Fool’S Mate: Wolf Sisters Series, Book 2

By Margy Millet

Crista Rosa Rodriguezs life began to make sense the moment she discovered that she had two half sistersand that all three of them were wolf shifters. Now adults, they run a secret PI agency that helps battered and abused women and their families find safety.

Cris also works for the Miami Police Department, and its there that she encounters a sexy wolf shifter named Ethan Riggs. Hes the beta for the Sedona, Arizona, pack that includes her younger sister Pilars mate, and Cris is assigned to work a drug-trafficking case with him. They share a connection that brings her a heat and longing she has never imagined. As she struggles with that link, an ex-boyfriend asks for her help in rescuing his sister from a bad situation. Meanwhile, Cris has a strong sense that something is missing in her life. Will giving in to the mating heat with Ethan fill that void, or will her search for fulfillment go unrewarded?

In this erotic novel, a wolf shifter must decide whether a handsome shifter from another pack, whom her wolf calls mate, is truly what she needs to find happiness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532024146

Margy Millet

Margy Millet was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and she moved with her family to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1973. She holds an associate’s degree from Quinsigamond College, and she and her husband, David, have three children and five grandchildren. Her passions include writing, Latin music, dancing, reading, and sports. She currently lives in Massachusetts.

Book preview

Prologue

Cris had been waiting impatiently for the first day of high school, and now she only had the weekend to endure before she could be with Ari and Pi every day. She thought back to the first day of orientation in the middle of July when she had first met them. Her instincts were on alert, but she didn’t feel danger; it was more a feeling of completeness—like the pieces of a puzzle fitting together. She smiled at them as she walked towards them and they had smiled back; there was an instant connection among them. Then they discovered that they were half-sisters, and even more exciting, that all three of them were shifter wolves. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy.

She would always remember the thrill of shifting for the first time. She had immediately felt the tremendous power of her wolf as her body snapped and twisted as it transformed. She smiled as she recalled standing in the woods with her half-sisters’ wolves, and the fantastic sense of freedom she felt as they ran swiftly together through the woods.

Cris snapped back to reality as she looked around the kitchen. She sat quietly in her chair, then looked up at her mother. She saw that familiar expression on her mother’s face, pleading with her silently to keep away. This wasn’t Cris’s fight anyway; her mother had always stepped up and taken the heat for her. Her father (or stepfather as she found out when she met the girls) was an abusive drunk who enjoyed the pain of others—mostly women and especially her mother. After he got paid on Friday, he always ended up in a bar with his buddies, spending half of his paycheck on drinks. This Friday was no exception.

Cris stood up and moved forward to stop him—to try to do something—but again her mother’s look said it all. Cris stepped away and walked out of the living room and went straight to her bedroom. She closed the door and stood holding the doorknob tightly in her hand, her body shaking all over. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. No one in the building could possibly be missing all this yelling, she thought. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of him hitting her. She let her hand drop from the doorknob and rushed to her bed. She flopped heavily on the bed and pulled a pillow over her head to try to block out the awful screams coming from the living room.

Cris woke up early on Monday morning. She had set the alarm for an hour before she was due to get up. She was so glad the weekend was over and her first day of high school had finally arrived. She was excited and nervous at the same time. She sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing the kink out of her neck. She didn’t know how she had been selected to attend this new private school, but she didn’t care. All that mattered to her was that she would be away from the ghetto and the kids from her old high school. She was looking forward to a new place where nobody knew her (except her half-sisters, Ari and Pi), where she could stop acting like everyone expected and really be herself. She sprang out of bed and got dressed, then walked out of her bedroom and straight to the bathroom. She washed up quickly, not wanting to waste any more time in the house than she had to. She grabbed her new backpack and walked out of the house.

She knew it was really early, but she needed the fresh air. The bus stop was on the next street, so she started walking. She was alone at the bus stop for a while, but she wasn’t scared. She had proven several times that she was strong, so nobody messed with her. After waiting for half an hour, she was on the bus and on her way to the last four years of her life in this horrible place. After a fifteen-minute ride on the school bus, she arrived at her new school. She was so excited and she couldn’t wait to get together with Ari and Pi. She had just seen them over the weekend, but that felt like a long time ago now. The best thing about this new school was that she could spend more time with them without having to sneak out of the house.

Chapter One

Eleven Years Later

Cris and Ari had spent the last two weeks without Pi. They had never been away from each other for this long before. Cris knew that Pi had already called work and sent them her resignation letter—it all felt so permanent. She was concerned because she could hear the doubt in Pi’s voice when she told her about her resignation. Cris looked up to see her older sister, Ari, click off the phone. She could see the worry on Ari’s face. Being the oldest sister, Ari had always been the protector and alpha for their small pack of three.

Cris remembered the moment she had met Ari; she knew that from that moment on, they would always be close. As Crista Rosa Rodriguez from a Venezuelan mother, Cris had always felt out of place, as if she didn’t belong with her family. Her life was miserable before high school, but when she met Ari and Pi, everything had turned around for her. She found happiness with her new family and a close friendship and sisterhood. Ari and Pi were the only ones who called her Cris. When they discovered that they were half-sisters and wolves, it was like she had hit the jackpot and everything became clear to her.

She shook her head and came back to the present. She was glad they had kept the house that Ari had grown up in. They had needed to use the house several times as a temporary refuge for abused women who were on the run. Cris grabbed her phone and checked for text messages or emails. As she was about to click off the phone, a new voicemail message alert popped up on her screen.

Already in her pajamas, she sat down on the queen-size bed and listened to the message. She sat quietly for several seconds, listening to the message a second time. Shit! she exclaimed.

What? asked Ari, sitting down beside her.

They had kept the rest of the house in darkness, aside from a small lamp in the back bedroom where they had been staying. This room wasn’t visible from the road.

It’s a message from Hugo, she said in a serious tone.

What about?

He says that no one has seen or heard from Clarissa for two days. He sounds very angry. Damn it! I was hoping to avoid him while working this case.

Fuck, I wasn’t expecting this, that’s for sure, commented Ari.

Me neither. What should I do?

Well, first you’ll have to call him back, she replied.

Fine, but not tonight. I’ll call him tomorrow from work.

Ari slid off the bed and went to the bathroom while Cris contemplated talking with Hugo tomorrow. After a few minutes, Ari came out and settled next to her in the bed.

Let’s hope the beta doesn’t show up, Ari said, turning toward her.

I know, right? What the hell is with this mating bullshit?

I don’t know, but I’ll do some research on it tomorrow.

Okay, let’s meet for lunch. Maybe I’ll have some news from Hugo, she commented as she got up from the bed and went to the bathroom.

After another few minutes, Ari shut off the lamp and they cuddled next to each other, each deep in their own thoughts.

Cris knew that her wolf was agitated about this Ethan guy. Every time her wolf got even the slightest whiff of his scent she got ecstatic. It was like some kind of aphrodisiac. She shook her head then closed her eyes and made herself relax. Her body was in dire need of channeling this sexual tension.

No matter what happened with this case, talking to Hugo tomorrow was going to make things weird between them. It had been a few years since they had broken up, and they had kept their distance, even though they worked in the same department. His disapproval of her sexual activities was what had caused their breakup, but she had never promised she wouldn’t see other men. His old-fashioned ways had destroyed the good thing they had. Sex with him was amazing, but she was always looking for more.

She spent several minutes in bed awake until she could hear the soft sounds of Ari’s breathing. When she was sure that her sister was asleep, Cris climbed quietly out of bed in the darkness and walked out of the room. She went down the hall and into the kitchen, then out the back door and onto a small deck. Her wolf wanted out—she wanted to run. The cool night breeze felt good on her flushed skin.

She sat down on the first step of the deck. Shit, she uttered between clenched teeth.

After a while, the coolness of the night air and the peaceful sound of the night animals calmed her nerves. She stayed a few minutes longer, then stood up and quickly walked back into the house. She made sure to lock the door and went back to bed.

She felt her sister’s arm on her waist, pulling her closer. Better? she asked drowsily.

Yes, Cris replied, snuggling close to her and closing her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, she heard Ari in the bathroom. She looked at the clock on the nightstand; it was just a few minutes past six in the morning. She threw the sheet off and got out of bed. She walked into the bathroom where Ari was taking a shower. She used the toilet and was brushing her teeth just as Ari was getting out of the shower.

Cris took a quick shower, got out of the stall, and grabbed a towel to dry herself off. She wrapped the towel around herself and walked out to the bedroom.

Ari was already dressed and applying a bit of makeup to her face—not that she needed it. Ari was gorgeous. She was built like a model, tall and slim with long legs. Cris was a couple of inches shorter than her sister, with dark eyes and light skin the color of cinnamon. Her hair was black and cut short, accentuating her strong facial features and full lips. She had a strong body—slender but not as slim as Ari’s. Cris was powerful with well-defined muscles.

Cris pulled panties and a bra from the drawer, put them on and went to the small closet where they kept their extra clothes. She chose a pantsuit and blouse and got dressed. Ari grabbed her things from the small chair. I’ll wait for you in the kitchen. Hurry up, we don’t want to be late, Ari said.

Okay, Cris replied as she put some gel in her hair and finger combed it. All she had left to do was put on a touch of makeup.

Cris grabbed her gun from the drawer and her wallet from the nightstand. She put her gun in the holster at her waist and walked out of the bedroom. She walked into the kitchen and saw Ari putting her phone back in her briefcase.

Ari stood up, walked to the back door and pulled it open. Together they walked out. Her sister locked the door before she walked to the side of the house and climbed into her beautiful car; it was an old Mustang convertible that the three sisters had personally rebuilt from scratch.

Cris started the car as Ari climbed in. Cris shifted into first gear and drove off. Ari’s mother’s house was a bit farther from the station than their other house, so they had to get on the highway. She loved to drive fast so in no time she was dropping Ari at the courthouse, which conveniently was next door to the police station.

Cris drove past the front of the police station and pulled around to the back. She found an empty parking space, parked quickly, and got out of the car. She only had five minutes before she would be late. She rushed into the building and up the stairs. Luckily her department was on the second floor. She hurried past several cubicles, waving at her co-workers, but not stopping to chat.

As she approached her cubicle, she saw Hugo waiting for her. She slowed down her pace and briskly walked past him and into her cubicle.

Hey, he said, his voice low and serious.

Hi Hugo, she replied back brightly.

We need to talk, he whispered.

I know. Give me a few minutes to start up my laptop, she requested, as she pushed the startup button.

When her computer had finished starting up, she pulled a file from a pile on her desk and opened it. She looked up at Hugo to find him staring at her. She got a whiff of his cologne, which used to make her drool. Today it did nothing for her.

Crista, what’s going on? he asked.

Keep it down, she ordered him, looking around to see if anyone was listening.

Fine.

She went over all the details of what they knew about his sister’s situation. She gave him a brief explanation of what the agency did and their partnership with family services. The whole time she spoke, Hugo was clenching his fists tightly.

At that same moment, on the other side of the building, Ethan had been working in the main office with the chief of police and department captain discussing the situation with Cris for more than half an hour. He was glad that Alton had already acquired detailed information on all three sisters. His mind went over the past two days and nights when he had roamed the city looking for Cris. One moment his wolf would sense her; the next moment her scent would disappear.

His wolf gave a growl inside him; he had been hard to handle these past few days. All he wanted was to find his mate. Ethan brought his focus back to the conversation with the chief. After another ten minutes, the chief and captain agreed with Ethan’s proposal to join forces on the drug-trafficking cases they were working on. They would let Cris work with him on the investigation. He was grateful that Alton had opened the door for him.

Cris had finished apprising Hugo on everything they knew about his sister’s case. She kept the conversation as light as possible and stayed focused on the matter at hand. He asked several questions, and she answered them as best she could. After a brief silence between them, she spoke again. I’m meeting Ari for lunch. Join us?

Okay. When and where? he asked.

Twelve at El Rincon, you know by … she started to say.

I know where it is, he assured her, standing up from his chair."

Fine. See you then, she said turning from him and starting to work on her laptop.

She stared at her laptop until she heard his steps leaving the cubicle, then she turned and watched him hurry away. She was about to turn back to her laptop when she saw the captain coming in through the door that Hugo had just walked out of. Her wolf was aware of the stranger walking with him.

Fuck, she murmured under her breath.

She turned back to her laptop and typed on the keyboard, keeping herself from sneaking another look. Her wolf was so flipping happy right now that it was impossible to calm her down. She heard footsteps approaching her cubicle.

Good morning Crista, the captain said.

She turned to face them and replied, Good morning Captain. She kept her eyes low, not making eye contact with either man.

Crista, let me introduce you to Ethan Riggs, he stated.

She stood from her chair and looked up into his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and her wolf jumped for joy and squealed inside her, Mate.

Cris shook her head and reached her hand out to him. She knew it was a mistake because she was already feeling an intense heat running through her body.

Hi, she said, and as they touched, she felt a smoldering sensation rush through her.

Hi, Crista he said.

Cris pulled her hand away. She looked up to see him smiling at her as he slowly dropped his hand by his side.

He’s from the Sedona police department. He’s in need of a surveillance person, and well, you’re our expert, so you’ll be collaborating with him.

Well sir, thank you, but you know I have a lot of work on my desk. Perhaps Joey could help him. He’s as good as me, she said.

The captain stood quietly for a moment, then said, No, I think you’ll be better. I’ll let you two alone to strategize. The captain shook hands with Ethan and walked away.

Fuck, she murmured as she sat back down, not looking at him.

She went back to working on her laptop, hoping that he would leave, but no such luck. He pulled a chair close to her and sat down. She could feel the energy flowing between them. She snuck a look at him and saw him gazing at her. He gave her a big smile. Her wolf could not stay still; she kept pacing inside her.

After a few seconds of staring at each other, Cris