Freeing the Warrior's Deceived Mate

Chapter Two: A Little Party Never Hurt Nobody

Tiberius POV

“Hey, big little brother,” Mordecai drawled, poking his head into the den, where I was watching a war documentary. He only spoke in that tone when he wanted something, and only postured himself half-hidden if it was something I wouldn’t want to be involved with.

I quirked a brow in his direction, pausing the movie. “What?” I asked, all but spitting the word. The last thing Mordecai had asked of me was to borrow my car. He’d managed to spill the newest Taco Bell freeze all over the back seat of my car, and left it in the heat so the smell seeped in. I had a big red stain on my seats for the rest of forever it would seem, and he didn’t seem nearly as sorry about it as I was going to make him.

“I need your help on a little work project,” he said. “For Alpha Servando,” he added quickly, as if that would sway my answer.

It absolutely did.

“What?” I asked again, this time with a bit of resignation.

“There’s been some sightings of rogues in the area,” he said, “And Alpha wants me to track them. I put my feelers out in the town, and as it would turn out, there’s a little party in town that one of the suspects might turn up at.”

Oh no.

“I just think it would be a good chance to sniff him out,” Mordecai said. “And I think you’re the perfect back up.”

“No,” I replied, curtly, unpausing the television. Mordecai was always trying to pull me along to parties for one reason, and one reason alone- he liked to pick fights with males much bigger than him, and he liked me to back him up, so he had a chance of winning those fights. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rogues were a convenient cover for him to drag me along. “And get out.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, brother,” Mordecai said, slipping in front of the television and blocking the screen. “This is a prime opportunity for you, you know. The ladies love you- don’t you think it’s time you give them some love in return?”

“Not interested,” I replied. As a werewolf, somewhere in the world, I had a fated mate. She was made for me, and I for her, and knowing that made dating and screwing around utterly unappealing.

“Brother, brother, brother,” Cai repeated. I was beginning to wonder if he was saying it purely to remind me we were related so I didn’t pummel his face in for the Taco Bell incident. “Are you still worried about the mate thing? Because, let me tell you, you’re pushing twenty-three. I think she would understand if you had some fun in the meantime.”

I growled. “Not. Interested.”

“Okay, fine. Sure. Fine,” he said, sighing in apparent resignation. He started to walk away, then acted like he suddenly got an idea. “I mean… I guess if you’re cool with potentially missing her.”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you on about now?”

“I’m just saying. If you’re worried about your goddess-chosen mate, there’s a pretty clear logic to going,” he said. “The goddess wants us to honor the will of our Alpha. The will of our Alpha is to track the rogues. I’ve done the hard part; we just have to actually go. Don’t you think, if you were the goddess, this would be the perfect time to put your mate in front of you?”

“Cai,” I said, flatly. “You are so full of s**t, it’s a wonder you can even get the words out without staining the carpet.”

Mordecai groaned. “Fine, fine. I’ll go on my own. Hopefully, your goddess-chosen mate isn’t there alone and looking scrumptious or I might just-”

I rose from the couch and socked him in the arm hard enough for him to fall over. “Ouch! You damn brute.”

“Shut your damn mouth, Cai,” I said, leaving the room. “And be ready in thirty minutes. I’m driving.”

Amelia POV

Sneaking to Kyle’s truck was the hard part. The easy part was wrapping myself burrito-style in a tarp and lying in the bed of his truck. There were flaws to this plan, I knew. Kyle drove like a madman from what I could see of the comings and goings of the pack, and I was bound to roll around a bit. But there wasn’t much else in the bed of his truck other than a toolbox weighed down with tools that should be too heavy to slide, and a pair of mud boots tucked in between the cab and the bed.

Oh, and some old T-posts and a T-post driver.

And a rake.

We successfully made it outside of the ‘pack borders.’ We didn’t really have official pack borders, considering we never stayed in one place for too long, so we considered our territory to be about 100 yards out from the outer ring in every direction. Once outside, I wasn’t too worried about being brought back- they were already in trouble as far as Alpha Rhyner was concerned, so why not let me enjoy the night?

If I could enjoy the night at this point.

The ride was bumpy and I was proven very wrong about the toolbox not moving. It bumped my arm hard enough that I just knew it was going to bruise. The rake and T-posts rolled into me too, and their ridges made for a very uncomfortable ride. He must have been speeding like a mad man for all the heavy things to slide around like this.

And the tarp was hot. I hadn’t thought how miserable it would be to be wrapped in it, or how sweaty and gross I would probably look afterwards. I struggled to free myself, but in an effort to hide myself well, I’d done too good a job of wrapping myself, and would need help escaping. So, for what felt like three hours of driving, I suffered.

It was closer to a half-hour drive, but damn if it didn’t feel like an eternity.

The truck finally rumbled to a halt, and moments later, both doors opened. The minute they did, I shouted, “Birdie!”

“Goddess, no,” Birdie groaned. I heard movement, though I wasn’t sure what she could be doing, then another groan. “Amelia Gold, please tell me you are not wrapped up in that tarp.”

“‘I am not wrapped up in that tarp,’” I replied. I paused to listen for her reaction. When I didn’t get one, I added, “Since that’s out of the way, can you help me out of this tarp?”

“Leave her,” Kyle said, trying to mask the chuckle in his voice. “It’d be a good lesson for her.”

Birdie sighed. “Gimme a minute, Ames.” The truck dipped as she climbed into the bed.

“No, really,” Kyle said. He sounded far less irritated than I’d expected, “If the heat doesn’t get to her, the boredom will. It’ll make her think twice about leaving camp again.”

I felt Birdie feeling out the tarp. She hefted me up and unwrapped my top half, peeling the tarp down to my waist.

Kyle laughed. “You look like the world’s dumbest, bluest banana.”

I looked at him, “I’m surprised you’re not angry with me.”

Kyle raised his eyebrows. “Oh, I probably should be. But this is a human party. There’s really nothing to be concerned about. Cut loose and have some fun tonight- because Rhyner’s going to skin you for this when you get back.”

Oof.

When I was finally free of the tarp, I stood and stretched my arms high over my head. “That feels so much better!”

“Where did you get an outfit like that?” Kyle asked, licking his lips.

I strutted proudly to the tailgate, “I made some amendments to one I already had. Like it?”

“Any man with any dignity would,” Kyle replied, offering his hand. I accepted and let him stabilize me while I jumped down. Already, there was a bonfire raging, and music playing at a high volume. “You know how to dance?”

“No,” I admitted. It hadn’t been on dad’s curriculum, and I had never thought to ask him.

Kyle grinned a wolfish grin. “Let me teach you, then.”

“Gross, guys,” Birdie said. “At least let me get a drink before you start acting all… gross.”

We ignored her and went nearer the fire and the music. Kyle put his hand on my waist and pulled me in close, then clasped his other hand in mine. We swayed and twirled to the music, feet moving in patterns I found difficult to memorize. I had known Kyle since we were pups. He’d always been a bully of a boy, knocking around the other boys. He used to bully me a bit too, before I’d developed curves, and he’d hit puberty.

When you get as lonely as I do, it’s pretty easy to forgive and forget.

Kyle and I had never crossed any lines, though- not that the temptation wasn’t there. We’d exchanged some longing looks and lingering touches, but he was banned from my trailer, and I was encouraged to stay away from the outer rings. The only chance we had to interact was around Birdie, and I got the sense she was also vying for his attention.

She got her drink and cut in, stealing my partner from my arms. I wasn’t upset- that just meant it was my turn to get a drink. They had all kinds of beer and some mixed drinks that I thought better of. Luckily, in a separate cooler, they had wine coolers of assorted flavors. I grabbed a margarita flavored one and found myself a seat by the fire.

“Come here often?” A guy said, sliding up to me.

I stared at him blankly for a moment, then let out a girlish giggle. “Do people still use that line?”

“Depends,” he said. “Did it work?”

“Not really,” I admitted, taking a sip. “What’s your name?”

“Gabin,” he replied. “Yours?”

“Amelia.” We shook hands, and I saw the way his eyes wandered my body. It felt good to be noticed for something other than my ‘gift.’ Even of the guys in the camp, no one but Kyle was brave enough to look at me as anything other than a meal ticket. I may not be interested in the human, but I was interested in his attention.

And his stories.

He told me about his work. He worked in IT- information technology. He worked on computers, he explained. Mostly the software aspect. He launched into stories about how most of the time, the computer worked as intended and it was all ‘user error’ as he called it. I’d never used a computer before, and I wasn’t sure what he meant by half of what he said, but he had a subtle charm to him, and a kind smile. When he asked me to dance, I didn’t decline.

When the time came for my second drink, I’d moved on from Gabin to a group of girls that were gossiping about some hot contractors that were working on the roof. They seemed happy enough to adopt me into the group for a while when one drunkenly asked my opinion on whether or not she should approach him. When I told her I was all for it, they cheered, and just like that, we were friends. We danced in a group for a while, until males prowled about and picked my new friends off one by one, leaving me to fetch my third drink.

I found Birdie this time, watching Kyle with a look of longing on her face. I sat beside her. We never talked about our shared crush- I think we knew that if we talked about it, it would disrupt our relationship. If I had to choose between Birdie and Kyle, I would choose Birdie, of course. But I don’t think I could avoid resenting her for making me choose.

It was better to continue on like we were, and let Kyle make the choice. That was the fair way, I thought.

“Enjoying the party?” I asked, tapping the bottom of my wine cooler with the bottom of her beer bottle.

She sighed. The girl I had encouraged to approach the contractor was flirting with Kyle, twisting her hair around her finger, and biting her lip. It was a little… hard to watch, I had to admit.

“No.” She said, finally.

I stood right back up and offered her hand. “Then how about a dance? You and me?”

Birdie looked up at me with a blank expression for a moment, then snorted a laugh. “Sure, Ames. Why not?”