Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  “Time to put your game face on,” she murmured to her reflection. She took two deep breaths and squared her shoulders, readying herself to confront the man the fates deemed hers. She needed to know where she stood with him and if he even had any interest in being mated. Some men didn’t. It was rare to be outright rejected, but the possibility existed. She’d just have to ask him…be blunt and direct. And she would. As soon as she could breathe properly while thinking about him rejecting her.

  Ready to escape the steamy bathroom but still afraid to talk to her mate, Sariel opened the door and followed Angelita’s scent to the back bedroom. She found the girl up on one of the twin-sized beds, curled into a furry ball. The girl slept soundly with no sign of tears on the fur of her muzzle. Finally. Sariel wished she could join her on the other fluffy bed, snuggle under real blankets and curl up around an actual pillow, but she needed to settle things first. Before she lost her nerve.

  Sariel closed her eyes and sent a wish up to the fates before heading down the hallway toward the living room. Every step seemed to take less time than the last as her blood rushed in a roar through her ears. She wanted the hall to never end, yet it seemed to disappear right in front of her eyes. Dropping her square in the same room as her mate.

  She turned the corner to find the man who had been owning her thoughts since she first saw him sitting by the fireplace. His big body leaned forward in his chair as he stared at the exact spot where she’d appeared. As if waiting for her. His eyes were dark, his face hard, causing her to falter in her step. He was not a man to be messed with on a good day, and if his expression was any indication, this was not a good day.

  His eyes dropped to the hem of the T-shirt she wore. His shirt. Her fingers followed his gaze, worrying the edges of the fabric. Suddenly walking around without anything underneath the dark cotton seemed like a mistake. Wearing no underwear or pants left her feeling vulnerable and exposed. At risk. And yet something in his expression made her body tingle, made the arousal his nearness incited flare up bright and powerful.

  Heart racing, breaths coming faster, skin flushed hot, she stood and waited to see which way this would go. Accepted or refused, mated or rejected. Claimed or scared away. And she was scared, at least a little bit. The danger in his body language made her both anxious and turned on in equal measure, teasing and tormenting her in cruel and lovely ways. Not something she’d ever experienced before.

  Her fingers ran along the soft fabric as she wished the shirt were both shorter and longer at the same time. He tracked the movement like a hunter eyeing its prey. Like a starving man being teased with a juicy steak. She wondered what it would be like to be his steak.

  His eyes slid along the planes of her body, over her breasts and neck, his head angling a bit to one side as he watched her. Investigated her. Learned every curve and dip.

  “You have freckles,” he whispered, his voice rough but soft.

  “Oh…” Sariel froze, her plans for demanding he talk to her blown up by the simple fact that he had talked to her, especially about the freckles that covered most of her body. “I…yeah. Always have.”

  He sat silent for a moment, his eyes dropping to her hips as she took two small steps closer. God, she could practically feel him touching her with that predatory gaze. So dark…so intense. A physical force in just a look.

  “I’m Bez.” He slid his teeth over his bottom lip, his canines long and sharp. Deadly weapons against soft, pink flesh. Sexy and dangerous all at once. Just like everything else about him.

  Sariel shivered and took another step. “Bez?”

  He froze her with a glance, his eyes swirling from ice to silver as he clenched his jaw. “It’s short…for Beelzebub. The name my pack assigned me.”

  Sariel nodded as she inched closer, her footsteps light and slow. “But people call you Bez.”

  “Mostly.”

  Sariel stopped when her knees brushed his, her entire body burning hot at his nearness. “May I call you Bez?”

  He tipped his head back and let his knees fall open as he watched her. Examined her. Absorbed her. “If that pleases you.”

  Sariel inched between his legs, growing more confident with every word. Every lengthy look. His fingers brushed against her thigh, his skin warm and rough as it whispered against hers. She shivered and moved closer. His eyes dropped to her hip, a frown pulling at his mouth. He reached out, using one finger to trace around the edge of the hole at her hip, his brow furrowed.

  “I…” Bez said, shaking his head. “I wish I had better.”

  Sariel smiled, placing her hand over his, stilling his finger as she pressed his hand flat against her hip. “It’s fine. I don’t need much.”

  “What you need and what you deserve are two different things, Freckles.”

  Sariel liked that statement, liked the way the warmth in his voice caressed her. She liked that a lot. She slowly dropped her weight onto his thigh, demanding more contact, teasing the beast. And he was a beast; a strong, masculine wolf shifter fully in tune with his inner animal. More soldier than man, more wolf than anything, he was one tightly wound ball of instinct and aggression. She wanted to unravel him.

  “I like the way Bez feels on my lips,” she whispered. He blinked but otherwise didn’t respond. He also didn’t try to pull her any closer or touch her in any way. Not making a move, but not pushing her away either. A challenge of sorts, one she was more than ready for. “My name’s Sariel.”

  Bez nodded once, his eyes staying on hers. “We didn’t know about you.”

  She sighed, a pang in her heart reminding her of the home she’d been stolen from. “My pack is small and stuck in their ways. They’re not part of the NALB, and I doubt they would’ve reported anything even if they were.”

  Sariel grew quiet, worrying her lip as she perched on his leg. She began to feel quite silly for sitting on him, but his presence brought her peace. His touch soothed her wolf in a way she needed desperately after so long locked up in that hell of a houseboat. Still, when it became obvious Bez wasn’t going to speak on his own, she took a deep breath.

  “You’re my mate,” she whispered, her voice almost weak as she poked the elephant in the room.

  Bez grunted and looked away, his jaw clenched and the muscles in his neck stiff. Sariel’s heart sank. That certainly seemed to answer her question on how he felt about being mated. She moved to stand up, but Bez’s hand tightened on her hip, holding her in place.

  “Don’t,” he said. “Don’t stop…touching.”

  Sariel peered into his eyes. The swirling blue gave nothing away. “You want me to touch you?”

  Bez paused then nodded. “I just… I don’t normally do this.”

  “What? Touching?” Sariel gave him a soft smile when he nodded. “You can, you know. Touch me. I don’t mind.”

  He growled and turned away again, but then his fingertips brushed her thigh. A tiny touch that meant more than a full hug would have. Sariel waited, barely breathing, as she watched his hand creep along her leg, fingers twitching along the way.

  “I don’t know how to do this,” he whispered, keeping his eyes on his hand.

  “Yes, you do.” Sariel brought her hand to his chest, laying her palm over his pounding heart. “I think you know how to touch just fine.”

  “Not that.” He raised his eyes to hers, his expression practically stabbing her in the heart. “This.”

  Sariel waited for more, but it never came. Still, she felt his need for her touch, felt how much he wanted her to stay close. There was a deep craving within him for physical contact, though he seemed too scared or stunted to express it. But she saw. She knew. She understood him in a way that took her by surprise.

  “Do you mean being mated?” she asked. “Because I don’t know how to do that either, though I’m not opposed to the idea.”

  Bez’s eyes went wide. Sariel wondered if that was the first time he’d been so obviously caught off guard.

  She leaned forward once more, keepi
ng her voice soft as she asked, “Do you want to be mated?”

  Bez nodded, all slow and intentional. Sariel bit her lip and took a deep breath, bold under his touch.

  “Do you want to be mated to me?”

  He growled, low and deep. A dark sound that made her lick her lips and shift closer on his leg. Sexy…he was just so damn sexy.

  “Freckles.” Bez pushed her hair over her shoulder, his fingers gentle and slow. “I’ve been alone a long time. I don’t know how to do all the talking stuff.”

  “You seem to be doing fine.”

  He shook his head and looked away, though his hand crept up along her waist to cup her hip, pulling her closer. Breathing hard, Sariel leaned in, dropping her head until she brushed her nose against his.

  “Maybe we don’t need to talk.” She eyed his mouth, wanting to kiss him, needing to feel his lips on hers. His eyes stayed open, watching her. His body tense and hard. Sariel leaned closer, pressing her breasts against his chest, breathing in his breath when he spoke.

  “My kind…we’re not…gentle.”

  That voice, so low and sultry as he cautioned her against him. It made her blood positively boil inside of her. Made her crave him—his touch, his taste, his smell. She wanted him. Hell, she burned for him.

  “I don’t need gentle.” Sariel nodded her consent, a slow and sensual move that made her nose run along his. He brought a hand to her face, cupped her cheek, and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. Soft…maddeningly soft.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered just as his lips brushed hers. Sariel closed her eyes and let herself truly feel him. The way his lips pursed into hers, how his fingers tightened almost unconsciously on her hip, the brush of his knuckles as he dropped his hand from her face to grip the back of her neck. The way he held her. Possessing her with a single kiss.

  She moaned and opened her mouth, desperate to taste him. Needing him inside of her. Bez answered her invitation, sliding his tongue into her mouth, groaning his satisfaction. Sariel lived in that kiss, letting his tongue own her until he withdrew. And then she bit his bottom lip…hard.

  With a growl, Bez pulled her closer, directing her legs on either side of his. Sariel slid her hips forward, straddling him, wishing to everything that the fabric between them could magically disappear. Wanting his flesh on hers, to feel every inch of him.

  Rocking her hips, sliding along the length of where he was obviously hard for her, she kissed and nipped at his lips. He did the same, his touch demanding. His kiss near painful. His growls turned deeper, the sound vibrating through his body and into hers. She liked it, liked the way his rough hands and strong lips made her feel: safe, cared for, protected.

  He gripped her hips harder, pressing her down on his lap. He was so hard. So thick and hot even through the shorts he wore. Sariel wrapped her arms around his neck and rolled her hips over the length of him, but a roar from outside stopped her midstroke. She gasped and jerked back, clinging to Bez as her heart nearly exploded. He jumped to his feet, hooking an arm around her waist and bringing her with him, lifting her with ease. He snarled as he turned toward the noise, twisting his body to keep Sariel behind him, his growl fierce and vicious.

  “It’s a gator,” she said, rubbing his muscled arm even as her own heart thundered in her chest. “The sound scared me, but it’s nothing. They make noises like that all the time.”

  Bez’s hand on Sariel’s hip moved down, his grip lessening. “They scare you.”

  Sariel tightened her hold on his shirt and rested her forehead against his back. His words weren’t a question, they were a statement. An observation. A truth.

  “Yes.”

  “They won’t hurt you.” Bez released her hip and turned, his eyes nearly glowing in the low light. “I won’t let them.”

  Sariel’s heart stuttered and her face heated under his stare. God, the man made her crazy…in good and bad ways.

  “Thank you.”

  Bez ran a hand over his face and sighed, his shoulders stiff. “You should get some rest.”

  Sariel nodded, unable to look him in the eye. “Yeah…okay.”

  She turned, but Bez’s hand gripped her elbow, stopping her. He pulled her back against his body, wrapping one arm around her hips and holding her tight.

  “I need to listen for them,” he whispered before leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. “I can’t concentrate with you so close, and I can’t let them surprise me.”

  Sariel nodded, curling into the warmth of his body, sighing when his arm tightened and pulled her even closer. “You think they’re coming tonight?”

  “I know they are. It’s just a matter of when.”

  “And you have people coming to help?”

  “Yeah. But they’re a ways out.”

  “So we wait to see who gets here first.”

  Bez looked down at her, his face serious, his eyes quicksilver light. “I won’t let them touch you. Either of you.”

  Sariel ran her hand along his jaw and smiled. “I know.”

  He leaned down, rubbing his nose against hers before trailing his lips over her cheek and jaw to her neck. Breathing her in. Scenting her.

  “You took me by surprise,” he whispered, his breath tickling her neck. “I’m not a man who’s surprised often.” He placed a single, small kiss to her neck then let her go. “You should head back with Angelita and rest while you can.”

  Sariel sighed and pulled out of his arms reluctantly. She hated walking away from him, but she was tired from a long night of running, escaping, worrying, and dealing with her mate. Even just a nap would be helpful. Besides, danger was on its way and she’d need to be extra awake and aware when they arrived. Especially if she was going to be any help for Bez.

  When Sariel reached the hallway, she paused and turned, watching as Bez settled into his chair once more. “What about you?”

  Bez cocked his head. “What about me?”

  “Don’t you need to rest?”

  “No, I’m fine. I’d rather see you get some sleep.”

  Sariel nodded and moved down the hall, tossing back over her shoulder, “You’re better at this being mated stuff than you realize, Bez.”

  He smiled, the first time she’d seen his lips turn up like that, and it warmed her heart to no end. “Good to know, Freckles.”

  Chapter 11

  Soft hips and thighs teased Bez as he watched his mate disappear down the hall. Just the thought of those dark eyes looking up at him, those sultry lips all swollen and wet from his kiss made him nearly insane with a possessive lust that surprised him. And the freckles…good goddamn. Like some kind of primal mating pattern stamped right into her skin. They called to him, made his fingers itch to touch her, stirred up something dirty deep inside of him. He hadn’t known freckles could be so sexy.

  His mate pulled feelings from him he’d never experienced, never even known he was capable of. For centuries, he’d lived with his pack of Dire Wolves, hunting beasts great and small, traveling where others asked him to go. In defense of the Omegas, the lost Dire Wolf females, he’d become a soldier for hire, sticking close to whoever had the most power and could enable him and his pack to protect the shewolves. He’d never broken rank, gone against orders, or failed at a mission. Hell, he’d never even paused to accept a challenge thrown his way, no matter how dangerous. He’d fought werewolves, almost died from a vampire attack, and killed off more shifters than he could count…all in the name of the mission.

  But suddenly, after nothing more than a look from Sariel, he no longer knew what to do next. By not telling Dante about their connection, he was technically going rogue. And though his pack would probably understand his hesitancy, he wondered if his actions would be seen as a weakness.

  For the first time in his life, he felt the need to ease up on his Dire Wolf responsibilities. After this mission, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue hunting down criminals with the rest of his pack or if he wanted to take a break. Spend some time getting to know his m
ate. Maybe take her home with him and show her how much he’d prepared for this day. Because he had prepared, even if he hadn’t meant to. He had a den ready and waiting for them. He had trinkets and treasures from all over the world. Things he’d hoarded without knowing exactly why. His den was situated in the perfect spot to keep her safe, to protect her.

  And protect her he would. At all costs.

  The sound of paws meeting earth interrupted Bez’s thoughts, pulling him from dreaming about his new mate. Miles out yet, a pack was coming…moving closer. A quick glance at the clock had Bez uttering a curse as he exploded to his feet and strode across the room. It was too early for his team to have reached the area, not to mention his guys would never have made enough noise to be heard from so far away. No, those heavy pawfalls had to be the kidnappers coming to take back the Omegas. To take Bez’s mate from him. The very thought had him moving faster and fighting back a warning roar. Those fuckers wouldn’t get near his Sariel. His mission was to save the Omega, and though he knew Blaze had meant Angelita, his mate was an Omega just the same. He would do whatever it took to keep them both safe.

  Never had a mission been so personal; never had getting it right been so vital.

  Rushing toward the back of the house, Bez zeroed in on the steady heartbeats of the women. They slept in the same bedroom at the far right corner of the house, which worked to his advantage. Access to the attic safe room was in the hallway just outside their door. He had a good fifteen minutes or so before the shifters made it to the property, but he didn’t want to take any chances. The sooner he got both women to safety, the better.

  Bez slipped into the bedroom where the women slept, his attention divided between his mate and the men running closer outside. The women lay on separate beds, a small nightstand between them. Both calm, resting, and quiet. Not wanting to wake the younger Omega as she slept in her wolf form, Bez hurried to Sariel’s bed. He leaned low over his mate’s body, barely inches away, placing a knee on the edge of the bed to get closer. Damn, she smelled good, all sweet and sexy and his. Still wearing his T-shirt, she slept on her side facing the door. Bez wanted to run a finger down her cheek or wake her with soft kisses to her neck, but the threat loomed large in the woods, and time was not his friend.