A Mate's Submission: (Hot Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Ozark Mountain Shifters Book 4) (10 page)

“And what makes you think I won’t rip your throat out? You’re placing a hefty bet that I give a fuck about any of this.”

“You do,” she said, tilting her chin at him. “Your eyes give you away. Besides…” She pulled back her shirt collar. “I’m mated. If you double-cross me, you’ll have him to deal with. And you know, a vengeful mate is hard to take down.”

“Bullshit. Your mate is in Ravendale.”

Avan froze. He could only know that if Mama or Seleka told him. Fuck, her sister was getting an earful when all this was over.

Avan smiled, coldly. “Caught me. I have two mates. One chosen, one intended. So you’ll really be fucked if you cheat me.”

His shoulders sank with his surprise.

“Or just say the word, and we’ll do this the old-fashioned way. But Raden…” She stepped into his vision. “I won’t let you win. This pack is
mine
.”

He paced some more, his boots eating the leaf covered ground as he stalked. He dragged his hands over his face, clearly frustrated with the whole conversation. “Arghhh.” His growl sent a chill up her spine.

He turned to her, furious, and shaking his head. “I can’t. I can’t go out like that.” He pressed his lips into a thin line, his brow furrowing. “I have to be strong. Follow my instinct, and my instinct is to take this pack and make it my own. The rest will come later. I’ll win your sister just like I win everything else I put my mind to.”

Avan’s heart crashed.

So that was it. She was going to have to kill her sister’s mate or die herself. And since she had a pack to protect from this foolish, foolish wolf, her sister was going to end up the one hurting.

Being an alpha meant making tough choices. She knew that from the beginning.

She pushed through the dread hammering her chest. Time to alpha up.

“Right. Then I’ll see you at the ring. Make sure you say your goodbyes to Seleka.”

He scowled. “You do the same.”

Lexar was a nervous wreck. He hadn’t seen Avan since she practically ran from the cabin. She had a plan. He was supposed to trust her. Well, okay. Sure. But his instinct to protect what was his was already kicking in.

He stalked toward the fighting ring in the middle of the camp. It was just a large, empty circular area roughly cordoned off by ropes. No one was allowed to cross the ropes during a fight. If they did, it would forfeit the fight for whichever side breeched the barrier. So far, Lexar hadn’t been tempted to jump in. But that was because Avan was fierce. She’d taken blows, had a few scars to prove it, but never did he think she might lose.

What would happen tonight? When winning meant there would be a rift forever between her and her sister? Not to mention, the sheer size of Raden meant he was going to be her toughest opponent yet.

A crowd was already gathered. The dull roar of their conversation grated on Lexar’s raw nerves.

An older female with short graying hair, fell into step beside him. “It took long enough,” she muttered, as if they’d spoken before. She must have him mistaken for someone else.

“Excuse me?”

“Our alpha is mated. To the one she was meant for. This is a very good thing.”

Lexar stopped, facing the woman. “What do you mean?”

He didn’t want to give her any information since he didn’t know if this was someone Avan trusted.

“I’ve been watching Avan for a very long time. I know all about her intended. And I know what you are. I see the mark on your neck,” she said, gesturing to Avan’s bite.

“You’re an elder?”

She nodded. “I am Illia.”

Lexar stared at her, not hiding his suspicion.

Illia chuckled. “Oh, I understand your misgivings, but you’ll see. You’re going to be a vital instrument of the pack.”

“Instument? I’m nobody’s instrument.”

Illia pressed her lips together. “I wasn’t implying you’d get played. I meant you’d be instrumental to the future of Ozarka. I’m sure you know the pack needs help. We have a long road of healing ahead of us. You’re going to be part of it.”

Well, he couldn’t argue with that. He’d do anything to help Avan and the people who were important to her.

The elder glanced in the direction of the ring. “The fight will start soon. It’s going to be a tough one.”

Lexar wondered if Illia knew about Raden and Seleka.

“Yes. It will. But Avan is no lightweight. She can win this.”

Illia nodded slowly. “Keep that in mind, will you.” With a pointed look, she pushed past him and disappeared into the crowd of shifters.

Lexar frowned after her, but then caught sight of Avan. Her face was grim with determination. She waved him over.

When he reached her, she surprised the hell out of him by grabbing his face and kissing him desperately on the lips. When she pulled back, Lexar noticed people staring. Some snickered or grinned. Others shook their head in distain. They didn’t know he’d joined the pack. They’d find out soon enough.

“Glad you’re here, Captain.”

“Are you ready to do this?”

She nodded, her gaze finding the wolf she had to beat. Raden stood on the other side of the ring, stretching to warm up. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Lexar bent low, breathing her in. “You still smell like me.”

She turned a sassy grin on him. “And now I always will.”

Raden stepped into the ring and a few people gave a hoot of appreciation. Challenger groupies.

“Alright,” she muttered, her dominant face slipping into place. “Here we go.” She met Lexar’s gaze. “Remember, whatever happens in there…
trust me
. It’s all going to be fine.”

She spun on her heel, marching to the front of the ring.

“Wait…” Why did her statement sound like a dire warning?

Lexar pushed to the front of the crowd to get a better view of the battle. Avan and the beast of a shifter wanting to kill her circled each other. Each one looking for an easy hit to start off the fight. Raden had watched her fight three other animals. He no doubt knew all her tells and gives. She’d have to pay close attention and learn quickly, or he’d wipe her out.

He struck first, a kick, swiping her legs out from under her and sending her to her ass. Dick move.

Avan rolled and got back up before he could pounce on her. Her momentum already in action, she used her knee to jab him in the solar plexus. But he just smiled at her effort.

The next several minutes were plagued with punches and kicks that left both opponents bloody and breathless… and nowhere near death. If they kept up like this, there’d be no winner. They’d both be too exhausted to finish the other off.

The crowd was eerily silent. As it had been for every challenge Lexar had witnessed. Maybe if these fucking wolves got behind her, Avan could pull from their strength.

“Let’s go, Alpha.” Lexar called, loud enough to be heard by all.

Avan ignored him, but a few heads turned. If just one of these brawl-hearty bastards joined in, it would grow.

His mate landed a nasty kick to Raden’s groin, and he doubled over for a split second.

“OHHHHHH!” Lexar roared. “Did you see that?” He elbowed the burly man next to him and got a grunt. Whatever. He could do this all night.

Raden recovered, coming at Avan full force. “Oooh,” the guy beside him winced. But it was okay. Avan was holding her own.

“Come on,” Lexar barked again. “Al-pha, al-pha, al-pha…” He nudged the burly guy again, and he joined in the chant.

From there it spread until the entire crowd voiced their support. All except one.

His eyes found Seleka. Tears streamed down her face as she looked on. Damn it. This was going to be a disaster when it was over. She might never forgive Avan.

The chanting worked though. Avan had taken control of the fight. She had Raden pinned to the ground with her knees and she was going to town on his face. Blow after blow after blow. He kicked, trying to flip her, but her weight on his shoulders left him with no leverage.

With no other option, he shifted, a massive black and gray wolf springing forth. The animal was huge. Fuck, if Raden was large as a man, he was enormous as a wolf.

That was when Lexar had his first real doubts. Could Avan defeat Raden like this? He was nearly twice the size of her wolf.

Avan shook her head, clearly pissed to be shifting so soon, and then in a blur, she transitioned. Her animal was fucking gorgeous. Fur, pure white and innocent. Demeanor, terrifyingly fierce. Watching her fight—as long as she was winning—was an extreme turn-on.

Lexar’s fists clenched. If anything happened to her…

The air filled with snarls as the two wolves snapped and clawed. Dust flew up around them, blurring Lexar’s vision. A yelp sounded. One that let him know someone was hurt. The snarling animals rolled to a clear area and he saw Avan’s white coat, soaked with blood.

Hers? Or his?

Lexar stepped closer to the rope. Fear gripped his chest.

Another yelp and Avan went flying to the other end of the ring.
Shit
. But she got up quickly. Raden, however, struggled to a stand, shaking his head to get his bearings.

That’s when Lexar noticed his wound. The fur around his snout and down his neck was shredded, the skin hanging off in strips. Bone and teeth showed, and blood poured to the ground. The wolf managed to stand, and already Avan was coming forward.

Raden growled a furious warning.

Now was her chance. She could finish this in one move. But she just stood there, staring at the mangled wolf.

A rumble rose in Lexar’s throat, but it couldn’t be heard over the chanting. What the hell was she waiting for?

But Raden didn’t waste another second. He lunged at Avan, taking her to the ground and ripping into her. She cried out, and Lexar’s heart squeezed tight.

Shit.

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket praying to anything holy that he could catch a bar of service. His reception symbol flashed between one notch and nothing, but he quickly tapped out a message to Cael anyway and hit send.

When he looked back up, dust and fur were flying and he couldn’t tell who was on top. This was bad. Fucking bad.

His grip on the rope tightened. He couldn’t let her die.
He couldn’t
. She would hate him for intervening, but fucking hell…

The wolves broke apart with a yelp, and Lexar could see that Avan was wounded badly. Not as bad as when he’d first come to camp, but bad enough to need Cael’s help. Bad enough to make this fight a hardball.

She limped back to the center of the ring, dragging her hind leg. It was split open at the thigh, muscle gaping. The tiniest bit of consolation was that Raden looked worse off. Just barely.

She could still win this. There was still a chance. If she lunged at his left side—

She went to the right, sinking her teeth into his flank, rolling again. But when the dust cleared this time… it took all the oxygen from Lexar’s lungs with it.

The crowd went silent. Time seemed to stand still. He heard every harsh beat of his heart. Every whistle of a cricket. The tree frogs. And Seleka weeping, “Noooooo…”

The rumble in his chest built as his wolf rejected the scene before him.
Protect
.
Save
.
Kill
.

In slow motion, his hand tore at the rope while his wolf tore at his insides. He had to get to her.

A gentle touch on his arm managed to stop him, and all at once, time came rushing back in a thundering wave of commotion.

“You can’t break the ring,” Illia whispered, but he heard every syllable. “You break the ring, she loses.”

Lexar roared in response.

“
Look
at her.
Think
. See past your fear and your rage.”

He
was
looking. He was fucking looking.

Avan lay still as the dead, anchored to the dirt by Raden’s teeth clamped around her blood soaked neck. Fucking bastard had her throat. One move. One jerk of his head, and she’d be…

Lexar let the growl rip from his throat. He’d kill the motherfucker tonight if he took her from him. He wouldn’t make it five goddamn minutes.

Lexar found her eyes, and that’s when he made the connection. They were wide with warning, not afraid.
Trust me
, she’d said. She’d lunged right, not left, when she must’ve known moving to the left was smarter. This was… fucking hell, this was on purpose.

She’d given her opponent her neck deliberately.

The minutes dragged on while Lexar waited, his breath raking his lungs. This was the worst kind of torture, to have his mate at the mercy of another and not be able to do a damn thing about it. How could she have trusted this wolf enough to risk her own life? If she made it through this, she was in so much fucking trouble.

Her eyes stayed on Lexar until the second Raden’s jaw loosened. He stepped away from Avan, releasing a warning growl before limping across the ring to stop before Seleka. Lexar stared as the wolf, with his mangled face, bowed low at her feet. The tiniest whimper escaped him. Her sobs grew louder, but she reached a hand forward.

Raden stood to his feet and carefully licked her outstretched fingers.

Shit. The heartbreak was evident in the air. Everyone watching knew he’d just spared their alpha for the sake of her.

The wolf chuffed, and broke away, sparing a glance back at Avan before loping off into the forest.