Shifter Fated Mates: Boxed Set

by Mandy M. Roth

  Alejandro cupped her tighter. “Deryn!”

  “Every time you growled it insisted you were my husband,” she said, doing her best to make him understand. “Tell me what the growl means because it took it as a sign of ownership--as a sign I belonged to you and that you weren’t willing to share.”

  “Deryn,” Kane touched her arm lightly, “how do you know it would have killed Alex? Did it say as much or did your gut instincts tell you he was in danger?”

  She shrugged. “It was my gut and something else. Something I don’t want to talk about. I could sense it watching me at various points of the day. It,” she glanced at the ground, “brushed past me several times, doing its version of a feel up as it went, prior to the whole I’m here to have you, bitch.”

  Kane snarled. “Deryn, you had something that powerful stalking you all morning and you didn’t tell anyone about it?”

  “At first I thought I was imagining it. I didn’t want to believe what I was telling Onnie--that it was Avatars. But it kept whispering in Avatarian as its presence neared. I couldn’t actually see anything at first so then I was sure I was losing my mind.”

  Alejandro was suddenly there, staring down at her. “What did it whisper to you?”

  “Nothing,” she said, not wanting to discuss this with him.

  “Deryn.” Kane eyed her close.

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine. It was talking to the other ones. I don’t think it knew I could hear it. In fact, Alejandro was leaning against the temple watching me talk with Che and he didn’t seem to hear it whispering so I think it felt fairly secure with itself.”

  “You’re leaving out what it said and I know you know how to speak Avatarian. We learned together,” Kane said, touching her arm lightly.

  “What do you think males who have existed in a realm without females for centuries would say when they first saw one near their temple? One who put up a decent fight with one of its better warriors?”

  Kane stiffened. “Oh gods, that’s how you knew it would kill Alejandro if it thought he was your husband. It wanted you for itself.”

  “No,” she swallowed hard, “not just for itself. I think it wanted to share amongst it own kind. Trust me, Kane, I didn’t have a choice. It refused to acknowledge Alejandro as my head warrior. It was either its claim that I was an åricus or let it kill Alejandro because it was positive he was my husband. I’m the last person they’ll let be mated for more reasons than them being horny. You know that. You know they’d have killed him without a second thought.”

  Pointing at Alejandro, Kane’s gaze hardened. “I hope you’re happy. If the evil ones Deryn was told about overheard that, they will come at her full force. It’s already bad enough that if we somehow piss off the supposed good guys, they’ll demand her death as retribution. Now, we’ve got the bad guys possibly clued in that they should come after her first. Kill our strongest warrior to cut our legs out from under us.”

  Fulk laughed. “Uhh, Soto, don’t you think they’ll realize that she is not our most powerful warrior? She’s not even a warrior at all. She’s a sexy bookworm. I mean, come on, between the sheets she’s probably a killer but a warrior? No. I’m not seeing it.”

  Kane punched Fulk in the face without warning. Clutching his jaw, Fulk glared at him. “I’ll let that one go, Soto.”

  “You’re lucky it wasn’t me hitting you, jackass,” Alejandro bit out.

  Deryn caressed the back of Alejandro’s neck absently. “He doesn’t bother me. Don’t fight with your friend for being who he is. Fulk was just being funny. He’s trying to lighten the mood here.”

  “Doctor,” Fulk said softly. “These two look like they’re about to go at it. Come on out of the way so you don’t get hurt.”

  “No. I’m taking Deryn back to Earth now!” Kane shouted.

  “Like hell you are,” Alejandro said, pulling her towards him. “She’s not going anywhere until we figure out what’s going on and make sure it can’t follow her through the portal. I can’t protect her if she’s there.”

  Kane pointed his finger at Alejandro. “You can’t protect her from them here either. No one can. Not even me.”

  Deryn moved and stood between them. “Kane, don’t worry. If they come wanting a fight, it’s a fight they’ll get.”

  Fulk snickered. “Gotta love her spirit. She may be insane but she does it with courage. Come on now, Bookworm, before one of them starts swinging at the other one. I don’t want you caught in the cross-stupidity.”

  She made a move to go to Fulk and a wave of dizziness swept over her. It was then that she realized she no longer held her own drink. Puzzled, Deryn looked down to find Alejandro holding it. “How?”

  A slow smile moved over his handsome face. “I think we should get you to your bed.”

  “Don’t you mean, get her in bed, Alex?” Kane bit out, giving Alejandro a hard stare. “That’s what this is about. You don’t want her to leave because you haven’t gotten a chance to fuck her. If you want another notch on your bedpost, take leave and go back to Earth. Have at one of your other women. Deryn isn’t up for grabs.”

  Unable to help herself, Deryn laughed at the absurdity of Kane’s statement. Ondrea picked that moment to show back up. “What’s so funny and how did you manage to get drunk so fast?”

  “Kane is on another one of his ‘all you want is to get in her pants kicks’ again. It’s ridiculous. Hey, you did it to Alejandro, too--earlier.” She pointed at Kane and Ondrea. “People, the colonel is a nice guy. He has no desire to screw me.”

  Kane stared at Ondrea and then laughed, sounding less than pleased. “See what I deal with? She can be so naïve when it comes to our ways.”

  “I know. I’ve been there dealing with it, too. Don’t worry. I already had the talk with him. Deryn doesn’t understand what’s going on because she’s not a shifter, Kane. Don’t blame her. She should have no knowledge of anything personal about any of us, yet she does. She loves you and me like we are her family. That is a major taboo for her. It pits them against her just as much as they are against us. Don’t forget that and don’t be so quick to get mad at her for not understanding our ways.”

  Kane nodded. “I know that. And I know that she has paid dearly because of her concern and allegiance to us, Ondrea. I thought,” he looked away, “she’d be safe here. I thought that if I could get her here, she’d have a chance at living a normal life, free from violence. That was before I knew it was only supernaturals on this mission. How the fuck could I miss Avatarian symbols, Ondrea? How?”

  “I didn’t want to believe her, Kane. I told her to stick to her area of expertise.”

  Kane snorted. “Who the fuck is more of an expert on them, Ondrea? The girl is a...” He stopped fast and stared at Deryn. “The general knew. He knew what was here and what we’d no doubt end up having to fight to keep control of the planet and its natural resources. That’s why he changed his mind and yanked you in. He knew we’d need you here. That fucking son of a bitch is willing to sacrifice his own niece.”

  “Niece?” Alejandro asked. “You’re the general’s niece? He’s a werewolf. And what the fuck does Kane mean by sacrifice you?”

  “Don’t sound hopeful, Alex.” Kane rolled his eyes. “Deryn is his niece by marriage. Not blood. She’s not a shifter.”

  “Oh, can we please shut-up about her?” Vonni asked, pushing past Fulk and glaring at Deryn. “Tell them what you really are. Tell them what they’ll be sleeping by. Tell them what could creep into their tents and kill them in a fraction of a second. What they’re trusting to walk among them. What they’re being tempted to fuck.”

  Ondrea rounded on her and Deryn jumped in front of her friend. “Whoa. No killing the annoying redhead. At least not without my help.” Glancing behind her, she stared at Vonni, making her take a step back. “Boo.”

  Vonni took another step back, her eyes wide. “You-you can’t hurt me here,” she said, stammering over the words. “People will see. They’ll stop you. You can’
t touch me.”

  “Are you sure I even need to touch you, Vonni?” Deryn asked, biting back a smile as Vonni’s eyes widened.

  “No ... no, you wouldn’t dare. You can’t ... no.”

  “Wow, what happened to the big bad pixie?” Ondrea asked, laughing softly. “Bitch, you even give Deryn a sideways glance and I will gut you. And if you dare think you can spread mass pandemonium and get them to turn on her, I’ll eat you for breakfast and gladly take the bullet for it later.”

  Ondrea wasn’t bluffing and Deryn knew it. Kane moved forward fast. “I’ll help her, Vonni. I will kill anyone who causes Deryn pain. She would die to protect you and you’re letting yourself be blinded by jealousy. Don’t you think if the colonel was the least bit interested in you, he’d have acted on it in the seven months you’ve both been here?”

  “It’s against her nature to protect us,” Vonni said, practically spitting as she did.

  Fulk laughed. “Uhh, no offense but I’d rather not have Doc in the way even if she is trying to protect me. I want her safely tucked behind me. She can throw books or some of that geeky equipment shit she always has with her at the enemy if she really wants to.”

  Vonni snorted. “Fulk, she can kill you in a heartbeat. She can kill all of you. Don’t be fooled by what you see. She’s not sweet and she is far from innocent.”

  Glancing at Vonni, Fulk bit back a laugh. “Yeah, she’s really spooky.” He put his arm out to Deryn. “Come on, killer, let me escort you back to your tent and let Dumb and Ass duke it out. I promise to be a gentleman.”

  “No,” Deryn said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to go back to my tent.”

  “Doc.” Fulk took another step towards her. “Come on. I’ll walk you back.”

  Vonni’s nostrils flared as power lit around her. “Tell them what you are, bitch.”

  Ignoring Vonni, Deryn grabbed Fulk’s hand. “You wanted me to dance, let’s dance.”

  “Oh, no, I....”

  “Yippee, she’s going to screw him. I was so hoping she’d listen to me.” Ondrea clapped her hands and ran off.

  The second the music changed to something with a rhythmic thump--Deryn knew Ondrea had something to do with it. Moving towards Fulk, Deryn shook her hips and followed the beat. He hesitated at first but soon began to move along with her. “You’re not so bad, Doc.”

  “Neither are you. Want me to ride you now?” she asked, winking at her reference to sitting on his back while he did pushups.

  Fulk laughed. “How many times do you think I can get you to go up and down?”

  Alejandro’s growl was loud enough for everyone in the bar tent to hear. Fulk paled considerably and Deryn’s brow furrowed. “Fulk, what’s wrong?”

  He pointed towards Alejandro and took a giant step back from her. “I think he’d rather we not joke about you riding me.”

  “I think Mr. Fuddy-Duddy should get his sexy ass over here and dance with me then.”

  Grinning, Fulk tipped his head and put his arm out in a sweeping motion. “Colonel Fuddy-Duddy, I believe your presence has been requested.”

  “Ondrea,” Kane said. “I’d like to talk to you a minute.”

  Alejandro approached slowly. “Dr. Murray, I think you should go sleep this off. You don’t want to dance with me.”

  Moving her hips seductively, Deryn rolled her upper body and stared up at Alejandro with a slight smile on her face. “You have no idea what I want to do with you, Colonel.”

  He drew in a sharp breath and closed the distance between them. Placing one hand on her hip and the other a bit higher on her side, Alejandro began to dance with her. He not only kept pace with her but actually took the lead over. It felt so good to move seductively with him that Deryn found herself daydreaming about having his cock between her legs, sliding in and out of her.

  “Mmm, you’re really good at this,” she said, locking gazes with him.

  “I think it’s genetic. My mother was a dancer.”

  “She was?” Deryn gasped as Alejandro pulled her so close that their lower halves rubbed against one another.

  “Yes,” he dropped his head down a bit, leaving their lips close to touching, “she was and she was very good. Samba was her thing.”

  “Really?” she asked, surprised to hear that. She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t let my grandmother know or she’ll try to marry us off faster than that tomb guard did.”

  “What’s your grandmother’s number? I’ll call and tell her myself,” he said with a wink. “I’d love to ask her more about this mate of yours. The one who’s mother used to be a famous samba dancer.”

  Glancing to the side, Deryn found that they were drawing a crowd. “Alejandro, do I have something all over my face or is something wrong with me?”

  He moved their bodies in time with the music. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Why?”

  Leaning in to him, she went to her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his ear. “Then why is everyone staring at us?”

  The manly chuckle that came from him left her inner thighs quivering in delight. “I rarely come in here and I’ve never danced in front of them so I’m guessing that has a little something to do with it.”

  “I’m sorry I asked you to dance with me. I didn’t even think about the fact you’re their commanding officer.”

  Working his upper thigh between her legs, Alejandro managed to get them into a pose that left their bodies rubbing fully and her heart racing. His gaze was so intense that she almost looked away. “If you’re trying to get me to stop, it’s not going to work.”

  “But,” she did her best to control her erratic breathing, “you have to maintain your image--you’re their....”

  Alejandro began to sing along with the beat. She knew enough to know he was singing in Portuguese and that he had an amazing voice but that was it. Several of the men around them gasped as Alejandro repeated a phrase several times. “Eu quero fazer amor com você.”

  Several of them began to whistle. “All right, Colonel!”

  Placing one hand on his steely chest and the other on his hip, Deryn gave into the sound of the beat, his voice and the urge to feel more of him. She tipped her head back and began grinding her pelvis against his upper thigh, simulating the act of riding him. She brushed past his erection and they both drew in a sharp breath.

  If what she felt was accurate, the man was doing more than fine in the dick size department. Always a plus. She wagged her brows as she moistened her lips.

  Alejandro made a noise that sounded as if he were in pain and then continued singing to her. He shifted his movement up just enough that his upper thigh began to rub against her clit. Deryn countered each thrust. Her nipples hardened and moisture pooled between her legs. If she wasn’t careful she’d end up soaking his pant leg. Dying of embarrassment was not the way Deryn wanted to go.

  Fighting her own need to touch him, run her hands through his hair and see his body pumping into hers, Deryn broke his hold on her and took a step back. Alejandro caught her by the hand and spun her around. She kept moving with the beat as he moved in behind her and pressed his engorged cock against her ass. Her breathing grew short as she rocked against him.

  Alejandro pressed his mouth against her ear and continued to sing. This time in a hushed tone. Her entire body lit with desire. “Amorzão.”

  Tipping her head back, Deryn locked gazes with Alejandro and came just shy of kissing him. Coming to her senses, she stepped away from him just as the song ended. “Well now, it’s a good thing you guys don’t get him up here to hang out more often. He’d cut in on your action,” she said with a wink towards the group gathered around them.

  Laughter sounded through the club followed closely by a round of applause. Fulk pushed through carrying another round of drinks. He handed one to Alejandro and went to hand one to her.

  Ondrea appeared out of nowhere, shaking her head. “No. Deryn doesn’t need anymore to drink tonight.”

  “Yes, Deryn does.” Deryn snat
ched the drink from Fulk’s hand and slammed it. As she brought the empty glass down she found them all staring at her with matching shocked expressions. She offered a slight smile. “Umm, thanks, Fulk.”

  “Uh, no problem but if you drink me under the table I’ll never live it down.”

  “There’s no fear of that happening,” she said, handing the empty glass to Ondrea. “I just needed something to calm my....”

  Ondrea nodded. “Your nerves. Yeah, I know.”

  “No. My libido.”

  Fulk spit a mouthful of beer into the air and choked. Alejandro hit him in the back and Fulk coughed. “Thanks, Colonel. Way to get her horny.”

  Alejandro hit him again, this time in the back of the head. He glanced at Deryn. “Sorry, he tends to say the first thing that comes to his mind.”

  “He was right,” she said, shrugging.

  Ondrea caught her by the arm and tugged on her. “Deryn, are you feeling okay? You’re flushed and saying things you wouldn’t dream of saying in front of Kane’s friends.”

  The emphasis she put on who the men where she was talking in front of was not lost on Deryn. “Where is Kane?”

  “He’ll be back in a minute. Are you ready to go back to your tent now?”

  Deryn hiccupped, and covered her mouth as she giggled. “No. Don’t you understand what this is?”

  Ondrea gave her a confused look.

  “Kane knows. It’s why he’s off trying to work out the logistics of transporting me through the portal to our realm as we speak. He’s going behind Alejandro’s back because he knows Alejandro will stop it.”

  “Deryn, how in the hell do you know what Kane is doing?” Ondrea asked, clearly shocked.

  “Because,” she swayed, the alcohol hit her full force, “you two went off to talk. You no doubt told him about Vonni and about what she’s saying. Then he no doubt launched into the danger everyone here is in now that he knows I’m right--it’s Avatars.”

  “Bookworm, you’re drunk.” Fulk moved up next to her. “I’ll help you back to your tent. You can rest.”

  “No.” She patted his stubble-covered cheek. “You will all die if I leave. All of you.”