Mistakenly Mated by Sonnet O'Dell

the counter. “I am perfectly fine. The fever is gone. I’m taped up tighter than a nun’s chastity belt. I will be okay. Now, if you will calm down…” Kerry knew her mistake the minute she had said it.
    Caleb fumed and smashed his fist into the top of the desk. The whole thing shuddered and the drawer on the cash register popped open. Kerry shut it quickly, making her side twinge.
    “I will not calm down. You should have more sense than this.”
    “You barely know me so how can you tell that for sure?”
    Caleb growled at her and it drew the gaze of a middle-aged woman browsing their small selection of diet guides.
    “I won’t get to know you at this rate.”
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “Are you completely dense? Someone tried to shoot you, ergo that means someone wants to kill you. You just walk around out here in the open where they can try again.”
    Kerry raised a finger at him, turning it nail down to make it clear she was making a point not going to poke him with it.
    “You listen to me…” she said, getting a little of her own anger flowing. “I am not going to sit away in my house and hide. I have a life and I am not going to let anyone take it from me. You may be my mate, Caleb Vander, but you do not own me. You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do.”
    “I am your mate and you should heed my advice.”
    “That’s just it—you can give your advice. I’m not stopping you. I’m just plain old ignoring you.”
    Caleb glowered at her and she glowered right back. She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to drop her gaze. She was not subservient to him.
    Caleb turned to the side, rounding the counter towards her.
    Kerry rushed to push him back. “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t come behind here.”
    “I am taking you home.”
    “I’ve told you, ‘no’. I’ve only got a couple more hours to work and then I will take myself home. No one is going to come into a busy shop and off me.”
    Caleb looked around the bookstore rather pointedly, demonstrating how little foot traffic they had.
    Kerry growled, balling her fist and punched him in the arm hard. Caleb barely winced but he looked at his arm and then at her, displeased.
    “I’m beginning to think I’ve got myself mated to a huge jackass.”
    “ I’m stuck with a stubborn bitch who won’t let me do for her like I am supposed to.”
    Kerry didn’t flinch at the word bitch. The way Caleb said it wasn’t like when calling someone a name but more as talking about an animal’s gender. She was the bitch to his dog.
    “Then just go home and let’ what happens happen. Then you’ll be able to chose whoever the hell you want when your free of me, won’t you? I’m obviously too much trouble for you.”
    Caleb looked at her like she had slapped him with a Chevy. He blinked at her. Did she really think I would just let her die? That she wasn’t what he wanted with every fiber of his being even though she was difficult as hell and completely bent on ignoring every tradition drilled into him since he was a pup. Caleb grew up an alpha male. He made enough that he didn’t have to work a whole lot. He could take care of a woman. He could protect her but she wouldn’t let him.
    He felt helpless. All the things he thought having a mate meant, all the things he thought he would have to do as the male and Kerry made him useless. He tried to touch her, use their physical connection to persuade her to come with him but she stepped out of his reach. A couple of people watched their fight now so Caleb felt vulnerable and exposed—a feeling he didn’t like.
    “Why do you make this so hard? I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” He walked back around the counter and out the door.
    Kerry felt immediately guilty. She took a deep breath and went after him. She wasn’t surrendering ground, she just didn’t want him to go away on such a sour note. Like her momma taught her: never go to bed on an argument. Okay,