Claiming His Need (20 page)

“I’m always good,” he said right before he sucked my clit between his lips.

“Feral Breed brothers.” My mother stood on the porch with a small smile on her face. “You have lived up to the myth we pack wolves have heard since our youngest days. There is no way we can repay you for your assistance with rescuing our beloved packmates.”

“There is no repayment needed.” Shadow stepped toward the porch, his chin up and his cut sitting perfectly across his shoulders. “We’re happy to have been of service to your most honorable pack. Should there be anything else we can do for you, please know you only have to contact us.”

My mother nodded and stepped next to my father, who stood regal and stoic at the head of the crowd. Gates fisted the back of my cloak, which was the only outward sign of the tension he was shouldering within himself.
 

That man is not meant for pack life.

My mother’s words played in my mind, bringing a heaviness to my heart that I couldn’t explain. This was my pack, my home, and I didn’t want to leave. But the men now swinging legs over leather seats were Gates’ family, and they were about to ride away.

The one known as Magnus, who was still limping and looking a little more damaged than when he’d arrived, stared right at Gates as he mounted his motorcycle.
 

“You know you’ll always be a Breed brother, Gatekeeper.”

Gates’ fist against my back shook as he answered. “We’ll let you know once our plans are decided upon.”

Magnus nodded as he started his bike. A mechanical thunder filled the air, nearly shaking the earth as the others followed suit. Only one didn’t start his engine. He wasn’t even sitting on his seat. Sandman stood with a hip resting against his bike and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Are you sure about this?”
 

Sandman glared at Gates, and an aggressive tension seemed to grow between the two. Rex moved up to stand on Gates’ right; I was already on his left. My father and mother stepped off the porch to stand behind us. We were surrounding our newest packmate, giving him all the strength and support we could. Sandman must have recognized the maneuver, because he glanced at me with a snarl on his lips.

Gates growled and edged himself in front of me. “I’m sure.”

Sandman looked away for a moment before striding to where we stood. He didn’t acknowledge my warning growl or the way Rex glared daggers at him. Instead, he moved close enough to nearly touch Gates and spoke to him in a low whisper.
 

“And when her father is no longer Alpha? What then? If one of her brothers isn’t strong enough to earn the seat, you know what could happen. There are no less than five wolves here who would give their eyeteeth to have your mate in their bed. If one of them or someone from their clan takes over, what’s your backup plan?”

“I’ll kill them myself.”

“Funny thing. That’s what I thought as well. It didn’t work out too well for me, did it?”

Gates growled long and low, a warning to the shifter before us.

“I won’t try to start a coup against the Alpha like you did, son. If the time comes, I’ll challenge him directly. As wolves should do.”

The other Breed members turned off their bikes, leaving us in a heavy silence as the two men glared at each other.

“Is that what you believe?” Sandman edged closer, nearly rubbing shoulders with Gates. “You believe the bullshit story the packs tell to keep their members in line?”

“That’s what happened.”

“You don’t know shit!” Sandman snarled and stepped back, gripping his hair in his hands as he paced. “I didn’t challenge the Alpha of my pack. He called Alpha Prerogative on my Margaret, and she didn’t want to bed him. When he came for her and she refused him, he tried to physically take her from our home.”

Sandman huffed and grew quiet, his face falling with a sudden sadness that seemed too heavy for one man to carry.

“She didn’t want him, and I didn’t want to share her, so I fought. For three days, we battled while my so-called pack watched. And when it was over, when I had beaten him and limped home to find my mate, she was dead. The Alpha’s chosen shewolf didn’t like the attention Margaret was getting, so she killed her while I was too distracted to do anything about it.”

He glanced at me, a lifetime of regret in his eyes.
 

“Alpha Prerogative, sneaky fuckers, jealous shewolves, forced Omega breedings, the threat from outside with this collector—you have it coming at you from all sides, yet you refuse to stay with your brothers who would kill for you. And for her. Without pause or doubt.”

Gates didn’t respond at first; he stood and watched Sandman for a long moment. And when he did speak, his words didn’t carry the confidence I was used to hearing from him.

“You lie.”

“Do I? Call Blaze right now! He was there. He watched from the sidelines as I fought for my mate, not knowing what the shewolf was planning. He knows everything that happened. That’s why he instituted new regulations within the NALB. He saw my pack fuck me in the worst possible way, and he promised to do his best never to allow it to happen again.” He pointed over my shoulder as he once again charged at Gates. “You think Chinoo over there wouldn’t call Alpha Prerogative the second he claimed the title? You think he’s not dreaming of getting between Kaija’s legs even now? You think the bastard who contracted the kidnapping in the first place won’t come back for her? This pack, while strong, is not capable of fending off a large attack, and it’s not the safest place for you or your new mate.”

When Gates didn’t respond, Sandman huffed and turned to walk away. “You can live in ignorant bliss until a new Alpha is determined or those assholes come back. That’s your choice, oh mighty Gatekeeper. Whichever comes first, you’ll lose Kaija at that point. And you fucking know it.”

Gates roared and jumped, shifting in midair. His cloak fell to the ground as his wolf rushed forward. Sandman shifted as well, rolling as he was hit by the blur of black fur and flesh. I gasped and moved to step forward, but Rex immediately grabbed me and held me back. I screamed for Gates to stop as he ripped into his denmate, a man he saw as one of his brothers. A man he would most likely kill because of harsh words spoken in regards to my safety.

Teeth and claws and blood—for too many long minutes, that was all I knew. Sandman appeared to be avoiding the fight, instead focusing on defending himself from Gates’ attack. Taking hit after hit from the larger wolf. It had to end. Gates would never forgive himself if he hurt or killed one of his brothers. I struggled in my brother’s hold but to no avail. He would not release me, and he would not listen to my pleas to stop the fight.
 

The other pack shifters inched forward, watching with interest. Their fascination sickened me. I wanted to scream at them to back off. To stop watching. To walk away. But I knew it would be of no use, for a fight among packmates was an opportunity to size up your competition.

My stomach sank as I finally understood how true Sandman’s words were.
 

If my family didn’t stay in power with the pack, the age-old custom of Alpha Prerogative could be reinstated. The Wariksen clan agreed it was a barbaric practice, taking away the woman’s right to choose her partner and forcing her to breed with the unmated Alpha male. The very thought disgusted me, but the more traditional clans like the Donatis condoned the behavior as a way to strengthen pack bloodlines and bond clans. If one of them were to become Alpha, they could force Gates and me to comply with the order or face banishment. Or death.

I watched as the men around me studied the fighting wolves, all of them intense in their attention. Except one—Chinoo stood to the side by his father, the Elder Donati. While Chinoo practically leered at me, he whispered to his father, who was watching Gates with something akin to excitement in his eyes. The two made my skin crawl. But for the first time, I noticed how large Chinoo had become. Muscular and tall, he was probably one of the largest in the pack besides the men in my family. He would be a strong contender for Alpha when the time came. Bernte had already made his reluctance to the seat known, Rex’s knee injury could be a hindrance if anyone challenged him, which left only Dante to fight for the Wariksen clan.

My heart raced and my stomach dropped. My mother’s words kept repeating in my head, alternating with what Sandman had said.

The Feral Breed is more than a motorcycle club. It’s a brotherhood.
 

You refuse to stay with your brothers who would kill for you.

There is no adjusting for men like him.

Whichever comes first, you’ll lose Kaija at that point. And you fucking know it.
 

Life with a partner is not easy. There are sacrifices and compromises that must be made, on both sides, even with fate helping you along the way.

As Gates slammed into the side of Sandman and knocked him to the ground, I turned in Rex’s arms.

“Release me.”

“Kaija, you can’t—”

“He’s my mate, he needs me, and I am telling you to release me. Now.”

Rex stared at me for a long moment before he dropped his arms from around me. “Don’t do anything stupid, sister.”

“I won’t. But it’s time for me to go.” I gave him a small smile as his eyes grew wide.
 

Without another word, I stepped between the two fighting wolves, no longer afraid or undecided. My mate stopped and stared at me as his blood ran across his face from a gash over his eye.

“That’s enough, Gatekeeper.”

Gates growled, his eyes going to the fallen wolf behind me.

“It’s enough. You’ve made your point well.” I swallowed and took one last look at my pack. Men and women I’d known my entire life, others who had become packsisters and brothers as their fated mates had found them. All happy and healthy. I couldn’t bring danger back to their doorsteps. I couldn’t knowingly put my nephews at risk when there were other options for me. My mother had said life with a mate would mean sacrifices. And I was finally ready to make one.

“I absolve my loyalty to the Valkoisus pack.”

Gasps sounded through the crowd. Rex wrapped his arms around a surprised Lanie who stared at me with her mouth fallen open. My mother’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t look surprised. She and my father stood at the front of the group, dignified and strong…and looking prouder than I’d ever seen them.

“Are you sure of this, daughter?” my father asked. “Are you really choosing to leave our pack?”

I glanced at my mate. Even in his wolf form, I could see the shock he felt at my statement. This was not what we’d planned, but deep down, I knew it was the right decision.
 

“I’m sure. I choose to leave the pack and follow the Feral Breed with my mate.”

Chinoo snorted. “Bitches can’t join the Breed.”

“Technically, that’s not true.” Shadow walked over, offering a pair of jeans to Sandman as he shifted into his human form. “There’s never been a shewolf in the Breed, but there’s nothing barring them from joining.”

While Chinoo and Shadow argued Feral Breed regulations, Gates shifted to his human form, quickly donning his discarded cloak.
 

“You don’t have to do this.”

I lifted my chin and looked him in the eye. “I’ve made my decision, mate.”

He clenched his jaw. “I won’t bring you into the Feral Breed world. It’s too dark for you. There’s too much death and fighting for someone as sweet as you.”

I stepped into the circle of his arms, running my hands up his biceps. “I won’t stay here and watch your wariness grow and poison our relationship. And I won’t leave here as a nomad. You’ll never be happy in a pack, and I’ll never be happy without one.”

“But the Breed isn’t a pack.”

“Yes, you are. Whether you realize it or not, your brotherhood, your bonds, are the purest form of pack I’ve ever seen. My pack would fight for me; yours would die for you.” I lifted up onto the balls of my feet and pressed my lips to his. “Let me join you, Gatekeeper.”

He growled low, his eyes dark and hungry. “You’d have to ride on the back of my bike out of here. We didn’t bring the war wagon.”

“Then I guess I should wear warm clothes.” I bit his lip and released a soft rumble.

He gripped my hips and pulled me against him. “And if you miss your pack?”

“We’ll visit.”

He dropped his forehead to rest on mine and lowered his voice. “And if I’m not strong enough to protect you?”

I ran my fingers over his cheeks and jaw. “You will be as long as you have me with you. But if we need help, we’ll call on our brothers.”

He opened his mouth to speak but I placed my fingers over his lips to silence him.

“You are a member of the Feral Breed, a proud protector of the shifter community. It’s a part of who you are, and nothing will ever change that. Would you deny me the opportunity to learn more about your life and the job you’ve chosen to do?”

“No, but—”

“No buts. Fate may have chosen you for me, but I choose the path leading me there. Don’t belittle my decision by denying me what I’ve asked for.”

He swallowed hard and rocked me from side to side. “I just want you safe and happy.”

“And that’s all I want for you. Staying here won’t make either one of us happy, that much I know for sure. We need to go someplace else, someplace we can build a den together surrounded by friends and the people we choose to call pack.”

I grinned, excitement making me want to yip and yell. This was it…our adventure was beginning, our life moving forward. The two of us would forge our own path, create our own pack bonds with the people we chose to have around us.
 

“So then we leave.” The corners of Gates’ lips inched up, his face brightening.

“So then we leave. Together.”

“Together.” Gates kissed me hard, full of passion and joy, before turning his attention to Sandman. “Thank you for beating some sense into me.”

Sandman gave him a wry grin. “Hey, man. Someone had to do it. That ancient noggin of yours just wasn’t picking up the hints.”