Fairytale Shifters

by Alexa Riley

  Some of the tension leaves his body, and he cups my face. “It’s been so long since I cared about anything. I don’t think I could survive without you. In fact, I know I couldn't. I want to make you happy. I want you to be here because you want to, not because our mated bond makes you.”

  “How do you know I don’t feel the same way? Hmm? You’re the biggest wolf I’ve ever seen in my life. Any shifter woman would be proud to be your mate.”

  “You had me before the mating, or have you forgotten already? I was once so worried, I thought about stealing you on your eighteenth birthday and keeping you. I would lock us away somewhere our mates could never find us so we would never be apart, mating bond or not. Until…” His words trail off like they always seem to do when he thinks about his mother and sister.

  “I missed you.” His eyes snap back to mine. “When you stopped coming and watching me, you took a piece of me with you. I finally just got it back.” I lay my hand over his heart and feel it beat wildly. “We were made for each other. I can feel it in my soul. I’m here because I want to be. I came for you in that cage not because of some mating heat, I came because you’re my other half.”

  He pulls my face to his, our mouths locking in a soft kiss. When he pulls back, I can tell it took everything in him to do it.

  “I need to feed you.” His tone is firm, like I might argue with him, but my stomach rumbles at the same time, agreeing with him. That makes him chuckle. Taking one last kiss, he pulls away from me and starts taking out what seems like everything he has in the refrigerator.

  I look at all the items and wonder what he might possibly be making. He seems confused by what to do with all of it now that it’s out.

  “Why don’t you go get me a shirt, and I’ll cook for us?”

  “No.”

  “No?” I raise my eyebrows at him, and he just shrugs. “It’s no big deal. I can cook. I actually really like doing it.”

  “I meant ‘no’ to the shirt. I like you bare. I can mount you anytime I want.”

  I can’t say that I disagree, enjoying my view of his naked ass strolling all over the kitchen, but I’m not cooking naked.

  “I could get burnt from splatter.” He drops a pan he pulled from a drawer and leaves the kitchen heading down the hall without a word. Two seconds later, he’s back with a shirt and slides it over my head.

  “The only marks on your skin are to be made by me.” He leaves the kitchen again, only to return with a chair. He puts it in the middle of the kitchen, planting his ass in it.

  “I’ll make sure no harm comes to you while you cook.” He sits there, watching my every move. Okay then.

  I keep it simple, grabbing some eggs and steak and getting to work on making us something to eat. It’s then I can take in my new home.

  “You built this?” I ask, cracking the eggs into the pan and adding in a few ingredients. It’s gorgeous, but it seems kind of empty.

  “I built it for you.” And there it is. He built the house, and he was waiting for me to make it a home. He wants me to bring it to life, something he might think I’ll do myself, but we’ll do it together. He and our kids will fill it with life, paint the bare walls with our memories.

  Throwing the steaks on next, I try to broach the subject carefully. I thought about waiting until after the next full moon when the mating heat isn’t riding us so hard, but someone will come before that.

  “We have to face them,” I tell him as I stir the eggs. A loud growl that would send most wolves running fills the room, but I don’t even flinch. In fact, I turn and roll my eyes at him. He’s all bark and no bite. Scratch that, he does bite but only in the most pleasurable ways.

  “The sooner we get this over with, the better. Why put off the inevitable? We face my brother and be done with it.” I turn back to the stove, turning the steaks.

  “What if he wants to challenge me? I’d kill your brother.”

  I turn and face him. I think he could win in an alpha challenge against my brother. But I don’t want him to be alpha. I want him to be mine. I’ve seen what kind of responsibilities my brother has had leading the pack. I’ll share Xavier with no one, other than our pups.

  “You want to be alpha?”

  “No.” His answer is instant. “But I won’t let anyone take what’s mine. Alpha or not, I won’t tolerate that from anyone.”

  “Would you do anything for me?”

  “Without question.”

  I smile at his words, but then I see something flash across his face. A touch of anger. “Except give you up,” he adds, as a knock lands on the door.

  Chapter 11

  Xavier

  I stand up and go to walk toward the door, but Gwen catches my arm. I turn back and see her take a breath.

  “It’s Winne. Go puts some pants on. I don’t want her seeing you naked.” She sounds irritated by that thought, and I can’t help but love her possessive nature when it comes to me.

  “I want no other. You have no reason to be jealous,” I remind her, wanting her to know I'd never want another.

  She gives me a hard look that makes me smile before I run back to the bedroom and pull on a pair of loose shorts. I make it back to the living room as Gwen goes to the door.

  Running over, I step in front of her and grab the doorknob. I look at Gwen over my shoulder. “You stay right here. I’ll handle this.”

  She rolls her eyes at me but doesn’t move. “You could have least put a shirt on, too.” She eyes my hairy chest and licks her lips.

  I need to get this Winnie person out of here as fast as possible. I want to be alone with my mate. I jerk open the door and see a short dark-haired girl in baggy clothes looking down at the ground.

  “What do you want?”

  “Xavier!” Gwen’s voice is chastising as she pushes me out of the way and opens the door wider. “Come inside, Winne.”

  I grab Gwen’s hand and pull her behind me. I want to be able to deal with any threat. She peeks around me as Winnie comes into the living room. She’s still staring at the ground and doesn’t look up at me.

  “Winnie, what’s wrong? Why are you out here?”

  The little shifter finally looks up and meets my eyes, only to look away again. “He’s coming.”

  “Who?” I ask, looking at the front door.

  “Stone,” Gwen says from behind me, her voice laced with anger.

  “I overheard him talking to Dominic, and he’s on his way. I followed your scent and came to warn you.” Winnie looks up into Gwen’s eyes, and I see tenderness there. “You’re a good friend to me, and I think you deserve happiness with your mate. Not to be broken apart. I can’t believe he’s doing this to you.”

  “Thank you. Anyone who is kind to my mate is welcome in our home,” I tell her.

  Gwen runs back to the bedroom, leaving Winnie standing in the living room, and I follow behind her. She grabs a pair of my running shorts and slips them on, rolling the waist a dozen times to get them to stay up.

  “What are you doing?” I watch her movements, wondering why she’s putting on clothes.

  “I just want to be ready for whatever happens.”

  I walk over and take her face in my hands and try to rub the worry lines away from her forehead. “Nothing is going to happen. You aren’t going anywhere. This is your home now, and you are my mate. Nothing and no one will change that.”

  She reaches up and puts her hand over mine, and we press our foreheads together.

  The sound of the front door opening has us both looking up. Grabbing Gwen’s hand, I move towards the living room.

  “He’s here,” Winnie says, looking out the open doorway to the clearing in front of the house.

  “Stay here,” I order, leaving Gwen inside with Winnie as I walk out onto the porch.

  Stone walks from the tree line just as I reach the edge of the porch. He walks through the clearing and stands a few feet away as walk down the steps to meet him.

  He’s looking at the house and the surro
unding area with a questioning look in his eyes. He doesn’t ask anything, and I can sense he’s one pissed-off alpha.

  “What do you want, Stone?” I don’t have time for games. He needs to say what he wants and leave. I have a mate to bond with.

  “I needed to check on my sister. I saw you broke out of the cell. Where is she?” His anger is palpable, but I don’t care. He doesn’t intimidate me.

  “She’s fine. You can go now.”

  “I need to see her, Xavier. I know how you’ve been these past few years. I need to make sure she’s okay.” He spits the words at me as if my sorrow over the loss of my family was something I could control.

  “Get off my property. If you don’t, we’ll fight. And I will win.” I clench my fists at my side. I’m not intimidated by his words.

  “You’ll have to kill me.”

  “If that’s what it takes.”

  “Enough!” Gwen’s shout has me turning around. I see her standing on the porch with her hands on her hips. “I’m here, Stone. I’m fine. You can go home and leave my mate and me to our bonding.”

  “Gwen, are you okay?”

  “What is wrong with you, Stone? You’re acting crazy. Shifters don’t hurt their mates. You locked mine up and tried to keep him from me. You know what that would have done to him. What it would have done to me. Why are you acting this way? You’ve gone crazy!”

  I see Winnie step onto the porch behind Gwen, and I feel a shift in Stone. Anyone else wouldn’t feel it, but because I found my mate before she was of age, I know what it is. There’s a longing in Stone, along with the need to hold back. He’s terrified because his heart wants her, but his wolf doesn’t know if she’s the one.

  Suddenly, all his talk from when I was in the cell makes sense. He’s angry with himself because he’s doing all the things I did with Gwen when she was young.

  “Stone.” I say his name low, and his eyes shoot to mine. “Do you see what I have built for Gwen? Do you see that I pulled myself through the grief so I could be a worthy mate for her?” He looks around at the house and then back to me. I’m sure I look a sight better after the trim she gave my long hair and beard. “Do you see that what happened before happened for a reason?”

  His eyes come back to me, and I can see a slight nod. He understands my meaning, and I feel some of the tension between us fade.

  He looks at Gwen and raises his chin. “You’re the only family I have left. I’m sorry, but I just needed to make sure you were okay.”

  Gwen steps off the porch and goes to walk past me, but I grab her wrist. She turns to look into my eyes, then reaches up to touch my face.

  “You said you would do anything for me. I’m not going anywhere, Xavier.”

  I take a breath and nod, releasing her wrist. She turns towards Stone and goes to him, giving him a hug. He wraps his arms around her, and I can see he is relieved she is okay, and also that she is in a safe place. I can only imagine how I would have been with my sister. If I tried to put myself in his position, I may have acted the same. I would have only wanted what was best for her.

  She releases her hold and immediately comes back to my side, nearly wrapping her entire body around me. It comforts me that she needs my touch just as much as I need hers.

  “Give us a few weeks. We’d like to have you over for dinner after the full moon.” I look down at Gwen and raise my eyebrow. I guess we’re hosting a dinner party. I will always give her whatever she wants.

  Stone just nods and looks over my shoulder at Winnie. I see it again, and I feel what’s happening between them. I have no doubt they’ll be mated together. I don’t know why he’s too blinded by his own self-hatred to see it. I can’t really see much of Winnie under her long hair and baggy clothes, but she smells nice. I’m sure she’ll make him a good mate and bear lots of cubs.

  I look over at Stone and his eyes come back to mine. “Do you see it yet?”

  The movement nearly imperceptible, but I see he nods his head.

  “What?” Gwen asks, and I just lean down, kissing the top of her head.

  “Later, my love,” is all I say.

  I turn us back towards the house, and Gwen reaches out, hugging Winnie as we go inside. “I’ll call you tomorrow. I’ll have X bring me into town to get the rest of my things.

  “I’ll escort you back to town,” Stone says to Winnie.

  A small blush blossoms across her cheeks as she follows the alpha out of the clearing and to the line of trees where the forest begins.

  I pick up Gwen and toss her over my shoulder, hurriedly taking her back into the house and to our bedroom. She giggles as I toss her onto the bed and climb on top of her, and she pulls at my clothes.

  “I need to be inside you.”

  She giggles again as the material rips, and I bare her breasts to my hungry eyes. “You got so worked up from the confrontation. Maybe I should have more people come challenge you. I kind of like this.”

  Leaning down, I growl against her skin as I pull out my hard cock and thrust inside her. She moans at being filled, my cock nearly too big for her small channel.

  “I will win every challenge. I would fight to the death for you.”

  “Xavier,” she moans as I thrust harder and deeper. “Just make love to me.”

  Pulling out of her heat, I lean back on my heels and turn her body over. Gwen whines and protests at the loss of my cock, but once she’s on all fours with her ass presented to me, I thrust back inside her again.

  “I need you like this, Gwen. My wolf wants to mount you, but I’m still in control. I think after I cum inside you, we should go for a run in the woods as our wolves. I want to mate you in wolf form, too.”

  She moans at my words and pushes her ass back against me harder. Lowering her chest to the bed, she spreads her legs wider, baring her body to me and letting me know I can have her however I want.

  I reach down and take a handful of her hair while I grip her hip and thrust harder. I bend down and place my teeth on her shoulder, and she moans loudly.

  “Mark me, Xavier.”

  My teeth begin to ache, and I bite down, sending her over the edge into an orgasm that is fierce and fast. She grips me harder, her pulses pulling the semen from me. I have no choice but to bathe her womb in my seed, breeding her and binding her to me.

  Once we’re both coming down from our rabid pleasure, I lick the wound, healing it for her. There will always be a faint scar anywhere I mark her, but we both like the idea of our ownership showing.

  “I love you, Gwen,” I whisper against her skin. I’m still inside her, bent over her body, blanketing hers with mine. “I know we are mated, and it goes so far beyond the realm of love, but I love you. I needed to say that.”

  She lowers her ass, letting me slip from her body, and turns over underneath me. She holds my face, smiling at me with tears in her eyes, and nods. “I understand. I love you, too, Xavier.”

  “Now let me feed you.”

  I pull Gwen from the bed, and we go to the kitchen and dive into the food she has prepared. It warms my heart that she made a meal for me. I should do everything for her, but I understand that we are partners in this. Having her care for me too makes me feel treasured.

  Chapter 12

  Gwen

  “Hi.”

  “Jesus!” Ruby screams, turning around and wielding the rolling pin in her hand like a weapon. “I almost popped these babies out! You scared the shit out of me, Gwen.” Her eyes are wide at my sudden appearance. I need to remember she can’t hear like us. A shifter would’ve heard me unlock the door.

  “Sorry.” I drop my purse onto one of the prep tables in the back of the bakery. “I didn’t think you’d be in so early with the full moon last night.” Making my way over to the sink, I grab an apron and slip it on before I start to wash my hands.

  “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you either. What’s it been, weeks, since you left that little love cabin X has you stashed away in? I was sure you were lost to us forever.”
I hear the sound of the rolling pin hit the counter.

  Guilt hits me hard as I turn to face her. She looks exhausted. Her red hair is up in a messy bun, and she doesn’t look like she’s had much sleep. I’m guessing she didn’t sleep with the full moon last night. Mates go at it like crazy, and to top it off, she’s carrying three pups. It doesn’t help that she’s human. She might have gotten a few shifter traits when she mated Dom, but the pregnancy would be hard on her, no matter what. Wolves only carry for three months, something the human body isn’t designed to do.

  I’ve left her high and dry with the bakery, but my mate wasn’t so inclined to let me out of the house. The only reason I’m even here now is because I banged him until he passed out. The mating heat took hold of us, then I gave him the slip when the first light of day hit.

  It might have been sneaky, but my brute of a mate needs to learn that I might leave sometimes, but I’ll always come back.

  “I’m sorry, Ruby. Things have been...” I can’t think of the right word. Too many words come to mind. Perfect, crazy, intense, exhausting, overbearing? It’s been all those things rolled into one giant ball that made my heart race and my stomach flutter. And I loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I have my mate, the missing piece to my soul. I’ve never been happier in my life, but I still feel guilty for leaving Ruby in a bind. She’s part of why I found my mate. She gave me the job at the bakery that started Xavier and I on the path to each other once again.

  “It’s fine.” She wobbles over towards a chair, placing her butt firmly in it, and I can tell she’s anything but fine.

  “I called in some people to train so you’re not spread so thin with the bakery. I’d love to train them for you,” I offer, knowing I might be training myself out of a job, but it’s the least I can do after leaving her to handle this on her own. I love working at the bakery, but Ruby has to do what she has to do. She has three pups on the way, and I’m willing to do whatever will make her happy and show my appreciation for how great she’s been to me. Not only did she give me a job when I had zero experience, but she also gave me her little apartment so I could get away from my brother. Two things I’ll always be grateful for.