by Celia Kyle
He was staking his claim, just shy of pissing on her leg. And she liked it.
Stephen popped the caps on a couple beers and slid them onto a waitress’ tray, flashing a smile and giving her a wink. “Here ya go, doll.”
Too charming for his own good.
Shouts from the back of the room drew her gaze, a pool tournament in progress, men and women laughing and drinking. Having a good time.
Life went on.
No one cared that Carter snapped a lion’s neck a few hours ago.
Her gaze strayed to the darkened hallway at the back of the room, the dimness hiding what really happened down there. Decisions were made about the shifters in the neutral zone, discussions and rulings and she wondered if her mate would end up being punished for saving her life. If they tried… She would straight up sic her father on all their asses. Family stuck together even if there were no blood ties. Her daddy would…
“Good job out there.” The woman’s voice was soft yet firm, loud enough to be heard by Bethany and Carter, but not grab notice.
Bethany jumped and swung her attention toward the speaker. Her breath caught as she realized who’d sat beside her—them. Niki. Niki the white cougar mated to Dean. Dean who slowly made his way from the back of the building toward the bar. Truly, she didn’t care about who Niki mated, just the fact that the woman at her left was the complete opposite of her. Strong. Fierce. Powerful. Unbreakable.
Carter remained silent and Bethany tipped her head to meet his gaze. “The standard response is thanks.”
Even if he was being congratulated for killing someone.
He quirked his lips. “She’s talking to you, baby.”
“Huh?” She refocused on Niki, catching the woman’s nod. “Me? Why? I… ran.”
Hard and fast for what seemed like forever.
Niki sipped her water, tipping the bottle back and taking a long drink before setting it down. Water in a bar. Huh.
“You did run blindly through the trees.” She said it as if it was a given. With no hesitation.
“No, I was searching for an abandoned den or Carter. Whichever I got to first.” No sense in lying that she was a coward and running to hide behind her tiger mate.
“You led him through the forest, making sure it was as difficult to follow you as possible.”
“I’m smaller than he is.” She shrugged. “You work with what the goddess gave you.”
“It’s smart.”
Bethany shook her head. “I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but Carter’s the one who—”
Niki placed a single hand on hers, fingers cool, and she stared into blue eyes that were so like hers. “You did good. Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently.”
She opened her mouth to say… something. Tell the woman she was wrong. “I…”
“You stayed alive. A lot of them would have tried to hold their ground.” She shook her head. “Part of surviving is knowing your limits.”
She stared at the woman, the cougar covered in muscle that projected such power and strength. She practically had “don’t fuck with me” on her forehead.
“Look,” Bethany lowered her voice and leaned toward Niki. Her rabbit trembled, the animal knowing the female could end her and not many would dare protest. She was too well trained for others to even think of stepping in. “Thank you for saying that, but I know what I am and what I did. I’m not,” she waved at the woman, particularly her hair and eyes, which told all shifters exactly what Niki was. “I’m not this, even if I look like it. Our kind came from somewhere and let’s say I’m a failure from my neck of the woods, okay? We’ll leave it at that.”
Please let them leave it at that.
Niki’s gaze traveled Bethany’s body from head to toe before refocusing on her face. “Is it lack of training or desire?”
“Huh?”
“You not knowing how to protect yourself.” The cougar stared at her, as if waiting for an answer. “Well?”
“What was the question?”
Carter chuckled and she jumped. So focused on Niki, she’d forgotten her mate was at her back. “Why don’t you know how to defend yourself, baby. Because no one would train you? Or because you never wanted to bother?”
“With what you are, you’d learn things pretty quickly.”
Bethany’s heart rate picked up, muscle pumping more blood through her veins. “I don’t want to be like you,” she blurted out the words and then winced, realizing what she’d said. “I don’t want to…”
Niki grinned. “I get it. You’re too old to catch it now anyway.” She waved Bethany away. “But let’s be honest, you’re prey and I’m pissed that your clan didn’t teach you anything.”
Not much she could say about that. Her father’s idea of reality was that women stayed in the kitchen. Especially if they were prey. The men could do the protecting and that was his job.
“There are others like us that call the neutral zone home. If you wanted to train a little…”
“I—” Bethany snapped her mouth shut and turned to her mate. “Carter?”
“Baby, I’d love it if you could have laid Jaxson out today.”
“You won’t be able to take down a lion.” Niki looked her up and down. “At least not anytime soon.”
“But I don’t want to be…” she nibbled her lower lip. “Like that. I’m curvy and clumsy and no one’s idea of the perfect badassery machine.”
The woman’s smile blossomed. “I like you.”
“Okay?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Okay.” Niki slammed the empty bottle on the bar. “Stephen!”
The bartender turned his wide, flirty smile on their small group—Niki in particular—and a low, rumbling growl sliced through the air. Not loud enough to alert the humans, but every shifter in the room focused on the bar area. Specifically Niki’s mate who looked ready to commit murder. The woman sighed and hopped down from her stool. “Let me stop this mess. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can set something up.”
Tomorrow. Tomorrow she might not want to do anything because it came after tonight. Tonight when she might lose her mate. She wasn’t sure what punishment would be meted out to Carter, but shifter laws were pretty unbendable when it came to murder.
It was a little more than frowned upon.
“I don’t know…”
Niki paused, her gaze missing nothing as she looked over Bethany. “You shouldn’t worry, considering—”
A loud shout and a few screeches from the entrance of the bar silenced every conversation. Bethany cringed because she knew that roar. And that shout. And that hiss. And then there was that particular ow that came immediately after a slap to the backside of a certain person’s head.
Bethany spun and met Carter’s stare. “If we run now, we might be able to escape.”
The low snort that was too close for comfort was also familiar and she sighed, dropping her head forward as she leaned into Carter. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Baby girl, what the hell’d you get up into now?” The tone was gruff yet sweet, just her dad’s way of talking.
Apparently it annoyed Carter since he decided to growl, which had her dad growling, which ended with another one of those slaps and a low ow. It was followed by a second and she realized her mother got both her mate and her father.
“What the—”
She placed a hand on his chest. “Carter Evans, meet my parents, Angus and Fiona Buchanan. Mom, Dad, this is Carter, my mate.”
Her mom cooed.
Her dad grunted.
“Did we miss Dad carving his name into the tiger’s ass?” Katie.
“It’s only been ten seconds. He needs longer than that to remember how to spell his name.” And Hannah.
Face still hidden, she waved toward her sisters. “Carter, these are the twins, Hannah and Katie. Katie’s nice. Hannah is the bitch fuck.”
“Bethany,” her mother gasped. Her father growled. Her sisters cackled.
And Carter… kiss
ed the top of her head and smiled into her hair. “I like your family, baby.”
Her dad grunted again. The man hardly ever spoke, but that was because her mother talked enough for the both of them. “And we like you too, don’t we dear?”
More grunting.
“I’m so sad we had to get together this way, but I’m glad I get to meet my new son-in-law. He’s so strong, isn’t he strong, girls?”
The chorus of yes, Mom from her sisters was well practiced.
“I hate this unpleasantness. Angus, don’t you hate it? Don’t you have anything to say about it?”
Her father sighed. Hell, he might even talk.
Bethany pulled away from Carter and looked to her father, waiting to see what’d happen.
“Sorry.” One word, but his expression said he wasn’t just sorry about what happened that afternoon, but for so much more.
But today… why would he… Then she remembered.
“He smelled like our family,” she whispered but her father heard and nodded. He smelled like clan, but not.
“His older brother and their family were invited to move into town when you were younger. You were so small,” her mother said softly as she reached past Carter and brushed her blond hair aside. “And he’d chased you. He said you’d make a nice appetizer. You wouldn’t be missed because you were tiny.”
Her mom sniffled. “Well, he didn’t realize how much your father loves you because they were gone the next morning, weren’t they?” She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You’re our girl and your daddy will always take care of you.” Now Carter grunted, reminding everyone he still stood nearby. “Well, your mate first, then your father. He has his hands full with the other two. They refuse to take a mate and goddess help me if I don’t get a grandcub soon I will make a deal with the devil himself.”
“Mom,” Bethany huffed. “We’re not, you know, mated yet and it’s too early to talk about kits.”
Her mother patted her cheek. “Bless your heart.”
More cackling from her sisters.
“Can we focus on why you’re here?” She needed to divert their attention from her naked times with Carter.
“Oh,” her mother blinked. “To take care of Jaxson.”
“Uh…”
Her father huffed. “My cat. Never joined another family, so he’s mine.” Her dad didn’t seem happy about that, but who could blame him. Jaxson was better off dead. He jerked his chin toward Carter. “Not blaming him for protecting my girl. We’re good.”
“So, you’re acting as Jaxson’s family and you’re not going to demand justice?” Dad glared at her as if she were an idiot. As if she was stupid for even thinking something would happen to her mate over the mess with Jaxson. Bethany ducked beneath Carter’s restraining arm and bounced to her father, hopping up to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He grunted, gave her a one-armed hug and whistled at Stephen. A raise of his arm and twitch of his fingers had Stephen placing beers on the bar top.
They each grabbed a drink and clinked bottles.
Bethany held hers high. “To family.”
Carter smiled at her, the swirling emotions in his eyes transitioning from happiness to outright fear when they flicked to her father. “To family.”
Chapter Eight
It took some fancy talking and outright begging to her mother to keep Bethany’s family in town at the local B&B for their trip. Hell, Bethany almost promised her mom her and Carter’s first born if it’d keep them out of her house.
Her mother informed her she wanted to play with grandkits, not raise them.
Which meant giving her family hugs and sending them on their way while she and Carter went in the opposite direction—toward her rented house. He said her place seemed more like home over his small apartment. It was big enough for a single male, but he wanted to be surrounded by her scent.
Which had her sighing, agreeing, and smiling.
Carter navigated his truck down the streets, making the few turns it took to reach the main street that led toward the back of the valley and the forest beyond. He reached out for her, arm extended and hand open, expecting her to place her palm on his. Which she did without hesitation.
Their fingers entwined, quiet enveloping the truck as they traveled toward her home. She allowed her thoughts to drift—from what was to come and back to what’d happened.
“What did they say to you?” she murmured. She only knew he got to come home, that he wasn’t in any real trouble, but that was it.
“It was ruled justifiable. Your father had a lot to do with that. Who you are. What you are.”
She twisted her lips. “Because I’m prey.”
“Because you’re white and Niki likes you,” he countered.
“She said that, you know, one of them might…”
“If you want to, I think you should.” He squeezed her hand gently. “I think it’d be good. White rabbit or not, knowing how to protect yourself is never a bad thing.”
“I’m just not,” she frowned. “I’m not like them.”
“Beautiful? Talented? Smart?”
“Skinny,” she snapped.
“You’re a bunny, you’re curved like your rabbit and I’m damned grateful.” The truck slowly came to a stop and he threw it into park. Hell, she hadn’t even realized they’d made it so far. When she tried to pull free of his grip, he tightened his hold. “I like your curves, Bethie. I like every single one and I wanna trace ’em with my tongue. There’s nothing wrong with the white cougars, or any of the other shifters who are hard muscle and bone. They…” He shook his head. “They’re not you and they’re not for me. I like a woman to be soft and lush and the only one I want is you. So no more telling me what you aren’t.”
He glared, warning her not to argue, so she kept her mouth shut.
“I’m going to tell you what you are.” She continued to stare at him, waiting to hear what he had to say. “You’re mine.”
Bethany swallowed hard. The possessiveness in his gaze, the flat declaration coupled with the change of his eyes. She wasn’t only the man’s other half, she was the animals’ as well. Where his tiger’s eyes were a burnished orange, the irises of the man before her were more yellow than gold. His wolf. The wolf wanted to claim her, make her his, and Bethany wanted that just as much.
They were mates. It was destined. Deeper emotions could come later, but right now the animalistic parts of themselves needed that binding connection.
“Then…” Her mouth was dry, but she managed to push the words past her lips anyway. “Then make me yours.”
The smile started out small, gradually growing from a smirk to a grin. “Yeah?”
Bethany had only one answer. “Yeah.”
Carter didn’t waste time. He immediately released her hand and climbed from the truck while she worked at doing the same. By the time she got her seatbelt undone, he was there, door open and his arms cradling as he lifted her from the vehicle.
“Carter!” she squeaked when he held her with ease. He strode across the yard, heading straight for the house’s entry, and she dug through her purse, searching for the keys. When they reached the front door, he didn’t release her, but lowered a little so she could reach the lock. “You could put me down and—”
“No.”
That was it. No explanation, not details. Flat no.
Okay then.
She slipped the key into the lock and twisted, granting them access. Once inside, he kicked the door closed, giving her a chance to secure it before striding through the house.
“It’s at the end—”
“I scent you in here. Everywhere. I can find your room.” And he did without trouble.
The moment they stepped across the threshold, things changed. The frantic rush fled in a great, whooshing breath. The energy transformed from one of anxiousness to languid desire. They both knew why they’d entered her bedroom. There was no reason to hurry any longer. Thei
r mating would happen—soon. Now they could take their time exploring, discovering, pleasuring…
Carter released her legs, slowly letting her glide down his body, her curves sliding along the planes of his front. His firm chest, flat stomach, and very, very hard cock. It was long and thick, branding her hip with his obvious need. Her fingers itched to flick the button on his jeans, lower the zipper, and hold him in her hand. For now, she caressed his arms, slipping fingers up his biceps, over his shoulders and finally grasping his neck.
“Carter,” she whispered, “mate me.”
He lowered his head, wolfen eyes on hers.
“Bethie.” He rasped her name and then captured her lips.
Where other kisses were arousing, this was pure passion, pure craving and need. It was hungry and rough, a taking, and she gave in to his every demand. Their tongues performed an erotic dance, a precursor of what was to come.
He brushed her arms aside and enveloped her with his presence, burying his hands in her hair and fisting the strands. He took and took and she melted into the savage pleasure of his kiss. He licked and flicked, tormenting her with his tongue, giving and taking it away.
Bethany’s rabbit whined, hating, yet loving the way he teased her desire, luring her want forward. Her fingers burned and she knew without looking that her animal’s nails were out in full force. She fisted his shirt, pulling him closer as she raised to her tiptoes. She wanted more, wanted everything he had to give and then some. Her pussy ached with need, clit throbbing, and center clenching with a silent plea. She wanted to be filled by him, consumed by him.
A true whimper escaped her mouth and Carter rumbled in response. No, it wasn’t a rumble… it was a purr. A deep, pleasure-inducing purr. The vibrations slipped through her, reverberating off her every nerve and she trembled, relishing each new rolling sound.
Carter pushed forward and she eased a step back, allowing him to herd her toward the bed, nudging her closer with each shift of muscle until her legs met the mattress. But he didn’t stop there. He kept her moving, encouraging her to lie on the bed, and his lips never left hers. His tongue continued its torment, continued its explicit come-and-get-me slide in and out of her mouth.
