Her Mates by Tamara White
Acknowledgments
This is the new revised edition of Her Mates, and I have so many people to thank. Firstly, my amazing editor for pushing through and helping me keep this the same story I loved. You made this story flow more smoothly, and by working alongside you, I’ve been learning even more along the way.
And my readers. So many of you volunteered to help in fixing up the content of this book, and so you were added to my beta or arc team to help me get there. You guys have made this book everything it is, and without the patience from the rest of you, I would have had a massive panic attack.
Thank you all for being amazing, and I can only hope it lives up to expectations.
One
As I look up at the building before me, I can’t help but feel nervous. The first day at a new school is always hard, and while I hate moving, it’s necessary for my father and I to survive.
A few weeks ago, Dad came home from work and told me it was time to move again. The wolves had gotten close to us and we couldn’t risk it. He already had a place in mind, so I said my goodbyes to the few friends I had and started the inevitable packing.
It’s normal for us not to stay in one place for too long. We have spent our lives moving to stay hidden from the packs who would hunt us down and kill us. I’ve always wondered why we relocate, especially as a child. Each time I questioned the move until one day, when I was only seven, I told my father I was going to run away because I didn’t want to leave my friends. That’s when he sat me down and told me exactly what we were and why we were running.
You see, it turned out my father, the soft-natured man I thought couldn’t harm a fly, was a werewolf. I am too, even though I can’t fully shift yet. I do, however, have all the abilities that come with being a wolf, such as enhanced strength, sense of smell, sight, and hearing. I just haven’t completely connected with my wolf yet.
Realistically, I should have turned fourteen months ago, on my sixteenth birthday, but for some reason, I didn’t.
My father stayed up all night with me, but nothing happened. We thought maybe I was just a late bloomer, and maybe it would happen on my seventeenth birthday but, again, nothing.
From what my father has told me, some wolves—very rarely though—may not shift until they meet their mate for the first time. Which, considering we’re on the run from the packs, won’t happen anytime soon.
So, I just have to hope that sooner or later my wolf will be freed from the cage in my mind, but maybe she won’t, and that’s okay too.
I shake my head, pushing all thoughts of shifting and the packs to the back of my mind, needing to focus on the here and now. I tend to get easily absorbed in my own thoughts.
As I stand here, looking at the school that’s larger than I’m used to, the nerves come back full force. Dad was supposed to be here to drop me off today and help me get the last few things sorted, but unfortunately, he had to go into work early for the training procedures for new staff.
He works at the ranger’s station up on the mountain. While it usually takes a while for humans to learn their way around, my dad has a little extra advantage with him being a wolf and all. It helps him track better than the humans, and him finding a job as a ranger was our best means of survival while being on the run from the packs.
Each of the packs own their own land, which gives them their fill of a variety of animals to hunt. We wolves need meat to survive, or we’ll grow weak and our wolves will turn rabid, feasting on the nearest flesh we can get our hands on.
Dad survives mainly on raw steaks from the butcher to help keep a low profile wherever we move. No one can really question a man for buying a freezer’s worth of meat once a month. Besides, we can’t exactly leave carcasses trailing after us from town to town, or the humans would start to become interested.
Having the ranger job, though, gives my father the chance to hunt in the national parks and cover it up as nothing more than an animal attack. However, it doesn’t mean we don’t have to be careful, not all places have wolves as a natural predator, and it’s not like we can leave behind a wolf kill when there are no wolves.
While my father needs the raw meat, I don’t seem to need it as often as he does. It’s only on rare occasions that I prefer raw meat over cooked meat.
Besides, hunting is not exactly something I do often. It would be bad for a human to come across me hunting, covered in blood with claws growing out of my fingers, my teeth elongated like some kind of wolf-human hybrid, whereas my dad hunting as a wolf would be completely natural.
On our first hunt together, I enjoyed the kill so much that it felt like my wolf took momentary control. I wanted to keep going, to hunt, to feed on the flesh of the animals in the woods, but when I caught sight of my father as a wolf while I was still human, I felt like an imposter. We still hunt together occasionally, I just prefer hunting alone now.
I bump into someone in the halls and apologize quickly before focusing on the administration section of the building. When I walk through the door, I’m greeted by a short, gray-haired older woman who’s sitting behind her desk and doing a crossword puzzle. She places her pen down when she hears the door shut behind me and raises her eyes to mine. “Hello, dear. What can I help you with today?”
I smile in response to her soft demeanor. She’s a lot nicer than some of the other secretaries I’ve come across in the past. They would act like me being in their school was a big inconvenience to them, especially when I was enrolling between semesters.
“Hi, um, today’s my first day. I’m here to pick up my schedule. My dad called earlier to let you know he would be unable to make it,” I tell her anxiously, my hands shaking from nervousness. It feels weird to be going through this routine without my father.
She smiles softly, just as you would expect to see from a favorite grandmother—warm and comforting. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
I blush in embarrassment, feeling foolish for forgetting to say my name. Duh, Dani, she needs your name to find your schedule. “Uh, Danielle Jackson, sorry. I should have said that to begin with.”
She smiles up at me, her pale blue eyes twinkling with warmth. “Ah, yes, Danielle. I remember now. Just give me a moment while I grab your schedule and a map. Would you like me to call someone down to give you a tour of the school and show you to your locker?”
I hesitate before politely answering, “No, thank you. I’ll be okay.”
“Okay then, dear, have a seat. I’ll just be a minute,” she says, before walking to the file cabinet behind her and digging through the mass of papers she has inside. Then, she moves to the second desk beside the one she was seated at and rifles through even more papers.
I take a seat next to the door, pulling out my phone as I watch her.
As much as I would like someone to give me the layout of the school, I don’t want them to call someone from class to help the new girl. It’s embarrassing enough being the center of attention in a new school, but having someone come down just to give me a tour, well, I can live without that humiliation. Even though the school may be bigger than what I’m used to, I’ll manage it on my own.
I look down at the phone in my hand before opening up the message screen to let Dad know I’m okay.
For as long as I can remember, we’ve messaged each other at least once a day to make sure the other is safe. One day, I didn’t hear from him, and I went to his job to find him trapped by four wolves.
They drugged his coffee at the station and were beating him for information on my mother. What they didn’t know was that she had died not long after I was born. Anyway, I busted in, effectively saving the day, but Dad was furious. He thought I took an unnecessary risk by saving him, and even though I knew he was mad as hell, I’d do the same thing.
Me: Hey, Dad. Everything’s okay. I’m in the office now, waiting for my schedule. Secretary seems nicer than the others. But yeah, I’m okay. I’ll see you after school.
My father replies almost instantly, making me smile. I know he was waiting for my text, and he’s probably even hiding in the bathroom at work so he can message me back. I know if he hadn’t heard from me soon, he would have called the school to ensure I got here. If they had no answers, he would charge in, trying to save me from whatever threat there was.
Dad: Okay, sweetheart. Hope you have a good day. I’ll cook dinner tonight. Call me if you need me xx.
I smile at his “xx.” At my last school, there was a lot of texting between myself and my friends, so I would send him texts with emojis or abbreviations. One time, I sent a text with an “xx” at the end, and he has continued doing it ever since. It’s become our little thing.
I put my phone away and move my bag from my shoulder to my lap, wrapping my arms around it as I watch the secretary continue to sort through her stuff.
After another five minutes, I’m about to give up and just wing it. I get to my feet to see if she wants my help when someone slams the door open. I move back a step just before it hits my face. If I’d been human, I’d be passed out cold on the floor with a door-shaped indent on my forehead.
“Yo, Mrs. D, I got detention again,” a deep male voice announces from the open doorway.
I freeze, my heart racing as if his voice ran through me, and I discreetly glance at him from the corner of my eye. As I take in his solid form, I have to stop myself from drooling. He’s wearing a football jersey and tight pants, and clutching a helmet under his arm. His short blond hair falls over his eyes and he brushes it aside, revealing bright baby blues. I try not to stare, but it’s hard with how attracted I am to him. I don’t understand why I feel this way toward a stranger, but he’s someone I could see myself dating. Football guys just seem to be my type, plain and simple.
No! You’re not allowed to develop attachments, Dani, so don’t get ahead of yourself. There’s no harm in smelling him though.
I inhale deeply. The room is filled with mustiness and a cloying perfume, but there, underneath everything, is the scent that’s all his—mint and earth. I freeze, trying hard to breathe normally as panic overtakes me at what I just smelled. The mint, while slightly different than the mint leaves you would smell from the plant, isn’t the problem. The earth tone to his scent is only linked to one thing—wolves. I should know, because my dad always smells strongly of earth, especially after he’s shifted. My wolf, however, perks up when the scent registers, and I have no choice but to accept he’s a wolf.
I fight the urge to flee and keep as still as I can, hoping he won’t notice me. Other wolves don’t seem to be able to scent the wolf on me, reading me as nothing more than human, something my father and I found out not too long ago. But I still worry about the day when one will scent wolf on me and attack.
“Just a second, Pete, and then I’ll deal with you,” the secretary, or Mrs. D as he called her, replies, having finally found my paperwork.
Pete finally notices me standing here and cocks his head curiously.
Oh God, please don’t let him figure out what I am, I pray, hoping he’ll just dismiss me so I can get out of here. I knew sooner or later I’d run into a wolf at school. Rogue wolves aren’t that uncommon from what my father has told me.
“Sorry, I didn’t hit you, did I? I thought the room was empty,” he apologizes, looking at the door and back to me as if he knows it should have hit me.
“No, I moved at the same time you opened it. Guess I was just lucky,” I reply, forcing a smile that probably looks more like a grimace. I’m too skittish from being in the same room with another wolf.
All my training says to defend myself, but I can’t exactly beat the crap out of a student then walk away from the secretary as if nothing happened. She’d think I was insane.
What do I do? Do I call Dad? If I do, though, it’ll mean we’ll have to move again, and I’m tired of moving all the time. I just want to settle down.
He’s studying me with a look of curiosity on his face, as if he knows something about me is off, and if he wasn’t a wolf, I’d be returning his interest, but there’s no way that’s happening. He’s way out of my league, wolf or not.
I look like nothing more than a mash of different features all thrown together, and no matter how much Dad assures me that it will change after I shift, I don’t believe it.
My hair is a bland orange, almost full ginger in color. After being teased growing up, I tried to dye it black, but it just washed out in the shower. My face, while slightly symmetrical, is a bit of a mess. My green eyes, thin lips, and small nose just don’t look right in the mirror. It’s like something is off.
Then there’s my body. I’m very athletic, having trained most of my life to defend myself, so I’m pretty solidly built, but when you add in a sizeable chest, ass, and wide hips, well, it makes me look… off. Trust me, I’ve had many girls question me about why I look the way I do, but now I just try to ignore all the negativity. I can’t change the way I look, and while I haven’t fully accepted myself, I’m on the way there.
This guy though? He looks like the very embodiment of a jock. From his strong, muscular arms and legs, which are highlighted by his football uniform, to his plump lips that look like they were made to be kissed.
No, Dani, you can’t be attracted to a wolf,I chide, cursing myself for being so easily distracted by his looks. I never believed I was the type of person who would be so into looks, but something about this Pete guy has my gaze swinging back.
The thin barrier between my wolf and me rattles as she stares at him through my eyes.
The secretary coughs, grabbing my attention, and I realize she’s been waiting for me to take the schedule and map from her. She smirks cheekily as she waves the papers in front of me. “Here you go, dear. I wrote your locker number and combination on the bottom of your schedule for you. If you get lost, just knock on one of the classrooms, and one of the teachers will be happy to tell you where to go.”
“Thank you.” I smile gratefully as I hike my bag higher on my shoulder and turn to walk out the door, brushing by Pete as I do. I hear a soft growl before the door shuts behind me, and I breathe out a sigh of relief.
My gaze goes down to the map in my hand and I study it, trying to memorize the halls, praying I don’t get lost on my first day. As I walk down the corridor, I push all thoughts of Pete to the back of my mind, choosing to deal with it later. I’m probably going to have to tell Dad at some point, but I’m electing to believe he’s just one random wolf.
Strolling down the main hall, I notice all the lockers are numbered in ascending order, so it doesn’t take me long to find mine.
I’m pulling my books from my bag and placing them into my locker when I hear the telltale sound of footsteps approaching. At first, I stay focused on my task, not wanting to be noticed, when I hear talking and laughing. I hurry to get out of here, hoping to avoid another run-in with the wolf.
I finish putting my books in my locker just as Pete and two girls come into view. He has his arms wrapped over their shoulders while they giggle and blush, staring up at him with adoring eyes. I feel a growl build in my chest and have the strongest urge to rip them away from him. It takes everything in me to refrain from doing what my wolf demands.
I just want him because I haven’t been around other wolves. That’s all this is. I’m not jealous. This is just some weird reaction from only spending time around my father’s wolf. At least that’s what I tell myself.
Slamming my locker closed, I walk down the hallway before they can reach me. I don’t want more exposure to other wolves than absolutely necessary, and judging by the scent of earth clinging to the air, those girls with Pete are wolves too. Either that, or they spend enough time with Pete that his scent clings to them, which is something my wolf is none too pleased about.
I’m almost to the door of what’s supposed to be my first class when someone grabs my arm and pulls me backwards as I reach for the handle.
I immediately go on the offensive, spinning around and punching them in the face before crouching into the defensive stance my dad taught me.
Pete is staring at me, holding the left side of his face where a distinguishable purple welt is already growing. He looks both impressed and confused by what I’ve done.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Oh, crap. I’m going to die on my first day of school.
Although he doesn’t look angry, I know it only takes a split second for them to snap.
“Jeez, girl, calm down. I can smell your fear from here. I’m not going to hurt you,” he grumbles, looking irritated rather than angry as he removes his hand from his face to rub the back of his neck. For safety’s sake, I don’t loosen my stance. I need to be ready in case he decides to attack.
Wait, where are the girls he had with him? I look around quickly, trying to find them, worried they’ll attack while my back is turned.
Pete wraps his arms around me from behind, locking my arms at my sides as he sniffs my neck before I have time to react. Boy, did I screw up. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off him. Dad is going to be so furious I let my guard down after everything he’s taught me.
“Please just make it quick,” I beg, closing my eyes. I just have to hope Dad will be okay without me. After a few moments, he moans softly before letting me go.
When I open my eyes, I’m shocked to see he’s backed away, holding his hands up peacefully and staring at me in confusion.
“You don’t know who I am, do you? Please tell me you at least have an inkling of what you are to me?” he asks, tilting his head, puzzled.
“I know you’re a wolf. What I don’t understand is why you aren’t trying to kill me.” I angle my head to the side, mimicking his posture as I stare at him.
After everything my father has said about them killing me on sight, I’m a little surprised Pete didn’t. He had me right where he wanted me. He could have done it and hid my corpse in a locker or something, and no one would have found me for days. At least that’s what happens in those crime shows I watch on TV.
He blanches, gawking at me in complete shock. “What? Why would I kill you?” He looks so confused by the idea that I’d think he would murder me. Dad said that even though I smell human, it’s always possible for them to pick up his scent from me. Maybe he was wrong?
“I would never hurt you. You’re my mate.”
I stare at him for a moment, feeling laughter bubbling up.
His mate? What? I don’t feel any mate-like connection. The mate connection is a sacred link between two wolves that’s felt on a deep, instinctual level. You feel drawn to your mate as if they are the only person in the world. They are the one person you’re destined to be with. When you meet your mate, it will feel like the stars aligned to bring you together.
Yes, I feel attracted to Pete, but it isn’t something strong enough for me to deem it a mate connection. It’s more chemical than mystical. And while I bet he would look amazing as a wolf, he’s not my mate.
I need to get out of here. I need to talk to Dad and figure out what to do, because this can’t be happening. Not on my first day.
Laughter echoes down the hall, and Pete turns to look behind him, so I take my chance. I turn tail and sprint as fast as I can away from him, not stopping as I run through the parking lot of the school and down the bus route. I still don’t know my way around, so following the bus route home seemed like the safest option to stop me from becoming lost in a new town.
Twenty minutes later, I pull my keys from my bag with shaky hands, and I slide it into the lock before pushing my way into our apartment and bolting the door behind me.
I need to talk to Dad. Now.
I drop my bag onto the floor by the front door, dig out my phone, and call his number. He doesn’t answer, which doesn’t surprise me considering it’s his first day, so I resort to sending him a text.
Me: Hey, Dad. Look, I know it’s my first day, but I had to leave school. I met a wolf. He said I was his mate. What do I do? Do we leave?
While I wait for Dad to text me back, I run through the apartment and close the windows, locking them just in case. Even though we’re on the second floor, I’m not taking any chances. Besides, if everything’s locked, it will give me a head start.
Once the house is secured, I walk into my room and sit on the bed. Reaching into the bedside table, I pull out the small revolver Dad stashed in here, load it, and place it on the table, ready for anyone who comes for me. The house is eerily silent as I wait for an attack, so when my phone buzzes, I jump. I open it, feeling calmer when I see a reply from my dad.
Dad: Hey, honey. I’ll be home soon, but everything will be okay. I knew we were moving to a town with wolves. I’ll explain everything once I’m home.
Sitting on my bed, I read the message over and over, trying to make sense of it. Dad knew there were wolves here? Why didn’t he tell me? Better yet, if he knew I would meet one, why would he send me to school without telling me? He knows how defensive I get when wolves are mentioned based on the fact that they killed my mother, but to hide that we have moved into a town with wolves? It doesn’t make any sense.
