The Fake Mate Job

Contents About The Fake Mate Job Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Epilogue Also by Robin Moray About the Author The Fake Mate Job (Shifters & Grifters) by Robin Moray This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright ©2023 Robin Moray All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the author's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Second Electronic Edition Previously published as Bonded by Jen Keller. About The Fake Mate job (Shifters & Grifters) One protective alpha wolf in need of a mate. One human ex grifter down $50k. One weekend to pull this off, and then they’ll never see each other again. Claimed by a werewolf in the woods Alpha wolf Kurt Larsen doesn’t want a mate, he just needs one to show off at the Grand Council. But the moment he bites Hunter on the night of the mating run it hits him like a truck—Hunter is everything he never knew he wanted. Only problem is, Hunter is a clueless human who wasn’t meant to be there. Meanwhile, Hunter Heke needs to get $50k across the country to pay off his brother’s dodgy debts, and the money is missing. He’s out of options and running out of time. Mate bond + fake relationship Guilt-ridden, Kurt is determined to break the bond and send Hunter on his way. He’ll even throw in the $50k. But Hunter can’t accept that and offers another solution: why not take their accidental mate bond to the Grand Council and pretend they’re both in it for the long haul? Surely the chemistry between them won’t be a problem. Right? Perfect match The more they fake their happily-ever-after, the more Kurt knows that letting Hunter go will be the hardest thing he’ll ever do. But even if Hunter wanted to stay, when he uncovers Kurt’s secrets, he won’t walk away—he’ll run. Except Hunter has secrets too, and once Kurt hears all of them, Hunter’s sure Kurt won’t want a lying, thieving, grifter like him. It’s not fair; he’s never felt so safe, and he’s never been in so much danger of losing his heart. THE FAKE MATE JOB is a fated-mates, MM paranormal romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a snarky human grifter and a protective Alpha wolf who will do anything for his mate, forced together at first sight by a soul bond. This book contains steamy scenes and moderate violence, but no mpreg or omegaverse elements. It can be read as a standalone. THE FAKE MATE JOB was previously published as BONDED under the name Jen Keller, however this book has been significantly revised. ❧ Content warnings for violence and the threat of sexual assault. The Fake Mate Job Chapter One “Hey, kiddo! Bet you weren’t expecting to hear from me again.” At the sound of that voice, Hunter froze. It was like his heart stopped beating. Years of clean living evaporated in a heartbeat, sending him back to a time and place where that voice belonged. It took the sound of a low, dirty chuckle for him to unstick his tongue. “Marko,” he croaked out. “I didn’t know you had my number.” “I found you,” Marko said over the phone. The threat implicit in those words was palpable. Still, he sounded surprisingly friendly, considering the gun he’d shoved in Hunter’s face the last time they’d been in the same room. Hunter really hadn’t expected to hear from him ever again. “Now, what do you suppose I want from you?” It was money or information or a favor. Hunter didn’t know which would be the worst. He ducked into an alleyway, glancing about to make sure no one was listening in. “I have no idea.” “Is that brother of yours with you?” Fuck. His heart squeezed in his chest. “Which one?” “The asshole,” Marko said, which was just rich coming from him. Hunter knew who he meant. “Nope. Haven’t heard from Gabe in a year.” It was true, too, which was just as well. Good as Hunter was at lying, Marko could smell a lie like he could smell a cop. “Huh. That’s too bad. He owes me money.” Hunter squeezed his eyes shut. “Better take that up with him, then.” “You know, kiddo, I would, only it’s a lot of effort getting hold of your slippery shit of a brother. Sweet little Noah, on the other hand, well. I know exactly where he is. How’s he doing? Nice campus they have over there. Must be costing you a fortune.” No. This wasn’t happening. “What do you want from me, Marko?” Hunter tried not to feel it in his gut, but he was nauseous with the knowledge that if Marko knew where Noah was then Marko could get to him any time he liked, and there was nothing Hunter could do about it. “I want your fucking brother or my fucking money. Up to you which. But in case you haven’t worked it out, it’s your little Noah on the line for this. Hate