Chosen (4 page)

C
old water splashes
on my face as I attempt to wash off restaurant grime. The paper towel is rough on my skin when I dry off, and I run my damp hands through my loose hair. My curls are full with my new haircut, and I shake my head to let them fall forward. I sigh as I study my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I wonder if Parker thinks I’m pretty or if he’s too consumed by true mate lust to care.

I close my eyes and play back the worn-out memory of our kiss the other day. I suppose my appearance doesn’t matter, because he left no doubt he’s attracted to me physically. But is that enough? Am I really destined to be with a man that I think is a class A douche? A light rapping on the wooden door captures my attention, and I call out, “Just a minute.” My backpack yanks at my shoulder as I hoist it over my arm, and I exit the bathroom so the diner patron can use it.

When I get outside, I notice the dirty remains of the snow banks from clearing the parking lot are finally gone, and heat radiates up from the asphalt that had been warmed by the sun. I set my sights on the large black truck in the distance.
This is it.
My life is about to change, because while I’m not sure what happens next, I am sure that Parker Hoyt is about to become my future.

My mother made it her life’s work to ensure I knew that a man wasn’t a necessary fixture in my life. And I grew up without a father figure. I suppose that’s also why I never had much interest in boys the way most girls do. But I know more about sex than your average person. Mom made sure of that. So while I may be a virgin, I have a pretty good idea what I’ve been missing.

Before I get to the truck, a door groans open, and Parker hops down to stand before me. The afternoon sun is behind him, and his hair glows in the light as if he’s magical. A nervous giggle threatens to escape, because we both are mythical creatures. He smiles as I approach. “Thank you for agreeing to talk to me. I thought maybe we could go for a walk.”

I nod, because I’m not quite ready to be in a small, enclosed space with him. Around the corner from the diner is a park where kids play, and I ask, “Should we go to the playground?”

“Yes.” He reaches for my backpack. “I can keep this in my truck for you.” The sexual predator is gone. I think Parker Hoyt is trying to be nice.

“Sure.”

The metal door slams, and we proceed to the sidewalk. Parker says, “You said you don’t like me because of the way I treat women. What have you heard?”

“That you have lots of them. Sometimes more than one at a time.”

Parker chuckles and says, “That’s not something I expected to come out of your mouth. I get the impression you’re a bit sheltered.”

“I may not be very social, but you’d be amazed at the things people talk about when they go out to eat.” We walk slowly, and I kick a rock with my shoe. It skitters across the concrete.

“Well, those days are over.” Parker is silent as if he’s thinking and then says, “I’m sorry I bit you.”

I clench my fists.
Whoa. Parker was the one that bit me?
He’s the reason I’ve been in heat for five springs in a row? I take a deep breath to tamp down my anger and ask, “Would we still be true mates if you hadn’t bitten me?”

“Yes. I know it’s got to be strange for you, but we don’t have control over this.” When I don’t speak, he adds, “Werewolves can spend a lifetime searching for their true mate. It’s a big deal when you find her.”

We’ve reached the park, and he leads us over to a picnic table that’s set apart from the children playing by the swings.

I let out a small cry of surprise when he lifts me onto the table and sits on the bench between my legs. Heat is radiating from his body, and I fight the urge to lean in and kiss the mouth that is now level with mine. The vivid color of his eyes is mesmerizing, and I ask, “Is that why you bit me?”

My body begins to tremble from desire, but Parker doesn’t touch me. His gaze is intense and darkens as he answers, “Yes. I shouldn’t have.”

While he seems sincere, I’m not willing to just let it go. Lust is clouding my judgment, and I lean away from him.

“It was awful. I thought something was wrong with me all these years.”

“I tried to find you,” he says. “Do you know what being my true mate means?”

“Devon and Katie Lindholm told me a little bit. They said that you have to love me and won’t want to be with anyone else.”

“That’s true.” He flashes me a movie-star smile. “You’re the only girl for me now.”

I squint at him. “Sucks to be you.”

Parker groans. “I want to touch you, but I need you to understand everything before I do. Because”—he rakes a hand through his hair—“I can barely think straight now.”

I smile in sympathy. “I’m having the same problem. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”

“What? Why would you say such a thing?”

“I’m not like the girls you usually date.”

He shakes his head. “Those girls were a way to pass the time until I found you.”

“But—”

He lets out a low growl, and the sound makes me want to squirm. “But nothing. God, you’re so sexy with those curves and your ass.” He glances down at his lap and says, “See for yourself what you do to me.”

I look quickly, and it makes me even hotter thinking he wants me the way I want him. I ask, “Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

His laugh is loud and contagious. I join in and forget myself when I place my hand on his shoulder. I stop laughing when the zing of our connection races through me, but before I can remove my hand, Parker takes it.

“I want to be with you more than I want to breathe, but I don’t think you’re ready. If we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, I need you to want me for more than my body.”

I grin at him. “That’s supposed to be my line.”

He releases my hand to stroke my cheek with his finger, and a small whimper crosses my lips. Parker says, “I already want you for more than your body.”

I gaze into the face I can imagine looking at for the rest of my life. I’m reminded of the insta-love my mother writes about. Never did I think it could happen.
This is ridiculous.
No. I’m so not a romance heroine.

Parker says, “There’s something else you need to know. I have to make love to you for us to seal our mate bond.”

I whisper, “I know.” My hand flies to my scar on my collarbone, and the memory of his painful bite comes to mind.

The memory fades into an odd sensation as my core twinges in longing for our next step. The table shudders when I lift my feet up to place them on the surface and jump off. The earth is firm when I land, and the impact reverberates through my legs. “I’m not ready.”

P
arker walked
me to the trailer park, and when he gave me a questioning look about where I lived, I took satisfaction in letting him think I’m a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. After all, if I’m going to end up with a cocky jerk, I want him to suffer thinking he’s getting trailer trash.

My mom is out running errands to stock up on supplies before she starts another marathon writing session, and I’m grateful to have the house to myself. Cabinet doors slam as I open and close them, searching for something good to eat. I finally settle on a frozen juice treat that may have been in the freezer for over a year. Water rushes in the sink as I rinse off the frosty outer layer. The more time I spend thinking about finding my true mate, the more upset I get. I don’t want to be with Parker Hoyt for the rest of my life. It’s like my own personal hell.

I bite into the frozen purple treat and regret it the moment my teeth throb in pain. There has to be a way out of this. What kind of divine power would think Parker and me should be together? I suck hard on the frozen substance. I wonder what would happen if I moved far away and never came back. But that won’t work, because I recall Katie telling me that your true mate is miserable without you. While I don’t like Parker, I don’t think he deserves to spend a lifetime unhappy. Plus I bet it would make me feel the same way.

The icy juice thuds in the metal sink when I toss it there, and I pound my way over to the couch. I plop down and grab a throw pillow to hug to my chest. Maybe Paul Ryan can help me. He did say he’d talk to me anytime. I release my death grip on the pillow and make my way over to my backpack to search for the alpha’s number. The card is smooth in my hand as I read the number and tap it into my phone.

A half hour later I’m back into town to meet with Paul. He owns a jewelry shop, and I guess he was waiting for me, because he opens the door before I can push it. “Hello, Trixie.”

“Hi.” I can’t look him in the eye, because I feel foolish for not wanting something I know I should be grateful I found.

“Let’s go to my office, where we can speak privately.” Paul turns to a beautiful woman. “Please don’t disturb us.”

She nods and offers me a kind smile. I try to give one back, but I think it might have resembled a grimace, considering the fact I want to vomit.

The door to Paul’s office snicks shut behind him, and he offers me a seat. Instead of going behind his desk, he sits in another chair near me. His voice is soft when he asks, “What can I help you with?”

I shift in my chair as his scent sends tingles of desire through my veins. “Now that I’m here, I’m afraid I’m being selfish for what I want to ask.”

“Don’t. Just ask. I can assure you I’ve been asked far worse.” He smiles at me and says, “I’m not going to judge you for it.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “I want to know if there’s any way to break the true mate connection.”

“Ah. So you’ve found your true mate?”

I nod quickly. “Yes, and we’re not a good match.”

“You’re sure he’s your true mate?”

“Yes. He has to be because… well, he says we are. And even the way he looks at me gets under my skin.” I wrap my arms around myself as if I’m cold.

“I see. So why don’t you want to be with him?”

“He’s not a nice guy. He fights, and uses women, and I can’t imagine spending my life with someone I don’t like.”

“Trixie, I won’t force you to be with someone that awful. Who is it?”

“Parker Hoyt.”

Paul smiles slowly. He stands and says, “Let’s take a walk. I have something I want to show you.”

We make our way back to the showroom, and he tells the woman he’ll return later. When we get outside, the late-afternoon sun isn’t as warm as earlier today, and a cool breeze blows a curl into my face. I swipe it out of the way. Paul says, “Parker has had a difficult past. Did you know that when a wolf leaves his pack, he becomes incredibly lonely?”

“I didn’t.”

“When Parker left to play for the NFL, he was quite successful, but he paid a price.” Paul glances at me. “Those fights you heard about were his self-destructive behavior. He’s been back with us for a year now, and I’ve seen a noticeable difference in his temperament.”

Yeah, right.

We’re in front of the high school, and Paul turns into the drive. He asks, “What do you know about football?”

“Not much. The game has never interested me.”

The ground beneath our feet is soft as we walk over grass toward the athletic fields. I hear a whistle blow, and when we get past the school building, I discover a team practice. Ponytails and braids bounce as the girls run, and as we get closer, I realize Parker is the coach.

Paul says, “Winter Valley is going to have a female football team this year.”

My jaw drops. I gaze at Paul, and he’s grinning. I say, “This is not what I would have expected.”

“I guessed as much. Did you know it was Parker’s idea?”

“Really?”

Paul nods. “He wants girls to enjoy the sport as much as boys do, and this is his baby.”

I try to wrap my mind around the idea that the Parker Hoyt I know would think females could play his sport. “Does he coach boys too?”

“No. He’s devoted to getting the girls’ program off the ground instead.”

We stop, and I watch him help a player with her pass. He pats her shoulder when she does it right and moves on to another girl.

This one seems to be having trouble, and he breaks down how to throw a football in a way that even I can imagine how it should be done.

The patience he exhibits surprises me. But not enough that I don’t notice the rippling muscles in his forearm as he demonstrates how to pass the ball.

Parker glances up and notices me. His smile forms slowly as his gaze reaches me and seems to plunge right into my very being, making every inch of me crave his touch.

Once Paul leaves, Parker blows the whistle and tells the team to take a five-minute break. He comes toward me when they do. Muscles ripple in his thighs, and I’m caught off guard when he tosses a ball gently at me. I’m no athlete, and I fumble before I catch it. I let out a little squeak when I do. “I don’t think I would have made your team.”

Parker is smiling at me, and my heart beats a little faster. He says, “If you wanted to play, you’d be on the team. I’ll take anyone that wants to learn.” He glances around before speaking again. “By the way, I have a ‘no girls watching me at practice’ rule.” His grin gets wider as he steps closer. “But that was before I met you.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, where are all your groupies? Did you send out a group text telling them you’re done?”

“Something like that. Rest assured, you’re the only one.”

I gaze into his eyes, and an idea comes to me. “I’d like you to meet my mother.” I realize I’m testing him in more ways than one when I add, “Please come to my house for dinner tomorrow night.”

I’m impressed when he doesn’t miss a beat. “I’d love to.”

I hand Parker the ball and rise up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Six o’clock. My mother loves Merlot.”

Parker wraps an arm around my waist to pull me closer, and my inhale is sharp as my body begins to melt in his embrace. He says, “Hang out for fifteen more minutes, and I’ll take you home. I might die if I don’t get to kiss you, and I can’t do it in front of the girls.”

I nod, because I’m not sure I have any words, and when he releases me, I fight to keep my knees from buckling. Once he gets back to the team, I chuckle when a player teases him. “Coach Hoyt has a girlfriend.” He cuffs her helmet playfully.

I watch the practice and determine I need to do some research and learn the rules of football. I’m relieved and thrilled that my assessment of my true mate was wrong. When practice is over and Parker places an arm around my shoulders to walk me to his truck, my mind doesn’t tell my body to shut up. And I snuggle against the man I’m going to give a chance.