by Piper Fox
Lexi bit her lip as she nodded. “I get why you do so much yoga now.” She smirked. “You didn’t tell Dom, right?”
“I wouldn’t betray your trust. But the pack’s going to find out soon enough. About you and Garrett. About wherever I’m taking you.” She pursed her lips at Lexi. “Did he claim you?”
Lexi pulled down the front of her shirt, until the mark was visible. “Just drive me home. Please? I need to make sure those Bellemares haven’t done more damage. And I need to check on my horses.”
“The pack’s been rotating shifts all night. No one’s touched your property line except Ironhaven wolves.” Nichole smiled softly. “And now that you’re mated to one, I’d like to see the Bellemares even try.”
“Still, I want to keep an eye on things. It’s still my house.” Lexi sighed. “I don’t even know how all of this is going to fall out. It happened quickly.”
“Like it usually does with wolves. Just be glad you didn’t have to go through what I went through.” Nichole frowned as she pulled into Lexi’s long driveway. “Jesus. Maybe you should stay with Garrett. Let the pack deal with this.”
Lexi pushed open the door and shook her head. “Hell no. This is my home, Nichole.” She got out and headed to what was left of the house. She knew it was only a matter of time before Garrett showed up again, but she wasn’t just going to stay in his bed the rest of her life.
Nichole got out and stood next to her for a minute before saying, “At least call someone to stay with you, if you’re going to insist on being here. It’s not safe.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a mate now. I can handle myself.” To prove the point, she held out her hand, trying to figure out how claws would come out. Even though nothing happened, she knew the changes the other women went through. It was only a matter of time, right?
Nichole left after a little while, and Lexi went inside to change.
All day, every time someone from the pack came around, she hid. She doubted it did much good, with their wolf senses, but no one bothered her. No one tried to drag her back to Garrett.
And he didn’t come around, not even once.
Maybe Lexi had misread the power of a mating. She didn’t seem to have any powers, no claws, no teeth, and Garrett wasn’t making any effort to find her.
At nightfall, Lexi heard them. The Bellemare pack.
“You’re sure she’s inside?”
“All alone. I guess the one who took her didn’t care all that much about her after all.”
“Let’s finish this, get back to Zain before the other pack comes sniffing around again.”
Lexi ran downstairs, grabbing her shotgun as she went.
She got off a shot before they got too close. But one shell didn’t do much when there were five wolves. Her buckshot barely slowed him down. Damned wolves and their healing abilities. She aimed at another one, but before she could get the shot fired, the nearest wolf shifted and lunged.
The Power of a Mate
Garrett couldn’t believe she just left.
He was sure she knew, she understood, just what being mated, being claimed meant.
Still, she left.
Garrett had no doubt where she was. He didn’t need the pack reports to know that she was back on her land. That property she loved more than anything else.
The property that clearly meant more than he did. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so hasty to claim her.
He ached to go to her, to be by her side, to protect her. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe just wearing his bite would be enough to keep the Bellemares at bay. Maybe she’d be safe, just by virtue of being his mate. It wasn’t unheard of for mates to not have the passion, the need that seemed to accompany every couple in the pack.
Maybe she just didn’t need him.
At sundown, he headed out to the back porch, just like he always did. Only this time, he didn’t bring a beer. He just walked out into the woods and screamed. Shouted for Owen.
“Gods damn it, Owen. I stayed away. I let you be out here, let you grieve. But I need my big brother.” He fell to his knees and dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t know what to fucking do.”
The sound of paws padding lightly through the underbrush drew Garrett’s attention. The man who shifted and stepped into the clearing wasn’t Owen. It was Merrick.
“What are you doing out here?” Garrett stared up at his Alpha, frowning.
“Same thing you are. Looking for Owen. Trying to bring him back into the pack.” Merrick squatted next to Garrett and sighed. “But I think maybe you’re the one who needs my help right now.”
“Tell me something. Sierra’s always been stubborn, obstinate. Is she any better now that she’s your mate?”
“Worse. She gives me a run for my money every day. She’s the only one in the pack I can’t control.” Merrick smiled. “Not that I’d want to. I love her for her spunk. I love that she challenges me, every day. I’m pretty sure both me and my wolf would roll over and show her our bellies if she really challenged me.”
Garrett chuckled despite himself. “Is it worth it? Being mated, even to a stubborn mate?”
“More than I can possibly describe. You want to tell me why you’re out here, looking for Owen, when the pack says your mate’s in a burned-out house, all alone? Covered in your scent, wearing your bite.”
“She ran. She doesn’t really want to be my mate. The only thing she really cares about is that ranch.”
“You care about Lexi? You want her in your life?”
“I need her. And I need my brother.” Garrett sighed. “They’re my family.”
“Then go after her. Be by her side. Fight with her if you have to. Don’t let her walk away so easy. Not if you really want your mate.”
Garrett stood, just as he heard a wolf’s howl.
Not just any wolf in his pack. Owen’s howl.
Merrick cursed. “Shit. That’s coming from the direction of Lexi’s farmhouse. Go. I’ll call the rest of the pack.”
Garrett and Merrick both shifted, and Garrett ran through the woods as fast as he could.
A mile or so from Lexi’s, Owen’s wolf fell in line with him.
Garrett got to the edge of the property line just in time to see a wolf tackle Lexi to the ground. The pained howl that tore from his lips drew the rest of the Bellemares’ attention, and Garrett and Owen both surged forward into the fray.
They’d sparred so often together, fought side by side, it was like they were moving in tandem. They took out two of the wolves easily before other Ironhaven wolves joined in.
Garrett made a beeline for Lexi, but before he could attack, the beast got flung into the air.
Lexi rolled over and snarled, her eyes glowing yellow as she bared her teeth, just like a wolf. Blood dripped from her claws, and she lunged at the wolf again, fighting as viciously as any female pack member he’d ever seen.
Garrett’s wolf barked proudly as he bounded over to her, letting her take the lead. He stayed back, watching, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble.
But damn, was Lexi holding her own. She moved with grace, with power, throwing her weight into the wolf, swiping with her claws and teeth like she’d been trained to all her life.
When the beast finally limped away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake, Garrett rushed to her side, nuzzling her as he checked for wounds. For damage done to his mate.
“I’m okay, Garrett.” She buried her face in his fur, throwing her arms around him.
He shifted and sat on the ground, scooping her into his lap as he held her tight. “Don’t ever fucking leave me again.”
Lexi chuckled. “I can protect myself, Garrett.”
“I know. Gods, you were incredible. But you don’t have to take on the world alone anymore.” Garrett intertwined his fingers with hers. “You’ve got a mate now. If you had asked, I would’ve come back with you.”
“You could’ve found me. I’m not stupid enough to believe that no one in the pack told you I was here.”
She curled into him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “It wouldn’t have taken a rocket scientist to figure out where I was, even without the pack.”
“I thought… I was afraid you didn’t really want me. That you cared more about this land, this ranch, than even your own life.”
Lexi shook her head. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from watching Nichole with Dom, it’s that when you’re mated to a wolf, you can have everything.” She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “So, I’m going to be demanding. I’m not giving up the ranch. But I’m not giving you up either. When you’re at the station, washing the fire engines, wear a fucking shirt. I won’t be held responsible for any mauling that happens if the women in this town can’t keep their eyes to themselves.”
Garrett chuckled. “I can agree to that.”
Merrick and Roark shifted into their human forms. “You guys okay?”
“Yeah,” Garrett replied. “Everyone else?”
“Dom found Taylor and Joe by their posts where they were watching after Lexi. They’re banged up pretty bad. Dom and Chuck are getting them to Ethan. Fucking Bellemares,” Merrick said.
Lexi sighed. “I’m sorry, Merrick. I didn’t mean to…”
Merrick interrupted her. “This is your home. I’d be the same way. I don’t have a problem making sure you’re protected while you’re at home. You’re part of the pack. You’re safe with us. The Bellemares are on borrowed time.” The last words came out as a growl.
Lexi’s voice was small. “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.”
“This is because of them. Not because of you,” Roark said.
“You’re worth it. Any mate is,” Garrett said quietly.
Lexi rested her head on his shoulder.
“Are you good here?” Merrick asked.
Garrett nodded. “Go check on the others.”
Merrick and Roark shifted and headed into the woods.
Garrett saw his brother’s wolf along the tree line, and he knew they had backup. Owen was still running around like a wolf, but knowing he’d ventured back to the pack, even just a little bit, was better than nothing.
“Will you come home with me?” Garrett asked.
Lexi grinned and nodded. “Yes, please.”
“I’m going to tie you to the bed for a week,” he growled, as he lifted Lexi into his arms and hauled her to her truck.
“Promises, promises.”
Rebuilding the farmhouse wasn’t exactly Garrett’s forte, but the whole pack pitched in. They worked on it to Lexi’s exact specifications. With one exception.
Garrett demanded the addition of a back porch.
It took weeks, and more than just sweat went into it, but it was worth it for the smile on Lexi’s face the first night they sat in their front room together.
“I can’t believe you wouldn’t just let us start fresh,” Garrett grumbled.
“This is home. It wouldn’t be the same built fresh. I like the character of the squeaky stairs, the kitchen sink that drips just a little.”
“Yeah, I’m fixing the sink.” Garrett laughed. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. Anything to make my mate happy.”
Lexi pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Don’t you have some back porch sitting to do?”
Garrett scooped her up into his arms. “Come with me. If Owen does decide to come over, I want him to be able to meet you.”
She giggled as he carried her through the house. “Do you think he’ll ever rejoin the pack? Rejoin civilization?”
Garrett’s expression hardened a little. “I hope so. But there’s no forcing him.” He settled on the porch swing, keeping Lexi in his lap, and smiled. “Maybe as we give him more family, he’ll decide he’s got more in town than just heartache.”
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. I’m not ready for wolf babies quite yet.” She snuggled close. “Maybe we could get a dog or something. Start with that expansion, go from there.”
He gently rocked the swing back and forth, watching the sunset over the trees, just glad to be with Lexi. He couldn’t wait to start a family, but he’d give her all the time in the world.
He’d give her anything, just to keep her in his arms.
Epilogue
Owen
Owen never expected Garrett to move. He’d loved that house.
But he could hardly blame Garrett. If he’d been able to keep his mate, he would’ve followed her anywhere.
Lexi was just what his brother needed. A spitfire, a stubborn fighter. The kind of woman their mother was, the kind of woman who would keep the fireman on his toes.
Owen knew the pack was looking for him, trying to get him to come back. He heard Merrick’s howls, and it took everything in his core to keep from answering the call of his Alpha.
He just wasn’t ready to rejoin the pack. He wasn’t ready to face the fact that he’d let his mate die.
At least keeping an eye on his little brother at the farmhouse wasn’t so bad. Hell, Lexi even started leaving the barn door unlocked on winter nights, just so Owen could sleep in the hayloft if it was too cold.
Owen couldn’t have anticipated her.
He caught her scent one afternoon while he was running along the border, keeping the territory lines strong. She’s on the wrong side of the boundary, though, and the more time he spends around the Perry Ranch, the more he yearns to cross the border and scent her out.
Figure out who she is, and why he’s drawn to her.
He doesn’t want another mate.
But there’s just something about her, something he can’t put his paw on.
Something that calls to him, even when she’s miles away.
Owen’s story, Mated to the Savage Wolf, is available here!
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Also by Piper Fox
Ironhaven Pack Romance Series
The Alpha’s Mate
Bitten by Her Mate
Saved by Her Mate
Mated to the Beast
Kidnapped by Her Mate
Mated to the Savage Wolf
About the Author
Piper Fox writes steamy paranormal romances for sassy, strong-willed women and the sexy, alpha men who love them.
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Copyright © 2020 by Piper Fox
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests write to the author directly.
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Kidnapped by Her Mate / Piper Fox
First Edition June 18, 2020
Cover by Germancreative
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