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

do.”
    He spun on his heel, making a straight shot to the door.
    Seleka stood nearby wringing her hands, her gaze going back and forth from Avan to Raden, worried. Surely she knew Cael was coming to heal her sister, right? Did she doubt Avan could best the huge wolf at full strength?
    Raden slammed the door on his way out, and Avan gripped the side of the chair to keep steady. Lexar came around to help her, and she didn’t stop him.
    “I’m going to rest,” she told Seleka. “I’ll take the next challenge after Cael arrives.”
    Seleka nodded as Avan inched down the hall to her bedroom.

Chapter Five
    Her bedroom resembled a cracker box with all the shifters piled into it.
    Avan sighed. This was humiliating.
    Vesh and Cael were arguing about something. Besh waited in the corner looking uncomfortable. Lexar stood with his hands on hips and head thrown back on his shoulders. Exasperated. Like he wanted to clobber his alpha and packmate.
    His alpha. He had another. He wasn’t hers. She needed to remember that. Just because he was here, and at her service didn’t mean he was her wolf.
    “Can we just get on with this?” she called from her spot on the bed.
    Cael glanced at her, and then at Besh. Vesh glared at Avan. Lexar chewed his bottom lip, giving away that he was worried.
    “I have a challenge at dark. I’m either going like this or you’re going to help me. Which is it?” Part of her actually wanted Cael to say no. Her stomach flipped and flopped at the idea of going through with this. And not in the good way.
    Besh, who’d been Ozarka’s First Mate for as long as Avan could remember, walked carefully over to where she laid. Her lips lifted at one corner, forming a sad half smile. “I’m sorry you’re in pain. Cael will help you. And I hope... that one day, if it becomes necessary, you would do the same for him.”
    Avan swallowed hard. Shit. Not only were they doing this, but she was going to be indebted. She tried to look at the situation from the outside in. This wasn’t just a huge sacrifice for her, but for Cael and Besh’s bond as well. The least she could do was repay them if he was ever in a bind.
    So why was she having such a hard time agreeing?
    She licked her lips, stalling for time. Her eyes found Lexar’s. They narrowed in an unspoken warning. But they weren’t ordering her to say yes. More like, reminding her what would happen to her pack if she didn’t.
    Meeting Besh’s gaze, she nodded. The female had gone through hell and back, and now was willing to, in part, share a mate with Avan. Fucking brave female, right there.
    “I will. You have my word.”
    Besh gave a nod, turning to find Cael. He grabbed her face, crushing her mouth to his in a claiming kiss. A promise. It was so blunt and feral that Avan’s gut clenched in longing. If she’d fought for him, could they have had that? If she hadn’t traded her intended mate for alpha rights? To feel that kind of unfettered emotion with another person… she didn’t know what that would be like, but she couldn’t deny the appeal.
    “Everybody out,” Cael barked as he pulled away from his mate. “Except for Isabesh.”
    Vesh’s glare ripened. Sure, he was watching out for his sister’s little feely-weelings, but didn’t he realize she was stronger than that? She’d basically just brokered a deal for healing for her mate whenever they needed. This tiny blip in their bond would probably heal over tonight when they fucked like animals.
    “Out,” Cael told him.
    Vesh stalked into the hall.
    “I swear, one of these days I’m going to kick his ass for insubordination,” Cael muttered.
    Lexar rubbed his palms together, nervous but probably trying not to show it. He glanced at her, and then at Cael, his eyes full of colliding emotions. When this was over, she was going to teach him a little lesson. They needed to straighten some things out. Avan style.
    But for now…
    She squeezed her hands into fists to cover up the way they