A Mate's Submission: (Hot Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Ozark Mountain Shifters Book 4) (9 page)

Avan felt the greatest burden lift from her shoulders as Lexar’s mouth crashed into hers. He tackled her to the bed, and she moaned at the luxurious weight of his body pressing down on her.

“That’s my girl,” he murmured, dancing his hands along her ribs and finding her swollen breast. She gave him another moan as his large hand covered her flesh and squeezed. “So good. That’s so good, baby.”

She agreed. His touch was like fire and ice at the same time. Home, and an adventure. Relief, and torture. Dear god, she’d missed out these past five days. She could have had this the entire time.

Lexar bent his head to her chest, running his nose in a circle around her nipple. His tongue darted out to lick the hard nub, and she let out a helpless sound.

“Hmm,” he groaned. “You taste like candy. Should I suck it, alpha?” He grazed it with the tip of his finger and her hips spasmed as a result. Mother. Fucker. “Should I take it between my lips and suck it hard, like a sweet piece of candy. Until you mewl like a baby kitten? Huh?”

Shit. No one had ever talked to her like this before. It was exhilarating. And if he didn’t do
something
soon, she was going to burst.

“Yes! God.
Fuck
. Yes.”

She looked down in time to see his wicked smile before his luscious full lips closed around her. He sucked and tapped with his tongue until her breath became chops of oxygen. A misshapen rhythm she didn’t even want to fix. Delicious pressure built between her legs. She sawed them together for a bit of relief.

All this, and he’d only just touched one breast. Fucking hell, she was done for.

Lexar lifted his head. “My baby need more? Let’s see.” He spread her thighs with one hand. His touch was gentle as he moved closer to her center, testing her arousal. The slide of his fingers made her aware of just how wet she was. “Fuck,” he said, the teasing tone gone from his voice. “I can’t…”

And before she could guess at what he was going to do, he grabbed her thighs, pulled her to the edge of the bed, and then sank his face between her legs. The first lick of his tongue was glorious, drawing a desperate moan from the back of her throat. The second one sent her so close to the edge, she reached for his head to stop any further movement. Then he latched on with his whole mouth.

“
Shit
. Lex,” she panted. But the lick suck combination was more than she could take, and she toppled over the ledge, screaming his name.

His mouth left her while she was still floating on an orgasm, and the next thing she knew, he was standing between her legs, his dark cock poised at her entrance.

“I need to take you hard first,” he murmured, his gaze zeroed in on her core. “Then soft. Gotta mark you. Claim you.
Mine
. All fucking
mine
.” His wolf was close, and doing all the talking. Her own animal chuffed, practically lifting her tail for him. Damn, this was so
right
.

Lexar spread her legs wide, pushing in hard. She gasped at the beautiful invasion, and he paused only a second to allow her body to adjust. Then he thrust, his hips meeting hers in a furious rhythm.

As the pressure built, Avan’s eyes drifted closed on a rapturous moan.

“
Eyes
,” Lexar barked, thrusting harder. She’d broken rule number two. And damn, he was sexy as hell when he was dominating her. Made her want to break more rules.

She opened her eyes to stare into his golden ones. They were hot as a brand with their determination to please her… and their demand that she comply.

Mine
. Her wolf was desperate to claim him.
My man, my wolf. Mine
.
Mine. Mine
…

“Mine… mine… mine…” she whimpered. With every push of his body against hers, she became more delirious with pleasure.

His gaze traveled down to her bouncing chest. His jaw clenched tight, causing the vein in his neck to bulge. Avan reached up to pinch her nipples between her fingers.

“Fuck,” he hissed through his teeth.

Lexar pulled out suddenly, leaving such a void that she cried out at the injustice. But before she could complain, he grabbed her waist, flipping her onto her stomach. The bed bounced, and she tried to brace her arms for leverage.

“I’m going to blow it if I have to watch your tits move a second longer. Stay down,” he commanded.

She bit her lip, hard, as she pressed her cheek to the mattress. This was exactly what she’d wanted, but didn’t know it. Someone she trusted fully, to own her body. Someone who deserved the privilege. He was the only person who did, and he’d given her the same gift early on. He’d known even then, this was what they were meant to be.

Happy tears filled her vision.

Lexar pushed her knees farther up the bed so her ass was on display, and entered her quickly again. It was like he’d never left, the pressure building once more.

“Yes, Captain,” she groaned.

He grabbed a handful of her ass, spreading her wider for his pounding. It was deep like this. She was close to coming a second time.

“
Shit
. This view isn’t any better.” He sounded almost panicked. Avan’s animal relished the idea of Lexar being out of his mind with lust for her. Of making him lose control.

His hand smoothed up her back until he could grip her shoulder. His voice was harsh, urgent. “You’re
so
beautiful, mate.”

Mate
. It made her tummy clench deliciously. Wolf cocked its head seeming to consider the title. Not intended. But most certainly what she wanted. Not intended… chosen. Yes, he was her mate. Her chosen mate.

“Mine,” she spoke the words again, unable to make anything else come from her mouth.

“I’ve got to mark you, Avan. Need my scent in you. Need my teeth in you. Say yes.”

Oh shit… she was going to…

“Yes,” she screamed as she came apart under his attention. Her muscles squeezed him tight, but he didn’t stop. Grunting, he moved faster, deftly finding a spot in the curve of her neck and licking it viciously with his wicked tongue.

Pleasure rolled and rolled through her body in a never ending arc. Lexar sucked the spot he’d chosen, readying her for his bite. She let out a moan of encouragement, remembering rule number one.

He released her neck. “Yes,” he breathed against her ear. “This is me, fucking winning, baby. And I’ll win every fight for us. Every fucking one of them. Got it?”

She moaned, nodded, her orgasm still gripping her and leaving her speechless. He was so damn sweet. His words did as much for her as his hard-as-steel erection.

He snarled against her skin, and then his piercing bite rendered her useless. She froze under him, her body convulsing of its own accord. His hot release filled her. Lights flashed behind her eyes. She felt threads winding around her heart, linking hers to his. Forging, strengthening, solidifying. Anchoring her to the motherfucking world in a way she’d never felt before.

Lexar continued thrusting, his mouth still latched to her neck. She never wanted him to stop, but he eventually slowed, carefully releasing her. His deep, shuddering breath was echoed by her.

He pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “Mine,” he said with the same certainty she felt.

“Yours, Captain.”

He lifted his head to lap at the bite mark. His warm tongue felt so precious, a sob burst from her mouth.

Lexar froze. “Baby?”

She shook her head because she couldn’t find the words to describe why she was acting like a pussy.

He slid out of her and repositioned her legs, before turning her in his arms and falling to the bed with her. She met his concerned gaze, but then buried her face in his chest. She had to explain herself.

“I’m just blown away,” she whispered into his shoulder. “I didn’t know I could feel like this.”

Lexar—
her mate
—squeezed her close. “This is just the beginning,” he whispered fiercely, his lips brushing against her temple and sending shivers to her toes.

Avan nuzzled his neck, licking the hot skin there. He moaned in response, and her whole body shook with the power of what that sound did to her. She grazed him with her teeth. Gently, she bit down on the spot. He jerked, but his fingers tightened their grip on her. Fuck. She needed… her wolf needed…

She pushed away, lying back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. Lexar’s breath came rapidly, his nearness causing her to be bathed in its warmth.

“I want that mating ceremony ASAP. Understand?” Her tone was a command.

“Agreed.” His hands gripped her so tightly, she might have bruises. She didn’t give a fuck.

“I want you marked,” she said, unable to look anywhere else but upward. “You’re
mine
, and I need you marked.” She ground her teeth together, hating the idea of any female mistaking him for available. “Fuck.”

“We don’t have to wait.”

Her gaze snapped to him. It was scalding hot. A fire-breathing dragon that would eat her up.

“What do you mean?”

“Bite me,” he growled. She felt his erection growing hard again, and fuck, she was into the idea. Her bite in his skin, forever… yes.

“Are you sure? Don’t you want the ceremonial brand?”

He kissed her lips, sucking on the bottom one before he answered. “I want your mark. I don’t care how it comes. In fact, let’s just plan on doing both, okay. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to be inside you again.”

His erection pressed into her leg confirming his words. He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Avan rose up on her knees, sliding her core over his hardness, slowly.

“The rules apply,” he ground out, reminding her to look at him. But it wasn’t necessary. She’d never look away. He was all she wanted, needed.

Angling her hips, she took him in, relishing the fullness. Maybe she would forever feel empty now when they weren’t connected. Maybe she’d always hunger after him. Maybe that’s what it meant to be mated. Or to love.

Avan watched his face as she built a steady rhythm. Wonder and lust and something deeper swirled into a storm cloud of emotion. He gripped her hips tightly, but let her keep the reins going as fast or slow as she needed.

He reached up to caress her cheek before sliding his hand down the center of her chest and pressing his thumb tightly against her clit.

“I love that look on your face, Alpha.” His voice was breathless and heavy. “Like I’m the only one you need. Is that how you feel?”

She didn’t answer; she increased her speed. Wolf needed to mark.

“God, it’s how I feel. Tell me, baby.”

Bracing one hand on his chest, she leaned forward, close to his face, and he thrust up to close the gap she’d made between their hips. “I don’t
need
anyone. Never have.” She shook violently as he thrust harder. “But you, Captain… you are a fucking bare necessity.” Her voice broke, and Lexar gripped both sides of her face, pressing her forehead to his.

“I needed to hear you say that. Now mark me, Alpha. Make it good.”

She licked his neck and let him take over the thrusting. Seconds later, the pleasure had built to a level where she was about to erupt. At the first jerk of his orgasm, she toppled over the edge herself, clamping onto him with her teeth, rendering him marked. The sweet feeling of mutual ownership rushed over her while he kept moving, wringing more and more pleasure from her.

As he slowed, she released him from her bite, but his hand had come up to cradle the back of her head, pressing her close. His breath was frenzied but he held her like a precious treasure. Like something so beautiful it was only meant to be handled with the gentlest of touches.

At that moment, she felt… special. Extraordinary. She was
special
to him, and he to her. And there wasn’t a goddamn thing anyone could ever do to change that.

They were winning.

Lexar watched Avan step out of the shower and wrap a towel around her body before he slid up behind her, his arms banding around her waist. He inhaled deeply, imprinting her changed scent before licking water droplets from her rosy cheek.

She was all his now. Contentment like nothing he’d ever felt before filled him. Even though he’d given up his position, his pack, and quite possibly his friendship with Cael. Hopefully, with time, he’d understand why Lexar left.

Gently, he kissed the bite mark on Avan’s neck.

He didn’t regret a single thing. He’d give it all up again. In a heartbeat.

In the mirror, he met her eyes. They were grim, and he understood why. She’d fight her toughest challenger tonight. Lexar had complete confidence in her skills. She was as badass as they came. She’d wiped the floor with every other challenge. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t terrified.

If anything happened to her…

Her gaze went to the mark on his neck, and a grin pulled at her lips. “Mine,” she whispered.

His heart tripped. “Yours, my little alpha.”

She turned and kissed him hard on the lips. “
Don’t
call me little.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They’d just finished dressing when Lexar heard the door to the cabin open. Two female voices seemed to be arguing, and then Hellena’s voice rang out.

“Avan!”

She frowned at Lexar.

“Avan, get in here
now
.”

Her brow furrowed. “Shit. Something’s wrong.”

She pushed past him into the hall and he followed. In the living room they found a terrified looking Hellena facing off with Avan’s sister.

“What the hell, Mama. Why are you screeching like it’s the end of the world.”

The older female snapped her head around. “Don’t you talk to me like that, girl. You might be alpha, but I’m your mother.”

Avan took a deep breath and raised both hands. “Listen, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

“You have to cancel the challenge tonight.”

Avan blinked. “That’s not even a possibility. Why would I do that?”

Hellena turned to Seleka. “Tell her.”

Seleka’s mouth opened but nothing came out.

“
Tell her
. She’s your alpha.” Yes, Hellena was a submissive wolf. But her tone was commanding as hell. It put Lexar on alert. Something was very, very wrong.

“Mama, calm down,” Avan barked, and then, in a quieter voice, “Sel, what is it? You can tell me.”

The female burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. Avan gave Lexar a what-the-hell look, but he was as lost as she was.

“I can’t,” she wailed. “I made a promise. I can’t say it.”

“Mama?” Avan urged.

Hellena crossed her arms, resigned. “You have to call off the challenge because the challenger… Raden… is your sister’s intended.”

Oh. Fuck.

Lexar felt like a load of bricks had slammed him in the chest. He looked at Avan. She was eerily silent, her eyes glassy as she let that bastard piece of reality set in. Shit.

She turned to her sister. “Is this true?”

Seleka nodded, barely managing to quell the sobs. Tears and regret ringed her eyes until she hardly looked like herself. “I didn’t mean for you to find out… I’m sorry Avan, I’m so sorry.”

Avan’s face crumpled. “Sel, even if I wanted to, I can’t stop it,” she said, her voice despairing. “It isn’t up to me. Only he can rescind his challenge.”

Seleka shook her head. “He won’t. He wants this pack, and he knows I come with it.”

“Damn it!” Avan kicked the leg of the coffee table, sending the thing skittering across the floor. “What am I supposed to do? Huh? Does he think he can use this to sway me into giving him the pack? Is that what this is?”

“No,” Seleka cried. “It’s not like that. He made me swear not to tell you because he wants to win fair and square.”

The hurt on Avan’s face cut Lexar. He wanted to run to her, hold her together.

“
Win
?” she breathed. “Winning means I die, Seleka. Is that what you want?”

“And if you win, he dies,” she screamed. “So I’m fucked either way.”

Avan’s head snapped back and Lexar got the impression she’d never seen her sister so assertive.

“What… what are you saying?” Avan’s voice was barely audible. “You want me to give him the pack?”

A glimmer of hope rose in the younger wolf’s eyes. “I want you both to live. That’s all I want. I should have brought this to you sooner, but I couldn’t. Please understand.”

Avan spun, staring out the window at the dark night. Her shoulders curled with despair. “He’d never take the pack without a fight. You said so yourself.”

Lexar’s wolf paced. What was going through her mind? He knew how much she loved this pack and her position. But kill her sister’s intended to keep it? That would ruin her. Avan wasn’t a cold-hearted bitch.

That left one other option. Merely thinking about it crippled Lexar.

But as the moments ticked by in silence, it became clear that she was considering it. Leaving him. For the sake of sparing her sister pain.

Mother of fuck, this couldn’t be happening. She wouldn’t leave Ozarka in the hands of a brutish stranger. She wouldn’t leave him alone, now that they’d finally found happiness.

Fight, baby. Fight for us
.

***

Avan turned and looked at Lexar, careful to keep her face blank. “The fight is on. It’s too late, sister. I’ll fight Raden. It’s the only way.”

Seleka shook her head, tears erupting to stream down her cheeks.

“Avan—“

“No Mama. This is a pack matter. Not a family matter. If Raden wants to mate Seleka, he needs to rescind his challenge and suffer those consequences. Otherwise, we fight.”

Avan’s insides quaked with her decision. She had a plan. It was risky—so fucking risky—but if it worked, Seleka would get what she wanted. And if it didn’t… the pack would have a new leader.

Shit. This had better work.

“Now go,” she said quietly. “I need to get ready.”

Seleka ran from the cabin, but Mama came forward with her arms spread. Avan let her wrap those arms around her. “I love you,” she murmured sadly.

“I love you too, Mama.”

She pulled back, chewing her lip. She gave a sad shake of her head and then left. Avan counted to five before she faced Lexar.

His brow furrowed. “Are you okay?”

She had to be honest with him right then, so she shook her head. “No. But now I’m going to ask you to trust me.”

“I do.” His expression was so troubled, she wanted to go to him and kiss his mouth until that grim line it formed was soft.

“I need to take care of some things. Will you meet me at the ring?”

He shook his head, frowning. “What things? What are you going to do?”

“Trust me,” she insisted. Damn it, she hoped this didn’t backfire.

“Alpha…” He swallowed hard and she watched his throat bob with the motion. “You’re not going to let him win are you?”

She shook her head. “Let him? No.” It was the truth. There wouldn’t be an honest winner if things worked out the way she hoped. “I have to go.”

She turned, but in two huge strides, he stopped her. Grabbing her face with both hands, he kissed her, letting his feelings lay bare. He could do this a million times and she’d never tire of feeling him go all-in, no holds barred.

He pulled back enough to look in her eyes. “Be careful. I can’t lose you.”

She nodded, and then escaped out the door to find Raden.

She found him chatting with a group of Ozarka wolves as if they were old friends. Lovely. He’d been playing the political angle too while she wasn’t looking. Not that it would matter. The pack didn’t run on politics. It ran on power. And she was powerful. Even more so backed by Lexar’s love. Problem was, so was Raden. Powerful, and now he wasn’t only fighting for control of the pack but also for his mate.

“Raden,” she barked. “A word with you?”

One of her wolves looked at her cross, and she snarled in his direction. She couldn’t afford to give an inch tonight.

“Sure, alpha. Catch you boys later, yeah?”

They muttered in agreement, one even slapping the contender a high five.

Bastards.

When they were alone, Raden turned to her with a smile so plastic it could have been named Tupperware. “What can I do for you?”

“Cut the shit,” she snapped, and like that, his smile bled out. “I know what you are.”

He stared into the woods. “She told you?”

“No. She kept her fucking promise. How long have you known?”

He shrugged, clearly troubled. “Since that first day. I scented her when she opened the door to let me in your cabin.”

He’d known this was coming the whole time. Shit, and so did Seleka.

“Do you intend to claim her?”

Raden blew out a breath, considering her question. “I doubt she’ll have me,” he smirked. “Doubt she’ll want to mate the man who killed her sister.”

Avan narrowed her gaze. Cocky son-of-a-bitch. But she didn’t miss the sadness in his eyes.

“So rescind your challenge. Join our pack. Woo my sister. Live happily fucking ever after.”

With those stacked muscles and his handsome face, he was built to win females like Seleka.

His expression turned to flint. “I can’t.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest as if that would put an end to the conversation.

Avan chuckled. “Oh, is it your pride? Look, I get it. I just thought maybe your mate meant more to you than that.”

His jaw cracked from the pressure of him clenching it. “How will she ever want me if it looks like I punked out of a challenge? I’ll be the laughing stock of this camp, not to mention my family. No female wants a joke for a mate.”

“I know my sister and she’d be much more impressed with you if both of us came out of this still standing. You’d at least have a chance then.”

Raden cocked his head, staring at her. “Are you… are you afraid, alpha? Is that what this is? You learned about my mate and now you think I’ll be harder to beat?”

“You stubborn idiot,” she snapped, stepping closer so he could read her lips if need be. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m trying to spare my sister the lifetime of heartache she’ll have to face when I kill you. Do not mistake my intentions, wolf.”

“It sounds like we both lose either way,” he ground out. “It’s just a matter of who ends up dead.”

Now was the time to spring her idea on him. It was a fucking crap shoot but if he went for it… this could end, someday, in a mostly happily ever after.

“There’s another way.” She tried the words out, and they burned in her throat. This was cheating. If anyone ever found out, she’d be dead meat. They’d never trust her to lead.

“I told you, I can’t rescind—“

“I’m not talking about that.”

He clenched his fists. “What then?”

Avan’s eyes did a sweep to make sure no one was near. “We throw the fight.”

His back went ramrod straight. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. How the hell do we do that?”

The details. The winning or losing was all in the details. “We battle it out. Hard. I take hits, you take hits. Beat each other to shit. Make it look like neither one of us will win. Then, when it looks like we’ll have to call for a round two, I start kicking your ass. I mean, really make it look brutal—hell, I guess it would actually have to be brutal for people to believe it. Call it a sacrifice on your part.”

“Right. That seems fair.”

“Just wait, mine’s coming.”

He shook his head, disgusted. Whatever, if this saved his life and her sister’s heart, it was worth it.
Please let it be worth it
.

“You’ll be losing like a motherfucker, and that’s when I let you get me.” She swallowed hard. This part was going to be difficult. “I’ll let you have my throat. You understand what I’m saying? You clamp your teeth around my throat and you hold it. And you wait. Long enough for people to realize what’s happening. That I’ve lost. That you’ve got me at your mercy… and then you let go, and you run the hell away.”

Raden’s eyes widened, and there was a long beat of silence. He was speechless. He threw his head back, staring at the sky. “Fucking hell,” he muttered.

Avan let him think. She watched as he paced the space in front of her.

“This will never work,” he rasped.

“It keeps us both alive. It saves your pride.”

He stopped pacing to stare at her. “How the hell does it do that if I don’t finish the job? If I run? Besides that, you still keep the pack.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought Seleka was more important than status. Do you fucking care about mating or not? That’s the question. If the answer is no, then I’m not sticking my neck out—
literally
—for you. My sister will just have to mourn you and move on.”