A Mate's Sacrifice: (Hot Paranormal Romance) (Ozark Mountain Shifters Book 2) by P. Jameson Page A
Authors: P. Jameson
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confused look.
“They were good waffles. That’s all I’m saying.”
She raised a thick eyebrow. “You think so?”
“Oh, yes. Absolutely. Back home I run a restaurant and our waffles don’t begin to compare.”
The lady handed her a tray with both plates. “You run a restaurant, huh?”
Braeh nodded. “I’m a chef. In Alaska. Name’s Braeh, by the way.”
The lady blinked twice. “I’m Jude. I make the waffles.”
Braeh’s eyes went wide. “You do? Oh, wow. So, tell me, what’s your secret? Do you use butter in the batter? Or is it cinnamon? Cream. You put extra cream in the mix, am I right?”
“It’s a powdered mix. Just add water.”
No. No way. Braeh shook her head in denial. “Very funny.”
Jude raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
“It can’t be just a mix.” A mix could never taste better than homemade.
“It is.”
Braeh narrowed her eyes. “You just want to keep the recipe a secret. My mom used to do that with her friends. She claimed her pound cake was from a box, but it was totally from scratch.”
Jude put her hands on her hips. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jude smiled, a slow, building curve of her thin lips. “It’s a mix.”
“No, it isn’t.” Braeh’s voice rose.
“Is everything alright over here?” Lexar stepped up to the counter, staring back and forth between Jude and Braeh.
“Of course,” Jude said, that wacky smile still on her face.
“Fine,” Braeh said, ignoring Lexar completely. “Keep your secrets to yourself then.”
She turned with the tray and headed for the exit.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Lexar followed close behind.
“To my cabin.”
“You’re taking the tray?”
“Yep.”
“Jude won’t like that. You should eat here.”
Braeh smiled. “She won’t? Well, good. Tell her I’m taking the food to my mate and if she doesn’t like it, too bad.”
She was almost past the main part of camp when she spotted the alpha talking to a group of young boys. He squatted on the ground, holding a small animal in his hands. A bunny. He was gentle with the creature, petting it with his big hands. Looking up, he spotted Braeh and carefully passed the animal off to one of the kids.
Braeh ignored him, walking past. She was still furious with him after the way he’d treated Vesh this morning. Oh, sure, Vesh was mouthy. But this alpha? He was violent. No matter how careful he was with the bunny.
“Braeh,” he called.
Maybe if she didn’t answer he’d leave her alone.
He caught up with her in three strides. “You’re angry. I can smell it. Care to tell me why?”
“Nope.”
“I know you’re human, but that isn’t how it works in a wolf pack. If the alpha asks a question, you answer.”
“I did answer. Your question was, would I care to tell you why, and my answer was no.”
He walked beside her silent for a few steps. “Was your job assignment satisfactory?”
“Sure.”
“Is your mate treating you well?”
His question gave her pause. Why would the alpha care if Vesh was nice to her.
She shrugged. “Haven’t seen him since you almost broke his neck at breakfast.”
The alpha was silent again. They rounded a curve in the trail, taking them into the woods. “I see,” he murmured. “You’re angry over the way I reacted.” He sighed, long and deep.
Braeh said nothing.
“How long have you known about us? About shifters?”
“Not long. Three weeks, give or take.”
“And Trager, he’s not part of a pack, so you have no point of reference.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have no way of knowing how a pack works. I wasn’t always like this. Overbearing and hostile. And I try very hard not to ever take my authority too far. I run a tight camp, but I fully believe the only way I’ve managed to do that successfully is because people respect me.”
“Respect? Or fear?”
He tilted his head. “Respect, I think. But fear probably plays into it too. What you need
“They were good waffles. That’s all I’m saying.”
She raised a thick eyebrow. “You think so?”
“Oh, yes. Absolutely. Back home I run a restaurant and our waffles don’t begin to compare.”
The lady handed her a tray with both plates. “You run a restaurant, huh?”
Braeh nodded. “I’m a chef. In Alaska. Name’s Braeh, by the way.”
The lady blinked twice. “I’m Jude. I make the waffles.”
Braeh’s eyes went wide. “You do? Oh, wow. So, tell me, what’s your secret? Do you use butter in the batter? Or is it cinnamon? Cream. You put extra cream in the mix, am I right?”
“It’s a powdered mix. Just add water.”
No. No way. Braeh shook her head in denial. “Very funny.”
Jude raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
“It can’t be just a mix.” A mix could never taste better than homemade.
“It is.”
Braeh narrowed her eyes. “You just want to keep the recipe a secret. My mom used to do that with her friends. She claimed her pound cake was from a box, but it was totally from scratch.”
Jude put her hands on her hips. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jude smiled, a slow, building curve of her thin lips. “It’s a mix.”
“No, it isn’t.” Braeh’s voice rose.
“Is everything alright over here?” Lexar stepped up to the counter, staring back and forth between Jude and Braeh.
“Of course,” Jude said, that wacky smile still on her face.
“Fine,” Braeh said, ignoring Lexar completely. “Keep your secrets to yourself then.”
She turned with the tray and headed for the exit.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Lexar followed close behind.
“To my cabin.”
“You’re taking the tray?”
“Yep.”
“Jude won’t like that. You should eat here.”
Braeh smiled. “She won’t? Well, good. Tell her I’m taking the food to my mate and if she doesn’t like it, too bad.”
She was almost past the main part of camp when she spotted the alpha talking to a group of young boys. He squatted on the ground, holding a small animal in his hands. A bunny. He was gentle with the creature, petting it with his big hands. Looking up, he spotted Braeh and carefully passed the animal off to one of the kids.
Braeh ignored him, walking past. She was still furious with him after the way he’d treated Vesh this morning. Oh, sure, Vesh was mouthy. But this alpha? He was violent. No matter how careful he was with the bunny.
“Braeh,” he called.
Maybe if she didn’t answer he’d leave her alone.
He caught up with her in three strides. “You’re angry. I can smell it. Care to tell me why?”
“Nope.”
“I know you’re human, but that isn’t how it works in a wolf pack. If the alpha asks a question, you answer.”
“I did answer. Your question was, would I care to tell you why, and my answer was no.”
He walked beside her silent for a few steps. “Was your job assignment satisfactory?”
“Sure.”
“Is your mate treating you well?”
His question gave her pause. Why would the alpha care if Vesh was nice to her.
She shrugged. “Haven’t seen him since you almost broke his neck at breakfast.”
The alpha was silent again. They rounded a curve in the trail, taking them into the woods. “I see,” he murmured. “You’re angry over the way I reacted.” He sighed, long and deep.
Braeh said nothing.
“How long have you known about us? About shifters?”
“Not long. Three weeks, give or take.”
“And Trager, he’s not part of a pack, so you have no point of reference.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have no way of knowing how a pack works. I wasn’t always like this. Overbearing and hostile. And I try very hard not to ever take my authority too far. I run a tight camp, but I fully believe the only way I’ve managed to do that successfully is because people respect me.”
“Respect? Or fear?”
He tilted his head. “Respect, I think. But fear probably plays into it too. What you need
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