A Mate's Submission: (Hot Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Ozark Mountain Shifters Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

and different and exciting. Something he could hold onto even though his mating status was about as bad as it could get.
    But maybe… maybe she just needed help and didn’t trust anyone else to do it. Maybe he was reading the signals wrong since she wasn’t exactly herself right now. Not like he’d had much practice reading females throughout the years.
    He swallowed the lump in his throat.
    His eyes fell to her slightly parted lips. He wanted to kiss her, change her mind. Give her a taste of their potential. Maybe she’d forgotten what he’d said last night. She must know he wanted her.
    He dragged his gaze back to hers and cleared his throat. “Won’t happen again.”
    “See that it doesn’t,” she said, but the slight tremble in her voice made it seem like she wasn’t unaffected by him. Then again, she was weak from walking.
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    He helped her into the living area where she lowered herself into a chair.
    Seleka waited by the door looking flustered. She was a nervous one, that female. “Are you ready?” she asked.
    Avan looked his way. If she told him to leave…
    “Stand behind me.”
    Lexar nodded, relieved, and took his place at her back.
    “Ready now?” Seleka asked.
    “As ever.”
    She nodded and pulled the door open revealing the big-ass door guard. He stared at her for a moment, looking utterly shaken, before his eyes landed on Avan. He stepped in, walking confidently, until he could kneel at the alpha’s feet as was customary.
    “Alpha,” he murmured.
    “Get up.”
    He stood, staring down at her. Lex knew she’d give a tit to be standing right now, facing the asshole eye to eye.
    “My name is Raden. I’ve come to challenge you for your position as alpha.” His voice was strong. Confident. But his eyes held an edge Lexar couldn’t quite decipher.
    “No shit,” Avan muttered.
    Raden looked her over. “Are you fit to fight?”
    “Does it matter?”
    “Can you heal? Are you mated?”
    “You ask too many questions.”
    “Sorry,” Raden sneered, “but I don’t exactly love the idea of fighting a dead fish.”
    A growl rose in Lexar’s throat and he barely held his wolf in check. In theory, what the guy said was honorable, but the delivery reeked of disrespect.
    “Oh, really? So you had no idea how my last challenge ended? Am I supposed to believe that? That you’re the only one in the line outside my door who didn’t know the condition I was in?”
    “Believe what you want, Alpha. I had no idea how hurt you were. I’m only interested in winning this pack fair and square.” His gaze flitted to Seleka. “I rescind my challenge until you are well.”
    Avan sat forward, glaring no doubt. “You idiot. There’s a line waiting to defeat me. And I doubt any of them will wait for me to heal. How do you know you’ll even get your chance?”
    He narrowed his gaze on her. “So little faith in your abilities. I can see why your pack has already lost hope.”
    Avan’s breath heaved, angry like a raging bull. Slowly and deliberately, she stood until she was at her full height. Even injured, her presence was the strongest in the room. Lexar wanted to bow to her dominance, and he didn’t bow to anyone except Cael. And that was only once, when he’d sworn allegiance to Ravendale.
    There was no doubt who the alpha in the room was now.
    Lexar’s wolf was paying attention… and liking what he saw.
    “You know nothing about this pack,” she ground out. “Not a goddamn thing. But I hope you’re prepared to work for it. This pack is sick. They need help. And I’ll be damned if I’ll let a prick like you—or any of the others, for that matter—take it from me. Stick around, asshole. You’ll get your turn.”
    Damn. There was something so… hot about this female defending her pack. Claiming what was hers. Lexar had no idea he’d feel this way. Apparently, confidence was a huge turn-on for him.
    Raden nodded, a smirk coming through. “I sure hope so, Alpha. I really