The Keeper Finds Her Mate

by Red Phoenix

  Instead he was passed from clan to clan as a scorned slave until he chanced into a clan that appreciated his unique heritage. He still lived as an outsider, never fitting into their community, but no longer abused. He was not one of them, but was raised with the knowledge and assurance that he was needed by the pack.

  The only bright spot in his life was a young white wolf. Her intelligence and mischievous spirit impressed him. His need to dominate and guide her was overwhelming, but he was forced to step carefully. She was the daughter of the leader, a prized possession of the clan. He knew he had to tread cautiously, hiding his true feelings for her.

  He spent every day watching his white wolf, taking heart when she smiled, silently marking her triumphs, and aching when she hurt. It was his duty—nay, his privilege to correct her as an Alpha, and he took pride in the woman she grew into.

  He fully expected to be free to seduce her once he became one of the leaders of the clan. No one would deny his rights then, and she would finally come to understand his true feelings.

  But tragedy struck and he was thrust into the leadership role before he was ready. Worse, she was given a responsibility that he knew would destroy her. His visions of going to her as a suitor vanished as he took on the role of the ‘hated’ to compel her to fight for her survival and that of the clan.

  As much as he had wanted to mate her, he’d never wanted it to be the way it was that first time, not like that…

  He’d approached her that terrible/wonderful night as wolf—hot, passionate and in desperate need of her. But her cries of fear and loathing ripped at his heart.

  It was her sheer will alone, not her desire for him, that had stilled her movements when he came up behind her. He’d licked her, trying to calm and ready her for their coupling. Her taste would have been exquisite, except for the metal tang of fear he detected.

  He whined, afraid of hurting her as he placed his paws on either side of her thin waist and positioned himself to mount her. She struggled again and whimpered under his failed attempts to penetrate her, his lack of experience causing her undue discomfort. He silenced his own fears, concentrating solely on her, and was rewarded when he finally slipped into her warm recesses.

  He felt her stiffen beneath him, but nature took its course and he began to thrust. When she cried out in discomfort, he immediately slowed down and began licking her again.

  While another Alpha helped to soothe and encourage her with a human voice, he instinctively bit down on the back of her neck. She immediately relaxed underneath him and allowed him deeper access. When the other Alpha turned her head towards him, he let go of her neck to kiss her soft, human lips with his long tongue.

  Her tight womanhood contracted around his shaft and she moaned in response to his oral attention, driving him wild with passion.

  He controlled his movements when the others moved away, being careful not to hurt her when she struggled against him. By then, the base of his shaft had fully expanded and held her firmly in place. He began licking her skin, trying to communicate his pure adoration of her as his male organ pulsed his wolf seed deep inside her.

  The others returned, teasing and pleasing her as he bit her neck a final time. Her young body began to caress his wolfhood with her pleasure. He growled, deep and low, caught up in the intense pleasure of the moment.

  Every rejection he’d suffered, every humiliation he’d endured was worth this connection with her.

  Someday she would know the man behind the hard exterior he presented to the world, and she would come to love him as deeply as he loved her.

  Layla woke up with a start, panting as echoing pulsations of pleasure coursed through her body as if it she’d just been taken. She settled back down in her blankets when she heard her father shift beside her. Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to quiet both her body and her thoughts.

  She felt certain her mother had gifted her with the dream. A vision of an unseen world that had been in front of Layla her entire life.

  Valen.

  The young wolf had been put in a terrible position and had given up on his own happiness for the good of the clan. He’d done it without complaint, accepting his responsibility.

  And now he was being forced to watch her leave…

  Silent tears ran down her cheeks. She’d been so concerned with herself that she had never truly considered the terrible price Valen had paid for the clan.

  How tragic that when he’d finally had his chance to couple with the woman he wanted to claim as mate, Layla’s father had asked him to take her while in wolf form. When he’d seen how scared she was, Valen had refused and had then been given the task of coupling with her out of sync during the Bonding Ritual, knowing how horrified she would be by the act.

  Valen had never had a chance with her.

  And yet… he’d found a way into her heart and made her begin to care for him. He must have felt hope for the first time, only to have it destroyed when her father had accepted the offers from two rival clan members.

  Valen had never known the love of family, the love of a clan, or the love of a woman. His world had been full of pain, hatred, sacrifice and responsibility. Knowing how he had silently suffered all those years endeared him to her.

  She wasted no time pulling on her clothing.

  “What’s wrong, Layla?” her father asked groggily.

  “Sorry, Papa, I have to go.”

  She headed out into the cold morning air and quickly made her way to Valen’s tent. She felt awkward, but called out to him softly several times. When he didn’t answer, she braved a peek inside and saw that he was gone. “Valen?”

  Fear gripped her heart.

  She frantically searched for him in the places she thought he might be, but Valen was nowhere to be found. She hurried to Maska’s tent to ask if he knew. While rounding the corner, she ran straight into the hard, immovable chest of Bram.

  Layla immediately backed away, her skin crawling from the contact.

  “An odd time to be out,” he stated in an accusing tone.

  “Excuse me,” Layla blurted, trying to move past him.

  Bram’s harsh grip held in her place. “Don’t ignore me, girl.”

  She straightened herself and looked at him with her head tilted up in defiance. “Do not touch me again, Bram of Tavish, and you may only address me as Keeper.”

  He snorted contemptuously. “Do you know what I am envisioning right now, girl?”

  The look in Bram’s eyes caused the hairs on her neck to rise. Whatever he was thinking, it was violent and sexual in nature.

  Layla was frightened but couldn’t let him know that, so she twisted out of his grasp and turned without a word, walking back towards her father’s tent even though she desperately wanted to run.

  “Do not reject my offer,” he called after her, “or I will make you pay.”

  Bram’s threat hung heavy in the air, but Layla knew it was idle. His people had no power—not compared to the massive resources of the Daric clan.

  Layla understood what she needed to do even though it was still early. She picked up Gannon’s blanket and headed to his camp. His warriors were already taking down their tents and packing up for the long trip home.

  Gannon frowned as soon as he saw what she held in her hands.

  “Gannon of the Sholto clan, I cannot accept your offer.” She bowed respectfully as she handed back the blanket. He did not take it.

  “What changed your mind? I thought you had decided to mate with me.”

  She looked up into his icy-blue gaze and said with a hint of sadness, “I must stay with my people, Gannon.”

  He shook his head, reluctantly taking the blanket from her. “I am disappointed with your decision.” Then he added, “However, I will still honor the offer until the next moon, should you have a change of heart.”

  “Thank you, Gannon of the Sholto clan, but my heart is certain.”

  She disliked rejecting such a good man, but the conviction she felt abou
t her choice only grew as she walked away. This was where she belonged, a leader among her own people.

  It was with great satisfaction that she returned the second blanket. Layla walked up to Bram with her head held high. She wanted his fellow warriors to know how little she respected the arrogant wolf.

  Layla thrust the blanket at him, stating loudly, “I refuse your offer, Bram of the Tavish clan.”

  She heard several disgusted grunts from his men, but Bram surprised her by smiling. “Do you know what I am envisioning, girl?”

  She looked up into his cruel eyes and was struck by the lustful fury burning within. She shook her head slightly.

  He leaned forward and answered in a low growl. “I am pushing you to your knees and force-feeding you my shaft.”

  Layla didn’t let a single muscle twitch on her face. The insolence was shocking, but she would not give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

  Maska, Amira and Etan suddenly materialized, as if they could sense the tension between them.

  Bram smiled at the Alphas as he leaned forward again and whispered intimately, “You think that I made an offer of mating you can refuse, but it is a promise.” His smile remained kind, but his voice was deep with malice. “I will do bad things to you, Little Flower.” He gave a slight bow, pretending respect as he threw the blanket nonchalantly to one of his men and barked, “We’re heading out.”

  She walked over to her Alphas and stood beside them as Bram’s men packed up in a matter of moments, transforming in unison and kicking dirt onto their fires with an attitude of defiance before taking up their travoises and moving out.

  “He’s trouble,” Maska declared as they watched them leave.

  “Yes,” Layla agreed. “He means us harm.”

  “I have a select group of warriors trailing them to make sure they make it back to their village without incident.” Maska looked down at her protectively. “Bram, nor any of his men, will harm you, Keeper.”

  She looked up and smiled at Maska, feeling safe under his care. “Thank you.” Her need to talk to Valen was urgent, so she asked, “I had wanted to ask earlier if you knew of Valen’s whereabouts.”

  When Maska shook his head, Amira answered for him. “Valen requested not to be present today, Keeper.”

  She turned to him. “Amira, do you know where he is?”

  “No, he did not share that information with me.”

  Layla said earnestly to all three Alphas, “I need to speak with him…with all of you.”

  Etan put his large paw of a hand on her slender shoulder. “I will look for him, lass. I do not want you leaving the village until all strangers have departed.”

  She sensed their collective concern for her and assured them all, “I will remain here until you give me permission to leave.”

  Etan nodded and then began to strip, morphing into a grizzly-sized bear of a wolf the color of autumn wheat. He was surprisingly fast and sure on his feet despite his immense girth, making him the most physically dangerous of the four Alphas.

  While he ran into the forest, the other two escorted Layla back to her father, where Maska shared his concerns with Jerric. “I overheard Bram speaking to the Keeper this morning. I would describe his tone as threatening, and he did not receive her rejection well just now.”

  “What happened?” Jerric asked Layla directly.

  She looked at both Amira and Maska, ashamed to admit what Bram had said to her. “He claimed the offering was meant as a promise and that he plans to hurt me.”

  “What were his exact words?” Amira demanded, anger burning in his dark gaze.

  She closed her eyes as she repeated them, feeling nauseated as she spoke. “You think that I made an offer of mating you can refuse, but it is a promise. I will do bad things to you, Little Flower.”

  Jerric howled with fury. “How dare he threaten my daughter?”

  Amira spoke calmly, although his voice shook with anger. “We cannot overreact, Jerric. We don’t want to start a war.”

  Maska huffed. “Bram’s actions speak to his desire for a war. He may have left here empty-handed, but his intentions have not changed.”

  Layla suddenly had the cold realization that war was a very real possibility. “Maska, what do you think he plans to do?”

  “I have my suspicions, Keeper, but will not voice them until I know more. It’s clear the Daric clan stands in his way and he sees Mika’s death as a chink in our armor that he can take advantage of.”

  “We have had our eyes on him for years now,” Jerric confided to Layla, “because his clan has been involved in hostile takeovers of insignificant clans. However, it appears his ambition is to take on the giant now.”

  “Even though we have no reason to distrust the Sholto clan, I have men trailing them as well,” Maska informed her. “We cannot be too careful.” He pounded his fist against his hand, growling, “But when I think of Bram’s deliberate contempt of our Keeper, I want to rip his throat out!”

  Amira gripped Maska’s shoulder hard. “Calm, calculated responses must be the rule for the Daric clan.”

  “Of course,” Maska snarled, “but when we prevail over him, we will show no mercy.”

  “Agreed,” Jerric growled with uncharacteristic venom.

  The protectiveness of the Alphas brought Layla comfort, but she was still in shock. Despite everything she had suffered and sacrificed for, war might still be part of their clan’s future.

  “You Will Now”

  Late in the day, Layla was given permission to leave the village but instructed not to stray far. Etan had not been able to locate Valen.

  Amira stated, “He is Alpha. He knows his duty and will return before dark.”

  Layla hoped Amira was right. She wanted nothing more than to tell Valen how she felt. He needed to know her feelings had changed, that she needed him.

  Not knowing where else to go, Layla escaped to her secret place, and was surprised to find him there. Valen was sitting on the moss, head hanging down, looking dejected and alone. Seeing him in such a state broke Layla’s heart.

  She walked up to him, barking softly when he didn’t notice her.

  Valen looked up with eyes haunted with grief, but quickly shook off the expression, returning to his normal cold exterior. He grunted as he stood up and demanded, “What are you doing here?”

  She transformed into a human before him, so they could talk. The first words out of her mouth were harsher than she meant. “I have been looking everywhere for you!”

  He snarled and turned away from her. “I was attempting to avoid this, Layla. I didn’t want to face saying goodbye.”

  “But I’m not here to say goodbye.”

  Valen snuck a glance back at her, not daring to trust he’d heard her right. “Why? What happened?”

  “I sent Gannon and Bram home. I’m staying here as Keeper of the clan.”

  She didn’t miss the hint of a smile that played across his lips before he immediately suppressed it. “You’re not leaving?”

  “No. I was foolish to think I could escape my fate. I am the Keeper.”

  He turned back to face her, his stance formal and guarded. “It is the responsible choice.”

  “Both you and I are too young for the roles we have been given. I’ve handled it with reluctance, but you… you have faced it without complaint.”

  He answered her in a grave tone. “Layla, it was the sole reason I was adopted into the clan. It wasn’t a question for me.”

  She tried to reach out to him, but he instinctively backed away. Those old feelings of resentment and rejection flooded through her again. “Are we back to the way it used to be?” she asked regretfully.

  Valen’s expression was unreadable, filling her heart with painful echoes of the past.

  “You claimed to care for me, Valen. Yet, you were willing to let me go without a fight—not even a whimper.”

  He snarled, baring his teeth. “I told them all you were promised.”

  “But afterwar
ds you acted as if you didn’t care,” she said accusingly.

  He growled then, a low and ominous sound. “Your father came to me and said the one thing that could force my silence.”

  Layla tilted her head. “What? What could that possibly be?”

  “He told me, ‘If you love her, you will encourage her go. She doesn’t deserve this life.’”

  Layla stopped breathing for a moment. Knowing that Valen had willingly given up the only thing he’d ever wanted was the most loving sacrifice she could imagine.

  “My father was wrong, Valen.”

  “Wrong how?” he asked gruffly.

  “I should never have considered running away. This is my destiny.”

  “So you’re staying out of duty to the clan?”

  “I’m here to serve my people, but I am staying for you.”

  Valen eyed her distrustfully but didn’t move when she approached and put both hands on his chest.

  “You have not known the love of family, the unconditional acceptance of the clan, nor the adoration of a woman.” She looked up into his green eyes and smiled. “But you will now.”

  “Layla…”

  She put her finger to his mouth to silence him as she tiptoed and replaced her finger with her lips. He was stiff and unyielding until she whispered his name.

  Valen crushed her to him then, his rough hands digging in to her skin. “I have loved you for so long…” he groaned. His tongue demanded entrance into her mouth. When she yielded, he consumed her with his passion. Layla had never known a kiss could impart such powerful emotions and was overwhelmed by it.

  He growled and clawed at her, not seeming to get enough even though she had become his willing vessel, hungry to receive all that he’d held back for so long.

  Layla closed her eyes, clinging to him frantically, carried away by his intensity.

  Valen pushed her to the ground and lay on top of her, still kissing, tasting and nipping. She felt his rigid member pressing against her and let out an impassioned howl, longing to be ravished by him.

  Her passionate cry caused Valen to pause and then he pulled away from her, panting heavily, beads of sweat dotting his forehead.