Claiming Shayla, Book 6

by Zena Wynn

  He’d told Shayla there’d be no public claiming of her tonight, but by God’s truth, he’d didn’t know how he was going to keep his hands off her, especially once the celebrating began. An alpha taking a mate was a joyous occasion in any pack. According to his father, the Sparrowhawks had celebrated for a week when his parents mated, resulting in several matings and a few pregnancies. In addition, Shay being pregnant meant the future of the pack was well secured.

  He believed much of the unrest among the older members would now disappear. They knew the importance of the pack having an alpha pair. Tonight there would be revelry, some of it sexual in nature. Shifters as a species didn’t have any qualms about public nudity, and the Sparrowhawks weren’t particularly private about sex. His father had seen to that.

  Thinking about it, Rory wished he could have held this at the house where they could party in style with barbecue, beer, and dancing. But the pack couldn’t celebrate until their mating had been formally recognized by the council. In addition, as grounded in tradition as his people were, they wouldn’t be happy unless he made the announcement of his mating at the official meeting place where his father and grandfather and every other member’s mating had been made since settling in this territory in the 1800s. Maybe when they were done, he’d invite the entire pack to the house.

  He drove up the narrow, winding road several miles before turning onto a deliberately overgrown track barely visible from the street. Even if any curious person noticed it, the rough terrain suitable only for pickups or four-wheel drives would quickly discourage them from going on.

  Rory felt uneasy, his wolf agitated. Reaching out through the bond, he sensed Shay’s tension rising the closer they came to their destination. He reached over, snagged her hand off her lap, and brought it to his mouth for a kiss. “Calm down.”

  “I am calm.”

  He let the lie go. She’d see soon enough there was no reason to worry. “I can’t wait to show you off to my pack. My beautiful, sexy mate, Shayla Morgan, soon to be Shayla McFelan.”

  Rory released her to turn into a small clearing where several all-terrain vehicles were already parked. Once he cut off the engine, he undid both their seat belts. “Come here.”

  Taking her hand again, Rory tugged Shay to him and lifted her onto his lap, then simply held her close. She settled in his arms with a sigh. “Maybe I am a little nervous.”

  “It’s just a formality, Shay. A necessary evil, if you will, to be dispensed with so we can get on with our lives together.”

  “I know,” she said, but her tone stated otherwise.

  Instead of decreasing, her anxiety escalated. To settle his wolf, whose agitation was also amplifying, he tugged on his link to the pack, only to discover the edginess he was feeling wasn’t emanating from Shay at all. Both of them were feeding off the pack, which was filled with uncertainty, dismay, and in some, downright anger and distrust.

  Shay stroked the side of his face, capturing his attention. “You’re snarling,” she told him.

  “I’m reading the pack. They’re not happy.” It didn’t even occur to him to keep it from Shay. They were a unit now, and mates didn’t keep secrets from each other.

  “Did you expect them to be?”

  “Yes, damn it!” He slammed his hand on the dashboard. “They’re supposed to be happy and excited for me, not all this bullshit I’m sensing.”

  “Maybe some are, but you can’t blame them for being uncertain, or even suspicious. I’m an unknown. Human. They don’t know what to expect.”

  “That’s no excuse. They—”

  Shay silenced him by slanting her mouth over his. She slid a hand into the hair at his nape and deepened the kiss. His dick, always semiready where his mate was concerned, went stiff as a board. In seconds their tongues and teeth came into play as the kiss turned ravenous.

  When they broke for air, he reminded reluctantly, “They’re waiting.”

  “Let them.” Shay climbed to her knees before shifting to straddle his lap. With the movement, her skirt rose until the crotch of her thong was visible. “You’ve felt what they’re feeling; now let them feel us through the bond. Feel how right we are for each other. Let them see it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks or how they feel about our mating. It’s here to stay.”

  Then she worked that oh-so-short piece of denim material over her hips to her waist and ripped the crotch out of her panties. The scent of her arousal filled the cab.

  “You’re sure? One of my men or the council may come looking for us if we don’t appear soon. They know we’re here. They can sense me just as I can sense them.” Even as he spoke, he stroked the soft curls between her legs.

  Shay untied the knot on his shirt she wore and shrugged it off as she glanced out of all the windows. Seeing no one about, she whipped her tank top over her head, tossed it to the side, then slid her arms inside the sleeves of his shirt. Anyone observing them would see his white dress shirt and not the bounty he saw—perky, brown-tipped breasts, skirt bunched high, and the moisture-slicked curls between her legs beckoning him.

  “Last chance,” he warned, feeling his beast rise.

  In response Shay bared her shoulder and tilted her head to the side. “Mark me.”

  Wolf off its leash, Rory lunged forward and sank his fangs into the tendon between her shoulder and neck, feeling in that moment more vamp than shifter. Shay let out a soft, gasping moan that went straight to his cock, and reached up to clutch his hair in a tight grip while rocking her sex on the hard bulge in his pants. “God, that feels good,” she panted.

  “This will feel even better.” He eased a hand between them and undid his pants. His engorged cock sprang free, right into Shay’s greedy little hands. In an instant she had him positioned for penetration. As she lowered, Rory surged up, clamping hard hands on her hips to keep from bucking her off his lap. Their ride was short, rough, but extremely satisfying. When it was over, they wore matching bite marks and the scent of sex clung to them.

  He blasted the link with his pack wide open. This, this is what my mate gives me. This is what you in your selfishness seek to deny me!

  Rory made sure they felt the love, peace, joy, and sheer contentment he found in Shay, and his displeasure that anyone would seek to disallow his right to be loved and love in return. Then he shut the link down, shut them out.

  “What was that?” Shay asked, rubbing her chest lightly.

  “You felt it?” he asked, surprised she was sensitive enough to pick up on his psychic connection with the pack.

  “Some. I could tell you were communicating with someone and whoever it is, you’re not happy with them. Of course, this scowl would have told me that.” She kissed the side of his mouth and did a little shimmy on his lap, smiling when he hardened inside her again.

  Still frowning, this time at his mate, he asked, “Are you always going to use sex to coax me out of my bad moods?”

  She arched a brow. “It works, doesn’t it?”

  Smiling reluctantly at her logic, he brushed a lock of hair out of her face and said with a sigh, “Put your shirt back on and straighten your clothes. Let’s get this over with and go home.”

  PISSED ON HER mate’s behalf, Shay did as instructed. Shannon was right. The Sparrowhawks weren’t simply going to welcome her with open arms, no matter how much Rory might wish differently. Hence this little lovemaking session she’d engineered. She needed to rub it in their faces that she and Rory were mated and nothing they said or did would change it.

  “Show them graphically you two belong to each other,” Shannon had said. “Wear his mark proudly. Arrive at the howl covered in his scent. Be obvious. Let them all see your mating’s a done deal.”

  With Shannon’s instructions ringing in her ears, Shay used her torn underwear to wipe the excess cum from between her legs, then tucked the scrap of material in her front skirt pocket. She tossed Rory’s shirt to the side and slid on her tank, knowing it left her shoulders bare and marks visible. Over the course
of the last few days, Rory had marked her so many times that the scars were visible to the naked eye, despite the healing saliva in his glands. Wearing his possession like a shield of armor, Shay indicated she was ready.

  “You going like that? What happened to the shirt?”

  Shay wrinkled her nose. “That thing swallowed me.”

  “And you’d rather be half-naked instead?” he asked, scowling at the length of her skirt. “When you’re not wearing panties?”

  “I’m covered,” she argued, glancing down to be certain.

  “Barely.”

  “I thought you shifters considered clothing optional,” she teased.

  “As long as it’s not my mate, I do.”

  Laughing, Shay reached in and grabbed his shirt, tying it around her waist. The material fell to her knees, covering all but a small portion of her thighs in the front. “Better?”

  His gaze fell to her breasts, and her nipples responded by tightening. With a sigh, he muttered, “It will have to be. I just hope no one dies tonight. Pack’s small enough as it is.” Rory placed his hand on her lower back and escorted her forward.

  As they shoved through the heavy foliage with Rory leading the way, Shay caught a branch before it could slap her in the face. “You guys ever think of trimming the underbrush or cutting back the overgrowth?”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “We get a lot of tourists in the area. The last thing we want is some noisy human, thinking they’ve found a new hunting or hiking trail, discovering our existence.”

  “Other than the noisy human comment, which I’ll let slide, that makes perfect sense, but still, do you have to keep it this bad?” She slapped at a bug that landed on her arm.

  “It gets better up ahead.”

  He was right. A few yards ahead they stepped out into a large clearing with a knoll in the center. The area was filled with people standing around in groups talking. The minute she and Rory came into view, Shay found herself the center of attention. Their animosity hit her like a body blow.

  “Show no fear. Don’t let them sense any discomfort or uneasiness you might be feeling. Shove it down, way down inside and lock it away.”

  As Shannon ’s words drifted to mind, Shay straightened her shoulders and slid on the attitude that came as naturally to her as breathing. She didn’t walk. She strutted into the midst of them like she owned the place and the people and didn’t care who didn’t like it. These people didn’t know her, and she wasn’t here for them. They could take their hostility, their suspicion, and stuff it where the sun didn’t shine.

  A path opened before them. The loud talk dropped to barely a murmur. King of all he surveyed, Rory led her through his people. She’d seen the concerned brother, the nagging pest, the lover and caretaker, and his wolf and half-shifted forms, but Shay had never seen him in true alpha mode.

  Once they reached the centermost, highest point of the rise, Rory turned to face them, holding Shay with her back to his chest. He looped one arm across her chest, and the hand of his other rested on the slight swell of her belly; his hold was both protective and possessive.

  Shay relaxed, allowing Rory to support her weight as she glanced over the motley group. Upon closer examination, Shay discovered they weren’t as intimidating as they’d originally appeared. Well, as long as she didn’t think about the fact that the majority of those present could rip her throat out before she could blink.

  The members present comprised all ages and races, though there were very few young children. The ones she did see were male. Some of the women offered hesitant smiles. The younger, unmated—Shay assumed from the way they were acting—males were checking her out: face, tits, and thighs. Males were the same everywhere, no matter the species.

  Standing to Rory’s right were the men he’d previously identified as his second and third, Caleb and MacDougal. To his left were three older gentlemen, which by process of deduction and Shannon’s detailed descriptions, Shay concluded must be the council. They reeked of arrogance and barely concealed hostility. Shay smiled, a big teeth-baring grin, laughing inwardly when the middle one stiffened in outrage.

  Rory did some type of metaphysical mumbo jumbo that had her heart pounding faster and the hairs on her arms and nape standing at attention. One by one, silence fell as gazes lowered in recognition of his power.

  “Tonight I introduce to you your alpha-fem. My mate, Shayla Morgan!”

  Chapter Ten

  The small spattering of tepid applause ended abruptly when one of the men to the left stepped forward and boldly—albeit stupidly, in Shay’s opinion—proclaimed, “She’s not your mate until the council officially recognizes her as such.”

  Shay remembered her conversation with Shannon. “Beware the council, Shay. If they refuse to recognize your mating, then some of the more die-hard traditional members of the pack won’t either. Your pup will be labeled a bastard and considered not fit to lead the pack when the time comes. More importantly, the men will consider you usable and the women will consider Rory fair game. Now Wesley, the youngest and most arrogant of the council, will be against the mating simply because he didn’t sanction it first. He’s been full of himself ever since he was given the position.”

  “Protocol demands that the council vet her, make sure she’s suitable to be your mate before you claim her,” the oldest-looking member of the council stated harshly.

  “Graham is the pack’s historian. You’ll know him instantly as he’s the oldest. He’ll be against the mating because he’s a bigot. Hates humans, vampires, women…almost everyone.”

  So the old Native American-looking dude was Graham, Shay thought, as a few low murmurs rose from the group.

  “I’m alpha,” Rory reminded in a quiet, deadly tone.

  Graham sniffed. “Be that as it may, how do we know this woman, this human”—he spat out the word human the way a racist would say nigger—“is capable of being the alpha-fem the pack needs?”

  Shay felt the pinprick of claws biting into her skin. Behind her, Rory burned like a furnace. She felt a light sheen of sweat break out where their bodies touched. His chest vibrated with a barely contained growl. Pushing aside her own outrage, Shay prepared to enjoy the show.

  “You dare to question my judgment?” Rory asked in that same quiet voice.

  “That’s what it sounds like to me,” Shay responded.

  When Graham’s eyes narrowed on her in intense dislike, she smirked. No sense wasting time getting the old dude to approve of her, and really, Graham was just the kind of tight-ass Shay liked to mess with. Their reactions were so comical.

  He flushed red and snarled, “As elders, we have a responsibility—”

  “Don’t preach responsibility to me. Remember who established your positions and gave you those responsibilities…and who can take them away,” Rory said sharply.

  “Uhm, guess you heard that,” Shay murmured, pursing her lips.

  Graham shot a venomous glance at Shay.

  “Rory, Graham, let’s all calm down. Rory, why don’t you tell us why, after all this time, you selected this charming young…woman to be your mate,” the remaining councilman said.

  “Bertram is usually the voice of reason, but don’t let his calm nature fool you. He won’t like you and Rory mating any more than the others. He’ll simply use a different, more subtle approach to voicing his displeasure.”

  “And while you’re at it, tell us how you expect her to bear you the pups you need to succeed you as alpha,” Wesley added.

  “She can’t. Human females are incompatible with shifters. Everyone knows this,” Graham said.

  Stupid asses, couldn’t they smell she was already pregnant? And these clueless idiots were the people Rory counted on to help him lead the pack?

  “Graham’s right. Humans are for fucking, not mating,” MacDougal stated.

  “Et tu, Brutus?” Shay asked drily, unsurprised by the lack of support coming from Rory’s third. And she didn’t appreciate the lascivious look he ga
ve her. Again Shannon was right on the money.

  “MacDougal will be against the mating because with Rory mated, the chances of him ever becoming alpha grow slimmer and further away. He’ll go ballistic when he discovers you’re pregnant.”

  “Maybe it’s time for some new blood. After all, his sister proved her unnaturalness, and Kian… Well, need I say more?” Graham stated sourly.

  Oh shit, he did not go there. Rory’s going to blow a gasket, Shay thought and braced for impact.

  It was the pack that erupted. People arguing for and against the mating. Shay only caught bits and pieces. They seemed divided on the issue of whether or not as alpha, Rory should be allowed to pick his own mate without interference, as his father and grandfather had. Others seemed disturbed that he’d chosen a human to mate with and not one of their own. Yet another group seemed to feel that this latest decision of Rory’s was proof that he needed to step aside and let someone more capable lead the pack.

  The only person who seemed unaffected by the chaos was Caleb. He stood alert, intent, and bodyguard ready. Watching him, Shay doubted he missed a thing. He was aware of who was for and against Rory, and if anyone made the mistake of moving toward them, he was going to be there first.

  They grew louder and louder. Some of the men broke into fights. Instantly Caleb was a shield in front of them. Shay stared around in amazement. Dang, Rory had said his pack was fucked-up, but this was beyond all comprehension. Good Lord, no wonder Shannon had decamped as soon as the opportunity became available.

  “Enough!” Rory’s voice roared out.

  Some of the women and men quieted, but a good bit continued their “discussion” as though he hadn’t spoken.

  “I said, ENOUGH!” A wave of power shot out of him so strong Shay had to grab hold of him to keep her knees from buckling. Everyone else fell like dominoes, one after another, from the weakest to the strongest, until they were prostrate on the ground.

  What the hell was he doing, and did she have that power too? It was a handy little trick.