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Chapter 2 - Birthday Surprise

Dante's P.O.V.

Looking in the mirror, I guess I look good enough for a night on the town. The guys want to take me out to celebrate my twenty-first birthday. It's not as big a thing for me as the alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. However, most of my friends are human, and to them, this is an important milestone.

I push my brown hair away from my face. I know if my mom was alive, she'd tell me I need to get it cut. I feel a moment of sadness wash over me, thinking of my mom and dad. Our pack, unlike many other wolf packs, live among humans. We have our packhouse in a remote location for meetings and celebrations, but we live in regular neighborhoods near Las Vegas. Two years ago, when I was out with the guys, someone broke into our house and killed my parents. They never caught the person, so I don't know if they were human or shifter. That hasn't stopped me from trying to find them.

I'm wearing my favorite ripped blue jeans and a black T-shirt. I just finish putting my gym shoes on when my beta Ellis comes into my bedroom without knocking. He's a couple inches shorter than me at 6'6", but he has the same light tan, dark brown hair, and blue eyes as most in our pack do.

"Are you ready?" He asks while flopping onto my bed. We're adults and run a pack of werewolves, but I swear, sometimes he acts like a teenager.

"Yeah. Let's get this over with." I say as I head toward the door and downstairs. My house is huge and empty. I thought I would have found my luna by now, and we'd have a couple of pups, but so far, that hasn't happened. Plenty of women try to get me to show them some attention, both wolf and human, but I'm only interested in my fated mate. Our pack is extremely reserved when it comes to sex. We feel it's essential to wait for your fated mate so the connection is stronger.

"Brad said he has something special planned for you. I don't know what it is, but consider yourself warned." I groan as we head outside to my truck. Brad is one of my best friends, but he's constantly giving me surprises, usually in the form of a woman he wants me to have sex with. He and our other friend Todd are human, and they don't understand why Ellis and I are virgins. I always make up excuses, so I need to come up with a good one for tonight.

We get into the truck and head a few streets over to pick up Brad and Todd. When they get in the back, I see the smirks on their faces.

"What's going on?" I ask as I head toward the strip.

"Nothing. We have an appointment at nine, so we can go wherever you want until then." I drive to a small club I like because it's more low-key than others in the area. I look at Brad before we get out of the truck.

"An appointment where?" I ask. He grins and opens his door.

"You'll see, and I promise you'll love it," Brad says as he jumps out. I look at Ellis, and he shrugs.

We go into the club and to our favorite table in the back. For once, Brad isn't trying to get every woman in the place to join us. That makes me more suspicious about this appointment we have. Ellis and I drink, but as werewolves, human-grade alcohol has no effect on us. When it's almost nine, Brad pays the tab and practically drags me to the door.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" I ask as we get into the truck.

"Just follow my directions." I roll my eyes but do as he says. I'm confused when he has me drive to the outskirts of the strip. I look at Brad through the rearview mirror when I see his excitement growing.

"Are you taking me out here to leave me on the side of the road? That doesn't require an appointment." The guys start laughing, but then Brad almost comes over the seat to point out the windshield.

"Right there. The big blue house." He says. I look at it in confusion. He doesn't seem like the type of man who would want to stay at a bed and breakfast.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Brad nods and rubs his hands together with a big smile. "Uh, is there something you need to tell us? I like you, but I'm not into men."

Brad slaps my head while the other two laugh. I still don't understand what we're doing here. The house is beautiful and old-looking, but what could possibly be inside? Brad stops us before we get to the door.

"Okay, so this is your birthday present. I want you to keep an open mind." I look at him wearily.

"What's going on?" I already know I'm not going to like this.

"This is a brothel, and I made you an appointment. The best thing is the girl I set you up with is a virgin. Surprise. Happy Birthday." Brad looks excited, but I feel sick. I can't go in there. I can't be with anyone but my mate. Just as I'm about to turn and walk back to the truck, the front door opens, and a man walks out. What's that scent? I close my eyes and sniff the air. My eyes suddenly shoot open. I try to stay calm as I look at the guys.

"Let's go inside." Ellis looks at me in disbelief.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He mindlinks me.

"I have to. I think my mate's in there." I reply. He nods, and we head for the door. As soon as we get inside, I'm hit with her scent again. It's intoxicating. I get ready to run and find her when a short, round woman with wild red hair greets us.

"Hello. You must be the birthday boy. We have your girl all set up for you. What's your name?" She asks. I'm barely focusing on her. All I want to do is run and find the woman whose scent is making my wolf Thor howl inside my head.

"Dante," I say, looking around. There are women everywhere. I don't think anyone down here is my mate; the scent must be coming from upstairs. Maybe if I follow the redhead, I can find her.

"It's nice to meet you, Dante. My name is Sheila. Please follow me. If the rest of you would like a woman for yourself, I'll be right back to show you who we have available." The other three wait while I follow Sheila. I can hear Brad and Todd calling after me, but I have no idea what they're saying.

"I'll be honest with you, Hailey is nervous. She's a virgin, too, and she wasn't sure about doing this. I think the only reason she agreed is because she'll be your first. Just please be gentle with her. She's a sweet young woman who hasn't had it easy." I'm suddenly interested in what she's saying. We're both virgins. Could it be that Brad set me up with my mate? I follow Shirley, and the scent gets stronger.

When we reach a door almost at the end of the hall, she turns to me and smiles before knocking. The door is opened, and a beautiful blonde stands before us. My hope fades; she's not my mate.

"Oh, Hailey, you got a big, handsome one here. She's all yours, sugar." I sigh with relief as the blonde walks out.

My heart stops beating when I look into the room. The woman standing there is a goddess. She has beautiful black hair and the darkest blue eyes I've ever seen. Her scent is so strong I know she's my mate, but I also realize she's human. I have to be careful. Shirley pushes me into the room.

"Have fun, you two, and take your time." She looks at me in warning. She has no need to worry; I would never hurt my mate. After she shuts the door, I turn to the woman of my dreams. I take a few steps toward her and stop; she's shaking with fear.

"Hello. My name is Dante. You're Hailey?" I speak as softly as I can even though I feel like I swallowed gravel. What I want to do is wrap my arms around her and never let go.

"Y...yes. I'm sorry I'm not as beautiful as the other women here." She says in a whisper while looking at the ground. I look at her in disbelief. She has to be kidding; she's the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

"You're gorgeous. None of the others here or anywhere else can compare to you." I take another step toward Hailey and see her relax a little. She hasn't made eye contact with me since I walked into the room.

"Thank you." She replies. I can tell she doesn't know what to do, and there's no way I'm having sex with her when she's so scared. When we make love the first time, it will be because she wants to. I have an idea.

"Can I be honest with you?" She nods, still keeping her eyes on the floor. "I would rather sit and talk with you than have sex. My friends set this up without me knowing. Will you sit with me?"

Hailey looks up at me in surprise, and I smile. She really is incredible. I see the pain in her eyes that she's trying to hide. I need to find out who or what hurt her.

"Sure." Okay, I have to work on getting more than one-word answers from her. I walk over to the small couch and sit down, looking at her. She slowly walks over and sits on the other side, trying hard not to touch me.

"Do I scare you?" I ask her gently. I know I'm big, especially to someone who's at least a foot and a half shorter than me, but I don't want her to fear me.

"It's not you; it's the situation. I should have never agreed to this, but I was desperate." Hailey looks up at me with her eyes wide like she didn't mean to be so honest. She starts fidgeting as she looks back down, and I can't resist touching her.

I watch her face as I slowly put my hand over both of hers in her lap. The connection I feel is so intense it's like a shot to the heart. I know she feels it, too, when she gasps and looks up at me surprised. At that moment, I know I'm not leaving here without her. She's mine now.

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