Freya's Mates Read online

  "What about Delia?"

  "She won't be found until she wants to be."

  Delia was the one who led their escape and decided it best for them to split up to stay off the radar. She was suspicious of everyone and everything, and a vicious wolf to any threat, male or female, human or shifter.

  They spent much of the late evening laughing and reminiscing. It was so comforting to speak freely, to have a piece of herself and her history back in her life. Although she valued Carna's advice, she hoped to put an end to any question as to Gideon's intentions when she saw him.

  "Well, you've chosen well for yourself. That's the biggest bear shifter I've ever seen. The others are not hard on the eyes either."

  "One is more delectable than the next, but it doesn't matter since I never have to choose between them." Her sister winked, braiding strands of her hair at her side.

  Freya began to think of her men. Not just for sex, but because she knew they'd be worried. The connection between them weakened the longer they stayed apart and it made her anxious, even with Carna at her side. "Yeah, I suppose being a royal female does have its perks in a few rare instances. Mating more than one male certainly has its advantages."

  "If they're the right males."

  Not again. She didn't bother to argue. When she confronted Gideon, she'd be able to tell if he was lying. The stench of deceit was difficult to disguise.

  "Can I ask you a question?"

  "Anything."

  She chewed on her lower lip before replying. The question had plagued her thoughts continually, and she'd unsuccessfully tried to push it from her mind. "Have any shifters mated with a human before?"

  "Of course. It happens all the time. Do you not realize how many males have abandoned their beasts altogether? They play human, ignoring their true nature. Others mate humans out of love and keep their secret guarded their whole marriages. It's difficult, but like I said, it happens every day."

  "Even for royals?"

  "No, not royals. Since when is anything common for us?" She brushed the question off, getting up and stretching her legs. They'd have to head back soon. "Wait a minute. Why you asking about this? Does this have anything to do with you?"

  "No. I was just curious." Curious and condemned. If she couldn’t forget Darius, she'd live life as an incomplete woman, her wolf forever wanting what it couldn't have.

  "Do you not love your mates? If you don't, then you've chosen wrong. After the love bite, there should be no doubts."

  Freya had no doubts about Gideon or Vincent, not for her feelings towards them. It was her love for a third that tore her apart. As a royal, there was no issue mating with three males, it was the norm. But not with a human. "No doubts. It was just a question."

  ****

  "So…" The tiger circled Vincent, his arms crossed over his chest.

  "So…" echoed Gideon from his seat. He had a clear view of the entire room. "You're all mated to Freya's sister?"

  "That's right. And you two have marked your woman?"

  "Oh, she's marked all right. Don't tell me you couldn't scent our claim," warned Vincent. It wasn't like his friend to radiate such malevolent energy. Vincent was usually laid back with a level head. But being in the same room with their new mate and four alphas had Gideon's lion roaring within him, so the cougar had to feel the same thing. Even with Freya away, she'd be back, and the threat would remain.

  "I saw the way you looked at Carna when she walked in. Not very nice," said the shifter with the Texas accent. "I've killed for less."

  "Is that so?" Vincent's upper lip twitched, a warning of an impending shift. Gideon looked around the open concept condo. The shifters had good taste, but if things got ugly, there could be a lot of damage. It was one thing to brawl out in the forest amongst mature trees and undergrowth. They were surrounded by thin drywall, collectibles, and expensive manmade furniture.

  "Damn straight." The cowboy tossed his hat on the coffee table and took a bold step forward. Gideon stifled a laugh. It was easy not to get overly riled when he had the muscle to defend his mate if he really needed to. This was just one big pissing contest.

  Vincent growled, his fangs lengthening and tendons snapping. Gideon rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. This wouldn't be good. Within a minute a snarling cougar lowered, ready to pounce.

  "You not gonna join in?" asked Jacob, leaning on the arm of the sofa beside him.

  "I'll sit this one out."

  Jacob had worked for him as a bouncer at Club Frenzy for years. When he gave his notice to leave out of the blue, claiming to have found his mate, Gideon was less than understanding. Now he could relate to the pull of the mating bond.

  The wolf was next, shifting into animal form. His body twisted and morphed, hair sprouting from his flesh before he dropped down to four legs. Razor sharp teeth were displayed to the cougar in a show of aggression. When Gideon looked to the left, the panther had also shifted even though this wasn't his fight. It sounded like a fucking zoo.

  The black panther stuck first, seeming too feral to connect to his logical human side once shifted. He slashed Vincent in the side with wicked claws, but it only seems to enrage the cougar. Soon they were rolling around the room in a flash of fur, teeth, and claws. The yowling and growling was like a macabre opera that must have been heard in all neighboring units. When the wolf joined in, Gideon was tempted to shift just to help his friend. But he waited, allowing Vincent the honor of fighting two to one. He was well aware of the other man's skills. He'd fought countless shifters at Club Frenzy when the need arouse. He never lost.

  ****

  They followed the same direction back to the condo. The door opened before they even raised a hand to knock. Gideon raked a hand through his shoulder length hair and closed the door behind him, joining them in the hall. He had guilt written all over his handsome face.

  "What's the matter?" asked Freya.

  "It's a bit messy in there right now. Best to stay out here for a few minutes." He winked, trying to play down whatever transpired on the other side of the wall.

  Carna used both hands to push him aside and flung open the door. "No way! You morons!" Freya followed Gideon inside behind her sister. The place was a mess. Tables were reduced to kindling, pictures hung precariously from the walls, and potted plants were overturned leaving a dark smattering of dirt over the beige oriental rugs. The city lights beyond the great glass windows left streaks of red and blue along the skyline, but it didn't make up for the disaster inside.

  The bear strode over to Carna and pulled her against him. "I told them not to do it, sweetheart." A panther, cougar, and wolf began to return to human form.

  Freya ran over to Vincent once he lay on two human legs, his side was marred with blood, similar to the others. "Are you okay?" She gingerly touched his wound, but he appeared unaffected, standing and pulling her up with him.

  "I'm fine." He kissed her forehead and held her close, tucked under his arm protectively. She could feel the territorial threat coming off the cougar in waves, even though the fighting was supposed to be over. It surprised her that she liked it. In an odd, twisted way, it turned her on that her males were ready to die to protect and keep her.

  "What were you guys trying to accomplish? Do you want me and my sister split up again because you can't get along with each other for a few hours?" Carna spit venom with every sentence. "I have no interest in Freya's mates, so just stop."

  "Feisty today." The tiger scooped her up, until she was kicking and threatening for him to set her down. He didn't, only twirled her around and nuzzled her neck. In no time, her sister was giggling, her anger dissipating.

  He set her down, smoothing her long dark hair down her back.

  "I know one thing," said Carna. "I'm not cleaning this place."

  ****

  Freya wanted to return to Club Frenzy for one more night, rather than get a more comfortable hotel. Gideon didn't complain. He wanted Freya happy, especially since she wasn't quite herself since s
eeing her sister. Rather than finding peace, as he'd hoped, she was distracted and quiet.

  He closed the door to the private room behind him and Freya, while Vincent went to help out at the bar. "Something the matter?" he asked.

  "Maybe." She fidgeted, rubbing behind her neck, not looking him in the eyes.

  "Let's have it, then."

  "Why do you want to be my mate?"

  He hadn't expected her to doubt him. He thought she'd had a bad reunion with her sister, and he was ready to comfort her. "It's not a choice, you know that. My lion knows you're meant to be mine and I couldn't be happier."

  She appeared to absorb the information, trying to decipher if he was telling the truth. "You knew I was a royal before you knew I was your mate."

  "And?"

  "And…my sister says the lion race would like nothing more than to get a paw in the door to the palace." Then she blurted, "Are you using me, Gideon?"

  He had to give his head a shake. Was she actually asking him this? He'd finally opened himself up for love and she doubted him?

  "I guarantee you, I'm with you because I want you. If we never see the palace, the queen, or any of the other royals, I could care less."

  "Really?" Her words sounded so vulnerable and hopeful. How could he prove his intentions to her?

  He wrapped his hands around her small waist, loving her deceiving fragility. "Really." She had tried so hard to scare him off when they met, but all she really wanted was to be accepted for who she was. No more facades. She needed to trust him. If lions were anything, they were trustworthy and honorable.

  Gideon leaned down and swept a gentle kiss on her lips. He tried to convey that what he felt for her was more than lust, deeper, a soul-deep bond that he planned to nourish, not abuse.

  "There's more." Her body stiffened. "I'm in love with a human."

  Chapter Eight

  When she'd questioned Gideon, nothing about his scent changed—no guilt, no deceit, no fear. She accepted his admission, having never truly suspected him of using her. Carna was just overly protective, scared that something bad may happen to her little sister. But Freya didn't take to love lightly. Years of proposals had no effect on her, not until her true mates came into her life.

  But to have a healthy relationship, trust had to work both ways. She had to own up to her deep seated feelings for Darius. She was worried about alienating her mates, but it had to come out in the open.

  "Darius," he stated matter-of-factly.

  She nodded, only partially surprised he'd guessed correctly. "Are you angry?"

  "I suspected there was something between the two of you, but he's a human. I didn't think you'd commit your emotions to a relationship destined to failure."

  "You can't help who you fall in love with."

  "I guess I can believe that since I fell in love with a princess. After everything my race went through to gain the thrown, the last mate I'd choose for myself would be a royal. But here I am…"

  Guilt welled up inside her. She didn't want Gideon to think he was her second choice. It was impossible for her to explain her feelings. "I want to be yours—"

  "You are mine," he said, the deep growl in his voice exuding a possessive male quality that had her underwear dampening with sudden need.

  "Yes."

  He kissed her hard, dominating her mouth, and holding her tight to his body. She could feel the hard length of his arousal pressed against her stomach. "What of the human? If you want him, I'll give him to you."

  "No." She shook her head as he peppered kissed down her neck.

  "Don't deny your desires now, little wolf. He may be human, but he'd make a good play thing for you. I'll allow it if it'll make you happy."

  She closed her eyes and absorbed his ministrations. His tongue teased her erogenous zones, leading her deeper into his erotic web. "I don't want a toy," she managed to muster.

  "That's all he could ever be to you, princess. You of anyone should understand that." He halted his sexual advance and cupped her face in his big hands. She looked deep into his lion's eyes. "Sweetheart, he doesn't even know shifters exist." He was being sincere, which only made her feel more a fool for wanting what she couldn't have. Maybe she should have just kept her big mouth shut.

  There was a knock on the door, pulling their attention away from each other. Was it Darius? His image kept flashing in her head, and she kept thinking about him—his dark eyes, the sweet smelling smoke, and the way he dominated her body in the shower.

  "Vincent said you were in here." It was Carna's bear shifter. He was huge, filling the doorway, wearing all black.

  "What are you doing here, Jacob?" The bear came into the room followed by her sister. She released her hold on Gideon to meet Carna.

  "Carna needed to talk with Freya, so I zipped her over here on my bike."

  What could be so urgent that she'd need to come over now, so soon after they left their condo? "I talked with Jacob about Gideon. I may have misjudged him."

  Gideon joined them, his alpha presence surrounding her like a loving shield. "You did." He hooked his arm around her waist, standing beside her. "Just because I'm a lion doesn’t make me the enemy."

  Carna shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe adding some lion DNA to the mix couldn’t be so bad. I mean, when was the last time we listened to anything our mother advised?"

  "Unfortunetly things are a bit more complicated than race relations," said Gideon.

  "Oh?" asked Carna.

  Would her sister think less of her for desiring an inferior human? Her sisters always taught her that nothing could compare with a shifter. Humans were soft-skinned, breakable, complete with limp dicks. She knew the last to be false. Darius had been a talented lover with a body to die for. "Remember I asked about humans? Well, you were right, I was asking for me."

  "You want to mate a human?"

  Freya felt surrounded, unnerved. She didn't need to be judged, not when she'd never been so certain of anything. "Yes!"

  Gideon held her firmly, not allowing her to bolt from the small group. She was used to bottling her feelings, hiding from shifters, living in isolation. Being under a microscope had her nerves frazzled. "It's okay," he cooed in her ear. "Jacob, bring Darius to me."

  She wanted to rebuke him, but Jacob had already slipped out the door with stealth she didn't think his size was capable of.

  ****

  Darius sat at the back bar, ready to down his third shot. It's not like Freya was the first hot girl to come into his life, then why couldn’t he get her off his mind? There was just something more there, something he couldn't quite put a finger on. He had to have her, but as she'd stated, she was taken. How could he compete with Gideon? Why would he want to? Gideon had only ever been good to him. He just hoped the club owner didn't come around to show off his new woman too often. His heart couldn’t take seeing Freya, knowing she wanted no part of him. The last time he felt this way was when he'd hit rock bottom.

  A heavy hand to his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts.

  "Gideon wants to see you."

  He swiveled on his bar stool. "Jacob? I thought you quit."

  His old friend smiled, and then winked. "I wouldn’t worry about me, Darius. I have a feeling your eyes are about to be opened."

  He followed the larger man through the crowd. His balance was shot and he staggered most of the way, riding his way through the wave of sweaty bodies. What could Gideon want with him? To rub his nose in the fact he had Freya? No, his friend wouldn’t do that to him.

  Jacob opened the door to his old room. The lights inside were off, but he didn't question the fact, just entered, hoping not to fall on his face. After hearing the door close tight, the lights were flicked on. His eyes took a moment to adjust. When he could see clearly there was a full-grown male lion in the middle of the small room. Its presence made the room feel smaller than a closet. It was so grand, huge, mesmerizing…but couldn't be real. He must have been more drunk than he thought.

  Then he s
potted her. She was already staring in his direction, not concerned that a lion stood a foot from her. There was no trainer in sight. Could an illusion, a trick of the mind, be that realistic? He could have sworn if he reached out his hand, he'd feel the thick yellow-brown coat against his fingers. The color reminded him of Gideon's hair.

  "Freya, am I dreaming?" It must be a dream if she was in it. Day and nights blurred because she was always on his mind.

  "You sure this is a good idea?" said Jacob from behind him.

  "It's the only way," said another woman. She reminded him of Freya, but with dark hair, rather than pale blonde.

  The lion stepped forward and he countered the movements, backing against the wall. "Don’t be scared, Darius. It's Gideon." Freya's sweet voice cut through the fog of disbelief, but her words made no sense.

  "Nice, kitty." Darius had never seen a lion up this close. It was truly majestic, but could also rip him apart in a flash.

  Freya approached the great beast, running her hand through its thick mane. The animal didn't even flinch. He'd expect it to turn and bite her arm off. When she leaned over to wrap her arms around its impossibly thick neck, he bolted forward, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her behind him.

  "Shift, Gideon. Show him," said Freya.

  When the animal rose on hind legs, twisting and changing right before his eyes, he thought he'd truly lost his mind. Just as Freya had commanded, he finally morphed into Gideon, the man he knew well. What kind of black magic was this?

  "Cool trick, eh?" Gideon patted him on the back before reaching for a pair of shorts on the edge of the bed. Darius was too shocked to notice the man had been stark naked. He reached into his back pocket and shakily pulled out a cigarillo. After five attempts to get his lighter to work, he dropped his arm.

  "Can we be alone, please," said Freya. The other three left the room, leaving him alone with his dream woman. She had a lot of explaining to do. Or he needed to wake up from this fucked up dream.

  ****

  The big reveal had been a failure. It only succeeded to scare and confuse Darius. How could she expect him to accept the unknown after a lifetime of believing the world was black and white? In fact, it was a rainbow of color, something very few humans were granted a peek into.