Free Lone Wolf Pack 04.1 - Bonded to His Werewolf Lover by Anya Byrne Page B

very damaged?"
    The stranger looked back, presumably at the vehicle—although from this angle, he couldn't have possibly seen anything of use. In the end, he shrugged. "Not sure. Let's check. Yours first."
    Val complied, and together, they reviewed the damage that had been done to the cars. Fortunately, it wasn't serious, but the metal was dented and scratched. It could have been so much worse, and Val thanked his lucky stars they'd gotten away with just that.
    They swapped insurance details—at which point Val learned the name of the other driver.
    Nathan Stone.
    Well, that definitely suited him, since Val was fairly certain those muscles could have belonged to a particularly gorgeous Greek god statue. He hadn't had the courage to look at the man's package, but no—he refused to do it. This was already weird enough. He needed to get out of here as soon as possible, and hope the insurance thing checked out.
    And then, something unexpected happened. Val was just about to get into his car—he couldn't stall any longer, since they were starting to inconvenience other drivers—when Nate cleared his throat to draw his attention. "Hey... Can I buy you a drink sometime?"
    Val blinked at Nathan. "Pardon?"
    Nathan fidgeted, which was strikingly endearing in such a handsome man. "I'll be honest. The thing is... I'm very attracted to you. I know this is possibly not the best time, but maybe... Could I call you later?"
    Val stared. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This hot stranger was asking him out on a date? Surely not. Had he been so obvious about his leering? He must have. God, this was so embarrassing. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know the guy. But then again, Nate seemed nice. He'd handled the entire issue calmly and respectfully, and if he had noticed Val's state, he hadn't actually made a note of it. A similar question could have come out offensive, but Nate seemed genuinely interested. In fact, those full lips that Val ached to kiss twisted into a small hopeful smile.
    Why shouldn't Val take the chance? He hadn't dated in ages. And okay, maybe this wouldn't work out. Val knew he shouldn't get his hopes up, since none of his relationships had been very successful before. That didn't mean he couldn't try.
    He paused for too long, and Nathan interpreted it as a rejection. "Tomorrow?" he tried again. "Or... When would you be free?"
    Val thought about the small house that was waiting for him, about the weekend he'd planned and the assignments in his car. He knew he should have maybe set a date for the following week. It was never a good idea to be too eager.
    He opened his mouth to say exactly that, but something entirely different came out. "Actually... How about we do it now?"
    His face flamed when he realized what he'd said, but he didn't take the words back. Instead, he waited to see how Nathan would react. He wasn't disappointed.
    The other man beamed so brightly the smile almost blinded Val. "That sounds amazing. Come on. Where do you want to go?"
    ****
    It was crazy, ridiculous, more than improbable—and yet, it had happened. Nate had found his mate, and the man was human.
    Valentine Smythe. Val. Nate's delightful find. He was the most beautiful, amazing person Nate had met in his entire life. Nate hadn't really known what to expect when Val had countered his invitation with one of his own, but it certainly wasn't this.
    They'd ended up at a small, discreet bar which Nate knew was gay-friendly. The server had guided them to a booth in the back, given them menus and made himself scarce. After what had happened earlier—and since they hadn't actually dealt with the insurance thing yet—they'd agreed not to drink anything alcoholic, so Nate decided to have a non-alcoholic beer, and Val a dark espresso.
    While they waited for the server to appear, silence fell. Nate's hands were sweating, since he had no clue what humans did under such circumstances. He'd blurted out his question because letting his mate