Chapter 2
Ian Summers sure as hell didn’t expect to see Emily when he walked through the doors of Frankie’s to meet his buddies for dinner. She never came to this side of town. At least she hadn’t in several years.
Damn, she looked as good as ever. Better actually. The last time he had seen her, she looked too thin and pale. Tonight, fuck. She looked healthy as hell and like those beautiful curves of hers would fit perfectly against him, cradling him in all the right places.
This had to be some sort of damn setup or something.
Why would she come to his side of town out of the blue?
Yeah, it was stupid and juvenile as fuck for him to refer to his side of town and her side of town, but that was what they had agreed on after she had broken his heart and tanked his dreams of claiming his mate and living his own happily ever after.
She lived on the edge of Black Paw lands and was one of the few humans in the know.
One of the few who worked within the pack borders.
He had gotten good at steering clear of her.
Over the years, he’d tried to keep a minimum of a five-mile radius between them.
The last thing he needed was Rafe, his Alpha, on his ass for not being able to control the mating instinct with a human.
“You okay, man?” Jack Andrews, his best friend asked.”
“Yeah,” he said, refusing to take his eyes off of Emily.”
“Uh-huh. Sure. Is it because she’s here?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ian replied.
“So this has nothing to do with the fact that your unclaimed mate is a mere ten tables away, laughing with her friend, Jenn? Please. I’m not dumb. Why is she here? I thought this was your side of town and off-limits to her?”
“Let it go, Jack.” Ian turned and growled, pulling his eyes off of Emily far sooner than he had wanted to.
“Fine!” Jack said, tossing his hands in the air and backing off.
Jack had been there for Ian when his relationship with Emily had spectacularly imploded. He knew the shit Ian had gone through trying and failing all these years to get over her.
Then again, it wasn’t like a wolf could really get over his mate who had wanted nothing to do with him, thanks to her mom’s meddling in their budding relationship.
What had been more fucked up was that she had chosen to give up on them because they didn’t approve of them dating.
What grown-ass woman does that? Even now, Ian had heard through the grapevine that Emily still did everything her parents had commanded—like a good little girl.
They had total control of her life. Hell, her mom had probably picked out the conservative to-the-ankles dress she had on that would hide each and every single one of those curves he wanted to kiss, lick, and caress the second she stood up.
How he would love to see her shake off her parents’ influence and control and truly become the woman she was meant to be.
Ian had tried for years to get her to break the cycle with her parents, to no avail.
He didn’t know what it would take to get her to stand on her own two feet and free herself.
Sadly, he learned the hard way that it was something she was going to have to do because she wanted to, not because he wanted her to.
Their waitress came by to take their drink and food orders, and Ian barely remembered what he had rattled off to her.
He half paid attention to Jack, who tried like hell to pick up the waitress for a friends-with-benefits session after she got off work.
The other part of his brain focused on the conversation between Emily and Jenn.
He had damn near choked on a French fry when Jenn had invited Emily to the Annual Convergence.
Surely, Jenn had to know that it was against the rules to have a human present.
It was an event strictly for shifters, held by the Alpha and his wife, Marcus and Isabelle Langley.
Though he did agree with her assessment that she’d rather be anywhere other than the ceremony.
He had gone every damn year out of respect for his pack, knowing damn well that his mate would never be there because she was human.
Jenn shot him a knowing glance and a wry smile when Emily had agreed to her absurd invite.
That’s when the lightbulb above his head went off.
Jennifer had asked Emily for him. Damn, he fucking owed her big time.
Ian didn’t know how, but he would take advantage of the situation and find a way to get back under Emily’s skin.
It had been years since they had been together, and he was done waiting for her.
He was going to prove that she was meant to be with him.
That they were meant to be together forever—no matter what her parent said.
He needed to discuss the matter with not only Rafe and Mina but Marcus and Isabelle because they were going to bring a human to the Convergence. It was the only chance he had. Ian knew it. He felt that shit deep in his bones.
Emily looked in his direction and their eyes locked. He felt his wolf pushing forward, realizing his mate was within striking distance. Ian fought tooth and nail to keep his animal in check, not wanting to wolf out in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
“Mine! Mate!” his wolf growled in his mind.
“Dude, you gotta’ chill. If you shift here and now, shits gonna’ go south quick,” Jack said.
Ian snapped back and looked around, never realizing that Brendon and Jon had joined them.
Sure, he knew he was meeting up with all of them for dinner, but hell, his attention had been focused on Emily the entire time.
He could barely pull his eyes away from her to concentrate on his own damn dinner.
“I know. I’ve got it. Don’t worry,” Ian snapped.
“Uh huh,” Brendon said. “Your hands are changing.” He pointed out.
Shit! Ian thought. “You’ve got to calm down. You heard Jenn. She’s going to be at the Annual Convergence. We’ll make our move then. Not in the middle of a damn restaurant,” he said, warning his wolf.
“Fine!” his wolf huffed.
Closing his eyes, Ian sucked in a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He gave his wolf a minute to collect himself and calm the hell down. When he felt his hands shift back to his normal human hands, he opened his eyes and faced his slightly amused friends.
“You good now?” Jack asked.
“Yeah. I’m good.” Ian picked up his burger and took a huge bite. It took all of his willpower to keep his eyes focused on his friends and off Emily.
“Did I hear Jenn right? Did she invite Emily to the Convergence?” Jon asked.
“Yep,” Ian replied. He’d been hoping none of them would have picked up on it, but they all had hearing just as good as his, and of course, they had been listening into the conversation. Just like he had been. Nosy fuckers.
“You better talk to—,” Jack said.
“I know. I’ll stop by after dinner and let them know what’s going on.
Hopefully, they approve.” Ian didn’t have much hope that Marcus and Isabelle would allow these types of shenanigans.
As far as he could remember, he had never once seen a human at the Annual Convergence.
It was strictly for wolves. Hundreds of them piled into their community annually for this event, hoping to find their mates.
Each year there were tons of matches made, and new wolves came every year with the same hopes of finding that one special person they were fated to be with.
Hopefully, Rafe and Mina would work wonders and talk them into allowing it.
It was a huge event filled with lots of that magical whoop-de-do that all the females went all gaga over. To be fair, some of the males did too. Ian had fallen for all the magic and bullshit too until he met his mate and figured out there wasn’t a paranormal bone in her body…until…
“Either way, he was going to have to have a serious talk with Rafe and Mina and figure out a way to claim his mate once and for all.
Jenn stood and walked toward the restroom, leaving Emily alone at the table.
Ian jumped to his feet, needing to find a way to interact with her.
He had no idea what the fuck he was going to say, but he went anyway.
One step at a time. One foot in front of the other until he found himself standing in front of her.
The smells and aromas from the restraint faded away as her scent came into focus.
Fuck… it was one he would never forget. The smell of fresh flowers filled his nostrils and sent the blood rushing south to his cock until it pressed painfully against his zipper.
The only thing he wanted in that moment was to pull Emily into his arms and kiss the fuck out of her until she forgot her own damn name.
“What are you doing here,” he growled, sounding harsher than he had intended.
“Ian!” Emily jumped, nearly out of her damn seat. She cleared her throat and turned to face him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Jenn invited me out.”
“I thought we were supposed to stay on our own sides of town. Remember you don’t cross the tracks and neither do I? Wasn’t that what we had agreed on?” he asked.
“Grow up, Ian. That was over ten years ago. Seriously, get over it already. I’ll go where I want. When I want. With whomever I want,” she clucked, not even bothering to look up at him.
“Fine, but don’t think this is the end of it.” He stomped away, back to his table. The caveman in him wanted to snag her up off her chair, toss her over his shoulder, and take her away somewhere they could be together to figure things out the sexy way.