To Save a Mate

Contents Blurb Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 About the Author To Save a Mate A FATED MATES SHIFTER ROMANCE REDWOOD UNIVERSITY BOOK 2 POPPY IRELAND To Save a Mate ©2022 | Poppy Ireland All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, things, living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. Blurb Welcome back to Redwood University, where a power-hungry shifter wants to rule them all… and those strong enough to stand up to him must fight. I tried to flee Redwood University, but when my father was kidnapped by a ruthless alpha, they forced me to submit. With a broken heart and wounded pride, I reluctantly followed his demands—if only to keep my father alive. There’s danger lurking around every corner, and since Alexei crushed my heart in his fist, I’m seeking an alliance with the vampires, fae, and witches instead. Alexei is furious, jealous, and possessive. But despite everything, I still ache for him. But the future alpha made his choice. No matter what he says, I can’t wait for a mate who won’t stand by my side. I just wish my heart would get with the program. Because there’s an unknown power simmering in my veins, and a mystery I’m on the verge of cracking. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that Alpha Jones will do anything to gain more control, and that’s one thing I can never allow to happen. So, if Alexei won’t save me from his father, then I’ll save myself. *To Save a Mate is the second book in the Redwood University Trilogy. It cannot be read as a standalone and ends in a cliffhanger. If possessive heroes, who occasionally turn into wolves, and sassy, headstrong heroines are your jam, you’ve come to the right place. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the continuation of this exciting paranormal story. To all the readers who took a chance on this new pen name of ours. We’re sorry for that thing we did to Corbin in this installment. Oh, who are we kidding? No, we’re not. That guy totally deserved what was coming to him. Trust us, when you get to that chapter, you’ll know. We hope you enjoy the ride as much as we enjoyed writing it. Still wondering who we are? Well, that’s a secret we’ll never tell. Or maybe we will. Only time will tell, little witchlings…😉 xoxo, Poppy Chapter One Nicole “Nicole! Nicole!” Corbin’s voice was as sharp as a razor. His relentless pounding on my door and the sense of urgency in his tone almost convinced me to get out of bed and confront him, but I was still too raw from what had happened the night before. Alexei’s betrayal. The complete humiliation. My father’s abduction. Alpha Jones’s sinister words. Mace licked my arm, urging me out of bed with a whine. It embarrassed me to confess that I didn’t want to leave my bed. Not because I was miserable and feeling defeated, but because these soft sheets smelled like Alexei. His woodsy, masculine scent comforted me despite the pain he’d inflicted. If I stayed here and breathed him in, then I could almost forget the angry pang in my chest. The damn mate bond Alexei and I shared still drew me in with its deceptive pheromones. If the mate bond was real, anyway. I wasn’t so sure anymore. Maybe I was just dickmatized, as Bee liked to call it. “I don’t want to talk to him, Macey.” My grumbling words didn’t seem to bother her. My wolf was on a mission. She tugged at my sweatpants with her teeth, dragging me off the mattress. I gripped my comforter, but it was no use. I landed on the floor with a loud thud, the sound making Corbin stop shouting to listen. “Nicole? Are you okay?” He twisted the locked doorknob, suddenly more desperate to get in. Rage billowed within me. I didn’t want to listen to him pretend to be concerned about me. “What the fuck do you care, Corbin?” Maybe it would have been better to continue ignoring him, but I hated the sincerity in his tone. Everything had gone to shit, and I needed to remind myself that the only truth I could cling to was that I could trust no one. I brushed my fingers over my neck where I knew Alexei’s bruising lips had left a hickey. The overwhelming longing I felt from the memory made my breath hitch. Maybe I couldn’t even trust myself. “That’s it!” I didn’t have time to process Corbin’s muffled words through the protection of my dorm room door, because soon after he’d said them, he was kicking it down. Mace positioned herself in front of me, growling as wood splintered the frame, and Corbin strolled through the threshold, a concerned look on his face. “You’ve been crying.” I hated the way his gaze swept over me with pity. “Are you crazy?!” I scrambled to stand up. “Did you really just kick my door down? And don’t you dare stand there and look like you give a shit, Corbin. I heard the recording, remember?” I prayed he couldn’t hear the way my voice wobbled. Macey growled again, this time really