Free Rescued by His Lone Wolf Mate by Anya Byrne Page A

the distinctive noise came accompanied
by the most tantalizing scent Connor had ever scented in his entire life.
    Fire burst through his veins, and for the first time in many
years, Connor felt. The warmth the coffee had provided paled when compared to
this new emotion. Shocked, he could barely move a muscle, even if his entire
being screamed to trace the source of the scent.
    Thankfully, he'd chosen a booth that was both out of the way
and provided him with a clear view of the entrance to the diner. He looked up
just in time to see a vision of beauty hesitantly approach the counter.
    Slender, almost tiny, the young man looked fragile, but the
way he moved—each step precise and careful—suggested he was very in tune with
his body. His light brown hair seemed to shine in the dim glow of the diner
lamps, and when he smiled at the waitress, Connor almost melted in his seat.
    "Excuse me?" the stranger said softly, addressing
the human woman. "I'd like some information, if you please?"
    That voice did things to Connor, stirring each and every one
of his instincts, both protective and otherwise. His wolf reared up inside him,
growling fiercely. Claim. Protect. Take. Mate. Oh, moon help him, the
beautiful young man was Connor's mate.
    So far, he didn't seem to have noticed Connor, which startled
and somewhat alarmed the wolf. Nonetheless, he took advantage of the
opportunity to further admire his mate and consider his approach.
    Connor's mate was skittish, that much was obvious. He tapped
his slender fingers nervously against the counter as he struggled to make
himself heard. "Excuse me?"
    The waitress finally turned toward him. Her somewhat hostile
expression melted when she saw Connor's mate. "What can I get you,
sweetie?" she asked. "Information, you said?"
    "Ah, yes." The young man fidgeted and bit his lower
lip. "I was wondering... I'm trying to get to a town called Willow Cove.
You wouldn't happen to have a..."
    All of a sudden, he trailed off and every muscle in his body
went rigid. Slowly, as if afraid of what he would see, he turned toward
Connor's table. Their eyes met, and Connor's world tilted on its axis.
    He had searched for a home and a purpose for so long. He'd
been lost and alone, with nothing and no one to call a friend or a companion.
But when his gaze met the dark chocolate orbs of his mate, he suddenly knew.
This was right. This was why he'd survived all the silencers who'd hunted him
down, year after year—to be here, in this moment, for his mate.
    Those soulful brown eyes held a spark of something that
looked an awful lot like hope, before it quickly vanished under an overwhelming
shock of fear. Connor would have deemed his mate's reaction to him
disheartening, but then, he noticed several human men passing by his table,
zeroing in on the beautiful stranger.
    Connor's mate pivoted on his heel and ran out of the diner so
fast he left the waitress gaping. The humans followed, cursing under their
breaths.
    Connor didn't think twice about what he was about to do. He
just knew he couldn't let anyone hurt his mate. The beautiful young man needed
him. He shot to his feet and was almost out the door when the waitress called
out to him. "Hey! You didn't pay!"
    Connor reached for his wallet and retrieved a few bills,
probably far more than what was needed for the coffee and his lunch. He did his
best not to use his superhuman speed, since the last thing he needed right now
was to breach the Secrecy Accords. He highly suspected his mate had done the
same. His distinctive scent didn't seem human. Not werewolf, but not human
either.
    The diner where he'd stopped was basically in the middle of
nowhere. Connor had no idea how his mate had gotten here—perhaps he'd walked or
hitchhiked. Either way, it was far easier to track him down than it would have
been in a city, where the scent of gasoline, sweat, fast food and everything
else under the sun could overwhelm even a werewolf's nose.
    Unfortunately, it was just as easy