The Jaguar's Arranged Mate: A Paranormal Shifter Romance

by Jade White

  He truly was a berserker, able to take on any form just like the rumors had claimed.

  Refusing to be intimidated, Beric hunched down, slowly circling his foe. He wanted to preserve his energy, to see and learn Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s battle strategy. Very quickly, he realized it was chaotic and fierce, brutal and killer, dangerous and deadly. It was all Beric could do to defend himself, to jump out of the way and block blows.

  “You can’t win through defense,” Andreas the Bloodthirsty mocked.

  Damn him, but he was right. Still, Beric remained cautious, although he did try to land a few swipes of his own. The first time one landed, he almost couldn’t believe it. But then he landed a few more and even drew blood.

  Andreas the Bloodthirsty fought even more savagely now, but Beric wasn’t worried. The fight had changed his goals. He wasn’t trying to kill Andreas the Bloodthirsty anymore. He was only trying to wound him. It made for a much easier fight on his end. The pressure was gone, and he enjoyed watching more and more blood speckle the alpha’s coat.

  It didn’t take long for Andreas the Bloodthirsty to change form, but it didn’t matter if he was a wolf or a tiger. Beric had taken the alpha’s advice to heart. Yes, he was taking more hits, but he was landing just as many.

  But then Andreas the Bloodthirsty became a bear, a massive one, and the first blow that connected with Beric’s head left him staggering. A few more hits like that and it would be all over.

  A blur of fur ran past him, jumping over him. Miera. She attacked Andreas the Bloodthirsty as if she had no concern for her own life. Together, they landed more and more blows, although Andreas the Bloodthirsty deflected a great deal more. He fought back, seemingly tireless.

  Andreas the Bloodthirsty lumbered to stand on his hind legs and grabbed Beric by the throat with his paw. Beric gasped for breath, his front and hind legs both clawing at the alpha.

  Miera bounded over and swiped at Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s genitals. Down he went, dropping Beric. Without hesitating, Beric climbed onto Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s back and lifted his head to expose his throat.

  His wife held a claw to Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s throat. She shifted her mouth, but her teeth remained fangs. “You lost,” she said, the words surprisingly clear.

  Beric shoved all of his weight down to make sure Andreas the Bloodthirsty didn’t try to wiggle free. The alpha was still strong. They might not have won yet.

  Even if they had, how many of their people had survived the battle?

  *

  Miera was gasping for breath. Her lungs were burning, but for the most part, she never felt more alive. She was positively humming with energy. They had brought down the mighty Andreas the Bloodthirsty, she and her husband.

  Without moving, keeping her claw at his throat so that she could end him if he did anything they didn’t want, she glanced around. The battles around them had stopped. Everyone—Blood Rose, Teal Warriors, and Brutal Claws—were watching them.

  “What are you going to do now?” Beric asked. “It would be so easy for my wife to kill you.”

  Andreas the Bloodthirsty stared at her. The hatred in his eyes was gone now. The anger remained, but he looked at her with almost… Was that… It couldn’t be. Respect?

  “Allow me to stand,” the alpha said.

  Miera bristled. “You’ll kill us.”

  “Allow me to stand.” His voice was quiet but full of power. He was not someone who was ever denied.

  She glanced at Beric. He caught her gaze, nodded reluctantly, and then stepped off of the alpha.

  Andreas the Bloodthirsty shifted to his human form. After a moment, Miera and Beric did the same, although the both of them retained their fangs and claws instead of teeth and fingers.

  As Andreas the Bloodthirsty stood, Miera gasped. She hadn’t thought that any of their blows had been that severe, but one gash on the left side of his chest was particularly deep and blood still gushed from it. They had seriously injured him.

  “We are leaving,” Andreas the Bloodthirsty said. He wasn’t speaking that loudly, but the silence was so profound that everyone gathered around must have heard him. “And we are not returning.”

  Miera somehow refrained from gasping again. Had they done it? Had they won?

  Beric crossed his arms, and she noticed that he still had his claws, although his fangs had been replaced with his perfect, albeit bloodstained, teeth. “We would like to speak with you more before you leave.”

  “Very well.” Andreas the Bloodthirsty actually sounded weary. “Pack up. We march within a half hour.”

  Without waiting to see if his people would listen to him, Andreas the Bloodthirsty turned around and rushed into his tent.

  Miera and Beric followed. Andreas the Bloodthirsty was easing himself gingerly into a chair, wincing. He hadn’t showed any weakness in front of his people, but he had to be feeling faint from the lack of blood.

  “While we’re glad you will be leaving our pack alone,” Beric said, and a thrill went through her that he said “pack” and not “packs”, “I would like to know what you plan on doing next.”

  “Regrouping. Recovering.”

  “And then?” Beric demanded.

  “You’re going to pick another pack to take over, aren’t you?” Miera asked. “Why? Why can’t you just—”

  “Be happy with what I have? The largest pack in the history of the world. Yes, that is quite a feat. But as the only living berserker… I don’t think I can be happy.” He took a deep breath and coughed. Blood flew out of his mouth. “Doesn’t matter. You’ve shown I’m weak. I’ve never been bled before and now…” Andreas the Bloodthirsty glanced down at his chest. The flow was only slightly less now. “Now they have all seen I am capable of being wounded, and they will come after me. I’ve turned them into little berserkers. They might not be able to change into any animal they wish, but they share my bloodlust, and they will destroy me. My strength garnered their loyalty. Without it, I will be dead. Maybe in a few weeks, maybe in a month. A year if I am lucky. But my days are numbered.”

  Miera couldn’t feel badly for that. In fact, she hoped that was the case. Until Andreas the Bloodthirsty was dead, she wouldn’t be able to sleep completely easily. And once he did fall, that monster pack wouldn’t be able to stay unified without him.

  They really had won.

  ***

  It was a joyous trek back to the compound. Blood Roses and Teal Warriors helped each other to carry their wounded and their dead. Seeing them work together warmed her heart, but nothing made her feel better than Beric’s arm around her waist. Every few steps, he would bend down and kiss the top of her head. Everything was looking up. Everything was falling into place.

  She was happy.

  Once they returned, they instructed their people to do whatever they wished, and from the talk she had heard on the walk back home, she knew they were planning on a feast, now that they could freely hunt and replenish their food stores. A celebration would only help to further unite them all.

  And they deserved a celebration.

  Some went to hunt immediately, and others headed for the hospital, but Beric guided her to his quarters. As soon as he closed the door behind them, he embraced her, their bodies pressed tight together. “Are you all right?”

  “I’ve never been better.” She lifted onto her toes and kissed him deeply.

  He groaned against her mouth, and she could feel his erection against her. Carefully, tenderly, they stripped each other of their clothes and fell into bed, their arms wrapped around each other, still kissing, again and again. Miera couldn’t get enough. It hadn’t been this way with Charles or anyone else. This was magical. This was right. She had finally found herself a home.

  Beric was tender and passionate, and she responded in kind. All she needed was him. Him and their baby.

  She spread her legs, and he slipped inside of her. Slow and steady, their lovemaking was everything she could have hoped for. He fulfilled her in way
s no one else could, as he thrust in and out, their bodies so close together, as if they wanted to merge and become one. Pleasure burned within her, brimming within her, overflowing, and she was screaming, “Beric! Oh, yes!”

  He orgasmed at the same moment she did, and nothing could make this day more complete. Everything was perfect. Just perfect.

  *

  The past five years had been nothing short of happiness. Beric’s life had changed the day he had met Miera. At first, it had been for the worse, considering the hell the Brutal Claws had put them through, but after they had seriously injured Andreas the Bloodthirsty, everything had changed for the better.

  Andreas the Bloodthirsty, as he had predicted, did not have enough loyalty from his people, and within two years, he was dead and his huge pack disbanded and reformed into seven new fractions. Some of them remained brutal and aggressive, but none were capable of the same level of destruction the Brutal Claws had been.

  The pack led by Beric and Meira, now known as the Crimson Guardians, was growing each day. Once word had spread of their stand against the Brutal Claws, smaller packs sought them out and swore their loyalty to them. Their numbers had swelled, and now they were a thousand strong.

  They had left behind their compound and built a new, larger, stronger one. As Guardians, they were open to outsiders, and they needed a home that could house everyone. It had taken a long time to build their new compound, and Beric had left his quarters for last.

  After he finished his patrol around the fence, Beric headed to his quarters. Before he could enter his bedroom, a young boy raced up to him. “Daddy, you’re back!”

  “Of course.” Beric bent down and gave the five-year-old a tight hug. “What have you been up to, Kade?”

  “Mommy’s been teaching me how to hunt, and I killed a rabbit earlier today!”

  “That’s wonderful. Can we eat it for dinner?”

  “Yes! I want to.” Kade shuffled his feet. “But Mommy said I would have to skin it myself. I don’t wanna.”

  “Well, maybe I can help you in a bit. How does that sound?”

  “Yeah!” Kade jumped up and down. Then he glanced out the nearest window. “Oh, there’s Bob. Can I go play with him?”

  “Go ahead.” Kade and Bob were best friends. Bob was Mark and Jess’s son. They had married and seemed almost as happy as Beric and Miera. No one could be happier than the two alphas.

  Beric made his way to his bedroom. His wife was sitting at a desk, typing on a computer. She glanced up at him and smiled. “Just give me a minute to finish this report. The council meeting is in an hour, don’t forget.”

  “You won’t let me.” He sat on the edge of the bed.

  Once she finished, she came over and perched herself on his lap. “How is everything?”

  “Everything is secure. We’re safe.”

  “And we’re happy.” She nuzzled his neck. “There’s nothing you want, is there?”

  He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

  “I know. It’s just—”

  “Kade might not be my blood, but he is my son. I couldn’t be happier to be his stepfather.”

  “You’re his father.”

  Beric grinned. “I am his father,” he agreed.

  They had jailed Charles for his crimes against the packs, for being a traitor, even though most of the council, and the rest of their people, had called for his head. It didn’t matter. Within a week, Charles had killed himself. He’d somehow gained access to a marker, and he had left a note on the walls for Miera, expressing how he was only happy when he was sleeping, because then they were together, so he was choosing eternal rest. Whether Charles actually had loved her or had only been obsessed with her, they would never know, but it didn’t matter now.

  “You are such a good father.” Miera kissed his cheek. “I just wish…”

  “We have a son. We don’t need more.” Yes, he would have loved to have his own blood child. The years had passed, and they had tried and tried and tried to become pregnant, but Miera never did. Only yesterday, they got the test results back. Beric was infertile. If Miera hadn’t gotten pregnant when she had, they never would have had a child.

  “No point in wishing for that.” He had been as disappointed as she had been to hear the results, but he had long suspected he was infertile. Well, after two years of unsuccessfully conceiving he had started to wonder. “I’m just amazed that Kade survived.”

  “You and me both.” Miera clung to him, like she always did when they talked about that time period in their lives.

  After they had wounded Andreas the Bloodthirsty and returned home to start their lives together as a married couple, they went to the hospital to see their son. While they had been gone, the baby had taken a turn for the worse. No one expected him to last another hour. Miera had held him, and then Beric did for the first time, and somehow, someway, their son lived through that hour and another and then through that night. He was given breast milk through an IV, and slowly, he started to grow. By the time Kade turned three months, he was almost on size with his peers. When he was one, he was in the ninetieth percentile for height. He never looked back. Tough and strong, he showed no signs of complications from his early birth.

  “A family of three is still a family,” he pointed out with a smile.

  “It is. You’re right. We don’t need anyone else.”

  He kissed her neck. “What time is the meeting again?”

  “A little less than an hour.”

  “Oh, good. Plenty of time.” Beric wanted his wife, and she was more than willing to express their love.

  And, as it turned out, they showed up to the meeting late. ;-)

  THE END

  Authors Message:

  Thanks so much for reading all the way to the end, glad to know somebody out there enjoys my books :)

  If you have a quick moment, I would love if you could leave a rating of the story on the Amazon store with the below link.

  YES I WILL RATE YOU JADE!

  Thanks in advance and if you want to see all my other releases then you can check out my Amazon Author page here!

  Why not collect them all? ;)

  Jade xoxoxox

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