The Shifter's Mate (Other World Series Book Three)

by Ramona Gray

  “Oh, oh, oh!” She moaned helplessly before she stiffened and gave a hoarse scream. Wetness flooded his face and he licked her sweetness as she shuddered and writhed beneath him. When she had collapsed against the furs, he slid his body up and kissed her breasts and then her throat.

  She pushed weakly at his shoulders. “Here, I’ll get on my hands and knees for you. I know you prefer it.”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine.” He rubbed his cock back and forth against her dripping wet pussy.

  She pushed again at him. “I don’t mind. Let me up and I’ll – “

  He pushed into her and she gave a soft gasp of surprise as her thighs clamped uselessly around his narrow hips. It sent a lightning bolt of desire through him and he thrust deeper until he was completely enveloped in her wet tightness.

  “I want you like this, Reese,” he whispered.

  “All right.”

  She stared up at the ceiling of the cave as she stroked his broad back with her warm hands. “Fuck me, shifter.”

  He hesitated and stroked her face with the tips of his fingers. “Reese, are you okay?”

  She squeezed her inner muscles around him, making him moan. “Never better.”

  “Look at me,” he suddenly demanded.

  She gave him another one of those quick darting glances before kissing him hard on the mouth. “Go on. Don’t make me beg, shifter.”

  “Kane. Say it. I want you to say my name.” He refused to move and she gave a soft grunt of frustration.

  “Fine! Fuck me, Kane!” She squeezed him again before wrapping her long legs around his waist and hooking her feet together in the small of his back. “Do I suddenly need to show you what to do?”

  He growled angrily and plunged in and out of her. Her pussy clung wetly to him and he wanted to come almost immediately. He held it off grimly, determined to make her come again before he did.

  She was making soft moans of encouragement and he stared down at her sweet face. She was looking at the ceiling again and he sighed. “Reese, look at me.”

  She closed her eyes instead and bit down on her bottom lip. He ignored the unfamiliar ripple of hurt that went through him and leaned over her. “Please, Reese. I want you to look at me.”

  She made a harsh noise of frustration and glared up at him. “What?”

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered and her gaze softened.

  “Thank you, shifter.”

  “Kane,” he muttered. “Please, Reese.”

  She didn’t reply but she continued to stare at him and she touched his face lightly with her fingers. He turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand as he moved slowly within her.

  “Keep looking at me,” he whispered.

  She stared unblinkingly at him and he studied the lovely, strange shade of her eyes. Even in the darkness he could see them clearly and he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Your eyes are so pretty.”

  She didn’t reply and he gave her an anxious look as he continued to slide in and out of her. “Reese?”

  She lifted her head and kissed him deeply. “Harder.”

  He nodded as she unlocked her legs from around his waist and braced her feet on the furs. “Make me come, shifter. Right now.”

  He plunged in and out of her, staring into her eyes as she began to pant lightly and toss her head. Her pussy was warm and deliciously tight and he could feel himself starting to lose control.

  “You’re mine, Reese,” he said abruptly. “You belong – “

  Her hand clamped down over his mouth and she shook her head at him. “Don’t say that to me.”

  “Reese, I – “

  She shook her head again and then she was thrusting her hips at him, squeezing and releasing him in a rough unexpected rhythm that pulled his orgasm from him in a giant, roaring rush of pleasure. He shouted her name and she cried out beneath him as her body shook and shuddered with her own release.

  He stayed inside of her as his cock softened, resting his body against hers and kissing her repeatedly on the mouth. She returned his kisses for a moment and then pushed lightly on him.

  “You’re too heavy, shifter.”

  He moved to her side. She turned her back to him and pulled up the pelts as he touched her back hesitantly. “Reese?”

  “Go ahead and shift,” she said quietly. “I’m warm enough.”

  “You will grow too cold,” he said immediately.

  “I won’t.”

  “You will,” he argued.

  He turned her over easily, despite the way she flattened herself into the pelts to prevent it, and pulled her against his hard chest. He cupped the back of her head and pushed it into the curve of his neck before taking her leg and hooking it around his hip. Every part of their bodies were touching and he rubbed her back lightly.

  “Put your arm around me, Reese,” he murmured.

  She slid her arm around his waist. “You’re holding me too tightly.”

  He relaxed his grip and stroked her back and side for a few minutes. “Reese, will you tell me – “

  “I’m really tired,” she interrupted him. “I’d like to just go to sleep, okay?”

  “Okay,” he sighed.

  She hesitated and then lifted her head and kissed him lightly on the jaw. “Good night.”

  “Good night, Reese.”

  Chapter 13

  “Tell me about your world.”

  She sat up in the furs and stared out the entrance of the cave. “God, will it ever stop raining?”

  He sat up next to her. “It’s been raining for over a week. It will end soon.”

  “I’m so tired of the rain,” she sighed. “If I don’t see the sun soon, I really will go mad.”

  Kane gave the human a worried look. She had a pinched, strained look on her face and her skin was very pale. She had lost weight in the last week. He had a feeling she only ate because he forced her to. He touched her naked back gently.

  “Will you tell me about your world?”

  She shook her head. “There is no ‘my’ world. I’m from this one.”

  He continued to rub her back. A change had come over the human. From the moment he had told her that he would do nothing to stop Dagon from taking her as his mate, a switch seemed to have been flipped inside of her. She was still mating with him. In fact, her appetite for him seemed insatiable. He understood her need. As deep as her need ran for him, his need ran deeper. She was an open and generous lover and eager to please him in bed but when they weren’t having sex, she cut herself off from him. Hell, even when they were in bed there was a distance to her that he couldn’t seem to bridge.

  He snorted to himself. It was ironic that he was now anxious to know more about her, to hear her soft voice and her warm laugh, and she had no interest in anything other than fucking. He studied her solemn face carefully and then squeezed the back of her neck.

  “Please, Reese. I would hear about your world.”

  She reached between his legs and stroked his cock before giving him a pale smile. “Wouldn’t you rather have my mouth on your cock?”

  “Do not distract me,” he said sternly.

  She sighed deeply and folded her hands into her lap. “Fine. I’m with the big bad wolf. Why not tell a fairy tale, right?”

  He frowned. “Fairy tale?”

  She smiled a little. “A story that parents tell their children when they tuck them into bed.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. To make them happy, I guess. Or to help them fall asleep.” She glanced up at him. “What do you want to know about my world?”

  “Do you have any siblings?”

  “No. I was an only child.”

  “Did you have a mate in your world?”

  “No.”

  He frowned. “Who took care of you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Who kept you warm? Who kept you fed and protected you?”

  “I took care of myself. Well, my paren
ts took care of me when I was younger but I moved out when I was nineteen.”

  “How old are you?” He asked.

  “I’m twenty-five.” She gave him a curious look. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-eight.”

  She stared thoughtfully at him. “You act older. I suppose you have to grow up fast in this world.”

  “I still don’t understand how you took care of yourself.” He gave her an earnest look. “You don’t know how to hunt or even start a fire.”

  She laughed. “In my world you don’t need to hunt or have fire-making skills to survive. My world is much more – advanced, I guess you’d say. Our homes have running water and electricity and heat. We can just flick a switch on the wall and lights come on, or turn a tap and water comes out of them.”

  He frowned. “How is this possible?”

  She shrugged. “It just is. It would take too long to explain how it works and I’d just end up confusing you more.”

  “Where did you go when you left your parents’ home?” He asked.

  “I rented a house with a few girlfriends. I was working the night shift at a convenience store and going to school during the day to become a vet tech.”

  “Vet tech?” He frowned at her.

  “Veterinarian technician. It’s a person who helps animals. If they’re sick we make them feel better.”

  “You worked with animals?” He gave her a curious look. “Like cows and horses?”

  She shook her head. “Small animals – like dogs and cats.”

  “Cats.” He snorted disdainfully. “I hate cats.”

  A grin crossed her face. “Big surprise. Anyway, I finished school and got a job and my own place. I wasn’t rich but I had enough money to enjoy life.”

  “Why did you not take a mate?”

  “Most men don’t find me attractive. I’m tall and fat and I’m too opinionated. There may not be shifters in my world but there are plenty of human men like you. They might not admit it as readily as you do, but they want their women quiet and obedient and to look like a supermodel.”

  “Supermodel?”

  “A very pretty woman who gets paid to sell clothing, or cars, or toothpaste or whatever to other people.” She shrugged.

  “You’re very pretty, Reese.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I mean it,” he persisted, “and I like listening to you talk.”

  She burst out laughing. “Sure you do.”

  He flushed. “I’m speaking the truth.”

  She snickered. “Of course you are.

  He cupped her face. “Reese, when I say to curb your tongue I mean around Dagon. I do not want to get you to hurt.”

  She pulled her head free. “I know.” She looked away from him. “I’ve told you about my world, now tell me about your fearless leader.”

  He shook his head. “No. I do not wish to speak of him.”

  She gave him an irritated look. “If you expect me to survive being mated to him, don’t you think I should know a little something about him?”

  Kane rubbed his face and sighed loudly. “Dagon is older than me by a few years. His father was the leader of our pack before him. He died four years ago.”

  “So the leadership falls from father to son?” She asked.

  “No. Dagon had to fight for the alpha position.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “An alpha can be challenged by another member of the pack or even by an outsider. The alpha must accept this challenge or the other pack members will consider him weak. When Dagon was my age he challenged his father for leadership of our pack.”

  “What? Why?” Reese frowned.

  Kane shrugged. “Dagon wanted to be alpha. His father was older and Dagon believed no longer capable of leading us.”

  “What happened then?”

  “His father accepted the challenge. They fought and Dagon won.” He stared blankly at the rain. “The old man was tougher than he looked. Dagon was so cocky and sure of his victory that he was very nearly defeated.”

  He sighed heavily. It was nearly a whimper and Reese hesitated before rubbing his naked back lightly. “Did you like Dagon’s father?”

  “Aye. He was a good man. When my parents died, he took me under his wing a bit. I had my uncles and they raised me, but Maven was always good to me. I miss him.”

  “I’m sorry.” She was still rubbing his back and a small thrill went through him. She didn’t go out of her way to touch him and he took comfort in her soft touch.

  “How did he die?” She asked tentatively.

  He gave her an odd look. “Dagon killed him.”

  “What?” Her mouth dropped open and her hand stilled on his back. “He – he killed his own father?”

  He nodded. “Aye. If an alpha is challenged, it is to the death.”

  Her face was very pale and he put his arm around her. “Reese, are you all right?”

  “What kind of man kills his own father?” She whispered. “Do you – does that happen all the time?”

  “No. Until Dagon, no son had ever challenged his father’s right to rule. Normally, another member of the pack would challenge the alpha. If that pack member won, then the son may choose to challenge him. If they wanted to rule, that is.”

  “What happens if an alpha dies from just, like, natural causes?” Reese asked. Her face was still very pale and her lips were trembling wildly.

  “Other pack members make it known if they want to be the alpha and challenges are set up until there is only one remaining shifter. He becomes alpha.”

  “So much death,” she whispered.

  He shook his head again. “Not necessarily. Many years ago, a challenge always resulted in death. It was considered an insult to the alpha if the challenger did not kill him.”

  “That’s so fucked up,” she muttered.

  He rubbed her shoulder lightly. “The thinking has changed over the last decade or so. More and more often, a challenger lets the alpha live. It is not considered so disrespectful now to do so.”

  He gave her an encouraging look. “We are not as brutal and harsh as it appears. Our packs are very close and we protect and take care of one another. You will see.”

  She was staring at him with a new look of horror in her eyes. He squeezed her against him. “Reese? What is wrong?”

  “He – he had the chance to let his father live and he didn’t?” She whispered.

  He groaned and could have hit himself for being so stupid. He had been anxious to show Reese that they were not as barbaric as she thought and now she was more horrified than ever. And why wouldn’t she be? She had just found out that her potential mate had murdered his own father.

  “Reese, I – “

  “How many of his mates has he killed?”

  He could hear the panic in her voice and he tried to pull her into his lap. She resisted, pushing at his chest with her hands and scooting backward until she was pressed up against the cold wall of the cave.

  “How many, shifter?”

  “He has had four mates,” he said softly.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered.

  “We do not know for sure that he killed them,” he said anxiously. “Two of them we know he did not.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “They killed themselves,” he replied.

  “So they committed suicide rather than be his mate?”

  He gave her an uncomfortable look. “They did not bear him any pups and they became despondent over it.”

  She laughed bitterly. “He’s been your alpha for only four years and he’s killed as many mates. This just gets better and better.”

  “Reese, I – “

  “How did the other two die?” She interrupted.

  “They, well, they looked like accidents. One of them drowned and Dagon said the other was attacked and killed by a tagen when they were out hunting together.”

  She stared down at her lap. “I’m going to die.”

  He slid over and c
upped her arms, shaking her a bit roughly. “Do not say that, Reese. You’re not going to die. Just – “

  “Just what? Keep my mouth shut and part my legs whenever he tells me to? Just hope that I can bear him children and that he doesn’t get tired of me and I end up dead? Jesus Christ, shifter! Do you have any idea what you’re saying?” She shouted.

  He winced and pulled her into his arms. She struggled violently, kicking and punching at him but he held on grimly until she finally collapsed against him.

  “I’m sorry, Reese. I’m so sorry,” he whispered. He cupped her face and stared down at her. He had expected she would be crying but she was dry-eyed and calm.

  “You could let me go,” she said. “When the rains stop, we can just go our separate ways. You can tell Theran and Hanif that the tagen killed me before you got here. Please, Kane.”

  “You’ll die in the forest. You won’t survive a week and you know it.”

  She shrugged. “I would rather die in the forest than be mated to your alpha.”

  “He may not choose you.” He rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone. “He may choose one of the other females.”

  “Oh great. So I should hope that poor Ghita or Adina are chosen instead of me?” She gave him a look of anger. “You think it makes me feel better to know that he might murder one of them instead?”

  He didn’t reply and she gave him a pleading look. “Please, Kane. Let all of us go. The three of us have a better chance of survival in the woods. Ghita and Adina will keep me safe.”

  He snorted. “They will not. They will abandon you the first chance they get.”

  “No, they won’t. Besides, what do you care if I live or die? You don’t even know me and you hate humans. When I die it’s just one less stupid human in your world.”

  He pulled her even closer and stroked her hair. “You are not going to die, Reese.”

  “I am,” she sighed morosely. “Why won’t you just accept that?”

  “Why don’t you fight harder for your life?” He was suddenly angry and she gasped when his arms tightened painfully around her.

  “I’m trying!” She retorted.

  “No you’re not!” He shouted. “You act as though you’re already dead, as though my alpha will take one look at you and kill you where you stand. He may not choose you as his mate. If he does not then you will have a very – very pleasant life in our pack.”