by Kate Rudolph
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
GEMMA'S MATE: A BBW/SHIFTER ROMANCE
First edition. November 24, 2015.
Copyright © 2015 Kate Rudolph.
ISBN: 978-1519961198
Written by Kate Rudolph.
Gemma’s Mate
By Kate Rudolph
Copyright 2015
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Chapter One
Eight Years Ago
Colin MacDonald was cute. Or, if Gemma Khan was being honest, Colin MacDonald was devastatingly handsome and smart to boot. Every time she saw him he wore a finely tailored dark suit and he kept his hair cropped short. And while he radiated strength, she never felt like he was about to overpower her.
But right now she was concerned with getting him out of this godforsaken building and out about town. Nigel, overbearing alpha extraordinaire, had instructed her to make sure their Scottish friend had a great time, and Gemma was all too happy to oblige.
She was waiting for him outside the alpha’s office at pack headquarters, and when he walked through the door her heart sped up. Colin was the kind of sexy they didn’t make in England, at least not the guys she was used to seeing. The London pack tended towards bruisers who didn’t understand problems could be solved with anything other than fangs and claws.
Colin was a head taller than her and could probably toss her around the room, but the few times he’d touched her, his hands had been gentle. Dark scruff covered his chin adding to his rugged allure and he kept his hair short enough that she could only dream of running her fingers through it, she wouldn’t be able to get a good handful.
Of course, most of her fantasies about him were merely the lust-crazed dreams of an undersexed twenty-year-old. Colin was a respectful man and he hadn’t made a pass. And since Gemma was curvier, at least that was the polite term for it, than any of the other girls her age, she didn’t expect it of him.
Though from the way his face lit up when he saw her, maybe she wasn’t as far out of his league as she feared. “Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand and giving it a friendly squeeze. “What are you doing here?”
She smiled back, it was too hard not to when she was next to him. “I’m your tour guide, remember?” And she had never been more happy to take on an assignment. “It’s my duty and pleasure to show you all of the delights that London has to offer.”
His eyes flared, the wolf buried under his skin coming to life. “All of the delights? Or are you just showing me the city?”
Gemma swallowed and could feel heat gather in her belly. She took a step closer, leaving centimeters between them. “What is it that you want to see?” She tilted her head up to watch him watch her. Standing so close she didn’t even see his hand come up until she felt it cup her cheek.
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one thing in London that I’m interested in seeing.” His voice was low, his brogue rubbing over her skin. Both the inner wolf and the woman loved it.
“Then by all means, lead the way.”
Colin was staying in a posh hotel just down the road. He grabbed her hand while they walked along the sidewalk and pulled her close. Gemma fit right under his arm, tucked into his body, sharing his space. Even with the hotel so close, she was shocked when they made it all the way to the lift without distraction.
Once they were alone in the lift, distractions abounded.
Colin pushed her against the door and his lips covered hers, devouring her mouth, his tongue swiping against her own. Gemma hooked her own leg over his hip, her skirt riding up, leaving her panties pressed against the hard length of his shaft.
She only realized that the lift had arrived at his floor when she nearly fell backward through the opening door. They stumbled back, half-laughing and still tangled up in one another.
“Damn, I’ve wanted you forever,” Colin muttered. He pulled back long enough to find his key and open the door to his room.
Gemma’s heart fluttered. There was no prevarication in Colin, he spoke as he felt and didn’t let anything stop him.
“We only met two days ago,” Gemma laughed. With the first kiss out of the way, she could slow down a little, giving him a peck on the lips and backing away. “Don’t tell me you’re some freaky stalker.”
Colin grinned and reached over to undo the bow at the top of her blouse. The silky material coiled around his hands and fluttered down once he was done. “I would have been if I’d known about you before two days ago.”
She put a hand on his chest, running it up and down, feeling the taut lines of the muscle underneath. “I wouldn’t have made you stalk me,” she said. Gemma reached for the hem of his shirt and worked it up and over his head.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her ear, “Not even just for fun?”
If she hadn’t been wet already, she would have been then. She turned her head and captured his lips once more.
Somehow they made it to the bed in a tangle of limbs and clothes and before she knew it, she was naked on her back, spread out under his worshipping eyes. Gemma had never seen a starving man feast, but she thought his expression might look something like Colin’s.
All she felt in his arms was desire, her desire for him, his desire for her, it engulfed both of them. Between them, there was no room for shame or fear of rejection. There was only this beautiful, natural blossoming of pleasure.
His lips were everywhere. He worshiped her with his body, marking her, claiming her, making her his. God, she wanted him so bad, wanted to be his, if only he would claim her.
And he did, though not in the way of their people.
He thrust inside her, his hips moving in time to hers. And pleasure bloomed within. Gemma could feel it taking her and she rode it, becoming a slave to the feeling. By the time she was gasping out his name, her muscles contracting around him, she could already feel herself halfway to in love with him.
There was no place else she'd rather be.
The dream didn't end there. For the next week, Colin was her's, at least when he wasn't busy speaking with Nigel. They spent their hours in the day together, exploring London and learning each other. They spent their nights in his bed, the long hours lost to lovemaking until they exhausted themselves.
On Friday, Colin kissed her good morning with a smile. Gemma returned the expression and laid a possessive hand on his chest. "Ignore Nigel today, I want you to myself," she said.
Colin kissed her once more, quickly this time. "If I'm to stay in London, I can't go about ignoring the alpha, now, can I?"
Gemma's heart flipped. They hadn't spoken of the future. She'd known that Colin was considering a more permanent home in England, but with this thing between them so new she hadn't been brave enough to ask.
"When did you decide you're staying?" she asked. "I'm sure Nigel will be happy to have you."
Colin laced his fingers through her hair, "I knew I liked it here from the first, but I've never felt anything so right before the last couple of days. It feels like I belong here."
He didn't break eye contact and his face grew serious. She knew he wasn't talking about the city, and the extent of his emotion terrified her as much as it excited her. Especially since she felt the same way. "I'm glad to hear it." She pulled him down to her and swiped her lips against his, letting her hands glide against his back.
They rolled, leaving her on top, her hair a drape surrounding them. But Colin pulled back again. "I really have to go, love. But I'm yours at the solstice party tonight."
Colin extracted himself from the bed and got dressed. Gemma watched him without shame. But a few minutes later he was out the
door.
The solstice party was held at the estate of Jarvis Pennington. It wasn't in London proper, but just outside the city. Until Colin said he planned to be there, Gemma wasn't going to attend. But if she could claim him in front of the entire pack, nothing would stop her.
She arrived, wearing her finest red dress after spending more than an hour making her hair fall just right. She knew she looked amazing and she couldn't wait to see the look on Colin's face when he saw her. But she had to wait as it appeared that she arrived before him.
Minutes passed with Gemma looking at the entrance to the ballroom every time she heard someone enter. Those minutes turned into an hour and then another. And there was no sign of Colin.
As the clock struck midnight, her heart sank.
Colin wasn't coming.
Something must have happened to him. She wanted to call him, but she had left her mobile at home. And then Nigel entered and summoned her to his side.
Nigel was twice her age, just over forty, and a head taller than her. He was thin as a reed with white hair and sharp cheeks. Some women found him irresistibly attractive, but Gemma's taste leaned toward the brawny.
"You're looking beautiful tonight, Miss Kahn," Nigel said, offering her a kiss on the cheek.
Gemma returned the gesture. "Thank you, sir."
"I suppose it's a shame that Scottish bloke won't be able to see you. He informed me this morning that he wouldn't be staying in town any longer. I did want to thank you for doing your duty, and to assure you that it is not your fault he decided that London did not hold the charm he thought it would." Nigel dismissed her with a lazy wave of his hand, but Gemma barely noticed.
She made her way outside in a daze, almost unable to breathe. Colin was gone? Just like that? She couldn't believe it.
Gemma left the party, heading home to find her phone and call him. He wouldn't have just left without a word. Not after he promised he was staying.
Her flat was not in the nicest part of town, and it was smaller than most people's closets, but it was hers alone. The only man she'd ever had over was Colin while they shared a lazy afternoon in her bed.
She opened the door and saw a note on the floor. It must have been slid through the mail slot.
Thank you for showing me a good time. It turns out London doesn't have what I'm looking for.
-Colin MacDonald
Gemma crumpled the paper in her hands, but it didn't stop the tears from falling. He had lied to her and left.
That bastard.
Chapter Two
Present Day
Mac had almost gotten used to Jess’s presence at his and Rafe’s daily one on one. It was one of the many changes that had been sweeping through the pack in the wake if the alpha’s abrupt mating. And despite their less than ideal start, Mac could appreciate Jess’s input. The woman was smart and took her position as the alpha’s mate seriously.
Considering that she and Rafe had known each other for less than a week before mating, it was a minor miracle.
But what Mac hadn’t anticipated and couldn’t stand was Gemma sitting and smiling right beside Jess, just waiting for Rafe to join them.
“Has our meeting been rescheduled?” He asked Jess. He tried his damnedest not to look at Gemma.
It didn’t work. It hadn’t worked for the last year. All he could do was hope to feed his obsession in small glances. If he never looked at her for more than a few seconds, surely no one else would notice.
After leaving London, Mac had never expected to see Gemma again. In the last eight years, they had both clearly become different people, but every time he looked at her he couldn’t help but remember the single best week of his life. And that thought was soon followed by his biggest regret.
She was even more beautiful than she had been back then. Her brown skin was made for the sunny climate in Falcon Point, and she kept her black hair back in a braid. When they’d first met, she’d still been timid about her curves, trying to make herself seem smaller, slimmer. Now she owned herself, even while she wore those boxy, militaristic clothes. But her demeanor had changed. Her smiles were rare and there was always something calculating in her eyes.
Mac often wondered what it was that had changed her.
That was all in the past. When Gemma joined the pack, she’d made it clear from her actions that she would rather that people not know that they’d known each other so long ago. And Mac respected that. It had been almost easy until she took the position of lieutenant three months before. She’d risen quickly through the ranks of the pack and fought several challenges. Mac was almost afraid that she planned to challenge him one day. Her fighting style was brutal, efficient, and good enough to challenge him. Maybe win.
She hadn’t been a warrior eight years ago.
For the past year, Mac had wanted to tell her the truth about why he left her. He wanted her to understand that it wasn’t her, but every time he worked up the nerve, she’d give him one of those quelling looks and he’d back down. If she didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t force her.
Rafe walked in and gave his mate a quick kiss on the cheek. He turned to Mac and nodded. “Sorry for the delay. Let’s get started.”
Gemma didn’t leave, which meant she must have been invited. Over the past few weeks, Gemma had taken over some of the security concerning Jess. It was really Mac’s job, but he was too busy to watch out for both the alpha and his mate. And if there had been no history between them, he would have chosen Gemma for the job without hesitation.
Once Jess had her own security detail, things would settle down, but they hadn’t had time to broach the subject with her which left Mac doing the job of two people.
Mac didn’t ask about Gemma’s presence. If Rafe didn’t say anything, it wasn’t any of his business. “The IT staff haven’t been able to figure out where the financial docs on Jess’s flash drive came from. The diagnostics take time to run, or so they’ve told me.” Jess had surrendered the flash drive shortly after she claimed the alpha. It had been Rebecca’s and contained confidential pack information. “Still no word on Rebecca Patrick.”
Rafe nodded. “That’s why I called in Miss Khan. I’ve had intel that Rebecca sailed out of New York three days ago. Unfortunately, that intel did not give us her ultimate destination. But Jess says that she’ll head to London.” He spared a grin for his mate before looking back at Mac, all business. “As Gemma was a member of the London pack, and you have some experience there as well, I would like you both to fly there and retrieve her.” The man understood why the alpha wanted Gemma to go with him. But it didn’t mean that he liked it.
“Unfortunately,” the alpha continued, “The London alpha’s reputation tells me he won’t welcome visitors intent on snatching up a fugitive. You’ll need to tread carefully to ensure he doesn’t kick you out of the city. Or worse. I’m sure you won’t have any trouble on that count.”
“No, I’m sure we won’t,” said Gemma.
After explaining the rest of the logistics, Rafe excused Gemma and directed Mac to get his lieutenants up to date to take care of business in his absence. They would leave in one day.
Once it was just the three of them left in the room, Mac looked at Jess and then back to Rafe. “May I have a private word with you, Rafe?”
Before he could shoot it down, Jess jumped in. “I have some work I need to do.” She stood and gave the alpha a long kiss before pulling back. They were both smiling. Mac felt like the lowest of intruders, but neither seemed to care.
With Jess was gone, Rafe spoke. “I’m not keeping secrets from my mate.”
Mac nodded. “I wouldn’t expect it of you.” He took a deep breath before he continued. “I didn’t leave London on the best of terms. As a matter of fact, I’m fairly certain there were threats of dismemberment and possibly death if I ever returned.”
Rafe leaned back, “Would you care to tell me what you did to deserve it?”
“The hell of it is, I don’t know.” Mac wasn’t lying.
For days, his talks with Nigel had gone swimmingly. Mac had been ready to call London home, and not only because of Gemma. And then he was pushed off a bridge and swimming for his life in the Thames. “But I may not be the best man for the job.”
“I don’t trust anyone else with this. And I’ve worked it out with the alpha. You’ll be safe under my authority.” Mac didn’t know whether Rafe had really worked it out or if he didn’t understand how bad it could get. But from the tone of his alpha’s voice, there would be no arguments. “Can you work with Gemma? Alone?”
That was another question entirely. Rafe hadn’t pried. Not yet, but the day would come. Mac just nodded. With no further business, their meeting was over.
Over the past year, Gemma had learned to deal with Colin MacDonald’s renewed presence in her life. The fact that he’d changed his name and seemed hellbent on avoiding discussion of anything that happened before he came to America only made her resolve to keep her distance easier.
She called Jaime Kaplan in to speak with her to get everything ready for her trip. Kaplan was barely on Mac’s radar and she would be shocked to hear if Rafe knew anything about him. The man made his money fighting in underground bloodsport and was nearly undefeated. He’d been in the pack for many years, but Gemma expected that one day soon he’d take off and take over some poorly managed pack that couldn’t hold up to his challenge.
He was one mean bastard, but he followed protocol and respected her. Gemma had used that respect to make him her de facto assistant over the last few weeks. Her duties had expanded greatly once she and Jess hit it off.
“So is there going to be a spot opening up in the hierarchy?” Jaime asked once she finished rattling off a list of instructions.
“Are you implying that I’m going to kill Mac?” Gemma smiled. She’d barely considered it. “Because we are both soldiers in this pack and we will do our jobs.”
She could tell Jaime was suppressing a smile. “I’ll bel—” he straightened before finishing his sentence.
