Hard Mated (Shifters Unbound #3.5)(36)
Author: Jennifer Ashley

“I’m saying I love you.”

Spike’s smile died. He stilled one heartbeat, two, then he hauled Myka into his arms and against him. Jordan spilled from Myka’s lap to Spike’s, but he didn’t wake and didn’t seem to mind.

Spike kissed her lips, his strong, masterful. “Goddess, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever found. I love you, Myka.”

Their mouths met again, Spike’s arms shaking. Myka caressed his face—gently, not wanting to hurt him.

Spike brushed her hair back from her face, his smile wider. “The touch of the mate. Heals a man.”

Myka looked him over, from his purple bruises to the red pockmarks on his chest to the bandages wrapped around his arms and stomach. “I’d say you had a long way to go.”

“Then you’d better keep touching me.”

Myka ran her fingers lightly up his chest. “I can do this all night.”

His arm tightened around her again. “That means you’re staying?”

“As long as you want.”

“As my mate?”

The answer was important to him. It was important to her.

Myka thought about her life of loneliness, of reaching out to Jillian and Sharon, looking for the mother she’d lost and the sister she’d never had. How losing Jillian had been losing a part of herself, how she’d been drifting, alone.

Then Spike had caught her in strong arms and drawn her into his world, his family, his community. He had a solid place in it, and now, so would Myka. With him.

“Damn right,” she said.

The next kiss took her breath away. Spike was definitely improving.

After a long, long time, Myka laid her head on Spike’s shoulder, happiness swamping her in sweet waves. “I am sorry about the stables, though,” she said. She sighed, not wanting to think of anything that might pull her from this heavenly bubble. “That place gave me life, and hope. I love training, and I love the horses. I don’t want to give that up.”

“Oh, yeah,” Spike said, as though remembering something. “You won’t have to. I’m buying the stables.”

Myka’s head popped up. “What?”

“You tell the owner you can give him the five-hundred grand. Or figure out how much your other trainers can come up with and I’ll put in the rest. I can’t hand over him myself, being a Shifter, but I’ll give it to you. You pretend you saved your pennies or inherited it, or something.”

“But how . . .” Myka looked wildly around the plain but homey room, the stone fireplace, the lack of ornaments, the old television and the VCR player that had run through all those TV shows. “But Shifters . . .”

“Don’t have anything. I know. Shifter secrets, Myka. But you’re my mate now. You want the stables, you got them.”

Myka stared at Spike a moment longer, then she collapsed against him again. “Wow. I’m going to have to think about all this later. When I can. For now . . .”

Spike drew her close. “What?”

“Keep kissing me. We need to get you well.”

“I can go for that.” Spike’s smile was wicked as he bent to her again.

A furry body squirmed between them, and Jordan woke up with a yowl of fear and confusion. Spike caught him up between his big hands. “It’s okay, little guy. I’m here. You’re home.”

Jordan flailed a little more, blinking sleepily. Then he came fully awake, growled again, and launched himself at Spike. He shifted as he did so, grabbing Spike around the neck and holding on.

Spike closed his eyes and held his son, the relief on his face beautiful.

Myka stoked Jordan’s unruly hair. “How you doing, kid?”

“I was scared!” Jordan looked at her with huge brown eyes. “But I’m okay now. My dad came for me.” Jordan gave Myka a loud, wet kiss on her cheek, gave the same to Spike, and then held on to Spike again. He turned his head on Spike’s broad shoulder and gave Myka a grin, a mirror of his father’s. “My dad’s awesome.”

*** *** ***

Jordan’s naming ceremony happened the next night, and Spike decided to announce at the same time that Myka had accepted his mate-claim.

Spike, his heart swelling with pride, carried Jordan to the center of the double-circle of Shifters—clan and close friends forming the inside circle, the rest of Shiftertown on the outside. Myka was right next to him, where he could reach out and touch her whenever he wanted.

Spike lifted Jordan, in his wildcat form, to the light of the half moon, which was shining mightily through the trees.

“Mother Goddess, I give you Jordan Reyes, son of Eron and Jillian.”

The Shifters whooped and yelled. “Jordan Reyes!” Myka winced, the full power of Shifter voices overwhelming.

“Shift back,” Spike whispered to Jordan.

Jordan gave Spike a little growl—he loved being in wildcat form—and changed slowly to a four-year-old boy with brown, black, and golden hair.

Spike lifted him again. “Mother Goddess, I give you Jordan Reyes. Watch over this child. My son.”

The Shifters screamed again, and this time, Myka didn’t flinch. She was learning.

“Can I be a wildcat again?” Jordan asked.

Spike kissed the top of his head. “Yep.”

Jordan wriggled and shifted. Instead of struggling to get down and run, as he’d been doing all afternoon and evening, he climbed onto his father’s shoulders. His claws dug through Spike’s shirt into his still-healing wounds, but Spike wouldn’t pull him off for the world.

“Shifters!” Spike said, taking Myka’s hand and raising it high. “I give you Myka Thompson, mate of my heart.”

The Morrisseys and friends yelled in response, and the rest of Shiftertown took up the cheer. Ronan punched the air, and Olaf the polar bear cub, sitting on this shoulders, imitated him. The only family missing were Sean and Andrea, staying inside their house with their brand new little one—a male they’d decided to call Kenneth Terry Dylan Morrissey. There would be another naming ceremony in Shiftertown soon.

Liam came forward and took Myka’s and Spike’s hands, still twined. “We welcome Myka. We’ll get the mating ceremonies done as soon as there’s a full moon, and some sunshine.”

The Shifters erupted into more shouting, howling, cheering. Anything for a good party, and mating ceremonies led to fine sex—to celebrate fertility, of course.

Spike was all for celebrating fertility. Last night he’d been too sore and exhausted for any joyous activity, and he’d dropped off as soon as he’d stretched out on his bed. Waking up with Myka next to him had been wonderful, but then Jordan had bounced in almost immediately, and they’d had to get up and take care of the rest of life.