Rafe's Mate

by Rianne Thaxton

  He pushed his hips up, searching for the missed heat of her body as she rubbed her wet center, still slick with their combined releases, over his swelling cock. “Seduction.” She settled her chest against his and lifted her hips, her sigh as she slid down his length matching his own. “My seduction.”

  He filled his hands with the soft globes of her ass and grinned at her slight whimper. He held her tightly to his hips and ground into her. “I think you have that wrong,” he said on a low hiss at the perfection of her surrounding him. So perfect he never wanted to let her go. “I’ve been seduced by you since the moment you rushed through that classroom door.” He reluctantly pulled one hand away from her body and grabbed the back of her head as his lower body rolled into hers. He pulled her head down until they shared a breath and then whispered over her lips as he once more found his home in her body, “Since the moment I knew you were mine.”

  Rafe had hated leaving Aubrey at the guest house the previous night. Mrs. Johnstone’s quarters were downstairs near the back of the house, so Dex wouldn’t necessarily have been alone, but he’d wanted to stay close just in case.

  And Aubrey’s concern about them waiting for Dex to be ready?

  If Dex had been a human child, she might have been right about him needing time. But as a shifter, he would have an innate understanding about mates and would have had no problem accepting them as a couple. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something he could explain to her yet. So, he’d reluctantly gone along with her for the time being and spent the long night alone wishing he was still holding her.

  He’d then had to make do with only speaking to her briefly that morning when she’d come over for breakfast, her shy smiles and flushing cheeks each time she looked at or spoke to him tempting him all over again. If it hadn’t been for Dex’s presence, she would have been spread out on the table in front of him as he made a feast of her.

  After their meal, she and Dex had gotten up to go to the stables for a morning ride, but he’d stopped them. “It’s Sunday and you two have been at the ranch all week. So why don’t you have a day away.”

  She’d frowned, but Dex had vigorously nodded his head as a huge smile had crossed his face. “Please, Aubrey,” he’d said, tugging at her hand.

  She’d frowned first at Rafe and then at Dex before finally letting out a resigned sigh. “How can I say no to that face.”

  So, while she and Dex prepared to go out, he and Max, along with Slater and Bash sat in his office readying to leave for Flagg Acres.

  “So, we’re not actually killing anyone today?” Bash asked, his gaze holding Rafe’s. “I mean, I know it’s broad daylight, but I can be stealthy.”

  “I can’t decide if you’re being serious or not,” Slater said, with a side eye. “But I think it’s a good bet to say we’re just going to sniff around.”

  Bash grinned over at Rafe’s Beta. “I see what you just did there.” And then he laughed.

  Slater frowned, his expression deadpan. “Did what?”

  Bash sobered and then leaned toward him over the arm of his chair. “You know, sniff around. We’re shifters.” He scowled. “Oh, come on, you have to get it.”

  Slater shrugged and shook his head, his features stoic while still managing to give Rafe a covert wink. “No. Not at all.”

  “Right,” Bash said with a knowing look and grimace. “Jaguars…”

  “Okay, we know we’re looking for at least five men,” Max said, bringing the focus of the conversation back to where it needed to be. “One man’s name is known and we have to assume he was in charge. The other Rafe will be able to sniff out,” he said with a daring glance at Bash, who smirked at the bear. “Rafe and I think he’s going to be the weakest link.”

  Bash’s expression went from smug to hard. “And the weak link is the one who…” His narrowed gaze went to Rafe.

  Max answered the question for Rafe who stiffened and nodded. “He was the one careless enough to leave something of himself behind.”

  His Guardian slowly nodded his understanding while Slater’s jaw clenched. Bash’s voice deadly serious said, “But we are killing them at some point. Right?”

  Max shared a look with Rafe. They’d already had this discussion.

  Rafe gave each of the men a level stare before saying. “They will be dead within the week.”

  Rafe drove one of his ranch trucks up the dusty road after dropping Slater and Bash off prior to reaching the main house. The two would strip there and shift so they could make their way to the house in their animal forms. Max would have been right there with them if he’d had his druthers, but his bear would have been more conspicuous, so he sat beside Rafe in the passenger seat.

  They drove up to the main house and were greeted by the man they’d come to see sitting on the front porch dressed in a suit and tie. Rafe and Max got out while Harold Flagg left the porch, but he didn’t come all the way out in the ten o’clock sun to greet them.

  “Navarro,” Flagg said. “What’re you doing way out here?”

  Everything inside Rafe begged him to just get it over with and rip Flagg’s heart out—much like the other man had ripped Rafe’s heart out when he’d killed his family. Beside him, Max muttered low, “Bide your time.”

  Hopefully his feelings weren’t as clear to Flagg as they were to Max. Even so, he attempted to ease the tension from his body and give the man what he hoped passed as a smile. “We were making a run into town and I thought I’d stop by.” He made himself walk up and shake the other man’s hand. “I’m sorry I missed you the other day.”

  Flagg gave Rafe’s hand a quick shake and then quickly dropped it and wiped his own hand on his pants leg. Rafe could care less, but the action was telling.

  “So, what did you come by for?” Rafe asked, spying Max strolling away as if he was casually taking in his surroundings, when in fact he was scoping out the layout. Flagg’s eyes cut over to Max as well, but his glare held a thinly veiled hint of contempt Rafe couldn’t help but recognize. Then the other man quickly looked back at Rafe with not quite the same level of animosity, but it was still evident.

  Interesting.

  “I wanted to talk to you about purchasing a couple of your horses.”

  “You needing cattle horses?”

  “No. Strictly recreational.”

  “I see,” Rafe said, taking his own look around. He was picky about who his horses went to. And even if the man was going to be dead soon, there was no way he would sell him one of the animals he took such pride in. It was said animals could sense things about certain people, and he wasn’t going to subject them to the aura of menace surrounding this man.

  He knew this because shifters had the same sensibilities. And right now his panther was telling him this man was evil and not to be trusted. And that he was also a liar. He no more wanted horses from him than Max did. But whatever game the other man was playing, Rafe would go along with it.

  For now.

  “Sure. Just get with my foreman about any specifics and we’ll try to get a good fit for you.”

  “Sounds good,” Flagg said, and then lifted his calculating gaze to Rafe’s. “So, how’s that nephew of yours?”

  The hackles raised on the back of Rafe’s neck at the other man’s question. “Dex is doing as well as can be expected. He’s been through a lot.”

  Even Rafe could see the man’s attempt at a sympathetic look was forced. “Poor little fellow.” Flagg tsked. “But I hear you’ve got a live-in therapist working with him.”

  “You have?” More alarm bells rang in Rafe’s head. “Now where would you have heard that from?”

  “You know, I can’t quite remember. But it’s a small community and folks like to share.” The other man smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Plus after hearing what he went through, folks gotta wonder if he’s ever gotten over it.”

  “I’m sure folks have.” Something told him to hold back. “It hasn’t been too successful though. He doesn’t talk about it.”
/>
  The other man’s expression brightened. “Well, that’s just a shame.”

  Yeah. I can see you’re all torn up about it.

  “But I’m guessing this young lady is working hard at it though. Isn’t she?” The last he said with a slight smirk.

  “She’s doing all she can for Dex.”

  “Right. For Dex.”

  “Are you implying something?”

  “Oh no. Of course not.” The other man checked his watch. “You know, you kinda stopped by at a bad time. Me and the wife are getting ready to go to late church service before going to visit her momma. So I’ve got a full day in front of me.”

  “Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to keep a man from attending his worship. Max,” Rafe called out to the bear who had taken an interest in one of the outbuildings. “Let’s head out.”

  “Gotcha,” Max said as he strolled over to him before addressing Flagg. “Nice to see you again.”

  “You too,” the other man said with a plain lack of enthusiasm. Then he backed up and hollered out, “Time to go, Lois.”

  Max and Rafe got into Rafe’s truck and drove off, waving to the man and his wife who had just come out on the porch.

  “Well?” Max asked as Rafe watched the other man staring after them in his rearview mirror.

  “I’m assuming you heard all he said.”

  “I did.”

  “And did it give you the sense his visit to the ranch wasn’t for buying a horse?”

  “That bastard wanted to buy a horse about as much as I do.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Rafe gave Max a quick smile that faded just as fast. “But he is worried about what Dex might say. And that worries me.”

  They drove in silence for a few minutes until he spied Slater and Bash appearing from out of the trees lining the long private drive, and he pulled over on the side of the road for them to hop in the back of the double cab.

  Rafe glanced over his shoulder at the two. “So?” Then he continued his drive back down the road.

  “You were definitely the topic of conversation among the few ranch hands on site,” Bash said, but not in his expected joking tone.

  “And why does this concern me?”

  He glanced at Slater’s reflection as his Beta said, “We have a handle on who we’re dealing with.”

  Slater’s tone, along with Bash’s burning gaze meeting his in the mirror when he glanced his way, had him bringing the truck to a screeching halt and turning in his seat. “Tell me.”

  “It’s The Coalition.”

  Max had already turned his attention to the men in the back but sat back against his door, his jaw tight and nostrils flaring. “The fucking Coalition of True Souls.”

  Of course Rafe had heard of the fanatical human organization before. What shifter hadn’t? “I had no idea they had followers here.”

  “Yeah,” Bash said with some heat. “At least one whole ranch full of them.”

  “Well, now we know why Javier was targeted,” Max said, as he his bear glowered from the depths of his eyes.

  “Right,” Rafe said. “And if they know who and what he was, they know who and what I am.” He frowned and turned his gaze out the windshield. “But it makes no sense. Flagg’s been living here as long as I can remember. Now suddenly he and The Coalition are targeting us.” He shook his head. “Why?”

  “It has to be human Destined Mates.”

  Rafe whipped around at Bash’s words. “What about human Destined Mates?”

  Bash sat forward, his features set in stone. “There have just been a few incidents over the last few years I’ve taken point on as a state Guardian. It was always a shifter and their human mates involved. No one had been killed, but there were some threats.” His face darkened. “A few had been driven out of their homes.”

  “And let me guess. Gordon didn’t offer any help.”

  “Not one finger. And the Elders were just as bad.” He grimaced. “And they weren’t surprised by it either.” Bash’s angry glare held Rafe’s. “Makes you wonder. Doesn’t it?”

  Rafe settled back into his seat, put the truck in gear, and gripped the steering wheel as he kept his focus on the road. His mind raced with the implications of what he’d just learned.

  “It makes you wonder indeed.”

  8

  Aubrey smiled and took a last sip of her watered-down soda as the final movie credits rolled after the extra footage was shown. She loved those fun snippets just about as much as she did the movies themselves. And even though the movie had been out for a while, Dex hadn’t seen it, so she’d figured, what would be the harm.

  She’d messaged Rafe to let him know where they were and then put her phone on airplane mode while they’d eaten too much popcorn, drunk sodas, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves in the mostly empty auditorium.

  Well, at least she had enjoyed it, even though she had seen the movie at least twice before. Aubrey glanced beside her at Dex who still had the half-eaten tub of popcorn they’d been sharing sitting in his lap. “So. What’d you think?” she asked him as several people began standing and talking as they shuffled down the rows of seats to make their way out of the darkened theater auditorium. He’d laughed several times throughout the superhero slash adventure slash comedy movie, so she hoped it had been a good choice for him.

  “It was fun,” he said as he grabbed his cup and stood. Then he squished up his face as he looked at her. “Just too much kissing.”

  “I think they only kissed like twice.” She chuckled as he snarled up his nose.

  “See, too much.”

  Aubrey laughed as she too stood and gathered her cup and napkins. “Well, I liked it.” She followed Dex down their row to the end where they found a garbage can by the side door exit and threw away their trash.

  “But you’re a girl,” Dex said, looking up at her as she opened the door leading directly into the side parking lot.

  She frowned as her vision adjusted to the late afternoon sun from the darkness from inside the theater. “Yeah, we girls do like kissing in our movies,” she said on a chuckle as she put her hand at his back and guided him past the rows of cars toward where she had Reba parked by herself under a shade tree at the back of the parking lot.

  We girls like kissing in real life too.

  She didn’t say that out loud, of course. Dex would have probably found it TMI. Especially since the only one she wanted to kiss or could think about kissing ever again was Rafe. The man certainly had a way with his lips…and his hands…and his…

  Warmth flooded her at the memory of the previous night. Rafe had been an attentive and thorough lover. And he’d basically ruined her for any other man—cliché as that sounded. Of course something else flooded lower in her body at what he might have in store for her later that night. He’d all but promised her there would be a repeat performance, and it would be in a bed this time. While it hadn’t bothered her as they’d been in the moment, she’d found a few—well for lack of a better word—carpet burns on her butt from the rough blanket they’d used in the stall. She’d also found a few bits of hay in her hair and other places when she’d taken her shower.

  A slow grin crossed her face. It had been worth it.

  “Um, Aubrey,” Dex said in a cautious whisper, pulling her attention to his anxious expression, as her smile disappeared. “Something’s not right.”

  She stopped and crouched in front of him, feeling his forehead and cheeks as she ran her gaze over his pale face. His skin wasn’t heated. “Does your tummy hurt? Did you eat too much popcorn?”

  He slowly shook his head and then lifted it in the air and sniffed.

  What’s he doing?

  She blinked in surprise when a hiss and what could have been mistaken as the low growl of a kitten came from him. His eyes darted past her and then to the nearly empty area of the parking lot they were in. For whatever reason, Dex’s unease as he moved in front of her in a protective stance had her reaching in her purse and pulling out her phone. She
scanned the parking lot as well as she straightened, but she didn’t see anything. It didn’t matter as a sudden sense of urgency had her hitting Rafe’s number on speed dial. He picked up on the second ring.

  “Aubrey?” Rafe said, as he answered. “When—”

  “Are you home yet?” she whispered as she reached for and grabbed Dex’s hand before fast walking with him toward her truck.

  “What’s wrong?” he all but yelled.

  “I don’t know. But…” She glanced around again as they were almost to her truck. She should have parked nearer the building. “Dex is spooked and now he’s got me spooked.”

  “Where are you?” his deadly calm voice came at her.

  She let go of Dex’s hand to reach into her purse for her keys. “We’re about to get into Reba in the movie theater parking lot. We— Ahhh!”

  “Aubrey!”

  Dex’s yell accompanied a sharp pain shooting into her mid-back. It raced through her body and sent her to her hands and knees, with her phone skittering from her hand.

  God, where’s Dex?

  Her liquid gaze sought out the little boy who had been pulled away from her to find him struggling in the arms of one strange man while another covered his mouth with duct tape.

  “Dex… No…” She tried to reach out her hand to him, but it wouldn’t work as her body fully collapsed onto the hot pavement.

  “The charge was too strong for a human, you fuckin’ idiot,” a voice said from her other side, but the words were muffled by the buzzing in her ears. “You could’a killed her.” She rolled onto her back and squinted into the bright blue, cloudless sky as another voice said, “Here or at the house, who cares?”

  “That’s not your call,” the first voice said as she attempted to push up onto her elbows. Her phone was close. If she could just reach it. Rafe was still there—yelling—although she couldn’t understand the words. She collapsed again when her limbs refused to cooperate. “And put that damned thing out. You’ll stink up the truck.”