My Mate (The Alpha Shifter Collection #23)

Chapter One

Dex Arlington knew his father would be very proud of him at this moment. He stood in the men’s shower at the swimming pool complex, and he hadn’t torn Buddy Anderson’s throat out. This was a good thing, or at least it was according to his father.

A torn throat would cause a great deal of issues within the pack, and Dex didn’t like dealing with them at the best of times. Even his own father, Klaus, sometimes hated having to be Alpha. One day, Dex would have to take over and the whole Arlington Pack would belong to him. Everyone would turn to him for guidance and all that shit, but he had a way to go before that happened. He was an Alpha in training. Not that he felt like he needed any training.

No, that wasn’t true. He just liked to piss his dad off from time to time by pretending he knew it all. It was fun to irritate his father. At the moment, he already annoyed his dad by having a very bad reputation, especially among his peers.

It wasn’t his fault that everyone else was an asshole, or more specifically, it wasn’t his fault that Buddy Anderson rounded up a group of his buddies to beat the crap out of a girl. One specific girl, Casey Scott. There was no way he was going to allow anything to happen to Casey. She was the person he was going to protect above all.

Five months ago, she turned eighteen and like the rest of the pack, she was expected to change into her wolf. The only problem was that, even now, she was the only pack member in history that had not changed into wolf form. Unfortunately, it made her a target, and Dex could not allow that.

Staring at Buddy, wearing his swimming boxers and even whistling while not giving a shit, pissed him off. He leaned against the lockers, staring at the guy he wanted to kill. Dex cleared his throat and as he did, Buddy let out a shout and spun around.

“Holy fuck, you scared the crap out of me,” Buddy said. “I nearly shit myself.”

He didn’t laugh and the smile soon fell from Buddy’s face.

“Uh, what’s the problem?”

Dex stared at him for several seconds, but he didn’t say a word, just waited.

Buddy was a weakling and a coward. Always had been and always would be. He couldn’t stand him. The guy had gone after a female, and he looked at him, feeling the revulsion once again.

He could see Buddy tense up.

“You’re my problem, Bud,” Dex said. “You think it’s okay to attack females?”

Buddy scoffed. “Come on, man. You’re seriously not mad about Casey? That can’t be possible. We’re just trying to do the pack a favor.”

“A favor?”

“No one wants that weakling.”

Dex took a step, then another step. “And you’re the Alpha who gets to decide that?”

Another weak chuckle. “I’m on your side and the Arlington Pack is strong, and she cannot turn into a wolf.”

“My father has no problem with Casey. She is pack. Her place is here with all of us. Do you remember what happened to David?” Dex asked.

Buddy’s eyes went wide, and he started to shake his head.

Last year, David Delagair decided he was going to scare the crap out of Casey, and it ended with her getting a black eye. Dex made sure David had two bruised eyes, a broken arm, and he forced him to apologize to Casey. Anyone who hurt Casey, directly or indirectly, suffered.

Since the moment they were kids, she had been a target for bullies, but Dex had taken care of it. The bullying had soon stopped, until it was only a few fleeting events, which he dealt with. No one messed with his Casey.

He didn’t give a shit that she hadn’t changed, and he didn’t care if she never did. Casey was one of the nicest, sweetest people in the pack. Nothing was ever too big or too small. She gave, and people were quite willing to take from her.

Dex would make sure no one abused her kindness. She would be protected.

The black eye he saw, along with the split lip, were highly unacceptable. In fact, all he saw as he looked at Buddy was the new bruising on her face, and it pissed him off. The first punch was not that hard, but the second and third were. Buddy tried to hit back at him, but he was no match for Dex. He was a training Alpha. He’d been born bigger, stronger, and faster. No one could compete with him, and that was exactly what his father had taught him.

The pack needed to respect him. If anyone had any inkling of weakness it would throw the pack into chaos. Dex would not allow that to happen.

Buddy landed in a heap on the floor and began to sob and beg. Wrapping his fingers around the man’s neck, he didn’t squeeze, although he was tempted to.

“You’re going to go to Casey, and you’re going to look her in the eye and you’re going to apologize to her. Do you understand me?” Dex asked. “If you don’t do this, then I will fucking kill you. I’ll annihilate your whole family, and I don’t care about the repercussions, got it?”

“Yes, yes, I got it. I’m sorry, Dex. I’m so sorry.”

Dex let him go, and then took one last look before he left the changing room, then made his way out of the building. He should have known his father would be there, waiting with the car. Dex had walked in the hope of burning off some of his anger, but it hadn’t worked. He was just as angry now as he was before.

“Dad,” he said.

“Son.”

“He’s still alive.”

“Good.”

“But there is blood,” Dex said.

“I already called the family, and they have apologized.”

Dex nodded.

“Son, do you want to explain this to me?”

He shrugged. “The bastard beat the shit out of Casey. She can’t stand up for herself, or won’t, I don’t know, and I can’t allow her to get hurt. What could I do?”

“I’m not talking about this situation. You actually made it easier for Buddy and his family. I don’t take kindly to bullies, and I believe I heard correctly that he was attempting to force Casey out of the pack. That is not going to happen.”

Dex looked toward his father. “You don’t think her not being a wolf is a problem?”

“Her not transitioning is not unheard of.”

“Seriously? It’s never occurred in the pack,” Dex said.

“Doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened before,” Klaus said. “I’m interested in whether you’re aware of why you’re fighting this?”

“Dad, stop—”

“No, you need to understand that you’re acting like a mate. You’re acting like her protector and behaving exactly as I’ve seen all other mates react. When are you going to face the reality that Casey might not be your mate?”

Dex looked toward his father. He had never been honest with him. From the moment he first saw Casey Scott across the town square, nearly fifteen years ago, he remembered feeling this pull. They had been three years old at the time, but he knew what he felt. It had been powerful and strong.

That feeling hadn’t faded. Not as they entered kindergarten, or high school. He’d felt this pull to be with her. Every time she entered the room, he didn’t even need to look around to know it was her. She was like a magnet to him.

Casey made him feel, she made him want to be a better guy, although he did everything he could to be hated, especially by his peers. He didn’t flirt with the girls, hook up, or do any of that shit. The only person he wanted was Casey.

He also couldn’t stand when other males tried to fight for her affection. That had the ability to piss him the fuck off. Casey belonged to him.

Again, he’d never said anything. His father was convinced he and Casey were not mates, but Dex knew differently. He also knew something was blocking Casey’s ability to turn into a wolf, and he’d figure it out. Until then, no one was going to hurt her.

“Dad, she’s a friend, and she needs someone to watch her back.”

****

Casey slid her hand up and down, holding onto the paintbrush as she worked on the fence. Her dad was convinced she was too stressed. Turning eighteen and being the only one in her eighteenth year not to turn sucked, big time.

She had never been a popular kid at school, but when news had gotten out about her lack of wolf, she’d been treated far worse than she ever thought possible. Like most of the pack, she was still being given the year to adjust and to acclimate herself in with the pack. There was no school, just jobs that needed to be done around the pack. Allowing each new transitioner to get used to the unpredictable feeling of being the wolf as well.

For the past five months, she’d watched other people her age struggle. They had been serving coffee or taking care of people, and their wolf gene had suddenly manifested. It resulted in the Alpha being called to help guide each person to have complete control over their wolf.

She had nothing. No feeling, no sensation. Not even the conversations she’d overheard others discussing. She was alone. No wolf.

For a short moment, she had wondered if she was adopted, and her parents had some kind of freaky secret. Again, she’d been wrong. She was her parents’ child, and there was no changing that. Now her father was trying to get her to relax and not freak out. This was proving to be very difficult, because the more time passed with not even a freaking tingle, the harder it was for her to not panic.

Painting a fence was supposed to help clear her mind from the fact she was beaten up the other day. Her parents were not happy, especially as she refused to attack back. What could she do? Get her ass kicked? She wasn’t a coward, but fighting didn’t seem to be the answer. Although the bruises were still on her face, the pain had lessened to almost nonexistent.

She blew out a breath and then sighed, feeling a headache start to bloom. Most of the fence was painted and her father had said once the first coat was done, she should go back over everything and do it all again.

Once she came to the end of the painting, which was at the front of the house, she paused, putting her paintbrush on the lid of the paint can.

“Uh, Casey.”

She frowned and turned around to see Buddy Anderson holding a bouquet of flowers, wild ones. There were several guys with him, and she tensed up. They had all been there, laughing and taunting as he started to hit her. The attack had taken her by surprise, which is why she hadn’t defended herself.

“What do you want?”

Then she noticed the black eye and the fact one of his arms was in plaster. Wolves were fast healing, but within the first few transitions, it could still take time to adjust.

“What happened to you?”

“I want to apologize for what I did. I will understand if you would like to pay me back. Name a time and place, and you can hurt me and everyone who hurt you, as this is your right.”

“Wait a minute here,” she said, holding up her hand for him to stop. This seemed completely ludicrous to her. “What the hell is going on?” This confused her more than getting beat up because she couldn’t turn into a wolf. The other, she understood. This, she did not.

“I shouldn’t have hurt you. It is not my right nor my place, and I am sorry.”

There was no way Buddy came to her to make amends. Something was going on here, and she didn’t like any of it. She glared at him, waiting.

“What is going on?” she asked again. “Who did that to your face and your arm?” The last time she saw him, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his arm.

“I am sorry,” Buddy said.

She was done with this, and quickly closed the distance between them. Even though he’d hurt her, she wasn’t afraid of him.

“Tell me.”

Buddy looked up at her, and even as he was attempting to apologize, she saw the disdain he had for her, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, that’s it. That’s the real Buddy. Now tell me, who did this to you?” she asked.

“There is only one person who could do this to me,” Buddy said.

Casey didn’t need him to tell her the rest. “Get lost.”

“But—”

“I said, get lost!” she yelled, and then headed in the direction of where she’d find none other than Dex Arlington. She didn’t know what he was trying to do, or if he even thought this was going to make her life easier. Like all the new transitioners, his jobs also came from his dad and Alpha, as he had to train to take over.

Not all his jobs were about community and being part of the pack. Dex’s was about taking care of the pack. Willing to do the jobs others hated, which for him right now was chopping logs for the coming winter.

Klaus considered it an Alpha’s job to gather the necessary tools. Casey was aware that they spent most of the summer as hunter-gatherers.

She didn’t care how long it took, she was about to have a word with Dex. He should leave her alone, and she was going to confront him.

Charging through the forest, she came to a stop right at the edge where he swung the axe down, and the piece of wood split in two. There was no need to slam it down or do anything else. Dex was strong. He always had been.

Casey held her hands together and clapped. “Well done,” she said, gaining his attention.

She also happened to notice he was shirtless. The symbol of the wolf pack was printed on his chest. New transitioners were not allowed the ink until they had completed their duties, but Dex was in line to be Alpha.

“What do you want?” Dex asked.

“Seriously?”

“I can tell you’re not here to thank me, and from that look on your face, you’re pissed.”

“Very funny. I am upset.”

“Would it kill you to say a curse word?” Dex asked, as he started toward her.

“Just because I can say them doesn’t mean I should.”

“Everyone else does.”

“I’m not everyone else,” she said. She immediately cringed as she’d just admitted once again that she wasn’t like the other pack. She couldn’t turn.

Her parents were convinced she was highly stressed. When her birthday came, she didn’t feel stressed. She’d felt excited to finally take her place among the pack, and now there was no place for her, the only pack member who couldn’t turn. Yes, it grated on her nerves, and she grew more and more agitated with each full moon that passed. There was no special sense, no connection, nothing.

She felt like it was an empty void within her, and she was terrified of admitting that to anyone. Without the ability to turn, what was the point of keeping her in the pack? She was useless to them.

Pushing some of the hair out of her face, she then folded her arms and glared at him. “You shouldn’t have hurt Buddy,” she said.

“Why not?”

She frowned. “Why not? Because it is not nice to hurt someone who cannot fight back. In case you didn’t know, you’re the soon-to-be Alpha, and he cannot fight you.”

Dex shrugged. “He tried to, and pack politics have not stopped him from attacking me in the past, so don’t attempt to play that card. I know what Buddy is capable of, and if he thought he could beat the crap out of me, trust me, he would be all over it.”

She couldn’t argue with that.

He took another step toward her, then another. “Have you looked at your face?”

“He didn’t break any bones.”

“No? Not this time, but that doesn’t mean next time he won’t try a little harder. You can hate me all you want, Casey. No one beats the shit out of you and gets away with it.” He leaned in a little closer and she found it impossible to pull back. “And anyone that does will answer to me.”

“They have every right. Until I turn, I can’t be part of the pack.”

“No, you are pack, and anyone that says otherwise will get hurt, I guarantee it.”

“Your father is not going to be happy with this.”

“Funnily enough, he is happy about it,” Dex said. “I saved him a job. You’re pack, Casey, deal with it, and don’t allow others to beat you up. You and I both know you’re quite capable and can stop them.”