Roaring for Him (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Wicked in Wilder Book 1) (31 page)

“Hey, I’m injured, remember? I may be dying.” She nodded, but a growl from the hallway had her freezing in place, her eyes widening.

“You’re not dying. I refuse to let you,” Gabe’s snarl had
Liv’s
cat reacting to the threat in an instant which left her facing an angry teen whose glare bounced between Liv and the rapidly approaching Gabe.

Tilly sighed and strode forward, nudging her sister back as she pressed a hand to the center of first Gabe’s chest and then Liv’s. “So not happening in my kitchen.” Gabe bared his still-human teeth at Liv and Liv hissed at Gabe and Tilly was stuck in the middle. “Seriously, guys. Chill.”

Of course neither listened. Gabe actually pushed a little harder against her hand, fingers wrapping around her wrist as if he was going to push her aside. Hah. As if.

“Gabe, you need to calm down before I put you down.” She ignored his snort.

Tilly didn’t miss the smack Phee delivered to his shoulder. “She
can
kick your ass, Baloo, and don’t you doubt it. She almost killed my father.”

“She’s—” He stopped trying to get at Liv. “Did you just call me Baloo? I’m the alpha… You can’t… A cartoon character?”

His stuttering was enough to distract Liv and now they both focused on Phee, the only girl who thought to call an alpha bear a cartoon character.

Phee shrugged. “If the paw fits.”

Like before, she sensed Mitchell’s quiet approach and then he appeared in the kitchen doorway, filling the space with his wide shoulders and he looked imposing as hell when he crossed his arms over his chest with that furious scowl in place. “Is there a reason you got your hand on my mate,
bear
?”

That… was not good.

Now the men were glaring at each other and the argument between Liv and Gabe was replaced by the stare off between Gabe and Mitchell. God, if this was how their first meeting was going, she wasn’t looking forward to the holidays when everyone was supposed to be on their best behavior.

Tilly’s hard won calm and experience came forward. She hadn’t raised a tiger and a bear without learning how to deal with attitudes. Alphas were nothing. Hormonal teenagers? She mentally shuddered. That was scary as hell. “Okay, everyone needs to slow their rolls and back it up a little bit.” She pulled her hand from Gabe’s grip and placed herself between Liv and the men. She wasn’t worried about them hurting Livvy or anything. She was more worried about Livvy losing her shit. “Mitchell, Gabe, why don’t you two go battle this out in the front yard? I promise to save you from the big bad tigress. If you manage to keep blood off the porch, you’ll get an extra treat at dinner.”

Both men stared at her as if she’d lost her mind, Phee giggled, and she got another huff from Liv. At least this one was exasperated versus annoyed and angry. She could work with exasperated.

“Did you just…” Mitchell frowned. Poor guy.

“I kept Gabe from going after Liv and then stopped Liv from killing Gabe and then rescued Gabe from being killed by you.” She turned her attention to the bear alpha. “Noticing a trend here?” she drawled.

Phee laughed outright followed by a low, pained groan.

“Dammit, Phoebe,” Gabe growled and moved toward her sister, arms outstretched.

Which had Liv growling again. Tilly elbowed the girl at her back. “Chill out, bitch.”

“Tilly?” Mitchell’s voice snared her attention and she followed his gaze to Liv, to the full yellow-orange of her eyes.

Tilly groaned and turned to face her sister. She cupped Liv’s shoulders and shook her gently, drawing the tigress’ attention from Gabe and back to her. “Liv, hon, what’s going on here? What is this?”

Liv’s tiger eyes met hers, emotions swirling in their depths, transitioning from one to another and another. Love. Regret. Pain. Sorrow. Love. Heartache. Devastation. And then tears. So many tears as Liv released a sob that transformed into dozens as she wrapped herself around Tilly and cried.

She cried and cried and then she found herself enveloped in Phee’s arms as well, their youngest sister hugging them both as they lent strength to Livvy. Tilly wasn’t sure why she cried, why she was home, or why she was staying. It didn’t matter.

She had one question—who did
she
need to kill? Who broke her sister and made her cry? Ten years of struggling, living hand to mouth, never brought a single tear out of Olivia Ross, but today, something had. And she had no doubt it was what sent Livvy running home and asking to live above the bakery. Liv had been looking for a reason to return and Phee’s injuries gave her what she needed. Now, they’d give her the rest.

And the first step was… “Cookies, brownies, or ice cream?”

Liv sniffled. “We just had breakfast. It’s early.”

“So… all three then?”

Liv chuckled. “Yeah, all three.”

“Um,” Phee spoke up. “We may, or may not, be left with inappropriate cookies. Because someone may, or may not, have eaten the age appropriate cookies.” Tilly and Liv pulled back to stare at Phee and she gave them a wide-eyed stare. “What? You told me I wasn’t allowed to eat the Babeless Boobs or Dudeless Dongs so I kinda sort ate everything else. I’m healing!
I’m a child
.”

Tilly snorted. “Ha! As if you ever were.”

“True,” she sniffed and straightened. “I’ve always been gifted. I have an old soul.”

“And a smart mouth.” Phoebe shrugged and Tilly sighed.

“Didn’t someone promise me no more dick talk?” Mitchell’s grumble cut into their conversation and she grinned at him. He looked so annoyed and frustrated and… hers.

So very, very hers.

They’d left Phoebe in Gabe and Liv’s care, a few of the alpha’s bears showing up to keep the women company tonight. Now, Mitchell held her close, drew her back against his front as they rested at the base of the massive oak that grew at the edge of the clearing. The one he’d climbed as a boy. Hell, the one his
grandfather
climbed all those years ago. It was planted by the first Blake alpha—a symbol of strength and longevity. He pressed his face against her neck. It was right that they had this discussion here. The place where his pack began, a place tied to his history and customs. Customs he’d have to explain now.

He nuzzled just below her ear, exactly where she liked most and smiled when she released a breathy sigh. She tilted her head to the side to give him more room and he took advantage of the access. He scraped his cheek along her sensitive skin and welcomed the small shivers that wracked her curvy frame.

They’d left the house a couple of hours ago and he’d driven them into the forest, out to where his wolves—soon-to-be their wolves—gathered every month. Sometimes more often if his pack members needed him, needed to reconnect with their beasts, but also need his help with control.

It was special. Where he’d shifted for the first time. Where he’d taken his oath as alpha. And now where he’d take his mate.

Which… was what they needed to discuss.

Soon.

The sun was slowly setting before them, warning him that darkness—midnight—approached and there was no stopping the inevitable.

He slightly tightened his grip in a small hug and then sighed. “So. Tonight.”

“Tonight,” she echoed.

“The thing is…” His neck heated and he hated the uneasiness that assaulted him. His wolf urged him to remain silent, to wait until she stood in front of the whole pack and was embarrassed into mating in front of everybody. The animal wanted Tilly any way he could get her and didn’t care about the how. Good thing the wolf wasn’t the one in charge. “About tonight.”

She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Just spit it out, Mr. Blake. Tonight…”

“We’re mating.”

That’d been an hour-long conversation—yelling match—between the three sisters. Him and Gabe just sat back and watched as the women verbally went after each other. They’d each tried to break it up, but that earned them glares from all three sisters and Liv even tried to bite off a finger or two. Of course, when all was said and done, Mitchell got his way and both of them learned to leave well enough alone when it came to those three. What started as furious growls ended with wide smiles and hugs. Not a drop of blood was spilled. Surprising and… disappointing.

She wiggled against him, testing his control. “Uh-huh. And?”

“Well…” Shit, why was this so hard? Hard. His dick was hard, her ass all snug against him and she squirmed and he wanted to sink into her and— Wait, they were having a conversation. Fuck. “Dammit,” he mumbled. “The thing is…”

Tilly released an annoyed sigh and pulled away to reposition herself and he found her straddling him. The woman seemed to love to press her pussy against his cock and he had to say… he didn’t hate it. Plus it gave him easy access to her ass—especially when she slipped into a skirt like today—and breasts. It was like God created the position for man, and he sent up a prayer of thanks.

“Spit it out. Whatever you’re gonna say can’t be worse than what I’m imagining.”

“What are you imagining?” Because that would tell him if his secret was worse and then maybe he’d chicken out. He could face off against any opponent—a pack of wolves or an entire bear clan—and yet he couldn’t spit out a handful of words to his mate.

She rolled her eyes. “That we’ve gotta mate in front of your whole pack. Or your mother,” she gasped and gagged. “Please tell me
that
isn’t true.”

“Hell no,” even he gagged a little. “My mother isn’t about to watch me claim my mate.” He shuddered and Tilly froze.

“You didn’t say anything about the pack.”

Damn. He winced. “Well…”

Her denial was instant and she shook her head, ponytail flicking through the air. “No. Hell no. I’m not baring my tits and ass to your pack so everyone can get their rocks off while we mate.”

“Baby, it’s tradition. You said you knew about this!”

“Then un-tradition it, because this lily white ass is staying covered. And I know I said I knew it, but now we’re down to the do or don’t and I don’t wanna.”

“Tilly—”

“I mean it.” The scent of her rising anger told him she really was serious. Not that he expected anything less. There was another emotion there, but he couldn’t quite get his finger on it.

“Every alpha—”

“If every alpha jumped off a bridge to claim their mate, would you?”

“That’s different.”

She snorted. “You’re right. It’s not quite as stupid as flashing your naked mate in front of the whole pack.”

“Tilly, look—” This conversation was spiraling out of control.

“No,” she snapped. “You look. The first time I make love to my mate is
not
going to be in front of a group of strangers. It’s just not. I will give on a lot of arguments in our lives, Mitchell, but this isn’t one of them. I’m winning this argument.”

He smiled. He couldn’t help it. Normally a statement like that would be considered a challenge to his wolf, but with Tilly… It pleased the damn beast. Made it chuff and damn near purr. “Just like that.”

“Yes, just like that. You can win the next one.” She curled her lip, lengthening fang exposed. “I am not banging you for the first time in front of those people. They do not get to see my vag. That’s your territory and the only other person who gets to take a peek down south is my gynecologist. That’s it.”

“Gynecologist? Is it a guy? I’m not sure—”

“Your pack can see my hoo-ha, but the guy who will eventually deliver my cubs can’t?
Seriously?
”

“We call them pups.”

She huffed. “You can call them monsters for all I care, but you won’t even be
making
them if I’ve gotta flash your pack my goods.”

Mitchell grasped her thighs. He slid his palms along, sliding beneath the hem of her skirt and higher until they rested on her hidden hips. “I have to claim you in front of the pack. It shows your submission to me—” he ignored her snort “—and my desire for you. My wolf won’t sink his teeth into any female. I have to show them that you’re my mate by choice, that my wolf wants you just as much as my human half.”

Her eyes fluttered closed. “That is very sweet-ish, but the first time we… that you…”

A single tear trailed down her cheek and he kicked his own ass. The last couple of days had been hell. From his pack, to Verity’s appearance, and back again and now they were just trying to begin their life together. His poor mate was exhausted, her emotions twisted and squeezed, and he wasn’t making things any better.

Ignoring his wolf’s growls and snarls—the animal hated tears almost as much as Mitchell—he abandoned her hips and wrapped his arms around her. One small tug had her collapsing against him, her breasts pressing into his chest while she buried her face against his neck.

“Then we’ll wait,” he murmured against her hair and his animal was actually
onboard
with that idea. Fucking weird.

“Don’t wanna,” she grumped.

“Then I don’t know what to tell you, Tilly. I want you more than air, but I want your happiness more.” He urged her to ease back so he could meet her eyes. “I want to sink into you, claim you, but if I
know
you’re not into it, my cock isn’t gonna do a damn thing. So you need to tell me what you want so I can give it to you.”

Her eyes sparkled, the green of her irises shifting from her natural color to gold and back again. They swirled with emotion after emotion, transforming from one to another before he could recognize them. Finally—
finally
—they settled into place. Into… desire. “I want you here. Now. I’m not having sex with my mate for the first time in front of a hundred wolves.”

“We have to mate—”

“Do we have to
have sex
or do you have to simply bite me?”

“I have to…” He groaned and thought about the ceremony, the traditions, and what he’d been taught growing up. Nothing was ever said as to whether the claiming had to be performed during sex, it was just more enjoyable that way. He shook his head. “No, I can claim you without having sex, but it’s painful, Tilly. I’m
biting
your shoulder.” His wolf shied from the idea. There was always a certain amount of pain involved, but the pleasure would override the hurt and make it all the more enjoyable. “It’s gonna hurt like hell.”