Imperfect Mate

by Lia Davis

  “I don’t even know where to start. For the record, I’m not crazy.”

  “Just say what comes to mind.”

  Yeah, like that had helped her in the past. Okay, she could do this. “I’m not human.”

  His raised brow told that he needed more than that. With another sigh, she rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. “I am half tiger. Crap that sounds worse.”

  She opened her eyes to find Gavin standing in front of her, and she jumped. He cupped her cheek, calming her and the tiger within. “Continue.”

  “I’m a shifter, born to the Jasper Springs Pride. My uncle is the alpha. My father the beta.” She sagged into him. Fear running so fast in her veins she shook. Please don’t reject us.

  His warm lips pressed to her temple and undid her. Tears fell down her cheeks in tiny rivers. “Shhh,” he cooed, stroking her hair. “If you told me this yesterday, I would have laughed at you.”

  “You see, the reason why I had to leave yesterday was to meet my new brother-in-law’s Pack and pledge a blood oath I would keep their existence a secret.” He wrapped an arm around her and led her to the bed.

  His words settled in, taking root. She turned her head to meet his stare. “You knew. I’ve been stressed over this since we met and you knew.”

  He framed her face in his hands. “I just found out yesterday, and I’m still a little freaked out. Now I find out my girlfriend is one, too.”

  She froze and smiled. “Your girlfriend?”

  His expression softened, easing the worry lines in his forehead. “Yes. Do you think I go around kissing anyone?”

  “No.” She studied the floor. “There’s one more thing.”

  “What?”

  “You’re my mate.”

  His mouth covered hers before she could blink. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned into him. Her tiger pranced with excitement and joy at his acceptance of them. She needed to feel his skin. With a quick jerk, she tore his shirt over his head.

  Locking her gaze with his, she bit her lower lip, flattened her palms on his chest, and walked him backward. His sensual lips lifted as he dropped on the bed. She went to reach for the button on his jeans, but he sat up, grabbed her by the waist, and swung her to the bed.

  She gasped as he flipped her to her back and pressed his lower body into hers. “Do you always have to be in control?”

  “Yes. I’m a dominant female. It’s in my blood.” God, it felt good to be open with him. Cupping one cheek, she studied him. “Are you sure you’re okay with all of this?”

  He unbuttoned her blouse. “Yes.” He kissed her collarbone. “How does the mating work?”

  Shocked, she searched her mind for the answer. “Well, our souls will bond. It has to be accepted fully by both mates.”

  “Hmm.” He kissed the top of her right breast. “My sister showed off a bite mark around the den like it was a gift from God.”

  A laugh burst out of Sam. “Not God, her mate. Shifters love to mark their mates. It shows others who they belong to.”

  “Like marking your territory.”

  “Exactly. But in a loving way.”

  He kissed the top of her other breast. “Do you want to bite me?”

  “Oh, yes. And I will, multiple times and in multiple places.”

  Lifting his head, he raised a brow. “Oh, really?”

  She cupped his head and tugged him down. Instead of kissing him, she bit gently on his chin then nipped down his neck. His cinnamon-and-cocoa scent drugged her. When she reached the edge of his shoulder, she bit down. He jerked as if not expecting it. She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing their bodies together, and moved against him. He groaned and moved with her.

  “Clothes. Off.” Her body was on fire, and she needed skin on skin.

  Gavin stood, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a seated position as he did. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he slid her blouse off then unhooked her bra. Patience wasn’t something she possessed. After removing her blouse and bra completely, she reached for his jeans, but he caught her wrist. A jolt of irritation cut through her, and she let out a low growl.

  She glared at him while pushing against his hold. “I’m not in the mood play games right now. We can play later.”

  He held her gaze for several moments before releasing her and pushing her back on the bed in one quick move. Frustration mounted and her tiger clawed at her.

  “Gavin,” she warned, but the warning, along with her irritation diminished as he tugged her jeans off.

  He crawled on the bed and spread her thighs, opening her to him. When his mouth covered her pussy, she nearly came. Pleasure skittered over her flesh like millions of pinpricks. He then teased the bundle of nerves with his tongue as he sucked, pushing her further over the edge.

  Fisting the sheets, she dug her heels into the mattress and rotated her hips. He slipped a finger inside her, then another and withdrew them and pushed them back in, each thrust faster than the last. Her muscles tightened, milking his fingers until an orgasm slammed into her in a powerful shuddering wave.

  Gavin trailed feather-like kisses up her body until he reached her breast then lifted his head to meet her stare. He drew his brows together for a brief moment. “Your eyes.”

  She closed them, knowing the tiger was there. Warm fingers touched her cheek, making her open and stare into his brown eyes. His smile was warm and compassionate. “Don’t hide them from me. They’re beautiful. I’d like to meet your tiger someday.”

  Her whole body melted against the bed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He belonged to her. Every moment with him made her fall harder and faster. “She’d like to meet you, too. But today, right now, I want to be selfish and have you to myself.”

  One side of his mouth lifted as he settled between her thighs. Sexy, sensual, and wicked. That was her mate. He lowered his head, then stilled. His forehead creased as if a thought formed. “What about birth control?”

  “Oh. Well, I can’t get or give human STDs, so we’re safe there. I can only get pregnant with my bonded mate.”

  He considered it for a moment and said, “But we are mates, right?”

  “Yes, but we haven’t completed the mating bond.” Her heart skipped a couple of beats as he fell silent.

  “This is all so fast and a lot to process, but I do want to be your mate. I’m not sure if we should bond right now.”

  Relief washed over her as glee filled her from within. “We can wait. As long as I have you, I can make the tiger wait.”

  His smile widened before he kissed her forehead then her nose. “I promise not to make her wait too long.”

  He kissed her lips, soft and gentle at first, then ran his tongue along the seam to deepen it. She opened, accepting him and loving the way she tasted on him. Bending her knees, she lifted her hips to rub her clit against the head of his dick. A heightened sensation of pleasure flooded her senses.

  Gavin pulled back and thrust deep inside her, drawing out a gasped cry of bliss from her. He repeated the act over and over, each time going deeper and building the wave of pleasure until it crashed over them.

  Her body twitched as the last the orgasm ripped through her.

  After pulling out, he lay down beside her and hugged her close. “That was….”

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes and pretended for a brief moment she didn’t have to go back to her dorm and sleep alone.

  “Stay the night tonight.”

  She groaned. “I can’t. Cal is….”

  “Don’t tell me, a shifter.”

  Laughing, she turned to face him. “A leopard and Dev’s best friend. Plus Cal’s pride recently formed an alliance with mine.”

  A husky chuckle escaped him as he nuzzled his face into her neck. “So much to learn.”

  “We have plenty of time. Once the bond is complete, you’ll take on my life span.”

  He lifted his head and lifted one brow. “How long is that?”

  She shrugg
ed while trying to keep a straight face. “The longest recorded shifter life was five thousand years, although he was killed in a circle challenge. So, we really don’t know how long we live.”

  He opened his mouth then closed it. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he spoke. “Let’s just take it one day at a time. My brain can’t process a long life span right now.”

  “So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

  He waggled his brows and kissed her. “Make love again.”

  “That, my mate, can be arranged.”

  Chapter Eight

  Sam’s body still hummed in bliss as she walked to her dorm that evening. She hated to leave him but needed to study. She wouldn’t fail another test even if she had to let go of some of her independence and ask for help.

  Besides, there were rules against couples sleeping together in the boys-only and girls-only dorms. She’d have to remember to ask Camile about couple dorms. If they didn’t have them, then she and Gavin just might go apartment shopping in the near future.

  Her blissfulness took a nosedive when Viktor stepped out in front of her. Curling her lip, she glared at him. “What do you want? Your ego hurt again?”

  Without warning he rushed into her, stabbing her in the stomach. She staggered back, hand pressed over the wound as a burning sensation flared and then raced through her bloodstream. Glancing to his hand, she saw the knife. “What…?”

  The pain was too much, spreading and consuming her like nothing she’d ever felt before. She crumbled to her knees. Viktor jerked her up by her hair. “Liquid silver, you shape-shifting bitch.”

  What? No! He released her hair, gripped her upper arm, and dragged her to his car. She tried to fight, but the silver weakened her as it burned through her whole body. Tossing her into the backseat, he slammed the door, and then got behind the wheel.

  What seemed like hours, maybe it was only minutes—she couldn’t tell—the car jerked to a stop, and she was yanked out. She lost her footing several times while he dragged her across a dark, vacant parking lot, scrapping her knees on the pavement. A moment later, they stood on the edge of a very deep ravine.

  Fear sliced through her. He was going to kill her and dump her body. Closing her eyes, she searched for her too quiet tiger. She focused on the cat, coaxing her to rise, to push past the pain and take over.

  Viktor slapped her across the face hard enough that she fell to her hand and knees in graveled dirt. Tears stung her eyes. Think, damn it! You’re not training to be a sentinel because you’re weak.

  She needed a filter for the silver, something to dilute it enough to strengthen the tiger. The coppery tang of her own blood filled the air. Blood. She needed fresh blood. Lifting her head, she spied his leg inches from her face. Stupid man.

  Gathering all the strength she could, she struck, sinking her small, sharp fangs into the thick muscle of his calf. Blood rushed into her mouth, and she almost gagged. She wasn’t used to ingesting it in human form, but she’d endure it if it would help her tiger.

  Viktor cried out, falling to the ground. With his free leg, he kicked her in the stomach, making her release him. Sam gasped for air and desperately tried to work her lungs. The bastard managed to get a fistful of her hair and, standing, pulled her with him. Her scalp ached, pissing her off. The effects of the silver started to dull—not by much, but enough to allow fury to take over.

  A roar erupted from her throat, and when she faced Viktor, she let out a humorless laugh. “What’s wrong? Scared of a little cat?”

  She knew the moment her eyes went completely cat because Viktor’s face turned white as a sheet. He released her and stepped back. “You’re a freak. A demon.”

  “No, demons prey on the innocent and helpless. Only Jesse wasn’t helpless. You see, she, too, is a shifter, and the only reason she didn’t go cat on you was because she would have killed you and then had to live with guilt the rest of her life. That’s how submissives are.” She walked him backward a few more steps. “I, on the other hand, was born to protect. I’m training to become a sentinel, the alpha’s personal guards and pride’s protectors.”

  “Monster,” he hissed. “I knew there was something different about you and your friends.”

  “How did you know for sure? About the silver?”

  “I followed you and Gavin and heard you talking. Then I did a little research on what could take a shifter down and waited for you.”

  She growled. The only human myth about “were-creatures” just happened to be an actual weakness. Silver didn’t kill them, but it did make them weak enough to be killed.

  He charged her, and she jerked out of the way. He lost his balance as he tried to grab for her and fell to the ground. After stalking to him, she kicked him in the back. He yelled, his hand pressing to his back as he rolled back and forth.

  “That was for Jesse.”

  A familiar scent drifted in on breeze. She glanced over her shoulder and met Gavin’s wide-eyed stare. It was all the distraction Viktor needed. Pain shot up her leg, and the fiery rush of silver raced into her blood. She screamed and dropped to the pavement.

  Gavin ran to her. She tried to tell him to go, that she’d be okay, but her stubborn mate wouldn’t listen. He tackled Viktor, holding the hand that had the knife in it over the male’s head while punching him over and over in the face.

  Viktor hit Gavin in the side, throwing him off enough that, when he hit him again, Gavin let go of the knife. He jumped back when Viktor swiped the blade toward him.

  Sam pushed to her feet and bit back the feeling of fire in her veins. “Viktor, stop this.”

  The jerk glanced at her briefly, then turned back to Gavin, knife raised. Sam screamed and ran. She reached him just as he thrust the weapon at Gavin, knocking Viktor out of the way and causing the blade to slice her forearm.

  Viktor stumbled too close to the edge of the ravine. Gravel fell from under his feet, sending him tumbling over the edge.

  Cradling her arm and still fighting the silver in her system, she dropped to the ground and curled into the fetal position. “What…did…I do?”

  She began to shake uncontrollably. So cold. Why was she so cold?

  Gavin fell to his knees and pulled her into his lap. “You’re so pale. What can I do?”

  “ROAR,” she croaked out.

  “What? I can’t roar.”

  “You’re phone. Call 555-ROAR.”

  She closed her eyes, searching for her tiger. The cat nudged her and whimpered. Sadness hit her from within and from Gavin. Rustling and the key tone of Gavin’s phone brought her back to him.

  “Hello. Samira Anderson said to…. Yes, she’s here….”

  The phone pressed against her ear, and she coughed before speaking. “I killed a human, and I’ve been stabbed with silver.”

  “We’ll have someone to you in a moment.”

  She nodded, not really registering what the hotline operator was saying. Her vision grew darker, and the sounds around her seemed to drift away until there was nothing.

  Chapter Nine

  Gavin paced Sam’s bedroom. He’d gotten her home to her pride, and the healer worked to remove the silver from her bloodstream. He’d never been so afraid of losing someone in his life. Sam was so much stronger than he, lived a hell of a lot longer, and yet could die.

  Sam’s mother sat in a chair pulled as close as it could to the bed, tears in her eyes. Gavin’s heart ached while his chest tightened. Sam looked so much like her mother that they could pass as sisters.

  A moment later, Sam’s father entered the room. Gavin stopped pacing and peered up at the man. “What did you tell the authorities?”

  The hotline Sam asked him to call had to contact the police since it involved a human, but briefed Gavin on what to tell them. He ran a hand through his hair and studied Sam’s sleeping form. “It was an accident. Sam and I went for a walk, and Viktor attacked us. I shoved him when he stabbed her, and he slipped and fell over the edge.”

&nb
sp; “They bought it?”

  Gavin nodded. “They seemed to. I’m not surprised. Viktor has a record of violence.”

  Her father nodded. “Thank you for being there.”

  Before Gavin could respond, the other man left the room, leaving him alone with the women. A moment later, Asia, the pride healer, stood.

  She appeared tired as she spoke to Mary. “The silver is neutralized. I’ll have to bring the change on now for her to heal the rest of the way.” The healer glanced over her shoulder to him. “Have you seen her shift?”

  Gavin straightened. “No.”

  Asia sighed. “It doesn’t hurt her. You have to believe that, no matter what it looks like. Understand? You cannot interfere.”

  He gave a short nod and crossed his arms over his chest. “I understand.”

  Turning her attention back to Sam, Asia placed a hand on her forehead. A moment later, her body shimmered, and then her muscles locked up, her legs and arms stiffening before she curled into the fetal position. Gavin’s heart pounded, and his own body tensed. Then, a soft white flash of light filled the room.

  Seeing her transformed into a beautiful orange-and-black tiger, he was hit yet again with the reality of the new world he’d been introduced to. A world where shape-shifters were real, and he was fated to mate one.

  Asia stopped beside him on her way out of the room. “You can go sit with her. The tiger knows you as well as the young woman does.”

  Not taking his eyes off Sam, he nodded. “Thanks.”

  Sam’s mom stood, rubbed circles over her large belly as if soothing the baby she carried, and walked toward him. Unexpectedly, she drew him into a tight hug. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, ma’am.”

  She pulled back and smiled. “You’re cute. Call me Mary or Mom, not ma’am. I have to go fix breakfast.”

  Conner stuck his head inside the room and glared at his mate. “You will go rest. You’ve been up all night.”

  Mary rolled her eyes before sending Gavin a wink and walking out the room. “I feel fine. Asia, tell Con I’m fine.”

  Gavin chuckled as he heard Asia to tell Mary to sit and relax. Alone, he watched Sam sleep, still trying to come to terms with the fact that she was a tiger. Life was weird.