Coti's Unclaimed Mate

by Elle Boon

  “Can I make a suggestion?”

  He turned and met Dalton’s gaze who was Ace’s second in command. “What is it?” he asked.

  Dalton tipped his head toward the way they’d come from. “I suggest we all stop our fucking yammering like a bunch of bitches, no offense, ma’am, and get the hell outta Dodge.”

  “None taken, since I’m not a bitch,” NeNe said.

  Dammit, he was doing a piss poor job of taking care of his mate. “Where’s your vehicle, Ace?”

  “You can’t miss it.” The cat pointed toward the only car that was parked between the trucks.

  “You gotta be joking?” Coti looked at the low-slung sports car, then at the huge shifter. “How the hell do you fold yourself into that thing?”

  Ace shrugged. “With care. Now, off you go. I’ll make sure your toys are delivered safely and I’ll trust you to do the same.”

  Coti barely kept from rolling his eyes as he strode toward the vehicle Ace had pointed out. How the damn thing hadn’t gotten jacked while it sat in the lot he had no clue. The closer he got to the vehicle, he allowed his wolf to surface when a sensation of being watched washed over him, making him halt and look around.

  “You didn’t think I’d leave Lucile out here all alone, did you?” Ace scoffed, then whistled. Several shadows moved, sleek in their silhouettes, blending in with the night.

  “Please tell me those weren’t real panthers, or whatever kind of large cat they looked like,” Coti muttered.

  “Okay,” Ace agreed.

  “What’re you talking about?” NeNe asked, looking around as he bent and placed her on her feet.

  “Nothing, I was commenting about the fact Ace owns a damn Jag and actually left the cat out here. You know, a sleek jungle cat waiting to devour its prey or be devoured if caught by a bigger predator.” The sound of the other man’s laughter made him want to chase his ass down and feed him some damn catnip.

  “You say some weird stuff, Coti.”

  He opened the door, helping her buckle the seatbelt before going around the hood. “You’ve no clue, NeNe love. No clue at all,” he muttered.

  The little human’s world had just gotten turned on its head, but he’d do all he could to even it out and help her acclimate to her new normal.

  “Love you too, boo. Love you, too.” Ace laughed.

  Coti met Ace’s glowing eyes across the hood of the Jaguar F-Type convertible. Coti may be more of a jacked up truck or Harley guy, but he knew cars. The sleek black cat on the steering wheel was one Coti wouldn’t mind having in his garage. “Is this car even out yet?”

  Ace shrugged, a grin split his face. “If you know the right people. Clearly, I do. Take care of Lucile for me. She’s only a babe, fresh out of the factory.” Ace looked down at NeNe and winced. “Sorry about your face.”

  NeNe lifted her hand, her fingers ran across her right cheek bone. Coti wanted to punch Ace for reminding her about the damage. She surprised him though as she gave a wry chuckle. “I’ll survive. I guess it could’ve been worse.” She yawned, groaning in pain.

  His blood was working through her system, repairing the worst of the internal damage. In all truth, he’d been surprised she hadn’t zonked out within minutes. “Let’s get out of here. See you,” he said to Ace. The other man tossed him a fob for the car through the open roof, making Coti shake his head. Damn vehicles and their lack of keys. With a push of a button, the vehicle roared to life.

  “She’s an eight speed quick shift.”

  He looked out the side window, not in the least surprised to find Ace next to him. “I’m gonna have to ask you to no,” he growled.

  “Gonna need you to be more specific.” Ace stood with his hands on his hips, looking confused.

  Coti pointed at him. “You just appearing there like a fucking ghost. Not okay.”

  “Ah, so you’re asking me not to explain?” Ace kicked a rock, biting his lip.

  “You don’t do the innocent look well,” NeNe said, her one eye staring through the darkness.

  Coti bit his tongue, hoping NeNe didn’t question how Ace got from one side of the vehicle to the next so quickly. “As for needing you to explain? I think I can figure out how to drive this puppy.” He revved the engine, the fine hairs on his arms rising.

  “I’m the one who’s gonna have to tell you, to no,” Ace growled.

  “Hey, what’s she top out at?” Coti asked as he shifted into drive but didn’t wait around to hear what Ace said. More than likely, the other man was cursing him and his future children.

  “That was kinda mean.” NeNe’s soft voice had him glancing over at her.

  He loved the tone of her voice, just the sound of it soothed all of him. “Nah, he knows I’m just fucking with him. Besides, if I messed up his baby, I’d take care of it.”

  “This looks really expensive.” Her hand ran across the console.

  At the bruised and swollen knuckles, rage threatened to consume him again. His little warrior had put up a hell of battle against three female shifters. The fact she was alive to tell the tale was a testament to her strength and endurance. “Yeah, it’s not cheap.” He didn’t want to tell her the thing was probably worth more than a hundred and twenty grand, depending on the extras Ace had installed.

  “Can you turn the dashboard lights down?” She placed her palm over her one good eye as she spoke.

  “Shit, are you hurting?” He looked in the rearview mirror, making sure they weren’t being followed before signaling to pull over. Ace had custom lights that made the dash and door handles glow a bright blue, which could irritate if one was having eye or head pain. He allowed his mind to open, flowing into NeNe’s, searching for the source of her injury. He sent a flood of healing energy from the crown of her head, much like one would do if they were meditating, only his was on the corporeal level. His wolf whimpered, feeling it’s mate’s pain as if it were his own. It took all his concentration to soothe the beast, his other being rising, becoming more dominate as he too wanted to take control.

  Once he felt he’d done the best he could without a full-on healing that would alert her, he pulled back, his hands moving on her temples in a soothing motion. “Oh, that feels amazing,” she whispered, her breath fanning across his forearm.

  Dick. Hard. That was his state, which was completely and totally inappropriate given the woman was beaten within an inch of her life, looking like she’d gone a couple rounds with Mike Tyson, and lost. “Feel better?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Mmhmm,” she mumbled.

  He settled back in his seat, pushed the turn signal on, and began the trip back to his place. Not once had he contemplated how he’d explain to NeNe why he’d brought her to his home, instead of hers. In his mind, she was his, and that meant what was his, was hers.

  Turo had come out, telling the pack he was hundreds of years old. The revelation had shocked the pack since most were still young pups. They knew shifters lived a longer lifespan than humans, but the oldest of their kind, they knew was only a hundred and fifty or there about. However, Coti and his kind were different. No, scratch that, Coti was different.

  “Fuck,” he grunted. The thought of explaining to NeNe what he was, what the Iron Wolves were, was daunting to say the least. A human didn’t feel the same pull as his kind, or shifters, did. Some humans fell in love and said they had a “soulmate”, but there were still instances of divorce. Hell, divorce rates among humans were almost fifty percent. Those numbers were staggering. He didn’t understand why they even went through the travesty of agreeing to be with one person for the rest of their lives if they didn’t mean it. For him, his people, and other supernatural beings, when they found the other half of their souls that was it. There was no one else for them. Of course, he’d heard the Goddess had made exceptions in cases where a mate was killed, but those cases were rare, such as with Niall, the alpha who’d lost his first mate to a hunter. Now, he was happily mated to Alaina and raising a cub with another on the w
ay.

  He glanced over at NeNe, hating to see her so pale, her beautiful face black and blue. His wolf snarled with the need to exact vengeance for the damage done to it’s mate, but the man pushed the urge back. She was human, and he was far from what anyone thought he was.

  The Jag ate up the distance to his place tucked away just inside pack lands. He took a deep breath, finally feeling at ease as he pulled into his driveway. While most of the other members of the club had built or bought homes that were more cabin-like, he’d opted for a modern home. One that was all sleek lines and more defensible in his opinion. To the outside eye, it looked as if it were glass and concrete. However, it had bullet proof glass and the concrete exterior was thicker than it appeared. Not to mention, the windows were smoked and could go dark as night, keeping the sun and any onlookers from being able to see in, or out, depending on the need. His brothers in the MC hadn’t asked how he’d afforded his home, mostly because they hadn’t seen all his gadgets. Living a long life gave a man the opportunity to shore up funds and resources.

  Hell, if Turo the gun loving son-of-a-bitch, ever got a peek at his gun room, Coti was sure the bastard would be walking out with one or two. Not that he’d steal them, more like procure a few for keeping the peace, but Turo was Coti’s best friend so he’d allow it. He was also one of the best shots Coti had ever had the pleasure of training with, but still, he hated the thought of losing one of his babies.

  He dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell. With a couple swipes, one of the bay doors opened. The empty space was quickly filled with his friend’s car. Coti made sure the door was closed before he got out, opening his senses even though he was sure his home was secure. With NeNe’s safety, he wasn’t taking any chances. The smooth drive combined with the luxury interior made it remarkably easy for NeNe to relax, so when he opened her door, it didn’t surprise him to find her half asleep. “Come on, Armina, let’s get you inside.”

  NeNe groaned but swung her right leg out. “Do I gotta? How ‘bout I just stay right here?”

  He chuckled. “You’ll hate this car in a couple hours. Let’s go, I’ll carry you,” he offered. The need to feel her in his embrace was one he wouldn’t think too much about at the moment.

  As he strode toward the door leading into his home, her head rested on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck as if they’d done it a thousand times. Neither spoke as he placed his palm on the security pad, waiting for it to register his imprint. The red light turned green, then the door was sliding into the wall. Once he was on the inside, he made sure the door closed and locked before going farther. He hadn’t lived as long as he had without being cautious, and he sure as shit wasn’t going to start fucking up now that NeNe was in residence.

  The lights came on in each room as he entered. The dim setting kept them from blinding him as he made his way to the other side of the house. Once he got to the hallway where he could either take NeNe to the guest suite, or his, the decision came quickly. His. She was his. Again, lights came on, but they were set to low, creating a nice glow so they wouldn’t hurt NeNe should she open her one good eye. His hope was to get her cleaned up and give her another healing session before she got a good look at herself. If she didn’t see the damage to its full extent, he wouldn’t have to explain how she healed so quickly. He could almost hear his mother’s lyrical laugh in his head.

  With a nod, the door to his ensuite opened, the shower already on and warming. He was glad little NeNe seemed to be dozing again. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, then you can sleep.”

  “I think I’ll just stay right here,” she mumbled, nuzzling her face against him.

  Coti felt her breath on his neck, the sensation more erotic than any other experience in his life. Using a little more of his powers, he undressed NeNe, pushing into her mind the memory of her undressing. If there was a medal for most chivalrous act, he was sure he’d win as he stepped into the shower stall, large enough for six grown men, still clothed with a naked NeNe in his arms. His fucking cock was going to be scarred with the imprint from the zipper, however knowing his little human was comfortable was all that mattered to him. Motherfuck, he was joining the growing list of pussywhipped.

  Chapter Four

  NeNe wasn’t sure how her clothes had come off, or that she even cared right then. However, having Coti, the one man who made all her girlie parts wake up and sing, pressed up against her ass, she couldn’t work up one single fuck. Nope, not a one. What kind of woman did that make her?

  Coti chuckled, his peppermint breath making her lean back to look up at him. “Why are you laughing?”

  “You say the craziest things,” he answered.

  She froze. Dammit, had she said that out loud? Gah, her brain had clearly been rung too hard by Grace. She bit her tongue, hoping she hadn’t said anything about her girlie parts with her outside voice. She noticed for the first time the rough feel of denim against her ass. “You do realize you’re getting your clothes soaked, right?”

  His grunt was her answer, but she smiled. Her Coti wasn’t a man who wasted a lot of words. She stared at his hands. They were large with tattoos on them. The designs each probably having meaning. Her fingers trailed over the rings he wore, one on the pinky of his left hand the other on his middle finger. Anytime she’d seen him flip off one of the guys, she’d always wondered what the crest on the ring was for. Now, her fingers traced it, but she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.

  “This was passed down through my family.” Coti ran his thumb over his opposite hand. The action made it feel as if he were hugging her.

  The feel of his hard body wasn’t easy to ignore, yet he didn’t press his erection into her like most guys would. Instead, he leaned forward and grabbed some body wash from a shelf. With deft hands, he squirted a generous amount into his hands. She stared as he made a lather of the fragrant gel, then all coherent thought left her brain when he brought his soaped-up hands to her chest. God, she’d fantasized about having his hands on her so many times she could literally fill diaries with them. Nowhere in any of those imaginings did they come close to how the reality of having his rough, callused fingers tracing over her flesh truly felt.

  Her breath whooshed out the moment his thumbs scraped over her nipples. At some point, both her eyes opened, the swelling having gone down enough she could see out of both eyes, and good god almighty, she was so freaking happy since she wanted to catalogue what it looked like to have Coti Sharp’s hands on her. He stood behind her, washing her front, then moved onto her hair, making sure to rinse the shampoo and conditioner out completely without getting any in her eyes. “A girl would think you’ve done this before,” she joked, although the thought of him doing this to other women made her feel stabby.

  “This is a first, I’ll have to admit.”

  “Oh,” she gasped.

  “Does this hurt?” he asked, his hands tracing over her ribs.

  NeNe didn’t understand why he was asking her such a silly question until she looked down, seeing the purple and red bruising on her hip bone. Damn Kris and Paula and their boots. “No, not too bad.” In fact, she didn’t seem to be feeling any pain at the moment. She could’ve died tonight, of that she had no doubt. Grace and the other two bitches would’ve continued their torture without stopping, had it not been for Coti.

  Coti’s hands moved lower, tracing over her upper thighs, skipping over where she most wanted him to touch. Knowing he was too honorable, she turned in his arms, the warm spray hitting her back. Coti’s hands immediately landed on her ass, pulling her into him.

  “I want you,” she said.

  She watched him close his bright green eyes, his breathing deep and even. “You’re hurt,” he gritted.

  “I’m not that hurt. Sure, I got some pretty colorful reminders over my skin, but they’ll fade and be gone, much like I plan to be one day. For tonight, I plan to take what I want, and that’s you Coti.” For once she was laying it out there. Yes, she was the girl f
rom the wrong side of the tracks. Looking at his shower, she could tell he had money. Heck, his bike was worth about ten of hers, easily.

  When Coti growled, she stepped back. “It’s fine, you don’t want me, no big deal.” Which was such a lie. His rejections always hurt, the pain like a knife that cut deep, but the wound would heal, like it always did.

  “Are you kidding me? I want you so damn bad my dick is going to be permanently scarred.” He pulled her palm to the front of his jeans.

  Whether he thought she’d run screaming at the feel of his hardness or what his reasonings were, she had no clue. The only thing she could think was ‘Holy shit, the man was huge’ and ‘Dang that has to hurt,’ both of which she didn’t say out loud. Instead, she let her fingers trace his length up and down, then feeling bolder, she unsnapped the front of his jeans. The soaking wet fabric made it hard to get them undone, but NeNe was nothing if not determined. Once the button was open, she looked up, shocked to find his eyes closed, yet she was sure she could feel him staring at her. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, your hands are softer than silk against me. Let me,” he said, easing the zipper open.

  NeNe laughed at the pained sound he made. “Were you worried I’d hurt him?”

  “If you did, would you kiss him all better?” Coti asked.

  She looked down at the monster escaping the tight confines of the wet denim and thought of taking him into her mouth, or her vajayjay. God yes, she’d kiss him all better. “Absolutely,” she answered, her hand wrapped around his dick, her fingers not quite meeting.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this.” Coti’s hand covered hers.

  “Why not?” She tried to move her hand up and down, but he wouldn’t let her. NeNe stuck her bottom lip out. “Please tell me you’re not a virgin. But, if you are, I promise to be good to you this first time, Coti.” She gave a gentle but firm squeeze.