Hunter's Forbidden Mate

  Ombra Pack Chronicles Book #5

  Blake R. Wolfe

  UwU Publishing

  Copyright © 2024 Blake R. Wolfe

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  This book was produced without the use of AI Generated Content.

  Cover design by: GetCovers

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

  Printed in the United States of America

  Introduction

  Hey there, person! Welcome to book #5 of the Ombra Pack Chronicles! This next installment follows Hunter and Logan, two characters that I have absolutely fallen in love with while writing this book. Hunter is the best kind of himbo you could ask for, and Logan is just as sweet as can be. Their adventure was one that made me laugh. A lot. So I know you’re going to love it too!

  So, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?

  ◆◆◆

  Sign up for my newsletter to review a FREE book and get updates on upcoming series, giveaways, and sales! https://BookHip.com/LSDZRJM

  One: Hunter

  “I told you not to go see that little bastard!” my father roared the moment I walked through the door.

  This was at least the fourth time my father had started this argument.

  “He’s been my best friend since middle school, Dad,” I sighed, taking off my jacket and hanging it on the hook beside the door. I was used to his constant chastising. “I couldn’t just ignore the invitation to his gallery opening. He’s been working his ass off.”

  “He’s a traitor to the pack!”

  Another sigh. “He filed all the right paperwork, and the Alpha signed it.”

  “Yeah, but you and I know the truth,” he replied, pointing a finger at me. “A pack’s bond is stronger than blood. You can’t just up and leave whenever you decide you don’t like the rules anymore. Eoin spit in the face of our Alpha, along with all his other sick little friends. They’re the reason our pack is falling apart! And now you’re going to support him at some stupid gallery opening.”

  I’d had just about enough of his yelling at me. “Remember who you’re talking to,” I growled. “I’m pack Beta now and your superior. Don’t treat me like I’m some child.”

  “And don’t you forget who got you this position in the first place.”

  This was his go-to reasoning every single time, and it was getting old.

  “Dad, I’m not going to talk to you when you’re like this. You can either speak to me with respect, or I’m leaving.”

  “I don’t like your tone–”

  “Shut the hell up, Martin,” my mother’s voice called from the other room. A moment later, she appeared in the dining room. “I only get to see Hunter once a week for Sunday dinner, and you’re not going to ruin that for me.”

  “He needs to understand Bea…”

  “No, you need to keep your mouth shut, or you’ll find yourself living in a motel for the rest of the week.”

  My father didn’t back down, but I saw his demeanor shift instantly. Even for an old pack Beta like him, he knew that coming between a female and her pups was asking for trouble. And my mother wasn’t the type to just show her belly and walk away. She’d fight tooth and nail if she had to. Had my father gotten to choose his mate, I could almost guarantee it wouldn’t have been her. She was far too feisty for his tastes.

  But her tenacity had always made her an asset to the pack.

  “Hi, Hunter,” she said, replacing her snarl with a smile as she pulled me into a hug. “How was the opening?”

  “It was good,” I replied, watching my father twitch out of the corner of my eye. “Packed, too. You should have seen the amount of suits Kent got to come in from New York. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eoin nearly sold out. He’s gonna be painting for weeks to refill that gallery.”

  “That’s great to hear!”

  My father grunted in disapproval.

  “Stuff it, Martin.” He went to turn away, but she grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him back around. “Maybe you should apologize to your son for being such a grumpy asshole.”

  He growled in return.

  “Motel, Martin,” she said, not backing down. “M-O-T-E-L.”

  He rolled his eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh. Mom wasn’t going to give up, and he knew it. His life would be a lot easier if she just did what he said.

  “I’m sorry, Hunter,” he said, his voice flat. “I’m just worried about our pack.”

  Mom gave him a small nod, and he stalked off to the living room to pout in his chair. She shook her head as he went.

  “Boys… They’re so emotional.” She glanced back at me. “You hungry? Dinner’s not ready yet, but you look thin.”

  “I can wait for dinner,” I replied with a smile. “I’m not thin.”

  “I just worry about you, dear,” she said, giving me a once-over. “You should find a good girl to settle down with. One that can cook. I want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

  “I can take care of myself, Mom. I know how to turn the stove on and everything.”

  “Still…”

  “Mom,” I said, trying to maintain my smile. “I’ve already got enough pressure from the pack to find a mate right now. Please don’t make me feel worse…”

  “Maybe you don’t have to worry about it,” she added with a note of excitement. “Because I just met this great girl at the pack ladies' lunch the other day and–”

  “Bea!” my father called from the other room. “Motel.”

  “Excuse me for a moment,” she said to me, gritting her teeth. “I need to go chop something, or I’m going to murder your father.”

  I sighed as she walked away. Being home for Sunday dinners has always brought such joy. They meant well, both of them. But sometimes, I would rather be floating in a shark tank than listening to the pair of them bicker. Or being put on the spot by either of their agendas. My mother had it in her mind that I should have been mated before I left high school. Meanwhile, my father wanted me to become him and take on all his old-fashioned ideals. The same ideals that got our pack into the precarious position we were now.

  Less than three months ago, the entire pack leadership had been replaced. Our Alpha stepped down along with his Beta, my father, and his Gamma. That meant three new people were needed to run the place in their stead. That’s where the Alpha’s son, myself, and my cousin Ricky came in.

  It was a sudden shift, but we had no other choice. Wolves were leaving the pack at an alarming rate. And when they cited their reasons for going, it was almost always the same. They were tired of our pack being old-fashioned and stuck in their ways.

  So the grandest of all cons was hatched. The old leaders would step down, replacing themselves with younger faces. Meanwhile, they’d continue running everything from the shadows, pulling our strings like we were marionettes in a puppet show. They promised us, their replacements, that they would change the pack for the better.

  But it had been nearly three months, and nothing significant had changed. In fact, our leadership meetings with the old duffs consisted of nothing but trying to find clever ways to trick young people into holding onto traditional ideals. That meant no humans, no branching out to other packs, defending our territory, and forgetting that queer wolves existed in our pack.

  Which is why my father was upset I’d gone to see Eoin. Not only had he left the pack, but he dared to mate with a human and be queer all at the same time. Being gay was enough to have him practically outcast from the pack since he was sixteen. But finding his fated mate in a human was unforgivable. Just like Parker, Wyatt, and Oliver before him, the Alpha was all too happy to get rid of him once and for all to the Ombra Pack.

  However, others were catching on and following his lead, even after the new blood had taken up the mantle. If we didn’t do something soon, the Allard Pack was going to shrink until it disappeared off the map completely.

  Unfortunately, I was quickly shot down when I spoke up in meetings. The Alpha’s son, Brayden, was all too happy to be his father’s puppet. He mimicked anything his father said with pride, flexing his Alpha heritage at anyone who dared oppose him. Ricky, our new Gamma, was soft-spoken and subordinate. We agreed when he and I were alone, but he agreed with whatever Brayden said when he was around.

  And now, for some reason, the elders were pushing all the new leaders to mate up as soon as possible. They wanted to present a unified front with a strong Luna and two more females at her back. I didn’t see how it was going to help, but that didn’t stop them from bugging me about it every single freaking day. I’d seen more girls in the past two months than I’d seen in my whole life, and not a damn one of them tripped my mate sensor.

  The others might have been okay with picking someone based on their connections and skills, but I was still holding out for the time being. I wanted to find my mate, the one I actually belonged with. It just hadn’t happened yet. An

d it drove the elders crazy.

  So, for the time being, we made zero progress. And the Allard Pack slowly disintegrated around us. I suppose that’s why my father was always in such a terrible mood and why he harped on me so much. It was also probably the reason my mother wanted to murder him on a daily basis. It was no secret they challenged one another, but even this was a bit extreme.

  “Hunter!” I heard my Mom call from the kitchen. “Come in here real quick.”

  I did as I was told, shaking the worry from my brain. It was out of my control, so there was no sense sitting there worrying about it. There was no shortage of problems in my pack.

  “Yeah?” I replied, stepping into the kitchen. I stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply the sweet scent of roasting ham. My mouth began to water immediately. “What’s up?”

  “Something came for you in the mail a while back, and I just totally forgot about it.” Mom wiped her hands on a towel before grabbing a letter from the counter. She handed it over, her brows knitted together. “I don’t recognize the handwriting or the return address. But it’s for you.”

  The name was initials only, and the address was from Colorado. “L.G.R.?” I asked. “Is that a company or something?”

  “No idea.” She returned to her pots on the stove. “But it’s handwritten, so you should probably read it.”

  I turned the letter over, noticing the date stamp from the post office. It had been delivered right around the same time that I’d taken my new position as Beta. The letter had been sitting on Mom and Dad’s counter for almost three months.

  Tearing it open, I unfolded a lined sheet of paper with unfamiliar handwriting scrawled across it. Thankfully, it was legible, the letters having a soft, loopy look to them.

  Hunter,

  I hope this letter finds you well. That seems like a weird way to open a letter to someone you haven’t talked to in almost fifteen years, but that’s what you’re supposed to say, right? Anyway, I wanted to write you to let you know that I’m coming back to Ludington in May. I’m actually gonna stay for the whole summer at my uncle’s cabin. He’s let me have the place to unwind for a bit since I just finished grad school. And well, I figured it would be cool if we could meet up and have lunch or something while I’m there. I’d love to catch up and just see how things have been going with you and everyone in the area.

  -Logan

  P.S. Did you ever grow into those giant paws of yours?

  I couldn’t help feeling excited and nervous at the same time. Logan was my best friend all through grade school. He’d left just as we moved into the sixth grade. He was always my protector against the bullies at school. I was such a shrimpy kid back then.

  And he was the only human I’d ever revealed my wolfy secret to.

  Suddenly, I was thankful that my mother hadn’t gone snooping through my mail. Logan didn’t know how much trouble I’d be in if they found out. My father would have blown his lid right on the spot.

  “Something wrong, dear?”

  “N-No,” I replied, hastily folding the letter up and tucking it into my pocket. “It’s just a letter from an old school friend. Do you remember Logan?”

  “Hmm…” She tapped the wooden spoon against her lips absentmindedly. “The lanky kid back in grade school?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t remember much. Just that you two seemed to hang around a lot.”

  “Apparently, he’s coming back for the summer and wants to have lunch.”

  “Aww. That’s sweet. When’s he due back?”

  “Sometime in May.”

  “That’ll be any day now.”

  “Yeah,” I said, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Any day now.”

  Two: Logan

  I yawned and stretched as I stepped out of the rental car, staring at the vast ocean of fresh water in front of me. A cool breeze whipped up off Lake Michigan, and I breathed it in deeply, filling my lungs with its sweetness.

  I’d nearly forgotten how beautiful it was.

  Of course, after spending the last six years in college getting my MBA, everything looked beautiful. My life had been nothing but cubicles, grumpy executives, and overworked employees during my time there. And my internship was even worse. But now, all of that was finally over. I had the degree, and I was free of my crippling class load.

  Now, I just had to figure out what to do with my life.

  My capstone project was working for an insurance tech startup out in Colorado. After a year of taking fifteen meetings a day and failing to get the old duffs to listen to a goddamn thing I said, I turned down their offer for employment upon graduation. The last thing I wanted to do was waste my time in some startup that was gonna go under or be sold off in two years anyway.

  And my hunch was right. Only two weeks after I turned down their offer, they liquidated my entire department and laid off twenty percent of the company without warning.

  The entire experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a sinking feeling in my gut that I’d just spent six years getting a useless degree. Granted, I knew a lot about business, finance, leadership, and all those things you’d want to know if you were going to start your own company. However, I had no idea what kind of company that would be, and getting old executives to take me seriously at twenty-six was impossible.

  So, I decided to take the summer off.

  My uncle Gary was kind enough to lend me his cabin on the lake free of charge to get my head together. He’d always been my favorite relative. He and his husband lived down in Saugatuck now, the gayest little town in Michigan, and they had more than one summer cabin. If he wasn’t so well off, I might have turned him down. But this was too much of a good thing to pass up. Besides, he’d insisted, saying he would be personally offended if I didn’t take the offer.

  I couldn’t disappoint him, so there I was, standing in front of a cute little log cabin with pink plastic flamingos stuck into the landscaping. Flamingos in Michigan seemed like a weird choice, but I just laughed it off. Besides, what really mattered was the view.

  Grabbing my suitcase and backpack from the car, I headed up the gravel path to the house, jogged left, and walked around to the back porch. There I located the key under a wooden bear statue that, for some strange reason, had a fully erect human penis carved between its legs.

  “I bet that’s a conversation starter…”

  My uncle was a bit of an eccentric man, according to my parents. And by that, I was pretty sure they just meant he was very gay. But while they judged him silently for it, I admired him for being so out and proud. He knew who he was and didn’t do anything to hide it. Meanwhile, it had taken me nearly all of college to come to terms with myself.

  In fact, he was going to be the first one I told when he and his husband came to visit. I’d already decided. Then, if that went well, I’d figure out a way to break it to Mom and Dad. Mom would probably cry, and my father… well, he might not talk to me for a little while. He was a pretty typical blue-collar man, and that came with a set of expectations for my life and what I would become.

  Hopefully, the pair of them could get over it.

  Dropping my bags on the back porch, I turned toward the long set of stairs leading down to the beach. The cabin was small, and the neighbors were close, but the best thing about Uncle Gary’s cabin was the lake. He had his own little private beach on Lake Michigan, and I couldn’t think of anything better in the entire world.

  There was something about the Great Lakes that got into your soul. When you lived so close to them and grew up splashing in their waves, you fell in love, even if you didn’t know it. The day after we moved away from Ludington when I was eleven, I felt an emptiness in my chest. For the past fifteen years, it had been there, ever-present and never ceasing. It wasn’t until I reached the bottom of the stairs and walked to the edge of the water that I felt it disappear.

  Lifting my arms, I let the wind blow my hair back, the cold air dancing across my skin. I gazed out at the sun sinking toward the watery horizon, breathing in the fresh air. This was where I belonged.

  This was home.

 

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