Читать онлайн книгу «Protector′s Mate» автора Katie Reus
Protector's Mate
Katie Reus
After two years in a war zone, werewolf Felicia Serna has finally returned to find another pack has taken over her territory… and the new second-in-command is the very man who haunts her fantasies.Alaric has wanted Felicia from the moment he laid eyes on her, and now he’s ready to claim her. When a threatening shifter begins stalking them, he’s determined to protect her… even if it means putting his seduction on hold.But even in the heat of danger, their red-hot passion cannot be denied.
After two years in a war zone, werewolf Felicia Serna has finally returned to find another pack has taken over her territory…and the new second-in-command is the very man who haunts her fantasies.
Alaric has wanted Felicia from the moment he laid eyes on her, and now he’s ready to claim her. When a threatening shifter begins stalking them, he’s determined to protect her…even if it means putting his seduction on hold. But even in the heat of danger, their red-hot passion cannot be denied.
Protector’s Mate
Katie Reus
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Contents
Chapter One (#ua368ce87-7c43-541b-a975-6c44decd4d1b)
Chapter Two (#u841917e5-ba58-5c58-88ef-cbd543359fb4)
Chapter Three (#uf8ce3819-102e-5faf-aa8d-01394397fe48)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
About Destined Mate (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Felicia Serna wasn’t ready for the shock of cold air that hit her when she exited the sliding glass door of Huntsville International Airport. The chilly February air was a drastic change from the dry heat of Afghanistan.
The airport was bustling but no one would be there to pick her up. She’d kept her return home to Alabama a secret. Well, home was a relative word. After the way she’d left two years ago, she didn’t think the Alpha of her pack would want to see her. And if he did, it would only be to punish her for defying him. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t belong to his pack anymore and hadn’t for a long time.
She was through with pack rules and through with being someone’s doormat. If she had to live as a lone wolf, so be it. She could take care of herself. Hell, she’d been doing fine on her own for years. The only reason she’d returned was because she had a few human friends here and had shipped most of her belongings back.
As she started to wave down a taxi, a dark SUV with even darker tinted windows pulled up to the curb, blocking her view. She grasped the handle of her suitcase and walked down a few feet so the taxi could see her. It was late and she didn’t want to risk having to wait an hour for another ride. Unlike in Kabul, at least here she didn’t have to worry about safe transportation.
When she raised her hand again, the SUV pulled up farther, effectively blocking her again.
An icy fist clasped around her heart and she tried to shake off the dread that welled up inside her. The driver couldn’t be following her. She was just being paranoid. No one knew she was back. How could they? Before she took another step, the driver’s side door opened and out stepped over six feet of pure muscle and sex appeal and the only shifter who’d ever made her panties dampen with just one look. Her mouth went dry when they made eye contact. What was he doing here? His Alpha’s territory didn’t extend this far north so there was no reason for Alaric to be here unless he was specifically checking up on her. Because she knew for a fact his Alpha had a private plane and he would have no need to be at the airport.
When Alaric, the five-hundred year old shifter who starred in all her fantasies, walked around the front of the vehicle she automatically took a step back. She inwardly cursed the sign of wariness, but if any werewolf intimidated her, it was definitely this one.
Dark hair, dark eyes, generally dark disposition. She’d never seen him in shifted form but, even as a human, the man had a way of putting others on edge in his presence. It was no wonder he was second in command to one of the strongest packs in the United States.
His espresso-colored eyes assessed her from head to foot in a slow sweep. Though she was sure the perusal was cursory, her cheeks heated just the same. She’d forgotten what his mere presence did to her nerves. Okay, maybe not forgotten exactly. Just buried the memory.
Somehow she found her voice and was surprised when it came out strong. “How…why are you here?”
“I’m picking you up.” He answered as if it should be obvious. The deep timbre of his gravelly voice sent a shock of awareness straight to her lower abdomen. She didn’t want to admit that it affected her but just hearing him… She fought off a shiver.
She hadn’t seen him in almost five years, then a few months ago he’d contacted her via email out of the blue. She’d been more shocked than anything that the sexy wolf even remembered her, since they’d only met once before that. When the last few emails had turned flirty, sexual even, it had freaked her out. At first she’d thought maybe she’d misread their tone, but then he’d gotten more blatant and she’d known there was no mistaking he was flirting with her. She’d begun to wonder if he’d maybe confused her with someone else from her old pack. It made no sense for Alaric to be interested in her. So she’d started limiting their contact.
How had he known I’d be at the airport? She wanted to ask but keeping her cool around this wolf was important. Bigger, stronger wolves pounced on any perceived weakness. She’d learned that lesson long ago. Even if Alaric seemed different, she wouldn’t forget the lessons she’d learned as a cub. Some memories went bone deep.
“Knox recently expanded and took over all of northern Alabama. That includes your old pack’s territory—now my Alpha’s territory.” There he went with that voice again.
How did he expect her to think when he talked like that? Wait, what did he just say? His Alpha had taken over? “What happened to Lamont?” Wilson Lamont. Her old Alpha. Even saying that wolf’s name left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Dead. From vampires.”
He didn’t sound too torn up about it either. Interesting.
Despite the acute relief that splintered through her at the news, she held back her frustration at his fairly vague answer. “When?”
He shrugged in a maddeningly pure male way. “A while ago.”
She resisted the urge to growl. That was most definitely something he should have told her in their email correspondence. At the moment, she was so tired even her eyelids ached. All she wanted was a straight answer. “So your Alpha took over his territory? What about the old members of the pack? And I still don’t understand why you’re here to pick me up.”
His dark gaze narrowed for a second. “Most shifters would say ‘my’ pack, not ‘the’ pack.”
She looked away under his intense scrutiny. When Lamont had demanded she submit to him, in addition to his first mate—as if she were some whore—no one had stepped up to defend her. Screw them. They weren’t her pack. They weren’t her anything. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a yellow cab pulling up to the curb. It didn’t look like anyone had claimed it and she didn’t want to miss her chance. She didn’t know why Alaric was here but she wasn’t going to put herself in a position to be at his mercy. “Thanks for coming to the airport, but I’m afraid you wasted your time.”
She turned away from him, but before she’d taken a step he plucked her suitcase and her carry-on from her hands and shoved them in the backseat of the SUV. She blinked once. The man moved lightning fast. Faster than any shifter she’d ever seen.
“What are you doing?” Panic laced her voice and she was unable to mask it.
“You’re coming with me, little wolf.” His voice softened slightly.
Why had his voice gone all husky like that? And why do I like it? Maybe she really was more tired than she realized. She mentally shook herself. It didn’t matter. “Why didn’t you tell me your Alpha had taken over this territory, Alaric? You’ve had plenty of opportunities.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving Afghanistan?” Now there was no softness in his voice. Just anger and something that sounded a lot like…hurt.
She swallowed hard at the surge of guilt that erupted inside her. The thought of telling him had crossed her mind, but he’d have likely wanted to see her. And after those last few emails… She couldn’t deal with that now. Didn’t want to deal with anything. All she wanted to do was sleep in a soft bed. She shifted from foot to foot as she ran over her options. He had her bags and she certainly couldn’t overpower him. Not to mention, making a scene at the airport was stupid. His reputation was fearsome, but she’d never heard that he hurt females. Not much to go on, but her inner wolf didn’t fear him and that said a lot. She ignored his question and asked another one of her own. “Where are you taking me?”
“Where you belong,” he growled softly. Possessively.
She frowned at the tone of his voice, then raked a hand through her hair. She’d been traveling for nearly thirty-six hours and didn’t have the energy to figure out his riddles. Her entire body was tired. And she desperately needed to shift and run free for a while.
When an unbidden thought assaulted her mind, her eyes narrowed on his. “Is the reason you started emailing because of the way I left my old pack? Is this about punishment for my defiance? Your Alpha’s angry with me so he sent you to deal with me?”
His jaw clenched tightly, but he didn’t respond.
When his expression transformed to an unreadable mask, she rolled her eyes to cover her nervousness. That seemed to annoy him and for some reason she took perverse pleasure in the fact. “Fine, but if you’re going to kill me or punish me make it quick.”
He muttered something that sounded German but she couldn’t be sure. Whatever he’d said, it wasn’t endearing. He sounded pissed. At least he had the decency to open the passenger door for her. When she slid inside she was surprised to find they were alone. She’d assumed as second in command for a powerful pack, he’d travel with security. Of course someone like him likely didn’t need security. He could probably kill ten wolves with his pinky toe. Or just stare them down with that penetrating gaze until they submitted.
* * *
As Alaric pulled away from the curb, he wanted to strangle and kiss the gorgeous she-wolf at the same time. Kill her? Not bloody likely. The slim, dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty brought out all his protective instincts. She always had. He’d wanted to claim her years ago but she’d been too young. Barely nineteen, she wouldn’t have been ready for him then. And he’d wanted her to spread her wings and get an education before he made his move. By the time he’d heard what that bastard Lamont wanted from her, it had been too late.
She’d been on a plane to a war zone and had ignored all attempts her pack made to contact her. That’s why he was surprised she’d returned his first attempt at contact all those months ago. A couple years had passed since she’d left the country and he’d gotten tired of waiting for her to come home. She was strong and old enough now and his inner wolf wanted her so bad he constantly ached for it. Given her distrust of her own kind, he needed to somehow convince her she was meant to be his. It surprised him she didn’t feel the same pull he did for her, but persuading her wouldn’t be a chore.
He glanced over at her and had started to ask a question when he realized she was asleep. Not a deep slumber, but her breathing was calm and her eyes had drifted shut. She really must be tired. Only a couple minutes had passed since he’d pulled away from the airport. Her head lolled back against the headrest and although her arms were crossed protectively against herself, her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Even if she might not trust him, her inner wolf knew she was safe in his presence. That had to mean something.
He resisted the primal urge to reach out and trail a finger down her cheek. To run his hands through her slightly curly, chestnut-colored hair. She’d let it grow a few inches since he’d seen her last. Hell, she’d probably had a dozen different styles since then. Her café au lait skin was darker, more tanned than the last time he’d seen her. No doubt from the time she’d spent outdoors. As a nurse for an international health organization, she’d spent a lot of time in refugee camps, something he vastly admired about her even if every day he’d worried about her. He forced his gaze to the road in front of him. He’d been dreaming about this moment for years. He could wait a few more minutes. Too bad his inner wolf didn’t want to listen.
As he cruised through the quiet night streets, he spotted the same green truck that had tailed him to the airport. At first he’d thought he was being paranoid, but this was too much of a coincidence. When he neared the upcoming yellow light, instead of slowing down, he flipped a sharp U-turn into the parallel two-lane road.
Felicia jerked awake with a gasp and grabbed her armrest. A few horns blared and the spike of adrenaline that rolled off her was sharp and acidic. Thanks to the close confines of the vehicle and his extrasensory abilities, he could hear the thump of her erratic heartbeat. “What’s going on?”
“I think we’re being followed.”
She whipped her head around.
In the rearview mirror he watched the green truck jump the median and swerve into their lane. Lately both he and Knox suspected someone from the new pack they’d taken over was plotting to cause dissension among their ranks. Knox had recently mated with a vampire—something rare for a shifter to do, especially an Alpha—so all the warriors had been on edge lately. Especially since they’d had to kick out one of their own when he tried to attack Knox’s new mate. While Alaric couldn’t be sure this was related, he had no way of knowing that it wasn’t. Hell, it could just be a rogue vampire or rogue werewolf out for blood, but he didn’t think so. Alaric wasn’t easy prey and the rogue beasts from both species liked easy hunts.
As the truck gained ground, he switched lanes and pulled down a side street.
“Why would someone be following us?” Despite the tension he scented rolling off her, her voice was calm.
Before he could answer, the back window exploded in a shower of raining glass. Metallic pings ricocheted off the inside of the vehicle.
“Get down!” he shouted.
A slight trail of fear trickled off her as she unstrapped her seat belt and scooted lower in her seat but she didn’t panic. “Do you have any weapons?”
“Yes but they’re in the back—”
Without pause, she dove into the second seat with a speed that impressed him. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swerved down another one-way side street. For a moment they lost their tail and the only sound was the whistling of the wind rushing through the blown-out window. He caught sight of her in the rearview mirror digging through his bag of weapons. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What does it look like? You want to let some crazy human hunters try to kill us? I’m going to blow out their tires.”
As a shifter, from a young age she’d have been trained like all of their kind to use weapons, but he didn’t like the thought of her hanging out the window making herself a target. “I don’t think they’re human, Felicia.”
Understanding crossed her face as she met his gaze in the mirror. If it wasn’t humans hunting them—and few even knew of their existence so he doubted it was them—it would be someone of the supernatural variety and they’d be more than capable of tracking and killing them. It was one of the reasons the tribe leaders from the six most powerful vampire covens and six of the strongest werewolf Alphas in North America would be gathering soon to discuss a treaty between their kinds. Too many rogue vampires and rogue shifters without tribe leaders or Alphas were wreaking havoc in the human world. Taking victims whenever they felt like it. Since there wasn’t a formal organization to mete out justice to offenders, if paranormal beings didn’t belong to a group and they hurt humans, there was no one to bring them to justice. If the shifters and vamps could come to an agreement and actually work together, everyone would be held accountable for their actions, especially loners.
But Alaric knew a few blown tires wouldn’t slow down either shifters or vamps. It would only enrage them. Not to mention they’d be smart enough to be packing silver-lined bullets, which could be fatal to shifters.
Under normal circumstances he’d stay and fight but he couldn’t risk it. Not with Felicia. Not when she was finally under his protection. As the headlights appeared in his mirror again, he did the only thing he could.
“Hold on,” he said through gritted teeth.
The needle on the speedometer spiked sharply as he pressed on the gas. When he’d put enough distance between them, he took his foot off the accelerator, slightly depressed the brakes and yanked the wheel.
Everything in the vehicle shifted at once.
Felicia let out a startled cry as she slammed against the door, but he didn’t glance back at her. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. Mercifully, the SUV didn’t flip when he pulled it into a one-eighty spin. The engine sputtered and growled as he hit the gas again.
“Are you playing chicken with them?” Now her voice rose, panic clear in every syllable.
He didn’t answer. They’d survive a crash. Sure, they might suffer a few broken bones and internal injuries but they’d heal quickly. It was a calculated risk but he needed to slow down their pursuers and get her to safety. Racing all over Huntsville was a surefire way to get noticed by the human cops, something they couldn’t afford.
Protect Felicia.
It was all that mattered.
The silhouettes of the driver and passenger were becoming more visible. Two males, and possibly a third person in the backseat. He couldn’t be sure. Might be a shadow.
The truck wavered and jerked back and forth, but it didn’t alter its path. Alaric braced himself for impact. If the other driver didn’t back down, this was going to be painful. He’d broken more bones than he could remember over the past five centuries, but it still hurt every time.
As he increased his speed, the truck weaved erratically.
“Strap in, Felicia,” he ground out. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but there was no other way.
All his muscles tensed. As he prepared for the impact, the truck swerved off the road at the last second. Glass and metal crunched behind them as the vehicle rammed into a telephone pole. With his extrasensory abilities he heard the pole creak dangerously as it cracked and fell onto the truck, but Alaric didn’t pause in his escape.
“What the hell is going on?” Felicia demanded as he turned back onto a main street. At least she sounded more annoyed than scared.
Even though his Alpha had recently taken a vampire as a mate, he wasn’t sure who would be coming after them right now. Some of the new pack members might not like their new female Alpha, but making a move like this against him made no sense. Alaric wasn’t on pack business at the moment. And hurting him or Felicia wouldn’t affect the upcoming formal treaty between vampires and shifters, which was barely a couple months away. It would only solidify the need for it. He didn’t have time to go into all the possibilities though. “Grab what you need from your bag. Necessities only. I’m going to find a safe place to park then we’re shifting.” It would be harder to track them that way. He could go home to the protection of his pack, but he wanted Felicia to himself for a while. He’d already run it by Knox and his Alpha had given him the okay.
She’d left Huntsville because of her former Alpha and he planned to show her that his pack was different. That she could have a different kind of life than the one she’d run from. Her grace under fire tonight had only solidified how tough she was. She might have worked overseas in a war zone but it hadn’t been in a military capacity. Her reactions tonight had been purely instinctive. Whether she realized it or not, her inner wolf had known they needed protecting and had taken over.
Unfortunately he couldn’t get a read on her. She’d left Afghanistan without telling him, completely cutting him off as if he meant nothing to her. As if their friendship wasn’t as important to her as it was to him. That cut bone deep. He might want her with a fierceness that stunned him, but it didn’t mean she felt the same. A dull throb spread across his chest at the thought that she might never feel the pull that he did. If that was true…he shook his head. He couldn’t even think about that possibility.
Chapter Two
Felicia’s heart beat an erratic tattoo against her chest. She’d been under fire in Jalalabad more than a few times before, but she’d never imagined experiencing an attack on the streets of Huntsville. That was just too surreal. It didn’t matter that she could survive almost anything— explosions and gunfire scared the crap out of her. Even though she had about a million questions for Alaric it was obvious he didn’t plan to answer any of them at the moment. Stubborn male.
She’d love nothing more than to drag the answers out of him but now wasn’t the time. She fished out her wallet, passport, a pair of pants, a sweater and one pair of sandals. Everything else was replaceable. She’d shipped most of her stuff back weeks ago to a human friend so she could travel light. At the moment she was thankful she’d made that decision.
Alaric steered into the dimly lit, nearly deserted parking lot of a closed supermarket and jumped from the vehicle. She followed him and watched as he grabbed a small backpack from the back—full of his weapons—then took her small bundle of clothes and shoved them inside. For a brief moment he trained that hot gaze on her and she could feel herself being swallowed up by his dark, soul-searching eyes. She knew his look didn’t mean anything, that it was all in her head, but for a moment she imagined what it would be like to be on the receiving end of a heated glance from him.
He quickly looked away and scanned the area around them. “You need to stay close to me. We’re going to have to run through a few residential neighborhoods, but it’s late so we should be able to blend in.” Despite his unreadable expression, his commanding voice had a soothing effect on her.
She nodded but her throat seized as he started stripping down in front of her. Just took off his clothes like it was no big deal. When he bared his taut, muscular chest, she averted her gaze. Most shifters didn’t care about nudity but she was from a different generation. As far as she knew Alaric was almost five hundred years old and, well, he was a man. It didn’t seem to matter what species they were, males didn’t care about showing off their stuff.
But she did.
Turning her back to him, she slipped off her boots and then forced herself to undergo the change. She hated to ruin her clothes, but she was not stripping in front of him. Her cargo pants and T-shirt ripped as her bones broke and shifted. The pain rushed over her like she’d been flattened by a truck but, as always, it was fleeting. Once her ligaments and tendons realigned, the sudden euphoric charge nearly overwhelmed her. Everything was clearer. Smells and sounds were sharper. The night air rushed over her newly sprouted fur as she surveyed her surroundings.
A cold nose nudged her in the side. She turned to find herself looking at a hulking gray wolf. He was at least a hundred and thirty pounds of pure muscle. With strong back legs and a broad chest, she felt dwarfed next to him. She was already small for a shifter but next to him, she felt absolutely puny.
A weak mongrel. How many times had she been reminded of that growing up?
She shook away her insecurities and fell behind him as he darted down an alley toward a quiet neighborhood. Her muscles strained and stretched as they raced through the streets and darted in and out of backyards. She guessed that if any humans saw them he’d look pretty strange carrying a pack in his mouth. At least it was night and the asphalt wasn’t hot against her paws. It seemed they ran forever, though she was sure barely an hour had passed by the time they stopped at the back door of a two-story brick house in a cozy middle-class neighborhood.
Before she had time to prepare herself, he shifted to his human form. Then he simply stood there in all his naked glory staring at her. Waiting. Lord, why did he have to look so good? There was no fat on the man. Taut skin stretched across his broad, muscular chest and shoulders. His arms looked like they were chiseled from stone, and she wanted to drool at the sight of what was between his massive legs.
She couldn’t help it. She turned away from him as she underwent the change. Somehow she managed to stifle a cry as her bones shifted back into place. Her heart raced wildly and she could feel his gaze burning into her naked back. Staring at and assessing her. No doubt with a critical eye. Where he was built like a Greek god, she was way too skinny for a shifter. That’s what the women of her pack had constantly told her growing up. She’d more or less grown into her body but her breasts were still pretty nonexistent. On more than one occasion Lamont had told her she was lucky he’d even offered for her. What wolf would want someone like her?
A shifter like Alaric could have any female he wanted. Hell, he probably had a new, stacked she-wolf in his bed every week. Something akin to jealousy jumped in her gut at the thought of him with a female, but she ignored it. She didn’t care who he slept with, and it was none of her business anyway.
“Here.” He reached over her shoulder and gave her one of his T-shirts.
She quickly tugged it over her head and was thankful when it fell to midthigh. His spicy scent enveloped her, all earthy and male and way too intoxicating. For the first time in years she felt like that awkward nineteen-year-old girl with a silly crush. How many nights had she lain awake thinking about him after their first meeting? His Alpha had sent Alaric to visit her pack for something since they were in neighboring territories at the time and she’d been absolutely smitten by the sexy wolf. It was embarrassing to even remember it.
Relief poured over her when she heard the door unlock then open. “This is it. We’ll bunk down here for the night,” he murmured, too close for comfort.
His deep voice rolled over her skin like a soft breeze. She turned and tried to brush past him, but he blocked her. Refusing to make eye contact, she glanced down but wished she hadn’t. His erection stood tall, thick and proud against his abdomen.
An answering rush of need burned low inside her. She knew his reaction wasn’t to her, but the result of the adrenaline rush they’d just experienced. After working in a war zone, she understood that it had that effect on some people, especially males.
One of his strong fingers lifted her chin, forcing her gaze upward. The concern she saw in his dark eyes surprised her. “I think we lost them, okay?”
She nodded mutely. If she spoke, her voice would shake and she couldn’t afford to show any weakness.
He frowned and stroked her cheek with the rough pad of his thumb. “You don’t have to be afraid. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”
When his voice softened like that, her stomach did annoying little flips. She swallowed hard and fought for control. “I’d like to take a shower, if that’s all right.”
More than anything she wanted to get out from under his watchful gaze. She suspected he could smell her desire and it was embarrassing. If she could get a few minutes to herself, she’d be able to gather her thoughts and contain her searing lust. The last time she’d reacted this badly to a man had been five years ago. Unfortunately, it had been to Alaric. But she’d been so young then and she’d never met any shifters outside her pack up until that point. It had been a silly crush. At least that’s what she told herself. So why was she experiencing the same rush of uncontrollable desire again?
His dark eyes narrowed a fraction but he nodded. “Fine. The shower is upstairs. First door on the right. But when you’re finished, we’re going to talk.”
Something about the way he said “talk” sent a shiver of something—fear maybe—rolling over her skin. When she’d run away she’d known there would be repercussions if she’d been caught, but no one had come after her. Maybe that’s what was happening now. Since she hadn’t officially declared her intent to leave her old pack she was still technically governed by whatever Alpha ruled her territory. A heavy knot twisted inside her and pulled tight. She’d run before and she’d do it again if she had to.
Chapter Three
Alaric waited until he heard the sound of running water upstairs before calling his Alpha.
Knox answered on the first ring. “Everything okay with Felicia?”
“Yeah, but she seems to think I plan to hurt or punish her or something.” He dug his fingers into his palm at the thought of someone harming the petite she-wolf.
“Hurt her?” A sharp bark of laughter escaped Knox.
“Listen, that’s not our only problem.” He quickly filled his leader in on the attempted attack after he’d picked Felicia up from the airport.
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Katie Reus
After two years in a war zone, werewolf Felicia Serna has finally returned to find another pack has taken over her territory… and the new second-in-command is the very man who haunts her fantasies.Alaric has wanted Felicia from the moment he laid eyes on her, and now he’s ready to claim her. When a threatening shifter begins stalking them, he’s determined to protect her… even if it means putting his seduction on hold.But even in the heat of danger, their red-hot passion cannot be denied.
After two years in a war zone, werewolf Felicia Serna has finally returned to find another pack has taken over her territory…and the new second-in-command is the very man who haunts her fantasies.
Alaric has wanted Felicia from the moment he laid eyes on her, and now he’s ready to claim her. When a threatening shifter begins stalking them, he’s determined to protect her…even if it means putting his seduction on hold. But even in the heat of danger, their red-hot passion cannot be denied.
Protector’s Mate
Katie Reus
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Contents
Chapter One (#ua368ce87-7c43-541b-a975-6c44decd4d1b)
Chapter Two (#u841917e5-ba58-5c58-88ef-cbd543359fb4)
Chapter Three (#uf8ce3819-102e-5faf-aa8d-01394397fe48)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
About Destined Mate (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Felicia Serna wasn’t ready for the shock of cold air that hit her when she exited the sliding glass door of Huntsville International Airport. The chilly February air was a drastic change from the dry heat of Afghanistan.
The airport was bustling but no one would be there to pick her up. She’d kept her return home to Alabama a secret. Well, home was a relative word. After the way she’d left two years ago, she didn’t think the Alpha of her pack would want to see her. And if he did, it would only be to punish her for defying him. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t belong to his pack anymore and hadn’t for a long time.
She was through with pack rules and through with being someone’s doormat. If she had to live as a lone wolf, so be it. She could take care of herself. Hell, she’d been doing fine on her own for years. The only reason she’d returned was because she had a few human friends here and had shipped most of her belongings back.
As she started to wave down a taxi, a dark SUV with even darker tinted windows pulled up to the curb, blocking her view. She grasped the handle of her suitcase and walked down a few feet so the taxi could see her. It was late and she didn’t want to risk having to wait an hour for another ride. Unlike in Kabul, at least here she didn’t have to worry about safe transportation.
When she raised her hand again, the SUV pulled up farther, effectively blocking her again.
An icy fist clasped around her heart and she tried to shake off the dread that welled up inside her. The driver couldn’t be following her. She was just being paranoid. No one knew she was back. How could they? Before she took another step, the driver’s side door opened and out stepped over six feet of pure muscle and sex appeal and the only shifter who’d ever made her panties dampen with just one look. Her mouth went dry when they made eye contact. What was he doing here? His Alpha’s territory didn’t extend this far north so there was no reason for Alaric to be here unless he was specifically checking up on her. Because she knew for a fact his Alpha had a private plane and he would have no need to be at the airport.
When Alaric, the five-hundred year old shifter who starred in all her fantasies, walked around the front of the vehicle she automatically took a step back. She inwardly cursed the sign of wariness, but if any werewolf intimidated her, it was definitely this one.
Dark hair, dark eyes, generally dark disposition. She’d never seen him in shifted form but, even as a human, the man had a way of putting others on edge in his presence. It was no wonder he was second in command to one of the strongest packs in the United States.
His espresso-colored eyes assessed her from head to foot in a slow sweep. Though she was sure the perusal was cursory, her cheeks heated just the same. She’d forgotten what his mere presence did to her nerves. Okay, maybe not forgotten exactly. Just buried the memory.
Somehow she found her voice and was surprised when it came out strong. “How…why are you here?”
“I’m picking you up.” He answered as if it should be obvious. The deep timbre of his gravelly voice sent a shock of awareness straight to her lower abdomen. She didn’t want to admit that it affected her but just hearing him… She fought off a shiver.
She hadn’t seen him in almost five years, then a few months ago he’d contacted her via email out of the blue. She’d been more shocked than anything that the sexy wolf even remembered her, since they’d only met once before that. When the last few emails had turned flirty, sexual even, it had freaked her out. At first she’d thought maybe she’d misread their tone, but then he’d gotten more blatant and she’d known there was no mistaking he was flirting with her. She’d begun to wonder if he’d maybe confused her with someone else from her old pack. It made no sense for Alaric to be interested in her. So she’d started limiting their contact.
How had he known I’d be at the airport? She wanted to ask but keeping her cool around this wolf was important. Bigger, stronger wolves pounced on any perceived weakness. She’d learned that lesson long ago. Even if Alaric seemed different, she wouldn’t forget the lessons she’d learned as a cub. Some memories went bone deep.
“Knox recently expanded and took over all of northern Alabama. That includes your old pack’s territory—now my Alpha’s territory.” There he went with that voice again.
How did he expect her to think when he talked like that? Wait, what did he just say? His Alpha had taken over? “What happened to Lamont?” Wilson Lamont. Her old Alpha. Even saying that wolf’s name left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Dead. From vampires.”
He didn’t sound too torn up about it either. Interesting.
Despite the acute relief that splintered through her at the news, she held back her frustration at his fairly vague answer. “When?”
He shrugged in a maddeningly pure male way. “A while ago.”
She resisted the urge to growl. That was most definitely something he should have told her in their email correspondence. At the moment, she was so tired even her eyelids ached. All she wanted was a straight answer. “So your Alpha took over his territory? What about the old members of the pack? And I still don’t understand why you’re here to pick me up.”
His dark gaze narrowed for a second. “Most shifters would say ‘my’ pack, not ‘the’ pack.”
She looked away under his intense scrutiny. When Lamont had demanded she submit to him, in addition to his first mate—as if she were some whore—no one had stepped up to defend her. Screw them. They weren’t her pack. They weren’t her anything. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a yellow cab pulling up to the curb. It didn’t look like anyone had claimed it and she didn’t want to miss her chance. She didn’t know why Alaric was here but she wasn’t going to put herself in a position to be at his mercy. “Thanks for coming to the airport, but I’m afraid you wasted your time.”
She turned away from him, but before she’d taken a step he plucked her suitcase and her carry-on from her hands and shoved them in the backseat of the SUV. She blinked once. The man moved lightning fast. Faster than any shifter she’d ever seen.
“What are you doing?” Panic laced her voice and she was unable to mask it.
“You’re coming with me, little wolf.” His voice softened slightly.
Why had his voice gone all husky like that? And why do I like it? Maybe she really was more tired than she realized. She mentally shook herself. It didn’t matter. “Why didn’t you tell me your Alpha had taken over this territory, Alaric? You’ve had plenty of opportunities.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving Afghanistan?” Now there was no softness in his voice. Just anger and something that sounded a lot like…hurt.
She swallowed hard at the surge of guilt that erupted inside her. The thought of telling him had crossed her mind, but he’d have likely wanted to see her. And after those last few emails… She couldn’t deal with that now. Didn’t want to deal with anything. All she wanted to do was sleep in a soft bed. She shifted from foot to foot as she ran over her options. He had her bags and she certainly couldn’t overpower him. Not to mention, making a scene at the airport was stupid. His reputation was fearsome, but she’d never heard that he hurt females. Not much to go on, but her inner wolf didn’t fear him and that said a lot. She ignored his question and asked another one of her own. “Where are you taking me?”
“Where you belong,” he growled softly. Possessively.
She frowned at the tone of his voice, then raked a hand through her hair. She’d been traveling for nearly thirty-six hours and didn’t have the energy to figure out his riddles. Her entire body was tired. And she desperately needed to shift and run free for a while.
When an unbidden thought assaulted her mind, her eyes narrowed on his. “Is the reason you started emailing because of the way I left my old pack? Is this about punishment for my defiance? Your Alpha’s angry with me so he sent you to deal with me?”
His jaw clenched tightly, but he didn’t respond.
When his expression transformed to an unreadable mask, she rolled her eyes to cover her nervousness. That seemed to annoy him and for some reason she took perverse pleasure in the fact. “Fine, but if you’re going to kill me or punish me make it quick.”
He muttered something that sounded German but she couldn’t be sure. Whatever he’d said, it wasn’t endearing. He sounded pissed. At least he had the decency to open the passenger door for her. When she slid inside she was surprised to find they were alone. She’d assumed as second in command for a powerful pack, he’d travel with security. Of course someone like him likely didn’t need security. He could probably kill ten wolves with his pinky toe. Or just stare them down with that penetrating gaze until they submitted.
* * *
As Alaric pulled away from the curb, he wanted to strangle and kiss the gorgeous she-wolf at the same time. Kill her? Not bloody likely. The slim, dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty brought out all his protective instincts. She always had. He’d wanted to claim her years ago but she’d been too young. Barely nineteen, she wouldn’t have been ready for him then. And he’d wanted her to spread her wings and get an education before he made his move. By the time he’d heard what that bastard Lamont wanted from her, it had been too late.
She’d been on a plane to a war zone and had ignored all attempts her pack made to contact her. That’s why he was surprised she’d returned his first attempt at contact all those months ago. A couple years had passed since she’d left the country and he’d gotten tired of waiting for her to come home. She was strong and old enough now and his inner wolf wanted her so bad he constantly ached for it. Given her distrust of her own kind, he needed to somehow convince her she was meant to be his. It surprised him she didn’t feel the same pull he did for her, but persuading her wouldn’t be a chore.
He glanced over at her and had started to ask a question when he realized she was asleep. Not a deep slumber, but her breathing was calm and her eyes had drifted shut. She really must be tired. Only a couple minutes had passed since he’d pulled away from the airport. Her head lolled back against the headrest and although her arms were crossed protectively against herself, her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Even if she might not trust him, her inner wolf knew she was safe in his presence. That had to mean something.
He resisted the primal urge to reach out and trail a finger down her cheek. To run his hands through her slightly curly, chestnut-colored hair. She’d let it grow a few inches since he’d seen her last. Hell, she’d probably had a dozen different styles since then. Her café au lait skin was darker, more tanned than the last time he’d seen her. No doubt from the time she’d spent outdoors. As a nurse for an international health organization, she’d spent a lot of time in refugee camps, something he vastly admired about her even if every day he’d worried about her. He forced his gaze to the road in front of him. He’d been dreaming about this moment for years. He could wait a few more minutes. Too bad his inner wolf didn’t want to listen.
As he cruised through the quiet night streets, he spotted the same green truck that had tailed him to the airport. At first he’d thought he was being paranoid, but this was too much of a coincidence. When he neared the upcoming yellow light, instead of slowing down, he flipped a sharp U-turn into the parallel two-lane road.
Felicia jerked awake with a gasp and grabbed her armrest. A few horns blared and the spike of adrenaline that rolled off her was sharp and acidic. Thanks to the close confines of the vehicle and his extrasensory abilities, he could hear the thump of her erratic heartbeat. “What’s going on?”
“I think we’re being followed.”
She whipped her head around.
In the rearview mirror he watched the green truck jump the median and swerve into their lane. Lately both he and Knox suspected someone from the new pack they’d taken over was plotting to cause dissension among their ranks. Knox had recently mated with a vampire—something rare for a shifter to do, especially an Alpha—so all the warriors had been on edge lately. Especially since they’d had to kick out one of their own when he tried to attack Knox’s new mate. While Alaric couldn’t be sure this was related, he had no way of knowing that it wasn’t. Hell, it could just be a rogue vampire or rogue werewolf out for blood, but he didn’t think so. Alaric wasn’t easy prey and the rogue beasts from both species liked easy hunts.
As the truck gained ground, he switched lanes and pulled down a side street.
“Why would someone be following us?” Despite the tension he scented rolling off her, her voice was calm.
Before he could answer, the back window exploded in a shower of raining glass. Metallic pings ricocheted off the inside of the vehicle.
“Get down!” he shouted.
A slight trail of fear trickled off her as she unstrapped her seat belt and scooted lower in her seat but she didn’t panic. “Do you have any weapons?”
“Yes but they’re in the back—”
Without pause, she dove into the second seat with a speed that impressed him. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and swerved down another one-way side street. For a moment they lost their tail and the only sound was the whistling of the wind rushing through the blown-out window. He caught sight of her in the rearview mirror digging through his bag of weapons. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What does it look like? You want to let some crazy human hunters try to kill us? I’m going to blow out their tires.”
As a shifter, from a young age she’d have been trained like all of their kind to use weapons, but he didn’t like the thought of her hanging out the window making herself a target. “I don’t think they’re human, Felicia.”
Understanding crossed her face as she met his gaze in the mirror. If it wasn’t humans hunting them—and few even knew of their existence so he doubted it was them—it would be someone of the supernatural variety and they’d be more than capable of tracking and killing them. It was one of the reasons the tribe leaders from the six most powerful vampire covens and six of the strongest werewolf Alphas in North America would be gathering soon to discuss a treaty between their kinds. Too many rogue vampires and rogue shifters without tribe leaders or Alphas were wreaking havoc in the human world. Taking victims whenever they felt like it. Since there wasn’t a formal organization to mete out justice to offenders, if paranormal beings didn’t belong to a group and they hurt humans, there was no one to bring them to justice. If the shifters and vamps could come to an agreement and actually work together, everyone would be held accountable for their actions, especially loners.
But Alaric knew a few blown tires wouldn’t slow down either shifters or vamps. It would only enrage them. Not to mention they’d be smart enough to be packing silver-lined bullets, which could be fatal to shifters.
Under normal circumstances he’d stay and fight but he couldn’t risk it. Not with Felicia. Not when she was finally under his protection. As the headlights appeared in his mirror again, he did the only thing he could.
“Hold on,” he said through gritted teeth.
The needle on the speedometer spiked sharply as he pressed on the gas. When he’d put enough distance between them, he took his foot off the accelerator, slightly depressed the brakes and yanked the wheel.
Everything in the vehicle shifted at once.
Felicia let out a startled cry as she slammed against the door, but he didn’t glance back at her. He couldn’t afford to be distracted. Mercifully, the SUV didn’t flip when he pulled it into a one-eighty spin. The engine sputtered and growled as he hit the gas again.
“Are you playing chicken with them?” Now her voice rose, panic clear in every syllable.
He didn’t answer. They’d survive a crash. Sure, they might suffer a few broken bones and internal injuries but they’d heal quickly. It was a calculated risk but he needed to slow down their pursuers and get her to safety. Racing all over Huntsville was a surefire way to get noticed by the human cops, something they couldn’t afford.
Protect Felicia.
It was all that mattered.
The silhouettes of the driver and passenger were becoming more visible. Two males, and possibly a third person in the backseat. He couldn’t be sure. Might be a shadow.
The truck wavered and jerked back and forth, but it didn’t alter its path. Alaric braced himself for impact. If the other driver didn’t back down, this was going to be painful. He’d broken more bones than he could remember over the past five centuries, but it still hurt every time.
As he increased his speed, the truck weaved erratically.
“Strap in, Felicia,” he ground out. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but there was no other way.
All his muscles tensed. As he prepared for the impact, the truck swerved off the road at the last second. Glass and metal crunched behind them as the vehicle rammed into a telephone pole. With his extrasensory abilities he heard the pole creak dangerously as it cracked and fell onto the truck, but Alaric didn’t pause in his escape.
“What the hell is going on?” Felicia demanded as he turned back onto a main street. At least she sounded more annoyed than scared.
Even though his Alpha had recently taken a vampire as a mate, he wasn’t sure who would be coming after them right now. Some of the new pack members might not like their new female Alpha, but making a move like this against him made no sense. Alaric wasn’t on pack business at the moment. And hurting him or Felicia wouldn’t affect the upcoming formal treaty between vampires and shifters, which was barely a couple months away. It would only solidify the need for it. He didn’t have time to go into all the possibilities though. “Grab what you need from your bag. Necessities only. I’m going to find a safe place to park then we’re shifting.” It would be harder to track them that way. He could go home to the protection of his pack, but he wanted Felicia to himself for a while. He’d already run it by Knox and his Alpha had given him the okay.
She’d left Huntsville because of her former Alpha and he planned to show her that his pack was different. That she could have a different kind of life than the one she’d run from. Her grace under fire tonight had only solidified how tough she was. She might have worked overseas in a war zone but it hadn’t been in a military capacity. Her reactions tonight had been purely instinctive. Whether she realized it or not, her inner wolf had known they needed protecting and had taken over.
Unfortunately he couldn’t get a read on her. She’d left Afghanistan without telling him, completely cutting him off as if he meant nothing to her. As if their friendship wasn’t as important to her as it was to him. That cut bone deep. He might want her with a fierceness that stunned him, but it didn’t mean she felt the same. A dull throb spread across his chest at the thought that she might never feel the pull that he did. If that was true…he shook his head. He couldn’t even think about that possibility.
Chapter Two
Felicia’s heart beat an erratic tattoo against her chest. She’d been under fire in Jalalabad more than a few times before, but she’d never imagined experiencing an attack on the streets of Huntsville. That was just too surreal. It didn’t matter that she could survive almost anything— explosions and gunfire scared the crap out of her. Even though she had about a million questions for Alaric it was obvious he didn’t plan to answer any of them at the moment. Stubborn male.
She’d love nothing more than to drag the answers out of him but now wasn’t the time. She fished out her wallet, passport, a pair of pants, a sweater and one pair of sandals. Everything else was replaceable. She’d shipped most of her stuff back weeks ago to a human friend so she could travel light. At the moment she was thankful she’d made that decision.
Alaric steered into the dimly lit, nearly deserted parking lot of a closed supermarket and jumped from the vehicle. She followed him and watched as he grabbed a small backpack from the back—full of his weapons—then took her small bundle of clothes and shoved them inside. For a brief moment he trained that hot gaze on her and she could feel herself being swallowed up by his dark, soul-searching eyes. She knew his look didn’t mean anything, that it was all in her head, but for a moment she imagined what it would be like to be on the receiving end of a heated glance from him.
He quickly looked away and scanned the area around them. “You need to stay close to me. We’re going to have to run through a few residential neighborhoods, but it’s late so we should be able to blend in.” Despite his unreadable expression, his commanding voice had a soothing effect on her.
She nodded but her throat seized as he started stripping down in front of her. Just took off his clothes like it was no big deal. When he bared his taut, muscular chest, she averted her gaze. Most shifters didn’t care about nudity but she was from a different generation. As far as she knew Alaric was almost five hundred years old and, well, he was a man. It didn’t seem to matter what species they were, males didn’t care about showing off their stuff.
But she did.
Turning her back to him, she slipped off her boots and then forced herself to undergo the change. She hated to ruin her clothes, but she was not stripping in front of him. Her cargo pants and T-shirt ripped as her bones broke and shifted. The pain rushed over her like she’d been flattened by a truck but, as always, it was fleeting. Once her ligaments and tendons realigned, the sudden euphoric charge nearly overwhelmed her. Everything was clearer. Smells and sounds were sharper. The night air rushed over her newly sprouted fur as she surveyed her surroundings.
A cold nose nudged her in the side. She turned to find herself looking at a hulking gray wolf. He was at least a hundred and thirty pounds of pure muscle. With strong back legs and a broad chest, she felt dwarfed next to him. She was already small for a shifter but next to him, she felt absolutely puny.
A weak mongrel. How many times had she been reminded of that growing up?
She shook away her insecurities and fell behind him as he darted down an alley toward a quiet neighborhood. Her muscles strained and stretched as they raced through the streets and darted in and out of backyards. She guessed that if any humans saw them he’d look pretty strange carrying a pack in his mouth. At least it was night and the asphalt wasn’t hot against her paws. It seemed they ran forever, though she was sure barely an hour had passed by the time they stopped at the back door of a two-story brick house in a cozy middle-class neighborhood.
Before she had time to prepare herself, he shifted to his human form. Then he simply stood there in all his naked glory staring at her. Waiting. Lord, why did he have to look so good? There was no fat on the man. Taut skin stretched across his broad, muscular chest and shoulders. His arms looked like they were chiseled from stone, and she wanted to drool at the sight of what was between his massive legs.
She couldn’t help it. She turned away from him as she underwent the change. Somehow she managed to stifle a cry as her bones shifted back into place. Her heart raced wildly and she could feel his gaze burning into her naked back. Staring at and assessing her. No doubt with a critical eye. Where he was built like a Greek god, she was way too skinny for a shifter. That’s what the women of her pack had constantly told her growing up. She’d more or less grown into her body but her breasts were still pretty nonexistent. On more than one occasion Lamont had told her she was lucky he’d even offered for her. What wolf would want someone like her?
A shifter like Alaric could have any female he wanted. Hell, he probably had a new, stacked she-wolf in his bed every week. Something akin to jealousy jumped in her gut at the thought of him with a female, but she ignored it. She didn’t care who he slept with, and it was none of her business anyway.
“Here.” He reached over her shoulder and gave her one of his T-shirts.
She quickly tugged it over her head and was thankful when it fell to midthigh. His spicy scent enveloped her, all earthy and male and way too intoxicating. For the first time in years she felt like that awkward nineteen-year-old girl with a silly crush. How many nights had she lain awake thinking about him after their first meeting? His Alpha had sent Alaric to visit her pack for something since they were in neighboring territories at the time and she’d been absolutely smitten by the sexy wolf. It was embarrassing to even remember it.
Relief poured over her when she heard the door unlock then open. “This is it. We’ll bunk down here for the night,” he murmured, too close for comfort.
His deep voice rolled over her skin like a soft breeze. She turned and tried to brush past him, but he blocked her. Refusing to make eye contact, she glanced down but wished she hadn’t. His erection stood tall, thick and proud against his abdomen.
An answering rush of need burned low inside her. She knew his reaction wasn’t to her, but the result of the adrenaline rush they’d just experienced. After working in a war zone, she understood that it had that effect on some people, especially males.
One of his strong fingers lifted her chin, forcing her gaze upward. The concern she saw in his dark eyes surprised her. “I think we lost them, okay?”
She nodded mutely. If she spoke, her voice would shake and she couldn’t afford to show any weakness.
He frowned and stroked her cheek with the rough pad of his thumb. “You don’t have to be afraid. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”
When his voice softened like that, her stomach did annoying little flips. She swallowed hard and fought for control. “I’d like to take a shower, if that’s all right.”
More than anything she wanted to get out from under his watchful gaze. She suspected he could smell her desire and it was embarrassing. If she could get a few minutes to herself, she’d be able to gather her thoughts and contain her searing lust. The last time she’d reacted this badly to a man had been five years ago. Unfortunately, it had been to Alaric. But she’d been so young then and she’d never met any shifters outside her pack up until that point. It had been a silly crush. At least that’s what she told herself. So why was she experiencing the same rush of uncontrollable desire again?
His dark eyes narrowed a fraction but he nodded. “Fine. The shower is upstairs. First door on the right. But when you’re finished, we’re going to talk.”
Something about the way he said “talk” sent a shiver of something—fear maybe—rolling over her skin. When she’d run away she’d known there would be repercussions if she’d been caught, but no one had come after her. Maybe that’s what was happening now. Since she hadn’t officially declared her intent to leave her old pack she was still technically governed by whatever Alpha ruled her territory. A heavy knot twisted inside her and pulled tight. She’d run before and she’d do it again if she had to.
Chapter Three
Alaric waited until he heard the sound of running water upstairs before calling his Alpha.
Knox answered on the first ring. “Everything okay with Felicia?”
“Yeah, but she seems to think I plan to hurt or punish her or something.” He dug his fingers into his palm at the thought of someone harming the petite she-wolf.
“Hurt her?” A sharp bark of laughter escaped Knox.
“Listen, that’s not our only problem.” He quickly filled his leader in on the attempted attack after he’d picked Felicia up from the airport.
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