CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

The music wasn't loud, allowing conversation in the dim cafe.

The smell of smoke covered the bodies', but Samantha was too concerned with her interior issues to feel bothered.

Wolves usually avoided that kind of place, but that one was a difficult night. The Black Moon did increase their emotions, but their senses were dampened a little.

It was one of the few cases when a wolf could enter a club with loud music and bear the noise for an hour or two.

She wasn't in the mood for a club, so she chose a silent bar and sat at the counter. She ordered some whiskey, finally understanding why Nate kept his mini-bar stashed with wine.

It was a little comforting. Just a little, unfortunately.

She sipped the drink, sighing at the burning sensation travelling down her throat. When it reached her stomach, it warmed her guts. It wasn't all that different from a hot, spicy soup. Except that it had a pleasant aroma and was cold on the tongue.

«What is a woman like you doing alone?» the barman probed, pouring her another glass.

«Scram,» a voice behind her said.

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She sighed. She didn't need to turn to know who it was. The barman winced and fled to the other side of the counter, throwing a few glances in their direction occasionally.

Samantha continued drinking without turning. The wolf by her side sat on a barstool after dragging it closer to her.

«May I offer you a drink?» he inquired.

She could sense the uncertainty in his tone. He didn't seem used to saying those words, and that thought made her smile. Her heart was so content by that realisation that she almost burst out laughing.

Her rationality was long gone if she was acting like that. She was turning into a crazy woman, falling prey to her instincts.

«I can pay for myself.»

«I wasn't doubting it,» he replied.

A slight trace of panic made her sigh again. It was too much for her poor heart. She didn't even know his name, yet she was feeling as attracted as to listen so attentively to his tone.

In the end, she did turn to him. She observed his dark hair, neatly combed. He was wearing a leather jacket, open to show the black t-shirt. Dark brown jeans and leather boots completed his outfit, making him look like a rider.

He smelt like wind, a sign that he might have arrived there on a motorbike.

«My name...»

«No,» Samantha stopped him. «I don't want to know. It would make everything more difficult.»

«Why?»

«Because we're rivals!»

«No, our Alphas are rivals. We are just wolves.»

He opened a beer with his thumb, and he poured half of the bottle into a glass. Samantha silently approved. She disliked men who drank directly from the bottle. It made her frown every time.

Yet, it was difficult to explain to a werewolf what elegance meant. Either they were born with that, like Nate, or there was no hope.

The wolf in front of her wasn't among the first group. He didn't have Nate's natural charm. He was a little rogue, like her colleagues in the sales department, but he was doing his best not to show it too openly.

Samantha couldn't help but smile.

It was already more than anyone had done in front of her. She wasn't new at flirting. She did have a suitor or two in her early twenties.

But it all ended with either of them getting tired and stopping any attempt to make it work. The wolves who approached her till that moment didn't try to look better in her eyes.

She already knew how that man's hands felt. How he could be rough and overbearing while kissing. Still, his shy attempt at looking harmless melted her heart.

«Did you come to Norwich just to find me?» Samantha inquired.

«No. I was passing nearby, and I felt like you were close.»

«You felt it?»

«Yes.»

She nodded, understanding a little more. There was only one thing that could make people perceive the other's presence like that. The true mate link.

It was pointless to fight it, but she couldn't ever betray her pack and leave, not after all Nate did for her.

«It's the night of the Black Moon,» the man said. He sighed, feeling her same restlessness and needs.

They were sitting so close at a moment when their bodies desired even more proximity. They were just talking, without even asking names, while their souls desired to know each other.

Samantha opened her purse and looked for a few bills. She paid for all the drinks: her two glasses and his beer. Then, she grabbed his hand and pulled him away.

Without a second thought, he followed her. The beer was left on the counter, almost untouched. The whiskey was still in the glass as well.

When they crossed the door, Samantha saw the bike. It was black, just as expected. Her eyes shined at that beauty. It had been so long from the last time she rode one. Hers was in the garage, untouched and getting dust.

Maybe, it was time to take it out.

While she searched for the right words to ask for a ride, a pair of strong arms surrounded her from behind. Two hands landed on her stomach, hugging her firmly.

She let him drag her, falling on his chest and breathing hard. Her legs quivered as she felt that strange, new attraction rise inside her. His lips kissed her neck without even removing the hair in between.

It took her the last bit of her famous rationality to remember they were in the middle of a street. Not that it was such a bother. The night was warm and young.

«Bring me somewhere nice,» she said.

«Nice, how?»

She almost blurted out her true thoughts. Yet, she couldn't just admit she was referring to his room. Or one in a hotel, for that matter.

«If we go by bike, I don't really care how nice it is,» she said.