Page 14 of Ravish
“Her home, at a guess.” He pushed his voice through the suddenly tight vocal cords and the teeth that had dropped for the bite that he must give to mark his mate, along with the semen he was going to implant in and on her body. Rubbing his ejaculation into her skin so everyone will know his scent on her until they die. His sac was swelling in anticipation as they stood there in the kitchen.
He could see his friend, Mack, was excited for the chase, but he could also see and smell his fear.
Mack and Roland had been inseparable as pups, and Roland felt like Mack was more of a brother than a friend. It had broken his heart, and he had kept his friend’s secret. Mack, when he had turned eighteen, had met someone while they were away doing business with the Calais clan.
They had attended one of their festivals, and Mack had met a female Lycan, also from a different clan, who was there with her family. To their surprise the female had gone into heat and had wanted Mack to mate with her.
It had not ended well for either of them. Mack had not been able to control himself and made the experience for the young woman unbearable. Mack had not been able to perform the mating ritual properly because she’d run off before the bite and disappeared. They tried searching for her and her family, but she was like a ghost; no one knew who she was or ever saw her again.
Since that day, Mack did not take another woman to his bed even when she was not in heat and willing. Roland hoped that someday Mack would talk to him about it more and eventually heal from the experience and try again. He understood his friend’s fear, but he felt that the young Lycan woman was not his true fated mate.
Now a new opportunity was in front of his friend Mack. Emiyah was his fated mate, and if this very moment wasn’t a serious one, Roland would have laughed himself to death. The bane of Mack’s existence was now going to be his for the rest of his life. Roland couldn’t hide the smirk, and his friend Mack turned his gaze to him and scowled.
His smirk dropped when he realized who he was. This was going to be a problem, and how was this going to look to the people and his father? His mother’s murderer’s child was now going to be his queen.
He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“It will be all right. You finally have your mate, and the king will be happy.”
“He doesn’t have a choice now.”
“You could always not claim her.”
He let out an angry growl, and he took a step to his friend, ready to rip him to shreds at the suggestion that he would not claim his mate, dishonoring her.
Mack just stared at him calmly. “Be easy, friend; just proving a point.”
He took a breath, and her delicious scent hit his nostrils, thoughts of claiming her now filling his head. “Do you think we have given them enough of a head start?”
He saw fear flash suddenly in his friend’s gaze. “I think it would be best if we get Nuri to chain me to something. I don’t want to go feral again. I—"
Roland felt eyes on him and turned to see the staff watching him and Mack in fascination. They were all bonded and would not be participating in the heat cycle, and the men and women had looks of surprise, excitement, and curiosity as they watched the scene unfold in front of them.
It was an honor to find your fated mate within your clan, and not only being the next king in line but also finding his queen before officially taking the reins would be an integral part of ruling with his mate by his side, making him and the clan stronger. That was truly a cause for celebration and a blessing.
And now he had secured that his lineage would not die out with him, because she would be carrying his pups before the night was over.
“Come, we must go, or they will have too much of a head start. You will control yourself this time around.” He gave the command.
Mack looked at him skeptically, but he knew he wasn’t going to argue with his ruler.
He and Mack, in sync, turned and left the kitchen, their strides long and sure. He let out a low whistle, and his men that were stationed around the house came and met them in the middle of the hallway.
“Watch my father. I have—”
He heard a loud scream and then Fantasy shouting. “No! Stay away,stop! Don’t come any closer!”
His father was in danger. They all moved quickly to the door that led into the family room.
Roland and Mack stopped in surprise. His father was approaching Fantasy, who was withering with her back pressed against the wall. His dad turned, and his eyes were gold like his; he was bulkier with his canines dropped. His father growled in warning at him and turned to face them.
“Get out. She is mine.”
Fantasy's scent hit his nostrils as he saw her put out her hand as if that was going to stop what was meant to happen again. Her face was a twist of need, hunger, anger, and yearning as the heat took over. This was unusual but not unheard of—that a Lycan could have more than one fated mate at a time—but a rarity, and the King was about to take himself another mate.
His father expanded before his eyes, taller and broader, and he turned fully to face them.
“Out now. But stay outside the doors and, umm, try not to listen.”
