She found that he’d left her closet untouched. She got her suitcases out and went through her room carefully so she didn’t cut her feet. She salvaged what clothes she could from her smashed dresser drawers. She removed her clothes from the closet and made sure the ceiling fan switch was off.
She dragged out her suitcases and shut the bedroom door. She left her suitcases in the hallway. She didn’t want to go back into her room but knew she’d have to go in there to pack up her bathroom things. She could stay in the spare bedroom for now.
100
Mate Set
Where was Grady? His Jeep was in the driveway but she hadn’t seen his clothes in her room when she’d moved shit around, looking for her things. He’d stripped in her bedroom so they should be there. They weren’t. That meant he hadn’t left her house through the bathroom window on four feet and fur. He’d climbed out that window on two legs, wearing his clothes.
Anger surged through her. He’d sneaked out the window to avoid her. The coward.
He’d gone wild after biting her and he had just sneaked out, not even bothering to check on her. She fought the pain and anger that welled inside her.
The doorbell rang. Was he back? She wondered if he was calm enough now to talk or if maybe he’d just come back to get his Jeep keys. She walked slowly to the door and took a deep breath. She straightened her shoulders, unlocked the deadbolt, and swung the door open wide to face whatever mood Grady was in.
Minnie was pale and tears swam in her dark brown eyes. “I didn’t tell your uncle a thing about what happened here. I told him I got into an argument with my brother so he thinks I went for ice cream to calm myself down.” Minnie stepped into the entryway and grabbed Mika, pulling her into her arms in a tight hug. “Are you all right?” Mika gripped the taller woman tightly around her waist and shook her head. “No.”
“My poor baby. Where is Grady? I want to talk to him. He knew better than to touch you without condoms. It was stupid. I know you don’t understand a lot about this but damn, it was stupid of him to fuck you without a condom. The stronger you scent of them and sex the more they get the urge to mate you. It was just a matter of time. He―”
“Is gone,” Mika cut off Minnie from her rant.
Minnie pulled back and frowned down at Mika. “His Jeep is in the driveway so don’t lie to me. He owes your family an explanation and he should be glad it’s me and not Omar who wants to hear him tell me how this happened.”
“I’m not lying. He was upset.” That was putting it mildly. “He is gone and I don’t know where he went. I don’t know when he’s coming back. He didn’t want to face me I guess. His keys were out here with me but he took off and left the Jeep.” Rage twisted Minnie’s face. “He mated you and split? I knew it. He did this on purpose and now feels guilty so he doesn’t want to face you until you calm down.
Damn men. I’m always terrified your uncle is going to do this shit to me. He’s been after me for twenty damn years to mate his ass. I was sure Grady was honorable. I’m so damn sorry but he did this on purpose, baby.”
“He did not.”
Minnie gave Mika a frown. “Trust me. This was obviously intentional. He took off because he wants to give you time to calm down.”
Mika gripped Minnie’s arm and dragged the woman down the hallway. She opened her bedroom door wide and watched the shock and horror play across Minnie’s features as Minnie took in the state of the room.101
Laurann Dohner
“He didn’t mate me on purpose. He was that damn upset over accidentally biting into me. He isn’t avoiding me because of guilt. I think he left so he doesn’t kill my ass.
He can’t be mated to me if I’m dead, right?”
Minnie had turned sheet white as she stared down at Mika. “Let’s go now.”
“I’m not going anywhere. This is my house. He’ll calm down eventually and come home. At the very least he still needs me for a few more days and I have his Jeep keys and his bag is in the spare bedroom where he’s keeping his clothes. I don’t think I’m really in any danger. He took his rage out on the room instead of me. I was just down the hallway so if he wanted to hurt me he could have.”
“Are you looking at the same damn room I am? He damn near shoved your headboard through the wall that separates your bedroom from your bathroom.
Everything in here is broken. Every damn thing.”
“I’m not broken and I was in here at first.”
“Oh, Mika,” Minnie said softly.
She almost flinched at the look of pity that Minnie was directing her way. She straightened her shoulders. “There has to be a way to un-mate us.” Shaking her head, Minnie’s look of pity deepened. “The only times I’ve ever heard of an accidental mating, well, they just dealt with it by trying to make the best of it together as a couple. You were marked before and carried his scent but it was faint.
Marking fades after a short period of time. Now… Hell, Mika, you’re going to smell just like him. It will be that strong and it will remain that way. Right now, if the mating took, your body is changing. It’s bred into them that the woman who smells like them belongs to them. He may not have meant to mate you, but honey, you are his now. He’ll have to come to terms with that because he won’t have a choice. His body, his animal, will know and once it gets a whiff of you, his instincts will take over.”
“He wants acceptance from the pack. You’re the one who told me about his childhood. He’s dead-set on having a werewolf mate. Look what my parents went through until they left here for the human world. He had a hellish childhood and now he’s going to be facing discrimination again for having a human mate.”
“He’s Elroy’s son and your uncle isn’t just some pup like he was back when your mom married your dad. Both of you have powerful relatives. The pack won’t dare shun you or treat you bad, even though you’re a mixed-race mate set. Your mate is alpha-blooded. Few will be stupid enough to give you any shit, Mika. Your man will kick their asses. It will be all right because your children will be shifters. Alpha-blooded kids always carry the strong shifter genes. Most mixed races are looked down on because mating with humans can result in non-shifter children.” She paused. “Besides, it’s more acceptable to werewolves if the males take human mates. Your parents had it really rough because your father was human and no one believed a human could protect his female mate from other males in the pack.”
“Grady is so upset, Minnie. What am I going to do?” 102
Mate Set
“You’re his mate now, baby. You call your work, quit your job, and hire movers to bring your shit here. Like it or not, he has to stay in town. Your life is here now with him.” Minnie’s face relaxed and she suddenly smiled. “You’re going to live here and I’ll get to see you all the time. Your uncle can’t kill Grady for real because Elroy won’t let him. He’ll be pissed but he’ll have to accept that you’re mated to one of the pack.”
“How the hell can I expect Uncle Omar to accept it when Grady won’t? He’s going to hate me and resent me, Minnie. God, this sucks.”
“I know, baby. Why don’t you come home with me until…well, until your mate cools off and comes looking for you. He will soon. He’s still in mating heat and needs you now more than ever. He’ll have to accept what’s done and it is done. It’s just how it has to be.”
Mika shook her head. “I’ll wait here. I guess I should start cleaning up that mess in there. It will give me something to do until he returns.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. What if he comes back and wants to screw up the rest of your house?”
She frowned. “Thank you for coming because I was freaking out. I still am but now I have a clearer picture of everything. I just needed someone to be here for me.” Anger tightened Minnie’s face again. “Your mate should have been here to support you. You’re human. This all has to be really confusing and frightening to you. Someone should kick Grady’s ass.”
“Trust me. He’s kicking his own ass right now more than anyone else ever could over what happened here. Go home. Please don’t mention anything to Uncle Omar yet.
Who knows? Maybe we got lucky and it didn’t take.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one, baby.” Minnie hugged her and walked out the door.
Sighing, Mika put on shoes and grabbed trash bags from her kitchen, taking the entire box of them. She stepped into her bedroom and stared with sadness at the disaster that used to be the room she loved. She cringed. She didn’t need trash bags. She needed a bulldozer and a few large dumpsters. A few muscular men to lift broken furniture would be helpful too.
A few hours later she showered. She’d made a dent in the mess but still needed days of cleaning and help just to get the broken debris out of her bedroom. She didn’t even want to think about the damaged walls and the electrical mess. Grady hadn’t returned. She put on jeans and a tank top. She forced herself to eat as she watched the clock. He’d been gone six hours in total by the time she started to really worry.
Grady was in mating heat, angry, and probably confused. She put on her shoes, grabbed her purse, and walked to the front door. She hesitated and then grabbed his Jeep keys. If he wouldn’t come to her then she’d try to find him. Her heart was pounding, she was nervous as hell, but she loved the guy. He was out there suffering from going without sex for too long and they needed to talk. She straightened her shoulders, opened the front door and walked out into the cool night air.