The Wrong Mate

By Jade Marshall

Finding your mate should be the happiest time in any wolf shifter's life. But what if your mate is the wrong mate?

Raine is finally old enough to find her mate, and she couldn’t be happier. Being in love with Max since the first time she met him, he is the only male that she has ever wanted. Now she has to convince Max that they're meant to be together. Getting Max to accept their mating bond is the least of Raine’s problems, especially with the hunters closing in again.

Max loves Raine, but she can't be his mate. He isn’t worthy. He can’t offer her the life that she deserves, so he leaves. Now he only has to convince his wolf to stay away because he knows he will never be able to refuse her. But when Raine is in danger, will he really have a choice?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight
• Release date: Mar 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9780369505729

Book preview

Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2022 Jade Marshall

ISBN: 978-0-3695-0572-9

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Audrey Bobak

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

For Celia Moolman

My greatest supporter since before day one.

She lived.

She loved.

She laughed.

She left.

She will be missed.

21 November 1975—15 February 2022

THE WRONG MATE

Katu Wolves, 3

Jade Marshall

Copyright © 2022

Chapter One

Max

Today is Raine’s eighteenth birthday. I have both been looking forward to and dreading this. I’ve been looking forward to this day for the past year, to prove to my know-it-all cousin that I’m not Raine’s fated mate. But at the same time, I’m dreading it because if she does find her fated mate, I will be losing my best friend.

No male in their right mind would allow Raine, his mate, to be friends with me. I was destined to be an alpha in my own right before I lost that fight. Being a twin, I had to fight my brother to prove who was Alpha, and I lost. Now I am just a cousin to the Alpha, and Beta of the Katu pack. I am the best tracker in nearly five hundred miles and the local handyman.

Besides, I am much too old for someone as young as Raine. Ten years is a hell of an age gap, especially for someone who has never even had a boyfriend. She shouldn’t be saddled with someone as jaded as me. But that won’t matter when I see her because I believe we aren’t mated.

Gathering her present, I head out to meet her for breakfast at Xavia’s house. It’s a tradition we have had for the last year. Every Tuesday, we help Xavia bake bread and have breakfast together. If our day isn’t too busy, sometimes we even help Xavia with the gardening.

I knock before entering, not waiting for a reply. I rarely do. But today, I wish I had. The scent that assaults my senses isn’t one I’m used to finding in this home. Chocolate and rich coffee filter in through my nose and coat me from the inside out. My senses are on high alert, searching for the origin of this delicious scent.

I scan my surrounding but don’t find anything. But I do hear Raine and Xavia talking outside in the garden. Making my way to them, I listen to the melodious lilt of Raine’s voice, and when she laughs lightly, a bolt of recognition runs through my system.

The smell, the fact that her voice and laughter affect me like never before. The fact that she turned eighteen today. It all makes sense. Calum was right, and I hate him for it.

Raine is my fated mate.

But I know I can’t do that to her. I can’t saddle her with a man ten years her senior. She needs to be able to live her life freely. And although I know the best thing for the situation would be to refuse her, I can’t imagine putting her through any kind of pain. I love her, have been in love with her for quite some time, but I never thought it would escalate to this.

As I turn to leave before either Raine or Xavia can spot me, they walk into the kitchen. I am frozen to the spot, her beauty rendering me speechless. I always knew she was beautiful, but I see her in a completely different light now. No longer is she someone I see as a woman I can’t have but as the only woman I will ever want.

Her curves are accentuated by her jeans hugging her full hips and plump ass. For the first time, I see how low her favorite blue top is cut, showing off her ample cleavage. Her azure eyes sparkle as she smiles, and her unruly blonde curls look like a halo around her head.

I am in serious fucking trouble. I need to get out of here immediately.

Max, Raine exclaims before heading my way for our customary hug.

She bounces into my arms before I can find a way to dodge her embrace, and the moment she presses her curvy body and plump breasts against me, it takes all my willpower to push her back. My cock is raging inside my pants as I step back.

I can’t be here. I need to leave, I rush out before leaving Xavia’s house.

Max! I hear Raine call out after me, but I don’t stop to look.

I break into a sprint, and without taking the effort to remove any of my clothing, I shift without a moment’s notice. My wolf bounds forward into the tree line before skidding to a stop. For the

Reviews for The Wrong Mate

[Kourtnee Jayyde · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

She’s done it again! An excellent addition to the Katu Pack Books ;)

[Crush · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great book. Max finds out hes Raine mate on her 18th birthday. But doesn't think he deserves her. But that changes and he saves his mate from a mad man.