Lawful Mates - Liam Kingsley Page 0,2

on autopilot, I extended my hand toward Easton, some part of my brain remembering my manners.

“Hi,” I said, barely able to form the word. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t look away from him. It was like he was drawing me in.

And when he echoed my greeting and reached out to take my hand, my wolf seemed to howl inside me. It was like a jolt of electricity raced through my body as our hands made contact, and my mind raced as fast as my heart as I tried to process what was happening.

No, no, no… It couldn’t be. There was no way. No fucking way.

But as much as I tried to deny it, the truth was right there smacking me in the face. That was exactly what it had been like when Tuck had found Jamie—his fated mate.

But I didn’t want a mate. I didn’t even want a relationship. The few times I’d tried, they’d all failed spectacularly. My career had always come between us, and I’d resigned myself to the fact I was married to my job and that a relationship wasn’t in the cards for me. I’d actually come to appreciate that.

Yet this guy was rocking the very foundation of the world as I knew it.

“Well, this should be interesting.” I barely registered Tucker’s words because all I could hear echoing in my mind was mate, mate, mate.

And I knew at that moment, whether I liked it or not, this man before me was most definitely my fated mate.

2

Easton

My world was definitely tipping off its axis. I held Percy’s hand in mine, unable to let go as I stared into those hazel eyes that seemed to shift between green and amber. I was mesmerized. Unable to look away.

The emotions pouring from my wolf were hitting me so hard I felt like my knees were made of jelly. My mate. This man—Percy, Tucker’s best friend, was my mate? If the reaction my wolf was having to him was any indication, then he was indeed. And I had no idea what to do with that knowledge.

My ears buzzed, and my heart pounded, and I could barely think past that one word that changed everything. How was it possible? And what was I going to do about it?

Vaguely, I heard Jamie snicker and mutter something that had Tucker chuckling as well, but I simply stared at Percy.

His hair was the darkest brown, slightly wavy, his thick brows and scruffy beard just as dark. His bright eyes popped in contrast against his tan skin. And his body… He was huge. Broad and muscled, but not stocky. A perfect blend of raw power and lean strength. I barely suppressed a tremble at the sudden pull of desire low in my belly.

“Easton.” Jamie snapped his fingers in front of my face, and I realized I’d been in a total daze, staring at this guy. I glanced quickly at Jamie and then flushed at his amused expression. Yeah, there was no way the three of them hadn’t noticed my bizarre reaction.

But I still couldn’t seem to focus completely. It was like my mind had been hijacked by my wolf. With no small effort, I forced myself to not look back at Percy but to keep my gaze trained on Jamie.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

Jamie’s lips twitched. “I was saying that you should probably go put the cake down before you drop it and ruin it.”

“Right. Okay. Yeah.” I turned on my heel and forced myself to walk away, even though every instinct in me balked at the idea. My wolf whined and pawed at me, insisting I stay by Percy’s side. I shoved him back down ruthlessly. I had to get my head on straight before I made a total fool of myself.

Jamie followed me as I made my way to the cake table, but my attention was still on Percy. I could feel his gaze boring into my back, right between my shoulder blades.

“You okay?” Jamie asked softly, though there was still a hint of amusement in his voice. Like he knew exactly what was going on in my mind.

I spared him a glance. “Fine.” Then my eyes betrayed me—my gaze drifted back to where Percy and Tucker were still standing. Yep, he was still staring me down, though the look on his face wasn’t pleasant in the slightest. A stark contrast to the gentle way he held Addison to his chest.

I huffed out a breath then turned my attention back