by Ravenna Tate
After he led her to the sofa he took a seat, but Fiera scooted away from him toward the far end. Having her here in this cabin was pure delight, as well as torture. His dick was rock hard, and all he wanted to do was claim her as his own. Right now. Before anyone could find them and interfere.
But Canyon would not force her. That was as bad as claiming a woman who wasn’t your mate. He moved next to her. “Fiera, you’re with me. You’re safe now. No one will find us here.” Canyon stroked her hair, inhaling her scent. His entire body was on fire for this woman.
“You make it sound like being inside this cabin solves everything.” One of the things Canyon loved about Fiera was her spirit. This was no meek, mild female, and that excited him even further.
“We have enough food and supplies to stay here for a week. And don’t worry about your father. Stone and Arizona are staying with him. He won’t be alone.” Stone Rockwell and Arizona Collins were his two best friends. Canyon would trust them with his life.
Fiera’s father, Cash, had been losing his grip on reality ever since he’d lost his mate ten years ago. Fiera’s uncles had called on a couple of healers, but neither of them had been able to slow or reverse the mental decline. Canyon had heard his parents talking late one night, and they believed Cash had simply given up.
As such, Cash’s family business was in trouble. Fiera had no brothers, and the males in her family weren’t known for their business skills. Canyon and his father believed the Medinas were taking advantage of that, but they had no actual proof. Not yet, at least.
Canyon was convinced this was why Hawke had suddenly come forward and tried to claim Fiera. They were only using her as leverage. That had to be the reason, because she wasn’t Hawke’s mate.
“You’re my mate, Fiera.” Canyon stroked her hair again. “We belong together. I’ve waited long enough. It’s time to make this official.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d sensed both desire and fear in her at his touch. Canyon had always attributed the latter to her youth and inexperience. But this time, he glimpsed something else in her eyes, and it caused him to draw away his hand. The last thing he wanted to do was upset his mate, but why was she so conflicted? What had he missed?
“I thought you’d be happy about this. It’s the only way we can finally be mated without Hawke’s family interfering. The Elders have declared it as law, so now there’s nothing to stop us. You want this, too. Don’t try to tell me I’m wrong.”
As she shook her head slightly, her eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t interpret. Before he had time to process the fact that she’d moved, she was at the front door. She could move faster than he’d realized. He sprinted over to her and put his arms around her, his entire body aching with the need to hold her and make love to her.
“Let me go.”
It nearly broke his heart to hear the hardness in her sweet voice. It also made him see red again. “Fiera, what is going on? You told me I was your mate. We belong together.”
She struggled against his grip so hard he released it. He didn’t want her hurt. The look she gave him was more fearful than desperate as she tried to open the front door. “Unlock it.”
“No.”
“You said we were going to talk.”
“We did talk. What else is there to say? You’re mine. We can stay here for days if we like. And when we leave, I’ll have marked you as my mate. It will be official, and there’s nothing anyone can do to reverse that.”
The pain on her face confused him even further. What the hell was going on?
“You don’t understand. I can’t do that.”
Canyon cupped her face, but she pulled away. “Don’t touch me again.”
“Fiera, tell me what’s wrong.” Why was she treating him this way? What the fuck had happened in the space of a week?
“This is wrong. You and me. I can’t let it happen.”
“Why not? You said—”
“I know what I said, but I was mistaken.”
“No. No you weren’t mistaken.” Canyon shook his head, as much to clear the confusing images as in protest of what he’d just heard. “Hawke said something to you, didn’t he? He did something to you!” A dark haze filled Canyon’s mind. “If he touched you, I’ll kill him.” Canyon pulled Fiera into a tight embrace with one arm, while he pushed her hair aside to look for a mark.
“Stop that! He didn’t mark me. Let me go.”
The softness of her skin, coupled with her scent, drove him to distraction. Her lush curves molded against him, fueling his desire. He’d waited so long for this girl, and now that she was this close, he could barely control his arousal. She was aroused, too. He could smell it on her. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
“Fiera…” Canyon brushed his lips along her hair, forcing a soft whimper from her. “Stop fighting this. I won’t hurt you. We’re meant to be together. We both know it.”
As he moved his mouth to her neck, she drew in a shaky breath. Canyon bit her skin gently, but not enough to break the skin. Not yet. Her soft moan sent a rush of heat to his entire groin, and Canyon knew he was nearing the point of no return.
When he pressed his lips to hers, fireworks exploded behind his closed eyelids. But as he pulled her closer to his body, she jerked her mouth away from his. Canyon nearly recoiled at the fear and resignation in her beautiful blue eyes.
“Stop! Please! You don’t understand.” Her voice came out in a breathy whisper, and it was filled with the same desperation he saw on her face.
“You’re right.” Canyon tightened his grip on her. “I don’t fucking understand any of this. Explain it to me.”
This girl had been his since the moment he’d met her, and up until recently, she had told him she felt the same way. If Hawke had done or said something to change her mind, he’d fucking kill him in the town square, with his bare hands. And damn the consequences. Without Fiera, Canyon had no reason to live.
“I’m the only heir to my family’s business. If I mate with you instead of with Hawke, they will have my father declared mentally incompetent and take what’s left of the business.”
What?
“My family will be ruined, and my father might as well be dead. You don’t completely understand their power. They will do this, Canyon. Of that I have no doubt. Things are already in motion. I can’t stop it unless I allow Hawke to make me his mate.”
As Canyon stared at her, his entire world tilted on its axis. He did not want to believe that the Medinas would stoop this low, but now he had no choice. Everything he and his father had suspected was true, only it was far worse than he’d imagined.
“They actually told you this?”
“Yes. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you this past week. When I’m near you…” The look on her face said it all. She did want him. He’d been right about that. His heart filled with joy until she sucked in a hard breath as if she was about to cry. “I only want to be with you, Canyon, but I can’t. I have to take Hawke as my mate instead.”
The knowledge she still believed he was her true mate meant nothing in light of this revelation. If he claimed Fiera as his own, she’d lose everything her family had worked generations for. But if he gave her up to Hawke, Canyon would lose his mate, and he and Fiera would both be miserable for the rest of their lives.
End of sample chapter
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-alphas-taboo-mate-by-ravenna-tate
Find all Ravenna Tate’s books here:
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/ravenna-tates-book-list
filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
