Luke crossed the room to kneel beside Zeke. “I know I’m not your third, but Tane isn’t here to speak for himself. If he were, I have no doubt he’d be pissed as fuck. Anyone who wants to judge our alpha’s mate for being human also condemns his mom.”
“Fuck, he’s right,” Damon sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face before sliding off his chair to kneel on the floor. “I’m sorry, alpha. I should’ve kept my mouth shut about your mate and waited to form an opinion about her after we’d met. What happened with Aaron fucked with my head more than I realized.”
The rest of the room followed suit, kneeling and welcoming Larissa to our pack. There was one glaring exception—the girl who’d started the trouble in the first place. Heather pouted and mumbled, “I can’t believe they’re just giving in like this.”
“Who the fuck are you to question fate? To question me?” I roared, waiting until all eyes were on me to continue. “Heather is young and spoiled. It could be argued she doesn’t know any better than to run her mouth off about my mating.” I met her father’s gaze, wanting him to see the depth of my fury so he didn’t do something stupid like try to save his daughter from a well-deserved punishment. “Except there would be a glaring fault in that claim—we learn as cubs that fated mates are sacred. Even the youngest among us should know better than to try to cause trouble between any fated mate pairing, let alone their alpha and his mate.”
“I-I…” Heather sputtered, her eyes going wide.
“On your knees!” I yelled, stalking across the room. As I drew close, her mom reached back and pulled her off the couch. My wolf was close to the surface, demanding I annihilate the girl who’d caused trouble for our mate. “The day you were born, I vowed to protect you as a member of our pack. When I became alpha, I promised to defend all of the shifters who accepted me as their leader, including you. But neither of those oaths supersede the one I made to my fated mate today. Anyone who cannot accept her has no place in my pack.”
“No, you can’t mean it,” Heather gasped, shaking her head as tears started to stream down her cheeks.
“It’s no excuse, but she always had a bit of a schoolgirl crush on Aaron,” her mom explained. “After he saved her from drowning in the river when she was ten, she thought he hung the moon. She was devastated when he left the pack to roam on his own.”
“That’s no excuse for causing trouble for my mate. Larissa has done nothing to deserve this bullshit,” I bit out.
“You’re right,” Heather’s dad agreed. “Regardless of the reason, my daughter fucked up. Her actions have cast a shadow on a day that should’ve been filled with nothing but happiness for you and your mate. I’m sorry.”
Larissa came up behind me, and the press of her hand against my back soothed my inner beast in a way nothing else could. “You’re not the one who owes the apology, and it’s not me who it should be directed at.”
When he turned to his daughter, the disappointment was clear in her daddy’s eyes as he said, “Our alpha is right again.”
“But Daddy, I was only—”
He held his hand up to stem the flow of words. “I don’t want to hear it. You’ll apologize to the alpha’s mate and accept whatever punishment he deems fair. No matter how bad it is.”
“Even if he kicks me out of the pack?” Heather whispered, dropping her head to stare at her hands as they twisted together.
Her mom sniffled and patted her back. “If that’s what the alpha wants, then yes. But your dad and I will go with you.”
“What about Luke?” she wailed. “Would I never see him again if he stays?”
“Your brother is a man now. He’s worked for his place in this pack. We can’t ask him to give that up because of your mistake,” her dad answered.
Larissa moved to my side and tugged on my sleeve. When my gaze met hers, she offered me a gentle smile. “I’m not familiar with how pack life works yet, but surely there’s a fair punishment that wouldn’t tear their family apart?”
I considered her question for a moment before nodding. Not pleased that I wasn’t going to allow him to rip someone’s throat out, my wolf slunked off to brood inside my head as I announced, “Since my mate is willing to be gracious even though Heather has done nothing to deserve it, her punishment is to take a short-term transfer to another pack where she’ll do community service directed by the alpha until he feels she’s matured enough to come back to us without causing any more trouble. If Heather behaves and gets serious about growing up, she won’t have to be gone long. But if she fucks around and wastes this opportunity, it’s going to be a hell of a long time before she can come back to Timber Ridge.”
Her father’s shoulders straightened as he lifted his head to look me in the eyes as he said, “Thank you so much, alpha.” His gaze slid to where Larissa stood at my side, and he added, “And for your mercy. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for my daughter.”
My beautiful mate’s cheeks blushed pink. “I didn’t really do anything.”
“You did more than you realize.” He jerked his chin at me. “No matter how much I love my daughter, I know how hard his wolf must’ve been riding him to avenge his mate.”
Larissa’s forehead wrinkled. “But she didn’t actually do anything except cause a little trouble by talking trash.”
“It doesn’t matter how small the infraction was, you don’t mess with an alpha’s mate without risking death,” he explained before dragging his daughter away with his mate following behind, Luke’s arm wrapped around her waist.
The rest of the pack came up to offer their congratulations before leaving. After everyone filed out of the building, Zeke clapped me on the back. “At least you won’t be so damn grouchy anymore.”
“I wasn’t grouchy,” I disagreed with a scowl. “I was fucking pissed, and rightfully so.”
“Not about that, man.” He wrapped his arm around Allegra and grinned. “The girls moved into the dorm in August, so it had to have been the faintest trace of Larissa that was making your wolf edgy these past couple of months.”
“Damn, I wish I’d realized what was going on with him sooner,” I muttered.
“Instead of waiting for her to show up across the street at my house after I found my mate all on my own?” Zeke teased.
“Only because I sent you to Stewart,” I reminded him.
“Okay, boys. That’s enough.” Larissa tugged on my arm. “We should get back to your place. Now that I’ve gained acceptance from your pack, it’s time for you to try to do the same with my dad.”
9
Larissa
My big, bad alpha wolf looked uncharacteristically nervous about meeting my dad. “You do realize my dad’s bite is way less scary than yours since he can’t shift into anything, right? All human teeth, nothing for you to worry about,” I teased, cuddling into his side as he opened the laptop on the coffee table in front of us. I pointed at the screen and added, “It’s not as though he can reach through the computer to get to you, anyway.”
“Let’s get this over with so I can get you back where you belong...in our bed,” Kace grumbled.
Getting turned on before talking to my dad sounded like a really bad idea, so I did my best to ignore the sexy beast sitting next to me and leaned over to start the video chat with my dad. He accepted on the first ring. “Hey, sweetie. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon after dropping you off at school. Everything okay?”
“Yup.” I grinned and blew him a kiss. “My classes were super easy this morning.”
“You need me to put extra money on your account for books?” he asked.
Thinking about the wad of cash he’d handed to me before he headed back home on Sunday, I laughed and shook my head. “Nope, I’m all set on that front. I was calling because I wanted to introduce you to someone.”
“To who?” His eyes narrowed. “Has one of the girls at the dorm worked her way into your good graces and turned your threesome into a foursome?”
“Dad, seriously. You ca
n’t call Allegra, Calliope, and me that.” I wrinkled my nose as though I smelled something bad. “It’s gross.”
“You damn well know I’d never say something crude about my baby girl and her friends.” He shook his head and sighed. “Now quit trying to stall and introduce me to whatever little friend you have waiting in the wings. Mac needs me over at the clubhouse soon, so I don’t have all day.”
Recognizing the serious tone in my dad’s voice and not wanting to irritate him, I leaned back so he could see who was sitting next to me. “I wouldn’t call Kace little since he’s taller than you.”
“And who exactly is Kace?” my dad grunted with a scowl.
“He’s my…” I struggled for the right word. It wasn’t as though I could call him my mate. Dad would freak out and drive up here to drag me back home.
“I’m her man,” Kace answered for me.
A muscle in my dad’s jaw clenched. “What the fuck, Larissa? You’ve been dating someone and didn’t tell me about it at Thanksgiving?”
“Watch how you talk to her,” Kace growled, flinging his arm over my shoulder to pull me close.
My dad tilted his head to the side, a speculative gleam in his eyes as he looked at Kace. “My girl knows I don’t mean anything by swearing. She grew up around that shit.”
“Maybe,” Kace conceded. “But my woman doesn’t need to hear shit like that directed at her.”
“That’s fair.” My dad nodded, his lips twitching in a way I knew meant he was fighting a grin. “You got a job?”
Kace gave me a little squeeze as he answered, “Yeah, I’m the mayor of Timber Ridge. It’s two towns over from Larissa’s school.”
“My baby girl hooked up with a politician?” My dad let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head. “Fucking priceless.”
“I also own a bar, if that helps,” Kace added with a cocky grin.
“We’ve got one down here, so I can relate. But that won’t stop me from hunting you down and killing you if you don't treat my daughter right,” my dad warned.
“That’ll never happen, but you’re welcome to try.” Kace grinned. “Although it’d be good to at least know the name of the man who’s threatening my life.”
“Oh, crap. Sorry,” I apologize. “I forgot that part. Kace, this is my father, Lincoln Nash.”
“Nobody uses my full name. Call me Link,” my dad corrected.
“It’s nice to meet you, Link.” Kace picked up my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “I promise to take good care of your daughter.”
“You’d better.” An alarm went off on his phone, and he grimaced. “I’ve got to run, but I expect regular check-ins from you, Larissa. Now that I know you’ve got a man in your life, none of this a couple of times a week bullshit. Until I get the chance to meet him in person, I want to see your pretty face every day.”
Kace nodded, seeming to easily understand where my dad was coming from. “You’ve got it.”
“Love you, sweetie.”
“I love you, too, Daddy,” I replied a split second before he disconnected. Heaving a deep sigh, I collapsed against the couch. “Phew! That went better than I expected.”
“If that was good, I’m not sure I want to know how you thought that was going to go,” he chuckled. “You might not see it because you love him, but your dad is scary for a human.”
“I didn’t say he wasn’t scary, just that you didn’t need to worry about him since you have the shifter advantage. You know how Allegra said I’d help her bury a body if she murdered someone?” Kace nodded. “If my dad thought I was in danger, I wouldn’t need to kill the person because they’d already be dead. And I’d probably never find out I was at risk in the first place.”
Kace brushed his thumb over my knuckles. “Now you have me to keep you safe, too.”
“I like being safe, but I could’ve sworn there was some talk about getting that call over with so you could take me to bed?” I reminded him.
“Forget that plan,” he growled, standing and pulling me up with him. “The couch will work fine for what I have in mind. Strip, baby. I can’t wait to get inside you again.”
I didn’t need convincing and started to toss my clothes off my body. Kace got naked faster than me and helped drag my panties down my legs. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He ghosted his fingers down my chest to the tip of one of my breasts. His thumb flicked over my nipple, making me tremble. “I love how sensitive your tits are.”
His fingers drifted lower, finally coming to rest at my hip. With a gentle touch, he guided me around the couch. “Turn around and put your hands on the back of the couch.”
I followed his instructions, feeling vulnerable as I could practically feel his gaze travel down my body. He pressed his body against mine and murmured, “Easy, baby. You’re always safe with me.”
“I know.” My breath hitched in my throat when he licked the shell of my ear. “It’s just that I feel exposed like this.”
“You don’t need to be nervous. All I want to do is show you how gorgeous and sexy you are.” He kissed his way down my spine and nipped at my butt cheek to punctuate his statement. “By making you come and then fucking my cock into you until you fly apart around me and take me with you.”
It sounded like an excellent plan to me, so I tilted my butt up to give him better access to my body. Rising to his full height, he piled my hair up in a fist and traced his lips down my neck. His other hand glided down my back, over my butt, and moved between my legs. My clit throbbed, aching for his touch, but his fingers circled my entrance instead. “Please,” I whimpered.
He started kissing down my body. His tongue flicked over my back, trailed over my butt cheeks, then aimed for my pussy. “So fucking delicious,” he murmured against my damp flesh before stiffening his tongue and thrusting it inside me. My cries of pleasure turned to pleas when he stopped, but they quickly changed to moans when his fingers replaced his tongue, and he sucked my clit into his mouth. I flew apart, my hands clutching the back of the couch.
He finger fucked me through my orgasm, driving me back up for another one. With his digits still deep inside, he cupped my clit with his palm. “This is all mine.”
“Yes,” I gasped, my hips wiggling as I neared the edge again.
“This time, I want to feel what’s mine clench around me as you come.” His fingers left my body, to be replaced by his cock. With one powerful thrust, he filled me as one hand slid around my body to strum at my clit.
The pleasure was so intense, my eyes rolled in my head. “Kace!”
He gripped my hips, and he powered into me. Over and over again until a scream burst from my lungs. He anchored himself deep, and a guttural yell broke from his chest as his cock jerked with the force of his orgasm. “Mine!”
I collapsed against the back of the couch, my legs barely able to hold me. Kace scooped me up and carried me around to stretch out on the couch with me sprawled on top of him. He ran his fingers through my hair while we both caught our breath. “Move in with me, and I’ll give you as many orgasms as you want every single day for the rest of your life.”
“I’m pretty sure you’d do that anyway.” I pressed a kiss to his chest.
“True,” he admitted. “Then move in because you hate the idea of being away from me as much as I do.”
“I really do want to be with you, but I’m worried about Calliope.” I stroked my fingers down his abs while thinking about her. “When we left for Thanksgiving break, she was living with her two best friends. One day after we get back, she's going to be stuck in our dorm room all by herself.”
“She can visit as often as she wants.” Kace’s arms tightened around me. “Hell, I’ll move her into a house on this street if that’s what it takes to make you worry less.”
I tilted my head to stare at him with wide eyes. “Really?”
“If she wants to live closer to you and Allegra, we’ll have to tell her about shifters. She’ll have to keep our secret,” he warned. “But from eve
rything you’ve told me about her, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
“It won’t. Calliope will keep it in the vault along with everything else Allegra and I have confided in her,” I promised. “The hardest part for her will be getting to and from campus for her classes because she’s way more serious about school than we are. She’s studying to be a fashion designer, which has been her dream forever.”
He flashed me a sexy grin. “We’re two for two so far, so maybe we’ll luck out and Calliope will turn out to be the fated mate of one of my pack members, too. That’d solved everything because he’d move heaven and earth to make sure she has whatever she needs.”
Epilogue
Larissa
Kace growled in frustration when there was a knock on the door. He stopped nibbling on my neck at the spot where he’d marked me as his, causing a small mewl to escape my mouth. His eyes had already been smoldering with desire, but when he heard the sound, they flared into burning embers. “Don’t tempt me, baby. I’m a heartbeat away from ignoring my responsibilities, ripping off your clothes, and fucking you right here on the couch.”
I held my tongue since the only thing I wanted to say was, “Yes, please.”
He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s Tane, baby. He’s back from his trip, and he’s here to meet you and show his support over our mating. If we don’t talk to him now, we’ll have to do it later. And I have plans for you that require days of uninterrupted time.”
I felt my cheeks heat, even as a wide smile spread across my face. He held out his hand, and I immediately placed mine in his waiting palm. When he pulled me to my feet, he gently tucked me into his side and kissed my temple. He was so sweet. A word I was sure no one else in his pack would use to describe him. Over the past few weeks, I’d seen the beast inside him nearly unleashed to protect me, watched him deal with disputes among his pack, and had my world constantly rocked by his insatiable appetite for my body. Kace was a freaking badass. But with me, he was nothing but gentle and loving. And it was all for me. Only me. Which made me feel cherished and...loved. He hadn’t said it yet, but he constantly showed me.
Shifted Love: Volume 1 Page 11
