When He's An Alpha (The Olympus Pride #2) - Suzanne Wright Page 0,13

face anymore.

Shifters didn’t always survive the breaking of the mating bond. The mating bond was special in that it could bind two people in a metaphysical way that fed every bit of their soul. But if a shifter lost their true mate and that bond thereby snapped, they also lost a huge part of themselves.

“Before we get into what I want to speak with you about,” began Vinnie, “tell me why you’ve been in a perpetual pissed-off state over the past week.”

Tate rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’ve just got shit on my mind.”

“Would that shit be related to the pretty little devil shifter you were seeing?”

Tate narrowed his eyes at the “were.” He hadn’t yet made it public that his fling with Havana was over. “Who told you I was no longer seeing her?”

“It was a guess based on your sour mood. Am I right?”

Tate merely gave a curt nod, not wanting to discuss it.

“By the way you’re grinding your teeth, I’m sensing you’re not happy about it.”

Tate just gave a nonchalant shrug, though he felt anything but nonchalant. The truth was … he missed her. He’d never gotten involved with a female like Havana before. Someone who intrigued, tempted, and challenged both man and feline in equal measures. Which was no doubt why his cat missed her, too. She could hold their attention in a way that no other female ever had, not even the one they’d almost imprinted on.

Tate did his best not to think about Havana, but many times he’d found himself wondering where she was, what she was doing, who she was doing it with. She cropped up in his thoughts far too often, especially at night. He couldn’t even jack off without her appearing in his mind’s eye, so then he’d end up coming to memories of the times he’d had her beneath him. He hadn’t taken another female to his bed as it wouldn’t have been fair to them when his mind was on Havana.

Okay, that was a barefaced fucking lie. He hadn’t taken another female to his bed because he didn’t want another female. He wanted Havana.

He still couldn’t quite believe he’d almost marked her. The urge had come out of nowhere and crawled all over him. More disturbing, it hadn’t left him. He felt it everywhere. It was like a hum in his blood. A pounding in his veins. A craving in his gut. An itch he couldn’t reach, because it seemed to be beneath his flesh.

The disconcerting urge hadn’t lessened with time. If anything, it seemed to have intensified. He would have questioned if she could be his true mate if the impulse to brand her had stemmed from possessiveness. But it was more of a need to dominate, to force her to submit to his wants and not leave his side until he was good and ready. Which meant he had no business leaving any such mark on her.

His cat, being a mostly selfish creature, didn’t agree. The feline wanted to find her. No, hunt her. Catch her. But Tate knew his cat wouldn’t wish to keep her, and therein lay the problem.

“Walking away is definitely the right thing to do if a relationship doesn’t have a future,” said Vinnie. “You’ll find your true mate eventually, or someone who you care for enough to take as a mate. Havana will do the same. I once read that loners tend to have more luck finding their true mates—probably because they often travel. A beautiful woman like her won’t struggle to find a man.”

Jealousy swirled in his belly, and Tate had to bite back a growl. He tossed his father an impatient look. “Stop trying to bait me. It pisses me off.”

“Most things do lately.” Vinnie sobered. “And, completely off the subject of Havana, my news is definitely not going to improve your mood any.”

Even as Tate’s shoulders bunched with tension, he said, “Go on.”

Vinnie leaned forward and rested his clasped hands on the table. “Priscilla called me earlier. Apparently, Ashlynn wishes to return to the pride.”

Shock slammed into Tate, making his thoughts go blank for just a moment. His cat peeled back his upper lip—the feline hadn’t yet forgiven their ex-partner. “Why is it that Priscilla never came to me with this?”

“It’s not because she struggles to accept that you’re now Alpha, if that’s your concern. She’s been a friend of mine for years. She’s worried you’ll turn down Ashlynn’s request, so she came to me for advice on