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

Her bedroom resembled a cracker box with all the shifters piled into it.

Avan sighed. This was humiliating.

Vesh and Cael were arguing about something. Besh waited in the corner looking uncomfortable. Lexar stood with his hands on hips and head thrown back on his shoulders. Exasperated. Like he wanted to clobber his alpha and packmate.

His alpha. He had another. He wasn’t hers. She needed to remember that. Just because he was here, and at her service didn’t mean he was her wolf.

“Can we just get on with this?” she called from her spot on the bed.

Cael glanced at her, and then at Besh. Vesh glared at Avan. Lexar chewed his bottom lip, giving away that he was worried.

“I have a challenge at dark. I’m either going like this or you’re going to help me. Which is it?” Part of her actually wanted Cael to say no. Her stomach flipped and flopped at the idea of going through with this. And not in the good way.

Besh, who’d been Ozarka’s First Mate for as long as Avan could remember, walked carefully over to where she laid. Her lips lifted at one corner, forming a sad half smile. “I’m sorry you’re in pain. Cael will help you. And I hope... that one day, if it becomes necessary, you would do the same for him.”

Avan swallowed hard. Shit. Not only were they doing this, but she was going to be indebted. She tried to look at the situation from the outside in. This wasn’t just a huge sacrifice for her, but for Cael and Besh’s bond as well. The least she could do was repay them if he was ever in a bind.

So why was she having such a hard time agreeing?

She licked her lips, stalling for time. Her eyes found Lexar’s. They narrowed in an unspoken warning. But they weren’t ordering her to say yes. More like, reminding her what would happen to her pack if she didn’t.

Meeting Besh’s gaze, she nodded. The female had gone through hell and back, and now was willing to, in part,
share
a mate with Avan. Fucking brave female, right there.

“I will. You have my word.”

Besh gave a nod, turning to find Cael. He grabbed her face, crushing her mouth to his in a claiming kiss. A promise. It was so blunt and feral that Avan’s gut clenched in longing. If she’d fought for him, could they have had that? If she hadn’t traded her intended mate for alpha rights? To feel that kind of unfettered emotion with another person… she didn’t know what that would be like, but she couldn’t deny the appeal.

“Everybody out,” Cael barked as he pulled away from his mate. “Except for Isabesh.”

Vesh’s glare ripened. Sure, he was watching out for his sister’s little feely-weelings, but didn’t he realize she was stronger than that? She’d basically just brokered a deal for healing for her mate whenever they needed. This tiny blip in their bond would probably heal over tonight when they fucked like animals.

“Out,” Cael told him.

Vesh stalked into the hall.

“I swear, one of these days I’m going to kick his ass for insubordination,” Cael muttered.

Lexar rubbed his palms together, nervous but probably trying not to show it. He glanced at her, and then at Cael, his eyes full of colliding emotions. When this was over, she was going to teach him a little lesson. They needed to straighten some things out. Avan style.

But for now…

She squeezed her hands into fists to cover up the way they shook. She lifted her chin, pulling courage from a reserve within herself. She could handle this. She was strong in spirit. With Cael’s help, she could be strong in body too.

Cael cleared his throat, looking expectantly at Lexar.

“Yeah…” Lexar jerked his chin. “I’m ah… going.”

Avan’s wounded wolf tried to protest. Lexar should stay. He was the one who’d taken care of her all this time. She… well, she didn’t
need
him really. Not exactly.
Need
wasn’t the right word for it. But the thought of doing this without him felt… wrong. All wrong.

His brows furrowed, his troubled expression mirroring how she felt. But then he trudged to the door, damn near yanking the thing off the hinges in his effort to open it.

No, no, no. He had to stay. Something deep inside sent out a warning. She
needed
Lexar here with her. She’d never ignored her instinct before and she wouldn’t start now.

“Wait!”

He spun around so fast she didn’t have time to school her expression. But maybe she could pass the bewildered look off as a fault of her injury.

“Yes?”

“You stay.” She pushed away the rattled feeling, and focused on the command. He had to obey. He
had
to.

Lexar’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yes, ma’am. Sure.”

He closed the door and came to stand next to her bed. That was when she noticed Cael frowning. Sure, he’d told Lexar to leave but… well, this was her house. She was the boss.

Avan braced herself on the edge of the bed. Cael squeezed Besh’s hand and then approached. He towered over her.

Fuck that.

Avan tried to stand, but the pain in her side was too much. Lexar discreetly held out his hand to help, and she took it, placing her fingers in his waiting palm. His hand was so warm. Or her fingers were too cold. Or maybe it was the combination of both.

She got to her feet, forcing herself to make eye contact with her intended. But when Lexar tried to pull his hand away, she couldn’t let go.

Well,
shit
.

She curled her fingers tighter around his.

Shit
.

Cael’s jaw was clenched tight as he reached out to touch the first of her wounds, the ones on her head. His touch was like a zap of lightning, and not at all pleasant. She flinched and decided she hated herself a little.

She cleared her throat steeling herself for more. He tried softer this time, but there was still that zing.

“Fuck. Is that normal?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know,” he muttered. “Be still.”

She stiffened every muscle this time, determined to not flinch from his touch. She recalled a trick her mother had taught her from childhood.

“Try not to think about it,” Mama said.

The scrape on Avan’s knee was bad, and bleeding, but it would heal in a few minute’s time. Knowing that didn’t keep her from crying though. She’d worked herself up good by the time Mama found her.

“How do I do that?” she cried in desperation.

“Easy,” Mama said. “Just try to think about…”

Avan took a deep breath, closing her eyes to the alpha before her. “Elvis. Memphis. Oprah in the afternoon.”

Cael paused his soft touch on her face.

“Keep going,” she snapped. “Palm trees. Fig leaves. The creature from the black lagoon.”

***

Avan was singing. And she was a country music fan. This song was boot scootin’ to the millionth power.

As bad as that was, it was the least of his worries. At the top of the list was the fact that he wanted to rip his alpha’s fucking head off. The way he was touching her… caressing her…

His wolf snarled a warning, aching to break free and fight to the death over her. Holy shit, this was bad. He hadn’t been this jealous over Tandy. He’d wanted to claim her, sure. But he’d never had the territorial reaction he was having now, in this moment.

While Avan continued to sing that ridiculous song, he watched Cael’s fingers as they moved over her cheeks, brushing every scratch and bruise on the way. Over and over and over until they began to disappear.

Fuck. What was he going to do when Cael got to her belly? Or what about her legs? He didn’t want him touching Avan everywhere, damn it.

He jerked his eyes away from the scene, afraid that if he didn’t, he’d do something rash. His gaze caught on Besh. Her jaw was set, and she clenched and unclenched her small fists. Her eyes fluttered away and back, not knowing where to land. They caught his, and he could see the hurt there. This stress couldn’t be good for her pregnancy. The young growing inside her would feel everything through their bond.

“Shakespeare. Leap year…. ” Avan’s strained melody brought his attention back to her.

Cael’s hands were around the thin column of her neck now, softly sweeping back and forth. Lexar glared at him, breath rushing out with his anger, but the alpha didn’t notice. His expression was a look of pure concentration. In fact, he was starting to sweat.

Avan sang louder, the lower Cael’s hands traveled. But there was something else. She stood taller. Stronger. She was getting well. The bastard was mending what was broken and the result was the return of the brave, beautiful, alpha female Lex had come to know.

He could do this. He could keep his wolf in check just a little while longer.

She squeezed his hand tight. Whether she meant anything by it or not, it rooted him to his spot on the floor. Reminded him why he was here. That his purpose was to help her, not focus on his emotions and how utterly fucked they were because of her.

He was fine. He was making it. He was damn proud of himself too.

But then Cael’s palm brushed down her flat stomach and beneath her shirt.

Besh spun around, facing the door, her shoulders heaving.

Cael looked like he was in pain. Physical pain, and yeah, it gave Lexar a little bit of joy. He’d be in a shit-ton more when this was over.

Avan suddenly stopped singing. A strangled sound came from her throat, and Lexar thought he’d split apart from the inside out. If Cael didn’t get his motherfucking hands out of her shirt…

Mine
. Mine, mine, mine.

Oh shit, oh shit. His wolf was coming out whether he wanted it to or not.

He tried to pull his hand away, but Avan wouldn’t let him. She gasped for breath, her song completely forgotten, but all Lexar could see was his alpha’s hand touching what was
his
.

He saw red. He saw black. Blinking repeatedly, he grappled for control of his animal, his emotions.

Then Cael jerked away, his eyes looking as feral and angry as Lexar felt.

“Enough,” Avan bit out. “You’ve done enough. Go.”

Like fucking hell. Lexar wasn’t leaving this room. She could command him until her fucking face turned smurf, but he wasn’t leaving.

“Go,” she said more forcefully, and Cael nodded. She was talking to him, Lexar realized.

Cael spun to find Besh, and was across the room in half a second flat, scooping her into his arms and finding a place to nuzzle her neck.

A growl rumbled Lexar’s chest but Cael ignored it, backing Besh out of the room. When they were in the hall, Avan went to the door and slammed it shut, leaning against it, breathing deep and slow.

Lexar’s gaze raked her, starting from her head and working down. The bruises were gone, her skin returning to its smooth perfection. The cuts were mended. The internal injuries… he was sure they were healed too.

It was amazing. But it did little to calm him.

His breath came heavy and hard. He needed to touch her. He needed to erase the vision of Cael’s hands on her. But damn it, she’d made it clear his touch wasn’t welcome.

She turned slowly. Her eyes took him in, and there was no doubting what she saw. Pure, undiluted, white hot lust. Pushing off from the door, she strolled over to him, hips swinging seductively.

If he didn’t know better, he could never tell how injured she was just minutes earlier.

“You want to kiss me?” Her voice was deep, sultry. Her eyes, narrowed on him, calculating.

“Yes,” he ground out. Oh, he wanted to do so much more than that. But it was a start.

She tilted her head to one side, her blond hair tumbling over one shoulder. “Too bad,” she said sweetly. “You already did that earlier. And without asking first.”

Earlier? The peck on the forehead. Was that what she was mad about when he’d returned from calling Cael?

Lexar let his eyes roam her body again before meeting her gaze. “My mistake.” His voice was rough with desire, and there was no amount of remorse in his words.

She tsked. “Didn’t they teach you as a young? You never ever take what isn’t yours.”

“I didn’t,” he said, pointedly.

Her face went slack for a tiny second when she understood his meaning. She was
his
whether she admitted it or not. It wouldn’t be his first time to be denied. Though the idea Avan denying him made him ache as he never had over Tandy.

“I have rules, wolf,” she purred. “You haven’t followed them. Why should I let you kiss me?”

Because I’m going absolutely bat-shit crazy knowing the last man to touch you wasn’t me.

“What rules?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’d like to hear them?”

“Right fucking now, if you don’t mind.”

Stepping forward until they were chest to chest, not touching but almost, she said, “For starters, you don’t kiss me until I say you can.”

Fuck.

“Next?”