The three men stood in silence as they waited, each lost in their own thoughts. All would have been surprised that they shared the same thoughts. Thoughts about mates. Bachar knowing that he would gladly give his life for the safety of his. Tarek, reaffirming the fact that he would never be worthy because of his past transgressions and Keair knowing that it would take a very special woman to relieve him of his playboy ways. He did not believe in fated mates.
Bachar mentally held his lion by the throat as they waited to go see their mate. The animal had been clawing desperately to get out, to go to his wounded mate. As the minutes ticked slowly away, he made plans. Big plans. His first order of business would be to wipe out The Group. Never again would a shifter have to worry about the safety of their mate. Or a cub. His body shuddered thinking of planting his seed inside Sally. And marking her. His mouth watered at the thought of tasting her, her blood spilling down his throat as they made a cub together. He pushed himself away from the wall. It was time. As he passed Tarek, he extended his arm and clasped the man on the shoulder. He did the same with Keair. “Thank you, my friends.”
Tarek nodded his head. “Anytime. Now go claim your mate so there will no doubt in any one’s mind that she belongs to you.”
“And I belong to her.”
Not surprising, a grin lit Keair’s face. “You will be breaking many hearts tonight, but the reward will be well worth it.”
“No doubt, no doubt.” For the first time that night he felt like smiling and returned his friend’s grin before hurrying out the door and down the hall. He hurried toward his mate.
Not surprisingly, no one stopped him or even bothered to give him directions to Sally’s room. Not that he needed them. Not even the harsh smell of the chemicals used to keep the hospital clean could cover her scent. He hesitated just outside the door, gathering his control once again. His cock, awoken by the thoughts of claiming her, impregnating her, had grown thicker and heavier and now pulled with each movement, paining him greatly. It took careful skill to walk that thin line between instincts, craving, and the need to protect. She was his mate, and as such, he needed to protect her from anything that might harm her—even her own mate.
He heard no stirrings from inside and wondered if Sally had already succumbed to sleep. She’d had a harrowing day, and he knew she needed her rest. But, heaven help him, he needed to be with her, if only to watch her sleep.
He slipped inside the door, and his heart stopped. There she lay, looking so small and fragile against the white sheets. Her dark hair had been combed and lay fanned across her pillow. Her eyes were shut, her long lashes casting shadows against her pale cheeks.
Fuck. He could have lost her tonight. His knees threatened to give way at the gravity of that thought, and he made his way to the chair by her side. He gathered her small hand between his, wincing at the coolness of her skin. He rubbed it gently, trying to instill some warmth. Just as he was reaching for the call button to insist they bring more cover or turn up the heat—anything so she wouldn’t feel so damn cold—her eyelids fluttered.
“Bachar?” Her voice was hoarse, no doubt from the effects of surgery. Her eyes were slightly glazed, the beautiful brown color dull. Again, the fear of losing her washed over him, and he lashed out.
“If you ever do something as fucking stupid again—”
“You’ll what?” Her voice may have sounded like a rusty bucket, but it held no less steel than it had when she had demanded that he go find her brother. He looked at their joined hands and slowly entwined their fingers together.
“I’ll turn you over my knee and spank you so damn hard, you won’t be able to sit down for a month.”
One of her dark brows rose. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” He whispered as he leaned closer, their noses brushing, their lips almost touching. “And I’ll damn well guarantee you’ll love every minute of it.”
“Oh.” That comment had her eyes widening and her lips curving into a smile. Her other hand lifted and her fingers threaded themselves into his hair right above his ear. His lion purred. Her happy expression didn’t last long and she bit her lip, looking at him with so much sadness that he felt his heart breaking. “I was so scared. I was afraid they were going to kill you.”
“Oh, baby.” He hesitated briefly, his instincts for keeping her safe and those needing to be closer to her warring with him. But soon he was standing and gently picking her up into his arms. Sitting back down, he pulled the blanket from the bed, maneuvering it around the drip in her arm until she was wrapped up tight against him, all warm and toasty. “You are the one that scared the hell out of me,” he breathed against her lips, before taking them in a kiss that quickly morphed from light as a feather to one heavy with passion.
“Damn, I didn’t mean to do that.” He pulled away, his breathing heavy. Hers was labored, and he called himself all kinds of a fool. She wasn’t in any shape to receive his passion. He started to stand, intent on putting her back into bed and calling the nurse.
“No, don’t.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I want to stay here.”
His lion, sensing she was okay, rubbed against him and he settled her on his lap again, promising himself no more kisses.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. He contented himself with holding her, occasionally running his hand over her hips and down her legs. Cupping her feet to assure himself she was warm enough. As he sat there, with the love of his life in his arms, the events of the day started to catch up with him as well. His eyes drifted shut. He knew they had a lot to talk about. A lot to say. Starting with the words I love you and ending with, you’re my mate.
But it didn’t matter. Not in this moment. Not in the moment when he and his lion were both finally content after a lifetime of feeling lost and alone.
After so many long years, they had finally found their home.
Why? Because they had finally found their mate.
For a mate was a shifter’s home.
ONE MONTH LATER…
Sally walked out of the hotel and placed her hand over her eyes to block out the morning sun as she searched her surroundings. It was still too early for a true spring, but the mountain was already showing signs of the renewal of life. Small pockets of green were pushing their way from the cover of the forest floor, and some of the trees were already sporting small green buds. She moved to her right, taking a private pathway leading away from the hotel.
It was taking longer than Bachar had anticipated to build their new home higher up on the mountain and they were still living in the hotel. Sally had been happy staying here with him—who wouldn’t be with maid service and as much ice cream as she wanted just a phone call away—but the mighty lion had wanted more for his mate.
As she walked, she couldn’t believe the changes that had occurred in the last thirty days. She didn’t entirely like it, but her brother was now staying with the Richardson Pack and learning how to be a wolf. She had quit her job in Maine and moved here to be closer to him. And, of course, to be with Bachar. She hoped to find another teaching job soon. Bachar had even talked about starting a school on the mountains so the children didn’t have to travel so far.
She smiled when she spotted what she’d been looking for—a magnificent lion sunning himself on top of a boulder.
With carefree steps, she made her way to her husband. The air was warm on her face, and she looked forward to spring and summer. But her favorite season would always be winter. After her kidnapping, Bachar had helped her recover in the most delightful of ways. They had spent the last of the cold winter days in each other’s arms.
“May I escort you?” Tarek’s deep voice sounded behind her, and for once she didn’t jump. It was amazing how quiet the man was.
She smiled at him as he dropped into step beside her. “Do I have a choice?”
“Not really. But I’ve found it’s best if I at least give you the illusion of being in control.”
Sally sno
rted. During her recovery, Bachar had assigned Daniel full-time as her personal assistant and made both Tarek and Keair guard her when he was away. Tarek took his duties seriously, never leaving her side. Keair did the same but would disregard the strict guidelines Bachar had tried to enforce concerning her welfare. The tiger was one mischievous—and downright sexy—package from the tips of his ears to the sharp points of his claws. And it drove Bachar nuts that she and the tiger had become BFFs.
Tarek was also her friend. A friend that she wanted to help.
She stumbled and immediately his hand was under her elbow. “Careful. The Alpha would not like to see you injured.”
“And neither would you, big softy.” She bumped her shoulder against his, secure in the knowledge that he would keep her from falling.
“You are correct.” He glanced down at her, a smile hovering on the edges of his mouth. Keair’s features might draw the eyes of more women, but those were not the type of women Tarek needed. Well, neither did the tiger, but at least the tiger knew not to let his heart be broken by a pretty face.
No. Tarek needed a woman who could look past the silent and slightly abrasive exterior to the heart of gold beneath the massive chest of muscles. She thought of the female shifters she had met over the last few weeks and realized there wasn’t one that she deemed good enough for this wolf. Besides, as Bachar had explained many times, a mate was a gift. Not the result of overzealous matchmakers.
But still…
As they neared the place where Bachar sunned himself, the lion turned, letting out a small tuft of sound at the sight of Tarek’s hand on her elbow. Even though the other man was helping her, keeping her safe, Bachar still had issues with any male touching her. And she felt the same. She’d gotten into more than one verbal match with the females of the pride who overstepped the bounds when greeting her husband. Didn’t matter that he was their alpha. He was hers. Period.
She picked up her pace, eager to get to her mate. “Thank you,” she called over her shoulder as she pulled away from Tarek and covered the last few yards on her own.
She climbed onto the boulder, ignoring the small growl the lion gave. He didn’t like her exerting herself if she didn’t have to.
“You should have thought of that before you climbed up here, big boy.” She grabbed a handful of his fur to steady herself as she made her way over the warm surface of the rock. In seconds, she was beside him, resting against his side, her fingers buried deep in his golden mane. He laid his head down and stretched back out. When she didn’t immediately start to scratch him, he bumped his head against her thigh.
“You big overgrown house cat.” She smiled at him and did what he wanted, running her fingers through his fur until her nails could glide over his skin. Instantly, his loud purr filled the air around them. She continued to stroke him even as her eyelids grew heavy. “I love you,” she murmured as sleep overtook her. “I’ll love you forever.”
She didn’t know how long they stayed there, the golden lion lying quietly beneath her touch. When she woke, the lion was gone and in its place was the man she loved. She loved the animal, knew it would give its life for her. But the man held her heart, held her soul within the very palm of his hand.
“Hello, beautiful.” Bachar smiled up at her. Somehow, he’d managed to maneuver them until she was sprawled across him, his body protecting her from the unforgiving surface of the granite rock.
“Hello.” She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped her. “How long have we been asleep?”
“You’ve been asleep for about an hour.”
She punched him playfully in the chest before sitting up, thrusting her arms above her to stretch out the kinks that had developed during her short nap. “Don’t give me that, buster, you were sleeping too. I heard you snoring.”
“That was you. Cats do not snore.” He sat up too, and she started to avert her eyes when she realized he was naked. She’d learned over the last few weeks how unselfconscious the shifter community really was. She’d walked up on more than one of them naked after a shift.
She allowed her gaze to travel over his body. She had more than a right to look at him. All over. She was one lucky girl because her lion was golden and delicious all over. As she looked, his eyes sparked gold, and his cock grew.
“And don’t give me that look either,” she laughed. Before she even finished her sentence, he had her wrapped in his arms and lying flat on her back, his body bowed over hers.
“And what look would that be, Albi?”
My heart. The word he had repeated over and over again when she had been shot. A flash of fear at what had almost happened filled her when she remembered that she could have lost him that day. She could have lost her heart.
“The one that says you’d like to eat me right now.”
His smile grew sexy as his eyelids grew heavy. She knew the smoldering look was only the beginning of the fire that was about to burn out of control.
“You are my favorite meal, Habib Albi.”
“You say the nicest things.” Another giggle escaped her.
“I will show you nice.” He wiggled his brows, and she wondered at the change in him. Either he’d been hanging out with Keair more, or her husband was indeed growing less rigid.
Well, maybe less rigid wasn’t exactly correct, she thought, as he pressed himself against her thigh. He was definitely rigid today.
“Come.” He sprung off the boulder showing the gracefulness of a cat even as a man. He reached for her, and she grimaced, knowing her descent from the boulder would be anything but graceful. In fact, she probably reminded him of a small rock rolling downhill.
He didn’t even allow her feet to touch the ground. Instead, he lifted her straight off the boulder into his arms, managing her bulk with ease. She wrapped her arms around his neck. During the first days of their being together, she had protested vehemently each time he had carried her. Soon, he convinced her how lucky she was that he was indeed a big strong lion shifter more than capable of taking care of his woman. And taken care of her he had.
She’d never felt so loved and well-cared for in her entire life. He had insisted on being there for each of her follow-up appointments. He’d even had a specialist flown in before she’d been released from the hospital. Thankfully, the wound to her shoulder hadn’t been life-threatening. It had been somewhat slow to heal, but she was fully recovered now. In fact, she’d been given a clean bill of health over a week ago.
To celebrate, they had made love in front of the fire that night. The first time they’d been intimate since she had gotten out of the hospital. It had been so slow and so sensual that she’d had tears in her eyes before it was over. He had kissed them away and started all over again.
But he hadn’t shown her the passion they’d shared that first night together. She tried not to let her mind go where it shouldn’t, but it was difficult. Was she really his mate? He hadn’t marked her which was one of the first things she thought happened. She was afraid to ask Tarek or even Keair in case that would somehow show disrespect for Bachar.
“Where are we going?” The both knew she would follow him to the ends of the earth and back. And she knew he would never break her heart, never lead her astray. Always protect her. Always love her.
“I have something to show you.” His voice was a low, throaty growl that immediately got her girlie parts ready for action.
“Well, if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.” She wiggled her eyebrows as she laughed. Tilting her head up, she pressed her mouth against the strong, brown column of his throat before thrusting out her tongue and licking the saltiness of his skin. She gave a satisfied smile when he stumbled slightly because she knew it wasn’t from the unevenness of the ground, but the way her touch could turn his knees weak. He had admitted as much to her.
She continued to nibble on his neck. “But why didn’t we stay on the boulder?” It was nice and flat, and she’d imagined him taking her there on more than on occasion.
; “You are too delicate at the moment,” he answered, ducking beneath a large tree limb. The move brought his dick into contact with her ass, and she couldn’t resist giving a little wiggle.
“Oh, aren’t you the sweetest lion, thinking of me like that.”
He gave a little growl as he walked a few more yards, then he was placing her on her feet. In front of them was a wrought iron gazebo anchored firmly into the ground complete with sheer, white fabric draped from the top and down the sides. Inside was a raised platform bed covered in matching satin bedding. She didn’t know how he had done it, but a bed of bright green moss lead up to it, making her eager to take off her shoes and sink her toes into the springy green flora.
It was beautiful and erotic. Much like the man who had stolen her heart without even trying.
“It’s beautiful, Bachar.” She turned her face up to him, tears glistening in her eyes at his thoughtfulness.
He frowned down at her, his hand coming up to cup her face. “I did not mean to make you cry.”
“Everything makes me cry at the moment.” She placed her hand on top of his, turning her face to place a kiss in the middle of his palm. He bent his head and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.
“You are still too delicate for what I had planned.”
She stepped away from him, her hands on her hips. “Now look here, mister mighty lion shifter. I’ll tell you when I’m too delicate for something. Now tell me what you had planned. Or better yet, show me.” She cocked her head to the side, every line of her body a challenge she was hoping her mate couldn’t resist. “Or are you lion enough?”
She yelped as he lunged towards her, picking her up and throwing her onto the bed. She bounced once, trying not to let her gulp for breath show. He stood by the side of the bed, all fierce and warrior-like and her panties were suddenly drenched.
“On your hands and knees.”
She eagerly complied, kicking off her shoes and wiggling until she was turned away from him, her ass in the air. She’d worn a lightweight knit dress this morning that wouldn’t prove much of a barrier for what she hoped he had in mind. She gave her ass a shake, looking back over her shoulder at him. “Ooh, are we’re going to play—”
Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal) Page 149