Resisting My Mate (Book 2 of the Complicated Mates series) Editing

Chapter 4

Ashtyn

“Idiot, idiot, idiot!” I said out loud while banging my head against the door my mate had just walked out of. How could I be so stupid? I was just so damn turned on by her. The way she smelt and how her body responded to mine had me opening my big mouth before thinking and making a huge mistake.

Placing her in a group with the skanks I’d been with before wasn't my intention, but my nerves and hormones had me falling on my practiced lines and I screwed up. Royally. I knew I needed to make this right and explain to her how I truly felt but getting her to talk to me was going to be difficult.

I hadn’t known her long but I could already tell she was strong willed and stubborn. I could also sense she had walls longer and stronger than the Great Wall of China put up to block anyone from getting past, but I didn’t know why.

Straightening my shoulders and standing up tall, I fixed my shirt, ran my hands through my hair, and prepared to hunt my little mate down so I could get her to listen to me and begin to break down those walls.

I headed outside, back to the mixer, and immediately started scanning the crowd and sniffing the air for her delicious scent. I finally caught it on the next breeze that blew by and snapped my head in the direction it came from. There she was in all her beauty standing near the side of the stage with a woman so similar in looks that I couldn’t doubt it was her mother. Arianna’s face was scrunched, obviously not agreeing with whatever her mother was telling her. I started to make my way toward her, pushing past the bodies in my way and dodging a few eager females. I was about to call out to her when someone stepped in my way, eliciting a low growl from me. “Oh shit! What the hell happened to your eye?” Josh asked, not quite able to hide his laughter.

I touched it gingerly, and flinched at the tenderness. “She got you good didn’t she? Damn, bro! I did warn you, what did you do to piss her off?” he continued to question me, each word causing more laughter than the last.

“Shut up Josh, and move out of my way. I’ve got a mate to get to.” I grumbled.

“Why? Does your right eye want to match your left?” he broke out in laughter as he threw his head back, cackling like an idiot. 

“Fuck off man, this isn’t funny.”

Some of Josh’s laughter subsided as he took in the seriousness of my voice. “Shit dude, my cousin’s really got you twisted. Fine. I’ll let it go, for now. What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later, right now I really have to get to Arianna. I have some serious apologizing to do.”

Josh’s amused expression was instantly replaced by one of anger, “If you pushed yourself on her I swear to the goddess above that I will kick you’re a-”

Anger assaulted me as well at his accusation, “I didn’t force her to do anything! I would never do anything to her that she didn’t want done, and she liked everything I was doing to her back in the house.”

It probably wasn’t a good idea to say that when Josh was already riled up, as was made clear when another right hook was headed my way. Just before Josh’s fist connected with my face, a hand reached out, catching his fist in mid air.

“Joshua, calm yourself. There will be no fighting on my pack lands unless I’ve ordered it so.”

The authority in that voice had my wolf cowering and bowing in submission. Joshua must have been feeling the same effect as he bowed his head and all tension in his body calmed a bit.

“I don’t know what is going on here, but I do know that my daughter and wife are a few feet away from you and had you started what you were about to, they would have been in danger. That is not acceptable and I suggest you calm yourselves before I throw you both in the cages below my pack house to cool off.”