Catching Kate (Book 2.5 She-Wolf Series)

Kate

I flew down the road to the pack house in Sam’s SUV.

In Chicago, I hardly ever drove. My condo was within walking distance to my office, and I mostly took taxis otherwise. Here though, the open spaces and secluded landscape meant driving was a necessity. Especially since I couldn’t turn into a gigantic werewolf on demand like most of the other residents.

I hadn’t realized that I missed the quiet of the forest until I moved. Sam and I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors. Our family did the whole camping and hiking thing, and Dad taught us how to fish and track wild game. Looking back, it made sense considering we’re half werewolf.

Or at least Sam was. It turns out there is no such thing as “half”. A person was either a werewolf, or - like me - they weren’t.

In the beginning, a part of me resented her. I think most people would choose to have super powers if given the option. After watching what she went through, I decided my life was probably simpler the way it was. She quickly met her fated mate, the werewolf king, and was forced to choose between becoming his queen or giving up her soulmate to protect her teenage son, Luke, from the call of the alpha.

I would never let my big sister sacrifice an eternity of happiness out of fear for her son’s future, so moving on to pack lands to look out for him was a no-brainer. She had already given up everything for Luke countless times in her life. Not that she saw it that way or that I thought she made the wrong decision.

I adored Luke. Everyone did. I just felt that Sam deserved the opportunity to follow her destiny. It was a good thing she did since an all-power, dark witch was now trying to destroy the world.

Or something like that.

I was still unclear on the details. It really didn’t matter all that much, anyway. The king forbade anyone in his inner circle from discussing it with outsiders. I decided I wasn’t going to waste energy worrying about something that “didn’t concern me”, as my almighty brother-in-law put it.

Instead, I spent my time keeping Luke out of trouble and fending off my own apparent fated mate. Shortly after deciding to move to the Redclaw Pack, I met Emerick Stone. The moment my eyes landed on his, he felt a profound connection that I was all but oblivious to.

Lucky me.

Apparently for the first time in history, a werewolf was destined for a mere human who loved practicing law and keeping people at a distance. Not every werewolf found their fated mate, but if they did, the drive to seal the bond was a powerful one.

And, of course he was the sweetest, most thoughtful guy ever. He had also fucked my perfect, big sister. Then he pined over her for the following year, tried to get her to reject her own fated mate, and dropped everything to protect her son because of his devotion to her.

How was I supposed to follow up to that?

Although Sam assured me that nothing trumped the bond he felt for me, it still made the whole situation incredibly weird.

On top of that, I wasn’t looking to settle down. The mate-thing was a lifelong commitment. Not even the best divorce attorney could separate us. Since I had never even kept a houseplant for more than a few months, the idea absolutely terrified me.

Not that I would admit it.

As I pulled into the pack house parking lot, my eyes landed on the tall-dark-and-handsome man I couldn’t seem to shake. Emerick leaned against his blue muscle car, holding two cups of coffee. He looked absolutely tempting in his blue chinos and white, button up shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscled forearms.

His head swiveled as he followed my car through his black aviators into my parking spot. He stepped up to the door when I cut the engine.

“Good morning, Kate.”

“Emerick,” I acknowledged his greeting curtly.

He gave a small grin despite my cold attitude. I did my absolute best to shut the guy out, but damn if that smirk didn’t get me every time. He knew it, too.

“Thirteenth time’s the charm,” he said, handing me one of the drinks he was holding.

It was a game he insisted on playing. I refused to give him my coffee order, so he snuck a sniff of mine one day. Since then, he had been trying to match my drink of choice by smell alone.

I rolled my eyes, but took a sip.

Fuck, he got it.

“Nope. Still not right,” I lied.

“Bullshit,” he smiled wider.

“It’s close. Still tastes like shit, though.” I turned to walk away.

“I can hear your heart rate, Kate,” he called, following close behind. “I know you’re lying.”

Stupid werewolf powers.

“You must be losing a step from the mate bond,” I shot back. “I’m not lying.”

He stayed quiet but I could hear his footsteps still trailing me.

It was a low blow. I knew that the incomplete bond would slowly rob him of his heightened senses. It’s what happened with my sister and King Ivar, her husband. Both of them were immortal and arguably the most powerful werewolves to walk the earth. Each had slowly lost their capability to heal along with their strength and other abilities when they fought their connection.

The same would happen to Emerick. He wasn’t immortal or an alpha, so it might be worse for him. Although I insisted I didn’t feel guilty, it was hard not to.

I wound my way through the pack house hallways until I stood outside the Alpha’s office - Luke’s office now. It was still strange to think of my sixteen year old nephew as the alpha of one of the largest werewolf packs in the world. Almost as weird as the fact that werewolves actually existed.

I knocked on the door and found him pouring over paperwork with Michael at his side. The beta took on a much larger responsibility since Sam left to fulfill her duties as Queen. He was teaching Luke everything he could, but it would still take time for the young alpha to come into his own.

“Hey, Aunt Kate,” Luke greeted, without looking up. “Do you have the contract for the Dark Hills Pack ready?”

The kid was all business these days. I supposed he had to be. An alpha was akin to a CEO of a company, dictator of a small country, and general of an army all in one. Sam was right about the weight of it for someone so young.

“Yes, Luke,” I assured him. “It should be in your email.” I took the empty chair across his desk. “I planned to let you know during breakfast this morning. Imagine my surprise when you didn’t join me.”

He glanced up and I gave him a pointed look. The day after his mom left, Luke started leaving before the sun rose to begin his work day.

“Sorry,” he muttered, his expression unreadable. “There were some things I needed to get ahead of here.”

“You still need to eat,” I argued. “I haven’t seen you have an actual meal in a week.”

The air in the room became tense. Instead of answering, my nephew narrowed his eyes at me and set his jaw.

“Gentlemen,” he addressed Michael and Emerick. “I need a minute with Ms. McClain.”

They both rose and immediately headed towards the exit. Once the door had closed behind them, I tilted my head curiously.

“Kate,” Luke started, his voice tight. “I’m the alpha. Do not speak to me like I’m a child in my own office.”

“First off, it’s Aunt Kate to you,” I snapped. “Secondly, you are a child whether you’re the alpha or not. Food is non-negotiable. As is school, which I’m told you haven’t attended in five days.”

He looked away and took a deep breath. I could tell he was trying to calm himself. Considering he was running on about six hours of sleep over the last three days and surviving on Hot Pockets and Cheetos, I was surprised his wolf hadn’t already broken loose to raze the pack house altogether.

I knew I needed to tread lightly, which was not necessarily my forte.

“Lukey,” I said, calmly. “It’s okay to take a break. There are plenty of people here to help you. No one is expecting you to do it all right now.”

He shook his head, looking disgusted.

“You don’t get it,” he argued. “That’s what it means to be Alpha, Aunt Kate. An alpha is supposed to do all of this.”

“You will,” I told him. “But not all at once. It took your mom a while to find her footing.”

He scoffed. “No it didn’t.”

“Really? Because I got several phone calls from her on the edge of a mental break. She had to learn on the fly - just like you - and she was dealing with her ‘fated mate’ issues. It wasn’t easy for her either.”

He leaned back in his chair. I watched as he stared off into space, and his expression became weary.

“She just made it look so easy,” he admitted. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to follow in her shoes.”

“Kiddo,” I said, gently. “You aren’t. You’re supposed to do your best and make your own way.”

He looked to the pile of paperwork on his desk. “There’s just so much to learn. How did Mom figure it all out?”

“Well, she already had experience running a business,” I shrugged. “Most of the paperwork-y type stuff she was familiar with. The rest of it…” I paused, “You’ll have to ask her. She’s a natural born leader. You both are really. I think she just did what she thought was right.”

He stayed quiet and stared at his hands.

“You can ask her tonight,” I told him. “She’s coming for dinner. Gran’s making fajitas.”

“Great,” he muttered.

“Luke, she’s worried.”

“I know,” he conceded. “I just don’t want to keep disappointing her.”

“Then don’t,” I told him, rising from my chair. “Tonight, just be her son - not the alpha.”

Sam and Luke butted heads every time they were in the same room since her wedding and the fallout from it. Initially, she said she wouldn’t leave after Tatianna revealed herself and attacked the pack. Luke argued that her staying weakened his status as Alpha. Most of the pack council had agreed.

She moved with Ivar, but then Trinity, her new sister-in-law, teleported her back to spend everyday on Redclaw Pack lands. It made for awkward situations when mother and son held conflicting opinions. No one knew whose direction to follow considering one was their Alpha and the other, their Queen.

In the end, Luke asked her to limit her time until he established himself as sole leader. Sam was devastated, but Michael and Emerick pointed out that a weak alpha might encourage a challenge. Ivar warned her that it could be difficult politically to stop someone from challenging Luke since werewolf law dictated any Alpha had to defend their leadership when confronted.

For the last week, Sam had complied with Luke’s request and stayed in Canada. It didn’t stop her from calling me and her friends multiple times a day to check in.

“And Luke?” I called behind me. “School remains non-negotiable. Figure it out.”

“You should invite Emerick to dinner,” he said just as the door swung open.

My gaze landed on the man who was my constant shadow leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Our eyes met for a moment before I turned back to Luke and mouthed screw you.

Luke smirked back. I knew he could sense Emerick standing outside the door. His suggestion was a calculated move.

“Sounds great,” I said loudly.

Emerick fell in stride beside me as I marched to my own office down the hall.

“You don’t have to invite me,” he said after a moment.

“No, I don’t,” I agreed. “But Sam would love to see you.”

It wasn’t a lie. Sam still thought Emerick walked on water, or at least that’s how she made it out to me. I knew they were friends and she cared about him, but the dynamic between the three of us was awkward.

“Kate,” he pulled me from my thoughts with a hand on my arm. “I know this is hard for you.”

“That’s an understatement,” I mumbled.

“I know,” he repeated. “But please realize, I’m trying.”

I met his eyes and saw the desperation in them.

“Emerick, I don’t feel the same way that you do,” I told him for the thousandth time.

“I’m aware,” he said, coolly. “That doesn’t mean we can’t give it a try.”

“I don’t want a relationship,” I told him bluntly. “Not with you or anyone else.”

“Kate -”

“Emerick,” I cut him off. “Why won’t you just reject me?”