by Tl Reeve
“Good, maybe then you’ll learn some fucking manners.”
Rapier chuckled, slouching back into the hard-plastic seat. A sardonic smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Ain’t gonna happen.”
Chapter Seven
Jasmine couldn’t describe the overwhelming anger and fear she felt when Caden called, informing her Rapier had been arrested for assault and battery. According to Caden, it was all one-sided. Rapier had put the guy in the hospital.
He’d done it in town. In front of their daughters.
How could he be so fucking stupid?
She was going to kill him. Screw that, she’d neuter him instead when she got her hands on him. Hands that she currently had tucked under her thighs to stop the shaking of fear rolling through her body.
It didn’t help she had no idea where the City Hall was or how to fucking get there, thanks to only being in town a couple of days. Thank God Jenna had returned from her morning run when she had. Jasmine had told her everything. Her voice shook with anger the entire time. Jenna, God love her, did what she always did when faced with a problem. She assessed the situation and came up with a solution. It had been Jenna who had located the keys to the work truck sitting in the driveway. Jenna also found the address to City Hall and pulled up the directions.
“You okay?” Jenna turned into the parking lot of the City Hall.
“How could he do something so idiotic?” Jasmine wondered out loud, her belly rolling in fear at all the unknowns that now lay ahead of them.
“Don’t be so quick to judge, Jaz. You only know what the officer told you,” Jenna said before finding a parking spot.
“Rapier put a guy in the hospital, Jenna. Now he’s under arrest,” Jasmine reminded her. “He’s risking our future. What else is there I need to know?”
“Why he did it. Rapier is a hot-headed asshole, but he wouldn’t attack without cause,” Jenna chided.
“It’s been ten years, maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought I did, or he’s changed. He had our girls with him,” Jasmine reminded Jenna before opening the heavy truck door and stepping out into the dry heat of mid-morning.
Jenna got out of the truck and came around the front to join Jasmine. “Wow, who knew you could be such a judgmental bitch.”
Jasmine turned on the other woman. “I am not!”
“Yeah, you are.” Jenna’s features twisted in disgust. “It was okay for you to jump back onto Rapier’s dick within five minutes of him walking through your front door, but to say you don’t trust him with Zoe and Bell?”
“I never said that!” Jenna’s censure took the wind right out of Jasmine’s sails, leaving her exhausted. Rage didn’t mix so well with a feline’s cycle. It made the need to fuck harder and stronger. It also knocked her fight or flight instincts for a loop as well. In all reality, it was a perfect storm when it came to finding out her asshole of a mate decided to beat the shit out of someone.
“No, you didn’t. You just fucking implied it,” Jenna hissed, as disappointment flowed through her words. “I thought you were better than that.”
“I am,” she whispered as her sister stomped off toward the main entrance.
Leave it to Jenna to call her on her shit. The problem was, she was afraid and lashing out at Rapier. Jasmine followed at a sedate pace, only stopping when she saw Osirus waiting with Jenna. Who had called him? It hadn’t been her or Jenna since once they received the call, they were on the way. Rapier. He’d call Osirus because he’d want back up to protect them. The thought was a punch in the gut.
Jenna had been right. Jasmine was projecting her fears onto everyone else, including her mate. Instead of believing him, she’d blamed him. Instead of waiting to hear what he had to say, she took the situation at face value and shit on Rapier, doubting everything she knew about her mate. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“They’re waiting for you,” Osirus announced when she stopped in front of him. “Third floor.”
His voice had been filled with disappointment, and his dark eyes were filled with condemnation. She swallowed hard. “Who—”
Osirus turned and walked down a hallway to the right. Jenna followed behind Osirus, not even meeting her gaze. It was obvious, in the few moments before she arrived, Jenna had told Osirus about their conversation outside. Now both of them were acting like she was the bad guy here. She was, in a way, she supposed. However, Rapier, even if he was guarding the girls, had also left them out in the open. Anyone who knew them and hated them, in that moment, could have snatched the girls. For that, all of them needed to understand the ramifications of Rapier’s actions, including him.
When she caught up to Osirus and Jenna, they were waiting at the bank of elevators. The doors opened, and all of them stepped inside. Though the trip had been short, it was also awkward. When the bell dinged and they arrived at their destination, she stepped out onto the floor and followed the signs to the Sheriff’s Department. On the frosted glass door to the singular office was a sign that told all visitors to press the button for entrance. She did so, not caring if Osirus or Jenna were with her.
The door swung open seconds later. A deputy stood in the entryway, gesturing for them to step inside. Jasmine went first, followed by Osirus and Jenna.
“Rapier’s in Kal’s office,” said the deputy.
Osirus slipped past them and headed toward the office in the back-left corner. Jasmine stared at him for a second before shaking her head. “Excuse me?” She drew the deputy’s attention back to her. “Do you happen to know where my girls Zoe and Bell are?”
“They’re with Sage,” he said.
Jasmine frowned. Who the fuck was Sage and why did they let Zoe and Bell go with an unknown? It was unacceptable. “Excu—”
“Sorry, I forgot you’re new to these parts,” he said with an apologetic smile. “Sage is a deputy. Kalkin told her to go do some girlie shit with your girls. Sage mentioned taking them to get their nails done or some shit like that until you picked up Rapier.”
“Oh,” she said. “And why would she being doing that?”
The guy chuckled. “Rapier gave her the money and said he trusted her.”
Jasmine frowned as she followed the deputy to Kalkin’s office. Osirus stood by the entryway, and her mate sat in one of the two chairs on the opposite side of a massive desk. Kalkin sat behind it, cool as a cucumber. The bastard didn’t give anything away.
Come to think of it, neither did her mate.
Asshole.
Rapier stood when he saw her approach. Her body was stiff, and the sick feeling in her stomach was back. “Kitten.”
Jasmine could sense his lion close to the surface. “Don’t you kitten me! What were you thinking? You had the girls with you. Can you even imagine how they feel seeing you beat the shit out of a defenseless man?”
Kalkin snorted.
Rapier growled. “First off, he wasn’t helpless. He’s a shifter. Coyote to be exact. And in case you’ve forgotten, no one threatens what’s mine.”
“I don’t give a shit! Caden called me to let me know you were arrested, told me you put the guy in the hospital. What if he presses charges? Do you realize the ramifications of your actions?”
“Fuckin’ Caden.” Anger swirled in his blue eyes. “Should’ve kept his damn mouth shut.” Rapier looked at Kalkin. “Me and your dumbass brother are going to come to blows soon.”
Jasmine pressed her hand to his chest and shoved, trying to get his attention. The big oaf didn’t even move, although he did turn to stare at her. His eyes widened then flared with desire. Jasmine damn well knew if she glanced down, he’d be rock hard. The big bastard got off on her trying to assert her dominance over him. She had two choices. Fuck or fight. Fucking in public wasn’t about to happen. Her mate and his lion were way too possessive for that. Fighting would have to do. “Are you for real? You’re mad at Caden? Here is a novel idea, asshole, how about being mad at the person who caused this, Rapier. It was you. You caused this.”
“Charges aren’t being pressed against Rapier,” Kalkin said, taking some of the piss out of her. “As a matter of fact, right before you came in, the hospital called to inform me that our victim went AMA—against medical advice. Rapier is free to go.”
“Just like that?” She ignored the way her body responded to her mate. The way her pussy clenched on nothing and her slit slickened preparing for Rapier to fuck her. She wanted to smack her mate when she heard him inhale. The bastard would smell her arousal, as would every other shifter in the room if they were so inclined.
“Just like that.” Kalkin snapped his fingers. “If I had gotten to the scene first, Rapier would’ve never been taken into custody.” He shrugged, his face devoid of any emotion. “That’s the difference between me and my twin. He’s a rule follower. I’m not.”
“And how is any of this supposed to make me feel better. He” —Jasmine gestured to her mate— “beat the shit out of another man, in front of our daughters.”
“I had a good reason, mate,” Rapier snarled, his entire body radiated with a heady mix of lust and anger. “If you’d let me explain, you’d agree.”
They were going to tear each other apart.
“Don’t think you two should be doing that here,” Kalkin advised.
Jasmine became aware of her surroundings then. Everyone in the office was openly listening to their conversation. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at airing their dirty laundry in front of the mix of shifters and humans.
“She’s about to start her heat cycle. It can make even the calmest feline females testy.” He didn’t just fuckin’ say that.
It didn’t help when Osirus chuckled and Jenna snorted.
Jasmine hissed at him. “Fuck you.”
Rapier’s rough, dark chuckle washed over her. “Plan to.”
Oh, it’s on, motherfucker.
Kalkin ducked his head, attempting to hide his grin. Jasmine saw it though. It only pissed her off more. “I’m goin’ to skin you alive, Rapier—” She gave a startled yowl when she found herself upside down over Rapier’s shoulder.
“Don’t tease me with a good time, mate.” Shit. She forgot how damn fast he was. She hadn’t even seen him move.
“Put me down, Rapier,” she growled. “Right fuckin’—”
His large hand smacked her jean-covered ass, cutting off anything else she planned on saying.
Putting her hands on Rapier’s firm, tight ass, Jasmine pushed herself up to look around. Jenna waved at her.
Jasmine gave her sister the finger.
“I can see having you felines in our pack is going to be giving me a lot of amusement,” Kalkin called out.
“Stop it,” Rapier growled when she started pulling at his clothes.
“Fuck you,” she hissed, digging her nails into his lower back to get him to put her down.
Rapier chuckled. “Oh, they’ll be some fuckin’, mate. I guarantee it.” In a blink of an eye, she was on her feet, backed up against a wall. Rapier’s big body loomed over her, blocking her in. She could barely move.
“Knock it off, asshole!” she hissed, curling her hands into fists to keep from scratching the shit out of him.
“Calm the fuck down, kitten,” he ordered, his voice dark, deadly, and full of anger. “Or I’ll make you calm down.”
“Try it,” she said, placing her hands on his chest and pushing with the hopes of getting free.
“Is that a dare, kitten?” he inquired, cocking a brow at her. “You know how I feel about dares.”
Yeah, she knew. The bastard got off on them. Especially if she threw down a dare revolving around his or her body and sex. Jasmine could already feel his rock-hard cock pressing against her lower belly. She bit back the moan of need clawing its way up her throat. “Fuck you.”
“Better count your blessings we’re in a public place, kitten, otherwise I’d fuck you raw.”
“Get off me, asshole. I’m mad at you,” she growled.
“You’ll get over it,” he assured her.
“You risked our girls, Rapier. How could you?”
He cocked his head, staring down at her with eyes reflecting no emotions. “You never used to jump to such quick assumptions before, kitten. What happened to you?”
“I became a mom,” she snarled. “It was my responsibility to protect our girls.”
“And you think I didn’t today?” he growled.
Jasmine shook her head, refusing to answer his question or meet his glare. “Rapier—”
“Fuck it,” he said without emotion. “Let’s go home and fuck it out like we used to.”
In a blink of an eye, he maneuvered her away from the wall and to the elevator. In no time at all, they were headed out the door and to the pickup she had arrived in with Jenna. They’d always been a sexual couple. Sex was how they communicated, and arguments were often resolved in bed, fucking it out. It had worked for them. But that was ten years ago. They’d both grown and matured.
Hadn’t they?
Neither of them said a word during the short drive home, and it wasn’t a huge surprise to find the house empty.
“I was protecting our girls, Jasmine,” he snarled. “That fucking bastard…”
Rapier shook his head before rubbing his neck in anger. It was radiating off him in waves, and with her heat cycle so close, she reveled in it. Her diamond-hard nipples pressed against the material of her t-shirt. She ached for his touch, and her clit throbbed to the beat of her heart. Even her panties were wet from her aroused state.
The rumbling sounds coming from deep inside of his chest weren’t helping her condition either. Every time he did it, she could feel the juices leaking from her pussy. Fucking Rapier knew the effect he had on her body, and he took advantage of it. They hadn’t made it five steps into their home that he didn’t pin her to wall, crowding her space.
He dipped his head and nuzzled her neck before drawing in a deep breath. Jasmine shuddered. “I would do anything to protect you and my cubs. I’ve already proven I would, several times over. But, for some reason you’ve forgotten the lengths I’d go to do so.” Rapier palmed her hip. The searing heat of his touch spread through her like wildfire.
“You’ve forgotten, I already know.” She glanced up at him through her lashes.
Rapier curled his lip. “Then you should realize I’d kill for you. Leave a trail of dead bodies to make sure you and our girls were protected.” He tightened his hold of her. “He shoulder-blocked me then leaned in and whispered...” Rapier drew her ear lobe into his mouth and bit down. “Be a mighty shame if something should happen to those girls.”
Jasmine’s heart stopped. Her arousal cooled. “What?”
“Now you see why...” He pressed kisses to her neck. “I had to take care of him.” Rapier pulled back. His eyes were a brilliant shade of blue, revealing the fact he and his lion were in-sync with each other.
Jasmine sighed. “You did it in front of our daughters.”
“There was no choice.” The growl he let loose with made her tingle from head to toe. “You’re mine. The girls are mine. I protect what’s mine.” He smacked his hands against the wall, bracketing her in.
The heat from his body radiated from him, blanketing her in his warmth. It was suffocating and welcoming all at the same time. “Rapier, I—”
“No more talking.” He captured her lips in a searing kiss she felt all the way to her toes.
With each swipe of his tongue, the embers of her arousal reawakened, burning her to the quick. They shouldn’t be messing around. They should be discussing how to explain the situation to their daughters, but, instead, she couldn’t get enough of him. Jasmine clawed at his shirt, reveling in the sound of rending fabric and panted hisses from her mate.
She needed to get her mouth on him as much as she wanted his mouth on her. Jasmine fumbled with tab of his jeans before ripping them open. The hard length of Rapier’s erection slipped free from its denim confines. Her mouth watered, and her pussy ached. She went
to her knees in front of him then stared up at the beast reflected in his gaze.
“Suck me off now and I’m coming down your throat. I have no control, kitten.”
She didn’t care. It wasn’t like Rapier had ever been known for his self-control where she’d been concerned. Hell, hadn’t he mounted her in lion form the first time they ran into each other? Just thinking about it had a rush of arousal shooting through her.
Rapier inhaled and yowled. “What are you thinking about, kitten?”
“The first time we fucked.” She palmed his cock and stroked. “The way we ran into each other.”
His eyes fluttered shut, and a groan rumbled in his chest. “When I was a lion and you were a panther.”
“Yes.” Jasmine leaned forward and licked the head of his dick.
“Mmmm.” He scraped his fingernails across her scalp before fisting her hair. “I could smell your hot little pussy begging to be fucked.” A smug smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Red hots. I ate those by the box full because I’d go insane if I didn’t have your taste on my tongue.”
Jasmine whimpered as he fed his erection into her mouth. She’d been greedy for him too, lashing the underside until he stilled. Jasmine swallowed around him, and the erotic sound he made left her dripping for him. Rapier took control of the situation, fucking her mouth in short strokes. He hissed her name each time he flexed his hips. The pained sounds had the knot of pleasure inside of her building until she thought she’d go insane.
“We haven’t fucked that way in a long time. My lion loves the idea. By the way your sweet, hot pussy smells I think you do too.” He grunted and pushed deep. The tip of his dick touched the back of her throat, and she cried out. “Fuck yeah, kitten.” He pulled all the way out. “Get out of those jeans so I can see my pussy.”
Jasmine kicked off her sandals then shucked her jeans and her panties. When she went to her knees once more, she spread her legs, giving Rapier a lewd view of her slick sex and hard clit. She circled the stiff bead with the tip of her finger and groaned. The shocking tendrils of her bliss crawled through her, leaving her on edge.