The Shifter's Mate (Other World Series Book Three)
Page 16
“Thank you for letting me use your mother’s clothes.” She smiled at Raina.
“You’re welcome.”
She pulled on the pants. They were a bit tight in the ass and a little big around the waist but they were comfortable enough. She grabbed one of the folded cloths before heading to the front door. “I’ll be right back.”
When she returned, Kane was standing in the kitchen with a large blond-haired man. Raina was standing beside him with the plate of meat and poking him in the stomach.
“Just try it, Radek. Come on. Try a little piece,” she cajoled.
He shook his head. “No. Do not be a pest, Raina.”
She pouted at him as Reese shut the door and gave Kane a nervous smile.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning Ree – human.” He spoke gruffly to her but there was an anxious look in his eyes. “Are you feeling better?”
“A little,” she replied. Feeling oddly anxious herself, she crossed the room and stood in front of Radek. “Hello, I’m Reese.”
Radek turned to face her. He looked her up and down and she took a nervous step back when his face reddened and he growled softly.
“Enough, Radek,” Kane said sharply.
“Why is it wearing my mother’s clothing?” Radek snarled.
“I gave them to her.” Raina frowned at him. “Her clothing was dirty and I knew mama’s clothes would fit her.”
Radek growled again and glared at Reese. “Take them off. You have no right to wear her clothes.”
“I’m sorry,” Reese said softly. “I’ll change right now.”
“You’re being an ass,” Raina snapped at Radek. “The human is nice and mama would have lent her clothing if she was still alive.”
“Be quiet, Raina!” Radek scowled at her. “The human isn’t fit to lick our feet let alone wear our – “
“Get out, Radek,” Kane said quietly.
“Kane, it’s okay. I understand and I – “
Kane shook his head at her as Radek gave him a look of betrayal. “You would choose the human over me, Kane?”
“I’m not choosing anyone,” Kane replied. “But Reese is a guest in my home and I will not allow you to insult her. Apologize for your remarks or leave.”
“What is wrong with you, cousin?” Radek glared at him. “Do you think because she spread her – “
“Enough, Radek!” Kane roared as a thick beard grew on his face. “Leave now before I make you leave.”
Mia gave a nervous squeak and even Raina took a step back as Radek bared his teeth at Kane and his eyes glowed a bright green.
“I never thought I would see the day that you would defend a human,” he snarled. He glared again at Reese and pushed past her angrily, nearly knocking her over. Kane made a hoarse howl of rage. Reese grabbed his arm and hung on grimly when he went after his cousin.
“Kane, no! Calm down!”
Radek slammed the door and Reese stroked Kane’s arm soothingly as he growled loudly.
“Girls, I think you should go now. You can come back and visit later, all right?” Reese tried to smile reassuringly at the two young shifters as Raina nodded and took Mia’s hand.
“Good-bye, human.” She yanked Mia out of the cabin, shutting the door behind her.
Reese continued to stroke Kane’s arm. He was staring at the floor of the cabin, his chest heaving and his hands clenching and unclenching.
“Please relax, shifter. It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal?” He glared at her. “He insulted you.”
She shrugged. “It didn’t bother me. Besides, I have a feeling that I need to get used to being insulted. Based on the way some of your pack mates were staring at us yesterday, I get the feeling you and Radek aren’t the only ones who think humans in the pack are a bad idea.”
She switched to rubbing his back, waiting patiently for him to calm down and doing her best to ignore the pain in her stomach. The cramps were back and all she really wanted to do was drink some more tea and lie down.
After nearly five minutes, Kane raised his head and stared at her. “You didn’t eat.”
“I did,” she assured him. “I ate some of the meat you cooked. Thank you for that, by the way.”
He searched her face carefully. “You are still pale, Reese.”
“I still don’t feel great,” she replied. “If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll lie down again.”
He stared anxiously at her. “Is it always like this? Female shifters do not seem to suffer the way you do when the moon is full for them.”
She patted his arm. “I’m fine. This is nothing new – I just usually have a lot more drugs to dull the pain.”
He continued to stare anxiously at her. He didn’t like the way she looked – pale with fine lines of pain still around her mouth and eyes.
“You need more tea,” he said abruptly.
She jerked when he scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He undressed her down to her panties and urged her to climb into the bed before bringing her more tea. “We are almost out. I’ll ask Adina to make more.”
“Thank you.” She sipped at the tea. “Are Adina and Ghita okay? Have you seen either of them?”
“They’re fine. Ghita has not left Theran’s cabin but Adina met a few of my pack mates this morning.”
“Were they nice to her?”
He nodded. “Aye. They’re not monsters, Reese. I know that Radek did not make a good impression but many of my pack mates are willing to accept humans. They will treat you fairly, I promise.”
She didn’t reply and he sat on the side of the bed as she finished drinking her tea. “Lie down, Reese.”
She slid under the covers with a soft sigh and closed her eyes. When Kane joined her in the bed, she blinked at him in surprise but didn’t object when he pulled her up against his naked body. She relaxed against him, enjoying the warmth of his body, as he rubbed her lower back and nuzzled her throat affectionately.
She knew she should be telling him to stop. In a week or two there was the strong possibility that she would be mated to his alpha and she would never feel Kane’s touch again. His refusal to take her as his own mate, his willingness to just hand her over to Dagon without a second thought, brought the sting of tears and a low burn of anger toward him. She blinked rapidly before shifting out of his arms and turning her back to him.
“Reese? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said hoarsely. “I’m just tired.”
He curled his arm around her waist and moved her backward until she was pressed against his hard warmth again. She squirmed and tugged at his arm. “I’m not comfortable.”
He shifted her slightly but refused to let her go. After a few moments, she sighed loudly and stopped squirming.
“Just relax and go to sleep.” He kissed her throat as his fingers stroked the scar on her shoulder obsessively. “Close your eyes. I will keep you safe.”
His words sent a pang of sorrow through her. “Will you?”
“Aye.” He kissed her throat again as his fingers stroked and caressed and circled the bite mark. “No harm will come to you, Reese.”
Chapter 18
When she woke, Kane was gone and she slid out of the bed and helped herself to more tea. Her stomach and pelvis were throbbing but she didn’t feel as tired as she had before. When Kane still didn’t appear after half an hour, she gathered her dirty clothes from the floor and dressed.
She sniffed Kane’s shirt and grimaced. His shirt and her skirt were filthy and smelled terrible but she didn’t want to risk offending his cousin again. She re-braided her hair and then nervously stepped out of the cabin and into the cold sunlight. She picked her way through the trees toward the large clearing.
To her relief, Adina was sitting next to the campfire with four female shifters and she smiled cheerfully when Reese joined them.
“You look better.” She wrinkled her nose when Reese sat down beside her. “But you smell terrible.”
“Did they not give you clean clothes?” Adina frowned. She was wearing a long green skirt and a heavy sweater and she rubbed Reese’s arm. “You’re freezing already.”
Reese smiled tentatively at the other women as she held her hands out to the fire. “Raina brought me some of her mother’s clothing but then I met her brother and there was an issue.”
She didn’t want to say much more, unsure of what the female shifters staring curiously at her would think, but one of the females nodded.
“Aye, I imagine Radek would have been displeased to see you wearing his mother’s clothing.”
Reese gave the shifter another tentative smile. She was the oldest of the four with silver hair that hung almost to her knees. She had bright blue eyes and skin marred with wrinkles.
“Hello, I’m Reese.” She hesitated and then held out her hand. The old shifter stared curiously at it for a moment before glancing at the others.
They shrugged and, blushing, Reese let her hand drop.
“I’m Anna,” the shifter said. “And this is Verna, Kavine and Deena.”
“Hello. It’s nice to meet you,” Reese replied.
The shifter named Verna sniffed in her direction. “You smell strange for a human.”
Kavine covered her nose with her hand. “She smells rotten.”
“Kavine!” Anna gave her a fierce look. “This human could be our alpha’s mate. You will speak kindly about her or hold your tongue. Do you understand?”
“Aye, Anna,” Kavine replied. She gave Reese a sour look. “Although why must Dagon believe that a human would make a better mate than a shifter? They look like a strong wind would knock them over.”
Verna laughed. “Not the big one. She could stand against a gale force wind and not be injured.”
She cocked her head curiously at Reese. “How much food do you eat, human? I bet you eat more than our men. You should know that we will not simply gather food for you to eat, even if you become our alpha’s mate. You will be expected to help.”
Reese bit back her scathing retort and smiled at Verna instead. “I know. I’m more than willing to help out wherever it’s needed.”
Anna glared at Verna before turning to Reese. “Pay them no mind, human. They’re both spoiled little pups with nothing better to do than gossip.”
Both Kavine and Verna started to protest and Anna silenced them with a harsh growl. “I said to mind your tongues!”
They lowered their gazes to the ground at their feet and Anna smiled kindly at Reese. “We will find you some warmer clothing.”
“We have no clothing that will fit her, Anna. She is too fat.” Kavine couldn’t resist saying. “Neela’s clothing would be the only clothing close to her size, and Radek will tear her apart before he allows her to wear his mother’s clothing. She will have to continue to wear Kane’s clothing.”
She paused and leaned forward, studying Reese with bright curiosity. “Does Kane make you sleep on the floor?”
Reese blinked at her. “What?”
“Kane hates humans. I’m surprised he even allowed you through the door of his cabin.”
“He had no choice,” Verna reminded her. “Dagon ordered him to keep watch over her, remember?”
“I remember,” Kavine replied. “Does he make you sleep on the floor like a dog?”
Reese didn’t reply and Verna stared at her eagerly. “Well, does he? I could see him doing that. I’m surprised he even gave you his shirt. Although I suppose the last thing he wants to see is a naked human.”
“He bathes her and feeds her and holds her close to him in his bed. He cares for her like one would care for a delicate flower. She is precious to him.” A voice, raspy and stilted, spoke.
Reese, her face paling, stared at the shifter named Deena. The female looked to be around her age and she had dark brown eyes and long, dirty black hair that was tangled with bits of dried leaves and twigs. Her face and arms were smeared with dirt and her clothing stained. Her eyes darted back and forth and she licked her lips repeatedly.
Verna and Kavine stared at her in shocked silence before bursting into peals of loud laughter. Verna with tears leaking down her face, held her stomach and shook her head.
“Oh, Deena. You are mad, truly.”
“Verna!”
“I’m sorry, Anna. But even you must admit that is the maddest thing Deena has ever said. Kane caring for a human?”
Kavine, whose laughter had begun to taper off, was sent into another wild fit of giggles. “Remember the time he and Radek went to the human’s farm? They nearly killed the humans who lived there until Maven showed up and stopped them.”
“I remember.” Verna wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at Deena. “Whatever possessed you to say such a thing, Deena?”
Deena didn’t reply and Verna leaned over and touched Reese’s arm. “You must ignore whatever Deena says. Her brains were addled a year ago by an angry bear shifter and since then she says the strangest things.”
She paused and then stroked Reese’s arm. “This human’s skin is as soft as hers.” She pointed to Adina. “How do you make your skin so soft, humans?”
Adina shrugged. “It just is.”
“Here, feel mine.” Verna squeezed her way between them and Reese and Adina both touched the shifter’s arms. She was incredibly warm and Reese thought her skin was soft.
“Your skin feels soft to me,” she said.
“Does it?” Verna glanced at her. “Yours feels much softer. I hope it does not convince our males to mate with you.”
She hesitated. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Reese replied.
“They won’t,” Kavine said with finality. “Just because our alpha desires human women does not mean the others in our pack will lower themselves the way he has and take a human to their beds.”
Anna slapped her viciously across the face and Kavine made a loud whine of pain and shock as she fell from the log she was sitting on.
“Speak that way of our alpha again and I’ll take your tongue, foolish girl. This is your last warning,” Anna snarled.
Kavine whined in submission. “I am sorry, Anna. I’m just,” she stole a glance at Adina and Reese, “worried.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Verna said dismissively. She was holding the end of Reese’s braid and a lock of Adina’s hair and rubbing her fingers through the strands. “Radek will never take one of the humans.”
She smiled in a friendly manner at Reese. “Kavine is in love with Radek. She’s been trying for months to get him to mate with her but he refuses.”
“Shut up, Verna!” Kavine snapped as she brushed the dirt from her pants and sat back down on the log.
“You have very pretty eyes,” Verna said thoughtfully to Reese. “Their colour is so strange.” She leaned closer and sniffed her. “But you do smell terrible.”
“Is there somewhere I could wash my clothing?” Reese asked.
“Aye, you could wash them in the lake. Come, I’ll show you the way.” Verna took her hand and tugged her to her feet.
* * *
“Well, how are my potential mates today?” Dagon sat down in the chair and stared at the three shifters standing before him.
“Better, Dagon,” Hanif said quickly. “Adina is feeling much better.”
“Adina? Is that the blonde woman’s name?” Dagon asked.
Hanif nodded and Dagon glanced at Kane and Theran. “And the other two? What are their names?”
“Ghita is the smaller one and Reese the bigger,” Theran replied.
“Sit down, all of you.” Dagon waved irritably and the three shifters joined him around the fireplace. “Tell me your thoughts on them.”
Theran glanced quickly at the others. “All of them are very healthy, my alpha. Although Ghita may be a bit too timid for you.”
“Then why did you pick her?”
Dagon sighed. “I knew I should have sent Teagan and not you, Theran. You are quite useless.”
Theran turned a dull red but said nothing as Dagon gave him a cruel grin. Hanif cleared his throat. “Adina is not timid, my alpha, and she says that the women in her family are quite fertile.”
“Are they? That is good. She is prepared to have my pups then?”
“Aye,” Hanif answered.
“And what of yours, Kane? Is she a suitable mate for your alpha?”
Kane didn’t reply and Dagon frowned irritably as Theran leaned forward. “She would be, Dagon. She has a fiery spirit and I know you like that.”
Kane had to stop himself from glaring at the man. He understood what Theran was trying to do but he could barely control his urge to throttle the man into silence.
“I do. She’s a bit on the large side though, isn’t she?”
“It would probably make it easier for her to have your pups,” Theran said eagerly.
“That is something to consider. Still,” he glanced at Kane, “we will restrict her food until she is at a more pleasing weight. A few months of just plants and a bit of meat will help thin her down.”
“Dagon, you cannot starve the human,” Kane snapped.
Dagon gave him an assessing look. “Are you disobeying my command, Kane?”
“Of course not,” he muttered.
“Good. Then you will tell our females to feed the human only once a day. In fact, do not give her any meat at all.”
He paused. “Can the humans eat raw meat?”
“No, my alpha,” Hanif replied. “Adina says it will make them sick. They must eat cooked meat.”
Dagon sighed with annoyance. “Are we sure of this? Have you tried them on raw meat?”
“No, but the humans aren’t like us, Dagon.”
“I suppose they are not. I should have thought of that before I brought them into the pack. The smell of cooked meat turns my stomach. The one I choose will have to get used to eating raw meat or eat only plants.”