Destined Mate

by Katie Reus

  The wolf came at her again, faster this time. He wasn’t trained but he was strong. So was she.

  When he flew toward her with the knife, she simultaneously clawed at him and kicked out. As her claws sliced the side of his face, her booted foot connected with his stomach hard and fast.

  Grunting loudly, he soared back through the air but managed to land on his feet. As he did, a burst of wind ruffled her hair and teased her face.

  Then the young wolf went sailing farther through the air until he slammed into a tree with enough intensity that she heard a loud crack.

  Frowning, she blinked as Knox skidded to a halt on all fours in wolf form. She hadn’t even scented him. Or heard him. How could he have moved so fast? Her heart pounded erratically as she stared at him. He turned to look at her and she immediately took a step back when he narrowed that deadly gaze on her. Did he not recognize her? She didn’t understand why he was looking at her like that.

  She opened her mouth to speak when she felt a hand on her lower arm. Startled she glanced up to find Alaric standing next to her.

  “We need to go,” he murmured.

  “What’s—”

  “Now.” His grip tightened and he began to pull her away. She tried to yank her arm free but stopped when Knox growled deep in his throat.

  And it was directed at her. The sound made her jump and even if she wouldn’t admit it out loud, it scared her. Where was the tender, loving man she’d had last night in her bed?

  Once they stepped inside the house, she pulled her arm free. “What’s going on?”

  Alaric shrugged. “You need to wait in Knox’s room.”

  “But—”

  “I have strict orders to escort you upstairs.”

  Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Who is that guy who attacked me? And what’s Knox going to do with him?”

  He shrugged again, which only infuriated Angela. “Probably listen to his side of the story.”

  His side? Did Knox think there was any possible way she’d attacked one of his pack mates? She couldn’t believe he’d ordered Alaric to “escort” her upstairs like she was some sort of prisoner. Her heart ached that there was a possibility the bond they’d forged last night wasn’t enough to hold his trust. That he actually thought there was any way she’d randomly attack someone. Something warm and moist pricked her eyes but she blinked rapidly. There was no way in hell she’d let anyone in this house see her cry.

  Knox scrubbed a hand over his face as he stood in front of his bedroom door. He could scent Angela in there. She was alive, he reminded himself for the hundredth time.

  He shouldn’t have left her alone this morning but he’d had important pack business to deal with. Business that specifically related to her. He’d never thought anyone would outright attack his new mate. Not when he’d made it clear vampires were now welcome under his roof. Natalia had been under his protection less than a week and no one had made a move against her. Of course her new mate hadn’t let her out of his sight for a second either. And Knox shouldn’t have let Angela out of his.

  He rolled his shoulders, then slowly opened the door. He’d been gone a few hours and knew she would have questions.

  The second he stepped inside something soft and fluffy hit him in the face. As one of his pillows hit the ground, he focused on Angela sitting cross-legged on the trunk at the foot of his bed—their bed now. “What was that for?”

  Her pale eyes glinted dangerously. “Where have you been for so long? And why did you lock me in here again like some sort of prisoner? Do you really think I started that fight?”

  Her questions flew at him like machine-gun fire but he answered them all. “I’ve formally kicked Roderick—he’s the wolf who attacked you—out of my pack.” He’d wanted to do worse but Alaric had stopped him and told him to use common sense. When it came to Angela all sense could be damned but he’d listened to the objective voice of his second-in-command. He was going to have enough problems getting his pack to accept a vampire as his mate and he didn’t want to start things off by killing a well-liked pack member—even if the pup had started the fight.

  She uncrossed her arms from her chest but her expression was still dark. “You didn’t answer my other questions.”

  “I didn’t keep you in here because you’re a prisoner. I wanted you somewhere I knew you’d be safe. And the answer to your last question should be obvious. I know you didn’t start that fight.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You growled at me.”

  “Because I needed you to leave. I couldn’t punish him if I was worried about you.”

  “Hmm.” She sat with her lips slightly pursed.

  His shoulders ached and all he wanted to do was climb into bed with her. But it was obvious she still needed to talk. “What are you thinking?”

  “How the hell we’re ever going to work? Your pack will never accept me—”

  “They’ll accept you,” he ground out. Most of them were fine with it. As of now there were a few dissenters, but he’d weed them out. Times were changing and these blood feuds had to stop if they wanted to survive.

  She kept going as if he hadn’t spoken. “We’ll always come up against opposition and what if you want to continue your line. I don’t know that I’ll be able to give you children.”

  If he’d wanted offspring, he could have mated a hundred times over. It was rare for a vampire to give birth—one of the reasons a blood born vamp was so powerful—and if all he had was Angela for the rest of their lives, that would be enough. More than enough. He’d heard about a vampire-werewolf hybrid born decades ago, so he knew it was at least possible for their species to mate, but in the end… “I don’t care about that. I never have. I want you.”

  She shook her head and stood up. “Knox—”

  He wasn’t in the mood to argue. Not after the day he’d had. And it was obvious all she wanted to do was tell him why they wouldn’t work when he knew exactly why they would work. So he kissed her.

  For a brief moment she tensed against him but just as quickly her body melted against his like liquid sin. When he pulled his head back to pull her top off, she shook her head. “You don’t fight fair,” she murmured.

  “I never claimed to.” With her breasts bared to him he didn’t waste time sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. Talking could always wait when he had her naked in front of him.

  Immediately she arched her back for him, giving him more access. He ran his tongue around her tightening bud and he felt her moan all the way to his toes.

  Tonight he would dominate her. He needed to. Their mating and all last night had been scorching hot but now he wanted to take her the way his inner wolf demanded.

  When he reached for the button on her pants, she did the same to his. In a flurry of supernaturally fast movement, their clothes were discarded and she was naked and on top of him.

  The cool covers underneath him were in direct contrast to the fire in his blood. Angela stroked herself over his cock but didn’t make a move to let him inside her. She seemed content to kiss and tease him. Her tongue flicked against his in erotic strokes, making him remember how she’d teased him the same way last night.

  As if she read his mind, she drew her head back and smiled. His breath caught at that rare smile. Bracing her hands on his chest, she scooted lower and began a trail of kisses down his body. When she reached one of his nipples, he shuddered as she ran her tongue then teeth over it.

  Everywhere she touched or kissed made him burn. She started to move lower but he grabbed her hips and sat up, meeting her mouth with his. The kiss was crushing and demanding.

  The harshness of Knox’s kiss startled and turned Angela on even more than she already was. His hands tightened around her hips and before she realized what he was doing, he’d flipped their positions.

  So dominating.

  Even when she tried to take control, he took it right back. Not that she minded. Giving in to him this way was something she could do over and over
again. They might have a lot of issues with his pack but they certainly didn’t have a problem in the bedroom.

  She started to wrap her arms around his neck to pull him closer when his fists tightened on her. He flipped her onto her knees in a fluid, graceful movement. Looking over her shoulder at him, she trembled at the possessive look in his dark eyes.

  With his gaze on her, he ran his palm down her back until he reached between her legs from behind. Her parted the lips of her sex and slowly pushed a finger inside her.

  The position was different but she found she liked it. Turning, she let her head fall forward as he began stroking her. First with one finger, then two. The intruding thickness made her inner walls tighten around him with each push.

  She could feel herself moving closer and closer to orgasm but his fingers wouldn’t be enough. She needed all of him right now.

  “I need more.” She wasn’t a big talker in the bedroom and thankfully neither was he. Even if she hadn’t told him, she knew he’d listen to what her body said anyway.

  He had to feel how wet she was. Would know exactly what she needed. When he withdrew his fingers, she mourned the loss but he quickly grabbed her hips once again in a tight grip.

  He pushed into her, hard and fast. Despite making love so many times the night before, taking him inside her again was still an adjustment.

  Her back arched and she pushed out a gasp at the intrusion. But he didn’t give her a chance to get used to him. Her inner walls expanded and stretched around him as he slammed into her.

  Over and over, he pushed into her. Behind her, his breathing was as harsh and shallow as hers. Her skin felt too tight. As if she could crawl right out of herself. Erotic pleasure speared through her with each stroke and she didn’t bother holding back her moans. She didn’t care if the entire house heard them.

  Knox could barely contain himself as he thrust into Angela. Holding her in this submissive position, he knew it wouldn’t be long before he came.

  But he needed her to feel pleasure first. Especially today. She was obviously worried about their future and he wasn’t good with words. But he did know how to show her he cared.

  Moving one of his hands from her hips, he slid it over her belly and down until he reached her clit. As he continued thrusting, he lightly stroked her.

  “Come for me.” The words came out low and commanding. He needed to feel her release on him.

  His words set her off. Her body tensed and her breathing became more erratic as her climax slammed through her. Her fingers dug into the covers beneath them and tightened. As she rode through her orgasm, she milked him tighter and tighter.

  After holding on to that tiny shred of control for what felt like forever, it wasn’t hard to let himself go. Holding on to her as if his life depended on it, he thrust one more time, spilling himself into her long and hard. If she wasn’t as strong as she was, he had no doubt he’d bruise her hips with his grip. Some primal part of him liked the idea of marking her. Reminding her they belonged together.

  As he released into her, his body became almost limp as the climax subsided. When Angela collapsed on the bed and rolled on her side to face him, he smiled and stretched out next to her.

  Her eyes were heavy-lidded but he didn’t want her dozing off. Not yet. Reaching out, he placed a light hand on her hip and tugged her closer.

  She immediately slid into his embrace and threw a leg over him. “I need some time before another round,” she murmured.

  “I know,” he said, his voice equally low. “We need to talk anyway. Things probably aren’t going to be easy at first. My kind, your kind, they aren’t all going to be accepting.”

  “I know.” She nodded slowly, making her dark hair swish against the pillow.

  “You can doubt other people but you can’t doubt us. That’s all I ask.” He had to know that no matter what happened, she’d believe in him and them.

  She placed a light hand on his chest and sighed. “I know. When you growled at me today I guess I just thought the worst. That maybe you regretted us or me or something.”

  He didn’t expect things to get easy for them overnight. With so many prejudices—some he’d once held against vampires—there would be good and bad days, but he had faith in them. “I’ll never regret us. I’ve been hunting for you for nine decades. My feelings just wouldn’t die, Angel. Don’t expect them to now.”

  “I do believe in us. I’m just nervous about what this will mean for you and your pack. There’s probably going to be some fallout from some of your members if today was any example.”

  He was Alpha for a reason and if someone didn’t like his decisions, they were free to leave. He’d known his entire pack wouldn’t be accepting when he took her as his mate but any consequences were a nonissue to him. He ruled one of the strongest packs in the world and his inner wolf dared anyone to come up against him over Angela. They wouldn’t like the cost. “After we get dressed I want to formally introduce you to the pack.” She tensed at his words so he quickly continued. “They need to meet you immediately to understand what you mean to me. Natalia’s fiancé is one of my warriors. The fact that he’s accepted a vampire as his mate means all the warriors will accept you, too. Everyone else will eventually come around.”

  Her expression was soft and almost pleading as she stared at him. “Just don’t shut me out when making decisions. There’s a lot about pack life and werewolves in general. I don’t know or understand.”

  Like earlier. She didn’t say it but he understood what she meant. A she-wolf would have understood his intentions but it made sense she didn’t. “It’ll be a learning curve for both of us.”

  “I can live with that,” she whispered as she closed the distance between them and met his mouth with hers.

  As their tongues collided, she tightened her leg and arm around him and pulled flush against him. At the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest, most coherent thought fled. Yeah, meeting the pack could wait for an hour or so because whatever the future held for them, he knew it would be full of times like this.

  Epilogue

  One month later

  Angela cleared her throat as she came up on Natalia and Eric, her mate, making out against one of the oak trees on Knox’s property.

  Immediately the two separated, though Eric was the only one with the decency to look somewhat apologetic. Natalia just smiled as Eric muttered something under his breath and hurried away to head back to his security post.

  “You could at least pretend to be sorry.” Angela bit back a smile as she faced her friend. After taking her place as Knox’s mate Angela had realized she couldn’t afford to alienate the only vampire among the pack. In reality, what Natalia had done hadn’t been so bad. Sure it had hurt Angela’s pride and her feelings more than anything, but the younger vampire had thought she was doing the right thing. Angela might have done the same thing in her position.

  Natalia smoothed a hand over her tousled blonde hair—no doubt messed up from Eric’s hands—and grinned. “Why bother?”

  Angela shook her head before glancing around the surrounding forest. With the exception of Eric’s retreating back, they were basically alone. Everyone else was at their respective posts and keeping an eye on the grounds. Thankfully tonight had been blissfully quiet. Not that she’d been expecting anything different. Security had been tight, especially at night, since the vampires from her old coven had breached the grounds. Natalia was the rover tonight while everyone else had static security posts.

  Angela was just out patrolling the grounds of her own accord. Knox didn’t like Angela participating in the security rounds but with his possessiveness, he didn’t like her doing anything that could remotely put her in danger. He’d lost that argument real fast though. As an Alpha’s mate she wasn’t going to sit around doing nothing when she was trained and perfectly capable of helping out. Not to mention the entire pack would lose respect for her if she didn’t hold her own.

  “You should take the south
end and work your way around the property from there.” Angela didn’t form it as a question.

  Natalia frowned and opened her mouth as if to argue, but Angela shook her head. Eric’s post was on the north area of the property and Angela knew her friend wanted to head in that direction first. Natalia and her mate would once again end up making out somewhere—and more—and lose track of time. “Before you say it I know a lot of the wolves fool around on their posts, but you and I aren’t everyone. As vampires we have to set a better example.” And it was true. For the most part the entire pack had been welcoming—with the exception of a few jealous females who’d had their eye on Knox as a mate—but Angela still liked to set an example.

  Natalia nodded as she re-checked one of the guns strapped to her thigh. “You’re right. Want to plan on meeting me back here in an hour?”

  Technically Angela wasn’t working tonight, she’d just wanted to check on everyone. Angela nodded before heading in the opposite direction of her friend. As she passed static post after post, she was pleased to see everyone was where they were supposed to be. Knox had been gone the past couple days on some sort of business trip—meeting with another pack Alpha—and she’d been praying everything would run like clockwork with him gone. Not that she was worried she couldn’t handle a skirmish or two; she just really didn’t want the headache of any extra drama.

  A faint rustle of tree leaves alerted her and then a very familiar scent tickled her nose. Earthy, masculine and all Knox. Before she could turn in the direction she knew he was coming from, a strong arm wrapped around her and she found herself pinned against a tree by a very sexy werewolf.

  Knox covered her mouth in greedy, hungry kisses until she finally pressed on his chest and tore her head back. “I just gave Natalia grief for doing the very same thing while on post.”

  “You’re not working tonight,” he growled.

  “So you think I should make this easy for you?”