by R. E. Butler
“You too. So what’s the plan?”
“Call the Kedrick alpha and help China pack,” Oz said.
“Can I hard-pass on packing?”
“No.”
Angel snorted. “Fine. I’ll drive, though, so you two can talk in the back. And when I say talk, I really do mean talk. No touchy-touchy when I’m around.”
Oz rolled his eyes. “I’m not making any promises.”
They headed to the one vehicle left in the park, Oz’s pickup. It was a four-door cab with a long bed that he used to haul the fifth wheel he’d been living in since Benecio had decided to stick around. The fifth-wheel camper wasn’t his—he and Angel had borrowed it from Angel’s mom. He would be damn glad to be back in his own house.
China looked at her phone. “Want me to call Duke now?”
“Yep.”
He rocked back on his heels as she found Duke’s contact information, connected the call, and then turned on the speaker.
“Duke,” the gruff male answered on the second ring.
“Hi, it’s China. First, I’m fine. Abbie’s fine. And so are Vale and Reign.”
“That’s good news. Abbie texted to say all was well, but she didn’t go into details.”
“I found my heart-match. He’s from the Elk Hills pride, and he’d like to come with me to pack a bag.”
“You’re leaving the Kedrick pride?” Duke’s voice went high at the end with surprise.
“I’m not sure about anything right now, but Oz—my mate—needs to leave to go back to his pride and I don’t want him to leave without me.”
“All right. Titus and I will meet you at your house.”
“We’re on the way. Thanks.”
“No problem. Congrats. And what’s up with Benecio, by the way?”
“He’s dead. The pride is packing up to go back home. Oz and I will tell you everything when we meet up.”
“See you soon.”
The call disconnected and China blew out a breath.
“You weren’t worried he’d be mad or anything, were you?” Oz asked. Oz had not had any direct dealings with Duke. He’d been in the vicinity when he’d talked to Benecio about leaving Demi alone, but he hadn’t actually spoken to him or any of the Kedrick Pride members.
“No, he’s a good male. He’s not like…” Her voice trailed off as two males unrolled a tarp next to the body of their dead alpha. The blue material rustled loudly.
“No one’s like him, trust me. He was not a good role model for a well-adjusted alpha.”
She smiled as she turned her attention to Oz. “He was such a bastard. He terrorized my bestie.”
“I’m sorry. She’s free now. Everyone is.”
“Good. She’ll be thrilled to hear that.”
While they waited for the body to be loaded into one of the SUVs, she called her parents and told them what happened.
“You’re kidding,” her mom said. “You met your heart-match? That’s amazing!”
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” her dad said. “When can we meet him?”
“We’re cleaning up here and then he’s going to run me home to pack a bag. He’s the interim alpha and has to go back to his pride in Indiana.”
“Are you moving there already?” Lee asked.
“We haven’t talked about it yet, but I will let you know when we decide.”
“We’ll be waiting at your house,” Vikki said. “I can’t wait to meet your heart-match and thank him for saving you.”
“See you soon,” Lee said.
When the call was finished, she smiled at Oz. “They like you already.”
“It probably helps that I saved your life.”
“Most definitely.”
Benecio’s body was laid in one of the SUVs, hidden underneath blankets to obscure the fact there was a dead man wrapped in a blue tarp and secured with bungee cords. Oz instructed the males to return to the campsite with the others and that he would meet them there when he was done in Kedrick.
“China!” a female called out.
“Abbie!” China rushed to her and gave her a hug. “Thank you for everything. Come meet my heart-match.”
China and Abbie returned, and he shook her hand. “Abbie’s our pride match-maker,” China said. “She tried to match Benecio and saw a vision that included someone’s death. It also involved me. She didn’t know who was going to die, only that me coming to meet him would end with bloodshed.”
Oz hummed. “I didn’t realize that match-making was so prophetic.”
“It’s really not. I think the circumstances were just so strange and awful that I got a little boost from what my power would normally do when it comes to matches. I’d hoped to find a match for Benecio to get his mind off of Demi, but instead I saw someone dying, I just didn’t know who it was,” Abbie said.
“You set off a chain of events,” he said, looking at China. “If you hadn’t shown up, he wouldn’t have tried to kill you and I wouldn’t have killed him instead.”
“If you hadn’t been here,” she said, shaking her head and shivering. Oz put his arm around her and drew her close.
“I was here, though. And you’re safe.”
“Thank goodness.”
“What are your plans?” Abbie asked.
“We haven’t had time to talk much, but I’m going to go with him to Indiana. He’s interim alpha. We’re meeting Duke and my parents at my house and I’m going to pack up some things to take. I don’t know when we’ll be back, or what the future holds, but I’m really happy with how it all turned out.”
“I’m thrilled for you, my dear,” Abbie said.
The two embraced again and then Abbie left with the two males.
“Ready?” Oz asked.
“Yeah.”
They walked to the truck, and he opened the passenger door and helped her into the back row. He climbed up and sat next to her. “Give me your address and I’ll pop it into the GPS,” Angel said as he turned on the truck. The massive engine roared to life, making the whole vehicle vibrate a little.
China rattled off her address and then settled back in the seat, tucking her hair behind her ears. “This has been a super crazy day.”
“It has, but with a happy ending.”
“That’s the best kind of ending,” China said. She tipped her face up to his for a kiss and he willingly gave it to her, complete with a purr from his lion who was the happiest furry fucker on the planet.
Chapter Five
China’s parents, Duke, and Titus were standing on the front porch of China’s little house when they arrived. There were a few other males around, including Vale and Reign.
She, Oz, and Angel met them on the porch and China did the introductions.
Her mom hugged Oz. “It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for saving China’s life.”
“Right place, right time,” Oz said as he shook her dad’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Oz. You have our gratitude for keeping China safe.”
“That’s what mates do,” Oz said.
“One hundred percent,” Lee said, nodding.
Duke shook Oz’s hand. “Congratulations on your appointment to alpha and finding your heart-match.”
“It’s interim alpha,” Oz said. “I don’t plan to fight to keep the title. Our pride is not known for fair fights, in case you didn’t notice, and I’m not about to risk my life for a position I don’t want.”
“Smart,” Titus said.
“Let’s go inside,” China said. She unlocked the door and let everyone in. After offering drinks, she, Oz, and Angel sat at the table with her parents, Duke, and Titus while the others remained outside.
“Our pride has never had a situation like yours,” Duke said. “Our alphaship passes from father to son. If there’s no heir, then there’s a battle, but once the winner is chosen, their line becomes the new alphas.”
“According to our laws, there has to be a certain number of combatants willing to go up for alpha in
order to stage a battle. If an alpha dies of natural causes, then the elders will set up a battle and the winner will get the position. In this situation, I’m interim alpha until the next full moon. Then anyone who wants to be alpha will come to a free-for-all, the last one standing is the one who gets it.”
“It sounds like the alpha is constantly fighting to keep his job,” China said.
“Pretty much,” Oz said. “Benecio was a dangerous male. Crazy. Powerful. He could kill in both his human form and his shift, and he had. There weren’t many willing to come against him. Alpha battles aren’t supposed to be to the death, but it often happens that way. It’s why I never wanted to be alpha. I mean, why take a job where you might die at any moment?”
China was thankful that he didn’t want to continue to be alpha, considering how dangerous it sounded.
“I want to ask if you’ll leave your pride after the full moon and come join our pride, but I know you two just met and you haven’t had much chance to talk about things,” Duke said.
“I’ll hold your job until you make a decision,” Titus said. “Just let me know what your plans are when you figure them out.”
“Right now, the only plan is to go to Indiana and wait for the full moon, which is only a week away,” China said.
Oz nodded. “Once the battle is set up, I can take myself out of the running and leave it to the males who actually want to fight it out. I can’t do that until the full moon, though, so I have no choice but to go.”
“I’ll be back,” China said, “but whether I’ll be staying here with Oz or moving to Indiana permanently, I don’t know.”
“No rush on your decision,” Duke said. “Just keep me posted.”
“You bet,” China said.
Everyone rose and shook hands. “Safe travels,” Duke said as they all walked to the front door.
“Thanks,” Oz said.
When the door was shut, she turned to her mate, Angel, and her parents. “Let’s get packing.”
“Happy to help,” her mom said. “I’ll take care of the bathroom stuff.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Lee grabbed Angel to get suitcases from the hall closet, leaving her alone with her new mate. He was so damn sexy. Broad shouldered and tall, with muscles straining his shirt and his hair a lovely shade of dark chocolate. He awakened feelings in her that hadn’t been stirred in maybe forever. She wanted to strip him and find out what he sounded like when he came. She wanted to kiss him all over and map his muscles with her tongue.
He let out a soft growl and hooked his arm around her waist, drawing her against him. His skin was warm and he smelled like sunshine and tall grass. Her new favorite scents.
“You smell amazing,” he said. He lowered his head and buried his face in her neck, inhaling, his breath skirting over her skin and making it prickle. He let out a low growl and kissed her neck, then drew his tongue up her throat to her ear. She shivered and dug her nails into his skin.
Holy crap, he was good with his tongue.
“Careful with those sexy thoughts,” he said roughly. “We need to get back to the campsite and while the idea of a quickie is something to consider, I don’t want our first time rushed because of my people.”
“And my parents are in the other room.”
“Good point,” he said with a chuckle.
“Let’s get packed up. How far is it to your home?”
“It’s about four hours. I have a little cabin, it belonged to my grandparents. It’s not as nice as your place, though.”
“My cousin lived with me for a while, but moved out with a few buddies. It’s a little big for me by myself, but I like it.”
“You’re not by yourself anymore,” he said. “You’ve got me.”
“I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did. I’d be dead if it weren’t for you, or severely injured.”
He growled, his upper lip curling. “I’m not sorry he’s dead.”
“Me either. I am oddly thankful he brought us together. You’re a great silver lining to an almost terrible night.”
“That’s the only time I’ll ever be thankful for that asshole.”
She chuckled and took his hand, giving him a quick tour of the three-bedroom home. In the master bedroom, they helped her dad and Angel fill up two suitcases.
“So whether we decide to stay in your town or come here, we’ll be back here in a week, right?” China asked.
Oz nodded. “Yes, either to pack you up or move me in.”
“What do you think we’ll end up doing?”
He sighed and sat on the bed. “I think it would be nice to be here. I’ve never lived away from my pride, so I’m used to the dangerous alpha lion situation, but I really respect your alpha and like your pride. It’s so different from mine.”
“I really thought they were all the same.”
“I’m sure there are plenty that are like yours, mine just morphed into one where fighting to the death over leadership is a pretty normal occurrence.”
“Well, we can figure it out as we go. Right now, I’m happy to be where you are. I work as a waitress at Tails, the pride’s bar, and I like to cook and paint. I never went to college, but I have taken some art and cooking classes. My grandma always said I should open my own restaurant or a store to sell painted things. Maybe someday.”
“We should totally collaborate,” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “I could definitely use a painter in my furniture company, and I don’t have a storefront, everything’s online so we could do that anywhere, even here.”
“I’d love that.”
They finished packing up. Her parents and Angel carried her things out to the truck.
Oz grabbed her before she left the room. She turned to face him.
Oz said, “Whatever we decide, when we get to Elk Hills, I want to make you mine in truth. If you want to wait, I’m okay with that, I just need to know so I can tell my lion to stop making inappropriate comments.”
She thought Oz was so sweet. Him and his lion. “You know what? I don’t want to wait. I wasn’t even looking for my heart-match and we found each other. My lion wants to make us official too.”
She cupped his face and kissed him, tracing the seam of his lips with her tongue until he opened his lips and she got a hit of the sweet, decadent taste of him. Had anyone ever tasted as good as Oz? She doubted it. Her heart-match was the sexiest male on the planet, and she’d fight anyone who said differently.
* * *
An hour later, she said goodbye to her parents and drove with Oz and Angel to the campsite. Once they’d loaded her things into the camper, she settled in the backseat of the pickup.
“I wish we could be in the camper for the trip.”
“Me too,” he said. “But we’ll be at my place soon enough. And the ride will give us lots of time to get to know each other.”
He left her in the truck and went to speak to the males who were waiting by RVs and trucks.
“So are you mated?” she asked Angel as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and stared out the windshield. Like Oz, Angel was ready to get home. It seemed that no one had liked staying near Kedrick while Benecio pursued Demi.
“Nope,” he said. “Got any unmated sisters or cousins?”
“No, sorry,” she said.
“I was thinking about going to a match-maker, but after seeing you and Oz together after only a few hours, I’m thinking I’ll wait for my heart-match.”
“Is your pride okay with heart-matches if they’re not lions? We have some human heart-matches, but they had to change the laws in order to keep people from having to leave the pride to claim them.”
“They’re not, so if my heart-match was non-lion, I’d have to leave.”
She hummed as she stared out the open door to where Oz was talking to his people. Some of the males looked a handful of years older than his twenty-seven, some appeared to be in their forties, but they all looked at him with the respect of his
position. It still shocked her that her heart-match had come to her defense at just the right time. If he’d been away from the park, who knows what would’ve happened.
“He’s never wanted to be alpha,” Angel continued. “I don’t know if he told you that or not, but he only cared about his furniture business and me, because I’m his best friend. Being alpha was never on his radar, especially with some of the males who would like to take the position.”
“Sounds like a dangerous position in your pride.”
“It can be. Benecio was alpha because he was a freaking dangerous male. He was too dangerous to go against. There were a few males who wanted to battle for alpha, but not enough to have an official fight.”
“Oz was badass enough to take him on.”
“True.” Angel turned slightly to look at her. “But he wouldn’t have won in a real alpha battle if your life wasn’t on the line. That fight was over before it started because Oz was driven by his lion to keep you safe and that meant striking Benecio down before he could hurt you. You have to be cut a certain way to be alpha for our pride, you know? Oz is a by-the-books sort of guy and our alpha battles usually end up with at least one person dead. It’s supposed to be a fair fight, but if it’s not then…” He shrugged.
She was doubly glad that Oz didn’t want to fight to keep his position.
“He cares about you now too.”
“What?” she asked.
“I said he only cared about two things, but that was before you. Now you’re at the top of the list. I’ve never seen him move so fast or act with such deadly force. Hopefully you’ll never have to witness him fight like that ever again.”
“I hope so too.”
Oz appeared and climbed into the truck. “We’re in the lead. Let’s get the hell home.”
Angel said, “About damn time,” as he put the truck into gear and pulled away from the campsite.
“Can’t wait to get you home,” Oz murmured as he tilted China’s face and kissed her.
“Hey, I already told you not to be groping each other while I’m in the truck. It’s too long a drive for me to deal with.”
