Chapter One

Diego

I followed her everywhere she went since that day at the station. Many would call it stalking, wrong, or totally obsessive, but they’d be mistaken. She was mine. Diana belonged to me before she even knew it and before I did. I wasn’t some crazy guy hunting a woman that had turned me down. She wouldn’t do that. Something about watching her, knowing if we’d both gone to that party, we’d have been together already, made it fair. I wanted to walk up to her and kiss her until she couldn’t think straight, but then neither would I and despite the lustful thoughts I’ve had of her, I couldn’t act. Fucking shifter problem that kept me from slaking my lust in any woman.

My body was built for just one: my mate. It shook me to know that my brothers had found their mates while I was away on a business trip. Of course, I didn’t blame them, but I blamed myself. They had gone to the cabins in the woods to get their things and they heard a party going on in Hector’s home. Somehow, the Bacon sisters had received it and our other two homes in my grandparents’ will. It didn’t make sense that our grandparents would gift our own homes to strangers, but once my brothers arrived, it all puzzled itself out.

They were our mates. She hadn’t been at Hector’s home that day, but I would have driven to her home and claimed her before the sun rose if my ass had been in there. Diana wasn’t the partying type and the sisters didn’t invite her. I was a little pissed that they did that, but I was informed that she would have tried to end the party. It was like having a parent coming home when you were having a party because they were gone. After learning everything I had about her, I was certain she would have sent everyone on their way. It didn’t matter after all because my brothers did it for her. I wished I saw it. It would have been hilarious.

I still didn’t meet my brothers’ mates because I wanted my Diana first. My body throbbed when I saw her leave for work every morning and each night when she returned home. Every time I looked at her, I witnessed the epitome of perfection. Her hair, makeup, and clothes all looked like she belonged on the cover of some magazine. It was like she was Photoshopped in real life. I wanted to touch every part of her, claim her as mine and slip inside her pussy. The waiting drove me mad, but tomorrow night no more waiting.

Her phone rung at the same time as mine. A week after seeing her, I snuck into her office while she was in a meeting and duplicated her phone. Every call and text went straight to my dummy phone. I never listened in on her work stuff, but I looked for guys and well when her sisters called. Her sisters were on time just like they were told to be. I listened to the call like the sneaky fucker I’d become. And those girls deserved a freaking Oscar for their fake performance. I wanted to hug them.

“Di, you need to come to your cabin tomorrow. It’s going to be the twelfth. The landowner of the place said if you don’t occupy it by then that it reverts back to the family.”

“Really? Shit, I forgot about it. We just got a large contract for Lopez Properties since the end of last month and I’ve been working on it like crazy to meet the deadline,” she informed them. She was working hard on my project I hired her company to do. What she didn’t know was that I wanted her to do it. I made that clear with her boss and that I didn’t want her to know I had requested her for it. I did it because she was my mate, but when I saw that she was amazing at her job I was glad that I trusted her with my latest venture.

She continued to talk while unlocking the door and going inside her one-bedroom apartment in the middle of an affluent Colorado Springs neighborhood. She was as routine as they come. It would scare me if I hadn’t been on top of it. One night she was approached by two creepy bastards. She was shaken, but she’d used her skills in kickboxing and her strong will to fend for herself. I looked on ready to step in, regardless if it forced my hand. Diana was mine, but my woman proved that she wasn’t just brilliant and beautiful, she was a bad ass.

They ended up disappearing into the night never to be seen again because they had dared to try to take what was mine, and not willingly.

As soon as she’d been secure in her home, I paid those animals a visit and my girl would never have to worry about them again. I didn’t say I was a good guy, though I was for her. Everything from now on would revolve around her. Work was only done during times when she was at her own job. My heart was hers and I wanted to touch her again, feel her energy radiating through her like that one brief moment.

“Okay, I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon. Tonight I’m going out with some of my coworkers and drinking away the time.”

“What! You’re going to drink? What happened? Please tell me you didn’t get fired. You’re an amazing architect with skills those bastards wish they had.” Diana’s sisters were teen brats but they loved and respected their sister.

“Calm down, Tara. It’s not about work. I’m just tired of being a frigid bitch. For once I met a guy who made things happen that I couldn’t explain and I haven’t seen him since.” A fury rode over my soul. She was infatuated with another. One who would die at my hand for certain. A pure, honest jealousy raged through me. She didn’t have to be with me if she didn’t feel it, too. I knew she felt something that day, but her heart was hers to do whatever she pleased until we mated.

“What? Who is he?”

“I don’t know. I only saw him once. It’s silly and whimsical of me, but when he looked down into my eyes with his honey-colored gaze, I couldn’t breathe or think. It’s not like me.”

“No, it’s not,” Lara said nervously.

“Where did you see him?” Tara asked equally as nervous as Lara had been. I listened in to see if I could figure out who he was and where I could find him.

“When I was looking for you two fools. I went to the police station and ran right into him. I was dwarfed by his size.” A laugh of happiness came over me. She was talking about me. I sent a text to my brother to tell the girls that she was referring to me. A message came back within seconds with just an eggplant, a hambone, and a splash of water. I wondered what that meant, but I let it go. I must have passed the age mark for the emojis thing.

“So where you going?” They grilled her simultaneously. Good girls.

“It’s near the military base. They want to meet some lonely soldiers out for a good time.” I growled against the phone, grateful it was muted.

“And you?” They weren’t going to stop until they had the facts. I listened as a vein in my head pounded.

“I don’t know. I’m not good at being bad, but tonight I’m going to give it a try.” She could try all she wanted, but she wasn’t getting laid tonight. And no matter how much pain I would be in, she could grind up on me all night if that made her happy. No one else was touching her, that was for sure.

From the moment I saw her, I started the agony of the mating cycle. Why the fuck did I have to wait until the damn full moon to get hard? I’d been suffering for a month now and it was to the point of pain. Guys who complained of blue balls had no fucking idea. This was a month of longing, an ache that couldn’t be stroked away. I desired her beyond compare and every thought of touching her soft skin only increased the agony.

Their call ended, and I had all I needed, after all, her phone was tagged and tapped. I made sure I had access to her at all times. It wasn’t like I cared if anyone was bothered by it. They had no freaking comprehension what it was to be fated to a stranger and nothing but a lifetime together would sate the need to be with them.

Why did she have to go out now? Her sisters told me that she never went out or drank. This would test my strength and patience. At nearly thirty, I’d been dreaming of the day my mate would show. It was a long celibate wait and nothing could stop the runaway train.

My brothers and I were wolves in human clothing, or as many called us, shifters. We would transform when needed or desired. We didn’t get mad or even truly upset because until we find our mates, nothing was that important. Seeing her beauty every day only heightened the growing need to claim my mate. Her longing built from that moment on as well. I felt her body heat rise when we met. She would be in heat in a week. Then I’d have my happily ever after.

I looked at my watch. It was a quarter to seven. The phone pinged with a text. She was getting a ride from one of her co-workers so she could drink. I growled, thinking of her falling into the arms of another man if I wasn’t there. Alcohol could lead to other things. My fidelity and world was based on my mate. I was not sure of hers.

I watched her step out onto the sidewalk. My heart nearly stopped when I saw what she was wearing. A knee length cream dress that only covered one shoulder. She wore a few bangles on her wrist and a thin necklace that fell to the center of her cleavage with a heart charm. I bit my lip at the way her legs were accentuated by the black heels. Her long brown hair was in a perfectly braided bun at the base of her head with several strands framing her face. Her lips were a burgundy color and pouty, and there was a dark glitter covering her eyelids. She was stunning and I hated it.

I followed them to the club, grabbing a drink and standing at the bar. She joined three other women at a large table. They cheered her on for showing up. My hearing was excellent and so was my vision. The darkness and the crowd didn’t stop my ability to listen in. My eyes were trained to her and within a few minutes they all had drinks. The moment she spotted me from across the club, I gave her a wink. She whipped her head back down, but not before giving me the telltale blush of embarrassment. Men were checking out the table and then someone approached her. My body tensed, getting itself ready to strike. I’d had enough of the distance.