by M. L. Briers
PROTECTING HIS MATE
By
M L BRIERS
Copyright © 2013 by M.L Briers
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROTECTING HIS MATE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ONE
Cade sat back against the soft leather of his chair and waited for the two men that entered his office to take their seats. Both men stood at over six feet, with broad shoulders and hard muscles, under their casual jeans and tee’s- that mirrored Cade’s appearance.
Marcus eyed his Alpha- he’d been Cade’s Beta long enough to know when something was up, he’d been his brother even longer and today’s impromptu meeting signalled that the pack had a problem, he sat back against the chair, but that knowledge kept him from relaxing as he waited for the reason they had been called in.
“Old man Taylor died a few days ago-“ Cade eyed the worn folder that sat in front of him on the desk. The pack had waited a long time for this opportunity and now it was finally here he could almost taste the sweetness of his victory.
Finally having the Taylor land, that ran along their borders on the east and south side, would give the pack room to spread out- having increased their numbers considerably since the old days, when this land had been enough for their needs- it was a long overdue expansion.
Marcus eased a little in his seat, now he knew what had Cade so keyed up and knowing it wasn’t a threat to the pack themselves, stopped his gut from tightening within him and he motioned with a flick of his head towards the folder.
“Who’s the land pass too- I don’t remember Taylor being very popular with visitors over the last decade or so.”
“Cranky old bastard didn’t have any friends either-“ Whit put in for good measure, with a sneer of distaste for the man who had no use for so much land and yet refused to sell to the pack on numerous occasions, going so far as to bar pack members from his land.
Cade fingered the outside of the worn file, he didn’t need to open it to know everything it contained inside, the whole history of the Taylor family- he had been well versed in it over the years, patiently waiting for the day the land would be theirs.
“His granddaughter, Victoria Gerrard inherited everything- her parents died years ago in a boating accident, she has no siblings and is the last of the Taylor’s-“
“She’ll sell?” It was half a question and half a statement from Marcus, the darkness that clouded his eyes was a warning to Cade to rein in Marcus’s temper- they had all waited a very long time for this expansion and he could understand Marcus’s desires- but this needed to be handled with a little finesse.
“We need to be careful with this acquisition Marcus- we all know that Devanaux would just love to get his hands on it -“
“Yeah and the more land they get, the more they will spread out- increase the size of their clan.” Marcus sneered again, as Whit shot him a look of amusement.
“Easy brother- Cade’s never going to let that happen.”
“Damn straight- the last thing the pack needs is more of those things in the area- things could get-“
“Bloody.” Marcus growled, his eyes were almost black now with the pent up aggression that ran through his veins like ice water. Every since his mate had been shot by hunters coming onto pack land two years ago, he had no tolerance left for human’s- he had even less tolerance for Devanaux and his ilk, that had brought the human hunter’s sniffing around.
Cade wasn’t dismissing Marcus’s right to feel the way he did, but he also knew that Marcus would be of little use to him in any dealings with Victoria Gerrard and that Whit was far more personable when it came to human’s, with an easy going manner and sense of humour that would serve him well with a human female- he hoped.
“Which is why my friend, Whit and I will be handling Ms Victoria Gerrard in this one-“
“Suits me.” Marcus shifted uneasily in his chair- the further away from human’s he was, the more he liked it.
“How’s this going to go Cade?”
“As you both know, Tye’s mate Maria has been working for old man Taylor’s solicitors for a few years now- which is how we got the head’s up about his death- she said the Gerrard woman is coming to town to deal with old man Taylor’s estate and the old man’s funeral- to which I shall be attending and paying my respects-“ it grated on his nerves to even think of it, both Whit and Marcus noticed Cade’s unease and grinned.
“I’ll introduce myself and then pay her a visit with our offer-“
“When’s the funeral?”
“Five days- Ms Gerrard is arriving today- I’ve got Blue down at the property line looking out for her and Maria will give us the heads up if she turns up at the solicitor’s first-“ Cade noticed Whit’s frown and turned his attention solely on his Beta. “What is it?”
“Maybe if she’s arriving today, we should get a respect package together- get Anna to bake her some good home cooking, that you could take over and give your sympathies- that way you’re not going to look like an insensitive jerk when you approach her with an offer.” Whit beamed widely showing off two rows of perfect white teeth and Marcus chuckled beside him, eyeing Cade under his dark brows for the Alpha’s reaction.
Cade lifted only one brow and stared back at his friend, his face emotionless for a long moment before he broke a smile- “See Whit, it’s your caring sympathetic nature that’s going to help us out in this negotiation with the human-“
“Yeah- your feminine side-“ Marcus chuckled again, as Whit growled long and hard in his direction- the air cackling with testosterone.
“Get Anna baking, I’ll take it over when Tye tells me she’s arrived.”
Whit Stood with his back pressed against the brick wall- hands shoved down into the pockets of his well worn jeans, under the rim of his baseball cap, he was scoping the front office of the solicitor’s for sign’s of Ms Gerrard. Cade slouched against the wall beside him- just two guys having a chat in the early morning chill.
Maria had called to give them the heads up that Ms Gerrard had arrived over forty minutes ago and Cade had decided to come down and see in person who he was dealing with- he liked to be forewarned, especially when things mattered as much as getting the land for his pack.
“Maybe this woman can be charmed another way-“ Whit mumbled to his Alpha, the idea that he’d been tossing around since the meeting this morning. Cade shot a look at his Beta looking for clarity- Whit obviously had something to say- he was just looking for a way to get it out there. “You are good with the human females Cade-“ He chuckled to himself as Cade gave a low slow growl.
“This is old man Taylor’s granddaughter for god sakes- but hey, if you wanna jump in there Whit-“ He stopped and straightened a little as the short mousy blonde exited the solicitor’s office- prim and proper with black rimmed glasses propped on her nose, she promptly sneezed- her glasses shooting to the end of her nose and a wince on her face as she pushed them back into place.
“Go for it Whit- she’s all yours brother-“ Cade mused, as he looked at the tiny woman with all the airs and graces of a buffalo.
Cade heard Whit chuckle beside him- “I think I’d snap her in two brother- perhaps one of the pups would be a better choice- although, I think
they’d still do the little lady some damage.” He mused as Cade narrowed his eyes watching the woman amble away.
Just then Maria came out of the office door, her eyes scanning the area and locating them with ease- with a backwards flick of her head, she motioned behind her, just as the stunning brunette walked out into the dull glare of the morning.
Cade took her in with one swift survey- the mane of glossy brown hair with auburn highlights- the wide green eyes, the slight upturn at the end of her perfect nose and the deep burgundy glossed full lips, that he could just feel himself kissing as he pressed her ample round breasts to his body and ran his hands down the curve of her hips and over the tight globes of her backside.
Damn it- he was already hard, as he cleared his throat and swallowed down the urge to stalk right over to her and wrap her within his arms- he wouldn’t snap this one in two- she was made for loving.
“Well now- it seems she didn’t get the old man’s ugly gene-“ Whit mused beside him- the Beta’s interest peeked and Cade could feel his anger rise within him as his beast growled in protection of the female.
“Take one step brother and I’ll rip off your god damn leg and beat you with it.” There was the growl in his tone that registered in Whit’s mind and body immediately. Damn- that was a first for his Alpha, he eyed him curiously.
“I’ll take a stab in the dark and say this one meets with your approval.” Whit chuckled to himself, as Cade watched the woman pass the time of day with Maria before moving off in a long sure stride, that caused her hips to sway towards him like a welcoming beacon and his body pumped more blood to his groin- until he was rock hard with an ache that had his beast almost salivating within him.
Victoria Gerrard stood on the back porch and surveyed the acre’s that spread out in front of her. It was beautiful land and she could understand her grandfather’s love for it- love that hadn’t extended to her over the years. Sure he had come to visit her on numerous occasions and he had been more than generous with birthday and Christmas gifts, especially in the years after her parents untimely death and yet he had resisted her requests to come and visit him here, even when he had grown older and could have used family around him, he had kept her at arm’s length and she didn’t have a clue why.
Now he was gone she would never know the reason, it felt like the cold wind was blowing within her very bones- to not want to be know by your kin was probably the saddest testament to your worth- or was it the other way around?
Dropping down from the porch, she felt the need to wander with her thoughts- they may not have been close, but he was her last remaining relative on her mother’s side and with only her Aunt on her father’s side, she was practically alone in this world- money and property were no compensation for not having a family.
Vicky felt the cold wind blowing from the east and knew that out here the temperature could drop in a heartbeat and the snows would fall like a blanket covering this land knee deep- she might never have seen it firsthand, but she remembered the stories her mother would tell her and that sky was darkening up nicely for snowfall- she just hoped that they could bury her grandfather before that happened.
Pulling the knitted hat down further around her ears and the back of her neck, she zipped her thick down jacket up to her neck and started off across the expanse towards the woods that she knew ran the edge of the property- if she walked the land, perhaps she could get a feel for what the old man cherished so dearly above her- above her mother.
Cade felt the nervous apprehension crawling over his skin at just driving up to the Taylor house- being on Taylor land after all these years wasn’t something that would come easy to him, not after all the animosity between the old man and the pack- but there was also a nervous anticipation within him for the land that would soon be there’s and he tried to centre himself on that emotion and downplay the rest.
He wanted to make a good first impression with Ms Gerrard- the last thing he needed was to get her heckles up when it came to him and doing business with the pack- Anna’s words still ringing in his ears- ‘smile- don’t growl- be nice- be polite and don’t be bombastic- she’s human- kid gloves my Alpha.’ He grinned- it had been a while since he had been charming for a human female for any reason, but he was more than capable of it and his beast reaction to Victoria Gerrard may have sideswiped him for a while, but he was more than capable of putting his pack’s welfare and needs ahead of his own desire to throw the woman down on the ground and take her in long powerful thrusts that would satiate his beasts needs.
Cade parked his truck beside’s the two trucks already parked outside Taylor’s place- both had belonged to the old man and one of them had been used by the hired help that Taylor often used to maintain his land- not that he had cared much for it recently- parts of it were falling apart, like the old barn that stood to the west and could be seen from the border line between the properties- still once they acquired the land they would have more man power than they needed between the pack to put things right.
Cade eyed the offerings that Anna had prepared for Ms Gerrad in the tupperware containers beside him- if Anna’s cooking didn’t win the woman over nothing would- getting out of the truck, he went to reach back in for the food, when he spotted the solitary figure in the distance walking towards his land- obviously a woman by the curvy figure under all that cloth padding, he narrowed his gaze at her and judged just how far off his land she was- his eyes suddenly going wide at the thought of just what she was approaching.
“Oh crap!”
Cade sent off as fast as his human form could carry him- he had to reach her before she got much further- the human had no idea of the danger she was facing.
Vicky hummed to herself in time with the music from her pocket MP3 player- she kind of liked the feel of the winter winds biting against her skin- it was refreshing and it smelled of the countryside- no petrol fumes- no deli smells wafting on the air- although right now, she would give her right arm for a club sandwich from Broosters on the corner of Main street, all this fresh country air had finally kicked her appetite into gear- which was a good thing- she supposed she could use a few more pounds on her frame after working none stop on her courses for the last two years, she needed to concentrate on taking care of herself a little better now.
Vicky saw a movement in the tree line ahead and slowed her step as she tried to make out what it could be- a large dog perhaps? She wondered as it started to take a step out into the clearing and she caught sight of the eyes staring back at her- unmistakably wolf.
She felt the fear rise up within her- her mind cursing her own stupidity for being so far from the house alone and with nothing for protection as she ground to a halt, unsure what to do now.
The wolf attention was drawn away from her back towards the house- without glancing in her direction again, it turned, running back into the tree line and for some insane reason she decided to go after it instead of turning back.
The full force of the impact hit her from the side, taking her from her feet and propelling her sideways through the air- she caught sight of her attacker only briefly as he seemed to grab her to him in mid air- wrapping himself around her as they turned- the sight of the hard ground below her, a moment before they impacted the ground- his body hitting hard with hers almost welded on top of him- the force of the impact going through his body and jarring hers as the breath was forced from her lungs.
It took her just a moment for her brain to register what had happened and where she was- her lungs sucked in the oxygen they needed, as she threw her head back and hit out with her fists against the steel of the chest below her- large hands grabbed her wrists and she found herself flat on her back in the dirt with his weight pressing her down from breast to shin, her hands forced down either side of her head, as she tried and failed to get away from him.
CHAPTER TWO
“Calm down and I’ll release you.” The very masculine voice almost growled above her, as her brain registered his words over the music st
ill playing in her ears and she stilled beneath him- it was doing her no good at this point to fight, she may as well see if he was true to his word.
The moment she stopped fighting him he let go of her wrists- his hand tugged at the earphones, pulling one- then the other from her ears as she raised her eyes to her attacker and her heart slammed against her ribs when her eyes took him in.
Cade starred down at her with a mixture of emotions inside him- she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen- wide green eyes that he had seen spark with fire as he took her from her feet and were still wide and staring back at him with shock- full, deep red lips, that opened and closed with the breath she was pulling in- lips he had more than an urge to taste as her scent reached him and wrapped around him like an erotic blanket to his senses- damn she was even more alluring to his beast close up.
“You can get the hell off me now.” She growled up at him- that fire back in her eyes, fire that made him hard where he had no business being- especially pressed up against her like this. Damn- he just wanted to strip her naked and plough into her body right there and then in the dirt.
Vicky had felt him grow hard against her stomach and knew she was in trouble- from the dark look in his sinful eyes- she could see exactly what was on his mind, she didn’t need the prod of confirmation from his groin to go with it. Fear and excitement mixed within her and she was thrown off balance by the wave of arousal that washed through her- how the hell could this turn her on? The awareness of just how her body was responding to him was an eye opener to her.
“But the ground is hard and you’re just so damned soft- I’m more than comfortable.” He mused down at her- those dark eyes smiling and taking away the fear that had welled up inside her- her would be attacker didn’t seem so threatening after all and yet here she was pinned beneath him to the ground- but he didn’t seem the kind to need to take what he wanted from a woman, she was sure he had them queuing to hand it over willingly.