Arden's Mate (Armageddon Mates Book 4)

by Hazel Gower

  The general didn’t seem scared. He just stared at her with a blank expression. Then a gleam came into his eyes, and it was fucking scary. Ice ran down her back. She let go of Arden. Right now she didn’t care what he did to the crazy man before her.

  Rane stopped Arden by stepping in front of him and grabbing him. “Don’t. He isn’t worth it.”

  “Listen to your brother, Sergeant Arden,” the general said.

  Arden growled.

  The general grinned. “Down, boy.”

  Oh no, he didn’t? He’d gone and pissed her off beyond belief. How dare he speak to her Arden like that? Only she got to do things like that.

  Stepping to the side, she focused on her body, heating it up, and walked to the general. “It wasn’t nice to meet you. I hope I never have the displeasure of it again. If I need to give information about what happened in a fight I want you to be the last person I ever see. So goodbye.” She held her hand out. She told herself she shouldn’t do it, that it was nasty and cruel, but when he winked at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her in and hugging her, she knew the prick deserved it. The bastard was riling up Arden.

  Remy concentrated hard on not heating up enough to melt her clothes away. She didn’t want the general to see anything he shouldn’t. She winced and guilt assaulted her as General Beal yelped and jumped away from her.

  “It’s true. You’re truly amazing. We could really use you…your skills.”

  Wow, the pain didn’t even affect his evil mind.

  Okay, guilt gone. Holy shit, the more he talked the more she wanted to hurt him. Rane, Sebastian, and a chuckling Jamie, who was trying to cover his laughter with coughing, stared at her.

  “If you don’t leave now, I swear the next burn will be to burn body parts off.” She reached her hand down and he step away, clearing his throat.

  “The council will be hearing about everything that has happened today.” He straightened his uniform. “I will be telling them all. I have spoken to the recruits, and I do not think your teachings are the best.”

  Rane huffed. “If the men can’t defeat us then they have no chance against demons.” Rane winked at her. “Arden would gladly demonstrate with you. If you can defeat him without guns in his half-change mode then we’ll stop training them using that method. I’ll even give you two human military men to help you.”

  The general’s eyes gleamed. He looked down at Arden then back at her and around them. “If I win, I want Ms. Remy Morris to come and do a demonstration for me.”

  “Listen, buster, I’m not part of the deal. I don’t belong to anyone.”

  Arden changed back to human form. “Wolfen. Her name is Remy Wolfen, and she is mine.”

  General Beal’s eyebrows rose. “The information I have on her doesn’t state she’s married to one of you.”

  “Why on earth do you have information on me?”

  General Beal didn’t answer, which probably had something to do with Arden’s hands wrapped around his throat. “New deal,” Arden snarled. “I let you live and you decide you want to retire early…like today.”

  The general now struggled as he saw no one was going to help him and Arden was just crazy enough to kill him. Remy may want to hurt the guy but she didn’t want him dead, and she definitely didn’t want Arden in trouble.

  Going to Arden, she gently touched his shoulder. “Arden, um…babe, let him go.”

  Arden instantly dropped the general and turned to her with a massive shit-eating grin on his face. “Pixie, you just called me babe.”

  Crap. “Argh…no, I didn’t.”

  “Ah, yeah, you did.” Jamie laughed.

  “Shut up, Jamie. Stay out of this.” Remy had almost forgotten Jamie was there, but before she could say anything else Arden gathered her up and placed her over his shoulder and walked away. She held herself up and looked around, but that didn’t last, because her stomach muscles protested. “Arden, put me down.” The boofhead slapped her arse. “Oh no, you did not just do that?” He slapped her arse again. “Arden Wolfen, if you don’t stop and put me the hell down, I swear—”

  “You swear you’ll call me babe again?”

  “Grrr, I hate you right now.”

  He walked out of the military base, and Remy didn’t try anymore to get down. “No, you don’t. I’m your man, your babe.”

  “Idiot, I should have called you that, or overbearing caveman.”

  He let go of her with one hand and then she felt herself flip back as he gently placed her feet on the ground before he moved her into the passenger seat of his car and shut the door. He went around, got in the driver’s side, and drove toward home.

  “You’re the most frustrating man in the world. What the hell happened back there? You went from killing a man to forgetting he even existed.”

  He shrugged, and she let out a frustrated scream.

  “I swear to God, Arden. If you shrug one more time instead of answering my questions I’ll…I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be good or nice.”

  Arden started laughing—the dipshit actually laughed.

  “You have got to be kidding me. Have you lost your frigging marbles?”

  “No. You, my little pixie, like me.”

  “I have to like you, you’re my mate.” Of course she did, she loved the man. Shit, how the hell did he do that to her? It took Faith and Sara years to get to her. How on earth did Arden do it so quickly?

  “Yeah, no you don’t. You like, like me.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared at the man she loved—black hair now cut short and spiked, a day’s growth on his face, a barbed tattoo on his arm, and a gorgeous, muscular body that had the evening sun glistening off it. Wow, he was amazing and so...so yummy.

  “Thank fuck we are going home. Your smell is intoxicating. I love it when you get turned on.”

  Groaning, she crossed her legs and closed her eyes. Damn man. Damn shifter senses.

  Fingers slid under her shirt and trailed up.

  Opening her eyes, she grasped his hand. “No way, buddy. We’re going to talk about what happened. That general was scary, and why did he have a file on me?”

  “He will be taken care of.”

  “What! No. You guys can’t kill him.”

  Arden parked the car in front of their house...crap he had her calling it theirs. She narrowed her eyes on him, daring him to shrug.

  “We won’t kill him, but the saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’ is true for General Beal.” Arden took the key out of the ignition and opened his door, getting out, and she followed. He came to her and wrapped her in his embrace. “We keep him close because it’s easier to keep our eyes on him. He has basic files on all the people around us. They are basic, nothing we don’t want him to know. I hate the fact he has them at all, but we have to let him think he has some leeway.”

  His mouth captured hers in a kiss that took her by surprise. It was full of passion and eagerness. His lips left her and she stared up at him, panting.

  Arden stroked her face. “You called me babe. That was a big step for you. You’re so hot.”

  “I’m not trying to be now.”

  He smiled. “You are that kind of hot too, but you’re beautiful and every step you take toward me has me stepping back from the brink.”

  His mouth fused to hers again as they stumbled toward the door. Arden’s hand left her waist and fumbled with the door. Opening it, he pushed them through it then used his leg to shut it. Arden let her go and yanked her clothes off. Remy helped, and when she stood naked she tugged and pulled to get his off.

  “You’re so prefect,” Arden said. “I got lucky getting you for a mate.”

  “Oohh, you say the sweetest things,” she groaned.

  He gathered her back to him and took her mouth again. Arden’s hands came to rest on her back before sliding down and gripping her ass in his palms. He squeezed her globes as his mouth took everything she could give until she pulled away, gasp
ing for breath. Arden didn’t stop. His lips trailed down, nibbling on her neck. He pulled her closer against his hard body, grinding against her.

  Remy couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Her body was burning up, and not in the way that set other things on fire. She felt the all-consuming passion she got anytime she was with Arden. The man she loved. Her body tingled in anticipation of what was to come. Arden’s touch had her aching with need.

  He picked her up, walked down to their room, and placed her on the bed. Remy stared up at his perfect form and smiled at him as he hovered over her, his legs on either side of her. Arden gathered her hands, holding her wrists up above her as he caged her in. Before she even had a chance to think about the new position, he nuzzled her neck and began to suck and give her gentle, tantalizing nips.

  Arden glided his hands from her wrists and down her arms and across her body to cup her breasts, pushing them up like an offering. His lips left the crest of her neck and he eased back, staring at the offering.

  “I love your breasts. They’re so full, round and perfect for my palms. You are perfect, and made just for me.” He leaned down and licked one of her puckered nipples, doing the same to the other before sucking the tip into his warm mouth.

  A shot of ecstasy slammed straight to her pussy. Arden’s fingers massaged and caressed her breasts as he pulled on her sensitive nipples, swapping to make sure he didn’t give one more attention than the other.

  Remy’s whole body filled with overwhelming pleasure. She needed to come and let it out. He looked so damn sexy with his smoldering eyes gleaming as he gave her immense ecstasy. She gripped the sheets as he gently tugged on her nipple before doing the same to the other. Holy shit, he knew all the moves to make her need rise higher and higher.

  Arden kissed his way down her body, and she arched into his touch, searching for more. Remy groaned and let the sheets go as his tongue swiped over her pussy, tickling her clit.

  “That feels so good.”

  “Mmm. You taste good.” The vibrating of his words had her so close to the edge. She felt his canine teeth lengthen, and she screamed, reaching down to grip the hair on his head as his teeth scraped over her, sending shards of bliss through her.

  Arden laved at her sensitive flesh, and she gripped his hair tighter, holding him to her pleasure spot, eager for release. He growled, which only sent more shots through her at the vibration. She let her head fall back as he sucked her clit in then released it, flicking it with his tongue. Her body exploded, and her hands fell from his hair to grip the sheets again.

  Basking in her orgasm, she didn’t care when Arden stopped and moved up her body so he hovered over her. He gently brushed some of her hair off her face. “Remy, I want you to know that I would do anything for you. I will protect you and love you until my dying breath.” He lined his cock up to her entrance and push home. She opened her mouth to say it back but moaned as his cock sank deeper into her.

  Remy wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him down to her, loving the skin to skin contact. She would show him she loved him. His mouth took hers, devouring it and bringing her body roaring back up again. Arden eased out of her and gave a powerful thrust back into her core. She groaned as his cock stretched her and sank deep. Her body quivered, eager for more, anything he was willing to give.

  Taking deep breaths in to help pace herself, she closed her eyes so she couldn’t see Arden as his face drew tight with his lust and need. It just made it worse and had her concentrating on the things his touch did to her body, the building all-consuming ecstasy that was again slowly rising. Opening her eyes, she sighed as she gazed into light chocolate brown eyes filled with passion and love.

  Arden’s pace was slow at first until she couldn’t take the easy, tormenting thrusts that were keeping her release just out of reach. Remy needed him to move faster and harder, or she’d yell at him to do something to help her. Moving her hands down his back, she squeezed his arse as it flexed and moved herself up to meet his motion. He rested on his elbows and grunted as she helped speed things up.

  He brushed hair from her face. “Tell me how you want it.” He placed feather-light kisses over her lips. “I’m so sorry I mated you without asking.”

  Mmm, she loved this man so much. He was always so good to her. “I love you, Arden. And I’m grateful you mated me.”

  Arden howled, and this time when he kissed her he didn’t take, he gave, and she almost came with its intensity. He pumped his cock into her harder and faster, giving her what she craved. His tongue explored the cavern of her mouth, and she returned the favor before they came together again to make love to each other in a tangled twist.

  They broke apart, both panting for breath and eager for more. Arden’s head came down and rested in the crook of her neck before he nibbled on her mate mark, sending shards of ecstasy straight to her pussy. Arden drove into her with a speed that made her mad with need. He built up her lust to a fevered pitch.

  Remy gripped his tight arse as he flexed and released. Arden had a great arse, an awesome arse. He eased away so their bodies didn’t touch, and he balanced on one hand as the other found her clit and pressed down, rubbing circles around her sensitive nub. The onslaught of his cock and the rubbing of her clit was all she needed to implode. Digging her nails into his toned arse, she screamed her release as wave after wave of euphoria washed over her and she shattered into a million blissed-out pieces. Remy felt like her whole body and mind had turned to mush.

  Arden came soon after, howling her name. She moaned as his lock came out and her already heightened pussy spasmed again. Arden laid on her and Remy moved her hands up to rest on his back where she lovingly stroked him. Arden rolled them to the side.

  Remy didn’t know how long they lay there, all she knew was she didn’t want to move as she basked in the love and happiness of knowing Arden loved her. That was what he said, wasn’t it? She closed her eyes and remembered he said he would protect her and love her until his dying breath, but did that mean he was in love with her? She held him tighter and wondered if she should ask or wait until he said it again. He hadn’t said anything when she’d said she loved him. Did he think she’d said it in the heat of the moment? Should she wait again? Crap, she was second-guessing things and she didn’t like that.

  * * * *

  After Arden dropped Remy off at work he returned home and ate, deciding to go for a run before he went out hunting. He also wanted to go see his mum. He knew she would be able to help him with what he needed. He wanted to do right by Remy and to do that he had to give her options. Arden wanted to keep her love. His wolf sat as placid as it had ever been since Remy said she loved him.

  He walked into his parents’ house, grabbing some spare clothes they kept in the entry for any shifter guest. His parents had adopted two supernatural children, and they always had a bunch of other children in the house along with his younger sisters who had just turned eleven. Arden wasn’t keen on any of them seeing him naked.

  His mum was in the kitchen with Grace and Sophie, the two girls they’d adopted. “Arden, I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “Hi, Mum. Sorry I haven’t come to see you in a while. I haven’t been myself.”

  His mother gave the mixing bowl to Grace and the spoon to Sophie and came around, embracing him in a bear hug only a mother can give. “I’m glad you’re back, my boy.”

  “Me too, Mum.” He squeezed her tight. “Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s taken over the job of training the shifter teenagers. Some of the paranormal kids have joined. He can’t say no to them now, thanks to Faith.”

  “Faith became a pretty deadly foe thanks to our training. I’m sure she’s going to be even more grateful when little Kane starts walking.”

  “Ah, yes, you and Remy were there when she gave birth to little Braydon.”

  “Yes, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here to see you. Not about Faith’s baby, but children in general. Like how to prevent pregnancy, to stop heat, and so
on.”

  “Girls, I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t eat all the batter or there will be none left to make the cake.”

  The girls were already covered in chocolate as they nodded and licked the spoon again.

  His mother pulled him into the hall. “Why do you need to know this?”

  “I want to give Remy options. She’s had so many taken away.”

  She smiled and patted his hand. “I raised a good boy. I’d like more grandbabies, but do it when you’re ready. The secret is wolfsbane. I’ll go grab a vial and be right back.”

  She dashed off toward the bedrooms and he stood staring after her. Who’d have thought it? Wolfsbane, the flower wolves stayed away from. His mother returned with a long purple vial in her hand.

  “If she takes this either before the heat or after, it will prevent pregnancies, and you can take it safety up to four days, no longer. It will act as a morning-after pill. After those four days it’s too risky. All she needs is two teaspoons of this in a glass of water. If Remy ever has any questions about anything tell her to come and see me. I’d love to see her again.”

  “Thanks, Mum. I really appreciate this.”

  “No problem, you can come to me anytime, Arden. I love you more than anything in the world. Do you want to come and make a cake with us?”

  He shook his head. “No thanks, Mum. I’m going to check on Griffen and then go hunting.”

  “Okay, be safe.”

  He hugged his mum again and left, walking home with the vial in his hand.

  Chapter 7

  The bar had been rowdy last night, and when Arden picked Remy up she was tired. She’d gone straight to bed, too tired to even shower. This morning Arden woke her with kisses, and she basked in the feeling of being loved.

  She now sat across from him as he placed a cup and plate in front of her.

  “Mmm, my favorite. I love vegemite on toast and hot chocolate. You sure know how to make a girl happy.”

  He winked at her. “I aim to please.”

  She snorted. “Argh, yeah, keep telling yourself that and I’ll have to push your big head through the door.”