FATED MATES

CHAPTER ONE

I brush a lock of my red hair behind my ear as I watch the clock in anticipation of being able to lock the doors of this crappy convenience store I work at. How I landed myself in the middle of nowhere isn’t a mystery to me. Escaping my abusive boyfriend was essential, and I needed a far out of the way destination. The crappy little town I live in in the middle of the Rocky Mountains was exactly where I needed to be so he wouldn’t be able to find me. I left Virginia and never looked back.

When we first got together, everything was really good. He doted on me, and treated me like a queen. About a year after, things suddenly changed. He was no longer the doting boyfriend. He started accusing me of cheating on him, when that was so far from the truth it was laughable. All I ever did was work and come back home to him. I never really had any friends, so it wasn’t like I was going out or anything. Everything I ever did, I did with him. So to say his behavior came out of nowhere, is an understatement.

Not long after that, is when the physical abuse started. He also started drinking heavily. The night he broke my arm, was the night I decided I couldn’t live with it anymore. I waited until he passed out drunk. I stole his entire stash of emergency money; one thousand, seven hundred fifty two dollars; packed as much as I could into one suitcase with one arm, hauled it to my car and drove myself to the hospital. There, I told them I had fallen. They set it. I gave them my real address, but had it sent to my mom’s address at the nursing home. From the hospital I just kept driving West until I found a tiny town I thought he would never find me in.

I was pulled from my thoughts when the bell above the door jingled. I looked up to see one of the biggest guys I’ve ever seen in my life. He had to stand at least six foot nine inches. I glanced at the height chart attached to the door and see he is indeed that height. With wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes, he is easily one of the most attractive I’ve ever seen. He saunters in like he doesn’t have a care in the world, and heads to the soda fountain. He takes the biggest cup we have, a seventy-two ouncer, and fills it with ice, then Cherry Coke. My favorite drink. I probably drink a gallon of it a day. He puts a lid on it, grabs some beef jerky and comes to the counter. He still hasn’t looked at me.

“Just these things, and twenty on pump two,” he says in a baritone voice, as he reaches in his pocket for his wallet. I ring him up and tell him his total. He finally looks at me. I know I’m not much to look at; five foot nine, around one hundred sixty pounds, and what some might call curvy; but I’m really proud  of my hair. I think it’s a great shade of red and flows down my back in soft waves. He looks me up and down, and grins. “Well, hello there darlin’. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here before.

“Ye.. yeah, I’m new,” I stammer out, and retuck the errant curl that doesn’t like to stay where it’s supposed to. “I’ve only been living here a few weeks.”

“Well, now, that’s a happy occurrence. We don’t have nearly enough pretty females.” Females? That’s an odd way to refer to women. Then it clicks. Oooooh, he must be a shifter. There were some back in Virginia, but they mostly stayed up in the Appalachian Mountains. It makes sense that since I moved into the middle of the Rockies, I would see more shifters. I wonder what kind he is.

“Wolf.” What?

“I’m sorry?”

“Wolf. Shifter. I’m pretty sure that’s what you were wondering.”

“Do you have the ability to read minds as a wolf shifter?” He laughs a full belly laugh, and it sounds wonderful, like music to my ears.

“No,” he finally says, “I just have the very uncanny ability to read people’s faces. You looked like you were trying to work something out. We have gotten used to that look when people finally realize we are shifters, then wonder what kind we are. I was just answering your unasked question.” I nod my head, dislodging that damned curl. Before I have a chance to move it back into place, his large hand does it for me. The warmth of his hand sends shivers through my body, and I struggle to repress them so he doesn’t notice my reaction.

“So what’s your name, Sweetness?”

“Skye,” I answer simply. Since my ex, I haven’t spoken to a man for this long, and it’s kind of nice.

“That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” I’m pretty sure my entire body blushed as his compliment. I could feel the heat from it.

“Thank you.” If there’s anything my evil woman of a mother ever taught me, it was to take a compliment when it was given, and to thank the person that gave it.

“You’re very welcome, Skye.” He pays for the things he bought. “Well, Skye, I will be seeing you around. Like I said, we don’t have very many females, much less beautiful ones, so don’t be surprised to find more of my kind sniffing around.” He laughs at his own joke, and I can only laugh with him, as he leaves.

I put the money in the till and lock up. I count the register down, making a deposit for the morning, and put everything away in the safe so the owner can take care of it when he comes in. I make sure all the lights are off, before setting the alarm and letting myself out, making sure to lock the door behind me.

Despite being in the middle of the mountains, I feel completely safe as I walk to my car. There’s a slight breeze that ruffles my curls, and I can hear leaves rustling. I glance around me, as I walk. When I look over into the trees, I swear I see a pair of yellow eyes staring at me. I shiver slightly. I guess I have to get used to that since I apparently live in shifter country now. I unlock my car and get in, situating myself before starting it and heading home. I make sure I’m more aware of my surroundings, as I don’t want to hit any animals and have them possibly be shifters. The last thing I need is to have some supernatural beings after me because I hurt one of their own. This is a strange new world I’ve put myself in.