Pucking the Shifter (Shifter World - Book Seven) (Series of 13 Short Stories)
Chapter Four: Home Is Where Your Mate Is

Alec smiled. “Thanks. But what happens now?”

“Now, you two move in together, and we continue our vacation. Then you join us on our witch hunt,” Raj said as he looked from his friend to his cousin and back again.

Mara turned to her cousin with a sour look. “Me, move in with him?” she snorted, and Alec growled.

“Careful, woman,” he warned as he made his way to her.

She held her chin up and looked down at him. Though it was hard—since he was so much taller than her. He grabbed her hips and pulled her against him.

She snorted. “Behemoth.”

He grinned. “Tormentor.”

She sighed as she leaned up for a kiss, and he didn’t disappoint.

“You two are so perfect for each other,” Shar said with a grin.

Mara pulled out of the kiss and looked at Shar. “You think so?”

Shar nodded. “Yes, most definitely.”

“I’d have to agree with my mate.” Dustin smiled as he pulled Shar to his side.

“We still going to have the after-game barbeque?” Lyvia asked, looking at her mate.

Raj looked at her and nodded. “Don’t see why not. But the community isn’t invited anymore.” He scowled as he moved toward the back door.

Lyvia looked at Mara and Alec. “You two created a lot of havoc out there.” She giggled as she chased after her mate.

“What did we do?” Mara asked, confused.

“You found your mate.” Shar smiled, then headed for the playpen where her daughter slept.

“That caused havoc?” Mara asked as she watched the others moving around.

“It did,” Daryl said as he walked up to her and Alec.

“Alpha,” Alec said as he got to one knee.

Daryl smiled. “No need for formalities, Alec. We’re family.”

Alec grinned as he stood.

“So, I guess this makes you my Alpha now?” Mara asked, studying Daryl.

Daryl nodded. “It does.”

Mara shrugged. “Okay, so can you explain the havoc I supposedly caused?”

Daryl nodded as he pointed to a couch. “I’d be happy to.”

An hour later, Mara was more informed about Fated Mates, everything they stood for, and what her cub was meant to be a part of. If she’d had a choice, she wouldn’t have chosen to be a Fated Mate.

She looked at her mate and sighed. But she wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. She doubted Alec would have told her why he’d been cheating for all these years if the Goddesses hadn’t thrown them together.

“Do you guys have any of the books on you?” Mara asked.

Daryl looked at Shar, who had rejoined them about fifteen minutes into his tale of the Fated Mates.

Shar shook her head as she looked at Mara. “You can borrow it if you’d like or come over and read it.”

Mara nodded. “Thanks.”

“Dinner is ready,” Raj announced as he entered the house.

Mara watched as everyone gathered paper plates and filled them with massive amounts of food. If she and Alec hadn’t been triggered, this feast would be shared with their community. But after what happened out there, her cousins are thinking about moving.

“A house next to ours is coming up for sale,” Dustin said as he leaned against his mate’s chair.

Raj nodded. “We’ll check it out once it’s on the market.”

“You know, it would be easier if we all lived in the same community,” Dylan said, looking at his mate.

Pearl chuckled. “It would, indeed, my love. We should check and see if any other houses in Dustin’s community are going up for sale.” Pearl winked and went back to eating.

Which, Mara realized after everyone finished laughing—the witch intended to make sure everyone wanted to sell. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. But they were right; it would be better if the Fated Mates were closer. Especially when their children are crucial to the upcoming war.

“Wish we knew how many houses we needed,” Dylan said, grinning down at his mate.

Pearl looked up at him with a wrinkled nose. “Not going to happen, love. You’ll just have to wait it out….”

Dylan chuckled as he leaned down and kissed his Pearl.

“How will you get the owners to sell?” Mara asked, looking at the witch.

Pearl turned to her and smiled. “By offering them either a bigger and better house or offer them more money than the house is worth.”

Mara smiled. She liked that. She’s not going to cast them out of their home. She’s going to make it up to them… “But what if they don’t want to sell? What if they’ve lived there for thirty years and know nothing else?”

Dustin chuckled. “The houses in my area are new. They were built ten years ago, and if the community is taken over by shifters, do you think the humans will want to stay there?”

“You have a point,” Mara conceded.

They discussed creating their own community, which would entail taking over all the houses in Dustin’s community, whether they needed the house or not, because in twenty or so years when the war goes beyond a few scuffles, they’ll need the area for their new world.

“That settles it,” Daryl said as he stood. “We’re going to take over Dustin’s community and make it the new Shifter World. We’ll start with Fated Mates living there, then move to other shifters as we get closer to the inevitable war.”

“What about other Supernaturals?” Mara asked curiously.

Everyone smiled at her.

“They will each have their own community when the war is over,” Dustin assured her.

“And Pearl will make sure of it,” Dylan said, smiling at his mate.

“There’s so much going on now that I bet you don’t know about.” Shar sat down next to Mara, Joy in her arms.

Mara shrugged. “Raj has told me some of what’s been happening. And I witnessed a few episodes of rude ass humans refusing to serve shifters.”

“Did they refuse you?” Raj asked, looking at his cousin. They better not have; he’s tired of his family being treated like trash.

Mara shrugged. “Once or twice.”

Alec growled, and Mara turned to him. He smiled at her as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. When his lips touched her knuckles, an electric current flowed through her body, and she shivered.

“Were you alone?” he asked softly.

She shook her head. “I was with a few friends. But they were humans, so they didn’t understand how I felt.”

He nodded. “You’ll never be without a fellow shifter again.”

“He’s right,” Shar said, smiling at her.

“You do realize you’re going to have to drop out of school, right,” Raj said, watching his cousin.

Mara frowned. “But it took me forever for them to accept me.”

“She should be okay for now,” Pearl said. “We’ll pull her when they start getting aggressive.”

“A-Aggressive?” Mara asked with wide eyes.

“Mafilia. Your school is a human school. What did you think would happen once humans start resenting us?” Alec asked, pulling her to his side.

“I-I don’t know,” Mara said.

“I’ll drop you off and pick you up,” Alec said as he kissed the side of her head. “I won’t be far while you’re in school, so if you need me, you’ll just have to call, and I’ll be there.”

“Won’t you have hockey practice and games?” Mara asked, turning to her mate.

Alec and Raj shook their heads.

“Just like Raj, I’ll be retiring for the duration of this war,” Alec said as he pulled her closer.

“No,” she whispered.

“I was planning on retiring before I found you, Mara,” Alec said, pressing his lips to the side of her head.

She sighed. “I guess I can drop out of school and take classes online.”

Alec pulled back and looked down at her. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yeah, it would be smarter and safer.”

“You can finish this semester at the school while you get everything situated online,” Pearl suggested.

Mara smiled at her. “That’ll work. That way, I can use this semester’s grades to determine what I need online.”

“I think it’s time we head home,” Shar said with a yawn.

“Right.” Dustin got to his feet and helped his mate to hers.

“Isn’t there woods near your house?” Alec asked, watching Dustin and his mate.

Dustin looked at him and nodded. “Yep, that was a big seller for me.” He smiled.

The couple said their goodbyes and left.

Soon after, everyone but Mara and Alec was gone. Raj studied his cousin and best friend.

“I can’t believe it’s you two.” Raj shook his head.

“You’re not the only one.” Mara snorted.

Alec chuckled as he kissed her on the cheek.

“Well, at least it’s one of yours dreams come true.” Raj chuckled.

Mara looked at Alec. “You really were into me, weren’t you?”

Alec grinned. “You have no idea.”

“You guys can stay here for the night if you’d like,” Lyvia said as she picked up one of her sons from the play pin.

“Let me help.” Mara moved to the play pin and lifted one of her little cousins into her arms.

“I’ve got Sharlene,” Raj said with a smile.

“Can you grab Andrew, Alec?” Lyvia asked as she turned to the other man.

Alec nodded. “I’d be delighted to.”

Thirty minutes later, the four cubs were tucked away in their cribs, and Lyvia was ready for bed.

“We’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Raj smiled as he kissed his cousin on the cheek.

Mara turned to Alec once her cousin and his mate were in their room. “Are we staying here?”

“Hell no.” Alec snorted as he grabbed his coat and keys.

“No?” she asked, watching him. “Then where are we going?”

He grinned at her. “Mara, I plan to fuck you tonight, and I can’t do that with Raj and his mate in the same house as us. So, I’m going to take you to my house.”

Mara felt her cheeks heat. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He took hold of her arm and dragged her from the house.

~🏒~

“Wow, nice place,” Mara said as she followed Alec into his house.

“Thanks.” He smiled. “I’m going to hate giving it up.”

“Too bad houses can’t be moved like mobile homes,” she said as she looked around.

It really was a beautiful house. It was something she would have bought if she’d found it first.

“Hmm, I’ll have to talk to Pearl about that.” He laid his coat over the back of a chair.

“About what?” She asked, turning to him.

He grinned. “Moving the house. Maybe I can buy a plot, and the witch can move the house for me.”

Mara chuckled. She’d almost forgotten they had a powerful white witch on their side.

“Now, enough about my house and moving,” he said as he pulled her to him. “You have a choice.”

She looked up at him, excited to hear her choices. “Yes?”

“We can go to my room, and I can fuck you on my bed. Or I can fuck you here in the living room. Which I vote for—because I don’t think I’ll last….”

She kissed him before he could finish his sentence. He groaned as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against him. She fit perfectly in his arms and didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“Fuck, Mara,” he said as he lifted his head from the kiss. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She grinned up at him. “Yes, I have been told….” She sucked in a breath when he growled and lifted her off her feet. He turned and slammed her against the door.

“I don’t want to hear about what men say to you,” he said with a possessive growl.

She chuckled. “Possessive much?”

He slammed his pelvis into her, and she moaned.

“You’re mine, Mara Cunningham. No one else.”

Mara purred, and Alec felt his cock jump. She likes it rough—nice to know.

“I was going to say my mother has said as much,” she said with a wicked grin.

He groaned as he took hold of her hair and pulled her head back so he could bite down on the side of her neck.

“Oh, Alec,” she moaned as she held onto his shoulders.

“I’m going to fuck you against the door, rough and hard.” He licked up her neck to her ear, then nipped at her earlobe.

“Oh, fuck,” she moaned.

Alec chuckled. “Since you were a virgin, I guess you didn’t know how much you’d like it rough,” he said as he let go of her hair and went for her pants.

She was breathing heavily, and it was doing crazy things to his cock.

Impatiently—she helped him with her pants and panties, then tore her shirt over her head.