Fighting for her Mate: Shape Shifter Paranormal Romance (Sassy Mates Book 5)

by Milly Taiden

  “Oh,” Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. “Then this meeting should be easy since we aren’t doing anything radical.”

  “It should be easy, ma’am. All we need is for Nicole to leave with us.” The room erupted into chaos. Chairs flipped back as bodies sprang from them. Yells got louder as each family member told the visitors where they could go. A loud crack of a bone leading into a shift drew everyone’s eyes to Jake.

  Nicole took Jake’s face in her hands and brought him down to her level. “Jake, honey. Look at me.” His normal eye color had given way to the wolf’s. “Listen to me. Calm down. We’re civilized and we will talk like civilized people. No need for a fight. Let’s see what they have to say.” She took his hand and guided him to their chair. The room quieted and the other couples followed suit.

  Under any other circumstance, Nicole might have been concerned, but seeing how the entire family had jumped to their feet in her defense helped her keep her shit together. She looked at the two visitors. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your names and positions within the pack.”

  The men looked a bit pale compared to a minute ago. But what did they expect? The taller of the two turned to her. “I’m Paul Montgomery, pack enforcer, and this is Turner White, also an enforcer. Are you Nicole Acosta?” His eyes slid down her curvy frame. A deep growl started low in Jake’s throat. “You must be Jake Wolfe, her mate.”

  “Good guess, asshole. Why are you looking at my woman?”

  Nic elbowed him in the gut and whispered, “Stop taunting him. Apologize for calling him an ass--”

  “No, I’m not apologizing. Did you see the way he looked—” His face scrunched.

  “Jake, calm down—”

  Paul lifted a hand in placation. “I apologize for the rude stare a moment ago. I wasn’t prepared for someone of your small stature to be the one who took down our alpha.”

  Nicole elbowed Jake again and gave him a “see, I told you there was a reason” look. She swiveled to Paul. “Yes, it is a bit shocking. But size doesn’t always reflect inner strength and determination when it comes to survival instinct.”

  Paul nodded. “You’re very correct. Which brings me to the reason we’re here.” He set his glass of water on the coffee table. “As you know, universal pack law says whoever kills an alpha male is to take the alpha position of the defeated pack. Since you’re a female, that has presented a conundrum for us.”

  Nic raised her brows. “Let me guess, you can’t stand the idea of a woman ruling over you men.”

  Paul and Turner glanced at each other before Paul answered. “Well, uh, yes. But the pack has come to a groundbreaking decision. Being in Las Vegas, we’re very much up with the times of the human world. And it’s been decided that having a female alpha as leader is acceptable, if mated to a male alpha.”

  Indignant heat flared in her face. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward in Jake’s lap. “Are you actually telling me, to my face, that a female can be your leader only if mated to a male who could also lead? Will said male really be the leader while the female carries only the title?”

  She jumped to her feet. “Listen here, you—”

  Jake grabbed her around the waist, whispering, “Be calm, remember?”

  She fought his grip. “Being calm is for you, not me. I can rant any time I choose.”

  “That’s right! You go, girl.” Emma cheered Nic on before Mason could get a hand over her mouth.

  Jake had to lift Nic off the floor to haul her back to the chair, but she kept up her fight. “You can bet your scrawny ass, I won’t be just a figurehead. I’ll be the real thing. Your pack has never been as fucking happy as I’ll make them.”

  Paul looked pale again. “We intend for you to be a real leader. Really. Also, there is a male in the pack who wants a challenge to the death for the position.”

  The room burst into chaos again. A few of the brothers looked ready to throw the Las Vegas enforcers out the door. The women had gathered around Nicole and Jake, each giving their thoughts on feminism and staying alive.

  A loud whistle cut through the air, silencing everyone. Jake raised his voice. “Everyone settle down. As my kick-ass alpha mate just stated this is a civilized discussion. Please, everyone take a seat.” Angry faces and low grumbles dispersed to their previous corners.

  Jake plopped Nic onto his lap and met her eyes. No words were spoken between them, but they didn’t need that archaic form of communication. They were mates with a bond and were destined to be together. The perfect match for each other. Jake gave a tentative nod and Nicole gave back a smile.

  Both turned to the enforcers. “Nic and I have come to the conclusion that we will interview the Las Vegas pack to see if we’re a good fit.” As expected, they received confused looks.

  Nic sat straighter. “What that means is, there are conditions that must be met before we go. First, if we decide to take the position, Jake will invoke the law for the right of a mate to fight on behalf of the other. That is a must, if we get that far.

  “Second, we request the pack give us a few days to meet everyone and talk with them about issues and concerns they have with this whole new alpha thing. They need to understand we’re not there to immediately takeover, but to talk to make decisions.”

  She looked over her shoulder at Jake. “Am I forgetting anything?” He whispered into her ear. Nic rolled her eyes. “We’ll discuss that later.”

  Paul seemed worried at Jake’s secrecy, so Nic shared with the group. “He wants to have a guys’ night out at the casino.” The brothers high-fived and the gals just groaned remembering the last time they were all in Vegas.

  Turner, the quiet one of the two enforcers, smiled. “I think you’ll make a great alpha.”

  Nicole shrugged. “Maybe, but that,” she said, referring to her answer to Jake, “was based on knowing how my mate acts in Vegas.”

  Paul set a file folder on the low table in front of them. “Sounds great. Here are your plane tickets for tonight. We’ll meet you at the gate.” Both men stood.

  “Wait a minute.” Barbara stood, seeming flustered. “That’s it? You’re going away? Just like that? When are you coming back?” Tristan took her in his arms. “They can’t just leave. It’s…it’s too quick.”

  Jake and Nicole shared a look. She gave him a smiling nod. Jake went to his mother and hugged her. “It’s okay, Mom. Nic and I are just going to visit. We’ll be back before you know it.”

  His mother sniffled and pulled away. “I know. It’s just…you’re the first to leave the nest. I guess I’m not ready for it yet.”

  Nic ran to Barbara and hugged her. She was the mother Nic had gained once she’d married Jake. There was no way in hell they’d be separated for long.

  NINE

  Ellie came back into the living room with Caleb close behind. After Jake and Nicole left to pack, the group took a bathroom break before getting back into the things at hand.

  After seeing the coffee table covered in cookies, brownies and buttery crackers, Ellie turned to Caleb with a sad smile. “I wasn’t expecting Mom to take Jake’s leaving so hard.”

  Caleb frowned. “How can you tell?”

  Ellie knew this was a girl thing, so she let his manhood remain intact for such a stupid question. “All the snacks on the table are mom’s comfort foods. If she had time, she’d make spaghetti.”

  Caleb was quiet, contemplating. “Is this something I need to know about you before we live together?”

  Ellie smirked. “You bet your sweet ass you better know. And make sure to have a supply on hand. You may be dishing out the goodies to get out of the doghouse and back into my bed.”

  Caleb pulled out his phone and typed, every so often glancing at the table. They made their way toward a living room chair. Mason sat next to them, waiting for Emma. Caleb leaned over and whispered, “Hey, man. I gotta thing you need to know to prevent blue balls. I need to make sure the other guys know this.”

  “Shit, that’s important. What is it?
” Mason asked.

  “There’s this thing called comfort food. Apparently, when women are upset, if you give them sweets and spaghetti, they’ll be happy again.”

  “Seriously? I can do that.” He pulled out his phone as Ellie’s father walked in and once again, took his place in the worn brown recliner.

  Ellie rolled her eyes at the guys’ silliness and let out a long sigh. The two guys’ eyes met. Caleb mouthed, “What does that mean?”

  Their dad reached for a cookie. “That, son-in-law, is how a woman says you’re an idiot, but she loves you anyway.”

  Mason and Caleb typed furiously on their phones. Mason looked up. “What does it mean when they say fine. I’m always in trouble after that.”

  Aric came in and his brows lowered. “What are you all talking about? This looks serious. Should I call the women from the kitchen?”

  “No,” universally rang out.

  “Sit down, man. This is important,” Caleb said.

  Ellie laughed at her husband. He was so cute when serious. “I gotta hear this. Keep going, Dad. Tell them what fine means.”

  Her father nodded and winked at her. “Right. It’s used to end an argument when she is right, and you need to shut up.”

  “Oh, crap.” Aric whipped his phone out. “I need to remember that. What does it mean when they say nothing when you ask what’s wrong?”

  “Ah, yes,” their dad nodded with a pensive look before he once again met Ellie’s gaze with a twinkle of humor in his gaze. “That’s a classic. It means something is wrong and you’d better figure it out fast. Here are some others: sometimes yes means no, no means yes, and maybe means no.”

  Ellie bit her tongue to keep from bursting into giggles.

  “You said sometimes,” Aric said. “How will we know?”

  “You won’t.” Ellie’s father continued. “Sure, go ahead is a dare. Don’t do it. I’ll be ready in a minute means sit back and relax with the remote. And if she asks are you listening to me, then it’s too late. You might as well head for the doghouse with your blanket and pillow.” Ellie’s dad glanced at her. “How am I doing so far?”

  She pressed her lips together to keep from choking on her laughter and raised her brows. “Not too bad. Some could get you slapped. But let me ask you guys what you mean on stuff.”

  Caleb shrugged. “Sure, sweetheart, but men are usually pretty easy to understand. We say what we mean.”

  Ellie crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh yeah? When you say you like my dress, that means nice boobs.” The men feigned gasps.

  “We would never!” Nate exclaimed.

  “Right,” Ellie said. “When I asked if you liked my haircut, and you said ‘I love it,’ that meant you hadn’t even noticed the change.”

  “Hey,” Caleb spoke up, “I did love it.” Ellie raised her brows at him. “All right, I hadn’t noticed it yet. You just got home.”

  Ellie snorted. “I had been home for hours. We even had supper.” Ellie’s mom and the other ladies came in, mugs in hand.

  Her mom frowned. “What are you all talking about? The men look guilty. What did they do, Ellie?”

  “We’re talking about what men mean when they say things like nice dress.”

  Her mom handed a cup to her dad. “That means nice boobs.” Her dad looked incredulous. “Sorry, dear. I don’t mean you, of course.” She took her chair. “You ladies know what let’s go out to eat dinner means, right? It translates to you don’t have to cook or clean the kitchen so we can have sex. Twice.” The men’s eyes widened and they suddenly found the carpet very interesting to look at.

  Ellie’s dad cleared his throat. “All right, everyone. We still have a lot to talk about and make plans for.”

  “Hey, Dad,” Mason said, “Emma has information from Aria she wants to tell us.”

  “Perfect. The vampires are on the list to discuss. The issue I have is the vampires may or may not be in cahoots with Rahound. Emma, go ahead. The floor is yours.”

  “Thank you, Tristan.” She made eye contact with each person as she spoke. “Aria attempted a raid on her club to find out who’s in charge of taking humans for their blood. When she got there, the club was packed, but everyone was normal clubbers. No human blood was found. Of course, she found Maria in the dungeon, but since she didn’t make a big scene, she doubts anyone knew about it at the time.

  “She’s hoping that means the group has broken up since Anton and Chantal were killed, but she’s not sure if there are any other leaders. She’s waiting for her ‘big three’ to return from somewhere. She didn’t go into detail about them, so I don’t know where they are.”

  Tristan set his mug on the table. “Does that mean she’s wanting to do another raid on the club? Wouldn’t the traffickers know she’s onto them and move the operation elsewhere?”

  Emma frowned and leaned against Mason’s side. “I asked her the same question. Since the night we saved the two teen girls, she’s had trusted ears to the ground, listening to rumors and taking note of who’s doing the talking. I haven’t talked to her in a while, so I don’t know how that’s going.”

  “What’s her deal?” Nate asked. “She suddenly moves into the spooky mansion on the hill after it’s been abandoned for umpteen years?”

  Emma shrugged a shoulder. “There’s not a lot I know about her. Aria’s a daywalker, which is a vamp who can take the sun.” She nodded at the raised brows. “Trust me, I had a shit ton of question for her, too.

  “Oh, and she’s not dead because she was born a vamp and not changed into one.” Emma grinned. “How freaking cool is that? I had no idea you could be born a vampire! She’s a direct descendant from the original vampire queen and has more power than made vamps. Her family built and owns the mansion. Why it was abandoned for so long and why she moved in, I don’t know.”

  Mason whispered in her ear. She turned to the group. “I forgot the most important part. She doesn’t drink human blood from a human and those in her pack, wait…what did she call it?” She pursed her lips. “Coven. That’s the word. They have vowed the same. That’s why there’s a battle. There are some in her group kidnapping people to drain.”

  Ellie met Aria. She liked the vampire and knew it was only a matter of time before she and the wolf, Trevan, ended up together.

  “Is that why we’re involved in their fight? They’re taking wolves?” Aric asked.

  Tristan stepped in. “Not only that. We have strong suspicions that Rocco is working with stray vamps by providing them victims, especially young female.”

  Barbara spoke up. “I still don’t get why he would do that.”

  Ellie jumped in with what she knew. “We think he’s exchanging victims for the vamps’ help in fighting on his side.”

  “Oh shit.” Nate slapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, Mom, but Rocco having vamps on his side is some scary crap. It takes two of us for one of them.”

  “Maybe three of us,” Mason tossed in. “I remember how easily the one slashed through Emma.” He wrapped his mate tighter and pulled her closer on his lap.

  The sound of four car doors shutting snapped up everyone’s wide eyes. Ellie got that twisted feeling in her stomach again. Jordan was now the closest to the window, and following in Nicole’s footsteps, she peeked at the front of the home, behind the curtains. “Speak of the devil. It’s Aria, but I don’t recognize—oh, cool. One of the guys is dressed exactly like Dracula in Bram Stoker’s movie version. You’ve got to see him.”

  Jordan looked back to the room and all the men were on their feet. The doorbell sounded. Ellie’s father hesitated, looking at the women. Emma went into action. “Good grief. I’ll get the door. Aria won’t hurt us.” Ellie wasn’t sure about the other three.

  TEN

  Emma hurried to the front door. Mason jumped from the chair he shared with Emma, which was normal for the couple. Emma blasted her way through those gathered in the alpha’s main house for a family meeting, and Mason brought up the rear to save hers. Emma opene
d the door, and she and Aria squealed then hugged each other. She’d missed the vampire. With Aria handling her coven, it wasn’t often Emma got to see her. The others in Aria’s group stared at her with eyes the size of quarters.

  Aria suddenly released Emma and stood straight and proper, clearing her throat. “Emma, these are the ones I told you about. They’re among the oldest and strongest vampires around. They are also part of my coven.”

  “Please, come in.” Emma stepped back to let the group enter the house.

  Mason whispered as they passed by, “You know you just invited vampires into the house. Now they can come in any time they want.” She backhanded him in the chest then put a finger to her lips, shushing him.

  “I’d offer you a drink,” Barbara started, “but I don’t think we have your choice of beverage on hand.”

  Aria dipped her head slightly. “Thank you, Mrs. Wolfe. But you’re correct.”

  Barbara put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Now, young lady, with everything we have been through together, I expect you to call me Barbara.” A smile graced her face, showing she was joking with the anger. “How could you think we’re not friends by now?” Aria smiled after seeing Ellie’s mother’s joke. Barbara gave the visitor a hug. “It’s good to see you again. We were getting worried something was wrong since we hadn’t heard from you in a while.”

  “I apologize, Mrs…Barbara. I’ve been doing some house cleaning, waiting for these three to get back.” She looked around the room. “Hey, everyone. I’d like you to meet Julian,”—a thin, forty-ish looking man raised a hand in greeting. He was the average-looking Joe who could be anyone in the grocery store—“this is Penelope,”—a beautiful cocoa-skinned woman smiled. Emma closed Mason’s mouth for him before drool rolled out—“and this is Zane.”

  She pointed to the guy in the back. “Please disregard his outfit. He’s obsessed with some guy named Bran Smoker.” The group broke into laughter, releasing the built-up tension.

  The stranger was true to Jordan’s description. He wore a silver-gray top hat, coat, gloves, and pants. His hair lay in smooth waves to his shoulders. And the sunglasses perched on the end of his nose resembled John Lennon glasses: small circles that reflected a rainbow of colors like an oil slick.