The Hungry Girl’s Guide to Mating with a Werewolf (Mate Hunted #6)

Chapter 1

one

MAYA

My phone buzzed on the counter beside me.

Again.

I bit my cheek in an attempt to stop myself from grinning, trying to focus on the sauces I had cooking on my stove.

I was supposed to be pissed that a werewolf guy was messaging me over and over. I’d forced myself to block his number after the first text, and tried to ignore the ones that followed.

But I’d given up after the first three.

It was hard not to, honestly.

His first message was pretty ridiculous, and I’d responded accordingly.

Ethan

Hey, Maya. This is Ethan. Your friends gave me your number. Can we meet up for drinks or something sometime? I think we’d get along

Me

No

I’d blocked him after turning him down. No point in continuing a conversation that might give him hope that we’d end up together. I was absolutely uninterested in trying my hand at mating with a werewolf again.

And considering all five of my friends had now ended up paired with guys from the same pack, which only consisted of six men, there was no question about it. I was going to end up mated to Ethan if I ever looked into his eyes.

I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not even maybe.

Yes, the pictures my friends had sent of him made it clear he was insanely attractive. But the past had proven to me that the prettiest men could be the cruelest.

I wasn’t going to risk going there again.

So, I hadn’t planned on responding to Ethan’s messages. Or even reading them.

But he’d figured out a way around me blocking his number, because he sent me a text from another one. And he was craftier this time.

It was a picture I’d taken of a dessert I’d made, followed by a question.

Ethan

How the fuck did you make this? I stalked you on social media and saw this at the top

Can I have the recipe? I was supposed to be rationing the cake Emmy made me last week, but I ate it all this morning

Or we could meet up and you could teach me how to make it

I could provide candy and chips. I’m not much of a cook, but I have serious snack game

The next message was a picture of what looked like a massive closet or pantry, and it was absolutely filled to the brim with snacks and candy.

I zoomed in, going over every shelf.

Unmated werewolves did something called nesting before they met their mate.

Sometimes they had an urge to collect random items they’d need, like food and toilet paper and toothbrushes.

Other times, nature pushed them to collect something specific to their mate, like a certain type of hair product, or shoes in their future mate’s size and style.

It was incredibly weird.

There wasn’t one thing in Ethan’s snack stash that I didn’t like or love, so yeah. Fate wanted us together. I definitely couldn’t let myself look him in the eyes.

Or talk to him.

Talking would lead to looking, after all.

With a sigh, I blocked his new number and returned to my sauces.

Honestly, I wasn’t opposed to talking about cooking with someone. Especially if they provided snacks. I hated going to the grocery store, and didn’t have much money to support my habit, but I loved snacks. Gummy candy and barbecue chips were my jam.

Thank fuck for my werewolf-speed digestive system.

Anyway, I wasn’t opposed, because I’d been kind of lonely. My job sucked, I hated college students, and no one took my classes seriously. All of the people who were really passionate about food went to culinary school. Like I did.

On top of that, one of the professors in my department was a fucking asshole.

He was nearly two decades older than me, flirted with me constantly, nonstop, and wouldn’t take no for an answer despite an entire ten years of being shot down.

I’d tried to report him a dozen times, but he had seniority, and I’d been told I needed proof.

I’d thought about quitting and going back to work in a restaurant every day for years.

But I was afraid working in a commercial kitchen would bring my trauma back to the surface, so the university was as good as I could get.

That didn’t mean it was good.

And it definitely didn’t help with the loneliness. Or the harassment.

Things had been better after I met my friends, before they all hooked up with werewolves. Zoe had only met her mate that day, but she’d been busy planning a wedding over the months since Emmy moved to Moon Ridge. And Emmy was the social one of the two.

So I was alone a lot.

That was fine, of course. I liked being alone.

But… I wasn’t opposed to having someone to talk about cooking with.

Unless it was going to lead to a mate bond. Then I wasn’t touching it with a ten-foot pole.

A few minutes went by before my phone buzzed again.

I finished my sauces and assembled my plate carefully before reading the next texts.

Ethan

Please, keep blocking me

It tells me you’re reading the messages ;)

I stared down at the phone. That was actually a good point.

Ethan

Texting me back wouldn’t be the end of the world, just for the record

I don’t have your address, so I can’t find you. Even if I could, you’re obviously opposed to having a mate, so trying to force you into a bond would be a terrible idea on my part

We could just be friends

I answered him before I could rethink it.

Me

Werewolves are never just friends with their mate

Ethan

Sure they are

It’s rare, but it happens sometimes

I sent a quick message to Abby.

Me

Can you ask Nico if werewolves are ever just friends with their mate?

She replied immediately.

Abby

We’ve talked about that before

There are only two couples in Moon Ridge living that way, but there are two, so it’s possible

Are you thinking about going for that?

Me

Just fact checking

Abby

Are you texting Ethan?

Me

Possibly

Abby

I rolled my eyes, and went back to the newest messages from Ethan.

Ethan

Ask one of your friends, I swear it’s true

Lying to you isn’t in my best interest either

Me

They agreed

But that doesn’t mean I want to be your friend any more than I want to be your mate

Ethan

You wound me, Cupcake

Me

Do NOT call me a nickname you’ve used on your friends’ mates

Ethan

But you and I are just friends ;)

Me

If you send me one more winky face, so help me god, I will block you endlessly

Ethan

K

What are you up to?

Me

On a date

Ethan

Must be a shitty date, if you’re texting me

I snorted, sending him a picture of my meal from above. And from the side, because it deserved it. It was a thing of beauty.

I was getting really tired of cooking only for myself, but it was what it was.

Ethan

What would it take to get you to make me a matching plate?

Me

You’d need a mate bond with someone who isn’t me

Ethan

Damn, that’s cold

Me

As an ice cube

Ethan

Surely there’s something you want. New knives, caviar, expensive wine, steak, ice cream…

Me

You wouldn’t want to pay for what I’d ask for

Ethan

Try me

Me

The feral pack does well, but not that well

Ethan

I didn’t start with the ferals. I had a real job before this

And the pack probably does better than you think

Me

What kind of job?

Ethan

Give me the request and I’ll tell you

Me

You drive a hard bargain

Ethan

I can feel the sarcasm leaking through your message, and I approve, Cupcake

Me

Now you’re just using that nickname to test me

Ethan

After a few moments of hesitation, I sent him a link to the expensive, name brand dutch oven I’d been eyeing for nearly a year but never had the money for.

I knew the generic one would work just as well, but I’d found a saucepan from the same brand in a color I loved at a thrift store the year before. I had been envisioning having a full set from that brand in all different colors ever since.

Ethan

In this color?

Me

Yes

Ethan

The bright yellow? Just to make sure I don’t order the wrong one

Me

Yes

Ethan

I’ll need your address to send it to your house

I’d include a wink here, but I don’t want to get blocked

I sent my address.

Me

If you winked this often in person, people would ask if you were okay

Ethan

Ouch

Me

And if you’re wounded this easily, you should be glad I don’t want a mate, because you couldn’t handle me

Ethan

Burn

Me

Do people still say burn?

Ethan

How would I know? I’m not the one who’s a college professor

Me

Ugh, don’t bring that up

Ethan

Don’t love the job?

Me

Not even a little

He sent me a picture of the receipt, along with a tracking number.

Me

Tell me you didn’t just spend a hundred bucks on fast shipping

Ethan

Can’t tell you that

Me

SERIOUSLY?

Ethan

I’m hungry

Me

I would’ve fed you without the fucking expedited shipping

That’s a huge waste of money

Ethan

Now? You’ll feed me now?

I sighed.

Me

Fine

But if the dutch oven doesn’t show up, I’m not going to text you back ever again

Ethan

That would be deserved

But like I said, lying to you isn’t in my best interest

Me

I’ll hand you the plate through the door

There will be a divider between us at all times

I’m not getting trapped in another fucking mate bond

Ethan

I was brainstorming, and I think mirrored sunglasses would stop the bond from forming. Since we couldn’t see each other’s eyes

I can pick some up on the way there

If we both wear them, we’ll be double safe

Me

That could work

Ethan

Hell yeah

On my way

Me

Your food’s going to be long past cold if you’re all the way in Moon Ridge

Ethan

I may have already been driving around your town in hopes of stumbling upon you

Me

Stalker

Ethan

Take it as a compliment

I may have also picked up the sunglasses before you texted me back. Fake it ‘til you make it and all

I snorted and cut into my dinner. Nerves bubbled in my belly, but I tried hard to ignore them.

It wasn’t a date.

I was just cooking for Ethan in exchange for a dutch oven I’d wanted for ages. He was basically a client, paying for food.

I managed two small bites before Ethan knocked on the door.

On second thought, maybe I should tell him to cancel his order and go home.

But I’d already agreed. Plus, having someone to talk to and share food with honestly sounded amazing.

So… I let out a long breath and padded to the door.