Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Bear’s Arranged Mate Chapter 14

Elva

I dug my boots into the ground, planting myself firmly in Jermaine's way. He wasn't about to ignore me. Not when he had basically done it all day. I hadn't done anything to him and he had thrown me away like I was a used balloon. No, it was worse than that. I wasn't used at all. He just saw me as used because he had used me.

I wasn't the problem here.

"Well?" I snapped my fingers at him. "Are you going to say anything?"

"There's nothing left to say."

I sighed. "You know, I gave you everything. I put my whole life into your house. I just..." I shook my head. More tears were about to spill again.

I was so tired of crying.

"You didn't give me your life, El," he explained. "You did as your alpha dictated. You were just following orders."

I gaped at him. "So, when you slept with me, you were just following orders?"

"That's not what I said."

"But that's what you implied."

He held up his fists, clenching them repeatedly. "You are so frustrating."

"Imagine how it feels to be around you."

"I'm not wrapped up in myself."

I laughed bitterly. "You're kidding, right? All you do is worry about how you can protect the pack instead of trying to maybe, I don't know, figure out your own needs?"

"You don't sound confident about that."

"I'm just pointing out the obvious."

He glowered at me. "You're just arguing to argue."

"And you're doing the same thing."

Well, would you look at that? It was a classic Elva-Jermaine standoff. We hadn't been in the middle of one of these for a good while. Ever since I moved into his home, our arguments had been reduced to tiny disagreements based on whatever was available at the time.

Before our forced mating, we'd had much more important things to debate. The last big one was about his oafish figure taking up the walkway where I'd been serving drinks to the wedding guests of the last big celebration. If it hadn't been for him stepping into the path, I wouldn't have dropped an entire tray of champagne flutes.

He was a hazard. And he knew that. And he had the gall to deny it.

"You know what?" he shot at me. "I don't have time for this. I have to go see Blake."

"Is that really all you have left to say?"

He went quiet for a minute. The way he was staring at me made me feel... weird. Like he was about to pounce on me. This wasn't the first time he had gone totally quiet on me. He'd done it a few minutes ago, back when we were closer to the security room. I stepped back. "Jermaine?" "Get down."

I frowned. "Excuse me? I don't think-"

"I said, get down!"

Jermaine tackled me to the ground. In the same instant, a huge cloud of black fur sailed over us. Adrenaline shot through my system. I grabbed his shoulders, rolling him over so I could get back up to my feet. He followed shortly after me.

I stared at the black wolf blocking our way to the neighborhood. It wasn't big. But it wasn't a regular-sized shifter wolf. It had silver teeth and glittering blue eyes, its maw hanging open with enough drool to fill a small pond. It growled.

Jermaine placed a hand in front of me. "Easy."

"Where did that thing come from?"

"No idea."

I grabbed his hand, instinctively lacing my fingers through his. "I don't like that answer. You're the one with all the fancy cameras."

"I'm telling you, Elva, I have no idea. I just don't. There was nothing on the cameras when I was back in the booth."

That was absurd. Jermaine knew everything there was to know at any given moment about the security of our community.

If he hadn't seen this coming, then what else hadn't he seen?

I started peeling my tank top up.

He touched my hand. "No, you're going home this time."

"Like hell."

"I can't protect you, okay?"

I snarled at him. "You keep saying that yet you refuse to think for a second about whether or not I want to protect you."

The wolf stepped forward. Bad time to argue. I knew that and so did Jermaine.

We were fucked if I didn't stop trying to show out.

My eyes darted around as I added, "I'm doing this because I care about you, Jermaine. Okay? You can't get rid of me. It's not going to happen."

I pulled off my top as I kicked off my boots. The black wolf lunged forward, psyching us out with a fake attack. I nearly fell back from stumbling away from the creature. With my jeans kicked off, I was able to shift, turning into the magnificent tiger I had always been. Without Jermaine, I didn't feel like I could be magnificent. Nothing felt right. His rejection wounded me deeper than any harm I had taken to my flesh. The world just wasn't right when he wasn't by my side.

And even now as a threat marched toward us with its mouth open wide, I didn't feel scared. I felt ready. I felt totally prepared to handle it.

I love you, I told Jermaine through our mind connection. And nothing will ever change that.

I didn't bother to wait for his response. I didn't even listen for his cue. I bounded toward the black wolf with my claws extended. This wolf didn't smell like a Gilbert. He didn't look like a Gilbert either. He wasn't like the wolves we had encountered at the park. Those wolves had been massive creatures with a rotten stench.

This one? He smelled like the ocean. He seemed to have salt in his fur, as if a painter had accidentally tapped his brush on a dark canvas. What was stranger was the eyes-an icy blue that reminded me of the snowy peaks in the mountains just above our state. Behind me, growls erupted. I didn't have time to turn around to look. I was far too occupied with our unexpected guest. Then again, if I had taken the time to listen to Jermaine, maybe I wouldn't have dived headlong into this situation without a plan. It was weird. While I was usually reckless, I didn't just do things without trying to picture the end result. My obsession with cleanliness rivaled the actions I was taking right now.

But it didn't need to make sense. When it came to Jermaine, I knew what to do. Instinctively. Down to my bones.

Because that was where he lived. That was where he belonged. Deep within me where the rhythm of my soul danced to a tune no one else could hear.

Except for us. That was just how it had to be.

I would prove it, too.

Three more are coming, Jermaine warned me. Jump back. Let me wound him!

My muscles obeyed Jermaine before I could. I watched him fly in front of me with his great paw ready to smack the wolf. His claws left a bloody trail on the wolf's snout, causing the creature to stumble back with a howl.

The trees roared with fresh growls. Now that the black wolf was injured, I could look around-and what I saw was horrifying.

We were surrounded. Where had all these wolves come from? And why didn't they look like Gilberts? Did we have more enemies that I didn't know about?

Or had the Gilberts gained followers without our knowing?

Jermaine pressed his shoulder to mine. Alright, there are five. You have to run, Elva.

No, I replied defiantly. I'm not leaving you here to die.

You'll die trying to defend me, he argued.

Then it's my honor to go down defending my mate.

Something snapped between us. I felt it. For a second, the air seemed to stiffen with the statement I had declared in my mind. The very nature of the world seemed to be frozen in time, a blink of an eye, really. And then, just like it hadn't happened at all, chaos exploded, all five wolves descending upon us like they were rabid.

Given that they were average wolves, we weren't at a terrible disadvantage. But seeing as we were surrounded by five of them, I didn't have hope for our survival.

What happened to pairs who didn't fully mate? Did they die together? Or was one cursed to live without the other?

It made me shudder to think of a life without Jermaine. Even though he had rejected me and sent me packing, I would have been fine as long as he was alive. Death would bring the kind of grief that I might never recover from.

And that wasn't something I was prepared to explore.

I bit whatever paws came into view. I snapped at throats. I smacked snouts and bit tails, trying to drag the wolves away from Jermaine. A cloud of dust sprang up around us, the earth furious with our uncoordinated waltz. One of the wolves geared up to lunge. I shoved Jermaine out of the way in time to take a bite to the side.

An injured howl was the worst kind. I fell to my side as two wolves jumped at the opportunity to take me down. We were truly outnumbered. And it didn't seem like we were going to win the fight.

We have to run, I told Jermaine. We have to make a break for it!

Jermaine roared, rearing back on his hind legs as he swiped at one of the wolves trying to smack my head with his paws. You're going to run.

I'm not leaving you and that's final, I sniped.

He spun around, stepping over me to swing the lower half of his body into the two wolves. That move sent them flying toward the trees. The three remaining wolves snarled as they lowered their heads, jaws open and ready to attack us. Jermaine hovered over me, his great body protecting my wounded side.

It was really just a flesh wound. Nothing a little R and R couldn't fix. Even Dr. Windsor would likely agree. I was fine. I didn't understand why he was acting like it was the end of the world. Jermaine, watch out!

One of the wolves grabbed him by the scruff. The wolf flung his body forward, taking Jermaine with him. They rolled to the ground just as the thunderous crash of paws beating earth drew my attention. I craned my neck to see a whole pack of shifters sprinting toward us.

With Blake and Tanner leading the way.

I pounced to my feet with triumph. Jermaine, fall back! Alpha is here!

But Jermaine persisted. He fought with the beast, roaring viciously as he wrestled the wolf to the ground. Once the wolf shuddered out of Jermaine's grip, he bit Jermaine's neck-and snapped his head back.

A chunk of flesh went flying through the air.

No!

My heart hit the ground. Every muscle in my body went on high alert as I raced forward to intervene. I got to Jermaine in time to intercept the next bite from the wolf. Angry teeth landed on my back, causing me to cry out as I covered Jermaine with my body. Seconds later, the wolf was flung to the ground. A flurry of fighting erupted around us, the pack attacking perpetually.

Jermaine rumbled beneath me. His body shrank and his fur peeled away to reveal supple skin. He stared up at me with rich bark eyes as he covered his throat, hand shaking as he attempted to keep the wound clamped.

Pure outrage gripped me like a vise. I growled at the retreating wolves as my partner lay beneath me, protected by my body. I had to get him to safety soon. I had to make sure he was okay.

His fingers sifted through my fur. "Did you...did...?"

I shifted into my human form and covered his throat. "Shut up. Don't speak. Don't say a word. Just don't speak."

His mouth opened and closed repeatedly. His eyes went wide before fluttering shut. His hand slacked.

He was losing consciousness.

I shuddered as I turned around to scream, "We need a medic over here!"