The Big Bad Wolf

Smile.

Shake hands.

Be polite.

Wringing her hands tightly with nerves, R.J. looked at herself once more in her mirror, pacing the floor again. It was seven-thirty, and she hadn’t left home for the blind date.

Not knowing what to wear, she’d donned a printed dress, a black cardigan, and black suede calf-length boots. She was never one to show off her curves or her natural beauty, so the outfit was perfect.

Her long honey-blonde hair flowed past her shoulders in natural waves. Makeup was a no, just a bit of moisturizer to her face, and that was it.

“Hey,” someone called out from her bedroom door.

“I’m coming,” she called out, grabbing the clutch on her vanity, then walking out to meet her caller.

Jesse smiled at how simple yet beautiful his friend was. He gave her his arm, and she clutched it tightly. She was nervous about it all.

The past dates her father had sent her on had been failures. For all of them, they’d both known at first sight that they weren’t mates.

Two of the eight had been polite about it and had proceeded with dinner.

Four had been awfully rude to her and had criticized her and the pack thoroughly. Kara had been about to attack them all, but her friends had been there to save them.

The other two had wanted her to be their mistress until they found their own mates.

R.J. was worried about how this one would turn out.

“From what little information your father gave us, he’s blond, six foot two, and has blue eyes. Lives on his own. Has a very respectable job in the city,” Jesse informed her.

“That’s not much to go on. What’s his name?”

Jesse shrugged, leading her out the door.

They made their way to the car, where Mark stood, waiting. “Well, aren’t you the sexiest alpha I know?” Mark teased, opening the door for her.

Rolling her eyes, she entered the car. As they made their way into the city, her father called.

“Are you dressed appropriately?” was his direct question. No, “Hello. How was your day?” That was his greeting.

“Yes, Dad. I am. For your next question, I am on my way, and I won’t embarrass you,” she replied with a clenched jaw.

“Finally, you got something right,” was his last statement before hanging up.

“Goodbye to you too, Dad,” she mumbled to the dial tone.

“Still no name?” Jesse asked.

“Nope.”

“At least this one has taste. The restaurant has a whole five stars, and it’s Italian. Your fave,” Mark offered.

“Well, two points for the mystery man,” R.J. said playfully.

The two men chuckled. A feeling took over them after that, a feeling that this one may be someone special for their alpha.

She had been losing herself these past years, and it was time for the real Renae Josephine Macallister to return.

They reached the restaurant at exactly eight o’clock. R.J. rushed in, flustered, and approached the hostess. “Hello. I’m R.J. Macallister. I am to meet with a dinner date. For eight,” she said quickly.

“Oh, hello, Miss Macallister. You are right on time. Your date, however, hasn’t arrived but left a message saying he will be here shortly,” the young girl said with a smile.

“Thank Goddess,” R.J. breathed out before following the girl to her table. It was located at the corner of the restaurant, away from prying eyes.

The decor was rich and screamed Italy; all the servers were immaculately dressed and tended to the patrons like royalty.

As she was seated, a glass of red wine was served. “Complimentary for every guest,” the waiter said, bowing, then left.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Don’t mind if I do,” she said, taking a sip of the wine and waiting for her blind date.

“Ah, jeez, I’m late.” Stuck in traffic, Jacob thought back to how easily William had gotten him to go on this blind date.

Everything had been set up. All he needed to do was say yes.

William had the girl, the restaurant, and even a babysitter for Jasmine. It was a full-blown blind date because he didn’t even know the girl’s name to look her up on Facebook or Google.

The traffic eased up, and he was on his way to the Italian restaurant, Giorgio’s, his favorite on the strip.

Fixing his hair and the collar of his shirt, he pulled up before the authentic Italian restaurant he’d discovered on his first date with Annabella when he was sixteen.

It was bittersweet to be back here. A great, unforgettable relationship had started here, from awkward moments to joyous memories. Now, he was moving on from her, somewhat.

Giving the valet the keys, he strode inside and up to the hostess, who had two couples before him.

Waiting his turn, he tried to get a peek inside to see if he could spot a nervous woman sitting by herself, but the shrubbery behind the hostess blocking the entryway to the dining room.

It made him much more nervous. He hadn’t dated in years. Jacob had been focused only on Annabella, even after her death. The reason he’d agreed to this date was because of Jasmine.

Over the summer, he had seen the look in her eyes at the park, the look of sadness and want when she saw the other little girls playing with their mothers.

She’d hidden it behind her signature smile when she’d caught him looking at her.

Jacob knew if he could give his baby girl everything she ever needed, just maybe he could give her a new mother.

“Welcome. How can I help you this evening?” the hostess greeted him distractedly.

“Uh, hi. Reservation under Kaiser for two,” he said, a bit flustered.

“Your dinner companion is already here. Please follow me,” she replied, stepping away from the podium.

He followed her into the dining area, and a smile formed on his face as he approached the table he always requested.

Things like the decor and waitstaff had changed, but definitely not the seating arrangements. He was led to the corner area, near the window, away from prying eyes. It was the most suitable table.

“Here we are. Your server for the night will be here shortly to take your orders,” the hostess said, leaving him on his own.

Releasing a deep breath, he looked at his dinner companion. What he found wasn’t what he’d expected.

“Good evening,” a deep voice sang playfully.

R.J. looked away from the night view outside the bay windows to the owner of the voice. Eyes as blue as the ocean and a dimpled smile greeted her.

“Hi,” she squeaked, then mentally chastised herself for sounding like a perky teen.

He chuckled and motioned for her to sit back down. She hadn’t realized she’d stood up.

His blond hair was curly, a few strands resting on his forehead. He was rocking a scruffy beard that looked great on him, model-like great. He cleared his throat and gave her a small smile.

“It’s nice to finally meet the daughter of the infamous Alpha Raymond,” he started.

Her happiness and confidence took a deep plunge at the mention of her father’s name. It brought back the reason why she was here.

For a moment, she’d thought she was on a regular, casual date, not mate hunting, and now once again, she struck out.

“I’m R.J., and you? Sorry. My father was so excited for me to come on this date that he forgot to mention your name,” she said through a fake smile.

The blond model simply nodded and fixed his jacket. “My name is Shane. Shane Dubois, and as I can see by the disappointment in your eyes and also by my own senses, we are not mates,” he answered.

R.J. simply nodded and went to take a sip of her wine. Not feeling it on her lips, she found the glass empty. Releasing a deep sigh, she looked up at Shane. “So what will it be?” she asked.

A confused look shadowed his features.

“Are you going to judge my pack? Be a dick? Or are you gonna ask me to be your mistress?

“I’m sort of hoping you do none of them, and we can pretend we are on a casual date having a grand ole time,” she rushed out with a straight face.

“Ummm. I kind of want option four,” he answered, scratching his beard and laughing nervously.

“Good,” she returned, motioning for the waiter to come to take her order.

“What number?”

“Excuse me?” she asked, confused at his question.

“What number date is this that you’ve struck out?” Shane asked, smiling at the beauty before him. He had to admit to himself, and his wolf did also, that R.J. would have made a great luna.

Not only was she beautiful, you could see how innocent she still was, but that could have been an illusion. When she’d just said what was on her mind, he’d known she wasn’t afraid to get things done.

“You, my dear sir, are number nine.”

“Psh. Sweetheart, you need to catch up. You’re number twelve,” he teased.

R.J. laughed loudly as he paired his words with a playful dismissive gesture.

“Twelve, you say? Why are you being tortured?”

“Dominant father. Worried mother. Only child and heir. One needs to see the pack going somewhere, while the other wants grandkids. You?”

She held his gaze. His blue eyes were warm and inviting. She felt that he was someone other than her friends she could trust. It would be great to make a friend outside of Black Heart.

With her head held high, she told him why she endured this mate hunting. “My father wants a man to be Black Heart’s alpha.”

He looked at her, stunned at her words. His father was set in his ways, but not that drastically. His parents saw their role as leaders of the pack as one of equality.

“So, who is the present alpha?”

“I have been since I was eighteen,” she said in a monotone.

“Black Heart has been named the safest pack and the most prosperous. The strongest warriors come from your pack.”

She laughed drily. “Oh, I have a response for that. ‘Years of hard work and great leadership from my father.’”

“No, R.J. These stats came from the royals who scout each pack. That report came in two months ago, under your rule.”

She simply shrugged and smiled at the approaching waiter. They both gave their orders, and their server left quickly to give them to the chef.

“How can you not know that? Every alpha was impressed. Shit, even my father was boasting that I had a date with you.”

Shane looked at her for any kind of reaction. Didn’t she know that her name was as famous as her father’s?

“What I do know is that it is all my father’s doing. I am not as great as Raymond Macallister. So tell me about yourself.” With that request, R.J. ended all talk about the pack.

It had been drilled into her that she would never be as good as him. She believed that every word he’d said to her since she was sixteen was true.

Her friends and even her mother had tried to prove her wrong, but it was done. To Raymond, his daughter was a failure.

The perfect example was right in front of her. Another date with a suitable wolf, and he wasn’t her mate.

Jacob was ready to call it quits, and they hadn’t made it to the main course.

“Are you from around here? Because I am sure I would know.” The woman whose name was Karrie with a K hadn’t stopped talking since he’d introduced himself.

He was tempted to switch off his earpiece and go really deaf for the dinner, but that would be rude.

He learned that she had a super cute apartment three blocks away and had her own car, which her last boyfriend had bought for her.

She loved dogs and had a terrier whose name was Muffy or Mutsy. He couldn’t recall because she was talking so fast.

Karrie with a K kept going on about her friends and her favorite shows. She asked what his were, but he didn’t answer in time before she continued.

“I’m from the other side of town. Malvain Estates.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Wow. That’s like one of the richest areas. You must be a doctor or lawyer. Maybe a model; you surely can’t waste your good looks.”

“I’m a junior partner at an accounting firm. What do you do?” he asked, making a big effort to make it look like he was interested.

“Oh. I’m a yoga instructor.” Her excitement that Jacob might be filthy rich died as she heard the title accountant.

“Yoga. That takes a lot of discipline and strength in body and mind,” he commented, and just like that, she was off. It seemed his comment about her love of yoga triggered something.

When it was time to order, it was a simple green salad, no dressing, and water. She looked at him in disgust as he ordered the meaty lasagna with extra cheese and a side of stuffed breadsticks.

“How do you keep in shape with all those calories?” she asked, adjusting her dress for the millionth time.

“Morning workouts before I hit the office; plus, running around with my daughter helps,” he said nonchalantly, looking around the room.

“You have a kid?”

The word kid and the tone that accompanied it was the deal-breaker.

Jacob had put up with her too-tight and revealing dress, overdone makeup, excessive talking, and judgmental attitude for the first thirty minutes of this already horrendous date, but her not liking kids was a major problem.

“Yes. A six-year-old daughter,” he said with his father-of-the-year grin.

“William didn’t tell me about you having a child. You’re twenty-seven, right? Aren’t you too young to be a father?” she asked condescendingly.

“Is there an age to have a child? My daughter was born when I was twenty-one; at that age, I was and still am an adult. Do you have a problem with kids?” he asked, waiting to hear the truth or a lie.

“I don’t do kids. Never will,” she said truthfully with a sneer.

“Ah. I see. Please excuse me,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile and getting up from the table.

“Hurry back,” she called after him before going to her phone.

He redirected his path from the bathroom to the hostess.

Jacob quickly paid for her dinner and any dessert she might order. Though he was ditching her, he was still a gentleman.

The drive back home was fast. A migraine was coming on, and he just wanted to be home next to his daughter.

“Hey, Lexi. How was she?” was the greeting Jacob gave the sitter, who happened to be her godmother.

“Great as always. I just put her to bed. You are home awfully early,” she replied, helping him out of his jacket.

Lexi had been Annabella’s best friend, and he knew he could depend on her to be there and trust her to care for Jasmine, but he was never really comfortable being alone with her.

“Uh, yeah. Date got sick, so she bailed. Thanks for watching Jasmine. See you tomorrow. You can let yourself out,” he said over his shoulder before climbing the stairs.

Jacob stood outside his daughter’s room, listening for the front door to close, then the starting of her car. After Lexi left, he finally went inside to kiss Jasmine good night.

“Daddy loves you so much. I promise I will find you a new mommy who will love you as much as your real one.”