The Tiger King (Paladin Shifters Book 1)

by Patricia Logan

  “If you touch me, I won’t be able to resist the call my body has for you. The mating call is impossible to ignore,” Paget blurted as Damiano advanced on him.

  Damiano nodded his head. “Yes, it is, kitten.” He took another step closer. “And I can hear how badly your heart pounds when you are close to me. Mine is the same.” He reached out and took Paget’s hand, bringing it to his chest where he held it over his heart. “Feel the effect you have on me, Paget.” The moment the palm of Paget’s hand touched his chest, Damiano’s heart glowed brightly. He watched as Paget’s eyes widened but was utterly surprised when his little mate smirked.

  “Is that glowing shit going to happen every time we… ah… every time… I mean…” He glanced up at Damiano. “How long is that glow going to happen?”

  Damiano smiled. “They say it only happens until we’ve completed the mating ritual. Right now, it’s acting as a beacon of sorts.” He let his palms fall softly onto Paget’s biceps, sliding them downward as he stroked the soft skin. It felt glorious in his hands.

  “As if cat shifters had no sense of smell,” Paget grumbled, shuddering from Dami’s touch.

  “I see that you’re not going to stop talking so I’ll just have to shut you up.” Damiano tightened his hands and yanked him into his arms, dragging Paget up against his hard form right before he leaned down and once again, took hold of his lips in a long, lingering kiss.

  Paget’s mouth should be outlawed. He tasted as sweet as he looked. The fact that it felt so right when they kissed really wasn’t something he should be surprised by. They were mates after all. As he deepened their kiss, Paget’s arms snaked around his back pulling their bodies flush. The last thing he’d wanted was to kiss Paget and feel him pull away from fear. He’d picked up on that vibe coming from him more than once since they’d met but somehow, when he held him and had his mouth on him, Paget’s trepidation bled away, leaving this totally compliant lover in his arms.

  From the moment he’d scented him out on the drive, Damiano had known Paget would be his lover. Of this he’d never had a doubt. Paget was designed to be his above all other men and women in the world. He couldn’t care less that they held different ranks in the world of big cats. They were meant to be together. Damiano could feel it in every fiber of his being. When he held Paget and tasted him, he wanted and needed so much more. He was desperate for him… desperate to complete the mating ritual which would involve not only the merging of their bodies during sex, but also the bite which he would deliver as the larger and more dominant mate. He needed to claim Paget with a bite to the thick muscle between his shoulder and neck. That luscious neck. The ritual was meant to be carried out in private and would seal them together as mates for all time.

  Once mated, nothing but death could separate them and when one mate died, the other would soon follow, not because of anything that linked their physiology, but because of grief that neither of them would be able to ignore. Damiano had often wondered whether he’d automatically feel love toward his mate. He knew the physical draw would be impossible to ignore but the emotional one? He’d never even come close to feeling love for anyone. He fucked purely for the joy and necessity of fucking, not because he wanted the act to make him close to someone. In reality, he’d always been happy to let his lovers remain casual acquaintances. That wasn’t going to happen with Paget. They were already inexplicably attached to each other.

  He didn’t think it had anything to do with the fact that he was gay because he knew a hell of a lot of straight cats and he hadn’t met one yet who wanted to stay with a lover longer than a night or two. He’d known a few people who’d found their mates and watching their relationship with each other was like seeing a whole different side to everything. They were committed to each other from day one. And though divorce was allowed in shifter culture, the separation of mates seemed to be extremely uncommon. Some were able to endure it but they were few and far between. It was done most often in cases where one spouse was abusive, and though rare, as in human culture, that phenomenon did exist.

  Damiano deepened his kiss with Paget, tightening his hold on his smaller mate. His cock was already rock solid, hard, and ready. It had been since he’d first kissed his mate in his quarters. At the moment the very real need to get inside him held greater importance than anything else. He groaned into Paget’s mouth. He wanted to separate them but judging by the way Paget was now clinging to Damiano, he seemed to be making an impression. His mate had finally stopped fighting him and was beginning to relax. When his kitten widened his stance and then rubbed against Damiano’s thigh, his rigid length pressed into his leg. Paget was hard as stone. Shit. Paget moaned low in his throat and when it turned to a vibrating purr, Damiano growled. He had to forcefully break the kiss. He was already close to coming in his pants. He took Paget by both biceps and leaned away, taking only half a step back.

  “You rub on me again like that, and this mating ritual is gonna be over before it starts. I’m gonna come in these pants like a teenager,” he growled.

  Paget smirked and began backing up, reaching for the hem of his T-shirt and pulling it off, all the while toeing off the sandals he’d stepped into before leaving his room. He kept his gaze fixed on Damiano as he pulled his own shirt over his head. Paget groaned and bit his lip as his gaze dropped to Damiano’s nipples which were basically at eye level for him. When the pink point of his tongue snaked out and licked his lips, it was Damiano’s turn to groan. He wanted that sexy little tongue on the slit of his dick so bad, he ached for it. Unfortunately, that would have to wait for another time when they didn’t have the mating ritual to get out of the way. He could go slow later. At the moment, Damiano needed to get inside Paget.

  ****

  Paget watched as Satriale reached for the fastening on his waistband, deftly working it and pulling down the zipper. As he separated the placket over his hard dick, Paget’s mouth filled with saliva. He wanted to yank his boxer briefs off and pull them down over his powerful thighs, dropping to his knees in front of the tiger so he could taste him. He watched his mate stoop and remove his boots before shucking his dress slacks and briefs in one quick move. By the time Satriale was naked, Paget had to bite his lip to keep from letting out a gasp.

  Damiano Satriale, his gorgeous mate, was beautifully made all over and Paget nearly drooled when he got a good look at him. He grabbed the waistband of his own sweats and yanked them down over his throbbing dick watching as Satriale’s gaze zeroed in on it. The second he had toed out of the sweats, Satriale was on him, grabbing him and lifting him. In two short strides, he made it to the bed where he tossed Paget. He landed back on the massive king-size bed with a little bounce. He quickly scooted to the middle of the bed, watching Satriale walk to his bag and reach inside, rummaging around until he found what he was looking for. He returned to the bed with a squeeze bottle of lube, tossing it onto the bed beside Paget.

  Satriale locked his gaze with Paget’s as he climbed onto the bed with long lean limbs. He was covered with more hair than Paget but Satriale’s was black. He crawled over to him on all fours where he straddled Paget, pressing his naked body back in the mattress, covering him with his heated flesh. The spot on his mate’s chest began to glow as Satriale reached for his hair, pulling his head back so that he could look him directly in the eyes.

  “Ignore that glow. It will be gone as soon as I take you, Paget.” His voice was raw with emotion and the growl in it was sexy as hell. Before Paget could reply, Satriale closed his mouth over his. Their lips came more together and Paget opened willingly, letting the gentle slide of Satriale’s tongue inside as he seemed to deliberately slow down. Satriale kissed him like he’d never been kissed before, thoroughly searching the far reaches of his mouth with an exploring tongue that tasted as sweet as his mate smelled. He hadn’t really focused on how delicious Satriale smelled until now because everything else about him was so damned appetizing.

  All Paget’s focus was on his mate now. All of it.


  Satriale felt huge in his arms… his shoulders and hips wide. Paget felt like a fragile doll compared to the paladin, especially with the way he was pressing his body down on the bed. It made Paget feel submissive to his much more aggressive mate but that was fine with him. One of the things he loved about Satriale was how possessive he was and how needed he made Paget feel. He didn’t think he’d ever felt so necessary to anyone before… no one. He had the distinct impression that Paget’s presence was as important as the very air Satriale breathed… vital to his survival.

  Paget opened his eyes, not even realizing that he’d shut them tightly and when he did, the eerie orange glow lit up both faces. Satriale was staring down at him and he grinned, leaning down to peck him on the lips. His lips were soft, so soft and full, Paget didn’t ever think he would get tired of kissing him. Satriale reached for Paget’s hand and brought it down between them. Paget palmed his erection, circling it with the palm of his hand, giving him a few pumps up and down with his fist. The smooth skin of Satriale’s cock felt amazing.

  “You feel the need I have for you, mate?”

  Paget stared up into his light golden eyes. They flamed with fire. He nodded. “I-I need you too, Damiano.”

  “I love it when you say my name, Paget.” Damiano leaned down and kissed a line across his jaw back to his ear, sliding his tongue onto his neck. Paget shivered as he felt the rough scrape of his whiskers as Damiano inhaled. “Turn over. As much as I want to watch you this first time, you need to be on your knees for the mating.”

  Paget nodded, gasping as Damiano’s fangs nipped at his neck. He could feel how they’d grown in his mate’s mouth.

  “Hurry,” he said, lifting off Paget. “I need to get inside you, mate. I can’t wait anymore.”

  Paget couldn’t wait either. He did as Damiano instructed, rolling on the soft mattress until he was able to get onto all fours where he widened his legs. Damiano’s warm hands landed on his shoulders and Paget felt a kiss to his lower back as Damiano stroked downward until he was gripping both ass cheeks in his large paws. Paget was surprised by the sharp scrape of claws as they dug into his skin. He trembled, unable to move as Damiano held him in place. He felt his mate move in close as one of the clawed hands vanished, then the other. The room was suddenly filled with Damiano’s mating pheromones and he was almost overwhelmed by it. He suddenly felt faint and then realized he’d curled the fingers of both hands into the duvet cover. When he looked down, the outline of claws at the tips of his own fingers, surprised him.

  Paget heard the squirt of lube behind him, not something he was unfamiliar with, but it unnerved him nevertheless. It had been years since he’d made love to a man and he’d never been taken by a man the size of Damiano. He knew nature had prepared him for what Damiano was about to do but he just hoped it would be gentle. He stopped thinking altogether as Damiano slid up against his entrance, prodding at him as he blanketed his back.

  “I will be as gentle as I can, but you know how the mating is meant to be carried out.”

  Paget was familiar with the tradition. Females were taken in one long glide, meant to be breached and claimed. It would have to be the same with Paget. He’d be taking all of Damiano with no fingers, no preparation. Fortunately, they had lube. He nodded as he felt the huff of his mate’s breath against his shoulder.

  “I know,” he said softly. Before he could gather his thoughts any more than that, he felt Damiano’s cock breach him. The slide was gentle at first, stretching him impossibly wide and Paget put his forehead to the soft duvet, forcing out a breath as he tried to relax. He’d been with large men before but nothing in his life had prepared him for the size and breadth of the man behind him. As his own tight body tried its best to accommodate his mate, Damiano stretched his larger body over him, blanketing his back until his entire body was covered. Damiano reached up and gingerly brushed his hair away from his target with clawed fingers as Paget turned his head, offering his neck.

  “Mate,” Damiano growled.

  The sound of Damiano’s voice was not his own. Almost instantly, the scrape of fangs against the tender skin of his neck made Paget shudder. He breathed slowly as Damiano’s breath ghosted over his skin again, sending shivers up his spine. The claws of Damiano’s hands dug into his hips as he simultaneously felt the fangs on his shoulder. Paget hadn’t known what to expect but almost at the same moment as Damiano’s fangs sank into him, so did his thick length. The searing pain of both at once, promptly transported Paget to a higher plane of existence for a moment.

  Without warning, he felt his own rock-hard cock stiffen almost painfully. Paget instantaneously felt the ripples of his orgasm slam through him stronger than any he’d ever had before. A few blinding seconds later, Paget finally realized Damiano was thrusting into him, prolonging his orgasm. He registered blood trickling down his skin where his mate had bitten down, only seconds before his entire world went black.

  Chapter Fourteen

  D amianostepped out of the palace and nodded at the two paladin standing guard duty. Leaving Paget alone amongst the blood-soaked sheets of his bed so soon after his mating had probably been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. His mate had passed out sometime while Damiano was biting him and when he’d collapsed over him after the mating only to find him unconscious, he’d at first been terrified. When he’d realized that Paget slept the blissful sleep of a claimed mate, the power of pride had rolled through him like nothing he’d ever felt before. Still, knowing Paget might wake and leave his bed before Damiano returned, had him turning back to business. He needed to get it over with. He waved at the guards. The minute they saw him, they came to sharp attention and saluted, waiting for Damiano to return the gesture until they lowered their hands.

  “Good evening, men,” he said, hearing a murmured reply before striding away. He felt the strong need to shift but probably for the first time in his life, it was an unwelcome feeling. The tingling sensation on his skin was a telltale sign of biology telling him he needed to listen to nature, but until he’d spoken to the Seer and checked on Paget’s welfare again, the shift would have to wait. That didn’t mean his tiger wasn’t itching to stretch his four long legs and dig his claws into the ground.

  Damiano circumnavigated the palace, taking note of the stone surface made up of crudely cut stone giving the whole façade an old-world appearance. The exterior of the palace had a medieval castle feel to it with rounded turrets on all four corners and crenelated walls where paladin guards could be seen pacing out guard duty in the wide spaces between. In many ways, the cat shifter’s royal residence would have been right at home in the freezing green highlands of Scotland rather than a dense Southern California forest. Damiano couldn’t deny that King Fain’s home was beautiful.

  Turning his thoughts to what young Theo had told him for the millionth time since meeting the Seer, Damiano speculated on whether King Fain had orchestrated Pasha Raab’s captivity. If someone else was responsible, Damiano had yet to figure out who would benefit from the king’s overthrow. As far as he could reckon, Pasha Raab had been a strong and fair ruler. He was legendary for his selfless service to his subjects and they served him out of love, not fear. While there were whisperings of Fain’s unfairness, none existed about Pasha Raab. Unless Damiano was missing something, there was no one who’d benefited from his removal but King Fain.

  That being said, if Pasha Raab was alive and imprisoned in a hidden sub-basement within the castle, Damiano would have thought that someone would have found out about it and alerted King Fain to it before now. Pasha Raab had been overthrown and reportedly murdered in the pit by Dariush, the man who’d become primero five years before. Surely, he’d thought him dead but why then, had Pasha Raab been imprisoned if the story Theo told was true? Who’d done it? Was it possible that Dariush knew he hadn’t killed Pasha Raab all along? Had he been the one to imprison the king so he could take his place? Why not kill him then? Not only that, it was Damiano’s understanding that the execut
ion of the king had been at the hand of his Paladin Primero Dariush in the public arena. How a public murder could have been misinterpreted was yet to be explained.

  When Damiano was far enough away from the scent of guards, he began to search for Theo’s scent. The boy had a distinctive odor, something he’d never smelled before. He wondered whether it had something to do with the fact that the boy was a Seer. Nothing else accounted for the scent he’d picked up, even the fact that he was a young child. He’d smelled lots of children in his lifetime and they all smelled similar… sweaty, dirty, and slightly sweet. Theo’s scent was unique only to him.

  “Where are you, Seer?”

  “Very good technique, Paladin Primero. I heard you clearly that time. By the way, I never smell sweaty or dirty. My mother taught me well.”

  Damiano snorted. “Where the hell are you, little shit?”

  “Follow the path downhill another two hundred feet. I’m near the pond.”

  Damiano did as he was instructed, walking toward the pond he hadn’t had prior knowledge of. He followed the path which wound past the dense woods of the king’s hunting grounds. The walkway led directly into the darkest forest where he was quickly enveloped by overgrowth on both sides. Owls and other creatures greeted Damiano’s entrance to their haven. He wondered how many, if any, were magical creatures like himself. The scent of water was strong ahead of him and after a few minutes, the trees parted and he spotted the reflection of the moon on the ripples of the dark pond. As soon as he walked out into a clearing on a sandy beach, he spotted Theo waiting for him. The boy was smaller than he remembered and he smiled as Damiano waved. He walked over as the boy came toward him.