Free NocC 001- Katie Reus - Destined Mate - Harlequin 2011-10 by Nocturne Page A

mean for you and your pack. There’s probably going to be some fallout from some of your members if today was any example.”
    He was Alpha for a reason and if someone didn’t like his decisions, they were free to leave. He’d known his entire pack wouldn’t be accepting when he took her as his mate but any consequences were a nonissue to him. He ruled one of the strongest packs in the world and his inner wolf dared anyone to come up against him over Angela. They wouldn’t like the cost. “After we get dressed I want to formally introduce you to the pack.” She tensed at his words so he quickly continued. “They need to meet you immediately to understand what you mean to me. Natalia’s fiancé is one of my warriors. The fact that he’s accepted a vampire as his mate means all the warriors will accept you, too. Everyone else will eventually come around.”
    Her expression was soft and almost pleading as she stared at him. “Just don’t shut me out when making decisions. There’s a lot about pack life and werewolves in general. I don’t know or understand.”
    Like earlier. She didn’t say it but he understood what she meant. A she-wolf would have understood his intentions but it made sense she didn’t. “It’ll be a learning curve for both of us.”
    “I can live with that,” she whispered as she closed the distance between them and met his mouth with hers.
    As their tongues collided, she tightened her leg and arm around him and pulled flush against him. At the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest, most coherent thought fled. Yeah, meeting the pack could wait for an hour or so because whatever the future held for them, he knew it would be full of times like this.

Epilogue
    One month later
     
    Angela cleared her throat as she came up on Natalia and Eric, her mate, making out against one of the oak trees on Knox’s property.
    Immediately the two separated, though Eric was the only one with the decency to look somewhat apologetic. Natalia just smiled as Eric muttered something under his breath and hurried away to head back to his security post.
    “You could at least pretend to be sorry.” Angela bit back a smile as she faced her friend. After taking her place as Knox’s mate Angela had realized she couldn’t afford to alienate the only vampire among the pack. In reality, what Natalia had done hadn’t been so bad. Sure it had hurt Angela’s pride and her feelings more than anything, but the younger vampire had thought she was doing the right thing. Angela might have done the same thing in her position.
    Natalia smoothed a hand over her tousled blonde hair—no doubt messed up from Eric’s hands—and grinned. “Why bother?”
    Angela shook her head before glancing around the surrounding forest. With the exception of Eric’s retreating back, they were basically alone. Everyone else was at their respective posts and keeping an eye on the grounds. Thankfully tonight had been blissfully quiet. Not that she’d been expecting anything different. Security had been tight, especially at night, since the vampires from her old coven had breached the grounds. Natalia was the rover tonight while everyone else had static security posts.
    Angela was just out patrolling the grounds of her own accord. Knox didn’t like Angela participating in the security rounds but with his possessiveness, he didn’t like her doing anything that could remotely put her in danger. He’d lost that argument real fast though. As an Alpha’s mate she wasn’t going to sit around doing nothing when she was trained and perfectly capable of helping out. Not to mention the entire pack would lose respect for her if she didn’t hold her own.
    “You should take the south end and work your way around the property from there.” Angela didn’t form it as a question.
    Natalia frowned and opened her mouth as if to argue, but Angela shook her head. Eric’s post was on the north area of the property and Angela knew her friend wanted