MATE ON THE RUN

WIP it Wednesday!

Every Wednesday I'll be posting snippets from whichever Work In Progress has my attention in a vice grip. So, to start things off, I'm posting a teaser from Mate on the Run. Expected word-count is 60k words.

*Please be advised the blurb and excerpt are subject to change*

Chelsea Swanson, a dove shifter, has been looking forward to finding her mate all her life. And she's been hoping a certain amber-eyed wolf who smells like rain and pine would be the one. When her dreams finally come true, she doesn't expect it to be the worst day of her life. Now she wants nothing to do with mates and fate and Harvey North.

Harvey North has been dreading the day he finds his mate. The thought of pledging his undying love to a woman fate deems worthy makes him sick to his stomach. No one can tell him what to do, especially some woman he didn't choose for himself. When his little sister's best friend--the woman he least expected to be his--overhears him spewing hateful spiel, he loses her. And doesn't even know it. When he finds out the truth, he'll do everything in his power to make her see he needs her. And no one will stand in his way. No one. Not even the human she's agreed to marry.

*EXCERPT*

A heavy silence descended into the lounge, oppressing in its intensity. Sheriff Mills puffed out his cheeks and strode to Harvey's side. "Get up, son. Let's get to the bottom of this."

Harvey groaned, then rose on unsteady feet. Burning amber eyes locked with hers, begged her to explain. "Chelsea—"

"I'm not yours." She licked her dry lips, conjuring a mental image of Rory's smiling face and drawing strength from it. "I'm engaged to someone else."

"The fuck you are!" He pounded a fist on his chest like a crazy ape and tried to go to her, but the sheriff stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Let her explain herself, North."

Her eyes flitted to the Lion's worried gaze, then darted back to the Wolf's anxious stare. "I'm willing to go before the Shields to ... sever out bond." Her voice broke, and an invisible weight pressed down on her chest, laboring her breathing. "I-I don't love you, and I ... I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Rory." She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "I've made my choice."

"What?" Amber bled into burnished gold as he pointed a trembling finger at her, a dull shade of red creeping into his cheeks. "You don't have the right to make that choice by yourself."

"Actually, I do. Under extreme circumstances the Shields are willing to look into cases and nullify the Call—"

"Extreme circumstances? What extreme circumstances? You're my mate. Simple as that."

"No, it's not. And when you get your Wolf under control and think through"—she waved her hands about—"all of this with a clear mind, you'll see I'm making sense and you'll thank me."

"For rejecting me?" He planted large hands at his lean waist, shaking his head in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

She narrowed her eyes. "Trust me, I kid you not. And now I've got to go."

In a blur of movement, he shook off the sheriff's grip and rushed her, wrapping steely fingers around her upper arm in a vice grip. "We're not done." A raspy chuckle cut through the room, but it sounded forced and hollow. "We'll never be done."

"We never started anything."

"Ahem." Sheriff Mills scratched his stubble, looking conflicted. "I think this is something you two need to deal with in private."

Her eyes widened. "Don't leave me with him."

"I'll be right outside with your folks."

"But, but, but he's ... he's dangerous right now."

"He's your mate, baby girl. He'd never physically harm you." He arched a thick white eyebrow at Harvey. "Ain't that right, North?"

Harvey jerked his head in agreement, eyes flickering from amber to gold and back. The Wolf either didn't like being questioned, or he liked the thought of having her to himself a little too much. "Won't hurt."

Hope you enjoyed this! Come back next Wednesday for more....

Mwah!

Gaeille