Purring with His Mate (Miracle Book 1)

by Shea Malik

  Suddenly Nole was on his back with Edrick looking down at him, confusion in those beautiful blue eyes. “How is that punishment?”

  Nole grinned. “Jari throws up at the sight of blood.”

  Edrick gave a chuckle. “You are devious, my little mouse.”

  Then those firm lips Nole loved to feel against his were kissing him. It didn’t take more than that for Nole’s body to erupt in a firestorm of need.

  Wrapping his arms around Edrick, he held on, afraid he’d drown in too much sensation if he didn’t anchor himself. His toes curled when Edrick kissed a path along his jaw and down his neck to where his mating mark was.

  Rockets went off in his head as Edrick nipped at the spot where he’d made Nole his. It was super sensitive and had Nole’s cock dripping precum with each lick, kiss, and nip Edrick applied. Edrick smiled against Nole’s skin, telling him his mate knew exactly what he was doing.

  But two could play at that game. Nole moved his head just an inch to where he’d left his mark on Edrick. Lapping along the raised flesh, he gave his own smile when he heard his mate moan in pleasure. Emboldened, he continued his assault on Edrick’s neck.

  It took only minutes for them both to be on edge and ready to come. A slick finger was suddenly sliding along his crack. Nole had no clue when Edrick had gotten the lube, but he didn’t waste time wondering. Instead, he spread his legs to give his mate the room he needed to get at his pucker.

  “Please,” Nole whined, opening his legs even wider.

  Edrick kissed his lips at the same moment he plunged two fingers into Nole’s channel. The burn took his breath away, but it was worth it to feel so full. Seconds later that burn morphed into pure bliss as Nole rode his mate’s fingers.

  “Fuck, my little mouse,” Edrick whispered, desire saturating those blues eyes. “You look so gorgeous writhing on my fingers. I can’t wait to have you wrapped around my cock.”

  Nole groaned at the way his mate was looking at him as if he were the center of Edrick’s universe. “Then fuck me already.” He was so horny, Nole didn’t care if he was open enough to take his mate’s dick. He just wanted to feel that connection with Edrick. To feel complete.

  A third finger was shoved inside of him beside the other two. Edrick spread him quickly before tugging all three digits free. Lining up that big, fat cock, he thrust home.

  They both groaned as he sank deep into Nole’s body. Not even the burn could diminish the feeling of having his mate inside of him. It was heaven as that connection that had developed when they’d mated grew even stronger each time they’d made love.

  Edrick moved his hands, pinning Nole’s to the mattress, fingers entwined as he started thrusting in and out of his body. Blue eyes, nearly black with lust, stared down at him. It was the most intimate moment of his life, as he could swear their minds linked and he could feel the love flowing from his mate.

  Nole opened his mouth to tell Edrick exactly how he felt, but a moan of sheer ecstasy came out instead as words became impossible. He’d tell him later. They had the rest of their lives, after all. Right now, he knew Edrick knew exactly how he felt and that was good enough.

  His balls rolled in their sac as a tingling at the base of his spine alerted him to just how close he was to coming. It was too soon. Nole desperately wanted this moment to last with his mate for the rest of their lives, but that wasn’t going to happen. Not now.

  Edrick slammed into him, hitting Nole’s pleasure spot. Fireworks exploded throughout his body as his balls drew up and his dick pulsed. A heartbeat later he was filling the space between them with his cum.

  “Nole,” Edrick shouted as grabbed Nole’s hips in a bruising grip before thrusting deep one last time. Heat flooded his channel as Edrick’s seed filled Nole.

  When Edrick collapsed on top of him, Nole didn’t care that his mate weighed a ton, or that he could hardly breathe. He just wrapped his arms around Edrick and held on tight. He might not have wanted a mate, but now that he had one, Nole was going to cherish every second he had with Edrick. Life was too precious to waste it worrying about their future. They may not get forever, but they had now and, for Nole, that meant the world to him.

  CHAPTER 18

  The rumble of engines could be heard in the predawn hours, waking Edrick from where he slept wrapped around his mate. Leaping from the mattress they had on the floor, as getting furniture hadn’t been a priority, Edrick shoved his legs into a pair of sweats.

  “Nole, wake up. We have company.” Once he saw Nole heard him, Edrick took off down the stairs and out onto the porch. Looking toward the main road from town, he saw headlights turn in their direction just as Hudson’s mountain lion leaped onto the planks next to him.

  Seconds later a naked Hudson stood there. “There are at least ten motorcycles, most with two riders, and six trucks, occupants ranging from two to six. In all, there are thirty-six men coming this way armed to the teeth.”

  A chill went down Edrick’s spine. If the strangers were there to kill Edrick and his friends, there was little hope of surviving. Oh, they would fight to the death, but the odds were not in their favor. “Do you know who they are?”

  Hudson shook his head, even as he pulled on the sweats Lucca handed him as he walked out onto the porch. Next Hudson’s rifle was shoved into his hands, and his friend took off to get into position. With Hudson’s aim, they would have a chance, not a great one, but at least it would be a chance.

  Just as Hudson turned to leave, Edrick caught his first glance at the group heading their way. A chill ran down his spine at the man in the lead. He was massive. At least three hundred pounds if Edrick had to guess. If the rest of the men were anything like their leader, Edrick and his friends were fucked, and not in a good way.

  “Make sure you don’t miss,” he warned Hudson as he stepped off the porch.

  His friend appeared offended at the unnecessary statement. Not bothering to give Edrick a response, Hudson strode toward the vantage point he planned to use. Sure, Hudson didn’t need to be reminded how to do his job, but as the strangers rolled closer, Edrick felt it prudent. These men were big, muscular.

  But it was more than that. They had the same look in their eyes Edrick, and his friends did. They were fighters to the core. Not from a desire to kill, but from the need to survive. That made them dangerous, but at least not insane like so many of his father’s enforcers.

  “I didn’t know mountains could ride motorcycles,” Chadwick quipped as he stepped out onto the porch.

  The man in question stopped several feet before them. His men fanned out to flank him. When the big man swung his leg over his bike to stand before them, Edrick fought the need to drop his jaw. Tall himself, it was rare for Edrick to find men much taller than him, but this guy had to be close to seven feet. He’d also severely underestimated how heavy the guy was.

  Muscles rippled under the stranger’s tight fitting shirt, straining the seams until they appeared ready to rip apart. Blonde hair hung down past the man’s shoulders in waves. Piercing bright blue eyes that missed nothing stared at him, assessing him. Edrick was usually good at reading people, but this time...this time he got nothing. The man was no more than twenty feet from him, and Edrick still had no clue if he was friend or foe.

  The smirk he was receiving from the guy wasn’t helping. He couldn’t explain it, but Edrick had the insane urge to wipe that damn smirk off his face. It would be suicidal, but something about the stranger had Edrick’s hackles rising in warning.

  A lot of that had to do with the guy being an Alpha. Two Alphas didn’t do well in the same space.

  “What are you doing here?” he called out when the last of the engines died down.

  That smirk only grew. “What? No welcoming party? I’m hurt.”

  Edrick growled low in warning. He didn’t know what this guy’s problem was, but Edrick wasn’t about to let him think he could come into his town and take over. “That wasn’t an answer to the question.”

  “No,
it wasn’t.” That was all. No elaboration.

  “Answer the damn question,” Edrick snarled.

  “Kirill,” Nole cried out as the screen door they’d recently installed slammed shut. “You made it.” Before Edrick could stop him, Nole ran down the porch steps and leaped into the stranger’s arms.

  White hot jealousy ripped through Edrick with no chance of him gaining control. There was no thought, no plan, just the raw need to get his mate out of another man’s arms. A heartbeat later he was yanking his mate away from the stranger, tossing him over his shoulder and striding back up to the porch before finally setting Nole back on his feet.

  Edrick didn’t even have to see Nole’s face to know his mate was pissed. Not only was the anger rolling off Nole causing the air around them to become sour and acrid all at the same time, but the fists slamming into his chest told their story.

  Brown eyes flashed with fire, taking Edrick’s breath away. Nole had a fiery temper, but Edrick was too on edge to use caution. Having seen his mate in the arms of another man made him want to stake his claim once more.

  “If you think you can manhandle…” Edrick didn’t give Nole a chance to finish as he leaned down and captured all that fire for himself, proving to all watching just who Nole belonged to.

  He had meant for it to be nothing more than a claiming, but as always happened with Nole, once Edrick felt those magical lips against his own, he just couldn’t get enough. Nipping and licking along the seam of Nole’s lush mouth, Edrick savored his mate’s unique sweet flavor, forgetting everything else around them, trusting his friends to keep them safe for the time being.

  It didn’t hurt that he assumed the newcomers were friends of Nole’s after that greeting. Still, he knew he should use more caution, especially with his mate at risk. Reluctantly, he ended the kiss, smiling when he heard Nole whimper and try to follow his lips when Edrick leaned back.

  Unable to let go of Nole, he placed a hand at Nole’s nape and stared into those beautiful brown eyes where he could happily drown. The emotion became too much to hold it back any longer. “I love you, my little mouse.”

  Those pretty eyes widened as Nole absorbed his words. In the next heartbeat, love shone clear as day from those brown orbs. “I love you, too.” Nole leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. “But don’t think that’s going to get you out of trouble for behaving like a caveman.”

  Edrick smiled. He couldn’t help it. He loved that his mate was so independent.

  Even the fact that the big man Nole had hugged now had his head thrown back and was laughing at him didn’t hamper Edrick’s happiness. His mate was truly amazing, and Edrick couldn’t be more thrilled to have him in his life.

  “It’s good to know you haven’t lost your courage, Nole,” the stranger said. “Now, why don’t you introduce me to your mate before he signals the man aiming that rifle at me to shoot me in the head.”

  Edrick scowled, knowing that this guy had known Hudson was watching over them. There weren’t many who were skilled enough to have any idea Hudson was out there. That Kirill did, only attested to his skills. He just hoped this man wasn’t going to try and fight him to be Alpha. There was no real doubt Edrick would win, he was that good, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be a challenge.

  “Edrick Rapp, I’d like you to meet Kirill Levin. Kirill, this is my mate, Edrick.” Just hearing Nole introduce him as his mate eased some of the tension he’d had about seeing Nole hug Kirill. “I met Kirill days after crawling away from my colony. He and his merry band of misfits helped keep me safe while I healed.”

  There was a teasing note in Nole’s tone that told just how close his mate was with these men. As much as Edrick appreciated Kirill helping Nole after barely escaping his colony alive, he had to admit to not being sure he was comfortable with their connection.

  Kirill scoffed at Nole’s words. “Please, you hardly needed protecting. You were nearly healed and doing fine on your own. We just gave you a little peace of mind for a couple of days.”

  That was all it took for Edrick to warm to Kirill. Anyone willing to help his mate feel better about himself earned his thanks at the very least. “I would offer for everyone to join us inside but I’m afraid the house isn’t big enough to hold this crowd.”

  Kirill waved him off. “With your permission, my men will set up tents while you and I discuss Nole’s proposition for a place to call home in exchange for help with security.”

  Edrick nodded. “They can set up in the field.” Edrick pointed to a wide-open field on the other side of the dirt road that led to the few homes that remained standing, including the one they were renovating. “It’s flat, with decent drainage in case it should rain before we’ve had a chance to build new homes.”

  Once Kirill gave out orders to his men, Edrick led Nole and Kirill inside with instructions to his friends to help set up the tents. He wasn’t sure another alpha in town was going to be feasible, but Edrick wasn’t about to piss anyone off by being inhospitable, especially since Kirill and many of his men appeared battle hardened, which might just turn the tide in their favor when they faced Nole’s colony.

  “Welcome to Miracle,” he told Kirill as they walked into the place he now called home.

  CHAPTER 19

  “Do you think they’re going to help?” Edrick asked as he watched Kirill through the living room window, across the dirt road to the tents that his men set up. They had just finished talking with Kirill, and both sides had a lot to think about.

  Nole wished he could answer, but he’d stopped trying to figure Kirill out years ago. The man had always been hard to read. Still, the one thing Kirill had been consistent on was helping those in need. After talking with Edrick and Nole, Kirill spent time in the kitchen with Jari, who could give him a much better picture of the horrors their colony had suffered through with Alpha Abdiel.

  He went to the window. A bonfire burned as the men circled around to hear what Kirill had to say. What Nole would give to be a fly listening in. “Based on what Jari told him, then I’d say yes, Kirill will help. And where the man goes, his men go, they are that loyal.” At least they had been any time Nole had met up with the group.

  “I’m not taking orders from him,” Chadwick stated matter-of-factly. “I didn’t run from one narcissistic asshole alpha to follow another one.”

  Nole chuckled at the description of Kirill. The man may come off that way, but nothing could be further from the truth. “Kirill leads because he was thrust into it. But he hates giving orders almost as much as he can’t stand to fight.”

  Hudson snorted loudly. “Right. He looks like he would rather tear you apart than talk to you.”

  “I half expected him to start shouting, “Fe Fi Fo Fum,” and a beanstalk to grow up through the house.” Chadwick joked.

  Nole rolled his eyes at their antics. “Grow up.”

  Chadwick blinked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Why the hell would I want to do that? I’ve been monitoring everything I said and did since I was a kid, in case anyone discovered I was gay and decided I needed to be purged from this earth for my sins,” Chadwick made air quotes around the last word. “Now that I’m officially out and being hunted, I don’t plan to be anyone but who the hell I am.”

  Whereas Nole would normally applaud Chadwick’s declaration, he needed the man to get on board with Kirill joining them. “Okay, but Kirill isn’t going to try and take over Miracle, or this pack. He just wants what we all do. A place to call home where he doesn’t have to worry about being dragged through the streets and strung from the nearest tree for being who he is.”

  “I also would like to find my mate and live happily ever after, but if you don’t want us here, just say so, and we’ll pack up at first light,” Kirill said from the door.

  None of them had heard the man, which was a feat since they were shifters and Kirill was a giant of a man who shouldn’t have been able to sneak up on anyone. Hudson whirled to face Kirill. Nole was happy to see that at least he
looked a bit embarrassed to have been caught talking about the guy. Chadwick, on the other hand, said, “How in the hell did you manage to walk in here without the ground shaking beneath your massive feet?”

  Kirill smiled at Chadwick. “Trade secret. It works well when I need to get into someone’s room in the middle of the night to slit his throat.”

  Nole had to bite his lip to stop from laughing as Chadwick’s face went ashen at Kirill’s implied threat. “Did you talk to the others?” Nole asked to change the subject.

  Nodding, Kirill said, “I did. Everyone has agreed to follow Edrick and pledge their allegiance to him. All we ask in return is to be treated with respect.”

  Edrick stared at Kirill for a moment as if he measured his words. Nole hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he suddenly released the air in his lungs when he saw Edrick give his nod of consent. “Happy to have you on our team.” Edrick held out his hand.

  With Kirill and his men, it should make Miracle safer. At least that’s what they all hoped. But only time would tell.

  “So just out of curiosity,” Chadwick said as Edrick and Kirill shook hands. “What kind of shifter are you that you’re so big? Elephant, hippo, whale...”

  Kirill flashed his large canines at Chadwick. “Polar bear. If you think I’m big, you should see my bear.”

  With that, Kirill turned on his heel and left the house just as silently as he’d entered.

  “I have got to learn to do that,” Chadwick murmured before chasing after Kirill.

  “Five bucks says Kirill squishes him like a bug,” Hudson said.

  “No way am I taking that bet,” Kellach said. “But I am going to watch it happen.” Kellach hurried after the other two.

  Hudson stood to follow but turned to Nole first. “When this is all over, do you still want to hunt ghosts with me?”

  The man seemed so unsure and defeated like he already knew Nole would say no. It nearly broke Nole’s heart. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said with a smile.