Frozen Soul

by Catherine Banks

  “Oh,” I responded smartly and stared blindly out the window.

  “Tysen,” Marco called up to him.

  “Give me a moment,” he growled. Warm arms encircled me. “Jess?”

  “Hm?”

  “Jess, talk to me,” he begged.

  I didn’t have anything to say. I was too shocked.

  “Tysen,” Marco called again.

  “I’ll be right back,” he promised before leaving the room.

  Mated. Tysen and I were mated. Not dating…mated. Permanently.

  I should have been upset or scared or something, but I just felt happy. Did that make me a terrible person? Or desperate? Part of me thought it made me a bad person. Most of me was excited and happy to be Tysen’s mate. I loved him more than anything and I had always wanted to be his mate.

  Chapter Three

  Tysen didn’t come up for several hours, so I made my way downstairs to get some food. The pack was gathered in the living room, sitting on the couch and floor. They watched me silently as I passed by them to the kitchen, a move very unlike them. Normally they would have gotten up and greeted me with hugs and smiles. Tonight, they didn’t move a muscle.

  It didn’t take me long to whip up a snack, but for some reason I didn’t want to go back upstairs. The nights were warm, so I went into the backyard where Tysen had a gazebo with a small table and a couple of chairs. The warm wind blew gently against my skin, warming me and relaxing me. There was one tree in the entire subdivision, growing right in the center of Tysen’s backyard. The large oak was gorgeous and one of the few spots that calmed me down. After I finished my food, I climbed up into the oak tree and leaned my head back against the truck while one of my legs dangled off the side of the branch I sat on.

  Being Tysen’s mate wasn’t a bad thing. We’d had a connection since the battle against the large demon, Beleneth. We had both almost died, Tysen was so badly injured that his lycanthropy wasn’t able to heal him fast enough to avoid leaving scars on him.

  “You’re scowling,” Tysen whispered as he leapt up to the branch I was on. He let both legs hang around the branch and smiled at me.

  “Memories,” I responded and closed my eyes.

  Tysen rested his hand on my cheek and whispered, “We are both safe.”

  Leaning into his warm hand I whispered, “I know.”

  “Are you mad at me?” he asked.

  I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “No. I’m not mad. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. You wouldn’t have done something like that without my permission.”

  He exhaled a long breath of relief.

  “What did the guys call you in a meeting for?” I asked curiously.

  “They felt you join the pack and were worried that I’d somehow turned you instead of just formed a mating bond,” he explained.

  “I thought it was impossible to turn humans?”

  He nodded. “It is, but our connection was unique to begin with.”

  “The two oddballs, that’s us,” I said with a laugh.

  He laughed too and I felt the tension ease out of him. He was so handsome when he laughed.

  “Come on, let’s go inside,” he said and leapt down from the tree.

  I jumped down and Tysen caught me around the waist before my feet hit the ground. Slowly he set my feet on the ground, our faces close together. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his fingertips pressing slightly into my sides. He backed me up a step and then another until my back was pressed against the tree. He leaned forward until his lips were right next to my ear and asked, “How many times did you pretend that it was me you were fucking, instead of him?”

  I swallowed past the lump in my throat and whispered, “Every time.”

  He pressed his erection against me and growled into my ear. “Say it.”

  Years apart and yet I knew exactly what he wanted. I knew how he thought. It didn’t feel like it had been years or even months. “I’m yours,” I purred and ground against him.

  He captured my mouth with his and ran his hands up my back, underneath my shirt. The skin on skin contact was amazing and I needed more.

  “Clothes,” I rasped and tugged at the hem of his shirt.

  “We’re outside,” he reminded me.

  “Then fix that,” I ordered.

  He carried me into the house, his mouth never left mine and I had to break away to undress. He on the other hand raised his shirt up and over his head slowly, giving me ample time to appreciate his stomach and chest before landing on his face.

  “You’re perfect,” I whispered.

  His right hand slid along the side of my face, cupped the back of my neck and pulled me close. “That’s my line.”

  Our mouths met in a torrent of lips and tongue, tasting each other and familiarizing ourselves again to the other. My left hand gripped him and slowly began to stroke him. He cupped my breast and tore away from my mouth to suck on my nipple, making me cry out. He picked me up and tossed me into the center of the bed, making me giggle a bit as a wide smile splayed across my lips.

  He nudged my hips apart with his legs and leaned forward, ready to take me into ecstasy.

  “Say it,” I ordered him, turning my hips so that he could not enter me yet.

  He smirked, but then stared at me seriously. “I’m yours. Forever.”

  I smiled up at him and then he plunged into me, burying himself and slapping our bodies together.

  “Yes!” I screamed.

  His hips moved faster than a human could as he moved in and out, rubbing my clit at the same time.

  The pressure built, his rhythm remained steady, and I became wetter and wetter.

  “Tysen!” I screamed as I orgasmed, the pressure releasing and my orgasm rippled through me harder than ever before.

  Tysen didn’t let up, only pausing to flip me over and shoved my head down with my hips up and legs spread to give him complete access. Orgasms shuddered through me one after another and I dripped down my legs and onto the bed.

  He pulled out and dropped down, burying his face in me and licking the wetness that had gathered. “God, you taste amazing,” he growled and licked me until I orgasmed again.

  “Inside,” I begged and angled my hips towards him.

  He chuckled and slapped my butt playfully. “I’m Alpha here.”

  “Then take charge,” I snapped.

  He chuckled again, flipped me over onto my back, gripped my hips, and plunged into me. “Better?” he asked.

  “Yes!” I screamed and raised my hips up into him.

  Harder and faster, he screwed me until I thought I might lose myself in euphoria. He grunted and then yelled my name as he finished.

  “Tysen,” I whispered as I pet his hair with his head lying on my chest.

  “Yes?” he asked and began to draw circles on my stomach with his fingertip.

  “Did you sleep with anyone while we were separated?” Part of me didn’t want to ask, but I needed to know. It wouldn’t change anything, but I needed to know.

  He leaned up onto his elbow to look at me, his nostrils flared as he tried to gauge my mood. “No, I haven’t slept with anyone, but you.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “I had hope that you would come back to me,” he admitted. “I was willing to wait for you, but had planned to come try to convince you to be with me soon.”

  “Are you upset that I slept with someone else?”

  “It would be a lie to say that I wasn’t upset, but I’m not upset or mad at you,” he explained.

  “I missed you so much,” I whispered. Tears lined the bottom of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I hadn’t realized how much I missed him until we were back together. It was like I had been alive, but not awake at the same time.

  He smiled and kissed my lips lightly, barely touching them together. “I was always here for you. You only had to call.”

  After cuddling a bit longer, we met the pack at our favorite pizza place to catch up. The pizza place w
as a hole in the wall with dark lighting and the best deep-dish pizza in the state. The pack sat at two tables, five of us at each one. I was seated between Tysen and Orin, the latter poking me every few seconds.

  “Orin,” I growled.

  His hazel eyes glittered with mischief and happiness. “Don’cha try an’ stop me, girl. I’ve got years of pestering to make up for.”

  “That’s not all my fault,” I reminded him. “You left the state.”

  “You pestering my mate?” Tysen asked.

  I looked over nervously, wondering if he would get territorial with his pack over me.

  Orin scoffed. “Yeah. Do you blame me?”

  I felt like my back would snap from the tightness.

  Tysen’s scowl turned into a smile and he draped his shoulder around me. “Not one bit. She is incredibly fun to pester and tease.”

  “So, when’s the next pack camping trip?” Ben asked. He’d gained a bit of gray since I last saw him.

  Tysen tugged me. “What do you think? You up for another camping trip?”

  “As long as we avoid caves,” I mumbled.

  Everyone laughed and Tysen placed a quick kiss to my temple.

  “What have you been up to?” I asked Orin.

  “I started selling my carvings,” he explained. “They were such a hit with the museum, that they asked me to make small versions that they are planning to sell as keychains.”

  “That’s amazing!” I exclaimed and patted his shoulder.

  “Here are your pizzas,” one of the workers said and he and four other workers set our eight pizzas on the table. Tysen grabbed three slices and set them on my plate and then eight slices on his. As soon as he was done filling his plate, he nodded once and everyone else filled their plates.

  One of the perks of being the Alpha’s girlfriend, or mate now, was being able to eat first. If I hadn’t been, I was certain they still would have let me get my food first. Otherwise, I may not have gotten food to eat. I bit into the pizza and moaned, making everyone look at me.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled in embarrassment. “I haven’t had this pizza in years.”

  Tysen smiled at me and stole another piece before it could be taken. “Then I’ll get you an extra slice.”

  “Maybe we should buy one to take home,” I suggested.

  Tysen laughed and kissed my cheek. “Whatever you want.”

  We finished our food and Tysen bought us an extra pizza to take home. Tysen carried me into the house and into bed, my body tired for no apparent reason.

  “It takes time to adjust to the mating bond,” he explained as he covered me up.

  “But everyone is here and…”

  “They’ll be here tomorrow as well. They all agreed to stay one more day to spend time with you.”

  I smiled happily and curled up with my blankets and went to sleep.

  Chapter Four

  Being woken to the scent of bacon and the laughter of your favorite people is the perfect way to wake up. After freshening up, I hurried downstairs to the kitchen where everyone was laughing as they made breakfast.

  Lucas was closest to me and hugged me tightly before pushing me towards Tysen who stood at the stove cooking. Tysen turned, a happy smile on his face and the smile changed into the one he wore when he saw me. “Good morning, beautiful mate.”

  I stood on tiptoes to kiss him and then snagged a piece of bacon off the plate before he could stop me. “Morning handsome.”

  “So, are you ready for today?” Ben asked.

  “Today?” What was today? Was it someone’s birthday? I was really bad about dates. It wasn’t an anniversary since we just got back together.

  “Yes. Today will be the first pack outing with you as an official member of the pack,” he explained.

  Oh! “Pack outing? What are we doing?” I asked.

  “You’ll have to wait and see,” Tysen said and winked at me.

  Winks were never good. Winks meant it was something I either hated, didn’t particularly like, or would sigh about. It was hard to tell with him which type of wink it was. Unless there was a new type of wink. Could there be a new wink?

  “A hint?” I requested.

  “The whole pack is going,” Tysen answered.

  I groaned and sat down at the dining table to wait for them to finish cooking food. “You’re a butt.”

  “So childish,” Marco teased.

  “‘So childish,’” I repeated in a mocking tone.

  After breakfast, we drove in two separate cars to the county fairgrounds. I had completely forgotten that it was time for the annual County Fair. I loved going to the fair, but hadn’t been in years. We climbed out of the car and I latched onto Tysen’s arm in excitement. “The fair!”

  He linked our hands and beamed proudly. “I knew you would like the surprise.”

  Orin draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me away from Tysen. “I bet I’ll beat you in the goldfish bowl toss again.”

  “You’re on!” I said loudly, accepting his challenge.

  “Come on, kids,” Tysen said with a laugh. I thought he might act territorial with us being mated so recently, but he didn’t seem to mind Orin’s arm around me or that he had stolen me from his side. That was something I was incredibly grateful for.

  After paying to enter the grounds, the men argued over how many tickets to purchase. Orin made his purchase first and linked arms with me as we headed towards the fish bowls. “Time to see who the winner is.”

  “Don’t cry when you lose,” I ordered him sternly.

  He tilted his head back and laughed loudly, a sound I hadn’t heard in too long. He handed enough tickets to the carny for both of us and then took aim with his ping pong balls. I picked up my first one and aimed carefully before tossing it up in an arc. The ball pinged off one of the fish bowl rims and bounced across a few more before landing inside one of the bowls.

  “Whew!” I yelled happily.

  “That hardly counts,” he scoffed. He tossed his and it went straight into the center of the middle fish bowl.

  My jaw dropped. “What?”

  Tysen used his finger to push my chin up and close my mouth. “You’ll catch flies like that, sweetheart.”

  “Did you…he…how?”

  “Your turn,” Orin reminded me.

  I growled and tossed my next ball. It bounced all the way across the bowls and off the other side. He tossed his next one looking smug and confident, but his second ball also bounced off the table.

  “Ha!” I said happily.

  “Don’t act so smug yet,” he reminded me as he held up the last ball.

  I picked mine up and exhaled slowly. “Be the ball,” I whispered.

  Some of the pack behind us laughed at my comment, but then everyone was quiet when I threw the ball. It arced up into the air and dropped down, straight towards the bowl. This was it, I was finally going to beat Orin! A gust of wind blew through the grounds and blew my ball off course and off the table.

  “No!” I exclaimed and let my shoulders sag forward.

  “Oh, tough break,” Orin commented.

  Tysen hugged me in consolation and kissed my cheek.

  “The Gods interfered,” I muttered.

  Tysen chuckled and kissed me again. “Yes, they did.”

  “Alright, it’s all down to this,” Marco commented. “Orin’s toss will determine if we have a winner or a tie. Will he continue his domination or will he fail? Will this be lost to a draw with no winner?”

  Orin growled at Marco and tossed his ball. It went right into the center of the bowl, but the wind blew through again and blew it out of the bowl and off the table.

  “Yes!” I screamed happily and leapt up into the air. “Yes!”

  “No!” Orin yelled. “That’s not fair! It was in…”

  “That’s what she said,” I mumbled.

  All of the men laughed, even the carny, at my stupid joke.

  “Time for your next challenge,” Tysen told me. “Clown w
ater balloons!”

  Our group went to the booth which had enough seats for all of us to sit around it and play at the same time. We had to wait for the group that was currently there to finish. I took the time to look around at all of the people around us. There would be thousands of people who visited the fair this weekend. There would be people who drove hours to come and others who drove minutes. There were people of every race, including elves, werewolves, and many more groups in disguise. I always wondered how they could stand to pretend to be human, the werewolves aside, the rest were not human at all. Did it bother them that humans were the dominate race and basically controlled that they had to pretend to be human? It would bother me.

  The group finally finished and we all took our seats.

  “You’re going down this year!” Tysen informed me from the other side of the booth.

  “No pouting when I win again!” I ordered him and then blew him a kiss and gave him a wink.

  The carny for the clown water balloon game was a gangly man with dark skin and gorgeous green eyes. There was something otherworldly about his eyes, but I chose to avert mine and not ask in case he was in hiding. “Everyone ready?” the carny asked.

  “Yes!” we all yelled at the same time.

  A crowd had gathered upon seeing our group take the seats and taunting and teasing each other as we prepared to play the game. The crowd was smiling and laughing, but everyone quieted down due to the serious expressions now on our faces.

  The bell rang and I held down my gun’s trigger, aiming for the clown’s mouth which would fill with the water and fill up the balloon. The person to get their balloon to fill first and pop would win. I had won every year for four years.

  “What? Mine’s not working!” Marco yelled in dismay.

  “Ha!” I yelled back, focused on the mouth as it continued to fill.

  People were commenting behind us about how into the game we were and how funny we were. My balloon popped and a bell rang and lights flashed, declaring me the winner. I set my gun down and stood up with my arms raised in victory. “Yeah! Reigning champion! Woohoo! You can’t defeat me!” I started doing my victory dance and everyone laughed around us.