Shielded by Her Fated Mate

Chapter 1

Ansel

“I’m so bored,” I groan as I sink down onto my leather couch.

My bear grumbles inside me. He’s as restless and bored as I am. To be fair, the fact that we’ve done nothing for the last week except mope around the house probably isn’t helping with our current state much.

I’ve been listless for close to a month, ever since my brother, Russo, found his fated mate. I’m thrilled for Russo; he and Ever are literally perfect for each other, and he deserves to be happy and settled. But it’s hard now that I’m the odd guy out.

I’m always the third wheel lately. All my friends and fellow pack mates seem to have found their fated mates in the last year or so. Everyone is happy and in love with their mate.

Everyone except me.

My bear whines, pawing at me impatiently. We’ve always wanted to find our fated mate, but seeing all our friends claim their mates has really lit a fire under my bear and me to find ours too. It seems like everyone in the pack has been pairing up, and I’m sick of waiting for it to be my turn.

So, stop waiting around for our mate and do something! Let’s go find her, my bear growls.

I sigh. I know.

I know he’s right, and with the threat of the cult north of our town now gone, it might be the perfect time to take an extended vacation and search for my girl.

I didn’t want to leave my pack or my friends when we were still dealing with Michael and the Cult kidnapping and hurting innocent people.

Now that the cult has been disbanded and either killed or run off, the danger is gone.

I still volunteer with the Midnight Haven, the rescue group we started here in town, but now the cases and people needing help are few and far between.

The other guys could handle it if I left for a bit.

So, let’s go then, my bear snaps.

We will. Soon. We should come up with a plan… or you know, pack.

My bear snorts, rolling his eyes at me as he paces.

My phone buzzes, and I dig it out of my pocket, smiling when I see my brother’s text.

Russo: Want to grab lunch? My treat.

Ansel: Sure. When and where?

Russo: How about the diner in twenty?

Ansel: Sounds good. See you soon.

I tuck my phone back into my pocket and groan as I push to my feet. I’m only twenty-eight, but after years of working construction when I was younger, then boot camp and two deployments, my body feels older. I’m stiff, my back hurts, and my joints crack when I squat or bend down.

My size doesn’t help. I’ve always been a big guy. By fifteen, I was six and a half feet and two hundred pounds of muscle. Not much has changed since then. I’m still big and burly, still head and shoulders over most of my peers. Russo is the only one taller than me by half an inch.

My knee creaks as I take the stairs up to my bedroom and grab a pair of socks. I slip on my shoes and grab my wallet, heading out the back door to take the trail into town.

As soon as the door closes behind me, my body stiffens, and I freeze.

I catch a sweet scent on the air, and my bear stands at full attention inside me.

I take a step forward, lifting my nose to the wind as I step off the porch, almost tripping as I stumble over my feet through the grass toward the trees that border my property.

It’s… my bear says, trailing off as the wind changes.

I pause, my senses coming alive as I try to pinpoint where the scent is coming from. There’s a rustling to my left, and I take off in that direction.

“Hey!” a man shouts.

I run faster toward the noises, toward the intoxicating scent.

The scent is stronger now, and my bear roars in my head, snarling one word.

Mate.

Wait, what? I ask, freezing in my tracks.

It’s our mate! he growls. She’s close! Move!

I jerk out of my stupor and bolt forward, rounding a small grouping of trees and almost barreling right over the woman crawling on her hands and knees in my direction.

My eyes lock on her perfect curves and her dark head of hair. She has red marks on her wrists, and my stomach drops when I smell blood. It looks like she was tied up.

My heart races as I scan the rest of her, my eyes locking onto her ankle. She’s dragging it behind her, the foot bent at an awkward angle. I know it has to be sprained at least, possibly broken.

My poor mate, I think. Thank God I came out the back door and found her in time.

She’s staring over her shoulder as she scrambles forward. It kills me and my bear, but I tear my gaze off my mate and look up to see two men chasing her.

She’s in danger, my bear snarls. Save her. Keep her safe.

I smile as I step forward to do just that. Suddenly, my boredom is long gone.