by Shea Balik
Edrick and Brecken stepped forward to flank Saber, along with the other Alphas that were there. “Surrender your weapons,” Edrick demanded with his feet braced apart as if ready to battle.
Hudson had already scrambled to one of the lookout points and had his rifle trained on Refugio just in case he refused. Lucca, Trygg, and Krill took up positions to the side and slightly behind Refugio’s men to ensure they didn’t try something.
“I have never in my life had to cheat.” Refugio actually sounded offended.
Trygg let out a snort. “I worked for you for years, Refugio, we all know the only way you win is by cheating.”
A fire that reminded Chadwick of the bowels of hell flared to life in Refugio’s eyes. “Watch it, or I will make sure you end up like Bosce.”
Kellach, incensed that his mate had been threatened, stepped right up to Refugio. Too fast for any of them to register what he was doing before it was too late, Kellach had his claws out and gripped Refugio’s balls. “You are going to die here today. Threaten my mate again, and I’ll make sure you lose your manhood before you lose your life.”
Based on Refugio’s face twisting in pain, Chadwick was pretty sure Kellach had just dug his nails in deeper. “Got it?” Kellach asked.
Chadwick was pretty sure Refugio couldn’t speak at the moment so he just gave Kellach a nod.
Satisfied that he’d gotten his point across, Kellach stepped away from Refugio and strode right over to his mate and planted a searing kiss on his lips. The look of disgust on Refugio’s face had every man there growling in displeasure.
They were all either gay, or had family or friends who were. Either way, they didn’t appreciate Refugio’s bigotry toward two men kissing.
With things going south quickly, and the possibility of a battle happening which would delay or completely halt the challenges, Edrick held up his hand. “The first challenge will commence in one hour,” he announced. “Between Zara Snow and Licen Vadel.”
Then he turned to Refugio. “Chief, if you will come with me, I will show you where you can prepare.”
Not giving Refugio a chance to respond, Edrick spun on his heel and strode to the back of the houses where massive tents had been erected for the Council and their men. Chadwick had protested having to put them up, but Edrick had overruled him. He just didn’t see why the Council got a tent when most of their own people still slept under the stars because there wasn’t enough shelter. At least it hadn’t rained since everyone had arrived.
As if the Gods themselves were laughing at him, clouds rolled in, blocking out the sun. The wind picked up and a dampness in the air announced the probability of rain.
“Damn it,” Chadwick muttered as he went to where the ceremonial rings had been placed.
The ring itself was sixteen feet in diameter. Chadwick and his men had spent hours creating it by removing all debris, which included the grass, twigs, stones, hell, even the tiniest of pebbles had to be eliminated from the area so as not to sway the fight one way or the other.
Tradition demanded the rings only have dirt on the floor with nothing else to impede the battle. It meant not only removing the top layer of grass but also digging up two feet of dirt and running it through a fine sediment sifter. Once the clean dirt was put back, they then had to pound it back down so it wasn’t loose enough to cause one of the opponents to twist his or her ankle.
Just as he arrived, the first raindrops started to fall. Chadwick didn’t waste any time. He dashed into the back of the house, grabbed the tarp he’d put there just in case and ran back outside. Yelling for the men guarding the ring to help him, they quickly covered the area.
In a fight for dominance, the fight would go on, regardless of the weather. Once the challenges started, the tarp would be removed. If it was still raining, the ground was going to get soaked. Not able to do much about that, Chadwick could only do his best to keep it dry until then.
That done, he went in search of Saber. If his mate really did get Bosce killed on purpose, Chadwick wanted to know why.
Heading back into the house he went right for their main meeting room, the kitchen. Due to the challenges occurring shortly, Jari had closed The Mousetrap Café as Lucca had wanted to keep him close with so many of Council’s men in their midst.
The scent of bacon reminded Chadwick that he’d been too damn nervous to eat earlier. He still was, but his body was demanding food and with the aroma of bacon in the air, who was he to turn down food?
But all thoughts of food fled when he rounded the corner to discover Bosce sitting at the kitchen table with a bullet-proof vest on the floor at his feet, while he rubbed at the area over his heart. Chadwick’s gaze went from Bosce to Saber. “Something you forgot to tell me?”
Then he stormed off. He should have known better than to ever believe he could actually trust Saber to be honest with him.
CHAPTER 6
Saber sighed. It was times like these when he wondered if Chadwick would ever give him a chance. Maybe the Gods were just having a laugh at his expense. Tease Saber with a mate and see just how long it will take to drive him out of his mind before he admits defeat.
Well, the joke would be on the Gods, because Saber had never once admitted defeat in his life and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start with his own mate. Without a word to the others, he strode after his once more fleeing mate. He was getting tired of watching his mate try to run from him.
With the challenges getting ready to start, this may not exactly be the best time to have it out with Chadwick, but he was going to do it anyway. If he were giving advice, Saber would have told himself not to get wrapped up in drama before fighting, especially since it was to the death.
The thing was, he was already wrapped up in drama. Hell, he was not only wrapped up, he was bound tightly with expertly tied knots that not even Houdini could escape. If he had any hope of keeping his mind on Refugio and his infamous cheating, Saber would need to settle things with his mate.
Just as Chadwick was pushing open the back door, Saber grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder. Not caring that his mate was screaming bloody murder for Saber to put him down, he took the stairs up to Chadwick’s bedroom two at a time.
It wasn’t until they were inside his mate’s room with the door shut and locked that Saber set Chadwick down by throwing him onto the full mattress that lay on the floor. He made a mental note to order them a California king bed with an actual box spring. As Chadwick scrambled to his feet, Saber added a mental note to also get a headboard so he could handcuff his mate and force him to actually deal with their issues instead of constantly running.
But the fear mixed with the anger in Chadwick’s eyes reminded Saber that his mate didn’t like to be forced to do anything. Instantly he felt bad for carrying him up here and then locking the door. Not enough to unlock it, but still, he knew he needed to tread lightly if he was going to get Chadwick to talk to him.
“I didn’t tell you about Bosce because there was no time.” He didn’t add that was only because Chadwick refused to speak with him. “Contrary to what you might believe, I didn’t come here on a whim. I’ve been patiently waiting to go after Refugio for years, but with his penchant for cheating, there hadn’t been a good time until now to challenge him.”
The storm clouds that had been Chadwick’s eyes started to fade as he folded his arms over his chest and asked, “How long?”
Saber blew out a breath, partially in relief that Chadwick was actually listening to him and partially because after waiting for so long to take Refugio down, he was finally going to get his chance. “More than a hundred years.”
Chadwick blinked at him, then his eyes got as wide as saucers and his mouth dropped open. “Just how old are you?”
“A hundred and thirty.” Shifters tended to live for at least five hundred years, so he was still relatively young.
“I’m only forty-five. Don’t you think you’re robbing the cradle a bit?” Chadwick asked with a smirk that had
Saber’s hand itching to spank it right off his face.
“Ha-ha,” Saber said slowly.
“What?” Chadwick lifted his arms up at his sides as if he were imitating that he wasn’t hiding something. “You’re older than my father. Don’t you find that a bit…” Chadwick paused for effect and Saber was half-tempted to go ahead and put his mate over his knee before he could spit out whatever he was going to say. “Creepy?” Chadwick finished.
“Are you done?” Saber said instead of doing something he knew he’d only end up regretting. “Because I’m trying to be serious. To actually talk to you, and yet, instead of listening, all you can do is joke.”
Panic flashed across Chadwick’s face before he said, “What? You planning on banning humor? Anything else you think you have the right to tell me to do or not do?”
Saber had no idea how things had spiraled out of control. Okay, so they weren’t exactly in control to begin with, but Saber hadn’t wanted to have an argument about something as ridiculous as whether or not Chadwick should make jokes.
“I just want you to be yourself.” Saber wasn’t sure he was saying the right things but with Chadwick, he was no longer sure there was a right way. It seemed no matter what Saber said, his mate would take it the wrong way. “To explain to me why you keep running from our mating.”
Chadwick’s jaw set and his spine stiffened. “Who said I’m running? Maybe I just don’t want to be mated to a Neanderthal like you.”
Saber pushed away from the door and started toward Chadwick. He hated that his mate felt the need to back away from him, but he didn’t let it stop him from continuing forward. When Chadwick’s back was to the wall and Saber was a foot away, he stopped and said, “Is that what you really feel? That you don’t want me as your mate?”
“No,” Chadwick blurted out. Then he mashed his lips together as if he wished he could take that back.
“Please, just talk to me. You are my mate. I don’t know what that means to you, but for me, it means everything.” Saber would lay down his life for Chadwick for no other reason than his mate asked. Nothing in this world meant more to him than making his mate happy.
There was disbelief in Chadwick’s grey eyes and it tore at Saber’s soul. “Everything? Because I don’t remember you asking me if it was okay that you risk your life to become Council Chief. Then again, what would my opinion matter? Right?”
Saber’s heart sank. Chadwick was right. He’d never even thought to discuss challenging Refugio with his mate. Not that he’d known Chadwick when the challenge was issued, but he should have at least considered Chadwick would be upset that he was about to fight to the death.
“Of course, your opinion matters. But this challenge isn’t something I can back out of now.” That wasn’t strictly true, but to do so would leave Refugio in power and put everyone who had helped them defeat the Council’s soldiers in jeopardy, including his mate. That was something Saber wouldn’t even contemplate.
That smirk was back and Saber once more had the urge to wipe it from Chadwick’s face. He just wasn’t sure whether he should do it by spanking his mate or kissing him. Both had their appeal at the moment.
“So, basically, what you’re saying is what I want doesn’t matter?” The way too cheery voice for such a somber statement put Saber’s teeth on edge.
“Of course, it matters.” If Saber didn’t figure out a way to explain his actions, this conversation was going to further south than it already was. “But Refugio is a dangerous man who can’t be allowed to stay in power. No one here would be safe, including you.”
Saber took one more step, so their bodies touched. He leaned his head down until their lips nearly touched. Making sure to keep their gazes locked so Chadwick could see the sincerity in them, Saber said, “And that, my sweet Kitten, I will never allow to happen so long as there is breath in my body.”
Not able to resist the allure of Chadwick’s mouth any longer, Saber dipped his head a bit further. Electricity arced between them the moment their lips touched, igniting a firestorm of need within Saber that he doubted could ever be extinguished.
Need, unlike anything he’d ever known, surged through Saber’s veins like lightening. Before he even knew what he was doing, Saber had his arms around Chadwick, crushing his mate against his chest as he plundered his sweet mouth like he was a starving man who was suddenly offered a feast.
The next thing he knew, Saber was lowering them both onto the mattress. Every movement was instinctual, unplanned. The need to mate was too all consuming to be aware of anything else around him. His ape wouldn’t be satisfied until he had claimed this man destined to be his.
Strong arms tugged him even closer. It was the first real sign that Chadwick wanted Saber as much as he wanted his mate. Emboldened, Saber extended his claws and shredded Chadwick’s shirt. His groan echoed in the nearly empty room the moment his fingers touched skin.
He expected the muscles that filled out his mate’s form nicely, but he hadn’t expected them to feel like satin. Suddenly, Saber heard more tearing seconds before air brushed over his own body.
Saber broke the kiss and looked down at Chadwick to find him tossing Saber’s torn shirt to the side. “Fuck,” he murmured, his voice thick with passion. “That was hot.”
Then he captured those lips once more, driving his tongue into the warm recesses of his mate’s mouth. Saber was sure he would never tire of kissing Chadwick. Nothing had ever tasted as good as his mate.
Their now half-naked bodies slid together and Saber felt his eyes roll back in his head as ecstasy rolled through him. But he needed more. Hell, he wouldn’t be even close to satisfied until his cock and teeth were buried in his mate’s body, making Chadwick his for all eternity.
His nails scraped along all that tanned skin, until he reached the waistband of Chadwick’s pants. But before he ripped them off as he had his shirt, Saber suddenly found himself on his back with Chadwick scrambling off the mattress. Large, stormy eyes stared wide-eyed at Saber as Chadwick crab-walked backward on his feet and hands for the door.
Disoriented, as passion fogged his brain, Saber reached out for Chadwick. He had no idea what was going on, but Saber needed to be sure his mate was okay. It wasn’t until he rolled up onto his feet that Chadwick truly bolted into action.
“Stop,” Chadwick shouted as he surged to his feet and grabbed ahold of the door handle. “Just leave me alone.”
Then, before Saber could comprehend what he was saying or what he was about to do, Chadwick bolted from the room.
By the time it registered that his mate had run from him – again – he had a several minute lead. Saber tried to consider his options, but his patience had just snapped. Chadwick was his mate and Saber wasn’t about to let the man ignore that by running.
If his mate was going to act like a child instead of facing his problems then maybe Saber needed to treat him like a child. It was time to reconsider taking his mate over his knee and spanking him.
CHAPTER 7
What am I doing?
Even as he raced into the woods that surrounded Miracle, Chadwick knew it for the mistake it was. What he didn’t understand was why he was doing it, or why he wasn’t stopping and going back to Saber.
He may not have been able to admit it out loud, but Chadwick had wanted Saber to claim him. He’d even been excited when his mate had manhandled him. But all that changed the moment Saber reached for Chadwick’s pants. Images of Saber fucking him, or actually having to take it up the ass, scared the crap out of Chadwick.
He’d never once even considered letting someone top him. Until Saber. That right there was what had terrified him the most. Chadwick had actually wanted what Saber was going to do to him. Even now, just thinking about it had his hole clenching with need.
No man would allow another man to violate him that way. His father’s voice taunted him.
For years, Chadwick had ignored his father’s bigoted views. At least he’d thought he’d ignored them. Maybe he’
d been listening more than he’d thought. Was that why kept running from Saber?
Hands grabbed him from behind and spun him to face a very pissed off Saber. Yet, even as confused as he was and angry as Saber was, all Chadwick could pay attention to was the chiseled perfection of his mate’s chest.
His mouth started to water for a taste of that darkly tanned skin. Clearly Saber spent a lot of time outdoors without his shirt on. Thoughts of all the men who followed Saber seeing his mate’s perfect body sent jealousy surging through him.
“Stop fucking running,” Saber yelled at him, his hands gripping Chadwick’s arms like a vice.
“Stop fucking manhandling me,” Chadwick yelled back, as anger flooded through him from the tone in Saber’s voice. He was done taking orders from anyone other than his Alpha, Edrick, and even then he only occasionally listened. “You aren’t the boss of me.”
Saber’s grip only tightened as he was dragged right against that hard body of muscles, causing his dick to surge back to life. “No,” Saber spit out. “I’m your mate.” The words came out like a shot. “As such, I deserve an explanation.”
“I don’t have one,” Chadwick yelled before he could stop himself.
Saber’s firm lips twisted into an ugly snarl. “That’s not good enough.”
“Too fucking bad,” Chadwick snarled back. “Because it’s the truth.” Sadly, it was. He had no idea why he was acting like he was. There was something inside of him that was triggering his fight or flight instincts. Except staying and fighting wasn’t actually in the equation.
He’d swore to never cower or hide if he ever managed to escape from his old pack. Yet, there he was, free, and what was he doing? Running like a little girl.
Disgusted with himself, he yanked from Saber’s grip and started pacing. So agitated his hands flailed around as he said, “I’m a coward.” The moment the words came out of his mouth, Chadwick knew them for the truth they were. “I’m a coward,” he screamed at the top of his lungs.
