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Frosty
When I was teleported to the lab with Prayer, Xita, and Kassie, there were a few things I thought I might discover. Not one of them included learning I share their genetic makeup. I was more willing to listen to what they had to say after they showed me proof that I was, in fact, exactly like them. I have felt utterly alone in this world for as long as I can remember—which isn't all that long. It is a nice feeling not to be that way for once. The way shifters mated was one of the first things they wanted me to understand.
They thoroughly explained before telling me that Cato had declared me to be his mate. Well, isn't that just ducky for Cato? There has never been any chance of me playing the submissive wife role, and that hasn't changed. That is not my scene. That is not who I am. My desire to console him stems from the fact that he appears so lost and alone, and I know he has done nothing wrong because he has no control over his choice of mate. It is possible that I misled him, but when we are alone, I will make sure he knows where we stand.
After the girls told me about the problem with Harley and other leaders like him, I voiced my curiosity about why the supernatural community lacked its own police force. A special task force comprised of shape-shifters—or, you know, whatever species—is required to track them down. Prayer stated that she did not think this was an issue until recently. The alphas had not anticipated such an antagonistic encounter. Now is the time for decisive and aggressive action before the rebel leaders can rally their followers and take the territories from under them.
The girls had told me that Cato was a dragon, and not just any dragon but the alpha of an entire region. Now, I may be a nut for science fiction and PNR, but even I do not buy into the whole dragon thing. Then Xita began talking to me about genetics and DNA, pointing out the extra lines in our double helix. I nodded and glanced at Kassie, who seemed enthusiastic about the lesson. Ah, that is right, Kassie is a nurse, and Xita is a scientist. Naturally, they would be delighted with a few mutated twisty straws. When I glanced in Prayer's direction, she motioned for me to come and stand beside her. That is what I did, and we just stood there, me nodding when they got excited and her making the appropriate reassuring noises. I didn't know shit about what they were showing me, so technically, their evidence meant nothing.
The only thing that mattered was that they were making an effort to prove it to me. They didn't know me. I could have been a molecular engineer or something fancy like that, working on cars to support my tattoo collection. I do not have a tattoo collection. It is one tattoo, and since I have no memory of getting it, it doesn't count. They went through a great deal of trouble trying to prove it all to me, so I will just take their truth as the truth. So, I am not human. There is no news there. Cato is a dragon, and his DNA tells him that I am his mate. As long as he keeps his hands, claws, or any other appendage to himself, I have no interest in correcting his beliefs.
I bring my attention back to the present, and I notice that Cato has a disapproving but accepting expression on his face now that we will be working together. I am curious as to the nature of his disapproval. He certainly cannot have a problem with women fighting, as he was present when these three beat the snot out of a dozen men in an alley. He isn't disapproving, then. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it in the morning. It is been a long day, and even though I have gotten better at adapting to new situations, this is still a significant development in my life.
"I am sorry if I come across as rude, but I think my mate may be tired. And to be clear, I am not trying to coerce you into anything, but neither will I deny you or use another word to describe you." Cato holds my gaze as he speaks but then turns to Sebastian. "This is your house, Fleabag, where do we sleep?"
"Where do we sleep? Hopefully, they have a room for me. You can go to sleep wherever you want. Perch on a roof, sleep in a cave, hug your hoard, or do whatever dragons do. To be clear, I am not asking you to deny your feelings, but when you need a word to describe me, Frosty—my name—is a good one for you to use." I wiggle my way out of his arms and turn to walk away.
"I haven't slept in a cave in hundreds of years. Gargoyles perch on rooftops, and you are my hoard. Everyone knows that a dragon's true hoard is his mate. The only thing in all of existence that I can claim as mine." Even though Cato has released his hold on me, his gaze is so intense that it is as if he is still touching me.
"Your hoard is going to bed now," I say dryly, looking over at my girls.
Maybe I do not know who I am, and perhaps we do not know what we are as a group, but the one thing I do know for sure is that these are my people. These are my girls. There are a lot of things about me that I am unsure of. I am unsure how or where I picked up fighting skills, but I know I did. And I do it well. I do not know when or where I received a tattoo, but it is there. I do not know why I color the tips of my hair blue, but until I do, it stays. The things I am sure of are few and far between. These girls are my family. The first thing that has felt right since I woke up in the hospital.
As I watch, Xita finally throws herself into Leander's arms, and you can tell he has been anxiously waiting to hold her. The instant she moved, he opened his body up to her, and his face lit up. She truly is everything to him.
There is something that the girls have yet to say, and I place my hand on Cato's arm, keeping him in place. I do not want to be cruel to him and act like I am offering more than I am. However, I know he will want to be here for this.
"Just a moment, please, Cato." I stand with my back pressed against his chest, and I almost feel guilty when I notice him take a deep breath and let his body relax.
Prayer goes to her mate, Kassie to hers, and I wait patiently as we had agreed. I pull Cato's arms around me and let him wrap me in his arms. In addition to its healing and comforting effects, touch can be a source of joy and happiness. I watch as Kassie stands on tiptoes to whisper to her mate. There is a brief pause as Sebastian processes what he has been told, followed by a long howl that sounds like something from a werewolf movie. Cato looks down at me with a questioning gaze.
"Your buddy over there just found out that he is going to be a daddy."
I observe Cato's expression as it changes from bewilderment to gradual comprehension to pure delight. You might think he was the one having a baby from the way he picks me up and swings me around. He is obviously overjoyed.
"Goals," Leander says cryptically, and everyone laughs at what must be an inside joke as he nuzzles into Xita's neck.
Xita waves to me and Kassie, and then Prayer, and when Prayer waves back, both Xita and Leander are gone. It is a good thing since he was all but mauling her right there. I have an image in my head of one of those nature shows where the lion has his teeth sunk into the rump of a gazelle or zebra, and I nearly burst out laughing.
Sebastian has Kassie pinned against a wall, and she is shouting "no" over and over. I would have been concerned if she wasn't laughing so hard. She just could not get any other words out. Sebastian howled again, and then he licked her from what looked like her chin to her forehead. Okay, that is just gross. Before I could say anything, Sebastian threw Kassie over his shoulder and ran for the stairs. She was still laughing as she waved at me and Prayer, then blew kisses to Cato. I turned out of Cato's embrace and followed Kassie up the stairs.
"I have never in my life begged for anything, Frosty. Not even my own life. If you will not let me stay in your bed, let me stay in your room. If you do not let me stay in your room, I will sleep outside your door. You are my mate, and I am responsible for keeping you safe. I cannot change who and what I am. I cannot force you to want me or accept me, but you also cannot make me feel differently about it either." Cato says, holding onto my hand.
His hand is around mine, and as I look down, I want to be pissed at him, but I cannot. I am not "mate" material, and I very much want to explain this to him. I want to tell him to step off and keep his biological imperatives to himself. I want to tell him it doesn't matter how he feels because I didn't ask for any of his bullshit. Instead, I find myself squeezing his hand and sighing very loudly.
"Fine, you can come to sleep in the room. I do not know where in the room you are sleeping until I check out the room. But I am letting you know, buddy—this is me emphatically telling you not to try anything sexual. This is your only warning. If you put any hands where I do not want them, you might lose the hand." I glare at him.
"Do you promise?" His eyes are wide, and his expression radiates enthusiasm.
I look over to Prayer and raise an eyebrow, pointing directly at Cato. "Is he right in the head?"
"We do not know. We just know Cato loves violence. I mean, he really loves violence. So, you might have just hit the "on" button." Prayer says, laughing, while she wraps herself around Avalon. "Where are we sleeping tonight, My Heart?" Avalon bends his head and whispers in her ear. Prayer laughs and waves, and they disappear. How do they get used to that?
"All right then, let me reiterate. If your hands stray into my personal bubble without my spoken permission, I will read aloud until your ears are bleeding. Are we clear?" I wag my finger under his nose for emphasis.
"Which book?" He says and bites my finger. I turn my hand with my finger still in his mouth and pinch his nose with my thumb and ring finger.
"Non-Violent Resistance by Gandhi," I tell him dryly.
"That is just mean." He grumbles and spits my finger out.
"The more exhausted I am, the meaner I become. I am almost tired enough to let you put a bedroll outside the damn door."
"That is not happening. You said I could sleep in the room." Cato begins tugging me toward the stairs. When we get upstairs, Cato pulls me along down the hall and stops in front of a door. He opens the door and stands to the side, allowing me to enter before him. My mouth drops open at the palace before me. The four-poster bed is made of dark stained wood and is covered with a royal blue satin comforter with gold threads woven through. Interestingly enough, I do not see any pattern. It is like the gold is just part of the satin. There are more pillows on that bed than anyone should need, which is just one short of what I need. The room's décor is more of the dark wood, royal blue, and golden mixes everywhere.
"This is far too majestic for me, Cato. I do not need all this. I will tell you what, you can take me to your room instead." I take a step back from the room.
"This is my room when I am here anyway, and nothing is too majestic for you, mate." He speaks almost directly into my ear as he presses his hand into my back, pushing me forward.
"I think your Spidey senses are off a bit on this, mate thing. Have you seen me?" I ask, pointing at the nightshirt I still wore with "engine mechanics do it with more thrust" written boldly across the front.
Cato's eyes focus intently on the words written across my breasts.
"Any chance I could get you to prove that?" He asks as he follows me into the room and closes the door behind him.
Damn.
Cato
I shut the door behind me and glance at my mate for a brief moment. Not only is she strong in body and a fierce fighter, but she is also strong-willed. It is not just because of the moves she used on me, either. I can tell from the look in her eyes, the way she stands, and the tone of her voice. Regardless of who you are, she isn't taking your shit. The knowledge that she is tough and just like the other girls has done nothing to quell my desire for her.
My mate, the one I have waited a lifetime for, is a fighter. It is nice to know that the universe occasionally gets it right. I have to calm myself and gain control of my voice before I can address her. I want her to feel secure and confident in me, but I also miss watching her in action. It is a toss-up. I catch her wary eyes on mine and decide tonight is not the time. Since she is already cautious around me, initiating an aggressive reaction would not take much provocation. I want to be able to touch my mate more than anything else, but for that to happen, we need to be able to trust one another.
"Not tonight, of course," I say, referring to my comment about her delicious T-shirt.
I walk across the room to the lounge chair by the windows. There are many nights that, although I am exhausted, I cannot sleep, so I will lay here staring out at the night until I doze off. I doubt I will be able to sleep tonight with Frosty in my room and in my bed, but I will be comfortable enough while I watch her sleep. I take a deep breath and let her scent wash over me. The men talk about the sense of satisfaction that comes from being near their mate, but I am surprised to find that simply having her here is far more calming and comforting than I had previously imagined. I lie down on the lounge and throw my legs over the side, wishing for once that I wasn't as tall or long-legged as I am. I fold my arms across my chest and adjust myself to a comfortable position. Not wanting to make her any more uneasy. I close my eyes.
I have no idea I have fallen asleep until I suddenly become aware of a presence near me, which jolts me awake, although I remain perfectly still. Being an alpha means I am always looking for potential threats, so I do not immediately open my eyes and instead focus on the sounds that could indicate where an attack is coming from. They would have to be pretty stupid to fuck with me while my mate is sleeping—my eyes pop open. My mate is asleep in bed. I sit up fast, turn to whoever it is, and, reaching out with one hand, I punch directly into their face. My punch is blocked, and my hand is pushed aside. I am unsure what is happening in that moment, but Frosty steps up flush against my body and looks me in the eyes. She doesn't say a word, but her eyes flash back and forth between mine, and I can almost hear the words "it is me" as she holds my gaze.
I allow myself a moment to take comfort in her body before stepping back from her. I had struck out at my mate, whether in my sleep or not. That is unforgivable. I am an alpha. I am never that asleep. I am also a dragon shifter, yet I didn't recognize my mate's scent in my sleep, even as she had gotten within striking range of me.
"I am sorry, Frosty. I shouldn't have struck you. That was unforgivable." I mean every word. I have lived a very long time, and although I regret many things, nothing so much as lashing out at her.
"You didn't." She keeps her eyes locked on me. "You. Didn't. Strike. Me." She speaks each word slowly and clearly, waiting for them to register with me.
My mind does a quick rewind and playthrough of what happened as it happened. I must have been in an extraordinarily deep slumber because it takes me several moments to remember that I woke up thinking an intruder was in the room. It is not unheard of. It is unlikely here in Black River, but still not impossible, especially seeing how many traitors we have yet to wrangle up. I focus on the next part of the scene that my mind is acting out. The part where I attacked whoever was coming into the room my mate was sleeping in. I did attack, but my attack had been deflected. She had knocked my hand away and stepped up into me, so I could not attack again. My eyes jump up to hers.
"I was coming to get you to tell you to come to bed with me. You keep almost falling off that mini couch thing, and I cannot sleep thinking it will be my fault if you get hurt. I know you call me "mate." I know you would never hurt me, and I will assume that means you will always respect me and my wishes. The title "mate" doesn't bother me, but there will be no mating. Are we clear? You will do nothing that I do not give you explicit permission to do." Her eyes are clear, and her expression is firm, but there is no anger or fear.
My heart is overflowing with joy because she isn't contesting my right to address her as my mate. That is enough to light me from within. I feel the warmth from the glow in my chest and tamp it back down. Not here and not now. I smile at her instead, take her hand in mine, and walk back to the bed. I release her hand, and she climbs onto the mattress. After she settles into her preferred sleeping position, I get into bed next to her but hug the side of the bed to give her as much personal space as possible.
"Cato." I hear her voice, and my heart jumps up to my throat. What could I have done this time? "Cato, if you are going to sleep with me, then sleep with me. You will not cross my boundaries. I told you there was no mating. I will spell it out better. There will be no sex tonight. There may never be sex between us." She pauses for a moment and looks my body up and down, and when her eyes come back up, there is a quick flash of a white spark. I feel like screaming in victory, but I hold very still. She shakes her head and rolls over, facing away from me. Reaching behind her back, she grabs my arm and pulls me to her.
It is not like I needed to be persuaded. I just cannot help but wonder what has gone through her mind, from not wanting to sleep in the room with me to pulling me against her to sleep. Not wanting to risk her changing her mind, I pull her close and tuck her head under my chin. She is mine. She will soon realize she is mine, as she has always been. I repeat those words in my head over and over again until I fall asleep.
The next thing I know, the sun is shining through the windows, but I do not want to open my eyes and find that everything has been a dream. I let my senses take in my surroundings, and I smile because I can feel Frosty's soft curves and smell her sweet strawberry scent. She is still tucked up next to me. This is, hands down, the most satisfying way to wake up. I will do everything in my power to ensure this happens each and every day for the rest of my life. I lift my head so I can see her face. Even though she is facing away from me, I can see her eyes are wide open. Just to get her attention, I touch her hair lightly.
"You were sleeping so deeply. I didn't want to disturb you." She says rolling over to face me. My body instantly mourns the loss of her heat, and I pull her forward close to me again. She laughs out loud, and the sound filters through me, making my heart feel even lighter. I have a brief battle with myself because if I do what I want, I may lose traction in her budding trust. Even knowing that doesn't stop me from bringing both arms around her and pulling her tight to me. Her body goes limp, and there is no fight in her, but it is Frosty, my mate, and as much as I want to believe it is her accepting me, I still think it might be a trap. It is possible that she is giving me a false sense of security so that she can launch an attack that will cripple me.
I am shocked beyond belief when Frosty reaches up, puts her hands around my face, and gives me a kiss on my mouth. There is nothing exhilarating about the kiss other than the fact that Frosty gave it to me without provocation. I keep my hands still around her and do not move. I am not entirely sure yet what this woman is doing, but when it comes to her boundaries, there are just some things I will not do. Simply put, I am uncertain of the situation at hand, and my uncertainty is beginning to cause me some annoyance. I pull away and get out of bed to avoid potentially upsetting her further. With a sudden burst of speed, Frosty leaps into a standing position on the bed and seizes me by the shoulders.
"You are going to need to be very clear here, Cato. I do not know if I offended you, if you hated my kiss, or if it wasn't something I was supposed to do, but I am sorry regardless. I just wanted to make sure you knew that how you held me didn't upset me." She tells me and then turns around to bounce across the bed.
"Ah, no, Vixen. You cannot just say things like that and then run away." I reach out, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her back. Frosty kicks her legs down against the bed, and using the force behind the motion, she throws herself up and over my head, landing with her legs wrapping around my back.
"I said you needed to be clear, Cato. I was trying to reassure you, and you pulled away from me."
She drops a leg to climb off my back, and I grab it, swinging her in front of me and pinning her on her back on the bed. Her eyes flash bright white, and I can feel my heart racing. Considering I have her pinned to the mattress, there is more than one reason her eyes could be flashing. I am hoping like hell that it is because she is starting to desire me as much as I desire her.
"I didn't want you to think I was going to cross one of your boundaries just because you kissed me. If I had stayed that close to you, mate, I would have become desperate to try. I was already damn near desperate to try." I look her in the eye so she can see the truth in what I say.
Frosty's head tilts to the side, and I know this look. I have seen it on the other women in her—what the hell are they? They are not family, but they are almost like sets of twins. The same clan, maybe? I do not know. Those are thoughts for another time, though. I keep my eyes on her as I watch her thoughts play across her face. I do not know what it is, but I know it is something. Her eyes narrow, and I hold back the laugh I feel from the constant excitement this woman brings me. Her hands shoot out of my hold and quickly wrap around my neck as she tangles her fingers in my hair.
"I am your mate, Cato?" She holds my head exactly where she wants it.
"You are my mate, Frosty," I reply simply. It is a relatively straightforward concept for me. In fact, it is the easiest thing I have ever had to say.
"Then you are my mate. I am still trying to figure out what to do with that information. I can accept it because the others helped me understand what it means, and I can accept you because you seem to be a good man, and the women love and trust you immensely."
My body is trembling at her words because I love our girls—all of them—but this one is mine alone. I am afraid to believe she is telling me she accepts me as her mate. When I blink my eyes, though, she is no longer under me. She had pulled her arms together, slid down the bed between my legs, and came up behind me.
"I told you, Cato. You will not cross my boundaries." She laughs as she pushes me face-first into the bed and runs for the bathroom.
How did I not see that coming? I mean, I did. I did see something coming. My mate is aggressive and assertive, as well as clever and devious. I knew she was up to something. I wonder if she genuinely is okay with everything the way she says she is or if she is simply trying to pacify me. It will not matter, though. I am not going anywhere, and as long as she is my prize when I win, I will fight this battle until the end of time. Having her will be amazing. I already know this, but having her with me and interacting with me is enough to hold me over until then.
Frosty steps out of the bathroom with her top in her hands and nothing covering her perfectly rounded, pink-tipped breasts. My mouth goes dry, my heart speeds up, and the rest of my body gets so hard that I might finally be fossilizing. She doesn't break eye contact with me as she walks to my dresser and closet. She only looks away to search through my clothes. From the back, her hair with the blue tips bounces off her shoulders as she moves. She has perfectly rounded shoulders that wind down to a waist I can wrap my hands around before flaring to some beautifully curved hips.
She finds what she is looking for and walks over to the bed, holding a pair of sweatpants I wear for jogging in one hand and one of my T-shirts in the other. She sets them on the bed, then gets completely, and I mean completely, naked before picking up the clothes and returning to the bathroom. My body is trembling from the blatant taunting she gave me, and I want to march up to her, bend her over, and bury myself in her until this raging thirst is satisfied. Instead, I roar. I vent as much of my frustration as I can so that I may be able to pull off being the kind man she believes I am.
"That was hot." Her head is just peeking out of the bathroom door, and she blows me a kiss.
She is my mate. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to her. I would destroy the galaxy, one planet at a time if someone hurt her or took her from me. Right now, though, I could throttle her with my own two hands. I walk over to the door, but she ducks her head in, and I hear her laughing. Her laugh is like bubbles that pop in the air, catching and holding my attention. She was playing with me. She knew what she was doing, but she was playing with me for fun, not teasing me to be cruel. I can hear it in her laugh. It is playful and fun and sounds genuinely happy, and I want to hear more of it.
Instead, I head downstairs and leave her to do whatever she does in the mornings. It is straight to the kitchen for me. I am starving, and there are a few things on my mind. How am I supposed to find enough men and women to form a tactical team? The wolves or other shifters would be better suited to these track-and-hunt responsibilities. Dragons cannot just shift to get a job done. In this day and age, dragons have more of a disadvantage than other species, which can simply shift and appear more like an overgrown bear or whatever. On the other hand, we need particular weather conditions to fly without being seen, and even then, we must be able to land.
My stomach growls, and I remember that I am heading to the kitchen. Before I take my next step, I smell him. Sebastian. Orion and Bodhi are with him, so I assume some ribbing is coming. It is fine, though, because technically, I have my mate. I mean, she sleeps in the same bed as me now, so, yes, I have her. Mostly. I slow my walk, waiting for them to catch up to me. It doesn't take long.
"So, that was a thunderous roar a few minutes ago. It nearly shook the packhouse to the foundation. Were your mate's ears bleeding when you finished?" Sebastian asks, ramming his shoulder into me as he comes up behind me.
What is with these guys always shoulder-checking me?
"What exactly are you asking me about my mate?" I do not filter out the reverberating sound that a dragon's voice generates when I talk.
"Oh, sorry. It seemed like a fairly straightforward question to me. Did that frustrated—and I am guessing unsatisfied—roar deafen your mate?" Sebastian's face looks smug, as if he finally has one up on me, and I really just want to punch him.
"Who was unsatisfied?" Frosty's voice drifts up from behind Sebastian, and he immediately looks awkward and uncomfortable, forcing me to grin. "I know it wasn't me." Frosty walks up to me, placing a hard, fast kiss on my mouth. "I am famished. I will be in the kitchen."
Watching Bodhi and Orion gape in shock and obvious jealousy as she walks away, I again thank the universe for the most perfect mate.