Mate Set (20 page)

created. Her dresser was in about twelve pieces and all her clothes were thrown all over

the room as though an explosion had hit. Her bed was in pieces. The mattress and box

spring were shredded by what looked like knives but she knew Grady had done it with

his claws. Her other nightstand was now destroyed too. Her walls were down to bare

studs in a lot of places and insulation showed where the plaster was just gone or

broken.

Hot tears flooded her eyes as she realized it was going to cost her a fortune to fix it.

The ceiling fan that had been above her bed was torn out and hung in a broken mess of

wires and snapped blades. She swallowed and inched into her room, avoiding broken

wood and stuffing from her mattress.

Grady wasn’t in the room. She stepped over one of her bedposts, a smashed dresser

drawer, some of her clothing, and inched around broken glass from her lamp. She made

it to the bathroom and peered in—it wasn’t destroyed. The bathroom window was wide

open though and Grady wasn’t there.

She turned and carefully studied her bedroom again, still horrified that Grady had

done this. Her stunned gaze returned to the ceiling fan. She wondered if the torn wires

could cause a fire. She wiped at hot tears falling down her face. Grady was gone and

he’d destroyed her bedroom.

While she picked up clothes from the floor, looking for something to wear, she

silently wondered if he’d have hurt her if she hadn’t run from the room. She stared at

the destroyed mattress with all the ugly slashes through it, remembering she’d been on

the bed he’d attacked with his claws. She fought back more tears, knowing crying

wasn’t going to fix this mess.

She found that he’d left her closet untouched. She got her suitcases out and went

through her room carefully so she didn’t cut her feet. She salvaged what clothes she

could from her smashed dresser drawers. She removed her clothes from the closet and

made sure the ceiling fan switch was off.

She dragged out her suitcases and shut the bedroom door. She left her suitcases in

the hallway. She didn’t want to go back into her room but knew she’d have to go in

there to pack up her bathroom things. She could stay in the spare bedroom for now.

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Where was Grady? His Jeep was in the driveway but she hadn’t seen his clothes in

her room when she’d moved shit around, looking for her things. He’d stripped in her

bedroom so they should be there. They weren’t. That meant he hadn’t left her house

through the bathroom window on four feet and fur. He’d climbed out that window on

two legs, wearing his clothes.

Anger surged through her. He’d sneaked out the window to avoid her.
The coward.

He’d gone wild after biting her and he had just sneaked out, not even bothering to

check on her. She fought the pain and anger that welled inside her.

The doorbell rang. Was he back? She wondered if he was calm enough now to talk

or if maybe he’d just come back to get his Jeep keys. She walked slowly to the door and

took a deep breath. She straightened her shoulders, unlocked the deadbolt, and swung

the door open wide to face whatever mood Grady was in.

Minnie was pale and tears swam in her dark brown eyes. “I didn’t tell your uncle a

thing about what happened here. I told him I got into an argument with my brother so

he thinks I went for ice cream to calm myself down.” Minnie stepped into the entryway

and grabbed Mika, pulling her into her arms in a tight hug. “Are you all right?”

Mika gripped the taller woman tightly around her waist and shook her head. “No.”

“My poor baby. Where is Grady? I want to talk to him. He knew better than to

touch you without condoms. It was stupid. I know you don’t understand a lot about

this but damn, it was stupid of him to fuck you without a condom. The stronger you

scent of them and sex the more they get the urge to mate you. It was just a matter of

time. He―”

“Is gone,” Mika cut off Minnie from her rant.

Minnie pulled back and frowned down at Mika. “His Jeep is in the driveway so

don’t lie to me. He owes your family an explanation and he should be glad it’s me and

not Omar who wants to hear him tell me how this happened.”

“I’m not lying. He was upset.” That was putting it mildly. “He is gone and I don’t

know where he went. I don’t know when he’s coming back. He didn’t want to face me I

guess. His keys were out here with me but he took off and left the Jeep.”

Rage twisted Minnie’s face. “He mated you and split? I knew it. He did this on

purpose and now feels guilty so he doesn’t want to face you until you calm down.

Damn men. I’m always terrified your uncle is going to do this shit to me. He’s been

after me for twenty damn years to mate his ass. I was sure Grady was honorable. I’m so

damn sorry but he did this on purpose, baby.”

“He did not.”

Minnie gave Mika a frown. “Trust me. This was obviously intentional. He took off

because he wants to give you time to calm down.”

Mika gripped Minnie’s arm and dragged the woman down the hallway. She

opened her bedroom door wide and watched the shock and horror play across Minnie’s

features as Minnie took in the state of the room.

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“He didn’t mate me on purpose. He was that damn upset over accidentally biting

into me. He isn’t avoiding me because of guilt. I think he left so he doesn’t kill my ass.

He can’t be mated to me if I’m dead, right?”

Minnie had turned sheet white as she stared down at Mika. “Let’s go now.”

“I’m not going anywhere. This is my house. He’ll calm down eventually and come

home. At the very least he still needs me for a few more days and I have his Jeep keys

and his bag is in the spare bedroom where he’s keeping his clothes. I don’t think I’m

really in any danger. He took his rage out on the room instead of me. I was just down

the hallway so if he wanted to hurt me he could have.”

“Are you looking at the same damn room I am? He damn near shoved your

headboard through the wall that separates your bedroom from your bathroom.

Everything in here is broken. Every damn thing.”

“I’m not broken and I was in here at first.”

“Oh, Mika,” Minnie said softly.

She almost flinched at the look of pity that Minnie was directing her way. She

straightened her shoulders. “There has to be a way to un-mate us.”

Shaking her head, Minnie’s look of pity deepened. “The only times I’ve ever heard

of an accidental mating, well, they just dealt with it by trying to make the best of it

together as a couple. You were marked before and carried his scent but it was faint.

Marking fades after a short period of time. Now… Hell, Mika, you’re going to smell just

like him. It will be that strong and it will remain that way. Right now, if the mating

took, your body is changing. It’s bred into them that the woman who smells like them

belongs to them. He may not have meant to mate you, but honey, you are his now. He’ll

have to come to terms with that because he won’t have a choice. His body, his animal,

will know and once it gets a whiff of you, his instincts will take over.”

“He wants acceptance from the pack. You’re the one who told me about his

childhood. He’s dead-set on having a werewolf mate. Look what my parents went

through until they left here for the human world. He had a hellish childhood and now

he’s going to be facing discrimination again for having a human mate.”

“He’s Elroy’s son and your uncle isn’t just some pup like he was back when your

mom married your dad. Both of you have powerful relatives. The pack won’t dare shun

you or treat you bad, even though you’re a mixed-race mate set. Your mate is alphablooded. Few will be stupid enough to give you any shit, Mika. Your man will kick

their asses. It will be all right because your children will be shifters. Alpha-blooded kids

always carry the strong shifter genes. Most mixed races are looked down on because

mating with humans can result in non-shifter children.” She paused. “Besides, it’s more

acceptable to werewolves if the males take human mates. Your parents had it really

rough because your father was human and no one believed a human could protect his

female mate from other males in the pack.”

“Grady is so upset, Minnie. What am I going to do?”

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“You’re his mate now, baby. You call your work, quit your job, and hire movers to

bring your shit here. Like it or not, he has to stay in town. Your life is here now with

him.” Minnie’s face relaxed and she suddenly smiled. “You’re going to live here and I’ll

get to see you all the time. Your uncle can’t kill Grady for real because Elroy won’t let

him. He’ll be pissed but he’ll have to accept that you’re mated to one of the pack.”

“How the hell can I expect Uncle Omar to accept it when Grady won’t? He’s going

to hate me and resent me, Minnie. God, this sucks.”

“I know, baby. Why don’t you come home with me until…well, until your mate

cools off and comes looking for you. He will soon. He’s still in mating heat and needs

you now more than ever. He’ll have to accept what’s done and it
is
done. It’s just how it

has to be.”

Mika shook her head. “I’ll wait here. I guess I should start cleaning up that mess in

there. It will give me something to do until he returns.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. What if he comes back and wants to screw up the rest

of your house?”

She frowned. “Thank you for coming because I was freaking out. I still am but now

I have a clearer picture of everything. I just needed someone to be here for me.”

Anger tightened Minnie’s face again. “Your mate should have been here to support

you. You’re human. This all has to be really confusing and frightening to you. Someone

should kick Grady’s ass.”

“Trust me. He’s kicking his own ass right now more than anyone else ever could

over what happened here. Go home. Please don’t mention anything to Uncle Omar yet.

Who knows? Maybe we got lucky and it didn’t take.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one, baby.” Minnie hugged her and walked out

the door.

Sighing, Mika put on shoes and grabbed trash bags from her kitchen, taking the

entire box of them. She stepped into her bedroom and stared with sadness at the

disaster that used to be the room she loved. She cringed. She didn’t need trash bags. She

needed a bulldozer and a few large dumpsters. A few muscular men to lift broken

furniture would be helpful too.

A few hours later she showered. She’d made a dent in the mess but still needed

days of cleaning and help just to get the broken debris out of her bedroom. She didn’t

even want to think about the damaged walls and the electrical mess. Grady hadn’t

returned. She put on jeans and a tank top. She forced herself to eat as she watched the

clock. He’d been gone six hours in total by the time she started to really worry.

Grady was in mating heat, angry, and probably confused. She put on her shoes,

grabbed her purse, and walked to the front door. She hesitated and then grabbed his

Jeep keys. If he wouldn’t come to her then she’d try to find him. Her heart was

pounding, she was nervous as hell, but she loved the guy. He was out there suffering

from going without sex for too long and they needed to talk. She straightened her

shoulders, opened the front door and walked out into the cool night air.

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He’d go home, she hoped, as she backed the Jeep out of the driveway and headed

for the bar. She parked in the back and hoped they didn’t lock the back door as she

approached it. The idea of walking through a packed bar wasn’t something she wanted

to contend with. She hesitated and then tried the handle, relief sweeping through her as

it turned easily in her hand.

She didn’t run into anyone as she headed for the stairs she’d glimpsed the time

Grady had brought her through the back. She knew he lived above the bar so she’d

check his place first. No one stopped her or stepped out from any of the back rooms as

she climbed the wide staircase. At the top was only one door. She hesitated and then

tried the handle, only to find it locked.

She had Grady’s keys so she tested each one until she found the right key, inserted

it, and turned the handle. Light greeted her as she opened the door and she swallowed,

afraid of the confrontation that was about to take place but it needed to be done.

The apartment was an open space with a living room immediately inside the door

and to the left was a bar that separated the living space from a modern kitchen. She

stepped farther inside, hopeful that since the lights were on he’d be there. She closed

the door firmly and listened, hearing the sound of running water. Her gaze locked on a

partially open door across the room and she moved toward it.

She hesitated at the bathroom door, hearing the shower running and through the

crack she could see a toilet. She took another deep breath and then pushed the door

open. “Grady?”

The shower door was clear and it only took an instant for Mika to register that the

person who turned at the sound of her voice was not Grady since it was a tall, slim

woman with red hair who spun in the clear glass shower stall to stare back in shock at