Claiming His Need (8 page)

“I am needed?”

I chuffed, quick and direct. He nodded and grabbed a bag before following me to the house on foot. By the time we reached the yard, everyone was inside. I shifted human, my body aching and my bones sore from both my heat cycle as well as changing form so much. While shifting was not necessarily painful if one kept the right mind-set, repeatedly switching from wolf to human and back again could be harmful and was definitely exhausting. I grabbed my red cloak from the grass and clasped it around my neck on my way in the door. The familiar slide of the fabric around my hips and ankles offered a comfort I needed at that moment.

We entered through the porch doors and hurried down the tiled hallway where, only the night before, Chinoo had cornered me. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since those moments, yet it had only been a matter of hours. Important ones for sure, but mere hours nonetheless.

Walking into the great room, I kept my eyes moving, scanning for Gates. Seconds that felt like hours passed as I looked, desperate for a glimpse of his black hair, needing to see those blue eyes once more. The longer I looked and didn’t find him, the more my heart raced. He wasn’t there. He hadn’t made it back. Chest tight and world spinning, I took a step toward the front door. My knee buckled instantly, nearly taking me to the floor. But a warm hand caught my elbow before I could fall.

“Easy there.” Gates stood in front of me, covered in blood and mud and the gods only knowing what else, but he was there. Alive and relatively unscathed. Eyes burning and relief washing over me like a balm, I hurried to embrace him.

“Kaija.”
 

The sharpness in my father’s tone made me stop.
 

“I spoke to Mr. Gates on the way back from the mine. One of the Feral Breed is injured, and there is much still to do in regards to these nomads. I know you were expecting more from him, but for now, your mate is choosing not to come for you.”

A collective gasp went up from the shifters watching the exchange. If it were possible for my heart to stop beating, it would have. There was no bracing for the level of pain that swamped me. Every dream I’d had, every hope of a happy life with my fated mate crashed. My face and neck burned with the humiliation of having so many of my packmates hear my rejection. My mate did not come for me. He would not be bonding with me.

He did not want me.

I couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to be near him any longer. With a short nod to my father, I turned and raced for the stairs. There were too many eyes and ears in that room. Too many people witnessing my shame. I needed to escape. I ran up the stairs to the second floor, desperate for the solitude and privacy of my suite.

“Please stop.”

I froze as my heart faltered and my head fell forward. Gates’ voice echoed down the hall, soft yet forceful. Even though he’d just rejected me in front of my pack, I couldn’t resist him. My cheeks burned as I tried to will myself to walk away from him. I’d embarrassed myself and my family enough. I’d assumed he would want a mate as much as I did, that when he said he’d come for me and court me, he meant it. I’d been hopeful, and losing that hope was devastating.
 

“Do not run from me, Kaija. Things are not as bad as they seem.”

“You did not come for me.” I shook my head, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “You said you would come, but you did not. You don’t want me.”

Gates reached for me, his hands shaking and slow as they crossed the unspoken line between us. I didn’t move, didn’t pull away or lean in. I simply stood as a statue, my eyes staring at the toes of his boots. When his hands finally grasped my skin, I shivered. The mating call was loud and intense, my heat cycle not helping the way my body yearned for him.
 

“Don’t.” The word was a growl as it crossed my lips. Gates froze. I lifted my chin and glared at him, heat and want and lust all swirling together inside me. The passion I felt for him was quickly turning to rage—for being dismissed, for being lied to, even if only for a moment, for losing the only dream I’d ever had.
 

“You don’t get to touch me if you’re denying me.”

“I am not denying you.” Gates’ voice was barely above a whisper, but his eyes held mine in a strong stare.
 

“Then why did my father say you didn’t come for me?”

“There are things going on that make it inadvisable for us to move forward in our courting.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “What things?”

“I… I would rather not worry you.”

“I am not a child.” I pulled away. “You don’t need to sugarcoat or hide information from me. If our mating is inadvisable, I expect to know why. I won’t stand for dishonesty from anyone in my life, least of all some drifter who rolled in to town and now seems to be bent on playing with my emotions.”

Gates growled, the sound causing a shiver to roll up my spine. Warmth spread out from my lower belly, my nipples hard and my panties wet from nothing more than the rumble vibrating through the air.
 

“Will you not listen to me?” Gates asked. He stepped into my space, forcing me back against the wall and pinning me in place. “I’m not playing with your emotions, nor have I been dishonest. I wanted to come for you tonight. I would have gladly begun our courtship this very night or our Klunzad, if you so desired. But those men who took you aren’t all gone, and your abduction wasn’t random.”

I shivered as his breath washed over my face. “What do you mean?”

His fingers traced up my arms. “Whomever they work for wants you, my white Omega. And while we managed to…dispatch some of them, there are more who got away. You’re not safe. I won’t risk you further by beginning our courtship while they lurk in your woods.”

I reached up and grabbed his arms, sighing at finally making the contact I so craved. My breasts pressed into his chest on every breath as he leaned into me, practically hunching over to account for our height difference.
 

I trembled as he breathed me in. “My pack can protect me.”

“They failed you once.” He dropped his head to my shoulder, slowly nuzzling into my neck. “I won’t allow that to happen again. My Breed brothers and I will protect you.”

“And if I don’t want that?” I gasped as his lips met my jaw.

“Then you’ll be a very unhappy princess until we capture the bastards coming after you.” He leaned back, his ice-blue eyes meeting mine. “I’ve waited many lifetimes to find my mate. I won’t allow you to be at risk.”

“But I’m safe here.”

“Not safe enough.” He pressed his hips into mine, the hard ridge of his erection rubbing against my hipbone. I responded in kind, loving the way his eyes grew more intense with each pass.

“And how do you propose to increase my security? Will you station your brothers inside my suite? Will they be forced to follow me as I go about my daily routine?” I pressed my face against his chest, clinging to the leather vest he wore to hold me upright. His smell was intoxicating, completely masculine and arousing.
 

His growl deepened. “No other men will be in your room, princess.”

“Then how?” My lips dragged across his collarbone as I moved my head from side to side.

“I don’t know yet.” He ran his hands up my arms, soft and slow. “How did they get in your room?”

“The one came through the patio door from my balcony. The other from this hall.”

He pulled away, brushing the sweetest, gentlest kiss across my lips. “Then it looks like I’ll be making my home on your balcony. And I’ll place one of my men outside your doors to guard from this side.”
 

He drew me close, the beating of his heart pounding against my chest. “I won’t let them get to you again. And when I have ensured your safety, I will begin the courtship as I promised. I am a man of my word, young one. I will not disappoint you.”

Hours later, after returning to the great room and listening to my father rant and rave about how I would be safest with a pack guard, to which Gates argued vehemently, I climbed the stairs once again on my way to my suite. The one they called Pup walked a step behind me. He’d apparently drawn the short straw to be stationed outside my door.

“This is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“If Gates thinks it’s necessary, then no. Nothing is too much to keep his mate safe.”

“My pack is aware of the danger. They will patrol and guard the house. You aren’t going to do any good standing in the hall.” I paused at my door and turned to scowl at the young shifter. His intense expression forced me to pause.

“I failed a brother’s mate once, and she and I almost died because of it. I will not fail again.” He pushed open the door and directed me inside. “So as Gates’ mate, if he tells me to stand here all night, I’ll stand. If he tells me to fight, I’ll fight. If he tells me to play fetch, I’ll play fetch. Because if anything were to happen to you, he would never recover.”

I took a step back, my brow furrowed.

Pup blew out a breath. “He’s been alone a long time, longer than any other unmated shifter I know of. God only knows how he’s lived as long as he has, but one thing is for sure. Finding you may very well be the thing that keeps him alive. So whatever it takes to keep
you
alive, I’ll do. Because in all the ways that matter, he’s my brother in all the ways that count, my family beyond club brotherhood or pack bonds. I carry his blood in my veins.” He leaned in, his eyes hard and his face serious.
 

“I will not fail another mate.”

I stared into his eyes. They were so strong, so filled with determination. They left me no room to doubt his intentions.
 

“Understood.”

He smiled and stepped out into the hall. “Go to bed, princess. Your prince is waiting for you on the balcony.”

The second the door was closed, I spun and raced for my bedroom, excited to once again see Gates. Though I still wished we could have begun our courting, I was beginning to understand his fears. I would want to lock Gates in the attic with me if I thought someone was after him.

My patio door was open, a cool, soft breeze wafting through the curtains and bringing the lemony-sage smell of my mate along with it. I fought back a smile as I purposely ignored the open door.

If my mate thought I was going to ignore the fact that he was so close to me yet I was unable to touch him, he was wrong.

I hummed as I sat at my vanity, letting my scarlet cloak fan around me. I brushed my hair, making sure it hung light and shiny over my shoulders. When I was done, I stood and walked to my hope chest. I dug deep for the box of sexy lingerie I’d long ago hidden, biting back my grin. I pulled each item out, holding it up and inspecting it as if to determine what to wear to sleep. But tonight was not about sleep. I wanted to tease my mate. And I was, if the rumbles coming from the balcony were any indication.
 

When I pulled the last item out and found it unsatisfactory, I stood and untied my cloak from around my shoulders.

“You wouldn’t.” Gates’ deep voice carried into the room, the tone dark and filled with desire. I liked it. I wanted to hear it again.
 

“Wouldn’t what, dear mate?” The ribbons holding my cloak together at my neck hung free, and I slipped one shoulder out of the billowing fabric.
 

“You’re not wearing anything under that robe.”

“It’s a cloak, not a robe. And of course I’m not wearing anything under it. Cloaks make for easy shifting.” I glanced at the patio door over my shoulder. “Are you concerned you’ll see me naked again? The whole pack has on numerous occasions. It’s hard to be modest when you’re transforming your body into another species.”

“I’m not concerned, per se.” The wind blew a little harder, lifting the curtains and giving me a glimpse of Gates. He stood in front of the open door, his hands against the screen, his eyes dark and hungry as they watched me. “I’m more interested in preserving the sanctity of the ancient mating rituals. I’ve made our mating bond public; I’m not supposed to see you naked before I officially come for you and your father approves the union. If you disrobe, you’ll be breaking the rules.”

“The rules don’t say I can’t be naked,” I slid my other arm out of the fabric and allowed it to fall just enough to show the tops of my breasts. Gates sucked in a breath as I slowly walked toward the open door. Once I reached it, I pushed aside the curtain and placed my hand against his where it pressed into the screen.

“The rules say nothing of the mated female hiding her nudity. It would be near impossible given the nature of our shifting.” I leaned forward as Gates matched my movements. Our noses brushed through the screen, breath mingling and hands pressing harder against one another. With a sigh, I pulled away and turned my back on my mate.

“The rules only say the mated male is to avert his gaze when nudity is required.” I dropped my cloak and stepped over the pool of scarlet fabric. “I assume your gaze is averted?”

“It’s…something.”

I smiled. “Good boy. My heat seems to be coming early, and my body aches from that, plus the stress of all the shifting today. Any sort of nightwear would make me more uncomfortable than I already am.”

As Gates’ growl grew louder, I climbed onto my bed and crawled across the mattress. I moved every part of my body in a deliberate fashion. Swinging my hips, rolling my shoulder to turn in such a way as to show him a hint of my breast. I could practically feel his eyes on me as I teased him. The sensation ramped up my heat, burning me from the inside and making my body ache with a need I was unfamiliar with. I groaned when I finally slid between the sheets.

“Are you in pain, princess?”
 

“A bit, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I’m an old shifter, my sweet. Should you need relief from the irritation of your heat, I may be able to assist you.”

I turned and met his eyes through the screen, loving the way his more formal words aroused me. “I will not be bedding you before our courtship, Gates of the Feral Breed.”

“There are more ways to ease an unfulfilled heat cycle than just…sex.”