Unexpectedly Mated (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance): An Alpha male. A curvy but sassy BBW. A trip to Sin City neither will ever forget. (Sassy Mates)

by Taiden, Milly

  “Love? Hot sex? Hot man? Hot man that loves you and gives you hot sex?” Nic tried to supply her answers.

  “Yeah, yeah, it’s all of the above. Damn furball!” Jordan sighed. “I so hope this trip is what I need. I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed with this whole wedding thing. I swear if it were up to me we’d grab a license and be done with it.”

  “Don’t worry, Jordan. We’ll make sure you have fun from the moment we arrive,” Emma promised.

  Uh-oh. Emma was going on planning mode. By the worried smiles and frowns, Emma had knocked some of the fun out of the upcoming trip. She was really good at stressing people out with her incessant plans. “How about we just ensure she gets to a spa and sees some half-naked men. I think that will help,” Nic offered.

  Jordan nodded. Relief flashed through her eyes. “I like how you think, Nic!”

  “Now all we need is to decide when.” Barbara’s enthusiasm was obvious with the way she bounced in her seat like a kid ready to go play.

  “Why wait? Let’s get out of here tomorrow,” Jordan decreed.

  “Let’s do it!” Ellie agreed with a firm nod. “See ya later, Blue Creek. Hello, Sin City.”

  “They’re off to the SAU hotel in Vegas,” Aric answered when Mason questioned the exact location of the women.

  Jake glanced around Aric’s bar and sighed. With his hand curled tightly around his beer bottle, he had to remind himself not to let his anger dictate his actions. But Nic’s message had done what fighting a bunch of rogues for the past few weeks hadn’t. Made his blood boil. He’d been neck deep in blood and gore when he heard of the trip. Glad that Nic and the others would be far from the instability of Blue Creek, he had encouraged his mother when she’d relayed the news.

  Of course, his attempt to keep Nic calm about their relationship didn’t go as planned. So much had gone on. The club and the hunt with Caleb had kept him busy and he thought he’d give Nic room to breathe. It seems that had been the wrong thing to do.

  “Jake, you alright?” Aric asked, his voice deep with concern. He knew better than anyone how hard it was to get these women to commit to their matings.

  “Didn’t you hear?” Mason answered before he could. “Apparently Nic is pissed at him for snooping around her house.”

  Aric’s brows shot up. “Snooping?”

  Mason laughed and lifted his beer in a mock cheer. “According to Ellie, he’s stalking her.”

  “Why are you stalking her?” Aric appeared even more confused.

  Jake growled, the anger over the messages she’d sent him all but pushing his shift. “I didn’t stalk her. I merely checked the perimeter of her house to ensure she’s safe.” He squeezed his teeth together and swore his jaw would break at any moment from the pressure. “Seeing as she’s ignoring my every attempt at talking to her, I have been using the time to make sure she’s okay behind the walls of her house.”

  Mason nodded. “Yep. That’s where the stalking comes in.” He gulped his beer before continuing. “You see, caring for their safety makes us somehow stupid. I still haven’t figured out how or why.”

  Aric chuckled as if the damn thing was a joke. Jake growled again and his brother laughed harder.

  “You have to learn to trust your women to know what they’re doing,” he said as if he knew the inner workings of women’s minds.

  Mason rolled his eyes and slammed his beer bottle on the table. “Bro, you’re one to talk. Jordan is the first to actually accept the change as first mated and you still have guards on her ass like someone’s gonna steal her.”

  “Fuck you, Mase.” Aric growled, showing his younger brother his large canines.

  “I’m not judging. Hell, I’ve told you guys before, if I could figure out how to put a tracker on Emma’s ass without her noticing, it would make my life so much easier.”

  Jake choked on his beer and finally allowed some of his anger to leave him with the laughter that blossomed. The visual of Emma beating Mason over a tracking device to her ass was priceless.

  “Stop worrying so much.” Aric motioned for more beer. “They’ve got Shaari and Kel and like four other enforcers.”

  “Not to mention we’re headed out there in a few hours.” Mason grinned. “Can’t let Emma run around wild for long or she might get herself into trouble.”

  Aric sighed. “Trouble has a tendency of finding Jordan. Besides, I have a meeting with Jaxon Gold.”

  “Nic never gets into trouble.” Jake chuckled. “Thank God for small miracles.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that,” Aric said passing Jake his cell phone. “That’s from mom.”

  “What’s she saying?” Mason jerked out his phone then glanced around. “I didn’t get a message.”

  Jake shook his head, then picked up a beer and took a long gulp. “Mom’s asking when I’m getting my ass to Vegas to claim my mate.”

  “She’s never been that pushy with me.” Mason ran a hand through his hair. “How come you get special treatment?”

  If that’s what he wanted to call it. His mother knew something he didn’t. Nic had been playing games. She pushed him away only to get angry when he wasn’t around. He didn’t understand and was getting tired of it.

  “You should come with us.” Aric grinned at the sound of Jake’s growl.

  Fucking hell. He hated that he glanced down at his phone and his last message from Nic was about how much fun she was going to have because she was a single woman. She had to be looking for a spanking.

  “I think I will. My mate seems to think I’m some sort of toy to be played with.”

  Mason’s eyes crinkled at the corners and his laughter boomed around the bar. “I’m glad I’m not the only one having issues with my woman. They’re a handful, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah, but they’re definitely worth every single headache.” Aric laughed.

  “Nicole?”

  “Hi sis!” Nic felt awful calling her sister from the airport but she was dying to see her. That they’d stay in the same hotel Letty worked at made things that much easier for her. Sadness, along with annoyance that she’d allowed her mother and step-father keep her away from her sister, filled her. She needed to stop letting them piss her off. Misery wormed its way into her heart. It had been so long since she’d spent time with her sister. She was tired of arguments with her mother about the way she chose to live her life.

  “Are you here yet?” Letty’s said breathlessly. “Sorry, lugging a box to one of the storage rooms and trying to hold a phone to my ear isn’t working well right now.”

  “We’ll be there soon, but you’re sure you can make time?” She bit her lip and followed behind the group of shifters and friends, along with Kel, Karla’s brother who decided to join them, and Shaari who was their personal enforcer guard.

  The moment they exited the airport, the heat slapped her in the face full force. It overpowered with its dryness. She squinted and brought her sunglasses down from the top of her head. Beads of perspiration crawled down her back. She needed a shower as soon as possible. Hopefully her room had a massive soaking tub she could lay in for hours and just relax.

  “I’m fine! I am dying to see you. We haven’t hung out since last summer and that was only for a weekend,” Letty said, more shuffling noises coming from across the line. “Call me once you get here. I missed you, sis.”

  “I will. I missed you too,” she mumbled and ended the call. Guilt tore holes in her chest. She’d never do that again. It wasn’t Letty’s fault that their mother was a blood sucking leech.

  A large black Cadillac limo waited for them by the curb. The words SAU and decals with claw marks covered each of the doors.

  “You ladies ready for some fun?” Kel asked, his gaze not once leaving Shaari. Something was going on between those two, but by the way Shaari ignored him, it seemed he had a tough road ahead.

  “I’m ready for a drink and a pool,” Jordan said, fanning herself. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this place was the equivalent of hell on
earth with all this heat?”

  “Oh yeah, this is the reason I hate coming to Vegas,” Emma murmured. “I knew there was reason, I just couldn’t remember what it was. The infernal heat.”

  “Is it just me or does anyone else feel like their sandals are melting into the sidewalk?” Ellie glanced down at her feet and wigged her toes. Her bright pink nail polish contrasted against her pale skin.

  The drivers held doors open for them to hop right into the limo. Cool air filled the inside and killed off some of the exasperating heat.

  “It’s a definite. We’ll have to make sure we never leave air conditioning if we don’t want to burn to ash,” Jordan hissed, popping open her bottle of water and taking a gulp.

  “I thought vamps were the ones that had to worry about turning to ash,” Nic said, pushing her wet bangs away from her sticky forehead. She’d left without saying a word to Jake and it annoyed her that he never bothered to call her. His single text message from that morning had annoyed her even further. ‘Don’t get married.’ Obviously the others were wrong. He loved the single life and he wasn’t giving it up.

  And maybe if she figured out what the hell she wanted, she could demand from him some kind of either sexual or emotional commitment instead of having herself and him in limbo. She had given herself a migraine thinking so damn hard.

  The drive through the desert to the hotels wasn’t long. Nic was used to visiting her family there once she left home. For years her mother refused to forgive her for giving up modeling. She’d made a lot of money and her mother couldn’t understand why she didn’t want the constant spotlight.

  “We finally get to meet Letty!” Ellie cheered.

  It seemed just leaving Blue Creek had done wonders for Ellie and Jordan. There was much more life and enthusiasm in both of them.

  “Yeah. She looks a lot like me, which is weird since we have different fathers, but I guess it’s because we sort of take after mom.” Nic winced. “At least in looks alone. Personalities? Not even a little.”

  “Isn’t your mother on like every charity board there is?” Barbara glanced down at her cell phone, typing furiously fast with her thumbs.

  She sure was. Anything that would get Dina exposure to others in high society meant she wanted to be a part of it. Dina was lucky Nic’s dad had worked hard and had a massive bank account, along with life insurance to his name, before he passed. It really was the only way her mother had been able to spend the past twenty five years without having to work or lift a finger other than to tell her staff what she wanted.

  “Yeah. Everything that revolves around making her seem like she’s at the top of society, she’s there.” Nic hated that her mother was so superficial. So obsessed with making herself and her family appear so materialistic. Even with all those charities, Dina’s ultimate goal in life was to fit in with the who’s who of the west coast.

  When they arrived at the beautiful all glass SAU Hotel, Nic’s brows flew upward. The hotel was massive. It easily rivaled one of the larger strip hotels like the Bellagio or Caesar’s Palace.

  The lobby, all glass with stainless steel along with some columns thrown in, created an atmosphere of modern and antique that blended beautifully. A giant bear, wolf and cat marble fountain sat in the center of the open space. Their big domineering stances showed off the danger as well as the power in the shifter community.

  Chills ran down her spine and goose bumps broke over her arms. “Geez, think the AC is a little high?”

  “I think it’s perfect.” Jordan sighed. She twisted her long hair into a bun and clipped it up. “Have you looked outside? It’s like the bowels of hell opened up without the flames.”

  “There’s no need to be so dramatic,” Emma grumbled, lips twisted in a pout.

  Ellie laughed. “Dramatic? I think Jordan was right on point. I dare you to go sit out in the sidewalk for ten minutes and not come back with blisters on your ass.”

  Emma sniffed. She waved her hand dramatically at Ellie. “My ass is perfect, thank you very much.”

  Kel and Shaari, along with a second enforcer, got their rooms and luggage. Nic’s phone buzzed. ‘Don’t get married!’

  Jake was such a dick. If he didn’t want her to do anything like marry someone else then he should open his mouth and talk about what he did want. A spark of evil lit inside her. She decided to reply. ‘Oops. Too late. I plan on getting roaring drunk and hitched tonight. See you on the flip side, mutt!’ There. Take that and suck on it Jake-too-damn-hot-for-your-own-good Wolfe.

  “Nic?”

  Nicole whirled around at the sound of Letty’s voice. There was a blink of silence before she and Letty squealed and hugged. Her heart raced with happiness. It felt like forever since she’d seen her. She pulled back and stared at her baby sister.

  “You look amazing!” Nic grinned.

  Letty’s eyes, the only thing she got from Nic’s step-father, were big, an almost amber color, and sparkled liquid gold. If she wasn’t her sister she’d swear Letty was a shifter. But she wasn’t. She was a regular human just like Nic with way too many issues with her parents.

  Nic made quick introductions of Letty to the others and continued to stare around the massive hotel. Everything from well-dressed couples to men and women in muddy torn clothing passed by. All shifters.

  “So you’re the sister she adores more than Karla’s chocolate martinis,” Jordan exclaimed with a wide grin and gave Letty a hug. She pulled away and stared at Letty with awe. “You guys look so much alike!”

  “I’m having a hard time believing you don’t have the same set of parents.” Barbara’s interested gaze swept back and forth between Nic and Letty.

  Nic pulled Letty closer. It was so nice to see her again. She had been missing her like crazy. Sadness tugged at her heart. If she made more of an effort they wouldn’t go this long without seeing each other. She wouldn’t do it again. She’d take more time to see Letty and be a better sibling. “Different papas, same mom.”

  Letty laughed. “Are you guys ready to check out your suites? I’ve spoken to Marc Thorne and placed you all on our top two levels.”

  “Oooh.” Emma chuckled. “I’m feeling mighty special. Does my room have a Jacuzzi?”

  Barbara cleared her throat and lifted a brow. “Honey, they all do. And those things are big enough for two with room to spare.”

  Ellie scrunched her nose, shook her head, and made a face to show her distaste. “Mom, I don’t want to know how you know that.”

  Barbara rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Your father and I do travel, you know.”

  Ellie ran a restless hand through her short blonde hair. She’d gotten it cut even shorter than the previous bob. Now it was a sexy, spiky do that made her look absolutely gorgeous. The cut made her eyes appear bigger than before with soft chunks of hair framed around her face. “I love you, mom. Really, I do. But you’re heading in the way too much information section.”

  Barbara sighed. They all followed behind Letty toward the elevator bank. “My kids think there was some sort of miracle conception where they’re concerned.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at Kel. “If only they’d realize it took a lot of growling and spanking to actually get each of them.”

  “Oh my God, mom!” Ellie burst out, eyes wide with embarrassment. The entire group broke into laughter to which she eventually joined in.

  When they arrived at the top two floors, Nic noticed there were individual suites. Massive and sumptuous they made the best hotels Nic had been at— and she’d been to quite a few in her modeling days —seem old and outdated.

  Her suite featured a giant King size bed. But she’d swear it looked bigger than her king at home. A fireplace sat in the living area and there was a bathroom that she was pretty sure rivaled her house in size.

  “Whoa!” She gasped. Now that was luxury.

  “I saved the best one for you.” Letty squeezed her arm. She moved around Nic and placed the keycard on the dining table. Then she headed for the entranc
e. “I have to go back down, this week is super busy with so many east and west conferences between packs taking place here. What’s the plan for tonight?”

  “We’re going down to the bar to have some drinks and then taking Jordan to the strip joint next to the hotel.”

  Letty’s eyes went wide with excitement. “How fun! Count me in. I get off at seven so I’ll meet you guys there.”

  “I’m going to take the world’s longest bath. Then a nap. And probably have a ton of drinks and no food before you show up at the bar,” Nic confessed.

  “That’s okay, sis. You’re on vacation. Live a little.” Letty winked and shut the door behind her.

  Nic pulled out her new sexy gold dress. Cinched at the waist with a flared skirt, the dress made her already curvy body appear even more hourglass. She turned to and fro in front of the mirror and winked at the sexy pinup image of herself. She’d done herself up in a fifties style tonight. Big fluffy curls hung over her shoulders. Her bangs had been recently cut to fall perfectly above her brows. She’d done deep, dark makeup with a bold red lipstick. The dress, with its strapless bodice showed off the arm tattoo she normally kept hidden for her teaching job. Big blue and yellow flowers covered her arm up to her shoulder, along with swirls and stars. She glanced at her ass in the mirror.

  Yeah, her ass looked amazing in that dress. She picked up her drink from the dresser and sucked down another martini. This was number three or four. Not that she was counting or cared. Jake the bastard mutt was back in his club having fun. She could have fun too, right? Hell, she would have fun. Even if it killed her!

  She took a step and wobbled in her brand new heels. Crap. She should probably slow it down with the drinks. Nah, no she shouldn’t. Every time she thought of Jake her temperature rose and she wanted to hit something, so she went for another drink instead.

  By the time she got in the elevator, she had lost count of the number of drinks she’d had in her room. She only knew she felt good. So good she might just slap some guy’s ass at the strip joint and not think of Jake.