by Ravenna Tate
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2016 Ravenna Tate
ISBN: 978-1-77339-087-1
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Thank you to everyone at Evernight for being so professional and fabulous! Stacey is an amazing woman, and I’m so glad she began this publishing company. Sandra is not only a wonderful marketing manager, but a terrific friend. Jay designs the most gorgeous covers I’ve ever seen. Time and again she’s perfectly captured the characters and vision for the story I had in mind. Karyn is an incredible editor. She helps me see things I never would have thought about in my stories, and makes them shine. Amy does a top-notch job of making sure our reviews are seen by others, and making sure we know about them as well. I am so grateful to be one of Evernight’s authors. Thank you, all of you.
THE ALPHA’S SECRET MATE
Blood Moon Lynx, 3
Ravenna Tate
Copyright © 2016
Prologue
One thousand years ago, in an unholy alliance, a male lynx shape shifter and a female vampire became lovers. Both knew their mating was forbidden, but their desire for each other was too great to ignore. Under a blood moon, they mated. The lynx bit the vampire woman, marking her as his mate. The vampire in turn bit the male lynx shifter, marking him as hers forever.
But then the lynx took a human female as a lover, betraying the vampire and pack law. When the vampire discovered his infidelity, she struck out against the two, but in the end couldn’t kill her lover. The human female and the lynx turned on the vampire. While she slept in her coffin during the day, they drove a stake through her heart. Unbeknownst to them, in doing so they turned the vampire’s mark of possession on the lynx into a powerful curse that affected his descendants for all eternity.
Despite centuries of mating with other female cat shifters, the male lynx shifters still have vampire blood in their DNA. Because of this, they possess powers that include being able to see minute details at great distances, and being able to travel with tremendous speed while in partial or full shifted form. Their powers are strongest during a blood moon. When they mate with a human, however, the offspring possess enhanced negative traits such as greed and contempt for the pack and its laws.
As the legend of the unholy alliance grew into a myth, fewer cats believed in it, thus exposing all the packs to dangers that still lurk today…
Chapter One
As he glanced around at the assembled Elders and Council members, representing his village and the one where his mate, Makenna, had been living until recently, Stone Rockwell kept the emotions in his mind fixed on anger.
This group of men was supposed to be their leaders, their advisors, and the voice of reason in each village. He stopped short of spitting on the ground in front of them only because if he did, his next words would lose all credibility.
“An alpha male, whether he be a lynx, jaguar, cougar, or leopard, brings the penalty of death down on his head if dares to touch another alpha’s mate.”
Most of the crowd gathered in the clearing, behind the Elders and Council members, shouted their agreement. Some residents from Makenna’s village who had shown up today shouted as well, but their words were filled with calls for vengeance. The two males Stone’s best friend, Arizona, had recently killed were leopards from Makenna’s village.
This uproar continued until Laredo Gage, one of the new Elders of Stone’s village, banged a mallet on the gong set up in place of the gavel and block of wood he used indoors. The sound reverberated through the woods, causing Stone to glance around for different reasons. They were totally exposed here. If the rest of the leopards from Makenna’s village decided to start a war, this was the perfect time and place to do it.
“If you cannot keep order in this assembly I will clear it!” Laredo had said the same thing two times earlier. Stone felt it was time to act on his threat because his words were meaningless if no one believed he’d make good on them.
Plus, they were outdoors, on neutral ground, standing in a clearing. None of them had authority over the space, so Laredo couldn’t actually clear it. All he could do was leave.
After Laredo gave him a nod, Stone continued.
“Even if that mate is human, like Gillian, Arizona’s mate. But especially if those males first killed two patrols in this village, before breaking into an alpha’s house with the intention of raping and killing his mate!”
The uproar was crazy now, and Stone could guess why. There were no witnesses to the killing of the two patrols, and the only witnesses to Gillian’s near-rape were people who lived in Stone’s village, not Makenna’s.
Arizona had arrived home in time to stop the men from carrying out their intentions, but he hadn’t paused to ask questions or gather proof before attacking. He’d found his mate almost naked, with two leopards on top of her, taunting her and laughing at her. Arizona had killed on instinct and out of rage. He hadn’t even been aware at the time that others had come into his house right behind him.
As if reading his mind, one of the leopards from Makenna’s village shouted, “There were no witnesses to whoever killed the patrols from your village!”
“The two dead patrols had the scents of the dead leopards on them.” Hidalgo, also a new Elder and a cougar, spoke softly, but his words cut through the noise and silenced the crowd. “That was verified by Seth Vale and Tommy Floyd, two Council members from your village.”
Hidalgo turned his gaze toward Stone. “Have you anything else to say to this assembly?”
“Yes.” Stone stood up straighter and squared his shoulders. Giving his mate a quick glance, he was struck not only by her beauty, but by the love and trust in her stunning golden eyes. They still had secrets between them, but Stone knew she would tell him when she was ready. He trusted her, too.
“What Hidalgo said is true, and all of you know that. The same two males who killed our patrols tried to rape Gillian. Their scents were on the dead patrols, in the room where the attack on Gillian took place, and on Gillian’s clothing they tore off her.”
Stone waited, expecting another uproar, but this time only a murmur rose from the bunch. What could they say in defense to that, after all?
“This also was verified by Tommy Floyd and Seth Vale. Tommy Floyd’s son, Ricky, is one of the males Arizona killed.”
Again, Stone waited, but he knew he had made his point. He addressed the rest of his remarks to the leopards from Makenna’s village, gathered together near the back of the crowd.
“If that man, who had just lost his son, and who is a Council member in your village, deemed his son and Josh Bowman both killed our two patrols and nearly raped Gillian, who are any of you to demand more proof than that? Are you saying you don’t trust your own people and their capacity to distinguish another male’s scent?”
“Easy, Stone. Keep your cool.” The comment came from Gavin, the new Chief Elder, but Stone doubted anyone else heard it. He gave Gavin a quick nod before turning his gaze once more toward his mate. She stood with Gillian, whom Stone felt still looked too pale, and Fiera. The three women were fas
t becoming best friends, just as Stone was best friends with Arizona and Canyon, Fiera’s mate.
If it hadn’t been for Canyon and Arizona seeking him and Makenna out while they’d been hiding from the people in her village, he and his mate might both be dead by now. Stone owed his friends a debt he could never repay.
This time, it was Gavin who stepped up to address the crowd. “I think we’ve heard enough. Our decision stands. The males who killed our patrols and nearly raped another alpha’s mate are dead, but there will be no punishment for their deaths. Arizona Collins was within his rights as an alpha male to kill the men he found had violated his mate. The punishment for that always has been, and will remain, death.”
Gavin struck the gong with a mallet, and the sound gave Stone shivers. “This matter is concluded. Those of you who live in the leopard village are advised not to pursue this further. Your Council and your Elders have already spoken with us, and have agreed that the matter has taken care of itself. It’s time for everyone to return to their homes and let the dead bury the dead.”
As Stone made his way toward his mate, he caught sight of Arizona running from his place behind the Elders and the Council members toward Gillian. Watching him cup her face before kissing her tenderly sent a wave of guilt rushing through Stone. Gillian was pregnant, although the leopards had done no harm to her unborn child. Thank the stars for that. But Stone blamed himself for having put Gillian in the path of danger to begin with.
If he and Makenna hadn’t hidden like cowards, and if he hadn’t pulled away from his two best friends in the first place, those two friends and their mates never would have gone to Makenna’s village looking for him. The two leopards, in turn, wouldn’t have come to Arizona’s home, looking for Gillian, because they never would have seen her and harassed her while she was in their village.
Makenna ran toward him as soon as she spotted him. Stone could do nothing but stand there, rooted to the spot with his arms opened wide. This woman was more than he’d ever dreamed possible. He loved her with a fierceness he barely knew had existed before meeting her. Even after watching Canyon and Arizona find their mates, Stone hadn’t been close to prepared for what it had felt like to look into Makenna’s eyes the first time.
“I am so proud of you.” She put her arms around him and snuggled up next to his body. No surprise to Stone that his cock grew rock hard in seconds. He inhaled her scent and closed his eyes, letting everyone and everything around them fade away so he could hold her without outside interference for a few precious seconds.
It didn’t last long enough. Arizona was next to him, clapping him on the back. Canyon practically pushed his way into the embrace between him and Makenna to give him a quick hug. Very uncharacteristic of Canyon, which told Stone how afraid his friends had been that this meeting wouldn’t turn out well.
“You were amazing,” said Fiera.
“So well-spoken,” said Arizona, clapping him again on the back.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, my friend.” Canyon shook his hand now, his grip warm and dry.
“Thank you so much, Stone.” Gillian’s quiet voice was the one he heard through the din. “For everything you said today, and for everything you’ve done since that horrible day.”
Arizona put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “I second that,” he said quietly.
“I only said the truth, but you’re welcome. Both of you.” His gaze drifted toward Gillian’s still-flat abdomen. She couldn’t be that far along. She and Arizona hadn’t mated until two months ago. He couldn’t even put into words how grateful he was that those two pigs had not harmed her child.
As if sensing his thoughts, Gillian covered her lower abdomen in a protective gesture. “I’m fine. Really.”
Arizona had told him and Canyon that Gillian was becoming more like a shifter female every day, starting with being able to discern their thoughts with a glance. Stone wasn’t sure whether that was simply because of her training as an attorney, or because she spent all her time with shifters now. Either way, the look of gratitude on her face and the words from her and Arizona still couldn’t erase the guilt he felt.
“I know you are. With this guy to take care of you, how could you be anything less than fine?”
Arizona loved his mate fiercely. He’d stood up to everyone, from the three former Elders who had let things in this village run crazy for too long, to the members of Makenna’s village who had given him, Gillian, Canyon, and Fiera a hard time the day they’d come looking for him. Arizona, like his mate, didn’t take shit from anyone.
“Let’s get out of here,” said Makenna, giving the crowd from her village a wary glance. “I don’t like the vibe.”
“Surely they won’t do anything now,” said Fiera. “They have all the proof they need that the deaths of those two males were more than justified.”
“You haven’t lived with this bunch.” Makenna’s features took on the resigned yet terrified look Stone had seen far too often lately. “They have their own ideas about justice and revenge.”
He took a cue from Arizona and pulled his mate closer. “Don’t you worry. Whatever they try, they won’t get far.”
As the six made their way into the woods and toward their village, Stone wished he believed his own words. His friends hadn’t seen the fear that had paralyzed Makenna when he’d first found her. They hadn’t listened all these weeks to her stories of life in that village, or how things had really escalated after the female Medinas had fled this village for hers.
Stone wished he could make everyone understand that this threat was far from over. They could gather all the volunteers to patrol the borders that they wanted, but if the leopards decided this would be war, war was exactly what it would come to.
He only prayed he’d find a way to keep his mate, and his friends, safe through it.
Chapter Two
Makenna curled up next to Stone in bed later that night. They were still using a room in the bustling Benedict home, which afforded them next to no privacy. But it was better than hiding in a cabin in the woods with no one around to help them if something happened. She could tell by his breathing that he was still awake.
“Would you like to talk?”
“Had a feeling you weren’t asleep yet, either.”
There had to be a neutral subject they could discuss. She didn’t want to talk about the meeting today anymore than he likely did. “The house is coming along nicely.”
Every day, he had been working alongside Arizona, Canyon, and every male whose help they could enlist, to build two new homes on the Benedict property. One for them, and the other for Gillian and Arizona.
Gillian hadn’t been able to spend one more night in her new home after Arizona had killed those two leopards in the bedroom she’d shared with Arizona. Makenna didn’t blame her at all. She was certain she’d have come out of an experience like that in far worse shape than Gillian had.
“The progress is too slow,” he said. “It will be winter before we finish them both.”
“We’re safe here. We’ll just have to be patient until then.”
Stone rolled over on top of her, forcing a soft moan from Makenna. She hadn’t thought it possible to love him more than she already did, but after hearing him speak today, her heart had nearly burst with joy and pride.
“I know we will, my love. But I want our own place, where we can stay naked, and fuck, and scream if we want to, all day long…” He kissed the wound on her neck where he’d bitten her the first time they’d made love, marking her forever as his mate.
“All night long…” Now he licked it, and Makenna moaned loudly, pushing her hips into his. “I will never tire of making love to you, Makenna. Never. As long as I live.”
“Nor will I ever tire of you, my mate.” She kissed his chest, which was the only part of him she could reach right now. “My one true love.”
When he cupped her face, she sighed at the look of pure lust in those beautiful dark eye
s. She’d never seen a man so perfect in face or form. He was truly gorgeous, and she could scarcely believe he loved her and had chosen her. He could have walked away that night. He could have ignored the call between them. It would have been easy for him to do. She came with complications and secrets he still had no clue existed.
“How did I get so lucky?” he asked.
“I’m the lucky one. If I hadn’t been spying on that group sneaking around your village with a can of blood and a paintbrush, we might never have met.”
His chuckle made her smile. “This is so romantic, isn’t it?” He kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. “Talking about a group of crazies who go around painting Latin slogans in blood on doorways.”
“The group I caught doing that weren’t in this merely for vandalism. The two leopards who killed the patrols and nearly succeeded in raping Gillian are part of that same group.” Didn’t he realize that yet? So much for not discussing horrible things in bed tonight.
He sat up abruptly, bringing her with him. “I know they are. I’m sorry. Makenna, I can’t change what they did. I can’t go back and change our decision to keep our mating from Canyon and Arizona, or our decision to hide in the Benedicts’ cabin. I wish I could. If I had, what happened to Gillian wouldn’t have happened, and those two young men who were serving as patrols would be—”
“No.” She cut him off. “No, don’t say that. It isn’t true.” Makenna placed her hands on either side of his face, loving the texture of his skin, as she always did. “You did not cause this. We did not cause this.”
“How can you say that? If Canyon and Arizona hadn’t brought their mates to your village, Josh and Ricky would never have seen Gillian.”