Winning His Mate ( Lycan Romance )

by Briers, M L

  “Lucas, be still. It’s not Shannon.” Grace warned, and Lucas had to tear his eyes away from his mate to look for confirmation from Grace and then Julius.

  When his eyes fell on the older Alpha, he saw the wolf at the surface, baying for blood, baying for retribution. But the man’s eyes were not on the circle they were fixed on the Witch that was slumped on the floor at his feet.

  Lucas understood the torture that Julius had to endure. Watching Shannon got through the ritual would probably have been more than Lucas could have bared, but he couldn’t let the old man break his own laws that he had lived his whole life upholding.

  Lucas reached down and grabbed a handful of the woman’s hair and collar in one. In a heartbeat he had her on her feet, her head yanked backwards on her neck to expose her throat as his growled against her ear.

  “Break the spell and I’ll let you live.” Every inch of him wanted to slay the woman and break the spell. But he understood that Shannon would not thank him for it. She was brought up by Julius’s laws and had suffered long and hard with what she had done to Billy. If Lucas killed for her, especially a human, she would have to live with that knowledge as well.

  “You’ll kill me the moment I do!” Natalie hissed back at him. Bolder now in her words even though she still shook with fear at her impending death.

  “You have my word.” He growled out between clenched teeth as his woman screamed out in pain again. He wanted nothing more than to rip this woman’s throat out and end this torment, but he held firm.

  Natalie took too long to think it over for Lucas to control the beast within him. With a flick of his wrist his claws were out and he raised his arm and prepared to strike. He saw Natalie flick her eyes to his hand, heard the intake of breath and felt the fear come from her in waves.

  “Wait!” She begged and Lucas hesitated. “I’ll do it.” She spat out quickly. She knew she was out of options. The only chance she could see for herself was to do Lucas’s bidding and hope he would honour his word, although she swore a silent retribution for his actions here today.

  He yanked her around and sliced through the bindings of her wrist with his claws. Spinning her back towards Shannon he held her firmly by the hair. He leaned in with a final warning.

  “If you do anything to bring harm to anyone here, I will kill you where you stand.” He felt her shiver, even though she wasn’t held against him.

  Natalie rubbed at her wrists before raising her palms outstretched in front of her. Pulling on the dark energy that she summoned from the hate around her, Lycan hate from the four men that she knew would not hesitate to cut her down now. She closed her eyes and allowed the darkness to wash through her.

  Julius saw the young woman’s eyes when she lifted her head. Just like Shannon’s and the blackness made his wolf bay for her blood, practically salivating for the taste of her between his powerful jaws.

  Shannon started to back away as she felt the pull on her psyche. A long deep groan escaped her lips as she tossed her head back. When her arms started to rise in front of her, palms out towards Natalie, it was as though she were a marionette.

  Natalie’s energy reached to it’s like. The dark energy was so interwoven within Shannon with the light, that she grunted deep within her chest for the extra strength she needed to employ to separate the two. This was so much harder, physically and mentally than just empowering the original spell.

  Shannon’s body started to be pulled towards the edge of the circle. Her heels dug into the hard earth beneath her, but it only slowed the process.

  Natalie grunted with the force she exerted in trying to pull the last of the power from within Shannon. She pulled her hands back towards her chest, reaching for the last of it and summoning it out.

  Shannon’s palms hit the barrier of the circle, placed there to keep her within its invisible boundary walls. The force of the connection swept her up off of her feet and threw her back through the air, almost to the far side of the circle.

  The force that she hit the ground with caused her breath to escape her lips and she lay motionless in the clearing.

  “No!” Lucas roared. Lifting his hand he curled his fingers and tightened his grip on Natalie’s hair, intending the swipe to be swift and deadly against her neck.

  “Stop!” Shannon demanded of her mate and he snapped his head around to see Shannon was up on her hands and knees in the clearing, her beautiful eyes showing no trace of the darkness of the magic. “Put her in the circle.” Shannon’s lip curled up into a snarl as she fixed her gaze onto Natalie, the rage that ran through her for what Natalie had done gave Lucas a moment’s pause.

  He knew his mate already had one death on her conscience that she struggled with. But his gaze flicked to Julius who nodded, just once.

  Lucas lifted the dark Fae by the collar and tossed her over the barricade of swords that blocked his way. Natalie hit the ground on bended knees, her hands palming the ground in front of her as her head snapped up and she snarled a smug look at her victim.

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle to a human life.” Natalie immediately felt the pressure closing in around her. The smile dropped from her lips as she took a quick look at the circle witches around her. They were all speaking the same words in time with Shannon. “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle from calling the corners.”

  “No!” Natalie pushed up from the ground, her chin tipped down and her dark gaze centred on Shannon.

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle from doing magic.” The witches recited in what sounded like a low hum.

  Natalie raised her palms outwards, the twist of her lips into a cruel snarl as she drew the magic within herself. She wasn’t going down without a fight.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle to a human life. I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle from calling the corners.” The witches chanted.

  Natalie thrust her magic towards Shannon. Like a dark cloud it reached out to her, but seemed to hang in the air before it was dissipated against Shannon’s shields, as though something had just blown the smoke away.

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle from doing magic.”

  “Bitch!” Natalie let out a scream as she forced her magic towards Shannon with everything she possessed.

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle to a human life.”

  Again Natalie’s magic dissipated in the air around Shannon.

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle from calling the corners.”

  Natalie’s rage grew within her. Propelled by her own need for power and the thought of losing it she ran at Shannon, intent on killing her with her bare hands if she had too.

  “Without magic I am nothing!” She screamed like a banshee. A moment later she hit the full force of Shannon’s shield and was tossed backwards. The loud crackle of Shannon’s shields sounded like an electrical storm.

  Natalie lay on the ground in the centre of the circle. Dazed and winded. The fight drained out of her. Shannon slowly started to walk towards her. Her eyes fixed on Natalie’s face.

  “I bind you Natalie. I bind you by this circle from doing magic.” Shannon’s chest rose and fell between each chant. Her light Fae power was directed into each and every word.

  Lucas watched his mate as she performed her spell, the other members of the circle taking their cue from Shannon. She was a true leader, an Alpha to her people, and he swelled with pride at how she had overcome the demons that had possessed her and still had the grace not to end the woman before her.

  When the circle broke apart Lucas headed straight for the Natalie who was now on her knees. Her body was shaking with the sobs that wracked her frame, but he felt no pity for her. Instead he reached down, grabbed her by her arm and hoisted her onto her feet.

  “You are banished from here. You will leave and never return. If I see you again I will kill you.” He snarled at her, uncaring of the tears, or the
newfound fear upon her face. He pushed her away from him and she stumbled and fell back into the dirt.

  “My you are a fearsome Alpha.” Shannon teased.

  Lucas brought his dark eyes up to his mate and closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against the hardness of his body. His lips came down on hers demanding that she open for him and she didn’t hesitate to comply.

  He kissed her with a passion that swept up her up in the moment and made her forget the other thirteen sniggering witches that still stood within the clearing, or the other three Lycans that smirked and whooped their approval.

  When Lucas finally let her take a breath, she grinned up at him, mischief in her eyes, as he smirked down at her.

  “Best you not forget it, Mate.” He drawled his playful warning and she snorted.

  “Oh I won’t, if I ever feel the need to use my magic on you. I’ll make damn sure I get in a good one before you hunt me down.” She chuckled and he answered her with a low growl and a roll of his eyes.

  Grace stood beside Julius and waited for Lucas to let her go so she could speak with Shannon. Something he flatly refused to do right then. He did let her turn towards Grace, but he kept her hip pressed against his and his arm wrapped around her waist.

  “Shannon. I think the time has come for me to pass on my position to you as High…”

  “Don’t even finish that sentence, Grace. Firstly that’s not who I am. I don’t have the cool head and wisdom that you possess. And secondly I’d have to follow the rules to the letter and what fun would that be?” Julius chuckled behind his hand as Lucas brought his eyes to the elder Alpha and he groaned.

  Grace nodded and with a twinkle in her eye, she pointed at Shannon and raised her brows. “I’m going to be keeping an eye on you.”

  “That makes two of us.” Lucas groaned, pulling her tighter against him.

  Shannon didn’t realise just how hungry she was until Lucas had placed the food on the table. She’d tucked in with as much gusto as the two Alphas seated on either side of her, although she couldn’t match them for what they managed to eat.

  When she sat back against the seat she took a long slow breath and then just breathed out her satisfaction.

  “Are you still in pain?” Lucas asked as he reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. Unsure if he ever wanted to let go of her again.

  “I’m a little sore. I guess I’ve got a few bruises, but apart from that I’m fine.” She assured him.

  “No urge to do evil or mean things?” Julius asked and then held up his hand adding. “Well no more than usual?” He grinned mischievously and she snorted as Lucas chuckled.

  “Apart from what that comment made me want to do. No.” She gave him her best frosty look and he melted her resolve with a grin.

  “I told you she was trouble.” Julius tossed out to Lucas.

  “I am not trouble…” She spat out indignantly and Julius huffed.

  “Remind me again who was it that put the green dye in her brother’s shower?” Julius enquired and Shannon rolled her eyes. “He looked like the incredible hulk for four days.” Julius informed Lucas who couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “I’m sure she’s grown out of that.” Lucas offered in her defence.

  “It was only a year ago!” Julius spat out.

  “He was being a brat, and you told me not to use magic…” She offered in her own defence and Julius snorted.

  “The carton of milk you left out in the sun for two days before chilling it and offering it to you other brother…”

  “You said he should stop drinking straight from the carton. I just helped that along a little.”

  “Now he really was green after swallowing that down.” Julius huffed with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

  “Can I help it that he has no manners?” She offered back with a sickly sweet smile.

  “The hedgehog down the toilet.” Julius mused on her other misdemeanours. “The exploding cake. And the sack full of cats in your brother’s bathroom.” Julius heaved a playful sigh of relief. “It sure will be quieter in my pack from now on.” He grinned wickedly at Lucas.

  Shannon looked up at her mate with innocent eyes. “It was part retaliation and part boredom.” She offered and he frowned down at her.

  “I promise you won’t be bored.” Lucas offered with a sexy grin as his thumb rubbed over the back of her hand and she grinned up at him. “But if you feel the need to retaliate. Green is not my colour.”

  Shannon released her hand and pushed up from the table. Lifting two empty plates she considered it for a moment.

  “Pink perhaps?” She offered over her shoulder as she winked at Julius and the old man chuckled.

  “She would too.” He warned Lucas who frowned back with a look of horror.

  Lucas tipped his head into the spray of the shower and let the pounding water run over his hair and down his face. Shannon’s hands running around his hips brought his head up with a start, and he rubbed a hand over his face to get rid of the excess water.

  “How can you sneak up on me?” He growled playfully, as she trailed her fingers over his hip bones and followed the sparse hair beneath her fingertips until she found his curls.

  “Magic.” She whispered as she stretched up on tip toes to get closer to his ear. The press of her hard nipples against his back caused him to growl with desire.

  “It better not be woman.” He grabbed her wrists and had her in front of him in a heartbeat. The spray against her back made her arch towards him and he palmed the soft round globes of her breasts and ran his thumbs over those same pebbled buds that had immediately caused him to go rock hard.

  “Straight for the boobs? I guess you’re a boob’s man.” She giggled against the rush of arousal that washed through her, leaning into his touch and rubbing her hips against his.

  “I’m a ...you man. But they did greet me first so I thought I’d say hi.” He stroked back and forth over the buds as she reached down to run her fingertip lightly across the tip of his erection, it tried it’s damndest to twitch between their joined bodies.

  “It says hi too.” He drawled, with a double, sexy flick of his eyebrows and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Mind if I say hi back?” She was already going down on her knees in front of him, her breasts slipped out of his palms and when she ran her tongue down the length of his shaft, he closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds and palmed the tiled wall as the jolt of pure sensation shot through him.

  “I like the way you say hi.” He growled out and heard her chuckle a moment before she wrapped her tongue around the bulbous head and snaked around and around the sensitive ridge until his hand left the wall and fisted her hair.

  Shannon’s tongue teased the slit and he groaned out his need for more, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily. She did place the briefest of kisses right at the end of the tip, before she started working her way back down, licking and planting hot breath kisses all the way, until she reached his sack.

  Nuzzling against him, she used her tongue to locate, first one of his testicles and sucked it into her mouth, and then the other. The low, deep growl he gave her urged her on, and with one hand wrapped around his shaft, stroking him with a tight fist, she decided to take her time.

  “So good.” He growled from above her, and she could feel his dark gaze on her even though she kept her eyes down. Shannon didn’t meet his eyes until she ran her tongue back up over him and pushed down his shaft with tight lips as far as she could take him.

  When she swallowed the tip down into her throat he practically convulsed. The low growl greeted her ears at the same time as he tightened his hold in her hair. She sucked him hard all the way back to the tip and then down again, back into her throat, her cheeks massaging against his shaft in a slow seductively intimate rhythm that caused his hips to gyrate back and forth towards her of their own volition.

  When she released
her hand from his shaft and cupped the hard muscles of his backside she eased her nails into his skin, showing him what she needed and he growled out his desire for her.

  His other hand fisted in her hair and he started to work his hips, taking her as deep as she would allow, before the fire of need rose up within him and he pumped into her mouth. Letting him take her like this, mixed with the gentle but deep growls of pleasure he offered up made the heat rise within her. Her own arousal pooled at her sex and the scent of her mixed with the sensation of being inside her mouth and it gave him a heady rush.

  “Shannon.” He warned and she sunk her nails into his flesh, not to break the skin, just to make sure he knew she wasn’t about to let him go. Clamping down hard around his length, she felt it swell with the rush of his approaching orgasm and suckled him until he thrust into her throat on a low roar and released his seed.

  Lucas spat out one dark curse after the other as he pulled back and thrust back into her throat. His pleasure seemed unending as she continued to work over him, massaging every last drop he had to offer her.

  Lucas released her hair and palmed the wall in front of him, holding himself up as best he could with his muscles quivering around him. He felt her lips still wrapped around his half mast, and pulled his hips back. The sound of his penis leaving her on a wet pop made him smile.

  “How was that for a hi?” She chuckled as she climbed up his body.

  “You’re going to drive me insane woman.” He growled on ragged breaths, and she put her forehead to his as he bent towards her.

  “I’ll certainly try my best.” She teased and he turned her in his arms and pulled her back against his chest. His hand wasted no time in travelling a wet path down over her stomach and into her curls. His hands insistence to get to where it was going eased her legs apart and she gasped in a breath as he rubbed circles against her nub.

  “And what should I do to you in return?” He breathed in a deep sexy growl against her ear that sent a shiver of need through her body.