Mate Set (Mating Heat Book 1) Read online

  Sighing, she walked toward the door. “But what a way to lose them.”

  He growled at her again, glaring at her until they reached the Jeep. Even though he was pissed off, he opened the door for her and then shut it. He was quite the gentleman, at least when it came to installing a woman in a vehicle. He slammed his door when he climbed in and studied her in the dim interior. “Where do you want to go?”

  She hesitated. “Why don’t we kill two birds with one stone? Minnie told me you own a bar, so you could go in and get a little work done while I have a few drinks.”

  She saw indecision on Grady’s face but he finally nodded. “There will be wolves there but I have good security. We can go but you are to stay where I put you. Do you understand?” He shot her a hard look.

  “I speak English, so I understand what you said.” She smiled at him. That didn’t mean she’d do what he wanted. She didn’t mention that out loud.

  The bar was actually a nice place, certainly not the dive Mika had expected. It was decently lit, there was a large dance area, and tables separated the dance area from a game room. She counted four well-used pool tables.

  Grady pointed. “Over there at the bar.” He had to yell over the music to be heard. “You sit your ass down and stay there.”

  She rolled her eyes but headed where he’d indicated. Mika appreciated the muscular bartender in his mid-twenties with blond hair and dark brown eyes. He was total eye candy. Their gazes met and held until—Grady stepped between them so Mika was left staring at Grady’s back. She sighed.

  “Yon, guard her. She’s Omar’s niece. Her drinks and whatever are on the house. No one touches her. Am I clear?”

  Yon must have agreed because Grady jerked his head in a nod and slowly turned around to glare down at Mika. “I’m going to my office for a bit to check on things. Sit down and stay there. Order a drink.”

  She gave him a salute. If all of her fingers bent except for her middle one as she saluted him, so be it. He growled at her, dark eyes glittering dangerously, and then he shook his head slowly. He stepped into her personal space as his head bent so his cheek nearly touched hers. She inhaled his cologne and wanted to groan. Not only did he look good enough to jump on, but he smelled good enough to want to rub her body all over him.

  “You’re not worth losing my balls over,” he whispered.

  She clenched her teeth as Grady jerked away, spun on his heel, and disappeared through a doorway.

  She climbed up on the barstool and gave the bartender a once-over, immediately noticing that he wasn’t giving her a sexy look anymore. He actually looked damn unhappy to see her, now that he knew who she was.

  “May I have whiskey? I want ice too.” She held up her fingers. “That much at least, in a glass; I don’t want a tiny shot. I’m drowning my sorrows here and Grady said it’s on the house, so show me the love when you tip the bottle.”

  Yon’s eyebrows rose and he almost smiled but then masked his features. He walked away, grabbed a decent-size glass, dumped ice in, and set it down in front of her. Within seconds he’d filled it with whiskey. Their gazes met and held.

  “You’re really Omar’s niece?”

  She sipped her whiskey. She made a face when it burned down her throat, clearing a warming path all the way to her tummy where it settled. “Yeah.”

  “How the hell did that happen? You’re not one of us.”

  She knew what he meant. She wasn’t a werewolf. “I was adopted. My mom was Omar’s sister, his only sibling.”

  He blinked. “Do you know anything?”

  She took another sip. “I’m well aware. My uncle doesn’t lie to me.”

  “I see.” He nodded. “I have to work but I’ll keep an eye on you.”

  She watched him go down the bar, serving drinks. She was sure he would keep an eye on her. He was obviously pack, if he knew her uncle Omar. It also stood to reason that Grady would hire pack to work for him since pack stuck together. She sipped her whiskey and turned in her chair to watch the dancers, wishing she were out there since she loved to dance. She tapped her foot to the beat. Grady’s bar played good music and he had a great sound system.

  A dark-haired man walked up to her. He was nice looking, in his late twenties, and dressed in black slacks and a blue silk shirt. He smiled as he drew near. “Do you want to dance?”

  She set her drink down and was on her feet in an instant. “I’d love to.”

  Mika glanced at Yon, spotting him at the end of the bar. His gaze met hers and he shook his head. Mika ignored him and walked to the dance floor, with the man who’d asked her to dance right on her heels.

  “I’m Jeff,” the guy yelled at her.

  She turned on the dance floor to face the man, who was only a few inches taller. In her heels, she was just about five-seven. She met his intent look and smiled.

  “I’m Mika.”

  He grinned and reached for her hand, which she let him take. He tugged her farther onto the dance floor and started to sway with her. He danced a little too close, so Mika had to put some distance between them, and when he spun her, she pulled her hand out of his to keep back from him by a few feet. She knew he was examining every inch of her but she didn’t care. He was keeping his hands to himself and that’s all that mattered.

  Yon was watching her from behind the bar with a deep frown. Mika felt a little guilty but she needed to show Grady that she could make her own decisions. She turned her back to him and finished her dance with Jeff. The song ended and she smiled at the man.

  “Thanks.”

  “Come to my table with me.” He reached for her arm again.

  Mika dodged his hand. “I came with someone but thanks for the dance. Have a good night.”

  Jeff frowned, not looking happy, but he didn’t try to stop her as she walked away from him. She moved toward the bar, going between tables to get there. She noticed that there were already a lot more men in the bar than when she’d entered. There were women too but the men noticeably outnumbered them.

  She was almost back to her seat when a man stood up from one of the tables and purposely stepped into her path. She froze and looked up, taking him in quickly. He was a big guy, about six feet two if she had to guess, and about two hundred pounds of beefy male who was decent looking. The look in his green eyes was too intense for Mika’s comfort as his gaze locked with hers.

  “Let me buy you a drink, pretty.”

  Pretty? She gave him a tight smile. “No thank you.” She tried to step around him.

  His hand shot out fast and gripped her wrist. She was shocked that the man had grabbed her that fast, hadn’t even seen his hand move, but his hold on her wrist was tight. It didn’t hurt but she knew she’d be hard-pressed to make him release her if he didn’t want to. She tugged but his hold only tightened almost painfully, letting her know he wasn’t willingly going to let her go easily.

  “I insist.” He had a deep voice.

  “I insist you let me go. Thank you but no. I’m not interested.”

  He jerked her closer, hard enough to knock her off balance, and she gasped when her body hit his. She saw his nose flare and he had a hungry expression on his features as he looked down at her. His other arm wrapped tightly around her waist, locking her against his body. Her panic was instant as she realized he wasn’t human.

  “We’re leaving,” he growled. “I won’t hurt you if you don’t make a scene.”

  She saw three men at his table stand. It was obvious that they were with him. Shit. What is it about werewolves traveling in packs of four? Mika took a deep breath, pushing back the memories of four other werewolves outnumbering her, and glared up at the man who had her trapped in his arms.

  “I’m pack protected,” she gritted out. “I’m Omar Deken’s niece—and I’m also not your type. Let me go.”

  He blinked. “I don’t give a damn who you are, but I’ll tell you what you are. You’re mine tonight. If you’re worried about the other men, don’t be. I don’t share well with ot
hers. This is going to be a private party when we get to my hotel.”

  “I said no.” She had one hand free, pushing against his chest. “That means let me go.”

  He growled at her low and deep. “You don’t know who I am. I’m Vargas Lorne, alpha of the Lorne Pack, and you’re mine tonight, pretty. Don’t bother fighting. You know what we are, I heard you talking to the bartender, and I watched you dance. You stirred my blood, so you’re leaving with me now. Don’t make a scene because it won’t change the outcome. My men will handle any problems that arise if someone tries to stop me from taking you. If you have friends here that you wish to remain unharmed, you won’t fight me.”

  Anger surged in Mika. “The only way you’re stirring my blood is by making it boil, because you’re pissing me off! I am not leaving here with you. I can guess what you want from me and I’m not interested.”

  The smile that curved his lips was ice cold. “I don’t care what you want. It’s all about me.” His smile widened. “And I want you. I always get what I want.”

  Mika’s fear made a lump form in her throat that she had to swallow down. He was an alpha and he had men with him. That was bad. He lifted her higher up his body, her feet leaving the floor as he held her in a near-crushing hold with his arm locked around her waist, and he carried her a step. His other hand was still gripping her wrist almost painfully and she knew he could snap it easily.

  “Don’t fight me and you won’t get injured. You might not enjoy what I plan on doing to you but I know I’m going to enjoy it a hell of a lot.”

  “Put her down,” a familiar deep voice snarled.

  Relief swept through Mika. Grady sounded furious and close. She couldn’t see around Vargas Lorne, but she knew Grady was behind him somewhere.

  The man holding her sighed and turned his head toward Grady.

  “Stay out of this.”

  “She’s mine.” Grady’s voice was steel hard. “She came with me and she’s leaving with me.”

  Vargas slowly eased Mika back to her feet. He turned, forcing her to turn with him, his hold on her waist never easing but he let her wrist go. That hand moved to her shoulder as his glance shifted from Grady down to her. Mika tensed as the man slowly moved her shirt back on each shoulder to look at her skin, one side at a time. He smirked as his cold gaze rose to meet Grady’s, who was now behind Mika.

  “She isn’t yours,” Vargas said calmly. “She doesn’t carry your mark or carry your scent.”

  “She’s promised to me.” Grady had inched closer, sounding as though he were right behind Mika. “She’s mine,” he repeated.

  Mika was staring up at Vargas, still pressed hard to his larger body. She couldn’t turn to see Grady because of the tight hold the wolf had on her. The chest she was pressed against vibrated as Vargas growled at Grady.

  “You should have put your mark on her. It’s too bad for you that you didn’t. You have no claim to her. She doesn’t even carry your scent. You can have her back when my need for her is over.” Vargas smirked at Grady. “I’m alpha of the Lorne Pack. Think twice before you attack me. My men will take you down before you get her away from me and she’ll get hurt in the process.”

  “I didn’t realize Jessup had died,” Grady ground out.

  “He didn’t. I’m taking over when he does. I’m first son.”

  “So am I. I’m Elroy’s oldest.” Grady sounded closer now. “And she’s mine. This bar is full of my pack. Do you really want to do this? She’s my future mate. I’m willing to die to protect her—are you willing to die to try to fuck her?”

  Vargas looked angry as he glared at Grady. “Mark her now, then.” Vargas suddenly dropped her on her feet and shoved Mika. She didn’t go far, slamming into Grady’s body instead of hitting the floor. His arms locked around her waist and she was yanked off her feet as Grady took at least four steps back and turned his body sideways to get Mika away from Vargas. When he turned with her in his arms, it put her totally out of Vargas’s reach.

  “If she’s yours, then mark her now,” Vargas snarled.

  Mika saw Vargas’s men spreading out to surround her and Grady. She stared up at Grady, watching rage grip his features while he glared at Vargas. She could feel how tense Grady’s body was, so hard it was as though a stone man were holding her, and under her hand on his chest she could feel his heart pounding. Her own was racing just as fast over the horrible situation.

  The man was demanding Grady mark her in front of him to prove that she was his. Mika wondered what marking entailed and prayed it wouldn’t mean he’d have to come on her thighs again, this time in the middle of the bar for all to see.

  “Mark her or hand her over, because I’m willing to fight you for her. I could use a good fight and a good fuck.” Vargas smiled coldly. “Of course, after the fight is over, I’m going to be in a mood by the time I bend that bitch over in front of me. She won’t enjoy that, will she?”

  Grady growled. His hold on her eased as he gently set her back on her feet and broke the glaring contest between him and the other man to look down at her. His arm tightened again around her waist while his other hand gripped her shirt to yank it to the side, exposing the top of her right shoulder.

  Mika could only gasp as Grady’s face buried in the crook of her shoulder and neck and pain made her cry out. It hurt so much as his sharp teeth punctured her skin that her fingers clutched at his chest, gripping the material of his shirt, clawing at him.

  Grady growled and then his teeth pulled back just enough to leave her skin but his mouth didn’t move away. He kept it open over his bite as his tongue licked across her wound, lapping at the bite a few times. His head jerked up as he yanked her shirt back in place over the fresh wound he’d made.

  Grady didn’t meet her eyes or even look down. He glared at Vargas Lorne instead. “She’s marked by me. Now get the hell out of my bar.”

  Fury lit green eyes as Vargas jerked his head in a nod. “Fine. We’ll leave. She’s yours.” The man spun on his heel and waved his hand toward the door. He stormed for the exit with his three large companions on his heels.

  Grady watched them go. Long seconds ticked by.

  “Shit.” Yon was close now. “You had to mark her. He backed you into a corner until there was no other way out of it.”

  Shock was rippling through Mika. Grady had bitten her. Her shoulder burned and throbbed from the injury. Grady growled.

  “I’m taking her back to her house. It’s too dangerous to have her out.”

  She didn’t like the way Grady sounded. He slid his keys out of his pocket and tossed them at Yon.

  “Park my Jeep in the other lot when you leave. I don’t trust that bastard to not be waiting out there to snatch her. There were witnesses in here but there won’t be once we leave, so I’m going to sneak her out the back before he can prepare to steal her from me.”

  Grady didn’t look at her once as he practically dragged her toward the back. The door he yanked her though was marked Employees Only. Mika had to run to follow the man who gripped her arm to drag her out of the bar. Keys hung on pegs next to another door. He snatched up a set and tugged her out into the cool night air behind the bar, where there was a private parking lot.

  His hand on her arm loosened but he didn’t let her go. She could almost feel his rage as he led her to a motorcycle. She watched him remove both helmets attached to the bike and shove one her way. Her shoulder throbbed where he’d bitten and marked her. Uncle Omar hadn’t gone over what happened when a werewolf bit a human, so she wasn’t sure what the hell it meant.

  “Grady…” Her voice was soft.

  “Shut up,” he snarled. He climbed on the bike, shoving his helmet on, and jammed a key into the ignition. “Get on now before they show up. It doesn’t take long to move around the damn building.”

  She put on the helmet and climbed on the big motorcycle behind him. She barely had her arms around his waist when he started the bike and took off. He let his anger guide his driving skills and
Mika shut her eyes tightly, to avoid visual proof of how fast they were going and how sharply he was taking turns. Feeling it was bad enough without having to see the danger.

  He finally stopped the bike and Mika opened her eyes when he killed the engine. Dread was immediate as she realized that Grady had pulled up in front of her Uncle Omar’s house. The lights were on inside and there were a few unknown cars in the driveway.

  “Get off,” Grady snarled in his anger.

  She climbed off the bike and removed the helmet. “I didn’t lead on that asshole. He just stood up and grabbed me. I told him to let me go. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  Grady climbed off the bike, tore off his helmet and slammed it on the seat. He reached over without meeting her gaze and snatched away the helmet she held. He slammed that one down on the seat too, not bothering to hook them to the bike. His large hand snaked out and gripped her arm under her elbow. He jerked her toward the house.

  Mika had to practically run to keep up with Grady. He was majorly pissed off and he wouldn’t even look at her. When they reached the front door, he didn’t bother to knock, just twisted the handle and threw it open. He yanked her into the house and slammed the door behind them.

  In seconds, Mika was staring at a group of six men sitting in the living room with her uncle. She recognized Alpha Elroy, who sat in a La-Z-Boy with his feet up. Sitting on the couch near him was Uncle Omar. Every eye in the room was on them.

  “What happened?” Uncle Omar frowned. His full focus raked over Mika and settled on Grady. “I assume something happened.”

  Grady growled. “Your niece made me take her to my bar.”

  Anger clouded Uncle Omar’s face while he leveled Mika with a cold look. “I told you no bars. And you…” That cold stare shifted to Grady. “How the hell did she make you take her?”

  Grady took a deep breath. His voice was harsh and deep when he spoke. “She said I could take her out or take off my clothes. She was bored, and she’s a pain in the ass who’s spent two days teasing me. It’s mating season, damn it. If she’d stripped or come on to me the way she threatened to do, there’s no way I could have controlled myself. She’s too damn attractive. That’s how she made me take her out of her home and to my bar.