The Alpha's Virgin Prize (Mated for Life 1)

After grabbing his keys, he walked over to his truck. He rarely liked to be in metal cans, but his truck was his pride and joy. He’d turned her from a rust bucket into a machine that purred to life.

This was the dream. He loved this damn truck. It was stupid, he knew that, but there was nothing wrong with admiring a good car.

Pulling on his seatbelt, he waited as Reese, David, and Brian all rushed to the truck. He only had room for two so he let them fight it out. David ended up traveling in the back, not that he minded.

One thing about being a wolf, the outdoors was the best place to be. No one held them back. No one told them what to do.

Feeling the crisp air and relishing the sensations that Mother Earth had to offer, it was a heady experience. Even without the full moon, they loved being part of the world.

He drove into town, which was a twenty-minute ride by car. It was faster to get there in wolf form, but he rarely ventured near humans in his fur unless he had to. In some towns, there were hunting parties that liked to scope out the woods and forests for big game prizes. He didn’t know if humans were aware of werewolves or if they even suspected men turned into beasts around the full moon.

Either way, he did what was necessary to keep his pack safe. He never risked exposure.

Even the coyotes didn’t risk it. The last thing their world needed was humans hunting them for sport. Humans always feared the unknown, and discovering men turning into animals once a month wouldn’t exactly go over well.

He parked near the diner and as he got out, Caleb paused. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to hide what he’d already detected.

Brian took in a deep breath. “She’s close,” he said.

Another little pesky problem—his pack could apparently detect his mate.

They could be so fucking irritating. It was why one or more of them insisted on coming with him whenever he went to town. They believed he would purposefully avoid his mate. He wouldn’t dream of doing that. It had just never happened for him.

This scent though…

It was sugar and cinnamon and all things sweet. His mouth watered, not to mention how his dick reacted to it. He wanted her instantly and he didn’t even know who she was or what she looked like. It didn’t matter.

For all he knew, it was a damn good cinnamon roll.

“Enough,” he said to his men.

He was drawn to the diner. Without waiting for his men, he stepped through the door and found a table right in the back.

He had no idea why humans always wanted to be the center of attention. All his life, he’d tried to hide his size and strength. None of it had done him any good. He couldn’t change who he was, and now with his pack, he didn’t want to.

His men joined him at the booth. They were all larger than most males and from what he’d heard, even their dicks were bigger. He’d never seen a human man to judge, not that he cared. His pack seemed to know many useless facts about the species living side-by-side with them.

“She’s here,” Reese said.

The scent got stronger. Almost irresistible. Caleb had never felt this pull in his life.

He glanced around the diner, eager to find this specific woman. The table helped to shield his cock that was getting thicker by the second.

Get a grip. You’re the one in control.

He didn’t like anyone taking control away from him. Unlike his pack, he wasn’t at the mercy of the full moon. He could change on any whim. It was one battle he’d spent years perfecting.

Always in control.

Never giving himself over to anyone.

When he was all alone in the world, he’d made multiple promises to always be the one in charge, to never allow another to take that kind of control from him. He was born to be an alpha.

The scent of his mate grew even stronger.

The door to the kitchen swung open, and he knew it was her. Even as she tripped over her shoelace, nearly dropping the order of food, he sprang into action. He captured the tray, holding it for her as he caught her with his other arm.

Instinct took over. The need to protect stronger than anything else.

Green eyes stared back at him from a flushed face. She was kind, he saw that. Her black hair was held back in a ponytail. Such long hair he wanted to run his fingers through it.

“Great reflexes,” she said.

Even her voice.

His wolf was more than happy with this mate.

Mine.

****

In all of her twenty-five years, no one had ever made her feel so incredibly small, fragile even. Bethany smiled at the stranger who’d caught her and the tray of food. There was no doubt Joe, her boss, would have taken it out of her pay at the end of the week.