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CHAPTER 4 My Ex, My Mate

Ryan POV

It's going to be a long fucking day. Under my parent's guidance, we just opened a new business venture. A public relations firm named HANDLED. My mother was worried about what she and my father would do once he handed the pack over to me.

My mom has never been one to just sit around. I offered to send them on a 12 month cruise, but she said when she is ready to see the world, she will do so on a plane, not a ship.

My mom was the one who came up with the idea of a PR firm. She said as Luna, she often helped Dad put out fires that otherwise would have burned alliances to the ground. Also, with so many wolves integrating into Henderson Valley with the humans, it is a business capital we don't have our hands in.

With wolves now becoming actors, athletes, social media stars, and all that shit, my mom believed they would love to have representation that truly understands them.

My beta and best friend, Chris, is standing in my office at our new building going over all the shit that needs my attention back at the pack. I am trying to focus on the task at hand, but I swear I just saw a toddler run by my office.

I bring my attention back to Chris, when sure enough, a little girl with brown hair bounces by my office door.

"What the fuck? I thought you guys just opened, do you have a client with a kid already?" Chris asks me, with confusion etched on his face.

He isn't the only one puzzled. I have no idea who this pup belongs to. "I have no idea," I tell Chris while getting up from my desk to intercept the little tyke.

I run out of my office just as the little cutie comes running from one of the vacant offices, we haven't filled with an agent yet. Mom is very particular about her hiring process.

The little girl isn't paying attention and runs straight into my leg. She almost falls back, but I catch her before she can fall.

"She smells familiar." Aspen, my wolf, says.

Before I can answer him, my voice leaves me, as the little girl bears a striking resemblance to my ex-girlfriend, Reya Lopez. The girl who stole my heart and then disappeared.

I am brought out of my thoughts by the sound of giggling. I look down at the little girl, and she is staring back at me. "Uh-oh, you it!" She says.

Normally I am indifferent about children. I neither like nor dislike them, but something inside me stirs about this child.

"Well, if I am it, then you better run!" I say with a smile on my face.

The cutest smile breaks out on the girl's face. "But before we play, I need to know your name, so I can know who I am chasing," I tell her.

She jumps out of my arms yelling, "I'm Angel!" She points a finger to herself, animatedly.

I am about to ask her where her parents are when Aspen starts pacing excitedly in my mind. He is panting hard and agitated.

"Aspen, what is it? Is there a threat?" I ask my wolf. Before he can answer, a mouthwatering scent catches my attention. It smells like apples and cinnamon. I start following the scent, and Angel runs up to me grabbing my hand.

I know I should help her find her parents, but I can't help it. It is like my body has a mind of its own, and it has to find the source of that scent. I am lost in my own thoughts, that I don't register what is happening.

I see a woman with her back turned to me, but Aspen yells, "MATE."

Angel runs toward the woman, screaming "Mommy," and my mate is none other than Reya Lopez.

Reya FUCKING Lopez! I never thought I would see this woman again! It's been over three years since I last saw her, and goddess is she fucking stunning.

Her perfectly tanned skin looks exactly the same, as I remember. Reya had a killer body back in school, but she was a bit smaller. Now, she has filled out in all the right places.

Her pouty lips are still as plump and succulent as I remember, and all I want to do is suck on them. My intrusive thoughts are short lived as I realize, Reya is not having the same reaction as me. Sure, she seems surprised to see me, but she is not behaving as if she just saw her mate.

"Aspen, what is her wolf saying?" I ask.

"Nothing. It is like I am reaching a block. She smells like a wolf, but it's like I can't reach her. I don't think she knows we are her mate." Aspen says, sounding disheartened.

Worse than that, my mind processed what Angel called Reya. She called Reya "mommy." What the fuck? She had some other wolf's child. I held Angel. I caught her scent. This is Reya's child, but not mine! Is this why she left? Was she pregnant with some other wolf's pup?

I don't have time to figure it out. Reya breaks the silence.

"Ryan, it's been a long time," Reya says softly. Is that all she has to say? It's been a long time. No shit, it's been a long time! How bout 'Nice to see you Ryan! Sorry, I left with no explanation. Sorry, I broke your heart!' No, this woman states the obvious.

"It's nice to see you again, Reya," I say in a clipped tone. I want to run to her and claim her. She is MINE, and she doesn't even know it. She is mine, and she had someone else's pup!

"So, do you work here?" Reya asks nervously, shifting from one foot to the other. So, she is affected by this encounter.

I can believe the gall of this woman! She broke my heart and now she wants to have a casual conversation. I admit that I haven't been celibate over the years, but I haven't thought of any woman the way I have thought of Reya.

I have been praying that this woman would be my mate, in some way, for the past 3 years, and now the goddess mocks me. She makes my dream woman unattainable. Reya has no wolf and another man's child. It's more than I can handle right now.

"I am glad Angel found her mother, If you'll both excuse me." I turn around and leave before Reya gets a chance to say anything else.

I turn around and walk away at a comfortable pace, not wanting to show Reya that I am really running away. I get back in my office and shut the door.

I am glad that I listened to Dad and put a bar in my office for stressful nights. I fix myself a triple shot of bourbon and throw it back.

I sit behind my desk and wake my computer up. I shot an email over to Stephanie, who is over HR. She is responsible for placing new employees. I sent her the changes that are to become effective immediately.

Reya may not know that she is mine, but I have found a way to consume her mind.

See you soon, little mate.

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