Mate's Bite

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

El

Almost two hours after Ryan left with his mother’s battle bruised body, he walked into her room. El had been pacing the floor, desperately trying to keep a handle on her lioness as they waited for him to return. She smelled Leilani’s blood on him, and his expression was unreadable. El didn’t want Ryan’s mother to be dead, even if her bloodthirsty lioness seemed to feel quite the opposite.

“Is your mother…” El asked, choking on the last part of her sentence.

“She’ll survive.”

His response was lacking any emotion, and his tone was short. El knew she deserved nothing more, but it still stung. Marcus, who had been lounging on the bed, stood up and stood to the side of El.

“Ryan, I’m not sure what happened. Everything happened so fast,” El said.

“Part of the fault is mine. I didn’t take the time to tell you about our Pride ways, and for that I’m sorry. I will also take on some of the punishment for what happened tonight.”

“Punishment?” El gasped.

“Yes, one of our biggest laws is that there will be no fighting or challenging at Pride gatherings, most especially when we’re announcing a trio. Those caught doing so will be punished,” Ryan explained.

“Is your mother going to receive some sort of punishment? She enticed me!” El defended herself and was annoyed that she was going to be punished for defending herself.

“Mother is enduring her punishment,” he said.

“So, she entices me not once, not twice, but three times, and I finally defend myself, and I’m in the wrong?”

“Yes, because you chose to do so at a Pride gathering.”

“I didn’t know that, but your mother did, and she chose to fight me anyways.” El was furious all over again.

“This is true, Ryan,” Marcus said interceding.

“Mother may have approached you to no doubt say less than savory things, but I have no doubt that Leilani wouldn’t have challenged you. She’s a stickler for the pride laws.”

El threw her hands up in the air. Trip walked in then, and with him a familiar scent. El stepped closer to him and sniffed him several more times before it finally clicked.

“Claudia is the one tending to your mother?” El asked Ryan.

“Yes, she is the most experienced healer we have.”

“Why is her scent so strong on you?” El asked Trip.

Trip looked at Ryan before answering.

“I hugged her,” he replied.

“You hugged her?” El asked, stunned.

“Mate…” Trip started, stepping closer to El.

She put her hand up to silence him and stepped back, making it clear she didn’t want him anywhere near her.

Shawn walked in just then, and the tension in the room was not lost on him. He immediately went to El, looking her up and down as if to convince himself that she was in one piece and unharmed.

“El?” her name was more of a question, indicating Shawn was wanting in on what was going on.

“El, Claudia means nothing to me. She is merely a friend, and she’s the best healer we have. We need her around here, so you’re going to have to learn to deal with me being around her—with all of us being around her,” Trip told her.

“Fine. Shawn can you pull the file on my last boyfriend. The one who was a member of the LAPD. We could certainly use his help right now. He did pass your inspection, did he not?” El said, her eyes never leaving Trip.

“Uh, El, I think maybe you need to get some rest,” Shawn said.

“No, I don’t need rest. What I need is that phone number. He’ll be part of our task force here. He was quite the hugger as well if I remember correctly.”

Her last statement earned her three loud growls from her lions and a frustrated huff from Shawn.

“El, now is not the time to be jealous and petty,” Ryan told her.

“Oh, so now not only am I ignorant, I’m jealous and petty too?” El scoffed.

“This is blowing out of proportion very quickly. Maybe we all need to just leave and get some rest, and revisit this in the morning,” Marcus, always the peacemaker, said.

“I think you’re right about leaving. Shawn, I’d like to go visit your mother—now.”

Marcus, Trip, and Ryan all moved in on her. Even though giant men surrounded her, breathing down on her with furious looks, El squared her shoulders and prepared to stand her ground

“You’re not going anywhere,” Ryan said.

“Like hell. Trip’s off hugging his ex every chance he has. You believe I deserve a punishment for playing into your mom’s plan. Marcus is being used as the constant peacemaker. My world keeps getting weirder and weirder. I turned into a freaking lion tonight! I need a break!”

“My mother’s home is an hour’s drive from here into the mountains. It’s a secure location and easy for me to monitor who comes and goes,” Shawn said.

El instantly felt better having someone on her side. Shawn had always been on her side.

“El…” Marcus pleaded.

“I’m sorry, but I need some space from all of this.”

“We’re your mates. You shouldn’t want space from us,” Trip said, his tone a mixture of hurt and anger.

“I know this whole mate thing is cut and dry for you all. I’m your mate so I should just accept all of these things, like hugging your ex, but in my world, a man who hugs his ex, still has feelings for her. Those scenarios rarely turn out good for the current girlfriend. Men who want to punish their girlfriend for the actions of their mother, don’t usually pan out well either.”

Their expressions were all painful, and El could feel their pain down in her soul, but furthermore, she could feel her own pain. El had spent her entire life putting others before her, and that was something she was going to change. She now had the strength from her beasts to give her the courage to stand up for herself.

“It won’t take me long to get ready,” El told Shawn.

“I’ll go pack as well. Mom’s going to be so excited to see you,” Shawn said.

Once Shawn left, El decided to ignore the three giant lion shifters still there staring down at her, and she began packing her own bags. Shawn’s mother was one of the kindest women El had ever met; she was everything El had ever dreamed a mom should be. The thought of spending some time with her made El giddy with excitement. Instead of stressing over her beasts, or her battle with Leilani, or what was going to happen with her and her mates, El just focused on the warm hug Shawn’s mom would engulf her in as soon as she saw El.

“El, I wish we could talk about this more,” Ryan said, finally breaking the silence.

“I don’t know what more there is to talk about. You’ve made yourself clear. I’ll be punished, just let me know what you plan to do to me and when, and I’ll make sure I’m back in time,” El sneered.

“Dammit El, it’s not like that,” Ryan roared.

El flipped around, her lioness on edge; she could feel her eyes glowing.

“What’s it like then, mate,” El snarled, her lioness in charge now.

“There are things that must be done.”

“Pride law, yes, you’ve said that. Am I mistaken that you are, in fact, Alpha?” El inquired.

“El, I can’t change laws that have been in place for centuries just to please my new mate.”

“No, you won’t change those laws,” El countered.

“Do you want pride members to be able to fight at pride gatherings just so you can get off free?” Ryan asked.

“No, what I want is for your mother to be held just as accountable as me. I’ll take my punishment when she takes hers. Furthermore, I am her Alpha, she challenged me, if we’re going by pride law, she lost and should now be banished.”

El was a bit shocked at the information that was flooding out of her. She had been picking up bits and pieces since her time with the pride, but it was like the laws were ingrained in her lioness subconscious.

“She’s right, Ryan,” Marcus said when Ryan failed to respond.

“If that be your command,” Ryan asked her.

“You’re the Alpha, Ryan,” El scoffed, turning back to throw the last bit of her clothes in the duffle bag.

Once she had it zipped, she turned back to him and waited for his response.

“Maybe you going with Shawn for a time is the right thing for now. We all have some decisions to make,” Ryan told her.

It felt like a knife had cut straight through her heart. Leaving had been her idea, and she knew she needed the break, but hearing that Ryan also wanted her to leave stung.

“This is crazy. You are our mate, and your place is with us,” Marcus urged, moving to take El’s hands in his. El reached up and cupped his cheek. Marcus had been her ever-faithful peacemaker, and he didn’t deserve the separation. Honestly, El was nervous about being separated from him as well. He seemed to be the only one capable of keeping her beasts in check.

“Leave us,” El snapped at Ryan and Trip.

“El, please baby, you’re making more of this than what it needs to be,” Trip purred as he moved closer to her. Marcus stepped back, giving them space.

The closer Trip got to her, the harsher Claudia’s smell became. El had to take two deep calming breaths to keep her beasts in check.

Holding her hand up to keep him from coming any closer, El said, “When I come back, please try not to reek of another woman’s stench?”

Trip’s eyes fell, and he realized that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with her. That was fine with El; he had hurt her, and it was unfair of him to try to make her feel bad about being upset. She had every right to not want him hugging an ex-lover, mate bond be damned. Trip finally turned and left the room. El’s gaze moved over to Ryan. She wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but something told her that the battle lines had been drawn, and he was just as stubborn in his position as she was hers. He finally dipped his head to her, turned and left.

“I don’t like this fighting. It’s not healthy to fight,” Marcus told her.

“Shh, I’ve had enough of this talk for the night. I’m leaving soon, and I need a shower. Will you join me?”

She felt Marcus waiver. He felt as if he was betraying his triad brothers by not having a conflict with her, but he also felt turning down his mate was a betrayal to her. El didn’t want him to be in the position, so she didn’t push him on the matter. El headed to the bathroom and stripped out of her tattered clothes, while the waterfall jets warmed.

El stepped under the hot water and moaned with satisfaction. It felt good to cleanse herself of the night entirely—all the makeup, blood, and scents. She needed a break from her new world. A few minutes into her shower, she heard Marcus come into the bathroom. He stripped out of his clothes and joined her. El didn’t think she’d ever get tired of seeing any of her mates naked.

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her body against his. Even though his erection nestled against her back, his hug was more for their emotional connection than a s****l act. With all the tension between her and Ryan, she knew it was hard on Marcus. He had a bond to nurture and protect not only with her but with his triad brothers as well.

“I love you, Marcus. I love them too. Everything will be okay. We all just need time,” she said, hoping to soothe him.

She also prayed she was right. The mate thing was so clear for them, but for her, there was a learning curve and distrust. She had come second to everyone in her life, most especially ex-boyfriends, so she was self-conscious.

Marcus began placing small kisses down the side of her neck. El wanted to turn in his arms, but he kept a firm hold on her. He nibbled at her ear and her collarbone. His hands moved up her body to cup her breasts. He rubbed his thumbs over her pert n*****s gently, and then he began to pinch them between his thumb and forefinger. Marcus asserted just enough pressure to make the brief pain pleasurable. El rocked her ass against his erection. Her adrenaline from the fight earlier still hadn’t worn off, and she needed Marcus to help take the edge off. He must have sensed that because he was being more aggressive than he normally was.

El turned her head back to catch his lips, but instead, he guided her hands to the shower wall, spreading them wide.

“Keep them here,” he grunted.

Then he used one of his legs to force her legs apart. El shivered as the spray was just out of reach. Marcus’ hands roamed her body freely, never landing on quite where she wanted them to be.

Finally, he cupped her, sliding his finger through her wet folds. El threw her head back and moaned. Marcus kissed her neck while his fingers slid in and out of her at a slow and easy pace. El wanted fast and hard, so she bucked her hips against his rhythm, but it didn’t speed him up. He brought her just to the edge of her orgasm and then pulled his hands off her.

“No,” he commanded when she tried to turn around.

“Marcus,” she moaned.

He gripped her hips, lifting her off the ground just barely, but she kept her hands on the wall just as he had placed them. In one swift motion, he entered her. Marcus didn’t waste any time. His pace was punishing and thrilling. After two hard thrusts, El crashed over into her orgasm, screaming his name. Marcus didn’t let up, he continued to pound into her, gripping her hips hard. El needed his dominance to help subdue her beasts. It also fed her adrenaline, and with each orgasm he gave her, she felt herself soften, and the fight go out of her. When Marcus finally found his own and roared as he poured himself inside of her, El went limp in his arms.

He dried them off and carried her to the bedroom. He helped her dress.

“I love you, El. Come back to us soon,” he whispered before turning and disappearing back into the bathroom.

Minutes later, Shawn opened the bedroom door and came in, his eyes darting around the room, more than likely looking for Marcus.

“Ready?” he asked, his eyes finally landing on her.

“Yes. Take me away.”