The Alpha's Secret Mate (Blood Moon Lynx Book 3)

by Ravenna Tate

  “It’s going to be all right.”

  Leah’s quiet, assured voice sent a rush of emotion racing through Makenna that was so strong, tears welled up. She tried to blink them away, but one look into Leah’s face and they spilled over her lashes. Makenna put down the embroidery and rose, intending to retreat to the room she and Stone shared without having to speak, but Leah was right behind her. So was Stone.

  As she collapsed onto the edge of the bed and tried to keep from crying, Stone pulled her into his arms and held her, while he summarized what Laredo had said for Leah.

  “We heard most of it. I think he’s doing all he can, and I do agree with him that the last thing any of us wants is for groups of people from our village taking this into their own hands.”

  “I know,” said Stone. “Intellectually, I agree with him. Blood has been paid for blood. But that doesn’t stop them from believing that Makenna and Gillian brought evil to our villages.”

  “Being a leopard, I suspect Laredo feels the same way. At least he and others are on our side.”

  Makenna took a few deep breaths so she could speak. “Will it matter how many are on our side if a group of them kills the patrols and storms the house?”

  “Now you listen to me.” Stone cupped her face. “We are not going to let that happen. Our hunting for the winter is done. We’ll deal with the crappy Internet connection and work from home if we have to. Or, we’ll do it in shifts from Port Angeles so not all of us are gone at one time. No matter what we have to do, we will not allow anyone to harm you, Gillian, Fiera, Leah, or her daughters. Do you understand me?”

  “Stone, I know you would die for me, but you’re missing my point. You didn’t live in that village all your life the way I did. They aren’t kidding around. The only thing stopping them is the weather. But that will only make it worse when it breaks. It gives them time to rile everyone up and gather more volunteers. We could well face the entire village one day if they set their minds to it.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll face, if it comes to that.”

  “But why won’t some of your Elders listen to us? Why won’t they believe us when we tell them how dangerous this group is?”

  “I wish I had an answer.”

  Makenna snuggled back against her mate’s body. No one had an answer. The only concrete thing she had to hang onto was his love. She had that for the rest of her life, no matter how short that might turn out to be.

  Chapter Ten

  It took no time at all for Stone to convince Luke, Canyon, Arizona, and Cletus to stagger their work times. Luke and Canyon made arrangements to work from Port Angeles as often as possible. On days Gillian worked from their company’s offices in that town, they drove her.

  Stone also spoke with Derek Tanner, his cousin Patti’s mate, as well as the rest of his family and Arizona’s family. The men agreed to take turns keeping an eye on the Benedict property, in addition to volunteering for the patrols in that area.

  It wasn’t a matter of not trusting the patrols already appointed by the Council, and Stone made sure to emphasize that to them. He feared they would become easily outnumbered if the leopard decided to attack en masse.

  Hidalgo, who was already good friends with Derek because both of them were cougars, told Stone he would do what he could from the inside to persuade the few holdouts among the Elders that this shouldn’t be treated lightly. Once Stone shared the plans with Makenna, he noticed the same relaxed aura about her as he’d seen in Seattle.

  Three weeks after the weekend they’d spent in the hotel, Makenna bolted out of bed one early morning and Stone heard her throwing up in the bathroom. When she emerged, he studied her face for signs of illness, but there were none.

  “Are you pregnant?”

  “I don’t know. I might be. I’m sure you’ve already noticed that it’s been more than four weeks since I bled.”

  Stone couldn’t help grinning. His pulse raced. He hoped beyond hope that she was finally carrying his child. “We’ll ask Leah. She has ways of knowing.”

  “I’m afraid to wish it’s true.”

  “Don’t be afraid of that.” He pulled her back into bed and held her close. “Don’t be afraid of anything. I’m here with you. I’ll take care of you.”

  The look she gave him melted his heart, and made his cock ache with need. “You always do.”

  Making love to Makenna never ceased to fill Stone with even more affection for her. Each time he thought he couldn’t love his mate more, he was proved wrong. Her soft moans and the way she moved next to him now were all the prompting he needed. Stone laid her on her back and kissed her, trailing his tongue over every inch of her body until she cried out, begging him to fuck her.

  When she climbed on top of him and lowered her wet pussy over his dick, his cries joined hers. He loved it when she took charge like this, and often tortured her with kisses and licks, simply to build her desire to the point she couldn’t wait any longer. She was such a beautiful, vivacious woman, and he still couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found her.

  “Stone … oh I’m coming already.”

  “Yes, you certainly are.” Her contractions sent his control close to the edge, but he held on long enough to let her finish before giving over to his own desire. When he finished, he sat up and held her closely, stroking her damp hair and back.

  “I swear that was even sweeter than usual because I’m so happy. Makenna, we’re going to be parents.”

  The shudder that ran through her was something he felt, so he pulled away to look into her eyes. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Just terrified.”

  He brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. “Of being a mother?”

  “No. I don’t know. I’m afraid it’s not true, and at the same time I’m afraid it is true. What if I’m a terrible mother?”

  “Not possible, my love.” Sometimes he forgot how young and inexperienced she actually was. “And you have all the help in the world right here. Even once our home is finished, Leah is right next door.”

  “I know. But what will we tell our children? They’ll want to know their history. Where they come from. Who their ancestors were. How on earth will we explain all that?”

  So that’s what had her spooked. The lies she’d had to live with. “We will tell them the truth, and we will tell them how brave you were in having to keep it a secret for so long.”

  She swallowed hard. “Stone, do you really think this will happen? Am I really going to have a baby? And will we … will we live to see it grow up?”

  Too many emotions bubbled up inside for Stone to make sense of even one of them. Instead, he pulled her close again. “Makenna, I love you so much. I promise you that we will both live to see our children grow up, find their mates, and have children of their own. I swear that to you on my life.”

  ****

  The next two weeks flew by for Makenna in a blur of throwing up at least five times a day, not being able to tolerate certain smells in the house, and eating so little that everyone began to fuss over her, except Leah.

  Leah admonished all of them to leave her alone. She made her tea that helped ease Makenna’s nausea, plus a special bread that left her feeling just full enough, but not so weak that she was ready to sleep all day long. Some days, the bread and tea were all she ate, but it gave her enough strength to get through the day.

  Fiera and Gillian were thrilled that she was pregnant. Makenna didn’t say so out loud to the two, but imagined it was easy for them to say how wonderful it was, and how much fun it would be to raise their children together. Neither one of them were still sick. They ate full meals, and both glowed with health and happiness. When Makenna expressed those thoughts to Leah one morning, Leah assured her this would soon pass, and she’d look and feel as robust as Fiera and Gillian did.

  Makenna also couldn’t help notice that Luke, Canyon, Arizona, and even Stone worked from home more often than they’d ever done before. Even Cletus was around most o
f the time now, especially if Luke and Canyon were forced to work in Seattle for the day. She wondered if all of them had planned this. She also wondered if the reason they’d planned it was because they didn’t trust the patrols, or simply due to the fact there was strength in numbers.

  Whatever the reason, it was nice to have Stone around during the day. He made a habit of kissing her still-flat abdomen good morning and good night, which never failed to make Makenna laugh. He talked to their unborn child, and one evening had insisted on reading a book Gillian had given him to the child. Gillian said it had been one of her favorites as a little girl.

  “A Wrinkle in Time,” said Makenna. “What an intriguing name for a book.”

  “Intriguing story, too. Don’t you think so, little one?”

  Makenna giggled. “He can’t answer you yet.” Stone was so convinced she was having a boy that he refused to refer to the child as “she”.

  “Maybe not, but I’ll bet he comes out with this book memorized.”

  “Well if he does, he’ll be the first newborn in the history of the world to speak at birth.”

  That remark earned her a look that had her squealing and trying to run away, but Stone was faster. He had her over his knee, spanking her bare ass before she even had time to process what he’d done. But he never spanked her hard or for very long these days. Her pregnancy had pushed his hormones into overdrive. It had done the same for hers, when she wasn’t bent over the toilet throwing up, that was.

  ****

  As November eased into December, the days grew colder and the forest sloppier with each day of sleet or rain. Makenna welcomed the gloomy weather. It meant people stayed indoors more often, the sun went down earlier, and she could stay close to one of several fires in the Benedict home, either snuggled up with her mate, or working on one of the many projects that she and Leah always had going.

  Fiera and Gillian spent most of their days inside the house as well, and Makenna loved getting to know both women better. Fiera’s baby was due in four short months, and Gillian’s was due late in May. Her own wouldn’t arrive until July, but with the way time seemed to be flying by now, Makenna knew the months would pass by quickly.

  It became easier to feel safer once her morning sickness abated and her natural appetite returned. Having the men around all day helped. Knowing there were extra patrols in the woods also gave her a heightened sense of security.

  When the two new homes were finished by mid-December, Makenna almost didn’t want to move in. She had grown used to living in the large, bustling Benedict home. Gillian, on the other hand, practically moved most of hers and Arizona’s belongings into their new home by herself. It wasn’t that Gillian didn’t enjoy the company of Fiera and Canyon, but she’d never grown comfortable sharing a bedroom with Arizona in someone else’s home, the way Makenna and Stone had.

  The one and only time Makenna heard Arizona shout at Gillian was when he caught her trying to carry an empty chest of drawers from where they’d stored their furniture on the Benedict’s property up the stairs of her new front porch. Gillian had shouted back, and the two had ended up sitting on the floor of the porch, laughing.

  “They’re so cute together,” said Fiera, giving Makenna a sideways glance.

  “Arizona fools you. He acts as though he takes nothing seriously, but when he needs to react, he’s all alpha.”

  “Yes. You should have seen him that day. The day Gillian was attacked.”

  Makenna turned to face Fiera. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

  “I was right behind him, along with everyone else I’d alerted. I got there in time to watch him kill Josh and Ricky. He never even hesitated. I’ve watched males kill before. I watched Canyon kill Hawke in a fight so one-sided, it was hardly fair. Hawke was no match for him, just as Ricky and Josh were no match for Arizona.”

  Fiera shook her head. “Although they certainly weren’t expecting him, but still, it was really amazing to watch him. You’d never believe it, though, to see the way he usually acts. The kills that day were quick and clean.”

  “He loves her so much.”

  “And our mates love us, too.” Fiera smiled at Makenna. “But you already know that.”

  “Yes. Yes, I do know that.” Would Stone have to kill for her, the way Canyon and Arizona had done for their mates? The thought sent nasty shivers down her spine, so she pushed it away. It was time to pitch in with the others and help Gillian and Arizona get settled into their home.

  Within the next few days, she and Stone planned to move into theirs, but for now Makenna soaked up as much of the Benedict household as she could. She had a feeling that even once she and Stone were settled into their own house, she’d be spending more time inside the Benedict home.

  Chapter Eleven

  Shortly after the first of the year, the area experienced a warm spell, and it was possible once more to walk in the forest without soaking both footwear and pants. While the men loved it because it meant they could hunt, for Makenna it brought back the reality of their situation.

  Gillian must have grown uneasy as the weather turned unseasonably warm, too, because she spent a great deal of time in each of the homes with the others. She told Makenna that although she was happy to have privacy once more for her and Arizona, she no longer felt comfortable being in their house alone.

  “I feel the same way in mine,” said Makenna. “And I don’t think either of us has to guess at the reason why.”

  “Have you and Stone heard anything further from the Elders?”

  “Nothing.” Makenna shook her head. “And unless something happens, I doubt they’ll give it a second thought. Cletus said a couple of things the other evening. He spends a lot of time in town, listening to the gossip. He said the talk in town is that the leopards in that village truly have moved on. People believe there will be no further trouble.”

  “What do you and Stone believe?”

  “Stone and I don’t believe they’ve given up at all. We think they’re waiting until we’ve grown comfortable and complacent over here.”

  “I feel the same way you do. They’re merely waiting for the right chance. What else did Cletus say? You mentioned a couple of things.”

  “He has friends in a village of mixed cats, like ours. It’s much smaller than this one, on the other side of the leopard village.”

  “Arizona has mentioned that village before. They keep to themselves.”

  “They do, but Cletus has been spending time there, and he’s told his friends what’s going on here.”

  Gillian raised her brows. “Gathering allies?”

  “He didn’t come out and say that, but I was left with the same impression.”

  “I realize we outnumber the leopard village in terms of sheer numbers, but allies couldn’t hurt.”

  “Do you and Arizona both believe it will come to a war?”

  “We don’t discuss it much. He knows how much it upsets me. But if I had to give you a definitive answer, yes. We both believe this isn’t over, and that there will be a fight. I don’t know if it will be a fight that involves multiple people, or simply two males. But I don’t believe this will be settled without one.”

  ****

  Late January brought the return of colder weather with it, along with an uneasiness that Stone couldn’t get a handle on. He normally wasn’t one to get premonitions, and that bothered him more than anything. He finally shared the odd sensation with Arizona and Canyon one day, and it freaked him out when they told him they each felt the same way.

  “We can’t tell our mates. Especially Makenna.”

  “Gillian has been uneasy as well.”

  “I’ve been trying to stay positive for Fiera’s sake, but even my father said something is in the air. Something sinister and immediate.”

  “What do you think we should do?” asked Stone.

  “You mean other than what we’re already doing?” Arizona shrugged. “Should we stop working and stay home all the time?”


  “I heard talk that some feel the extra patrols on this side of the village are a waste of resources,” said Canyon.

  “No one would say that if they’d been in my former home the day Gillian was attacked,” said Arizona, his voice filled with anger.

  Stone nodded. “Or if they knew Makenna’s true ancestry. Do you think we made the wrong decision in not telling the village who she really is?”

  “No.” Arizona shook his head. “If you had, there would be panic and vigilante groups storming the leopard village. She has your name now. Nothing useful would come from dredging up Talia’s story again.”

  “I agree,” said Canyon. “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do at this point. We have to wait this out and see if our premonitions are real.”

  “Gillian asked me last night if I’d ever fired a gun. She also wanted to know if the leopards had any.”

  “What did you tell her?” asked Stone.

  “I explained as gently as I could that no shifters, including the leopards, would use such a weapon.”

  “Did she accept that answer?” asked Canyon.

  “Eventually, but she’s never talked about guns before, and it worries me. You know how impulsive she is.”

  “She’s afraid,” said Stone. “So is Makenna. It kills me to see her like this. I’d take a flamethrower to that entire village before I’d let any of them hurt her, but when I tell her something like that, she knows it’s just talk. She knows all any of us can do is wait for them to make the first move.”

  “Gillian says much the same thing, only she adds that their first move might very well result in loss of life for the people of this village.”

  “They only want those with human blood,” said Canyon.

  Stone shook his head. “Not necessarily. They may very well decide that anyone who has associated with those with human blood also deserves to die. They killed the Medina women who had no human blood, after all. That means everyone in this village is now a potential target.”

  Canyon gave him a thoughtful look. “You and Makenna must feel a horrible amount of guilt over this.”