The Mating Challenge Read online

  “What’s going on, Niki? What aren’t you telling me? You’re being so secretive. I wish you’d open up to me.”

  She shrugged. “I’m always like this. Get used to disappointment.”

  Halfway up the path, they encountered Darius, Samantha, Garth and Roxanne. The foursome hovered over a figure lying on the ground. Nia’s heart pounded faster.

  Oh crap, this so was not a great way to end her afternoon.

  She beat Aiden as they raced up the hill to the Lupines. Nia looked down and her stomach turned over.

  Lying on the gravel was a medium-sized male Lupine wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans. A silver button with an insignia of a wolf holding a spear was pinned to his shirt.

  Nia recognized him as one of Richard’s wolves.

  “What happened?” Aiden demanded.

  A guilty look from Darius. His right eye was slightly swollen and bruised. The male had always been jovial, sarcastic and sometimes fun, but no laughter shone from his eyes now. He looked perplexed, and slightly angered.

  “I was walking through the woods after following the trail of a gnome and saw this asshole bothering Sam. He didn’t leave with the others. He was aggressive and getting violent, talking about the challenge not being a fair fight and how his alpha should have won.”

  “So you killed him?” Nia asked, her voice a little shaky.

  Darius shook his head. “He hit me and then I decked him. It was only a punch, yeah, a hard one, but he collapsed and never got up. And then his heart stopped beating.”

  She scanned the corpse. There, on his chin. Nia crouched down for a better look.

  Upon first glance, the rough, scaly patch resembled an outbreak of Psoriasis, a common ailment among Skins. But instead of being red and silvery, this area of skin was black.

  Hiding her fear, she pulled back the male’s shirt collar. Nothing. Then she noticed a reddish brown stain on his jeans near his right boot. Nia fished her knife out of its scabbard and cut the cloth. Never had she been so relieved to see evidence of the other plague on her land.

  “You didn’t kill him, Darius.” With the tip of her knife, she pointed to the jagged bite. “A gnome bit him.”

  Aiden squatted down beside her. “One gnome bite wouldn’t be enough to make him drop dead.”

  “Maybe it was a diseased gnome.” She slid the knife back into its scabbard and stood. Nia drew in a trembling breath. It was getting more virulent and contagious. It shouldn’t have affected any males quickly. The gnome bite wouldn’t have caused this kind of damage normally, but maybe the gnomes were infected, too.

  “Even so, he shouldn’t have died. It wasn’t anything more than a glancing blow.” Darius looked troubled and Sam snuggled against him, her arms wrapped around her mate’s waist.

  “There’s something odd about the body,” Aiden mused.

  Dread filled Nia as Aiden reached out to touch the corpse on its chin, and the rough patch of skin.

  “Don’t do that!”

  Aiden glanced up. “He’s dead. He can’t hurt me.”

  But he could. More than you know.

  She wasn’t certain if the parvolupus had mutated to transfer through skin contact, but didn’t want him risking his life.

  “If it was a diseased gnome that bit him, do you want to take that chance?”

  Relief filled her as Aiden finally drew back. He glanced at his beta. “Is this the same one who’s been spying on Niki’s pack?”

  Darius nodded. “He’s been trespassing, trying to gauge her borders and the value of the land.”

  “What?!” She turned to Aiden, anger pushing aside her fear. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His gaze remained even. “I had no proof. Didn’t want to confront Richard until I investigated the matter.”

  “Without telling me!” She drew in a trembling breath, deeply shaken by this news. “How long has he been sneaking onto my land?”

  “Months,” Darius said. “I finally got it out of him by threatening to beat the crap out of him. And then he got violent toward Sam…”

  His voice drifted off and he slid an arm around his mate’s waist.

  Aiden shook his head. “Stupid bastard. Richard will have to be notified. He’ll want to bury him.”

  Making a sound of distress, she pulled at his arm. “No. I’ll call him, but he’s not allowed back here. The rules of the challenge are clear and he knew them, as did every single person who stepped on my land. Respect the females, do not fight. Anyone who does, I have the right as alpha to dispense with as I please. Especially now that I know he was trespassing on my land.”

  Their land had too many secrets that could kill. Nia looked at the body.

  She narrowed her gaze. “I’m not allowing Richard or any of his males to set foot on my land again and start making trouble. Roxanne will take care of this. She has the equipment to protect herself.”

  Her beta looked scared, but nodded. Roxanne had disposed of dead bodies many times.

  “I’ll help you,” Garth offered.

  “No,” Roxanne and Nia cried out at the same time.

  “I use a Haz Mat suit,” Roxanne said, glancing at Nia. “Please, go with the others. I don’t want you taking a risk.”

  “I won’t have you taking a risk either. Not with those dangerous gnomes around. Consider me your new bodyguard, Roxanne,” Garth told her.

  “No,” Nia said, but the male ignored her.

  Garth stared at her beta, smitten as a pup, but there was a determined arrogance about him. Aiden had it as well. It was the protective stubbornness of a male Lupine who’d staked a claim on his female. This one wouldn’t take orders easily, she realized. As Roxanne headed for the barn to get the Haz Mat suit, Garth started after her.

  Cutting him off, Nia stabbed him in the chest with a finger.

  “Look wolf, this is my ranch, my rules and my land. Roxanne needs to take care of this. She’ll be fine, she has a rifle! I’m giving you a direct order. You are not going with her.”

  Narrowing his eyes, he put his hands on his hips. “I am going with her. I take direct orders only from Aiden and I’m not leaving her unprotected. You have no authority over me.”

  Then he added with a sniff, “Female.”

  The hell with this. If she let Garth disobey her, she’d never gain the respect she needed to make the Mitchell pack males listen to her, and get the hell out of here.

  “Here’s my authority.”

  He didn’t see her knee, but oh man, he felt it when she made hard contact with his groin. Garth yelled and fell down, clasping his balls, wheezing.

  “Stop thinking with your dick. I’m still the alpha on my land,” she told him.

  Dirty move, but necessary. Nia flexed her fingers, wishing she didn’t have to do that. She stole a glance at Aiden, who gave a brief nod. Aiden fisted a hand in Garth’s shirt, dragged him upright and shook him.

  “Listen to Niki, you stubborn ass. That’s my direct order.”

  With a sullen look, Garth nodded.

  To her immense relief, the male turned and headed back to the lodge. Nia released a shaky breath. She had to get Aiden and his men out of here, quickly.

  Because if they stayed, she couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t suffer the same fate as the diseased dead man.

  Aiden hated secrets. He’d spent too many years under the shadow of a domineering father who hid behind a lie. And now the female he planned to mate was hiding some very big secrets. He just knew it.

  Patience eroding, he itched to shake sense into Nikita and demand answers. But the wolf was stubborn as rock. Would not budge. He understood why she’d moved against Garth. The male needed to realize he would soon be under Niki’s authority as well, and listen to her and respect her.

  But he needed honesty from his mate. Nothing less.

  They were all exhausted and hungry and on edge. Food would help with the frayed tempers. He hadn’t eaten since gulping down a light breakfast of fruit at 5 a.m., not wanting to be
sluggish for the fighting. But now his tired body demanded sustenance.

  Aiden followed Nikita into the pack lodge, through the living room, into the enormous dining hall.

  “I need you to show me where my men will be bunking for the night.”

  Was that panic flaring in her pretty blue eyes? Nikita headed for the counter holding a coffee pot, hot water and a box of tea. She poured herself a mug of coffee, gestured to the pot. He shook his head.

  “I’m going to need fresh meat for my men.” He gazed around the room with its square oak tables and bank of tall windows overlooking the mountains and the valley. “We can hunt in your forest. But I didn’t see any big game. What happened to all the deer in your woods? I didn’t even scent a rabbit. Or a squirrel.”

  Nikita seemed absorbed in her mug. “We have game. Just hard to find.”

  “Bull.”

  She looked up and he caught the fear in her eyes. Aiden roped in his frustration. Hoping his touch would sooth her, he settled his hands on her shoulders, alarmed by how much weight she’d lost. Niki had been much plumper only a few months ago.

  “Send Darius home with Sam. Now,” she told him.

  Aiden stared. What the hell? Had she asked him to have sex with her here on the dining room floor, he couldn’t have felt more surprised.

  Pleased, oh yeah. But surprised as well.

  “Aiden, he doesn’t belong here anymore. Send him home with Sam.” He could see her mind working like a clock, gears whirling. Making excuses?

  “I don’t want your beta here having sex with his mate and stirring up my pack. You saw what happened already with Garth. And you know the rules of the challenge. Until you and I consummate the mating, your men can’t touch my women. No pairings until we’re officially mates.”

  She set down the cup and leaned against the counter. “Your men are already cranked up enough. Last thing I want is them stalking my females, getting pushy and then I have to kick more in the gonads. I doubt you want that either. My knee’s gonna get pretty damn sore.”

  Instead of answering, he studied his intended mate. With her dark gold curls, high cheekbones, pert nose and her full, lush mouth, she was lovely. But he didn’t only see her beauty, he saw a female alpha with lines of strain around her pouting mouth, and smudges of purple beneath her sapphire blue eyes.

  What had happened to her?

  Clasping her hand, he led her to a table. “Sit.”

  Nikita bristled. “I’m not a damn dog, Mitchell.”

  Far from it, he thought, amused. “You’re exhausted and look ready to topple over. Your wolf needs food.”

  After pulling out a chair, he gently pushed her into it.

  “I have to tend to the livestock. I have chores.”

  What livestock? Nikita had once raised quarter horses and champion thoroughbreds. He saw only a few straggly mustangs in the pasture, cropping the scrawny grasses. And there were no crops of any kind that he could see.

  How the pack was surviving, he didn’t know. Aiden went into the adjacent kitchen, did a quick check of the pantry and refrigerator. The slim stores alarmed him. He pulled out his cell and called Darius.

  “Aiden.” Darius sounded worried. “Sam and I are hanging with the others outside. They want to know what the plan is.”

  Aiden made a prompt decision. “Get a few guys together to go to town to buy groceries. Lots of steaks, beef, the usual. Give them your corporate credit card.”

  “You already packed a cooler for the celebratory feast tonight. It’s probably still in your truck.”

  Aiden frowned. He had tossed the cooler into his truck early this morning without anyone’s knowledge. “How did you know?”

  “You fight to win, my friend. What else would you have done?”

  His beta’s tone was dry. Darius knew him well.

  “It’s not enough to feed our guys and Niki’s whole pack. Unload everything I brought, get dinner started and send the men into town for more.”

  “There’s a grill downstairs on the lanai and a small kitchen and bar for entertaining. I’ll get started grilling the food,” Darius added.

  “Good. Make sure to send enough men with the trucks to stock Niki’s ranch for at least three weeks.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Tell them to buy plenty of beef, vegetables, staples, tea, milk, the usual. Oh, and a big box of chocolate puffs.”

  He knew Niki liked those, judging from what Lexie had told him. Lexie, Nikita’s niece, was mated to Jackson and officially now a member of Aiden’s pack.

  “Then, after you and Sam eat, go home.”

  “What? No way. I’m not leaving, I’m your second in charge—”

  “Exactly why you need to get home, and take Sam with you. Someone has to look after the home front.” Aiden paused. “It’s best if you leave, Dar. Things are tense enough now with all the men eyeballing the females—”

  “Which is why you need me to keep them in line while you focus on Nikita.”

  “I can get Garth for that.” He thought of what Nikita had done to the male. “He needs a distraction from Roxanne.”

  Silence.

  “Go home, Darius, and enjoy Sam. I’ll be fine here with Garth.”

  “Aiden, what’s going on? You pissed because I hit that male from Richard’s pack?”

  He heard the faint undertone of worry. “Asshole deserved it for coming onto Sam. I’m more concerned with settling the guys down for the night, and making sure her females have enough to eat.”

  “There’s no big game in the woods,” Darius said slowly. “Things are pretty bad. Worse than what you thought.”

  He gripped the cell. “Yeah. Which is why I need to step in and take charge. Niki won’t like it, but she’ll have to live with it.”

  “Good luck, buddy.” Darius laughed softly. “Wish I could be here to see you deal. See her tear into your sorry ass.”

  “Fuck you and the horse you didn’t ride in on,” Aiden said, smiling, and thumbed off the phone.

  When he returned to the dining hall, Niki had rested her head on the table. Her eyes were closed.

  Fast asleep.

  She hadn’t been eating properly, obvious from the weight loss and the exhaustion. And the strain of the challenge had taken its toll.

  Aiden felt a mixture of longing, tenderness and something else he didn’t quite recognize, nor want. He couldn’t fall in love with this stubborn, strong female. Long ago he’d resolved to never fall in love and hand over his heart, like his dead and dear old dad had done with Aiden’s mother. When his mother died, his father had fallen apart, neglected the pack and nearly killed his offspring. Aiden’s fists clenched as he thought of his baby sister and the scars she’d suffered because of their father.

  He would never allow his feelings to take over like his father had.

  Oh, he’d become Niki’s mate. Make love to her, long into the night. Treat her with the respect and caring she deserved. Make certain she never wanted for anything.

  He’d do anything for her. Anything.

  Except hand her his heart. Love makes you a fool, and weak.

  He pulled out a chair, turned it around and straddled it. At the scrape of the wood against the tile, she raised her head with a dazed look. “I fell asleep. How long?”

  “Ten minutes at the most. You didn’t miss much.” He ached inside at how vulnerable she looked. “My men are headed into town to buy supplies.”

  Niki sat up, yawning. “I have food.”

  And wolves can fly. He remembered her stubborn pride and quickly thought of an excuse. “A feast, to celebrate my victory. And my men are very hungry. You didn’t count on having all of us stay for dinner.”

  Her eyes widened. She pushed away from the table. “They can’t stay here. Send them home.”

  Aiden frowned. “Why? They’ll only have to return tomorrow for the mating ceremony.”

  “Then let them return. I don’t have room for them. And I don’t want anyone sneaking off to bother my pack in the midd
le of the night.”

  “We could consummate the mating right here and now.”

  Something flickered in her gaze. “Rules are rules, Mitchell. I’m going by the book on this mating.”

  “True enough.”

  Niki stood and walked over to the doors leading to the wide balcony overlooking the rolling hills and sweeping pastures. He joined her outside as she sat in one of the wood rockers. Feeders hung from the overhead rafters as hummingbirds darted in and out, seeking the sweetness.

  Like her. He remembered his gift. “I’ll be right back.”

  When he returned, her eyes were closed again. Aiden suspected it was from hunger and lack of sleep. He gently placed the birdhouse in her lap. “Open your eyes.”

  She did and looked down. “What is it?”

  Enormously pleased with himself, he chuckled. “What else? It’s a birdhouse.”

  Niki lifted up the structure and examined it. “For what?”

  “You mentioned you wanted to have a bird house for the hummingbirds to nest. So I got you one as my mating gift to you.”

  She sighed and shook her head. “Thank you. Ah, Mitchell. I appreciate the sentiment.”

  But she didn’t look pleased. “What’s wrong?”

  “Hummingbirds aren’t cavity nesters. This won’t work.” Nikita poked at the birdhouse. “It’s very pretty, but useless.”

  Dumbfounded, he stared at the gift. “I went out of my way to get you a birdhouse for your birds and you don’t like it? I thought you’d like it. It’s your favorite color. Blue.”

  He studied her face. Nikita was complex and wild, like the animals roaming her ranch’s forest.

  “It’s nice. As a decoration.”

  “It’s a birdhouse!” Frustrated she didn’t like the gift, he glared at her.

  She sighed. “Listen Mitchell, no matter how pretty or ornate or strong the birdhouse is, it won’t work. Hummingbirds like platforms. They nest in sheltered trees and in shrubs that make them feel safe. If you don’t provide the proper nesting area, and food, they’ll leave. You have to meet their needs if you want them to stick around. Pay attention to them.”

  And then it struck him that Nikita was exactly like her hummingbirds. Always darting around, fast and furious, looking for the proper spot to nest so she could care for her people, but no one paid attention to her needs. Aiden felt as if he’d been looking at her through a telescope, when all the time what he needed to see wasn’t at a distance, but right in front of him.