by Ravenna Tate
“In that case,” said Canyon, “we’d love to.”
“I learned how to cook out of necessity,” said Gillian, as she and Fiera got to work on the sauce. “My aunt often went away for several days at a time with one of her boyfriends. She’d leave me more than enough food for as long as she planned to be gone, and a list of instructions like don’t forget to get the mail, lock the door, et cetera. I got bored so I tried new recipes all the time.”
“As much as I hate that you had to grow up that way,” said Arizona, giving her a hug from behind, “I’m glad you love to cook so much. But I need to be careful. I’ll get fat.”
“I doubt that.” She snorted. “All this sex will keep you fit.” As soon as she said it, he felt her stiffen. Even before Fiera and Canyon started to laugh, Gillian turned in his arms and gave him a mortified look. “I am so sorry. That just slipped out. I wasn’t even thinking. God, I have no filters at all.”
His cock was rock hard now so he simply hugged her again. “Hey, don’t apologize. That comment makes me look like the alpha I am in front of my friends.”
“Yeah,” said Canyon. “If you two weren’t having plenty of sex we’d think something was wrong.”
“Nothing wrong here,” Arizona. “Except that now I’m starving with all this talk about sauce and pasta.”
As Gillian returned to the sauce, Arizona found a reason to move to the other side of the room for a few moments until his raging hard-on could subside a bit.
“Let’s change the subject,” said Gillian. “How is Stone? Any better?”
That helped, and she probably didn’t even realize how much. His dick deflated like it was a balloon and someone had stuck a pin in it. He’d never told Gillian about shifting to run in the woods that day after talking to Stone, so he did now. “I was so damn upset I couldn’t see straight. Running like that, in my lynx formed, helped focus my thoughts.”
“I wish I could have seen that.”
“What? Me being that upset?”
“No, silly. You in full shifted form.”
It hadn’t occurred to Arizona before now that she’d want to. “I’ll make sure you do later.”
“Okay. Thanks. So, nothing new about Stone?”
****
While they ate, the four talked about Stone, but all they came up with was speculation on what could be bothering him. None of it made any sense to Gillian, and it was easy to see it make even less sense to Arizona, Canyon, or Fiera. If they didn’t know what was going on, it must be bad. She knew that Arizona, Canyon, and Stone had been best friends all their lives.
After Fiera and Canyon went home, Gillian cleaned up and asked again if she could see Arizona in his lynx form. She imagined he must be tired talking about Stone, and hoped asking him to shift for her would be a welcome distraction.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yes.” Her heart raced. Was she really? She had no clue what to expect. “Does it hurt when you do it?” Had she asked him that once? She couldn’t recall.
“No. Not at all.”
“What does it feel like? Can you describe it?”
The look he gave her was so tender, Gillian relaxed considerably. “I wish I could. It’s like sliding sideways without moving. Does that help at all?”
“Yes, a little. Can you talk in lynx form?”
“No, but I can understand human speech and respond to it with movements and facial expressions if I want to.”
“But you won’t…” Did she even want to ask this? “You won’t have an urge to hurt me or anything like that, will you?”
Arizona pulled her into a tight embrace. “No. Not at all. If anything, my protective instincts are enhanced in my animal form. You have nothing to fear from me. I still know who everyone is. My thought processes are the same as they are in this form.”
“Which one is your true form? The man or the lynx?”
“Both are. Think of it like this, Gillian. Your brilliant mind is as much a part of your personality as your wit and your independence. Taken separately, those are merely qualities that some people possess. But put them together with everything else that makes up you … your blonde curls, those big blue eyes, and the way your nose crinkles slightly when you’re deep in thought, and it’s still you. The intelligent woman inside you is as much you as the sexy goddess I can’t get enough of.”
“All right.” Gillian wasn’t sure that was an accurate comparison to being part human, part shape shifter, but clearly he was trying his hardest to help her understand this. “I think I get it now. Let’s see the full lynx that is part of you.”
After glancing around, he motioned her with one finger. “Let’s go outside. I don’t want to accidentally knock over a lamp or something.”
“Do you get that large?”
“No, but I do get that clumsy inside a structure. It’s the tail.”
They went into the back yard, where Gillian’s eyes were immediately drawn to the blood still visible on the door of the shed. The rain had stopped, but the grass remained soaking wet. Arizona stroked her arm gently. “Ignore it. Tomorrow I’ll put a new door on the shed and burn that one.”
“Okay.”
“Now step back a bit so I don’t freak you out.” She stepped away from him by at least a foot. “You ready?”
“Yes.”
At first, it wasn’t any different than the subtle changes she’d seen every time they made love, but then as if someone flipped a switch, he was a lynx. And not merely a lynx like she’d expect to see in a zoo. Much larger, with dark, intelligent eyes that held human emotions. It was both terrifying and erotic at the same time. “Oh my God. Arizona … it’s … you’re so beautiful.”
As he nodded, she swore a smile graced his mouth. He shook his head slightly as if enjoying the soft breeze that ruffled his fur. While Gillian watched, her heart pounding, he moved slowly toward her. She wondered if he was being this careful so as not to frighten her.
Once he stood next to her, it was with the middle of his body against her arms. He nudged her, but Gillian didn’t understand. “What do you want me to do? Pet you?”
The fur was softer than she’d expected, but she’d never petted a real lynx so for all she knew this was how they all felt. The texture reminded her of his hair. He shook his head and got down on all fours, nudging her again.
“Do you want me to climb on?” Surely not. But he nodded several times, so apparently she’d guessed right. “Are you sure I won’t hurt you?”
Another nod. He would know better than she would. Gillian felt really weird climbing onto her husband’s back like this. Had Fiera ever done this to Canyon? What would her friends from school think of this if they could see her right now?
Arizona glanced over what would be his shoulder if he were upright in human form, and nodded several times, his gaze shifting down to his body. “Are you asking me to hang on?”
His nod told her she’d guessed right again. She barely got her hands wrapped in the thick fur at the nape of his neck before he was moving. She laughed out loud, still a bit afraid but knowing she could trust him. “This is so weird, but I like it.”
With every few steps, he increased his speed until he was running. Gillian had never ridden a horse, and wondered if it felt similar. His paws made a soft slapping noise each time they connected with the wet loam on the forest floor. The sunlight was beginning to fade, but she knew he could see in near darkness so she wasn’t worried about that.
Gillian closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the forest around her, mixed with Arizona’s unique smell, which was slightly different in his cat form. It was exhilarating hanging onto him like this, allowing him to run with her on his back. How would she ever adequately describe this to anyone? She’d never imagined anything like this in her entire life, and was so glad she’d asked to see him in this form.
He stopped so suddenly she almost fell off. A low sound escaped his throat, not quite a growl, but a warning just the sa
me. Gillian held her breath and glanced around, wondering what had him so alarmed. She couldn’t see further than a few dozen feet in front of her.
Finally, her gaze focused on a pair of figures in the woods ahead, but it took her a while to realize one of them was Stone. And whoever the other person was, he was kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
Chapter Fourteen
Arizona knew he had only seconds to get him and Gillian out of there before Stone detected his presence. The female might as well, because in this form, he caught the scent from her. She was a leopard shifter with human blood.
Just like Nanette…
But there was no time to dwell on that. He let out a soft warning sound he prayed Gillian would correctly interpret. If she spoke, or made any sound at all above a whisper, Stone would hear it, even in human form.
It was agonizing for Arizona to back up this slowly. Every time his paws brushed over a twig he tensed, certain that Stone would hear it. But he was fairly occupied with the female. Who in the hell was she? Arizona didn’t recognize her features.
The horrible thought that she was one of the Medina females who had fled wouldn’t stop jangling around in his head, but he had to concentrate on getting out of there undetected. Then he could give over to his anger and confusion.
As he turned around and began to run, he prayed Gillian knew enough to hang on tightly. He didn’t stop until they were on their front porch. Once she climbed off, he shifted to human form and took her hand, leading her inside the house. He flopped down on the sofa, still breathing hard from the speed at which he’d been running.
“Who was that?” she asked, sitting next to him.
“I don’t know.”
“I thought all of you didn’t kiss anyone but … I mean … is that his mate? Why didn’t he tell you or Canyon?”
Arizona pulled her close and held her tightly. She already understood more about their ways than he would have thought possible in such a short time. “You’re right. If she’s not his mate, he shouldn’t have been kissing her like that.”
“I thought they were going to have sex right there on the ground any second.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
“Arizona, who is she?”
“I really don’t know. She’s a leopard shifter with human blood, though.”
Gillian pulled out of his embrace so quickly that the top of her head collided with his chin, but he barely felt it. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, love.”
“How do you know?”
“I could detect her scent.”
“But, Nanette was one of them. Are any of the other Medina females part human?”
Arizona frowned, thinking hard. “No.” Nanette had been an only child, and as far as they all knew, her family was gone. “Not unless Nanette has family living we don’t know about.”
They locked gazes for long moments. Gillian shook her head. “No. I can’t believe that. He would never betray all of you like that.”
Arizona brushed a finger along her face. “Sweetheart, if she’s his mate, it’s not a betrayal.”
“Yeah. Okay. I get that. But why didn’t he say something? No wonder he’s been acting so evasive. He has to tell you both. He can’t hide in the woods with her forever.”
“He can do anything he wants. He can leave the village and live somewhere else with her if he wants to.”
“Why would he keep this from his two best friends? It makes no sense.”
She’d just hit the nail on the head. It made no sense at all. When Canyon had taken Fiera to his family’s secret cabin so they could be mated without Hawke’s interference, Canyon had told him and Stone so they could stay with Fiera’s father overnight. When Arizona had met Gillian and knew she was his mate, Canyon and Stone were the first two people he’d told. Why was Stone hiding this? What was it about this woman he didn’t want them to discover?
“Do you think she’s a Medina?”
“I’m not sure. All I do know is I’m having trouble understanding why he’d keep her a secret, even if she is one of them.”
“My thoughts exactly. Are you going to tell Canyon?”
“No. Maybe.” Arizona ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. I don’t know.”
“You feel as if it’s not your place to say anything, don’t you?”
“A little. On the other hand, if the tables were turned and I had been the one acting weird and even hostile, and if one of them had seen you and me together, I’d fully expect them to tell the other.”
“Sleep on it first. The answer might be clearer in the morning.”
“And we have a mating ceremony to get ready for in less than two days.”
“Yes, we do. Wait until that’s done at least. Canyon will understand why you said nothing until afterward, won’t he?”
Arizona pulled his mate close again, inhaling her sweet scent. “Yes. He will understand.” He only hoped Stone would understand when Arizona and Canyon confronted him, demanding to know why he hadn’t told them he’d found his mate.
****
The ceremony took place just after dawn. Gillian couldn’t help noticing that while Stone was there, he stood by himself on the fringes of the group and barely made eye contact. At one point, Canyon walked over to him, and although Gillian couldn’t hear what the two said, it was clear Stone didn’t want to talk to his friend. Her heart broke for Canyon and Arizona. Gillian had never had many close friends, so she could only imagine what it felt like to be shut out by one of them.
Fiera had helped her don a knee length fawn-colored dress. It was handmade and adorned with embroidered designs that were as ancient as their culture. Gillian, Fiera, and Leah had worked on it for the past two weeks, and Fiera told Gillian the one she had worn was very similar. She was bare-footed, as was also traditional. Arizona would be, too.
When he walked out of the house and strode toward the platform that had been constructed in their front yard, Gillian’s pussy grew wet at the sight of him. He wore a traditional dark brown tunic and pants, and she’d been told that the males all wore them. But the clothing couldn’t hide his muscles, and she’d never seen him look sexier.
There was loud cheering when he took his place next to her. She smiled up at him, unsure whether even that much was appropriate, but when he captured her mouth in a smoking hot kiss, she realized how informal this entire shindig must be, and that helped her relax a bit.
When he released the kiss, he leaned close, his breath hot against her skin. “Thank you for this, Gillian. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” All she wanted to do at that moment was get this over with so they could be alone again, but this was an all-day party. She’d have a long wait.
They walked toward the three Elders who waited at one of end of the platform. Avery, plus two men she didn’t know were dressed in traditional robes. Gillian’s mind drifted toward the petition she, Arizona, Canyon, and Fiera would present to the Council in a couple of days, and she couldn’t help wondering whether Avery would be surprised by it, or if he already knew his days at the top of the heap were nearly over.
The ceremony was much shorter than she’d been anticipating. The Elders read passages from an old leather-bound book with parchment that looked so thin, Gillian expected the pages to crumble and fly away each time they were turned.
Hers and Arizona’s roles were to repeat what the Elders told them to. Once that concluded, they faced each other and Arizona slipped the ring on her finger while they repeated more words. It was a simple band, but what mattered most was the symbolism behind it. Gillian recalled saying how she needed to check out whether this was official outside their village, but right now that didn’t seem as important as it once had.
All that mattered was that inside this village, and in front of these people, it was real. She was Arizona’s true mate, and she now had a very pretty silver ring on her finger to prove it. She not only bore his mark on her neck, but now this entire village knew he’d c
hosen her, a human, to be with for the rest of his life.
The ceremony concluded to more cheers while Arizona kissed her again. They were mated. She belonged to him in every possible way now. Nothing had ever made Gillian this happy, and she knew that nothing could ever top this.
****
Much later that day, once all the villagers had left, Gillian glanced around at the mess in their front yard and sighed. “We’d better start cleaning up if we want to get any—”
Arizona cut her off by smashing his lips against hers and shoving his tongue into her mouth. Her pussy grew wet within seconds as he grasped her hair and ran his hands through it. She moaned into his open mouth, pushing her body closer to his. When he finally released the kiss, all thoughts of the mess in their front yard were gone. He gazed into her eyes, cupping her face. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” Her voice came out all breathy and smoky, but how could she help that? This man had the power to reduce her to putty with his eyes.
“We’ll clean up,” said Fiera. “You two go inside and have fun.”
“No…”
“Yes. That’s a great idea.” Arizona pulled her close again. “Good thing our bedroom is at the back of the house.”
Along with Fiera, Canyon’s entire family laughed, including his younger sisters. Gillian would never get used to how open the Benedicts were about sex.
“We don’t mind at all,” said Leah. “We’ll have this straightened up in no time. You shouldn’t have to clean up after your own mating party.”
“See there?” asked Arizona. “This is our way, woman. Get used to it.”
With barely an effort, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the house, kicking the front door closed behind him with one foot. It slammed shut so hard the frame shook. Arizona’s strength excited her as much as his body and his mind did. The fact that he didn’t need to boast about it or draw attention to it made him even sexier.
Once they were in their room, he placed her on her feet and kissed her again. She forgot about their friends in the front yard and tore at his clothes, but he moved away with that grin on his face that drove her insane with need. “Slow down, my love. We have all night.”