The Chef's Sick Mate (Book 17 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 3

Five Years Ago

Lincoln Asgrim Remington climbed off his motorcycle and pulled off his helmet. It was finally starting to warm up some, and he'd taken advantage of it. He hadn't been out on his bike in months. There was something about the cool air running over his body that completely exhilarated him. Along with the thought that he was going to get laid tonight.

It had been a couple of months for him, and Linc missed being buried inside of a warm, wet pussy. His dick missed it even more. He needed to find someone to keep him company tonight. A beautiful female who was willing to give him what he needed. In return, he'd make her night unforgettable.

He breathed in the cool air, his eyes scanning the parking lot. His cousin, Aidan's, car was visible, along with Xavier's and Damien's. Tonight should be interesting. Hopefully, there were enough females inside to go around.

The six of them generally got together once a month to drink and pick up females. There were three bars they usually rotated through, unless someone suggested somewhere else. It was a way to burn off steam, especially since none of them were mated. All three bars were close to hotels, making it easy for them.

Linc walked inside the bar and glanced around, spotting his pack mates seated at their usual table near the back. Dylan was the only one missing, which wasn't a surprise.

Ever since his mate had committed suicide five years ago, he'd been restless. He was more back to himself over the last few months, but even that was questionable. He'd become cold and almost emotionless, though Damien said he wasn't always that way when it came to females. Damien was his identical twin, and he had yet to meet his mate.

The twins were close, their looks making them incredibly difficult to tell apart. Lincoln had no problem, nor did anyone else in their group. Their scents were different, and even looking at them, it wasn't difficult. Damian was more relaxed and carefree, while Dylan wasn't. He always looked tense and like he'd rather be somewhere else. Losing his mate had been very difficult for him, and the pain was always visible in his eyes.

More than likely, if Dylan did join them, he and Damien would share a female. They usually did. Linc couldn't even fathom Dylan talking to a female enough to actually get her in bed with him. He was much too quiet now, and Linc rarely saw him smile. The only thing that might make a female crawl into bed with him was his good looks. Which was why Damien had taken over as his wingman ever since Dylan had finally started sleeping with females again. That had just happened in the last few months.

Before that, Dylan never showed up at any of their nights out. He had completely avoided any type of gathering altogether. Linc wondered if he'd make an appearance tonight. He usually came with Damien, though Dylan always drove. Linc didn't question it.

He knew losing your mate made you suicidal. Dylan hadn't been close to his mate simply because she refused to let him in, but Linc saw the guilt in his eyes. Damien said it was because Dylan felt like he was the one who caused her to commit suicide, but Dylan never spoke about it, and no one asked him. It wasn't that they didn't care; they just didn't want to cause him any more pain. Anything Dylan needed, they'd all give him. They'd all do what they could for him.

Dylan and Damien were distant cousins of his, along with Xavier. But they had all grown up together, and he thought of them more as brothers. He would do anything for any of them.

The entire situation with Dylan losing his mate had stressed Damien out the most, as he was constantly worried about his twin, but Dylan seemed to be slowly coming out of it all. Linc knew he wouldn't truly move on until he found his second chance mate, though. It was the one thing that would completely ease his heartache and perhaps help with the guilt.

Xavier would one day be Alpha King of werewolves. He was a bit of a control freak, and Linc sometimes wondered how he was with females. He had a feeling once he met his mate, she'd whip him into shape. Xavier usually seemed to have no problem picking up females, though. They tended to gravitate towards the attractive Alpha, and Aidan had told him the she-wolves could be quite annoying when they went on pack visits. Aidan would one day be Xavier's Beta, and they did those visits together. He'd told Linc they'd been propositioned more times than he could count.

Not sleeping with she-wolves was sort of an unspoken rule in their pack. One that they could choose to adhere to, or not. She-wolves tended to be messy. Most would prefer to wait for their fated, but some hoped to sleep with the future Alpha King or future Royal Beta in hopes that one of them might consider taking them as their chosen mate instead of waiting for their fated. They all knew that would never happen. They would all wait for their fated, no matter how long that took. Even if it was hundreds of years. In the meantime, they would continue to find human females to warm their beds.

Aidan and Zane were also his cousins, and they were brothers. Aidan was just a little over a year younger than Linc, while Zane was nine years younger than Aidan. The first one to win a female over that night would probably be Zane. He was smooth with females, and out of all of them, he always went home with one. Zane had probably gotten laid more than he had despite the ten-year age difference. It was rather annoying.

Linc walked inside and straight up to the bar to order himself a drink. He smiled at the pretty bartender, causing her to blush. "Bourbon, please?"

She nodded and turned to get him his drink. Linc watched her, his eyes traveling over her, debating if she'd be the one he'd pursue that night. Probably not. Unless he couldn't find anyone else.

She set the glass down on the bar and smiled at him.

"Thank you," he said, handing her some cash.

She nodded and turned away.

Lincoln picked up the glass with a small sigh. He'd probably nurse it half the night if he couldn't find a date. There was nothing in that bar that would get him drunk. His metabolism was much too high. He turned and walked away, heading over to the table where his pack mates waited.

"About time you joined us," Damien told him as he sat down.

Linc snorted. "Is your brother coming?"

Damien shrugged. "No idea. I think so, but he doesn't ever say anything. He just shows up. He knows about it, though."

Linc knew Dylan was in and out frequently, though Damien said he was home more now than not, but he still tended to spend a lot of time alone.

"He'll probably show. Especially since I told him these two are placing bets." He pointed to Aidan and Zane, who were busy talking to each other in low voices.

"What are you two going on about?" Linc asked Aidan.

"I bet Zane that he couldn't get the girl..." sitting over there in that booth by herself on the left "...in bed with him." Aidan shot a smirk at his brother.

Linc chuckled. Aidan was losing that bet. Zane could get any female he set his mind to. "What are the terms?"

"If I get her in bed with me, Aidan's getting his dick pierced," Zane responded with a smirk.

Linc's eyebrows shot up as his gaze darted back to Aidan. "You agreed to that?"

Aidan shrugged.

"You know you're losing, right?"

Aidan lifted a brow at him. "I've been watching her for the last hour. She hasn't even smiled."

"Is she alone?"

"Yup. Came in alone. Been sitting alone this entire time. Hasn't cracked a smile once." Aidan sat back in his seat, folding his hands behind his head.

"You're going to be getting your dick pierced," Linc smirked back at him. "Hope your girlfriend likes it."