Charming Her Mate, page 1
Charming Her Mate
A Paranormal Council Story
Laura Greenwood
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Author Note
Also by Laura Greenwood
Other books by Laura Greenwood
About the Author
Follow the Author
© 2021 Laura Greenwood
* * *
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; lauragreenwood@authorlauragreenwood.co.uk.
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Cover by Vampari Designs
Charming Her Mate is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Blurb
Unicorn shifter, Molly, just wants to have fun and raise money for a good cause when she enters an auction for a date with a shifter. The last thing she expected was to end up out for dinner with her dragon shifter mate.
* * *
Drayce is determined not to take part in the auction, just like he doesn't take part in any of the other events. That is until a captivating woman walks onto the stage and into his life.
* * *
Now they've found one another, nothing will keep them apart.
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Charming Her Mate is a shifter romance story set in the Paranormal Council Universe and includes an m/f romance.
1
Molly
* * *
"I can't believe you're doing this," Nathalie murmured as she pinned up a strand of her best friend's hair.
Molly just smiled to herself, the excitement of the day zinging through every part of her. "Dana promised it was going to be a lot of fun."
"Since when have you been spending a lot of time around Dana?" From the expression on Nathalie's face, Molly could tell her friend wasn't impressed by the whole idea of an auction for a date with a shifter. But that was Nathalie. She was a hopeless romantic, and still lost on the idea of finding her mate.
Molly didn't need that. Well, she did. Only fools wouldn't want to find their perfect match. But she wasn't going to let that stop her from having fun between now and then.
"It's for charity. And it's going to be fun. You're not even taking part..."
Nathalie sighed. "I know I'm not, but..."
"No buts. I want to do this. It'll be interesting. I can't wait to see who bids on who."
"I know, and it's for a good cause, I just think it's risky."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Molly assured her. "And if someone tries something I don't like, I'll just stick them with my horn."
Nathalie snorted. "Isn't that what they're supposed to do to you?"
"Ew, no. It's an auction for a date. I don't plan on sleeping with anyone I don't want to." If she got on well with the winner, then maybe. But this was just about a single date. Nothing more.
"Emphasis on the don't want to?" Nathalie teased.
"Well I don't want to say no and then end up really liking him and not being able to do anything about it just because I said I wouldn't."
"Or her," Nathalie pointed out. "Nothing says it isn't going to be another woman who wins a date with you."
"My point stands regardless of what gender the winner identifies as," Molly responded. "If I want to sleep with them, then I will. If I don't, then we'll just have a lovely time at whatever date they have lined up. Who knows, maybe I'll end up finding a new best friend."
Nathalie harrumphed but didn't stop doing Molly's hair. No doubt she knew that Molly was just teasing and didn't actually mean it. The last thing she wanted to do was replace Nathalie. While she might not want to do things like this, she always supported Molly when she did.
"Maybe I'll take part in the next charity event," Nathalie mused. "So long as it doesn't involve dating."
"But those are the best ones," Molly insisted. "I think Dana said they plan to have a speed dating event next month. Though maybe she should call it speed mating. That would be fun."
Nathalie snorted. "That only works if people actually find their mates that way."
Molly shrugged. "It's as likely as any other way."
"We both know that finding our mates in the same city we live in is unlikely."
"Especially if we never go out and enjoy ourselves," Molly responded pointedly. "You can't just sit around and wait for someone to show up, Nat."
Her friend pursed her lips. "I don't do that. I have plenty going on in my life."
"The Council doesn't count if you don't go to any of the parties and events."
"I do go," she muttered. "If I have to."
"All right, the next time one comes up, you're going and taking me with you."
"Fine," Nathalie grumbled. "But only because it'll shut you up and stop you trying to convince me to take part in auctions and speed mating."
"What if I suggest signing up for MatchMater? I hear they've been having a lot of success recently."
"I don't need a dating app to find my mate when I'm perfectly happy without one."
"Famous last words," Molly sing-songed. "You're going to walk out of that door and run straight into your mate now."
Nathalie snorted. "I hardly find that likely."
"There are a lot of paranormals around, and not all of them live here. Stranger things have happened..."
"You're impossible."
"And I thought you were supposed to be the romantic one," Molly said.
Nathalie slid another pin into her hair. "I think you're done. And I am the romantic one. I'm not trying to force fate, that's all."
"No one is trying to force fate, Nat. I'm just trying to give fate a chance to do her thing."
"Fate is a woman?"
"Haven't you read any Greek mythology? Technically, fate is three women."
Nathalie wrinkled her nose. "I prefer my mythology to come from a little closer to home."
"Ah, yes, the unicorn legends. The stories that can be summed up with nothing more than don't trust lion shifters."
Nathalie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Don't let the elders hear you talk like that, they'll throw you out of the herd."
"I'd like to see them try. They've threatened so many people with that over the years, and I've never seen them actually go through with it."
"You're tempting fate, Mols."
"I thought you believed in just letting fate do her thing? I can't tempt it if it can't be changed."
"I hate it when you talk like this."
"You mean logically?" she teased.
A knock on the door broke through their conversation and one of the auction runners popped his head around the door. "You're next, Molly," he said.
"Thanks, Jerome. I'm nearly ready."
He nodded. "Just make your way down to the stage in the next couple of minutes." He disappeared without waiting for her to say anything else.
"I guess I am done, then." She got to her feet and walked over to the full-length mirror. "Wow, Nat, you've done an amazing job." She swished back and forth as she took in her reflection.
"I always do," her friend responded.
She wasn't wrong. The flowing white dress looked good on her, especially with the make-up that highlighted her features and the intricate plaited crown of pale blonde hair circling the crown of her head.
"You're going to get the most bids out of anyone," Nathalie said.
A small snort escaped from Molly. "I doubt that. Have you seen some of the others they have lined up? I suspect one of the guys with the rippling abs is going to bring in the most." It didn't matter to her. All the money was going to a good cause, so long as she helped add to the total, she was fine with it.
"You'd better get going if you don't want to be late," Nathalie said, already pulling open the door.
"Promise you'll bid on me if no one else does?"
"Of course." Nathalie caught hold of her hand and squeezed it. "But I really don't think that's going to be a problem.
Molly hoped she was right. The last thing she wanted was to be the shifter no one bid on.
2
Drayce
* * *
He had no idea why he was here. There were too many people for his liking. Not that it meant much. Ten people in a room was too much for Drayce.
Everyone else seemed to be having a great time bidding on the shifters auctioning themselves off for dates. The fools. What did they think would happen at the end of this when they found themselves in a restaurant sat opposite som
He shook his head. No, he wouldn't be volunteering for this if they did it again, even if Dana tried to convince him. The tiger shifter was always involved in more charity projects than he could keep on track of and was trying to get her fellow Shifter Council members to help her with them. He supposed he understood that. She was in a position of power, if she didn't make the most of it, then what was the point?
None of that explained why he'd felt compelled to come here tonight. Especially when he'd promised himself all week that he wasn't going to attend. Nothing good could come of him being here.
"Sold to the gentleman at the back!" the auctioneer cried, causing a ripple of exclamations from the crowd. He had no idea how much the man on the stage had gone for, but it seemed to have caused a bit of a stir.
"Next up, we have a date with the ever so lovely Molly Rivers."
The whole world seemed to fade away as a beautiful blonde woman stepped onto the stage with a wide smile on her face and excitement twinkling in her eyes. This wasn't the first time Drayce was grateful for the enhanced eyesight his inner dragon gave him access to, but it was definitely one of the ones he was the most pleased about.
If only there weren't so many people in the room and he could catch her scent. He imagined she smelled like flowers and sunshine.
"Pull it together," he muttered to himself. He never acted this way around women, especially not ones he hadn't met before.
"Molly is a unicorn shifter and part of the local herd," the announcer said.
Even more reason for Drayce to pull himself out of his train of thought. If she belonged to the herd, that meant she knew Nathalie, and he had no desire to have to face her at the next Council meeting having had inappropriate thoughts about one of her herd-mates.
"Why don't we start the bidding at two hundred," the auctioneer said.
Paddles flew into the air, taking the price gradually higher. But nowhere near what a date with the delightful unicorn was worth. How could people be so blind towards the enchanting creature in front of them?
"That's one thousand two hundred from the lady and gentleman at the front," the auctioneer said. "Going once..."
Without thinking about it, Drayce raised his paddle. "Two thousand," he shouted.
A hush fell over the room. He'd more than doubled the current bid in one go, which no one had been expecting. Probably because there were fewer female shifters at the auction block and most of the higher bids had gone towards dates with the male shifters so far.
"Two thousand it is, can you beat that?" the auctioneer asked the couple who had been the leaders up until now.
Drayce let out a low growl and felt the stirring of flames within him. No one was going to win a date with Molly other than him. He didn't care how much money it took, he was the one that was going to end up on a date with Molly Rivers.
"Two thousand one hundred," the auctioneer shouted, getting caught up in the excitement.
The couple must have agreed to a higher bid.
Drayce raised his paddle again.
"And two hundred. Again?" the auctioneer asked the couple. "I'm bid. Two thousand two hundred to beat."
"Three thousand," Drayce called.
The auctioneer's stunned expression was nothing compared to that on Molly's face. She must not have expected anyone to be bidding this high for a date with her.
The whole room was filled with fools for not wanting to.
"Three thousand going once," the auctioneer said. "Going twice..."
Anticipation welled up within Drayce at the prospect of winning. He had no idea where he was going to take her for their date, or what he'd do to make sure she had a good time, the only thing he was sure of was that he wanted it to be perfect. Molly deserved the best.
"Sold!" the auctioneer cried.
Relief crashed through Drayce as he realised he'd done it. He was the one who'd get to take her on a date and no one else.
He didn't waste any time heading towards the booth that would deal with payment. A small part of him was worried that if he didn't make sure the money went through straight away, he'd miss his chance.
And it was for a good cause. That also wasn't something he should forget. This wasn't actually about the date, it was about raising money.
"Drayce, it's good to see you here," Dana said, bouncing towards him with her witch mate in tow. "Though I'm a little surprised to see you bidding."
"It was a spur of the moment thing," he grumbled.
A knowing twinkle entered the tiger shifter's eyes, as if she knew something that he didn't.
"Will you do me a favour?" she asked.
"Other than donating money, you mean?"
"Definitely other than that."
He sighed. He hoped this wasn't going to damage his reputation with the rest of the Council. He didn't want them to start thinking he was sociable and willing to come to events where he had to smile. "That depends on what it is." He didn't want to promise her anything he couldn't deliver on. That went against his values as a dragon.
"Will you let me be there when you tell Nathalie you're going on a date with her best friend?" Dana asked.
Oh no. That wasn't good. Molly wasn't just a herd-mate with Nathalie, she was a friend? He'd gotten himself into a lot of trouble.
He glanced over his shoulder towards the stage, but Molly was already gone and had been replaced by a shirtless shifter strutting around like a peacock.
It didn't matter, he was sure a date with her would be worth whatever it was Nathalie could throw at him.
"I had no idea she was Nathalie's friend."
"I thought as much," Dana responded, amusement clear in her voice. "That's why I want to be there when you tell her."
"Maybe I'll just avoid her."
"We have a Council meeting this week, you can't do that forever."
He growled. "Just let me go donate, I'll work out the rest later."
"Of course, enjoy the rest of your evening," Dana said, waving him along.
He narrowed his eyes, but let her slip away. It didn't matter what Nathalie thought of him going on a date with her friend. He'd make sure Molly had an amazing time and only had good things to say about him.
Despite the fact he'd never met her before, Molly's happiness was what was most important to him.
It was best if he didn't explore exactly what that meant to his life as a whole.
3
Molly
* * *
This was the bit Molly had been looking forward to the least. It had been exhilarating being on the stage and waiting for people to bid on her, but now she actually had to meet the person who had won a date with her.
Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. Not that she was ever going to admit that to Nathalie. She loved her best friend, but she could be insufferable when she was right.
The lights had been too bright for her to see who had won the bid for a date, which she supposed was why she was having a meet and greet now.
She swallowed down her nerves, hoping the person about to enter the room wasn't going to be someone awful.
The sudden knock made her jump, eliciting a squeak from her. She gave herself a moment to calm down and smoothed down the front of her dress.
"Come in," she called. The words came out more certain than she expected them to, which was good. She didn't want the person who had won a date with her to think she was going to back out or anything like that.
The door opened slowly and a man stepped into the room.
All of her nerves inexplicably evaporated in a second, only to be replaced by an intense yearning she'd never felt before. It was odd. The man in front of her was handsome, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn't any more handsome than a lot of other men she'd met in her life.
What made him different?
