by Dana Archer
“The past cannot be changed. Whatever happens to your family is ultimately my fault. You are now part of my pride.” Kade glanced to Mira, who dropped her gaze. “It is my responsibility to protect you and your family.”
Josh waved his arm toward Mira. “Why are you glaring at Mira? She had nothing to do with this. I should’ve—”
Rafe shoved Josh back. The human obviously didn’t realize Mira’s claim on him, making him her beloved human, was the reason behind Kade’s hard look. Rafe didn’t want it brought up either. Not while tensions were running high.
“Stop.” Rafe leaned closer and lowered his voice. “You and I will talk about your new place in my family, but now is not the time.”
“No, let’s discuss it—”
Rafe pointed to the stairs. “We are not the only ones in this house, and you’re not exactly being quiet.”
“Sh—” Josh snapped his mouth closed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Go cool off. I’ll call Devin and find out what’s going on.”
With a sharp nod, Josh pivoted and stormed toward the kitchen.
Rafe met Mira’s gaze. “Keep your human occupied or he’ll end up with another scar.”
Mira hurried after Josh.
The moment the kitchen door banged shut, Kade sat on the couch. “Well played, brother.”
“He’s frustrated. I can’t blame him. He just needed a reminder that his situation wasn’t the only one going on.”
Kade grunted, then made his way to the stairs. “I’m going to check on the kids.”
“I changed my mind.” Jasmine stepped in front of Rafe once they were alone. “Let’s leave. It’s not safe here.”
And miss out on capturing Jon?
Rafe shook his head. “Not until we catch Jon. Mira was right. He’s playing a psychological game with us. The dog was his way of proving he could get close to us and going after the older human and Josh’s parents is an attempt to pit us against each other. It won’t work.”
She studied him a minute, then frowned. “How? Did he think you’d blame Evan for Mr. Wilkins getting hurt?”
He nodded. “And blame each other for not protecting Josh’s parents. Kade and I should’ve thought to put a guard on them too.”
“Kade might hold your family’s spirit, but he doesn’t lead your pride alone, does he?”
“No. He’s my twin. For shifters, it’s a tight and somewhat unexplainable bond. We and our animal spirits shared our mother’s womb. We’re…”
How was he supposed to explain the tie when even he couldn’t put it into words?
“Kade is connected to me.” It was the best explanation he could give.
“Even for humans, twins share a unique bond. I’m not surprised it would be stronger for shifters.”
Rafe brushed a lock of hair from her shoulder, exposing the spot where his mate bite would mark her as his. “And Kade being our alpha leader has allowed me to be with you.”
“How so?”
“I am not driven by my instincts to mate for the sake of carrying on our genes.”
Her expression fell. “Because I can’t have your babies.”
He hadn’t meant to bring up the topic. Jasmine embodied the protective and nurturing drive of motherhood. It was a trait his cats were drawn to also. It simply wasn’t one she’d ever embrace for their biological children.
“Are you okay with that? Because it doesn’t mean we can’t be parents. Seth and Levi aren’t the only shifter kids in need of love.”
“I’m okay with it.”
No change in scent accompanied her words. She wasn’t lying, but her careful expression suggested something bothered her. With all the issues surrounding them, any number of reasons might’ve caused her anxiety.
“Tell me. What’s wrong?”
“If I went to Kade and told him I wanted to leave, you’d override him, wouldn’t you?”
“He wouldn’t approve of you or the kids being separated from us, not while Jon is alive. Jon has proven he won’t simply tuck tail and run. Whether it’s you or the kids he wants matters little. He won’t give up. Today proved it.”
“If I was at your home, he’ll have no choice but to give up. You said it was safer there with Xander’s pack close by. That Jon would never dare attack.”
But Rafe wanted Jon to come at them again. It was the only way Rafe would ever get his hands on Jon. A century had passed without their paths crossing. Rafe refused to allow another to pass always wondering where the other male was hiding or who he was hurting.
“Your reasons for staying were valid. It wouldn’t be right to rip you from your home. Besides, you have a business here.”
“I don’t care.” She straightened her spine. “Because of me, Josh’s parents are in danger. If we’d left when you wanted, Jon would’ve either followed us or skipped town. If he kills them, their deaths will haunt me.”
The same guilt plaguing Josh gripped Jasmine. Rafe saw it in her eyes.
“If we leave, Josh will have to move too. So will Josh’s parents and Mr. Wilkins when he recovers from his injuries.” He waited a moment, letting his words sink in. “And do you really think Josh will go? He’ll have to sell his bar. Leave his friends.”
Jasmine groaned. “I hate this.”
“I know. That’s why I’m going to take Jon out before he escapes again.” He brushed his finger along her lower lip. “You need to trust me.”
She took a deep breath. Acceptance showed on her face. “We need to figure out how we’re going to get him then.”
The front door opened before he could admit he didn’t have any ideas on how to trap Jon besides using Jasmine as bait. That wasn’t an option he was comfortable with.
Devin walked in with two older humans, and Jasmine shoved from Rafe’s embrace.
She went to them and threw her arms around them. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
Josh ran into the room and greeted both his parents before hugging Jasmine.
Rafe tensed. The embrace Jasmine and Josh shared wasn’t sexual. Their relief over knowing they hadn’t lost his parents was clear. So too was the bond they shared. Rafe had known Jasmine and Josh had been lovers and that Josh was important to her, but the sight before him drove home the reality of what that actually meant.
If Jasmine hadn’t been entrusted with Rafe’s nephews, she would’ve married Josh. Had his babies. Shared her life with him. Not Rafe. Jasmine wouldn’t have even considered kissing Rafe had their paths ever crossed, let alone allowing him to discover how special she was to him. Rafe would’ve missed out on his true mate and the peace only she could give him.
“What happened?” Josh asked his parents.
“That neighbor kid with the obnoxious car radio is what happened,” Josh’s father announced. “He came driving down the street with some rap song playing, and the lion took off.”
“Your friend showed up minutes later and brought us here,” Josh’s mother added.
More questions were asked, and more hugs were exchanged. Rafe blocked it out. His thoughts were too mixed up to focus on the joyous reunion.
He moved to the edge of the room where Kade stood vibrating with anger. The tips of claws bit through the ends of his fingers, and glowing eyes took in the scene.
Before Rafe could ask what had enraged him, Kade growled, “We need to find out where they moved our baby sister. I won’t rest until she is out of that experimental center.”
“You heard Jasmine’s story?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I eavesdropped, but I needed to know.”
“Saves me from explaining.”
Seth, Levi, and Megan ran down the stairs. They too hugged Josh’s parents, and when Levi held up his arms, Josh lifted him so he could kiss Josh’s mother on the cheek.
A rock landed in Rafe’s gut.
“Look at them. Josh would’ve happily accepted Seth and Levi as his own kids. Married Jasmine.”
“But he didn’t. I’d be thanking our pride
’s goddess for that.”
“She hasn’t visited you in a century. Don’t kid yourself, Kade. She no longer cares about us.”
“She does, so do the other goddesses.” Kade motioned toward Jasmine and Josh. “There’s your proof. Something stopped Jasmine from taking Josh’s comfort. You realize the male had offered it, don’t you?”
Rafe did know that. The signs of protectiveness and possession Josh had displayed around Jasmine when Rafe had first seen them together proved it. “Yes, but it’s obvious he wants her happy. I can make her happy.”
“Of course you will. You’re her true mate.”
Rafe grinned. He still couldn’t believe he’d found his true mate. “I’m glad I waited for her, and once Jon is taken out, I’m going to complete our bond.”
Kade stepped in front of him, blocking the humans from Rafe’s sight. “Are you sure that’s wise? If you have Jasmine’s agreement, do it now.”
“I don’t have it yet.” Rafe pinched the bridge of his nose, then dropped his hand. “I haven’t even brought the topic up.”
“Why not? I can see she’s fallen for you. The same look is in her eyes when she gazes at you that our mother wore for our father. Love. Your female loves you, and you’d be a fool to risk losing her. As a human, she’s vulnerable. Don’t allow death to claim her. Talk to her. Explain what you plan for her.”
Rafe was tempted to do exactly that, but the reality of their situation wasn’t something he could ignore.
“I want Jon’s blood, and if I start the mate bond, I won’t want to leave her side until she heals the wound I’ll be inflicting upon her.” That was another aspect of mating a human he dreaded. Not only would he inflict a death wound on her, he’d have to watch her recover from the injury he’d deliver in order to tie her to his soul.
“You don’t have to be the one who kills Jon.”
“Yes, I do. He’s threatening my female. My family. I won’t sit by and allow you or one of the others to defend them.”
“But that’s what a pride does. We protect each member equally, no matter if they belong to our brothers, our cousins, or our friends.”
Rafe bent close to Kade. “Jon had her. He had his hands on her. Groped her. The same male who took our sister.”
“Yes, I understand your anger, but don’t allow revenge to ruin your future. Nina wouldn’t want you to lose your mate because of her.”
Kade walked away, but his words repeated in Rafe’s head. Finally, he shoved away the doubt and embraced his determination. He would capture Jon. No other option was acceptable.
Rafe strode across the room and took Jasmine’s hand, pulling her away from the happy group. She looked at him with questioning eyes.
He brushed his nose against the column of her neck. “I need your arms wrapped around me too.”
She linked her hands at the base of his spine and rested her cheek against his chest. Her scent, the unique fragrance that was purely Jasmine, filled his lungs. Peace flowed through him with each inhale, chasing away the darkness and frustration that had built within him while talking to Kade.
“Thank you.” Rafe rubbed his cheek over her head. “I needed what only you can give me.”
“Peace?”
“Yes. Holding you tames my cats.”
“When will I get to meet them?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
She nibbled on her lower lip for a moment, then pressed her palms to his chest. “Now. I want to see them now.”
“Then you will.” He led Jasmine toward the steps.
With the door to their bedroom shut behind them, he let his mind slip into the mystical realm where his cats lived. He’d let them decide who’d get to meet Jasmine first. His jaguar bumped him. So be it. Rafe eased back, his jaguar’s soul shadowing Rafe’s, and undressed.
He stood naked before her and allowed the change to overtake him, slowing the rapid flip in images as much as he could so she could see the process. Rafe caught sight of himself in the mirror behind her. The fuzzy image of his jaguar stepped from his chest. The tether connecting their souls shimmered, first stretching to allow their forms to separate then constricting to pull Rafe’s body inside. His human shape grew opaque before disappearing.
In the next heartbeat, Rafe looked upon his mate as his jaguar saw her. She was as beautiful and strong in his animal’s eyes as she was in Rafe’s, but his cat saw more than just her physical form. Strength emanated from her. So did kindness. It was an instinctual knowledge, more than a physical one. It also explained why his animals had been drawn to her.
Peace and happiness merged, leaving him…content. He padded to her on silent paws, then rubbed against her legs, showing her the only way he could while in his jaguar’s body how much she meant to him.
She giggled. “That tickles.”
He circled her, brushing against her, and was rewarded with another happy sound. She knelt, and he lowered his head, silently urging her closer. She rested her fingertips against his flank. A long moment passed before she petted him.
“You’re much bigger than I thought you’d be,” she mumbled.
He let her familiarize herself with his animal form for a few minutes before he shifted. He couldn’t touch her the way he wanted while in his jaguar’s shape. She’d stirred too many emotions within him over the past few hours.
He kissed his across her shoulder, pushing the strands of hair out of his way as he mapped a path to where her mate mark would be displayed.
“I want you to be my mate, Jasmine.” He licked the spot at the base of her neck. “I will bite you here, searing my claim onto your body and soul.”
“With your fangs, right? You’re going to leave a scar on me?”
“A beautiful mate mark, not a scar. All mated women wear a bite.” He nipped the spot with his fangs. “And you will enjoy wearing it. It’ll be sensitive. Arousing.”
“I don’t know. My clothes will touch it and drive me crazy.”
“Only when you’re excited.”
“But it’ll feel just as good when you kiss it as it does when you have your mouth on other parts of my body, right?”
“Yes, but only my mouth. No other male’s touch will have the same effect. It’ll be my bite, just as you are my female.”
“That’s sounds a little possessive.”
He caught her earlobe between his teeth and tugged on it. She turned her head toward him, seeking out his lips, but she needed to know the details of mating before he allowed passion to distract them both. Well, she needed to learn some of the details. The worst he’d save for another day.
“Yes, but the mate bond we will form goes both ways. I’ll be yours as much as you are mine.”
“But a mate bond for breeding isn’t. It’s for sex only.”
The certainty in her voice surprised him, but if she’d been talking to Mira, it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe Jasmine knew more about mating than he’d assumed. He wouldn’t count on it, though. He doubted Mira would want to discuss the darker details any more than Rafe did.
“The one-way bond between shifters links the female to the male so only he can impregnate her. It’s a breeding bond only. Love doesn’t necessarily come into play. Neither does fidelity.”
“But I have yours?”
“Yes.” He breathed the answer against her ear. “You have mine.”
“Rafe.”
Just his name, but he heard the unspoken words, the ones he didn’t dare ask for, not yet. He didn’t want to pressure her into saying anything she wasn’t ready to give. For a human, the few days they’d known each other wasn’t long enough to claim unending devotion or love. For a shifter, such a decision could be made in seconds, even if it took the shifter years to understand love was what had driven them to commit to their partner in the first place.
“I’ve waited incredibly long for you. I won’t lose you. Not to death or another man.”
“I don’t want to lose you either. Not to the past or your hatred
for—”
He kissed her, stealing her breath and her words. He refused to allow her to say Jon’s name while Rafe was holding her. No way did he want the male to ruin any moment with Jasmine.
Finally, he glanced into her face. “You are mine to love. Mine to protect. Mine to pleasure. Tell me you want that—to be my mate.”
“Yes.” She spoke the word softly, but there was certainty in her eyes. “I’m yours.”
His gaze slid to the bare spot on her shoulder. The sight taunted him. He wanted his bite there. He didn’t want to wait. She’d said she was his. She’d meant it. His cats pushed an image of Jasmine into his mind. She stood in a flowing white dress, her hair in some elaborate twist with flowers decorating it. The veil and rings on her finger completed the beautiful picture, but it was the mate bite on her shoulder that made their point.
Jasmine was the one who’d brought them peace. They wanted the world to know she belonged to him.
So did he. His mate. His wife. His partner. Everything—he wanted to make her his everything.
He closed his mouth over the delicate spot before he could think better of it and bit. The taste of blood teased his senses, yanking him back to reality. He couldn’t mate her. Not yet. She didn’t know everything.
He licked the wound, healing the cuts, then kissed Jasmine in order to distract him from how it had felt to have his female’s tender flesh in his mouth.
His cats pushed at him, their demand clear. This wasn’t what they wanted him to be doing with Jasmine. They wanted to guarantee their little slice of heaven.
Oh yes. Rafe needed to talk to Jasmine, sooner than he’d like. His cats had made their decision known. She would be his, and if he didn’t agree, they might just take the choice out of his hands.
Chapter 35
Jazz stood at her bedroom window and surveyed the landscape. Gray clouds hung over them, and fogged had rolled in, giving the woods surrounding her home a sinister feel. It matched the dark mood that had settled over her household.
For two days, they’d been inundated with drenching downpours. It was great for the dry spell the area suffered from. The weatherman claimed they were no longer under a drought warning. He’d delivered the week’s weather forecast with a smile while every single person staying under her roof—shifter and human alike—grumbled.