Mate Set Read online

  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 days teasing me. It’s mating season, damn it. If she’d stripped or come on to me the way she threatened to do then there was 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. Jessup Lorne’s son is in town, he saw her and grabbed her. He had three enforcers with him to guard him and he had his damn hands on her, determined to take her with him. He refused to let her go because she wasn’t marked and didn’t carry my scent since I’m not fucking her. He demanded I mark her in front of him while he was watching or he was leaving with her. He was actually looking forward to a fight with me.”

  “You killed Jessup’s son?” Elroy shoved the chair upright and got to his feet. He growled. “You should know better, damn it. The last damn thing we need right now is the Lorne Pack and our pack going to war.”

  Grady shook his head. “I didn’t kill him or fight with him.” Grady glared at Omar. “He told me to prove she was mine and left me no choice in the matter. He said to mark her while he watched or he was taking her.” Grady’s hands balled into fists at his side. “He wanted her so bad that he wasn’t reasonable and didn’t care that she isn’t Other.” Grady took a deep, shaky breath. “I had to bite her. I didn’t know what else to do other than let him take her or start a war by killing him.”

  Mika watched her uncle pale. He closed his eyes and his head lowered until his chin nearly rested on his chest, saying nothing. She knew it had to be a bad thing for her uncle to react that way. He stayed frozen, barely breathing.

  “I had no choice,” Grady said softly. “It was start a war, kill him to stop him from taking her, or let him and his three enforcers walk out of there with her. We’ve all heard the rumors about what he does with his women. Omar, should I have allowed him take her instead? I made a decision to protect her since she’s human and wouldn’t have survived. If I’d let him take her it would have been a death sentence to her. I’m sorry.”

  Omar’s head slowly rose as his eyes opened to stare into Grady’s. “You made the right decision. We have all heard the rumors about how he passes his women to his enforcers when he’s done and how abusive they are. She definitely wouldn’t survive that kind of abuse as a fragile human.” Omar looked at Mika. “Look at the trouble you’ve caused.”

  “I’m sorry.” Mika frowned. “I just wanted to go out. I’m going crazy at home because I’m not used to being locked up.” She jerked her thumb at Grady. “He stays a room away from me and I have no one to talk to.”

  Grady growled softly, turning his head, glaring down at her. “I barely speak to you because you tease me and I stay a room away because it’s safer for both of us if I do. Maybe no one explained mating season to you but keeping my damn hands off you has been the ultimate test of control. I’m a goddamn saint, Mika. Yesterday morning when you woke up you walked around your house in a half shirt with no bra and tiny shorts that didn’t cover the lower half of your ass. I have bruises on my knees from gripping them so damn tightly to inflict pain so I could concentrate on that instead of touching you.”

  “Well, excuse me, Mr. Growly. I’m not used to having a man in my home. I wake up and go eat. I’m dead to the world without coffee and some food in the morning. Be happy I slept in that much, considering I usually sleep naked.”

  “Mika!” Uncle Omar cleared his throat. “Look at me.”

  Mika jerked her gaze from Grady and met her uncle’s eyes. He looked grim. “He marked you as his. You don’t know what that means.”

  She frowned. “I will smell like him? That’s my educated guess.”

  She watched her uncle move toward her. “It takes a few hours but you will carry his scent.” He walked to her and halted. “Normally it would be fine. It will fade from you in a few weeks from just a quick bite.” His gaze flew to Grady. “How deeply did you mark her?”

  Grady’s mouth tensed into a line. “I was angry.”

  Uncle Omar growled and reached for Mika’s shoulders. She flinched when both of his hands came down. In seconds her uncle had bared her shoulder. He closed his eyes and then sighed. He released her after covering her injury again.

  “He marked you well and you’ll carry his scent for months. It’s mating season so there’s no way he’ll be able to resist keeping his hands off you now. Even at this moment he has to control the urges that have to be hitting him hard—to tear your clothing from your body and take you. You have no idea how strong the compulsion is during our season to…” His lips sealed together.

  “Have sex?” Mika said softly.

  “Yes. For the next two weeks Grady will be sharing more than your house with you. I’d send you away but it would drive him crazy because it’s mating season. He’d hunt you down and it would incite his animal in the worst way. Females who’ve run from hunting males have ended up dead and it’s the worst tragedy since both usually die. The male never means to hurt the woman and when she ends up dying, the male can’t live with what he’s done.”

  Grady growled next to her and Omar flinched as he shot Grady a sympathetic look. “I know. It’s begun for you. I won’t send her away. I’m afraid you’ll hurt her or worse, lose control and mate her if you have to hunt her.”

  Grady shook his head. “Thank you. I’d never hurt her and I sure as hell won’t mate her. I want one of our own for a mate when I take one. My control is starting to slip. I’ve had sex with humans plenty of times so I know how to not hurt them since I’m aware of how fragile they are. I give you my word that no harm will come to her.”

  Omar nodded as his gaze slid to Mika. “I’m really sorry, Mika. You should have stayed at home like I warned you to do. I know that I threatened to spank your ass and I know you will think this is a much harsher punishment but he won’t hurt you.” He turned and gave a sharp nod at Grady. “Remember she’s my heart. She’s yours until mating season ends.”

  Shock tore through Mika. “I’m not his.” Her gaze flew from her uncle to Grady, noticing her uncle looked teary-eyed while Grady’s eye color had gone pitch black. “I’m not yours. What the hell does that even mean?”

  Omar answered. “I’m giving you to him, baby, but just until mating season is over when he will be more in control. He’ll be able to let you go without having the urge to track you.”

  “What does that mean?” Her heart was hammering in her chest. “You can’t give me to someone. I’m an adult, a person, and not an object to just be given away. I know I should have stayed home but this is crazy.”

  A tortured look crossed her uncle’s face. “There’s no choice in this. Would you prefer I have to injure him so severely that it takes weeks for him to recover so he can’t touch you? Do you realize how severely he’d have to be injured?”

  Elroy growled, glaring at Omar. “That won’t happen. He’s my son.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m giving her to him.” Omar lowered his gaze and his head. “I know what must be done, Elroy. Take her, Grady. Get her out of here but don’t hurt her. She’s a daughter to me.”

  Grady gripped her arm and turned, yanking her toward the front door. Mika could only gasp as Grady dragged her from the house. He dragged her along behind him to the bike.

  “Get on. We’re going to your house right now. Don’t fight me. I don’t want to lose control.”

  Chapter Five

  Grady unlocked her front door and firmly pushed Mika into her house. The door slammed behind them and the deadbolt slipped into place with a distinctive sound. She turned as he released her arm to look up at Grady.

  His eye color remained that eerie black and his features were tense, making him appear a little harsh. His