Reina's Mate Read online

  There.

  He lunged and I moved to the side, letting his fist graze my ribs as I hammered a knee into his belly.

  He gasped at that but danced away quickly before I could follow up.

  His eyes had turned wary now as he watched me.

  I went in next and let my claws out to slash at his throat, distracting him as my other hand went for his leg.

  He blocked and maneuvered away, slashing at my side as I hurried out of his reach.

  I felt the warm wetness of blood and looked down at my ribs to see four shallow gashes.

  “First blood,” he taunted, his eyes focused.

  I didn't wait for him to come at me.

  I came in low and swept at his legs. He stumbled back instead of going down and I used that fumble to take him down to the ground.

  I used my whole body to hammer a punch to his face, hoping to daze him enough to make a difference.

  I got one more good one in before he sent me flying over his head.

  Landing lightly, I sprang toward him again, landing a kick to the middle of his chest. I felt something snap under my foot and he grunted.

  But he was a stubborn bastard.

  Rolling back to his feet, he hammered a blow to my kidneys. I ignored the pain and twisted to put force into the elbow I aimed at the side of his face.

  We both let go and moved back to recover a little.

  Both of us were sweating and a little out of breath.

  He came at me fast and hard. I blocked his kick, the force of it reverberating up my arm. He didn't stop, throwing a flurry of kicks and punches.

  Gritting my teeth, I dodged and blocked, looking for an opening.

  I grunted as he landed a blow on my thigh.

  There.

  He put too much power in a punch and overbalanced. Using his own momentum, I slammed him to the ground and got him in a choke hold.

  He didn't have to tap out. I could just squeeze until he blacked out and nobody would argue that I won.

  I wouldn't have to kill him.

  I put more pressure on his throat.

  His body jerked under me.

  Between one instant and the next, he'd changed into his wolf form and twisted to close his jaws over my forearm.

  Fuck.

  “Foul! Form change in the middle of a bout! Forfeit!”

  I heard the shouts around me, but I was too busy trying not to be taken down as he let go only to clamp down on my thigh instead.

  I moved just enough at the last instant to avoid having those sharp teeth tear into my femoral artery.

  He was trying to kill me.

  I suppressed my emotions and went for his jaw, putting pressure on the joints, forcing him to let go.

  As soon as he did, I adjusted my grip to his neck.

  My heart was almost bursting out of my chest as I used all my strength to break his neck.

  The crowd went silent around me.

  I laid his limp body down gently, sinking my fingers into the soft fur. It was still warm, but it would start to cool soon.

  Why didn't he just let me win? He knew even if he managed to kill me, he could no longer be Alpha. He would have effectively forfeited.

  I smelled the familiar scent reminiscent of freshly cut grass before a warm hand came down on my shoulder.

  “Come on Reina. It's over.”

  I let Griffith pull me up, staring down at the white wolf that lay so still on the asphalt.

  I knew this was a possibility. Hell, I knew it was a probability if I was honest with myself.

  But the reality was so much more final and wasteful than I could have prepared myself for.

  Griffith raised my hand with his and threw his head back to let out a howl. The first howl for the pack's new Alpha.

  All around me, the pack joined him, the song a blend of mourning and exultation.

  Taking a deep breath, I joined in, closing my eyes as a few tears escaped.

  Griffith

  The fight had been brutal and draining.

  I never wanted to see that look on Reina's face again. The bastard had deserved to die, was willing to cheat to kill his own daughter if it meant he didn't lose.

  But he was still Reina's father.

  And no matter how much of an asshole that man had been, Reina had still cared for him on some level.

  I pulled her into a tight hug as the howls slowly died down.

  I felt the dampness on my neck as she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed hard.

  I wish she didn't have to go through this.

  After a few minutes, she pulled back, wiping her face off roughly.

  “I'm glad you're here.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “I'm sorry.”

  She nodded, looking away.

  “Manny isn't going to be far behind. The death of the Alpha doesn't void the contract. He's going to want Sofia.”

  “Well, we're not letting him have her.”

  She nodded.

  “War. We're going to war then.”

  “Yes. We're going to war.”

  Chapter 4

  Reina

  We buried him in the family cemetery.

  I made sure to give him all the respect an Alpha deserved. Even if I hadn't wanted to, it was a good political move to make. I wasn't under the impression that everyone in the pack was thrilled with the way things had played out. Especially the older crowd.

  And I was sad that I had to consider such things in my new role.

  The ceremony was done and over with quickly. We didn't have time to draw it out.

  I was still standing over the freshly turned earth when I got a phone call.

  “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  I clenched the phone in my hand as Manny's voice came through. Forcing myself to relax before I crushed the phone, I unclenched my jaw so I could speak.

  “Sofia isn't a bargaining chip. If you would like to revisit the terms of the alliance contract, I am willing to do so.”

  He chuckled, the sound hard.

  “Oh no. We're well passed resolving this in such a civilized manner. You invaded my territory and stole something that by right is mine. And one of my own betrayed me in order for you to pull it off. Why would I give you what you want?”

  I walked away from the crowd, Griffith's eyes sharp on me.

  “Because nobody really wins in a war. Casualties are felt by both sides.”

  “Sometimes losses are acceptable.”

  The dial tone sounded in my ear.

  I took the phone away from my ear, fighting the urge to throw it.

  I'd known it would come to this, but some small part of me had hoped a miracle would happen.

  “What did he want?”

  I turned to Griffith.

  “He doesn't want to resolve this. Not a surprise, but...”

  He nodded, looking over at the milling crowd that was slowly dispersing.

  “We need to set up a security perimeter. I wouldn't put it past that asshole to attack while we're in mourning. It makes too much tactical sense to do so.”

  He was right.

  And I needed him by my side if I had any hope of pulling this off. Not just the conflict to come, but running this pack without making too many mistakes.

  “I need a Second.”

  His eyes snapped back to me.

  “Reina...”

  “Listen to me. I know you. I trust you. And you see things I don't. I need that balance to be a good Alpha.” Taking a deep breath, I put it all out there. “More importantly, I need you by my side. As my best friend. As my mate. If you'll have me.” I smiled a little. “It's not exactly a good proposition right now, I know. But-”

  He shut me up pretty effectively by kissing my mouth closed, pulling me in close so I felt surrounded by him.

  He broke the soft kiss to look into my eyes from inches away, the eye contact searing.

  “Yes,” he said simply.

  I pushed m
y face into the side of his neck, the relief almost dizzying.

  I felt I could take on the world if only he was there next to me.

  It took me a moment to process, but that was all I could allow myself. We needed to move to fortify our defenses.

  “Sofia.”

  She came over, her eyes pink and puffy.

  I could see the same confusing mix of emotions in her face that I was feeling.

  “We need to get the Council together. Manny is going to attack and we need to get ready. The town hall in fifteen minutes. Get the word out.”

  That should be enough time considering most of the Council was here for the funeral anyway.

  She nodded, pulling out her phone, which we'd retrieved already.

  Sofia was in charge of communications. She'd been replaced while she was gone, but I'd reinstated her.

  Griffith fell into step beside me as I started for the town hall. Meetings were often held in the Alpha's house, but I'd rather have them somewhere more neutral, especially while I was solidifying my power base.

  There was no telling when someone might decide it was a good idea to test the newbie. And I'd rather not have that happen in my home.

  Fifteen minutes later, the conference room was full. Only one Councilor couldn't come because she was visiting family out of state.

  “Alright everyone, thanks for coming on such short notice. I wanted to start by saying that I've known all of you for my entire life. And you've known me. You know this pack is my home and I will do everything I can to keep it safe and healthy.” I paused as they murmured among themselves. “First, I wanted to say Griffith is now my Second.” There was a louder murmur at this point.

  “He abandoned the pack years ago! Why should we trust him?”

  Some people made agreeing noises while others simply sat back and watched.

  I looked at Tija, the one who'd made the comment. She was in her early fifties with a a gray bob and matching piercing eyes set in a finely lined face. She was a hard ass, but usually fair.

  “He left for a variety of reasons, non of which involved any disloyalty to the pack itself. As Alpha, I can reinstate him as a member and I can appoint him to the Second position. Does anyone disagree?”

  “I don't disagree. I just want to make sure we can trust him. He can't go haring off again if things are too tough or he just doesn't feel like staying anymore.”

  I looked over at Griffith.

  He nodded almost imperceptibly and stepped forward from where he'd been holding up the wall.

  “Yes, I did leave. My reasons had to do with how the pack was being run. I didn't like John or his methods.” He looked over at me. “But I trust this Alpha with my life. I'm older now, and I'd like to think wiser. I most definitely know myself better. I wouldn't make this commitment unless I knew I could handle it.”

  Tija gave him a hard stare, but he just stared back at her calmly.

  Finally, she gave a begrudging nod.

  Griffith stepped back again.

  “Manny is planning to attack.” I had their attention now, all the grumbling dying down as they focused on me. “I tried to reason with him, but he won't be dissuaded.”

  “You shouldn't have broken the terms of the agreement.”

  I turned to Xing.

  He hadn't been on the Council long, but he'd always seen eye to eye with my father. He had the kind of ruthless practicality that could be an asset, but could also justify too much as a means to an end.

  He wouldn't be happy about the change in line up.

  “The terms of the agreement were unacceptable. I had to get Sofia to safety as soon as I could.”

  “That's all well and good. If you have a hero complex, fine. But just because the terms were unpleasant, doesn't mean you get to put the whole pack in danger for one person.” He looked over at Sofia, who was sitting behind me. “No offense.”

  She snorted and stood up.

  “No offense? You're saying I should have been left to be imprisoned and raped. No offense? Yeah, I take fucking offense. If this is a pack that condones something like that, then I don't want to be a part of it. If that's the kind of pack that you want...”

  She shook her head, at a loss for words.

  “If that's the kind of pack you want, maybe this isn't the one for you,” I finished for her, giving Xing a hard stare.

  He looked away, but I wasn't stupid enough to take it as a sign of agreement.

  I'd have to keep an eye on him.

  I needed to have a clear idea of how the Council stood on this.

  “Hands for how many of you think Sofia should be sent back.”

  Xing, Lupe, and Marco raised their hands. A couple of others looked unsure, but didn't join them.

  “OK, that's a small minority. You've been outvoted.” Not that a majority vote would have swayed me anyway.

  “That matter is tabled. We need to focus on what to do now to defend ourselves.”

  We got down to the business of hammering out security. Everyone would have to pitch in for sentry duty and patrolling. We needed to have an air tight perimeter.

  Our packs were about evenly matched in numbers, but Manny didn't have any reservations about hurting children or the elderly. Usually, if a pack surrendered, they would be given the choice to leave or join.

  Manny was of the mind to not leave any survivors that could stab him in the back later on.

  We set out the schedules. We'd done drills of this nature before, but this would be the first time during my lifetime that we had to actually implement one.

  People on duty at the perimeter would have strict orders not to leave their posts if they heard something somewhere else. The last thing we needed was everyone rushing to a point of attack and leaving us vulnerable to a multi-prong strategy.

  “Prisoners?” Sultan asked quietly.

  He was an unassuming army vet. I had no doubt he could take everyone in this room if he wanted to.

  He'd never wanted to, content to be in charge of our security.

  “Yes. Everyone except Manny and those who refuse to be taken prisoner. We'll give them the choice when all is said and done. However, that doesn't mean putting our lives in undue danger to do so. If you think it's too dangerous to try to capture, kill.”

  Sometimes those decisions had to be made. And at the end of the day, my pack was my priority.

  “Everyone get to work.”

  The room was cleared in less than a minute as everyone hurried to do their jobs.

  We had a solid plan in place. That was all we could do at the moment.

  “Reina.”

  I looked up, jolted from the spiraling thoughts I'd fallen into.

  “You need to sleep. You're no good to anyone without a clear head.”

  I nodded, letting Griffith haul me to my feet and walk me out.

  My place was a fifteen minute walk away.

  When we got there, Griffith turned to leave me.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I just wanted to do a quick round to make sure-”

  “Nope. If I'm napping, you're going down with me. My Second needs to be on his toes too. How else are you going to keep me in check?” I asked with a straight face.

  He smiled and followed me inside.

  We both stripped and fell into bed. Griffith turned me over so he could spoon my back, wrapping his arm around me and lacing our fingers together.

  I didn't think I could fall asleep with so much still on my mind, but the warmth and scent of Griff surrounding me had me drifting off after only a few minutes.

  The last thing I remembered was the soft kiss he placed on the back of my neck.

  Griffith

  I woke up with Reina wrapped in my arms, her ass pressed up against me.

  Breathing in her scent, I felt myself hardening.

  I slid my hand down her silky smooth side, enjoying the feel of her so close to me.

  A lot had happened in a short amount of time. Most of it bad.
<
br />   But I couldn't bring myself to regret any of it. Not when I was lying here with Reina in my arms. Not when she'd asked me to be her mate.

  Not when she she'd made it clear she wanted to be my partner in every way.

  I inched closer, dragging my nose up the side of her neck, luxuriating in the minty, evergreen smell of her.

  I smoothed my hand around to her front, cupping the warm weight of her breasts, thumbing her nipples before skating my hand down her stomach.

  She was already damp when I cupped her, sliding my fingers through the soft furrow.

  I bit down on the side of her neck, rubbing her gently, paying special attention to her clitoris.

  She moved a little, but settled down again, her breathing still even.

  I smiled to myself.

  This could be fun.

  I pulled back, gently rolling Reina onto her back.

  Her nipples had hardened, standing out in stiff points. The softest place between her legs was wet.

  I looked up her body to her sleeping face, softer and younger when relaxed like this. Her hair lay around her in a dark halo. Even relaxed, the tone of her muscles was obvious, the strength in her body apparent.

  I smoothed my hands down her torso, feeling her silky, sleep hot skin. Her small brown nipples throbbed under my mouth as I kissed each one, biting lightly.

  I scooted down, sucking on the protruding bone of one hip before pushing one of her legs to the side and sucking high up on her inner thigh.

  That finally woke her.

  I looked up her body to see her drowsy eyes staring down at me.

  “Hey,” she said, the sexy huskiness of her early morning voice sending a zing down my spine.

  “Hey yourself.”

  She looked over at the clock on the bedside table and sat up in alarm.

  “Shit. I need to-”

  I pushed her back down and pinned her to the bed.

  “You need to have sex with your mate.” I rubbed my erection against her and her eyes went back to half mast. “He's feeling pretty hard up. And if something had happened, they would have come and gotten us by now. We have no idea when Manny is going to attack. Let's make the most of the time we have right now.” I kissed her, biting her bottom lip and pulling back so it dragged through my teeth. “I can be fast. We'll have time to be slow later.”