Read Promised: True Mates Book 1 (BBW Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) for Free Online Page B

hearing how insincere she actually was. What was she up to? I knew I didn’t have any family but she didn’t, did she?
    “Of course family and pack ties are important, Amanda, but Kara has only just arrived, and I’m sure we’ll figure it all out in time. There’s no rush,” James replied, covering for me, I realized.
    “Unless, of course…she has no family? No bloodlines to speak of?” The small crowd gasped at Amanda’s jab. This was hardly a conversation to have in public, yet airily without a care for propriety, she continued, “Bloodlines are very important when breeding.” She finished with a triumphant smirk.
    She thought she was revealing a big secret. She didn’t know that James knew already. How did she know so much about me? The pot-stirring bitch! I opened my mouth to tell her off, but James beat me to it.
    “Bloodlines are irrelevant for true mates. The Mother of All knows what she is doing, and should be trusted in these matters. Do you not agree with the Mother, Amanda?” James’s voice was a warning growl, full of steel.
    “But…but…you don’t know who she is! Not for sure, anyway. You are the Alpha, you need to mate well,” Amanda stuttered. “You don’t know anything about her!” she wailed, the wind shot from her sails.
    The crowd gasped, watching the back and forth and waiting for James’s reaction.
    I stood, watching the exchange, a deep frost settling in my chest. Her words hit home. I didn’t know who I was, didn’t know where I came from. And it hurt.
    “Excuse me,” I muttered, needing to get away from all these people, stumbling backwards and blindly pushing through the crowd. I needed to breathe. I had to get some air. How could she be so vicious? How did she know? Was she right? Was I not good enough for James? Is that what everyone would think, now that they knew?
    I mumbled apologies as I banged into people, blindly seeking the doors leading to outside. My face burned with the humiliation of being discussed like a brood mare. James had defended me, though. But what if we weren’t really true mates? Did I believe? It went against everything I had ever known. It could just be a ruse to add me to his pack, lock me in, catch me like Eric wanted. Nothing made sense, and I didn’t know what to believe — or who to trust. Pain locked around my heart, squeezing.
    Breaking through the last of the crowd, I pushed through the double doors and stepped out onto the wraparound porch.
    Late evening had arrived, and the sky had darkened to a violet-black hue, dotted with hundreds of shining stars. The moon had risen, nearly full, a pearly orb hanging just above the tallest trees in the forest. The air felt fresh and crisp in my lungs, the mugginess of the day burned away with the sleeping sun. Insects called to each other across the sleepy meadow, their sounds sharp in contrast with the muffled buzz of the party.
    Walking around the porch, I gulped the night air deep into my lungs, shaking my hands to try and relax. I willed myself not to care…not to care about any of it. I just had to focus on my freedom, nothing else. That’s all I had ever wanted — until I had met James.
    I grasped the railing, leaning to look out at the wilderness. Calm seeped into me as I rasped my fingers back and forth over the smooth wood. Closing my eyes, I listened to the sounds of the night, allowing them to soothe me.
    A door opened and the noise from the house spilled out for a moment. Slow footsteps echoed on the old creaky wood until they stopped behind me.
    I squeezed my eyes tighter, desperately trying to hold onto that feeling of peace.

Chapter Six
    James
    M y future mate caressed the railing gently with her long, shapely fingers, a movement at odds with the stiffness infusing her spine. A gentle breeze blew across the meadow, bringing with it the scent of the wild – crisp and green, infused with an earthy undertone.
    Drawing the air deep into my lungs, I searched for patience and tact.