Hunter's Forbidden Mate - Signed Paperback

Logan

It's been almost fifteen years since I stepped foot in this small town, and nothing has changed. Then I run face-first into my childhood best friend and I couldn't be happier. But there's more to him now than I remember. He's hunky, charming, and has the most beautiful hazel eyes I've ever seen. He's still just as much of a himbo as I remember, but he protects me when some local drunks try to start a fight.

Now I can't take my eyes off him.

Hunter

Seeing Logan again brought back so many memories and a rush of feelings I didn't expect. The more I stare at him, the more I realize I feel more than just friendship toward him. I want to hold him, protect him, and let everyone know that he's mine. But I've never dated a man before, and I'm terrified to tell him the truth. I'm not the smartest guy, so I'll probably mess it up. And there's the fact that I'm a werewolf, and he's human. Exposing my world could put him in danger and cost me my position in the pack.

But living without him sounds like a fate worse than death.

TROPES: standalone, gay for you/bi awakening, fated mates, friends to lovers, forbidden love, protective/posessive , found family, strict roles, and HEA.

One: Hunter
“I told you not to go see that little bastard!” my father roared the moment I walked through the door.
This was at least the fourth time my father had started this argument.
“He’s been my best friend since middle school, Dad,” I sighed, taking off my jacket and hanging it on the hook beside the door. I was used to his constant chastising. “I couldn’t just ignore the invitation to his gallery opening. He’s been working his ass off.”
“He’s a traitor to the pack!”
Another sigh. “He filed all the right paperwork, and the Alpha signed it.”
“Yeah, but you and I know the truth,” he replied, pointing a finger at me. “A pack’s bond is stronger than blood. You can’t just up and leave whenever you decide you don’t like the rules anymore. Eoin spit in the face of our Alpha, along with all his other sick little friends. They’re the reason our pack is falling apart! And now you’re going to support him at some stupid gallery opening.”
I’d had just about enough of his yelling at me. “Remember who you’re talking to,” I growled. “I’m pack Beta now and your superior. Don’t treat me like I’m some child.”
“And don’t you forget who got you this position in the first place.”
This was his go-to reasoning every single time, and it was getting old.
“Dad, I’m not going to talk to you when you’re like this. You can either speak to me with respect, or I’m leaving.”
“I don’t like your tone–”
“Shut the hell up, Martin,” my mother’s voice called from the other room. A moment later, she appeared in the dining room. “I only get to see Hunter once a week for Sunday dinner, and you’re not going to ruin that for me.”
“He needs to understand Bea…”
“No, you need to keep your mouth shut, or you’ll find yourself living in a motel for the rest of the week.”
My father didn’t back down, but I saw his demeanor shift instantly. Even for an old pack Beta like him, he knew that coming between a female and her pups was asking for trouble. And my mother wasn’t the type to just show her belly and walk away. She’d fight tooth and nail if she had to. Had my father gotten to choose his mate, I could almost guarantee it wouldn’t have been her. She was far too feisty for his tastes.
But her tenacity had always made her an asset to the pack.
“Hi, Hunter,” she said, replacing her snarl with a smile as she pulled me into a hug. “How was the opening?”
“It was good,” I replied, watching my father twitch out of the corner of my eye. “Packed, too. You should have seen the amount of suits Kent got to come in from New York. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eoin nearly sold out. He’s gonna be painting for weeks to refill that gallery.”
“That’s great to hear!”
My father grunted in disapproval.
“Stuff it, Martin.” He went to turn away, but she grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him back around. “Maybe you should apologize to your son for being such a grumpy asshole.”
He growled in return.
“Motel, Martin,” she said, not backing down. “M-O-T-E-L.”
He rolled his eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh. Mom wasn’t going to give up, and he knew it. His life would be a lot easier if she just did what he said.
“I’m sorry, Hunter,” he said, his voice flat. “I’m just worried about our pack.”
Mom gave him a small nod, and he stalked off to the living room to pout in his chair. She shook her head as he went.
“Boys… They’re so emotional.” She glanced back at me. “You hungry? Dinner’s not ready yet, but you look thin.”
“I can wait for dinner,” I replied with a smile. “I’m not thin.”
“I just worry about you, dear,” she said, giving me a once-over. “You should find a good girl to settle down with. One that can cook. I want to make sure you’re taken care of.”
“I can take care of myself, Mom. I know how to turn the stove on and everything.”
“Still…”
“Mom,” I said, trying to maintain my smile. “I’ve already got enough pressure from the pack to find a mate right now. Please don’t make me feel worse…”
“Maybe you don’t have to worry about it,” she added with a note of excitement. “Because I just met this great girl at the pack ladies' lunch the other day and–”
“Bea!” my father called from the other room. “Motel.”
“Excuse me for a moment,” she said to me, gritting her teeth. “I need to go chop something, or I’m going to murder your father.”
I sighed as she walked away. Being home for Sunday dinners has always brought such joy. They meant well, both of them. But sometimes, I would rather be floating in a shark tank than listening to the pair of them bicker. Or being put on the spot by either of their agendas. My mother had it in her mind that I should have been mated before I left high school. Meanwhile, my father wanted me to become him and take on all his old-fashioned ideals. The same ideals that got our pack into the precarious position we were now.
Less than three months ago, the entire pack leadership had been replaced. Our Alpha stepped down along with his Beta, my father, and his Gamma. That meant three new people were needed to run the place in their stead. That’s where the Alpha’s son, myself, and my cousin Ricky came in.
It was a sudden shift, but we had no other choice. Wolves were leaving the pack at an alarming rate. And when they cited their reasons for going, it was almost always the same. They were tired of our pack being old-fashioned and stuck in their ways.
So the grandest of all cons was hatched. The old leaders would step down, replacing themselves with younger faces. Meanwhile, they’d continue running everything from the shadows, pulling our strings like we were marionettes in a puppet show. They promised us, their replacements, that they would change the pack for the better.
But it had been nearly three months, and nothing significant had changed. In fact, our leadership meetings with the old duffs consisted of nothing but trying to find clever ways to trick young people into holding onto traditional ideals. That meant no humans, no branching out to other packs, defending our territory, and forgetting that queer wolves existed in our pack.
Which is why my father was upset I’d gone to see Eoin. Not only had he left the pack, but he dared to mate with a human and be queer all at the same time. Being gay was enough to have him practically outcast from the pack since he was sixteen. But finding his fated mate in a human was unforgivable. Just like Parker, Wyatt, and Oliver before him, the Alpha was all too happy to get rid of him once and for all to the Ombra Pack.
However, others were catching on and following his lead, even after the new blood had taken up the mantle. If we didn’t do something soon, the Allard Pack was going to shrink until it disappeared off the map completely.