Ouachita Mated (Ouachita Mountain Shifters Book 2)

The music blared as Magic lounged on the cheap as shit pleather couch set back in the darkest corner of Cleaver’s bar. The establishment, was for shifters only, ran by shifters. The only exception was approved pussy. Cleaver kept the place stocked with not only the finest whiskey, but the finest females as well. Mostly for his unmated guests to relieve their urges. Probably assumed it would cut down on the brawling.

Heh. Not so.

Magic smirked as a burly bear shifter punched it out with a mountain lion. They crashed through a table, busting it into a million pieces. He wondered how long it’d take before one of them shifted.

A delicate, needy hand snaked across his thigh until it found his cock. He grinned at the busty blond, brushing his hair from his eyes so he could see her better.

She was a looker. Eyes big and blue. Full, pouty lips painted fuck-me red. A black, lacy top that could barely contain her tits. And hips he could grip hard as he pounded himself inside her.

For a mated cat like him, she was fair game. He wouldn’t break any bonds by taking her. As a male of his species he could bed as many females as he wanted. Mated or not, he could have a whole harem. And many of his friends did just that. A different female every night. Sometimes two or three at a time.

He stared at the blond groping his junk, and licked his lips. Yeah, she was a fine, fine piece of ass…

But she wasn’t better than his Mandi.

He was distracted by nearby moaning, and turned to glare. Fucking Owyn. His friend was barely out of puberty and horny as hell twenty-four seven. Right now, he was knuckles deep in a female who was the type who didn’t require privacy for that sort of thing.

“Take her to a room,” Magic growled. “Cleaver will have your head if he catches you like that.”

Owyn let out a hiss, his panther close to the surface. He brought his hand to his mouth and sucked his middle finger, eyes glowing with his animal. Suddenly, he grabbed the female by the wrist, yanking her up from the couch and marching her toward the private rooms.

“We should get a room of our own,” the blond murmured, low and sultry. Her voice was like sex for his ears.

Magic grunted a non-committal response.

He should take her up on the offer. It was his right to have others. It was the way of things for the mountain cats. Their animals didn’t require monogamy like other shifters did.

He’d had it out with Mandi before he’d taken off. Part of him wanted to fuck this female to get it out of the way. He was going to do it sooner or later, and until he did, Mandi was always going to be on his case about it.

Suspicion. It was a poisonous thing.

She wanted him to defy odds and be only hers. One female for a male cat? It was absurd. Thing was, his heart was hers alone. He didn’t want another female. If she’d just leave well enough alone, they could be happy for a while. They could have many fine years before he was tempted to stray. And even when he did, she’d always be his mate. The one he’d return to. The one he’d put his babies in. The one who meant something.

Magic sighed, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling.

She’d always been afraid of this mating. Afraid he’d hurt her, but he never had. Afraid he’d take another, but he never had. He’d done his damnedest to comfort her, but her cat was one of the weakest he’d encountered. And when she’d lost it this evening as he was leaving, he’d had enough.

Cleaver’s to the fucking rescue.

The busty female was good with her hands. She’d already worked him into a semi-hard state. Leaning in, she pressed her ample breasts against his arm, her hot breath bathing him as she whispered, “I could take such good care of you.”

His mate already took good care of him. The best care. Mandi was timid, but oh so sweet. And she had the softest hands. When he was curled around her body, with those hands he loved tangled in his hair, he felt like he could rule the world. Slay giants. Singlehandedly end world hunger. Nothing was beyond his reach. She made him feel powerful.

His mate was precious.

What was he doing here?

Exercising his right? Who the hell cared about rights anyway? He didn’t want another female. He wanted his Mandi. The day would come when he’d desire another, but today was not that day.

Carefully, he set the blond away from him. “Sorry, sweets, but I have a mate.”

A delicious blush flooded her cheeks, and her eyes fluttered away. “But you’re a cat, aren’t you?”

Magic gave a nod.

“So… it’s not like… cheating.” She grinned, but less sure of herself this time. “I know the rules.”

“I only want my mate,” he assured.

Standing, he adjusted his jeans, looking around for Owyn. If the cat wasn’t done yet, he could find his own way home. Magic needed to get back to Mandi. A sense of urgency rode him hard, causing his panther to raise its hackles.

He strolled over to the bar, squeezing past a group of bears. Pounding twice with his fist, he waited for Cleaver to be done serving some shots.

“What is it?” the falcon shifter asked, wiping his hands on a towel before flinging it over his shoulder.

Magic dug for his wallet, and pulled out a few twenties for the man. “Can you tell Owyn I had to split?”

“Sure.” Cleaver quickly counted the money.

“That enough for my tab?” Magic
asked.

Cleaver nodded.

“Alright. I’m out.” Another fist bump to the bar, and Magic spun on his heel, anxious to get home.

The drive from Jasper to Hunstville was done in thirty-five minutes instead of an hour, his truck taking curves at speeds that shouldn’t be possible. But something happened as he drove. Something niggled at his mating bond. Something he couldn’t put a finger on, but left him feeling agitated and desperate.

He needed to put eyes on his Mandi. Make sure she was okay.

He thought of her eyes before he’d left. Bloodshot and wet with unnecessary tears. The green of them barely noticeable.

“Promise me you won’t tonight. Just do that one thing for me.”

Frustrated, he jerked his fingers through his hair. “And then what? You going to want my promise every fucking time I leave the house?”

She dashed her tears away, struggling to make them stop. “I don’t want you to be with anyone but me,” she whispered.

“That’s not how this works, Mandi. You know that. You fucking knew that from the beginning.”

“I thought…”

Irritation made him laugh even though nothing was funny. “Thought what? We were different?”

She was silent as more tears rushed down her cheeks.

“Enough of this shit. I’m going to Cleaver’s.”

He’d left without another glance.

Shit.

What was he thinking leaving her like that?

Magic wound through the pines of the dirt road that led to his cabin. It was the only place on this side of the mountain. A remote getaway for the two of them. He’d designed it before they’d mated, hoping it would help assure her. No females for miles.

Moot though, when he could just drive the short distance to Cleavers.

Magic sighed, pulling the truck to a stop right in front of the door.

The lights were off inside. Which meant his mate was already in bed.

He was going to wake her up carefully, by kissing her lips. She loved that. And he was going to say sorry. And make such sweet love to her they’d both forget about the fight. About the cloud of doubt that loomed over their heads. He’d bring her back into that bubble where only the two of them existed and no one else.

As soon as he showered.

Shit. She’d smell the human female on him. But the bar had been packed. Of course there’d be scents.

Magic headed for the door. Using his key, he unlocked it, being careful to keep quiet.

Inside, he took his boots off and removed his shirt. The mirror above the fire place reflected the light of the moon and Magic’s gaze fell to the three small slashes just above his collar bone. His mating mark. The place his Mandi had clawed him the night he claimed her.

He grinned, fingering the scarred spot. She’d surprised him that night. Normally female cats didn’t mark males and she was so docile, the claws were completely unexpected. His animal could have healed it. Could have left him without a scar. But at the time, he’d liked the looks of it. And the idea of her being territorial.

He still did. Except now, her possessiveness was causing them problems.

With a shake of his head, Magic worked his way down the hall to their bedroom. He eased the door open, cursing the squeaky hinge. But as soon as he entered the room, he realized something was… off. He sniffed, and an acrid odor hit his nostrils like a punch.

Mandi lay on the bed beneath the covers. Normal. She loved snuggling under lots of blankets. But…

Something was wrong.

His eyes scanned the room, looking for danger. Nothing stuck out as odd, so why was his panther alert? And what the hell was that smell? Sweet, but pungent. And definitely something that didn’t belong in his bedroom.

His ears perked up to listen for any unusual sounds.

And that’s when he heard it. Not a strange sound, but the lack of a sound that should be there.

Her heartbeat.

There was no thump, thump. No whoosh of blood through her body.

Something inside him snarled and clawed to reach the surface, but instead, he ran to the bed, ripping the covers back.

“No!”

No, no, no.

His mate’s color was all wrong. Bluish instead of the warm peach she normally was. The lids of her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping. But she wasn’t just sleeping. A line of white dripped from the corner of her mouth.

No!

“Mandi!” he cried, not recognizing his own voice. “Shit, Mandi. What did you do?”

His knees hit the hardwood floor beside their bed, and he cradled her head against his chest.

“Wake up, mate. Wake up right now!”

Whatever she’d done, she could heal. She was a damn shifter after all, and they weren’t fragile.  With their mating bond, he could heal her. Yes. It was going to be okay. He just had to calm his cat down enough to focus.

But he couldn’t even catch his breath. He felt like he was being sawed in half from the inside. Pain was a demon’s claw around his heart, squeezing until he gasped from the agony.

And the fear.

He ran shaky hands all over her body, pushing his bond at her, desperate for it to take.

Just one more chance with her. That’s what he prayed for. One more chance to figure out what she needed from him.

What he felt was... hopeless. Unfixable. No matter how hard he tried to fix her heart, it refused to beat. And her lungs, they refused to pull in air.

And his body was changing too. He could feel the bond stopping at his fingertips, too stubborn to flow forward into her. Like the connection had been cut as surely as with shears. The loss was felt as physical, throbbing from his hand to his heart in a chaotic pattern of twitches.

But he wouldn’t give up. He couldn’t quit trying. She was his. He had to help her. She couldn’t end like this. They couldn’t end like this.

He still had to tell her sorry.

He’d tell her now. In case she could hear.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry. Just let me explain. We can fix this if you just wake up.” He shook her, gently at first, then harder. “Please. God, please, Mandi.”

But her body remained limp, her heart remained still, and their bond remained fractured.

Magic kissed her. He’d force the bond on her. Make her body take it. She’d live, damn it. He kissed her with everything he had.

He jerked back, spitting on the floor. He tasted poison on her lips. Something vile. And still, he couldn’t stop trying.

Heal. Heal, damn it. Come back to me.

Time passed but the only indication of it was the sunlight peaking in through the cracks in the blinds. Still, he pushed his bond at her. Still, he whispered his sorries. Still, he hoped her eyes would open.

They never did.

Owyn eventually came, and took her away. Magic didn’t hear anything the cat said.

His panther was done. Done fighting. Done living. His life mate was dead, he’d die too. Fair was fair. And when he met her on the other side, he’d tell her everything he wished he’d told her in this life.

Magic lay on the floor next to the bed, his knees as close to his chest as he could get them. Everything hurt so fucking bad.

The conversation in the living room drifted to his ears like promises whispered to an unhearing wind.

“I’m never mating,” Owyn said, his voice aching and trembling. “Never. This shit ain’t happening to me.”

“Shh,” Layna hissed. “He’ll hear
you.”

She was young too, and Magic could hear the fear in her tone. They were the next generation, only five years younger than him, but they were the next ones to mate. And someone had to stop them.

He blinked his wet lids.

What was he thinking? He couldn’t curl up and die. He had friends, and those friends needed him to keep them from making the same mistakes he’d made.

“I don’t ever want to mate either,” Layna whispered so quietly, Magic had to strain to hear it.

It was settled then. No mating for the big cats. Not ever. What happened to his Mandi would never happen to another female under his watch.

Never.