My Surprise Mate

Chapter 1

My name is Holly Ellison, and I’m 24 years old. I’ve been living on my own since my 18th birthday unless you count all the years in a group home. Yeah, my mom put me up for adoption the day I was born. I live in a small town; not many kids are in foster care, making us stand out more. Unfortunately, most of us run the streets, sell drugs, and are hooked on drugs. Standards aren’t very high for us, to say the least.

I vowed not to become another one of their statistics. I started working part-time at a fast-food restaurant when I was 16, and I’ve been working ever since. I don’t have many friends, and I like it that way. The smaller your circle, the less drama and trouble. I’m currently working as a waitress at Ella’s Diner. It’s not much, but it pays the bills, and it’s only temporary. I’m saving to go to college. I have not decided what career path I want to take, but I have it narrowed down to two: elementary teacher or counselor. I know I want to work with kids, though.

I was scheduled to be off work today, but someone called in, so here I am. I don’t mind, though I can always use the extra hours. I’d been at work for two hours, and we were getting ready for the lunch rush when none other than Kain Shelton and his bunch walked in. Kain is gorgeous. He has striking blue eyes, which feel like they are peering into your soul, and dark brown hair cut in a frohawk. His body is more than just toned, but he’s not close to being bodybuilder big either. The guys that hang out with Kain look similar to him aside from eye color and hair. Kain is known around town for being a playboy. He has no shortage of women, to say the least, and I’m pretty sure cocky is his middle name. Of course, they have to sit in my section. I don’t know why I always felt nervous around Kain.

Once they got settled, I made my way over to get their drink order. “Just cokes for all of us.” Kain placed their order before I could even ask. I smiled, giving them a nod, “I’ll have it right out.” As I turned to retrieve their drinks, Kain grabbed my arm gently, “Tell me, what’s a pretty girl like you doing waitressing?” I rolled my eyes and walked away. Seriously! That’s the best he could come up with. It wasn’t even original, and besides, I don’t have time for games.

The rest of my day passed quickly, with Kain leaving me a huge tip. I usually go straight home after work, but I decided I would have a few drinks at the bar. It’s early, so it shouldn’t be too busy yet. Like I always do when I go for drinks, I ducked into the back corner table to avoid any attention. I just wanted to relax, but evidently, the universe had other plans. Kain Shelton shuffled in loudly and took a seat at the bar. His eyes locked on mine as he scanned the room, a smile tugging at the corner of his full lips. He bee-lined for me without wasting any time, sitting in the empty chair across from me.

“So, you waiting on your boyfriend?” he questioned. “Nope, I’ve never had a boyfriend.” s**t. Why would I say it like that? I could feel my cheeks reddening from embarrassment. I looked at Kain, who had one eyebrow raised and a look of disbelief written on his face. “Hmm, I don’t know if I believe that. Your gorgeous.” He winked and flagged down the barmaid, ordering us each a round. I sat there awkwardly while his blue eyes stared a hole into me. When our drinks arrived, I downed mine as fast as possible, “Thanks, but I should be going.” I slid from my chair and quickly made my way out to the parking lot. It was dark outside already, and the air was cool. I fumbled for my car keys, dropping them as I pulled them from my purse. “Do you think I could take out sometime gorgeous?” I looked up to find a smiling Kain blocking my door. “S-sure,” I choked out, a little surprised that he was even talking to me. “I get off work at six tomorrow evening.” God, he made me nervous, and if I had to guess by the look on his face, he knew he did.

“I’ll be waiting for you at 5:45 then,” he smirked as he opened my car door for me. I sat in my car and watched him go back to the bar. I sighed, not sure what I had just got myself into. I should have said no. As promised, Kain was waiting in the parking lot for me when I got off work the next day. “Bar fight?” I asked him as I slid into the seat of the Camaro, looking at the light bruising on his face. He shrugged as he put the car in gear, “Something like that.” I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what happened.

Obviously, whoever he had fought with didn’t have the upper hand but still had got a few good hits on Kain. The glint in Kain’s eyes told me not to worry, so I tried not to. Our night went better than I expected it to. He was a different person than he was around his friends. Not as cocky and very funny and kind. He had treated me as though I was the only girl in the world. He was not paying any attention to any of the females eyeing him all night. No one had ever made me feel as extraordinary as he did tonight. I felt a little guilty for judging him before I had gotten to know him. He dropped me back off at my car, “So think we can do this again tomorrow?” he asked with a crooked grin. “I would love that.” I didn’t even think about it before I answered. I had fun with him, and I guess I deserved to have some fun in my life. Kain leaned down, kissing me softly. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I thought I would die. “Goodnight, gorgeous.” Kain waited for me to pull out of the parking lot before turning and driving in the opposite direction.

Two Months Later

Kain and I have seen each other almost every night since our first date. However, we hadn’t gone farther than kissing, some pretty hot and heavy kissing. I was scared to go any further, and I had finally told him that I was still a virgin. I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I was expecting from him, but he made me feel proud of it. He never took me to his house, though. We always returned to my apartment, even though I was a little embarrassed about it. It was run down on the lower side of town, and my furniture wasn’t new or expensive. He didn’t seem to mind, though. Whenever I asked where he lived, he would find a way to dodge my question. Maybe he was embarrassed like me, though it doesn’t seem like he’s broke by any means. A tap on my front door let me know Kain was here. I decided last night that tonight would be the night I gave myself to him. I was nervous, to say the least. The butterflies in my stomach were making me feel nauseous. I took one last look in the mirror before heading to the door.

Kain looked terrific in his dark blue jeans and white button-up shirt. His eyes roamed over my body, pausing at my chest. This was the most dressed-up he had seen me since we started dating. A dark blue silk dress with a deep-cut V-neck. It clung to my curves perfectly. I felt beautiful in it, and the way Kain was eyeing me hungrily boosted my confidence. I had slipped on some silver open-toed heels with it, but Kain was still a few inches taller than me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in for a kiss, “You are breathtaking, baby.” I looked down, smiling as I felt the blush creep across my cheeks, causing Kain to chuckle lightly.

Before losing my confidence, I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing his face down to mine. Our lips crashed together in a mix of teeth and tongues. I was surprised at myself, but it felt too good to stop now. Kain’s hands traveled down to my ass, his touch sending fire through me. He gently picked me up, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively. He shut the front door with his foot, never breaking our kiss, and carried me to my room. My heart was racing a mile a minute as he kissed and licked down my neck. I couldn’t stop the moans from slipping out as I gasped for air. Kain stopped long enough to throw his clothes off and slip my dress over my head, revealing my black lace bra and matching black lace thong.

My arm went around instinctively to cover myself. No one had ever seen me naked before, and I felt a little insecure. Kain shook his head as he pinned my arms above my head. “Your perfect,” he grumbled as his tongue flicked the tip of my n****e. I gasped at the unexpected action, and I could feel Kain smiling against me. I could feel the heat pooling between my legs. I was ready for him; I didn’t want to wait any longer. I could feel his hard member pressing against me, encouraging me to grind my hips against him. He let out a low growl, an actual growl. Kain looked at me; the color of his eyes seemed to be swirling between the typical blue and midnight black. I stopped moving, unsure of what was happening. “We’ll talk after,” he whispered before covering my mouth with his, reigniting the fire that had been building inside of me. “Ready?” he asked me gruffly. I nodded, not sure I could get any words out.

Kain slipped inside me easily, going slowly. It was a mixture of pain and pleasure. I thought it would be just pain the first time. He paused, giving me a chance to adjust before sliding the rest of the way in. I gasped at how full I felt. Kain stilled, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were solid black. I didn’t have time to process it as he started pumping in and out slowly. Kain leaned down, sucking one of my n*****s into his mouth, causing my back to arch in response. “f**k, Kain! I can’t- “I trailed off, unable to form any more words. He took that as his cue and began thrusting in and out faster, “Holly, come for me.” That’s all it took to send me over the edge. I felt as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room anymore. My vision became spotted as I screamed out at the pleasure Kain was giving me.

When I finally stopped shaking from my first orgasm, Kain rolled over, lying next to me on the bed. His breathing was a little faster than average but nowhere near how I was gasping. I lay there blissfully, not sure I could move yet, “So I guess I need to explain.” He hesitated before continuing, “Look, I trust you, and that’s the only reason I’m going to tell you this, I’m a werewolf.” I started laughing; I couldn’t help it. How did he even have the energy to joke right now? I felt his eyes on me as I turned to face him. He wasn’t laughing, though; in fact, he wasn’t even smiling. His eyes were back to that beautiful blue shade again. “I’m being serious, Holly. Humans don’t know about us; they can’t know. If anyone finds out you know, it could be really bad and put you in danger. I’m usually able to control myself better. I’m not sure what happened tonight, but I know that you saw my eyes. You looked scared for a minute.”

This guy was being serious. Dead serious. “Your world is full of beings and not just humans.” I could see the sincerity in his eyes, and I knew he wasn’t lying to me. I didn’t know what to say to him, so I didn’t say anything. I lay there, wrapped in his arms as I fell asleep. I woke up to Kain getting out of bed the following day. “Morning,” I greeted him sleepily. My body was sore, but it was worth it. I never imagined s*x being so good. Kain sat down on the side of the bed as he pulled his shoes on, “I think you’re a great person,” he said as he leaned and gave me a soft kiss, “but this isn’t going to work. I’m sorry, Holly, I really am.” He walked out of the room, pulling his shirt on. I couldn’t move. My mind was racing as the tears flowed freely from my eyes. Kain Shelton did precisely what I was afraid of; he broke my heart and left me. This is why I don’t date. This is why I stay by myself.

I decided to call in sick to work. There was no way I could chance seeing him anywhere today. I stayed in bed feeling sorry for myself and crying. Sad romance movies and ice cream were my therapy. I’d give myself today; then, I would pull it together and continue with my life. It’s just a breakup, right? Kain acted as if nothing had happened. He and his friends would come into the diner and act like he didn’t even know me. It didn’t take him long to go back to his playboy ways, and he made no effort to hide that fact from me. When he had another girl with him, he would just smirk at me as if to rub it in my face. I decided Kain Shelton was just an asshole, and I could do better than him. After a few weeks, seeing him with other girls no longer bothered me. Though I did try to avoid him when possible, there was no reason to rub salt on a healing wound. It had been six weeks since Kain and I had been together, and I had been sick as a dog for the last two weeks. And to make it worse, aunt flow still hadn’t come this month. I couldn’t remember if Kain had worn a condom or not, but I’m sure he did. It definitely wasn’t his first time, so I’m sure he was prepared.

Questions started popping into my head. What if I was pregnant? I would keep the baby. No way I would have it grow up the way I did; no matter how hard it was, I would make sure it had everything it needed. But would I tell Kain? Oh my god, Kain’s a werewolf! Or was he lying? Werewolves aren’t real, are they? I started to panic. I’ll just go to the doctor. I’m sure it’s nothing, I told myself, trying to calm my nerves some. I’m just sick, that’s all. I quickly dressed and drove to the walk-in clinic across town, thankful they weren’t busy. After filling out the paperwork and paying my co-pay, I was called back to a room. They did a urine test and blood test and did a complete checkup. The nurse let me know the doctor would come to talk to me as soon as the results were back.

I sat in the doctor’s office waiting for the test results, feeling more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by. I was hoping it was just a stomach virus or the flu. I had them test me for everything, but something in my gut told me that’s not what any of this was. I hoped I was wrong, though. I could feel the tears pricking at the corner of my eyes as I tried to take slow, steady breaths. No need to panic yet; I didn’t know anything for sure. The doctor came in the room, clipboard in her hand, “You said it has been about six weeks since you’ve had intercourse?” she asked me, never looking up from the paper she was writing on. “Y-y-yes.” I stuttered out. “Well, Ms. Ellison, your pregnant.”