Last Chance Mate: Tate (Paranormal Shapeshifter Mystery Romance)

by Anya Nowlan

  Bile rose up in her throat as Tessa’s eyes fixed on the middle of this nightmare, where Tate lay. His shirt was torn and ripped, gashes and gouges covering all of his body, his face blue and purple and his hair matted with blood.

  No, no, no, no, this isn’t real, she chanted in her head, even as she fell to her knees, sobs raking her body.

  “Please….” she muttered under her breath. “Please don’t hurt them.”

  “Bring me the amulet, and I won’t have to. I’ll be waiting at the edge of town, by the sign,” Loch said, as her world collapsed around her.

  A moment later, Tessa’s eyes snapped open in the dark, focusing on the ceiling before darting all around the room. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she reached out for Tate, sighing when she found him asleep next to her.

  He’s still here, he’s fine, she chanted in her head, trying to ignore her heartbeat thundering in her ears. None of it was real.

  The nausea deep in the back of her throat, though, was very real.

  The gruesome images of her dream still flashed before her eyes as she slowly got up, gritting her teeth when the mattress creaked beneath her weight. Pushing her sweaty hair away from her forehead, she felt around the room, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light.

  Gripping onto the back of a chair, Tessa took in one deep breath after the next, until the tightness in her chest abated enough for her to think. The dream was not a dream, that much she knew. It was more of a warning.

  I can’t do what Loch wants… I can’t let him have the amulet.

  Looking back over at the bed, she reached out to touch Tate, her arm already rising, fingers stretching out, but she snatched her hand back at the last second. The way he was splayed out on the bed, laying on his back with his arms out on his sides, was eerily similar to how she had seen him in the dream.

  The only things missing were the streaks of blood covering his body, red and glistening, like fresh brushstrokes on a bare canvas. The vivid detail of the deep gashes in Tate’s flesh was hard to forget, despite her best efforts. The thought of her nightmare coming true was enough to make her knees buckle, but somehow, she stayed on her feet, weighing her options.

  Of which there weren’t many.

  She was the one that had brought danger to Tate’s home, led a force here that was now threatening to wipe out his whole family if she didn’t do as she was told. If just one of Tate’s brothers met the fate she had been shown in her dream…

  No, she shook her head. That can’t happen.

  Getting up on her tiptoes, she crept along the room, picking up discarded clothes as she went. The t-shirt she found definitely wasn’t hers, but she grabbed it anyway, almost getting stuck in it in her hurry to pull it on.

  Next came the jeans, with her sneaking glances at the bed while she hopped from one foot to the other. Her fingers trembled, making her fumble with the zipper and button for far too long.

  Come on, get it together, Tessa.

  If Tate woke up, he would take one look at her and know exactly what was going on, and try to stop her. And she’d probably let him.

  Which was why she was sneaking away in the dead of night, when all she really wanted to do was crawl back into Tate’s arms and pretend none of this was happening at all.

  The thought of facing Loch alone made her think of what the demon had called her once – a little lamb. She had argued then, but now? Wasn’t she heading straight to slaughter, with her eyes wide open?

  What choice did she really have, though? Giving Loch the amulet wasn’t the right thing to do, but it was the only option that didn’t make her bite back a sob when she thought of it. Reaching for her shoes near the door, she pulled them on, steeling herself for what was to come.

  An icy numbness settled over her when she slid her hand into the duffel bag next to the door. Her fingers found the cool metal of the amulet easily, and she pulled it out, not even looking at it before stuffing it into her pocket.

  She glanced back at Tate, hand hovering above the door handle. Slowly, she pressed down, all the while keeping her eyes glued to the bed. Tears welled up in her eyes when the door creaked open, but she blinked them back and stepped outside.

  Cool air swept over her damp skin, making her shiver. In the sparse light of the moon, the forest around her looked ominous, shadows slipping over the branches slowly swaying in the breeze.

  With one last look at the house, Tessa forced herself into motion, heading for the clearing where the vehicles were parked.

  Goodbye, Tate. I’m sorry.

  Thirty-Seven

  Tate

  Tate burst into Caleb’s house, realizing a second too late that Shelly and June were probably sound asleep, and him barging in might scare them. Wincing to himself, he quietly closed the door he had carelessly swung open, and waited in the living room.

  With the amount of noise he had made, Caleb was sure to be there soon.

  He wasn’t wrong. The man appeared from his bedroom soon after, clad in a robe and slippers, and wearing his trademark frown.

  “Tate. What the hell, man? You’re lucky I smelled it was you, or you might be missing a throat right now, bursting in on my sleeping family like this,” he said, keeping his voice low.

  “I’m sorry,” Tate whispered in response, his thoughts frantic. “Let’s go talk outside,” he added, as Caleb narrowed his eyes at him. “It’s important.”

  “Fine,” Caleb sighed, as they both stepped into the night air, thick and heavy around them.

  Carefully closing the door after him and taking a few steps away from the house, Caleb came to a stop, arms crossed. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tate was already busy rambling, cutting him off.

  “She’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere, and she’s gone,” he blurted out, running a hand down the back of his neck.

  “Who, Tessa?” Caleb asked, brows rising.

  “Yes, Tessa. Who else?” Tate shot back. “I woke up and she wasn’t there. I don’t even know how long ago she left.”

  A sense of uneasiness had pulled him out of his sleep, and when he didn’t find Tessa beside him, he had immediately known something was wrong. When he couldn’t find her anywhere in the house, the dread creeping up on him had only gotten more intense.

  Now, he was standing in front of Caleb’s house, his wolf thrashing inside him, and his thoughts were rushing a mile a minute.

  “Stop. Take a breath,” Caleb said, stepping closer to place a hand on his shoulder. “We will find her. You just have to get your head on straight.”

  Rain started to fall, tiny, sparse drops at first. The smell of earth exploded all around them, filling Tate’s senses. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he forced his mind to quiet. This was no time to go off the rails.

  It was just that even the thought of Tessa in trouble made all logic fly out the window.

  “You’re right,” he said quietly, nodding at Caleb, and the man took a step back.

  “Okay. So, maybe she went out for some air?” Caleb asked, not sounding like he at all believed what he was suggesting.

  “If that were the case, I wouldn’t have tracked her scent to my missing truck, now would I?” Tate scoffed. “And it gets worse. The amulet is gone, too.”

  “She took it?” Caleb questioned, eyes widening. “But she was so adamant about keeping it safe, and not knowing where we hid it, so Loch wouldn’t know where it was if he…”

  “Came haunting her in her dreams?” Tate finished the sentence for him. “Yeah, I’m betting he has something to do with this. I’ve seen firsthand how scared those dreams with him made her. He had to have gotten back inside her mind, and somehow convinced her to give him the amulet.”

  “That had to have been one doozy of a dream,” Caleb clucked her tongue. “That woman of yours is nothing but relentless when it comes to that necklace.”

  “Sure, but I know she also feels guilty as hell for ever getting me or any of you involved in this. I’m betting Loch played
on that to get her to do what he wanted,” Tate replied, fingers digging into his palms.

  “All right, so if we’re going by the assumption Loch is behind this,” Caleb started.

  “Then we don’t have much time,” Tate continued, as the rain started to pour down.

  The crash of thunder sounded in the distance, making him grind his teeth together.

  “That’s odd,” Caleb remarked. “It wasn’t supposed to rain for weeks.”

  “That means he’s close,” Tate said, just as a flash of lighting painted the sky blue somewhere beyond the tree line.

  “We can’t track her if she’s in the truck. There’s no smell,” Caleb replied, keeping his head on a swivel. “We can try following the tire tracks, but with the soft ground, and this rain…”

  Caleb didn’t need to finish that sentence for Tate to know how hopeless tracking was in this case. But that didn’t mean he was going to give up. Tessa was out there, somewhere alone, going to meet Loch.

  If he hurts her… Tate thought, lips peeling back in a snarl.

  As easy as it would have been to get lost in his anger and fear, he managed to fight through it, unclenching his fists. Now was the time to be the leader he wanted to be, and to come up with a plan that made sure he got Tessa back, safe and sound.

  “Wake everyone. Emergency meeting. Right now,” he barked out.

  Caleb just nodded, rushing off while still in his robe and slippers, the flimsy footwear now sinking into the wet ground. Tate headed the opposite direction, running to Sean’s house first. The man came to the door after Tate had pounded on it a couple of times, rubbing his eyes. But he perked up as soon as he saw Tate’s face.

  Tate didn’t know what kind of an expression he was wearing exactly, but by the sobering effect it had on Sean, it must have not been a pleasant sight.

  Quickly filling Sean in, they went around knocking on doors until every last wolf was on their feet and gathered in the middle of the clearing, all eyes on Tate. There wasn’t time to waste, so Tate rushed through an explanation of the circumstances, making sure he didn’t leave out any crucial information.

  “So this is where we stand,” he finished, meeting everyone’s gaze. “Now, I’m going to go and do whatever I can to find my mate, and to make sure Loch never gets the chance to use that amulet. If I’m going to have any chance of succeeding, however, I’m going to need your help.

  “I could order you to follow me,” he said, watching the men’s reactions as rain poured down on them all. “But that’s not how this pack works anymore. So I am asking for volunteers to help me cover the most ground possible. Anyone who wants to join me, take a step forward now.”

  His words hung in the air as he watched the men he called brothers, his family, process everything he had just said. He would not hold it against any of them if they chose to bow out. But his heart still beat faster, knowing how limited their time was, and how much every pair of able legs would help speed up the search.

  And then, almost as if in unison, every single man stepped forward. Old and young, born into the pack or not, they were all putting themselves out there, to join their Alpha, to stop that goddamn demon, and to get Tessa back.

  Caleb gave him a small nod from the front row, just as Tate let out a long breath. The storm was in full swing now, the sky lighting up at regular intervals, and the boom of thunder filling the air.

  “Thank you,” Tate said, meeting everyone’s eyes. “Reeve and Collins, grab a couple of men and set up a perimeter, just in case Loch decides to show up here. Everyone else, follow me.”

  And let’s hope we’re not too late already.

  Thirty-Eight

  Tessa

  Tessa couldn’t help but stare at the dent on the hood of Tate’s truck as she sped toward the town limits, her throat dry and her knuckles white around the steering wheel. Nausea was gathering at the pit of her stomach, swirling around as the sign welcoming visitors to Pinedale appeared on the side of the road.

  She could barely make it out now, as the rain kept pouring down, giving the windshield wipers a run for their money. The amulet was burning a hole in her pocket, and she was seriously considering turning the damn truck around, when a dark figure appeared in her headlights, making her slam on the brakes.

  The pickup skidded to a halt on the slick asphalt, the wipers still going. Tessa jerked forward, the seatbelt digging into her shoulder. Brushing her hair away from her face, she slowly unbuckled herself and opened the door, eyes trained on the figure up ahead.

  She didn’t need to get a look at the man’s face to know it was Loch. And she also knew that once she gave him the amulet, she would be dead. There would be no reason for him to keep her alive, especially after all the trouble she had caused him.

  Not to mention I ran over him in this very truck, she thought, glancing back at the truck.

  But if that was the price she had to pay to keep Tate and his pack safe…

  Loch turned around, somehow untouched by the rain that was soaking through Tessa’s hair and clothes, and grinned at her.

  “Hello, little lamb,” he said, his voice like nails on chalkboard. “Good to see you’ve made the right decision.”

  “I have your word you’ll leave the wolves alone?” Tessa asked, instinctively taking a step back.

  Her only hope was Loch wouldn’t bother with taking on a whole pack once he already had what he wanted. His word didn’t mean much to her, but perhaps his survival instincts would make him honor their deal.

  “This is no time for bargaining, girl,” Loch smiled. “I’ve already got you where I want you. You have no more power,” he said, starting to walk toward her.

  Streams of water were now pouring down Tessa’s face, down her neck and underneath her collar. The repulsive smile on Loch’s face only served to drive home how helpless she was. But she had known when she came what a risk she was taking. Now, she could only hope her death would be quick.

  Tears sprung to her eyes but she blinked them back, not wanting Loch to see her cry. All of her regrets in life came flooding over her at that moment, as Loch’s black eyes stared right into her soul, his tall frame creeping closer and closer to her, standing in the illumination of the headlights.

  She regretted the time she had wasted trying to keep Mayberry Antiques going when her heart wasn’t in it. Her mother would have wanted her to be happy, not to try and keep her alive through that damn store. She regretted not taking more risks, and not following her heart more.

  Yet there was one thing she would never regret, and that was spending these last days with Tate. Even with all they had had to deal with, being with him made her happier than she had ever been.

  That’s what she held on to – having that time with someone she…

  Loved, her thoughts filled in the blank. I love him.

  Her chest ached as she swallowed back her sobs. Loch was right in front of her now, close enough for her to see how paper-thin his skin was, and smell the scent of rot emanating from him.

  “Give it to me, or I will take it from you,” he said evenly, staring at her with those unblinking eyes.

  Fingers trembling, she reached into her pocket, eyes squeezing shut as she grabbed hold of the gold chain. This was it. It would all be over in a moment, and she hadn’t even said goodbye to Tate…

  A howl pierced the air, making her eyes snap open. Loud and clear, it echoed off the trees on either side of the road, making even Loch look around. Yet before Tessa could even properly react, the demon snatched the amulet from her hand and grabbed her forearm, yanking her close to him.

  The howling only got louder, and a rustle of leaves made her gaze dart around the dark woods. Then it stopped entirely, replaced by a vicious growl. Squinting through the rain, Tessa spotted a flash of light fur between the trees, moving toward the road.

  Heart beating fast, she gasped when a huge, gray wolf padded out from the trees, ears pointing straight up, fur bristled and teeth bared. Large paws splashed on the
wet pavement as the animal crept closer, body held low.

  When its eyes snapped to Tessa, orange and glowing, there was no doubt in her mind about who this wolf was.

  “Tate,” she said quietly, and the animal stopped and nodded.

  “Ah, I should have known you would show up, wolf,” Loch said from behind her, his breath falling on the back of her head. “There’s something different about you… Doesn’t matter. You make one move, and I snap her neck,” Loch warned.

  Tate stilled, his lips still peeled back, sharp canines in full view. His coat was thick, darkened by the rain, but Tessa could still appreciate how rich the gray color of his fur was. It was as if it was almost…

  Silver.

  “Tate, please,” Tessa whispered. “Just go. He already has the amulet. I did this so you wouldn’t get hurt. Don’t let this be for nothing,” she pleaded.

  But Tate didn’t move, just growled low, his body tense and eyes fixed on her and Loch. Of course he wasn’t going to leave. That wasn’t who Tate was. A part of her was glad that he proved to be exactly the man she thought him to be.

  But another part was terrified about what was going to happen next. The images from the nightmare Loch had shown her flashed across her eyes, making her blink in an attempt to wipe them away.

  “I’m actually glad you’re here,” Loch laughed, his fingers digging into her arm. “That means I can wipe both of you out of existence at the same time. What a night this is turning out to be.”

  Panic started to settle into Tessa’s veins, but she knew she had to keep her wits about her. It wouldn’t take Loch more than a second to snap her neck, so she couldn’t just stand there, hoping Tate got to her before that happened.

  Slowly and carefully, she moved her free hand closer to where Loch had the amulet clenched in his left fist, hoping the demon was too focused on the wolf to notice. When her fingers were close enough for her to feel the chain of the necklace dangle past them, she took a deep breath and reached out.