Claiming Her Mates Complete Series Collection

by Dia Cole

  Reading my mind, Mason reached over and grabbed my hand. “We’ll think of something.”

  Liam caught my eye as he ushered Tina and the kids up the steps. “Gabe already compelled them not to question anything strange.”

  Tina’s hazel eyes widened as she saw me by the door. She looked in the direction of the cabin and then back at me. “How did you—” She trailed off as her eyes glazed over. Her confused expression was replaced by a robotic-looking smile. “Nice to see you again.”

  Crap. I was so not a fan of mind control. God only knows what kind of damage it does to people’s heads.

  Mason reached in front of me and offered his hand. “You must be the lovely Tina I’ve been hearing so much about. I’m Mason James.”

  Despite my anxiousness, a smile tugged at my lips. I found it endearing as hell that all three of my mates had taken my surname to show they belonged to me.

  Still looking slightly dazed, Tina took his hand.

  “Can you show them downstairs and check them for infection?” Gabriel’s warning had gotten into my head.

  “Of course.”

  While Mason brought our guests down to the infirmary, I ran upstairs for a quick shower and then went looking for Liam and Gabriel. I found my mates in the gymnasium-sized library.

  Gabriel stood next to Liam wearing only a pair of jeans slung low around his hips. I really couldn’t object at his loose interpretation of getting dressed when it put all his bronze muscles on display. I licked my lips in anticipation of a repeat of our hot session in the cabin.

  Unfortunately, the men didn’t look to be in the mood. Their expressions were tense as they hunched over a large antique-looking desk. They didn’t speak, but based on the scowls they exchanged it was clear they were having a telepathic argument.

  I let out a sigh. “What is it, guys?”

  They jerked their heads up and gave me a guilty look.

  “Nothing,” Liam said much too quickly.

  I walked over and peered between their muscular arms. There was a map of the area spread out over the desk. “What are you doing?”

  Gabriel stepped to the side allowing me a better look at the map. “We’re doing a threat assessment.”

  “Right,” I said, acting as if I knew what that was.

  Gabriel placed his finger down on the black star in the middle of the map. “Population estimates put the town of Sunridge at eight hundred give or take. Worst-case, there are probably another couple hundred at the ski resort. If what the human says is true—”

  I sucked in a breath. “Then there are potentially a thousand zombies down there right now.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Give or take.”

  My stomach swam with unease as I mentally calculated the distance between Sunridge and Sanctuary. It was close. Too close. What’s to stop the dead from coming for us?

  Reading my mind, Liam reached out and rubbed my arm. “Don’t worry, Havana. The snow will keep them off the mountain.”

  “For now,” Gabriel added, a grim look on his face. “When it melts the reanimated will go looking for food.”

  Translation, go looking for us. I swallowed hard. Based on the map, it looked like Sanctuary was the only residence in a forty-mile radius of the town. “They’ll come here, won’t they?”

  Gabriel gave a curt nod. “They could surround the wall and trap us here.”

  I gasped.

  Liam gave Gabriel a hard look. “We aren’t even sure if the dead can climb the mountain.”

  “But we can’t assume they can’t. No one knows what these things are capable of,” Gabriel replied.

  A chill ran down my spine as I remembered my encounter with a group of zombies back at the club. Despite considerable damage to their bodies, they'd kept coming for me. Something told me that a mountain wouldn’t get in their way.

  Gabriel let out a deep breath. “Although not ideal, having a thousand reanimated at the wall may not be such a bad thing.”

  Has he lost his damn mind? “How do you figure?”

  “They’ll keep the Beast away,” Liam said, a slow smile breaking out on his face.

  Gabriel nodded as the men shared a relieved look.

  I looked between them in confusion. “The Beast?”

  “Tasha,” Liam clarified. The flash of fear in his eyes when he said her name took me by surprise. My protective giant wasn’t afraid of anything. Right?

  How can they possibly prefer a horde of zombies to a single Lykos female? “What is it about Tasha that has you all so worked up?” I got the fact that she was an Alpha with the ability to compel Lykos less powerful that herself. But I’d been able to undo her compulsion on Gabriel, which made me think she would not be able to control my mind.

  “Tasha’s an Original,” Gabriel answered. At my blank look, he continued, “Remember when I said the military genetically engineered our species?”

  I nodded, thinking back to our conversation at the cabin a week ago.

  “Well, Tasha was among the first Lykos the military created nearly a hundred years ago.”

  “A hundred years ago?” No way. “I’ve seen her and she doesn’t look a day over twenty-five.”

  “The Originals don’t age like we do. The military designed them to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than anything on earth.”

  “And more psychotic,” Liam added.

  Gabriel gave him a quelling look. “Because of their mental instability and their allegiance to their Alpha females over their human commanders, the military terminated most of them. However, a handful, including Tasha escaped.”

  How lucky for us, I thought bitterly. “Well, even if she’s super strong and fast, we four can take her.”

  Gabriel let out a hollow laugh. “If only that were the case. The Originals can take hybrid form—”

  “Become indestructible,” Liam interrupted.

  Gabriel growled. “I’m talking here.”

  “Sorry, go on.” Liam waved his hand.

  Gabriel turned back to me. “In her hybrid form she can regenerate any injury. I once saw her take an entire machine gun drum of ammunition to the chest and not even blink.”

  “I remember that,” Liam said, chuckling. “That assassin screamed like a babe when she tore the weapon from his hands and then ripped out his spinal column one vertebra at a time. Didn’t she try to feed the pieces to him too?”

  Gabriel grunted.

  “What?” My stomach churned. Just how insane is this woman?

  Gabriel held my gaze. “Assassins from other factions have been trying to kill Tasha for decades. I’ve seen her survive being set on fire, blown up, and almost completely decapitated. Frankly, I’m not even sure she can be killed.”

  “Great.” Just my luck that my arch nemesis would be immortal. I wet my suddenly dry lips. “So what do we do?” How do you defeat something that can’t die?

  Gabriel met my gaze with his steady dark eyes. “Let’s start by seeing for ourselves what’s going on at Sunridge and the ski resort.”

  “You’re talking about us going down there?” I’d barely survived that club encounter and there had only been three zombies. My throat tightened at the thought of going up against a thousand of those things.

  “Not us,” Gabriel corrected. “Liam and me.”

  I shook my head already rejecting the idea. “No.” I would never risk my mates like that. “It’s too dangerous. Besides with all the snow, the road is likely impassable.”

  “We don’t need roads.” Gabriel’s eyes gleamed. “There’s a chopper stored in the hangar on the north end of the property.”

  “There is?” Geez, lap pools, helicopters, underground bunkers? What else is on this property?

  “We can survey the area from above. It won’t take long.”

  “You can fly a helicopter?” I asked in surprise.

  Gabriel nodded. “It’s been a while, but flying is like fucking, you never forget how.”

  I snorted. That sounded like something my best
friend, Syd, would say. Before worry about her whereabouts could overwhelm me, I gave Gabriel a hard look. “So neither of you will get out of the helicopter?”

  “We don’t even have to touch down if you object.”

  “Good. I very much object." The thought of my lovers being surrounded by zombies made my heart pound. “I don’t love the idea, but if you think it’s the best course of action...”

  “I do,” Gabriel said holding my gaze. “We need to know what we are up against.”

  Ding.

  The metal elevator on the far side of the library opened and Mason stepped out. “What’s going on?”

  “The better question is how are Tina and the kids doing?” I asked, not wanting any more talk of beasts and zombies.

  “Very well, considering.” He strode over to the desk where we were standing. “Besides a touch of windburn and dehydration they’re all in excellent health.”

  “That’s good news.” My shoulders sagged with relief. At least we didn’t need to worry about zombie kids.

  Gabriel scowled at the doctor. “And they had no issues with staying underground?”

  Mason shook his head. “The kids are having a ball playing in the game room and Tina crawled into the first bed she found. I don’t think she’s slept in a week.”

  “Poor thing. She’s been through hell.” I gave the young woman massive props for keeping those two kids alive.

  “Make sure they stay down there,” Gabriel barked to Mason as he stalked to the door. He looked back at Liam. “Come on.”

  A panicky feeling came over me. “Wait, you’re going now?”

  Liam frowned. “I don’t like flying.”

  Gabriel gave him an irritated look. “Don’t act like a babe.”

  “But we haven’t had lunch yet.” Liam turned his head in the kitchen's direction.

  Gabriel huffed the way I used to when Mira was throwing a tantrum. “You can have lunch when we get back. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return.”

  With a sigh and a quick kiss on my cheek, Liam headed for the door.

  Gabriel must’ve seen the worry on my face. “Don’t worry, princess. We’ll be back within an hour. Save us some lunch.”

  “Lots of lunch,” Liam added.

  “Stay safe,” I called after them. My stomach churned as I fought an ominous sense of foreboding. They’ll be fine, I tried to tell myself.

  5

  Mason

  Havana studied the clock over the double oven, anxiety rolling off her in waves. Although she sat next to me on a bar stool in the kitchen, her focus was on Liam and Gabriel.

  I tried for the fourth time to calm my mate. “Relax. They’ve only been gone thirty minutes.”

  Havana tightened her fingers around the two-way radio in her hand and brought it up to her mouth. “Liam. Gabriel. Are you okay?”

  Static belched out of the device.

  I reached across the counter and gently pulled the radio from her hand. “Gabriel said they’d be flying out of range. We’ll hear from them shortly.”

  Her eyes shone with worry. “I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit. What if something happens to the helicopter? What if they have to land or—”

  “Don’t worry.” I set down the radio and grabbed her hand in mine. “Even if the worst were to happen, which it won’t, those two will be fine.” Liam and Gabriel hadn’t earned the title of being Tasha’s deadliest Enforcers on account of their good looks. The tales of how the two assassins quickly, and often brutally, dispatched Tasha’s enemies had reached even my ears at the hospital.

  When the two males visited me ten days ago and demanded I come with them, I was sure they’d been sent to kill me. I’d figured Tasha found out I’d gone against her orders. She’d forbidden me from contacting my human family and I’d warned them of the coming outbreak. Since Tasha didn’t tolerate disobedience of any kind, I assumed she’d sent her Enforcers after me. It wasn’t until we picked Havana up from the strip club that I realized they weren’t going to put a bullet in my head.

  It was ironic that the males I’d feared would kill me were my new family. We were bound together by our new faction and our bonds to its ruler.

  Havana gave me a wan smile and pulled her hand away. “I know, I can’t help but worry.” Her normally seductive floral scent was awash in fear.

  Trying to distract her, I motioned at her untouched meal. “Why don’t you eat?”

  She looked at her plate and frowned.

  “Not a fan of pork?” Damn, I should have gone with the chicken instead.

  She shook her head. “I'm too worried to eat.”

  “Can I make you something else?”

  “No. I—Thank you for making lunch.” She pushed the plate aside. “Can you save it for later?”

  “Of course.” I’d do absolutely anything for her. If she’d asked me to cut off my arm and charbroil it for her, I would have. My only priority in life was her safety and happiness, and right now she was anything but happy.

  I picked up the offending plate making a mental note never to make pork for her again. Knowing that Liam would have no trouble eating Havana’s portion, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the closest fridge. While I was in there, I grabbed a bowl of strawberries and the can of whipped cream. Now this I know she’ll like.

  “Maybe you feel up for these.” I shot a little dollop of whipped cream on top and set the bowl down in front of her.

  She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

  My smile faded as I realized her color looked off. “Havana, are you feeling okay?”

  She clenched her hands into fists. “No. I feel as if something terrible will happen to Gabriel and Liam.”

  I started to assure her the guys would be fine, but another look into her worried eyes made me shut my mouth. What if she’s right? We all had our gifts. Liam had his incredible strength. Gabriel had his speed. I had my empathic and healing abilities. For all I knew Havana’s gift could be precognition like Tasha.

  Supposedly, the Alpha of Winterhaven often sensed things before they happened. It was one reason she was so hard for assassins to kill. Perhaps when I’d transfused Havana with Tasha’s blood, it’d done more than transform her into an Alpha female. What if she gained Tasha’s other abilities?

  I peered into Havana’s golden eyes, so different from the deep brown ones she’d had before. In truth, my mate was hardly recognizable from the female we’d rescued a little over a week ago. The angles of her face were sharper, she’d grown several inches in height, and firm muscles had replaced her soft curves. Moreover, Alpha power radiated out of every pore of her body. No Lykos would ever mistake Havana for anything but the Alpha female she was. It was a marvel that a single blood transfusion could bring about such changes.

  Blood from an Original like Tasha must hold incredible power. Now that I’d seen how a small amount affected Havana, I wondered if Tasha’s blood might be the key to finding a cure for the Z-virus if not for humans, then at least for the young members of our species who lacked the ability to transform and heal themselves.

  I’d raided the boxes of medical supplies I’d found in storage and cobbled together a research lab. Unfortunately, although I had several samples of the Z-virus I’d brought with me from the hospital, there were no more bags of Tasha’s blood to experiment with.

  Every one of my attempts at creating a cure from the blood of other Lykos, had failed. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The resulting antiviral killed the Z-virus, but it also destroyed all the surrounding healthy cells. Tasha’s blood might be the answer. If I could only get my hands on more of it…I drummed my fingers on the counter in frustration.

  Mistaking my aggravation, Havana reached over and touched my hand. “I really do appreciate you taking a break from your work to make me lunch, hon. You’re the best cook. I’m probably the only girl in the apocalypse gaining weight.” She let out a husky laugh that made my groin tighten and reminded me it’d been an entire week sinc
e we’d been together.

  Knowing how fragile the first weeks of pregnancy were for Lykos females, the other males and I had been keeping our distance. Gabriel, Liam, and I even made a pledge not to mate with Havana until the pregnancy was far more established. Finding out she wasn't pregnant was such a relief. The past seven days of refusing her sexual advances had been brutal.

  Perhaps it would’ve been easier if I hadn’t already had a taste of her passion. But the memory of her sweet flavor and how wild she went when I drove into her body made sleep impossible. Even ice-cold showers and repeated bouts of self-love did nothing to ease my desperation to have her. And now… knowing she wasn’t pregnant, I could finally end my suffering.

  A rumbling growl escaped my lips before I could stop it. I looked down at her hand and then back at her mouth. Liam and Gabriel had their fun. Now it’s my turn. “How much do you appreciate my efforts in the kitchen?”

  Her lips curled in a feminine smile. “Very much.”

  I picked up the can of whipped cream and waved it at her. “Then take that dress off.”

  Her gaze darted to that damn clock again. “I don’t know. Liam and Gabriel—”

  “Are fine,” I finished. “And you owe me a thank-you.”

  She chuckled and reached for the belt of her purple dress.

  I held my breath as she undid the ties and shrugged off the frock. She wore nothing underneath. Bloody hell. The sight of her naked body made my heart skip a beat. Higher level thinking momentarily escaped me as her nipples stiffened in the cool air. How my lips ached to bring those taut peaks into my mouth and then taste the rest of her. Ah, hell the rest of her. She was perfection from the strands of her midnight-black hair to the tips of her toenails.

  “You like what you see?”

  Incapable of speech, I grunted like that redheaded barbarian. I hope she’s ready for the seven days of pent-up lust I’m about to unleash on her.

  “What now?” Havana asked, her eyes glittering like gemstones.