The Tracker's Secret: Sunderverse (Mate Tracker Book 2) by Ingrid Seymour (the gingerbread man read aloud .txt) 📗

After Aaron signed on the dotted line, I gathered all the papers and lined them up neatly. “Great. Now that this is out of the way, I should explain that in order to find your mate, I need to craft a potion that will allow me to locate her.”

“Actually, it should be locate him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“It’s okay. It’s not common among werewolves.”

I knew this to be the case, though I didn’t know the reason. It wasn’t something Jake and I had talked about during our time together. I’d been too busy drooling over him and tracking missing people to worry about much else.

Aaron’s warm expression grew somber. “If I wasn’t a gay werewolf, I would already have a partner. My kind marries young, as you may know. Passing on our legacy is important.”

I knew all too well about that. The man I loved was the last in a long line of Knight werewolves, and his legacy was more important than our feelings for each other.

“My parents are very disappointed as you might imagine. They keep telling me I won’t be able to find another gay werewolf.” He grimaced, clearly afraid to prove his parents right. “That’s why I’ve come to you. As hard as I’ve looked, I’ve never met one.”

“Do you mind me asking, since bearing children won’t be an issue, why a werewolf? Your mate could be Fae, human, another type of shifter.”

“I hope it doesn’t appear like I’m discriminating against anyone, but I really hope you can find another werewolf. I do hope we’ll be able to adopt, and it would be easier if my partner understands our kind and knows how to advise his own children. There is much to teach a young werewolf.”

Such as not Shifting Under Duress and ruining one’s entire criminal record. Something I was trying hard to avoid at the moment.

“I never thought about it that way,” I said, wondering if the reason Mom had chosen to lie to me was because she’d had no clue how to raise me like a proper werewolf. I knew my next question would sound weird to Aaron, but I couldn’t help myself. “So... how would someone who wasn’t raised by werewolf parents learn proper werewolf skills? There isn’t a place where they offer... lessons, is there?”

Aaron laughed, putting a ringed hand on his chest and throwing his head back. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, sputtering. “That’s just funny. No, I’ve never heard of a place like that. There aren’t many shifters who grow up without that kind of guidance. It would be hard to survive, I would imagine.”

I swallowed. “But you’re hoping to adopt, so there must be... shifter orphanages? And people to teach them those skills.”

“Um,” he considered, pursing his lips. “Maybe so. But why are you so interested? Do you know someone who needs to learn how to be a proper werewolf?”

I froze, unsure of what to say.

“Because if you do,” Aaron went on, “I would be glad to help. If you find me a mate, I would do anything for you, even kiss the ground you walk on.”

I laughed nervously, heat building up in my cheeks.

Aaron narrowed his eyes, and something told me he saw right through me. “At any rate, you have my number, so call me if you find yourself in dire need of werewolf advice.”

I smiled. “Thank you, but I was just curious. Sorry for distracting you and taking too much of your time. We should get back to business. Like I said, the next step is creating a potion, and for that, I need a batch of heartfelt tears from you.”

“Yes, Celina warned me about this. But I doubt I will be able to cry in front of you. Nothing macho about me. I just haven’t cried in a long time. I’ll get one of my buddies to punch me in the gut.”

“Sorry, but, like I said, they need to be heartfelt. Tears caused by physical pain won’t work.”

I pulled out a small vial from one of my desk drawers and handed it over. “You may go to the restroom or come back later after you fill this up. Just keep in mind that the sooner I get this ingredient, the sooner I can start the potion and find someone for you.”

He stared at the vial with a frown. “I think I’ll probably need to come back. Would onions work?” He smiled crookedly.

“Sorry. Nope.”

“Why did you have to make this so hard, Toni? How about a tearjerker book or movie?”

I smiled. “Not really. You need to dig deep and find your most sincere emotions. That’s the kind of tears the potion needs.”

“Damn!” He mock-punched a closed fist into his hand. “There goes my plan.”

We both laughed. He was so lighthearted. I really liked him and would surely do my damnedest to find a mate for him.

Chapter 3

AFTER AARON LEFT, I handed Rosalina the hefty check for his deposit. Her eyes grew as wide as tennis balls when she saw the number on the check.

“Wow, I never thought we would be able to charge this much,” she said. “A few more clients like this and we would be able to pay off our loan.”

“I know. It feels awesome, doesn’t it?”

“Damn awesome.” She waved the check in the air.

“Shopping trip this weekend?”

“Yep, there’s a pair of boots I saw the other day, they have my name written all over them.” We fist-bumped each other and went happily about answering phone calls and screening new potential clients. I even had a little time to go upstairs to the loft and pack a few more of my things. I would close on Tuesday, then be able to move into my new place in less than two weeks. I felt all glowy inside when I thought about it, so much that not even the latest events could dampen my