Unwanted

Teegan's P.O.V.

So I guess I've found my mate. I don't know what to think about that yet. He's attractive, and I can't deny the pull and sparks I feel with him. However, accepting him would be like accepting a life I know nothing about.

"If you mess this up, I will shift right here and hump his leg. Try me, and I can make you look like a fool." Okay, so we all know Mia's opinion. When Joel leads me to an Aston Martin, I look at him in surprise. Did everyone else picture werewolves living like those in the movie Twilight? I was sure I was going to be taken to a beat-up truck or half-broken-down car. I'm not a material person; I don't even have a car, but I recognize nice things.

"This is your car?" I ask in awe. He smiles as he holds open the passenger door for me.

"Yes. I love driving it. The ride is so smooth." I sit in the leather seat that feels so soft I could go to sleep. This must be how the other half live. He gets into the driver's seat, and I realize I have no idea where we're going, and I just got into a car with a complete stranger.

"He's not a stranger. He's our mate. He's not going to hurt you." Mia is actually speaking softly and not yelling at me. Whoa, it must be the mate bond already taking effect because she's not acting like a raging bitch.

"That can change if you'd like." Damn it, I need to stop thinking everything for Mia to hear.

"Where are we going?" I ask Joel. Why do my hands burn like I want to touch him? I rub my palms on my skirt to try to make them stop. He looks over and smiles.

"I can help with that." He takes my hand, and the feeling goes away. That feels nice. Although now my heart is racing. "As far as where we're going, I thought we'd go somewhere quiet so we can talk in private. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." As long as he holds my hand, everything is wonderful. What am I talking about? I don't want to be a werewolf and someone's mate. I just want to be an ordinary human woman who finds a man she falls in love with and lives happily ever after.

"If you accept our mate, what the hell do you think will happen? You'll have your happily ever after with the bonus of knowing you're with your soulmate. Imagine you were a human. Don't you think they would all like to find the person who is literally their other half? The person who can feel their emotions and does what they can to make you feel better. Why do you think this is a bad thing? If you ask me, humans would all want this, too." I sigh as I look out the window. As much as I hate to admit it, Mia is right. The women I know would love to find the man who was made for them and would never hurt them. Why am I being so resistant? Is it because the only werewolves I have been associated with were my birth parents who abandoned me?

"Is everything okay? You seem upset." Joel asks, squeezing my hand. I turn to him slightly.

"I don't know what to think. I'm twenty-five and have never had a relationship with a man. Not because I haven't tried, but my wolf wouldn't let me. She even growled and shifted right in front of people to keep them away from me. I don't know what to do or what's normal in a human or werewolf relationship. I know we just met, and I don't know a lot about anything, but the pull I feel toward you is something I can't deny." I sigh again. When Joel pulls my hand up to his lips and kisses it, I shiver with delight from all the tingling running through my body.

"Our wolves are a lot alike. I'm thirty, and my wolf Romeo refused to let me be with any women. I tried to kiss a few, and he growled at them, scaring them away. He always said we had to wait for our Juliet." I can't help giggling.

"Romeo and Juliet was my favorite book. I guess our wolves are the ultimate cock blockers." Joel chuckles as he agrees.

"Yes, they are. Although now I'm not so upset about it. If you accept me, we'll have all of our firsts together. What could be more special than that?" I look up into his emerald green eyes, and if I was standing, my knees would give out. Damn, he's a smooth talker.

"You're welcome. See what I was saving you for. Imagine having sex with some random guy. How do you think that would make Joel feel? Probably the same way it would make you feel thinking about him having sex with another woman." The pain in my chest is immediate. Even thinking about him touching another woman makes me sick.

"Yes, it would be special. Can you explain to me some more about being mates? You probably will explain it better than Mia." I think about sticking my tongue out at her as she pouts. That's one thought I want to share with her.

"As wolves, our mates are chosen for us by the Moon Goddess. She's supposed to pair us with the person who is our better half, and when we come together, it makes us whole. Unlike human relationships, werewolf relationships tend to move fast when both parties agree to accept each other. That's because we already know it's meant to be. We don't have to do the whole song and dance of trying to figure out if this is for the long term or not. Mates already know they'll be together forever once they mark each other. It's rare in the werewolf community to hear about mates cheating on each other; it happens, but it's rare. If a mate does cheat, their mate will feel the pain of their unfaithfulness. The connection mates have is out of this world; typically, they can't stand being away from each other."

Wow. I don't know what to say. Even when I pictured myself with a man, I never dreamed it would be on that level. Joel pulls off the main road and takes a back road. I've never been this far out of town before. The road suddenly opens to a clearing where we can look down at the entire town. It's beautiful.

"This is incredible," Joel gets out, and while I'm still too stunned to move, he opens my door and helps me out.

"I thought this would be a good place to have some privacy." He keeps my hand in his and walks to the front of the car. He gently lifts me and sits me on the hood. I typically would throw a fit about being manhandled like that, but feeling his hands around my waist excites me more than I'd like to admit. He sits beside me, so he's against my left side. Don't judge me for not moving away but actually leaning into him.

"I can't remember the last time I had a whole day off work. I never take the time to just breathe." I'm speaking so quietly that I'm almost talking to myself. Joel puts his arm around my shoulders, and I lay my head against him. Why did I say I want to fight this again?

"Teegan, I want to be honest with you about something." Oh shit, this is it. This is where he's going to hurt me just when I was getting comfortable. I should have known this was too good to last.

"You have got to stop being Miss Negative." I swallow and, for once, listen to Mia.

"Okay, what do you need to tell me?" I can't hide the fear in my voice. Joel must hear it because he begins rubbing his hand up and down my arm. Sparks are flying everywhere. Oh, my, that feels so good.

"I'm not just a werewolf." That wasn't what I was expecting.

"What does that mean?" I ask cautiously.

"I'm a lycan. Not just any lycan, I'm a prince."