by R. E. Butler
Two hours later, Auden felt the pull of his human form and jumped off the couch to shift. He dropped to his knees and pushed Jess’s legs apart, moving in between her thighs and cupping her face. He drew her to his lips and kissed her, a steady growl in his chest. Her lips parted and he swiped his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. His body was on fire, his cock shamelessly hard and bobbing against his stomach as he pushed her dress up her thighs and splayed his fingers on her soft skin.
His fingertips brushed her bare pussy and she moaned, easing away from the kiss and sinking her fingers into his hair.
“No panties, angel?”
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “Why’d you call me angel?”
He pushed her dress up as far as he could and looked down at her spread legs, her pussy on display for him, perfect and ready. “Because you fell from the sky.”
“Auden,” she whispered.
“I can’t think past needing to make you come and make you mine.” He tore his gaze away from the apex of her thighs and looked at her. “Be mine, Jess. Let me mark you and mate you. Let me make you happy.”
“I want you in the worst way. Mark me, love me, make me yours.”
He lowered his head and licked her clit, swiping his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her hips flexed and she gasped, fisting his hair and settling lower on the couch. He pushed her legs farther apart and slid a finger into her heat, watching as she closed her eyes. He fingered her slowly, loving how tight she was and how sweetly her pussy gripped him. Adding a second finger, he twisted his hand and curled his fingers to rub against her walls. Her breathing started to come faster, and he licked her clit, rubbing his tongue against it as he fingered her. Inserting a third finger, he closed his lips around her bud, flicking his tongue in time with his fingers. She began to pant, her nails scraping against his skull as she chanted his name breathlessly.
She clenched him rhythmically, and just a heartbeat before he knew she would come, he pulled her from the couch and down onto his cock, sinking deeply into her. She cried out as she came, her nails digging into his neck as she straightened in his arms and straddled his lap.
Her eyes were bright green and glittering with happiness. He moved her on his cock, resisting the urge to come immediately. She pulled her dress over her head and he snarled as he saw her tight nipples, curling over her to kiss and lick them. Gripping his shoulders, she began to move with him, arching her back and offering her breasts to him as they drove each other to the height of pleasure.
He leaned forward, pressing her into the couch and fucking her hard, the angle rubbing her clit every time he stroked into her. She swept her hair off to one side and then linked her fingers behind his neck, her gaze locked to his.
“I’m yours. I’m yours,” she chanted.
His wolf howled in agreement, reveling in their mating. Her pussy pulsed around him and she shouted his name as she came once again. His fangs elongated and he sank them into her neck at the same moment that he fell headfirst into the most intense pleasure he’d ever known.
He extracted his fangs and nicked his tongue, swiping his blood into the wound to ensure it would heal. She kissed him, sliding her tongue along his and sucking on it, pulling drops of his blood into her mouth. She mewled softly in her throat, a sweet sound of completion, and he lifted from her lips, raised his head toward the ceiling, and howled.
“You’re mine, angel,” he said when he dropped his gaze to hers. “There’s no going back for either of us. I’m yours, too.”
“I know,” she said, giving him a sweet smile. “I can feel our connection as mates.”
“Soulmates,” he added. He lifted her gently from his lap and set her on the couch, then joined her, pulling her into his embrace and wrapping his arms around her.
“Soulmates,” she said.
* * *
Auden could feel how nervous Jess was as they headed to her nest in the Pinelands. Greg and Felix were in the front seats of one of the zoo’s unmarked SUVs, and he and his angel were in the second row. Behind them were Javan and Amadeus, two lion shifters who were also part of the zoo’s security. Although part of him wanted to go with Jess alone to the nest, Joss had been insistent that they not go by themselves. Joss was suspicious of the nest, and Auden thought he was probably right. The way her parents had talked to her on the phone had made his hackles rise. Their concern for her well-being had disappeared the moment she said she’d found her soulmate.
“My parents want to have breakfast tomorrow so they can meet you officially,” he told her.
“Okay,” she said, turning from looking out the window. “Did you call them?”
“No, Alpha Joss let them know what happened, and they texted me to say congratulations and that they can’t wait to meet you.”
“That’s sweet.”
“It’s supposed to be that way, you know.”
“I know.” She pursed her lips. “I guess you’d say the nest is pretty traditional.”
Javan cleared his throat. “A lot of shifter groups were, and many still are. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with holding on to traditions, but when shifters are forced to abandon their soulmates in favor of following those traditions, then they’re heading down a dangerous road. You end up with shifters who have to choose love over family, or who abandon their soulmates in order to remain with their own kind.”
Auden nodded. “I think the zoo is unique because so many different shifters live and work together. Your average wolf pack resides in an area without other packs or groups. Isolation is what most shifter groups use to keep the secret of our nature from humans.”
“You miss out on getting to know some amazing people,” Felix said.
Jess played with the fabric of her dress, looking lost in thought. Auden slipped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry, angel.”
She leaned against his shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. If my parents hadn’t arranged a mate for me, I wouldn’t have gotten shot and crashed in the zoo. Then we wouldn’t have met.”
“Now that’s a pretty good silver lining,” Greg said with a chuckle.
Jess leaned forward. “Pull down the road between those two pines.”
“What road?” Felix asked.
“It’s more of a path than a road, I guess, but you’ll see. Just approach slowly and you’ll see the markers. Once we’re down the path a bit, we’ll be met by some of the nest protectors, and then we’ll go the rest of the way on foot.”
Once Felix turned onto the dirt path, they didn’t get far before four males in camouflage gear appeared from the trees and blocked the path. Auden’s hackles rose at what appeared to be a show of force.
“Ready?” Jess asked.
“Yeah, just stay close,” Auden said.
“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere without you, remember?” She pecked his cheek and opened the door, climbing down.
He followed, taking her hand and walking to the front of the SUV along with the others.
“We’re here to see my parents,” Jess said.
“You and the male in question are the only ones allowed to come into the nest.”
“We’re not going anywhere without our escorts,” Auden said. Although he was strong and a good fighter, he couldn’t hope to keep Jess safe against an entire nest of males if they were intent on taking her from him. Once more he was thankful that Joss had arranged for backup.
“It’s not up to you, stranger,” another male said.
“Look,” Jess cut in, “my parents are expecting us for dinner. You can’t think that I’d walk my mate into the nest alone, when I’m not certain of the reception we’ll get. If you want to tell my parents that you wouldn’t let us come in, then feel free.”
“Our orders come from the king. You and the wolf only.”
She looked at Auden, her mouth turned down and brow furrowed. “I guess that’s that, then.”
�
�You’re leaving?” one of the males asked.
“It’s all of us or none of us,” Auden said.
Jess gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry. I wanted you to meet them. I wanted things to go well.”
“You don’t need to be sorry,” Felix said. “They’re the ones who’re being narrow-minded.”
A rustling sounded from all sides a heartbeat before they were surrounded by more males. Jess stepped back with a gasp. Three males stepped forward, their unfriendly gazes on the two of them.
“Leaving so soon?” the older of the males asked. He folded his arms.
“King Ahar,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “Dad? What’s going on?”
“We invited you to dinner,” a male with salt-and-pepper hair said. “Why are you leaving?”
“Because we weren’t allowed to bring our friends with us,” she said.
“It’s curious that you feel you needed guards,” the king said. “We’re the ones who should be worried, as you insisted on bringing a mongrel into our territory.”
Auden barely stifled the growl in his chest.
The third male snorted in derision, then turned his gaze to Jess. “You should get your hands off my mate.”
“I’m not yours,” she said angrily, her voice rising. “I’m marked.” She lifted her hair and showed the marks in her neck. “I didn’t come here to see you, I came here to get my things and introduce my mate to my parents. If this is what’s waiting for us, then forget it.”
“I don’t recognize your mating,” her father said. “You will follow the path we’ve chosen for you, or there will be consequences.”
“Newsflash, Dad, I’m not going to mate the male you picked out for me when my bird is thrilled to have Auden.”
She looked at Auden, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Warning tickled the back of his mind, and he lunged to grab Jess and pull her behind him when there was an explosion. His ears rang, and thick smoke obscured his senses. Through the ringing, he heard Jess scream and her hand was pulled from his. He leaped forward but was knocked to the ground, hitting hard and rolling to a stop against a tree. Reaching for his wolf, he shifted quickly, allowing his superior senses to help him get Jess back.
When his paws hit the ground, he was aware of the roaring of lions and howling of wolves interspersed with owl screeches. He was thankful for his friends who joined him as he raced in the direction of his mate, whose screams were growing fainter.
Chapter 6
Thick smoke was everywhere. Jess couldn’t see Auden or hear him, thanks to the ringing in her ears from the explosion. She reached blindly for him, screaming as her legs were kicked out from under her and she hit the ground. Her head swam as it banged against the dirt. As quickly as she was knocked down, she was pulled, dragged through the woods on her back, both feet held by someone.
She screamed for Auden, unsure if he could hear her after the blast. She knew immediately what had happened because her people had done it before – they’d set off an explosion to disorient her mate and his friends so they could grab her. Kicking at the hands that held her, she wrenched herself to her stomach and sank her fingers into the ground, trying to grab hold and keep herself from being taken any farther.
Relief flooded her as she heard the howl of wolves. He’d shifted, and she knew his senses were better now so he’d be able to find her. Flailing her arms out, she grabbed a thin tree branch, her hands scraping against the bark as she was tugged sharply by her heels.
“Let me go!” she shouted, pulling herself toward the tree.
Paws pounding the ground filled the air, and she saw a wolf sail over her head. The male holding her ankles dropped them with a grunt, and she rolled out of the way as wolves and lions surrounded her.
“Need some help?” Rory asked as she joined the group.
“Hey! What’s going on?” Jess took Rory’s offered hand and stood.
“Dear old dad arranged for the ambush. I didn’t know ahead of time because he sent me on an errand. When I got back to the nest, I knew something was going on, and then I heard the explosion. Shit, owls are assholes. Present company excluded, of course.”
Auden swung his head around and growled at her in a way that sounded like a question. He stood on top of the offending owl who wasn’t moving aside from the rise and fall of his chest.
“I’m okay,” Jess said.
“You just got dragged through the woods, you know,” Rory said. “Your arms are all scratched up.”
Jess looked down at her arms. She was too keyed up from adrenaline to feel the scratches. Her hands were shaking; she squeezed them into fists to try to settle them. “You should get out of here or you’ll get in trouble.”
“No one will know I’m here. Besides, I had to make sure you were okay. Is this your mate?” Rory inclined her head to Auden, who stepped off the prone owl and joined them, leaning against Jess’s legs and rubbing his cheek against her hip. She rested her hand on his head and wanted to cry. He’d rescued her, for the second time in twenty-four hours.
“This is Auden.”
“Nice to meet you,” Rory said with a crooked smile. “Be good to my bestie. I should go. If you swing around the tree where we used to play hide and seek, you’ll avoid the majority of the owls. They’re searching for you and your friends, but they’re headed away from here right now.”
“How do you know?” Jess asked.
“Because I sent them that way by running wild like a madwoman through the woods and making a ruckus.”
Jess hugged her best friend. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. You can’t call my cell because Dad took it from me after we texted earlier. He said it needed a security upgrade, but clearly he was taking away my ability to alert you to what they were planning. I should’ve known something was up, but I didn’t until I saw a lot of males heading toward the entrance to our territory.”
“My mom wasn’t there. Do you think she knew about the ambush?” She asked the question even though in her heart she knew the answer. The nest was everything to her parents. It wouldn’t occur to them to question the king.
Rory looked sad. “I’m sorry, babe, but yes. When I saw the males heading out, I went to find my mom to see what was going on, and your mom was there. They were talking about your mating ceremony. I left before they realized I was listening and did my best to lead our males away from you.”
“That sucks,” Jess said.
“Yeah, but at least you’re with your soulmate. The nest didn’t succeed in separating you. You don’t need all this negative bullshit in your life anyway. The nest can go to hell with their ass-backward ways.”
“You still live here, you know. You’re the daughter of the king.”
“I’m my own woman, and if Dad thinks I’m going to mate an owl because he says so, then he’s got another thing coming. Fortunately, owls don’t look at me like a mate, so I think I’m in the clear.” She canted her head and listened for a moment. “They’re changing direction. You need to go. Email me. I have an old laptop hidden in my room, so we can stay connected.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Jess looked down at Auden. “Follow me.”
He grunted in agreement and they raced into the woods, toward a giant old tree where she and Rory liked to play when they were younger. The small group swung around the tree and headed toward the road that led into the nest, avoiding detection as they ran. No one was guarding the SUV, for which she was thankful; she grabbed the doors and opened them, allowing the males to jump inside. She sat behind the wheel, locked the doors, and turned on the engine, taking a quick look at Auden, who sat on his haunches on the passenger seat.
Jess put the SUV into Reverse and a warning bell sounded. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw her king and Miles standing several feet behind the vehicle. Keeping her foot on the brake, she revved the engine in warning.
“You
better move, because I’m not stopping,” she shouted. She gave them a few seconds and then took her foot off the brake.
The SUV lurched, the two males scattering as the vehicle rocketed backward. She hit the brakes and stared at the angry males, flipped them off for good measure, then swung the SUV around and hit the gas, heading to the main road.
When she’d put a few miles behind them, and she was certain no one was following them, she clicked the phone button on the GPS screen, which presented her with a list of phone numbers. She wasn’t sure whose phone was connected to the SUV, but she was grateful Joss’s name was on the list.
“Felix?” Joss said when he answered the call.
“It’s Jess. There was a problem.” Hurriedly she told the alpha wolf what happened, ending with “And now I’ve got three wolves and two lions in the SUV, and I have to say I’m a little worried about getting pulled over.”
Joss bellowed through the speakers, “Get on the floor, you idiots!”
Jess jumped at the harsh words, then chuckled as they all immediately did as he ordered, even the lions who Auden had explained had their own alpha.
“Thanks,” she said.
“It’s nighttime, so it’s not as if you’re driving down the highway in broad daylight. Just drive the speed limit and you should be fine. But if something happens, call me immediately. Do you know how to get back to the zoo?”
“I wasn’t paying attention when we were driving here.”
“All of the park SUVs have the zoo’s address in the GPS system under the Home icon. Before you reach the parking lot, there’s an employee access road. Follow it to the security booth and they’ll let you in. You can take the shifters to their paddocks. I’ll meet you and Auden in the storage barn.”
“Okay. Thanks, Joss.”
There was a brief pause, and then he said, “This isn’t your fault.”
“It feels like it. I was suspicious, but I pushed the feeling away because I wanted my parents to accept Auden as my mate. I could’ve gotten him killed, or one of the others who came with us as backup.”