Obsession: A Rejected Mate Shifter Romance (The Mate Games #1)(31)

“Does it? Because from where I’m standing, you had your chance and blew it. At least I had the courage to reject the mate my family chose for me. I’m sure you and Callie will be sublimely happy together.”

He dipped his head, breathing hard as he released my neck. Then those perfect lips of his trailed along my throat until he reached my ear. “But it’ll be you I’m thinking of if I’m forced to be inside her. How does that make you feel? Knowing that I’ll fuck her like a good little heir but fantasize about you while doing it?”

I shivered from the rough husk of his voice rasping over my skin. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.”

His large palm that was gripping my waist moved up my belly until he cupped the weight of my breast. “Oh, but it does. I want you to ache for me as I do you.”

God, I did. I burned for him, and I couldn’t answer because if I did, I’d lie to him.

“I feel it in my bones. You’re meant for me,” he whispered.

“Is this because you gave me your blood?”

“Maybe. I can’t be sure. But all I can tell you is, if you choose him over me, it’ll be the biggest mistake you’ve ever made.”

The beacon hanging between my breasts heated rapidly, burning through my shirt and glowing bright white. Noah pulled his hand away, the skin there now red and angry as he swore.

Behind him stood Callie, a wicked smile on her too-perfect face, her own beacon glowing to match mine. “Oh, good, darling. You’ve found my next plaything.”

Standing up straighter, I steeled myself for a fight. My wolf was riled up, awake but not released from her prison yet, and I was horny as hell. If I couldn’t get my release by fucking, I might as well get it by fighting. And there was just something about the idea of smashing in that pert little upturned nose that seemed endlessly appealing. Sure, it wouldn’t do permanent damage, but it’d hurt, and it’d shut her up for a little while.

Noah placed himself in front of me, posture protective even though this was part of our lesson. “Move, Noah. I need to do this.”

“You don’t know how strong she is. She’s a vampire.”

I rolled my shoulders and sighed. “And I’m a shifter. I can take her. Give me a chance. I don’t want to fail this assignment.”

Though it was obvious in every move he made that he didn’t want to, he acquiesced and moved aside. His beacon held a faint glow, a reminder he had his own partner to find and spar with. A rustle in the brush behind me had me turning toward the sound, and when Kingston broke through, eyes feral and burning with determined anger, I flinched.

He wouldn’t really try to hurt me, would he? I’d won our match. But Noah snarled and leaped from where he stood, his beacon glowing white and Kingston’s matching.

“Noah!” Fear sprang to the forefront of my mind, worry that he’d be hurt, that Kingston would rip him to shreds, overwhelming me.

My wolf stirred, pacing and pushing at her restraints, restraints neither of us knew how to break. She wanted to defend her mate. Kingston. Oh, hell, this was going to be impossible to deal with. Fuck Kingston for waking her up.

Without warning, something crashed into me, laying me out and leaving me gasping for air as the wind was knocked from my lungs. Callie clawed at my face, her nails sharp and deadly.

“I can smell your fear. It’s delicious. At least you’re smart enough to recognize when you’re outmatched.”

I didn’t realize it was possible to hate someone so quickly and so completely. Until now. “I’m not afraid of you. You’re nothing but a blow-up doll with fangs for Noah to distract himself with since he can’t have the woman he really wants. Why do you think he came back to find me?”

I kicked out, launching her into the air with all my strength. She hit a tree hard enough to shake loose a few large branches. As they rained down on us, I did my best to dodge them while she let out a low, menacing laugh.

“Oh, good. I was afraid you were going to make this easy on me.”

“You’re the only one who is easy around here.”

“Says the bitch spreading her legs for every wolf, vamp, and Viking she can get her horny little hands on.”

We took up fighting stances, both of us tensed and ready to attack as we circled the clearing under the tree cover. “So is that all you’ve got? One good surprise attack, and you’re done? No wonder Noah is bored with you. I could go all night.”

“It’s no wonder, with all that practice you’re getting. But I’ll tell you one thing, he might be having his fun with you now, but I’m the one he’ll be taking home to his parents. You’ll never be anything more than his dirty little secret.”

Something in me snapped as she spat the words that so closely echoed my own deepest fears. My jaw clenched, my nails sinking into my palms as I balled my hands into even tighter fists, wishing it was Callie’s throat they were closing around. I stalked forward, my energy building, gathering in my center, fueling my strength as I pushed her back. Loose tendrils of hair that had escaped my braid whirled around my face even though there was no wind to move them.

Callie’s eyes widened, fear sparking in them. “What the hell are you?”

“Your worst fucking nightmare.”

Before she could escape, I snagged her throat in one hand, my grip tighter than I thought I was capable of. She panicked, her fingers scraping at mine, desperate to get me to release her because, vampire or not, if I tore her head clean off her body, she’d be nothing but a pile of dust.