by Sydney Addae
“Good, you’re awake. How do you feel? Can you shift?”
She frowned at her scattered wits. “Shift?”
“We need to leave this place. Are you hurt?”
Leave? Of course. She was being held prisoner. But how did he get in and why didn’t she sense him? “No, I’m not hurt. Who are you?” She sat up slowly, watching him.
“Angus Blackwolf, and you?” He placed his hand behind her back, offering support. Heat from his touch raced through her body, waking up her beast, who pushed her to shift and submit. Not so fast, Shyla thought.
“Shyla. Shyla Mason. How come I didn’t sense you just now?” She edged to the end of the super king-sized bed so she could stand.
He shrugged and even that was sexy. Her brain must have gone to mush.
“Must be some kind of blocker. If I could’ve sensed you, I would’ve been here earlier. Now that introductions are out the way, how are you feeling? We need to leave,” he said, taking a few steps toward the door.
She stood and stretched arching her back. “That feels good,” she said, looking around for her boots. “They took my shoes.”
“What?” He looked around the large space but couldn’t find them either. “Seems you’ll need to shift anyway.” He inhaled and shook his head. “Damn.”
“What?” Seeing his pained expression, she searched the room for the cause.
“If your beast is anything like mine, if we shift we won’t leave this room for days. My beast is pressing me hard to mate with you.” He walked to the other side of the room. “Change of plans, no shifting. You can wear my shoes.” He bent and started to remove them.
“No. I’ll go barefoot.” Shyla stole another glance at him and thanked the Goddess. Taller than her, muscular body, and a seriously good aura. She wanted lots of pups with this wolf. Just thinking about little dark-haired pups running around the house made her smile.
“Whatever you’re thinking about, please stop. You’re releasing pheromones and my beast is about to rip me a new one to get to you. After we get out of here, we can do anything you want and more, right now let’s focus on the problem.”
Her cheeks burned. Clearing her throat, she nodded and moved further away. Fortunately, he was thinking with the right head, although it chafed a bit how he could be so clear-headed when all she wanted was to fall back into bed with him inside her. Damn this mating pull.
“How’d you get here?”
Shyla told him about the scroll and what happened after.
“Is that common? For someone to just leave valuable information lying around your home like that?” he asked with genuine curiosity.
“Yes. Mengistia work for higher powers, not pack. Most times the person delivering documents or artifacts has no memories of visiting my home,” she said, watching him carefully to see how much he knew of her world.
“Someone used a trick to get you here. Any idea why?” he asked, maintaining his distance.
“I think a mistake was made, whoever is behind this sounded upset.” She watched his muscles move beneath his shirt. Goddess, he smelled divine, like earth, honeysuckle, and chocolate. Heat flashed to her core. Her nipples ached for his touch.
“Stop that,” Angus snapped. His eyes changed to a dark sea green. “We are somewhere in the middle of the earth with a woman who betrayed the Goddess because she couldn’t control herself. I’ve been told your life is in danger and I need to get you to safety before plunging between your thighs. Now focus on getting out of here.”
His words were like ice cold water on her libido. He was right, this was not the time, and if they were to survive whatever waited on the other side of that door, she needed her mind on other things. “Don’t yell at me.” With that weak rebuttal, she strode to the door and pulled on the handle. It wouldn’t open.
“Did you have any problems opening this?” she asked over her shoulder without looking at him.
“No. Let me try.”
Stepping aside, she returned to her corner in the room and watched as he tried to open the door without success.
“Shit,” he muttered and stopped. “They want us together, why?” he asked softly. “I was told I had to find you to save your life. What did they tell you?”
Curious, she straightened. “That if I didn’t do exactly as she said, my mate would die.”
“Did she say why?”
“Because a sacred book allowed me to read it. Supposedly, only three people in centuries have ever read it. I didn’t understand anything I read, though.”
He waved away her comment and rubbed his forehead. “What’s read cannot be unread.”
“That’s what she said,” Shyla said. “But she never mentioned betraying the Goddess.”
“From what I understand, someone, a male, tricked her. She let him into her chamber and at some point, he took pictures from a sacred text. That set all of this in motion.” He raised his hands and dropped them against his side.
Shyla whistled. “No one’s supposed to go in the chambers except Mengistia. There are secrets that predate humanity, things between the gods. Let’s hope he didn’t take anything that’ll stop the earth from moving.” She smiled at the stricken look on his face. “Just kidding, as far as I know, we don’t have that information on earth.”
“Right.” He paused. “Have you met the Chancellor?”
“No. Was that her chamber I landed in?”
Angus nodded slowly. “I believe so. Which meant she brought you here or knows who did. But why you? You’re not the only Mengistia, are you?”
She shook her head. “No, there are several of us across the world. So why did they pick me?” Now that he’d asked the question, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had to be someone with knowledge of her role as Mengistia, and that was a short list. Her Alpha knew she was pack historian but didn’t know her true title.
“They used some kind of key.”
“What? The words on the scroll?”
He nodded.
She had already assumed that, but how did he know that?
“That key created an opening and took you to a specific place in the stacks, not far from the sacred text, probably a test to see if you could read it. Still, it comes back to you. Why?” He stared at her as if trying to read the story of her life through her skin. Uneasy pinpricks spread across her neck and back.
She shrugged and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I don’t know. Until this happened, I would’ve said I lived the dull life of a librarian. Things like this don’t happen to me.” She stared at him for a few seconds. “What about you? Why’d they bring you into this?”
His brow rose. “Mates?”
“Nope, that’s not it. Not if they told you I would die if you didn’t save me. I was told you would die. Plus, I had no idea I had a mate.” She rubbed her forehead and walked in a tight circle.
“Same here. First I heard of you was when grandfather mentioned it yesterday.”
She stopped. “Grandfather? Black wolf about this tall?” She raised her hand to her stomach.
He nodded.
“Green eyes like yours?”
He nodded.
“When did he step out of dreams?” None of this made sense.
“Not sure, but he told me about you. But that raises another question; who told him? I mean, isn’t assigning mates something the Goddess does?”
They stared at each other for a few moments as those words settled. If the Goddess was involved, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do about it, other than wait and see what happened. “I wish I could reach my Alpha and explain what’s going on, this is so confusing,” she said.
“You can’t reach anyone either?” he asked.
“No, the separation has been hard.” She didn’t want him to think she was weak, but she’d never been this alone before and it freaked her out.
“You’re not alone anymore and never will be again.” His gaze caught hers and held it for a few moments. Mesmerized, she didn’t look aw
ay from the promises, both spoken and unspoken, he made.
“Thank you,” she said through a tight throat.
“Our introduction has been unusual, my brother will no doubt give me grief over it for millennium, but we are mates.” He shook his head. “I digress. Someone wanted us to be together here. At this time and place. Why?”
She clasped her hands together and walked in a tight circle. “Mates coming together for the first time have little control. Maybe this is a test of sorts, to see if we’re strong enough to resist the mating call.”
“Possible.” His brow rose as he looked at her. “How are you holding up?”
“Not good. My beast wants to meet her mate. It’s… it’s difficult to keep her contained and think about our problem.” She bit her lip and turned her back on him. Maybe if she couldn’t see his glorious body she could work through this with him. Then his arousal slammed into her. Her steps faltered as she gasped for breath. No way could she hold out much longer.
“Sorry,” he said in a ragged whisper. “I don’t think I can stop this.”
Shyla gasped as her womb clenched. “Goddess no, not like this.”
“Come here.” His voice had deepened to a gravelly sound that scraped deliciously against her skin.
Compelled by a need and desire so strong, her legs buckled. Horrified that he’d think her weak, she moved toward him and stopped within an arm’s length. He took two steps forward and wrapped her in his embrace.
Without warning, he fisted her hair, forcing her to look at him. Her beast howled in pleasure. Orderly thoughts scattered as she saw her need mirrored in his eyes. Would he take her now and cement their bond? Excitement raced through her as she fought for her next breath. He stepped closer and placed his hand dangerously low on her back. For a moment, they stood like that, inhaling and holding each other.
“I never thought I’d find or have a mate,” he said against her hair. “I’ve walked this earth over 300 years, just never thought there was a you.” His arms squeezed her waist.
“I’ve dreamed of this. Having a mate. Lately, it’s all I could think of. I want to be the center of someone, well, not someone anymore.” She smiled against his chest. “Your world.”
“You are. I left everything to come for you.”
Shyla gasped, her brow furrowed. “They knew that.” She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “That’s what this is about. They want us to mate, to strengthen the bond so they can control us.”
“Shift.”
She eyed him for a few seconds and flowed into her beast. Seconds later, he also shifted and then stood over her. “Do you hear me?”
She yipped as their mental links opened and solidified.
“It’s easier to connect in this form. Now we can communicate without being heard. Why do you think they want to control us?” He moved to stand behind her.
Shyla sat on the floor with her head on her paws for a few seconds before inching closer to him. His tantalizing scent permeated her skin as if he were marking her from the inside.
“Because she told me I had to do exactly what she says if I want you to live. I think you’re going to pay for me reading the book or something like that. If we bond, there’s no separating us. Your life for my life.”
“I’m there already,” he said.
“From what I understand, what we feel now is tame compared to what it’s like as bonded mates. Separation is painful, knowing you’re in any kind of distress will make me crazy, it’s different than this, and this is hard,” she said.
“If that’s true, then they’ll win. I can’t hold out much longer.” He bent forward and touched the back of her head.
Heat from his words scorched her. She morphed to human and remained on the floor looking up at him.
Angus shifted and eased on top of her. “I have to taste you.”
“Please touch me.” Every inch of her skin burned in anticipation. When his lips brushed against hers, tingles raced across her body broadcasting her excitement.
He placed small kisses across her face and then nibbled on her lips. Lifting slightly, he stared into her eyes and stroked her hair. One second, they undressed each other with their eyes, the next, his lips slammed against her, nearly knocking all the wind from her lungs.
Delicious tingles shot through her body as he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips and, with a little encouragement from her, delved inside her mouth. Her brain lit on fire. Warmth spread throughout her entire body as she reached up and tangled her arms around his thick, strong neck. Exquisite moments passed as their tongues dueled with one another. They broke apart on a groan because of the separation.
“Thank you, Goddess.” He placed a quick kiss on her lips. “She is more than I ever hoped for.” His fingers massaged her breast as he watched her eyes flutter with pleasure. “I will treasure her forever and pledge my life to protect hers.”
The potency of his words shattered her lust-filled bubble. “No, Angus. There are some things we can never do. I think all of this will come to that, you’ll have to choose.” She closed her eyes for a few seconds against the concern in his. “Your life will be required for something and it must be something neither of us would normally do, otherwise, they wouldn’t want to use our bond as leverage. I would rather die than betray the Goddess or my Alpha. Please don’t say you’ll do anything to protect me.” Her tone had gone from seductive siren to begging for their lives.
Angus cupped her chin in his palm and stared into her eyes. She meant it. Fear of what lie ahead and those who would use them for some nefarious purpose ravaged her heart. What she said made sense. He’d die for his mate, but how far would he go? Someone was betting he’d lose all sense of self and become what? A cold-blooded killer? Betray someone? He stiffened.
“La Patron.”
Her eyes widened. “What? What do you mean La Patron?”
“Betrayal you said.”
“Why would they pick you for that?”
He ignored the doubt in her voice. “He’s my brother. I’m his beta. I will never betray him.” He rolled to the side, pulling her with him as his heart broke with certainty that this was an attack against Silas. “They cut our mental connection.”
“You’re his brother?”
“Yes. And guardian for his pups. I pledged my life to him and his den, and cannot break that vow, not even for my mate.” His throat tightened as his beast howled in pain with the unfairness of it all. His hand rubbed her soft, silky skin. “Mine.”
She smiled at him, her own eyes filling with tears as she pulled him into a tight hug. “I’ve waited all my life for you and I’m not giving you up without a fight. Together we’ll beat whatever they have planned. I don’t want to lose you, not like this.”
His eyes closed to block the mind-numbing pain in his chest. “If we bond, you will die when I give my life for my Alpha. I won’t risk you.”
How could this be happening? After three hundred years of walking alone, losing his mate would be his end? He served his Alpha, his people, and the Goddess as best he could, only to come to this moment in time? His chest constricted. Tendrils of her sorrow wrapped around his heart, syncing with his heartbeat.
Words of comfort lodged in his throat. She rolled over and stared into his eyes.
“They aren’t going to let us out of here until we bond.” She shook her head. Small curls framed her coffee-colored oval face. A couple large curls swung downward, covering her left eye. “Or at least until they think we’ve bonded.” She continued to pin him with her gaze. Moss green eyes filled with an age-old need melted his resistance. His mate needed him. Now.
Again, he plunged his hand into her short, dark curls and pulled her down. “No biting.”
She nodded. “No biting. But to make it look real, just suck on my neck.” She paused. “I really like that.”
He smiled. “Good to know.”
“Just so you know, I’d still have sex with you even if we didn’t need to get out of here. Do
n’t think I’m only in it for the greater good.” She smiled as she stood and started removing her clothes.
For a moment, he simply stared at his beautiful mate’s long, toned legs, full hips and breasts. The Goddess had gifted him with a full-figured woman. Mouth watering, he stood and stripped without taking his eyes off her gorgeous breasts, small waist, and wide, ample hips.
“Same here.” He pulled her close, slanted his lips over hers and kissed her. The knowledge she belonged to him made this coupling different. Everything seemed magnified. Her taste exploded in his mouth, instantly becoming his favorite, something he wanted with every fiber of his being. Her scent wrapped around him, binding him forever to her will and needs. When her arms around his neck tightened, he pulled her closer, never wanting to let her go. Gasping, they broke apart.
Cock hard and pulsing wildly, he pushed her backward and they fell onto the bed together. The scent of her arousal slew him. Unable to resist, like two magnets, their mouths re-joined. Moans of pleasure filled the air. His hand squeezed and kneaded her breasts as they kissed passionately, hardly coming up for air. They jerked apart for air. His lips and tongue blazed a trail down her neck to her breast. He sucked on a hardened nipple as his finger worked on its twin, tweaking and pulling it gently.
She arched into his touch, moaning and encouraging him to continue. Her words dropped as a match to gasoline, setting him ablaze with a desperate need to claim her. One hand slid lower and dived deep, splitting her sex with two fingers as he worked her swollen clitoris. She was drenched and gasping for more.
Angus eased one finger inside.
“Yesssss,” she hissed at his entry.
"Goddess, you're tight." He hooked his finger and exited, reinserting two fingers. She moved her hips, bucking against his hand, her walls flexed against his fingers. His cock hurt. Need to take her slammed into him. He released her nipple, rolled onto his back, and lifted her above him. Her greedy fingers grabbed his cock.
He groaned and closed his eyes as pleasure rolled through him.
“This looks good,” she said, her thumb spreading the pre-cum juices over the head. “Once we slake our hunger, I need to taste you.”
