by M. L. Briers
“Nobody here will hurt you, Kate. You’re one of our pack now. I know you don’t get it…”
“Is this why I’m so attracted to that… That…” Kate couldn’t quite get her head around any of this. How could she be so attracted to a man that she didn’t even like that much? At least, not at first, he was kind of growing on her now, but that was probably just the sex, she reasoned and then dismissed it. If it was just the sex then why did every other thought in her head contain him?
Zoe grinned at her, she couldn’t help it. She knew what her brother was, all his faults and traits, and she also knew it was what made him a great Alpha and a leader for their pack. She loved him unconditionally, but there were times when she didn’t like him much either, especially when he went all Alpha on her.
“He’s not that bad when you get to know him…”
“Oh, I’ve gotten to know him plenty…” Kate mulled that over. It had been the first time in her life she had met a man and felt such a strong sexual attraction that she had acted with such speed and certainty.
“Sex is a part of it, sexual attraction, especially with Alpha’s, but you two are soul mates and that goes so much deeper.”
“That sounds like a romantic notion, and I don’t do romance. Every time I am near your brother I don’t know whether I want to kiss him or just punch him in the face so damn much…” Kate’s hands went into tight fists within her lap and this time Zoe did reach out and put a hand on her arm. She was more than happy when Kate didn’t pull away from her touch.
“Like and loath, love and hate they are two sides of the same coin. You need to go with what your heart is telling you is right. Turn off your brain and just feel.” Kate eyed Zoe for a long moment. That was easier said than done, especially now.
“Is that what you’re going to do with George?” Kate watched Zoe absorb her question.
“That’s different. Lycan females are all about family, children. How can a vampire give me children?” Zoe pulled her legs up and hugged her knees.
“But you don’t have to be with George…”
“He’s my mate. There’s nobody else for me…”
“But it still doesn’t mean that you have to be with him, Zoe…”
“I don’t think you understand, Kate. Now that you and Dex have found each other, nobody else will ever feel right again. Nobody else will make you feel safe and loved, and as for sex with someone else…” Zoe tossed that onto the end with a knowing look and Kate scoffed.
“But Dex and I aren’t going to…”
“It’s fated…”
“It’s hogwash.” Kate shot back quickly.
“He’s your other half…”
“My other half of what?”
“You. He makes you complete.”
“He makes me want to kill him half of the time.” Kate admitted.
Zoe beamed a smile at her. “And the other half?” She lifted her brows, making Kate question what she actually felt when she was around him.
“I don’t know, Zoe…” Kate admitted. Right now all of this was just too surreal to even contemplate what Zoe was trying to tell her. Vampires and Lycans. Mates. What the hell had she walked into? This was just supposed to be a means to an end kind of a job. Get the work done, take the payment and buy her own plot of land, but somehow she didn’t think that life was going to be that easy from now on.
“You should spend some time with Dex…” Zoe advised and Kate took a long breath and blew out a sigh.
“That’s the last thing I should do.” The more she stayed away from him the better off she would be. The man had a way of getting under her skin. “What about you and George?”
Zoe let go on her knees and flopped onto her back on the bed starring up at the ceiling. “He’s my mate. I can’t ignore him forever. He won’t give up and he won’t go away.”
“But Dex will right?” There was a slightly hopeful note to Kate’s voice, even though inside she didn’t feel very hopeful. Zoe dragged herself up, resting back on her elbows and shook her head. “Like a dog with a bone?” Kate asked and when Zoe smirked she rolled her eyes and let out a groan.
“Worse than that, a lot worse. You’re his mate and right now that’s all that matters to him. The world could catch of fire and he will still be trying to woo you.” Zoe chuckled when Kate scrunched up her face and shot her a look of disbelief.
“Woo me? The man wouldn’t know wooing if it slapped him in the face.”
“Well there’s human wooing, and then there is Lycan wooing.” Zoe raised her brows suggestively and Kate opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again.
“So what happens if I just leave?” Kate asked and Zoe couldn’t help the snort that escaped her lips.
“He’d try to dissuade you, and if that didn’t work, he’d just follow you.”
“Like a stalker?”
“Like a mate.” Zoe corrected and Kate frowned. It was her turn to throw herself back on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
“Tell me more about… everything.” Kate liked to be well informed, and Zoe was the source of all the information she would need to try to make sense of all of this.
Riff eyed the Vampire with disdain as he came through the clearing towards the cabin. The closer he got to him, the more his wolf wanted to push to the forefront. He didn’t trust vampires and he didn’t like the idea of this one being a part of their pack. But if he was truly Zoe’s mate…
“Blood bag.” Riff acknowledged the man’s presence and carried on walking towards Dex’s cabin.
“Really? Blood bag?” George got to his feet from the tree stump he had been sitting on and spanned his hands out in front of him showing Riff there was no challenge.
“Corpse. Dead guy. Dead man walking… Take your preference and go with it.” Riff tossed out to him, not breaking his step. George was in front of him before he blinked, staring down with dark eyes and a smirk on his lips.
“Can’t you just say welcome to the pack like a good little pup?” George challenged, he knew how the pecking order in packs worked and he needed to show no weakness. Riff growled long and hard, just as Dex wrenched the back door open and stepped out onto the porch. Folding his arms across his chest he watched the two of them as they postured, and felt the need to bang their heads together. But that wouldn’t solve anyone’s problems right now.
“Riff, back off.” Dex growled out. He watched Riff’s top lip twitch in annoyance, or maybe at the scent of the vampire.
“She’s not yours yet bloodsucker.” Riff growled out. His eyes had already turned black with anger at just the thought of a vampire being Zoe’s mate. She was more than a pack sister to him, she was like his own flesh and blood, and he hoped to the heavens there had been some mistake and this really wasn’t her mate.
“Oh but I think you’ll find she is.” George had waited many lifetimes for his mate to come along and he wasn’t about to let anyone or anything stand in the way of that.
“Riff, get inside.” Dex growled with a little more authority than he would normally need to expend where his Beta was concerned. But then these were exceptional circumstances.
Riff growled low and deep in his chest. He’d like nothing better than to take this vampire down right now. Just the thought of him sinking his fangs into Zoe made Riff boil with a rage that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He took a step back from the vampire and George moved aside to allow him to pass.
“This isn’t over.” Riff growled out and he heard George chortle a laugh behind him.
“I’ll look forward to it.” George mused. He might be putting on a good show, but as he turned to look up at Dex he couldn’t help but think that this wasn’t going to be as easy as the pack handing over one of their own to her mate.
“What the hell are you thinking, Dex?” Riff bit out as he stormed into the kitchen and turned back towards Dex who stood there passively for a long moment. Riff turned away from him in frustration, stomping over to the counter with h
is muddy shoes still on his feet, uncaring of the marks he left on Zoe’s pristine floor he dropped down onto the stool.
“He’s Zoe’s mate, Riff.” Dex took a slow walk towards the counter and Riff jumped up again, unsettled by the turn of events. Turning his back on Dex he ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“So you’re just going to hand her over to a damn Vampire?” Riff growled out, spinning back on his heels to get a good look at his Alpha.
“It’s not my decision…” Dex offered, placing his palms down on the counter top and watching his Beta as he growled back in disbelief.
“You’re her Alpha and her brother…” Riff bit out between clenched teeth. The anger was rising up inside him again.
“She’s not a pup. She’s a woman, this is her decision…”
“The hell it is!” Riff bit out. Within two steps he was at the counter opposite Dex and he slammed his fists down onto the counter, fire spitting from his eyes as he glared back at his friend.
“Don’t do anything you will regret, Riff. Zoe will not thank you for it.” Dex cautioned and Riff was about to reply when Zoe walked into the kitchen and cut him off.
“What if your mate were Vampire, Riff?” Zoe asked. Riff spun on his heels to look down at his sister. The anger that she saw in his eyes shocked her.
“This isn’t about me, Zoe…” Riff took a step towards her and she shot him a glare, stopping him in his tracks.
“Answer the question, Riff…” Zoe challenged him again, with her words and her eyes.
Riff spat out a curse and ran his hands through his hair again. He could tear chunks out of it the way he was feeling, but he tried to keep a lid on his emotions.
“I … Don’t know, Zo.” He admitted and she couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips or her eyes. “But he’s gonna feed on you, you know that.” Riff spat out angrily, pointed towards the back door and where the intended mate was hold up outside.
Zoe took a breath and calmed herself as she blew it back out again. The very thought had been lodged within her mind since she identified him as her mate. Vampire’s already had a thing for Lycan blood, hers would be no different, if anything the pull on him to feed from her would be more so because they would be making love… At first the thought had unnerved her, but now she saw it as part of the mating process.
“Do you think he’s going to drain me and leave me to die, Riff?” Zoe asked. Her voice quieter than she would normally have spoken and it seemed to calm Riff a little as his brow twitched in thought.
“I don’t know what he’s going to do, Zoe. That’s the problem…” Riff admitted as he took another step towards her. She was of his pack and he just wanted to keep her safe, and toying with a vampire wasn’t the way to do that.
“He’s my mate…” Zoe offered and Riff shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Does that mean something different to one of them?” Riff challenged her right back and she couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips.
“We’re a different species, but we have the same instincts where mating is concerned, Riff. You know that…” Zoe offered and Riff batted her words away with his hand, turning away from her.
“I don’t trust him to take care of you.” Riff growled out and Zoe was at his side in an instant. She reached up her hand and put it on his shoulder, her eyes flicked to Dex for a long moment as he looked away. Both of her brother’s were wary, she understood that. But it was her decision to make.
“Do you trust me, Riff?” Zoe asked and waited for him to turn back towards her. His eyes were dark, but they were filled with apprehension now and not anger as he stared down at her.
“You know I do sweetheart.” Riff’s temper had quieted within him. His wolf wasn’t so much baying for a fight as it had been.
“Then trust that I will do the right thing.” Zoe offered him and he sighed.
“But what of pups, Zoe. You’d be giving up you’re motherhood?”
“I know. And maybe that’s what fate intended. Maybe I can’t have pups of my own, so they gave me a Vampire mate…”
“Maybe someone should just dispense with him and then you can find a good Lycan who’s lost his mate and…” Riff felt his anger return and it wasn’t Zoe that put paid to it this time.
“Riff, enough!” Dex growled out. “This is Zoe’s decision, stay out of it.” The low deep rumble to his voice should have been warning enough, but Dex’s eyes flashed black. He knew in his heart that Riff meant well, that his worries for Zoe were driven by his pack instinct to protect her, and damn if Dex didn’t want to tie her up and keep her in his imaginary basement for the rest of her life to keep his sister safe. But she was a grown woman and had found her mate, it was up to her to act on it or not, and he wouldn’t have Riff pressuring her.
“God damn it to hell!” Riff turned on his heels and stormed straight into Kate who had been coming into the kitchen. The impact of his body against hers felt like she’d hit a brick wall. She was propelled backwards, only for him to snatch her up from her fall and slam her back against his chest. The wind had truly been knocked out of her sails as she gasped in a breath, not yet realising she was safely held against him and her hands snatched at his clothing, grabbing a handful of nipple along with his shirt, for which he yelped out a curse.
“You can let go of my mate now, Riff.” Dex growled out as he came to stand beside them. Noting the red tinge to Riff’s cheeks and the fact that he was holding his breath, he frowned down at him when Riff didn’t make a move. “Riff.”
“Nipple!” Riff hissed out between clenched teeth, tears welling in his dark eyes as he gave Dex a pleading look. Zoe snorted out a chuckle from somewhere behind him as the corner’s of Dex’s lips turned upwards as he coughed out a laugh.
“Hurts like hell doesn’t it?” Dex reached for his mate, who was still clinging onto Riff for dear life, and his nipple, somewhat shocked by what had happened. “You’re safe, Kate, you can let go of Riff now.” He brushed his hands down over the bare skin of her shoulders and down her arms and she immediate let go, taking a step back away from Riff into Dex’s arms and against his chest as Riff let out the whole breath he had been holding in one long rush of relief.
“She’s got a damn grip like a wrestler!” Riff exclaimed, along with a few dark curses as Zoe walked up to him chuckling and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Ah, Riff. You’re always in the right place at the right time to cheer me up.” She chuckled and Riff turned his head to wince at her through the pain that still made his nipple throb.
“So glad my pain amuses you little sister.” He gave her a low growl as his eyes shot to Kate’s, who was trying to look innocent and apologetic all at the same time.
“In my defence…” She started and Riff looked at her like she had just grown two heads.
“Defence? Woman do you know how painful that was?” Riff growled and Zoe snorted another chuckle. Kate snapped her back up straight and planted her hands on her hips, glaring back at him as she raised her chin in defiance.
“Possibly as painful as being steamrollered by a bloody idiot that didn’t look where he was going?” She retorted and watched his eyes narrow on her for a long moment.
“Yeah, I’ll give you that.” He huffed out, and then on an afterthought held up his index finger and added. “Although I still think I came out worse off.”
Kate dropped her hands to her sides and rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Riff.” She conceded and he eyed her for a long moment before he shrugged.
“I’m sure it’ll heal, even if it is three inches longer than the other one right now.” Riff huffed and Zoe couldn’t help the roar of laughter that rolled through her as she hugged him and buried her face into his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her back.
“Stop whining.” Dex teased as Riff raised an eyebrow at him and growled out another curse.
“She ever do that to you?” Riff bit out and Dex grinned back at him.
“As a matter of
fact she did, among other things…” Kate’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson as she looked up at Dex. Her body hummed from just the barest of touches against him, something she didn’t feel when she was this close to Zoe, so she assumed it was to do with the whole mating thing. The warmth from his body seemed to seep into her, fanning out and causing a chain reaction within intimate parts of her body that rushed to life.
“I should go to bed.” Kate announced, taking a step away from Dex that she found was harder than she’d ever expected it to be. The slight rise of his brow and the amusement in those darkening eyes filled her with both excitement and anxiety.
“I’ll walk you up.” He announced in a voice that had turned several shade of pure sex and Kate’s heart skipped, kicked and thumped at her ribcage.
“I doubt my room has moved since I left it.” The words spilled out before she could even consider them. Dex hesitated for one long moment and then tipped his head.
“As you wish.” No sooner had the words rolled past his lips, lips that she could have climbed up his body right now just to taste, so she was willing her legs to move, to carry her away from the man that she could imagine pressing her naked body against and doing devilishly things too until the morning, or maybe later, or maybe forever.
Wolf man. Remember he’s a wolf in a human body. A sinfully gorgeous body, a body to die for… die for… not bloody likely… but what a way to go… stop it… be rational… but who wants rational when you could have that body doing… behave… god he’s hot… I’m hot… a cold shower, ice cold, numbingly cold…
Kate closed her bedroom door behind her and listened to the heavy thud of her own heart within her ears. She walked with purpose towards the bathroom, stripping off her clothes as she went and slammed the door shut behind her, more than eager to be under the cooling spray of the water, more than wanting to turn around, go back downstairs, climb up Dex’s strong, muscled torso and wrap herself around him as he devoured her lips, her neck, her…