The Mating Challenge

  THE MATING CHALLENGE

  Book 5 in the Werewolves of Montana series

  Bonnie Vanak

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Author’s Note

  Copyright

  Prologue

  The Mitchell Ranch, northern Montana

  “You’re an animal, Mitchell. Beast. Not a wolf. You’re a savage.”

  Click.

  Aiden Mitchell dragged in a deep breath and hung up the phone. Nothing like being insulted by the woman he’d intended to make his forever mate. But he was accustomed to her sharp edges. Liked them, in fact.

  Nikita’s mood had grown worse as the Mating Challenge drew closer. He supposed it was the stress.

  It was almost time for him to finally get mated, and claim the female he’d chased after for five long years.

  Nikita Blakemore. Alpha leader of the Blakemore pack and owner of the Blakemore Ranch. Sweet and fiery Lupine, one of the toughest wolves he’d ever known.

  Almost as tough as himself.

  Inside his office at the pack’s lodge, Aiden Mitchell propped a booted foot upon his desk as he regarded the birdhouse before him. Painted powder blue, it had little hearts and flowers decorating it. He’d spent hours thumbing through catalogues to find the perfect birdhouse as a mating gift.

  Nikita would adore it. She had an array of bird feeders in her back yard, and mentioned wistfully wanting to have hummingbirds nest and feed there.

  Soon as he won the Mating Challenge and Nikita, he’d build her a nice nest, too. A big one, with a king-sized bed for all the hours he planned to make long, slow love to her.

  Or hard and fast love.

  Or upside down.

  Hell, he could find several ways to sexually bond with her. And bite her on the neck, giving her his mating mark to seal their union and prove she was his. His blood ran hot and thick as he envisioned Niki naked beneath him, her sweet blue eyes dazed with pleasure as he nudged open her plump thighs and pushed himself deep inside her body…

  He just had to remember that could never, ever do something stupid as falling in love with her. No, not him. Long ago, he’d made a promise to his old man. The bastard.

  You’re a godsdamn fool if you fall in love, Aiden. You’re incompetent enough as it is and you’ll make a lousy alpha leader. Don’t be an ass, too. Love is a bitch that will rip your heart apart and an alpha must never let that happen.

  Alastair, his father, had fallen in love with his mate, and when she died, everything went to hell. Aiden vowed he’d never do the same. No woman, not even his future mate, would rule his heart.

  He just needed to get the Mating Challenge over with, and beat the hell out of his opponents. And then he’d deed Niki’s ranch back to her, as promised, for he held the mortgage on the considerable spread.

  He’d bought the note to force her into a Mating Challenge, for the proud leader of the Blakemore pack had refused to take a mate.

  Aiden sat up, took a length of red satin ribbon, tied a bow around the birdhouse. It looked lopsided, but good enough.

  A brisk knock came at his door. He glanced up. “Yeah?”

  Kyle Morgan entered, his jeans dusty. One of the two best hunters in the Mitchell pack, Kyle was a good cowhand as well. The ranch ran like a well-oiled machine, thanks to Kyle.

  Aiden’s gaze sharpened. Wide shouldered and leanly-muscled, Kyle looked like just another tall, muscular cowboy, except for the distinctive Z slashing his left cheek.

  “Did you finish building the new corrals?” he asked. They’d need them for Niki’s horses when she came here to live at the ranch with her pack.

  “Assigned that to Garth and Jake. I had to round up some stray cattle.” Kyle pushed back his Stetson. “I know you’re leaving for Nikita’s soon, so I stopped by to wish you luck. Not that you’ll need it.”

  “Thanks.” Aiden pushed away from his desk and looked at Kyle. “I need to see Sam. Where is she?”

  “She and Darius went riding. When I saw them, they were going to take a shower.”

  As Aiden started for the door, Kyle added. “Together.”

  Terrific. He shook his head. “Going to be a long shower.”

  “Uh huh.” Kyle shuffled his feet. Aiden glanced at him. The half Lupine, half Satyr shifter was taciturn, but never this quiet.

  “What’s up?”

  Kyle finally dragged his gaze up to meet his. “Arianna’s pregnant.”

  Joy and envy rushed through him. Aiden swallowed back the envy and engulfed the shifter in a giant hug. “Congratulations. About damn time.”

  A dull flush tinged his cheeks. “Yeah, we tried. Hard. She’s about three months.”

  Three months? Aiden stared, waiting for the explanation.

  “We wanted to wait to tell you until we were sure she was far enough along. In case she lost the baby.”

  Still, he waited.

  “Ah, we didn’t want to make a big announcement. Because of your…ah…status.”

  His status. His unmated status. Aiden massaged the tensed muscles of his neck. “I’m the one who urged you two to get pregnant. Congratulations, Kyle. Soon as I return, I’ll throw a party for you and Ari.”

  He headed for Darius’ suite of rooms on the third floor. When Darius and Sam completed their bonding in the mating rite, Aiden had given them an entire section of rooms in the lodge for privacy. His best friend and beta deserved it. Deserved to be happy, after spending ten years believing that his mate was dead.

  In the hallway, he went to knock and hesitated. Privacy. He needed to give them space. But he needed Sam. He’d grown to love the half-Lupine, half-Elf like a sister, and trusted her judgment.

  Nikita would also need a female friend when she came here to live at the Mitchell Ranch. Sam was a good choice.

  Aiden paced in the hallway, hoping they would finish. Soon.

  “Careful.”

  “I’m always careful around you, sweetheart,” Darius murmured.

  Standing beneath the gentle spray of water in the shower, she watched her mate. His brow furrowed in concentration, he gently scraped the razor over her soapy skin. When Sam insisted on showering, he’d insisted on joining her, and helping her shave.

  Shaving her legs had never been so much fun.

  Sam shuddered with pleasure as he finished, set down the razor and then slid his fingers down her ribs to the curve of one hip, and then cupped her thatch. “Shall I shave this?”

  “Leave it. It’ll take too much time.”

  He trailed his tongue across her breasts, down her belly. Leaning back against the marble wall, she moaned as he parted her legs and began to tongue her. Slow, succulent licks just the way she liked, each flick of his tongue stroking her sex with expert caresses. Darius’ strong hands squeezed her bottom as he buried his face between her legs. Sam gripped his hair as the orgasm slowly built and then she squeezed her inner muscles, feeling herself shatter. She screamed.

  Darius lifted his head and gave her a wicked grin, water beading on his face. “Like that?”

  “What do you think, wolf?” she whispered as he stood and placed his hands on her hips. She glanced down at his erect shaft straining toward her. “Of course I liked it. But I think I’ll like what you’re going to do next much better. Get inside me. No
w.”

  She opened her legs wide as he settled between them, and then he lifted her by her ass with one hand, using his other hand to guide his thick penis to her soaked core. Darius grunted and thrust hard.

  “Open your eyes.”

  He always wanted her eyes open when they made love because he craved the connection and bond between them. He wanted her to see him, know it was him. Darius licked her ear and then buried his face into her neck, right at the pattern of intricate runes where he’d marked her during the mating rite.

  They strained together, wet flesh slapping together. She felt her inner muscles squeeze tight, signaling another orgasm. “Hurry,” she begged. “I’m so close.”

  With another powerful shove, he shouted, “Now!” She let herself fall, climaxing so hard she saw stars as he grunted and shuddered against her, the hot wash of his seed shooting deep into her core.

  Panting, he rested his head on her shoulder as she stroked his wet hair. After a few minutes, he released her. She loved this Lupine and couldn’t imagine her life without him. With him her heart was full.

  And then she thought of Aiden and felt a small pang, because their alpha remained single, and without his true mate.

  Darius shut off the shower as she climbed out. He gently toweled her dry, taking extra care between her legs, wicked mischief glinted in his blue eyes as he knelt at her feet and rubbed the towel between her swollen folds.

  Then he pressed his mouth against her belly, resting his cheek against it.

  Sam touched his head, feeling a sudden sense of loss. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

  He looked up at her, gaze solemn. “Me too. But Aiden needs me.”

  “Then tell him to hurry up and defeat all the challengers, mate Nikita and bring her back.” Sam slid her arms around her mate’s neck as he stood and gathered her close. “Because I need my man back here, in my arms, where he belongs.”

  Darius kissed her, a kiss of possession and claiming, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth. She kissed him back with equal ferocity.

  They finished drying off and dressed quickly. Darius opened the door leading to the hallway.

  Only to see Aiden, pacing madly. Darius’ smile died on his lips. “What’s wrong?”

  Their alpha’s expression remained blank. “I need to talk with Sam. Alone.”

  A scowl tightened Darius’ face. Still possessive, he didn’t like other males alone with her, but this was their alpha. Sam put a gentle hand on his tensed arm. “Honey, why don’t you go downstairs and make me breakfast? I’m starved. Eggs with some of those delicious strawberries we ate last night, sprouts, and peppers.”

  The scowl vanished, replaced with tender amusement. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t suppress her Elven half’s need for greens.

  “Sprouts? You’ll never stop being partly a vegetarian, will you?” But he gave her a swift kiss on the lips, a meaningful look at their leader, and headed for the stairs.

  Sam held the door wide open. “Come in, Aiden.”

  She sat on the green and white striped sofa and patted the space next to her. Aiden had bought the furniture for them as a mating gift. The big alpha sank onto the couch. Black-bearded, his shoulder-length raven hair tousled as if he’d run a hand through it, the alpha stood over six feet tall. He could strong-arm everyone in the pack, but ruled through respect, not intimidation. This morning he wore a red and black plaid shirt rolled up at the sleeves to display his thickly muscled forearms. Faded jeans encased his long legs and he’d stuffed his feet into worn Western boots. But instead of the leather belt with the monogrammed brass buckle, Aiden wore a gold buckle etched with the symbol of a wolf howling at the moon.

  His symbol.

  She nodded at the belt. “Making a statement when you enter the challenge?”

  Aiden glanced downward. “All the competitors are required to display their pack symbols.”

  Interesting. She knew little about formal Lupine rituals. “What is the competition’s symbols?”

  “Probably an omega cowering and showing his belly.”

  Sam laughed and Aiden cracked a brief smile, which faded fast.

  She touched his arm. The alpha had never been this hesitant. Always direct and tough, but fair, he didn’t waste time or words. “Aiden, what’s wrong? Why do you need to talk to me?”

  “I need your help.” He ran a hand through his hair. “This challenge, I need you there.”

  Stunned, she leaned forward. “Darius told me the rules state no females are present except those who live with the alpha female hosting the challenge.”

  “Yeah, well, the rules say one female from each challenger’s pack can be present, but she has to remain with the females. I want you.”

  She had a bad feeling about this. “Why me?”

  He rubbed a hand over his bearded chin. “I hate asking you. It’s going to be brutal. Rough. A Mating Challenge is not pretty. And Darius won’t want you present. Aw hell. I don’t know if you can handle it.”

  “Really?” she asked dryly. “I’ve survived being bitten by snakes, having my mate go feral on me, getting lightning bolts tossed at me by my stepbrother, and nearly lashed to death by mutant tree branches. You don’t think I could handle it?”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt…”

  “Darius won’t let me get hurt. Neither will you. Tell me why you need me.”

  Aiden’s dark gaze filled with torment. “I need your calming influence on the males if they go into a frenzy, surrounded by the females.”

  “And?”

  “And I need you there to talk to Nikita. So she can see a gentle female influence and know we’re not all…beasts in this pack.”

  Sam’s heart squeezed tight. She went on her knees before Aiden and gathered his hands into hers. “You’re not a beast, Aiden. You’re our alpha. You do what you must to keep us together and thriving.”

  “She thinks I’m a savage.” Aiden looked away and she saw his jaw tighten. “She just called me one before she hung up on me.”

  Suspicion filled Sam. “Did you say anything to anger her?”

  A frown dented his forehead. “Nothing I can recall. I only asked her what kind of sheets she liked.”

  “Liked for what?”

  “When she sleeps naked in our bed.”

  Sam bit back a smile. “You’re such a romantic.”

  He stared at her, his frown deepening. “I don’t want her uncomfortable. I want everything to be just right for her to come live here. But she acted as if I’m a total and complete ass.”

  Sam rubbed her cheek against his work-toughened hands. Males. So clueless. She loved them, anyway. “In time, Nikita will come to realize what you are is pure alpha, a strong leader who will give his life for his people. She may not realize it now, Aiden, but she needs you. Just as we need you.”

  Sam rested her head on his lap and felt him stroke her hair. She relished the contact, the strong but gentle touch of her alpha. There was nothing sexual about it. It was the touch all Lupines craved, and her Lupine half needed it as much as her elven half needed sprouts and greens.

  “Thank you,” he said quietly.

  “Darius and I would do anything for you. We want you to be happy. If it means we fight alongside you, we will.” She raised her head, letting him see the tears in her eyes. “You saved my life, Aiden. If not for you channeling your powers into me when I fought James, I would have died. And Darius would have died with me. He’d vowed that if I went, he’d go too.”

  This big, tough alpha who had nearly sacrificed his life held her heart as much as her mate did. They needed him. Most of all, they needed him happy and whole. And Aiden would not be both until he claimed his mate, the Lupine he’d wanted for all these years.

  Gently, he reached down and wiped a tear away from her brimming eyes. “Don’t cry, Sam.”

  As she stood, he did as well and hugged her tight. “Now get your cute little butt downstairs and have breakfast. Darius is making you a
meal fit for your elf self.”

  “My elf self.” She smiled and wiped her eyes, loving that nickname.

  He kissed her cheek. “Everything will work out fine.”

  But as he left, she saw it in his eyes.

  He wasn’t certain it would.

  And there were bigger problems at hand, ones he wasn’t sharing with her or his beta. Big ones that could affect the entire pack.

  Sam felt confident Aiden would win the Mating Challenge.

  She only wished she felt as confident he could deal with the mysterious situation with the Blakemore pack. All the males seemed to have vanished, and there were rumors they had died.

  Aiden needed to win the challenge, and bring Nikita and her pack here to the ranch.

  Because she feared the longer they remained at Blakemore ranch, the greater the chances none of the males would be returning home.

  Except in a coffin.

  Chapter 1

  The two nude alpha werewolves fought to be the most dominant, the one to mate and breed with the female leader of the Blakemore pack.

  Sounds of flesh smacking hard flesh echoed through the ballroom of the Blakemore Ranch as Richard Armador and Aiden Mitchell battled on the elegant parquet floor. Overhead two lead crystal chandeliers spilled golden light upon the sparring males.

  As dictated by law, the men had removed their clothing to fight naked, to show they had no concealed weapons. The female alpha had the right to see the merchandise, so to speak. See exactly how much power and strength she’d be taking into her bed.

  Perched on a gilded throne, Nia Blakemore watched the men fight. In this arena of blood and violence, hardened Lupine alpha warriors battled to lay claim to the female alpha’s lands, her pack, and her body. She felt like a tightly coiled spring, ready to snap with tension.