Free A New Haven Christmas by Angelique Voisen

A NEW HAVEN CHRISTMAS
     
    Wolves
of New Haven, 6
     
    Angelique Voisen
     
    Copyright
© 2014
     
     
     
    Chapter One
     
    Pete Sanders sullenly munched on
his fourth gluten-free Danish pastry as he watched the other mated members of
the New Haven pack from the corner of his eye.
    Most of the werewolves didn’t
bother with pretense . Socializing
instantly went out the window since the Christmas party started. Most of the
delicious feast on the table was
forgotten along with the cold pile of presents underneath the brightly colored
lights of a massive pine tree.
    Pairs devoured and rutted each
other in various states of undress like it was their last hour on earth while
‘Jingle Bells’ played from an old stereo. Even Pete’s Alpha, Carlos Medina, the
gracious host of their little get together, was busy fumbling for the jeans
zipper of his mate in one corner.
    The ache inside him continued to
fester. Pete wanted to scream out his frustration, but instead he numbly
munched on his pastry. After the rocky events of the past year, he wondered if
things would turn out for the better or the worse.
    Pete was happy for his health-conscious
pack mates. Really. After the New
Haven pack finally settled the war with the Starr Mountain Pack, one of the
more powerful werewolf packs in the region, everything was back to normal.
    “Awkward isn’t it? It feels like
we’ve crashed an exclusive porn party.”
    Pete was frozen in place at the
sound of the husky voice. He tried to still his traitorous, fast-beating heart.
The comment came from Fabio. The olive-skinned, dark-haired, and gorgeous eye candy
was one of the new wolves who came over from the Starr Mountain pack when it
disbanded.
    A deliciously buffed and unmated
wolf, Pete decided. He also knew Fabio played on his team because his gaydar had pinged loudly the first time he laid his eyes on Fabio in New Haven’s only gym.
    Most of the wolves worked out at
the fitness center to keep in shape. Pete only happened to be there because
Carlos decided to conduct a pack meeting there to introduce the new pack
members. After that, Pete had been religiously going to the gym to take a peek
here and there at Fabio’s impressive pecs and six-pack abs.
    “I mean don’t get me wrong. Never
before have I’ve felt such strong and enviable pack bonds between an alpha and
his pack, it’s just…” Fabio hesitated, fumbling for the right words to say.
    “Uncomfortable,” Pete finished for
him.
    He unconsciously flicked away the
pastry bits stuck on his red and green striped polo shirt. Now Pete was wishing
he had worn something less holiday themed.
    “Oh yeah. Uncomfortable.” Fabio’s
eyes flickered around the room while he took a swing of his beer.
    Pete wondered what the hell the
other man was thinking. Was Fabio gauging his prospects, who he was taking home
for the night? The moon was full this Christmas Eve, and a full moon only meant
one thing to shifters. It was essentially mating season, but would a guy like
Fabio even consider Pete?
    As guys went, Pete fared on the
below-average scale and wasn’t likely to attract Fabio’s attention. Hell, guys
like Fabio didn’t look twice at guys like Pete.
    Pete worked in New Haven’s only
gaming shop, selling consoles and video games. Pete also still lived with his
mom, who miraculously found another mate when the Starr wolves crossed over. He
was happy for her too. Really.
    Werewolves mated for life. His dad
and mom had been a couple since high school, were bitten together by a random
werewolf, and they joined Carlos’s pack together. After his dad died , Pete didn’t think she’d find anyone to
ease her loneliness. Pete had a feeling his mother and her new mate would send
him apartment hunting soon.
    He didn’t mind moving out, but it
was still a bitter reminder how the fates apparently decided to let his mother
find her second mate before Pete could even find his first. All Pete could hope
for was to somehow get Fabio drunk,