Hunted And Claimed (Wayward Mates Series Book 7)

by Delta James

  Riley glanced toward the noise of the men as they started to shorten the distance between themselves and their position.

  “I’m not leaving you!”

  “You have to. If I split off, most, if not all, will come after me. If they don’t, deMoncada will have their heads... literally. He’s got an auction set in six weeks in Montreal.”

  Riley looked to the men who were rapidly closing in.

  “I’ll be there. I swear to God... I’ll be there. If I’m not, I’m dead, but others will come.”

  The woman smiled. “I believe you. I’ll see you in six weeks. I’m buying.”

  They hugged briefly and Riley watched as the woman sprinted away from her. As she’d said, the majority of the men coming after them had diverted off to try to catch her. Riley did not want to lead the men to the other women. Pulling her knife, she fell into a defensive stance and waited.

  The men shouldered their guns and started to surround her.

  “It’ll be all right, little wolf. No one wants to hurt you.”

  “Really?” Riley said as she sprang forward, mortally wounding one of her attackers. “Because I really want to hurt all of you.”

  They tried to rush her all at once, but she evaded them. She slashed and plunged, her knife doing far more damage than she thought she’d be able to inflict. The scent of blood and battle filled her nostrils and Riley breathed deeply. If they took her, and it would be a big if, it would cost them.

  She feinted and parried, always staying just out of reach and being able to nimbly evade their grasp as she inflicted slashing wound after slashing wound. Even though she felt she was winning and believed she would be able to get the other four girls to Aidan, she could feel herself tiring.

  “You nasty-tempered bitch. I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget anytime soon. DeMoncada wants you alive as well. Although I think he doesn’t mean to sell you off, but rather torture you until he knows all you know.”

  Riley didn’t react and she lunged forward, attacking him once more. But her exhaustion was taking a toll. She wasn’t quite as fast this time when she moved away. In one horrible instant, he had her. He used her inertia to spin her into his body, locking his arms around her and disarming her in one move.

  She heard him take a breath as though to speak and then heard nothing. She felt something warm trickle down onto the top of her shoulder as his arms lost their ability to contain her and he slumped to the ground. She rolled away from him and toward her knife. As she got to her feet, she turned on him, weapon in hand. The neat bullet hole right between his eyes told her two things—first, he would trouble her no more and second, they were not alone.

  Riley’s eyes swept the surrounding area. So far no one else was coming. She ran toward the women and led them to the Range Rover. She started it up and sped away from the house.

  “Our friend?” said the woman who had not yet been completely traumatized.

  “Sacrificed herself for us. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t have it. She said most of them would chase after her. She was right.”

  “And the others?” said one of the women Riley had thought might be incapable of speaking.

  “Dead or dying. I’m taking you to my brother’s. He’s a good man. He and his pack will care for you and help you get back on your feet,” said Riley.

  “I’m Sara, by the way. Will you be with us?”

  She shook her head. “No. There are more of you to find, including your friend. She said she’s to be auctioned off in six weeks in Montreal. I promised her I’d be there. I will get to her. I will not let them have her.”

  The women fell into silence as Riley drove as quickly as possible to what had once been her home. There they would be safe. There they would start again.

  * * *

  Cameron broke down the sniper rifle Declan had loaned him. When he saw that last wolf disarm Riley, he’d sent a mental note of gratitude to Declan. Without the incredible accuracy and distance capability of the rifle, Cameron could never have put a bullet in that bastard’s brain. He watched Riley get to the women and then to the Range Rover.

  Cameron had watched her with nothing less than awe. She was truly magnificent. A blooded warrior with no fear and lethal skills. His mate had no comparison. He couldn’t wait to get her back home to safety. His cock stiffened at the thought of once more finding himself between Riley’s legs. He felt the hard, balled ridge that was an alpha knot form. Cameron took a deep breath. It wouldn’t be long before he had Riley on her back again, calling his name as he breached her and buried his knot deep inside her. A low growl escaped him.

  He shook his head to clear it. But right now? Right now, he wanted to see what he could find out about those who remained at the manor house before he headed for Aidan’s home as Riley fell victim to his trap.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Riley drove through the night, arriving in Galway as the first rays of light were cresting the horizon behind her. This was one of her favorite times of the day. It was that wonderful time between night and dawn when everything was still and quiet and the promise of a new day was just beginning to assert itself.

  Riley found a spot to hide the Range Rover in a barn seldom used this time of year on the far side of her brother’s holdings. She helped her passengers from the vehicle. Even the three girls who had been so traumatized seemed to be a bit less so. However, there were two problems with getting them into Aidan’s care. The first was there was nothing but open, lush, rolling hills between this barn and her brother’s house. The second was she had no one in place to help them. No one she could introduce them to, leave them in her care and get away clean before anyone could stop her.

  “You look concerned,” said Sara. “Are you not sure they will take us in?”

  Riley shook her head. “Nothing could be further from the truth. My brother is one of those involved in the Coalition to put an end to what’s going on. They mean to find and bring all of you home...”

  “They just don’t think a woman ought to be doing it on a smaller scale without them.”

  Riley squeezed her hand. “Yes, and my brother is especially not in favor of that woman being me. Nor is the man to whom he would see me mated.”

  “How can you say he’s trying to help if he’s trying to force his own sister?”

  Riley shook her head. “He’s a believer in tradition. And he believes in fated mates. He believes that Cameron is my fated mate and that I will be happiest with him.”

  “What do you believe?”

  Riley laughed softly and sadly. “I believe he’s probably right that I would be happiest with Cameron. I know without a doubt that Cameron is my fated mate. I can hear when he calls to me. I can feel...”

  Riley stopped and whirled toward the barn door as she felt goosebumps raise all along her skin.

  “I’m glad to hear you say that, Riley,” said Cameron as he casually entered the barn.

  “What? How?” stammered Riley.

  “I think those answers can both wait for a later time. Don’t you think it best we get these women to the house where they can be cared for?” Cameron asked her levelly.

  * * *

  Cameron wanted nothing more than for the only people in the barn to be him and Riley. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she was breathless. Then he wanted to sit down on one of the bales of hay, strip her leggings down to her ankles, and blister her fanny for all the shit she’d put him through and for endangering herself in doing so.

  When he’d finished punishing her, he meant to tell her how proud he was to be her mate. How watching her fight off her attackers had been the most terrifying thing he’d ever witnessed and yet had made his heart swell and his head spin at the idea that destiny had deemed him worthy to be with her.

  After that he wanted somehow for them to magically be home in their bed in Texas, their vows recited, and having gone into seclusion when he could finally mark and claim her completely.

  But Camer
on knew acting on any of those feelings would only serve to further traumatize the women now in their care. Their care—his and Riley’s.

  So instead of doing any of what he truly wanted, he walked slowly toward her and reached for her hand. He was gratified when she didn’t jerk it away from him as he took it and brought it up to his mouth to gently graze his lips across it.

  “Let’s take them to the house, Riley. They’ve been through enough. Your brother and his pack are waiting for them.”

  She nodded and turned to the women. “This is Cameron Nichols. He is the alpha of Galveston...”

  “And Riley’s most loving and fated mate,” he added.

  Cameron leaned forward, kissing her cheek and then nuzzling her neck.

  “Cameron, I...”

  “Later,” he whispered in her ear before turning to the other women. “We have a couple of other vehicles outside and some of the lovely women of Riley’s birth pack here to welcome you and get you to the house. Riley and I will follow in the Range Rover.”

  “But she won’t leave us...”

  Cameron wrapped his arm around Riley before saying, “We’ll be here today, but we’ve been gone from our own pack back in Galveston long enough. But you’ll be safe here, won’t they, Riley.”

  “Absolutely. My brother is a good man and a strong alpha. No one will hurt you again.”

  Cameron nodded. “He has vowed to keep you as long as you need or want. And should you prefer to come to America, I would make the same vow and you can come home with Riley and me.”

  “They can?” she stammered.

  Cameron grinned at her and nodded. “They can. They have many options open to them. There isn’t a member of the Coalition that wouldn’t take you in. You choose where you want to be and we will see you there safely.”

  Cameron led Riley and the women outside where several members of Aidan’s pack including Gia welcomed them with open arms.

  “Riley can ride with me, Cameron,” said Gia.

  “Riley is fine with me, aren’t you, Riley?” he replied.

  “I’m fine, Gia. We’ll see you up at the house. I’m sure Cameron is going to want to figure out how to get this Range Rover back to Belfast.”

  “Cameron already cleared things up in Belfast. There is no need to worry about the Range Rover. We’ll just take it to the house,” he added.

  “If you’re sure, Riley,” said Gia slowly.

  Riley nodded. “I am. It’s fine. I’m sure we’ll see you later.”

  They watched as all of the women got settled in the vehicles and they headed to the main house.

  “Did you mean what you said?” Riley asked him.

  “I always mean what I say, Riley. And I never make idle threats,” Cameron said with a low growl.

  He was pleased to see that even though there had been nothing seductive in his voice, that Riley still had a profound response to his call.

  Once again, he nuzzled her as he whispered, “There’s my good mate. Now get in the truck like a good girl and don’t cause any more trouble.”

  Riley spun away from him. He’d almost forgotten how quick she could be. She dropped low and swept her leg to knock his from beneath him. But Cameron had been paying attention when he saw her fight. She was well trained. He managed to avoid her tactic and remain standing. He grabbed a good chunk of her red hair as she tried to flee and pulled her back, trapping her close to his body. She drew back her foot as if to kick him. Cameron preempted the maneuver by landing a hard swat to her bottom.

  “Enough, Riley. I’ve had it with your bullshit. As it is, little wolf, you are overdue for good, long, hard session over my knee and you will get what’s coming to you. But I would prefer not to have to do it so that those women can tell you got disciplined for coming to their aid, defying your mate, and putting yourself in extreme danger.”

  “I was never in extreme danger.”

  Cameron added another stinging blow to her backside. “Bullshit, Irish. That guy had you dead to rights. You weren’t more than a minute from certain death.”

  Suddenly, Riley stopped fighting. She looked at Cameron incredulously.

  “It was you. You killed him. That was a hell of a shot. Where were you?”

  “In a position to have your back if you needed me, as it turned out you did. I wanted you to be able to get those women out of there. And I knew it was important to you to do it on your own and in your own way. But your days of rescuing these women has come to an end. You and I will take our vows in front of your brother and Liam today and then I’m taking you home.”

  “I won’t.”

  Cameron laughed. “You will. You ran; I caught you. You’re done. Would you prefer I claim you here and now in this barn and be done with it? I thought it might be easier for you, for Gia, and frankly for Aidan if you agreed to honor your word that you would follow the way of our kind and acknowledge your mate if and when he caught you and take your vows.”

  “I don’t want you,” she said with very little conviction.

  Cameron smiled and kissed her gently. “Yes, you do. I heard you tell that one girl that you knew we were fated mates.”

  “But you would be better off with another... my hands aren’t clean, Cameron. You saw that for yourself.”

  He nodded. “I did. What I saw was that I have a mate who makes all others pale in comparison. Her heart, her soul, her spirit, her fire... no one even comes close. Come up to the house. Take your vows and let’s go home, Riley.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can and you will,” said Cameron, becoming increasingly exasperated with her refusal to acknowledge what was so obvious to everyone around her. “By our laws, by our tradition, I don’t need you to take any vows. You are now mine to do with as I wish. If you refuse to ease your brother’s conscience and put Gia’s mind at ease by agreeing to take your vows and allowing your old pack to say goodbye in a fitting way to the sister of their alpha, I swear to God, I will give you the spanking you deserve right here, right now and you will take those vows with a freshly spanked bottom and my seed dripping from your pussy.”

  * * *

  Riley shuddered. She should be furious. She should be planning Cameron’s imminent demise. What she wanted instead was to agree to take her vows and have him take her to bed to fill her pussy with his cum until there was so much pumped inside her she couldn’t contain it all.

  “No.”

  “Must I force the issue with you?” he asked quietly.

  She looked up at him. His voice had held deep regret and he looked pained.

  “Yes, I’m afraid you must. And the first chance I get I will break free. Choose another, Cameron.”

  “There is no other for me, Riley. Nor is there another for you. But if you need me to prove again that I can and will best you when needed, then, little girl, prepare to get your bottom blistered.”

  Cameron took a firm hold of her arm and propelled her toward the stacked bales of hay. Moving one of the bales away from the stack, he sat down, pulling a struggling Riley between his legs where he stripped her leggings down past her thighs to her knees. She tried to fight him, but Cameron proved again she was no match for his strength. She felt the cool air of the barn on her bare ass and on the fevered flesh between her legs.

  Riley hated the fact that as great as her anger was, her arousal was greater. She knew that when—not if, but when—Cameron put his hand between her legs, he was going to find her dripping with need for him. She wished desperately that she could believe that she would hate him for spanking her. She knew that the opposite was the truth. She loved him because he was strong. Strong enough physically to contain and spank her. Strong enough emotionally to act on what they both knew was the truth. Strong enough to love her hard enough afterwards that she would curl up contented in his arms.

  She felt herself being tipped over his knee, his legs trapping hers between them and securing her on his thigh. Her bare bottom was riding high and she could feel his hard length ben
eath her. What was most humiliating was not the fact that she was about to be spanked, but that even knowing that, she wanted him so desperately. She wanted the spanking to be over with and wanted to feel his cock slip between her legs and breach her sheath, driving into her over and over so that thought no longer existed... only feeling. She wanted to reach that place that only he could take her. A place where only he existed; where pleasing him with her wild erotic response caused him to fuck her into oblivion and beyond.

  Her brief reverie was interrupted when Cameron’s hard hand came crashing down on her butt. Riley cried out. Her cry was cut short as Cameron’s hand landed again... and again... and again. He spanked her thoroughly. He covered every inch of her backside with harsh, painful blows meant to ensure she knew just how pissed he was and just how hard he intended to punish her. The strikes came so fast that she didn’t have time to catch her breath and get centered. She couldn’t seem to find a way to mentally or emotionally distance herself from the punishment to be able to withstand it.

  “They say my great-grandmother had a penchant for doing reckless, dangerous things and refused my great-grandfather’s claim on her.”

  Riley couldn’t believe how calm he sounded. Just hearing his voice, you’d think they were sitting someplace sipping sweet tea while he regaled her with a story from his past. Instead she was face down over his knee getting her ass turned such a vivid shade of red it would be painful to sit for days.

  “I don’t know if you noticed,” Cameron continued, “but up by the top of the barnyard at home? There’s a small group of birch trees. My great-grandfather cut a switch from one of them when he brought my great-grandmother home after he had forced her vows from her in front of her father. He asked her to settle down and behave as she met her new pack. She refused. It’s said he took her skirts, tucked them up in her belt, and then took a switch to her fanny as he marched her to the house. Now granted, he allowed her to keep her pantalets up to conserve her modesty, but the story says they did little to protect her bottom from the sting of that switch.”