73Chase felt as if the room had suddenly been thrust into an inferno and he was caught smack dab in the middle of it. His head started throbbing and his hand went to his chest because for some strange reason, his heart felt as if someone was squeezing it tightly.
He glanced up at Sheana who was giving him a sympathetic look, even as she still smiled. Sheana could be fickle sometimes, maybe she was joking? Even as he thought it, he knew it was a long stretch. This wasn't something to joke about, and she knew it. If Kayla wasn't his mate and she put it in his mind that she was, that could cause trouble. Lycans were possessive by nature, and if anyone threatened someone they even thought was theirs, all hell could potentially break loose.
Forcing himself not to think about the implications of what having a mate that was lying in the other room meant, he cleared his throat.
"Chase don't be ridiculous," Sheana said before he could open his mouth. "I would never lie to you about something as big as this. Why, I'm the most honest person you know."
"Honest?" he growled. "Giving out random bits of information isn't exactly being completely honest, Sheana. Why don't you tell me exactly what's going on in my future so that I can actually make the best decisions?"
"Because, dearest, if I were to give you all the pieces to the puzzle, you'd get ahead of yourself and try to rush to finish. And life simply doesn't work that way. You have to wait for things to happen naturally, regardless of whether you want to or not."
Chase felt like growling at her but he stood up instead, pacing in the small room as Sheana looked on in mild amusement.
"Why are you so upset?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.
He laughed harshly, running a hand through his hair. "Are you serious? You're not fucking serious. You just told me I have a ball and chain attached to me for the rest of my life."
Sheana rolled her eyes and sighed. "A ball and chain? Don't be so melodramatic."
"What do you mean don't be melodramatic?" he exploded, his heart beating so hard he could hear it in his ears. His head was pounding harder now and a sense of desperation was making it hard to breathe. He couldn't handle this. Rebel factions of Origan vampires he could handle easily, but not this. In fact, he was half tempted to go out into the woods right now and just kill anything that moved to release some frustration.
"Mikayla is your mate," Sheana started, her voice soothing, as if she knew he was on the verge of letting his wolf instinct rule him. "Ball and chain are a bit harsh considering fate chose her to be yours long before either of you was born. These things are not accidental Chase."
He snorted disparagingly. "Oh really? What about Brandon? His mate didn't exactly accept him and he's fine."
Sheana's lips thinned and she shook her head. "No wonder you two get along so well. Brandon has a similar tendency to ignore his own needs and emotions as well. It has helped him to be a good leader thus far but on the inside, you better than anyone know he is dying without her."
"Brandon is fine," snapped Chase, unwilling to see any truth in of her words. "And if he could ignore some stupid predestined shit, then so can I."
"He can't ignore it," Sheana corrected. "And pretending you can will make it much worse."
Chase felt the blood drain from his face at her cryptic words. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. Was she talking about him or Brandon? Either way he was getting tired of her picking and choosing what information she chose to gave out about his or Brandon's future.
"I'm talking about ignoring what fate has chosen for you," Sheana responded, her eyes turning darker. It seemed she was getting tired of explaining herself, but Chase didn't care anymore.
"Fuck fate," he growled. "I make my own decisions. If I don't want to recognize someone I don't even know as my supposed mate, then I can choose not to and I'll be fine."
Another look of sympathy washed over Sheana's features and her eyes returned to their normal color. "Oh dear, you truly are in need of a mate." Chase opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. "Chase, I know what's been going on with you. You're not finding pleasure in the usual things like sex and war because the wolf instinct inside of you is growing restless without a companion. Lycans are social creatures, you know that. What makes you think that refusing to acknowledge your loneliness will make it go away?"
Chase gritted his teeth, uncomfortable that she was voicing what he had been feeling for some time now but unwilling to acknowledge it.
"But Brandon-"
Sheana shook her head. "But Brandon nothing. I will not divulge all the information because it is private, but I am well aware of the measures that Brandon took to keep himself from his mate. And I can assure you he is only delaying the inevitable."
Chase felt more tired than he remembered being in a long time. This was too much to take in in one night. In a matter of minutes he had gone from thinking he could just fuck Kayla to get her off his mind to finding out that on his mind was where she was going to be for the rest of his life.
The rest of my life, he thought, his fingers clenching into fists. Why the hell had fate chosen her? If anything, he would have been ok with a more docile mate. One that he could leave at home while he continued living his life the way he always had. Didn't fate know that he wasn't willing to change for anyone? That the ability to care deeply about someone else had simply been ripped away from him when he had lost the only family he ever had?
He closed his eyes as the unbidden images of his family came to mind. His parents had loved each other, he still remembered that even though he had been very young when they had been slaughtered by Ora demons. His father's anguished roar when his mother had been killed still haunted him to this day. The fact that such a strong man like his father could be in so much pain had terrified him.
Somehow, he had managed to escape with his younger sister, but only 1 year later, she had been killed right before his very eyes while they were living on the streets. He had tried to fight but he was so small and there had been so many of them. Ora demons were a sick bunch, intent on finishing the job, regardless of how long it took. Chase and his sister had been on the run ever since they had escaped, and it wasn't until Chase had killed the same 5 demons that had killed his parents and stalked him for a year that he was finally free of them.
After that, he realized that he had no one in the world but himself. His sister had been the one person who kept him grounded. Her innocence and trust in him had made him want to be a better person. But when she died, the part of him that cared died with her.
He had started doing whatever he needed to survive. If that meant he had to steal, he did it without thinking twice. He couldn't remember the number of fights he had been in, but eventually people knew to leave him alone, even though he was smaller than the average Lycan. He had regressed further and further into himself, becoming almost one with his wolf instinct.
And then Brandon had found him, had saved his life when he had been outnumbered by other Lycans who wanted to kill him for trying to steal their women. With complete authority, Brandon had stopped them and taken him under his wing. Chase respected few people, but he respected Brandon for taking a chance on him. He didn't have to do it, and as a royal associating with a low-level commoner, many people had protested, but Brandon never gave up on him. He gave him the first permanent home he had had since he had been a small child, and he taught him to direct all his aggression into something more productive.
Chase dimly felt a soothing hand rubbing his back but he could barely open his eyes.
"I think it's time to go to bed, dearest," Sheana's voice floated down to him.
Fighting the lull of sleep, he cracked his eyes open. "What the hell did you do to me?" he managed to say.
"My tea doesn't have to be drunk in order to be effective. You've inhaled the fumes long enough to calm down and have a good night's rest."
Chase felt himself getting angry but he was too tired. Was that all the tea did? What if she had put something in it that screwed with his brain? Or affected his wolf instinct?
"Sheana, the tea..." he rasped, realizing that she had slung his arm across her shoulder and was slowly leading him into the bedroom.
"Yes the tea," she answered soothingly. "The tea will relax you physically, emotionally, intellectually. You'll be open to new things until its effects wear off. I advise you not to fight your dreams Chase. Dreams are essential to helping you understand what your conscious mind cannot."
His nostrils flared when he caught the scent of Mikayla as soon as she opened the door. He stepped away from Sheana, his feet carrying him to the foot of the bed almost as if pulled by a rope. He vaguely heard the door shut behind him, but all his attention was focused on the female laid out in front of him.
His mate.
The room seemed to spin and he put a knee on the bed to steady himself. His mind was fuzzy, unable to concentrate on anything else except how badly he yearned to simply lay down next to her. His hands went to take his shirt off before he realized he wasn't wearing his shirt, it was on her. A low rumble started in his throat as he placed his hands on the bed and leaned over her, sniffing the air.
Her scent was everywhere, the sweet smell clouding his mind and making his body heat as if someone had turned up the temperature in the room.
She stirred beneath him, laying on her back so he could let his eyes roam over her features at his leisure. He had seen his share of beautiful females, but her beauty seemed to come not only from outside, but inside as well. What had she said earlier? That she had been more worried about changing the world than her looks in high school? That was certainly different. Most beautiful females were too full of themselves to realize that there was a world beyond their mirror.
His hand came up to let his fingers trail over her cheek. Soft as silk he marveled, his groin stirring. She sighed and tilted her head back, exposing her neck to him. Immediately his eyes settled on her steady pulse and he licked his lips in hunger. He wanted to taste her. Her smooth skin was beckoning him and he felt his mind shutting down as he settled himself on top of her so that she was pinned beneath him. There was nowhere else he would rather be at the moment.
His hands came up to tangle in her hair and he let out a low groan when she shifted underneath him so that his hips were settled right in between her thighs. His heart seemed to slow down and he had to fight to keep his eyes open. This was the best dream he had ever had.
And it was a dream. It had to be. He didn't remember ever feeling hunger this consuming take over him in real life, as if he would die if he didn't taste her right now.
But the last time he had tasted her skin, it hadn't ended pleasantly, his mind vaguely recalled as he buried his face into her neck, inhaling deeply. He took her scent right into him, and somehow he knew that no matter how far away she was, he would always be able to sense her. How he knew that, he had no idea, but it was simply a fact and he didn't bother analyzing it any further.
Her soft exhalations had him riveted and her arms wrapped around him, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
He closed his eyes in pleasure. When was the last time he had ever been this relaxed? His experiences with females were fast and with the sole intent of finding release. But there was no urgency now. He simply allowed himself to relax in her embrace, reveling in the way the soft curves underneath him fit so perfectly against his hard body.
Unable to ignore his hunger, he raised his head as his cock throbbed insistently. But he didn't want to just fuck her. He wanted to enjoy the hell out of this moment because it was so different from everything else he had experienced. There was no rush, no feelings of frustration welling up inside of him, just pure and perfect peace.
His hand shook as he lightly brushed her dark hair away from her neck, his breathing becoming a little more erratic. Unable to help himself any more, he lowered his head to her neck and dragged his tongue from her collarbone to the bottom tip of her ear.
Just like before, he felt a spear of desire shoot right to his cock, but this time his mind didn't go blank with the need to get inside of her. He growled in pleasure, wrapping her hair around his fist more tightly. He wasn't letting her go anywhere. Not until he had gotten his fill, and he had a feeling that wouldn't be until quite some time.
Mikayla felt like her body was pinned down underneath a large weight, but rather than feel uncomfortable, it felt so right. She could barely move, but then again, she didn't really want to. She felt something prodding her core and she wriggled against it, moaning at how delicious the friction felt. She heard a low growl and she forced her eyes to open, finding black eyes rimmed with blue staring right back at her.
Chase.
Her gaze immediately flitted down to his lips and a flash of silver caught her eye. She squirmed underneath him, trying to lift her head, but she couldn't, something was holding her hair.
But her hands were free, she realized slowly. Without thinking twice, she put both hands on the back of his head and pulled him down, her body practically singing when she felt his lips on hers.
Mmmm... Her first kiss in years and she was glad she had waited this long for it. His lips were hard and unyielding and it wasn't until she took his lip ring in between her teeth and gave it a light tug that he finally responded.
And boy did he respond.
She gasped when she felt him ground his cock against her and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth, immediately taking over the kiss as he pulled her hair, angling her head so that he could have more access.
Mikayla felt helpless to do anything but simply enjoy what he was doing to her. It was as if he was starved for her, as if he couldn't help himself and didn't even want to try. She understood because she was feeling the exact same way. Heat spread across every nerve ending until she felt like she couldn't pull enough air into her lungs.
She whimpered when he pulled away, breaking contact. In the next moment, her shirt was ripped from her and her body was shaking in anticipation when he brushed her bra straps down her shoulders slowly. The tension was agonizing and she almost told him to hurry up and kiss her again, but then she saw the look in his dark eyes and her words died in her throat.
Never in her life had she been looked at so... consumingly. Raw, undiluted possession froze her in place as his gaze took in every inch of her until she felt like he could see right into her very soul. A fierceness that should have scared her but instead excited her shone in his captivating eyes as he pulled her bra down further and bared her breasts. Her nipples were so hard it was almost painful and when she felt his fingertips grazing her stomach she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her. This couldn't possibly be real. Never in her life had she felt this aroused, as if she would die if he didn't continue touching her.
"Mine."
Kayla gasped when he covered her breasts with both hands. His callused palms were a delicious contrast and she threw her head to moan loudly, undulating against his hardness to try and release some of the pressure that was building. She couldn't take much more of this. Her body felt uncontrollable, and that realization almost scared her, but then she reminded herself that this had to be a dream. Losing control was completely unacceptable, but in her dreams she was going to enjoy this. She just hoped she didn't wake up before she was able to orgasm.
Her eyes flew open in alarm at the thought. What if she did wake up before she was able to come? Her body would be like a tightly wound coil and then what? Chase in real life made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with her, but this Chase, Dream Chase, looked at her like she was the rarest treasure in the world. He had even called her mine.
Decided that she wasn't going to let the best dream of her life end before she was ready to let it end, she began unbuckling his belt, pushing his hand away when he tried to stop her.
"I want this," she panted, her voice shaking with need. Any other time she would be embarrassed, but fuck it, this wasn't real. What was real was the way her body was feeling.
"You want me to give it to you?" he asked, his voice hoarse. His eyes were still focused on her, his fingers massaging her breasts so that her mind almost went blank. Her core was aching and throbbing and she bit her lip hard when she imagined how good it would feel when he was buried deep inside of her. She didn't know how she knew it would feel good because she wasn't exactly experienced in this, but her body was practically screaming for him and she sure as hell wasn't denying herself anything in this dream.
"Yes," she answered, her breath catching in her throat when she finally managed to work his pants down over the large bulge. Oh my. This was going to be... interesting. She didn't have much basis for comparison, but she was pretty sure most guys weren't this well-endowed.
A low rumble caught her attention and when she looked up at him, her eyes widened. His eyes were almost completely black now, and he had fangs that were growing right behind her very eyes. Shouldn't this scare her? Shouldn't she be running from him? This wasn't normal; he was a monster for goodness sakes!
"I'll give you what you want mate," he growled, his fingers nimbly undoing her pants. Before she knew what was happening, he had pulled them off of her and had his mouth buried between her thighs.
Mikayla threw her head back and screamed. Oh my God. His tongue was lapping at her wetness as if he was starved for her and she nearly came off the bed when he tongued her clitoris. She dug her heels into his back, never wanting him to stop because this was the most intense pleasure she had ever had, dream or real life.
His fingers dug into her thighs to hold her into place and when she lifted her head, she found his dark eyes staring back at her. So fucking sexy, she thought hazily.
Her entire body tensed and she had just drawn a breath to scream when he lifted his head.
"No!"
"What do you want?" he asked, his tongue trailing over her stomach as he made his way up to her. She dug her fingers into his back when he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked on it hard. This was torture. Every touch threatened to send her over the edge but he didn't stay in one place too long.
"Please... Please," she panted, trying to position herself so that his erection was rubbing against her wetness.
He let out a rough groan when his cock slipped along her wet folds and buried his head in her neck again, licking the sensitive skin right above her collarbone. A feeling of awareness skittered over her, almost like a warning, but in the next moment her body exploded in pleasure when she felt him surge into her.
The pain only lasted for a few seconds, but the feeling of fullness was so satisfying that she hardly noticed anything else. He began to pumping into her in fast strokes even as her walls were contracting around him in her orgasm.
Her eyes burned with tears as the waves continued, and it wasn't until he growled against her throat and she felt his seed shooting inside of her that she realized he had bitten her. His fangs were still inside of her, but instead of feeling pain or even disgust, she closed her eyes and smiled. She had never felt this close to anyone. He was inside of her in more ways than one and she could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the rhythmic sound soothing her.
A flare of alarm went up when she felt him slide his cock and his fangs out of her, but he licked where he had bitten her and wrapped her in his arms in a tight embrace, her back against his hard chest. He trailed his fingers along her waist and she shivered against him, reveling in the warmth his big body provided.
Chase's lips were brushing along her neck and ears and he was saying something, but she was so completely sated and drowsy that she had to concentrate in order to understand what he was saying.
"Mine... You're mine... Mate..."
She frowned slightly in confusion at his words. Mate? What was he talking about? Did she really care? All she wanted was for him to keep touching her like he was doing now and whispering in that low voice that made her melt on the inside.
If only this wasn't a dream, Mikayla thought, her mind slowly drifting off. If only real life could be this great...