Free A Mate's Escape by Hazel Gower Page A

and I were about to head out to catch a movie. Do you want to join us?”
    Happiness seeped into her and she sat straighter sending a smile Dolton’s way. Who needed her friends and a boyfriend when you had big brothers and their super-hot friends? “Thank you, yes. Give me thirty minutes to be ready.”
    Dolton nodded, got up and left her room. Just like that Dolton, changed her mood and the way she felt with such a simple gesture. It was one of the reasons why she loved him.
    ******
    Alissa grinned as she swayed on the dance floor with Dolton. This was the second formal he’d been her stand in date. She was at her year twelve formal and as usual no guy had asked her to go with them.
    Two weeks ago she’d cried her eyes out because she still didn’t have a date and no one had ever asked her out on a date. Alissa wasn’t stupid she knew her brothers and father had a lot to do with why she wasn’t asked, but surely some boy had to be game enough to risk her father and brothers. None had though.
    Alissa hadn’t even been planning on going to go to the formal. She’d given up, then last weekend Gary, her brother, and Dolton came home from base and Dolton asked when she was graduating and when her formal was. She’d told him and then he’d asked who she was going with, and she’d told him no one because she wasn’t going.
    Later that night Dolton had pulled her aside and asked, “Alissa Maples would you like me to be your date for your formal. I don’t want you to miss such an important event.”
    Not able to speak she was so grateful and happy she just nodded. His grin had her almost melting into a puddle of goo. The next day her mother had taken her shopping for a formal dress.
    Now Alissa swayed on the dance floor with Dolton and it was like a dream come true. She didn’t care at five foot six to his six foot eight he towered over her and they would look strange. She didn’t care if they thought he was too good looking for her with his muscular body and her fuller figured one. Dolton was handsome and girls were looking at her and thinking how lucky she was to have him. She wasn’t going to set them straight and tell them he came because he was nice and didn’t want her to miss out on her last school formal. Alissa was going to let them believe they were together. Right now she even let herself believe it. She loved Dolton, and right now would do anything for him. If he let her he would be her world. Soon she was going to tell him just how she felt.
    *****
    Alissa’s stomach fluttered the closer she got to the beach break wall, and the figure staring out to sea. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, calming her racing heartbeat. Alissa was going to do it, she was going to tell Dolton she loved him. She gave herself one last pep talk, the same one she’d been giving herself for weeks now. You can do this. Dolton needs to know how you feel in case anything happens to him. He needs to know he has someone who would do anything for him. Someone who loves him. He needs to know so when he comes home and you’re eighteen he’ll know you’ll be waiting for him. He is the only one you’ve wanted and you’ve loved him for as long as you could remember .
    Dolton was going on his last deployment with the army. When he came home he would have served over ten years, and was leaving to become a civilian. A chef at one of his family restaurants.
    “What are you doing brat? You should never creep up on a shifter.” She hated that he called her a brat. He started it when she was a toddler and would chuck a tantrum when her brothers wouldn’t let her join in and play. She wasn’t a brat. She hadn’t been one in a long time. Dolton didn’t seem to notice though.
    Letting out a breath she straightened her shoulders and gazed into big chocolate brown eyes. “I wasn’t creeping up on you.” Argh, she sounded whinny. She shook her head. Focus , she reminded herself. “I came down to tell you something. I, um,