Free A Mate's Submission: (Hot Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Ozark Mountain Shifters Book 4) by P. Jameson Page B

was for sure: meeting Lexar had changed the course of her life. For better or for worse.

Chapter Nine
    Shit. Shit .
    He’d come on too strong. He laid all his cards out for her to see. Everything. But it was too soon. He’d seen it in her eyes, the fight or flight instinct rising.
    He was a danger. Or rather what he suggested was dangerous. A relationship of meaning. She fought it as hard as she fought any opponent.
    After settling into his new place—which wasn’t hard since he’d only packed a couple night’s worth of stuff—he went for a run to clear his head. Shifting and letting his animal take over for a while was exactly what he needed. As he ran through the night forest, the brisk air ruffled his fur. It was slightly warmer here compared to Ravendale land. A human wouldn’t notice, but his wolf detected the change.
    His wolf made sense of a lot of things. In fact, what Lexar thought was a problem, was all very cut and dry according to the animal.
    It was simple. Tandy being a shade left the wolf floundering. Tandy denying him—not that he blamed her, she didn’t hold the same customs as he did—left him desolate, aching. With Avan, he’d simply found the ache that matched his. Together, they’d cancel everything out. Their souls would heal.
    They’d never be intended mates. But they would be intentional mates.
    If she accepted him.
    The days dragged by, and the nights even more so. Lexar spent them tossing and turning, wondering if his new alpha was thinking about him. Did thoughts of him keep her up all night?
    His days were spent with her, as her personal guard, which made the nights even harder when they came. But even though they’d been near each other, there was very little talking. He was giving her space. Like she needed.
    Today was the day she’d fight Raden. Five days since he’d declared his intentions and to Lexar, it felt more like five months. Five years, if it was nighttime.
    He knocked on her cabin door and waited for her to answer. Her disheveled look gave him a teeny ounce of satisfaction.
    “Sleep well?” he asked softly, following her inside.
    “Like a baby,” she smirked.
    “Liar.”
    He watched every move as she started a kettle for tea.
    “How about you? Do you like your cabin?”
    “Fucking love it.”
    The side of her mouth eased up. She was so damn beautiful.
    “Liar.”
    He sat in silence while she made them each a steaming cup. Lexar wasn’t much for tea, but he’d drink stone soup if she made it for him.
    Avan settled on the stool beside him. She was close enough he could feel the heat from her body. He wanted to touch her in some way. Hold her hand. Wrap his arm around her waist. But they’d gone from no boundaries to federal penitentiary practically overnight.
    He gripped his mug harder instead.
    “So… you wanna know why I have rules?”
    Her sudden serious topic of conversation threw him. They hadn’t spoken of anything other than pack stuff since the night he left.
    “Sure.”
    “Ozarka is fucked up. You know this. Jax is the only alpha I’ve ever known. Many of my people don’t remember a time he wasn’t wielding his power.”
    She spoke calmly, as if she was telling a bedtime story.
    “He did things that were so very… wrong . But not only that, he let others do them too. Don’t get me wrong, there are good people here, but there are plenty who aren’t. Even worse, there are people who don’t know what they’re doing is wrong. Males have been told it’s their right to take something that isn’t theirs. Females have been told it’s their obligation to fulfill physical needs. It’s worse for those who aren’t mated.”
    A slow chill worked its way up Lexar’s spine.
    “There’s hardly a personal freedom that hasn’t been trampled on in this place.” She shook her head, staring into her cup, running her finger along the rim. “When I was young… and even into my adulthood…” She hesitated, then found his eyes. “People took