Mate Claimed

If he ripped the underwear from her and let himself slide inside now, the two of them wouldn’t come out of this bedroom for days. Eric would forfeit the Challenge to Graham by not showing up, but who cared?

Challenges and their rules had been created by Shifters to prevent them from killing each other over scarce females in a free-for-all. Let Graham try to take Iona away and see what happened. Eric would simply kill him, problem solved.

The way Iona made Eric feel was primal, a throwback to the bad old days when Shifters fought to the death over a mate and were happy to do it. The Fae had created Shifters to be fighting beasts, and the beast always lurked close to the surface.

Iona’s little growl wasn’t helping. Eric smelled the feral being in her, uncontrolled by Shifter rules and a Collar. She was wild, free, and Eric wanted her.

Iona touched kisses to his face, his nose and mouth, her lips featherlight. Her body rubbed against his as she did it, sending Eric’s blood searing. He had to have her, had to slake his need on her before he faced the world today.

One burst, that’s all it would take. A few quick thrusts inside her, and Eric would be satisfied.

He knew that was a lie. Eric wanted the lovemaking to last. He wanted to lock himself in this room with her and let the world go to hell.

Iona gave him another kiss on the lips, then rolled away from him, so quickly that he lost his hold on her. “I think we should go have the pancakes now.”

Eric growled. He grabbed her wrists, came off the bed, pulled her up with him, and pinned her against the wall. He kissed her hard on the mouth as she ran her hands along his naked body, his erection nowhere near tamed. Her br**sts pressed into his chest through the nightshirt, the heat from the join of her thighs caressing his flesh.

“You saved me last night,” he said.

“You’re all right now?”

He touched his forehead to hers. “Better than ever.”

“You look it.”

Eric grinned at her. He always wanted to laugh around this wonderful woman.

He released her, his body protesting all the way, and shoved her at the door. “Breakfast. I’ll be right there.”

Iona stopped before she opened the door, her gaze dropping to his groin. “Looks like you need to take care of something else first.”

“Exactly. Get out of here.”

Eric laughed softly as Iona opened the door a crack and slipped out, leaving him alone and aching.

Iona heard the shower running for a long time after she’d washed and dressed and made it to the kitchen to join Diego and Cassidy. No pancakes. But Diego was whipping up a batch of eggs, peppers, cheese, and broken fried corn tortillas he called chilaquiles. He’d already made a stack of toast slathered in butter, cinnamon, and honey.

Iona piled her plate high with the toast. She’d make good on her promise to go grocery shopping, because she was eating all the Wardens’ food. In spite of Eric’s reassurances, she knew that Shifters had little money, and food must be expensive for them.

The way Diego was going through the carton of eggs and mountain of cheese, though, told Iona that he, at least, could afford it. Diego was human and ran his own business, no restrictions on him.

“Where’s Jace this morning?” Iona asked as she dug into the steaming chilaquiles Diego dumped onto her plate. She quickly decided that chilaquiles were her new favorite breakfast food. “Still at my place?”

Diego and Cassidy exchanged a glance. “No. He didn’t come home,” Diego said.

Iona realized then that the shower had stopped running. Eric walked in a few moments later wearing jeans and pulling a black T-shirt over his head, his hair still damp. He radiated cold, which told Iona how he’d dealt with his pesky erection.

“What do you mean, he didn’t come home?” Eric asked.

Diego answered, still busy with cooking. “That’s why Shane wants to talk to you. Jace is fine, but he went…investigating.”

“I didn’t tell him to.” The edge in Eric’s voice made Iona lift her gaze from her food. Eric’s mouth was turned down, his eyes hard with anger.

“He’s not a cub anymore, Eric,” Cassidy said. “He acts on what he thinks is best at the time, like I do.”

Eric’s growl was low but fierce. “Where the hell is Shane?”

“Waiting for you next door,” Cassidy said. “Go easy on him. Jace outranks him.”

Eric growled again, grabbed a piece of toast from the top of the stack, and munched it as he slammed his way out the back door.

“Does he always wake up this crabby?” Iona asked, sliding her fork through more chilaquiles.

Cassidy shot her a look of amusement as she took a seat at the kitchen table and started in on a plate almost as loaded as Iona’s. “That was radiant, for Eric. He’s just worried about Jace. Shane brought over a suitcase for you with some clothes from your house.”

“He didn’t need to. I’ll go out and pick up some groceries for you all, then I need to check in with my mother. I can change clothes at home.”

Cassidy’s smile vanished. “You won’t be leaving Shiftertown until the Challenge is over, Iona. Eric’s orders.”

Iona’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. “Orders?”

Cassidy moved her hand to her abdomen, caressing it, as though she’d felt the baby move. “I agree with him,” she said. “Graham is dangerous. By Shifter law, you should be untouchable before the Challenge, but I wouldn’t put it past Graham to try to abduct you and use you to hurt Eric somehow. Graham is determined to be leader, and he’ll do it any way he can.”