A Prideful Mate

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

A Prideful Mate ISBN #978-0-85715-485-9 ©Copyright Amber Kell 2011 Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright February 2011 Edited by Andrea Grimm Total-E-Bound Publishing This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing. Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution. The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content, which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

Supernatural Mates

A PRIDEFUL MATE Amber Kell

Dedication Thanks to my fans who give me all those supportive notes and emails. You don’t know how much encouragement means to a writer.

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction: iPhone: Apple Inc.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

5

Chapter One

Kevin looked out the window at the pride of lions sunning on the porch, and released the sigh building in his chest. Leaning against the window frame he thought over his life. As much as he loved the ladies, the addition of Adrian, the alpha’s mate, brought back feelings he’d long suppressed. The craving for the touch of another man burned through him each time he saw Talon stroke Adrian’s skin. Kevin didn’t want Adrian for himself—he wasn’t suicidal—but the looks exchanged between the mated pair reminded Kevin how good it could be with another man. Equal. As much as he loved the lush feel of a woman’s body, he’d always known it was the hard form of a man he preferred. Now that he had two cubs of his own, it was time to find his mate. “Thinking about leaving us?” Tia, the mother of his little boys, wrapped her arms around his waist, settling her chin on his shoulder. Kevin knew she was asking, more for curiosity, than that she cared if he left the pride. Tia was more than capable of raising their boys, but she was his friend and cared for him in her own offhand lion way. Kevin sighed again. “Not really.” He nodded towards the couch where Adrian was curled up beside Talon. For a lone wolf, the smaller man was a cuddler. “Just wishing for a mate of my own, I want what they have.” Tia tilted her head. “Extremely loud sex?” Kevin threw back his head, laughing. “No. Well, I wouldn’t object to that either, but I meant a relationship with a guy.” “Pickings are a little lean on the mountain, big guy,” Tia said, releasing him and giving him an affectionate pat on his back. “Maybe you should ask Adrian if he knows anyone.” Shaking his head, Kevin looked at the pair. “I don’t think I could go for a wolf. Don’t get me wrong,” he held up his hands to ward off a blow, “there’s nothing wrong with Adrian. I just have a feeling my mate will be feline.” He took a careful step away from Tia in

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

6

case she decided to attack anyway. The females were psychotically attached to Adrian, mostly because he made them chocolate treats. They all purred whenever he stepped foot into the kitchen. Kevin suspected Adrian laced his brownies with catnip, but he’d yet been able to catch the wolf at it. Tia frowned. “There aren’t any other prides nearby. Oh!” Her face lit up. “What about that new dating service.” Kevin let his expression show his opinion of that idea. “I’m not signing up with Werekin Wanted. I don’t care if they guarantee a match or your money back.” “Hah!” Tia pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You looked into them.” Kevin blushed. He hated to admit it. He had considered the site. Shit, he was getting desperate, but as Tia said there weren’t a lot of choices up on the mountain. “I might have looked at the site, but I don’t think I can go through with it. I mean how pathetic is a guy who finds someone through an online dating service?” “About as pathetic as a guy who’s afraid to try because he might fail,” Tia said. She nudged him with her shoulder. “The boys are old enough that you don’t need to be here all the time. They aren’t babies.” “I know.” How could he explain that he had an unnatural affection for his children? Most lions would’ve moved on after his babies were born, but Kevin adored his five and seven-year-old and couldn’t bear to leave them. “I’m not saying you have to go,” Tia said, as if reading his mind. “We all love having you here, we just want you to be happy.” “I know, darlin’.” He gave the female lion an affectionate smile. “You’re sweet on me.” Tia gave a snort. “You may be great in bed, darlin’,” she said, mimicking his accent, “but we both know it isn’t a love connection.” Kevin smiled back. “But we’ve had some fun.” “Yes, we have.” Tia grabbed his wrist. “Now come with me.” “Hey, Adrian, can I borrow one of your computers?” Tia called across the room. Adrian lifted his head from Talan’s lap. “No problem. Use the laptop with the green case.” “Okay.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

7

Adrian was weird about his computers, but since they contained his livelihood, Kevin didn’t hold it against him. Kevin didn’t speak while Tia dragged him into Adrian’s new office. The wolf’s digs were amazing. There was a wall of glass that looked out across their forested property with a special coating that darkened when it was bright outside. The furniture was comfortable leather, and his work desk, covered with a multitude of computers, spread along an entire wall. Interspersed throughout the room were display cabinets encasing limited edition paraphernalia from video games Adrian had worked on, including a full reproduction of an ogre axe with a real blade. Shaking his head at the wolf’s outlandish collection, Kevin watched Tia grab the green laptop and open the case. “Come sit here,” she said, pointing to the chair beside her. Sighing, Kevin plopped down onto the spot indicated. He knew better than to argue. It only took her a moment to get to the site. The dating home page showed a bunch of people gazing with disgusting adoration into each other’s eyes. “I bet they used actors,” Kevin grumbled. Even as he said it, he doubted they did. The pairs had the same expression in their eyes Adrian and Talan did when they looked at each other. “Stop it.” Tia nudged Kevin in the shoulder. “Let’s do a little shopping shall we?” “Don’t we have to sign up for this?” “Nope, see.” She pointed to the note in the corner of the screen. It stated viewing was free. He would only have to sign up if he wanted to communicate with one of their members. “Fair enough, but once we’re done looking over these losers I’m going to have a big lunch and a nap. If you’re good, I’ll let you fix it for me.” “And if I’m bad?” Tia asked with a smile. “Then you can fix me dinner too.” The lioness laughed. “Lucky me.” They sat in companionable silence as they clicked through the pictures. “He’s cute,” Tia said about a gold-haired man with brown eyes. “He’s straight.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

8

“It says here he likes guys.” Kevin shrugged. “Maybe he’s confused.” Tia laughed. “What about that one?” “Too short. I like them taller.” “Adrian’s short.” “Adrian is prettier.” “True.” Tia clicked through several screens. They laughed over the goofier pictures and sighed at the romantic ones, but neither of them showed any interest in a particular member. Tia sped through the next three. “Stop.” “What? Did you see something?” Tia clicked back a couple of times before Kevin had her stop again. “Him?” “Yeah.” Kevin set his chin on his hand and gazed longingly at the screen. “Hmmm. Really?” Kevin nodded. “He’s the one.” “Like, the one?” “Yeah, my mate.” “How can you tell from a photo?” “Talan could tell from Adrian’s photo,” Kevin pointed out. “True.” They both stared at the screen for a moment. “Want to sign up and send him a note?” “No, I want to hunt ‘im down, strip ‘im and lick ‘im like a lollipop.” “Eww,” Tia laughed. “That’s way more information than I need.” Kevin shrugged. “I’ll settle for an email.” “How generous of you.” A few screens later Kevin was signed up and ready to send his first email to his mate.

****

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

9

Payce arrived at his apartment bruised and tired. He was going to find a new job any day now. If he had to take any more crap from that foreman he was going to rip the man’s arm off and beat him with it. Bastard wasn’t looking earlier and nailed Payce in the head with a two by four. If he weren’t a werejaguar, he’d probably be dead. As it was, the jaguar inside him was restless. It was getting close to his mating time. By age twenty-five his mother was already pregnant with her second litter. Payce didn’t long for children of his own. He had no interest in knocking some woman up, but he wouldn’t say no to sharing his life with a man. The right man. Payce wasn’t even particularly picky. The guy didn’t have to be gorgeous or rich, or any of those things normally coveted. Payce was looking for a nice guy, a man who wouldn’t scream, or yell or punch him in the face if he didn’t offer his ass to his friends when he brought them over. Luckily, Fred and his friends were too drunk to remember what really went on. The jaguar had completely come out and scared the hell out of everyone. Payce quickly packed his crap and left. The story of his life. To this day Fred still didn’t understand why Payce left him, nor did he touch another drop of alcohol. Apparently when he was drunk he had hallucinations. The truth was, Payce had poor control over his jaguar half. He always had. Whenever he was stressed or surprised, he shifted into his jaguar form. The pissy kitty half always got him into trouble and probably would continue to if he lived to enter his thirties. As the only surviving cub of his litter, Payce was truly alone in the world. In the cat world you didn’t get to move back in with Mommy and Daddy if things got rough. You sucked it up and tried not to get your ass killed. Groaning as he settled on his couch, Payce grabbed his laptop from the coffee table and logged into his Were Wanted account. “Let’s see what kind of loser wants to get to know me today.” Ever since he’d joined the matchmaking site he’d been besieged by emails from prospective mates. None of which he’d

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

10

piss on if they were on fire. Checking his inbox, he wasn’t surprised to see there were thirtyfive new emails. He deleted the first five that were from men he’d heard from previously. He opened the next ten, deleting them as he viewed their pictures. He wasn’t going to waste time replying to men who weren’t what he was looking for. Randomly opening the next email, his mouth dropped open when he saw the picture. “Must be touched up. No one’s that beautiful.” The picture showed a man with golden hair, gold eyes and lightly golden skin. He checked the species. “Figures,” he said with a snort. He moved to delete the email, but something stopped him. The guy had a nice smile. Not the kind of ‘look, I’m handsome’ smile some of the pictures had. There was a kindness in his eyes, as if he sincerely wanted to find his mate. Reading his portfolio made Payce laugh. It listed that Kevin was looking for someone to sleep with, eat with and go for long romantic walks in the forest so they could fuck against trees, because he was ‘a man who appreciated nature’. A quick check showed the man lived a few hours away from Seattle in the Cascade Mountains. “A mountain man, huh?” Payce clicked on the email to respond. He wanted to meet the man. His email pinged seconds later with an invitation to come to Kevin’s home for the weekend. “Shit, I have to work.” The idea of spending a weekend in the mountains appealed to Payce, but they were on a tight deadline to get this building up and he couldn’t take time off for a few more weeks. Payce emailed back. Have to work this weekend. Call me. He included his phone number and sent his reply. Payce waited, and waited. Shaking his head at his stupidity, he stood up to get a beer. It’s not like the guy was waiting by his email for Payce’s response. Two steps towards the kitchen, his cell phone rang. Payce snatched it off the clip on his belt.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

11

“Hello.” “Hello there, darlin’.” A deep, sexy, southern drawl rolled across the line and straight to his cock. “This is Kevin.” “Umm, hi.” “I’m sorry to hear you have to work, what is it you do and when are you gettin’ off?” If the guy kept talking to him like that Payce would be getting off in a few minutes. His cock was harder than the marble he was installing at work. “I work in construction.” Payce hoped the man wasn’t one of those snobs who sneered at blue collar workers. “I bet you have all kinds of interesting calluses,” the southerner purred. For the first time in his life, Payce wanted to toss his responsibilities out the window and go play a little. “I suppose so, what do you do?” He continued into the kitchen to get his beer as the smooth voice purred in his ear. “I don’t want to talk about me, I want to talk about you. Are you as pretty as your picture?” Payce choked on his beer. “Me! What about you, Mr. Golden Cat?” “Yep, I’m just as pretty as my picture,” the man said. Payce could hear the smile in his voice. “We need to get together and make a pretty two-headed cat.” Laughing, Payce set down the beer before he spilled it all over the kitchen. “I’d love to do that, but, like I said, it will be a few weeks.” “I’m not the patient sort. What if I came to you? Do you have a few hours to spare for lunch?” “You take a long lunch,” Payce teased. “Sometimes it’s hard to get the mayo jar open.” “Is that what they’re calling it these days?” “I don’t care what you call it. You fuck me, I fuck you, but somehow one of us is fucking the other one. I’ve been hard since I saw your picture, and from what I can tell you’re interested.” He really should just tell the guy off, but there was something irresistible about that voice. “I’m not a ‘jump into bed with a stranger’ kind of guy.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

12

“Well, honey, I’m willin’ to woo you, if it’ll make you feel better, but we both know your goin’ to be ass up beneath me.” The man’s voice was confident without sounding smarmy. Payce couldn’t believe he was doing this. “I’m off Sunday,” he blurted out. “My boss is too cheap to pay extra to work on Sunday.” “I’ll be there, give me an address.” The man lost some of his twang when he was in commanding mode…good to know. Payce blurted out his address to the confident lion on the other end of the phone. His mind was torn about meeting the stranger, but his body had other ideas. Payce rubbed his erection through his jeans. Shit, never had three days felt like an eternity. The lion’s voice gentled as if he could feel Payce’s sudden attack of nerves over the telephone. “We don’t have to do anything but have lunch, hon. Don’t let me pressure ya into doing something you’re not ready for.” With that one sentence, Payce felt the tight knot of tension in his stomach dissolve. “Thanks, Kevin. I’ll see you Sunday.” Smiling like a loon, Payce disconnected the call before he begged his southern-sounding lion to come visit him sooner. He had a feeling he’d need his full energy to deal with Kevin.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

13

Chapter Two

Kevin’s nerves rattled as much as his truck, as he drove down to meet his mate in Seattle. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous even at the birth of his sons. He hoped the clothes Tia picked out would do the trick. She assured him that the stretchy blue shirt brought out his gold eyes, but Kevin thought it wasn’t him. He wore it, though, because Tia told him torn concert T-shirts from high school weren’t a fashion statement he wanted to share with his new mate. “Break him in gently, honey,” she said, kissing his cheek. Kevin took her advice about the shirt, but rebelled in his footwear when she brought him loafers. Loafers, what kind of pansy ass wore loafers? He decided to wear his favourite pair of cowboy boots and ignored her knowing smirk. They both knew he wore them like a kid clutched his favourite blankie whenever he needed reassurance. They were soft, worn and he’d gone through more with them than most people did in a ten-year marriage. He was going to be buried in those boots. Of course, if he didn’t pay attention to the road, it was going to be sooner than expected. He let out a sigh of relief when he found Payce’s apartment without too much trouble. Who really needed a left tail light anyway? The building was made out of brown brick and sat in a nice neighbourhood, nothing fancy but it had a solid working class feel. Kevin bet there wasn’t a fancy coffee shop within three blocks. Letting out a long slow breath to calm his nerves, Kevin locked up his truck and all but bounced up the steps. He left his small suitcase in the cab of the truck. He didn’t want Payce to think he presumed too much. He had every intention of spending the day and most of the night with his mate, but he didn’t want to tell Payce yet, the man sounded skittish. Tia had already talked him out of bringing his daddy’s ring.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

14

He wondered how hard he’d have to tug to drag the werecat to the mountains with him. Shit, he hoped Payce liked kids. Buzzing Payce’s apartment door button, Kevin shifted from foot to foot trying to control his nerves. He felt more excited than when he was a lion cub at Christmas and Daddy gave him a toy cow that screamed when he bit it. That random memory made him wonder where he could get one of those for his boys. “Hello,” a scratchy voice said over the speakers. “Payce, hon, it’s Kevin. Let me in.” There was a buzz, a click, and Kevin snatched the door open. Payce was on the fifth floor but Kevin was too impatient to wait for the elevator. Within minutes he dashed up the stairs and pounded on Payce’s door. The door opened and Kevin stared. “Wow, you’re even prettier than Adrian.” Payce was as tall as Kevin and bigger, with the muscled build of someone who worked with his body for a living. Kevin hadn’t expected that. In his mind his mate was smaller, more delicate, this was so much better than his dream match. Black hair, black eyes and a lush, suck-me mouth set in a sculpted, masculine face, made Kevin harder than he’d ever been before. Pretty didn’t cover the guy, he was beautiful. He hoped his drool didn’t form a puddle on the wood floor. “Who the fuck is Adrian?” A scowl crossed those amazing features. “Umm. Who?” “Adrian, the guy I’m prettier than?” He said ‘prettier’ like it was an insult. “Oh, my alpha’s mate, wanna see?” “Come in first.” Payce grabbed Kevin’s wrist and pulled him inside. Kevin growled at the spike of desire that jolted through him like a lightning bolt. He let the door slam behind him before he yanked at his wrist, pulling Payce towards him. Their bodies slammed together carrying them against the front door. Gripping Payce’s shirt, Kevin growled, “Kiss me.” Payce didn’t argue. Gold sparks flickered in his dark eyes as his mouth came down on Kevin’s, like a man who was going to take what he wanted and Kevin better like it. Kevin moaned, letting the other man know how much he enjoyed his kiss and the hard body crushing him against the wooden door.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

15

Payce didn’t know what came over him. It was like he wanted to devour the golden werelion. When the name of another man crossed Kevin’s lips, aggression he didn’t know he had rushed through his body. The thought that this man would even think of someone else while looking at Payce, made him uncontrollably angry, which was stupid since they’d just met. Kissing Kevin was better than anything he’d ever felt before. The man’s lips were soft but firm, as if they were made for Payce’s mouth. When Kevin groaned against him, Payce almost came in his pants from the sensation. Any doubt that he might not find the lion attractive in person disappeared as soon as he saw Kevin. He wanted to wrap the other man around him and wallow in his scent. Fuck. Payce yanked away from Kevin. “Y-you’re my mate,” he said, panting. Kevin leaned against the door and gave him a lazy smile. His eyes a dark, dark gold, a colour Payce knew he would always associate as the colour of lust. “Yep.” The lion’s lack of surprise at Payce’s earth shattering revelation said more than any words. “You knew. How could you know?” Shrugging, the lion reached for him again. “I saw your picture.” Payce stepped back. “I saw your picture too, but I didn’t get any revelations.” “Maybe it’s a lion thing.” Kevin stepped forward again. Payce learned for the first time how it felt to be stalked. For each step he made backwards, Kevin took one forward. The teasing expression disappeared to be replaced by a chilling intensity that told Payce he was about to be claimed whether he wanted to be or not. He held up his hand feeling like a ridiculous virgin in a bad romance and was surprised when it worked. Kevin stopped. “What!” he said, exasperation crossing his handsome features. Payce refused to be distracted by his mate’s obvious beauty. The man was like a golden god and he wanted to climb him like Mt. Olympus, but he wasn’t going to be dragged into a rushed mating with a guy he barely knew. “I’m not ready to be mated.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

16

“You’re ready,” Kevin said, taking a baby step towards Payce. “Stop.” “What!” Kevin’s tone was taking on a distinctive whine that Payce found hysterically funny. He was like a child refused his favourite toy. “Don’t you want to be my mate?” The hurt in those gold eyes was his undoing. Sighing, Payce flopped down on his couch, patting the spot beside him. “That’s more like it,” Kevin said, sitting as close to Payce as possible without sitting in his lap. Kevin leaned over to kiss him. Payce planted his hand in the middle of Kevin’s chest. “No.” Groaning, Kevin threw himself back on the couch pillows. “Why don’t ya just stab me in the heart and get it over with?” “You’re kind of the dramatic type, aren’t you?” Payce asked, amused. The lion went from one wild emotion to the other without stopping at calm in between. “I’m an all or nothin’ kinda guy,” Kevin admitted, peeking at him through his golden lashes. “Don’t think you’re going to tempt me with your sexy looks.” Payce shook a finger at the lion. “We need to have a serious conversation.” “No, we don’t.” Before he could object, he found himself with a lapful of lion. “We don’t ever hafta have a serious conversation. Let’s just fuck like horny cats, move you up to my pride and live happily ever after.” The look in Kevin’s eyes was scarily serious. For a man who didn’t like to be serious, his expression said it all. This wasn’t a kidding moment for Kevin. He meant everything he just said. “Why would I want to move from Seattle, I have everything I need here? We don’t even know if we’re compatible yet.” Payce felt a blush burn his cheeks as soon as those words left his mouth. The fact they were both hard and wanting said everything was right and fine with their sexual attraction. “Just because our bodies are compatible doesn’t mean our minds are.” There, that sounded like a reasonable statement, didn’t it?

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

17

Kevin gave him an indulgent look, like Payce was a not particularly bright child. “The solution is obvious.” “It is?” Kevin nodded. “Don’t think.” Then the sneaky lion swooped in and kissed Payce, driving every freaking thought out of his mind. In that moment he knew he would do anything Kevin wanted as long as he got to feel that gorgeous cock filling his ass. He broke away from their kiss to speak, only to have Kevin slide strong hands into his hair and yank him back. The slight pain made him even harder. Shit! In ten minutes the sexy lion had already discovered his kink. He loved being mastered. He wasn’t into a lot of whips or chains, but a strong man who could hold him down while he was fucked within an inch of his life, pushed all his buttons double time. “Like that do you?” Kevin leant back and gave him a wicked smile with a tip of a fang showing through. The lion slid off his lap. “Strip,” he commanded. Payce stood and took off his shirt, pleased at the small whimper he heard from the other man. When he glanced at Kevin, the lion’s expression was calm but unmoved. Maybe he’d imagined the noise. “Pants,” Kevin barked. Smiling, Payce stripped off his denim pants, slowly revealing to Kevin that he wasn’t wearing any underwear. “Ni-i-i-ce.” That southern drawl was back, the sound of it heating Payce from head to toe. It was a voice he could get used to while he was bound motionless to his bed with the sexy southerner standing over him. “Where are you from?” He had to know. “I’m a Louisiana boy. Now stand properly. You know what I mean.” Kevin’s soft drawl hardened and so did every part of Payce’s body. Standing straight, Payce gripped his left wrist with his right hand behind him, placing his feet a shoulder length apart. Still dressed, Kevin walked a complete circle around him. “Very nice. No tattoos or piercings?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

18

“No, sir.” It felt natural to call the other man sir. It calmed his Jaguar. Inside the beast had been raging to escape ever since Kevin walked through the door. Now it curled up into a happy kitty, all but purring under the lion’s regard. Maybe that was the trick. Maybe he needed someone the jaguar knew was a stronger cat. Kevin was one of the few people on this planet who could subdue him, something no human could do, no matter how strong the Dom. For the first time in a long while, Payce felt calm. He knew even if he freaked and shifted into a jaguar, his mate’s animal was bigger, stronger and could take him down before anything bad happened. “Now we need to establish a few rules in this relationship.” Kevin’s drawl was all but gone. It was a relief that the lion had such a strong tell. Payce would always be able to gauge the emotional position of his mate by the sound of his accent. He cleared his mind and focussed on Kevin’s words. “You are mine and if anyone else touches you I will kill them, understand?” “Yes, sir.” “If you touch them, I will kill them, understood?” “Yes, sir.” “I’m an easy-going guy and I expect you to be an equal partner in our life together but I will be in charge in the bedroom. Now,” Kevin held up a hand as if to stop Payce’s words, “that doesn’t mean I will always top. I like a man inside me as much as I like to top, but I might tie you down first. You have any objections?” The image in his mind of Kevin riding him while Payce was tied to the bed was too much for Payce. His body convulsed as cum shot out of his cock, splattering onto the wooden floor. “I’ll take that as a no,” Kevin said, his drawl slow and easy. “You can take that anyway you want, as long as you take me,” Payce gasped through his orgasm. “Bedroom,” Kevin snapped. Payce broke formation, grabbed Kevin’s wrist and dragged him down the hall. He could clean up the mess later.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

19

“Maybe we need to review who’s in charge again,” Kevin said. Payce heard the amusement in his voice. “We’re not in the bedroom yet.” Payce let go of the werelion as soon as they crossed the doorframe. “Now we’re here. You can be in charge.” Kevin gave him a wicked smile that sent shivers of desire down his spine, and miraculously, his cock struggled to rise again. He looked at it in astonishment. “Lions mate twenty to forty times a day when we’re in heat,” Kevin said matter-offactly as he stripped off his sea blue shirt, exposing a fine tight body and making Payce wonder again what Kevin did for a living. “I’m not a female lion, and if you try to fuck me forty times, I will crush your skull.” Kevin tilted his head. “That’s very specific.” Payce shrugged. “It’s a jaguar thing.” “Huh.” Payce noticed that his words had no effect on Kevin’s intention to mate with him as the man continued stripping, exposing a body Payce was more than willing to explore entirely with his tongue. “On the bed.” Shaking with excitement, Payce turned and slowly climbed on the bed. He made sure Kevin got a good look at his ass as he moved. The low growl behind him said his ploy was noticed. “You’re playing with fire, boy.” Payce rolled over, trying to look more confident than he felt. It had been a long time since his last lover, and forever since his last shifter sex. The tender smile Kevin gave him eased his nerves. “You just tell me if there’s somethin’ you don’t like.” Payce returned the other man’s charming smile. “Do I need a safe word?” Laughing, Kevin crawled up on the bed and settled on all fours over Payce’s body. Payce’s cock rose to greet him. “We’re not doing a scene, darlin’, just some man on man lovin’. There’s nothing I’m gonna do that’ll make you do anything more than scream my name.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

20

Payce smiled at the confident man above him. “What makes you think I’m going to scream?” “Honey, they always scream.” Payce couldn’t stop the growl his jaguar pushed through his throat. The thought of anyone else being in the same position he was, made him want to kill something. Now he knew what Kevin meant. Before he thought the lion was just being dramatic. Guess not. “Calm darlin’, calm.” Kevin’s voice pulled him back from his urge to shift. The lion’s hands pinning his wrists calmed him, suppressing his rage. “Your kitty is close to the surface, isn’t it, love?” “Yeah,” Payce panted. Breathing in the scent of the man he knew was his mate soothed him more than any shifter anger management session. He’d attended enough to know. Kevin leant down, rubbing his cheek alongside Payce’s, first one side, then the other, marking Payce with his scent. Breathing in Kevin’s pheromones settled his jaguar completely. Sighing, Payce went boneless beneath his mate. “I’m not a virgin,” Kevin said, his eyes sparkling. “That’s not a problem for you, is it baby?” “Baby? Really?” Kevin’s smile got bigger. “Snookums? Baby Cakes? Snickerdoodle? Love Kitten?” “You have to sleep sometime,” Payce reminded the lion. Kevin laughed. Payce didn’t think he’d ever met such a happy person. Despite his big, handsome exterior, the other man was just a big, goofy lion inside. This made him even more attractive to Payce, who never had much laughter in his life. Here was a man who knew how to have fun and could bring some fun into Payce’s life. A sharp bite on his nipple snapped his attention back to the lion. “Pay attention, kitten,” Kevin teased. “I will off you,” Payce warned, but he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. He really liked this guy.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

21

“But think of all the fun you’d miss,” Kevin said in a wheedling tone. The lion leant down and bit Payce’s other nipple. Payce arched beneath the werelion’s mouth. Shit, when had they become so sensitive? “Where’s the lube?” Payce scrambled for his bedside table, grabbing at the small bottle inside. He let out a shout when it slipped out of his hand, hit the table and slid beneath the bed. Payce turned to look into Kevin’s astonished eyes, and both men burst into laughter. Kevin rolled off of him. “You might want to get that, darlin’. I’m big enough you’re not gonna want to go without lube.” Looking appreciatively at the werelion’s body, Payce had to agree. “A lot of lube.” Leaning over to retrieve the lube, he caught it between his fingers until a smack on his ass had him dropping the bottle. “Hey.” He glared at Kevin over his shoulder. The lion had the gall to smile at him, showing a set of shiny white teeth. “Sorry, darlin’ but I can’t resist that kind of temptation.” “Is there any temptation you can resist?” “Few and far between,” Kevin agreed. “Now get the lube so I can appreciate that fine ass of yours.” Payce was certain his cheeks were redder than his slapped ass. Snatching up the lube again, he flipped onto his back and held out the bottle. “What am I gonna do with that?” Kevin asked, giving him a wink. “Get yourself ready for me, I’m not ashamed to say you’ve got me all worked up, if I touch you before I fuck ya, I’ll lose control.” Payce was both disappointed and pleased. He’d never had a man want him that much, but then he’d never met his mate before. Liberally smearing the cold liquid onto his fingers, Payce plunged two fingers into his hole, loosening up the tight bud so he could take his lover. His long fingers brushed against his prostate making him whimper from the sensation. “Hey, don’t get off without me.” Kevin grabbed Payce’s wrist, pulling Payce’s fingers away only to replace them with his thick cock.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

22

“Ahhh,” Payce sighed at the feel of the werelion sinking inside him. Heaven. Nothing had ever felt so good. Looking into his lover’s eyes, Payce tilted his head. “Bite me. Make me yours.” A low growl greeted that statement. Before he could recant his lust-induced request, fangs pierced the spot between shoulder and neck. Where he’d been expecting pain, joy filled him. It was as if the other half of his soul slid into place and he was now complete. His jaguar purred at the connection. Just as he felt his cat half relaxing, his body jerked like a marionette, pulsing cum out of his body in short spastic spurts of pleasure. His vision faded. Before it went completely black, he heard Kevin’s slow, southern drawl above him. “You’re mine now.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

23

Chapter Three

Kevin woke with a new awareness of another person. He’d had lovers before and even slept beside them, but he’d never had a mate. After marking Payce the night before, he now knew the difference. To complete the mating cycle, Payce still needed to bite him back, but Kevin didn’t worry. He could already feel the connection. The alarm clock blared, disturbing the gentle silence of the morning. Payce jolted up out of sleep and slapped the machine so hard Kevin heard the plastic crack. Why would anyone want to be woken that way? Kevin’s favourite way to wake up was from the tickling fingers of his little boys. They smelt of cereal, peanut butter toast and that indefinable smell of small children everywhere. Waking up next to the naked body of his mate could become his new favourite. “Morning.” Payce’s voice was gravelly from sleep, making Kevin’s morning wood ten times harder. He couldn’t believe his luck in finding a mate that liked being ordered around in the bedroom. Kevin leant over to kiss Payce only to be interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. “I think that one’s yours,” Payce said. His smile was huge as Kevin growled at him. “I’ll be right back, darlin’. Hold that thought.” Kevin wouldn’t have answered it last night, but this early in the morning it could have something to do with his kids. After searching through his pants, he answered his iPhone. The images on the screen revealed his two boys. Five-year-old Chase and seven-year-old Quinn looked back at him with excited gold eyes. “Daddy!” “Mornin’ boys, how are y’all doin’?” “Mom said we could call,” Quinn said, his chin tilted defiantly. “Did not, we took it outta her purse,” Chase said with a gamin grin. “That’s fine, boys. What did ya call for?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

24

His cock was quickly deflating as he looked into the dear faces of his children. They looked a lot alike, with a nice mixture of Tia’s lighter gold hair and his own more masculine features. “I miss you, Daddy,” Chase said with a dimpled smile. “Did you find your mate?” Quinn asked. Quinn was the serious one of the pair. While his younger brother bounced through his day, Quinn examined everything with a thoroughness that said he was aware of his surroundings. Despite only a two-year age difference, Quinn was the leader of their pack of two. Kevin was convinced Quinn would be the one to leave the family and create his own pride. “Yes, I did. Wanna meet him?” “Yes!” they chorused. Kevin turned around to find the bed empty. Huh, maybe his mate had to use the bathroom. “Sorry, boys. Payce had to get ready for work,” he stalled. “I’ll bring him home soon. Now be good to your mama and don’t steal anything else outta her purse.” “Yes, Daddy,” they said together. Kevin cut the connection and went to find his mate. A quick search found Payce in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. “Yah know, it would be more nutritious to eat that box,” Kevin said, leaning against the counter. He was a little peeved to see Payce was already dressed, but he did have to get to work so Kevin suppressed his annoyance. Payce glared at him. “What?” “You have kids.” Kevin shrugged. “So.” “You didn’t tell me.” The look of hurt stopped Kevin from his snappy comeback. “We weren’t exactly in a talking mood,” he reminded Payce softly. “I don’t know if I can handle kids. Jaguars sort of mate and dump, they don’t stick around for the after part. I can’t be a daddy.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

25

Kevin straightened from his position against the counter. “Well, who asked you to? I’m their father. If you want to be a part of their lives, fine. If you don’t, Tia and I have done just fine raising them together. We don’t need a reluctant third party.” “Who’s Tia?” Kevin opened his mouth only to have Payce hold up his hand. “Never mind. I’ve got to get to work. We’ll talk later.” Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to Kevin’s lips. Kevin reached out and cupped Payce’s cheeks between his hands. “We will talk later. I don’t want any secrets between us. I’m sorry if you’re upset about my kids, but I love them and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I’m willing to work things out but I won’t give up my kids.” Payce nodded, but his eyes refused to meet Kevin’s. “I understand.” He gave a rough laugh. “At least philosophically. I’m not asking you to give up your kids. I just need to get used to the idea.” “Yeah?” Kevin gave him a hard kiss on the mouth. “Take your time. We’re not in a hurry.” Actually he was, his body screamed to complete the mating, but he wasn’t going to tell Payce how much he ached with the compulsion to be bound. Pressuring his mate wasn’t how he wanted to be bonded together forever. A happy mate made a happy life and he wasn’t going to put a foot wrong if he could help it. “What is it you actually do?” Payce asked with a tired smile. Kevin shrugged. “I keep track of stuff, accounting.” “Desk job, huh?” Payce’s eyes tracked Kevin up and down. “You don’t look like a desk jockey.” “Get to work. You don’t want to be late.” Kevin didn’t want to discuss what he did. He might lose his mate’s interest if Payce found out he didn’t really do much. At his father’s death, Kevin inherited everything and spent most of his time sleeping in the sun, playing with his kids and counting his money. It was an idle life that he offset by sponsoring a charitable organisation to care for shifter children. Lion’s Heart was now a worldwide enterprise. Kevin left the day-to-day running to staff, but made sure there were multiple independent reviews of each home so there weren’t

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

26

any incidents of abuse. Once a year, Kevin checked out the homes himself. There were twelve homes in all with another two currently being built. Uncomfortable with being a philanthropist, Kevin didn’t want to share that part with Payce. It made him look too goodygoody which wasn’t the way to draw a sexy man to his side. Men like Payce wanted bad boys. Kevin could be as bad as needed to get the man he wanted.

Payce left his apartment, letting out a sigh of relief. As much as he liked Kevin and wanted him for his mate, this whole kid thing threw him for a loop. Male jaguars didn’t do kids. They left them with their mother after inception. Payce didn’t even know who his father was and had no interest in knowing. The fact that Kevin not only knew his kids, but also was a part of their everyday life said good things about the man. However, it opened up a bunch of insecurities Payce never knew he had. A glimpse at Kevin’s phone, as he passed, told him they were happy, loved children. They practically bounced with the joy they had in life. Had he ever had that joy, even as a kid? Thinking back, Payce didn’t think so. He wasn’t abused by any means, but his mother never glowed as much as Kevin did when his kids got on the phone. Payce didn’t mind the interruption by the children, even if his body was screaming for the sexy werelion. He did mind that Kevin didn’t want him involved. When they finished the mating cycle, Payce would be a permanent part of Kevin’s life. He wasn’t going to be the third wheel—a man introduced as Kevin’s mate, instead of his kid’s second father. If Payce was in this relationship, he was going to be in it completely. Payce reached the worksite just as he realised he’d talked himself from clueless about kids to becoming father of the year in the space of a few miles. Shaking his head at his silliness, Payce got out of his truck. It took him a few minutes to realise what that pain in his chest was all about. Yearning. He really wanted to become a part of that happy family. He wondered what Tia was like. “See you made it in.” The foreman’s hard voice broke into Payce’s thoughts.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

27

He glanced at his phone. “I’m right on time.” “Hmmm.” Jim Thompson was a big man with a huge gut and a mean streak a mile wide. If he didn’t pay so well Payce would’ve left long ago, hell, half the men would’ve. “I’m going to put you in a new section. The bathrooms on the lower floor need tiling. The boxes are in the hall.” Payce nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll clock in and get started.” “Good.” Jim gave him a careful look over. “There’s something different about you this morning.” Payce shrugged. He wasn’t going to tell his boss he had that ‘just bit by my mate’ glow. “Get to work.” “Yes, sir.” Walking away, Payce had to struggle with controlling his erection as memories of his mate surfaced. “Shit.” He tried to think of boring things as he made his way to the lobby bathroom on the bottom floor. Why they needed a bathroom at the lobby level he didn’t know, but he suspected they were adding a restaurant and some commercial enterprises. It wasn’t really any of his business as long as they paid him regularly. They could put in a zoo and he’d tile the stalls. It was all the same to him. Payce only got interested when he was hired to do mosaics. That was the tile work he loved. There was a deep satisfaction in creating a picture from a gazillion little pieces that he didn’t get from setting a million white tiles all in a row. However, with the current economy, those kinds of jobs were few and far between. Not one to fixate on bad fortune, Payce walked through the marble halls, his professional eye checking for errors in the tile he’d helped lay last week. “Looks good.” Dennis Wills, his best friend and the only other shifter on the job site, sauntered up. His coyote eyes scanned the tile, even as he discreetly sniffed his friend. “Why are you sniffing me?” Payce asked, waiting to see if Dennis guessed what was going on. Dennis’ piercing blue eyes went wide. “You’re mated. You found your mate. Yes!!!” Payce’s head spun as Dennis picked him up and swung him around in a circle. “Congratulations.” Laughing, Payce tried to catch his balance when he was unceremoniously set back on his feet. “Thanks.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

28

“What’s he like?” Payce sighed. “Absolutely gorgeous.” “Well, you’re going to think that. He’s your mate. It is a he, right?” Payce nodded. “I met him through a dating service.” Dennis shoved his smartphone at his friend. “Show me his picture.” “Fine.” Shaking his head, Payce logged onto the site and pulled up Kevin’s profile. “Oh, my God!” Dennis said, staring at his phone. “He’s fucking beautiful! You lucky bastard.” Payce couldn’t stop smiling. “He is, isn’t he?” “When did this happen?” “Yesterday. He’s visiting me from the Cascade Mountains.” “So why are you here instead of at your apartment?” Payce sighed as he remembered what had him fleeing his home. “He’s got kids.” “Umm, and you hate kids?” “No! I don’t know how I feel about kids, but he was all about letting me out of the entire thing. Before I had a chance to respond, he was telling me I don’t have to be part of their lives if I don’t want to, but what kind of asshole doesn’t want to help raise his mate’s kids?” Dennis was staring at him like he’d grown two heads. “What was your father like?” Payce shrugged. “I never met him.” “Mine kicked me out as soon as I was eighteen. He would’ve done it earlier if humans let you. He was a complete bastard. What kind of father is your guy?” Payce smiled at the memory. “I only saw him talking to them once, but they stole their mother’s phone to call him. They were young, really adorable.” Dennis kicked him, hard. “Oww. What the fuck was that for?” “You have a gorgeous mate who is a devoted father and considerate of your feelings, and you left him to come and lay tile. What kind of idiot are you? Get your ass back home before he decides you’re too much trouble and leaves town.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

29

“You think he might do that?” Panic filled Payce. Sure he wasn’t all lovey when he left Kevin, but that didn’t mean the man would leave him. After all they were mates. Didn’t that mean he had to put up with Payce’s crap? Dennis shoved him towards the exit. “Go. I’ll cover for you.” “Thanks.” He gave his friend a quick hug. Rushing out of the building, he reached into his pocket and pressed the alarm for his truck. The explosion rocked the neighbourhood. Before his terrified gaze, Payce’s truck blasted into pieces. Bits of scrap metal whipped through the air smashing into windows and littering the street. His truck. Exploded. Payce ducked as a tire streaked by his head. Staring at the scene, it took him a moment to realise it was his cell phone ringing and not his ears. “Hello.” “Hey, babe. Can you meet for lunch?” Kevin’s soft drawl was a welcoming sound. “Come get me. My truck just blew up.” “I’m on my way.” Kevin hung up without another word. Payce had to give him credit. His mate didn’t panic in an emergency. “What happened?” Dennis appeared beside him, staring at the bits of metal and flames in astonishment. “Someone blew up my truck!” He still couldn’t believe it. His hands shook as he tried to put the phone back in his pocket. It proved to be a next to impossible task as his nerves were shot and he couldn’t still his fingers enough to slide it in. A noise kept distracting him from his friend’s concerned questioning. It took him a moment to realise the sound was his teeth chattering. He’d almost died just as he found his mate. Why would anyone want to kill him? Kevin would never let him go to work alone again. He could already hear the southern man losing his drawl. The sound of sirens filled the air.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

30

Within minutes the fire department was putting out the burning husk of his car and a couple of cop cars arrived to divert traffic and investigate the scene. “Are you the owner of that truck?” An officer in a blue uniform approached. “Yes.” “Baby, are you all right?” Kevin rushed through the crowd to wrap a supportive arm around Payce. “My truck…” Payce pointed to the now foam covered carcass that was his vehicle. “What happened?” “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” the cop pointed out. A frown marred his forehead as he looked at the pair of men. “I’m Officer Young, could you tell me how this happened?” “I-I just pressed my alarm button and it exploded.” “So we’re talking about a bomb of some sort,” the cop said. “Apparently,” Kevin said. “My m-boyfriend is in shock. I need to get him home. He can come in tomorrow and talk to you. He doesn’t know any more than that he pressed his alarm.” As Kevin put a protective arm around him, Payce resisted the urge to burrow into his mate’s arms. The cop nodded and handed over his card. “Give me a call. I’m on duty all day tomorrow.” “Thank you,” Payce said over his shoulder, because Kevin was already moving them towards a battered truck. He didn’t say anything as he was stuffed in the truck and buckled in like he was a twoyear-old. Payce decided he liked being taken care of. None of his boyfriends before were the nurturing type. Despite his dominant nature, Kevin was extremely nurturing. Payce wondered if it was because he was used to being around his kids. “We’ll get you home and pack you a bag.” “What do I need a bag for?” “Because we’re getting you the hell out of town.” “I have to talk to that cop tomorrow. I want this bastard caught.” “Have there been any other things happening?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

31

Payce turned to look at his mate. “Nothing I thought was on purpose. My foreman hit me with a piece of wood the other day and an iron beam fell and knocked my shoulder out of joint two weeks ago.” Now that he was thinking about it, there had been a series of accidents. Accidents that he’d put out of his mind once they were over, because he always healed. “Someone is trying to kill me.” The words left his mouth as soon as the realisation set in. He regretted them as soon as he saw the expression of horror on his mate’s face. Kevin’s mouth tightened and Payce could see his mate’s hands turn white on the steering wheel. “Who do you think it is?” “My foreman’s the one who hit me with the wood.” Kevin shrugged. “That doesn’t necessarily make him the bad guy. That could’ve been an accident.” “Maybe, but the guy has always given me the creeps.” It didn’t take long to get to Payce’s place. He let Kevin help him out of the truck and into his apartment. “Where’s your suitcase?” “Hall closet.” “Go collect your clothes.” The southern lion’s accent was completely missing. Shit. Kevin was pissed. Looking at his mate’s face he saw the sparkly, laughing gaze was gone, in its place were eyes of solid gold, hard, flat and dangerous. A predator peered out at him. Kevin’s lion was close to the surface, roaring to get out and protect his own. “I-I’ll get my stuff.” Familiar with his own cat, Payce didn’t run down the hall. He walked slowly, carefully and as casually as possible. The first rule in dealing with a predator was to not to make yourself prey. Gathering a collection of shirts, pants and shorts, Payce grabbed some extra socks and his favourite pair of shoes. “Here’s your suitcase, darlin’.” Payce had never felt so relieved to hear a southern drawl in his life.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

32

“Thanks.” He accepted the suitcase and set it down on the bed. Looking at the pile of clothes next to the suitcase overwhelmed Payce. Memories of the afternoon and how close he’d got to death rushed at him. Even a shifter can’t heal from being blown into bits. If he’d been a little less eager to see Kevin and pressed the alarm closer to his truck, he would’ve been killed. He didn’t even realise he’d collapsed until Kevin’s arms surrounded him and he heard his lover talking in his ear. “I’ve got you. You’ve had a hell of a day, darlin’. I don’t think my heart can take anything else. We’ll go talk to that nice cop tomorrow then hightail it out of town. No one is gonna get my mate.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

33

Chapter Four

The next morning, after a hurried breakfast, Kevin threw their suitcases into the cab of his truck and took Payce to the police station. After Payce gave his report, which was short and sweet since he didn’t know who was after him, the lion grabbed his mate and got the hell out of town. He didn’t care if the police wanted a follow up, he wasn’t going to leave his mate some place he could be injured and possibly killed. If someone wanted to kill Payce, they’d have to get past Kevin. He wasn’t going to leave his lover alone. If the killer showed up in Kevin’s town, word of a stranger would get back to him. At home he would have his pride to stand beside him. He had no doubt Talan would help him protect his own. The alpha was excellent about keeping his people safe. As Payce was Kevin’s mate Talan would extend him the same courtesy. At least he hoped he would. Shit. It was too late for second thoughts. Few words were spoken between the men, but they both knew where their thoughts lay. Who was trying to kill Payce and why?

Kevin smiled as he pulled up in front of the lion’s mansion, happy to be home and looking forward to seeing his children again. Even that short separation had felt like forever. “Fuck, you live here?” He turned to see his mate looking at the house with wide eyes. Five lions lay on the deck sunning, but Kevin could see Tia in the doorway. He knew it must make her twitchy to wait until they got out of the car. Curious cat. “No, we live here. Come on darlin’, let me introduce you to the family.” He might not have grown up with this bunch of lions, but they were the family of his heart.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

34

Grabbing Payce’s suitcase, he slid out of the cab, waiting for his mate to get out before taking any steps towards the door. “Daddy!” Chase tore across the yard and threw himself into his father’s arms. Kevin grabbed his son, easily lifting him up into the air before giving him a big hug. “I missed you, little guy,” he whispered into his son’s honey-coloured hair. “I missed you too, Daddy,” Chase said. Peeking over Kevin’s shoulder, he whispered, “Is that your mate?” “Yep.” “He’s not a lion.” “Nope, he’s a jaguar.” “I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t a lion.” “That’s not true, little man, you’ve met Adrian. He’s a wolf.” Chase looked at him with a disapproving gaze. “I mean another cat, Daddy. I’ve only met lion cats.” “That’s true.” Chase waved at Payce. “Hi, Daddy-mate.” He rushed the words together like they were one. Payce’s laugh lightened Kevin’s heart. His mate had been so closed off during the ride Kevin worried about him. “Hello.” “I’m Chase.” “Hello, Chase.” “I’m a lion.” Payce walked closer to Kevin as if to see his son better. “So I’ve heard. Just like your daddy.” Chase nodded. “Some day I’m going to have a mane like Daddy. Have you seen his mane? It’s huge.” Chase separated his hands an impossibly long distance apart. “Not yet, but I hope to soon.” “Maybe tomorrow.” “Why tomorrow?” Kevin asked. “Because Mommy said we was going to have a feast tonight.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

35

“Ahhh.” “Daddy!” Quinn tore from the house. Kevin passed Chase over to Payce in time to catch his flying seven-year-old as he leapt into Kevin’s arms. “I missed you too,” Kevin laughed. Quinn’s skinny arms wrapped tight around Kevin until breathing was a luxury. “Let your daddy go, Quinn. He’s got to breathe.” Payce’s voice was soft but firm. Immediately Quinn let him go. “Sorry Daddy.” “That’s okay.” He was happy his sons were so pleased to see him back. It was the first time he’d been away from them since they were babies. Quinn took his hand, an unusual act from his usually reserved son. Kevin was surprised to see Payce was still carrying Chase. The pair appeared to be having a whispered conversation. Quinn tugged on his hand to get his attention. “What?” “Is that your mate?” “Yes.” Quinn’s gold eyes took in Payce as he carried Chase effortlessly towards the house. “He’s strong.” “Yes, he is.” “That’s good.” Quinn nodded his head sagely. “A mate should be strong.” “What about Adrian, would you say he’s strong?” Kevin was fascinated by this new maturity in his son. Quinn shook his head. “Talan said Adrian is something better.” “What’s that?” “Vicious. Talan said sometimes it’s better to be sneaky than to be strong, but you know what I think?” “What?” He was dying to find out what his son thought. “I think it’s best to be both. That’s what my mate will be, vicious and strong.” “Yeah, do you think it’ll be a man or a woman?” Some werelions knew early what their mate would be, others searched their entire life.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

36

Quinn’s forehead wrinkled as he concentrated. “I don’t know.” “Well, you’re young. Time will tell.” He didn’t want to share with his son that some people had both. He could learn later about sexuality. Right now, he still had puberty in his future. As soon as they reached the house, the kids ran off to play. Kevin heard roars as they shifted. “No teeth or claws!” he shouted after them.

Payce didn’t know what to say about the lion house. It was certainly the largest house he’d ever been in, but it still felt like a home. “Back off, woman!” a voice shouted down the hall. “Uh, oh. Sounds like Adrian needs backup.” Kevin placed Payce’s bag neatly by the stairs and headed towards the noise. A low snarl had Kevin picking up his pace. Curiosity made Payce follow. “Tia, you know better than to bug Adrian when he’s cooking. I’ll tell your sisters that you made him ruin his baking.” “You wouldn’t.” The woman’s voice was so appalled, Payce had to hold back his laugh. He lost all urge towards amusement when he walked into the room to find Kevin confronting a drop dead gorgeous lioness, hovering over a pretty, dark-haired man. When the unknown man looked over at him, Payce was struck by the beauty of the man’s green eyes. Wow, this must be the famous Adrian. He was distracted enough by the attractive cook that it took him a moment to realise the woman standing beside his mate was Kevin’s kids’ mother. “You must be Payce.” Before he could say yes or no, he had an armful of female lion. She smelt faintly like Kevin, which made his hackles rise. “Step slowly back, Tia.” The lioness didn’t question Kevin’s order. She took one slow step after another until she was out of Payce’s arms. Payce couldn’t take the stress any more. Almost getting killed, finding his mate, finding out his mate had kids. He shifted into his jaguar.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

37

“Holy crap, he’s a panther,” Tia said with wide eyes. “No, he’s a black jaguar. I read about those once.” Kevin’s voice was remarkably calm. “They kill their prey by crushing their skulls,” Adrian offered. Payce growled at Tia. “Fuck, I bet you smell like me,” Kevin said. “I didn’t think of that. Jaguar’s are loners but very territorial. He considers me part of his territory.” “What should I do?” Tia asked. “Stay still. I’ll take care of this.” Without another word, Kevin stripped off his clothes and shifted. Inside, Payce shook with nerves as the enormous lion bared his fangs. His mate was a glorious creature. Kevin’s mane flared out around his head. Payce almost wished he had fingers so he could pet it, but his jaguar half wanted to kill the female. She was a threat. She bore Kevin his children. She smelt like him. She must be killed so Kevin could never return to her. Payce moved towards her only to be herded away by the lion. Kevin growled. Payce sat and tilted his head. What was the problem? His cat mind couldn’t understand. Once the woman was killed the obstacle to their mating was removed. He didn’t understand why the lion wasn’t on his side. Dodging to one side, he was blocked by the lion and knocked on his rump. Payce settled his head on his paws, placing himself subserviently lower than the big lion. He understood how the bigger cat was in charge, but why didn’t he kill her? The interloper must die. He tried to leap at her only to be smacked down. Letting out a confused yowl, Payce swiped at the lion, keeping his claws in. He was upset, not stupid. A voice pierced through his brain. Stop it. NO! She smells like my mate. She must die. She carries the genes of my children.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

38

They are born, she is no longer important, Payce argued. Why couldn’t his mate see his logic? You can’t kill the mother of my children. They still need nurturing. Payce’s cat caught on that word. Nurturing, his human half liked being nurtured. Images of the small lion children skittered across his head. Nice children. Yes, nice children need their mother, Kevin whispered in his head. Payce thought about it for a moment. His cat half was all for killing the woman, but his human half was slowly winning. You can’t kill my boys’ mother. Kevin’s voice was firm and commanding. Payce noticed Kevin’s psychic voice didn’t have any hint of the south. Looking at the implacable lion, the jaguar spun on its heel and ran in the opposite direction. He needed a run. Payce ran and ran until the cat couldn’t catch its breath any more. He leapt onto a low hanging branch, using it as a starting point to reach a higher branch. “Get your furry ass down here!” he heard Kevin bellow below. Payce sprawled across the sturdy branch and looked smugly down at his mate. In his lion form Kevin was too heavy to climb up the trees so his mate had transformed back into a man. Flicking his tail back and forth, the jaguar watched the human rant down below. “I mean it Payce, get down here now!” The jaguar debated for a moment. “Now!” Leaping lightly to the ground, Payce walked up to the handsome golden man. “You are never to attack Tia.” The pretty lion man was frowning at him. He didn’t want frowns. Payce jumped up, placed his large paws on Kevin’s shoulders and licked the man from neck to forehead. “Ewww and ouch. Sandpaper tongue.” The golden man stepped back. “Change.” Payce shifted back to his human shape, shivering at the sudden lack of fur. “I’m really sorry.” Wrapping his arms around himself, Payce looked at Kevin through his lashes. “I didn’t mean to, but I hugged her and she smelt like you, and I lost it. I-I don’t have the best control over my cat,” he confessed.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

39

“We’ll have to work on that then, won’t we darlin’.” Payce nodded. He’d agree to anything if it would get Kevin to look at him with happy, sparkling eyes again. He looked down, ashamed at losing control in front of his mate. Jaguars should be strong, not dependent on another to keep him safe. He was a failure as a shifter. Damaged. Not worthy of his powerful, kind mate. The shock of Kevin’s warm skin wrapped around him, sent jolts of delight throughout Payce’s body. He let out the breath he’d been holding and leant against his mate, breathing in his wonderful scent. “I need you,” he admitted. If Kevin rejected him because he lacked control, pieces of his heart would break off, never to be found again. “I need you too, darlin’,” Kevin whispered in his ear. “We’ll work on your control. I’m surprised my children didn’t trigger you.” Payce shrugged. “I guess my cat doesn’t see them as a danger for your affections.” “You shouldn’t see Tia that way either, hon. We’ve never been more than close friends starting a family while we tried to find our mates. Tia didn’t want to wait for kids any longer, and I knew I wouldn’t get another chance since I knew my mate was a man. We love our kids but we don’t love each other, not like I love you.” Kevin tilted Payce’s face up until he was forced to look into the lion’s eyes. They sparkled, easing the knot twisting in Payce’s stomach. “We’ll get through this and be stronger in the end. Now, I think you’ve got an apology to make.” Payce nodded. “I do want to get along with Tia. I don’t want your boys’ mother to hate me.” “She doesn’t hate you none,” Kevin declared, “but she is a little miffed. I don’t suppose you’ve got a recipe for a kickass chocolate cookie.” Payce laughed. “I don’t bake.” “Shame. That worked for Adrian.” “You’re right.” “About what?” “He is a pretty man.” Kevin laughed. “Don’t let Talan hear you say that.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

40

“Where is your alpha?” “He had a business trip to a shifter conference. Adrian refused to go after the last meeting where leaders of the Alaskan and Oregon prides tried to hit on him. He said it was best for international interests that he not attend. Personally, I think he was just bored to death but he didn’t want to tell Talan. Adrian isn’t what you call sociable. Don’t get me wrong he’s not a hermit, but he doesn’t like crowds bigger than his pack or his pride.” “How does he have a pack and a pride?” Payce had never heard of such a thing. He’d never even had a real family and here was a guy who had two. Kevin laughed. “Because neither of us was willing to give him up. On full moons he heads down the mountain and spends the night with his brother’s pack. It’s hard being the only wolf with a bunch of cats, but he loves Talan something fierce.” Payce nodded and tried to not feel jealous. It must be nice to be wanted. His nerves jumped around in his stomach like a cadre of grasshoppers as he entered the house again. Kevin grabbed his suitcase. “Let’s get to my room and dress before we talk to Tia. No offence, but I don’t want her looking at your tender bits. Those are all mine.” Payce laughed. “I don’t want her looking at my tender bits either.” Kevin’s room was large and masculine with a luxurious bathroom attached to a bedroom bigger than Payce’s apartment. “Wow.” Kevin gave him a wide smile. “I hope you like your new home.” “What do you mean?” Payce had a disturbing idea that he knew what the other man meant. “Aren’t you moving here to live with me?” “What would I do? I do tile, I don’t see a bunch of buildings going up around here.” “You don’t have to work. I’ll take care of ya. It’s part of the having a mate thing.” “I’m not going to live off of you.” Kevin looked at him with sad eyes. Anger surged through the jaguar, how dare his mate be disappointed in him. “I’m not your pet. You don’t get to take me home and keep me.” Sitting on the bed, Kevin buried his face in his hands.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

41

Damn. Payce sat beside his mate, wrapping an arm around the forlorn body. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Why did he keep battering away at this man who wanted nothing more than to keep him safe and happy? “I do want to be your mate. I just don’t want you to think I’m going to live off of you.” Kevin looked up. Tears filled those golden eyes, wrenching Payce’s gut into a whole nest of knots. “I don’t care if you live off of me. If you want to work, I’ll find something for you. If you don’t, that’s fine too. All I want is for you to stay with me and be my mate. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, a mate.” He’d never been someone’s dream before, but Payce could tell from the look in Kevin’s eyes that he was everything to this wonderful man. “If I claim you, will you always be mine?” “Even if you don’t claim me, I will always be yours.” He could see the truth in the lion’s eyes. “Then let me claim you.” Kevin’s smile was blinding.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

42

Chapter Five

Kevin couldn’t believe his luck. Just as he was certain Payce was going to tell him where to shove his mating, the temperamental jaguar decided to give in. How did he get so lucky? Some might not think it was lucky to have a mate on the run from some unknown psycho, but Kevin had waited his entire life for a mate of his own. He wasn’t going to let little details stop him from having his mate claim him. “How do you want me?” Payce gave him a sexy smirk. “I thought you liked to tell me what to do.” Kevin nodded, his cock rising at the idea. “I do but this is your mating too. How do you want me?” “Remember what you told me at my apartment?” Kevin ran his words through his mind. He remembered everything he ever told his mate. Fuck, he was hard. “Get on the bed,” he ordered. Not bothering to look and see if Payce obeyed, Kevin walked over to the chest by the wall. Reaching inside, he pulled out a set of handcuffs and a skein of rope. “Hands up,” Kevin barked, pleased when Payce’s hands snapped up. With quick efficient movements, Kevin snapped on one cuff, looped it through the headboard and cuffed Payce’s other wrist. The increase of pheromones and the pole standing at attention between his mate’s thighs, told Kevin that the jaguar was all for these games. Except Kevin wasn’t playing, he was binding for keeps. Whatever hang-ups his lover had, it was time for him to get over them. Payce was Kevin’s and he aimed to keep him. With quick, practiced movements, Kevin bound Payce’s ankles to the bottom posts. A low moan greeted his final loop. “Comfortable darlin’.” Payce nodded, panting. Kevin smiled when he saw one of Payce’s fangs peeping through his lips. His baby liked being tied down.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

43

With a confident stride, Kevin approached his mate. “I want you to forget about leaving me. I don’t care what you decide to do with your life, but we are not going to be apart. Now, I can’t go and join you in Seattle because I’m attached to my boys and don’t want to miss them growing, and some psycho is after you, so you’re going to stay here until that’s resolved. But you are not allowed to leave me, understand?” Payce nodded. “Good. Now I’m going to slick myself up and enjoy that one-eyed monster you’ve got staring at me, and you’re going to be a good kitty and mark me as yours, do we have an agreement?” “Anything.” Payce licked his lips.” Anything you want, mate.” For the first time Payce admitted they were mates. Relief rushed through Kevin, he’d worried that Payce wouldn’t agree to their mating. Grabbing the tube he kept in his side table, Kevin spread the lube liberally on his fingers. Propping one foot between Payce’s bound ones, he lifted his ass and pressed his fingers inside giving Payce a show. Kevin let his moans fill the air as he loosened up his tight hole. It had been years since he’d let anyone inside him. He’d need lots of lube. “Please,” Payce begged. “Fuck me.” “I think you’ve got that wrong, darlin’. You’re going to fuck me.” Payce gave a broken laugh. “I might be inside you but we both know who’s in charge.” “I’m glad you admit that.” Seeing the desperate look on Payce’s face, Kevin crawled over his lover’s body. He positioned his hole right over his mate’s rigid staff. Taking a calming breath, he slowly lowered himself over Payce’s cock, relaxing his body as he sank down, accepting his mate. “Whatever you do, don’t move,” Payce warned. “Why not?” “Because this will be the shortest mating in history if you wiggle on my cock.” Kevin laughed. “Don’t do that either.” Payce sucked in his breath and closed his eyes. Kevin thought he heard Payce muttering numbers. Leaning forward, he brushed his neck against Payce’s soft lips. “Bite me, darlin’, make me yours.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

44

From the way his lover was trying to keep control, Kevin thought the jaguar shifter was reluctant. A low growl ripped from his mate. Wood splintered, as Payce shattered the headboard and foot posts. Kevin’s world spun, as Payce flipped him over onto his back, plunging in and out of Kevin like he would die if their two bodies didn’t merge. Payce’s black eyes flared with sparks of gold as he looked down at his mate. “Mine!” The jaguar looked down at him through the face of a man. Kevin tilted his neck, giving submission to the only man, besides his alpha, who he would ever submit to. Fangs plunged into Kevin’s skin, biting deep into his mating spot between neck and shoulder. The one place he’d never let his casual lovers touch in the past. Pleasure ripped through Kevin’s body as his mate continued to claim him in a delightfully thorough manner. “Yes,” he whispered. Cum spurted out of his body as, unable to keep pleasure inside, it sought to escape. With a roar, Payce’s liquid spilled inside him and the jaguar collapsed. Kevin stayed there for a long moment before realising his mate wasn’t moving. A low purring resulted from his discreet nudge. “Darlin’, I don’t like to nitpick but if you don’t move my lungs are gonna collapse.” His body jolted from Payce’s laughter. To his relief the large man slid off him, curled up on his side and wrapped his long arms around Kevin. The purring continued. “Happy?” “Mmhmm.” “Good. I think we’re gonna need a new bed.” Payce laughed, a soft chuffing sound that probably came from his cat side. “Maybe we should get one made out of metal.” “Maybe,” Kevin said before curling up beside the warm body of his mate and falling asleep.

****

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

45

Payce woke up feeling better than he ever had before. Looking down, he smiled at the beautiful man at his side. Kevin had more going for him than good looks; he was beautiful inside too. Payce had thought Kevin would freak when he shifted yesterday, but his mate took everything in stride with his usual calm. Giggles outside the door turned his attention to the doorway. Payce quickly covered his body. Living with shifters, the children probably were used to naked people, but he was feeling oddly self-conscious to be found in their father’s bed. A soft knock followed more giggles. “Come in,” he said it softly so he didn’t wake up Kevin, but loud enough for the children to hear. The older one walked in carrying a tray of food. His younger brother closed the door behind him. The kid must have a spring in his ass because he bounced like he couldn’t keep still. “Mommy said you might be hungry.” Guilt wormed its way into Payce. Here he’d all but attacked her and she was sending him food. He’d have to go down and talk to her. “That was nice of her, tell her I said thank you.” “’kay.” Payce sat up so Quinn could put the tray across his lap. The spread was huge. Eggs, bacon, pancakes and fresh juice covered the tray in large piles. “Where’s your mother?” “She went hunting with the aunts.” “Are all the females related?” Quinn nodded. “Why do you have dark hair like Adrian? You don’t smell like a wolf,” Quinn asked, staring at him. “I’m a black jaguar. Some call us panthers.” “I wanna see you shift,” Chase said, staring at him with familiar gold eyes. “Don’t pester my mate none, you little cubs,” Kevin said beside him. “Daddy!” Shit, they were loud.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

46

“Quiet, fur balls, my mate isn’t used to your noisy ways.” Payce mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Kevin’s knowing gaze. “Sorry,” they said together. “That’s all right.” Payce clutched at the coffee like a lifeline, gulping down the bitter liquid. Maybe if he had more he’d be perky enough to deal with little lions. He looked at the bouncy children. He might need a vat. “Go get ready for schoolin’,” Kevin said, giving his children slaps on the ass. “All right,” Quinn said, giving him a lingering look. He could tell the child had reservations about having another person in his father’s life, but was too well bred to say it. Chase was a different matter. The little sprite walked around the bed and carefully kissed him on the cheek. “Welcome, Daddy-mate.” Chase ran off, giggling. Quinn gave him a careful glance before turning to follow his brother. “Quinn, greet my mate properly,” Kevin’s growl had his son doing an about face. Straightening his spine, the child faced Payce with the bravery of an adult lion. “Welcome to the pride, mate of my father,” the child said formally. “Thank you, Quinn,” Payce responded. The boy looked at his father, and with a nod from Kevin relaxed. “Go on now and get ready for school.” The child escaped as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. “You can’t make him like me,” Payce told his mate. “He don’t have to like ya, but he has to show some respect.” Payce didn’t know what to say. Turned out he didn’t have to say anything as Kevin spent the next hour showing him all the delightful ways you can eat breakfast off another man’s body.

**** Kevin had to make some business calls, leaving Payce on his own. He still didn’t know what his mate did for a living.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

47

Wandering aimlessly he found himself heading to the same place most people did when visiting, the kitchen. He found the dark-haired wolf leaning over a small journal. “Hello.” Bright blue eyes examined him with interest. “Hi.” Payce got a welcoming megawatt smile. “I’m Adrian, we didn’t really get to meet yesterday.” The man came forward, holding out his hand. Payce felt the spark of power when their hands touched. Despite his size, Adrian had a really strong animal spirit. He saw something powerful move beneath those bright green eyes before his hand was released. Wow. The wolf had examined him and decided he wasn’t a danger. Payce was glad in that moment the other man was already mated. Mr. Friendly-Green-Eyes was dangerous. Swallowing to get some moisture back in his throat, Payce looked around the room. It was an enormous gourmet kitchen with the lingering smell of bacon and eggs. “Nice kitchen.” Adrian laughed. “Yeah, but none of the lions really like cooking.” “Really?” “Yeah. I bake when I’m stressed.” “Why are you stressed?” What the hell could stress a wolf like this? “Hmm.” Adrian looked up from his book and shrugged. “I’m a game designer. Right now I’m stuck on a programming glitch, my deadline is right around the corner and my mate is out of town. I’m always calmer when Talan’s here.” Payce sat on the kitchen barstool. Close enough to talk but far enough he wouldn’t get in the way. Payce wasn’t a cook. His life subsisted of take out, but he liked to watch other people in the kitchen. There was a sort of ballet done by a good chef. “What are you going to make?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

48

“I can’t decide.” Adrian held up his journal. “This was my grandmother’s. I’m slowly going through her baking book. I’m up to brownies. I baked brownies yesterday but this is a different recipe.” “I somehow doubt anyone would care if you baked brownies two days in a row.” Who didn’t like a brownie? “You think?” Those green eyes looked up at him. Payce nodded. Adrian went back to his book. “You’re probably right. As long as it contains chocolate they don’t seem to care. They’re gonna freak when I get to lemon bars and orange cake.” Like a magician, the smaller man started pulling bowls, ingredients and baking pans from concealed cabinets. Watching Adrian crack eggs and melt chocolate was relaxing. Payce wasn’t prepared when the interrogation began. “You don’t have any idea who is after you?” “Um, no.” Payce sat up straighter on his stool. “No threats, no suspicious lurkers.” Payce shook his head. “Nope. There were a few incidents on the job site, but nothing I couldn’t brush off as an accidentuntil they blew up my car.” “Hmm.” Eggs were blended into chocolate before the next question. “Anyone at the scene all of those time?” “Sure the entire crew. We’re all working on the same building.” “True.” Adrian was quiet for a while, but Payce was learning that just meant the wolf was thinking, not that he’d given up the idea. “What about your foreman?” “I’d peg him for some of the worksite accidents, but I don’t think he’s smart enough to figure out how to blow up my truck.” “Well, don’t worry too much. Kevin and Talan will figure out who’s doing it and take care of it.” “Not you?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

49

Adrian laughed. “No, I’m more of a pacifist. If they came to the house, I’d take care of them.” The look in Adrian’s eyes told Payce he was looking at the scariest pacifist he’d ever met. “There you are, darlin’.” Kevin’s voice was a welcome relief. “Payce and I were getting to know each other,” Adrian said in a soft voice. “Great. You two can bond over bein’ inferior in a super lion world.” Payce looked at Kevin to see what he was up to. There was a teasing light in his mate’s eyes as he watched Adrian. Adrian stirred his batter as he responded. “Now, Kevin, you know we only let you live because you’re too pretty to kill. Don’t make me damage your one talent.” “Ouch, Sugar. I think you have sharper claws than any cat.” “Are you picking on my mate?” a deep voice asked from the doorway. Kevin’s eyes went wide; Payce turned around. Shit, that was the biggest fucking lion shifter he’d ever seen. Neither Kevin nor Payce was small, but the man standing in the doorway made him feel as small as Kevin’s children. Kevin got to his feet, motioning for Payce to follow his cue. “Talan, this is Payce, my mate. Payce, this is our alpha, Talan.” “And Adrian’s mate,” the large alpha reminded him. “And Adrian’s mate,” Kevin dutifully parroted. Payce heard a low snicker behind him and knew Adrian was enjoying his mate’s grand entrance. “I hope you’re making a double batch of those brownies,” Talan said. The look of total adoration he gave Adrian made Payce’s nervousness disappear. No one who looked at his mate with such love could be a completely bad guy. “I quadrupled the batch; the woman went hunting.” “Lord, you’d best have those done when they get back,” Kevin said, his drawl slow and easy, relaxing Payce more than any words of reassurance could. “And be out of the kitchen,” Talan added. “They almost trampled you last time.” Adrian popped the brownies into a couple of ovens and set a timer. “I’m sure you can think of something to keep me busy for the next forty-five minutes.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

50

Talan’s gold eyes flared. Without a word to Payce or Kevin, he marched over, threw Adrian over his shoulder and walked away. A minute later they heard a door slam closed and a shriek filled the air. “Don’t worry none, darlin’, that’s just Talan’s way. I’ll talk to him later about your situation after he’s done worn Adrian out.” After talking with Adrian and finding out what the wolf did, Payce wondered once again about his own mate. “Kevin, what is it you do?” A blush crossed Kevin’s golden skin. “I’m sorta independently wealthy. I’ve got some charities I run and I enjoy my kids.” What would it be like to have that sort of freedom? “What would you do if you could do anything?” Kevin asked. It was almost like he was reading Payce’s mind. Payce took a long time to answer as he thought of all the things he liked to do. “I’d do mosaics for people. I really like doing tile work, there’s something satisfying when a project is done. But my real love is mosaics.” Kevin wrinkled his forehead. “You mean like those pictures with tiles?” Payce nodded. “I’ve done a few pools, bathrooms and once a metro station with mosaics. It was really great.” “Huh. We’ll get you set up with a nice business, darlin’. Tia does interior decorating for shifter homes, maybe you can work something out with her.” Payce had a feeling it wasn’t the only thing he’d have to work out with the lioness.

Kevin wondered how he could get Payce to agree to live in a pride house with a bunch of lions and no job. It looked like his mate had a few problems with Tia, not to mention the entire father thing. A few ideas spun through his head as he thought about job possibilities for the jaguar. Payce’s cell phone rang, interrupting Kevin’s thoughts about how to get Payce settled. Kevin watched curiously as his mate answered. When the jaguar turned pale, he stepped forward and put an arm around him. “I’ll be there in a few hours,” Payce said before hanging up. “What is it, darlin’?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

51

“That was the police. There was a break-in at my apartment. My place is trashed.” “They’re trying to lure you back to the city. They can’t find you out here.” The pride house was buried in the mountains. Unless you knew what you were looking for it was easy to miss. Hell, sometimes Adrian still got lost. “It’s working. I won’t be run out of my home.” The words sent a shaft of pain through Kevin’s heart. “I thought this was your home.” “You know what I mean,” Payce said. Kevin released his mate and stepped away. “No, I don’t think I do. You never really agreed to move in with me. I just assumed you’d want to because you’re my mate. If your truck hadn’t exploded, were you gonna come live with me?” He saw the truth in Payce’s eyes. The other shifter reached out to him, Kevin dodged his touch. “We just met, Kevin, I hadn’t made any sort of decision. I was coming back to tell you I wanted to see how things worked out.” “You were?” He hated the hope in his own voice. He sounded desperate. Fuck, he was desperate. There were cautionary tales about mates who bonded then broke apart. All of them ended in murder or suicide, sometimes both. A shifter who lost his mate went crazy. Everyone knew that. Kevin didn’t want to lose his mate, but even an easy-going man had his pride. His mate hadn’t really wanted him until they’d bonded. Now they were stuck with each other for life. In his dreams of finding his mate none of them had involved the gut-wrenching pain of being unwanted by the one man he’d looked for all of his life. “I’ll take you back to the city.” Tears clogged his throat. He’d be damned before he let them fall. Payce’s fingers briefly brushed his back as he turned. Kevin stepped forward and away from the other man’s touch. He couldn’t bear to face his mate. It hurt too much. “I’ll go grab my bag.” Kevin nodded. As much as he loved his family, there was a jaguar shaped hole in his heart.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

52

Chapter Six

Payce’s apartment was a wreck. They were escorted into the place by the same police officer that had helped with the exploded truck. “You’ve got someone holding a mean grudge,” the cop said, giving a cool examination of the trashed apartment. “Looks that way,” Payce agreed in a choked tone. Kevin pulled himself out of his depression to notice that the slashing on the bed and couch, attributed to a knife, looked surprisingly like claws. He kept quiet because that wasn’t something you discussed in front of the humans. Whoever was angry with Payce, wasn’t of the human variety. Payce made a list of his damaged property for the police and his insurance company. Gathering another small bag of his belongings, he followed Kevin back to his truck. They stopped by the driver’s door where Kevin leaned against the door instead of unlocking it and getting in. “What do you want to do now?” “What do you mean?” “You don’t want to stay with me. Did you want me to take you to a hotel?” He’d drop Payce wherever he wanted to go. He needed to get back home and lick his wounds. As much as he’d rather stay and watch over his mate, he wasn’t wanted, and as much as he longed for his mate, he wasn’t going to beg. “Is that what you thought I was saying?” Payce dropped his bag on the ground, wrapping Kevin in his arms. “I’m not saying I don’t want you for a mate. I just think we need to discuss what I’m going to do with my life instead of you planning it without me.” Payce placed a kiss on Kevin’s head. “Don’t give up on me, my mate. I just need time to adjust to belonging to someone.” Kevin slid out of Payce’s arms. “I’ll give you all the time you need.” He couldn’t face the jaguar. “Come on, let’s get to a hotel and see if we can figure this out.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

53

He’d stay with Payce until they discovered who was after his mate. Then he’d let the other man go. He couldn’t force the jaguar to want him. Words of love said while having sex didn’t count.

Payce entered the hotel, barely taking in the luxurious surroundings. He could feel Kevin’s pain through their mating link. His overtures were politely rebuffed and the sparkling shine in Kevin’s gold eyes was dull and lifeless. He’d done that. He’d crushed his mate. Blinking back tears, Payce set his bags on the couch, sitting beside them. “I’m gonna call my family,” Kevin told him, going out to the balcony doors. Payce bit his lip, to stop from blurting out that he was already with part of his family. He didn’t say it though. He’d lost that chance when he’d told Kevin he wasn’t at home in the mountains. He was still kicking himself over that one. If he could go back in time and take those thoughtless words back, he would. Kevin returned and gave him a weak smile. “Tia said she’d talk to the boys and tell them I’ll be away for a few days. I’ll call them when they get off school.” “Where do they go to school?” “There’s a shared shifter and human school in town.” “Really? The humans don’t worry about their kids?” “Nope. There are strict rules and a shifter adult is in each classroom as room helper. We all donate a few hours a week and playtime is segregated so the shifter kids can play a little rougher. It also helps build shifter-human relations. You’re less likely to be prejudiced against shifters if you’ve been friends since kindergarten.” “Makes sense.” He walked closer to his mate, the jaguar in him seeking his mate’s touch. Kevin stepped back, pain flaring in his eyes. “Don’t,” the lion’s voice cracked. “Don’t what? Don’t touch my mate. You might as well tell me to stop breathing. When I said I hadn’t planned on moving in with you, I didn’t mean never. I meant I hadn’t thought that far ahead. You immediately thought the worse, why?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

54

Kevin looked away for a moment, walking to the large glass balcony doors. “When I was eighteen, I was tossed out of my mother’s pride. I know it’s the lion way, but it was the worst feeling I’d ever felt. One minute I was a loved and cosseted lion cub, the next I was unwanted and alone in the world. I promised myself I would never make my children feel that way. Before I joined Talan’s pack, I made him swear that my boys could stay as long as they didn’t challenge him for alpha position. I want them to make the choice to move on instead of being shoved out of the pride. We might be part animal, but we’re part human too. When I thought you rejected me, all of those old feelings came back.” “Oh, honey.” Payce went over to his mate. “I never meant you to feel I didn’t want you.” He turned his reluctant lover to face him. “You’re a little overwhelming, babe.” Kevin’s eyes regained some of their sparkle. Payce decided to chance it, he leant in for a kiss. Relief rushed through him when Kevin didn’t pull away. “I will always want you. Just because we fight, don’t think it means you’re unwanted. I might be frustrated with you or angry but I will always want you. When you pull away, I can feel it in here.” Payce touched the spot over his heart. “It’s painful for both of us.” Kevin’s eyes glowed sadly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, darlin’.” “I know.” Payce wrapped his arms around his mate, soaking in his scent. “We just need to get used to belonging together. Any new relationship is hard. Being bound together doesn’t mean we magically understand each other. Like anything else it will take a lot of work.” Kevin nodded against his shoulder. A soft chiming had Kevin reaching for his phone. Glancing at the number, he stepped away from Payce. “Sorry, I’ve gotta take this.” Payce listened to Kevin’s side of the conversation, which apparently involved building some sort of centre. He enjoyed watching his lover pace as he talked; he could see the lion stalking underneath each step. So sexy. Payce’s own phone rang. He didn’t recognise the number. Looking up, he saw Kevin’s eyes on him. Shrugging, Payce pressed the connect button.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

55

“I have your friend.” The voice was deep, raspy and completely unrecognisable. “What friend?” “The coyote.” Payce swallowed the lump in his throat. Dennis, his only friend, was in danger. “What do you want?” “All of you fucking shifters dead. You’re an abomination.” “So you’re going to kill Dennis no matter what I do?” There was a pause. “I’ll send him to you in little pieces if you don’t go where I tell you. Feel free to bring your fancy lion friend with you. The more shifters the merrier.” The man’s chilling laughter froze Payce’s heart. Fuck. “Here’s the address.” Payce scrambled to grab a hotel pen and a piece of stationary. Quickly scratching down the address, he agreed to the time and place before the connection was cut and he collapsed on the bed. Kevin was there in seconds, stroking his forehead with his large, warm fingers. “What’s going on?” “Apparently I’m being stalked by shifter haters. They have my friend Dennis. He’s a coyote.” “Don’t worry we’ll get him back.” Payce opened his eyes to look at his mate’s worried expression. “He said I could bring you, the more shifters the merrier. Apparently he isn’t concerned with confronting the two of us.” “The more shifters the merrier, huh?” A sly expression crossed Kevin’s face, unsettling on the usually friendly shifter. “Let me make a few phone calls.”

An hour later they were speeding down the street to an address in the warehouse district. Neither of them decided to call the police because a stressed Dennis might have shifted and neither of them wanted to explain to the human police that there were other creatures in the world. “Are you sure this plan of yours is going to work?” Payce asked his mate nervously.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

56

“Of course, darlin’, I wouldn’t bring you if I thought you could get killed. I don’t know this Dennis friend of yours and he’s not my mate so I could live with him bein’ killed.” His gold eyes flashed over to Payce. “You aren’t replaceable.” Despite his concern for his friend, Payce felt a rush of love for his overprotective mate. “He’s the only friend I have so I’d like to keep him in one piece.” Dennis was important to him. As a shifter who always lived on the move, it was important to keep the few people he cared about safe. “We’ll do our best, hon’,” Kevin said in his easy, relaxed manner. Payce wasn’t fooled. The werelion’s hands were gripping the wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white. The warehouse they stopped in front of looked like every other nondescript building on the street. Payce’s nerves were strung so tightly he was surprised they weren’t pinging. He didn’t know who was in there but he knew this was a trap. They wouldn’t feel safe inviting two shifters if they didn’t think they had the upper hand. The door opened as they reached it. Payce was shocked to see his foreman grinning at him from the entrance. “You fucker! I told them you were innocent.” Jim gave him a sinister smile. “That was sweet of you. Now they won’t look for me when you’re gone.” Kevin growled beside him. “Sorry,” Payce said to his mate. “Don’t just stand there. Come on in and let me introduce you to some people.” Knowing this was a big mistake but unable to figure out how to get out of it, Payce followed Kevin into the warehouse. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of Dennis pacing a cage in coyote form. His eyes showed the panic he was feeling. There wasn’t much space for the animal to pace but it kept trying. Payce’s heart broke at the despair evident in every line of his friend’s body. A group of around two dozen people stood around the cage looking at it with varying degrees of contempt. Payce jumped a little when the door slammed shut behind them. “Welcome. This is a meeting of PAW, People Against Werekin. Cute name don’t you think?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

57

Payce thought he wanted to rip the foreman’s throat out. It must have shown in his eyes because the man paled and took a careful step back before continuing. “Your friend Dennis here is instrumental in helping identify werekin.” Payce’s eyes went back to his friend. Dennis now crouched naked in human form in the middle of the cage, his eyes filled with guilt. “Dennis?” “I had to.” Payce could see the other man was close to tears but his heart was breaking for the friendship he thought they had, but was apparently a fabrication of his imagination. “They have my sister, ” Dennis shouted. “Shut up!” Jim snarled. “Why do you hate us?” Payce asked. “Because you’re nothing but filthy beasts. My mother dumped my father and me as soon as a weretiger came by and claimed she was his mate. Suddenly we were nothing. Nothing! She just walked away. Every day for the rest of my childhood my father blamed me. If I hadn’t introduced her to my teacher, he’d still have a wife.” Jim lifted his shirt exposing a mishmash of scars covered his stomach. “This is what werekin did to me. We all have similar stories.” The assorted crowd nodded their heads. “That doesn’t make me responsible. It was your father that tortured you. It’s a terrible thing but he was a human and you don’t blame all humans.” Jim’s face twisted into an evil sneer. “He was the best father a boy could want until that weretiger took everything from us. It was the beast that caused the change. My father never laid a hand on me until she left.” “So in return you’re going to torture other innocent people. How does that even make sense?” Payce didn’t know what he was doing. Madmen didn’t listen to reason. The crowd wasn’t going to wake up and realise he was right. Now he was learning that the man he thought was his friend was the same one who put him and his mate in danger. “If you’re all dead, this can’t happen to another boy.” “You need counselling.” Payce said. He was surprised to notice his mate hadn’t said a thing.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

58

Kevin was looking down at his phone. “You make a call and I’ll shoot him in the head.” Jim pulled a shotgun off a shelf behind him and pointed it at Payce. “I don’t need to make a call,” Kevin said, still looking at his phone. Jim shifted his feet. “Why are you staring at it then?” “I’m just checkin’ the time.” Kevin’s drawl was slow and easy. Payce knew his mate had made a few calls before he came, but he was waiting along with Jim for the explanation. Glass shattered as dozens of wolves broke through the warehouse windows followed by a stream of lions. The screams of humans rang in Payce’s ears as the werekin left no one standing. “Y’all are two minutes late,” Kevin reprimanded. “I was ‘bout to have to do something myself.” “We wouldn’t want to put you out.” The lion alpha said, walking up to the pair. Payce worked hard to look the man in the face, but a quick glance down let him know why Adrian was a happy, happy wolf. “Called your alpha, huh?” Payce asked. Being a loner it didn’t even occur to him to call for outside help. “No, he called my mate,” Talon said. “His brother decided it was too dangerous for him to come alone.” Payce looked over to see Adrian glaring at Dennis through the bars. “Look, I found a coyote, can we kill him?” The pack of wolves circling the cage reminded Payce for the first time that wolves hated coyotes. Apparently that dislike carried through to the shifter world. “Not until he answers some questions,” Payce said. Striding over to the cage, Payce looked at his former friend who glared back defiantly. “How could you turn me over to that creep?” “He’s holding my sister hostage and now I’ll never know where she is.” “So it was all right to let him kill more shifters? Do you think that’s what she’d want?” “Well, he is a coyote,” Adrian offered. “Not helping, sweetie,” Talon said.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

59

Adrian bared a fang at his lover. “She’d want to stay alive,” Dennis said. “Are you going to let me out of here?” Talon reached over and ripped the door off the cage. “There you go. I’d be careful about leaving with all the wolves around.” “Can you help me find my sister?” Dennis asked Payce. “I’m a tile guy and you tried to get me killed. What makes you think I would help you?” Dennis swallowed hard. “I swear Payce, if I thought I could find her any other way, I wouldn’t have turned on you. Besides you’re one of the toughest shifters I know. If anyone could survive Jonathan, it would be you. “Adrian could find her. He’s a whiz at computers,” Kevin said. Everyone looked at Adrian who was still looking at Dennis like he wanted to rip his throat out. “Y’all play nice now. You wouldn’t like it if it was your sister-in-law,” Kevin interceded. Adrian’s expression lost some of its hostility. “True. Come with us and I’ll see what I can do.” “I’d keep an eye on your friend if I were you. I don’t know how long Adrian can keep his natural dislike of coyotes at bay and he’s used to getting his way.” Talon eyed his mate. Payce inserted himself between Adrian and Dennis as they walked out of the warehouse.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

60

Chapter Seven

Payce tiptoed away from the office where Dennis, Adrian, Talan and Kevin were huddled around Adrian’s computer desk. He’d put it off long enough, it was time to talk to Tia. He didn’t want the woman to hate him or think he hated her. He found her in the kitchen curled around a plate of brownies. “Hello,” he said hesitantly. Her wide gold eyes, so like her sons’, looked at him with trepidation. “Hi.” She grabbed a napkin to wipe the chocolate from her mouth but didn’t say anything else. “I thought it would be good if we got to know each other a little since the father of your children is my mate.” “Were they bothering you?” “What? No, no. They’re adorable. I think Quinn is a little concerned about a new person in his dad’s life, but Chase likes me. They’re sweet kids.” He finally got a smile from that. “Yeah they are.” “I wanted to say how sorry I am for attacking you the other day. I don’t have the best control over my beast. It’s getting better, but it’s still shaky. Now that I’ve completed my mating with Kevin that shouldn’t be a problem any more.” Tia walked closer. “Try sniffing me.” Payce walked closer. When they were less than a foot apart, he pressed his nose to her neck to get a good infusion of her scent. “That better not be what it looks like or I’m whopping both of your asses!” Kevin’s gravelly drawl filled the air. Payce stepped away from Tia so fast he almost fell. Spinning, he turned to face his mate. “I was checking her scent.” “You didn’t need to get that close.” Kevin stalked up to Payce. He could see the lion close to the surface with every step his mate took. “I wanted to make sure.” Kevin wrapped his arms around Payce’s waist. “What did you learn?”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

61

“That her scent isn’t driving me crazy any more. I didn’t feel the need to attack her.” Kevin placed a light kiss on Payce’s forehead. “That’s because you know I’m yours.” The satisfaction in Kevin’s voice made Payce laugh. “Yeah, you are mine.” “We found her.” Dennis marched into the room, a bounce in his step. Kevin gave a low growl. The big lion still hadn’t forgiven the coyote for betraying Payce. For his part, Payce wasn’t totally aboard the ‘forgive and forget’ train either. A low purr rolled from Tia’s lips. Kevin and Payce turned to look at the lioness. Tia’s eyes were focussed on Dennis as if he were a mouse and her cat wanted to play. “Who are you?” Payce thought Dennis looked more panicked than attracted and couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “This is Dennis.” “Dennis who almost got the father of my children and his mate killed?” Tia’s look turned more feral than friendly. Dennis took a careful step towards the doorway. “Don’t even think about it, coyote,” Tia said in a dangerous tone. “I’ve hunted down bigger game than you. We are going to have a little talk about your tendency for betrayal.” Before he could argue Dennis was scrambling after Tia. He had to because she’d grabbed his shirt as she’d passed and hadn’t let go. “I’d feel sorry for him if I wasn’t still mad,” Kevin said with a chuckle. “Do you think she’s going to fuck or eat him?” Kevin shrugged. “Could go either way. We did find a few locations where we think his sister could be holed up. We sent out some groups to scout around. If they find anything they’ll report back.” “Good. As much as I’m still mad at him, I don’t want his sister to suffer because of his mistakes.” Kevin nodded. “Adrian is tracing the homes of the other people from their driver’s licenses.” “You think someone has her stashed at their home.”

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

62

“Yeah, they don’t look like they’ve got deep pockets and they were too cocky about not gettin’ caught. I’m sure they’ve got her somewhere at one of their homesif they didn’t already kill her. Dennis hasn’t talked to her in a few weeks.” Payce rested his head on Kevin’s chest. “Let’s hope for the best.” Kevin’s hand stroked through Payce’s hair. “I do have some good news for you.” Payce didn’t lift his head to face his lover; he was too comfy. “What’s that?” “I was just in touch with the vice president of my company. They agreed to hire you to do some mosaics.” Payce’s head snapped up. “What are you talking about?” “Have you ever heard of Lion’s Heart?” “Yeah, they run those group of homes for homeless cubs. They do great work.” Payce was surprised to see his confident mate blush. “I’m the one who started them. They agreed with me that some colourful mosaics outside each home would make them more welcoming. I’ve got seventeen homes that need mosaics. Would you like to do that for me?” “So you called and pressured someone to hire your boyfriend?” Payce didn’t know how he felt about that. He knew he should be outraged, but seeing Kevin throw that kind of power around was kinda hot. “No. I made a reasonable suggestion and they agreed.” Kevin’s eyes sparkled, telling Payce that his lover’s suggestion was more of a command. “Do I have to call you sir?” Payce teased. “Only when I have you tied to my bed.” Kevin paused. “My newly ordered, extra reinforced bed. There’s a new shifter company that’s putting some out.” Payce leant forward to speak into Kevin’s ear. “You might want to order a couple. I’m feeling very bad and might need to be taught my place.” “Screaming beneath me?” Kevin asked, raising a brow. “Exactly.” Payce purred. “I’ll take the job even if my boyfriend got it for me.” Although if he had any pride, he’d reject his boyfriend-acquired employment. However, it solved a lot of their problems and Payce was all about settling into a long and happy mating with his beautiful southern cat.

A PRIDEFUL MATE

Amber Kell

63

“Let’s grab a bed in the guest wing.” Kevin said, wrapping his fingers around Payce’s wrist. “There’s a guest wing?” “Yep, and we’ve got more than a few beds to try out.” As he was dragged down the hall, Payce had a feeling that the lion bed budget was going to triple, but it would be worth every penny. Laughing, Payce let himself be dragged off by his amorous mate, knowing that his time on this earth with Kevin was going to be a hell of an adventure.

About the Author Amber Kell is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in Dallas with her husband, two sons, two cats and one extremely stupid dog. Email: [email protected] Amber loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.

Also by Amber Kell Supernatural Mates: From Pack to Pride

Total-E-Bound Publishing

www.total-e-bound.com Take a look at our exciting range of literagasmic™ erotic romance titles and discover pure quality at Total-E-Bound.