Fool’s Mate

Chapter One Eleven Years Later Cris and Ari had spent the last two weeks without Pi. They had never been away from each other 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 her face. Being the older sister, Ari had always been the protector and alpha for their small group of three. Cris remembered the moment she met Ari; she had known that from that moment on, they would be close. Born 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, it had turned everything around for her. She found happiness with her new family and a close friendship. 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 used 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 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 broken them up, 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 night breeze was cool, but it 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 older sister’s arm on her waist, pulling closer to her. “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 to 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 coffee eyes and light cinnamon skin. 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. Cris was powerful with well-defined muscles.