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

shook. She lifted her chin, pulling courage from a reserve within herself. She could handle this. She was strong in spirit. With Cael’s help, she could be strong in body too.
    Cael cleared his throat, looking expectantly at Lexar.
    “Yeah…” Lexar jerked his chin. “I’m ah… going.”
    Avan’s wounded wolf tried to protest. Lexar should stay. He was the one who’d taken care of her all this time. She… well, she didn’t need him really. Not exactly. Need wasn’t the right word for it. But the thought of doing this without him felt… wrong. All wrong.
    His brows furrowed, his troubled expression mirroring how she felt. But then he trudged to the door, damn near yanking the thing off the hinges in his effort to open it.
    No, no, no. He had to stay. Something deep inside sent out a warning. She needed Lexar here with her. She’d never ignored her instinct before and she wouldn’t start now.
    “Wait!”
    He spun around so fast she didn’t have time to school her expression. But maybe she could pass the bewildered look off as a fault of her injury.
    “Yes?”
    “You stay.” She pushed away the rattled feeling, and focused on the command. He had to obey. He had to.
    Lexar’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yes, ma’am. Sure.”
    He closed the door and came to stand next to her bed. That was when she noticed Cael frowning. Sure, he’d told Lexar to leave but… well, this was her house. She was the boss.
    Avan braced herself on the edge of the bed. Cael squeezed Besh’s hand and then approached. He towered over her.
    Fuck that.
    Avan tried to stand, but the pain in her side was too much. Lexar discreetly held out his hand to help, and she took it, placing her fingers in his waiting palm. His hand was so warm. Or her fingers were too cold. Or maybe it was the combination of both.
    She got to her feet, forcing herself to make eye contact with her intended. But when Lexar tried to pull his hand away, she couldn’t let go.
    Well, shit .
    She curled her fingers tighter around his.
    Shit .
    Cael’s jaw was clenched tight as he reached out to touch the first of her wounds, the ones on her head. His touch was like a zap of lightning, and not at all pleasant. She flinched and decided she hated herself a little.
    She cleared her throat steeling herself for more. He tried softer this time, but there was still that zing.
    “Fuck. Is that normal?”
    “How the hell am I supposed to know,” he muttered. “Be still.”
    She stiffened every muscle this time, determined to not flinch from his touch. She recalled a trick her mother had taught her from childhood.
    “Try not to think about it,” Mama said.
    The scrape on Avan’s knee was bad, and bleeding, but it would heal in a few minute’s time. Knowing that didn’t keep her from crying though. She’d worked herself up good by the time Mama found her.
    “How do I do that?” she cried in desperation.
    “Easy,” Mama said. “Just try to think about…”
    Avan took a deep breath, closing her eyes to the alpha before her. “Elvis. Memphis. Oprah in the afternoon.”
    Cael paused his soft touch on her face.
    “Keep going,” she snapped. “Palm trees. Fig leaves. The creature from the black lagoon.”
    ***
    Avan was singing. And she was a country music fan. This song was boot scootin’ to the millionth power.
    As bad as that was, it was the least of his worries. At the top of the list was the fact that he wanted to rip his alpha’s fucking head off. The way he was touching her… caressing her…
    His wolf snarled a warning, aching to break free and fight to the death over her. Holy shit, this was bad. He hadn’t been this jealous over Tandy. He’d wanted to claim her, sure. But he’d never had the territorial reaction he was having now, in this moment.
    While Avan continued to sing that ridiculous song, he watched Cael’s fingers as they moved over her cheeks, brushing every scratch and bruise on the way. Over and over and over until they began to