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

After they ate their food, and Caleb did the most work, finishing off her steak, fries, and even the salad, he took her onto the dancefloor.

This made her even more nervous. One of his hands went to her back, and she rested her head against his shoulder. The music was soft, slow.

“I knew you’d feel perfect in my arms.”

She tilted her head back to look at him. “You did?”

“There’s no way you could have been anything but perfect.”

“How did you know?” she asked.

He was so close. His lips just a breath away. Did she want him to kiss her?

Why was this man confusing her in all the right ways?

“Because I just knew you’d be the right one for me. You’re what I’ve been looking for all my life. I just had to wait for the right woman.”

His lips touched hers. It started out slow, calm, beautiful. His hand slid up her back, cupping the back of her neck, and this time, she felt the need rush through her body. With him wrapped around her, the world fell away and all that remained was the two of them.

She held onto him, the kiss surrounding her, filling every single one of her senses, making it hard for her to think, to do anything but feel.

She didn’t want it to stop, but he did, he broke the kiss.

The song had changed. People around them were dancing to a new upbeat tune.

She didn’t want this to end.

Chapter Four

He’d salvaged the night. In the beginning, he swore he’d fucked it up every time he opened his mouth. Then he sensed it … her desire. His wolf howled within as her pheromones perfumed the air. It took every ounce of his self-control to play the part of a human gentleman when her body called out to him.

Caleb prided himself on his good behavior during the night.

Overall, the date had gone well after the initial awkwardness had worn off. Now it was time for date number two … or three. She’d agreed to let him show her the sunset and full moon tonight. He just hoped he could keep his wolf in check with the strength of the full moon and the mating call both conspiring against him.

“No details?” asked Reese.

He’d barely slept all night after his date. He couldn’t stop thinking about Bethany—her scent, her kiss, the way she felt in his arms. “You’re the one to tell me a gentleman never tells.”

“We all know you’re no gentleman, Caleb. The date obviously went well if she wants to see you again. How far did things go last night?” asked Reese.

“Stop fucking nagging,” said Caleb. “You three are driving me nuts.”

He held up the jewel in his hand to the light in the room. The emerald was natural with a unique shade of green. It was beautiful, a treasure he’d carried around with him for many years. Now it would be Bethany’s.

“Good choice,” said David.

He glared at his packmate. Their constant meddling grated on his nerves.

“I’m heading out for my date. Instead of worrying about my sex life, how about you do what I asked and make extra patrols. When I get back, I’ll catch up. We need to root out these fucking bears.”

Brian bolted off the couch. “We know where one of them is. We should cull that bear as soon as he leaves the diner tomorrow. Fuck, we could have handled it tonight.”

He shook his head. “I’m not starting a war, especially when we have no clue what we’re dealing with. We have to use level heads.”

Tonight was the full moon, so the pack would go feral within a couple of hours. They’d be more wolf than man, and he didn’t want them doing anything stupid. Wolves were extremely territorial.

“We’ll be in the woods tonight for our date,” he said. “Keep away from us. I don’t want her spooked, and you all need to mind your damn business.”

Brian shrugged and sat back down on the couch.

Caleb grabbed his truck keys off the wall hook and set out. The sunset was fast approaching, and he didn’t want Bethany to miss it.

She’d agreed to let him pick her up at the rooming house which was a step in the right direction. He wanted her to trust him … but he was also keeping major secrets from her. What if she grew to love him but couldn’t accept the fact he was an alpha wolf? He couldn’t just walk away. The mating call happened once. Without Bethany, his entire pack would be doomed. He hoped she would be open-minded when he finally revealed the truth.

When he pulled up at the rooming house, she was already waiting outside, holding a cardigan tight to her body. He hated her being alone, especially so close to sunset. His need to protect her was off the charts. She’d gone from stranger to his everything in the blink of an eye. The moment he picked up her scent, Caleb knew his search was over.