Chapter Three
Tavish had this urge to let his wolf out and run under the waning moon. He never had that urge before and it was quite jarring to experience. Shifting had always been a biological chore. Something forced upon him month after month, with pain and lost time the only guarantee.
“How do I do this?” he asked. “I mean, I’ve never consciously shifted, so what do I do?”
Relax. Clear your mind. Let me take over.
Stepping from the lodge, he stared at the darkened forest and undressed.
Once he was bare, his wolf took control.
In seconds, he stared down at his paws. Actual fucking paws!
Night noise had his ears rotating, trying to track the sounds.
Alluring scents drifted on the cool breeze.
With a shake of his auburn fur, he darted forward, running hell-for-leather to places unknown.
The world was suddenly magical. Illuminated. He’d never before had his human thoughts when he shifted. The wolf completely took over and he blanked out for a night, which was why he was always afraid of not waking up on his own property. What if he was seen and a hunter trapped him? Killed him?
Now, though, there was a direct conversation between him and his wolf.
An understanding as they explored and ran.
A freedom he never had before. His wolf wanted their mate, and he howled at the moon, waiting for her to answer.
Silence came back. He did it again and again, but she never replied.
She never showed up. His wolf was crushed and tried to track her. He was persistent to a fault.
What could he say? What comfort could he give?
Every cell in his body screamed to find their mate and convince her they belonged together.
How could something like that turn his entire world upside down?
Shift his focus from the mission that brought him to Colorado?
This wasn’t supposed to happen. None of it made any sense but he couldn’t ignore it.
Couldn’t just forget the one woman destined for him.
Biology or magic, the one thing he realized was that he would be unable to simply walk away and forget her.
Once he was divorced, he would make sure his business would run smoothly for a time so he could come back and convince his mate to give them a fighting chance.
****
The cool early morning dew was the first sign that summer was coming to an end. It would be her third winter in the Centennial State, and as chilly as it could get, it still didn’t hold a candle to Scottish winters.
Mairi headed to work the next day, tired and dreading who was going to walk into the coffee shop.
She had tossed and turned all night because of that stupid kiss.
That idiotic, unsmart whopper of a kiss she had felt down into her soul.
Damn it! She had a sinking feeling it would ruin every kiss in her future.
Last night played over in her head, as well as every word Tavish said.
Hope was a horrible thing to have. It was only a matter of time until he walked through the coffee shop door and shred her heart to ribbons.
Even though they had never lived as man and wife, she was sad that her marriage would come to an end.
Made doubly cruel by the fact they were moon-fated mates.
Perhaps some romantic thoughts still lingered in her soul, but Tavish had made it pretty clear that he wasn’t staying in the States.
He couldn’t. After all, not only was he a laird but he was also Duke of Bellator.
He had obligations, as well as a Fortune 500 business to run.
The very company he married her for to gain the controlling interest.
Keegan greeted her with a smile as they arrived at the same time. “Ready for another awesome day fixing coffees and selling croissants?”
Mairi rolled her eyes. “Can’t wait for old Mrs. Smyth to arrive and call us stupid again.”
Keegan chuckled as she opened the door. They immediately started prepping in order to open.
Mairi’s mind wandered, trying to settle on what she would do after her divorce.
After all, it wasn’t like she was in love, and infatuation wasn’t a baseline to build a lasting relationship.
Now that she knew she’d never have her fated mate, it settled something inside to know she could find companionship without fearing she was betraying him.
Maybe not with Rhodes, because he could still find his, but perhaps with a human.
Or a wolf who had already lost his mate.
She told herself she could be happy without Tavish. Without having pups or the sense of belonging to one person. And if she kept telling herself that, perhaps one day she’d believe it.
When they unlocked the door and opened for business, the first customer was, of course, the battle-axe Mrs. Smyth. She never failed to show up to complain about something or someone.
“Why don’t you have a rewards program?” she demanded.
“Like a point system based on what you buy?” Keegan asked pleasantly.
“Exactly,” Mrs. Smyth sniffed. “When I go to the ice cream shop, I have this card that gets punched every time, so I get a free ice cream after buying twelve cones.”
“Bitsy is very clever, isn’t she?” Keegan asked pleasantly, mentioning the owner of the ice cream parlor.
Mairi had to turn away to make sure Mrs. Smyth didn’t see her amusement. That probably wouldn’t go over too well with the notoriously bad-tempered woman. A moment later, after getting her hot butterscotch coffee, she turned to exit.
“Oh, excuse me, young man,” Mrs. Smyth said, in a voice that sounded warm and welcoming. Two things the old woman was not.
The moment it hit Mairi what was just said, she smelled him. Her mate. Her soon-to-be ex-mate. Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and turned to face her husband. Their gazes met, his in shock and hers in resignation. He held a folder and she knew what it was. What it represented.
“You,” he accused.
“Me.”
“You’re Mairi Monroy?”
“I am,” she replied, switching back to her normal voice. The one that held a slight brogue from her homeland, even though it had faded quite a bit.
“You sounded like an American last night.”
“I’ve been living here for three years,” she pointed out. “I’ve learned how to talk like them.”
“You knew who I was.”
“Aye.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you’d already established you’re not staying, and I’m not leaving.” She took a deep breath. “Two ships passing in the night. Remember?”
He waved her words away. “I said that to the woman who was my fated mate. Who happens to be you! What are the fucking odds?”
Just then, the door opened and another patron entered.
Tavish looked over his shoulder, then marched around the counter to Mairi, where he took hold of her hand and more or less dragged her into a storeroom in the back.
Sealed supplies rested on shelves, and the scent of coffee made her yearn for one.
“Let go of me,” she ordered, yanking on her hand.
He released her and closed the door, turning on the overhead fluorescent and sealing them in the small space. The pale light above cast his face in shadows, and she slapped him hard enough that her handprint remained.
“What the hell?” he growled, rubbing his cheek.
“You drag me in here like a caveman.”
“You lied to me.”
She lifted her chin. “And how did I lie?”
“Omitting who you were was nothing short of lying.”
“I didn’t think knowing my identity would change anything. You’re still not staying and I’m still not going. Give me the divorce papers and I’ll sign them.”
Not only did a mega dose of regret burn in her heart, the sadness also lingered. Her wolf whimpered because they both knew they’d get over him with time, but it would never be the same. A wolf mated for life, and it was a shame he didn’t feel the same.
“Why?”
She blinked. “Why ... what?”
“Why wouldn’t you come home?”
“I am home.”
“Nae,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re hiding.”
Mairi held up her hands. “Wait. This time yesterday, you wanted nothing to do with me. Why this sudden interest in our mate bond?”
“I thought I knew everything,” he replied, his voice hollow.
“Thought I had it all figured out. My company, my work was the only important thing to me. My gran told me I had to marry you to gain control of it, and I would’ve done anything to ensure my grandfather’s legacy.
I hate to say this, but you were a means to an end. ”
She knew all this. Her own gran had told her the conditions of his acquiring the title of CEO. They’d been childhood friends so she assumed he would be happy to be her husband. That belief, however, was her own damn fault.
“What do you want from me?” she asked quietly.
“I want us to try.”
She tilted her head. “What happens if you decide you don’t want a mate? Do you cast me aside so I’m forced to heal from another broken heart? If so, it would be best if we never try. Reject me now so I may find someone who could love me.”
A low growl rumbled from his chest. “I don’t like the idea of you with another man.”
“Really?” she asked sarcastically. “I doubt you’re a virgin.”
He gave a wry grin. “I understand your point. Doesn’t make my wolf any less jealous.”
“Makes two of us,” she muttered, not liking the visual of him fucking another woman.
Whoa. Wait, why am I jealous?