by Kim Fox
They were fated mates.
On the drive up here, she would have laughed at the notion, calling it silly and ridiculous. A fabrication from the crazy minds of her shifter-loving friends.
But today was different. She was living it. She could feel the intense bond flowing through her veins, making her crave her sexy bear shifter mate.
She looked up at the clouds in the sky and smiled. Even the dark rain clouds that were coming in couldn’t sour her mood. She would welcome the rain. It would mean that she and Ashton could curl up in his bed and spend the day having a sex marathon.
“Hello,” the cheery girl at the reception desk said with a smile.
Lauren glanced at the name tag pinned to her polo shirt. “Hi, Candice,” she said, smiling wide. “Have you seen Ashton anywhere?”
Candice smiled knowingly. “Last time I saw him, he was looking for you.”
Lauren’s heart drummed in her chest at the pretty girl’s words. Even though she knew that they were mates and that a mate meant everything to a shifter, Lauren was still a little nervous that he wouldn’t be interested in her after they had sex. She knew it was stupid but she always felt that way after sleeping with a guy.
But the drop of uncertainty disappeared when he walked in through the door and looked at her with pure love in his dark eyes. His wide grin stretched from ear to ear as he rushed forward, swallowing her in a bear hug.
“Don’t crush me,” she gasped as he squeezed her a little too hard.
“Sorry,” he said, releasing her at once. “Are you okay?”
She stepped on her toes and gave him a long soft kiss. “Mmmm,” she moaned, licking his sweet taste from her lips. “I am now.”
“What do you want to do today?” he asked as they walked outside.
Lauren turned and waved to Candice before she walked out the door. Candice gave her a little wink.
“It looks like it’s going to rain,” she said, looking up at the dark clouds coming in. She looked at Ashton with a grin. “What can we do all day if we’re stuck inside?”
By the heated look in his eyes, he knew exactly what to do. “Come with me,” he said, pulling her hand towards his trailer. “I’ll show you.”
***
Lauren left Ashton’s trailer at the end of the day exhausted and beyond satisfied. She smiled as she turned back and saw him standing on the other side of the screen door, looking amazing in his pajama pants, naked from the waist up.
I’ll never get tired of that body. It’s like an amusement park.
Every time she was on it, she had to strap in for the wild ride.
“Come back soon,” he said, licking his delicious lips.
“I will,” she said, still panting from their last sex session. They had so many all day that she had lost track of how many times they did it.
But not her orgasms. She had five of those.
Lauren wasn’t about to forget any of those toe-curling, back breaking, breathtaking experiences.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said as she picked up the pace, skipping towards the inn on legs that were still weak and trembling from her last orgasm.
It hadn’t rained all day but that still didn’t stop them from locking themselves inside Ashton’s trailer for their sex marathon.
“Shit,” Lauren said as the rain started coming down. It doesn’t rain all day but starts up the second I step outside.
She laughed. You need a shower anyway. You’re full of sweat, saliva, and…other fluids.
Lauren really didn’t want to leave her sexy mate but she had to check in with her friends. They had returned over an hour ago and she wanted to make sure that they were okay, and let them know that she was as well.
“Oh,” she said, stopping short when she ran into the reception area. The three stooges were there: Matt, Paul, and James.
They stood in front of her like a wall. She glanced over Matt’s shoulder but the reception desk was empty. She gulped as her stomach hardened with nerves.
All three of them were glaring at her as they stepped forward, sending a chill down her spine.
“How was your hike?” she asked, trying to sound carefree and casual like her heart wasn’t pounding harder than it had during her fourth orgasm. “Where are the girls?”
“Let me see the video,” Paul said, glaring at her with his hands on his hips.
No. Lauren’s hand shot to the back pocket of her jeans where her phone was sitting. They told them. Lauren wondered which one of her friends spilled the beans, but it didn’t matter. They knew.
“What video?” she asked, playing dumb.
“The video of the shifter,” Matt said, stepping forward.
Lauren could feel her face turning white as her stomach hardened. This wasn’t good.
“I don’t ha-”
“Cut the shit,” Paul said, gritting his teeth closed. “Your friends told us you have a video and we want to see it.”
“You saw a real shifter?” James asked with wide eyes. He looked more impressed than threatening.
Lauren gulped. “I didn’t see anyt-”
Paul lunged forward and grabbed her arm as Matt stepped around her and snatched the phone out of her back pocket.
She opened her mouth to scream but Paul was quick, pressing his foul-tasting palm over her mouth, muffling her cries for help. “Don’t,” he warned with his horrible eyes only an inch from hers.
A thrilled giggle bubbled out of Matt as he watched the video on her phone. “Look at this,” he said excitedly, turning the phone so Paul and James could watch.
Lauren’s stomach sank as she watched Ashton’s bear phase into his human form.
Sorry, Ashton. I make a lousy mate.
She should have deleted the video by now but she was so wrapped up in desire for Ashton that she had forgotten. Her mind didn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders since she had met the sexy bear shifter.
“And look at this,” Matt said, scrolling through the pictures to the one of Lauren and Ashton on the mountain. “He’s her boyfriend.”
“Perfect,” Paul growled in her face, his horrible breath assaulting her nose. “Just like I hoped.”
“We’re taking her?” James asked.
A vile smile crept across Paul’s face as he stared into Lauren’s terrified eyes. “Yeah, we’re taking her. She’s exactly what we need: shifter bait.”
Paul’s hand clamped down on her mouth as she jerked her head from side to side, trying to break free and scream for help.
He finally let go after a short fight and she opened her mouth to let it rip but a dirty rag covered her nose and mouth from behind.
It was Matt.
Holding a chloroform rag to her mouth.
The world faded to black like she was falling into a deep sleep as the chemicals filled her lungs.
The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was Matt lifting her up off her feet and carrying her outside.
ten
“You bonded to her?” Cole asked, staring at Ashton in shock.
“I did,” Ashton replied, standing proudly. “The dry spell has been soaked.”
Cole slapped a meaty hand on his back, making him wince. “Congrats, bro,” he said, pulling him in for a quick hug.
“That’s great,” Jennifer said as she chopped some bok choy on the stainless steel counter of the kitchen.
After his shower, Ashton had come to the restaurant to tell Cole and Jennifer the good news. He wanted to tell everyone. Hell, he wanted to climb the tallest mountain in Montana and scream it out to the world.
Lauren was his mate! He still couldn’t believe it.
“I’ve seen her around,” Jennifer said, smiling as she pushed the chopped bok choy to the side and grabbed another. “She looks like she’s a good match for you.”
“She is,” Ashton said, smiling wide. She’s a perfect match for me.
He knew it the second that they had kissed. Her lips curved perfectly to his.
“Isn�
�t she leaving?” Cole asked, reaching for a chicken wing that Jennifer was cooking. She slapped his big hand away before he could get one. “What are you going to do?”
Ashton sighed. It was true. She was leaving but he had one last Hail Mary up his sleeve. He just hoped that she was going to say yes.
“I’m going to ask her to move in with me,” he said, feeling more excited at having said it out loud.
Cole took in a deep breath of air as he smiled.
“Isn’t that too soon?” Jennifer asked. “You just met her.”
“I only knew you for a few days,” Cole said to her. “When mates are involved, the normal rules don’t apply. They’re clearly meant to be together. So, why wait?”
Ashton felt the exact same way. Why wait?
He wanted her now. He knew that she was the only one for him, so why postpone the inevitable?
“I’m just saying,” Jennifer said, shaking her head. “You shifters have no doubts when you bond with a woman, but she’s a human after all. She may have some doubts. It may be too soon for her.”
“What about you?” Ashton asked, leaning back on the counter. “Was it too soon for you when Cole bonded?”
She exhaled long and hard, smiling as she thought back on it. “No,” she said, wiping a strand of ash-blonde hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t too soon at all. I couldn’t move here fast enough.”
“And now you’re stuck with me,” Cole said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Don’t remind me.”
“See?” Ashton said, feeling better than ever. “It’s all going to work out. We’re fated mates.”
“I know,” Jennifer said with a nod. “But you should also be dated mates. Take her out a few times and get to know her better before rushing to move in together. It’s a big commitment. You shouldn’t skip the dating part of the relationship just because your bear bonded to her.”
Maybe she was right. But Ashton didn’t want to slow down. He wanted to slam on the pedal and have her move in as fast as they could.
His thigh buzzed, making him jump. He never carried his cell phone around but he had it glued to him whenever Lauren wasn’t by his side. He wanted to be accessible to her at all times.
“Hold on,” he said, pulling it out.
His face dropped when he saw the text on the screen.
“No,” he gasped, nearly dropping the phone through his shaking fingers.
“What’s up?” Cole asked, moving over with a concerned look on his face.
Ashton couldn’t speak. He couldn’t think.
He just handed over the phone while his mind raced to every worst possible outcome.
“What the hell?” Cole said as he stared at the phone.
It was a picture of Lauren sent from her phone. She was tied up to a chair with a rag in her mouth.
Under the picture was a block of text: Come to 682 Harwood Road. Alone. No cops or she eats a bullet for dinner.
Cole looked completely confused. “Who the hell woul-”
Ashton darted out of the kitchen before he could finish. He sprinted to the old gray pickup truck as fast as he could, running through the heavy rain like the world was on fire.
“Wait!” Cole shouted, chasing after him.
Ashton ignored him, jumping into the truck and starting the engine. Cole ripped open the passenger side door and climbed in, soaking wet from the rain.
“Out!” Ashton grunted through clenched teeth.
“I’m coming,” Cole said, shaking his head and sending water droplets flying.
“It said to come alone,” Ashton said, turning the wipers on. The rain was really coming down now, slamming into the windshield with a stinging force.
Cole refused to move. “They’ll never know I’m there.”
“Fine,” Ashton grunted, throwing the truck into gear. He didn’t have time to argue.
He had to go save his mate.
***
Lauren groaned as she opened her heavy eyes and looked around. Her head was pounding, her burning wrists tied tightly behind a chair. She couldn’t move her legs with the rope tied around her ankles.
“Mph,” she groaned as the dirty rag that was stuffed into her mouth made her gag.
Where the hell am I?
She was inside of a barn but she didn’t know where. The tall wooden walls were rough and rotting with equipment hanging from rusty hooks: shovels, ropes, pitchforks. There was straw scattered over the floor with stacks of hay against the far wall. It smelled like sawdust and animal urine.
Matt and Paul were setting up a camera in the corner, their assault rifles leaning against the wall as they worked.
Lauren fought back tears as she assessed her situation. It wasn’t good. The ropes were tied incredibly tight around her wrists and ankles and she couldn’t move at all. But it didn’t stop her from trying. She rocked them back and forth over and over, trying to loosen the rope.
“You’re awake,” James said from beside her. She darted her head in the direction of his voice. She hadn’t seen him there.
The little troll was stacking a bunch of avocados on the table, touching each one carefully like it was a hand grenade.
“Your boyfriend better not try anything with me,” he warned, furrowing his brow as he spoke. “Or I’ll annihilate him with avocados.”
Lauren would have laughed if there wasn’t a dirty rag stuffed into her mouth. It appeared that she wasn’t the only one who got the faulty information about the avocados.
She grinned, desperately wanting to see James go up against Ashton with only an avocado in his hands.
“Good evening,” Paul said as he walked over with Matt by his side.
Lauren cringed as his hand came towards her face, but all he did was untie the rag in her mouth.
She coughed and choked as he pulled it away and stuffed it into his back pocket.
“What the fuck?!?” Lauren said, glaring at them. “You kidnapped me?”
“Kidnap is a strong word,” Paul said, rubbing his chin. “We’re just using you as a prop for our television show.”
“Are you fucking mad?” she asked, squeezing her hand into a fist. Wait until Ashton hears about this. “This is highly illegal.”
“It’s show business,” Matt said, waving a hand at her. “You’ll thank us later when you’re famous.”
“No, I won’t,” she hissed through gritted teeth. Because you’ll be dead.
“We just need your assistance for a little while,” Paul said, trying to sound charming but coming off as completely nauseating. “Then you’ll be free to go.”
“What do you need me to do?” she asked, her stomach fluttering with nerves.
“Sit tight,” Paul said, placing a vile hand on her shoulder. “Once we capture the shifter, we’ll let you go.”
Lauren wasn’t so sure. She didn’t trust these guys at all.
She suddenly remembered what Matt had said before she blacked out from the chloroform: Shifter bait.
“You’re not going to be able to capture him,” Lauren warned. “I’ve felt how strong he is. You don’t stand a chance.”
Paul strolled back to the far wall where his assault rifle was leaning against the wall. He picked it up and looked it over quickly. “Don’t tell us what we can’t do,” he said, starting to smile. “We’ve been planning this for a long time.”
“That’s right,” James said, tossing an avocado from hand to hand. “We think we know what we’re doing.”
Lauren wanted to laugh at him but those huge guns were making her nervous. She knew that Ashton had enhanced healing capabilities but even he couldn’t recover from the devastating effects of those guns.
“What are you going to do to him?” she asked, cringing as she waited for the answer.
“We’re going to expose him to the public on our television show,” Paul said. “And then rake in the bucks.”
“Imagine the ratings we’ll get when we show the true nature of shifters,” Matt add
ed. “How vicious they really are. We’ll be heroes when the public sees us kill one in self-defense.”
No. Lauren felt lightheaded as she glanced at the large gun hanging from a strap on Matt’s shoulder. They’re going to try and kill Ashton.
“But shifters aren’t vicious,” Lauren said, pleading with them. “Please don’t kill him. He’s a nice man with a gentle heart.”
“Yeah,” Paul said with a shrug, “and I’m a poor man in need of a television show.”
“What are you going to do with the money when you’re behind bars?” Lauren asked. “Murder and kidnapping people are illegal.”
“Not if you don’t get caught,” James said.
Lauren motioned to the many cameras set up around the barn. “It’s all on tape.”
Matt shrugged. “We’ll just edit those parts out of the final cut,” he said nonchalantly. “You won’t be seen in the episode.”
“But how do you know I won’t tell the cops after?” she asked, paling as she realized the answer.
Matt and Paul shot each other a glance as Lauren’s stomach hardened. They weren’t planning on letting her go.
Once they got Ashton here and phasing on camera, she would be a liability, a loose end.
And then, she would be dead.
eleven
“It’s that place up there,” Ashton said as he shut the truck off, killing the headlights that would warn the dead men that they had arrived. He had parked a long way down the street to try and sneak in and catch them off guard.
The rain was coming down hard now, pelting the roof of the pickup truck like the pat pat pat of gunfire.
“What’s the plan?” Cole asked, looking at him from the passenger’s seat. “Fur or skin?”
Shit. Ashton had been so worried about Lauren, trying to get there as fast as he could that he forgot to think up a plan. How could he with his mind racing at a million thoughts a second?
