Page 10 of Courted by the Sabertooth (Mori’s Mementos #3)

Inside the cave was snug. The ceiling was lower than I liked.

My dragon pressed himself to the ground inside his inner sanctum as if he had to squeeze through at his full size.

Fortunately, the cave expanded out after a few minutes of riding on Beal’s back and a few minutes after that we stepped out into a lush field where the sunlight beat down on us.

After spending the last day or so in the hospital the sunlight was rejuvenating.

I slipped off Beal’s back and took off my shirt.

Glancing back at me, he followed suit. I wished I had my tote or a backpack with me because exploring a new place felt like the perfect time to have both of my hands free.

Beal held out his hand and I took it before realizing he was offering to carry my sweater and shirt. He reached out his other hand and took them from me. I smiled at him. I could get used to this being carried around and doted on thing.

“Am I going to meet the rest of your people today?” I asked him as we started down a path.

Thankfully, this one was wider than the cave and wider than the path through the Other World and we were able to walk hand in hand along it.

My hand fit so perfectly inside his that it was hard to think about anything else.

“Probably,” he said. “I thought we’d stop somewhere first. You’ve taken all of this on faith and I’m surprised about that. Usually when someone has a mate from another world it gets messy before it gets better,” Beal said and squeezed my hand.

“Messy? It sort of got messy, though, don’t you think?” I chuckled.

“Not all worlds like the idea of us. Not everyone would believe me about our bond—” he started but I cut him off.

“Feeling it through your aura isn’t exactly the same but it’s the same enough,” I said.

“Besides, why else would you go through all that trouble? If you just wanted to do a good deed you could’ve called the guards, called me, sent a letter, or just killed them and moved on with it.

I mean unless you really are a serial killer and I’m next on your list.”

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. Did he think I was serious? Hell, was he serious? Had the word serial got cross wired and he thought I accused him of murdering oatmeal?

“All will be clear soon,” he said. “Are you afraid of water?”

“What sort of water?” I asked.

“Afraid of trick questions?” he arched a thick brow.

“Well, you gave me a severed hand and tail. I’m not sure what else is different here.”

“You’ll see,” Beal shrugged and picked me up again.

He raced with me over his shoulder through the lush vegetation, weaving between trees and jumping over rocks and fallen logs.

Soon, over the heave of my own breath, the whisper crush of water falling reached my ears.

Its grumbling gushes grew louder until it came into view.

A rushing thing of a river that led to the rock’s edge and plunged off.

“Don’t throw me in that!” I said and wrapped my arms around his middle.

Beal laughed. A hearty sound that shook me up inside.

Maybe he was a serial killer after all. A second later, he dropped our shirts, stole my pants, and stripped out of his one-handed.

Then the world morphed into a blur of rushing water and our bodies cutting through air.

He righted me midair and with my head not pointed down my heart rate slowed.

I was a dragon. If the calmer water below us failed to catch us my wings would do the job.

We landed and sank. For a second, my heart raced, thrumming in my ears.

The water was colder than I expected, and Beal had stolen what little protection my clothes would’ve offered.

I came up, gasping and blinking to find that he’d already surfaced.

I wiped the water from my eyes and blinked until I could clearly see his smirk.

Did he think it was entertaining? Was this normal for him?

I breathed in, testing my lungs and preparing to tell him that this was to never happen again under any circumstances.

Only I couldn’t. His scent filled my head and my lungs.

My legs forgot to kick, and he grabbed me by the arms and pulled me close before I sank down again.

My toes barely brushed the bottom and then only if I stretched them as far as I could.

“Alpha,” my dragon whispered into my thoughts over and over as if tasting the word as Beal’s scent filled every fiber of my being.

Before, I knew he was my mate. I knew it because it was there so earnestly in his aura.

I knew it because really who else would go through all that fuss over me?

Only now it was different. Everything inside me wanted to bellow and spit fire and declare to the world that this was my guy.

Mine and mine alone. The water wasn’t so cold with the realization coursing through my body.

Beal wrapped one arm around my waist to keep me up and close to him and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Our lips crashed together, and his tongue wasted no time snaking between my lips, warm, moist, and delightful.

I kissed him hard, trying to suck in all his scent and taste with every breath.

My heart thrummed against my ribs as I leaned into his naked, muscular body.

Warmth radiated from his skin and phantom fur brushed against me as if his cat reached out to say hello.

Then Beal broke my heart.

He stopped kissing me.

“Hey! I wasn’t finished with you,” I laughed and leaned in to kiss him again.

“Your third courting gift,” he said, his tone serious.

“This can be it,” I leaned in again, but he dodged.

“Courting gifts prove that your mate can keep you safe,” he said.

“I’m a dragon. I can sort of do that. So, two’s enough to prove it to me. Besides, don’t the omegas here fight too?”

“They do and they’re very demanding,” he nodded.

“Well, I’m demanding in other ways. You left a beaver butt on my pillow. The least you can do is kiss me.”

“The butt was not attached to the tail,” Beal said.

“I’m aware. Thankfully aware. No beaver butts on my pillows. No severed paws on my doorstep. No hyena hide cloaks. None of that. Kill whoever you want. Really. Do it. I’m sure you had a good reason but—”

“I didn’t kill them, mate,’ Beal shook his head. “They can live as I left them. They can live with the lesson for all their days.”

“Okay, maim all the assholes you want to. Just fucking kiss me!” My skin burnt hotter with each word I spoke.

I was slick and hard, and his erection kept brushing against me, making it hard to think.

I would’ve thought the all-consuming reign of heat was upon my head only I’d experienced enough heat cycles to know that’s not what this was.

Sure, I wanted to mate with him, but I wanted to crawl into his skin and his thoughts and to never come out and heat had never made me feel that way about anything or anyone.

“Your courting gift, mate. I want to do this right. I want to do right by you,” he whispered, running his finger over my chin.

“Please do not bring me any more body parts,” I sighed and leaned in for another kiss.

He let me have it that time but short and sweet and not nearly enough of his tongue twirling around my mouth.

“You carried me all this way. Maybe that can be my third gift?”

“I’d carry you to the ends of the universe and then create a whole new one just so you have a place to lounge in a sunbeam,” he said and I melted.

With my arms still around his neck, I rested my forehead against his shoulder.

I didn’t need another gift. I understood that every group had their courtship rituals, and I wanted him to be happy.

I had everything that money could buy and some things that money couldn’t buy. He was all I needed right now.

“BEAL! BEAL!” Someone called from above us over the rushing gushes of the waterfall.

“RAIEL?” Beal shouted back, keeping his grip on me.

“YOU GOTTA COME BACK! THEY’RE AFTER THE SHINY BUTT LADY! THEY’RE AFTER HIS MUM!”

“WHO?” Beal shouted back as my blood ran cold.

Of course, they’d go after her if they couldn’t find me. My poor, sick mother was out there all on her own and probably scared out of her wits.

“She can fight,” my dragon chimed into my thoughts to remind me.

“CLARENCE AND THEM!”

“HEAD TALK!” Beal shouted back.

No! Don’t head talk. I wanted to tell them to keep talking where I could hear them, but Beal was right. The rushing water made it difficult to hear.

Beal’s eyes grew like owls, and he tossed me over his shoulder. My heart skipped a beat. Would he climb up the rock wall underneath the waterfall? He scurried for the grassy land as Raiel joined us in the water. His cousin scurried onto the grass with us a moment later.

“What’s going on?” I demanded wishing we hadn’t left all of our clothes up there. Running around naked here might’ve been fine but we weren’t going to be inconspicuous back on Earthside with our hard dicks bobbing in the breeze.

“Mate of my cousin, I don’t know how to tell you this.

Your mother beheaded Jon and another man.

She then ran out of the hospital with their heads.

Mori – the wolf shaman guy – Crilus’s cousin – came to tell you,” he panted out the last sentence as if his dive and plunge had finally caught up with him.

“What? Stop!” I shouted. “Put me down! Put me down!” I slapped his ass when he didn’t set me on my feet right away.

“Mate? Are you alright?” Beal asked, his eyes searching over my naked body.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said and stepped behind him.

He turned to face me, but my naked body was mostly blocked from Raiel’s view.

Sure, a lot of shifters weren’t uptight about people seeing them naked, but I liked to keep my clothes on.

Beal was going to see me naked at some point.

That’s like a quarter of being true-mates, right?

The seeing each other naked part? The not having to put pants on at home part?

“Like what?” he asked, raking his eyes down my body again.

“Like you’re about to devour me whole in front of your cousin!” I snapped. “Never mind! What’s going on with my mum?”

“She beheaded Jon and Chard and is being pursued by the guards. Apparently, some pregnant bear may or may not have faked labor to give her a head start,” Beal explained. “We’re on our way to – I’m not sure what we’re on our way to do. Save her. Bring her back here. That’s probably the best plan.”

“But if they’re killing people didn’t she do everyone a favor?” I asked, blood boiling over inside my veins.

“Even if they hadn’t, she’s your mother. She has her reasons,” Beal said. “It just so happens that I understand her reasons, even if I chose a different path.”

“Here’s your clothes,” Raiel said, landing with a soft thud next to us.

I hadn’t noticed him leave. Was it because of the news or because of Beal? It didn’t matter. I muttered my thanks and looked up, trying to figure out which path he took to get up.

“I could’ve flown it,” my dragon reminded me.

Of course, we could’ve but time was of the essence and – Ah!

The hell with it! I raced to shimmy back into as much of my clothes as my patience could handle, cursing silently as the denim rubbed against my balls.

There was a reason underwear were invented but now wasn’t the time to argue about that.

As soon as I was dressed enough (I skipped the shirt and sweater, shoving them into Raiel’s empty and wet arms.) I squeezed up my face tight and forced my dragon to unfurl his wings from my back.

“Wh – ?” Raiel started but I didn’t hear the rest of his sentence as I hoisted Beal over my shoulder for a change and sprang into the air.

Beal’s laughter shook me to my core. He had managed to get his scrub bottoms back on before I grabbed him up like a dragon pillaging a medieval village but that was good enough.

It had to be good enough because if Clarence or one of his guards hurt my mother, we’d all go out in a blaze of glory.

“I hope Cade’s ready to lead the Moonscales if he’s hurt her. That’s my mummy!” My dragon roared his tone and swirling emotions evoking vivid memories from our hatchling days.