Rick

by Dana Archer

  Mya presses her lips to my neck. I feel her smile against my skin. My confession must’ve pleased her. I’m glad. Mya deserves words of love. She’ll get them, every day. Right now, though, I need something else, and it’s not talking.

  I give myself over to the needs assaulting me. Capturing Mya’s mouth, I kiss her as I take my pleasure from her. All the while, her hands caress me, pulling me closer.

  “Mya.” I manage to get her name out. Miracle I’m able to do that. Only one thing occupies my thoughts. I need to lay every claim on Mya I can make.

  She moves a hand to my chest before I can do anything else. Her fingers flex. The sting of her sharpened nails marks a path on me, bleeding me.

  “What—”

  Before I get the question out, she pushes me. I let her knock me back. No matter how much I need her, I’ll follow her lead. If she needs me to stop, I will. The lust in her eyes doesn’t reflect a woman who wants to stop this, however.

  “You’re mine, Rick. Mine.” Mya leans close and licks the wound she inflicted on me, leaving her scent in me. As deep as the cuts are, I’ll carry her scent for life.

  The primal side of my persona flares. This woman marked me. Claimed me in the most primitive of ways. Honored me in a way I never expected.

  I cradle the back of Mya’s head as she finishes sealing her claw marks. The moment the tip of her tongue reaches the end of her swiped mark, I settle a hand on her hip, holding her in place, and move behind her.

  A similar but shallower scar is etched into her butt cheek. This is what she hid from me the two previous times I had Mya naked in my arms. She’s not trying to cover up the disfigurement Todd left on her this time, however. I bet that’s how she views the claw mark on her bottom too. It’s not a beautiful claim of ownership like the mark she left on me. This was meant to serve a darker purpose.

  “Wyatt told Todd I needed to smell like I belonged to him.” Mya looks over her shoulder, but her focus isn’t on my face. She’s staring at the shallow red lines on her behind. “That was his answer.”

  The knowledge of what I have to do sickens me. It’s one thing for Mya to mark me. The sting she caused was nothing. It turned me on. Purposely bleeding Mya is another thing.

  I trace the claw mark with my fingers, then my tongue. My saliva will numb her skin, easing any discomfort she might experience. I can’t help but wonder if Todd did the same when he marked her. I want to ask, but not now. This moment is ours alone.

  “Tonight, we take the future meant for us, baby.” I spread my clawed hand to match the reddened lines on Mya’s butt cheek. “Tonight, you become exclusively mine.”

  In one quick move, I drag my claws over Mya’s skin. Blood wells. In the next heartbeat, I lick the wounds, replacing Todd’s scent with mine. Smelling my claim on Mya eases my possessive drives, but it doesn’t satisfy my needs completely. Once I’m not in the room with her, I won’t have the reminder of my possession. I need something more.

  The gentle slope of Mya’s neck draws my attention to the scar on her shoulder. It’s Todd’s bite now. I have to make it mine.

  I lick the raised edge as I did to the scratch on her butt cheek. According to every law accepted by shifters, by every experience shared among our kind, by the knowledge passed from parent to child, a female’s mate bite belongs solely to the male who inflicted it. No other can make it come alive. I don’t question the truth every shifter believes. I understand another truth.

  Mya’s been mine since she took her first breath. I’ve only now gotten the chance to touch her. I won’t lose the opportunity to solidify our bond the way the goddesses intended.

  Without wasting another moment, I bite her shoulder. Mya’s soul opens to me. Her pleasure crashes over me. I sway under the sheer intensity of my true mate’s ecstasy. It blends with mine.

  The beauty and purity of Mya’s soul draws me closer, captivating me exactly as it did the last time I walked through her soul. The piece of Todd’s soul he forced upon Mya is still caged in by Mya’s wolf. I want to rip it out of her. Doing so would hurt Mya, maybe even kill her. Bonds between souls, whether willingly entered into or forced, aren’t meant to be broken.

  I ignore the piece of Todd’s soul and stroke my metaphysical fingers over a pure white section of Mya’s soul. “You’re my life. The best thing to ever happen to me.”

  My words don’t come close to expressing what’s in my heart, but Mya can feel my love. Like this, with our souls exposed, she can judge the truth in my words. Actually, she can walk through my memories, experiencing everything I have. I won’t block anything from her. I didn’t lie when I told her I believed everything we’ve experienced prepped us for this moment. The love, the heartache, the tragedy—it made us into who we are today.

  “And you’re my reason for living. The one thing that’ll keep me fighting long after my children leave me behind to conquer their futures.”

  “Mya.” I hold her close for a long heartbeat before finishing this thing between us.

  With a firm yank, I tear a piece of Mya’s soul free. Her pained screech radiates through me. Regret twists my gut. I press the precious gift she’s allowed me to claim into the hole in my soul, then I draw Mya close in body and soul and open myself to her agony, drawing it from her. Mya’s anguish chokes me. I accept it, welcoming the pain.

  Finally, Mya’s contented sigh wraps around me. She’s no longer in pain. I’ve taken it from her. Now she’s happy. At peace. I don’t need her to tell me those things. I feel them. I always will, whether we’re together or apart.

  Reluctantly, I ease back, breaking the intimacy we experienced while sharing souls, and lick the wound on Mya’s shoulder closed.

  Contentment settles over me. I have the connection to Mya I was meant to share in this lifetime, but I don’t have the right to tell the world she’s mine. Todd does. At least until he dies.

  Twenty-One

  Mya

  Waking with a smile on my face doesn’t happen often. With Rick’s scent in my lungs and his warm, strong body as my pillow, smiling is a given. This is what I’ve always wanted but never thought I’d get. Why wouldn’t I be happy?

  I snuggle closer and rub my cheek against Rick’s chest. Thanks to the deep claw marks I inflicted on him, he’ll forever carry my scent, but I can’t help rubbing my claim onto his skin too. I want the world to know he’s mine. Especially if he refuses to leave with me today. Distance won’t dim my possessiveness. If anything, I’ll be crazed wondering who’s trying to steal him from me.

  Rick traces my mouth. “Is this smile for me?”

  “Yes.” I tip my head back to glance into Rick’s face. Completely blue eyes stare back at me. My breath catches as it did last time. “Your eyes.”

  Rick’s slow and lazy grin adds a layer of sexiness to my true mate I love seeing. He’s beautiful like this—rough and rugged, yet soft and sensitive. Exactly how a dominant male should be.

  “Are completely blue. I feel the change. My wolf and I are at peace.” Rick skims the back of his hand along my cheek. “You made this happen.”

  “Because I’m your true mate.” Ilan explained the phenomenon to me. It’s a sign no shifter can deny. Only the presence of your other half—your true mate—can elicit the response.

  Rick nods. “My eyes will return to normal, but right now, I’m content and happy.”

  “At peace.”

  “Yes.” Rick moves his hand to my hair and smooths the wild strands. “Very much so.”

  “So am I.” My eyelids drift closed. “I don’t want to move from this spot.”

  “Neither do I, but we’re going to have to. I have to meet Uri this morning.”

  Which means I don’t have time to debate how I’m going to bring up the topic of skipping town. Might as well put it out there. “Ella stopped by yesterday to talk about my options for getting away from Todd. Sounds like the Shifter Council won’t sever my obligation to Todd.”

  Rick stills the gentle caress of his hand ov
er my hair. “Why’s that?”

  He doesn’t sound all that surprised. Then again, why would he be? As a Shifter Affairs agent, he likely already knows the details of my past. “Because I was labeled a troublemaker years ago, and since they don’t trust me, they want me under the thumb of a shifter who’ll keep me in line.”

  “And Todd’s supposed to do that.”

  Again, not a question. I glance into Rick’s face. The blue in his eyes has receded, leaving the normal-colored eyes I got lost in the first time I looked into them. “You know about my past, don’t you? How the human parents I loved planned to betray me?”

  “And how they paid for their attempted treachery with their lives.” Rick loops his other arm over my back and holds me tight. “Yes, I just learned about it.”

  Then he probably already knows how hopeless my situation is because of it. “Ella gave me two options, but in reality, I only have one.”

  “And that is?”

  “We need to run, get as far away from West Virginia as we can.” I push into a sitting position. “I’m already packed, and the money I have left from your tip and my last paycheck should be enough to buy bus tickets out of town. I have a few pieces of jewelry from my human mother I can sell too, along with a key to a safe deposit box in New York City. Hopefully, my father left me something of value.”

  Rick stares at me for several agonizing heartbeats. With each one, my hope that he’ll join us fades. A hollow sensation spreads through me.

  “You can’t leave. This is your home. This is where your pack’s circle is located.” Rick’s muscles bunch as he sits up. He rests his hand on my thigh. The warmth of his touch flows through me. I sway toward him, despite the serious topic. I need to breathe him in. He pulls me closer. “This is where I am, and I’m not running.”

  I knew this was a possibility, but it’s not one I wanted to face. All my future plans included Rick. “And this is where Todd is. As long as he’s close, he’ll exercise his right to breed me. I won’t allow him to touch me again. And I won’t allow him to harm the babies I’m carrying.”

  “Harm them?” Cold fury slides into Rick’s eyes. “Explain what you mean, Mya. Now.”

  I don’t fear Rick’s harsh tone or expression. Both are for Todd. “Yesterday’s visit was a warning. If I’m carrying girls again, he plans on beating me until I miscarry them.”

  Rick raises his upper lip in an animalistic snarl. Fangs fill his mouth. Short, gray hairs poke through his skin. And the heat pouring off him sets my heart racing. He’s seconds away from shifting, maybe into a werewolf form where’s he’s half man and half beast. Only the strongest shifters can pull off the unnatural transformation and then only for short periods of time. It’s painful.

  “Rick! Look at me.” I grasp Rick’s wrists, an attempt to hold him in place. No way am I strong enough to stop him, but my connection to him carries weight. He’ll focus on me.

  After a moment, Rick slides his predatory stare to me. “He won’t ever get close enough to you to hurt you or our babies.”

  It’s not the first time Rick has referred to the babies I’m carrying as his. His willingness to claim another man’s babies as his own speaks more powerfully about his worth than anything he can say or do.

  I ease my tight grip and cover Rick’s hands. He immediately turns them and twines our fingers. “But that’s what will happen if I’m carrying girls again.”

  “Not girls this time. Sons.” Rick raises our joint hands and presses them to my chest. “Strong sons. And one of them will accept the spirit of the Ammon pack when he matures. We have to remain here and protect your pack’s circle so he can claim his destiny. The spirit of your pack is tied to those sacred grounds.”

  “Sons?” My heart races. I don’t know what’s caused it to beat wildly—excitement, fear, hope. I only know Rick’s announcement is the life-altering kind. Nothing will be the same in light of his revelation. “How do you know this?”

  “Royals can sense things single shifters can’t. It’s their tie to the goddesses that gives them insight.”

  “And one of them told you I’m carrying boys.” Uri is my guess. In the end, it doesn’t much matter who. “I’m carrying the future alpha of my pack.”

  Rick kisses my forehead. “And we’ll raise him to be an honorable one.”

  “My father…my alpha…” I squeeze my eyelids tight to ease the burn in my eyes. “He’s close to death, isn’t he?”

  “He’s already dead, baby.” Rick’s voice turns comforting. Combined with his strong embrace, I should feel safe enough to grieve. I can’t. His words don’t make sense.

  “He can’t be dead. If our pack’s spirit wasn’t passed on, I’d be dead too.”

  “The Ammon spirit is with a temporary host.”

  I lean back to see Rick’s expression. “Who?”

  “Josh’s adopted daughter, Megan.”

  My face must reflect the shock I feel, because Rick smiles. He climbs off the bed and pulls on his jeans. I’m grateful for the chance to process this unexpected announcement. I’ve watched Megan grow up this past year. She’s slept over at my apartment, played board games at my dining room table, and eaten snacks in front of my television. Not once did I suspect she was connected to my pack in a roundabout way.

  “She’s a lion shifter.”

  “She’s also another precious female I plan on protecting, along with Megan’s twin, Peyton, Rey, and you.” Rick holds his hand out to me. I take it and he pulls me into his arms. “And I will. You need to trust me. You promised you would.”

  “I do, but—”

  Rick gives me a quick kiss, stopping my words. “I have plans in place to make sure Todd never comes near you again.”

  “What kind of plans?”

  The clunk of a dead bolt reaches my ears. Rey’s muffled voice calls out, “Mommy, we brought donuts and hot chocolate for breakfast!”

  I flick my gaze from the clock to Rick’s face. “They’re an hour early.”

  Rick shrugs and heads to the bedroom door. “I’m dressed. I’ll go keep them occupied until you’re ready.”

  Jeans cover Rick’s legs, but his bare chest with his tattoos and the scar he’ll carry for life is on display. “But you don’t have a shirt on.”

  With his hand on the doorknob, he glances over his shoulder. “I rarely wear one in my home.”

  Before I can respond, Rick slips out of the room, quietly closing the door at his back. I dig clothes from my dresser and rush to the bathroom for a hair tie. There’s no time for a shower. Thankfully, my children won’t understand why I look so disheveled this morning. Nor will they smell Rick on me. Their enhanced shifter senses won’t kick in for years.

  Dressed in mismatched track clothes, I dash into my living room. Both Rick and Josh turn at my sudden arrival. I scan the empty room. “Where are Peyton and Rey?”

  “In their room, getting dressed for preschool.” Josh looks from me to Rick and back. “You’re involved?”

  Rick walks to my side and slips his arm around my waist. “Yes. Mya’s my true mate.”

  “Really?” Rey’s voice rises a notch and her green eyes brighten. She steps from her room with Peyton inches behind her. “Megan told us about true mates. How they’re two people handpicked by the goddesses to love each other forever!”

  My daughter’s excitement matches what I felt when Ilan explained the phenomenon to me. “Yes. It’s a mystical bond that’s very powerful and very rare. Rick and I are lucky to have found each other.”

  “Does this mean Todd’s going away? Please? I don’t like when he hurts you.”

  I cringe at Peyton’s question. I’ve always been so careful to cover up the bruises Todd left on me. At least I thought I did a good job. Obviously not good enough.

  “That’s exactly what it means.” Rick steps around me and walks to where Peyton and Rey are standing by their bedroom door. He drops to a crouch. “And if you’re willing, I’ll be the father you never had.”


  Peyton and Rey exchange glances. Rey’s brows rise while Peyton smirks. Finally, Peyton nods and says to her sister, “I’ll ask.”

  I’ve always suspected Peyton and Rey could communicate on a level I have no hope of understanding. I never had a twin. “Ask what?”

  “First”—Peyton holds a finger up—“what’s your name?”

  “Richard Garrett Lyall.” He holds his hand out and shakes first Peyton’s hand, then Rey’s. “And I’m honored to have the chance to meet two such intelligent, strong, and charming young ladies.”

  “I don’t know about intelligent and strong.” Rey narrows her eyes. “We’ve been called wild and unruly before and…”

  “Too smart and sassy for our own goods,” Peyton finishes Rey’s statement. “That we need to learn our places…”

  “And stop acting like brats.” Rey crosses her arms over her chest. “So I think you messed up. Want to try again?”

  Rick chuckles. “Yeah, let me try that again.”

  He holds out his hand a second time. “It would be a great honor to one day call the two young dominants I see before me my daughters. Will you do me the pleasure of allowing me the chance to earn the title of your father?”

  Peyton slides a sideways look at Rey, who inclines her head slightly, then faces Rick. “Do you like chocolate chip cookies and milk?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  Peyton nods as if Rick’s response pleased her. “What are you doing today at nine? Our class is having a party. We’re supposed to bring our dads or a…um…a…”

  “An important male figure in our lives,” Rey finishes her sister’s sentence in a tone that sounds an awful lot like her teacher’s.

  “Yeah, that.” Peyton smirks. “You can be that…an important male figure in our lives.”

  Silence descends. I hold my breath and silently will Rick not to say no. Peyton and Rey have been dreading today for weeks.