Shadow Of A Mate (17 page)

“Thank you for saying that.” If Merrick could concede to sort of apologising then Jay could compromise and cut him some slack. “I’d like to hear more about my dad, if you feel like sharing some memories.”

“I’d like that.” Merrick sounded sincere and everyone relaxed.

“Well, it seems like you’ve been holding out on us, Jay,” Mam said in that way she had of being delightful, scary and loving at the same time. He hadn’t noticed the parents or Rogo returning.

He ducked his head guiltily. “I wasn’t sure everyone would understand.”

Mack threw a heavy arm over his shoulder. “Nah, we already know you’re weird. Talking to people in the great beyond, having a ghost cat and shooting lightning at people trying to feel up your mate is only part of your charm.”

“Let’s not forget how he healed the forest and all the rescued shifters after waking up after what must have been only minutes after Kyle killed Katrianna,” Papa added, chuckling when Jay shot him a pointed look before he realised he was glaring at his alpha and blushed.

Tryst and Mack gawped at him, Rogo smiled as if pleased and Merrick actually puffed out his chest a little like a proud uncle. “Yeah, you’re definitely Devlin’s boy.”

* * *

Kyle stopped for a drink from a fast moving river, taking the few minutes to rest before he started off again. His paws could use the break. The current wasn’t too strong by the bank so he eased down into the water, sighing when the coolness soothed his sore muscles and paws.

He could still feel Jay pulling at him from the other side of the mate bond.

If he just shifted and called Mack or Tryst they’d come and pick him up. They must be worried sick about him and he was sorry about that, but he needed to do this his way. The alpha energy had been all used up when he’d forced it into Katrianna. However, when she’d been consumed by it, all of that power had rebounded back to him.

Right now the power was manageable and he’d not had any violent urges to dominate or be worshipped. He was taking that as a good sign.

Just a little more time and then he’d know for sure whether he was safe to be around and no longer a ticking time bomb. In the meantime he was running home and letting the bond with Jay guide him.

A tasty scent drifted over to him on the wind and his cat chuffed softly with excitement. Prey.

Even thinking about food made his stomach growl with hunger. It had been so long since he’d eaten. Looking down into the water, he saw his thinner body reflected back at him and knew he’d need to eat if he wanted to keep up this pace.

Kyle took off in the direction of the deer.

* * * *

It had been three days, three very long days and nights since the others had returned. Tryst and Mack stayed with him in the nights and they all curled up together in their cat skins and tried to sleep.

More often than not they just stayed awake worrying and cleaning. Logan still hadn’t woken up so the three of them were splitting their time between keeping an eye on Merrick and sitting with Logan. Jay had at least one of the betas with him at all times.

Now they were sitting down to dinner with Mam, Papa, Merrick, Kane, Nikko and the other betas. It was all very civilised for the moment. The food was good and everyone was still on their best behaviour. Even Merrick had cooled it with the smartass comments. At least a little. The betas caught the brunt of it.

Jay was hoping for progress, not a miracle.

Since his little commune with nature, both of Arthwr’s betas had become wary of him, but it was Damian that worried him. Damian watched him when he thought the others didn’t notice. It was beginning to creep him out and he was going to talk to Papa about it.

Tryst and Mack told him it was because Damian was scared and wanted to protect his alpha. Cash, if anything was actually acting warmer toward him, helping him go through the library of old books Papa had procured since finding out about Jays lineage and had stored in the enormous lower lever of the house below the ground. He’d found quite a few things relating to earth magic and it made for interesting reading.

“So how is school, little brother?” Every time Jay called Kane that, the little puma beamed. Kane lit up and started telling them about his first day. “It’s hard, I like art, but I don’t read good—”

The double doors crashed open and one flew completely off its hinges, falling to the floor with a great clatter. Betas Cash and Damian rushed to grab whoever had smashed into the room, but Jay recognised the scent of his mate instantly and shot his hand out to stop them.

Beta Damian halted immediately and skidded to a stop, leaning so far back he nearly toppled over to avoid touching Jay.

The black-furred figure stumbled closer and changed into the two-legged, tall, muscular body he’d been yearning for since he had woken up.

Kyle collapsed to his knees at Jay’s feet, dirty and scraped up and simply stared at him for a moment with wild eyes. Their betas tried to come forward and help, but Jay waved them off. This wasn’t a moment for anyone else to witness.

“Jay,” Kyle whimpered with a cracked voice as if his throat was sore.

“Ky,” he said warmly.

That was all it took for Kyle to break and leap at him. Jay had dreamed of his and Kyle’s reunion so many times since the others had returned. In his dreams, they had ripped each other’s clothes off, chased each other through the forests, cried in relief and even had an argument over who was the stupidest. He for sacrificing himself of Nikko or Kyle for going after a witch.

Not once had he thought that Kyle would cling to him with arms around his waist and face pressed into his stomach, crying and shaking. “Shhh. It’s okay. It’s okay, love.”

He heard the others quietly leave the room, but he ignored them and continued stroking Kyle’s damp hair and whispering over and over again. “I’m safe. You’re safe. We’re home.”

“I’m getting fucking tired of waking up like this,” Kyle groaned.

“Mind your language around our new little brother,” Jay chided.

Unable to believe his ears after hearing Jay call out to him over and over in the last few days, but never being there when he opened his eyes, Kyle unlocked the mate bond and sent out feelings through the connection.

Power and warmth flared back at him through the mate bond. It was the only warning he had before Jay lit into him.

“You could have died!”

“I know,” Kyle admitted, seeing no point in trying to lie since Jay would be able to scent the deception.

Truthfully, he was more interested in seeing more skin. He nosed the bottom of Jay’s t-shirt up until it revealed Jays flat stomach and almost hairless chest. Where before Kyle remembered Jay’s body as too thin with bones sticking out there was now smooth, healthy flesh that he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into. This new magic in his mate had made him stronger.

It was incredibly arousing.

“I never wanted you to die for me. I want you to live for me and fight to come back to me.”

“Okay,” he agreed as he placed a kiss above Jay’s belly button and not really listening now that he could touch and taste Jay’s skin. His cock lengthened and filled as he pressed up against his mate.

“Umm, Kyle? You might want to open those pretty eyes because we’re not alone here.”

That had him freezing as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over him. All the blood that had rushed south reversed course and heated his face.

“I haven’t seen him this red since you asked them about their shower bench,” his father said dryly.

“Oh God.” He hoped like hell they weren’t getting an eyeful. A meteor would be great about now, too. He snaked a hand down and found the duvet was still at hip level so everything vital was covered. Shifters may not be shy about nudity, but being hard as stone in front of his parents was just nasty.

“Come on it’s not that bad,” Jay cooed before smacking his ass and scrambling out of the bed before Kyle could get him back. His mate had gotten faster.

“Are you my brother now?”

Blinking, Kyle turned in the direction of the sound and saw Kane and Nikko were there, too. Nikko was standing between and a little behind Mam and Papa. Kane on the other hand was at the edge of the bed looking up at him with big eyes and a serious expression on his face.

What was the question he’d been asked? Oh yeah. A quick glance at Jay confirmed what he was supposed to say. His mate was nodding adamantly.

“Yes, I guess I am. Wow, two brothers. Hey, now we’ll be able to dress up as the Avengers for Halloween. I call Thor!” He shot his hand in the air and smiled. It was silly, but had the desired effect as everyone relaxed and started laughing at his antics.

Nikko cocked his head and frowned. “What’s the Avengers?”

Kane climbed onto the bed and kicked his feet as he giggled.

Letting himself sink back onto the bed, he laughed, too. “I have got so much to show you, big brother. We’re going to need a massive amount of junk food, snacks and soda.” And they were going to shut themselves into the media room and gorge themselves on sitcoms, films and TV series until Nikko was thoroughly caught up with the modern world.

Mam clucked her tongue. “Not until after the doctor gives Nikko the all clear to eat whatever he likes.”

Kyle waited until Mam looked away before glancing at Nikko and rolling his eyes. His brother snorted and ducked behind Papa when Mam narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Kyle.

Papa shrugged as if he didn’t know what they were laughing at, but Kyle saw the small twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Putting his embarrassment and the lack of Avenger knowledge aside, everything was wonderful, as if everything with Katrianna hadn’t happened.

It all seemed too good to be true. And Kyle was too realistic to believe in it.

Sobering, he rolled to the side and grabbed a pair of jeans out of the dresser. He always kept a pair there in case he needed to dress quickly. He put them on under the sheet then got out of bed. “Can I talk to you please, Papa?”

Once everyone had filed out of his suite, he and Papa headed outside and wandered to a small area where the trees were thick enough to hide them from anyone watching from the house, but not so thick that they were crowded.

“Why are we out here, Kyle?”

“I think you can guess,” he answered quietly. His heart pumped faster and his jaguar whined inside as he thought about what had to happen now. Two full alphas couldn’t share the same territory.

His father’s eyes glowed with repressed alpha power and Kyle found his own rising in answer. His jaguar wanted to be top cat. So did Papa’s. This was one of the things they needed to sort out.

Biting the bullet, Kyle banked his need to challenge his father and forced the words past his lips.

“It was unusual before, me being here as an alpha in waiting. Now, I’m technically a mature alpha with power of my own it will be impossible. I can feel it growing again, but at a much more stable level. I don’t want other alphas to see Pack Valley as weak because you’re letting me stay,” he said, sharing his fears.

“We knew before we forced your alphahood to manifest that the consequences would be harsh and complicated.” Papa stopped walking and Kyle came to a halt, too.

“Yes, but neither of us actually expected it to work or for me to come back,” he said with a bitter laugh. He flinched as he heard himself. “Sorry.”

Arthwr remained stoic, eyes glowing. “My jaguar needs to readdress the status quo here, son. Do you challenge me?”

Kyle gulped and nodded. He knew they needed to do this. “Yes.”

“Then shift,” Arthwr ordered.

Letting his jaguar free, Kyle unleashed his alpha side. Since battling Katrianna, the power was a steady stream instead of an unstoppable river. It made him strong and not a crazed shadow of himself who couldn’t recognise his own friends.

He shifted only a second slower than his father and as soon as his four paws hit the earth, the challenge became serious.

If their beasts could come to some agreement then Kyle had a chance of remaining with the pack. His heart would break if he had to ask Jay to move with him after his mate had only just come to terms with having a family and a home.

But there couldn’t be any holding back here otherwise their cats would know and the resentment would fester. Kyle really didn’t want to be alpha, not yet and he imagined not for a long time. He knew he had so much to learn and his betas did, too.

Kyle gave himself over to his primal nature and let that control his actions. He faked left. The alpha jaguar saw it coming, smacked his flank and hissed, slashing his long tail side to side mockingly.

Ego bruised from the hit, Kyle snarled and flicked his ears back.

The fight was on.

Prancing to the side, Kyle tried to swipe out and land a blow to his opponent’s head. The bigger jaguar swung around and countered with an almighty jab to his jaw that sent him stumbling to the side.

He recovered and dug his back claws into the earth.

Once he’d gathered himself, he launched and tackled the other alpha jaguar. They tumbled across the forest floor, fighting for position and Kyle couldn’t believe how difficult it was to gain any kind of upper hand.

Every time he thought he had his rival on the ground, the jaguar would twist and force Kyle to the ground instead.

It went on like this for a few more turns until Kyle chanced a manoeuvre that should have thrown the jaguar into the air and toppling off him. But his opponent blocked him and used his momentum to toss him up in the air. When he was airborne and vulnerable the bigger jaguar launched his attack, grasping his foreleg and dragging him back to dirt with incredibly strong jaws, teeth catching in his skin.

His adversary pinned him with one massive paw and knocked the air from his lungs.

Shit. Kyle knew Papa was strong, but this was like going up against the Hulk.

He rolled and bucked, trying to dislodge the other male. Nothing he did had any effect. All he was doing was wearing himself out.