Hard Mated (Shifters Unbound #3.5)(25)
Author: Jennifer Ashley

The Morrissey house teemed with activity. Connor was in the backyard looking after Katriona, Kim already having left for her office. Sean and Andrea were in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast—or at least Sean was cleaning up while Andrea rested her pregnant body on a chair and gave him encouragement.

Liam sat on the edge of a sagging sofa on the back porch, watching Connor set up blocks in the grass for Katriona to knock over.

Liam rose when Spike came charging up. Connor too looked up, tensing, glancing behind Spike to Myka.

“Spike,” Liam said, keeping his voice neutral. “Top o’ the morning to you.”

“Cut the rustic Irishman crap. I want that damned Feline dead. Gavan wants to get rid of weak Shifters so bad, let’s start with him. Round up the other trackers and bring Sean. We’ll need the sword.”

“Whoa.” Liam raised his hands and fixed Spike with his leader stare. “Calm yourself, lad. What’s he done?”

“What’s he done? He’s threatening my family to make me play his games. He had Myka followed home, then an ass**le followed us this morning. If you don’t want to kill him, fine. I’ll do it myself.”

“No you won’t.”

Spike’s anger grated in his throat. “Why the hell not?”

“Because Gavan didn’t send the Shifters after Myka,” Liam said calmly. “I did.”

Chapter Twelve

Feral rage made everything red.

“You sent them.” The words came out harsh and staccato. “What the f**k?”

Sean stepped out onto the porch behind Liam, leaving Andrea inside. Connor scooped up Katriona and carried her a little way away. Keep the females and cubs safe from the Spike the dangerous fighter in case he loses it.

“It’s my job,” Liam said. Sean didn’t move, but his distance from Liam was perfect for backing him up. “Every human coming to Shiftertown gets checked out.”

Spike knew that. Liam even had found out everything he could about Kim, his own mate, when he’d first met her. Spike had been sent on such reconnaissance missions himself.

“You didn’t ask me,” Spike said. “You didn’t tell me. You just did it.”

“You were busy.”

Spike wanted to kill him. The push was there, rising in him like black mire, urging him to lock his hands around Liam’s throat and lift the man off his feet.

Spike held himself back by willpower alone, a tiny part of his brain telling him to keep himself planted where he was.

But he could best Liam if he fought him. He knew it.

Looking into Liam’s eyes, Spike saw that Liam knew it too.

Spike’s hands curved to wildcat claws. “Back off. You stay away from my cub, and you stay away from my mate.”

Liam’s gaze darted to Myka, who stood behind Spike. Spike knew exactly how many paces she stood from him, exactly how long it would take him to get to her and take her to safety.

“Mate, is it?” Liam asked, looking at Spike.

“I mate-claim her. Under the light of the Father God and in front of witnesses, I claim Myka Thompson as my mate.”

*** *** ***

“What?” Myka scuttled forward, her cowboy boots catching on clumps of drying grass. “What did you just say?”

Both Liam and Sean swung to her, the brothers inhaling sharply at the same time.

They might be human-shaped, but the gesture reminded Myka sharply that Liam and Sean were predators. Like the horses that had recognized the danger in Spike, Myka shivered with the instinctive fear of prey.

She knew that Liam and Sean smelled Spike on her, and their lovemaking, in spite of the long and somewhat involved shower she and Spike had shared.

“He’s claimed you as mate, lass,” Liam said after a silence. “I had the feeling he would.”

“What does that mean exactly?” Myka asked, her heart beating hard.

Spike didn’t look at her, keeping all his attention on Liam. “It means I want to bond with you, Myka, under sun and moon, to make you my mate for life.”

“Oh.”

For life. Forever.

Liam shot her a look of sympathy. “It’s a lot to take in, lass. You can refuse the claim if you want.”

Spike’s snarl filled the air, and Liam snapped his gaze back to him. Myka saw other Shifters coming out of houses, sensing, hearing, smelling the confrontation. She’d witnessed violence in the fighting ring, but she knew that if violence erupted here between Liam and Spike, it would make those fights look like tussles in a kiddie pool. This would be a true fight, and it would end in blood.

“Spike’s right,” Myka said to Liam. “You do treat him like he’s stupid as a brick.”

Liam blinked. So did Sean. Spike didn’t, keeping his focus on Liam.

Myka plowed on, pretending that Liam’s white-blue gaze didn’t make her want to run like the full-of-herself mare had run from Spike.

“He puts his ass on the line for you any time you demand it. Then when he goes home to take care of his son instead of salaaming to you, you act like you can’t trust him. And then, you can’t let him figure out on his own whether I’m dangerous to Shifters. Isn’t part of his job as a tracker to do stuff like that?”

“Not when it’s personal,” Liam said.

“It wasn’t personal at first. I was just some woman who told him, Guess what? You’re a dad. But no, you figured he was too stupid to check out whether or not I was harmless by himself.”

Sean spoke up for the first time, his rich Irish voice quiet. “She has a point, Liam.”

“Of course I do.” Myka bathed them both in her best glare, pretending she wasn’t shaking all over. “This mate thing is between me and Spike. No one else. If you want to know who I am and all about me, come over for a beer, and I’ll tell you. I’m a simple person with nothing to hide. Now if you’ll excuse us, Jordan’s probably wondering where his dad is.”

No one said a word. Myka made herself turn her back on the double blue stare of the Morrissey brothers and walk away.

She passed Spike, who didn’t look at her, and strode all the way to her pickup, not letting herself gasp for breath until she’d jumped inside and slammed the door.

*** *** ***

Spike’s rage lightened and lightened until he was ready to run down the street laughing and turning handsprings. Wouldn’t that freak out all of Shiftertown?

Liam watched in astonishment as Myka walked away from him, his alpha fury having taken one in the kisser. Sean leaned back against a porch post, hands in his pockets, and started to grin.