Free The Tiger's Mate: (Book 12, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) by E A Price

that.”
    “You’re a good pup, Britt.”
    “So are you.  A good brother, I mean  Do you think Simone will ever come back?”
    Part of him was angry at her for leaving, for not saying goodbye, for their time together not meaning more to her.  But he was cursing himself for letting her go.  His wolf was all for going after her, but where had she gone?  Jeez, he didn’t even get her last name.  He didn’t find out what pride she belonged to or if she even did belong to a pride.  She could be anyone and anywhere at that moment.  Was Simone even her real name?  To think he could have looked in her purse, he could have seen her name on her driver’s license – he could have found out who she was if he’d snooped.  Why the fuck did he have to be so fucking respectful?  What the fuck was wrong with him?
    “I don’t know.”

Chapter Ten
    Parker greeted Simone at the door to the Alpha’s house.  Under the gaze of Carrick, he gave her a friendly hug, only frowning slightly at her scent.
    “Where the hell have you been?” roared the Alpha, descending on them like a giant bat.
    Simone ignored Nita, who was standing a few steps behind the Alpha, smirking like five Christmases had come at once.  Surprisingly, Nita’s mate, Asher was also there.  He was standing behind his mate staring into space.  Probably pretending he was somewhere else Simone thought, jealously.  Nita was the only one who looked happy.
    Her tiger quailed a little under the Alpha’s ferocious stare, but Simone kept herself composed.  “I was in a car crash… I almost died,” she added to try and get the message through that coming home late was a small matter in the scheme of things.
    The expression on the Alpha’s face told her it would have been better if she had.  She quickly went through the edited story of what happened.
    She tried to hold back the shudder as the Alpha stepped towards her, crowding her space.  The smell of sweat and male tiger almost made her want to vomit.  He was barely an inch from her, and she felt his breath on her as he sniffed.
    The Alpha growled.  “You smell like wolf.  Male wolf.”
    Don’t let him bully you, she told her tiger, instinctively trying to shy away from the brute power of the Alpha.  “From the male who saved me.”
    “His scent is all over you,” he sneered.
    “He pulled me out of the car… it’s destroyed, by the way,” she said, trying to change a dangerous subject.  “But his pack gave me a check to cover the cost, they left the name blank so you could put your name on it.”
    She started pulling a piece of paper out of her purse.  The Alpha tore it out of her hand and ripped it into tiny pieces, letting them flutter to the ground.  I don't want any wolf’s charity.”  He moved away from her and started pacing.  “Why didn’t you call us?  Where’s your mother?”
    Simone took a deep breath and tried not to sound too mocking.  “I was unconscious after the car crash.  And my mother had to stay in hospital – they wouldn’t let me bring her home.”  Which was sort of true.
    “I told you to take the Beta with you,” he howled.  “Why did you go on your own?”
    “I tried knocking on his door, but there was no answer.”
    The Alpha narrowed his eyes; he searched her face for any deception.  Simone tried to look guileless.  Technically, it was almost true.  If she had knocked on the Beta’s door, it was doubtful he would have answered.  He was given to late nights and drinking himself into a stupor.  He rarely rose before noon unless he had to, and since Simone had left at 6 am – there was no way the Alpha could be certain she was lying.
    “You should have come to me,” he said eventually.
    Simone hung her head, giving him an inch of submission.  “I’m sorry, Alpha. You are right.  It won’t happen again.”
    He made a few more growling, grumbling noises, but he seemed appeased that she hadn't actually tried to run away.
    “I’m really