Kane's Mate (Armageddon Mates)
Hazel Gower
Prologue
Jamie hated that his dad made him and his brothers and sisters ride the bus home. All the other werewolves were either picked up, old enough to drive, or were too little to go to school. Today Jamie was extra eager to get home, making the forty minute bus ride seem even longer than normal. It had been a week since the four human families had moved in. Three of the families had children. His dad had told them all to be nice to the humans, because they were there to help with the mine. Jamie didn't care about that, he was just excited to have more kids around to play with so he didn't have to play with his stupid brothers, and especially his sisters. His mum had said to give them a couple of days to settle in before he bothered them, so he had given them a full week just to be safe.
Jamie knew he would have to avoid the forest around them as his dad had told the humans to keep out of the forest due to wild animals and mine holes.
Jamie had it all figured out-he was going to let the human kids get off, then he was going to backtrack so his stupid sisters didn't follow. Jamie watched the six kids-two girls and four boys-get out. Almost bouncing in his seat, Jamie turned to his brothers. "I'm going for a run."
The bus stopped and Jamie took off. One of his brothers, Griffen, yelled after him, "Don't annoy them for long."
Jamie stuck his tongue out as he ran to catch up with the human kids. He turned the corner to head up the hill. At the top of the hill, he saw the human kids down below surrounding a chubby little girl. He ran down the hill as the biggest of the boys pushed the little girl down, yelling at her that she was a freak, loser, fatty, and that nobody liked her. Tears rolled down the little girl's dirty face as she stared up at them. She didn't look old enough to be at school. She was a small girl with olive brown skin, brown eyes, and long brownish red hair that was falling out of a braid.
Just as the other kids were about to kick her, Jamie grabbed the older two. "Don't you hurt her. She's just a little girl," he screamed. "Pick on someone your own size."
The oldest boy laughed. "What about you?" he replied.
Then he tried to push Jamie, but Jamie moved out of the way and the boy fell over. The others went to attack Jamie. He looked up at them and knew his wolf shone through, because they backed up as Jamie told them, "She's only little, you should feel ashamed."
One of the boys laughed and yelled back, "She's a fat freak!"
Jamie growled. "Go home and leave her alone."
The little girl became brave and stood up next to him and told them, "I would do what he says. His daddy is one of the owners of the mine, and if you hurt him your daddy won't have a job."
The five kids looked at Jamie, then ran home.
Jamie turned to the little girl and asked, "Are you okay?"
She nodded, staring at him curiously.
Jamie heard his oldest brother calling him, "Jamie, you okay? What happened?"
Jamie looked up at his eldest brother Kane. He had an odd look on his face as he stared at the little girl.
"Yes, Kane, I'm fine. Those kids were picking on this little girl." Jamie puffed up his chest. "And I saved her."
* * * *
Kane looked down at the wide-eyed little girl. She didn't look older than five. She was a cute little thing, even with the blotchy red eyes from crying, the dirt on her cheeks, and her hair everywhere from falling out of the braid that it was supposed to be in. His wolf inside him thought she was adorable, it wanted to rip to shreds the kids who had picked on her.
The odd reaction of his wolf caused him to stare at the girl, looking for something, anything that would make him understand why his wolf reacted that way. He knew it couldn't be magic, as wolves were supposedly immune to all magic bar their own, but maybe this little girl who looked up at him with complete trust, admiration, and love … could she be different? Why would she be looking at him that way? It was Jamie who had saved her. Kane shook his head. He must have misinterpreted something.
She smiled up at him with a top tooth missing. "Hi. Can I see you turn into a wolf?" She turned to Jamie and added, "I'm not a little girl, I'm a big girl. I go to school now and everything."
Kane couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I can see. What's your name?"
She turned back to him, and her smile got even bigger. "I'm Faith York. Now can I see your wolf? If you won't show me, maybe Jamie will show me his." Faith turned to Jamie. "I bet you're really cute and cuddly!"
Jamie groaned, and Kane laughed harder at Jamie's tortured face.
"I won't call you a pup, cos I know how much you hate that. I wish I had brothers and sisters. You're so lucky to have twelve people in your family. I told my mum that we were surrounded by werewolves, and she said I have an overactive imagination, whatever that means, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone else because I know now that it's a secret. You save us from all the bad things," Faith said.
Kane and Jamie stared open-mouthed at Faith as she smiled up at Kane.
"You're really pretty. You can be my Prince Charming." As she grabbed Kane's hand, she gasped and seemed to go into a trance for a minute or two, her eyes becoming even bigger.
Faith grinned up at them and headed in the opposite direction to her house, dragging him with her.
Chapter 1
It's so nice to be home, Faith thought. Her parents were throwing her a welcome home party, and she couldn't wait to see her second family. She had missed Jamie and his family so much. Faith's parents had picked her up from the airport yesterday, and she'd spent a relaxing afternoon with them. But tonight she hoped everyone she loved would be there, bar one. She couldn't see him, not yet, she needed time to settle, build up her walls against him. Faith shook her head and finished getting ready for her party.
Two hours later, the party had started and Faith was chatting to all her friends, but she couldn't stay focused on the conversation around her, because she was eagerly awaiting some of the most important people in her life. Her werewolf family was late, and she was starting to get upset.
She had been away for two years with only phone contact with the Wolfens. She never missed speaking to at least one of them every night. They were the reason she had come home, and why she'd left in the first place. It's not that she wasn't grateful to them, especially as they'd helped her learn to control her psychic gifts, but they always seemed to take over and overprotect her. She sighed and gave herself a little shake, hoping it would get her back into the conversation around her.
When Faith finally felt her wolf family arrive, she smiled, excused herself from the friends she was talking to, and ran outside to greet them. Faith kissed all the werewolves, and when she reached Jamie she jumped on him, kissing his cheek. "I missed my best friend so much," Faith told him.
Jamie chuckled. "We talked almost every day."
"I missed your hugs, and I miss your stupid jokes, they don't have the same effect over the phone." Faith kissed both of his cheeks.
She looked up and saw Kane first before she felt him. He was special. Faith loved her werewolf family, but the love she had for Kane was different, more intense, sexual, a love she felt to the bottom of her soul. The problem was, he didn't want her.
Faith looked over Jamie's shoulder, trying for a casual, "Hi, Kane."
She turned her head back to Jamie before she did something stupid like jump on Kane and kiss him to show him how much she loved him and didn't want to live without him anymore.
Without thinking of the consequences, she kissed Jamie on the mouth, trying not to put all her regret and self-hatred at loving Kane into it. Jamie seemed startled at first, but then he grabbed her arse to hold her closer to him, and he really got into it.
Faith wished she loved Jamie the way she loved Kane. God, she wished she felt something from this kiss. Nothing … she felt nothing for Jamie beyond friendship.
She sighed in thanks when her mother called her inside as she had an overseas caller. Faith walked into the house, not daring to look back at the group, knowing if she did she would have to acknowledge what was going on.
* * * *
Kane got out of his car and froze as chocolate and vanilla assaulted his senses. He looked for the source, terrified because he knew who it would be. His gaze fell on an absolutely gorgeous, grown-up Faith, and his wolf stood at attention for the first time in more than four years. It growled in his head mate, take, mate.
Kane stared at Faith as she greeted his family. When she came to Jamie she jumped on him, kissing his cheek. Kane fought with his wolf as he waited patiently for Faith to acknowledge him. All she did was look at him with a blank expression and say "hi" then turn her head to kiss Jamie on the mouth.