Page 19 of Mitchell’s Untamed Mate (More Than Human #2)

T he murmur of voices filtered through Mitchell’s consciousness, pulling him from the light sleep he had slipped into near dawn. He was lying on his side with Tracy tucked against him and his arm around her waist. From the even rise and fall under his hand and her light snores, he could tell she was still asleep.

He let his mind wander. His conversation last night with the elders had been good. Their questions had reflected their concerns but also their openness to change. In truth, that openness had been a bit of a shock to him after what happened with Ella and Ty. He fully expected them to resist the idea of accepting the shifters’ offer.

It had been Cyrus who helped him understand. Jayden’s grandfather explained that the elder members had been devastated by the loss of Ella, and shocked by Ty. The shifter was nothing like those from the tales they shared. They had expected to see a half-animal, half-human looking creature, lusting for blood, not love.

“I feel we have let you down, Mitchell. You and the rest of the clan. You look to us for guidance and all we have done is hold you and the other younger members to the past. I fear we have waited too long. We are dying out, Mitchell. That is something I don’t need to tell you. We can no longer hide if we are to survive. Our decision to banish Ella came from fear of the unknown. In retrospect, I see how much the shifter cared for her. He walked into danger, into the unknown, to be with her—just as your shifter has,” Cyrus said, leaning forward against his cane.

Elaina reached for her husband’s hand. “We were wrong, but it isn’t too late.”

“Thank you for your support. The path before us now is a better life for our people, but it won’t be easy. Their way of life is different from ours. They have things I can’t begin to describe. In the short time I was there, I saw machines—” He had stopped because he didn’t want to frighten them further, but he wanted them to understand that their lives would change dramatically. “I flew in a machine through the air like a great eagle.”

Once again, their interest had surprised him. They asked tons of questions about the machines, Tracy’s home, and the dangers he had faced. He answered each question to the best of his ability. They had all grown quiet when Tracy’s beautiful voice rang out through the cavern. The lilting melody wrapped around them and the words transported them into a tale from long ago. By the time she finished singing, he knew the elders were done with their questioning.

Mallory had fallen into step with him as he exited the group. He didn’t miss the way her eyes scanned the cavern for Jayden. Jayden was sitting near the entrance to the cave with her back to them.

“She’ll come around,” he said.

Mallory sighed and shook her head. “She is stubborn. Rand and I hoped she would grow out of it.”

Mitchell chuckled. “She loves too hard for her own good sometimes. Fear shadows everything she sees.”

“I know. She changed after her brother—after Allen died. She blames herself,” Mallory said, the grief of losing her son etched into her face.

“We’ve lost too many. I don’t want us to lose any more. Cyrus is—” He couldn’t continue.

Mallory placed her hand on his arm and he stopped. “We are all getting older. He is sick. The trip here was very difficult for him. Rand and I weren’t sure he would make it. He probably wouldn’t have if not for Jayden egging him on. I worry how she will take his passing. The two of them always had a special connection that Rand and I never did with her.”

“We’ll be there for her whether she wants us or not. I hope once she and Ella are together again, she’ll feel more comfortable,” he said.

Mallory looked toward the cave entrance where her daughter sat. “I hope so. Maybe… maybe she will find a shifter who will love her enough to break through the walls she has built. None of the boys here have what it takes. My greatest fear is she will always be alone.”

“Everything will be alright. Jayden will find her way,” he said, hoping he was right.

Mallory sighed again and smiled at him. “I hope so. Now, let’s go rescue Tracy. I believe Macon has adopted her.”

As he turned to see what had caught Mallory's attention, a bittersweet ache washed over him at the sight of Tracy lovingly cradling the toddler in her arms. He could almost envision what it would be like if that was their child. The thought startled him, sending a shiver of longing down his spine.

I love you, Mitchell.

His lips parted on a silent hiss and he finally understood that the overwhelming emotion he experienced whenever he thought of Tracy or saw her was love. Like a torrential downpour, memories swept through his mind, spanning from the moment he laid eyes on her in the forest to the early morning hours of their lovemaking. She possessed an ethereal beauty that seemed to radiate from within, captivating everyone around her.

“Mitchell? Are you alright? I didn’t mean to upset you,” Mallory said.

He shook his head and glanced down at Mallory. “You didn’t upset me. Let’s go rescue Tracy. I know she must be as exhausted as I am.”

He smiled at the memories and leaned forward to rub his chin against Tracy’s hair. He loved this quiet moment before the world woke up. She stirred in his arms. Her hands slid up his arms to the back of his hands and she pressed them against her breasts.

“I love it when you hold me,” she murmured, wiggling her backside against him.

He groaned and buried his face in her hair. “You are going to get us in trouble.”

She giggled. “We’re in the tent. No one can see anything.”

“No, but they can hear us. You aren’t a quiet lover,” he reminded her.

She partially rolled so she could see his face. “I’ll smother it.”

“Protection?” he asked.

He swore she must have been planning this in her sleep when she grinned and held up a condom. Her eyes sparkled with a silent challenge. He bent and kissed her neck before plucking the condom out of her hand.

“You are a dangerous woman, Tracy Bearclaw,” he murmured against her neck.

“You have no idea, Mitchell,” she replied, sliding her hand down to the bulge in the front of his thin thermals.

“Get your clothes off,” he growled.

She smothered a giggle and wiggled out of her panties. It only took a second for him to roll the condom over the tip of his cock. She pushed back against him with impatience.

He wished he could mimic Tracy. She had pressed her face against the soft polyester material in an effort to smother her moan of pleasure. All he could do was grit his teeth as her sweet softness slowly wrapped around his shaft.

Her heat surrounded him. His fingers dug into her hips when she bowed her back and pushed against him. He rolled far enough to position himself between her legs. With one hand wrapped around her waist, he used his leg muscles to adjust their position so that he was crouched over her back.

“Oh, sweet Goddess,” she hissed, lowering her upper body.

This position gave him the ability not only to drive into her from behind, but cup her swaying breasts or grip her hips with both hands. His hands slid over the curves of her buttocks and he leaned back as far as he could to watch his cock slid in and out of her.

“You have no idea how beautiful this looks,” he whispered.

She smothered a low growl in the quilt before lifting her head and shaking it.

“You are trying to drive me crazy,” she panted.

“I’ve dreamed of having you like this, sliding my cock in and out of your pussy, seeing how much you can take,” he muttered, thrusting forward.

“ Yes. ”

“You like this, don’t you? You like it when I take you like this.”

“Yes. It feels so good,” she moaned, moving in rhythm with him.

Sweat beaded on Mitchell’s brow. He had never talked dirty like this. Hell, there had been no one to talk dirty to. The erotic view of his cock sliding in and out of Tracy mixed with their heavy pants as the tension inside them built. Visions of her breasts swaying, the nipples taut with need and begging for him to suckle or pinch had him leaning to slide his hand under her shirt.

He caught her nipple between his forefinger and thumb and pinched it. Her muffled scream and the flow of hot liquid around his cock told him she enjoyed the touch of pain. He slid his right hand up to catch her other breast.

Balancing most of his weight on his knees, he squeezed as he drove into her. She jerked her head up and her hands curled into the soft fabric of the quilt. He pushed as deep as he could go, shuddering when her body clung to him.

“Come for me, baby. Come for me, my sweet bear,” he murmured against her neck, sliding one hand down between her legs.

She trembled when he touched her swollen nub. In this position, she was completely at his mercy, trapped with her legs spread, his cock buried to the hilt, and her nipple in a vice grip. He filled her, stretching her, and pulling her back until she was practically sitting on his thighs, spread open and vulnerable.

He teased her nub, feeling it swell under his fingertips until her body began to shake uncontrollably. Her stifled whimpers turned to low mews as her climax built. Moisture coated his fingers and he massaged her faster and faster until she stiffened and pressed against him, her scream of release frozen on her lips as her body ignited under the single thread holding his control.

He knew he was lost when her feminine core tightened and began pulsing around him. He didn’t think it possible for her to get any tighter or him any deeper. Her channel was like a gloved hand covered in the finest silk wrapping and squeezing him before sliding up and down in an ancient, erotic dance of love. He buried his face against her shoulder. He pressed his teeth against the smooth skin revealed when her shirt slid to the side.

“Yes, bite me,” she whimpered. “I need you… yesssss.”

They melted forward onto the soft air mattress. He barely managed to catch himself on his elbows to keep from crushing her. His teeth were still pressed against her skin, not enough to break it, but she would more than likely have a bruise. His cock… there was no way he was going to be able to separate them yet. Her body still held his cock firmly enveloped in her.

He finally regained enough strength to press a kiss to her shoulder before he laid his forehead against it. His heart pounded until he was sure everyone must be wondering if there was an avalanche approaching. Shaking his head, he decided he would just sleep like this. Every bone in his body felt like mush.

“Mitchell,” Tracy sleepily murmured.

“Mm.”

“I think you broke me.”

“How’s that?” he asked, curious.

Her light snore was his answer. He leaned his head down and kissed her shoulder again. With a grimace, he pulled himself free and rolled to his side, his hand on her bare buttock. Turning his head, he caressed the soft globe.

“I think you broke me, too, little bear,” he whispered.

Life fell into a comfortable routine over the next several days. The storm that had hit when they first arrived had stalled over the region, dumping several feet of new snow. Tracy and Mitchell unpacked all the packages of food they had brought, much to the delight of the others.

“I like cookies,” Timmy said, swinging his feet as he balanced on a log.

Tracy smiled at the little boy before she looked down at his bare feet with a frown. She had discovered Timmy and LaTrisha’s mother had drowned last spring during heavy rains. She had been swept away when she tried to retrieve some clothing that had fallen into the river. She didn’t know what happened to Timmy’s father. Hallie’s mother, Heather, had died a few months ago from pneumonia. Hallie’s father, Chaz, was a quiet man who had taken over helping LaTrisha with her little brother since Timmy and Hallie were so close in age.

“Timmy, don’t you have any shoes?” she asked.

Timmy lifted his dirty feet up into the air and wiggled his toes. “Yes, but I don’t like to wear them.”

“Why not?”

Timmy shrugged and wiped his hand across his mouth. “Because my mom made them. I don’t want to ruin them.”

Tears burned her eyes at the defensive look in the six-year-old boy’s eyes. “Oh, Timmy. I’m so sorry. I guess I wouldn’t want to wear them either if my mom made my shoes for me. Not that she could. She’s not very good at things like cooking and sewing. Neither am I.”

“My mom was really good. This was hers. I like to wear it. It reminds me of her,” he said, pulling on the oversized shirt he was wearing.

“Timmy, my daddy needs our help,” Hallie called.

Timmy hopped off the log. He took a couple of steps before he paused and looked at the bag of cookies. He bit his lip, looked at her, then over at where his sister stood waiting.

“You can take them. I have more. Plus, once we get to the settlement, you’ll be able to have all the cookies you want,” she said.

Timmy twisted, grabbed the bag of cookies, and took off. He paused several feet away and turned back to face her. The delighted smile on his face was all the reward she needed when he mumbled a hasty thank you before darting away.

Releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, she felt a surge of determination and reached into her pocket to retrieve the satellite phone. She walked over to the entrance to the cavern. Light snow flakes drifted to the ground, but nothing like what had been falling. Away from the fires, the entrance felt like a freezer.

She turned the satellite phone on and waited for it to acquire a signal. The fear that Lorne, or whoever placed the tracking device, might intercept her call made her cautious about turning on the satellite phone. She knew it had a GPS chip in it and could be tracked, but these people wouldn't all make it if they walked down the mountain. They needed the evac.

Once she had a signal, she placed her call. She paced back and forth more out of nervous energy than a need to keep warm. Her brother answered on the third ring.

“Thank the Goddess! I was about to send a search party out for you!” he growled.

She grinned at the relieved note in his voice. “I love you too, brother. As you can tell, I’m fine. Have you heard from Van and Peterson?” she asked, kicking at a rock.

“Yes, they are here. Both are pissed off as hell,” he said.

She looked outside the mouth of the cave. “What did they find out?”

Ty huffed out a frustrated breath that sounded louder than it probably was. She could picture him running his hand through his hair and it standing on end. If Van and Peterson were pissed, that meant they were arming up and looking for blood.

“Van came back with a burr up his ass. He muttered something about Lorne, but when he went by his brother’s place, it was trashed. So is the Seattle office, by the way. Lorne’s disappeared without a trace. I don’t know what kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into this time, but it has to be pretty bad for Peterson to want to kill him.”

She twisted and retraced her steps, mentally counting them as she walked. “What about the guy or guys who were following us? Were they able to find out who it was?”

“No. That’s another strange thing. They were tracking someone. Whoever it was went into the water. They found where he came out a few miles down the river, but it was as if the guy just vanished. There was blood, so we know whoever it was must have been injured. They collected a sample and brought it back. Auntie is having the SBSI lab run it to see if they can find a match. How are things there? I’m assuming since you finally called that you’ve found the rest of Ella’s clan.”

She paused to look out the cave entrance again. A smile curved her lips as she thought about the humans she had come to know over the last few days.

“Yeah, we found them. They are amazing, Ty. I’ve learned more about humans in the last couple of days than I have in all my years of exploration and education. How they’ve survived this long will take a lifetime of research.”

“From the way you were looking at Mitchell, you’ll have an opportunity to do that,” Ty chuckled.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she replied. Sighing again, she turned and studied the residents moving about the cavern. “We are going to need an evac. Some of the humans aren’t in very good shape. I’m not sure Cyrus or Macon would make it down the mountain, especially since the storm. The snow is pretty deep and it isn’t an easy trek.”

“I’ve got your GPS location. I’ll alert the evac team. They’ve been on standby,” Ty said.

“How did you know I would call for one?” she asked with surprise.

Ty chuckled. “You aren’t the only one with a brain, big sister. We’ve been watching the weather and with what Van and Peterson said, we figured we might need to do a fast exit. Based on your location, I think we can be there in a couple of hours.”

“Sounds good. I’ll let Mitchell and the others know. See you soon,” she said, disconnecting the call.

She tucked the phone into her jacket pocket. Tracy surveyed the interior of the cavern with the eye of a scientist. This cavern held a treasure trove of information. From the structures that had probably been the same for centuries to the artwork on the walls, it was a time capsule filled with history and knowledge.

Daddy is going to love this place, she thought with a grin.

“Team 1 is in place,” Alpha 1 murmured into his mic.

“Team 2 is in place,” Beta 1 added.

“Team 3 is moving up,” Charley 1 said.

Hyder waited beside Alpha 1. Moving forward had been challenging over the last three days. The storm had stalled their planned attack. The only reason they knew where the humans were probably located was thanks to Eric. He had shared a satellite image that gave the team he sent a place to start.

With the weather clearing, he knew they wouldn’t have much time. Two evac helicopters were on standby. As soon as Hyder had the humans he wanted, they would swoop in, collect the teams and humans, and be over the border before anyone was the wiser.

“Remember, we only want the young. You have the go-ahead to eliminate any that are old or sick. There may be a shifter with them. Eliminate her as well. She will be too much of a liability,” he reminded the commander of the teams.

The lion-shifter curled his lip. “I know the mission. Team 3 report.”

“Confirm visual on a cave entrance. One target is visible,” Charley 1 responded.

“Beta 1, move your team forward. Charley 1, do not engage until we are in position,” Alpha 1 ordered.

Alpha 1 shot him an emotionless glare. “Stay behind my team. If you get in the way, I can’t promise they won’t target you.”

Hyder pursed his lips. It was obvious the team Eric sent wasn’t thrilled about their mission. There had been mild shock and disbelief when he had briefed them… followed by scorn. If not for Alpha 1’s sharp command for the group of men to shut up, Hyder suspected most would have said no to the assignment.

The mission hadn’t made him popular with the team of men. They felt like they were being told to slaughter lambs. Considering the group was made up of apex predators, it was an insult to their pride.

“Beta 1, what’s your position?” Alpha 1 requested.

“About to begin our ascent. What the—! Soldier down. Soldier down. We have hostiles. I repeat we have?—”

“Beta 1, come again?”

“I repeat, come again?” Alpha 1 demanded.

Hyder scanned the area with a frown. “What happened?”

Alpha 1 ignored him and hand-signaled to the two men with them that there was trouble. Both men nodded. Alpha 1 signaled with his hand again for them to spread out and keep alert. Hyder gripped his rifle and fell into position in the rear.

“Charley 1, be advised there are hostiles in the area,” Alpha 1 murmured into his mic.

Hyder glanced at Alpha 1 when nothing but static buzzed over the line. Alpha 1 glanced back and forth before looking up at the trees and walking in a tight circle. He did the same, scanning the trees for anything that looked out of the ordinary.

“Charley 1, status report,” Alpha 1 requested.

With wary eyes, the men flanking them transferred their attention towards Alpha 1, patiently awaiting his guidance. With a shake of his head, Alpha 1 silently communicated that they were now without support and had to rely on themselves. A mysterious presence loomed in the shadows, effortlessly eliminating them with a level of skill and accuracy that even the best team had rarely come across.

Hyder fell back farther, the snow sinking under the weight of his boots with each step. As he watched, the three men ahead of him moved in a halting rhythm, carefully advancing with short steps, periodically pausing to listen for any potential threats. His mind spun with a whirlwind of possible scenarios. Were the humans aware of their presence? Reflecting on the research he had conducted, he concluded that it was highly unlikely for them to possess the advanced capabilities required to face off against this team of mercenary shifters. In addition to himself, there were two other hyenas, a lion shifter, a lynx, two bears, a coyote, and a crocodile.

The air was filled with the echoing sound of automatic weapons. Alpha 1 pressed on, breaking through the dense blanket of snow with each step. The forest was eerily quiet. The dark green evergreens stood tall, their branches weighed down by fluffy snow, creating a striking contrast against the dark brown of their trunks. The silence was broken by the occasional cracking and popping of ice that had formed along the tree limbs.

“To your right,” the soldier next to Alpha 1 murmured.

Alpha 1 nodded. They closed ranks, moving to the downed shifter. It was the croc. The soldier next to them bent and rolled the shifter onto his back. A thin, deep line seeped out blood onto the pristine white snow, coating it a deep, rich red. The shifter’s carotid artery had been cleanly sliced from one side to the other. From the surprised expression frozen on the croc’s face, he had died quickly.

“Keep your eyes open. Find the others,” Alpha 1 hissed.

The two soldiers with them nodded and began moving again. Unease filled Hyder as he rose and scanned the area. Something was off. There was no way in hell that a human could do this. This was a shifter—but what kind, and how did they know they were there?

The vague thought that Isabella had sent another team behind his back settled in his mind. He wouldn’t put it past the bitch to do something like that. Fury welled up inside him. Eric would be pissed that he lost good soldiers and would want answers.

Self-preservation kicked in and he looked at the men in front of him. This was a lost cause. The men were probably dead and didn’t realize it yet. On the off-chance that they were successful, he would wait at the rendezvous site a half-mile away.

He began backing away, allowing the distance between himself and the men to widen. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw a flash of white. The hyena shifter vanished from his view before falling from the sky, his body catching on the limb of a tree ten feet up. Hyder’s breath hissed out of him when he saw the blood flowing like a waterfall to the snow-covered ground. The last thing he heard as he fled was Alpha 1’s roar before a deathly silence permeated the forest once more.