Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
“I’m not fucking you,” Mateo said.
“What? Ew, gross. Hell, no. I’m a good friend, and no offense, you’re not my type. You’re on the old side.” She blew out a breath. “We’ve got two weeks to try and mend seven years of hurt.”
Now this did catch his attention. “You’re willing to help me?”
“Within reason,” she said, holding her hand up. “Look, don’t go thinking this is to help you or make you feel better, or any of that shit, okay? I still don’t like you. I’m never going to like you. What you did was crap. Worse than crap. I’ve never known anyone to act like that, but this is for Harper. She deserves better, and I don’t want her freaking out when the full moon comes, and, you know, wolves want to play.”
He put his spoon back into his bowl. “So, I guess I need to know what kind of deal you and I are making here?”
“In all honesty, I have no idea. All I know is that I don’t want my friend to get hurt, and the only way to guarantee that is to … I don’t know, figure this out.” She nibbled her lip. “That’s all we can do.”
“Our wolves are going to want to take over,” Mateo said.
“Look, Harper does not want to forgive you. I’m not going to suddenly encourage her to do that, but maybe what you could do is not back down.”
“I’m trying.”
“Oh, please, standing in the shop asking for a date with a bunch of flowers is not being determined. You gave up the moment she said no, and that is not the kind of energy we’re wanting. What you need to do is become like the furniture, but the good kind that people need to have around.” Franny shrugged.
“You’re asking me to be a piece of furniture.”
“I’m asking you to turn up at her shop, maybe with coffee or a cinnamon bun, and be helpful. Tell her you just need to be close to her or something. You know, do what mates do, without the whole mating thing. Allow her to get used to you being around. At the moment, she expects you to give up and leave. Is that what you’re going to do?”
“Never.”
“Then how about you pull on your big-boy pants and start thinking about how you’re going to heal seven years of damn hurt?” Franny said.
“And what are you going to be doing?”
“Oh, I’m going to start suggesting she consider you a piece of meat. The full moon is fast approaching, and I know the hormones go out of whack, and, well, your mate is here now, so why not use him?”
“Use me?”
“It’s a start, isn’t it? It’s either use you or find another pack male who doesn’t mind the risk of getting his head ripped off.”
Mateo couldn’t stand the thought of Harper being with anyone else. Even his wolf was ready to go and start an all-out war at the prospect of another man touching his woman.
Harper was his mate. She belonged to him, and no one was going to take that from him.
“Well?” Franny asked. “Do you want to be used or not?”
“I’d prefer not to be.”
“Then I don’t have a clue how I’m going to help you. All I can think of is the full moon, and this is to help Harper come to terms with the fact she might need you. Then again, I might be worrying for no good reason. Do you see the difficulty I’m having here?” she asked.
He ran a hand down his face. This was not ideal.
When he banished Harper, he didn’t think about the consequences of his actions. All he wanted to do was get her away from him before he did something he might regret. Now, he regretted sending her away in the first place.
“Fine,” Mateo said.
“Fine? That’s all you’re going to say?” she asked.
“What more can I say? I can’t argue with you, and I don’t see this working any other way. All you’ve got to do is tell me when I should arrive.”
Chapter Six
Harper never ran late, but this morning she’d woken up later than usual. She wanted to blame Mateo for her tardiness. It had been a long time since she dreamed about him, and this recent dream unnerved her a bit. She never thought of being … with him. At least not recently. Seven years apart would do that for a woman.
Arriving at her store, she came to a stop when she realized the very man himself was right there, ready. Ready for what, she didn’t know.
She was tempted to leave for the day and complain of stomachache or tiredness, but then the pack would be worried. On previous occasions when she had gotten ill, she’d had so many visits. There was no way she would let Mateo turn her into a liar.