Taken: True Mates Book 2 (BBW Wolf Shifter Romance) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) (9 page)

“
Was
my mate, you lug-headed-grump-of-a-canine! And if he hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have met
you!
Unless you’re like him, and think that a woman is only worth something if she can breed!” I shouted back, stretching up onto my tiptoes and squaring off with him.

We glared at each other, our faces inches apart, sparks flying between us.

Ian coughed loudly, breaking the tension. “Uh, okay. What I was trying to say was that I owe my pride honesty. Therefore—” he swallowed nervously, “—I have to come clean. Luisa didn’t get pregnant, and I blamed it on her. It was easier. But, now Jasmine—”

“Can’t get pregnant either, even though you’re mates,” Sean growled, his eyes narrowing.

Gasps of shock reverberated around the pride as the connection was made. Ian and Jasmine hadn’t hidden their affair, but the pride obviously hadn’t known that they were mates, and hadn’t expected Jasmine to bear an heir.

I sucked in my breath, my mind reeling. “You said I was barren. That I was useless as a mate. You made me believe it was
me!
” I said woodenly, numb with shock.

I wasn’t barren? After all I had gone through — all I had forced myself to accept. I could have children? My lips turned up, as a big grin spread across my face. I could have children!

But that meant…I looked at Ian, seeing clearly for the first time the reason for his embarrassment, his nerves. “You’re?”

He nodded, his jaw tight.

Jasmine met my eyes, sorrow pooling in hers.

“You good for nothing—” Sean spat out, throwing himself toward Ian. His fist slammed into Ian’s jaw, snapping his head back and sending the smaller man sprawling in the dirt. Howling with rage, Sean leapt on top of him, dragging him to sitting and delivering another punishing blow.

Ian made no move to defend himself, seeming to accept his punishment. Blood poured down his face as he gestured everyone to stay back.

“Sean, no!” I cried out, racing toward him.

He froze, arm cocked. Looking over at me, his eyes glowed liquid gold, teeth and claws shifted.

I slowed to a walk, desperately holding his gaze. “Sean, no,” I repeated calmly. “This is not what I want. I can release him now, disown him as my mate.” I wanted to look at Ian, but I couldn’t break the strange hold I had over Sean. “He has to live with the sorrow of never having children. He — they — already have a hard path to walk. And, that’s enough for me. ” That was if he managed to stay Alpha. He wasn’t in a strong position now that his fertility was in question, and I knew there would be numerous challenges — it was the way of a pride.

Sean blinked at me, human comprehension slowly swimming to the surface.

I summoned up my last ounce of courage. “I choose you, Sean. Even if you don’t choose me. I am sick of having my decisions made for me. All you alphas, betas — whatever — think you can decide what is best for every-
damn
-one. Well, nope, not me. I choose. And I choose
you
. I’ve sorted my problems. Now it’s your turn. So, what do you think of that, big guy?” Hand on my hip, I cocked an eyebrow at him in challenge.

Sean blinked again, his eyes fading back to the sable brown that I loved. Yup, I owned it — I loved the big oaf. And, he was
mine
. Whether he admitted it or not, you didn’t lose your temper like that unless you felt
something
.

Claws retracting and fangs receding, Sean gripped Ian around the neck, hoisting him off the ground.

“Do it,” Sean growled at me.

“I disown you as my mate, Ian Firbank. You have wronged me, and my pride. I denounce all ties with you. I know you no more, these people are my witness.” My voice rang out, loud in the silence. The air left my lungs in a whoosh.

Complete silence, then one by one, voices sounded. “I hear,” they called their acknowledgment.

When the last voice had spoken, Jasmine added hers. “I hear,” she murmured, eyes shining with tears. “I will miss you, pride sister.”

“I’ll miss you, too.” And, I would. She had been kind to me, at a time when it felt like everything in my life was falling to pieces.

A garbled sound came from Ian.

“Sean, loosen your grip,” I hissed.

Gulping in air, Ian straightened his back and looked out at his pride. “I hear, and acknowledge, Luisa Shadowpaw. You know me no more.”

Shadowpaw?
Sean mouthed at me, a smirk on his handsome face. Then, turning back to Ian, he slapped the man on the shoulder. “It’s ‘Lisa’ now. Not that you need to know that.”

Throwing a wink at me, he continued, “Send word to Lisa’s pride, explaining
everything
. If I find that you have played with the truth — I will find you…”

Ian murmured his agreement. “I am truly sorry, I didn’t know…at the time….”

“It’s done, Ian. This is the last time we will speak…but, there’s no hard feelings. Look after her?” I nodded at Jasmine, who had wrapped herself around her mate, hugging him tight.

“I will, I promise. You can visit her, if you want?”

“Or, she could visit me…at my apartment—”

“At the Colstone Packhouse,” Sean interjected firmly, reaching me and grabbing my hand.

Surprised, I looked up at him, then down at our linked hands. What the?

Not waiting for a reply, Sean tugged on my hand, leading me out of the village and up into the forest.

“Luis is waiting at the boundary,” he explained, still gripping my hand firmly.

Lost for words, I let myself be led. Did this mean? My heart swelled with hope.

***

Sean

Her hand felt small in mine, fragile and soft against my calloused palms. Searching the forest, I looked for Luis. I had left him right here, somewhere?

A chuckle sounded from above and, with the grace of his inner cat, Luis dropped from his perch in a tree, landing soundlessly in front of us.

“Lisa!” He dragged her away from me, pulling her into his arms and crushing her tight.

I bit back the growl that welled in my throat.
For fucks sake, he’s her twin brother,
I shot at my beast, who was pawing the ground, eager to pull her back, away from what he perceived to be a male threat. Everything was black and white with him. One of our many problems.

Mine,
he growled inside my head.

Possessive much?

He grinned, baring his teeth.

Yeah, me too…
I sent back, matching his grin with one of my own. With a jolt I realized this was the first time in…yeah, a long time that we had agreed on anything.

Releasing Lisa, but keeping her tucked against his side, Luis listened as we filled him in on what had happened.

“That no good—!”

Lisa laid a hand on his arm. “Luis, it’s fine. Really. Sean—” she turned and looked at me, a smile teasing her full lips, “—well, he handled it beautifully.”

Her smile tugged at me and, just like that, I melted, all my objections liquefying, until all that was left was a puddle of lust.

I looked at her, seeing her for what seemed to be the first time. This was a woman who had stood strong, protecting her family even at great personal cost. She had bounced back, retaining her spit and fire, even through being kidnapped. She wouldn’t screw with me, mess me around.

And,
my beast had listened to her. Even out of control and in a haze of rage, he had stopped at her command. Stopped and
listened
. And that was the deciding factor, in my mind. I was so scared of losing control, of hurting someone I loved — but it turned out,
love
negated the need for control.

How the
hell
had I missed that one? And, how the hell was I going to make it up to her?

Oblivious to my inner ramblings and brilliant light-bulb moment, the brother and sister had continued to talk, though Luis now looked relaxed and not ready to kill someone.

I had to try. Maybe I could explain, without giving away too much. “You go on ahead, Luis. Let whoever is left at the packhouse know we’re on our way back. Uh, Lisa and I need to…talk…” I mumbled the last bit, flushing a little under Luis’s knowing look.

“Sure thing, man. I’ll catch you both later. Much later.” Luis flashed a wink at Lisa, then bounded off ahead, his strides long and smooth.

I grabbed Lisa’s hand again, marveling at how I could feel so calm, yet also so out of control at the same time.

Tugging her with me through the forest, I set a rambling pace, content just to be with her. But she was too quiet, and she was
never
quiet.

I glanced sideways at her, our eyes connecting instantly, a frisson of electricity passing between us.

“So, Lisa…” I started.
Shit!
I thought desperately, trying to figure out what to say, and how to say it. I’d never been one for wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Here goes nothing.

CHAPTER NINE

Lisa

Sean was shooting me sideways glances, a ‘deer in the headlights’ look in his eyes. Me, I was happy to just walk, hand in hand, and enjoy some downtime after the weirdness of the last couple of days. To relax and just…be. Though the adrenaline was starting to pump again, this time of the more…pleasurable sort. The small friction between our palms as we walked, the rubbing of flesh against flesh, conjured images to mind of the naked kind — the kind that involved getting sweaty. And, this was just from holding hands!

I glanced down at our entwined fingers. I had never thought that just a simple touch could be so stimulating. And, it never had been before. But, I was hyper-aware of him, my skin dancing and craving his touch. I now had some small understanding of how it must have been for Ian and Jasmine, to want each other so badly, yet have to accept another between them. Pure, unadulterated torture.

Glancing up from under my lashes, I watched his thoughts parade across his face, his lips twisting in comical grimaces as he obviously thought out, then rejected, several ideas. Sean’s face was normally closed off, a blank slate — but now he was this readable. And, he had linked our hands. And, asked Luis for time alone with me.

Sweet Mother! Had I finally broken through his defenses? Was he going to let me in?

Our eyes locked again, and for a brief moment I lost myself in the swirling depths, sucked in by the emotion I could see simmering just beneath the surface. Confusion, fear, lust, and…I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. His eyes seemed to caress me with wonder, holding me gently, like I was a precious artifact and he was its keeper. Like I was important to him. Could it be? My breath hitched and I stumbled slightly, my knees weak.

Just because I felt one way, didn’t mean he felt it back, I reminded myself sternly. But, it
could
be…what had brought on the change of heart? Was he sure? Because, I was sure I couldn’t take another battering.

He opened his mouth to speak, then clamped it shut again, his eyes screwed up in frustration.

I could make it easy for him, and ease him into the conversation he so desperately was trying to start. I chewed my lip thoughtfully. But, why should I? I had done all the chasing so far. He might be all I’d ever wanted, but dammit, he was going to work for it! And, I was going to have fun teasing it out of him.

He stifled a groan, his focus fixed hungrily on my lips.

Time to go to town, Lisa! Drawing on all the sass that I possessed, I released my lip from between my teeth and, digging my lip gloss out of my pocket, slowly ran the tip of it over the abused flesh, smoothing the sticky liquid with my finger, and finishing on a pout.

Another groan, this time slightly strangled.

Progress…

“So, Sean…” I drawled his name, dragging the sound out on a purr. “What did you want to say?” I gave him my best wide-eyed look, pulling on a springy curl, and winding it around my finger.

A hitch in his step and a sideways glance at the growing bulge in his jeans confirmed I was on the right track.

He cleared his throat, slowing down to a stop, and turned to face me. “Uh, well, Lisa. I wanted to talk about—. You know that I…we…what I mean to say is that—.” The ‘deer in the headlights’ look was back.

I smothered a giggle at the sight of his discomfort, ‘cause that would be just rude! The man was trying.

“Go on…” I prompted, continuing to twist my hair, pulling a lock down and fiddling with it at cleavage height.

His eyes followed the strand, locking onto the valley between my breasts, showcased by the simple white tank top I wore. He gulped, running his free hand over his tightly shorn head.

Now, while I wanted the man to be able to speak, and not turn into a pile of gibberish, on the other hand it was kinda hot watching him struggle to maintain focus. Empowering. A shiver ran down my spine, imagining him dipping his tongue into the valley between my breasts, his hands cupping and caressing their heavy weight, as he licked his way down. My nipples hardened into stiff peaks, my flimsy top and lacy bra doing absolutely nothing to hide the fact.