Cherished: True Mates Book 5 (BBW Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance)

by Olivia Arran

  “Amanda’s an Alpha, she can look after the women,” I snapped out, impatience finally getting the better of me.

  “You always talk sense, Oliver,” Amanda replied, puckering up and blowing me a kiss.

  Tarq growled, shooting me a dirty look—as if it were my fault—and pulled her to him, stealing the kiss from her lips in a display that left her gasping.

  James cleared his throat, tendrils of his power demanding immediate attention. “This is the last time I’ll agree to change the plan. Anyone not happy after this, tough. Luis—you go with Oliver to rescue the women.”

  Fine by me, so long as we actually got a move on. Like tonight, before the sun comes up. My fingers twitched as James finished issuing orders, and Sean, Tarq, and Cole stripped off to shift.

  Why was everyone moving so slow? Like we had all the time in the world?

  When the mated guys grabbed their women, each kissing them with a passion that made me want to close my eyes and stick my fingers in my ears, I finally lost it, stomping off to the edge of the clearing.

  “Sucks, doesn’t it?” Cole said in a low voice from behind me. “I mean, I don’t begrudge them their happiness, but man, I don’t need to see it to know what I’m missing.”

  “I just don’t need to see it period,” I ground out.

  “You don’t want that?” His tone was full of disbelief.

  “It’s not that I don’t want it. I just don’t care.”

  “Man, that’s harsh. But that’s you. I mean, imagine if you did find your mate? You’d have to actually talk to her!” he chuckled, the sound loud in the silence of the forest.

  I let him laugh, knowing he didn’t mean anything by it. He was only speaking the truth—what would I have to say to a mate? Years of training had short-circuited my ability to make small talk and created a mental block when it came to expressing things. Like feelings. I shuddered, visualizing how that would go if I ever had the chance. From what I had figured out by watching others, my ability to feel things was…impaired. Probably from the training too. Which was fine by me. It all looked too fucking complicated. My teeth grated together, and I tugged the band from my hair, scraping it back and retying it at my neck.

  Finally, James gave the word and we moved out, predators stalking through the forest, each with prey in sight.

  ***

  Oliver

  In small groups, the team split off, circling around to their designated target.

  An owl hooted deep in the forest, breaking the blanket of silence that had fallen. It was quiet—too quiet for my liking.

  Signaling Luis, I broke away from the side of the large house, slipping up behind the guard and, in a movement so ingrained it was like riding a bike, snapped his neck.

  Not a sound had escaped his lips, the takedown textbook-perfect. My old instructor would have been proud. Sliding him silently to the ground, I kept my eyes peeled, just in case I had missed another guard.

  Luis crept up the steps, his eyebrows wriggling in a comical fashion as he eyed the incapacitated guard. “You don’t waste any time, bro. A bit handy aren’t we?” he whispered, before flicking his eyes to the door in silent question.

  “I’ll go in first, you keep watch out here. I’ll signal you if it’s clear.”

  Grateful that Luis just nodded before leaping up to crouch on the overhanging roof, I was about to shoulder down the door, but pulled up at the last second. I reached out a hand. I wonder if—? The handle gave easily, the door sliding open with a faint click.

  Nope. Not locked.

  Inching the door a fraction wider, I eased into the room, taking a moment to let my eyes adjust to the soft glow from the lamp in the corner. I was standing in an old rustic-style kitchen, with scarred wood counters and a roughly tiled floor. Though shabby and worn, the room had a well-loved feel to it, not a crumb or speck of dirt in sight.

  And those were flowers in the window, I noted, eying the artfully arranged bunch of wildflowers. Someone had tried their hardest to brighten up an otherwise dismal room.

  Shaking my head, I moved away from the door, creeping through the room toward what looked to be the only exit and what must be the rest of the house.

  A low scratching noise reached my ears, the sound accompanied by a melodic humming, husky and light.

  Peering around the corner, my eyes nearly fell out of my head.

  A woman was kneeling on the floor with her back to me, her ass high in the air, swaying in time as she hummed and scrubbed the floor. Clad in a pair of tight jeans with the pockets ripped off and threads hanging, her top inched up and down as she reached in a sweeping circular motion, revealing smooth, lickable-looking skin.

  I blinked, my eyes riveted. Fuck! That ass! Generously heart-shaped and perfectly plump, it jiggled under the denim, begging to be touched.

  “You can quit leering at me,” she called over her shoulder in a low voice, not pausing in her task. “You know Bert won’t like it. Remember the last time he caught you?”

  Of course! She was human. She couldn’t smell me and therefore thought I was the guard.

  Rage shot through me as what she had just said sunk in. That asshole had liked to leer at her? A defenseless woman?

  It didn’t escape my attention that I’d been doing exactly the same thing. The difference was I wasn’t planning on doing anything about it.

  Searching my head for the best way to approach her, I eventually gave up. I’d already accepted that I wasn’t any good at small talk so it was probably better to take the direct approach. Probably.

  I took a step forward, wishing not for the first time that I had been sent to deal with Bert. Give me a fight to the death over dealing with a woman any day.

  She paused, her spine stiffening.

  I spread my hands in the universal sign of I come in peace. The last thing she needed to see when she turned around was my ugly mug, at least I could try and look non-threatening.

  She glanced over her shoulder and it was as if it were happening in slow motion. A glimpse of brown eyes shielded by thick dark hair, the curve of a cheek, an intake of breath as her eyes widened in fear. Then she opened her mouth, sucking in a deep breath—

  CHAPTER THREE

  Ana

  The prickling feeling at the back of my neck grew, intruding on the only solitude I got in this house. If Ted was going to push his luck again, I didn’t know what I was going to do. Bert was unreliable at best, and I dreaded the day he decided to hand me over to his men and removed his protection.

  After all, I hadn’t gotten pregnant again since…

  I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears that were always there, just under the surface. I wasn’t going there. Not now, not here. Maybe one day when I finally managed to escape. Then I could grieve.

  The prickling was getting worse and Ted hadn’t answered me. And he always answered me, with sick whispers of what he’d like to do, given the chance. It appeared to be his favorite pastime, reminding me that I wouldn’t always be one of Bert’s favorites, and that I’d end up like the others did. Like we always did.

  Not that I ever really forgot. I didn’t dare.

  My hand froze, the rag I clutched growing cold.

  I glanced over my shoulder and sucked in a breath, nearly choking in the process.

  A man stood there, his arms wide, a confused expression on his face.

  That might have been fine, but I didn’t know him. Had never seen him before. And he was huge, like nearly seven feet tall kind of huge. Okay, maybe not that tall, but being a short-ass, everyone was tall to me. I had a second to take in that he was dressed all in black, that his blond hair shone like a beacon in the dim light, and then he was lunging toward me.

  I scooted back, crashing into the bucket of water and sending it sloshing over the floor, desperately trying to drag a scream from my frozen lungs. But they were paralyzed. Useless.

  I couldn’t even do that right.

  A big hand closed around me, trapping me between the
soaking wet floor and a rock-hard body, the other clamping down over my open mouth.

  I tasted the salt of sweat and the tang of man in my mouth. Without thinking I bit down. Hard.

  “You fucking did, didn’t you?” he cursed, pulling his hand away in automatic reaction.

  Now! I took a deep breath.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” he muttered, then his lips sealed onto mine, stealing my breath in a kiss that would have left me staggering had we been still standing.

  Fight! My mind screamed, but my body wasn’t listening, just tasting and feeling. His tongue licked out, spearing into my mouth. It was as if he was trying to consume me, his groan of need vibrating through me and spiking something deep inside of me. Something I had never felt before.

  What was I doing? The thought screamed through my head, my mind fighting my body’s response.

  Abruptly, he pulled away, his face screwed up, mirroring what I knew my own must show. Utter confusion. Piercing blue eyes stared at me, the color of a summer sky, cloudless and vast.

  A strand of dirty-blond hair fell into his eyes and he blinked, the moment broken.

  “Don’t scream. Please,” he whispered in a low voice, his breath hot against my lips.

  Awareness filtered back. I was lying flat on a cold, wet floor, with a huge man pinning me down. A huge man who seemed to be completely made up of rippling, hard muscles from what I could feel pressing against me.

  And that’s not the only part of him that’s huge! Somehow, in the scramble, my legs had spread and were cradling him against my core.

  I knew what it was that I could feel digging into me. I wasn’t a virgin. Definitely not with Bert around, but my only prior experience with a man’s cock had been distinctly unpleasurable. And this was—

  He shifted slightly, sending a thrill rippling through me, heat pooling in my stomach. I gasped, the sound involuntary, dragged from deep inside.

  Who is he?

  “Oliver. And you—?”

  He must have read the silent question in my eyes, or at least felt the need to introduce himself given our close proximity. Good manners and upbringing spurred me to answer. “Ana,” I whispered, watching his eyes carefully. Had he heard about me? All the men knew to stay away.

  “Nice to meet you, Ana. Unfortunate circumstances, but still…”

  “Why are you here? Does Bert know?”

  His face hardened, his jaw clenching in anger. Instinctively, I shrank back, then kicked myself for showing fear. Never show fear, remember? It was what had kept me alive for so long. Bert liked to try and break his women, and when they broke? Well, then he had no use for them.

  I swallowed back the fear that threatened to choke me. “Has Bert sent you?” Had he finally tired of me?

  He swallowed hard, his lips thinning at my words. “Why would he send me?” The words were almost a growl, reminding me that this man was most likely an animal. Like all the others.

  I don’t know what possessed me to reply; it was always better to remain silent. I knew that. But maybe I wanted to prolong the moment? Maybe I wanted a glimpse of the man before the animal took over? Because I knew by now the animal always took over.

  “You know why.” I bit my lip, looking away. I already wanted to take the words back, to beg for his forgiveness. Bert hated it when I didn’t give him a straight answer, always gave me an extra slap for my sass. But try as I might, I didn’t do docile very well.

  “No. I really don’t. Please enlighten me.” This time the words were definitely a growl, his eyes flashing liquid silver. “And what the fuck is that on your neck?”

  I should have been scared. I should have been terrified.

  I certainly shouldn’t have felt safe. But I did.

  What is happening to me?

  ***

  Oliver

  When she bit me all reasonable thought flew from my mind, the decision to kiss her not really a decision, more of a reaction. A fucking insane reaction.

  But when I tasted her, drunk on her sweet scent of liquorice and roses, I was lost. All I could think was: her. How to get closer, how to taste more, feel more.

  I needed more.

  And now she was staring at me, her brown eyes shining with an emotion I couldn’t name. I mentally kicked myself—maybe if I wasn’t such an emotional caveman I could have guessed, could have read the signs, but I was at a loss.

  And then she had turned her head away, revealing deep scars along her collarbone. Right where the mating bite would be, and sanity fled. My wolf thrust forward, snarling and gnashing his teeth.

  Who has done this to our mate? he growled.

  Mate? But...she’s human! She can’t be! But even as I thought the words, I knew them to be lies. Her scent, her taste, the feel of her pressed against me—it was like coming home. At least, what I would imagine a home to be like, if I’d ever had one.

  “Answer me. What is that on your neck?” I repeated, hating the way her eyes widened at the growl in my voice, the tremor that I felt run down her spine.

  Her lips parted and suddenly I didn’t want an answer. Didn’t want to hear from her lips what I already knew.

  “Bert—” she whispered, her voice hitching before carrying on, “I’m his.”

  “No.” She wasn’t his. She was my mate.

  But she nodded, then her brow wrinkled up in confusion. “If Bert didn’t send you, then why are you here?”

  I bit back my anger, using my years of training to control the urge to storm out of there and rip Bert’s throat out. “I’ve come to rescue you.” What the hell did I just—? I cringed, hardly able to believe that had actually left my mouth.

  “Rescue me? But how did you know? Wait! You can’t!” She started to struggle, which only resulted in her rubbing up against me in a most distracting manner.

  Did she not want rescuing? Did she actually want to stay here?

  “He’ll hurt him! You can’t! Please! ”She was thrashing beneath me, her hands beating at my chest, her eyes suspiciously bright.

  I grabbed her hands, cradling them gently. “Stop! Hurt who?”

  “My son. Josh.”

  “Is Bert the father?” Please no…

  “Yes.”

  My heart sank. Not only was she mated, she had a child with the man. “How old?”

  “Six. He’s still only little. I have to protect him!”

  My mate had a child. I was still struggling to wrap my head around it, but protecting? Yeah, that I could do. “We will, I promise. But first, we need to get you and the other women out of here.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, you didn’t think I came alone, did you? Another team is rescuing the children.” I stood up, pulling her up with me. I tried not to focus on the fact that I didn’t want to let go of her hands. Or that her T-shirt was wet from the soapy water, sticking to her skin and revealing way more than it covered. Nope, not focusing. Was that the outline of a—

  “Oliver?”

  I dragged my eyes back to her face.

  She was staring at me, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement, but her eyes were serious.

  “Yeah?” Now I couldn’t drag my eyes from her lips, the full Cupid’s bow begging to be nibbled, teased, and tasted. Damn it! She’s mated! It wasn’t working, I still craved her.

  “Can I trust you?”

  Her simple question hit me square in the chest. Could she trust me? She could trust me with her safety, and the safety of her son. With her heart? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know if I could let her go, but to take a human as a mate? I didn’t know if I could do that either. I let go of her hands, immediately hating the loss of contact and the distance that seemed to open up between us.

  “Of course,” I replied, forcing my lips to curve into a smile.

  “Is it okay for me to come in now?” Luis called from the doorway, then without waiting for an answer, sauntered into the room. “You made enough noise, so I peeked through the window. Then left you to it, since you looked to
be having…quite the time.” He winked, crouching down and picking up the now-empty bucket. Tutting under his breath, he set it on the table. “I’m Luis, your other knight in shining armor.”

  Ana stared at him, and I wasn’t surprised. Luis was an attractive guy, or so the women at the packhouse always said, something quickly followed up by good-natured complaints about him liking guys. Sleekly muscled with the same exotic eyes as his twin, people always looked twice.

  What did surprise me was the growl that welled up inside my throat, forcing its way out of my mouth. And I nearly keeled over in shock when Ana inched even closer to me, rather than run screaming out of the door.

  Smirking, Luis arched his brows, eying us both. “It’s like that, is it? Good for you.” He slapped me on the shoulder, obviously enjoying my look of wide-eyed bemusement. “Let’s go get the others and get out of here. I don’t know about you, but this place gives me the heebie-jeebies.” Sweeping an arm toward the rest of the house, he motioned for Ana to lead the way. “It’s best that they see you first. We don’t want everyone screaming at once.”

  A small hand slipped into mine, startling me. She was trembling a fraction, but her spine was straight as she started toward the door.

  I had no choice but to follow, and watching the sway of her hips and the soft swish of her hair down her back, I couldn’t manage to convince myself that I wouldn’t follow her anywhere.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Ana

  This was my chance! All I had to do was keep it together until we were clear of the camp, then I could grab Josh and run!

  I crept up the stairs, leading the men quietly into the corridor. All the women were in bed. Whether they were asleep or not, I didn’t know. We were a family through necessity. It didn’t mean that there wasn’t rivalries. We were all scared to death of being cast out of the main house and given to the guards, and that kind of fear brought distrust with it. Only Gina was a true friend, having been here a little longer than me, and we had both come to the conclusion that living in fear of each other was draining. But when we had first become friends, there had only been us. Many had come and gone since, too many faces to grieve and remember. So we had closed our hearts. It hurt less that way. At least, I told myself it did.