The Ulfic's Mate Read online

  She looked over at Nolan’s dark features. Such a beautiful man. His Native American bone structure was strong with the straight nose and slightly slanted eyes, but his lips were fuller than most other men she knew. Perfectly kissable.

  “Glad you approve, Alex,” he teased, his low voice caressing her name. He turned into his driveway and turned off the car. He carefully got out, keeping the scrap of cloth he’d thrown over himself from slipping as he moved. He snagged sweat pants off the seat and quickly pulled them on. A shirt sailed over the truck and landed on his head.

  “Thanks,” he said, his voice muffled through the shirt. “For the rescue as well,” he added quietly after pulling on the shirt she had dug out from behind his dirty truck seat.

  “You’re welcome,” she replied as she stepped off the truck’s running board. “Lead me to my room. I’m exhausted and need my beauty rest.” As she came around the front end of the truck, she smiled.

  “From where I’m standing, you get plenty of that.”

  Her face heated as a blush crept along her cheekbones. “Thanks.” She walked up the front steps to his two-story home. It looked like a phantom rising out of the ground. The windows reflected the mesmerizing moonlight and the glow made her think of stars in the predawn just before the sun rises to take away their backdrop.

  He unlocked the door, opened it, and waited for her to precede him. Gentleman? Or the training of law enforcement to never have their backs turned to a criminal? She tried to read his mind, but he held it carefully blank.

  “Main living area is upstairs. You keep going right as you get up the stairs, and the bathroom is at the end of the hall. The guest room is the last one on the left. My room’s on the right if you need anything.” Even his voice was neutral.

  She looked at him curiously for a moment before heading to the bathroom. When she stepped under the shower’s stream, she sighed in relief. Her skin itched and felt over tight from the dried gunk left on her skin and in her hair after the shape-shifting.

  As she relaxed under the spray of warm water, pictures of her in the shower started playing through her head. She was washing her hair and lathering the soap across her breasts when Nolan arrived. Her belly quivered with lust which pooled, then spread as she envisioned him in there with her.

  When her daydream reached the point of him entering, she realized it was his thoughts in her head. The fantasy abruptly stopped as if someone had switched the channel. She tried to feel annoyed that his fantasy had intruded on her quiet moment, but the heat in her abdomen kept her from lying to herself.

  She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She was aware of his struggle to control his thoughts and appreciated the attempt at valor. However, she knew that a single, healthy man with a woman he found attractive using his shower was bound to have sensual thoughts.

  She finished, dressed in the clothes provided by him, and walked out to the main living area. He stood by a large bay window, looking out at the mountain in the distance. He turned toward her slightly, then shifted his gaze back to the picturesque view.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly and with dignity. “I’ve always judged other men for how they seemed to objectify every woman they see. Then I go and do it with a woman in my protection. I’m aware that you saw what I was thinking. I—”

  She put a finger on his lips. “I too have read men’s thoughts regarding women. Regarding me. You tried to keep yours in check. We saved each other’s lives. We’re coming down off the adrenaline high of battle combined with the lust of our animal sides. It’s natural and healthy for you to see me as desirable. It’s also honorable of you to stop them when you realized what you were doing.”

  Nolan looked at her intently, and she could feel him in her mind probing her for truth. She thought he didn’t even know he was doing it. It was probably a technique he had employed since childhood. She smiled at him and kissed him softly on the mouth.

  “The feelings are mutual. However, I have to get some rest. Also, I don’t go to bed with men on the first date,” she teased and walked away with a deliberate sway of her full hips. When she got to the hallway, she looked back over her shoulder at him. “Good night, Nolan.”

  “Good night, Alex,” he returned softly, smiling rakishly at her.

  She turned to her room even though every particle of her being wanted to answer the call hovering between them. Their beasts reached out to each other. She smelled it in the air, the hormones going crazy and knew he could as well. She wanted to mate. Now. Hard and fast. Her breathing became erratic.

  She knew her kind mated for life. Not that they couldn’t have sex with others, but their true mate could not leave the other for long periods of time without losing the power they gained in the mating, which meant she could not leave her mate. And she knew he wouldn’t be following her to her pack since she sensed Nolan’s alpha qualities. His pack wouldn’t want to lose an alpha.

  Within a pack, each member had a particular ability, something which made him or her necessary to the pack. Healers, hunters, guardians, alphas, they all were given an extra edge to perform certain functions needed for survival. Even though her pack thought she did not shift, she was a healer, like her mother. It was her purpose, and one the pack valued.

  What would happen if it turned out Nolan was her mate? A low growl escaped her as she thought of him with other women. She never acted like this. Never. She hadn’t worried about whether other men she had dated found someone else attractive before. Yet, now she wanted to claw the eyes out of the imaginary woman. She felt the pull of him from deep within her and felt the answering tug, asking, demanding, that she go to him.

  “God, Alex. If we’re mated, I don’t know what will happen. But since your shape-shifting abilities have been secret all your life, I foresee trouble from both our packs. I’m not only alpha male. I’m the ulfric. Most of the pack won’t want me mated to a non-shifter. Your secret will come out eventually. But by then—”

  “By then, you’re likely to be challenged multiple times by weres from both of our packs,” she finished for him. “Plus my people will have attacked.” She sat down on the bed in the guest room. She had never had a friend she could talk to this way. She found it neat being able to talk to someone while in a different room—safer too the way her body reacted to his.

  “I’m the healer for our pack. They won’t let me go without a fight. I’m scared. They’ve kept my perceived lack of ability to shift, as well as my parentage, a secret all these years. They wouldn’t want it to get out that they’ve been trying to breed with those in the neutral zone, particularly with humans with no shape-shifting abilities.”

  “Maybe it’s just overactive hormones. Get some rest. We’ll figure more out in the morning.”

  She heard him come down the hall to his room. Her heart beat frantically in anticipation, hoping he would come into her room. “No,” she said fiercely, out loud. “I’m in control. Not the beast.”

  “I hope you’re right,” he said grimly from the other side of the door. “I really hope you’re right. If something happens to you like the other women in my pack.” A growl finished the threat for him better than words.

  They were in trouble.

  Chapter Two

  Roxy Whitekiller wore her long black hair down past her butt, an intricate beaded headband holding the hair off her face. As always, Roxy had impeccable clothing, her make-up perfect. She needed to look her best before meeting with her enemy, Heather George. Heather was designated as the pack’s backup—as well as her personal—healer.

  She knew how much it angered Heather to have to treat her. But it helped Roxy keep an eye on the only one in the pack who would be a challenge to her authority. She looked up as Boris manhandled Heather into the front door of the lodge. He dropped Heather on the ground in front of her. Heather slowly stood up and gave Boris a murderous look. Heather would have fought for alpha leader of their pack if Boris had not backed Roxy’s mutiny years ago. Even though she was ten year
s younger than Heather, Roxy still felt a measure of insecurity around her. She was also certain that if it came down to a fair fight, it was possible Boris might not win. Thankfully, the healer chose not to challenge them.

  Whitekiller’s brown eyes were nearly black, and right now, she gave Heather, who stood defiantly before her, a look meant to intimidate. It was not working.

  Boris pushed Heather roughly. “Show your leader some respect, or I’ll make you.”

  “I could revoke your daughter’s healer status, if you’d prefer,” Roxy said mildly to the woman before her. All weres matured well, taking longer to show their years, but Heather’s skin was soft and smooth, and she looked as young as her offspring. Although Heather looked pale as she stood there, and Roxy hoped it was from fright, she was as dark skinned as Roxy, but the healer’s eyes and hair were slightly lighter. That offensive red hair of Alex’s was from her father’s side. The white non-were. What a failed experiment. At least they’d only had one child live; the rest had miscarried from the attempt to bring new blood into the pack. Without the status of healer, Red would be fair game to all those who wished to challenge her. Since she could not shift, the contest would be swift and deadly.

  “Where’s the serum and antidote I asked you for? I wanted it last week,” Roxy asked Heather.

  Boris took a threatening step toward Heather, and the healer gave him a look before replying. “Haven’t I done enough for you? I’ve already found a drug to help keep the weres knocked out when in pain.

  “I say when it’s enough,” Roxy replied. “Unless you want me to bring your daughter in on our experiments,” she added silkily. Roxy arched her brow at her nemesis. It was no secret that Heather kept Red as far away from Boris as possible. Roxy used the knowledge of Heather’s dislike sparingly. She saw from the slight tremble of Heather’s lips that it worked.

  Even so, the healer tried her patience once again. “Why would you possibly want me to make you a serum that causes the weres to bleed?” Heather faced Roxy, arms crossed against her ample chest, as much in defiance as in defense, Roxy knew, despite Boris’s presence.

  “Because I’ve asked it of you is enough of a why. Besides, I know you can do it. You’ve done all those classes online and more as our tribe has sent you to school to keep you updated on the latest advances. In fact,” she said while turning to sit in her chair on the dais, pausing for effect. “You’ve had ample time to accomplish the deed. You would do well to remember your place,” she finished softly. She never missed a chance to turn the emotional blade, reminding the healer who was in charge. Watching Heather’s purse her lips to fight her emotions, Roxy’s own lips curled knowing her rival was holding back. She knew the healer hated her. She had stolen Heather’s mate, then killed him in a challenge fight. Even after twenty years of being in charge, Roxy never got tired of the power.

  “I have finished,” Heather admitted reluctantly. “Our ancestors will be ashamed if you use this for ill against your own people.”

  Secretly, Roxy had always admired, even as she hated Heather. She was smart, strong, brave, and picked her battles. Part of the reason Roxy had stolen her mate was to prove she could. Same with killing him. She had wanted to establish early who was in charge. Heather had more of a following to back her challenge if the pack began to openly question Roxy’s authority.

  She let out a low laugh aimed at Heather, and gratification rolled through her when the healer backed up a step. “Our ancestors were exactly like me and would’ve done this years ago against a pack like the Wahpawhats. They don’t deserve to be called weres when they adopt so many of the human ways. Many weren’t happy with the way things were long before our ancestors had the courage to split from the other packs.”

  “We’re part human. What does it hurt?” Heather argued hotly.

  “Enough! Boris will escort you to your home office where you will give him the serum you have ready. Now.” She waited until they had left, stripped off her clothing, and folded it on the chair. No need to ruin her favorite jeans.

  She shifted, going out the back to avoid being seen, and ran through the still forest, the trees towering over her in a canopy of needles. The area nearest their village was quiet. All wildlife had learned to give the area a wide berth. The smell of so many predators in the vicinity deterred most newcomers, and the pack had long ago cleared the immediate area surrounding the lodge of edible game. She sniffed the chilly air searching for likely prey.

  There. She caught the scent of deer. Doe if I’m not mistaken. Maybe I’ll get lucky and be able to eat the fawn as well. She bounded toward the scent. Power rippled through her. She could not imagine being anything but a were.

  As she neared her destination, she slowed, experience telling her the doe was in the meadow. She prowled low, keeping to the shadows of the towering evergreens and the thick underbrush.

  Snap.

  She froze and watched the doe she wanted to devour. It looked straight at the clump of bushes where Roxy hid. The deer faced the area the sound had come from for a moment before grazing again, content in her safety.

  Roxy stayed still for what felt like an eternity to her killing impulse. She slinked forward, being more careful of the fallen dried leaves scattered on the forest floor.

  She reached the edge of the clearing and looked around. There were other does with their late fawns. None of the young brand-new, probably aged about six months. Although not newborns, they were still considerably smaller and slower than their mothers. She planned her attack.

  Bunching her muscles, she sprang into the clearing, each sprint faster than the last. She was four leaps into the clearing before the first doe startled in fear and ran. The doe she had chosen jerked its head around and looked Roxy in the eyes.

  The fear coming off the deer was strong; Roxy’s saliva glands began to work furiously. The hunter zeroed in now, ignoring the other tempting morsels fleeing the clearing. Only this doe and this fawn held her attention.

  The deer and its offspring turned and fled, up into the hills, heading for the far tree line. The beast within Roxy roared in challenge and victory. A predatory howl left her mouth, and more of her kind answered it. They recognized their leader and the howl of the hunt.

  The chase went on. With each leap, the dark wolf gained ground. The deer tried a quick zigzag move, maybe to take the attention away from the fawn, but the younger deer followed its parent.

  Roxy took a flying leap to the deer’s neck and clamped down hard with her jaw, savoring the bloody gush that flowed down her throat. With a quick toss of her head, she snapped the wounded neck and let the doe drop.

  The coppery taste still lingered in her mouth as she chased down the fawn. The best meat. She would take the doe home for the rest of the pack. It kept the grumbling down. But the fawn was hers.

  In two quick bounds, she was on the fawn and ripped the head off. Spitting it out, she stood over the fresh kill, one paw holding it still while she tore jagged strips of tender flesh off the body. It was good to be the alpha.

  Chapter Three

  Alex blew the hair out of her eyes in annoyance. She sat in a hard plastic chair stuffed into a hidey-hole at one of Yakima’s police stations. She rubbed her hands on her thighs on the new jeans Nolan had bought her despite her protests. He had insisted on buying them since she had lost her other clothes saving his life. Could hardly fault the man for it, but she did.

  If she didn’t already know, she would have figured out he was an alpha male long before they’d left the house this morning. He had turned bossy and irritable. Every word out of her mouth seemed to make him angry. Luckily for him, she could see the worry inside his head. He was trying to control the beast and the man’s nature. He was afraid for her. Images of his other pack females, the ones he felt he had failed, would go through his mind every time he thought of her leaving his sight.

  Which was why she put up with Nolan’s high-handedness. This included him insisting one of his pack members pick up her cloth
es, purse, and phone from where they had fought Boris. Nolan said it was too dangerous, and she had rolled her eyes and sighed but let it be because of the images in his head. She understood his feeling of responsibility.

  Although the protection of the pregnant females fell on the mate, as the ulfric, it was Nolan’s responsibility to protect the pack. She had lost a few patients, some of them pups, and nothing she did had saved them. She knew the guilt and frustration which drove him too well.

  However, two hours into her imposed exile from the rest of the world and she was ready to spit fire. She started to stand to stretch her legs, but a female with very long legs that managed to look sexy even with the boxy police gear on the hips stopped her.

  “You must stay put. We can’t have civilians roaming around. It’s a police station, not a mall.” The woman was taller than her, her hair a nice respectable black. Although some might mistake her heritage for Mexican, Alex knew the woman was Native American.

  “I’m not here for pleasure,” she snapped. “I’m with Nolan.”

  “I know who you’re with and who you are, Ms. George,” the woman said, crowding her. “And if you think to steal one of our males, or the ulfric in particular, you’re thinking of getting knee-deep into trouble you can’t handle.”

  Great. Alex had figured it would be the males posturing for power and position. It had not occurred to her that the women may resent her enough to cause trouble. No one in her pack had bothered. She was too low on the totem pole. Since she was a healer, winning a fight against her did not raise the standings in the pack.