Mating Hunt (22 page)

“Horse pucky.” Corrin shot Arianna an apologetic glance. “Sorry for the swearing, miss. But don’t you believe those asinine myths. We’re no more savage than others. Same’s said about Ogres and they’re not violent, either.”

The older man’s face pinched as he stared at the brand on Kyle’s cheek. “We’re not violent. But others, they fear us. And they’ll do anything to keep us separated, keep joy from our lives.”

Corrin took a deep breath. “I loved your mother, and she loved me. Never met such a fascinating female, such a gentle soul and so unhappy with her mate. He never listened, treated her like a possession. All he cared about was fathering an heir, and he couldn’t get her pregnant. We became lovers. I didn’t violate her. Would have killed anyone who hurt her.”

“You left her behind.” But Kyle felt more confused than ever.

“I loved her, but couldn’t set aside my own selfish need to rove. Was going to leave the area, and tried to break it to her gently.”

Kyle gritted his teeth, uncertain.

“The next day, got back to my cabin after shopping for supplies. Found her note. Selena returned to her pack. She was pregnant. The only hope for our child was among the Lupine. She loved me, but would not raise her boy alone. Everything she did was for you, all the lies she told them, so you would have a family and know pack life.”

“I knew pack life all right.” Kyle touched the brand on his cheek.

Corrin’s face pinched. “I only recently found out what they did to you. I’ve wasted years, regretting my decision to leave. Wishing I had the courage to take a chance on us becoming a family. I’m sorry, Kyle. Sorry I never was there to be a real father to you.”

“Why didn’t you come for me?” Kyle felt shattered. “I dreamed and hoped. Hell, I created this legend of a father who one day would come charging into my life and take me away. But you didn’t want me.”

Hissing, he turned and slammed a fist against the porch railing. The entire railing shook. He drew back his fist again, only to find a soft hand encircle his wrist. Kyle glanced at Arianna, who kissed his bleeding knuckles. He forced himself to calm.

“Didn’t want you?” Corrin shook his head. “More than anything, I wanted you, son. I loved you from the moment I found out she was pregnant. Hung around until Selena gave birth. Snuck into their territory. And then I saw how adored you were by the pack, how Selena cared for you, how the alpha treated you like you were a crown prince. Knew I couldn’t ruin that. You were the product of two worlds, and she had chosen the best for you. So I moved on.

“But I never forgot you and about six months ago, started searching for you. Made friends with someone in your former pack. He told me their alpha found out you were a Satyr, branded you and then booted you out.”

Fury flushed his sire’s face. “I wanted to beat that son of a bitch for hurting you, but it was too late. He was already dead.”

Tension in his chest eased. Arianna snuggled against him, and her warm body chased away the cold grief caused by his father’s words. All these years, thinking he was an unwanted bastard. Outcast. Deviant. When all the time, he’d been deeply loved by both his parents.

“Don’t make the same mistake I did. Listen to your heart, and your instincts. If this little lady,” Corrin smiled at Arianna, “loves you as half as much as your mother loved me, you’ll find a way to make it work.”

Unable to speak, Kyle simply nodded. Did Ari love him even half as much?

Arianna reached up and kissed his scarred cheek, her mouth warm as sunshine. “We will. Because I love him so much, and I’ll make sure of it.”

The coiled tension gripping his muscles suddenly eased.

His father gave her a sage look. “Even though he’s half-Satyr?”

“I’d love him if he were half-Ogre. Well, only if he didn’t spray that nasty crap when he got aroused.” Arianna made a face, and Kyle smothered a laugh.

“Right. I’ll be going now. Don’t want to overstay.” His father gave him a steady look. “I’ll be hanging around through the winter. Working at the Barker spread nearby as a cowhand, if you want to stop by and visit.”

He watched his sire walk off. He couldn’t forgive him. Not yet. His heart gave another vicious twist. Then he felt Arianna’s arms gently hug him, and he heard her sweet, soft sigh.

Maybe in time. Kyle suspected even sooner, if Ari had her way. She had no family left.

They dumped their packs inside the cabin and showered separately, not wanting to delay their appearance before the pack alpha. The sun began sinking behind the mountains as they started for the lodge and approached the main corral.

In black jeans, shirt and a tan cowboy hat, Darius used a soft lariat to pace the wild stallion Kyle had been asked to break. A tall, intense Lupine sat on the fence rails, chewing on a grass stalk. Jackson, one of the cowhands who regularly drove cattle from pasture to pasture.

Kyle nodded to the other male. “You back for a while?”

“Hopefully longer.” Jackson touched his hat brim in a polite salute to Arianna. “Aiden wants me to oversee breeding Diamond, the quarter horse he just bought from the Blakemore pack. Champion barrel racer, with good bloodlines.”

Her eyes widened. “Diamond? Isn’t that Lexie Walter’s mount?”

“Blakemore alpha sold it. Aiden paid a good price, too.”

Kyle remembered Lexie from her visits to the ranch when she’d taken riding lessons from Jackson. A pretty, petite Lupine, she and Jackson had been good friends.

He’d been stacking hay in the barn when he’d seen Lexie push Jackson away after a very heated kiss. She told Jackson she didn’t have time for romance. She planned to become a barrel racing champion, take college classes and remain a virgin for a long, long time..

“Lexie’s not going to be happy, not with the world championship competition coming up. How is she going to ride without a mount?” Arianna shook her head.

“Maybe she’ll find another mount that offers other, more interesting sport.” He tossed down the grass stalk. “Lexie’s gone wild. Someone needs to take her in hand.”

A determined glint entered the cowboy’s hard gaze, one Kyle had seen in the mirror himself. Lexie Walters wasn’t going to remain a virgin for long.

They watched Darius toss the rope to Jackson to take over the paces. Climbing over the fence, Darius jumped to the ground and joined them.

“Look who’s back.” The pack beta engulfed Arianna in a tight hug. “Want to go for a ride on a real wild male?”

Possessive male jealousy bit Kyle. This was Darius, his friend, but also the pack player. Very softly, he growled.

Darius looked amused as he released Arianna. “Dial it down, hunter. No need to lift your leg. Just a friendly hello between friends.”

Arianna smirked. “Kyle’s the only wild male I want to ride.”

“Yeah, well, he’s not broken yet. But I’m sure you’ll tame him,” Darius teased.

“I hope not.” Her gaze softened as she looked at Kyle. “I like him wild.”

For that alone, he kissed her. When they broke apart, Darius sighed.

“Whole damn pack is pairing off. First Dale, now you. I should start looking for a mate before Aiden kicks me out for being the only single male.”

Kyle snorted. “You’ve banged every single woman from here to California. The day you settle down with a mate, I’ll tattoo your name on my ass.”

Expecting a snarky retort, he was stunned to see grief shadow his friend’s face. “I had a mate. Lost her years ago. But life doesn’t always turn out as you expect.”

“Sorry, Dar,” he said, meaning it.

Darius shrugged and tipped his hat back. “It is what it is. Maybe I’ll go on one of those new computer mating services.”

“Werewolf Match?” Arianna asked.

“Better than test riding a bevy of willing females. I’m running out of energy.” Darius winked, back to his old, arrogant self. “You two had better hustle. Aiden’s expecting you.”

A few minutes later, they sat in Aiden’s study before his large, polished desk. Kyle relayed what happened to them in the cave and cautioned Aiden to be on guard against dark, powerful magick.

The pack alpha looked thoughtful as he tapped a gold pen against the desktop. “I have something I need to ask now that you’re mated.”

Worry shadowed Arianna’s big blue eyes. Kyle leaned forward. “I warn you, if it’s anything that hurts Ari, no fucking way. If you want me off your turf, say so now and I’ll leave. But she’s coming with me.”

She stared at him. “You mean it?”

He nodded. “Can’t guarantee what kind of life we’ll have, and you’ve yet to wear my mark on your skin, but damnit, I can’t leave you, Ari. I won’t leave you. I love you.”

Picking up his hand, she kissed his knuckles. “Me too.”

Surprise flared in the alpha’s eyes. “Leave? You two are the most valuable resource this pack has. Kyle, I can’t think of anyone else who can hunt like you, except for Arianna here. If you even had it in mind to leave, I’d beg you to stay.”

The unexpected praise warmed him, but he grew suspicious. Aiden always had a purpose. “What do you want?”

A distant look entered the alpha’s dark eyes. “I know you have yet to put the mating mark on Arianna, but after you do, I want you to conceive a baby for the pack. We need more young as soon as possible.”

Whoa.

“A small request?” She stared at Aiden. “I’d hate to think what constitutes a large one.”

“You’re in heat, Arianna. I can tell. Tonight is the perfect time.”

Kyle’s nostrils flared and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Aiden held up his hands. “Back off. I’m stating the obvious. She’s all yours. And the choice is yours as well. I’m only asking for the sake of our people.”

He liked the idea. Liked the idea of making her pregnant, sealing the bond between them with a baby. He loved the vision of her with a big belly, his child snugly inside her.

He could be a father at last. A male who would never, ever, abandon his young or his true mate, and would stay with them always. But here, among the pack? Could he find acceptance?

“Having young with Kyle’s strong bloodlines will increase the pack’s strength. And it will assure our people that mixed breedings are acceptable. Kyle is a role model.”

“You’re worried about the single males,” she said suddenly.

“They’re getting more and more out of control.” Aiden’s expression grew troubled. “I’m trying to pair them up much as possible, but there’s not enough available female Lupines.”

“Lexie’s family, the Blakemore pack, is mostly female,” she pointed out.

Aiden’s gaze narrowed. “Nikita is firm on not allowing outsiders to mate with her females. I’m working on changing her little rule. In the meantime, I want our males to know I approve of them selecting hybrids as mates.”

She looked at Kyle.

“You okay with this? It’s your body, sweetheart. Your decision. Not going to force you into anything, especially me.” He kept his voice tender and husky, howling inside at the idea of making love to her until she conceived.

She nodded. “This will ensure your place in the pack.”

For a moment, he remained speechless. A huge lump knotted his throat. No one had ever stuck up for him, had ever defended him before. Except this lovely Lupine who was willing to bear his child, willing to make a statement to keep him at her side and give him a permanent home after years of wandering.

Kyle touched her cheek, marveling at her loyalty. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Arianna brought his palm to her cheek and rested upon it. “I never tire of hearing it. And never will.”

Glancing at the pack alpha, he saw Aiden staring out the window at the darkening sky. “Full moon tonight.”

The moon’s pull pulsed and throbbed in his blood to shift into wolf. His skin felt too tight, too restrictive. He too, felt the moon’s call.

As they walked down the hallway toward the staircase, they passed the open door to Darius’s smaller office. The beta was at his desk, staring at a computer screen. Jaw slackened, he looked as if someone had slapped him.

They walked into the office. “What’s wrong? Are they that ugly on Werewolf Match?” Arianna teased.

Gaze unfocused, Darius glanced up. Sweat beaded his forehead. Then he crooked a finger at them.

They rounded the desk and looked at the photo on the computer screen. The female was young, pretty, but had a vulnerable look.

“A possible match?” Arianna asked.

“Definitely. She’s my mate,” Darius said slowly. He looked stricken. “Her mother said she was dead. She’s not. She’s alive.”

Arianna gasped. Kyle’s jaw dropped. He wasn’t the only one whose life had been filled with lies. “I’m sorry, Dar. What next?”

A cold, almost cruel look shaded Darius’ expression. “I’m going to answer her ad for a mate.”

“Good luck,” Kyle murmured.

In the hallway, Arianna shook her head. “Why would someone do that? It’s so cruel.”

He touched her cheek. “Lupines can be cruel. They think their reasons are justified, but they’re not. Don’t worry. If anyone can handle a situation like that, it’s Darius.”

A wash of pale moonlight lit their way back to his cabin. The moon’s pull made Kyle restless and edgy, thickening his blood with the urge to mate.

Inside the cabin, Kyle swung Arianna into his arms and carried her upstairs to his bedroom. As he stripped naked, Arianna tore off her own clothing, her gaze sultry and hot.

A naked Satyr statue stood in the corner, muscled body gleaming, lust darkening his gaze. A thick penis jutted upward from his groin, covered by a cowboy hat.

He watched Arianna prance over and lift the Stetson. Her eyes widened at the sight of the statue’s enormous penis.

“His wood is, uh, wood.” Arianna squinted. “Not lifelike. Too small.”

“Small?”

“Compared to the real thing.” She sauntered over to the bed and pushed him backward, onto his back. His own penis saluted the air, a fleshy exclamation mark.

Plopping the hat on his head, she smiled. “Save a horse, ride a Satyr.”

And then she kissed his shaft, running her tongue along the underside. Hissing with the pleasure, he gripped her hips, but let her move at her own pace. Arianna was all that mattered. Tonight, he knew it would happen. The loss of all the control he possessed, and his mating mark at last upon her silky skin.