by J. C. Diem
No one had ever touched me like this before. My back arched as he sucked, licked and lightly bit me. He paused to strip my top off, then sat back to look at me. Kneeling on either side of my thighs with his shaft jutting upwards, he was a picture of masculine beauty. The dragon tattoo on his right arm and far larger tattoo on the left side of his chest, shoulder and upper arm stood out against his tanned body.
“Do you want this?” Jax asked, lightly running his hands up and down the outside of my thighs.
“More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life,” I said breathlessly.
He gave me a smile that melted some of the ice that surrounded my heart, then he lowered his head. His big hands enveloped my breasts and pushed them together so he could lathe both nipples with his tongue. It was incredibly erotic and the warmth inside me grew hotter by the second.
Being so close to Jax had strengthened our weak bond a little. We could feel each other’s pleasure as my hands roamed across his muscular shoulders and he continued to tease me with his mouth.
Letting go of my breasts, his hands swept downward and slid my shorts off. He felt me go tense and lay on his side next to me. One hand was on my hip and the other propped his head up. “You’ve never done this before?” he asked.
“Nope. You were the first man I ever met after I escaped from the witch. I don’t have a lot of experience with other people.”
“I guess that makes me a very lucky guy,” he joked. “You must have met other men by now. They must have hit on you.”
“The alpha werewolf who took your place on our squad wants me to be his mate,” I said unhappily.
Now it was Jax’s turn to tense up. His hand tightened on my hip possessively. “Who is he?” he asked.
“His name is Heath Franko. He just graduated from the Shifter Corps.”
Jaxson frowned at that news. “I’ve heard of him. He’s supposed to be a hotshot.”
“He’s a douche nozzle,” I said in annoyance. “We all hate him.”
“I’ve heard Franko is good looking,” Jax said and slid his hand up to cup my breast. “Why would you choose me over an alpha?”
“Because you’re my mate,” I said simply. “My werewolf chose you and my human form agrees. You’re ours and we’re yours.”
“You’re mine,” Jax agreed with a pleased grin. I couldn’t feel any fear inside him at all at the thought of being my mate. He had no idea who my parents were, or what they would do to him if we became mates in real life.
“I wish this was real,” I said when he began worshipping my body again.
“It feels pretty real to me,” he murmured as he kissed his way down to my stomach, then moved lower.
Although I’d read romance books and watched a lot of movies, I was an innocent when it came to sex. I barely knew anything about it, but Jax was giving me an education. His tongue glided over a spot that quickly had me moaning and panting. My thighs began to quiver as my pleasure built. Then I bucked and jerked as intense ecstasy washed through me.
Jax kissed his way back up my body until we were chest to chest. “This might hurt a little,” he warned me, then I felt him nudging my opening. Following my instincts, I opened my legs wider. There was no pain at all when he slid into me. I bit his shoulder on the same spot that I’d marked him before to muffle my gasp at his girth.
“Are you alright?” Jax asked in concern.
“I’m okay,” I replied when I got used to the feeling of him being inside me.
“Good,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to take this nice and slow.”
“Don’t hold back,” I said, running my hands over his muscular back. “I can take it. I’m stronger than I look.”
“What’s your full name?” he asked.
“Alexia Katrina Levine-Garrett,” I replied, glad the spells couldn’t punish me in my astral form.
Shock coursed through him at that revelation. “You’re the supreme alpha’s daughter?” He hadn’t realized they were who I’d been talking about when I’d used their first names.
“Yeah, now finish what you started, Jaxson Remington,” I told him. “They don’t know we’ve bitten each other, so you don’t have to worry about them dismembering you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jax said, then his hips began to move.
Chapter Fourteen
IF I’D JUST BEEN A puny human, it probably would have hurt for Jax to use so much force and speed. Since I was a shifter, I felt nothing but pleasure. I held him tightly, breathlessly urging him to go faster as my body geared up for another orgasm.
Jax knew how to drive me to the edge and keep me trembling there. Then he quickened his thrusts until I was moaning and ready to explode all over again. I bucked beneath him and he bit my shoulder to mark me again as he jerked his hips a few more times. I was still shuddering in the aftermath when he slumped next to me and held me close.
“Holy crap,” I murmured. “That was incredible!”
“I’ve heard sex between mates was better than usual,” he replied. “Now I know it isn’t just made up.”
“I don’t have anything to compare it to,” I said jealously.
He lifted his head to grin at me. “You never have to worry about other women, Alex. I won’t want to have sex with anyone else now that I’ve found you.”
More of the ice around my heart melted, yet I still couldn’t bring myself to trust him fully. He might not have left of his own volition, but he’d said our bond wasn’t real. He hadn’t wanted me as his mate before the witch had wiped his memory of his real life and of me. Once he got his memory back, I was scared he was going to reject me all over again.
“You won’t remember this when you wake up,” I said wistfully. “Neither will I. I hardly ever remember my dreams when I astral project.”
“I won’t forget you,” Jax vowed, running his fingers over my glowing blue bite mark. “I’d never forget my mate.”
“You already did,” I reminded him sadly. “When you wake up, you’ll forget I ever existed again.”
“Then you’ll have to find me and remind me of who you are,” he said, cupping my cheek. “We’re mates, Alex. We belong together and we can’t let anyone keep us apart, including the witch you mentioned.”
He began to grow misty and I knew I was about to be drawn back to my body. “I care about you a lot, Jax,” I said. I’d only known him for a few short months, yet I couldn’t deny how I felt about him. “You don’t have to say it back to me,” I said when he hesitated. “I know you wouldn’t mean it.”
“When we’re reunited, I’ll care just as much about you as you do about me,” he said. “I won’t be able to stop myself from falling for you if you’re my mate.” I hadn’t told him I loved him, mostly because I still wasn’t sure what love felt like.
I smiled and gave him a final kiss, then I was tugged out of his arms. He reached for me, but I was already too far away. In seconds, I zoomed back to Colorado. I sat up with a gasp when my spirit thumped back home into my body. Emma jerked awake and looked around, searching for trouble.
For a few seconds, I remembered every single detail of the dream I’d just had, then it turned murky and sank down into the depths of my mind. Only three things stayed with me from the dream. I knew it had been about Jax and that something profound had happened. I also remembered where he was. “He’s in Georgia,” I murmured. My zombie cocked her head to the side in confusion, then curled into a ball when I lay back down.
The rest of my dreams were normal when I went back to sleep. It was a relief to remain in my own body until I woke up at dawn. As I got dressed, I puzzled over what little I could remember about my dream about Jax. As before, I was left with the sense that he didn’t know me.
“Maybe it was the witch who drove him away,” I mused. “What if she cast a spell on him so he doesn’t remember me?” It was possible she’d been spying through my eyes for a lot longer than I’d realized. Maybe it hadn’t been his choice to leave at all. This co
uld just be another way for Irene to punish me.
Yas ambled out into the hallway just as I stepped out of my bedroom. “Pleasant dreams?” she asked me in a slightly surly tone.
“What crawled up your butt?” I asked with a frown.
“Your emotions did,” she replied sourly. “I don’t know what you were dreaming about, but I’m guessing it was either sex, or chocolate. Since you’re still a virgin, I’m going with chocolate.”
Franko stepped out of his bedroom just in time to overhear her comment. He smirked down at me. “You’re a virgin, huh? It’s good to know I’ll be the first man to break you in.”
“Oh, God, I think I’m going to puke!” Syd said as she emerged from her bedroom. “That has to be the most sexist, disgusting thing I’ve ever heard!”
Brynn joined us and planted her hands on her hips. “Apologize to Agent D’Ath this instant, Agent Franko!” she hissed.
Completely unfazed by our feminine outrage, the alpha bowed mockingly. “I apologize, Alex. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Yeah, right,” Yas muttered and shouldered him aside so she could escort me past him.
Liam and Nick were standing in the coms room. From their identical glowers at the newbie, they’d heard his remark.
“I hope it was chocolate you were dreaming about,” Heath said as he followed right behind me. “I want to be the only man in your dreams.”
“You’re such a creep,” I muttered as Emma glared at him warningly.
“The only dreams Alex would have about you would be nightmares,” Syd said as she and the lamia brought up the rear.
“Let me guess,” Crowmon drawled as we began to descend the spiral staircase. “Agent Franko is being his usual charming self?”
“He should have been born as a werepig,” my bestie said. “He certainly acts like one most of the time.”
Franko’s expression was smug that he’d riled us all up so easily. Instead of sitting on the couch, ready to be waited on like royalty, he helped us prepare breakfast. He kept brushing up against me as I made toast. Every time I moved away, he stepped closer so he could touch me again. I was seriously thinking about stabbing him with something, but I knew the spells would prevent me from hurting him. I’d probably just end up embarrassing myself.
The alpha tried to rub my calf with his foot when we sat down to eat. I jerked my legs away and sent Emma a silent request. The squirrel was sitting on the couch where she could watch Heath. Leaping to the floor, she scampered beneath the table without being noticed. The next time the alpha hole tried to rub his leg against mine, she bit him on the shin.
“What the hell!” Franko shouted. He leaped to his feet and his chair crashed to the floor. “The rodent just bit me!” he said in rage. He pulled his jeans up to show us a small bite mark.
“Keep your feet on your side of the table next time,” I advised him coldly. “If you try to touch me without my permission again, you won’t like the consequences.”
Everyone glared at him now that they knew he’d been bothering me. “That’s another mark against you, Agent Franko,” Liam said. “Keep this up and you’ll be off the squad by the end of the week.”
Picking his chair up, Heath sat down with a glare of pure hatred at Emma. The squirrel was now sitting on my shoulder, guarding me from the man I was growing to despise more and more each day.
Chapter Fifteen
LIAM RECEIVED A CALL shortly after breakfast. “Hi, Uncle Mark,” he said and we all halted in clearing the table to hear what our ultimate boss had to say.
“Hi, Liam. I spoke to Nancy Ettenberg about Alex’s suspicions about what the witch is doing,” Agent Steel said. “She thinks she has something that can help us. She’s agreed for you to bring Alex to her house this morning. I’ll send a zombie that can take you there in a couple of hours. You should take Crowmon with you,” he added almost as an afterthought.
“I’m on it, boss,” Liam said. The pair hung up and he put his phone away.
“Who’s Nancy Ettenberg?” Franko asked.
“She’s a wiccan we consult with sometimes,” Nick told him.
“Why does she need to see Alex?” the alpha queried. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing that concerns you,” Liam replied. “Do you mind accompanying us to Ms. Ettenberg’s house, Crowmon?” he asked.
The deity shrugged, but seemed intrigued. We were all wondering why Mark would want the witch to know about him now. He’d wanted us to hide his presence from her before. “I might as well, lad. It isn’t like I have anything better to do.”
“Why are you even in our squad?” Heath asked in derision. “As far as I can tell, you don’t have any skills, apart from teleportation.” He’d seen Crowmon vanish during our battle with the werewolf-like beasts during our first mission together.
“I have many talents, boyo,” Crowmon said with a sly grin. “But most of them are classified.”
Franko hated having that flung in his face. “What are the rest of us going to do while you’re off talking to the witch?” he asked sullenly.
“We’ll be training,” Nick said in annoyance. “If you don’t like how Liam runs things, you can quit at any time.”
“I have no intention of quitting, Nicky,” the alpha said and cast a look at me. “Not until I’ve gotten what I came here for.”
“Keep dreaming, wolf boy,” Yas said in derision. “Alex will never agree to become your mate. She has better taste than that.”
Snickers broke out, which enraged the rookie, just as she’d known it would. We were all pushing his buttons, hoping he’d flip out and do something stupid enough to get himself fired. Unfortunately, he reined in his fury and merely flipped her the bird.
Since we had to wait a couple of hours before we could meet with the wiccan, I reluctantly followed Syd and Yas to the indoor range. Franko trailed after us and took the lane to my left. He didn’t laugh at me when I continually missed the target. Instead, he tried to impress me with his accuracy. He was determined to avoid being humiliated by the werecougar again and practiced shooting with his left hand. Even I had to admit that he was already getting better at it.
“Nice work, Agent Franko,” Sydney said grudgingly when it was time for me to leave.
“Thanks, Syd,” Heath said sarcastically. “It’s so nice to get praise from a werecougar.”
“Asshat,” Yas muttered, then flashed him her fangs in a grin when he glowered at her. “Did you have something to say?” she asked him innocently.
“Your day will come, vampire,” he said threateningly.
“Yeah, well, today isn’t that day, douche nozzle,” she said. “Give me your gun,” she said to me and snatched the Colt out of my hand. “I’ll clean it for you while you’re off visiting the wiccan.”
“Thanks,” I said, although I didn’t mind doing the task myself.
We filed back into the main area and I sensed a zombie appear in the front yard. “The zombie is here,” I said without thinking.
“How do you know that?” Franko asked suspiciously.
“Emma told me,” I lied, pointing at the squirrel who was perched on the back of the couch. “She always knows when other zombies are around,” I added for plausibility.
“Nice save, lass,” Crowmon murmured too quietly for the alpha to hear him as he stood up.
“Let’s go,” Liam said and ushered the trickster and me towards the door. “Stay here, Emma,” he added when the squirrel was about to leap onto my shoulder. “The team might need you.” She realized he wanted her to keep her eye on Franko and settled back onto her haunches. “Behave yourselves while we’re gone,” our boss said with a hard look at the newbie.
“I’ll play nice,” Heath said, but he cut a nasty look at Yas as he spoke.
“We’ll make sure nothing happens,” Brynn said as she worked out. I noticed her gun was sitting on the floor next to her. Syd and Nick also had their weapons with them. It wasn’t their usual behavior when we were at our
home base, but the rookie didn’t know that. He always had his gun with him.
“Call me if anything comes up,” Liam ordered. Nick saluted him, then we left through the kitchen door.
The zombie was dressed in black tactical gear. He took us to the backyard of a small, modest house. I had no idea where we were, but it was raining lightly.
Nancy had been watching for us and opened the back door. “Come inside before you get drenched!” she called out, forgetting we had exceptional hearing.
The zombie sank beneath the ground to wait, while we hurried over to the ranch style house that was white, with green trim. Nancy led us through an outdated kitchen, down a hallway and into a living room. Furniture that had to be several decades old was crammed into the room. A huge coffee table was surrounded by two three-seater couches and a couple of armchairs. They were all covered in lilac velvet. Her curtains were dusky rose that matched the paint on the walls. Worn, pale brown carpet covered the floor. A tray with a pot of tea and several cups sat on the coffee table.
In her forties, Nancy was thin and a couple of inches shorter than me. She had short dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Oversized black glasses with thick lenses were perched on her nose. She wore a frumpy light brown dress with a floral pattern on it. “Who’s this?” she asked when she saw Crowmon.
“Nancy Ettenberg, this is Crowmon,” Liam said in introduction.
“Oh, my God,” the wiccan said, face draining of color.
“Aye, that’s me,” Crowmon said mischievously when he realized she knew what he was.
“You’re a god,” she said in stunned disbelief.
His smile widened. “I’m aware of that, lass.”
“He’s a god,” she said to Liam and me.
“We know,” I told her. “He’s a trickster god.”
Nancy clearly didn’t know how to react. “Can I get you some tea?” she asked, completely flustered by now.