by Dana Archer
“Yes, they do.”
Jazz slipped past Mira and walked toward the kitchen. Small talk with Rafe’s ex-lover was not on her list of things she wanted to do before bed.
Mira followed her, and Jazz silently cursed.
“I used to wonder how he’d be if we had kids.”
Jazz froze mid-step. “If you had his kids?”
“Well, yes.” Mira shrugged. “I couldn’t help it, especially when we were in bed together.”
She was talking about being intimate with Rafe. In front of his new lover. What kind of woman did that?
“And do you want to have his babies?” Was that the point of the conversation? That Mira wanted Rafe back?
“I considered it. One time when we were in bed together, I almost asked him to make me his, but—”
“Stop.” Jazz raised a hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Mira crossed her arms in front of her. “I’m sorry, Jazz. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m not used to interacting with humans. Your beliefs are so different than mine. I don’t know what’s appropriate. Do I offer you tips on how to make Rafe wild or not?”
That was it. Jazz pointed toward the living room. “No tips. Just get away from me. I don’t want to look at you or talk to you.”
Mira flinched. “I see. When Devin gets back from patrolling the woods, I’ll have him drive me home.”
She turned and rushed toward the door, but not quick enough for Jazz to miss the tears in Mira’s eyes.
Great. Now, she was the insensitive one. Mira had just admitted to not knowing how to interact with humans. “Mira, wait. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry.”
Mira froze at the doorway. “I truly didn’t think anything of my relationship with Rafe. Sex doesn’t always mean attraction or love. Sometimes it’s just an escape. Something to chase away the loneliness. Sometimes it’s just an act to make babies.”
Jazz thought back to how Mira had stood apart from everyone and to the way she’d been so happy to talk to Jazz. It had felt good to laugh with another woman again.
Okay. If Rafe was going to make an effort to accept Josh, she could do the same with Mira.
Jazz moved to the sink and filled a glass, not because she was thirsty but to give her a moment to gather her thoughts. There was no good way to ask why Mira allowed Devin or Rafe’s brothers to order her around. Protection was one thing, but the display Jazz had witnessed went beyond that.
Jazz took a sip of water, then set the glass down. “So you’re not seeing anyone?”
Mira frowned.
Geez. Mira wasn’t kidding about not being used to humans. Didn’t she even watch television? Jazz sighed. “I mean you don’t have a boyfriend? Or a lover?”
“No lover. I haven’t been with anyone in a long time. I’m afraid to risk it.”
“Why?” Jazz straightened. “Would Devin or one of the other men hurt you if you took a lover?”
Mira laughed, and Jazz’s tension eased.
“Gods no. My family would never hurt me. Actually, Devin would be happy if I decided to take another mate. Then he wouldn’t have to watch out for me anymore.”
Mate. Jazz tried the word out. It sounded primitive and reminded her that the man she’d been sleeping with wasn’t really a man. He was a different species.
And what exactly did that mean for them? Could he mate her?
“So it’s common to have more than one mate?” It was for wild cats, at least.
With a grin on her face, Mira pushed away from the door. “See? This is what I mean. Our cultural differences can cause a misunderstanding.”
“Will you explain it to me?”
“You can only have one mate. It’s a physical and mystical bond.” Mira hopped on the counter. “Physically, your tie is through a mate bite. Mystically is a little harder to explain. It’s also different for human mates than it is for most shifters.”
“Shifters can take human mates then?”
Mira grinned. “Yes. Rafe can mate you.”
“Oh, well, that’s good to know.” Geez. She sounded as excited as she felt. Which was a lot. Jazz shook her head. Was it so wrong to be excited? She had been thinking about growing old with Rafe.
“It is good.” Mira’s smile widened, obviously guessing at the reason behind Jazz’s excitement. “Now, understand that there are two types of mate bond—one that’s strictly for breeding and one that’s based on love.”
“But if you can only take one mate—”
“—and you pick a partner for the wrong reasons, you’re stuck.” Mira nodded. “Exactly. That’s why it sometimes takes years and years before our males mate, but once they find their one, they never let her go. Our males will tie their females to them body and soul.”
“Like soul mates?”
The idea made Jazz’s belly flutter. She’d always dreamed that there was one person in the world she was meant to be with. She blamed it on reading too many romance novels, but it was the kind of thing fantasies were built on.
“Yes, soul bonding is the ultimate tie any shifter can form. It’s also one most shifters avoid at all costs, but for a human-shifter mating, a soul-bond is essential.”
“This mate bite…” Jazz stroked the spot on her neck Rafe had scratched. “What does it look like?”
Mira took a deep shuddering breath, releasing it through clenched teeth. She shoved the long fall of her hair off her shoulder and tugged the collar of her shirt enough to expose a scar—a bite.
Four raised puncture wounds marred the spot where her shoulder met her neck.
Jazz cringed. “I bet that hurt.”
“A little.”
The hitch in Mira’s voice caught Jazz’s attention.
“Did your mate die?”
A wicked smile spread over Mira’s face. “Yes, Edmund…died.”
And Mira looked quite happy about his death. Why would she be? Unless hers had only been a breeding partner, maybe?
“You said Devin would be happy if you took another mate, but then you said shifters could only have one mate. Which is it?”
Mira righted her shirt, then slid off the counter. “My situation is a little different. By shifter law, I was mated because Edmund bit me. But from a biological point of view, I’m not mated. Poor Edmund got his throat ripped out before he could touch my soul and finish the breeding bond.”
Jazz covered her mouth but not before her gasp escaped. “He forced you, didn’t he?”
“Yes”—Mira raised her chin—“and I killed him for it.”
Did she think Jazz would judge her? After the things Seth and Levi’s mother had said about her mate, Jazz was glad Mira had been lucky enough to stop the man who’d tried to force her.
“Is that why you don’t want to commit to another man?” It certainly explained why Devin was protective of Mira.
Mira motioned to her shoulder. “This happened a long time ago. For the most part, I’m over it. The truth is I don’t want to be on the receiving end of a determined male’s attentions. Once one sets his sight on you, you don’t get away. But you know that, don’t you, Jazz?”
She did. Rafe had pursued her relentlessly from the moment he’d spoken to her in the bar. “Yeah, I suppose I do.”
“At least as a human, you know that if Rafe mates you it’s because he loves you and will be faithful to you. He’s tying your souls together, giving you a piece of his and taking a piece of yours.” Mira pressed her hand against her chest. “That’s profound. Do you understand? It’s not a simple commitment. He’ll be driven to please you, just as you will be for him, and if you’re killed, he’ll follow you to the grave.”
“And a shifter who only mates to breed won’t?”
“No, he’ll go on to take other lovers. He just won’t be able to have kids anymore. A breeding bond is a…” Mira pursed her lips. “A one-way bond. A male won’t ever hold a piece of his mate’s soul. She’ll just get his kids. Don’t get me wrong. He’ll protect her. Care for h
er. It just doesn’t guarantee his love.”
“I can’t imagine many women being happy with a breeding bond.”
“Honestly, it’s the most common type of bond, and in some instances, it’s the only kind a male will enter into.”
“Why is that?”
“Several. For one, he can still take other lovers. Of course, the female doesn’t get that option. Her mate would refuse to allow it. She has to be ready to serve his needs whenever he wants them met.”
Shifter culture was definitely not equal. Her only comfort was in knowing that if she were to commit to Rafe, he’d do the same. But what if he… “What happens if Rafe doesn’t mate me? We can still be together, right?”
“Sure. He won’t get rid of you. You’re his beloved human.” Mira toyed with the hem of her shirt. “But I wouldn’t be too worried about him not mating you. I’ve never known Rafe to show any interest in a human. Just don’t be surprised if it takes him a few years to get around to bringing the topic up. It’s a huge deal for our males.”
Years? Jazz didn’t want to wait years. She wanted him tied to her so she didn’t lose him, but if she brought it up too soon…
And why was she worrying about this? They were getting along well. Couldn’t she just leave it at that?
Jazz shrugged and hoped it looked believable. “It’s too soon to worry about the future anyway.”
“Absolutely. Enjoy the present.” Mira motioned toward the living room. “Look, I should probably go talk to Devin before Zach does. I don’t want him overreacting to what happened earlier with Josh.”
Mira walked to the door. It opened before she got to it. Josh strode in. They collided, and Josh stopped her backward tumble with an arm around her waist.
“Sorry, Mira.” He settled his hands on her hips. “I should pay better attention to where I’m going.”
Mira dipped her head. “No, don’t apologize. I should too.”
Josh bent slightly to look into her face. “Where were you rushing off to?”
The patio door slid open, and Devin stepped through before Mira could answer.
“Have you seen—” Devin jerked his head toward where Josh and Mira stood. “Get your hands off my sister!”
Josh stepped in front of Mira. Legs widened and hands held loosely to the side, he appeared as if he was itching for a fight.
“And you can drop your pissy attitude.” Josh reached behind him and rested his fingertips against Mira’s arm. “This was innocent.”
Devin strode forward. “You are not allowed to talk to her, and you definitely aren’t allowed to touch her. Do you understand me, human?”
“I don’t care about what you want. If Mira wants to talk to me, she can.” A sneer spread over Josh’s face. “And if she wants me to bend her over—”
Devin stopped Josh’s words with a punch to his jaw. Josh groaned, then returned the punch. Fists flew as the two men went at it. The fight took them from the hallway door to the attached dining room. Devin slammed his balled hand dead center into Josh’s chest, sending him crashing on the table. Devin landed on top of him, and the wood broke under their combined weight.
“Stop it!” Jazz ordered.
Rafe came running down the back set of stairs that led from the second floor to the kitchen. His eyes glowed in the darkened room. He slid his gaze from her to Mira. He ignored the two men rolling around on the floor and approached Jazz.
“What are you doing?” Jazz pointed to where Josh held Devin in a choke hold. “Stop them.”
“No. They need to do this or Devin will never view Josh as dominant.” Rafe shrugged. “It’s a shifter thing.”
“A shifter thing! What—”
“Devin, no!” Mira screamed.
Blood ran down the side of Josh’s face. Devin raised his clawed hand, but Rafe tackled him, knocking him away from Josh.
Devin bucked, throwing Rafe off, then jumped to his feet. Gaze locked on Josh, Devin approached him with his fangs bared.
Rafe hooked an arm around Devin’s ankles and toppled him, then bent close to Devin’s face and hissed, a sound that made the tiny hairs on Jazz’s arms stand up.
“Look at me, Devin.”
With his gaze still locked on Josh, Devin shoved at Rafe’s chest. Rafe pressed his hands to Devin’s shoulders and leaned over him, pushing Devin to the floor. Rafe’s muscles bulged from the effort, but Devin stayed down.
“Get yourself together. You hear me, Devin?”
Devin growled, and Rafe shook him hard enough to smack his skull off the wooden floor a couple of times. “Focus on me, not your crazy cats.”
Devin lifted his lip, revealing a wide fang, and snarled, but he slowly turned his head and focused on Rafe’s face.
“You probably woke up the kids. Do you want them to come down and see you like this? A crazed animal?”
“No. I don’t.” Devin’s voice was gravelly but clear. “Get off me. I need to get out of here.”
Rafe did, no hesitation.
The moment Devin was free, he bolted out the kitchen door, and Rafe took a step after him.
Mira blocked him. “No. I’ll go. It’s my fault he’s like this.”
She was going to blame herself for her brother losing control?
Jazz shook her head. “It’s not. You weren’t doing anything. You—”
“This wasn’t because of tonight.” Mira gripped the door handle. “But trust me when I say, it’s my fault. I broke the law. Devin paid for it. Is still paying for it.”
“What do—”
Mira left before Jazz could finish her question, but whatever had happened hurt both Devin and Mira. And Jazz couldn’t help but wonder if his name had been Edmund.
The door banged shut behind Mira, and a muttered curse yanked Jazz’s attention to Josh. With one eye already swelling, bruises around his neck, and blood running in steady rivulets from the slashes across his cheek, Josh looked horrible.
He sat up slowly and chuckled, then immediately groaned and pressed an arm over his chest. “Think he broke a rib.”
She rushed over and hesitantly touched his side. He cursed more. She dropped her hand. “Maybe only bruised it.”
“Either way, it’s going to hurt for a while.” He grinned.
“Yes, it will, so why are you smiling?”
Josh gripped the edge of a wooden chair and dragged himself up. “Because that was the best fight I’ve had in years.”
She shook her head. He’d always liked to fight and had even boxed for a couple of years after college. “You’re certifiable, you know that?”
“Probably. Felt good, though. If he hadn’t unleashed his claws, I would’ve held my own against him. Maybe taken him out.”
She bit back her words of warning about how he shouldn’t be picking fights and dug out the first-aid kit. She dumped the contents and selected the few items she needed, then glared at Rafe. “Why didn’t you stop them?”
Rafe leaned against the cabinets in a relaxed slouch only a man could pull off. With his legs spread slightly and elbows on the countertop behind him he looked both sexy and nonchalant.
“I told you. Josh needed to prove himself if he’s going to be hanging out with shifters. So I let him.”
Josh swiped his tongue over his split lip. “And did I?”
“Well enough.”
“Good. It was worth it then.”
“I don’t know how you can even say that. You’re going to get yourself killed one of these days.” She dabbed at the cuts with an alcohol wipe.
Josh jerked back, then groaned. “You could’ve warned me. That stuff stings.”
She ignored him and cleaned the rest of the wound. Without the blood masking it, she got a good look at the slashes. “These need stitches.”
“No way.” Josh opened the freezer and pulled out a bag of peas. With the impromptu ice pack on his swollen eye, he faced Rafe. “That’ll make me look weak. Won’t it?”
“You’re only human. You don’t heal as quic
kly as we do. Nobody would blame you for seeking medical help.”
“Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.” Josh picked up a pack of butterfly closures. “These’ll have to do. I’m going to get cleaned up and check on the kids.”
“I’ll help you put those on,” she offered.
“Don’t bother. I’m fine.”
Chapter 27
Jazz waited until the hallway door swung closed, then glanced at Rafe. “You heal quickly?”
“Very. We’re hard to kill too. Well, Royals are. Single shifters heal quicker than humans, but they’re not as strong as a Royal. They can still die from their injuries.”
“Royals?”
“Multi-animal shifters. We’re direct descendants of the goddesses so the single shifters slapped the title ‘Royal’ on us. It stuck.”
She stared at him for a moment, then snapped her mouth closed. “Direct descendants of the goddesses? Care to clarify that?”
“A few thousand years ago, the gods created the first shifters by joining their human warriors with the souls of predators.”
“How did they do that? And why?”
“No idea how. The why is simple—they wanted stronger, more cunning, and vicious warriors.”
“For what? Battles?”
“Yes. According to the stories passed down to us from our elders, the gods used to settle their arguments by pitting their chosen warriors against each other. They’d searched the mortal world looking for the best of the best, then picked their contestants. Now, this was many, many years ago. Shifters no longer fight the gods’ battles. They’ve pretty much abandoned us, actually. On very rare occasions, they still talk to the Royals, but the single shifters haven’t heard a peep from them in a millennium.”
“The…the gods talk to you?”
Rafe grinned and stepped closer, crowding her against the sink. “No, not to me. Kade has spoken to our goddess, though.”
“Why Kade and not you?”
“He’s alpha, the head of our pride and the center of our family.” He tipped his head to the side as if searching for the right words. “He carries the spirit the first Alexander, and if Kade were to die, either one of my brothers or I would have to accept the spirit and take over the family.”