Hate Mates (The Alpha Shifter)

Landon smiled down at the boy, and as he looked at Alexa, he was suddenly hit with the need to get her pregnant.

Alexa would make one hell of a mother. He’d seen what she was like with Cheryl’s little sister.

The moment he thought about Cheryl, he had to wonder what the other woman had planned. He needed to warn Alexa, so she understood this was … dangerous.

If Drew was attempting to help, that meant he needed to go see Ben.

The children slowly began to fall asleep, and Alexa closed the book. The teachers helped to pick the children out of their laps, and then taking Alexa’s hand, he made his way outside, into the warm lunchtime air.

“I’m starving. I’m thinking of heading over to the diner. Do you want to come?” she asked.

“Yeah, I do. I’ve got to run some errands. Will you order for me, and I’ll be right there?” he asked.

“Sure.”

She pressed a kiss to his lips and pulled out of his hands.

He watched her go, admiring the curves of her ass when she walked away. Landon was tempted to follow her, but his dad had always told him to follow his gut, and he had to do that now.

Something wasn’t right. He didn’t like this feeling twisting his gut.

Landon stepped away from the town square and headed toward the DIY store where he knew Ben was working that day. He found his friend out in the garden section, lifting large bags of compost and piling them in the corner.

“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Ben asked.

“Cheryl,” Landon said, not having time for pleasantries.

Ben paused as he bent over about to pick up another bag of compost. “Landon, I don’t think—”

“I’m in love with Alexa, Ben. I always have been. Our time has never been the right time, but we’re getting our chance now. I love her. I’m going to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Shit, man. Why are you telling me this?” Ben asked.

“Because I know Cheryl. She’s not stupid. She is planning something, and I need to know what.” He had to be prepared for it to save Alexa.

Ben gripped the back of his neck and shook his head. “I don’t want to get involved in this, okay? This is not my business. This is between you and Cheryl, and you and Alexa. I told her I was out.”

“But I’m right,” Landon said.

“Shit!” Ben rubbed at his eyes. “I … yes, you’re right. Cheryl was going to attack Alexa. She didn’t tell us, okay? Well, she might have told Drew, but you know what the two of them are like.” He shrugged. “She promised him a place in the pack if he helped her, and Drew wants to be like Dan.”

Landon stepped closer to his friend. “Tell me what she has planned, man. I’ve got to protect my mate.”

“Actually, you’ve got to protect yourself, Landon.”

He frowned.

Ben sighed. “Cheryl’s going for a mating claim.”

“A what?”

“She is going to try to stake a claim on you. To wipe out Alexa’s chance to have you.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Ben glanced away and then looked at him. “You and Alexa are mates. We all know that, but by you both denying each other on your first transition, it kind of left an opening. Like a crack in the mating thing. I don’t know the full details. I just know that three years is a long time, but Cheryl waited. She wanted there to be enough distance between the two of you so that when she made her claim, Alexa wouldn’t stand a chance to claim you.”

“But what about my dad’s punishment? The cuffs? Binding us together.”