by M. L. Briers
CHASING HIS MATE
By
M L BRIERS
Copyright © 2013 by M.L Briers
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Table of Contents
CHASING HIS MATE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER ONE
“Your mother called you Chase, and you don’t find anything wrong with that?” The little Fae put her hands on her delicate hips and looked up at him expectantly. Those Jade green eyes demanded he capitulate to her questioning, as a rush of annoyance washed through him.
It wasn’t the first time his mother’s choice of name for him had been the source of amusement. But this Fae was pushing all of his buttons right now, and he didn’t need it.
He needed her help, and the elder’s had sent him to her specifically. There had to be a damn good reason, and he wasn’t about to question their judgement. Or maybe he should.
Chase took a long breath and held it. Folding thick muscled arms over the black cashmere jumper than clung to his skin, the movement caused her eyes to roam over the expanse of his chest. The same way her eyes had devoured him when he first walked into her life. Not more than half an hour ago.
Cassidy appreciated the Lycan form, always had. The muscled torso, so broad at the shoulders and chest, before pulling in at the waist, and then those sinewy arms and legs, packed full of hard muscles that rippled below the surface. Yep, she wasn’t adverse to a little Lycan appreciation when it was standing right in front of her.
“I need your help. It’s just a small spell. “His chocolate brown eyes held her in place as he tried a new tack. Less bombastic and more appealing, and she certainly did find him appealing. Too bad he had already found a mate, even though he was now trying to get her to send that mate away.
“Small. Is it now?” She snorted her contempt for his lack of knowledge of just what it would entail to push his mate out of his life. It wasn’t going to be that easy, and her eyes instructed him of that fact as she gave him a hard stare.
Chase felt the heat rising within him. What was it with this damn witch? Could she not just say she would do it and be done with all of this conversation? It made him nervous enough to be around her kind. Hell, his skin was practically tingling with the need to put some distance between the two of them.
“Ok. Not small. But you can do it right? Why else would the elder’s send me to you?” Chase eyed her. Some foot and a bit shorter than him, she seemed such a little human, and he would surely break her if she was in his bed.
There was a thought that startled him. While she was attractive, he couldn’t deny that, she was also Fae, and you didn’t dally with a Fae, unless you wanted to find yourself waking up in wolf form, never to shift again.
“I have no idea why the elder’s sent you to me Chase. “ There was that damn little smirk again. The one that lifted the corners of her lips and made her eyes shine with amusement. And he liked it, even though he wasn’t sure why.
She certainly wasn’t his type. That wild, curly, auburn hair for one thing, he liked brunettes. And she might have a little curve to those hips, but he liked his females well rounded, it gave him something to hold onto while he was behind them, making them scream his name.
That thought made his lips curl up at the edges, and he wondered what his name would sound like on her lips, if he was pounding into her. Damn Fae. Bewitching him. That was another good reason to stay away from her.
“Look Cassidy, it’s a simple request. You’ll either grant it or not, and be rewarded for your time and efforts appropriately. Will you do it?” His chocolate eyes had darkened slightly, more dark chocolate now, she noted as she narrowed her gaze on him.
“Run off your mate.” It wasn’t a question. She was rolling that thought around in her mind. If Fate had seen fit to allow him and his mate to meet, should she be tampering with Fate?
“Yes.” He nodded emphatically, his eyes back to warm chocolate.
“Aren’t you guys all supposed to be like- ohh, my mate?” She gave him the damndest dreamy look that caused his already half mast erection to harden, and his gut to clench within him. He was more than uncomfortable in her presence and not just mentally.
“Look…” He started, taking one long stride towards her. He pointed his index finger down at her in a menacing way, as those eyes darkened again. “It’s inconvenient. “
Cassidy snorted. “Well hell boy, why didn’t you say? We can’t have the great Alpha inconvenienced by something as pesky as Fate itself.” She couldn’t keep the disdain from her face or the amusement from her voice.
Chase stopped on a low growl in his throat, and that index finger, along with his whole giant hand, was now sailing through his hair in frustration as he turned his eyes away from her.
“Now you sound like the elders.” He groaned. Unimpressed at her mockery of him, and yet, she was only saying what the elders had told him, when he had, perhaps rather stupidly, asked for their wisdom in the matter of his mate.
Not that he had seen her in person. The elder Nathaniel, who was blessed with the Vision, had bore witness to his mate in a dream. At least he had been pre warned, albeit reluctantly, by the elder.
“Maybe because the elders are wise, and the one thing about Fate, Chase, is that no matter how fast you run from it, it’s still going to be right there when you stop.”
Damn. Now she really did sound like the elders. They had a long conversation about him embracing the idea of his mate. But damn it, he really didn’t have the time for that right now. If this Witch could send her away for just a while, well then maybe things would be different in the future.
“I do not need a lecture Witch.” His eyes swooped up and down her body in a fast dismissive sweep. Although to Cassidy, it felt more like a long, slow, detailed appraisal that set her pulse racing.
“Now hold on a minute hothead, curb that Lycan temper of yours, and accept the fact that you’re wrong and the elders are right. “
Those little hands were back on her slender hips, and she had the fire within her belly that shone in her eyes, and made her auburn hair almost glow with the flame that burned brightly within her.
“So, you’re not going to help me?” He demanded, taking another step towards her. A lot of menace in that one simple move, but Cassidy was not about to back down from him. That would pain her little defiant gene.
“I didn’t say that either. I pity the female that has to mate, and endure you for the rest of her life.” Cassidy snapped back. Every inch of her very being standing up against his dominant gene, his hot headed, self absorbed, over inflated sense of worth.
“So, you will help me?” He still had his dominant stance going on, but now he had drawn down his dark brows, and they crinkled like two little caterpillars above those dark eyes and caused a crease above the bridge of his nose. She found that she couldn’t seem to draw her eyes from that spot.
“I’ll help your mate escape you. “ She snapped back sarcastically, with all the venom of a rattle snake, and he seemed to loosen his stance, his muscles easing as he considered her words.
“Good.” He ground out between clenched teeth, and she dragged her eyes
away from that little crease and stared back into his dark gaze.
“Good, for her.” She huffed, and he drew his body back from that menacing lean in towards hers.
“Fine, call it how you see it. Just so long as you do the damn spell.” He growled down at her and she huffed again. She found she had little time or patience for this man anymore.
“Oh I’ll do the damn spell. That poor woman will be running for the hills.” The look of disgust she gave him mirrored his own, and yet there was an attraction to this Fae that he just couldn’t deny. Although he could deny his body acting on that attraction.
There were plenty of women that he could call on if the need took him. He wasn’t about to get tangled up with a Witch.
“Wonderful. You couldn’t have just said yes right away?” He felt the need to poke the bear.
“I didn’t know what an arse you were back then. Now that I do, I have nothing but sympathy for your mate.” She pulled her gaze from his and turned on her heels dismissively. When he gave a low growl in his throat, she tossed him a look of amusement over her shoulder. “And don’t bother with your Alpha show of dominance, it won’t work with me.”
When she threw up a challenge like that right in his face, he just wanted to stalk over to her and claim those deep crimson lips of hers. Kiss her into submission, until she was begging for his body to enter hers, and then he would show her just how much she would enjoy his dominance.
“A challenge little Fae, are you sure that’s wise?” He took a step towards her and she turned back towards him, one perfect arched brow raised in his direction out of contempt for his words.
“Get over yourself wolf. You’re about as attractive to me as a skunk.” Well she didn’t think she could have made it any plainer than that. She used just a little magic to back up the lie, with her shields firmly in place he wouldn’t get a reading on what she was feeling.
This was getting out of hand. He wanted, no needed her help. He really couldn’t afford to run her off now by showing her just how he could affect her, given half the chance.
“Good to know. Now, I’ll need you on pack land by this…”
“Whoa- Say what?” She crossed her arms and tipped her chin up. It brought her face up so he was looking down on her. The perfect view of those green eyes and crimson lips had visions of her beneath him in his bed swim into his mind, and they weren’t so easy to dismiss.
“Pack - land.” He repeated slowly, as though she was mentally unable to keep up with him, and he watched those eyes narrow, and then flare. And he found himself growing harder. It had all just added to his mental imagery of her beneath him while he slid in and out of her.
“I’m not deaf.” She offered with a sarcastic sneer, “Why do I need to go to pack land? Just tell me who this woman is.”
“Can’t do that.” He admitted, and she regarded him with suspicion, a suspicion born of disbelief.
“And why can’t you do that?” Now she was questioning him as though he was the idiot.
The long drawn out sigh that escaped his lips had him looking just ever so slightly sheepishly back at her, “The only person who has seen my mate is an elder, blessed with vision.”
“Oh wonderful.” Cassidy threw up her hands in disbelief. This was just getting better and better.
“If you speak with him…” Chase offered, trying to quell her annoyance.
“So why don’t you just ask the elder who she is?”
Chase did that deep sigh again as he crossed his arms over that unbelievably wide chest and gave her an annoyed glare.
“He is less than forthcoming.” Chase admitted. Cassidy couldn’t help the chortle that left her lips and caused his glare to flare up.
“And you think he will tell me?”
“He said he would speak with you and only you about my mate. That you were a part of his vision, and that you should be brought to him if I wanted to unearth the mystery of my Fate.” He was waving a hand around dismissively now, arms still crossed.
He looked just so annoyed by his elder’s actions that she wanted to laugh, but she found herself sighing instead. She hated it when elders were just so cryptic. She had her fare share of interfering old women. They seemed to have nothing better to do than make you work for it.
“Oh wonderful, a road trip onto Lycan territory.” The sarcasm in her voice was not lost on him. It wasn’t the best idea, a Fae on Lycan territory. Still, he needed this.
“You will not be harmed.” His tone was adamant. Dominantly certain of her fate, and yet she couldn’t help the unease at the thought of spending any more time with any Lycan, this Lycan. He unnerved her so much.
“I can’t guarantee the same to any member of your pack that steps out of line.” She shot back, wanting him to know that she wasn’t scared to face down his people. Just not all at once.
The first sign of the grin that spread across his face mesmerised her. The corners of his eyes crinkled, and his lips drew up and back. Those chocolate coloured eyes shone with amusement. Two rows of bright white teeth gleamed back at her, and she felt a rush of excitement kick start her womanhood. When he smiled, he smiled.
“They won’t step out of line. You will be under my protection at all times. I’ll keep you safe.” He seemed to grow in stature then. Not a large enough presence already within the small confines of her living room, his whole body increased in size with his self assured Alpha-ness. She had to admit, she liked it. Protected by the Alpha of the pack, it seemed to ignite a rush of something purely feminine within her. Not that she was going to admit that to him, or anyone else for that matter.
“Great. That’s just what I need, more time in your company.” She bit out with all the sarcasm she could summon, considering her body was betraying her.
Thank the goddess for my shields. She was mindful that he couldn’t tell just how effected by him she had become.
“Likewise.” He offered with a tad of sarcasm of his own and she huffed.
“When?” She tried to get her mind off just how sinful the thoughts in her mind had turned, as she dragged her gaze from his and half turned away from him. He was Lycan and she was Fae- she wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, and that was one big wolf.
“Now. Well, I have some errands to run. If you get a few things together I will collect you on my way back to our land. You’ll need enough supplies to stay at least overnight.” He was backing away from her. He wanted to be out of her place and her presence so he could shake off this damn fuzz that was clouding his senses and messing with his brain.
“Wait” She demanded rounding back to him again.
Damn. Almost out the door. He told himself with an inward sigh. He turned and focused his attention back on her.
“Overnight?” She raised both brows questioning his sanity this time, and he couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips again.
“Yes, the elder in question can be…” He stopped and gave it consideration. “Difficult. He will keep you waiting for an audience. It’s just his thing. By the time you’re done, trust me, you don’t want to be driving back down the mountain at that time of night.”
Great, just bloody great! Maybe she should tell him she had changed her mind, but then that show of not fearing his people would have been for nothing, wouldn’t it?
Chase seemed to sense her reluctance to stay on pack land overnight, and couldn’t help but tease her. “Unless you do fear my pack and then we…” He offered and saw her immediately stiffen. Job done, he told himself as she tipped that damn chin up at him in defiance again.
“Whatever it takes.” She bit out a little too quickly for her own liking, but she didn’t think he noticed. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and turned back towards her front door.
“Be back in an hour.”
He yanked open the door and practically propelled himself outside into the coldness of the day. More than happy not be to in her presence for a moment longer. Hopefully he could manage to get a grip on hi
s mental wanderings in the meantime.
“Let me help you with…” He reached for her backpack and his hand gripped one shoulder strap as hers found the other.
“I got it.” She bit out. She really wasn’t a fan of the caveman style living that these Lycan’s followed. Alpha male’s indeed. Just another hierarchy, that slapped itself on the back for keeping women in their perceived place, the kitchen and the damn bedroom.
“Me too, so why don’t you let me…” Chase reasoned and saw her set her jaw. Seriously? This was going to cause her problems?
“Look Cassidy.” It just went against his nature to let a woman hump around something he could carry himself. Where was the point? If someone stronger than him offered a hand, he would welcome it.
“Let’s get something straight Alpha. I can carry my own pack, open my own doors, and generally take care of my own needs just fine without the help of a big, strong…” She motioned to his being, him. “Lycan.”
He lifted the pack with absolutely no intention of letting go. When she kept her hand wrapped around the strap of the pack, he assumed he was going to be pulling her along behind him, if she was stupid enough not to let go.
“I have no intention of letting you carry something heavy if my hands are free. As for not opening the door for you, if I am first, I’ll open the damn thing. As for taking care of your needs, if I’m around, I’ll do that too. So get used to it. Live with it. Suffer it, or just plain get over it. It’s just overnight, and then you’ll be free of my Alpha ways.” He swung the pack away from her, up and over his shoulder. The motion caused her arm to jerk, but she did let go immediately, even if it was on a sigh of annoyance.
“You need to step into this century buster.” She muttered under her breath. Cassidy took a step towards her front door and he made a great show of pulling it open for her. The grin on his face was enough to have her hands tightening into little fists at her side.
“After you.” He teased and watched as she bit down on her jaw. The crimson flush to her cheeks made his day as she walked past him. If she had been a dragon then he was certain she would now be blowing great swirls of fire from her nose.
