Azrael_Big Cat Shifters Looking for Fated Mates

by Crystal Dawn

  “You guys better not make a mess.”

  “Caro and I only have a candy bar each. The mess makers are in the back.” Diniel explained.

  He growled. “We’ll clean up any mess we make.” The two in the back assured.

  They’d better clean things up. He had enough on his hands right now with a new mate and the huge move his people were making. An hour later, he pulled out his candy bar. “Would you like one? I have an extra.”

  “Why not? Thank you.” She said as he handed one to her. Maddie opened it and took a bite moaning as she tasted it.

  Goddess! Her moan made him want to stop the car and take her on the hood. Looking at her, she seemed to look a bit younger. Could the change be coming on her so quickly? He had to admit he knew little about the change in humans when they mated his kind. Most avoided mating with humans and those that did rarely tried to change them. The risk was great but she was a white wolf so that risk was minimized.

  What would happen was impossible to know, but he felt sure she would change. There was no way to know what kind of cat she might be. If she was turning from his bite, he could however be sure that she was a cat. That was enough for him.

  “I guess you like it?” He asked.

  “I do. It reminds me of European chocolate. The caramel is one of my favorites.”

  “Mine too. Looks like we have something in common. We’re halfway to Danny’s.” He observed.

  “You guys want to head straight home or stop at Danny’s?” She asked. The guys in the back called for a stop. “You guys don’t get a vote.” They both began to mumble.

  “I don’t care either way. I’d like to see Danny, but dropping in at the last minute may not be the best thing.” Viv said.

  “I’m with Viv. I’m fine either way.” Diniel admitted.’

  “Me too.” Caro said.

  “Okay, we’ll stop near St. Louis to eat then get on our way. We are way behind on our project.” Maddie admitted.

  “Not really.” Diniel said. “You’re only a little behind because Ariel took over running it.”

  “Bless her. That will help so much.” Viv said.

  “That’s what family is for, but I need to do something good for her.” Maddie noted.

  “Maybe we should have a party when the first building is done? We can invite the family and play games.” Caro said.

  “You’ve got a good idea. We’ll do some kind of party.” Maddie agreed. He hoped he’d be invited too. It would be a chance to woo his mate.

  Chapter 8

  The Way Back

  The drive was long and they stopped a couple of times. She noticed Azrael watched the road and glanced at her occasionally as he drove along toward home. It was difficult to understand what had happened between them. The only male she’d ever had in her life had been her husband. That was confusing, but it had felt good.

  What he had said about them being mated now confused her. They’d had sex once why would that make them mated? Did one bite on the neck make all that difference? God help her, but there were feelings in her that made her miss him. Her intention was to stay away from him for a while and see what developed.

  “You’re thinking really hard.” He mentioned.

  “My life has gone through some changes. I’m not sure what to do.” She admitted. “I need some time and distance right now.” He didn’t look pleased, but he would accept it. She was sure of that.

  “Why don’t we get together at some meals?” He asked.

  “You mean like we already do?”

  Now he grinned like a little boy. “Just like that.”

  “Okay. I can agree to that. After all we have to spend some time together for me to decide how I feel about us.” She admitted.

  The look on his face now almost scared her. It also made her want him. Was it her imagination or was she getting more wanton in her old age? The energy she used to have was also threatening to come back. Could it be the change? He’d mentioned mating but not changing her. Ariel might be able to help her with that.

  They were hitting Springfield now, the one in Missouri, So close to home and she could see they were all terribly tired, especially the two in back who probably had all kinds of cramps. Had they not been so dumb and involved in criminal activity, she would feel bad for them.

  “I’ll be so glad to get home and take a bath. I feel dirty.” Viv declared. The two in back moaned.

  “You two better learn to keep those thoughts to yourself.” Diniel directed.

  “Do you mean you guys have those thoughts too?” One of the guys in back asked.

  “We’re gentlemen, not dead.” Diniel answered. “You’re going to learn to be gentlemen too.”

  “Goddess just kill me!” The guy doing all the talking said.

  “That’s not out of the question either yet.” Azrael observed. That immediately shut them both up.

  She understood young men and the way they talked, but they did need to learn to put a cap on it around young women like her Caro. Viv and she were used to it, but that didn’t mean they always liked it either. The distraction seemed to help and it seemed like no time before Azrael was pulling up to her house.

  “Thank God we’re home!” Viv said. They were all pleased their trip had come to an end, but none so much as Viv. She’d had a nightmare for far longer than she and Caro.

  Now they were home she’d finally be able to clean up, eat a decent meal, and rest in a bed she’d slept in growing up. In a day or two, she should be back to normal, hopefully. Meanwhile after a nap, one she couldn’t do without, she planned to take things in hand and see where they stood. It would not be fair to leave Ariel in charge of their projects since they were home now.

  A quick text to everyone she knew had been searching for them and taking care of things while they were gone, and she intended to rest too. “Viv, you and Caro go clean up and rest. I’ll fix a snack if you’re hungry. Thank you, Azrael and Diniel for helping us out. Tomorrow I’ll get on the projects and try to get you a report on where we stand now. I’ll see you in a few days.” It was a dismal and they recognized it as such.

  “What about your two wolves?” Diniel asked.

  “You two. You’ll stay in the barn for now. Clean up after yourselves and don’t destroy anything. After I rest up, I’ll be by to see you.” Her voice held a threat they couldn’t miss.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” They both said hurriedly before rushing off to the barn. They probably had no idea how nice it was out there.

  “You’ll be too nice to them.” Azrael said.

  “They’ll work hard and redeem themselves or they won’t. It will be clear to everyone. They’re getting a chance pure and simple.” That said, she turned and headed into the house.

  She went through the food in the fridge clearing some out and making a snack of what was still good. Viv and Caro both came in for a snack. “I think Azrael has his eye on you. There’s signs of a bite. Did you mate?” Caro asked.

  “I’m not sure. He says we did. Give an old woman a break child. It’s been a rough few days and my mind is muddled.” She insisted and Caro immediately quieted although it was obvious she wanted to say more.

  Both Viv and Caro stared at the bite marks. All she knew was she needed rest now that she’d eaten and next a long talk with Ariel would help her understand what had happened. It seemed like she should have a part in any mating and she’d done nothing, not even resist. Azrael was sexy as hell that was true. An old girl like her should be thrilled to have bagged a sexy young male, but how would she ever manage to keep him?

  It wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed the way any females around him stopped and stared. She’d heard some even tried to get his attention. Poor Lucia had tried and been broken hearted but admitted he never encouraged her. What was she going to do with a mate like that?

  The three of them finished their snack with plenty left over and she thought of the wolves in the barn. Already she knew what she planned to do with them and if it worked out,
it would be good for everyone. They needed a job and Viv needed workers. Construction workers, if they were good, made better wages right now than a lot of local workers.

  Packing the food up, she carried it out to them as soon as Viv and Caro headed to bed. “Hey, Guys? Are you decent?”

  “We’re never decent, but we’re dressed. I’m Dillon and this is Todd.”

  “I remember both of you. Dillon, you’re Dwayne’s little brother. He’s worried about you. He asked that instead of going to the council’s prison, we would give you a chance to redeem yourself.”

  Both males shivered. “Glen said we wouldn’t go to prison. He said this is within our traditions.” Todd explained.

  “He lied. You were slated to go, but I claimed victim’s rights. If you don’t behave, you could still be sent there. They know who the other guys are now and they’ll have their chance to redeem themselves too. For now, I brought you some food. We won’t mistreat you, but you will work hard and behave in a proper fashion. When you aren’t working, you have cable and games out here. Do you understand?”

  “We do.” Dillon said and Todd nodded.

  “Eat, sleep, and clean up. I’ll see you in a few hours.” As she left, the males fell over the food.

  Now she would shower and get some rest. Once she woke up, there would be a lot to do. Stripping bare, she stepped into her shower turning the water as warm as she could stand. It relaxed her muscles and made her think naughty thought of Azrael. It made her wonder if he was thinking those same thoughts of her.

  Drying off, she went to bed naked. Getting under the covers, she wondered if sleep would find her. It was good for her that it did. Waking hours later, it was around noon. She felt invigorated. Her body had more energy than she had felt in years.

  Hopping out of bed, she dressed for work then went to the kitchen where she started coffee before getting to work on breakfast. The scent of food cooking lured the two wolves to the door. When they knocked, she opened it to let them in.

  “I have a pile of food. I’ll get you a plate and you can eat. Hard work needs to be fueled. While you eat, you can take turns telling me what experience you have in construction.” They were probably older than her, but they reminded her of her boy when he was younger.

  Plated full, they began to eat. Their manners needed some help, but she overlooked it. “I worked cutting wood one summer. I also was a plumber’s assistant but he died.” Dillon explained.

  “My dad is a carpenter, but we got in a fight and I took off.” Todd admitted.

  “Needless to say, Dillon you’ll be with our plumber and Todd will go to the carpenter. Remember these guys need to give you a good report.” She added.

  Both wolves nodded enthusiastically, but she wasn’t fooled. That was no guarantee of good behavior in the long run. Viv and Caro were still sleeping and she wouldn’t dream of waking either of them. They had a dramatic incident to recover from. Once she and the guys were done eating, they headed out to the apartment house. Surprisingly, it was nearly done.

  She knew the plumber she’d hired from way back and she introduced him to Dillon. “I’m hoping he’ll be a good helper to you.”

  Old Abe looked the boy over. “I’ll give him a fair shot. I could use a young ‘un to help out. These knees don’t work as good as they used ta. You’re lookin’ pretty spry this morning. What’s your secret?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s the herbs I’m taking.” She replied.

  Now she took Todd to one of the teams that worked with a carpenter. They were two short since the two Viv had worried about had quit or maybe Ariel had helped them to decide to leave. “This is Todd. I hope he’ll be good help.”

  The group all nodded and greeted him. The lead took him and began to show him what to do. She was getting some looks, but she left before anyone asked her a thing. With so much done, Viv might miss out on the project finishing. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing if she could present Viv with a finished project.

  Now that she had everyone working and the leads taking charge, it was time to get back home to get supper started, sort emails, and see what she could do next about housing Azrael’s people. If they were truly mated, they would be her people. Dear Lord!

  The way back was quiet with no one in the truck with her. Her house wasn’t loud either with Caro and Viv resting. She decided to put on a big pork roast with lots of potatoes, carrots, and onions. Everyone liked it and it was easy. Once that was started, she pulled out her laptop and got on her emails. There were two thousand. Pulling them up was slow because of the large amount, but it went faster as she moved through deleting and saving them.

  Only a tenth or so of them were important. Many of the others were spam and she began the process of making sure they didn’t send her more emails. As she worked through the emails, the smell of cooking food began to make her stomach grumble. She got up and made sheet cake that went in the oven for dessert. A salad would go nicely with the roast so she fixed that too. There was never any way to know who might show up.

  Now that most of the meal was ready to go, she took her truck to get her two boys. Todd and Dillon had just got off for lunch. “Hop in guys and we’ll go home to eat.” They usually got an hour so they had plenty of time.

  When they got back, Azrael and Diniel were waiting. “What’s cooking good looking?’ Azrael asked.

  “Pork roast.” She replied.

  “Sounds good.” Diniel said.

  She opened the door and they all went inside where the smells of the food cooking filled the air. Azrael and Diniel cleaned up and she told Todd and Dillon to do so as well. As she dished up the food, all the guys sat at the table except Azrael who set out the plates. She liked it when the males were useful.

  In minutes they were all sitting around the table eating. Everything had turned out good so far. She’d even warmed up some hot rolls that had gone over well. “I’ll have to take Dillon and Todd back to work after dessert.” She observed.

  “No worries. Diniel will take them and I’ll help with the dishes.” Azrael offered.

  She looked at the two of them in surprise as Diniel nodded. “Well okay. If you’re sure.”

  Everyone was done with their meals so she got the sheet cake. Food went fast around paranormals. They ate most of it. Now it was time to cleanup and Diniel escorted the two wolves outside. Azrael began to clear the table. That meant it was time for her to wash the dishes. As she stood at the sink washing them, he came up behind her pressing against her.

  His mouth was pressed to her ear. “I’d do just about anything for you.” He whispered. Desire rolled over her. Azrael had barely touched her and she was close to coming. “I can smell your need. Let me make you feel better.”

  It was tempting, so very much so. “I’m not ready for that.”

  “We’ve already done that, Baby.” He was right. But if they did more wouldn’t it force her into a relationship? “We’re already in a relationship.”

  “I said that out loud?” She asked.

  “You did. Let’s finish the cleaning up and we’ll talk more.”

  They were done ten minutes later. His arms circled around her as he steered her to the couch. She was practically in his lap as he held her tight. “We were made to be together.”

  She had to admit she felt it physically. But what about mentally and emotionally?

  “Can’t you feel how much we’re tied together? You even blooded me on my neck and I feel a strong bond there.”

  “Is that what a female cat does?”

  “It is. I was shocked that you managed to break the skin with your blunt teeth. I can’t wait until your fangs come in.” He admitted.

  She felt weak and needy. Azrael lifted her into his arms. Knowing she should protest, she still said nothing. He seemed to know where her bedroom was and he managed to open the door and kick it closed. Laying her on the bed, as she watched he began to strip. The male was amazing as inch after inch of golden skin was revealed. A light bit of h
air covered his chest with a trail pointing lower to his shaft.

  As he freed himself, he was large and hard with the tip dripping his love juice showing his need for her. Heaven help her as the need rolled over her. His musky scent, stronger than usual wrapped around her. His eyes gleamed with a dark gold as he stared at her with his cat looking out. The thought of his inner feline appealed to her. Was she crazy to want to rub up against his fur?

  The male leaned over her then situated himself with his staff between her legs as he held himself above her with his arms on either side. Her breathing became heavy with need. She wanted him, plain and simple. Her husband was a distant memory as Azrael’s mouth lowered to hers. His tongue licked her lips as her mouth opened inviting him in.

  Her neck itched where he’d bitten her. Fluid gushed in her channel preparing her for his possession. Heaven help her, all she wanted was for him to take her now. The need made her legs spread wider as she felt her female juices gushing. His shaft probed between her legs then started to slide inside.

  Her channel clenched around his large shaft squeezing it so hard he grunted. He pushed in and out slowly at first until he picked up a rhythm and kept at it moving her closer and closer to the explosion she felt building up. When she finally blew, it was incredible. Her scream was loud and long. She writhed and convulsed and he must have erupted as well because he was slamming into her over and over.

  It took a while before they both collapsed against each other still writhing. She gasped and moaned until she finally came under control. “Goddess!” Azrael said. “I’ve never felt like that before.”

  He rolled over and continued to try to catch his breath. Her control came first as she watched him continue to roll around and heard his breathing begin to slow. This was something different than what she’d had with her husband. That had been softer and sweeter.

  “I wasn’t sure if I would survive. It’s still something I want to do again.” He admitted.