Bound by Destiny (Blue Star Shifters Book 1)

by Allyson Young

  She wanted the contact and reassurance, as bizarre as that probably was, but the evidence of his arousal short-circuited something in her head. Shoving away from him, though still constrained by his hands, she made the accusation. “That turned you on!”

  A smirk lifted a corner of his mouth and he didn’t even try to dissuade her. “Having a beautiful woman squirming over my lap, against my cock, with her superior ass heating and turning pink under my palm… What can I say?”

  “You’re…” She couldn’t come up with something nasty enough to describe him. Especially if he took exception and spanked her again.

  “I’m what, sweetheart? I’m within my rights? I’m a good guy for administering a fair and just punishment?”

  She bit her bottom lip and bent to yank up her clothes. Jett brushed her hands out of the way and fastened her pants, the zipper purring loudly in her ears.

  “Over and done, sweetheart. Know that I’ll never punish you in anger and I won’t harm you.”

  Did he think those were love taps? She surreptitiously slipped a hand behind her to touch a buttock. Of course, Jett noticed.

  “You’ll feel it for a bit,” he conceded, “but nothing long lasting. And River? There’s a huge difference between a punishment spanking and an erotic one.”

  “Well, I don’t want another—of either type.”

  “I won’t hold you to that.”

  She gritted her teeth and pulled away from him. Never again. She supposed the punishment worked, though, if she was already intent on not committing another punishable offense. But she couldn’t leave it alone. “If you hit me again you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

  “Can you back up that threat, sweetheart?” His tone was silky, but she heard the annoyance beneath.

  “I keep my promises, too, Jett.”

  He was quiet so long that she checked his face. He was watching her with that measured look she’d seen the first time they’d met as if to read her deepest thoughts. “Need the bathroom before we go? You might want to wash your face?”

  It was obvious he picked his battles and had chosen to let that one go. A chill cooled her fury, seeing as he was in charge of who won the war.

  “Nope. I’m good.” Let that beauty on the desk see what the man she’d ogled a few hours ago was capable of. River was past being humiliated.

  “Suit yourself. Just know that pouting is a bad look on you.”

  “Bully.”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.”

  They made their way to the SUV and she climbed into the passenger seat without another word, snapping on her seat belt, resigned to a long and painful drive. Not to mention that the spanking had titillated her wolf and she’d likely paw him in her need or even worse. River would blame everything on her inner self from here on in. Pouting indeed. She didn’t pout. And that beautiful brunette’s jaw had dropped to the floor when she’d taken in the sight of the two of them. No doubt River’s puffy face and swollen eyes, not to mention the limp she affected as she passed the receptionist had made an impression. The other woman didn’t know how lucky she was.

  Jett shut her door and then took his own place. He felt grim to her if there was such a feeling, and she cast her mind elsewhere, not interested in assessing his mood.

  Once they were driving back on the interstate, he opened the conversation. “Tell me what you foresee in our relationship.”

  “I told you.”

  “Humor me. Repeat and expand on your viewpoint.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you. You have all the power. I get that—didn’t you just make that clear?”

  “I enforce pack law, River. You’re not immune. No one is. Not even me.” He was pissed. She could hear it in his voice. Risking a glance in his direction, she saw how tightly he gripped the wheel and understood he was also struggling with control. What if they both lost it? Terror made her weak.

  Carefully, she laid out what she believed her lot to be. “Now that you’ve claimed me, I belong to you. I answer to you. You’ll expect obedience no matter what you ask of me. I’ll have to give you as many children as you desire.”

  “Pretty sweeping statements there, River. What of the other things in your life? I thought you were an accountant.”

  Again, he surprised her. But she wasn’t going to put much stock in his words. He hadn’t said anything specific to challenge her other beliefs. “I am. I didn’t think you’d let me work.”

  “I need someone with financial acuity. Who better than my … obedient mate?”

  Was he teasing her? She made herself look at him in an attempt to read him better. He glanced over and she recognized both humor and sincerity. If she could continue with her career, maybe there would be a modicum of freedom ahead. “I could do that.”

  “Then you’re hired. The pay won’t be great, but we’ll probably save a ton of money. To help raise the twelve kids I want.”

  Twelve? An involuntary shudder overtook her, and she knew she appeared horrified. Jett laughed and shook his head. “We’ll discuss how many kids, River. And I won’t allow you to overtax your body in the event you want some huge number.”

  She hadn’t thought about having kids, though she liked them. Determined not to mate, being a mother hadn’t figured into her calculations. Perversely, she reflected that she wouldn’t even be able to dictate a number, considering bossy Jett.

  They rode in silence for a bit while she processed and he thought about whatever an alpha male thought about. All the while her need simmered and roiled, barely manageable, making her ache in personal places and her mouth dry.

  “I hope to earn your respect and your trust.” She jumped at the sound of his deep voice. “Someone has obviously twisted your perception of mates, and I’d like you to talk to me about that.”

  As if she could betray her mother’s memory that way! The thought was like a bucket of cold water poured over her heat. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust you,” she admitted, though somehow knew that was a harsh blow for Jett. He didn’t respond, aside from a certain tension of his big body, and she hurried to continue. “It’ll be hard to trust someone who took me away from my home, thwarted my plan for independence, and mated me. Even when you knew I was dead set against it. ” And then there was the punishment. Oh, she’d earned it, but refused to see it as making amends. Because you rejected his forgiveness. Of course, she had. She hated the paternalistic bent of shifter life.

  “I hope we can get past that. In time. Because I believe we are fated mates and all your planning—and mine—has gone by the wayside.”

  Fated? That didn’t happen. Except rarely. She shook her head. Maybe in folklore.

  Jett pointed out, “You’re in my mind already, and I’m in yours to some degree. You’re feeling my moods intensely although we hardly know one another. That kind of connection usually takes time to develop.”

  He wasn’t wrong, and it scared the shit out of her. How was she going to keep any part of her separate from him? He’d absorb her like her father did her mother and she’d fall over herself trying to please him. She’d do anything he said, anything he wanted…

  “River! Stop torturing yourself and talk to me!”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say!”

  “What is it you fear the most, being mated?” He posed the question in a calm, supportive tone, and it diffused her angst a trifle.

  “Being forced to do whatever you tell me.”

  Jett made a strange choking sound, and she felt the vehicle lean to the right. She glanced out the window and realized he was pulling over. He came to a stop and shut the engine down. It ticked over as he focused on her in the relative silence. Residual surprise and concern softened his craggy features.

  She had a sudden urge to kiss him, to touch him, and knew she telegraphed it by the way his eyes flared and darkened. She wrapped her arms around her chest instead and hugged them tight. Stupid, horny wolf.

  He said, “You don’t know
me, I get that. You don’t know that I say what I mean and mean what I say.”

  “I think you’re honorable,” she blurted. “I feel that you are.” Although why she’d think that when he’d spanked her…

  He smiled and her fingers twitched. “Honor is important to me, sweetheart. And I won’t force you to do anything.”

  “But I’ll want to please you. You said that. And I know what that means.”

  “You will want to please me. As I’ll want to please you. But you won’t have to do anything you object strongly to. I can’t think of anything, off the top of my head that you’d find objectionable.”

  “I object to you hitting me.”

  “Then follow pack rules.”

  “You might want to sleep with one eye open,” she muttered, although she’d never acted out physically, and in truth had no idea how she might back up that threat.

  “If you promise violence, I can see I might have to tie you to my bed.”

  The air in the vehicle thickened at his suggestive reply and she couldn’t fill her lungs. Being restrained, despite already being at this man’s mercy, was a terrifying thought and even her wolf backed up at her reaction.

  “Damn it, River. What the fuck?” He fit his hand around her chin and lifted her face, staring into her.

  Finally breathing through her response, she searched the pale blue of his eyes, and saw only concern and worry. “You scared me.”

  “I see that. I wasn’t being literal.”

  “Okay.” He stroked her hair and despite her reluctance, she allowed herself the comfort—this time.

  “Can you tell me anything else that you’d object to? Help me out here, sweetheart. I’m not a mind reader.”

  “What about sex?”

  He slowly took his hand away, and she very nearly leaned after it. Or her wolf did. “Does it really come down to that, River? Did you find our coupling so abhorrent?”

  “I haven’t thought about it.” She would have called the words back if she could. What male would take such a blow to his pride as to hear his sexual skills so forgettable? That might be breaking pack law as well. Her buttocks drew up.

  Jett burst into laughter. Her ears rang with the sound and she nearly joined him. Her wolf pressed hard and suggested joining him in other ways.

  “You crush me yet again, sweetheart. I, personally, can’t stop remembering how you surrendered. How lovely your body is and how hot and slick you became. You took me fully, despite your inexperience.”

  She wasn’t laughing now. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks. “I expect the mating heat allowed for that,” she mumbled.

  Not deterred, Jett continued to chuckle. “Your first heat no doubt was helpful,” he said agreeably, “but I have room for comparison, and our first time was memorable.”

  And now he was bragging, the jerk. “How nice for you then, that you’ve honed your craft,” she replied, with transparent saccharine sweetness. “But like I said, I haven’t really thought about it.”

  “You are really the most obstinate female. So strong willed. I couldn’t have chosen better. I look forward to the challenge.”

  “Of what? Breaking me to your will?”

  All semblance of humor vanished, and Jett looked as forbidding as she’d ever seen him. “I won’t need to break you, River. I won’t need to restrain you or otherwise scare you. In time you’ll see the truth of our connection for yourself.”

  She bit her lip and turned away, staring out the windshield while her wolf whined about lost opportunities and disparaged her fears as nonsensical. But the animal wouldn’t care who she fucked, who her mate was, as long as her needs were met and her heat addressed. The knowledge was sobering and River resolved to shore up her control in any way possible.

  “I need to get home. My council will be waiting. You think on things and we’ll talk later.” Jett pulled back into traffic and brought the SUV up to speed. It was clear she’d truly insulted him this time, and if she was honest, he didn’t know the specifics of what he was up against.

  She railed inwardly, having missed an opportunity to tell him those specifics, a tiny hope flickering that he wouldn’t make her have sex with others. Soon they’d be on his turf and he was angry—or disappointed—in her, so broaching the subject would be even harder. What if things unraveled before they could talk? Because she had to state her case and maybe get him to promise not to pass her around. As Alpha, perhaps he could get away with it.

  “Jett?”

  “Not now, River. I need to have my head clear and straight for the meeting. You turn me upside down with your convoluted thinking, and I have to focus. I’ll take you to my home and we’ll talk after the meeting.”

  “Sure.” She shifted on the seat, pressing her thighs together and tried for more math equations and problems, losing the battle against her rising heat. Stupid call of nature.

  “I’ll help you with that before long.”

  Did he know those smug, oh-so-male remarks fueled her fury and distracted from the sexual desperation? Another thing she didn’t want to give him credit for.

  Chapter Four

  He might tear his hair out. Not even a full day in his female’s company and he was being driven insane. Okay, that was overstating it. But he’d told the utter truth when he called her obstinate and strong willed. Maybe not compliments many females would aspire to, yet he felt a certain admiration. But River was determined to paint him with the same brush as other males she obviously detested and was reluctant to cut him any slack.

  And then there was her simmering need. As he’d feared, the hurried claiming hadn’t assuaged it to any depth, and the push-pull of nature was going to fuel her deepest fears.

  Administering her punishment was necessary—and convenient in the short term. He didn’t want her worrying about it any longer, and he figured the spanking had both canceled any obligatory feelings she might be experiencing as well as briefly tamping down her heat. What concerned him was her refusal to be cosseted afterward, let alone the fear that permeated her being.

  It wasn’t an ideal time to take a mate, and he’d nearly refused his sire and rescheduled for the future. But if he had, he never would have met River. So the timing was fated.

  However, he had to focus on the pack for the time being. Tahl, his first lieutenant, had been the one to place the call earlier and update him. Two rogues had made incursions on one of his businesses and while easily repelled, it spoke to a probing action. There were likely others waiting to see how Jett responded.

  He had to meet with his council and firm up a plan, one of many constructed in preparation for situations like this. And he had to set the issue with River aside so he could do his job as Alpha, although she was also part of his job. Duty and mating could go hand in hand, but he wanted them to be separate. He had yet to get to the bottom of her antipathy. His head hurt with everything he was trying to process.

  Blue Star, his town—nearly a city—sprawled in the distance and he heaved a sigh of relief. Within minutes he was pulling up to the large log cabin on the outskirts that was his home and also served as the meeting place for his council. Several trucks and one muscle car—Tahl’s—were parked haphazardly in the yard, and he caught a glimpse of a silhouette in the big front window.

  “We’re here.”

  “You have a nice home. Large. Roomy.” River sounded like a real estate agent, except for the worry and fear undermining the compliment.

  “It works. My mother and sisters helped me decorate, but you can change anything you like. The yard too. There’s a pool out back and a big deck for entertaining.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. Nice.”

  When he paddled her for the supplement issue, he should have added a few whacks to address her facile use of fine. Well, there would likely be another time. He suspected she hadn’t given up the idea of running and that was something he couldn’t tolerate one iota. Not when it meant her safety would be in jeopardy. “Come inside. I won’t take the time t
oday to introduce you other than to announce you as my mate, but you’ll have to meet the council members in due course. But I have business—”

  “Sure. Of course. No hurry. Business comes first.” River fell over herself to accommodate him and he wondered why before brushing it aside. She was out of the vehicle and standing beside it before he could disembark. He observed her making fists and staring around.

  “Nothing to worry about, sweetheart.” He tugged her fingers apart and took a hand, pulling her along to the entrance.

  Tahl opened one of the big double doors as they climbed the steps, and River shrank. Jett felt her lose stature. He tightened his grip, supposing the other male was an imposing figure if a very handsome one to judge by the females who fawned over him. “This is Tahl, my first lieutenant. He’s like a brother to me and you’ll get to know him well.”

  She quaked and the scent of terror again rocked him. Tahl noticed too, one blond eyebrow quirking upward as he sent Jett a questioning glance.

  “Tahl, my mate, River Fortuna from the Mystic River pack. My father’s pack,” he clarified, though Tahl knew exactly what he was talking about while doubtlessly wondering what had set River off.

  “River. Congratulations, Jett. I look forward to getting to know your mate.” His lieutenant inclined his head and obviously thought better of offering to shake.

  River made a squeaking sound that might have passed for a hello, and Jett motioned Tahl away with a tiny shake of his head. What the fuck? He dropped her hand and slipped his arm around her waist, drawing her to the stairs. “Our room is this way.”

  She leaned into him for support and crept up the stairs, though he would have carried her if not for wanting to give her as much control as possible. Opening the door, he walked her inside. “The bathroom is there. You can rest if you like. If you’re hungry, the kitchen—”

  “I’m not hungry. I’m fine. I think … Tahl and your council are waiting, right? I’ll just stay here. In your room.”

  “I’ll have someone bring your case up so you can unpack.”

  “It’s okay. I can wait. Unless they want to leave it in the hall? In case I’m in the bathroom or something.”