Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Bear’s Arranged Mate Chapter 1

Jermaine

The rec center had never been so packed. Mating rituals were usually the largest draw for a crowd with public trials right behind. But meetings had never been a particularly big hit with the Beaufort Creek Pack. It wasn't a lack of interest. It was simple logic.

Pack hive mind had always agreed: This could have been an email. True. Beyond true. No truer words could have been spoken in such a setting. Anyone could have tasted those words in the air. Too easily. But that was something that only ever happened with Nathan.

Our previous alpha had often complained that people complained. But they were right to complain. Nathan had been a verbose guy. Blake wasn't. That was the striking difference between those two men. This could have been an email became a quickly generated vibe that infected even those most skilled at protecting their energy.

Shifters like me.

Yet today, Blake was proving to be as eloquent a speaker as he was a leader. With Veronica standing proudly by his side and his team seated to the left of the stage, he had his audience captivated. Sure, it could have just as easily been an email. But then we would have missed this show.

Shit, he could have been doing magic tricks and they would still want to hear him speak. That was just his nature. That and the bad boy look. He had a charismatic way about him that both intimidated and intrigued. And he did it without shifting. His speech, despite its enticing nature, sifted through one ear and out the other. I wasn't disinterested. I was just focused on other things.

More attacks. More danger. More of the same, generally speaking, I thought. My eyebrows couldn't have twisted together any more tightly. This is such a huge mess.

Nearly six months had passed since Blake had become alpha, and he sported the same leather jacket with torn jeans that he'd worn during the mate trials. Whatever his mother thought wasn't apparent. Her nails had stolen her attention today.

No complaints from me either. My focus was on security. In particular, the windows above the heads of my pack, the entrance as well as the two emergency exits, and each door leading into an adjacent room. Those were more important than anything else. My ears would capture anything important spoken in my direction. Each year proved harder than the last as far as training my senses, but I was always up for the challenge, improving my abilities enough to surpass those around me. It wasn't for sport. It was for protection.

I was the bear. The protector. I kept watch over every area where my pack loomed, providing shelter as the right hand of my alpha. It was my one and only job. It was my purpose.

Nothing could ever stop me from fulfilling my purpose.

"...more bonds means more protection."

My right ear tingled as the crowd in front of the stage gave a varied reaction. Some groaned with irritation, some straightened up with excitement, and some seemed to be bored by the pack proceedings going in the same direction all over again. For me, it wasn't boring to see my friends and pack members join with their fated mates.

Bonds-those were what kept us going. The very nature of those bonds provided a blanket of security that even I couldn't compete with. If I hadn't squandered all my years on video games, combat training, and tactical gear, then maybe I would have had a bond by now. Or maybe Blake would have found one for me.

All I knew was my duty. My calling would never be interrupted.

"I'm proud to announce our next bonds," Blake continued. "I've made a list."

The room groaned in unison.

Surely Blake didn't think lists were going to get anything done. If we struck the Gilbert Pack now, then we would be able to avoid a great deal of pain in the future. Then, this ancient ritual of announcing bonds would be a thing of the past. People bonded better when they were able to choose their mates. It was all about choice.

At least, it would feel better if I was able to do the same.

It's not like I need a mate, I reminded myself. I've been doing just fine on my own.

A horrific feeling swirled to the surface and then retreated just as quickly. It was a mere thought, a shabby murmur of the heart.

My gaze settled on my alpha. Nothing to see here.I'm not thinking about anything that would make me feel weird about the mating ritual.

Blake focused on me. As always, the attention of my alpha drew my attention. It was amazing how much platonic bonds strengthened over time. Though many humans tended to emphasize their romantic connections, shifters valued every connection from blood ties to friendships and even acquaintances.

Bonds were essential to life. We couldn't live without them.

Blake bowed his head reverently. "And I'm proud to announce the coupling of my right hand and head of security, Jermaine, to Elva Wilcox."

A round of applause exploded in the room. The noise stunned me as I stared at my alpha, largely unaware of the emotions swelling inside me. Until they burst from my chest.

I shot up from my chair. "What?"

Far be it from me to question my leader. But this was ridiculous.

I searched the crowd for Elva, locating her on the other side of the room-seated as far away from me as possible.

And for good reason.

Finding her wasn't difficult at all. With that bleached-orange hair cut short and choppy and that pierced septum, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Her skin hosted rose undertones with tattoos crammed wherever they could possibly be placed. The imagery was fitting for her: jagged letters, snarling tigers, ancient creatures painted on cave walls, and lyrics upon lyrics in script.

Short, feisty, and curvy, she was wrapped up in a black tube top and black skinny jeans with a massive attitude emanating from her black winged eyeliner.

She squinted at me. "No way in hell am I hooking up with that unwashed bear."

Chuckles erupted around her.

It would have been cute if it wasn't so goddamn annoying. "Like you're any better at hygiene than me. Look at those tattoos. Ghastly."

"Wow, way to blast us back to the seventeenth century with that word, Jermaine."

More chuckles. I didn't mind them at all. She was doing a fine job of embarrassing herself. There was no need for me to add to it. But good gods, adding to it would make me feel loads better. "It's better than the sailor mouth you got."

"The lipstick is called peachy pink, numbnuts."

"See? Biggest toilet in this room is that mouth."

She sneered. "You're one to talk considering your mouth never has anything nice to say."

"Because you're always being snotty and rude, El. You really think people are going to be nice to you when you act so stuck up?"

She stuck her nose in the air. It was so comical how much it made my point. And it didn't matter how her tube top dipped slightly-nothing was going to distract me from the fact that she was just itching for another one of our famous brawls.

Back when I had just been starting as security for this place, Elva would challenge me every chance she got. It was like she got off on trying to prove to her pack that she was just as strong as the boys. Most of the time, I'd let her win, allowing her to soak up the rays of her glory.

But not anymore. I was sick of her challenging me at every turn. And I would be sure to put her in place properly this time. Properly and publicly.

She crossed her arms over her chest, enhancing the swell of her breasts.

That wasn't something I normally noticed on Elva. It wasn't that she wasn't attractive. It was just odd to notice normal body parts like that.

But maybe it was the heat of the room or the tension of the situation calling me to check her out in a way that my bear found deeply satisfying. It didn't matter. She wouldn't win this war in the end.

"You really think I want to be mated to you?" she retorted. "You're a grumpy old bear who throws temper tantrums when you don't get your way." "You're full of it."

She smirked. "I'm full of experience. I can handle tough clients. Just like I can handle you."

A round of applause broke out from the women around her.

She bowed slightly. "How about we have a match over it? The winner gets the top bunk in our new house. What do you say?"

Blake held up his hands. "Can you do this later tonight? We're on a time crunch."

I turned to my alpha and bowed as deeply as I could manage. "With all due respect, Alpha, are you sure this is a good match? We're always fighting."

"I think that's exactly why you should mate. Because you always fight."

The pack responded with a sound of interest. What was this? A live-action drama show?

Ridiculous. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, if you think you can't handle her, then suggest someone better."

You son of a bitch. My heart thrummed in my chest as I straightened my back and met my alpha's challenging gaze. He was really laying it on thick. If I chose someone else, then I would be admitting I wasn't up for meeting a foe head-on. But accepting such a challenge would make true Elva's claim about my pride.

Decisions, decisions.

Blake smiled, the corners of his mouth sharpening the longer I didn't respond. He didn't even have to repeat his question. He knew what was going to happen.

"Fine," I spat. "But I'm only doing this because you've dictated it's best."

"Thank you, Jermaine. For all your service." He gestured to the clapping crowd. "You and Elva should go home and get ready for the ritual. We'll be doing a few at dusk."

Dusk my ass, I thought. Irritation flooded me. My bear clawed to be released. A hard jog would probably do the trick to calm me down if I wanted to have my head on correctly during the mating ritual. It's for my alpha. It's for my pack.

I glanced at the woman who had made my life a living hell.

But I don't have to like it.

While marching to my own drumbeat, I ignored the urge to check on Elva again. No doubt her smug expression would have halted me in my tracks. And then we would get caught in an argument all over again. How many times had perimeter checks been thwarted by her massive ego?

Too many, I thought. I shoved through the double doors, late afternoon air clogging up my nostrils. Scent after scent invaded my mind. It took a few minutes to get it under control. She's going to keep doing it, too. Why does Blake think this is a good idea? It's only going to distract me.

The heart of the matter was already slipping into my awareness. It was something I didn't want to acknowledge, part of my past that needed to stay in the past. Even Elva didn't know why this was such a stab in the damn ribs.

My brows wrestled together. I kept my eyes on the road ahead, stamping my way to my cabin on the edge of the neighborhood streets. Being closer to Blake meant a faster response time. And that was pretty much the only reason I chose to live away from my pack. Privacy was a plus. Being away from Elva was even better. But it certainly put me on the edge of everything. I was the last to know about birthday parties and celebratory news. Not because I didn't want to know those things, but because I was often caught up in the basement room in the mansion with my eyes glued to a security screen.

Most people would have assumed that my job placed me at the very center of the action. But it really didn't. It just gave me a bird's-eye view of everything. Sound? Not so much. I wasn't the type to take after Orwell's inspirational spy system.

I sighed as my shoulders shrugged toward the ground. The bristling bear inside me begged to lay down. We were on day three of a work binge-monitors and security checks and backup plans.

He needed rest.

But we couldn't rest yet. Not until we got this stupid ritual over with.

My head popped up as soon as I reached the low fence surrounding my humble yard. I swung the gate, caught it before it slammed, and then punched the code into the keypad hidden just beneath the latch. That would catch anyone curious enough to wander into my yard.

It wasn't like many shifters did. Most of them kept to their neighborhoods, informing their kids not to mess with the grumpy bear man. And the only reason I knew they said that was because Elva had thrown it in my face so many times.

A sigh carried me up the steps. A few grumbles sent me inside. One more inch put me within falling range of my couch.

Plop.

Fur puffed up from the cushions-my fur. Nobody had vacuumed it. Because it didn't need vacuuming. Because it was mine. Because I lived alone. Just the way I liked it.

An animalistic part of me-sans logic and courteous tendencies-urged me to obey my alpha. It was the side that knew better than to dawdle. Pissing off Blake meant disrespecting the pack. And I didn't want to disrespect the pack. I wanted to protect the pack. As I should. As any bear would want to do.

Protect them, he drilled into my head. It's your purpose.

Because anything less would mean failing the family I couldn't protect all those years ago.