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  Ryland had no idea where all his sister’s bravado was coming from. He knew he was grinning like an idiot at her for her standing up for him. He just wished she’d been able to do the same for herself when Refugio had treated her like crap. He just wasn’t sure it was wise for her to find her backbone while facing Draco, one of the fiercest shifters Ryland had ever met. Then again, there was just something about Draco that made Ryland believe he would never hurt a soul unless he was backed into a corner.

  Just because he had that feeling, didn't mean he shouldn't worry about his sister. Ryland was usually a good judge of character, but that didn’t mean he was right now. For all he knew, Draco would snap his sister like a twig for talking to him like that.

  Hoping to diffuse the situation, he started pushing his sister back out of the kitchen and to the hallway where his room was located. "Look, I am not discussing whether or not Draco is my mate with my sister. I appreciate your concern, but this is between myself and Draco." When she looked like she was going to argue, he added, "Now, you need to go hide again before that asshole Gerald decides that with Refugio gone you are up for grabs."

  A low growl rumbled through the kitchen. "Who is Gerald?" It was in the form of the question but Draco demanded an answer.

  Keira actually backed up several steps. Her face draining of color as fear took hold. Not that Ryland blamed her. The sound had definitely been one of the most menacing sounds he had ever heard. So why wasn't Ryland afraid? Hell, not only was he not afraid, Ryland had never felt safer in his life. He must be having a nervous breakdown. It was the only explanation.

  No matter what the reason, he wasn't going to allow anyone to make your sister cower in fear ever again if he could help it. He got right into Draco's face. "Stop terrifying my sister. Gerald is a guard who is nothing more than a bully. If you're mad, take it out on him, not on Keira."

  What had Ryland expected? He couldn't have said. But it definitely wasn't Draco grinning at him or picking him up and whirling him around before the softest lips he had ever known landed on his in a kiss that, embarrassingly, made Ryland's toes curl and body heat up.

  When he was put back on his feet, he stared up dazedly at Draco, who continued to grin down at him. "What was that for?" Ryland managed to ask even though what he really had wanted was to beg Draco to do it again.

  Those green eyes sparkled as Draco said, "Let's just say, we will both appreciate that you’re able to stand up to me without any fear in the future."

  That didn't make any sense. The interactions Ryland had observed while working for the shifters tended to lead him to believe the predators preferred submissives, not equals. He may not know what animal Draco turned into, but the man screamed predator. So, shouldn’t he want his mate to cower at his feet?

  Then again, Ryland had always believed he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. If Draco wanted somebody who could stand up to him, Ryland was definitely that person. He had more bruises and broken bones than he could count during his time in the Council house to prove he had a hard time being submissive.

  Chapter 5

  "Now, who is Gerald and why do I need to kill him?" Draco wasn't one to make idle threats. If this guard had forced Keira, Draco would gladly tear the man apart limb by limb.

  Keira must've gotten her bravado back for she once more faced him with legs braced apart and her arms crossed over her chest. "What do you care? You're one of the shifters. In my experience, your kind couldn’t care less what happens to humans."

  Unfortunately, what she said was right. In general, shifters didn't care about humans. Then again, shifters tried to stay away from humans for the most part, in fear of what the overwhelming numbers of humans might do if they found out shifters existed. But Draco wasn't like other shifters. Mostly because of all he’d seen over his very long life. "First of all,” he said to Keira. "I'm not like other shifters. So don't lump me in with the rest of them. Second of all, you are Ryland's sister, which makes you part of my family, and I will do whatever it takes to protect my family."

  When Keira opened her mouth as if to argue, Ryland stopped her by asking Draco, "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know we are really mates?"

  The question tore at Draco's heart. He hated that his mate didn't instantly know they belonged together. He knew it was a human thing, but it still hurt. He took Ryland's hand in his and kissed the back of his knuckles, loving the feel of his mate’s skin on his lips. "I know you don't feel it like a shifter does," Draco said. "But you still feel it."

  Humans may not understand all of their emotions but Draco did believe they instinctively knew something was different from what they felt for others. "If you listen to your heart, if you open yourself up to your emotions, I think you will notice what you feel for me is unlike anything else you've ever known before."

  Without even giving himself a chance, Ryland started shaking his head as if denying what Draco was saying. "No. I don't feel it."

  Undeterred, Draco cupped his free hand over Ryland's bulging groin. "Really?" He challenged. "Do you always have a hard on when doing the dishes?"

  "Yep, I'm out of here," Kira said as she turned with her hands over her ears. "Let me know when you figure this out. I will be in your room, Ryland."

  Ryland didn’t seem to even notice that his sister had spoken much less left the room as he stared up at Draco. It was a heady feeling having all of his mate’s focus on him. Draco definitely could get used to it.

  He leaned in a little closer, squeezing Ryland's hard on until he heard his mate moan in pleasure. "Tell me you feel it,” Draco whispered.

  Ryland bucked into his hand. "Of course, I feel it," Ryland said even as he tried push his body closer. "Your hand is on my dick. But I would feel anyone's hand on my dick."

  Jealousy streaked through Draco's veins at the thought of anyone else touching his mate so intimately. Who was he kidding? He would have the same reaction if someone just touched his mate’s arm.

  He growled deep within his chest and pulled Ryland flush with his body. He leaned his head down into the crook of Ryland's neck. His canines extended as they clamped down on the tender flesh. It took a lot of self-control to not pierce the skin and claim Ryland was his, right then and there. "No one touches you but me."

  He knew it was probably the wrong thing to say when Ryland clearly didn't fully understand shifter ways, but Draco couldn't stop the words even if he’d wanted to, which he didn't, especially with thoughts of another man touching what was his swirling around in his head.

  "Don't tell me what to do." Draco had to admit he was proud that Ryland was still willing to stand up to him, especially when his teeth were pressing into his flesh, but his mate didn't seem to understand how dangerous Draco could be when pushed.

  The urge to sink into the warmth of his mate’s body with both his teeth and his cock was starting to drive Draco insane. The need to mate with Ryland was overwhelming. Another rumble released from his chest as his canines just pierced Ryland skin. The coppery tang of his blood slid over Draco's tongue, drenching his taste buds with his mate’s unique flavor. It had only been a couple of drops, yet Draco felt drunk and craved more.

  But no matter how much Draco wanted to make Ryland his, he wasn’t about to start their bond without Ryland’s consent. In his mind, it would be the ultimate betrayal. Sure, there had been cases where it had been necessary to save a mate’s life, but this wasn’t one of those times.

  No. His animal may be thrashing inside of him to take what was theirs, but Draco refused to comply. Not until Ryland offered himself freely.

  “Please, tell me you aren’t biting me.” The fear that laced Ryland’s whispered words were all Draco needed to seal the slight scrape of skin with his tongue, healing the abrasion instantly.

  It was like a physical pain to take a step away from Ryland, but Draco did it. That Ryland unconsciously followed him to get closer, made him feel just a bit better. “Not bite, exactly…” he stared, unsure how
to explain the compulsion that was within him.

  Ryland’s hand went up to where Draco’s teeth had just been. His shoulders sagged with relief when he didn’t feel a mark there. It would take more than that small scrape Draco had caused to leave his mating mark on Ryland. “No biting,” Ryland said with a grimace. “That shit hurts.”

  One of Draco’s hands gripped the edge of the steel island that was next to him as the implication of Ryland’s words sank in. “How do you know that?” He hadn’t meant for his tone to sound so harsh and accusing, but Draco was on edge at the thought of another shifter leaving marks on his mate.

  Ryland backed up a few steps, his gaze wearily watching Draco. “Because some of the guards didn’t seem to care that fucking men was illegal in your world. Apparently they weren’t satisfied with just raping me. They wanted to hurt me even more and got off by biting me.” His hand moved from where Draco had scraped him to his shoulder.

  Unable to stop himself, Draco’s claws came out and ripped the shirt right off Ryland to see for himself. The scars were jagged and too numerous to count.

  Enraged, Draco threw back his head and bellowed his fury to the heavens. The steel that he had been gripping, crumbled like a tin can beneath the force of his hand. He would tear apart each and every man who dared to touch his mate, not leaving enough of any of them to identify.

  “Who did that to you?” His voice was thick and guttural as his immense teeth had punched through his gums, making it hard to be understood. He was shifting and Draco wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself.

  “Oh shit,” he heard from the doorway. Saber stood there with Chadwick and at least five others gaping at him. “Get out,” Saber ordered to the others, even as he gently tried to push Chadwick behind him to protect him.

  Draco wouldn’t intentionally hurt his alpha’s mate, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get in the way when Draco tracked down his prey. With his animal so close to the surface, Draco could now scent the air around him with perfect clarity.

  The first thing he noticed, one of the men who had followed Saber into the kitchen was one of the men who planned on harming the new Council. The second, and most important, his mate was terrified.

  “Mind telling us why you’re intent on scaring the shit out of this poor human?” Chadwick asked with his usual sarcasm.

  Draco rumbled out a warning when Chadwick moved around Saber and walked toward Ryland. For a moment Chadwick paused and turned his head toward Draco. He kept his gaze lowered enough so that he wasn’t challenging Draco, but didn’t move back to the safety of his mate.

  “Unless you plan on giving your mate a freaking heart attack by shredding me right in front of him, I suggest you calm the fuck down.” Chadwick glanced over at Ryland. “By the scars all over his body, I would think he’s been through more than enough, without having to watch you go all caveman on his ass, but hey…” Chadwick shrugged. “What do I know?”

  Draco blew out a hard breath through his nose, which was starting to morph into a snout. The last thing in the world he wanted was to shift, but Draco just wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stop himself.

  “Chadwick is right.” Saber’s voice was completely alpha at the moment as he obviously feared what Draco might do to Chadwick. “You have to calm down before you do something you can’t take back.”

  “They raped and bit him,” Draco roared, the stone of the house shook all around them as if about to collapse. “Their marks are all over his body.” Draco pointed to his mate’s scarred chest as if Saber hadn’t already seen them.

  It was as he looked Ryland’s way and saw him shaking and trying to curl himself into a ball on the floor as far from Draco as possible that what he was doing finally hit him. His claws and teeth retracted instantly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he started toward his mate.

  But Ryland cringed when he tried to come closer, stopping Draco in his tracks. Tears gathered in his eyes as he stared helplessly at his mate. He wanted to wrap him up in his arms and promise to never let anything hurt him ever again, but how could he do that if Ryland wouldn’t let him near him?

  It was his own fault for not being able to control his rage. In the past, it was his anger that had gotten him, not just kicked out of his home, but exiled. There were also the many fights that he’d managed to get into, including the one that would have killed him if Saber hadn’t of come along when he did.

  Since that day, Draco had been working to keep his emotions in check. Up until this moment, he’d thought he’d gotten himself under control. Maybe his parents had been right. He was just too hot headed and one day would end up destroying any chance he had at happiness. He’d just never thought he would actually ruin any chance he had with his own mate.

  Dejected, he turned and left the kitchen without another word. What would be the point? If he was destined to be alone, nothing he said would change Ryland’s mind. After the way he’d just acted, it was probably what Draco deserved.

  CHAPTER 6

  Ryland whimpered when he watched Draco walk out looking like a kicked puppy. A part of him wanted to call out and stop Draco from leaving. Not just because he hated that the guy was so down, but because Ryland actually wanted him close by. He couldn’t explain it but he felt…safer with Draco near him.

  Unfortunately, it was the other part of him, the saner, been there, done that part of him, that refused to move from where he was curled up into a ball in the corner of the room, wedged between a wall and a sturdy table. Although, after what he’d seen Draco do to the top of another counter, he was no longer sure there was such a thing as a safe place.

  That steel had crumbled like cheap paper. Ryland shivered imagining it had been him in Draco’s grip. Which was exactly why he’d kept his mouth shut and remained as small as possible while Draco left the room.

  “Are you okay?”

  Ryland jumped at the sound of the man who was standing a few feet from him. The guy seemed to be talking to him as if he were a frightened animal, which, in a way, was probably true.

  “I know Draco can be a bit scary at times, but I swear, he really is more like a cuddly teddy bear when you get to know him,” the man reassured.

  A growl rumbled through the kitchen as another man, who had been the one to get Draco to calm down, strode toward them. Terrified by the fierce expression on the other man’s face, Ryland tried to make himself a smaller target by curling in tighter.

  “What would you know about Draco being a teddy bear?” the second man demanded as he pulled the first man into his arms and branded him with a kiss, declaring them together.

  Both men were panting when they finally pulled apart. “I think I like it when you’re jealous,” the first man teased.

  “That wasn’t an answer,” the other man growled out.

  But instead of being intimidated, the first man lifted an eyebrow at the other man. “There is a lot I’m willing to forgive. But insinuating that I would ever cheat on you, isn’t one of them, Saber Thorsen.”

  Saber. Oh shit. Ryland knew that name. This giant of a man was the new Chief Council. There was no way Keira was going to survive if this guy treated her like Refugio had.

  The first guy suddenly slapped Saber on the chest. “Now look what you’ve done,” he said as they looked Ryland’s way. “You’ve scared poor Ryland even more.”

  “But I didn’t do anything,” Saber insisted. “I was just holding you.”

  The man in Saber’s arms extracted himself and carefully made his way toward Ryland. He must have thought Ryland was about to bolt, for he took his time and kept his hands out in front of him, as if showing Ryland he wasn’t a threat. It would have been funny if things weren’t so serious.

  “It’s okay,” the man said in a soothing voice. “My name is Chadwick and that guy behind me is my mate, Saber.” When he was less than ten feet away, he got down on his knees so he was on Ryland’s level and crawled the rest of the way. “I promise. Neither of us are going to hurt you.”<
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  All thoughts of his own safety had fled as Ryland thought about his sister. “Yeah, but is he going to fuck my sister like Refugio did?” He pointed at Saber. “Because I don’t think she’d survive someone as big as Saber.”

  This time it was Chadwick who growled and Saber who chuckled. “Um, no, I happen to like my balls right where they are, thank you very much,” Saber informed him.

  “Huh?” That didn’t make any sense to Ryland.

  It was Chadwick who answered. “What my mate is trying to say is that he knows I would rip his balls off his body and feed them to him if he ever even thought of cheating on me.”

  “Mates?” Ryland was truly stumped. He knew about mates but… “Wait a minute.” Obviously he had been too dumbstruck by Draco for his mind to have been thinking clearly. “Draco said we were mates.”

  Chadwick just raised an eyebrow at him as if waiting for the rest of what Ryland had to say. But he didn’t have anything else. So he tried again. “I thought shifters never mated with the same sex. So, how can you two be mates?” And why was Ryland heartbroken that he couldn’t be Draco’s mate?

  “Did you not just see us kiss?” Chadwick asked as if Ryland were a bit slow, which, considering everything that had happened since meeting Draco, might be true. “Did that look like two men can’t be together?”

  “But the law…” Ryland started to say, but Saber’s growl stopped him from saying more.

  “That law has been changed,” Saber insisted and Ryland believed him. Not that Ryland was surprised about the same sex thing not actually being true. With how many of the guards that had fucked him since he’d arrived, it had become apparent not all shifters were heterosexual.