The Mate Challenge (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (Sassy Mates Book 4)

by Milly Taiden

  Mason sighed. “Yeah. She got really worked up.”

  “Can you blame her?” Caleb filled a mug with straight black coffee and added sugar. “You said she lost her family. She’s pretty close to your family, so seeing your mother bleeding, even if in her wolf form, would have terrified her to think she was going to lose her too.”

  Ah, hell. He hadn’t thought of that. Emma had been all over his mother after her injury, making sure she was taken care of even though she’d been back on her feet the next day. He picked up his cup, added coffee, cream and sugar. “I’m such an idiot.”

  Jake snorted. “We already knew that.”

  “Shut up, furball,” Mason replied.

  “Hey, that’s Aric’s name,” Jake threw back with a laugh.

  “Speaking of women,” Nate said, taking a seat. “Have you talked to Ellie?”

  Both Mason and Jake turned to face Caleb. Their friend had aged a lifetime in his battle against Rocco. It was obvious in the lines in his face and the rigid way he carried himself.

  “Not recently,” he admitted. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then glanced at them. “I can’t yet. I can’t make her promises when I don’t know if there will be a pack left after this. I won’t bring her into the destruction Rocco has created of Rahound.”

  They nodded in understanding. Ellie was too important to Caleb for him to bring her into danger. Just like their mates were to them.

  Caleb pursed his lips, his eyes glowing with the power of his animal. “It’s not open for debate. Ellie stays with you all. She stays safe. And until I can guarantee she will not run into any danger with Rahound, I won’t discuss her going anywhere near the pack. Or me.”

  There was a moment of silent acknowledgement over what he was willing to lose in order to ensure her safety.

  “So what did you learn about the vampires getting teen humans from rogues?” Jake asked, downing a second cup of coffee.

  Mason winced in his seat. Damn, he hurt. All he could think of was going home to his Emma. Making sure she was okay and nothing happened to her while he’d been gone.

  “Emma said one of the guys said the girls came from Rocco.” Mason sighed. “Seems he’s got something up his sleeve with his rogues and feeding the vampires.”

  “And the vampire female?” Nate asked folding his arms over his chest and leaning back.

  “Apparently, she likes Emma and wants to help her find Emma’s missing student.” Mason replied. “I don’t know what to think on that end. But Emma says Aria’s clan made a vow centuries ago to not drink human blood.”

  Jake snorted. “Yeah, right. Like that’s possible. Who the hell believes that?”

  Caleb stretched his arms above his head, yawning in exhaustion. “I’d heard of that. It’s why I hadn’t given them a second thought. I knew vampires in the area had given up the human blood so we didn’t have to worry about them so much.”

  “Looks like not all of them are in agreement on that decision,” Mason muttered. “Someone is taking these girls. Aria is trying to figure out who on her end made the deal and we should probably try to find out from some rogues what it is Rocco is trying to do with the vampires.”

  Jake rubbed his eyes and hung his head. “So business as usual, huh?”

  “Yeah. More crazy shit to deal with,” Nate replied.

  They had been fighting Rocco and his influx of rogues for months now. To know that he was trying to get vampires involved somehow made things even worse.

  “FYI, Caleb,” Jake grumbled. “If you don’t kill Rocco, one of us will. This lack of sleep is making me cranky.”

  Caleb smiled coldly. “He’s already dead. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

  THIRTEEN

  Emma stared gloomily down at her hands. No matter how hard she’d tried, she wasn’t shifting. It had been almost three days and nothing. Everyone said she didn’t smell any different. Nic and Ellie had given her sad looks and told her they couldn’t scent a wolf in her. Then Emma had gone and added ‘other than Mason Wolfe’ to lighten up the mood.

  Oh, well. It was bound to happen to someone. All the others had no difficulty turning, other than Nic in Vegas. She’d gone through a hell of a time with her body trying to decide if it was going to accept the change or not.

  Her cell phone beeped. The hard wood of her desk chair was all but forgotten when she saw who was messaging. Aria.

  I’m playing detective. Want to join me?

  Hell yeah! She replied quickly and waited for further instructions. With Jordan on her honeymoon, Ellie and Nic tried to spend time with Emma, but they had their own lives too. Though recuperated, Barbara was busy with her husband’s upcoming travel. That meant Emma was able to go off and help Aria try to figure out the vampire and shifter link.

  Aria asked her to meet her at the same location as before. She said she had someone in mind she wanted to follow and things might get ugly. Emma thought long and hard about what she’d said. She wasn’t a shifter. She wasn’t a vampire. She was a human. Able to get hurt or killed. At that moment, she made a decision she hadn’t expected to.

  She dialed a number and waited.

  “Hey, brat.”

  A smile split her lips at the greeting. Even having mated her, he continued to call her by the endearment he’d dubbed her when they’d first met.

  “You really busy?”

  “For you? Never.” He said, his words a low growl. “Want me to come over and we can—”

  “What are you going to do?” She asked, her body growing warm at his tone of voice.

  “Baby, I’m going to make you scream for me,” he promised. She knew it wasn’t an empty promise either. He’d get her to scream alright.

  “You sound kind of full of yourself there, Romeo.”

  “Confident. Not full of myself. You know you love my tongue gliding up and down your pussy, licking your sweetness.”

  She gulped. Wow. He’d pulled out the big guns. “I’m not the only one that likes licking, though.” She taunted. “I’ve watched your face when I flick my tongue around your cock,” she moaned. “Those quick little circles get you growling for me.”

  He breathed heavily over the line. “Yes, I won’t deny it. I fucking love watching you suck my cock. My dick between your lips is the second thing I love to see.”

  She licked her dry lips and squirmed in her seat. “What’s the first?”

  “My dick going in and out of your pussy. Going deep, feeling you clench me tight and then coming out soaked. That’s fucking beautiful.”

  Oh, good God. “I won’t argue with you there. Watching you fuck me has to be one of the best things I’ve seen. Your cock filling my pussy,” she groaned. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

  “It does,” he growled over the line. “Me coming in your pussy. My seed breathing life into your womb. That is even better, beautiful. Our children.”

  She gulped. He was moving a little fast there.

  “Slow it down, Romeo. Before you have me barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a little expedition with me and Aria.”

  “What is this about?” He asked. Gone was the playful, naughty tone to be replaced with his growly bossy one.

  “She thinks she’s got a lead on the shifter and vampire connection.”

  Normally, Emma wouldn’t have thought twice to leave with Aria and not say anything, but Mason had been trying really hard to keep her abreast of pack business so she didn’t feel ignored or rejected. It was her turn to return the favor.

  “I’ll come pick you up,” he said. “Don’t leave without me.”

  She rolled her eyes at the way he said the words slowly. “I’m the one that called you, remember?”

  “Okay, just don’t leave. I’ll be there soon.”

  * * *

  Trevan glanced at the stack of cash on the table. He wasn’t desperate for money, but he’d take it if it was being given. Besides, this was a good opportunity to find out what th
e hell was going on between the Rahound pack and the vampires.

  His memory returned to the vampire he’d caught falling from the ledge. She’d been full of curves. Beautiful. With a scent unlike any other he’d ever smelled. She was also his. There wasn’t time now to think about her, or her delectable ass. He remembered the surprised look on her face when he’d caught her, along with the slow sweep of her tongue over her lips. The small bite of her bottom lip, showing of her tiny peeking fangs. Hell. What the fuck was wrong with him? Wanting a vampire. They were the worst of the worst. They’d killed his family.

  “You’ll do the job?” The older shifter asked, representing Rahound during their meeting. It seemed the old guy wasn’t interested in talking to the hired help.

  “He already said we would,” Roen growled, slamming his fists over the wooden table.

  The small cabin was devoid of any of the usual homey comforts. Trevan figured they only used it to do business with outsiders from the lack of furnishings and poor state of the place.

  The shifter, who asked only to be referred to as Zel, glared at them. The large diagonal scar covering the left side of his face, appeared larger when he snarled. “I expect some girls delivered to that address tonight. We’ll hear about it if you don’t do the job.”

  Alain marched up, taking his place on Trevan’s left side. “We’ll do it.”

  Zel nodded and motioned for one of his guards to open the cabin door.

  Nice way of telling them to get out. They left without saying anything else, ready to get the job done. Trevan didn’t know where they were getting the girls, which worried him. If they were going to put an end to the human teens being given to vampires, they needed to know where it was originating.

  Trevan sat in the passenger seat of his four door pick-up truck, giving Alain the driver’s seat. Roen took the back seat, behind Alain. Trevan turned sideways to speak once they were far enough away from the cabin they wouldn’t be heard.

  “How are they getting these girls?” He asked.

  “I’ve been racking my brain with the same question.” Roen replied. “They’ve gotta be using young wolves to lure the girls in.”

  “Yeah. I don’t see teenagers going off with strange adults,” Alain added.

  “I don’t either. That means that these young wolves have to be saying something that’s prompting the girls to want to go with them to check out this club.”

  Roen gripped the back of Alain’s driver’s seat. “If something sounds cool or fun, some girls will want to check it out. I mean, they’re living in a town filled with paranormals and I’m sure they’re curious.”

  “Curiosity killed the cat,” Trevan muttered, his voice a thunderous snarl.

  “True, but they’re not thinking about that. They’re only thinking of how interesting or fun it will be to try and meet a real vampire,” Alain sighed.

  “So now what?” Roen asked. “We taking these girls to the vamps?”

  They had to. Or they wouldn’t know who it was that had the deal with Rahound. Plus, it wasn’t like they’d actually give the girls up. They’d have to pick the girls up first.

  “Let’s get through with the pick-up. See how things work out and who they have delivering them to us,” Trevan answered.

  The road turned rockier. Obviously, the place they had to go to retrieve the girls wasn’t easily accessible.

  “I keep wondering why they are passing these girls from hand to hand.” Alain mused. “Why don’t they send whoever got the girls to deliver them to the blood suckers?”

  Good question.

  “I think they might not want anyone to know too much,” Roen supplied with a frown. “In case someone gets caught?”

  “It’s possible. I don’t know. This whole thing stinks.” Alain gripped the wheel tighter.

  “From what I noticed,” Trevan eyed his friend, “they change the meeting locations constantly. They also don’t want a single group doing everything. It seems that’s their way to ensure that even if someone gets caught and talks, they won’t be found. By the time the next delivery or pick up takes place, there’s a new meeting location and route.”

  Which made things harder for them. If they didn’t kill the vampire hiring out the wolves to give them humans to bleed, then they wouldn’t know where the next set of girls caught would be brought. They could use a different group of men to deliver the girls. And Trevan and his friends wouldn’t be able to help.

  “We’re here.”

  Another fucking cabin. Apparently shit happened out in the woods in Blue Creek. This place looked ready to fall to the ground. When they got out of the pick-up, he noticed a black van park around the side of the cabin.

  Two young human kids, no more than eighteen or nineteen came out of the cabin, followed by two shifters. The shifters were also younger, possibly in their teens.

  “You here to get the girls?” One of the shifters asked, eyeing them suspiciously. “Zel called and said he’d sent you this way.”

  Roen nodded. “Yeah. We’re here for the girls. Where are they?”

  The kid threw him a set of keys. “They’re in the back of the van.”

  The other shifter gave them a toothy smile. “Don’t worry. We got them tied up so they won’t be getting away.”

  “Are they always tied up?” Alain asked casually, shoving his hands into his pockets.

  Trevan wanted to bash all their heads in. Fucking idiots. Taking little girls to be bled by vampires.

  The shifters glanced at each other before the kid who threw the keys replied. “Nah. But these two gave us some trouble after we got here. Trying to escape and shit.”

  “They usually want to go meet the vampires,” said one of the humans.

  Trevan nodded. “We’ll take them over to the meeting place.”

  FOURTEEN

  Emma turned to Mason with a frown. “You have to try to behave yourself around Aria.”

  He glanced at her from the driver’s side. “Define behave.”

  “Mason!” she slapped him on the shoulder, which only made her hand sting but he didn’t even blink. “She’s helping me. Helping us try to figure out this mess.”

  He raised a brow. “She’s a blood sucker.”

  “I’ll have you know her clan is human-blood free,” she said smartly.

  “Are these the same people dealing with Rahound to get human blood?”

  “Well, okay. She’s human-blood free. She’s trying to figure out who is making deals for humans on her side.” She sighed. “Give a girl some credit. At least she’s trying.”

  “You’re right. She is and I am grateful for her help. Which means I won’t kill her.”

  “Gee, thanks,” she muttered. “You’re too kind.”

  They got to the meeting place and Aria waited on a black bike. She wore head to toe leather and made Emma decide then and there that she needed a leather outfit in her life. Spiked boots and all.

  “Good, you brought your pet,” Aria said for a greeting.

  Mason growled beside her.

  “Relax,” Emma whispered. “She’s just kidding.”

  Aria grinned, showing the tips of her fangs. “She’s right. I am only kidding.”

  “Thanks for the heads up, Aria.”

  She nodded. “Follow me at a good distance.”

  Aria took off on the bike and Mason floored it behind her. They drove through a different area of town close to the warehouses by Embraced. Aria stopped suddenly. She made signals for them to stop as well.

  Emma and Mason jumped out of the car. Though she couldn’t fight with her hands like the shifters, she could shoot better than anyone else she knew. She could also kick some serious ass with her katana. With a knife strapped to her back and two handguns at her hips, she could offer some help. They caught up with Aria in the back of what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

  “Why are we here?” Emma whispered as they walked.

  “One of my people.” Aria slowed her steps. “I chose to fo
llow today because something told me to. Council outings are usually recorded in case I need them.”

  “And why is this suspicious?” Emma asked again.

  Aria turned to meet her gaze, her eyes filled with fury. “This outing wasn’t recorded. In fact, there was no mention of leaving the mansion.”

  “Do people normally tell you where they’re going?” Mason whispered.

  Aria shook her head. “No. This is a council member. They have different rules than the rest of the clan.”

  Shit. That meant this person could be the one making deals for teens. Aria jumped, landing on a ledge by a high window.

  Emma envied her speed. And Spiderman ability. They waited for her to jump back down a few seconds later.

  “Let’s go around through the side. I saw a van pulling in and we’ll want to see what’s going on from a better spot.” She motioned to the left side of the warehouse.

  The chill from the evening didn’t bother Emma as much as the worry that this would be a dead end.

  Piles of crates and boxes hid their entrance from view.

  A black van stopped in the center of the warehouse. Three guys jumped out. Emma gasped. Dammit, she knew those guys. They’d helped them at Embraced.

  There was another man with two others facing away from Emma.

  “You have the package?” One guy asked.

  “Yes,” said the shifter that caught Aria when she fell from the building at Embraced. “Who are you?”

  “None of your business, dog,” yelled the guy in the center, walking up to the van.

  “I think it’s my business. I got your package. How am I supposed to verify you’re the right person to give it to if you don’t give me your name?” The shifter said with a humorless smile.

  Aria jumped over the crates to land behind the vampires. “His name is Anton.”

  Emma gasped, rushing behind Mason to offer Aria some backup. Shit. Aria had gotten ahead of them and from the sound of her voice she was pissed.

  The guy she referred to as Anton flung around to face her. “Aria—”