NOT HIS MATE
Katu Wolves, 2
Copyright © 2021
Jade Marshall
Prologue Talon
The Hatcher pack might be one of the worst places in the world to grow up since our Alpha left. It used to be a safe place where we lived in harmony, and everyone was happy to be here. But Slade has taken the reins of our pack and has changed it into something that is barely recognizable to most of the original members.
He has brought in wolves from other packs, lone wolves, and even wolves that had been excommunicated by their packs. The pack has grown restless with time, and many of the original families have left.
My father chose to stay, stating that he was loyal to the pack. He wanted to believe the pack made the Alpha but that simply isn’t true. But my father has since passed and left me alone in this pack.
I am almost certain if I weren’t close to coming of age that Slade would have put me out into the world. He has done it to many other young wolves, especially males. I think he may be afraid of letting them grow up in the pack to challenge him eventually.
But today is my birthday, my eighteenth to be precise, and I don’t want to think about Slade, or the pack drama, or the way that Parker Grayson has tracked my every move since he got here just a little over six months ago.
Parker is kind of attractive in his own way, and I’m sure that somewhere there is a girl that would be happy to have to him. But I am not that girl. I watched my parents all my life and saw the love shared between a mated couple. Since I can remember, I have wanted to find my fated mate and live happily ever after.
But that might not be in the cards for me. Parker is one of Slade’s close men, and my greatest fear is now that I am what the pack views as an adult woman, he might want me. Slade has forced some of the unmated females into mating with his men, his inner circle. It seems to be a reward for their loyalty toward him. Loyalty isn’t what I would call it, rather coercion.
Making my way toward the borderline of our pack compound, I can’t wait to be among the trees, breathing in nature. My name is called from somewhere behind me but I simply speed up. Letting my wolf take over for the first time in my life, I feel the shift come over me. My wolf takes full control as we hurtle toward the treeline. For the first time in my life, I feel the true freedom that comes with letting my wolf out.
In the distance, I hear my name being called again, but I don’t look back. It never crosses my mind to stop or return, so I just keep running.
Chapter One Talon
The Hatcher pack is no more. Since Slade died, fighting to claim someone that wasn’t his, the pack has slowly fallen to shambles. I recognize that my father’s heart would be broken seeing that the pack he loved has been brought to its knees by pure arrogance.
Slade believed that he deserved to be the Alpha of the Hatcher pack and ruled it any way he saw fit. The problem was that he wasn’t a true Alpha and was merely hurting the members of the pack instead of growing our pack to our strengths.
That has brought us to where we are today. Everyone is gathered in the main dining hall waiting for news. What will happen to our pack now that we no longer have an Alpha. Nico enters the hall with slumped shoulders as he heads to the front of the room. He and three other wolves have been out in the world, trying to find a place for the remaining members of the pack.
A murmur runs through the people gathered as we wait for Nico to tell us what the future holds.
“There aren’t many packs willing to take in new members.” He sighs. “It doesn’t help that Slade made more enemies than friends in the years he ran the Hatcher pack.”
Looking around, I see many emotions on the faces around me. Some are angry, others are worried, some fearful, and some of the women are even crying while holding their children closely. I’m eternally grateful that I don’t have any children to worry about at this moment.
“So what do we do now?” a voice calls from the back.
“There are two options available,” Nico replies. “Either go nomad and hope for the best, or…”
“Or what?” I question, hoping the outcome is better than going nomad. I wouldn’t survive alone with Parker.
“Caine, the Alpha of the Katu Pack and mate to Peyton, has opened his pack to those who wish to join,” Nico replies lowly.
“What?” Parker sounds offended at the mere idea. “They slaughtered our Alpha and now you expect us to simply move in with them?”
“He wasn’t our Alpha,” I state before thinking it through. The barely concealed rage I see in Parker’s eyes reminds me of what he is capable of. I know I will have to deal with the fallout later, but I have been dealing with him for the last year and I have learned how to survive.
Standing from my seat beside Parker, I ask the question everyone has been thinking but is too afraid to voice.
“What are their terms, Nico?”
“No terms. I spoke with both Caine and Peyton and they are both happy to have any members that will strengthen the pack. Hunters have been moving in, taking out packs in the surrounding areas. Any wolf that decides to join the Katu pack will be welcomed. No one will be judged on Slade’s behavior or any previous issues. But know that every member of their pack is required to carry their own weight.”
Taking a calming breath, I turn toward all those gathered. I need to get to the Katu pack. I wouldn’t survive on my own with Parker, living the nomad life. I need to sell him, and everyone else here, that the move will be the best thing for everyone involved.
“There aren’t really options available to us. Though none of us know Caine, most of us have known Peyton her entire life. She wouldn’t open the pack to us if we wouldn’t be safe there.”
I watch the members talk among themselves as each makes their own decision. Parker glares at me with unbridled rage, and there will surely be hell to pay for opening my mouth, but it had to be done. Slowly, people start to leave the gathering, but the energy has changed. There’s a charge in the air, and everyone can feel it. Hope. Hope for a better future.
Clearly, most members will be moving over to the Katu pack, and I am grateful for that. Most of our regular members are good, hardworking folk who will do everything asked of them. They will be a great addition to the Katu pack.
Parker roughly grabs my wrist and drags me out of the meeting hall and toward our home. Opening the door, he pushes me inside, causing me to trip and hit the floor hard. For the longest moment, I don’t move, simply trying to catch my breath before hell descends on me, but nothing happens.
“Oh, will you get up?” Parker snarls from above me. “You have packing to do. We leave in the morning for Katu Falls.”
Chapter Two Callum
Watching my brother find his mate was an experience I could have done without. First with all the moodiness when Peyton didn’t want anything to do with him, and now with all the lovey-dovey bullshit. Some days I feel like I might puke.
Finding your one true mate is a unique and special experience for all wolves, but I just don’t get it. Xavia, our pack elder, says when my time comes, I will understand the draw and feel what Caine is currently feeling, but I’m not so sure about that.
Peyton has changed everything around here. Her presence has changed not only my brother, the Alpha of the Katu wolf pack, but also the other members of the pack. There’s a charge of excitement running through the air, knowing our Alpha has taken a mate and the bloodline will continue. It doesn’t hurt matters to know Peyton is also an Alpha in her own right, and their offspring will have a strong bloodline and heritage to carry moving forward.
But not everything Peyton brings to our pack has been good. First, Slade, the self-proclaimed Alpha of the Hatcher pack, nearly killed Caine, causing untold emotional damage among our people. And don’t even get me started on the Hatcher pack members who have been welcomed into our pack. Some of them are downright useless, too used to having everything done for them by the weaker members of their old pack. But I have already started weeding those members out, putting them to the test and pushing them to the breaking point.
When Caine and Peyton opened our pack to their members, they were assured they would be welcome and safe. But no one said that they would live a life of luxury and be able to just sit back and watch everyone else do all the work. As the Beta of the Katu pack, it is my job to ensure that everyone gets a fair share of the work and the spoils. And anyone who isn’t willing to go along with that is welcome to pack their shit and leave.
I have already run several of the Hatcher pack members out of our pack just by simply making them work. I don’t know where they think they will find a pack that will take them in only to let them laze about, or whether they think the nomad life will be better suited to them, but I wish them all the luck in the world.
The other problem I have is the fact that their previous Alpha, Slade, forced some of them into convenience matings. Meaning the matings were convenient to him. All wolves are aware of it, and some even prefer it. I mean, meet a nice young wolf, get along great, have all the same interests, but there just isn’t that mating call? Then you go through a mating ceremony and are bound to the mate you chose. It isn’t nearly as crazy or as exciting as finding your one true mate, but it works for many.
Besides, you aren’t guaranteed to meet your one true mate in this lifetime. The problem with convenience matings is that if you do meet your one true mate, you have a massive decision to make. Do you end your current mating? Or do you refuse the greatest gift the goddess can bestow on any wolf?
My inner musings are interrupted when I hear my name called in the distance. Turning, I see Max approaching from the far side of the compound.
“The new arrivals here yet?” I question when he reaches me. He doesn’t answer but grunts. I can see the disapproval written across his face.
“Well then. Let’s go see which of these wolves are worth anything. We need to start weeding out the ones who will bring our pack down.”
“Sound like we have our work cut out for us.” Max sighs before leading the way.
Chapter Three Talon
I wish there was some way I could be anywhere but here. Parker is being a prick of the highest order today. Complaining about the house we were giftedthis morning. It’s too small, it’s not as nice as the one we had with the Hatcher pack. He doesn’t see that this isn’t just a house but a home. I love all the little touches the pack females added to make it homier. From the purple throw on the back of the faded tan leather wingback, the shelf of romance and thriller novels against one wall in the lounge, and the fresh-baked cookies on the counter in the kitchen making the whole house smell divine.
But Parker is an ungrateful asshole, and he has always been.
“Talon, Jesus, can you just do something?” Parker complains.
“What do you want me to do, Parker?” I sigh in reply.
“Fuck knows. Go and fetch our shit, and fix this hovel to something closer to our standards.”
Huffing, I turn toward him and place my hands on my hips. This has been my life for more than a year. Since I returned to the Hatcher Pack compound on my eighteenth birthday, I have been saddled with this bullshit. The memory of returning only to be cornered by Parker and Slade and forced into a mating I didn’t want tries to pull me in, but I push back and remain in the current moment.
“Listen carefully, Parker, I will not be traveling two hundred miles to go and get some trinkets from our old house. The chances of it still being there are slim to start with. We have everything we need here and you’ll just have to learn to make do.”
My back hits the wall with such speed that the wind is knocked from my lungs. Parker’s hand encloses my throat, holding me in place. I can feel his wolf ripple just beneath the surface, his claws already elongating against my skin.
“Don’t push me, Talon. You still belong to me, no matter where we live.” He growls lowly in my ear.
A loud knock at the door has him releasing me hastily and taking a step back. My hand goes to my throat, touching the skin that I know is red and will certainly be showing a bruise by sunset. My milk-white skin doesn’t do me any favors in hiding bruises.
The person at the door is clearly impatient and knocks loudly for a second time.
“Get the fucking door, Talon. The banging is driving me fucking nuts and is likely to give me a migraine,” Parker says at me.
Rolling my eyes, I make my way to the door, opening it just as the man outside is about to bring his fist down on it again. His hand freezes in mid-air, and all the air leaves me for the second time in as many minutes. The man before me is probably the most handsome I have ever seen. Light-brown hair, either tousled by the light breeze outside or his hand has been run through it numerous times, bright hazel eyes, and a firm jaw. My gaze scans down his form, and I appreciate the pure maleness he exudes.
Something niggles in the back of my mind, a fleeting thought I can’t grab a hold of before the scent of pine trees and rain fills my senses. The aroma is so strong, I feel it rush through my system and fill every corner of my being.
My knees feel weak, my legs like rubber. For long moments, neither of us say a word, just watching each other closely. He studies my body, taking in everything all at once. When he reaches my neck, he growls lowly before reaching out and touching the place where Parker gripped me mere minutes ago. His touch is gentle, and even though my mind is screaming for me to move away from this stranger, I lean further into his touch.
For the first time since I can remember, my mind isn’t running a mile a minute. I’m not trying to get away from this man but closer. Peace I didn’t know I could have flows through me as the realization hits. I have found my true mate. Before I can speak a word, a noise behind me startles both of us. We instantly jump apart, but our gazes stay locked.
Chapter Four Calum
The man behind her is a weasel. I can tell that before he even opens his mouth. I instantly dislike him, and it has nothing to do with the fact I can smell him all over this beautiful creature before me. I heard the way that he spoke to her as I approached their home. The evidence of his volatile nature is clear for everyone to see.
When he reaches her side, he pushes her back and it takes every ounce of effort I can muster to not pull her back to me.
“What do you want?” he questions haughtily.
My gaze narrows and I can feel my wolf ripple beneath the surface. The man can clearly see my reaction and sways back slightly.
“My name is Calum.” I don’t look at him as I speak but rather at the female. “I am the Beta for the Katu pack. I’m here to discuss your work assignments.”
“Work assignments?” he says, clearly confused. He would be easy enough to run off, but I want her to stay. I want to keep her, make her mine. The smell she puts off, lavender and something sweet, clouds my senses, and I know I won’t be able to get her out of my system. This is exactly what Xavia was talking about. My true mate stands before me, and there’s nothing I can do to claim her. She’s clearly already mated.
Fucking Slade.
“Yes. In the Katu pack, every member is required to pull his or her own weight.”
“But…”
“I’m Talon.” She reaches her hand around him to shake mine. The moment I enclose her hand in mine, electricity runs along my arm, sparking my entire being.
Talon. Her gaze stays locked to mine as her mouth parts slightly. Her emerald eyes sparkle and her red hair is wild and free.
She has curves that would drive any man beyond reason, and I don’t have an idea how I am supposed to keep my hands off her.
The man growls lowly, and she quickly releases my hand.
“I am her mate, Parker,” he says lowly.
The moment the words leave his mouth, I want nothing more than to put my fist in his face. He proclaims himself her mate for all the world to hear but treats her as nothing more than a slave. If she were my mate, she would want for nothing in this world. She would be my queen. Silence reigns between Parker and me for a long moment before Talon clears her throat.
“Our assignments?” she asks.
“Yes.” My gaze returns to her. “Peyton has requested your help at the main house.”
“But—” Parker tries to interject, clearly bristling at the idea.
“No.” I silence him with my hand in the air. “The Alpha’s mate has made a direct request for your mate, and I will make sure that she gets her way. You will be down on the west perimeter, assisting with the new wall that is being built.”
Parker gasps loudly, while Talon tries to hide her smile.
“Is there a problem?” I ask like I don’t know he isn’t someone who doesn’t do manual labor.
“No problem,” Talon replies. “Could you show me the way?”
“Talon.” Parker growls as she moves past him.
She turns to face him, squaring her shoulders. She’s a strong woman and will be invaluable as a pack member and as a mate. I want to pull her into my embrace and just breathe her in, but I can’t.
“I am fulfilling my duties. I have been called to assist the mate of the Alpha, and I will not dishonor her by refusing. I will be home as soon as I am done.” She doesn’t wait for a reply from him, instead, just walks away, her luscious ass swaying with every step.
My gaze never wavers from her even as I hear her mate sputter in the door of their home.
Chapter Five Talon
I have no idea why I would defy Parker. I grasp what awaits me when I get home. Parker is of the notion that I will obey him, submit to him, and bow down to him without questions or he will beat me into the position he wants. In the beginning, I pushed back, I tried to stand my ground, but after the first month or so, I came to the realization that it just simply wasn’t worth the pain.
I still have a rebellious streak, it’s part of my personality, but I try to tamp it down. Today, I have pushed more of Parker’s buttons than I have in the last year, and the outcome will not be good. Not that it would matter what my attitude was toward any of this. It’s obvious Parker could sense the mating bond between the Beta and me. It is a palpable aura that clings to unmated wolves when they find their true mate. I may not be as heavily affected as Calum is because I am already mated, but with our heightened senses, he couldn’t have missed it.
“Talon,” Calum calls out to me.
His voice flows over me, coating me. The deepness vibrates through me, turning me inside out. I want to continue walking, but my body responds to him so strongly that my feet stay planted to the path. I don’t turn to watch him approach me because I can feel his presence get closer with every step.
“You’re at the wrong house,” he says lowly into my ear. “This is my house. And although you will always be welcome here, it would be inappropriate.”
Placing his hand on my lower back, he guides me to the house beside his, sending goosebumps skittering across my flesh. All thought has fled from my mind as I allow him to touch me and guide me. At the door to the main house, we stand in silence for long moments, his fingers lightly flexing against my back before he knocks.
The door is flung back, and Peyton beams at me.
“Talon!” she squeals before throwing her arms around my neck and embracing me closely. “Come in! I am super excited to have you here. Let me show you around.”
Peyton grabs my hand and leads me deeper into the house, pulling me away from Calum’s touch. A touch I immediately miss. In the massive kitchen, she flutters about, talking continuously, but I don’t hear a word. I am trying to center myself in this new normal that has been thrust upon me.
“Talon?” Peyton looks at me quizzically. “Are you okay?”
“Um…”
“You can talk to me. The new pack can feel overwhelming but we have always been friends. If it’s about the mating scent clinging to you, maybe I can help.” She looks so supportive I can’t stop myself from spilling the beans.
Taking a seat at the solid wood counter that runs the length of her kitchen, I haul in a deep breath before letting it all out.
“Slade forced me to mate when I came of age. You had already been gone by the time that Parker found his way to the pack, but he isn’t a good man. He isn’t a good wolf. And then we came here because you said we would be safe and accepted, and now I’ve found my true mate. And I don’t have a clue what I should do.” Sighing, I rest my head in my hands. The migraine I will definitely have later already forming at the base of my skull.
“What?” she yells.
Footsteps can be heard from deeper in the house before a large male appears at Peyton’s side. His hands are all over her face and body, looking for the cause of her distress. When he finds nothing, he finally scans the surrounding area before his gaze lands on me. His gaze narrows and my wolf wants nothing more than to submit and bare my throat to the man who is clearly my new Alpha.
“Stop that, Caine. Talon didn’t do anything wrong. I was just shocked by some news she shared with me.” Peyton pushes at his chest. “Go and be domineering somewhere else. This is girl talk.”
“Are you sure, my moon?” He cups her face gently in hands that I am sure are capable of immense violence.
Her face softens as she smiles up at him before placing a kiss on his scruffy jaw.
“Yes, my love,” she replies, and the moment feels way too personal for me to witness.
Caine turns back toward me before smiling slightly, turning, and heading out of the room.
Peyton grabs my hand and leads me outside onto a deck that overlooks the forest before pushing me down in a chair. A moment later, a beer is handed to me as she takes a seat beside me.
“Well, that was a lot to take in. Now we need to figure out what you are going to do before two males rip our pack apart from the inside.” Peyton has always been a rock. She steadies me and helps me think of all the options laid out before me. All I have to do is make the choice.
Chapter Six Calum
My wolf ripples beneath the surface every time I walk past Parker. I can smell Talon on him, and it’s driving me crazy. The only male that should smell like her is me.
It has been more than a week since I left her with Peyton, and not seeing her is driving me crazy. She consumes my thoughts and my dreams. I imagine her in my house, eating in the kitchen, using the shower in my room, but most of all I dream of her in my bed. I dream of her curves on display, her red hair fanned out on my pillow while she screams my name.
My cock is perpetually hard and no matter how many times I take the matter in hand, it simply won’t go down. I can finally understand why Caine was such an asshole. Peyton took her time coming around to their mating and it made him a truly difficult motherfucker. Now, I am in a similar situation and I’m being a complete prick.
“Max, why hasn’t this section of the wall been completed? We are three days behind your predicted schedule even with all the extra manpower I have provided to you.” My voice rings out through the clearing, causing every pack member in the vicinity to look my way.
Max is my cousin, and the twin to Beck, Alpha to the Halo pack about a hundred miles away. When the twins came of age, they had a duel to determine who would be the future Alpha and he lost. He couldn’t stay in the Halo pack, knowing that he had lost his birthright to his brother, and soon came to join us. He has been part of our pack hierarchy for the better part of ten years and a valued member of the pack, and I realize I shouldn’t be taking my shitty mood out on him.
Max, to his credit, doesn’t give a shit about my mood. We spoke the night I first laid eyes on Talon, and he’s aware of what is going on. He just takes my moods in his stride.
“You can’t call these idiots manpower,” he says with an eye roll. “He doesn’t know left from right.” He points to a red-headed man. “He is dumber than dirt.” He points to a blond. “And that one,” he says as he points to Parker, “is worried he might get dirty. I don’t know where you and Caine are finding these runts, but they are hindering my work more than helping.”
A low growl breaks free as I scan the men in the area.
“Get your shit together and follow your fucking assignments, or pack your shit and leave,” I roar to the group. “We will not carry any dead weight around here.”
Not giving a shit about their replies, I turn and stomp back toward the main compound. God only knows what Caine will say when he hears about my little outburst, but I am beyond the point of caring.
Passing Caine’s house, I hear laughter from the deck area. As I move around the house, I follow the sound to find Talon, Peyton, and some other pack females sitting outside, eating lunch. I feel like a stalker, watching from the treeline, but I can’t seem to force myself to move. Her beauty is even more pronounced in the sunlight. The beams catching in her red hair, her smile bright and beautiful, and the tension is gone from her body.
The need to be close to her almost overwhelms me, but I’m able to force myself to head back to my house.
Standing in the kitchen, I can still hear her voice across the yard with my heightened hearing, and as it flows over me, my dick hardens further. After unzipping my pants, I release my dick from its confines and take it firmly in my hand. I listen to her laugh and talk as I continue to stroke up and down.
My balls pull up tight to my body and I’m not far from yet another unfulfilling orgasm. As my orgasm hits and the cum flows from my body, I realize I can’t continue living like this. My wolf is agitated and I’m losing my fucking mind, trying to live with the other half of me walking around the compound. Not being able to touch Talon, not being able to love my mate the way I should, is going to drive me mental.
Chapter Seven Talon
The other women may not know it, but I can sense Calum. First, out by the new wall. The anger rolling off him in waves, and then in the trees that separate his house from the Alphas. I never knew I could be so in tune with another person. I can smell if he has been somewhere in the last hour or so. His emotions carry through to me if we are even just in the same vicinity. At night, I can hear him prowling around my house, but then again, so can Parker.
But I still don’t have an answer as to what I should do about my situation. Breaking my mating isn’t something easy to consider. After speaking to Peyton, I am more informed on how extremely painful a broken mating can be. In some cases, it may even be fatal, but then again, so is a refusal. I will have to make a decision, but I just don’t know what to do.
I never wanted to be mated to Parker and have wished many times to be rid of his ass, but I’m terrified of the repercussions of my choices. If I loved Parker, I might not be so tempted to just take the chance and end the mating.
All through our planning lunch, I listen to the ladies, but as usual, the thought of Calum never strays far from my mind. I can sense him inside his house, the anger and hunger building every moment. I wish I could go to him, but not until I have made a decision.
My heart breaks for him, knowing I am the reason he’s in any kind of anguish. As I smell his arousal and need in the air, it takes all my willpower to stay seated. I have long since lost track of the conversation, not at all interested in planning our monthly pack meal. The smell that permeates the air, his passion, has my own skyrocketing.
What I feel for Calum in this short time is more than I will ever feel for Parker. I can’t live my life in fear and that finalizes my decision for me. Tonight, I will end my mating with Parker.
Entering the house I share with Parker, a sense that something isn’t right flows over me. He is irritated and frustrated, and I don’t even have to see him to know this. His poisonous emotions spread throughout our home, covering the walls and the floors and coating them with his negativity.
Rounding the corner, I find him seating in the brown leather wingback with a beer. For a moment, I watch him without saying a word. Parker is definitely what would be considered attractive. Sandy hair, gray eyes, tall and solid with a great tan. But his personality, who he is on the inside, poisons everything about him.
“Talon,” he growls, glaring at me.
“Yes, Parker,” I reply as I head toward the kitchen.
“You need to do something about the Beta. I know you two are fated mates and you haven’t done anything about it yet. I want you to go over to his house and refuse him. You are my mate.”
My knees buckle beneath me at the thought of refusing Calum, of putting him through any kind of pain or causing him harm. I should have kept my pose better because Parker sees the moment of weakness and pounces. Gripping me by my ponytail, he wrenches my head back, causing a scream to escape my lips.
His hand covers my mouth, keeping any noises locked inside.
“Do you think I will let you go? You can do whatever you want, and I will always be there. You. Are. Mine.” He enunciates every word. “You can end our mating bond but that won’t change anything. I will never let you be with him. Never.”
He thrusts me away, causing my ribs to hit the counter hard. At least one of my ribs is broken, and when I lift my gaze to his, I can see the craziness that has taken over before his fist lands on my jaw. I’m certain of what’s coming next, the beating and the pain. And then even more pain that I have to force myself through to shift, so I can heal and hide the evidence of his temper tantrum.
“I will kill you,” he says as he stands over my prone body. “I would rather see you dead and buried than with another man.”
A whimper escapes me as a roar sounds outside.
Chapter Eight Calum
I watch from a distance, too scared to move any closer. She moves from her house to the forest behind her home. Talon.I have never seen a more beautiful woman in all my days. The problem is I shouldn’t be watching her. I shouldn’t be anywhere near her. Talon is mated to another man.
I don’t know if she loves her mate, if she was forced into this mating, or if she hates it as much as I do. But I can tell you that every time I’m near her, it takes everything in me not to drag her away from him. I’m so wound up that every time I am near her, I feel my wolf move beneath the surface, ready to claim his mate and massacre whoever gets in his way.
But today, I have had enough. I heard the way Parker speaks to her. He demeans her and puts her down. He is physically violent toward her. He doesn’t appreciate the wonder he has in his mate. So, instead of doing what I should—and I know I should walk away from her—I follow her into the forest.
I barely kept my wolf at bay when he hit her tonight. I was halfway into the shift and ready to tear him limb from limb before I was able to pull it back. But I couldn’t stop the pained howl my wolf let out, knowing our mate was being hurt in any way. But my wolf won’t be pacified for much longer. He claws at the inside of my skull, unwilling to let her out of our sight.
She is ahead of me, moving at a brisk pace. But even if she started running, I would find her. Her scent clings to the air and fills my nostrils. There isn’t a single moment in the day that I don’t know where she is, even when I don’t want to. I follow her deeper between the trees, waiting to see where she’s headed. Her scent is around me, flooding my senses and driving me insane.
“Why are you following me?” she demands. She turns to face me, and my world shatters. The marks on her face are clear to see. Blood has dried on her split lip and now
that I take a moment, I can hear her struggling to breathe. My blood pumps so loudly I fear my eardrums may burst.
I don’t hesitate to move toward her, gently cupping her face in my callused hands. She doesn’t try to push me off. Her face is a mask of indifference, but her pulse speeds up. I appreciate that I have an effect on her. “I am following you to make sure you are safe.”
She smirks before rolling her eyes. “I can protect myself. I have been doing it for many years.”
“Yes, I am sure you can,” I say, “but you don’t have to. If your mate doesn’t appreciate what he has and doesn’t take care of what is his, I will.”
“My mate is none of your concern, Calum. What happens in my relationship and my home has nothing to do with you.”
“But it does. You can feel the mating call as well as I can. You know we belong together,” I whisper, softly skimming the pads of my fingers across her jaw where a bruise has already started to bloom.
“I can’t,” Talon says but tilts her head further into my touch. “Parker will kill us both if I try to leave him, and that is solely if breaking the mating doesn’t do it first.”
Her eyes are filled with sadness, and it tugs at my heart to see her in so much pain.
“Do you want to be with me, Talon?” I ask lowly. I’m terrified her answer will be no.
A sad smile crosses her face and I worry I may have pushed her too far. I may have lost her before I even had her. But her soft palm caresses my face before she answers.
“More than I want my next shift. Yes, I want to be with you, but I won’t put you in jeopardy because of me,” she replies sadly.
“Do you trust me?”
“I don’t know you, and I shouldn’t, but I do.”
“Then come with me, and let’s finish this.” Taking her hand, I lead her to the waterfall where Caine first saw Peyton. Turning her toward me, I lightly hold her hips in my large hands.
“You’re hurt, and before we can ever consider anything, you need to shift. You have to heal. Can you do that?” I ask.
She nods before moving back into the clearing. Slowly, she removes the green sundress she’s wearing and even though I can see the cuts and bruises on her, I cannot stop the arousal from flowing through me. When she is fully bare before me, I can’t help but stare at her as I move closer. My fingertips skim the dark bruise indicating that her rib has been broken.
“No one will ever hurt you again after tonight.” As I stare into her eyes, my next words come out on a guttural command. “Shift.”
Her eyes close as the transformation flows over her, changing her from a beautiful woman to a magnificent russet red wolf. A howl of pain rips from her jowls, and I want nothing more than to comfort her before walking back to the compound and beating Parker to death. But I can’t leave her now. She needs me to be here for her in this difficult time. I watch her wolf pace and stretch, peering at me the entire time. Her wolf pads closer to me, staring at me before nuzzling her head into my outstretched hand.
“Shift back, love. We need to end this madness so I can claim you.”
As I wait for her to shift back, I think back to Xavia’s advice. When Talon breaks the mating bond, the pain will be unbearable, and the only thing I can do is try to counter that with pleasure. I hope to the goddess this helps because I can’t stand the thought of her being in pain.
I strip out of my shirt and shoes, leaving me in my jeans as her shift back is completed. Taking her hand, I lead her into the shimmering water and over to a large boulder protruding in the back. After lifting her from the water, I position her on the boulder. She is lying flat, her pebbled nipples pointing up toward the heavens, her milky thighs spread before me, her pussy glistening and ripe.
Lowering myself to mere inches from her womanhood, I stare up the length of her body. I nod at her and without any further explanation, the words flow from her lips.
“Parker Grayson, you are no longer my mate. I renounce you,” she whispers to the heavens before a gut-wrenching scream bursts free from her lips.
Chapter Nine Talon
The moment the words leave my lips, I feel like my spine is being ripped from my body. I don’t have a very high pain threshold in normal circumstances, and this is far from normal. Supernatural creatures have heightened senses and abilities, but the pain is also heightened when we break with our traditions. And the most deeply rooted tradition we as wolf shifters have is our mating.
Pain courses through my body, lighting every single pore in my flesh. I feel like I am burning from the inside out, and with every heartbeat, it escalates. I hope to the goddess that Parker is experiencing the same pain because this is all his fault. If he hadn’t wanted me for a mate, I would never have been put in this situation.
“I am sorry for your pain, my love, and wish I could take it on myself. But I am going to do what I can to help you,” Calum says. He sounds far away as if he is speaking through water.
And then I feel it. His tongue tasting at my folds, circling my clit, caressing my pussy. The pain seems to dim momentarily, but as soon as he stops, it returns with a vengeance. The pleasure is so much better than the pain. My hands tangle in his hair and I keep his head between my legs. A growl rumbles forth from him, sending tingles to my most intimate places before he laps at me with vigor.
My back arches on the boulder he has me positioned on, the rough surface scratching at my back and heightening my experience even further. My previous experiences with sex have been with Parker, and the few times we did have sex was nothing close to this experience.
“Calum,” I breathe out.
It takes me a moment to become conscious of the fact he has stopped tongue-fucking my pussy because the pain doesn’t return. My gaze clashes with his as his broad shoulders stay between my legs.
“Your mating has been broken, and the pain has passed. I should allow you to have some time to yourself, time to process all
you have been through, but I am sure I will die if I don’t taste your cum. Please let me make you come before you leave me alone tonight.” He all but begs.
The words wash over me and the erotic nature of them inflames me further.
“The pain may be gone from breaking my mating, but a new pain has taken its place. A pain that I am sure you are the cure for.” I pant, not breaking our eye contact.
“My queen,” he says with a growl, hooking my legs over his shoulders before returning his mouth to my weeping pussy.
Chapter Ten Calum
The moment my lips wrap around her clit, I’m lost. Her scent invades my nostrils as her taste makes me drunk. I eat her pussy as if I may never get a chance again, and slowly but surely, I feel the tension leave her body as the pain fades away completely.
I don’t want to be the kind of man who simply takes what he wants from his woman because he can, so I stop. I want to rip the skin from my body at the effort it takes to pull away, but I do it. I want to be the kind of man, the kind of wolf, Talon can be proud to say she is mated to. And that starts right at this moment.
But when she permits me to lose myself between her legs, there’s no calling me off. I hook her legs over my shoulders and spread her folds with the fingers of my left hand before sucking hard on her clit. Her body jolts on the boulder, and a whining sound leaves her before she pumps her hips into my face. My mate enjoys having her pussy eaten almost as much as I enjoy being the man to eat it. This will be something we do on a daily basis.
My cock strains against my wet jeans, wanting to be free, wanting to stroke into her velvety heat. Instead, I pierce her with a finger, causing a shout to leave her. I pump the digit into her slowly while continuing to stroke her swollen clit with my tongue. She writhes on the boulder, and my protective instinct kicks in. Not wanting her to get hurt, I leave the space between her legs, earning me a disappointed wail before I pick her up.
Making my way through the water, I walk up the bank and into the meadow beyond where she shifted just a while ago. After lowering her down on the grass, I stare into her lust-filled forestgreen eyes for long moments, just taking in the beauty that is Talon.
“Kiss me, Calum. Please,” she begs sweetly. But she didn’t have to. I couldn’t think of anything I want more at this moment. My lips descend to hers, and what starts out as a gentle exploration quickly turns into a lust-filled claiming. Our lips crash together as our tongues dance together.
