Craving His Virgin Mate (Poison Wolves MC Book 2), page 1
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Copyright© 2023 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0817-1aa
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Lisa Petrocelli
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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.
CRAVING HIS VIRGIN MATE
Poison Wolves MC, 2
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2023
Chapter One
Agatha Preston thanked the young waitress who served her. Before she could ask any questions, though, the woman was gone, walking away without saying a word. She wasn’t worried. In this small, quaint town, which she believed was named Poison, a lot of the locals were very offish, especially with her.
She had noticed most were perfectly fine with one another and more than welcoming, but it seemed when it came to her, they were not exactly forthcoming. She’d arrived in town two days ago, and at first, no one had been helpful. Whenever she asked about a hotel, they would look at her cluelessly, but that didn’t matter.
Her original plan had been to stay for a couple of days, take some pictures, enjoy the scenery, and move on, only that hadn’t happened. All it had taken was two days for her to fall in love with the town. Not the people, just the town. It was like a small village in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest—a place for people to get lost, and right now, she didn’t want to leave. For the first time in forever, she finally felt peace and at home.
Staring down at her burger and fries, she felt her mouth water, and she took a large bite, closing her eyes at the exquisite taste. The food alone was to die for. She grabbed some ketchup and squirted a nice, big dollop onto her plate. The diet was gone. She didn’t even know why she bothered to lose weight. There was no boyfriend waiting in the wings. Not even her adoptive mother was around to glare at her unhealthy eating.
Another bite of the cheeseburger, and before she had even finished, she shoved a fry in. She was so hungry. Every now and then, she caught people staring at her, but she refused to feel self-conscious. She wasn’t eating like a pig. There was no dribble of sauce down her chin, nothing, and what did it matter if there was? She wasn’t hurting anyone.
Pushing her negative thoughts to the back of her mind, she looked down at her food and made an effort to not look at anyone else.
The plan for the day was to go exploring. She wanted to see if there was a house or an apartment for sale, which meant she could prolong her stay. The hotel she stayed at wasn’t exactly welcoming. Each morning, noon, and night, the owner, who refused to introduce herself, asked when she was leaving.
She couldn’t believe how inhospitable they were being, but then again, she wasn’t exactly known for giving in to rudeness. Her adoptive parents had always told her to stand her ground for what she believed in. They’d been the rocks in her life up until a year ago, when they had died in a horrible auto collision. The pain of losing them had been so acute, and little by little, through traveling, she’d been able to soothe her broken soul.
Traveling helped a lot, and she documented her experience in her blog. Everywhere she’d been, she’d made a post, or several, talking about the food, the scenery, the vibe, all of it. Ever since she arrived in Poison, she hadn’t typed a single word. There was so much she wanted to say, but at the same time, this was a tiny piece of heaven, and she knew that, deep in her soul.
Agatha’s attention was pulled away from her food and drawn to the main door, which was open as it was the height of summer. She spotted two large men wearing leather jackets who seemed to pull all the diner’s gazes toward them. They walked past her table, and one of the men, who sported a long ponytail, stopped and looked at her.
Poison Wolves MC. They were a motorcycle club. She had seen quite a few in the past year, but none of them had looked like this. They were tall men, large, and muscular as well. Both wore jeans that clung to them like a second skin.
Agatha couldn’t look away, especially from the guy with the ponytail. She didn’t even know why she was drawn to him. He moved toward the counter, and she noticed he watched her. She had already finished her food. This was not normal for her. She wasn’t used to such scrutiny and it was making her nervous. Why was he staring at her? Her hands shook a little and her stomach seemed to twist as she continued to sit at the table.
Agatha grabbed her bag, lifted her tray, and carried it across the diner to where she saw several empty trays stored. Sliding hers inside, she turned and made her way to the counter, only to stop when Ponytail stood right in front of her.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked.
His voice was deep, and it seemed to travel down her spine in a caress.
“Er, no, I’m not.” She frowned.
What was the proper and polite introduction? Words seemed to fail her. She quickly held her hand out.
“Hi, I’m Agatha Preston,” she said.
He stared at her hand, his gaze unwavering as he looked right at her, not through her, but right at her.
What did he see? Was he angry? Why did it even matter what he was thinking or feeling? She didn’t know him.
Suddenly, he grabbed her hand, his grip was tight but not too tight.
“Boyan,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you … Boyan.” Why were her nipples getting hard? She had never had this reaction to a man, like, ever. She forced a smile to her lips.
Agatha couldn’t remember a time in her life when she’d been comfortable in a man’s company. She often felt a little out of place. She hated crowded places, loud music, and she often preferred her own company. She hadn’t made many friends.
Her parents had told her from the beginning that she’d been adopted. They didn’t want any secrets between them. When she was sixteen, she was curious about her adoption, and they had gone to find answers together. Hoping to figure out why she didn’t seem to fit in anywhere. The only information the adoption agency had was that she’d been left on the doorstep of their office. That was it. No information about parents. Nothing.
Agatha had done a blood test in the hope of trying to find information about her past, but nothing. So, she had given up. No, she’d not given up, but what she had done was accept that her birth parents didn’t want her, and there was no trace of them. She had her parents, and that was enough. Until they passed.
Now, she traveled. Staying in one place was just too hard. When she could go and see her parents, living close to them, in one place, had seemed like the right thing to do. The moment there was nothing for her to hold onto, she’d moved. Sold her apartment, quit her job, and traveled. It was in her blood and what she’d wanted to do for years. She had waited until she was twenty-five years old.
Which was why it was so surprising to her that she was tempted to stay here. The people were awful, but the town was beautiful. She loved it here, and for the first time in her life, she felt at home. Again, so freaking strange.
This was not home. This was the furthest place from home. It wasn’t in the city, there were no cars as far as the eye could see, and certainly no brick buildings, and fake trees and flowers to appease everyone. The air didn’t stink.
Releasing Boyan’s hand, she smiled at him, and then left the diner, stepping out into the warm summer sun. Tilting her head back, she pushed her sunglasses up her nose and just took a moment to enjoy the summer rays.
She needed to find a realtor. Walking around Poison hadn’t shown any potential houses or apartments for sale, and she really, really wanted a place to call her own. Once she settled down, she’d figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. For now, she wanted to find a place to live.
Poison was going to be her home, even if the people were horrible.
****
“That’s the female that stumbled her way into town. She’s the one who’s pissing Alpha off,” Enzo said.
Boyan watched the sway of the woman’s hips as she left the diner. He knew Alpha was pissed. He’d called church the night she had stumbled into town. According to their sources, no one had been nice to her. Wolfe was keeping Amelia at bay, the only woman who would be nice to the female. The pack didn’t want a human in their town.
The best way to get her to move on was to be total assholes to her. Nothing seemed to be working, though. It had been a couple of days and the woman wasn’t budging.
He’d heard complaints that she took pictures of the forest, scenery, smiled at the locals, but didn’t seem to recoil from them. Even now, he was doing his best to be disgusted with her presence, and she didn’t seem to care.
“There’s something off about her,” Boyan said.
“You think? Most humans would have left by now. No one will talk to her. They won’t even clean her hotel room.”
Boyan frowned and glanced down at his hand. There was strength inside her, he’d felt it as he held her hand.
Enzo sighed. “Maybe one of us should fuck her, piss her off, and then send her on her merry way.”
<
br /> Boyan growled and as he did, the sound echoed around the diner, stopping several of the pack from eating as they looked toward him in fear. He didn’t give a shit what they thought.
The pack admired the Poison Wolves MC. They were the ones who protected the pack. They were all alphas within their own right, but it was Alpha they turned to, their club prez, to make the final decisions. Not that he made them alone.
The whole club made the decision, which was why he and Enzo were in town. Alpha wanted them to protect the pack, to scare the little human female into leaving. He looked toward Enzo, who’d already pulled out his knitting. The moment he got comfortable, there was no moving him.
“Seriously?”
“You made first contact, and you’re looking pissed off that she didn’t get the hint. You’re all growly, and I want to finish this sweater.”
“You’re being an asshole.”
Enzo winked at him. “Of course I am. We agreed to come here for Alpha, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend all afternoon scaring a little human, when you can do all of that without me. I’m going to knit and when you fail, I’ll get the job done, and I might look rather dashing in my new sweater.” He held it up to himself. “What do you think?”
Boyan wasn’t even going to waste his breath. Enzo liked to knit, like, a lot. It was what he did to pass the time. It was either knit or fuck. The brother did both, but he’d never found the right female for himself.
Presently, the only club brother who was mated was Wolfe, and the club members were getting tired of hearing him fuck Amelia every single night. Boyan was tired of it. All they did was fuck.
Boyan had even gotten to the stage where he refused to be at the club if Wolfe and Amelia turned up. Being around a fully-mated couple wasn’t supposed to be hard. He was happy for Wolfe, but if anything, seeing the club brother settled down and happy made him realize exactly what he was missing in life, and that alone was just crazy.
There was nothing in his life to miss. Only … the love of a woman. Not just any woman either, the right woman. It made him feel like a fucking pussy just to think about it.
He was one of the fucking Poison Wolves MC. He helped to protect the pack and this town from potential harm and certainly from hunters. Thinking about settling down wasn’t in his job description. This wasn’t something he should be thinking about. But, he was, all the freaking time—because of Wolfe and Amelia. It was a lot easier when Wolfe pretended to not like Amelia, and kept his relationship a secret with the young rebellious wolf.
Boyan had enjoyed watching the pack squirm in the early days of Amelia and Wolfe. The whole pack had hated her and her vegan-loving ways. She was the only person within the pack to have two dogs with her as well. She was the complete opposite of everyone within the pack. Now, he tried to avoid being near the couple. He didn’t like the feeling in the pit of his stomach, the loneliness that seemed to consume him.
“Boyan?” Enzo asked, still holding his knitting up against his body.
He shook his head, got to his feet, and left. Enzo was there for the long haul, which meant it was now up to him to go and get some answers. Stepping outside, he inhaled deeply, picking up her scent.
It was a subtle scent, like a very mellow cinnamon, not overpowering. This was strange. Everything about this woman was different. A normal person would have run away by now, after the way the pack had treated her. It had been quite clearly stated that her presence wasn’t wanted, and yet here she was, still. Refusing to leave.
Picking up his pace, he nearly lost her scent across town. How was she able to blend in with the pack? This never happened before. Boyan focused on her scent alone, following it, and picking it up close to the realtor’s office. He came to a stop when he spotted her talking to Bob.
He hated Bob. The piece of shit had given Agatha a hard time. Even though there had been property to rent or buy for a member of their pack, he attempted to send her packing.
“I’m afraid we don’t have anything on the books at the moment. No apartment lettings, no rentals, not even a house swap. We have nothing,” Bob said.
The pack were not happy. They were running scared, and he understood it. Humans hadn’t been kind to the pack, especially hunters. It was why they made sure to have constant surveillance around the pack and through the forest. Not the kind controlled by cameras. No, they used their beta team, as well as the main MC.
This woman, Agatha, smiled. “Seriously, you’re a realtor and there’s absolutely nothing on your books?”
“Nothing.”
“Then what’s with all these pictures?” Agatha asked, pointing at his shop window. “This is not nothing.”
“We’re in the process of removing them. To be honest, this town is not the best when it comes to employment, business, or housing. Between you and me, this is a dead place and one you should immediately leave.”
“Is that any way to speak to our guest?” Boyan asked.
He didn’t know why it bothered him that Bob was trying to get her to leave town.
Agatha spun around to look at him. There was a smile on her lips, but he detected how forced it was.
“Ah, Boyan, is it?” she asked.
He nodded.
“This is Bob,” she said. “I’m sure you two know each other.”
Bob had already bowed his head, giving him respect. He was one of the pack leaders. Alpha gave all the orders, but he was still part of the Poison Wolves, which made him higher in rank than most.
“We do.”
Agatha nodded and turned to Bob. “Thank you for your time. I appreciate it. If there is an opening, could you please let me know? I’m enjoying my stay at the hotel, but I’d like to find something more permanent.”
She still wasn’t leaving.
Bob was a horrible bastard. Rude and mean along with it.
Boyan put up with him because he knew his shit about real estate and had helped the club many times, including finding locations needed to start building more homes. The pack was constantly expanding. Bob returned to his shop, and Agatha sighed and continued to walk away.
“You’re planning to stay?” Boyan asked, following her. It didn’t take him long to match her footsteps.
She stopped and turned toward him. “Is that a problem?”
“No.” The lie was easy.
“Huh, you could have fooled me. This town isn’t exactly the most hospitable, is it?” she asked.
“What makes you say that?”
“The way people are acting.” Agatha laughed. “Is that why this place isn’t a hot spot for tourists?”
“We have tourists. Plenty of them,” he said.
“The kind that don’t stick around?” she asked.
He didn’t say a word. Most of the time, they allowed human tourists to do their touristy stuff, made sure they didn’t exactly feel welcome, and then forced them to move on. Humans got uncomfortable around the pack, so it never took them long to leave.
Agatha was proving to be a pain in the ass. She just wouldn’t leave.
“They never need to stick around,” Boyan said. “The point of tourists being here is to see the sights and move on. They have no reason to stay.”
“Really, because I can think of plenty of reasons.”
Chapter Two
Each day she spent in Poison, she became more charmed by the place. Despite the people being aloof, she found it utterly cute and adorable. This had to be the weirdest trip she’d ever been on.
Her stay at the hotel also seemed to be annoying the shit out of the staff. She didn’t know their names, as they refused to wear name tags or even introduce themselves. The diner at least served amazing food.
She turned the newspaper over, glancing through the old headlines. Agatha had seen the newspaper was nearly a year out of date, which was fine. Catching up with modern news had never been her strong point. Reading the newspaper was not on her list of plans for the day. No, enjoying her pancakes, which were smothered in syrup, along with bacon pieces and nearly a mountain of scrambled eggs, was the plan right now. Once she was done, she intended to explore the town, hoping to find a “For Rent” sign.
