The Shifter's Mate (Other World Series Book Three)

by Ramona Gray

  “They can cook the meat outside, Dagon,” Kane replied. “There is no need to force them to eat the way we do. You want your mate to be healthy enough to give you pups, do you not?”

  “What has gotten into you, Kane? Since when do you care about humans?”

  “I don’t.” Kane gave him a brittle smile.

  Dagon stared into the fire for a moment. “I will spend time with each of them before I make my decision. Does the fat one still bleed?”

  “Aye, and will continue to do so for a few days. The moon is only just full for her,” Kane replied.

  A look of disgust passed over Dagon’s face. “Shifter or human, it does not matter – females are more trouble than they are worth. Always whining and crying, and always demanding your attention. It is enough to drive a wolf mad.”

  The three shifters didn’t reply and Dagon stood up. “Once I have chosen my mate, any of the pack who wish to do so can try out the other two.”

  “Try them out?” Theran asked.

  “Aye.” Dagon nodded. “I will not expect my pack brothers to hold the female humans in the same regard as our pack females. If they want to try fucking either of the humans, they will be allowed to.”

  “You cannot be serious!” Kane shouted. “What has gotten into you, Dagon? Not even you would be so cruel as to allow innocent humans to be raped and abused by your pack.”

  Dagon’s face turned red and he struck Kane across the face. Blood flowed from Kane’s mouth and he clenched his hands into fists as he glared at the alpha. Dagon stared at his clenched hands, an amused smile playing on his lips.

  “Will you challenge your alpha, Kane? Is that what this is about? You covet my right to rule?”

  Kane, breathing like an angry bull, continued to stare at Dagon.

  “Well, do you?”

  After a long tense moment, Kane relaxed his body. “No, Dagon. I do not.”

  “Good.” Dagon smiled thinly at him. “Now all of you get out of my sight.”

  The three shifters left the alpha’s cabin. As they walked toward the clearing, Theran placed a tentative hand on Kane’s arm. “Kane? What got into you back there?”

  Kane glared at him. “So you think it’s fine that Adina or Ghita or Reese will be raped by our pack? What has gotten into you?”

  “You know as well as I do that no one in our pack will rape the human females.” Theran gave him a surprised look. “Dagon will make his choice and if our pack brothers desire the other two, they will treat them as well as they treat our females. It does not matter what Dagon tells them they are allowed to do.”

  Kane didn’t reply and Theran shrugged before calling across the clearing to Anna. The old shifter was sitting alone by the fire and she raised her hand in acknowledgment before walking toward them.

  “What is it, Theran?”

  “The bigger female, Reese is her name?”

  “What about her?”

  “Dagon wants you to restrict her food. She is to have only one meal a day, just plants and no meat. He believes her to be too fat.”

  A low growl was rising in Kane’s chest and Anna gave him an odd look. “What is it, Kane?”

  “Nothing,” he snapped before storming away.

  “What is wrong with Kane?” Anna asked.

  “We have no idea,” Theran replied. “He has been acting odd since the rains ended.”

  “He is just unhappy that there are humans in the pack now,” Hanif said. “He had to spend the entire rains alone in a cave with Reese and she drives him crazy.”

  “Does she?” Anna said thoughtfully.

  “She does. She never stops talking and keep this to yourself, but the human is as mad as Deena.”

  “She does not appear mad.”

  “She is,” Hanif said cheerfully. “Completely mad.”

  “Be quiet, Hanif,” Theran said nervously as he glanced behind him at Dagon’s cabin.

  “Where are the humans, anyway?” Hanif asked.

  “They went to the lake so that the big one could wash her clothing,” Anna replied. “Kavine and Verna took them.”

  “Do you like the humans?” Theran asked curiously.

  “They seem nice. I have yet to meet the one you keep hidden in your cabin.”

  Theran smiled nervously. “She is very tired. She needs a bit more rest.”

  “Perhaps if you allowed her to sleep at night she would not be so tired, Theran.”

  He blushed. “I do not know what you mean, Anna.”

  “Do you forget that your cabin is next to mine?” Anna said dryly. “You should either close your windows or teach your human to lower her voice when you are fucking her.”

  Hanif laughed and clapped Theran on the back. “Come, Theran. Let us find the rest of the pack and join them in the hunt.”

  Chapter 19

  “Kane is going to be angry that you took another of his shirts,” Verna said.

  She watched as Reese finished rinsing the soap from her skirt and wrung it out before hanging it over one of the lower branches of the large tree that grew beside the lake.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Reese glanced upward. Deena had wandered after them and climbed the tree. She was sitting on one of the branches that grew out over the lake and staring down into the water.

  “She’s fine,” Kavine said dismissively. “She’s always doing stupid stuff.”

  She shaded her eyes against the sun and shouted at Deena. “Why don’t you go into the lake and bathe, Deena? You’re filthy!”

  The shifter ignored her and Kavine rolled her eyes before sitting next to Adina on a large boulder. “Why Borek doesn’t just take her out into the woods and end her misery, I’ll never understand.”

  “Kavine!” Verna gave her a shocked look. “Why would you say such a thing?”

  “She cannot be happy. Borek can’t even get her to bathe. She hardly eats, and everything she says is nonsense,” Kavine replied. “Borek is wasting his time with her. She’ll never bear him pups now.”

  Reese, wearing just Kane’s shirt and shivering in the cold breeze, frowned at Kavine. “That’s a very cruel thing to say.”

  Kavine rolled her eyes. “Hold your tongue, human. You know nothing.”

  “Ignore her, human. She’s just being nasty because Radek spoke dismissively to her this morning. Something put him in a foul mood,” Verna said.

  She studied Reese’s lips. “Your lips are blue. Is that normal for human females?”

  “I’m a little cold.” Reese stomped her feet and waved her arms around.

  “Well, you’ll have to get used to it. We have no warm clothes to fit you.”

  “Do the male shifters not have warmer clothes?” Adina asked curiously. They had stopped at Kane’s cabin on their way to the lake, and she and Reese had searched through Kane’s limited amount of clothing but had found only thin pants and shirts.

  Verna shook her head. “No. They have no need for warmer clothing. Female shifters stay quite warm but our mates are even warmer - even in their human forms. Besides, most of the men stay in their wolf forms.”

  “Do you prefer your human forms?” Reese asked.

  “It depends. In the warmer months we spend more time in our human forms. In the colder months, our wolf forms.”

  She eyed Reese’s shaking body. “If Dagon does not take you as his mate, you’d better hope one of the other males in our pack decides to. Now that the rains have come and gone, it’s only going to get colder. You’ll freeze to death without a male to keep you warm.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Kavine said. “She’s got plenty of fat to keep her warm.”

  Reese ignored the shifter and straightened the wet shirt that was draped across the branch next to her skirt. If Dagon didn’t choose her, perhaps Kane would.

  He won’t. Stop with your silly dreams and figure out what you’re going to do if Dagon does choose you.

  She sighed and picked up the soap that Verna had given her. Her feet and lower legs were black with d
irt already and steeling herself against the cold, she waded into the water and scrubbed at her legs and feet.

  If Dagon did choose her, she would try and escape into the forest during the night. She would wait until he let his guard down and then –

  “Deena, stop that!” Verna cried shrilly.

  Reese looked up as Deena jumped from the branch she was standing on and dropped like a stone into the lake.

  “She can’t swim!” Verna cried. Fur was growing on her face and she gave Kavine a panicked look.

  The girl shrugged. “We cannot swim either.”

  “Here we go again,” Reese muttered. She swam toward the spot where Deena had disappeared and dove under the water. The female shifter was sitting on the bottom of the lake, a string of bubbles rising from her nose and staring calmly at her. Reese swam to her, grabbed her arm and lifted her to the surface.

  They broke through the water and Deena took a deep breath and lay limply against Reese as she struggled toward the shore. When her feet touched the bottom, she helped Deena to stand.

  “Are you all right, Deena?”

  The woman studied her carefully. Despite the coldness of her water she wasn’t trembling and her skin was flush with warmth. She reached out and touched Reese’s mouth.

  “You are precious to him.”

  “Shh,” Reese said nervously. She glanced at Adina and the two shifters standing anxiously on the shoreline. “I’m not, Deena. Kane doesn’t like me, okay?”

  Deena grinned at her. “Kane’s pretty little flower. He wants to put a pup in his flower’s belly.” She pressed her hand against Reese’s stomach and Reese shook her head.

  “No, he doesn’t. Just keep your voice down, okay?”

  “Okay,” Deena said softly.

  Reese was still clutching the soap in her hand and Deena ran her finger through the rapidly disintegrating gel.

  “Do you want to bathe, Deena?” Reese said. “I can help you wash your hair.”

  Deena shrugged and then surprised Reese by pulling her shirt over her head and dropping it into the lake.

  “Oh, Deena.” Reese stared horrified at the scars that crisscrossed the woman’s abdomen and chest. “Did the bear shifter do this to you?”

  “Bear,” Deena said quietly.

  “I’m sorry, honey.”

  “Sorry, honey,” Deena repeated. She scooped some of the soap from Reese’s hand and rubbed it haphazardly against her scalp.

  “Here, let me help you.” Although her body was beginning to go numb from the cold water, she waded behind Deena and lathered her long dark hair as the shifter tilted her head and stared silently into the sky.

  * * *

  “Kane!”

  “Borek? What is wrong?” Kane asked as the older shifter jogged toward him.

  “Where is the big human?” Borek asked anxiously.

  “In my cabin, I assume. Why?”

  “Deena is missing! Verna said she fell into the lake earlier and the big human took her to our cabin but she is not there. I want to speak to the human!”

  They were almost at Kane’s doorstep and Borek growled under his breath. “If the human has hurt her, if she has harmed my mate, I do not care what Dagon says. I will rip out her throat.”

  “Enough, Borek. Reese will not have hurt Deena,” Kane growled back. He opened the door, growling again when Borek pushed past him.

  “Deena! Deena, are you in here?” He shouted before stumbling to a stop.

  “Deena?” He whispered.

  Kane peered past him. Reese had pulled one of the chairs close to the fire and Deena was sitting on it. She was dressed in fresh clothing, her skin was pink and clean and her usual wild and dirty hair had been washed and combed. Reese looked up with her fingers tangled in Deena’s hair as Borek stared at them.

  “Hi there. You must be Borek. I’m Reese.” She smiled at him before continuing to braid Deena’s hair.

  “Deena?” Borek whispered again. He knelt in front of his mate and took her hand. “Are you all right, my love?”

  “All right, my love,” Deena said in a sing-song voice. Borek kissed the knuckles of her hand tenderly.

  “What happened?”

  When Deena didn’t reply, Reese smiled at him. “She just took a bit of a dip in the lake while I was washing my clothes. We decided we might as well bathe while we were in there. Isn’t that right, Deena?”

  “Deena smelled bad,” the woman said solemnly.

  Reese squeezed her shoulder. “That’s okay, Deena. I didn’t smell that great myself.”

  “Stinky flower.” Deena laughed loudly and Reese grinned at her.

  “Well, we both smell better now.” She finished braiding Deena’s hair and tied the end with a small piece of leather. “There you go, honey, all done.”

  Borek stood and helped Deena to her feet. He stared at his mate before putting his arm around her and kissing her temple. “You look lovely.”

  “Pretty Deena?” Deena smiled shyly at him and put her arm around his waist.

  “Very pretty,” Borek said softly. He glanced at Reese. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Come, my love, it is time to eat.” He guided Deena toward the door. “Kane, are you coming?”

  “Aye. We’ll be out shortly.”

  “Kane’s flower,” Deena said solemnly.

  “What, my love?” Borek frowned.

  “Kane’s pretty little flower. She is precious to him.” She pointed to Reese.

  Borek glanced first at Kane and then at Reese. A strange look came over his face and Kane hurried toward him. “Borek, she speaks nonsense. You know that.”

  “Aye,” Borek said quietly. He nodded to Kane and holding Deena’s hand firmly, led her from the cabin.

  Reese gave Kane a nervous look. “I don’t know why she keeps saying that. I told her it wasn’t true and asked her not to say it.”

  “She speaks nonsense. No one in our pack listens to her,” Kane replied.

  Reese frowned. “I know she says odd things but it isn’t nonsense, Kane.”

  Without replying, Kane took her arm and led her toward the door. “Come, it is time to eat.”

  “Do you eat together all the time?” She asked curiously.

  He nodded. “For the most part. We like to be together.”

  Reese supposed they did. The pack was important, even she could see that. If the way Kane and Theran and Hanif refused to disobey their alpha didn’t indicate a pack mentality, nothing did.

  “Reese? Hold your tongue, all right?” Kane said anxiously. “Dagon will be there and he won’t go near you but he’ll be watching and listening. Do not speak of your world.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Do you promise me?” Kane’s fingers were digging into her arm and she pulled it free with an irritated look.

  “Yes, shifter. I promise. I am capable of keeping my mouth shut from time to time. I spent two days not speaking to you in the cave, or have you forgotten?”

  “I have not forgotten,” Kane growled at her before pulling her into his embrace. He squeezed her full ass and nipped at her earlobe before breathing hotly, “Do not plan on doing that again, Reese. I did not like it.”

  She pushed her way out of his embrace and straightened her skirt. “What’s with your fearless leader and menstrual cycles, anyway?”

  Kane shrugged. “He is squeamish about certain things.”

  Reese rolled her eyes. “Well, let’s hope his squeamishness doesn’t seep into the bedroom. He sounds like a prude, and I might not be that experienced but I’m not a pr – “

  She squeaked in surprise when Kane snarled angrily and yanked her back into his embrace. He wrapped his hand in her hair and held her tightly as he glared at her. “Do not speak of being in his bed again. Do you hear me, human?”

  She scowled at him. “Jealous, shifter? Don’t worry, if he picks me I’ll keep the sex details to myself.”

  Kane howled angrily, his eyeteeth lengthening
with a harsh pop, as he squeezed her more tightly.

  Reese, what are you doing? Her inner voice moaned. Stop goading him, for God’s sake!

  He bent his head until his mouth was only inches from hers. “You are mine, human. Mine! Say it!”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I will not.”

  “Say it!” He growled.

  She gave him a defiant look as there was a knock on the door of his cabin. It opened and Verna stuck her head in. “Kane, we are waiting for – “

  She paused, her eyes widening and her hand squeezing the door nervously. She stared at Kane’s hand wrapped in Reese’s hair, the fangs that were protruding from his mouth and the way his large body was bent over hers.

  “Do not kill her, Kane. Dagon will kill you if you do,” she said quickly. She glanced behind her. “Calm down and let go of the human.”

  Kane released her so quickly that she stumbled. Verna, keeping a wary eye on the shifter, reached out and snagged Reese’s arm. She pulled her toward the door. “Come, Reese. You can sit with me at dinner.”

  She pulled Reese out the door and Kane made a short howl of frustration before slamming his fist into the wall of the cabin. The skin on his knuckles tore on the rough wood and he grunted in pain before sucking the blood from his skin. He took a few deep breaths as he waited for the bleeding to stop. Verna seeing them was a good thing. She had thought he was close to killing Reese and she would quickly spread what she had seen to the rest of the pack. The girl was more talkative than his mate. His pack mates knew of his hatred for the humans and Verna’s gossiping would ensure that no one suspected he felt differently about Reese. Well, no one but Radek, but his cousin would keep his secret.

  * * *

  Reese, her head spinning, smiled at the wolf shifter standing in front of her. Kane’s entire pack had been milling about the clearing when Verna had dragged her from his cabin, and the woman had wasted no time introducing her to nearly everyone. She had already forgotten most of their names and she rubbed her aching belly as Verna hooked her arm around hers.

  “Teagan, give her some space,” the shifter said irritably.