by Vaughn, V.
When the music changed and the barker announced my name, I strode into the ballroom with as much Alpha power on the surface as I could control. I moved to the center of my pack, eyeing each man and woman surrounding us as they subtly scented the air. I wanted to growl at them all, threaten them in case they dared to think any of us weak, but I reined in my fury. My packmates had so much hope for our future tied up in this event; they’d all be heartbroken if we went home without a single additional pack member. I had to behave. My pack was relying on me.
I studied the shifters in the room, or at least as many as I could see. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands, of shifters on site. All of them looking for a mate, and by the way some of them were sizing me up, looking for a fight as well.
As I passed over a group of men chortling about something probably ridiculously uninteresting, my eyes landed on a woman. One who stared back at me without fear or fury. It’d been a long time since someone, anyone, had been able to hold eye contact with me. The fact that she did it so easily gave me pause and forced me to look a little closer.
Everything about her spoke to me as a man and a wolf—her long, wavy hair, pulled back to show off her porcelain face, wide, deep-set eyes of some indistinguishable light color, the lush curves of her body. She was striking, but it was the scent of her—carried across the distance, blasting its way past other shifters—that struck me as I breathed in.
MATE
While my wolf howled in delight, the man in me stood tongue-tied and unable to move. Fuck me, I’d come here to find mates for members of my pack, never assuming I’d be lucky enough to find mine as well. But my wolf was certain—the woman staring at me was my fated mate, meant to be mine. And we would do anything to have her.
“Killian? What’s wrong?” My sister’s whispered concern registered, but I could barely grunt in response.
“Mate.”
And then I was off. Stalking my mystery woman. Evaluating her as my prey. Want, need, lust, desire…they all flooded me, making my vision tunnel to only her, my heart beat an erratic rhythm, and my cock harden into steel. I knew the rules of the Gathering, of course. I’d have to be polite and respectful to her Alpha, I’d have to ask him for permission to spend time with her. He had the right to refuse me until the end of the event two days from now, at which point he’d have no more dominion over her. No matter what her Alpha said, she’d be mine at the end of the trip as long as she accepted the mating.
Unfortunately for her Alpha, I was in no mood to play the proper Alpha over the next two days. I wanted her immediately. Beside me, under me, on top of me; I wanted her in my arms and my bed. And by the way she was looking back at me, she wanted me as well, which only drove my lust for her higher. I would have her, no matter what her Alpha had to say about it.
The oily fucker standing next to her grabbed her arm as I approached and my wolf snarled in rage. How dare he touch what was mine? How dare he grab her and treat her so roughly? Given the chance, I’d tear through his hide for even thinking he had the right—
“Good evening.” Moira appeared in front of me, blocking my path and startling me from my vicious thoughts. “My name is Moira O’Shea, and I’m the NALB liaison for the Appalachia pack. I’d like to introduce my brother, Alpha Killian O’Shea.”
Oily fucker smirked as he extended a hand, keeping one arm around my mate. “Welcome to the NALB. I’m sure you’ll find the association helpful while you learn your role as an Alpha.”
I’d been staring at my mate, returning her surprised gaze, but his words made my head spin and my lip curl.
“There’s nothing to learn. I’ve been an Alpha for almost a century.” I grinned as oily fucker’s smile faltered. Leaning over him, caging him in with my height, I quietly added, “We’re new to the NALB, but we’re not a new pack. We’ve been established in the Appalachians since before the Revolutionary War.”
“Yes, well…” Oily fucker looked away, unable to hold my stare. But I didn’t give a rat’s ass. He meant nothing to me. I only wanted to deal with my mate.
“Hello,” I said as her eyes once again met mine.
“Good evening.” Her voice was crisp and dry, like an autumn day on the mountain. It fit her and made all my blood rush southward.
I inched closer, taking notice of my sister off to the side speaking to the oily fucker. At least he no longer had his hands on my mate. Speaking of which…
“You’re mine.”
I hadn’t meant the words to come out so direct, but I couldn’t regret it. She had to know we were mates, had to feel the same connection I did.
And if her sultry smile was any indication, she absolutely did.
“Yes, I do believe I am.”
A growl rumbled out of my chest, making her eyes go wide. And then she returned the sound. Fuck me, it was so hot. Deep and sensual with a subtle vibration. Her growl made my thoughts go from PG to XXX in a split second. I suddenly wanted to hear that sound while she had her lips around my cock.
“Killian,” my sister hissed as she grabbed my elbow. “We have a problem.”
“No, we don’t.” I didn’t bother looking away. My mate was smiling at me. Nothing else mattered.
But then my sister yanked on my arm. Hard. “Yes, yes, we do.”
Oily fucker suddenly appeared next to my mate, grabbing her by the waist and making her stumble. My fingers curled into claws as I righted her, ready to slash into the flesh of the idiot who’d nearly made her fall.
“Your liaison tells me you think you’ve mated to my shewolf.”
I spun and faced the oily fucker, scowling at his dismissive tone. “I don’t think it—I know. She’s mine.”
His smirk grew as he pulled her away from me. “Not yet, she’s not. As her pack Alpha, I have two days before I have to turn her over to you. She’s been a good girl for me. I think I might like to give her”—he brushed a curl off her shoulder as she flinched—“a proper good-bye.”
My wolf roared even as my sister slammed her shoulder into my chest.
“While we understand the regulations, we’d appreciate any understanding and flexibility you’d be willing to offer. A newly mated Alpha can be very difficult to deal with.”
He sneered at both of us before turning away. “No. She’s still part of my pack for the next two days. Until then, she does what I say.”
I wanted to roar and knock the prick to the ground, but the responsibility to care for my pack held me back. I needed to give my packmates time to mingle and meet people, to sniff out a mate. I’d been at the party for barely ten minutes, and already I was ready to toss aside their chances to find eternal happiness for my own wants and needs. That would not be living up to my title of Alpha.
“Arrogant little fucker,” my sister growled low and quiet as she placed a hand on my chest to keep me from chasing my mate. “What now?”
“Now, you find every one of our packmates and tell them they have tonight, and tonight only. They need to spread out and hunt down any potential mates.”
“Why?” she asked. “What are you doing to do?”
I grinned as my mate glanced over her shoulder, our eyes meeting for a brief moment before she disappeared in a crowd of people.
“I’m going to do what I do best. Get what I want.”
Chapter 3
Lyra
“Is he looking?”
Cheyenne glanced over my shoulder. “Looking? The man’s practically devouring you with his eyes. Good Lord, I can’t believe you’re mated to him. That’s one fine-ass hunk of shifter.”
I bit back a grin. “I know.”
“Think Alpha will let you go?”
“He has to.” I shrugged. “It’s just a matter of if he’ll let me go tonight, or if he’ll force me to stay with him the next two days.”
My stomach dropped at the thought of being anywhere near my Alpha’s room. It seemed so wrong. I’d met my mate, and I would happily scream my acceptance of him if asked. And yet, because of som
e antiquated law that made me more property than individual, my Alpha could keep us apart for days. Hell, if we’d met on pack property, he could keep us apart for years. I had no idea how those poor wolves managed. Already, I was practically trembling in need of my new mate. I wanted to be by Killian’s side, in his arms and his bed…immediately.
But Alpha had told Killian he wanted to keep me for these next two days, as was his right. And he wanted to give me a proper good-bye. I had no idea what he meant by that, but it made me queasy. Just the thought of touching my Alpha made me feel ill.
Melody, the third packsister brought by the Alpha as his arm candy, wove her way through the crowd. She’d been gone for quite a long time considering she’d only been refreshing her makeup.
“Where’ve you been?” Cheyenne asked her.
“The bathrooms are way the heck back there.” She turned and pointed. “It took me nearly twenty minutes just to find them.”
An idea immediately formed in my head. Maybe, just maybe, I could sneak a little time alone with my mate.
“Come with me,” I hissed at Cheyenne.
She raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
I winked and turned to my Alpha, who was busy arguing pack politics with some red-haired man.
“Pardon me, sir.” I pulled out my best little girl voice, the one I knew he could never say no to.
He turned, frowning at me for interrupting him. “What is it?”
“I ask permission to use the ladies’ room, sir.”
His eyes gleamed at my submission. I hated it, wanted to spit the bitter words from my mouth, but it was my one chance. He loved a woman who wouldn’t make a decision without his input.
“Yes, well”—he smirked at me, his eyes traveling over the extra-short dress and glittering fishnet stockings he’d chosen for me—“be quick about it. Cheyenne, go with her. Come find me if that so-called Alpha comes sniffing around my girl.”
Cheyenne whispered a quiet “Yes, sir” as I nodded, my stomach filling with butterflies at the thought of escaping Alpha, even for a few moments.
As soon as Alpha turned back to his conversation, I pulled Cheyenne’s arm and hissed, “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To the bathroom. Just like I told him.” I cut a path through the crowd of shifters, pulling Cheyenne behind me. When I was far enough away from Alpha, I glanced behind me to find Killian in the crowd. He stood at the edge of a group of older shifters, watching me with a curious expression on his face. I gave him a smile and nodded my head in the direction of the hallway leading to the restrooms.
Cheyenne huffed as our heels clacked across the dance floor. “I really don’t have to go.”
“Neither do I. Now, hurry.”
Chapter 4
Killian
For way too long, that oily fucker paraded my mate around the party while I watched from the corner like a chump. He had his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side, touching what was mine. Had we been back home, I’d have killed him already. But I had to rein in those instincts for a little longer. The future of my entire pack lay in our networking with other shifters. Already, the men and women of the Appalachia pack were scouring the building, sniffing out all guests of the Gathering to try to locate a mate. The fact that I’d found mine had given them all hope, and they took my deadline of this evening seriously. There was no way I was going to bed without my mate beside me.
“You’d better calm that growl, Killian. Someone’s going to think you’re a little pissed.”
I grunted a laugh as my sister moved to stand next to me. “A little pissed doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
From across the room, my mate tossed a glance over her shoulder as she moved away from me, her eyes meeting with mine. It was a gut-punch kind of moment, one where all this emotion—desire, lust, affection, need—coiled up inside of me and exploded through my body. She’d been doing that a lot, catching my eye. Perhaps it was because she felt my stare. Or maybe she ached for me the same way I did for her.
“Where’s she going?”
My sister glanced her way. “Looks like she’s headed to the restroom.”
I grunted an agreement as my mate gave me a smile and seemed to nod her head at something, though what, I couldn’t figure out.
“You know,” my sister said, keeping her voice light and quiet, “the ladies’ room here is very inconvenient. It took me a while just to find it, and then it was down this long, dark, lonesome hallway lined with all these empty conference rooms. People could get lost.”
I felt the furrow of my brow as I watched my mate disappear to the other side of the hall. “And I need to know this because?”
My sister huffed. “Because it appears the object of your obsession is headed that way. If you hurry and aren’t obvious about it, you might be able to sneak a few minutes alone with her. At least give her a proper introduction.”
I whipped my head in her direction. “Where?”
She smiled and nodded her head in the direction my mate had just gone. “There. Back wall, hall on the right, keep following it past all the turns.”
I was striding across the room before the last word rolled off her tongue. “Love you, sis,” I called over my shoulder. I could barely hear her laughing as I cut through the mass of people in my way. This was it, my chance. I just wanted to make sure she was okay, introduce myself properly, and maybe figure out a way to get her away from the oily fucker. As long as she wanted me to, that is.
I turned the corner as my sister said and followed the seemingly endless hallway around half a dozen turns. It was like a fucking maze. The scent of my mate hung heavy in the air, making my wolf anxious. Soon. A few more doors. A final turn and—
There she was. Standing in front of a door on the left with her packmate by her side. My mate’s eyes went wide when she saw me, and those kissable lips of hers turned up at the corners.
“Well, hello,” she said. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Hello.” I stopped in front of her, dying to reach for her hand but unsure if my touch would be welcomed. “I wanted to introduce myself properly.”
The other woman glanced from one of us to the other with a smile on her face. “I can probably get you about fifteen minutes, but then Alpha’s going to get suspicious.”
My mate looked her way. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”
As the woman walked into the ladies’ room, my mate nodded her head farther down the hall. “Should we find a quiet spot to talk?”
“That sounds perfect.” I led her down the hall a few doors, resting my hand on the curve of her lower back the entire way. The way her muscles flexed under her ridiculously tight black dress made my fingers itch for more contact, but I held back. Kept my composure. Played the gentleman.
But the second the door closed behind us, my mate spun and wrapped herself around me, her lips crashing into mine.
“Fuck me.” I ran both hands down to her ass, cupping and pulling her against my straining cock as I slid my tongue inside. Damn, she tasted good.
“No time,” she mumbled, clutching my shoulders and biting my lower lip. Hard.
I growled as I owned her mouth. This kiss wasn’t sweet or introductory. There was no single bit of affection in it. This was pure carnal need on display. And it was perfect.
“I swear, I was just going to introduce myself.” My hands slid lower, finding the straps of the silky thing holding up the sparkly stockings covering those long legs of hers. I groaned and yanked her closer as my fingers danced along uncovered flesh, my lips and tongue still working with hers.
“You’re Killian, we’re mated, and that asshole Alpha of mine is trying to keep us apart. Anything else I need to know?” She yanked me backward, not stopping until we reached a conference table. Still not breaking the kiss, she slid onto the table and spread her legs around my hips.
“Nope. Not a goddamned thing.” I happily pressed against her. Fucking her mouth, pushing her dress up
around her hips. “You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
She grinned and licked her way up my neck, over my jawline to my ear, whispering to me, “I’ve been wet since the moment you walked in the ballroom.”
I growled and dragged my fingers up the inside of her thighs. “Can you be quiet?” My fingers quickly found where she was hot and swollen. Fuck me, the woman didn’t have anything on under her dress but those hot-as-fuck little strappy things and the sheer fabric on her legs. So sexy.
She met my eyes and nodded as I traced a knuckle along the edge of her pussy. Just a light touch…a tease. But then she groaned, and there was no more time for teasing. The woman had been driving me mad since I first saw her, and I wanted to make her just as crazy for me.
“Lean back a little.”
She did as I asked, licking her lips and spreading her legs even wider. Dress hiked up, lips swollen from our kisses, gorgeous pink pussy on display… She was a debauched angel, ready for me to catch her as she fell.
“Are you real?” The words escaped me without intention or forethought. My mate tilted her head, a small smile coming to her face as she watched me.
“Very much so, and I’ve been waiting to find you for a long time.”
I growled while I slid one finger inside her, finding her hot and wet. Working her clit with my thumb, I pumped in and out a few times. Learning her tells, beginning the long journey to find all the secret spots that would make her tremble from my touch. Twisting and sliding my fingers inside her, I watched as her breathing increased, her skin flushed, and her body began to shake.
