Alaric's Perfect Mate (Saber Chronicles Book One) (4 page)

“I guess they like the idea,” Aubrey said,
chuckling.

He pulled her to a stop and drew her close
once more, kissing her lightly. “Thank you.”

“They’re part of my family now.” Her eyes
glistened suddenly, and he cupped her face.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“It’s just been me and Caleb for a long time
now. I just…it’s nice to have family again.”

He was glad he could give her his sister and
brothers as an extended family. Someday, soon he hoped, he and
Aubrey would have cubs of their own, and their family would be even
bigger.

He purred, and she smiled broadly. “I like
that sound.”

Nuzzling her neck, he purred louder, and she
sighed happily. “I need to grab my things and we can leave,” he
said, releasing her from his tight embrace.

“The sooner the better.”

He liked the way she thought.

Chapter 5

It took just a few minutes to leave the arena
and walk to the RV that Alaric was sharing with his family. The
rusted vehicle had seen better days, but she tried her best not to
make a face at their living conditions.

The two-bedroom RV had bunk beds in both
bedrooms. She stood in the miniscule kitchen as Alaric bodily
extracted one of his brothers so he could get into the bedroom.

The brother turned and smiled at her but
seemed to be keeping his distance. “I’m Slade, the second oldest.
I’d shake your hand to welcome you to the family, but Alaric would
probably throw me through the wall.”

“You better believe it,” Alaric called from
the room.

She chuckled. “You sabers are possessive,
huh?”

“Just with truemates. If you have any
questions, I can maybe answer them for you, unless you just want to
wait for Alaric.”

She liked that he was willing to answer
questions. She had some of the intimate variety and more suitable
for Alaric. But she did have some that were innocuous. “Where are
you from?”

“California. Have you always lived in Belle
Terra?”

“Yes, my brother and I grew up here.”

“Your brother, the master vampire?”

Nodding she said, “He’s been master for three
years. Do you have any other family members?”

He leaned against the wall. “It’s just us.
Our parents died when Lia was in high school. They were killed in a
car crash.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Your parents?”

“My parents were killed when my brother was
turned. They didn’t like supernatural creatures, and my dad hunted
down the vampire who turned my brother and killed her. Her kiss
killed them in retaliation, but I was spared because Caleb made me
a non-vampire part of his kiss.”

“Kiss?”

“That’s what the group of vampires who hang
out together is called.”

“I thought it was a coven?”

“I think that’s witches, but I’ve never asked
one, so you’d have to ask the witches. Vampire groups are kisses.
What are saber groups?”

“A pride. There used to be other kinds of
sabers – saber-wolves, saber-lions, and even saber-bears – but they
died out ages ago, and it’s just us four. Well, there will be more
eventually as we find our mates. I get the next mate.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

“Because it goes in age order. I’ve been
waiting for Alaric to find you so I could have my own dreams.”

“You’ll have to leave? To find her?”

“Probably. It depends on what the dreams tell
me.”

“I hope you find your truemate soon.”

“Thanks.”

Alaric, dressed in faded jeans and a tight
T-shirt, grabbed Slade by the back of the neck and shoved him into
the room. He slung a bag over his shoulder and said, “Into the SUV,
sweetheart.”

Something about the look in his eyes told her
that he was walking a fine edge of keeping his hands off her. “I
need your phone.”

He looked surprised but handed it to her.

“I left mine in the limo,” she explained as
she dialed Gretchen’s cell. She wasn’t shocked when her friend
answered on the second ring.

“So you found your mate, huh?”

“How did you know it was me and who told
you?” she asked as she followed Alaric out of the RV and to an SUV.
He opened the cargo door of the big, black vehicle and tossed in
his bag. Then he opened the passenger door and pulled the seat
forward and pointed to the third row.

“Lance and Gabe called me when they got to
the hotel, and this is a private number. The only people who call
my cell are you, my parents, and my alpha, so it was just a good
guess.”

“You’re so smart. You should ask your boss
for a raise.”

Snorting, Gretchen said, “Why are you
bothering me when you should be wiggling around on a bed naked with
your new mate?”

Alaric must have enhanced hearing because he
purred. “I need you to get your butt out of bed and get three
suites for Alaric’s family ready. The rooms should be next to each
other, on the eighth or ninth floor.”

“Connected suites or the regular VIP
ones?”

“VIP is fine.” She pulled the phone away and
said to Alaric, “I’m guessing you guys are hungry? I can have room
service send some of their meat-filled platters to each room.”

He nodded. Pointing to the third-row seat
again, he said, “I’m also hungry for other things. Wrap it up,
sweetheart.”

She really did like how he called her
sweetheart. Winking, she put the phone against her ear and said,
“Did you get that?”

“About them being hungry or your mate wanting
to eat you?”

Her mouth fell open, and for a moment, she
lost the ability to say anything as Gretchen laughed. “You’re
fired.”

“You can’t live without me. I’ll get it
ready. And a tray for your room, too. I’m going to block out your
schedule tomorrow. I’ll handle anything that comes up.”

“Thanks, babe. Their names are Slade, Galen,
and Lia. I’ll have them meet you at the front desk.”

“You got it. Congratulations on finding your
mate. He’s a lucky male.”

Ending the call, she squeaked in surprise as
Alaric grabbed the phone, lifted her into his arms, and climbed
into the SUV. He sat on the leather seat and settled her on his
lap. He pulled the door shut. She wrapped one arm around his neck
as one of his big hands settled high on her thigh where the split
in the dress revealed her skin.

His mouth – that she hadn’t been able to stop
fantasizing about since he bit her neck earlier – found that same
place. She closed her eyes and buried her fingers in his thick,
short hair. Her whole body warmed and everything tingled, from her
toes to the top of her head, as he kissed and nibbled her neck. His
hand inched higher on her thigh, and she was perfectly fine with
that until the SUV rocked as his siblings got into it.

She stiffened, but he didn’t seem to care,
and neither did his siblings.

“I just need to know the address for the
hotel,” Slade said from the front seat.

Alaric lifted from her neck and stared at
her. His hand slid between her thighs, and his thumb pressed
against her satin panties. It took considerable effort to keep her
knees together, but she managed.

Giving the address to Slade, she buried her
face in Alaric’s neck as his thumb rubbed against her panties,
moving the material over her clit. Someone turned on the radio, and
she felt a little less exposed in the vehicle with the loud music
coming through the speakers. She opened her mouth and gasped
softly, her teeth scraping against his shoulder.

She couldn’t hear the purr, but she could
feel it as his chest vibrated. He pressed more firmly against her,
and she squeezed her knees together. Lifting her head, she
whispered in his ear, “Please don’t make me fall apart in front of
your brothers and sister.”

His hand slid slowly out from under her gown.
She wanted to kick herself for having him stop. It had felt so
good. Except she really didn’t want to scream Alaric’s name in
front of his family, not to mention that she knew once she did
come, that she’d be consumed with getting Alaric naked and
returning the favor.

Suddenly, it was all she could think about.
Tugging on his collar, she kissed his shoulder. He slipped his hand
through her hair and fisted it gently, drawing her to face him.
Even in the darkness she could see he was smiling. “It goes both
ways, sweetheart. If I can’t touch you, then you can’t touch
me.”

“I was kissing your shoulder. You were
exploring parts south. They’re totally different.”

“Even the simplest touch from you turns me
on, so nothing you do is innocent.”

She kissed him. “I’ll be good.”

“Well for fuck’s sake, don’t do that,” he
said, chuckling.

“Can you tell me what’s happening between us?
I don’t really understand everything, and I want to.” She felt as
if it were safer to discuss their connection than to keep trying
not to turn each other on more. She had a feeling that once they
arrived at her suite, the clothes would come off and the time for
talking would be done. Not that she minded. In fact, she didn’t
think she’d had a better idea in years.

He exhaled and released his hold on her hair,
resting his hand on her hip. “I know you’ve heard about the
dreams.”

She nodded. “Did you really see me?”

“Not all of you,” he said, settling back
against the seat. “The dreams were hazy at times, but we were
having sex in them. It wasn’t like watching a video. It was just a
feeling.” He traced her jaw with his fingers. “Your creamy skin,
your pretty hair, your beautiful eyes – those are the things I
remembered when I woke. And a bone-deep need to find you.”

“What happens now?”

He growled softly. “You know what.”

“No, I mean after that. Are you going to bite
me? Like the wolves do when they get mated? I’ve seen the mated
couples in the pack with marks on their necks.”

His fingers stroked down her neck, and she
shivered as he stopped at the place where her neck and shoulder
met. “When our ancestors – the non-human sabers, that is – would
mate, the male would mount the female from behind and sink his
teeth into her shoulder so she couldn’t get away from him. Our
were-kind has continued with that tradition. When we mate tonight,”
he brought her close so he could whisper in her ear, “I’m going to
hold you tight, fuck you hard, and mark your pretty neck. I’m going
to come so deep inside you that I’ll mark you with my scent from
the inside out.”

Goosebumps erupted on her skin, and she
closed her eyes as images filled her mind. He was a big guy, and
she bet he was big all over. Hell, she’d grabbed his dick through
the linen shorts he wore when he’d been only half-aroused, and
she’d been surprised at the feel of him. Big probably didn’t cover
it.

The vehicle stopped, and the doors opened.
The overhead lights illuminated, and she squinted until her eyes
adjusted to the brightness.

Lia, who had been sitting in the second row,
pulled a lever to slide the seat forward. Aubrey climbed off
Alaric’s lap and got out and he followed. After everyone had
grabbed their things, she said, “There’s a private entrance for the
floor I live on. You can go in through the front door. My friend,
Gretchen, is waiting for you at the front desk and will get you
settled. She’ll give you my room number so you can reach
Alaric.”

“Don’t call me,” Alaric snarled.

She laughed. “Be nice.”

His teeth snapped together. “I’ll only be
nice to you, sweetheart.”

Lia rolled her eyes as his brothers made
gagging noises.

Galen said, “Dinner tomorrow? We’ll need to
talk about Jonathon.”

“Dinner? We can meet for breakfast. The hotel
has a great breakfast buffet until eleven,” Aubrey said.

“No, we’re not meeting them for breakfast or
lunch. Dinner is fine, and we’ll come down to Lia’s room at seven,”
Alaric said, and his tone brooked no argument.

They said goodnight to his family, and he
looked at Aubrey. “Where is the private entrance?”

“To the side,” she said.

Alaric held her hand and shortened his stride
so she didn’t have to run. She was only five-foot-three, and he was
at least a foot taller. Up close, she was amazed at just how big he
was all over. Thick muscles, broad shoulders, and a tapered waist.
She couldn’t wait to get him naked.

He stopped walking suddenly and inhaled
slowly. When he looked down at her, she could see his eyes were
golden and glowing. “If you don’t want me to mount you against the
wall, then you need to stop thinking about whatever is turning you
on. At least until we get into your home.”

Her cheeks heated with blush. “You can smell
when I’m turned on?”

“Absolutely. You smell amazing. I want to
crawl under you skirt and lick you for hours. I’m pretty sure
you’ll taste as good as you smell, if not better. Sweet cream and
honey.” He licked his lips, and her knees went weak.

“Alaric,” she said, biting her lower lip. “We
should get to my suite.”

They hustled to the private entrance. Next to
the security door was a thumbprint pad. She pressed her thumb to it
and watched as a green light flashed on the screen. The door
clicked, and Alaric pushed it open. They entered a small foyer and
she lifted her face to the security camera in the corner.

“Aubrey Night, Access Code 117 and
guest.”

There was a brief pause and then Robert, a
human security guard, said, “Welcome home, Miss Night. Have a
pleasant evening.”

The second security door slid open, and they
walked through to the private elevator bay. After taking the second
elevator on the right she pressed the button for the fourteenth
floor and then pressed her thumb to another scanner. When the scan
had completed, the elevator began to move.

“The fifteenth floor is the penthouse and
belongs to my brother. On my floor, there are several empty suites
that he uses for out-of-town masters or guests. The floors are for
different supernatural creatures – big cats on one floor, wolves on
another, witches on another, and so on. We discovered early on that
shifters can be especially sensitive to scents left behind, even
though our cleaning crew is really amazing.”