Stubborn Mate Read online

  Stubborn Mate

  Soul Mates (Book 4)

  Published by Diana Persaud at Smashwords

  Copyright 2013 Diana Persaud

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication

  This novella is for those of us with scars. Whether it’s emotional or physical, don’t use your scars as an excuse. Find the courage to seek your Soul Mate. I promise you, it’s worth it.

  -Diana

  ***~***

  Summary for Stubborn Mate (Soul Mates Book 4)

  Soldier. Loyal. Scarred. Lonely.

  Kane’s deep physical scars keep women at bay. Lonely, he longs for the day he will find his mate, someone who will love him despite his many scars.

  One night, Kane is kidnapped, tortured and eventually sold to the highest bidder, a mysterious woman named Emma. Fearing rejection, Kane stubbornly refuses to admit Emma is his mate.

  Will Kane’s deep emotional scars keep him from his mate or will his wolf’s instinct to claim its mate succeed?

  ***~***

  Stubborn Mate

  Soul Mates (Book 4)

  Chapter 1

  Emma tugged on her gloves, making sure not an inch of flesh was exposed. She turned around in front of the mirror, examining herself, checking to see that she was fully covered. She wore a burgundy blouse with long sleeves, a long black skirt and knee high boots. She donned a black hat with black mesh veil and arranged it so it covered her face. The thin veil obscured her face so that anyone who looked at her would easily mistake her for Ellen.

  She took a deep breath, picked up her small purse and walked out of the room, down the massive stairs and out the front door. Baxter stood by the limousine and opened the door for her. She entered the limo and he followed, closing the door behind her. Georges, already in the front seat, started the car the moment the door closed. Georges and Baxter were identical twins. Both were six foot four, blond, muscular and well armed. Whenever Emma disguised herself as Ellie, they always escorted her, as they understood the agreement between Emma and Ellen.

  They rode in silence, all the way to the airport, during the plane ride and in the subsequent car ride to the docks. Georges pulled the silver Bentley to a stop in front of the abandoned warehouse. He parked among a dozen other luxury vehicles. Both Georges and Baxter escorted her into the warehouse, walking on either side of her. Their presence helped keep anyone from getting too close to her, from discovering her true identity.

  The warehouse smelled musty. They walked into the dimly lit warehouse and headed towards the middle, where others had gathered. Emma recognized three businessmen, a congressman and two senators. The rest were strangers. They gathered in a circle, listening intently to the man in the middle. The harsh fluorescent lights above the man flickered, yet he continued as if nothing was wrong. He looks slimy, Emma thought as she shivered.

  “I’m telling you, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

  “Yes, yes. The phone call that I received, that we all probably received said so. This better not be some land sale scheme!” said one of the businessmen.

  “I assure you, this will be worth every second of your time and every cent that you are willing to part with.

  “BRING HIM IN!” the slimy man shouted to someone to his left.

  A door opened somewhere to the left and heavy footsteps headed their way. The crowd parted as a man was brought in, bound in handcuffs and shackles. His chest was bare, as was his feet. He had on a pair of ugly gray gym shorts.

  He stood six and a half feet tall, had wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes that were narrowed in hatred. He was handsome in his own way, despite the numerous scars on his face, across his wide chest and down his mouthwatering six pack abs. Did she say ‘mouthwatering’? She meant muscular. His jaw was clenched in anger. His whole body was tense.

  “Kneel!” the slimy man commanded. The bound man refused and the slimy man pulled out a little remote and pressed a button. Immediately the man screamed in pain and fell to his knees. The crowd gasped in shock.

  “Instant obedience. Isn’t it grand? We surgically implanted a device that causes pain when this button is depressed.” Slimy held up the remote for all to see.

  “That’s not all, folks. He’s a... werewolf.” Everyone turned to look at the slimy man.

  “It’s true. He’s a werewolf. They do exist. I’ll prove it to you.”

  Slimy turned to the bound man and commanded him to shift. When nothing happened, he pressed the button, held it down for seconds, minutes until the bound man, screaming in pain, changed into a wolf! Emma couldn’t believe her eyes. This man was a werewolf! It couldn’t be a trick. He transformed right before her eyes. She heard the pop as his bones reconfigured, saw the way his skin bulged. Somehow his body shrunk as fur rapidly filled in, covering him everywhere in a thick fur.

  A large gray and black wolf stood panting, its amber eyes glowing eerily. Its body tensed, its ears flattened against its head and he growled loudly in warning, saliva dripping from its sharp teeth.

  Slimy demanded that he change back and pressed the button. The wolf howled in pain as its body contorted on the ground and changed back into the man. The man/wolf grimaced in pain. Naked, he kneeled on the floor, bracing his hands to keep himself from falling down. Sweat covered his body, a thin sheen that glistened in the flickering fluorescent light.

  “An obedient werewolf at your beck and call. Shall we open the bidding at fifty thousand?” Slimy asked.

  Emma stared at the man/wolf, speechless. They were selling him? Outraged, she bid on the man. She would buy his freedom, no matter what the cost. Was he the only one they had? She would never know unless she had a chance to speak to him.

  The bidding slowly increased and Emma began to panic.

  “One hundred thousand is my final offer,” Emma stated with conviction.

  It was every cent that she had.

  “Going once. Going twice. Sold! Congratulations, Ms. Barrington. Once your payment clears, we will deliver your new pet to your mansion tomorrow evening.” Slimy looked at Baxter and Georges.

  “I see that you prefer muscular blonds. It’s a shame this one isn’t blond, but you could always dye his hair.”

  The slimy man grinned at her and she bit her lip to keep from telling him off. She drew on every ounce of disdain she felt for Slimy and responded in a bored voice, “Why should I spend another dime on him?”

  She nodded to Baxter and he made the payment with one of Ellie’s check. She would pay Ellie back next week when she returned from her trip. Afraid she would give herself away, she turned away without a backward glance at the man/wolf.

  Georges drove them back to the airport and back home. They rode in silence as Emma contemplated the existence of werewolves and their captivity. Her anger at the man’s mistreatment was palpable. She hoped that he was the only werewolf captured. She shuddered to think of what they would do to a captured female wolf. Emma would have to question him to find out everything he knew. Somehow, she and Ellie would put a stop to it.

  Emma Tyler and Ellen Barrington had been friends ever since Ellen had run away when she was 8 years old. In a fit of temper, Ellen had run away from her mother in the mall and gotten lost. She sat crying, huddled in a corner until Emma, also 8, had walked up to Ellie and comforted her. Emma calmed her down and her parents to
ok her to one of the cashiers, who promptly called security. A few minutes later, Ellen was reunited with her parents. As a reward, Mrs. Barrington had invited Emma over to their mansion for a visit. Though Ellen was rich and Emma was not, they found they had a lot in common. They became fast friends and were inseparable.

  As they got older, strangers would sometimes mistake one for the other, and over time, they began to purposely deceive others. At first it was a game. Later, when her responsibilities became overwhelming for Ellen, she would beg Emma to take her place and she would go off on “holiday” for a much needed respite.

  When Ellen and Emma were away at college, the Barringtons had died in a tragic plane crash. Their entire fortune and their company, Barrington, a successful marketing firm, belonged to Ellen, their only child. With Emma’s financial expertise, Ellen’s business thrived. With Emma’s friendship, Ellie stayed sane.

  They were of the same height and same build, however Ellie was slightly more voluptuous. With a padded bra and veiled hat, no one could really tell the difference. Emma, several shades darker than Ellie, thanks to her Indian heritage, could hide her skin with long sleeves, pants or long skirts. Emma’s face was a lighter color than the rest of her, so a bit of makeup along with the hat completed her transformation into Ellie. Since Emma was a financial advisor, actually, Ellen’s personal financial advisor, she could take time off whenever Ellen needed.

  Ellen had called her a few days ago, begging her to take her place, so she could have a few days reprieve before the next stockholder’s meeting. Emma had gladly decided to step in, enjoying her time at Ellen’s mansion. She spent most of her time in the massive library, had been sitting there when she received a mysterious call about a unique opportunity. Intrigued, she had decided to go to the warehouse.

  Now Emma had spent all of her savings and was the proud new owner of a werewolf, one she would release as soon as she had the information she needed.

  Georges pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of Barrington Estate. Baxter opened the door and disabled the alarms. They settled down and went to bed. She thought about all the questions she had for him, about werewolves and other beings. Early in the morning, she finally drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 2

  Handcuffed and wearing shackles, Kane had no choice but to sit in the limousine as they drove him to his new mistress. Her new pet? His wolf bristled and the man’s anger increased. He was a soldier, a strong warrior. And he was now bound, helpless and at the mercy of a woman.

  He struggled to control his rage, the thing that led him to his current predicament.

  A member of the Last Hope werewolf pack, Kane loyally served his Alpha and had the scars to prove it. When the old Alpha stepped down because of poor health, he joined Lucien, the current Alpha, in his battle against the Lost Souls werewolf pack. He had been 28 at the time. His body was lined with massive scars from his battle three and a half years ago. He was proud of his battle scars, a sign of loyalty, but female wolves found him hideous. A handful had taken him to bed, but they always kicked him out as soon as they were done with him. He grew angry and resentful of their treatment. He sought their company less and less, instead relying on himself to ease his discomfort.

  Since the Alpha had taken a human mate, he decided to try his luck with humans. A huge mistake. Most women shied away from him, sensing the dark aura around him that hinted at danger. The few human women that found danger attractive allowed him to bed them and as before, kicked him out as soon as they found their release. He had never spent the night in a woman’s bed.

  Still angry and even more resentful than before, he had withdrawn to the woods one night, intent on running as a release. He undressed and changed into his wolf form, never noticing the hunters hiding in the trees. He took off and ran for miles, pushed himself to his limits, trying to forget the pain of rejection.

  The hunters nearly fell out of their tree when they saw the man change into a wolf. They had climbed a tree, hoping to spot something to kill. When they saw him change, they knew he was worth more alive than dead. Rumor was, some rich guy was willing to pay for ‘strange wolves.’ Now they knew what he meant by ‘strange’. They changed their ammunition, loaded their guns with tranquilizers and waited for the wolf. He had left his clothing, so they knew he would return.

  Kane ran back to his clothes, exhausted. He changed and felt a sharp stab in his ass, another one in his arm. Everything went dark as he fell to the ground. When he woke up, he was in the middle of a nightmare. He was chained in a room. Men jabbed him with needles, removed his blood. They questioned him, and when he refused to answer, they would beat him. Several days passed and he endured their abuse. He was, after all, a soldier.

  One day they drugged him. When he woke up, they told him what they had done. He had been implanted with a chip to induce pain. They demonstrated by pressing the button and his body was racked with pain as the chip stimulated his pain sensors. His body fell to the floor and he convulsed, inadvertently changing into a wolf. The men laughed as he lay whimpering on the floor.

  A few days later he had been taken to a warehouse and sold. Like a slave. To that rich, coldhearted bitch. Once she had purchased him, she hadn’t even bothered to look at him. She had simply turned and left. Once again, he had been discarded by a woman.

  The limousine stopped and they removed him, forced him into the house. He stood before one of her bodyguards in the foyer. The bodyguard accepted the keys to his handcuffs and a small box containing the remote. His captors left and he stood there with her blond bodyguard. The man indicated he should follow him into the living room, and he did, stopping by a large couch.

  She stood by the fireplace, staring into the fire. She wore the hat from the previous night, and she was covered from head to toe in a long flowing dress. Her arms were crossed in front of her and her body seemed tense.

  “Emmy? They’re gone.”

  At once the tension seemed to drain from her body. She turned to Baxter and removed her hat, dropped it on the chair by the fireplace. She removed her gloves and tossed it next to the hat.

  “Thank God! Help me out of this thing, will you?”

  She turned her back to Baxter, and he walked over to her and unzipped her dress. He leaned down and picked up the bottom, helped it over her head.

  Kane stared at her in shock as he watched the guard unzip her dress. Instinctively, he growled low and clenched his fists. He guessed her bodyguard was more than just a guard. Kane supposed he would be expected to perform sexual acts for her as well. Then she would toss him away as the others had. Kane couldn’t stop the anger from returning.

  Baxter helped her remove the dress and she tossed it onto the chair that held her hat. Kane was surprised to see that she wore a tank top and shorts underneath the dress. Kane’s eyes roved over her brown skin and he was shocked at his powerful reaction to this human. He struggled against his rising erection, reminded himself that this beautiful woman bought him. She would use and discard him, like women always did. She would never keep him, not when she had her perfect blond bodyguards to satisfy her. His hands clenched at the thought of either man touching her and his wolf began to rise. He forced himself to contain his wolf, lest they use the remote on him.

  Baxter gave her the box with the remote and dangled the keys in front of her. She put the box in her pocket.

  “Remove them before you go, will you Bax? Thanks.”

  Baxter nodded and he removed the handcuffs and shackles that bound Kane. He said good night and left, heading up the stairs in the foyer. Kane eyed the woman, Emma, as she walked over to a small table containing several bottles of liquor.

  “Would you care for a drink?”

  Emma turned, bottle in hand, and stared at Kane. He had unbuttoned his shirt and was in the process of removing it. His massive chest and abdomen, covered in over a dozen scars, was exposed to her.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “You paid a hell of a lot of
money for me. I thought you’d want to see what you paid for. Does owning me turn you on? Are you so desperate that you would buy a man for sex? I can see why you’d have to pay someone to fuck you.”

  Emma set down the bottle forcefully and turned to him, hands on her hips, anger flaring in her eyes.

  “How dare you! I might not be pretty but I sure as hell am not desperate enough to pay for it. I especially don’t want it from you.”

  She took out the box, walked towards him and he braced himself for ensuing pain. She threw the box at him, hitting him in the chest. He caught it before it fell.

  “Take it and get out,” she snarled.

  She turned away from him and went through a door by one of the curio cabinets, slamming it behind her. Kane was momentarily stunned by the sudden pain he felt. Though different from when the shock button was pressed, the pain he felt was just as strong. Only it felt as though it came from his chest and radiated outward. What had they done to him?

  Emma paced the small office as her tears fell. How dare he insult her? After all she’d done for him? Spent all her money to free him and he had to remind her how unattractive she was? She heard the front door slam as he left and she finally gave in, laying on the couch and sobbed. Would she ever find someone who could get past her looks?

  Chapter 3

  Kane stepped outside, unable to believe his luck. She had released him? He was free? Perhaps it was just a trick. Maybe she released him so he would lead her to his pack. He refused to allow any of his pack mates to be captured.

  The day after he left Emma, he stole a cell phone and called Lucien. He explained his situation, his fear that he had a tracking device implanted that would lead his captors to their pack. Lucien wired him money and arranged for him to meet with Dr. Mallory in a nearby hospital.