Searching for His Mate

by Ariel Marie

  His bear was enraged.

  He wanted blood.

  He let loose a roar and ran down the stairs, giving into his bear. It burst forth to the sounds of shouting and screams filling the air as more figures descended on the front yard of the cabin.

  The Blackfeet warriors had arrived.

  Chief Wapti’s men engaged into the small battle, fighting the goons that dared try to come take Stacia from him. His bear went on attack, slashing men with his thick claws.

  “Izek, behind you!” Stacia’s scream caused him to turn and catch a man in midair with a large dagger in his hand. They tumbled to the ground with Izek landing on top. Izek sunk his fangs into the man’s shoulder with a deep growl. Blood filled his mouth as he latched on, shredding the goon’s shoulder. The man’s tortured screams filled the air as he tried to get a way. Izek released him from his fangs and dragged the man back as he tried to crawl away.

  Kill him. The words echoed in Izek’s mind, which increased the rage of his bear as he pounded on the man with his massive paws. A single shot rang out, capturing Izek’s attention. He glanced up and immediately forgot the dying man beneath him.

  Stacia stood on the porch, covered in a white robe, but that wasn’t what grabbed his attention. A dark area on the robe appeared and was spreading fast. She stumbled, trying to right herself before she fell down the stairs, headfirst.

  He roared and took off towards the house in a dead panic as he watched her tumble. She didn’t move as she lay at the base of the stairs. He didn’t care about the fight going on as he made it to her side. He instantly pulled back on his bear, needing the human side of him to be present. His bear gave in immediately, allowing the change. They needed to see to their mate.

  9

  Stacia grimaced at the pain. The burning sensation tore through her abdomen from the bullet. After a night of burning passion with Izek, she would have never expected to awaken to the sounds of a small war in the front yard.

  She had thrown the first thing she could grab on and ran to the front door, finding it wide open. Finding Izek’s bear fighting off men, men fighting men, left her confused on why the humans were fighting each other, unless it meant the Blackfeet had kept their promise in providing protection.

  She called out Izek’s name as a man threw himself at him with a raised knife. In doing this, she brought attention to herself.

  “Damn shifters. You won’t make it out of here alive,” a familiar voice shouted before a single shot rang out.

  A burning sensation seared her skin. She gasped and instantly grabbed her stomach. When she looked down, her hands came away wet and sticky. She took a step back, but her feet refused to work with her, and she took a spill down the stairs.

  “Stacia!” Izek’s voice broke through her pain-filled cloud. She felt gentle hands grab her shoulders to turn her over.

  “Izek?” she whispered, the pain spreading throughout her entire abdomen. Intense sharp stabbing pains caused her to gasp so she held in her breath, trying to wait for the pain to dissipate.

  “Breathe, baby,” he instructed, gathering her into his arms. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pain increased from being moved. She didn’t dare let on to Izek that he was causing her more pain.

  The noise surrounding them was lowering as the sounds of sirens filled the air.

  “It’s over,” he murmured into her hair. “Chief Wapti’s men are here, and everything is under control.”

  “The man who shot me?” she asked.

  “Dead,” Izek growled as his hands tightened their hold on her. This time, she couldn’t hold in the pain-filled gasp. “Shit, baby, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she murmured. “It’s not your fault.”

  “It is,” he replied. “I should have protected you better.”

  “Let’s agree to disagree right now,” she said dryly with a pained chuckle, knowing she wouldn’t win this argument.

  “You’re going to need to shift,” Izek said. She knew that he was right, but right now, just the thought of moving was out of the question.

  Stern voices filled the air as more people arrived. She opened her eyes and found GFPD plastered on the front shirts of a few muscular guys striding towards them.

  “Looks like your men are here.”

  “It’s about time,” he remarked as another big, burly man made his way to them. He looked familiar to Stacia. She knew that he was a bear shifter, but couldn’t think of his name at the moment. “Lou, Stacia’s been shot. We need a first aid kit, now. Javri, get this shit under control.”

  She closed her eyes again as he barked commands to his men.

  “Baby, come on. We have to get you up so you can shift,” Izek said, rubbing his fingers through her hair.

  “It hurts.” She grimaced, hating how weak she sounded. She was a bear shifter, the sister to their clan’s alpha. She should be stronger than this.

  “Here’s the kit,” Lou said, settling on the ground on the other side of her. “We need to slow her bleeding down. Don’t let her move.”

  “Here, let me settle her back on the ground.” Izek gently placed her back down. “Hold my hand, baby.”

  “What the hell did they shoot her with? This is one nasty wound,” Lou murmured, assessing her stomach.

  “I have no idea,” Izek answered.

  She gripped his hand tight, unsure of what the bear named Lou was about to do.

  “Stacia, I’m going to put a gelatin sponge onto your wound. It will seal it and decrease your bleeding. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

  “Will it hurt?” He opened her robe slightly to expose her abdomen.

  “It may burn slightly,” he admitted, pausing to look at her. She quickly nodded her head and gripped Izek’s hand tighter.

  “Do it,” she said, as another wave of pain surged through her.

  He nodded before probing her wound. She let loose a deep moan as the pain seared through her. She held her breath as he worked.

  “Breathe, Stacia,” Izek murmured, as tears seeped out of her eyes. She felt his gentle fingers brush them away.

  “Done,” Lou announced, as she blew out a deep breath.

  She opened her eyes and looked to her mate. Concern radiated from his eyes as he brought her hand to his mouth and placed a small kiss on her knuckles. Her bear began to pace, waiting to come forth to help her heal.

  “You did good,” he said. “Now let’s get you up to shift.”

  She nodded, unable to speak from the emotions clogging her throat. Izek stood and lifted her up into his arms, giving her an opportunity to take in the bodies lying strewn across the land. Law enforcement and the local Native American enforcers were gathering up the thugs who had come for her.

  Her eyes met Izek’s as he took steps towards the woods, away from the congestion. Her bear pulsated beneath the surface, ready to come to the forefront.

  “I’m ready.” Her bear pushed a healing energy forward, helping her. Izek slowly lowered her until her feet touched the ground. She took a step away and gave herself over to her bear.

  10

  Izek sat on the bed in the local emergency room, where it was standard protocol to get checked out at the local supernatural hospital after an injury. They wanted to ensure that he was okay. Whenever a police officer was harmed in the line of duty, it was mandated that they were assessed by a physician to ensure that they would be okay to remain on active duty.

  According to the physician, he would give him a clean bill of health. The bullet had gone straight through, and all the scans showed that there was no damage to his internal organs, thanks to his shifter abilities.

  Stacia was in another room, having been ordered by her brother to be seen as well. She went, moaning and groaning when he agreed with her brother and she lost the fight. Landon promised to stay with her until he could be discharged.

  “Are they going to let you out of here?” Javri asked as he entered into the room.

  His friend tossed him a duffle bag. He
rustled through it, finding it full of clean clothes. After shifting and jumping into the fight, Izek didn’t have the chance to grab his clothes from the cabin. One of the paramedics that brought him to the hospital had an extra pair of pants that he was able to borrow.

  “Of course,” he chuckled as he watched his friend lean against the wall. “It will take a little bit more than a human bullet to take me out.”

  “I’m just glad that everything worked out,” Javri nodded. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  “Thanks,” Izek said with a chuckle as he stood up and began to dress. Nudity in front of his longtime friend was not an issue. In the shifter world, nudity came with the lifestyle.

  “Are you two going to tie the knot in the way of the humans?”

  “A wedding? Yes…maybe…I don’t know. We hadn’t made it that far in discussions after mating before everything went to hell,” Izek said, pulling the gray GFPD T-shirt over his head.

  His back still ached slightly where Stacia had marked him, making him hers forever. If he had his way, he’d walk around with no shirt on so that the entire world could see his mating mark. He couldn’t wait to get to her side. His bear was for the first time whining, because it had been a couple hours since they’d seen her.

  “Mr. Compano, here are your discharge papers.” Jaynie, his nurse, flew into the room, shaking papers in her hand. He didn’t miss how Javri’s eyes followed Jaynie’s every move. She was a beautiful African American woman with flawless caramel skin, and curves that apparently had caught the attention of his friend.

  “Thanks, Jaynie,” Izek said as he signed the paperwork, giving him his freedom.

  “It was a pleasure to meet you,” Jaynie said with a smile. “Do I need to get you a wheelchair?”

  “I think the old man needs one,” Javri commented with a cough.

  “Like hell I do.” Izek scowled and flipped his friend off. “Hell will freeze over before someone has to push me around.”

  Jaynie let loose a musical laugh, and Izek found it funny that Javri hadn’t taken his eyes off her yet. Izek smirked at the lovestruck look in his friend’s eyes. He stepped into his shoes and tossed his paperwork into the bag before zipping it shut.

  “Just point me in the direction of Stacia Sagona’s room.”

  Izek quickly found Stacia’s room after leaving his lovestruck friend with Jaynie. He knocked on the door before pushing it open, to find his mate sitting on the side of her bed, dressed identical to him. Javri must have dropped by and gave her some clothes. He’d have to remember to thank him.

  Her family was scattered around the room. Landon and their father, Lakis Sagona, stood and walked in his direction.

  “Thank you for bringing my sister back,” Landon said, offering his hand. Izek took the alpha’s hand in a strong, crushing grip.

  “No problem. It was my pleasure,” he said, his eyes meeting his mate’s from across the room as she spoke softly with her mother.

  “I agree. I don’t know how we could repay you,” Lakis said, offering his hand. Izek shook the hand of the former clan alpha. “Our daughter has shared with us the wonderful news. Welcome to the family, son,” the former alpha said, crushing him in manly hug.

  “Thank you, sir,” Izek said, receiving a pat on his back from Landon as he finally made it to Stacia’s side. Her mother, Saba, was the older version of his mate. It was like looking at her in the future. Saba Sagona was a fierce alpha mate, beautiful, and gave her all for their clan. He had the utmost respect for her.

  “Welcome to the family, Izek,” Saba said with a wide smile and open arms. She squeezed him tight before letting him go. “We were just waiting for the discharge papers. We’ll go pull the car around. Her nurse should be here shortly.”

  Izek nodded and waved to the Sagona’s as they made their way out of the small hospital room.

  “Hey,” Stacia said, standing from the bed.

  “Hey, yourself.” He gathered her into his arms. It had only been a couple of hours since they separated, but to him and his bear, it seemed like an eternity. He dipped his head, and she met him in a short kiss.

  “What is running through your mind?” she asked, twining her fingers behind his head. She stared up at him, patiently waiting for his answer. His hands settled on her lower back, and he loved how her body perfectly molded to his.

  “I know that we have completed the mating bond, but I was wanting to know if you would want to have a human wedding as well?” he asked, unsure of what she would want to do. It wasn’t uncommon for shifters to have weddings; it gave them an excuse to party with their family and friends. He didn’t care if she did or didn’t. He was just as happy with the mating. Her eyes lit up bright as a grin spread across her face.

  “Are you kidding me? Of course I want a wedding!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down. She placed a kiss on his lips that left no doubt that he had made the correct decision to follow his bear.

  Epilogue

  The church was full of bears from their clan, along with shifters from near and far. It had been a while since an heir from the Osawana Grizzlies had mated. Since it was only two heirs, Landon and Stacia, it was the first wedding from the clan leader’s family in almost a century, when the former alpha married his mate.

  The sanctuary of the church was beautifully decorated, and due to it being the Sagona’s only daughter getting married, they spared no expense. It was as if they were getting married in one of those churches straight from a fairy tale. Every girl’s dream. Stacia wanted a fairy tale wedding, since their love was something like it, and her father ensured she got what she wanted.

  Classical music floated in the air as Izek made his way down the aisle, where the groom was to stand. His best man, Javri, walked alongside him. Izek shook the hand of the preceding pastor as they turned to face the audience.

  Izek nodded to members of his unit and police department that was in the audience. His parents were in the front row, along with other members of his family. His twin, Ivan, and Callia, were part of the wedding party.

  “You ready?” Javri asked, nudging him with his elbow.

  “As ever,” he said. The music changed, signaling the beginning of the procession. His bear was impatiently waiting to get a glimpse of their mate.

  He straightened as the double doors at the back of the sanctuary opened. The first bridesmaid and groomsman slowly made their way down the aisle, starting the procession. Each pair smiled and nodded to people in the audience as they made their way to their rightful positions.

  He smiled as his twin, Ivan, made his way down with his bridesmaid partner. They weren’t identical twins, but shared a lot of the same features. Ivan sent a small salute his way before falling into his position. He smiled as he watched his sister, Callia, the maid of honor, get escorted to her position.

  “The bride is coming! The bride is coming!” two small voices shouted in tandem from the doorway. The two young boys proceeded to roll out the white carpet that Stacia would walk down.

  Everyone in the sanctuary stood to honor the bride and turned towards the entrance. Three small little girls appeared at the doorway with their baskets of pink roses. They were all dressed in mini-wedding dresses. The crowd murmured oohs and aahs as the flower girls made their way down the aisle. Izek smiled, his heart starting to pound in his chest. The girls made their way to their positions on the side of the bride.

  The music changed again, this time trumpets sounded her arrival. He turned his eyes back to the doors, and his heart jumped up in throat at the sight of Stacia and her father. Her white dress was sleeveless, tapering at her waist, flowing out in a large ball gown. Her dress was laced with diamonds and silk, and her veil covered her face. His eyes were locked on hers.

  This was his mate; the reason that he breathed. God had saw fit to give him this mate, someone he would cherish forever. The closer she made her way to him, his bear stood up, sensing that she was near. This was the mate that his bear had been searching for, an
d now that she was found, they would never let her go.

  A Letter To the Reader

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for taking the time to read my book! I hope that you enjoyed reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to leave a review to let me know your thoughts. I love reading reviews from my readers. Even if you didn’t like it, I would love to know why. Reviews can be left on the website the book was purchased!

  Again, I just want to let you know that I am grateful for you and hope you will explore one of the other books I have written. If you would like to get notice of future releases or special offers , please follow this LINK.

  Love,

  Ariel Marie

  Sneak Peek: Dani’s Return

  by Ariel Marie

  Chapter One

  She would never tire of the aroma of the early morning fresh air, or the blooming spring flowers.

  Mother nature at her best.

  Daniella Harper smiled as best she could in her wolf form. She trotted back towards the fence that separated her backyard from the open land of the Tennessee State National Forest.

  She reached the stairs of her back porch before slowly morphing back into her human form. The warm rays of the sun felt amazing against her naked skin. She was lucky that she didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing her in all her glory; her neighbors on each side of her home were about a half a mile down the road each way.

  And that was how she liked it.