The Mating Challenge

by Bonnie Vanak

  “Nikita, stay behind me,” he ordered.

  Not giving him time to react, she tugged her arm free and raced into the forest, the sharp sound of his rich curses trailing behind her.

  The gnomes were normally dull-witted, but sharp when it came to money. They scented the presence of Pandora’s Chest and would do anything to have it. Trample over pack territory. If a rival pack or hell, any Other discovered the secret, they’d destroy her people in their madness for power.

  This was the real deal, and Others killed for such power.

  The real deal, that came at a terrible price.

  Disease.

  Death.

  Fangs flashing and piercing, horrible screams, the empty look in the eyes of the males gasping their last breath as the parvolupus disease claimed them at last.

  A tendril of scent, beer and sweaty Skin filled her senses. Nia hugged an oak tree and closed her eyes. Scent was her best ability, not sight.

  A branch cracked to her left.

  And then a hand closed over her shoulder, a warm, calloused palm slid over her mouth.

  “Don’t scream,” a deep voice rumbled in her ear.

  Nia clasped his wrist, her fingers barely meeting, and pushed away his hand from her mouth.

  Fury raged in Aiden’s dark eyes as he turned her around. He pinned her shoulders against the oak with his hands. “I told you to follow me. You didn’t listen. Do you know how damn dangerous it is, tackling a pack of gnomes on your own? They can maim you before they kill you.”

  But his hands were gentle as he cupped her face. Aiden stroked his thumbs over her jaw. “You’re never endangering yourself again. Deal? I’m not watching you risk getting crippled and scarred. I’ll handle this.”

  Her lower lip trembled. Few in her pack other than her sister would notice if she returned with scars. They were all too busy trying to survive from one day to the next.

  Nia managed to find her voice. “Don’t be so arrogant, Mitchell. We’ll handle this together. We can’t risk keeping one alive. Have to kill them all. They’re too slippery.”

  “Where are they?” His voice sounded so sexy and deep. She shuddered as he pressed tight against her.

  “8 o’clock, about one hundred yards and closing in.”

  His erection pushed through his jeans against her belly.

  “You sure you can fight them in your delicate condition?” she asked.

  “Darling, I can fight in any condition.” He blew a warm breath into her ear. “But I’d rather make love to you so let’s get this over with so we can look forward to consummating our union.”

  Aiden’s tongue traced a line over the outer shell of her ear, and it felt like a lick of fire between her legs. Clenching her teeth, she brought up her knife as he moved out.

  A bitter wind rustled through the trees, kicking up dead leaves and blowing them in puffed-cheek playfulness. Nia concentrated on the scents. Sour lemon fear and stale candle wax. Spongy rot mingling with metal and cordite.

  A hunter with a gun, recently fired.

  Aiden jerked his head to the left. She followed.

  Beneath his shirt, his muscles flexed as he stalked through the trees, moving as silently as his wolf. He took the pathway flanking the ribbon of clear creek water that ran from the property’s edge to the pond. When he reached a small clearing in the trees, he stopped and ducked behind the trunk of a tall oak tree. Nia joined him, biting back a hiss of real alarm. She pulled out her knife.

  Twelve gnomes with little pointed caps and equally pointed teeth surrounded one scared Skin clutching a shotgun. The red of the gnomes’ caps matched the human’s hunting jacket.

  A large wet patch stained the front of his jeans. Her nostrils flared at the scent of urine. Beside her, Aiden narrowed his eyes. His lips pulled back in a snarl, claws emerging from his fingers.

  Nia wrapped her fingers around his thick wrist, shook her head.

  Jaw clenched to granite, he scowled at her, but sheathed his claws. Surprise filled her. The man was willing to follow her lead.

  “The human can wait. Let him go,” she whispered. “Have you ever killed a dragon seeking gnome?”

  “Only a regular one.”

  “Easiest is to distract it by removing its hat. They’re vulnerable with their heads exposed. Flick off the cap and then you attack. If you don’t cut off their heads, they reanimate.”

  Twirling her blade, Nia stepped into the clearing. Seeing her, the hunter looked relieved, then he ran off.

  Twelve red caps quivered, their owners’ normally merry gray eyes filled with fury at being denied their toy. Their bright blue coats and dark green trousers were stained with dirt, and blood dripped from their neatly trimmed white beards. Gnomes gone wild. Nia lowered her blade, ready to attack.

  The one closest to her held the tiny corpse of a sparrow, which it gnawed like a child sucking a Popsicle.

  No one messes with my birds. She growled. Tensing her thigh muscles, Nia sprang forward, the blade pointed outward. The gnome glanced up, then dropped its meal with a snarl.

  And then he raced away. She caught him. Flick. Her knife tip stabbed the gnome’s hat, sent it spiraling into the air. Beneath the hat, the gnome had a bald head. The creature screamed, grasping for the cap. Nia kicked the gnome, sending it sprawling. It crawled away, fumbling with the tiny blade in its belt, but she pounced. Holding it between her thighs, she squeezed hard and then brought her blade down, slicing off its head. Bright greenish gray blood spurted over her leathers.

  It wasn’t as efficient as killing them in wolf form, but it sufficed.

  A loud snarl sounded behind her. She turned, stunned at the sight of Aiden.

  He’d shifted and tore at the creatures, snarling, jaws snapping. She’d warned him to cut off their heads, but the wolf was magnificent, a huge killing machine whose paws raked over the gnomes’ heads, sending their caps sailing. And then Aiden snapped, his jaws tearing off the creatures’ heads.

  By the time she charged forward, ready to assist, he’d killed the remaining gnomes. He went and washed his muzzle in the cold stream.

  Nia scanned the clearing. The ground was littered with gnome blood and gore, making it difficult to single out a scent. She circled the clearing’s perimeter, searching for escapees.

  Crunching leaves and breaking twigs drew away her attention. Aiden’s males, accompanied by Darius, Garth, and Roxanne, raced into the clearing just as Aiden returned. The wolf loped up behind her, head-butted her thigh. Aiden lifted his dark eyes to her, the message in them clear. Shift.

  Sorry, I can’t. I haven’t eaten raw meat in more than a month and I have a little trouble. But pride prevented her from telling Aiden this.

  Aiden changed back to Skin and clothed himself by magick. “Niki, shift to wolf right now so we can patrol the rest of the area and flush out any stragglers. I don’t want you fighting in Skin anymore. It’s too inefficient and that damn knife can’t protect you as much as your wolf can.”

  “No.” She turned to Roxanne. “Report.”

  “Got the Skins.” Roxanne gazed at Garth in obvious respect. “Garth gave them a lecture, and I didn’t even have to show my gun. I believe he scared them off for good. We found the other hunter who fainted. Darius tied him to a tree.”

  Garth gave a modest shrug. “Treat Skins with the threat they fear the most. Not weapons, but lawsuits for trespassing.”

  Nia smiled, relief filling her. At least the Skin threat was gone for now.

  “Any more evidence of stragglers? Or other intruders?” she asked Roxanne.

  Her beta shook her head. “None. Our patrols have all checked in.”

  Good. Nothing to worry about.

  Aiden laced his fingers around her wrist. “Nikita. I told you to shift.”

  “The gnomes are all dead, as you just heard. It’s not necessary.”

  “Oh, but it is,” he said softly. “Now that the threat is dispensed, it’s time to address the issue of your disobedience.”
>
  Her mouth went dry. “I did nothing wrong.”

  “You disobeyed me. In front of my pack. I made my rules known to you when I signed up for the fight. Anyone, including my mate, who directly disobeys me, gets mounted by me to know their proper place.” Aiden narrowed his gaze. “Shift into wolf. Right now.”

  Chapter 5

  The males looked at her expectantly. Worry shaded Roxanne’s eyes. The beta adjusted the gun on her shoulder.

  Damnit. Nia bit her lower lip. Pack laws among Lupines were clear. If she refused to follow Aiden’s directive, as alpha, he’d have just cause to inflict a more severe punishment.

  How the hell could she shift into wolf? With the difficulty of finding game in her woods, and the lack of money to buy fresh meat, Nia hadn’t eaten the raw meat all Lupines needed once a month to shapeshift. Any raw meat went to her twin to keep Nikita fortified.

  As a result, Nia’s own powers had waned.

  Gathering her courage, she lifted her arms to allow the change to engulf her body.

  Nothing. Damnit.

  Okay, I can do this. Think wolf. She quieted her breathing and concentrated, centering all her magick to transform.

  A tingle of pure power rushed down her spine and a tickle pulled at her belly. Suddenly she found herself in wolf skin.

  Nia’s senses sharpened. It had been too long since she’d embraced her wolf, and she missed this dreadfully. Around her, the trees became more pungent in scent, and her hearing picked up the scamper of small forest creatures scurrying far away from the threat. The crispness of leaves rustling in the wind, the thin stalks of grass in the pasture; everything had a richer scent. She heard the steady, rhythmic pumping of her future mate’s heart, scented pine, forest and pure male.

  Aiden shifted to wolf. The others shifted as well, forming a semi-circle around them.

  Nia touched her nose to the ground. Quivering, she waited.

  Aiden trotted over to her, sniffed her hindquarters. She felt the strength of his body as he mounted her from behind. It wasn’t sexual. This was strictly pack, the alpha showing domination.

  If she bent her legs, or worse, collapsed to the ground, Aiden’s males would lose respect for her. She must hold her own, keep upright.

  Ears pointed forward, not flattened, she bared her teeth in a clear threat to a gray wolf boldly locking his gaze on her as Aiden wrapped his paws around her midsection. Mitchell might be dominant, but a female alpha would not allow a lesser male to look her in the eye while her mate was delivering punishment.

  The smaller male dropped his gaze. Finally Aiden dismounted, and then gave her a sharp, brief nip in her hindquarters, followed by a slow lick of his rough tongue.

  The human female inside the wolf shivered at the promise of that tongue. That was clearly sexual, and intentional, marking his territory.

  Nia waited for Aiden to shift back. He did so and conjured clothing and the others did the same. They waited on her. Nia summoned her powers and tried to change.

  Could not.

  Panic rose in her throat. She fought it, knowing if the animal took over, she’d never change back. Think. Think! Nia’s mind raced as the others milled around, looking at her. The dark-haired Darius knitted his thick brows as he glanced at Aiden, who scowled.

  “Nikita. Change back.”

  A direct order.

  She could not shift back. Nia tensed, her muzzle lifted into the air.

  Darius frowned, but Aiden crouched down, rubbed her thick fur. The gentle strokes of his fingers relaxed the tension knotting her muscles. Touch. So long since anyone had touched her like this. Craving more, she rubbed her muzzle against his hand when he stood.

  And then found herself squatting on all fours, naked and human again. Someone snickered and she flushed. Aiden growled at the male.

  “Go back to the lodge, all of you, except Roxanne and Garth. Now!”

  As they scurried away, Aiden helped her to stand upright. She summoned her powers and conjured clothing.

  Aiden gave her a long, thoughtful look. “Let’s go interrogate the Skin.”

  Garth and Roxanne led them to the hunter, who struggled to free himself of his bonds. She nodded at Roxanne, who walked up to the Skin, and squeezed a muscle in his neck.

  The hunter fainted. Good. Now Aiden couldn’t question him.

  “I told you we should question him.” Aiden scowled.

  She shrugged. “There’s nothing he could tell us. And we need to cover this up. Do you want every Skin in Montana coming here to see if there are werewolves on the ranch?”

  Nia turned to Roxanne. “Take him back the clearing, then call Carol and Susan and have them dump him beyond the boundary, leave him under a tree. Pour whisky on him. His friends will come searching for him, and when he starts babbling about nearly being eaten alive by garden gnomes, they’ll think he’s drunk.”

  Easily lifting the overweight human and hefting him over one shoulder, Roxanne started off. Aiden motioned for Garth to follow. The male’s gaze scanned the area in a protective manner.

  Already moving in. Roxanne had a future mate. Soon the other females would as well.

  But what would happen to the males? They couldn’t remain here long.

  “Roxanne doesn’t need an escort,” she told Aiden.

  “Garth is her escort now.”

  “You’re arrogant, Mitchell. Let my beta do her work alone.”

  Aiden folded his arms. “No. It’s too dangerous. Now, level with me and explain exactly why gnomes are on your land.”

  “Maybe they decided to become cowboys. This is a ranch.”

  “Don’t toy with me,” he said softly. “These gnomes have pointed teeth, red eyes and they’ll gnaw your kneecaps until you fall, begging and screaming for death as they eat you alive. What is drawing them here?”

  She looked away.

  Two fingers on her chin forced her gaze back to meet his. “Nikita, what are you hiding?”

  He’ll know you’re lying. So evade and dodge. “If something’s hidden here, how would I know? It’s a large spread. Do you expect me to count every single blade of grass? I’m not as anal retentive as you are, Mitchell.”

  A deep chuckle. “Minx. You’re good at clever responses. Makes me wonder what other talents your tongue possesses.”

  She stuck it out at him.

  “Don’t stick your tongue out unless you’re going to use it,” he said softly, and then he lowered his head, and covered her mouth with his.

  The caress of his firm mouth felt soft as the brush of velvet, the rough bristles of his beard tickling her chin and cheeks. His lips were warm and soft as velvet, too. She closed her eyes on a sigh, and felt him chuckle against her mouth.

  A knowing chuckle, yet there was no smugness in it.

  Aiden pulled her into his strong arms and slid one arm around her waist to draw her closer. He kissed the corner of her mouth, her cheek, her temple. The tiny kisses were soothing and not erotic, and yet made her dizzy with desire. She sighed with pleasure as he feathered tiny kisses down her throat, sliding his lips over the curve of her neck.

  That’s where he’d bite her and place his mating mark, claiming to the world she belonged to him. The bite would lessen her sexual appeal to single males.

  His mouth grazed her throat, his warm breath feathering over her skin. Nia curved her arms around him, touching the strong muscles of his back, then sliding up to tunnel her fingers through the tangle of his dark, thick hair.

  She clung to his broad shoulders as he tasted her, his scent of pine and male wrapping around her. A lick of scent pushed straight between her legs in a long, slow caress. Nia moaned beneath the tender assault on her mouth. Aiden kissed exactly like her dreams, claiming and stroking, with little, gentle nips along her lower lip, his tongue plunging and withdrawing. She forgot how to breathe, how to think, and lost herself in mindless oblivion.

  When he drew back, desire darkened his gaze. She put hands to her burning cheeks. “Of all the d
amn males in the whole west, why did you have to cross my path, Mitchell?”

  He thumbed her kiss-swollen mouth. “I warned you years ago, sweetheart, I would hunt you down and have you, no matter what it took. I vowed I would win you as my mate. And what I win, I keep and no one ever takes it from me.”

  Nia desperately wished she’d stayed away from this handsome, sexy Lupine who ravished her mouth, and laid claim to her body, but would never know her heart.

  He gently stroked a finger over her cheek, where his beard had abraded her flesh. “I’ll have to shave before we consummate our mating. You have such tender skin.”

  A roguish sparkle glinted his gaze. “Especially in the areas where I plan to kiss you very thoroughly.”

  A blush heated her cheeks. Nia pulled away from him. “You won the challenge, but I’m still the leader of my people. You can’t give them orders.”

  “Already have. These grounds are off limits except when one of your females is accompanied by a male.”

  “What?!”

  “I’m ordering my men to patrol your ranch and keep a sharp eye out for more gnomes.” He narrowed his eyes. “For the protection of the pack.”

  Damnit! How was Mandy supposed to search for the chest without someone seeing? Nia scowled. “I can protect my own people.”

  “Our people now. What I say is law, Nikita.”

  She really hated him using her sister’s name and wished he would call her something else. The masquerade she’d pulled off all these years was wearing her out.

  “The mating hasn’t been consummated yet, wolf. You’re a little ahead of yourself. You riding roughshod over me just to prove you’re a big, tough alpha?”

  “When it comes to your safety, I’ll always ride roughshod over you. Deal with it.”

  He clasped her hand, and she walked with him, through the woods to the two ponds where she’d stocked carp to feed her pack. Despite the aeration filters she’d installed with the last of her money, the fish were dying and her people were hungry. Big game like deer and elk had not frequented these woods in months.

  They headed up the paved pathway leading to the lodge and her cabin. Then suddenly he halted and turned to her, his jaw tensing beneath the black beard.