Wolfish: Mateborne

by G. K. DeRosa

  I shifted instantly, his blood still dripping down my chin and torso and my dragon wings snapped free. “Out of the way!” I shouted.

  Ransom, Viceroy and his wolves peeled away from the melee, and I inhaled a deep breath. Red-hot fury exploded in my core then burst through my mouth as a wave of dragonfire surged across the field. The wolves tried to run, but there was no end to my fury. They’d tried to kill my mate. My. Mate. And now they’d all be burned alive. I roared and let out another wave of flames, incinerating everything in its path.

  They ran like ants as I unleashed my fury, my pain… One eye on the destruction and the other on Sierra’s motionless form.

  When not a single wolf remained standing, I dropped to my knees and huddled beside her. Pulling her into my lap, I hugged her still form to my chest, gently rocking her and willing her to live. “Please, Sierra, stay with me. I can’t do this without you. I’m nothing without you,” I whispered into her ear. Her heartbeat was so weak, but still, I could feel its faint flutters against my chest. “Don’t give up, please. I never got to make you mine, I never got to tell you I loved you. This can’t be the end.”

  Ransom crept beside me, his scent making my nose twitch. “Get away from her,” I snarled.

  He didn’t move. “Is there anything I can do to help her?”

  “Does your blood heal?” I growled.

  He lowered his head. “You know only the alpha holds that ability.”

  “Then it’s a damned shame you’re not the alpha.”

  “I can try to get him here,” he continued.

  “It’ll be too late.” Her breaths were mere whispers squeezing between her lips. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Braxton. Somehow, he was still alive when my mate was clinging on by a claw. This was his fault. She never would’ve been out in the open like this if it weren’t for him. Anger pummeled with the pain, the warring emotions whipping through my broken insides. How could I deserve to be her mate if I couldn’t even protect her?

  Viceroy appeared on the other side of Ransom, his scent alerting me of his presence. I didn’t look up. I was scared to take my eyes off her for one second. Terrified that she’d be gone.

  Her blood soaked my chest, my legs. A warm pool of her essence had formed beneath me. It was too much. I squeezed her tight against me as shards of my cold heart shattered and broke away. “I’m so sorry, so sorry, Sierra. We wasted so much time. I was stupid and stubborn and should’ve let us be happy when we had the chance.” Hot tears pooled in my eyes and no matter how many times I blinked them back, a couple slid free.

  “There’s so much blood…” Ransom’s muttered words barely registered. “It’s always about blood with you supes.”

  Sierra’s familiar phrase tore my gaze up to meet Ransom’s dark eyes. “What?”

  “You haven’t completed the bond, right?”

  I shook my head, misery eviscerating my insides. Why hadn’t I? Gods, dammit.

  “But you’ve slept together?”

  My head whipped toward him, and a snarl broke free. “That’s none of your business.”

  “I’m just trying to save her, Hunter. If you’ve slept together but haven’t exchanged blood to cement the mate bond, you’ve initiated one step in the process. You might be able to bite her and close the link. It could save her life.”

  I arched a brow, my mind spinning. “You really think that would work?”

  He shrugged. “It’s worth a shot, right?”

  My gaze darted to Viceroy, whose brows were tightly knit. “What do you think?” I cracked my knuckles as fear paralyzed rational thought. What kind of an alpha was I if I couldn’t even make a decision to save my mate?

  “Ransom’s right, you’ve got nothing to lose. The mate bond is created by the goddess after all, perhaps that power will be enough to save her.”

  What if I hurt her? The ridiculous idea flitted across my addled mind. Steeling my nerves, I searched for strength from my wolf. He was the alpha, he was the strong one, only without his mate he was nothing.

  “Hold her close to you,” said Ransom. “To complete the connection.”

  I slowly nodded again, and the two males turned, giving me their backs.

  I set her down on the grass and lay beside her, our bodies flush. I pressed her tight against me so our flesh joined at multiple points. Brushing her hair back, I nuzzled her neck and imagined making love to her like I had the night before. My fangs lengthened, and I pierced her delicate skin. She tasted like strawberries. Mate. Mate. Mate.

  A faint sigh slid from her lips, and I froze. “Sierra?”

  Lowering my ear to her mouth, I prayed to all the gods. A faint whisper of air glided past the shell of my ear. I released a breath of relief and bit into my wrist. Holding the trickle of blood over her mouth, I watched as the crimson droplets filled her tongue.

  “Come on, Sierra, my love, please, drink.” I stroked her throat, coaxing the liquid down. I didn’t want to hope, didn’t want to believe it could work, because that shred of hope when dashed would destroy me.

  I’d put off exchanging blood with Sierra from the first day she arrived in Moon Valley, but would it be enough to save her now? As close as I held her, I wasn’t inside her, our bodies weren’t one. And yet, I’d felt like we were from the first day I saw her.

  My mother had told me stories of miraculous feats performed by mates, but this… This was beyond anything I’d heard of. She was so pale, so close to the icy brink.

  I wrapped my arms around her chilly torso, then my legs too. Enveloping her in my warmth, I prayed. Something I hadn’t done in years—not since my mother died, and I’d been convinced the gods didn’t care about mortals.

  Oh, Luna, please save her!

  Darkness crept into my vision, and I was certain the pain of losing Sierra had fractured my mind. I glanced up to see the sky blanketed in black. I blinked, and a full blood moon appeared, breaking through the inky shadows and illuminating my mate in a crimson glow.

  My heart staggered, then pounded, the beats accelerating. An invisible band stretched across my empty organ, tugging it toward my ribcage. A thin, glowing lavender thread shot out from my chest and buried itself into Sierra’s.

  My eyes widened in disbelief as I watched the mystical tether physically bind us together. For an instant my heart felt full, all the love and joy that filled Sierra’s poured into mine. I could feel it. Her love for me, for her family, for Cass… My heart swelled until I was certain it would explode.

  Through the roar of my own thundering pulse, a faint flicker stilled my breath. Sierra. Her heartbeats accelerated, the weak thumps picking up speed. Warmth surged through her body, and I held her a few inches away to witness the transformation. Her pallid cheeks rosied, and oxygen moved freely through her lungs as her chest began to rise and fall in an even rhythm.

  “Sierra?” I sat up and drew her into my lap, cradling her.

  Her head leaned against my shoulder, and her strong breaths tickled my neck. I watched in shock as her lids slowly fluttered.

  “Sierra, I’m right here,” I whispered, cupping her cheek. A flood of emotions barreled into my chest, a tangle of hers and mine, and for one incredible second, I was certain I loved her. I felt it.

  Her eyes opened, and a sob slid out through my teeth. “Oh, my gods, Sierra!” I pressed my lips to hers, savoring her sweet taste mingled with my blood. “You’re okay. You really came back to me.”

  “What the hell happened?” she rasped.

  Mate. Mate. Mate. The chant echoed in my mind, and Sierra’s hazy eyes met mine. Her lips twisted as her gaze became more focused. “You did it?” she murmured.

  “I did it.” A smile I didn’t think I’d ever be capable of again split my lips.

  “Guess that seer was wrong after all.”

  “It was the only way to save you.” I’d wrestled with the decision of making her my mate for long enough, and when her life was on the line, it wasn’t even a question.

  �
�But how?”

  I shook my head and stared up into the night sky, the crimson moon. It was barely midday. “It was a miracle, Sierra. I don’t know how, but I think the goddess does want us together.”

  She flung her arms around my neck as her lips crashed into mine. Our tongues entwined, the explosion of sensations like nothing I’d ever felt before. I immediately hardened, the need to take her barreling into me.

  Shit. I’m naked.

  Sierra’s warm laughter filled my chest with inconceivable joy. She cocked her head at me and laughed again. “You know I can hear everything you’re thinking now, right?” Her eyes dropped to my lap. “Not that I wouldn’t have been able to guess anyway…”

  I buried my nose in the crook of her neck and breathed her in, tugging her closer. She could never be close enough. “Then you better stop listening in, or you’re going to be horrified by how many times a day I think about making you mine.” On the bed. On the kitchen counter. On the university quad. In my father’s chambers. In the lounge of the arena.

  Her eyes widened, two beautiful violet orbs regarding me. “When did you get so naughty?”

  “When I thought I’d lost you forever.”

  “I told you that would never happen. I’m yours and you’re mine. Forever.” She kissed me again and for a few incredible moments, the world around us ceased to exist.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sierra

  * * *

  “How are you feeling, girl?” Cass handed me a small vial filled with a clear liquid I’d already grown to hate. The healing potion she’d concocted tasted like week-old garbage. I gagged just thinking about it.

  “Better,” I said as I forced myself to a sitting position. I’d spent all yesterday in bed, in and out of consciousness. Hunter had explained about the miraculous bonding, the freaky night sky and blood moon in the middle of the day, all of it. I couldn’t believe it, but I thanked Luna she’d intervened. Our mating had been blessed by the goddess herself.

  Cass’s brew packed quite a punch, and she and Hunter insisted I needed my rest. So I did. But today was a new day, and with only a few days left until the final round of trials, I couldn’t waste any more time laying around.

  “You still have to take it easy.” She gave me a look my mom would’ve greatly approved of. My bestie had been on full-on healer/mom mode since Hunter had dragged my bleeding body off that field.

  I still couldn’t believe I was alive after what they’d told me. Even Braxton had gotten all choked up when we’d spoken through the pack link. Terra had him hidden at Bea’s while he healed from his own wounds. I couldn’t say the same for the rogue wolf who’d stabbed me. As happy as I was that he was dead, it didn’t help us get any closer to finding out who’d hired him or his pals—all of whom had been burnt to a furry crisp by my mate.

  Mate. Mate. Mate. The chant still echoed through my skull every time I thought of Hunter. I couldn’t believe he’d finally completed the bond, and a tiny part of me was disappointed I’d missed it. I felt cheated somehow.

  “Are you thinking about Hunter?” Cass’s voice took on a singsong quality. “You always get that googly-eyed smile when you do.”

  “I just can’t believe that after everything, he’s finally mine.”

  She squeezed my hand and gave me a beaming smile. “You guys deserve some happiness after everything you’ve been through. I’m sure only good things are coming your way from now on!”

  I rolled my eyes; I just couldn’t help it. Hunter and I hadn’t had much time to discuss our new mated status, and I could feel his conflicting emotions rolling through our newly forged connection. He’d been put in an impossible position and had done the only thing he could at the time to save me, but I knew how adamant he’d been about breaking the curse first. I only hope he didn’t regret it.

  “What’s wrong?” Cass asked.

  “Did Hunter seem okay to you this morning when he left?”

  She shrugged. “Worried, tense, broody, so yup, pretty normal for him.”

  I jabbed my elbow into her side with another dramatic eyeroll. “I’m just worried he’s regretting completing the mate bond.”

  “Yeah right, and let you die instead? There’s no way he’d regret that.”

  I shook my head, trying to clear out the lingering cobwebs from Cass’s super potent potion. “I’m not saying that. I know he would’ve done whatever he could to save me, but, I don’t know. I’m just worried.”

  “Don’t be. Talk to him about it when he gets back from meeting with Tyrien.”

  Ugh. I couldn’t wait for the supreme alpha to be out of our lives for good. Hunter had gone to question him about my attack, which he’d denied of course. Hunter had been in contact through our mate link all morning, but I couldn’t wait to have him back here so we could talk in person.

  “Oh, and Ransom came by while you were sleeping earlier,” she said.

  I sat up straighter, my spine going rigid. “Seriously? How did you not lead with that?” He’d fought beside me at the clearing, protected me even. He’d been the one who’d suggested completing the bond to save me. I wasn’t sure what to make of him anymore.

  “Sorry, I forgot. I’ve been kind of preoccupied with getting you all healed up, ya know? Potions like these don’t just make themselves.”

  “I know, I know. Well, I really don’t, but you know what I mean. So what did he say?”

  “He said he wanted to see how you were doing and dropped off some flowers.” Her brow quirked, and she shot me a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Hunter they’re from him.”

  “Maybe he wants to be friends again.”

  “Or maybe he wants more?”

  “He was there, he saw the whole thing. He knows I’m mated to Hunter now.”

  She slapped her hands on her hips. “Sometimes the heart wants what it wants despite the brain telling it otherwise.”

  I chuckled. “When did you get so wise, Cass?”

  “Probably around the time you became an old, mated woman.”

  We both laughed, and it felt good. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d had a light-hearted, fun conversation.

  Hunter stomped in with a colorful bouquet of flowers clenched in his fist. “Who are these from?”

  Too bad it was about to take a turn for the worse.

  Golden flames flickered across his emerald irises as they seared into mine then moved to Cass. Fiery jealousy crashed through our new, superpowered mate link.

  “Me!” Cass blurted.

  I shot her a thankful smile then turned to my explosive mate. “It was Ransom. I guess he stopped by earlier while I was asleep.”

  “I see.” He narrowed his eyes and handed the flowers to Cass.

  “Sorry, just didn’t want you to burn down the place with that fiery dragon temper.” She smirked. “I’ll leave you guys to it.”

  Hunter marched toward me, the angry glare softening with each step. By the time he folded down beside me, the rage had simmered and a hint of desire swept through our link.

  I curled into his side, and my body hummed. Whatever I’d felt before had been amplified ten-fold. I could sense him before he entered a room, hear every thought that flitted across his mind, and detect any hint of emotion. My body actually ached when he wasn’t around. I’d heard that being apart from your mate could be physically painful, but I couldn’t believe how true it was.

  “How are you feeling?” His fingers danced down my arm, slowly teasing.

  “Better, but I’m guessing you already know that.”

  “Umhmm.” His lips slid into a smile. But despite his expression, I could feel his raging emotions just beneath the surface.

  “Anything else happen with Tyrien?”

  “No. He fed me the same garbage he always does.”

  “Did you tell him we’re mated?”

  “No,” he muttered. “It won’t be long until he figures it out though. He was distracted by some issues with the vampire queen
in Nocturnis. Plus, he didn’t want to discuss the attack any longer. He tried to shoo me out as soon as I arrived.”

  I chewed the inside of my cheek for a long minute of silence. “Do you regret tying us together?” I finally blurted.

  His head snapped back, eyes widening. “Of course not.” He sat up, drawing me up with him. “How could you think that?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve just been getting an onrush of conflicting emotions through the bond, and I can’t figure out what they’re from.”

  He loosed a breath, and his shoulders slumped forward. “I’m sorry. You’ve got enough to worry about, and I hate to burden you with my issues.”

  “Hey…” I cupped his cheek and turned his face to mine. “They’re our issues now. It all comes along with the mate’s thing, right?”

  His lips twisted. “It’s not that I regret saving you. I would never in a million years regret that. It’s just, in those last moments, you didn’t have a say. All I’ve ever wanted is to do right by you, and not relegate you to a life without love. You don’t deserve to be bound to a man who can’t give you that most basic need.”

  “But we’d already talked about this a million times, and you knew what I wanted. What I wanted from the start, curse or no curse.”

  He nodded. “I know. It was just so deeply ingrained in me…”

  I brushed my lips against his, cutting him off. He sighed against my mouth as his arms closed around me. “You’ll never know how much I love you, you stubborn, selfless man.”

  The ghost of a smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Actually, I think I do.” His expression darkened, and a rush of regret surged through the bond again.

  “What?”

  “When the mystical cord bound us, I felt everything. For a beautiful moment, your love rushed through my vacant heart, filling it with all of you, your hopes, your dreams, your love for me. And for that instant, I thought that maybe the curse was broken. That maybe I’d finally be able to love you.” His lips pressed into a thin line, and a fissure raced across my heart as his pain rushed the bond. “But then it was gone.”