing them forming a circle around her, slowly closing in. Four men. Young. Stupid. Her pride members.
