Rescuing His Mate ( Lycan Romance )

by M. L. Briers

  “And the mating pull wins again.” Tobin chuckled to himself.

  “What’s the mating pull?” Kerry flashed a look towards the Vampire.

  “When two mates find each other, the pull is too strong to deny and bob’s your uncle, or the dead guy buried at the bottom of the garden…” Tobin considered that thought.

  “You’re sick.” Kerry felt Isaac’s fingers close around hers. She felt safe, protected, just from that one gesture, his touch. It was…more than weird.

  “I’m not sick, just forgetful. If I had to remember the names of how many people I’ve killed over the years…” Tobin waved a dismissive hand in the air and the Alpha growled a warning at him.

  “Tobin, give it a rest.” Isaac didn’t need any more meddling. She wasn’t completely freaked out by finding out what they were, but that’s not to say the damn Vampire wasn’t doing his best to prompt a different response from her.

  “I’m just saying…” Tobin shrugged.

  “No, you’re pissed that she’s not afraid of you.” Isaac snapped back with another deeply growled warning to boot.

  “She is, aren’t you? Just a tinsy-winsy bit?” He gave her a pleading look with his eyes and she couldn’t help the amusement that she felt. This wasn’t just surreal, or odd, this was damn right insane.

  “Coffee.” Isaac pulled her attention back to him.

  “But she hasn’t answered my question yet.” Tobin watched the back of them as the Alpha led her from the room with a dark glare over his shoulder in warning.

  “Let’s face it, Tobin. You’re getting old, you’re losing your touch.” Joel chuckled to himself as the Vampire pouted.

  “Oh, go take care of your mate.” Tobin snapped back. Secretly he was thrilled. He didn’t want to have to make peace with the human and tread on eggshells around her until he became just another fixture in the house. He liked being part of pack life and he’d hate to have to pull back from that because she was terrified of him.

  “Make yourself useful and get the damn tree out of the living room.” Joel growled back at him. Lifting his mate into his arms, he pushed up to his feet and strolled from the room.

  “Now hang on a bloody minute, what do you mean by mate for life? I don’t even know you, and you’re not exactly a normal guy.” Kerry backed up to the kitchen counter and felt like she’d run into a brick wall at the front and back of her. He was right there, not touching, but standing in front of her like a man mountain, and then behind her was the solid wood of the counter that offered her no way out. Hemmed in and feeling more than a little hot and bothered and not just by the attraction that she felt for him.

  “Its destiny, fate…” Isaac shrugged that explanation off his broader than a brick outhouse shoulders and stared down at her with those dark eyes, not black as she had witnessed them when he was all fangy, but still darker than normal.

  God, this must be the weirdest form of animal attraction ever. Puppies were cute, kittens were adorable, man wolves were just the sexiest thing on the damn planet… and that wasn’t a good thing… well… no, not a good thing at all.

  “I control my own fate, thanks very much.” Kerry wasn’t about to buy into any of this.

  “You can’t fight fate, you can of course try, but you’ll end up right back here.” Isaac had a way of making her feel protected. Safe, and yet right now she could gladly run for the hills and never look back. But after what happened the last time, she figured that might not be such a good idea. Here she was, miles from home, God only knew how far from the cottage she’d been staying at, in the middle of nowhere with a guy claiming to be The One. She might just have that psychotic break after all.

  “With you?” She snorted.

  “Yes.” He shrugged again. There wasn’t any glee on his face, there wasn’t really any kind of an expression. It was like he was stating the facts of the case, and she couldn’t help but wonder just what she’d got herself into. She’d met him, she’d slept with him and a heartbeat later she was supposed to believe that he was hers and she was his and life was all jolly hockey bloody sticks.

  I’ll never be a princess, I’ll never be a movie star, and I’ll never fly to the moon. I accept these things. But some sort of instant mating thing? Do me a favour.

  “No.” She snapped back.

  Isaac leaned closer to her. There had to be no more than a couple of inches between them as he placed one hand on either side of her body, palming the counter top and causing her to tip her upper body back away from him, eyeing him with all the suspicion of a deer eyeing his wolf. He could scent her arousal, that wasn’t the issue. She wanted him even now when she was adamantly in denial of the situation. She just needed convincing that she was his mate.

  “Tell me what you feel when I’m this close to you.” He’d lowered his deep voice into a whisper, a whisper that was spoken next to her ear, but as his hot breath fanned out across her skin she knew what she was feeling right then and she guessed if he’d pressed his body against hers then she would have the evidence that he was feeling it too.

  “Back off…”

  “There’s a need within you, a wanting that goes deep. It’s like there’s an itch that you need to scratch…”

  “I had an illness like that once that I didn’t care for either.” Kerry toyed with the idea of knocking his large arm away and sidestepping him, but she didn’t want things to escalate to the point where…

  Isaac bent his head and tasted her lips. Softly his lips ran over hers, gently he stroked his tongue against the crease and she did a double whammy. Slamming her inner thighs together and hardening the line of her lips to deny him entry to either. One was physical and the other was mental, but they were both powerful.

  Damn but he’s good, too good to be true. Her mate! Pah! Not in this lifetime sucker. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the supernatural equivalent of a sting. Reeling the mark in until you had them hook, line and sinker and then…? What then?

  Those deadly enticing lips of his were back by her ear. Not more whispering, please, whispering felt like caressing, caressing felt knee knocking good. His hot breath caressed her again. Womb jiggling, knee knocking…damn him.

  “When something feels this good…” He breathed at her and she mentally yanked up the drawbridge.

  “It’s usually really damn bad for you.” Kerry ground out between clenched teeth, or perhaps she was just subconsciously keeping those damn lips closed, water tight, tongue tight. His tongue in her mouth had been… wrong. I don’t know him and he’s a wolf guy. This can only end badly.

  “How can I show you that you were made for me?” Isaac turned his head and stared down at her with those eyes. Damn him. Not fair.

  “Order book, receipt, sale or return order. Platinum damn contract.” She had to admit, as salesmen go, he sure was convincing. She’d by a wreck of a car from him as new. Probably wouldn’t ask for a warranty either, not if he told her it was sound… Sucker. But it’s those puppy dog eyes… wolf, he has wolf’s eyes, because he’s a wolf. Duh!

  “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” There was an amusement in his tone that she didn’t much care for. She tipped her head back and stared at him, or glared, she didn’t know which and she didn’t care.

  “I think I already did.” There was a bitterness to her tone that told him to back off. He took a step back and gave her a little space.

  Air, breathe. Air feels good. Anything that didn’t smell of him was good, and yet she could still smell his manly scent, earthy, earthy was good when it came in the whole him package…No, he’s the evil nutty wolf guy trying to sell you a car that’s going to end up killing you. Earthy is bad. He is bad. He is evil and bad and you need to get a God-damn grip, for goodness sake!

  “You’re angry we made love…”

  “Slept together, and I don’t usually go for full bodily contact on the first to fifth, sixth, longer than that date.” The frown brought her eyebrows down low over her eyes as she thought about
it. “We didn’t even date. You rescued me from a body sucking mountain, a squishing tree and a life swallowing lake, none of which was a fun experience or constitutes a date.” She snapped up at him. “But thank you, on all counts.”

  “You’re welcome. But it’s my job to protect you, as your mate.” Isaac offered. She’d softened her stance slightly and he moved away from her, not wanting to rile her up again so quickly. He snatched up the empty coffee cup on route around the counter and dropped it in the sink on his way to stirring some of the stew they had been denied earlier by her exploits.

  “Could you please stop saying that word?” She bit out. Turning on her sock clad feet to glare at him over the counter top. He had to admit, she looked pretty damn adorable dressed in a mixture of Verna’s and his clothing that he’d pulled from the clean pile of clothes in the drying room. Adorable, but small and fragile. Human.

  “Which word?” Isaac gave her an innocent look as he stirred the stew in the pan.

  “Mate.” She breathed out on a long sigh.

  “I’d love to mate, but you should eat first.” He smirked back at her and she bit down on her lower lip so that she neither smiled nor gave him a snotty reply. He was definitely more likeable when he was being playful, and she didn’t want to like him. Couldn’t like him. He wasn’t real. Well, he was real, but he wasn’t human, he wasn’t supposed to exist. He didn’t live in the real world, her world, lucky him.

  Kerry slipped up on a stool and placed her palms down on the counter top as she raised her eyes and noted the way he was watching her. His eyes were locked onto her lips and she realised that she was still biting at them and immediately stopped. His gaze drifted to her eyes. Those eyes again. Maybe I should bite my lip so you’ll stop looking at me like that?

  “Look, Isaac. This isn’t real, it’s like I wandered into a real life…” She stopped and frowned again.

  “Nightmare?” He grinned at her. Those eyes sparkled and she felt her insides contract around the lack of him. Bloody hells bells!

  “Fairytale. Not the princess meets her prince charming and they live happily ever after, more the princess meets her prince and he’s a frog…wolf.” She corrected with a small wince. This isn’t coming out right. He’s still smiling with those eyes for one thing.

  “And you’d prefer the first one? Too bad, you get me.”

  If only! Whoa! Down girl. Kerry blinked as if he’d reached out and slapped her.

  “No. I don’t.” Kerry assured him. “I get to go home. I get my normal, boring, no supernatural beings that I’m aware of, life back.” And will probably regret it to the day I die…

  Isaac turned off the heat under the pan and started to ladle the stew into two large bowls. His eyes flicked back and forth between her and what he was doing and she watched as he did it. He didn’t seem to be thinking it over. He didn’t seem too bothered about what she’d said. If anything she thought from the look of him that she probably felt worse than he did over her words.

  That proves he’s a snake oil salesman. But why? What did he get out of it? A willing human sacrifice or something? What could his agenda be? I’ve already slept with him for God sake…

  “Eat your stew.” He pushed the bowl towards her and she frowned down at the contents.

  “There’s nothing…iffy in here, right?” She didn’t know why but she trusted him. If he said no, she’d eat.

  “I think I’ve proved I don’t need to drug you to get you in my bed, sweetheart.” He drawled and the involuntary sound that came from her lips, a cross between a squeak and a moan made him grin. It made her cheeks flush with colour and she dropped her eyes to the bowl.

  Un-bloody-believable! Why the hell didn’t I just climb onto the counter and beg him to take me? It would probably have been less mortifying.

  “Gloating is poor form.” She mumbled as she snatched the spoon from the side and thrust it into the bowl.

  “It’s not gloating when it’s Fate.” He offered and she didn’t need to raise her eyes to see he was grinning, probably quite smugly, she could just tell by the sound of his voice.

  “You’re lucky you gave me a spoon to eat with. I can’t do you any real damage with it.” She ground out and heard a deep melodic chuckle from the doorway.

  “And she would too.” Tobin motioned to the side. “Best put those steak knives somewhere where she can’t find them.”

  “Again with the creepy guy?” Kerry didn’t turn to look at him. She already knew what he looked like. Tall, dark and smug.

  “The ice princess will melt to my charms eventually.”

  “I’ve never been fond of leeches. That’s what you are right? Just a really big leech.” She couldn’t help but snatch a look at him. It was just too tempting to see if she’d riled him, or annoyed him, or worse. He grinned back at her, gave a small wave of his fingers, and then turned on his heels and walked back out of the door.

  “You know you’re gonna like me. It’s Fate.” Tobin couldn’t help but rub salt into the wounds and when he heard her groan he grinned harder.

  “Stay still and let me take care of you.” Joel growled gently. Olivia wriggled under the feel of his tongue on her body, right now it was running over the shallow wound just above her hip, and unlike him, she didn’t have a protective beast inside that stilled her sexual desire in favour of taking care of his mate’s needs. She had needs, more than just having her wounds healed.

  When he’d stripped her naked, bit by bit discarding her clothes into a pile on his bedroom floor it had felt clinical. His eyes devoured her body a moment before his beast pushed forward and he became Dr. One-Track-Mind. Unfortunately that one track mind and the feel of his gentle hands and erotic tongue had left her almost panting with needs that far outweighed a few scratches and a couple of cuts.

  “It’s not that easy when you’re running your damn tongue over my body.” Olivia couldn’t help the slight hiss in her voice. He was driving her close to insane. There couldn’t have been an inch of her skin that he hadn’t inspected with his hands or his eyes, except maybe the few inches that she needed him to inspect, very, very closely.

  The sound of his deep chuckle left her in no doubt that he knew exactly what he’d been doing to her libido from the moment they entered his bedroom. Just being on his bed with him, let alone naked and willing, was making her hotter than hell. The fact that he now had his strong arms wrapped around her legs to hold her in place, his breath was fanning across her stomach, and his large torso was wedged between her legs, even if he was still fully clothed, well, how much more temptation of a promise could one girl hope for?

  Olivia had never been backwards in coming forwards where men were concerned, especially the supernatural kind. She loved sex, she adored exploring all aspects of it, and she had jumped at the chance to come to this Island retreat with Tobin for a little fun and fangs thrown in. Who wouldn’t? She’d never expected to find a mate. She considered herself still young enough to play the field and hadn’t entertained the idea of settling down. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t accept Fate’s plan for her. She was Fae, she got it, and now she was here with him, she was more than ready for that part of her life to start.

  “I need to care for your wounds…” Joel had taken his own sweet time in doing it. He could have heeled her and been done with the process an age ago, but the taste of her blood on his tongue was delectable, and her lush body writhing beneath his touch was almost more than he could stand. If not for his beast, he would have taken her already, of that he was certain. But now the beast had cottoned on to his motives, his ploy in getting their mate so hot and bothered that even the beast was starting to become unsettled.

  “One swipe of your tongue would have…”Olivia’s breath caught in her throat as that same tongue ran down her inner thigh. Damn it to hell, but he was trying to drive her insane. She felt his breath against the wet heat of her desire and knew he’d been scenting her arousal from the moment that he’d wedged himself between her legs.
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br />   “And where would you like me to swipe my tongue?” He nipped the soft skin of her inner thigh. His arms tightened around her legs as she wriggled against his hold.

  “I could draw you a damn picture, but…” He ran his tongue up the valley where every sensitive nerve seemed to scream at once. The deep hearty growl that rolled through his chest and over her sex was almost as potent as his tongue had been, and he savoured the taste of her.

  “Shall I get the paper and pencil?” He teased with his words as his fingers lightly ran down either side of her folds.

  “If you move from there, you’d better be coming up here.” Olivia thought she’d had enough anticipation for one night. Her body could only take so much denial of contact, denial of him that he’d been offering her.

  “Are you always so demanding?” Joel eased just one finger inside her and felt her clench around him. His beast growled with the need for them to claim their mate and he growled with the way his mate wanted him.

  “You bet your arse I am.” Olivia lifted her head and looked down at him. Laying between her thighs, with his dark eyes staring back intently at her, he reached out with his tongue and made a show of exploring the tiny nub of flesh that made her hips more involuntarily. Her eyes closed with the sensation that tore through her and she forced them back open, watching him as he watched her.

  “Then I’d better up my game.” He growled against her flesh. The deepness of his tone sent shivers through her. Damn it was like having him on vibrate. Her inner muscles clenched hard around the finger that was easing back and when he pushed in again, there was the thickness of double digits for her to grip onto.

  The way he held her in place let her know just how in control he was, how in control he wanted to be, and she wasn’t against the idea of giving up control to him. Her fingers reached for his hair and she fisted the silken length inside her palm and around her fingers, as he lavished attention where she needed it the most. But then he pulled back and his eyes flashed with a need of his own.