Free Forbidden Mate by Stacey Espino

reservations about their
audience. “There’s something about you.   I can’t put my finger on it, but you drive me
crazy. All I can think about is—”
    She was forcibly yanked from her seat, completely
taken off guard. Targus was on his feet within seconds, a look of fire in his
eyes.
    “What in the name of the gods are you doing now?” he
demanded.
    Marco still had his hand around her upper arm, his
fingers digging into her tender flesh. She looked back and forth between the
men, both masculine to a fault. They were like two unmovable mountains, both
blessed with the same extra-large muscular frames.
    “Send her away or hand her over. Your
choice.”
    “Excuse me?” Targus’s voice lowered an octave, the
warning undeniable. “When the fuck did this happen?”
    ****
    Targus loved Marco like a brother, but right now he
was seriously pissing him off. After years of pushing him to find a woman
beyond the royal palace, Marco was now the only roadblock to his happiness. For
the first time since losing his chance to court a princess—or ever—Targus had
the urge to mark a female. An urge so powerful it was overriding his logic. His
friend needed to back off the fuck off and give him space.
    “You’re full of shit. Stop being a prick and leave
us alone.”
    Marco whirled around, giving his back. He massaged
behind his neck while exhaling. “I don’t want this.”
    “Good, because she’s not your
concern.”
    Targus glanced over at Helen. She looked shell-shocked.
Any minute and he’d lose his chance to court her. She was a delicate human,
probably used to flowers and chocolate, not over-bearing alpha male shifters.
He was ready to offer her the world, but his chance was slipping away.
    He was already riled up since coming inside. There
was a wolf creeping around outside their cabin. Although he’d picked up the familiar
scent, it was long gone. Where had he picked up that scent before? His mind was
a blank, but then again, a lot of wolves lived in and around the shifter town.
    Targus’s urge to patrol his land and eliminate any
threat was difficult to control. And his best friend was fucking losing it,
showing signs of aggression and possessiveness. This was the worst possible night
for Helen to show up, but then again he only had a few days to prove his worth.
    “I can’t be near her,” said Marco, taking a few
steps back. The crazed look in his eyes worried Targus. He’d never seen his
friend so out of control. There had been some bad years since he’d lost his
mate, even recently with his stunt at the local bar. This new side of him was
unnerving. Was he angry because Targus had invited a human to their house? Or
did he really hope to steal her away?
      “Come on,” he
said, nudging Marco to follow him outside. He gave Helen a brief smile and
commented before leaving the cabin. “Two more minutes and then I’m all yours.”
    The door whined shut behind him. The darkness
immediately soothed his eyes and brought his beast back to the surface. Too
much emotion was doing a number on him. He wanted to tear his clothes off and
run through the trees, but he had to push away his baser instincts. Once the
door shut behind Marco, Targus stood his ground and waited for his friend to
explain his behavior.
    “Don’t look at me like that,” said Marco.
    “You’re the one who keeps telling me to live my
life, fall in love, and take chances. But the first time I show genuine
interest in a woman, you try to ruin everything. Why? Is it because she’s
human?”
    “It should be, but no.”
    “That must be it.” He raised his voice, deep-seated
issues rushing to the surface. “She’s not a hunter or trapper, Marco. She’s not
the enemy—just a girl, human or not.”
    “I never said I had a problem with her!”
    “Then what?”
    Marco paced the area, not looking him in the eye. “Look,
you’ve always wanted me to move on and stop living in the past.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Well this morning, for the first