Chapter Three
Harper finished with the display and smiled. The shop window was already done, and she’d covered it so no one got any spoilers. All the new products had been put on shelves and were looking really pretty. She’d already had a sneaky try of one of the lipsticks, which was a nice pink color, and she loved it. Monday was going to be a success.
There was a knock on her shop door, and she walked toward it, only to stop when she saw Mateo on the other side. Franny had already left for the day. She wanted to surprise her friend as well with the display.
She was tempted to ignore him, but her parents had taught her not to be rude, and she refused to be in this moment. Taking a deep breath, she felt her wolf ready to growl, as she wasn’t happy with him being here.
Unlocking the door, she opened it and took a step back. Mateo walked into her shop and she put some distance between them. There was no denying he was a handsome man. She was pretty sure he could have his pick of any female from any of the packs. There were a lot of females who would love the attention of an alpha.
When she had discovered he was her mate, she hadn’t been thrilled because he’d been the alpha. No, she’d been joyous because she’d found her mate. Mates were hard to come by. She knew some couples just made do with someone they cared about, but it could bite them in the ass if they were not careful. There was no truer relationship than that of a mate.
She had no idea what to say to him, so she folded her arms across her chest and waited. She didn’t even want to look at him. Her wolf wasn’t impressed either.
“I want to take you home,” Mateo said.
This made her lift her head and look at him. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I want to take you home and I want us to have a fresh start.”
Now, she couldn’t help but laugh. She lowered her hands, and even put them on her stomach to try and contain the laughter his words had evoked. He had to be going crazy or think she was, or something, because that was one of the funniest things she’d heard all day.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were actually being serious about this.”
He took a step toward her, and she took several back, even putting a chair between them.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I know,” Harper said. “I don’t want you to come near me.”
“You’re my mate.”
“And it’s funny that you’re only believing that now. If I recall, you couldn’t stand the fact I was your mate, so much that you had to banish me, and now you want to what? Be my friend? Think we’re best buds?” She took a deep breath as she looked at him.
“You’re hurt.”
“Damn right I’m hurt.” She gripped the back of the chair and averted her gaze. It was hard to tell him the truth while looking at him. The truth was, for many years she had been practicing what to say to him, the accusations to throw at him.
“And you have a right to be.”
“I’m not asking for your permission to be pissed at what you did!” She wanted to stamp her foot and growl at him. “Damn it, Mateo, why are you here?”
“You’re my mate.”
“Stop! Just stop saying that. It doesn’t matter if I am your mate or if I’m not your mate. You banished me.” She couldn’t help but feel a slice of pain rush through her body at the memory. “Do you have any idea what that is like? I was eighteen years old. I had just gone through my very first transition, and discovered I had a mate. Lo and behold, that mate of mine couldn’t stand me. I do believe we broke records on being the only couple not to mate and not to be joyous about the whole thing.” She pressed her lips together.
“I was doing the right thing.”
“Get out,” Harper said. “I mean it, get out. You banished me. You … hurt me. Do you think after seven years of that banishment, that distance, you’re going to come here and think all is forgiven?”
“You cannot deny we’re meant to be together.”
“I can deny everything. You gave me that right and I will never trust you. I never want to be with you and you’re wasting your time with me. I need you to leave.”
Mateo didn’t move. Nor did he say a word.
“I’ll leave for tonight, but I’m not going anywhere, Harper. You’re my mate, and this is only going to end with you by my side, and coming back to our pack.”
Mateo spun on his heel and left her shop. She rushed toward it, quickly closing it up and drawing the blinds, giving her the privacy she needed to allow the tears to fall. She thought she had done all her crying. Harper had vowed to herself that no matter what, Mateo wouldn’t cause her to cry another tear, but that must have been a lie, because here she was again, crying over him, and it sucked.
****
Mateo sat up in bed the following morning and listened to the bustle of the house. Silver had more than Franny, he also had two sons, but they tended to go out to work quite early. He heard Franny trying to argue with her father in getting him out of the way. Then he heard Silver, as well as Silver’s mate, Lemon.
Climbing out of bed, he made his way into the bathroom, splashed some water on his face, and then stared at his reflection. He had fucked up big time, and he knew this. He didn’t have the first clue how to fix this. All he could see was Harper’s sadness. She didn’t want him.
He’d driven her to that point last night. The temptation to call his father was strong, but he didn’t need to keep asking him for advice. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to fix this.
Peter and Damon had already headed back to the pack. He told them if he needed them, he’d call. This was something he had to do on his own. He didn’t like it.
He had half a mind to kidnap Harper, take her back to their pack, and then he’d be able to win her trust. It would be a lot easier if he was in his own territory. He’d have the pack for backup. So far, he had nothing. Certainly not her friend on his side.
This was not the best start and he hadn’t even come here with the intention of taking her back. Seeing her in that bar, all grown up, had changed something inside him.
He completed his bathroom break and then proceeded to make his way downstairs, where he found Franny, along with her parents, waiting.
“Good morning, Mateo. Can I interest you in any coffee?” Lemon asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
This was hard, being in another alpha’s territory, but he was learning to deal with it. He didn’t exactly have a choice.
Franny was standing beside the kitchen counter, eating her cereal, firing death stares at him, which he accepted. It was good Harper had gotten close to someone. Her parents had told him, a little too late, that she hadn’t found it easy to make friends with people. Again, he’d felt like a total prick for sending her away, but he hadn’t stopped believing it was the right thing to do.
“Are you plotting and planning on how to ruin Harper’s life even further?” Franny asked.
“Franny!” Her mother’s voice was high-pitched, whereas her father’s was a lot deeper.
“What? You think he deserves our pity?” She snorted. “Do any of you remember what Harper was like when she first arrived?”
There was silence around the table and where Lemon had been offering him a smile just moments ago, now she didn’t. He looked toward Franny, but she wasn’t gloating. She didn’t consider any of this a win. All she did was shake her head.
“I’m not here to hurt Harper.”
“No? Funny, because all your presence seems to do is harm her.”
He gripped the back of his neck, knowing he deserved her anger. Technically, he deserved Harper’s anger, but it would seem Franny had offered herself up as Harper’s protector, and in doing so, he was not the best friend right now.
“I’ve got to go,” Silver said. “Will everything be okay?”
“Yes, yes, it’s all fine. You go. I know those young kids cannot help themselves, and your sons will have them swinging from the trees if you’re not careful.”
Mateo frowned. “I thought your sons were at work.”
“Not on a Sunday. The pack doesn’t work today.”
He looked toward Franny. “What does Harper do today?”
Franny simply stared at him as if he didn’t exist, and it was starting to piss him off.
“Franny!” her father said.
“What? Surely there is nothing in the wolf or pack handbook that says I’ve got to help him hurt my best friend.”
Silver sighed. “You are correct, but you cannot come between mates. If Mateo wishes to win over his mate’s heart—”
“After he completely crushed it in the palm of his hand,” Franny said. “Let’s not forget the finer details.”
Again, another sigh from Silver.
Franny wasn’t going to be much help.
“But, if you think for even a moment that Harper might be happy by his presence here, or her wolf, then you cannot keep them apart.”
She clearly wanted to argue, but instead she turned that glare to him. “Harper doesn’t have any plans on a Sunday. Sometimes she stays home, other times you can see her out in the town square, reading. It really is up to her.”
With that, Franny got to her feet and left. Seconds later, Silver left, and that meant he was alone with Lemon.
“I don’t think Franny is my biggest fan,” he said.
“No, I doubt very much she is,” Lemon said. “When Harper first arrived, it was hard on her, as you can imagine it would be for a young woman. She struggled to settle in, and, well, some people were not too sure about being near a banished member of our pack. Some consider it a bad omen, and others will not even waste their time on a person that is not going to stay around.” She shrugged. “Silver and I did our best, but we can’t force people to like her.”
“Franny does.”
“Yeah, well, Franny does not like when people are being prejudged for no good reason. Even though everyone was avoiding Harper, my daughter, she showed them all. It wasn’t long before we realized Harper was a good influence on our daughter. Sometimes, they get into mischief, like the human bar incident, but we both know if it wasn’t for Harper, Franny would be in a lot of trouble.”
He smiled. “It’s good to know my mate is … loved.”
“Yes, she is. With Franny’s help, it was why she was able to open that beauty parlor, and the women in the pack just love her. Until Harper, I think there were just girly nights, and not a lot of self-care. She helped to change it.”
“I get the sense she loves it here.”
“Oh, she does.”
“I need to take her back,” Mateo said.
“Yes, I know, but can I ask you a question?” Lemon asked.
“Sure.”
Lemon wiped her hands on the dish towel she’d been holding, and placed it delicately on the counter, before moving closer to him. “Are you taking her back because you think it is time for you to claim your mate and start breeding, or are you taking her because you can no longer live without her? Have you thought about her at all since she’s been gone? You know, besides the obvious necessary trips you’ve already made.”
“That’s two questions.”
Lemon smiled. “So it is. I wonder which one you’re happy to answer.”