by M. L. Briers
“Ok. Let me rephrase that, your mate has trust issues with you, and you need to address that.” Nathan eyed her as she flushed a nice bright crimson, his favourite colour.
“And what do you know…”She bit out in disbelief that he would choose now to have this conversation.
“I know you, Jazz. You’re too caught up in the past to see what you have right here in your present and future…”
“Oh please, Nathan, spare me the wisdom of your years…”
“Considerable years, considerable wisdom.” Nathan assured her and she scoffed.
“Considerable sized ego…”Jasmine retorted, before she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers at him. “Now be gone, before I push you out of this damn tree myself.”
“Stay up here, give your mate some peace of mind at least.”
“Bite me, bat boy.” Jasmine tossed over her shoulder as Nathan turned away from her and she saw the devilish smile on his lips.
“I think our mates would have something to say about that request.” He teased and she went to open her mouth, but Nathan stepped off the branch and was gone.
Jasmine new that Lycan’s could scent their prey up to three miles away, double that of a normal wolf, and Alpha’s had the ability to scent from even further away. She just hoped that the rogue was going to pass within that threshold before her legs went completely numb and she fell out of the damn tree like a frozen bird.
The cloaking spell that she was using to hide the others was much the same as an Alpha Lycan would use to mask his scent, and yet with the help of Nathan’s Grimoire’s, she had found a spell that had helped her to develop a better version that also cloaked the person, and that was something that this rogue didn’t have in his arsenal.
Jasmine heard the slight rustling of the leaves in the trees and turned her head to see what little critter was roaming around her. She didn’t mind most of nature’s furry little beasts, but the sound of the owl’s call, loud and piercing in the tree next to hers, made her heart jump into her throat and she swallowed hard against the rush of adrenalin within her, as she cursed and blessed the owl in equal measures.
A sense of foreboding crept up her spine accompanied by the tingling that went hand in hand with a supernatural presence near her, and she pushed out her magic and felt for where Nathan was, surmising that he might be coming to check on her. When she found him more than twenty feet away the hand of fear tightened inside her and she knew she was in trouble.
The sound of something moving beside her went hand in hand with her body responding to a presence, every nerve ending within her body tingled with his presence and she started to turn in place, feeling the eyes boring into her back, as the beast lashed out and embedded it’s claws into her back, slashing wildly through her skin as a piercing scream shattered the still of the night, and she realised it had come from her.
Nathan had felt Jasmine’s magic reaching out to him like tendrils touching his skin and he wondered at it for a long moment before he realised that something was wrong.
She knew within reason where he was, so there was no reason for her to search for him. Taking off through the trees he saw the dark shadow of the human form just as it came up behind her. The arm that lifted and pulled back for the strike, the flash of his claws in the moonlight, and as he swung down onto the closest bough, the scent of Jasmine’s blood filled the air at the same instant as her piercing scream.
Nathan hooked his claws into the Lycan’s shoulder and wrenched him backwards away from Jasmine. With speed and accuracy he ripped through the meaty flesh of his enemy’s muscled torso with his other hand, as they fell from the bough together.
The sound of fast paws beneath them let Nathan know that Wade was on his way, and Nathan released the Lycan from his claws in time to stabilise his own fall, and he landed on hard feet on the ground as the Lycan male hit the floor hard. The sound of a crack of bone within his prey was the most satisfying thing Nathan had heard in a long time.
The rogue shifted into his beast in the quiver of muscles, knowing that the broken bone that he had sustained in his arm would be partially healed by the shift to wolf, and needing all of his strength if he was to fight this vampire.
Nathan took a step forward, ready to finish the beast for what he had done to his mate and to Jasmine, but Wade’s wolf attacked from the side. Jaws snapping shut into the beasts damaged shoulder as the weight of Wade’s wolf took the beast down.
The Alpha’s rolled in a mass of fur and paws as Nathan stood idly by and watched his Alpha have no choice but to release his jaws from the rogue, but not before he had taken his pound of flesh.
The rogue struggled to regain his footing, the damage to his shoulder muscles and sinew hampering his agility, as Wade struck again. Claws slashed through the air as Wade snarled his contempt for the wolf before him. Razor sharp and well aimed, the rogue snarled in pain and tried to side step the blows, but Wade had no intention of allowing the Rogue to escape his wrath.
The scent of blood filled the air as Wade’s claws tore deep within the beasts body, opening up deep channels within the animals flesh, and leaving the beast staggering and dazed, and yet still full of the bloodlust that powered his very existence.
The rogues jaws snapped wildly in Wade’s direction, a hit and miss attempt to inflict any kind of damage he could, knowing his wounds would not allow him to mount any kind of victorious attack. The wounded beast’s last ditch attempts at life.
Wade wasn’t in the mood to drag this fight out. While he felt the need to rip this animal limb from limb, he also knew his mate had been injured, how badly he couldn’t say, but from the sound of her ragged breathing above him, and the scent of her blood that didn’t come from the bowl he had placed nearby, he knew she had suffered greatly.
Jasmine slumped over the bough in front of her and tried to focus on the scene below. Wade’s wolf was winning the fight against the rogue and that was all that mattered to her now.
She had kept her magic close to her, once she had allowed the cloak to fall from both Nathan and Wade, just in case she needed to use it against the rogue if he threatened her family. Now she used it to try to offset some of the pain that throbbed through her body in waves and made her both nauseous and light headed.
Her body let her know that Nathan had appeared beside her. His strong hands collected her against him, and she saw his black eyes wince with pain as he bit down into his wrist before placing it against her lips. The smell of his blood filled her senses as the wetness against her lips gave her only a moment’s pause for thought.
“Don’t make me force feed you…” Nathan tried for teasing, but it sounded more like a plea, and she circled her lips around the wound and sucked against his vein. The taste of him washing over her tongue and down her throat a moment before the lights went out and she collapsed against him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Wade closed his jaws around the rogue’s throat and bit down hard. The feel of the beast this close to death, still thrashing for life, gave him the satisfaction of ending the abomination.
With a clean jerk of his head to the side, Wade ripped out the rogue’s throat as the beast finally went still on the ground beneath him. Wade threw his head back and howled in victory, letting his pack know that the danger had been dispatched and their Alpha had been victorious.
The sound of Nathan’s feet hitting the earth a few feet away caused Wade to spin around on fast paws, the scent of his mate’s blood was almost overwhelming as he moved towards them, shifting into his human form on route.
Nathan cradled Jasmine in his arms and for one long moment in time Wade thought that she was dead. The ashen colour of her face, as she lay motionless in Nathan’s arms sent his heart splintering into a million pieces within his chest, and he snarled his warning at Nathan without even considering it.
“Yours, I believe.” Nathan teased. Knowing the danger to Jasmine had passed, and that she was already healing. He held her out towards Wade, much as he h
ad the first time that he realised she was his mate, and after everything that had happened in such a short space of time, it felt like forever ago to Wade, as he collected his mate into his arms and cradled her gently against his chest.
“You fed her your blood.” It wasn’t a question. Wade could see the blood on her lips and scent the vampire’s blood that ran through his mate’s veins healing her wounds.
“Don’t hold it against me, alpha.” Nathan teased him. Knowing it had to stick in the alpha’s craw that he couldn’t heal his mate so easily. But when Wade tore his eyes from his mate’s face, now that it was starting to fill with colour again, and met Nathan’s eyes, all that was there was gratitude.
“Thank you, brother.” Wade offered and Nathan nodded his head, accepting the alpha’s thanks.
“Put me down you overgrown mutt.” Jasmine muttered as she opened her eyes and noted that they weren’t in the woods anymore. The fact that the interior of the house was travelling by at speed as she tried to focus, did little for her equilibrium.
“Be still and be quiet.” He growled down at her gently, but this time she didn’t offer an objection to his attitude. Instead she closed her eyes and curled into his chest.
“Is he dead?” Jasmine thought she already knew the answer to that one. Wade was winning the battle before she had taken her involuntary nap and she assumed that his beast wouldn’t have stopped in its revenge when he was so close to victory.
“Not as dead as you’re going to be if you ever disobey me like that again.” Wade growled out again, this time a little of the gentleness was replaced by anger.
“Threatening to kill your mate…” She jumped at the sound of the door hitting its frame and opened her eyes to see the interior of the bedroom.
“Are you well enough to stand?” He growled down at her, more gently again, and she raised her brows at him and pushed down the urge to chuckle, although she couldn’t keep the mischief completely out of her.
“Are you well enough to stand?” She mimicked his deep tones, but there was no way she could get that level of base within her voice to do him justice.
Wade growled down a warning at her and she squirmed in his arms. “Yes, mutt, of course I’m…” Wade let her lower body slide down his, and she had to swallow her instant need for him as she felt the hard muscles of his body press into hers.
“Has anyone ever enlightened you that silence is golden?” Wade made sure she was stable on her feet before he reached down and yanked her top over her head, causing her to totter slightly on her legs.
“Has anyone ever told you that patience is a virtue?” She retorted as his hand on her elbow helped to stabilise her.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re covered in your own blood…” He growled down at her, trying not to allow any amusement within his voice.
“Flatter myself?” She gaped up at him.
“Some thing's can be more trouble than they are worth, don’t you think?” Wade growled out, as he bent and whipped her borrowed jeans down to her ankles, and she grabbed for his shoulders to keep from falling over.
Well, two can play at that game, she told herself as she narrowed her eyes on his naked back, resisting the urge to run her fingers over the raw scratches that looked like claw marks.
“My sentiments exactly, Alpha.” She bit out, resisting the urge to dump him on his backside, and it wouldn’t have taken any magic to do that.
Wade grew to his full height in front of her. His dark eyes assessing her face as he slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her against him. The feel of his arousal pressed against her stomach made her want to wrap her legs around his hips and slide down on his shaft, but she fought that urge as he moved them into the bathroom.
“Nice to see we are in agreement about something for once.” He growled as he dropped her to her feet inside the shower cubicle and flipped on the spray. This time instead of the icy chill of the cold water hitting her in the face it was against her spine, and she gasped out her annoyance as a smile touched the corners of his lips.
“You…” She accused a second before the water turned warm and her body responded to the sensual feel of the powerful stream over her skin.
Wade put his hands on her hips and spun her around. The growl that left his lips, as his eyes took in the sight of what looked like red scars running diagonally across the otherwise smooth skin of her back, made him want to go back and tear that rogue limb from limb in a slow painful death.
“Down boy, it doesn’t hurt.” She offered knowing the over protectiveness of his beast that would have surfaced within him.
“It hurts me to see it.” He ran gentle fingertips down over the scars that were fading before his eyes, and he was more than thankful for Nathan’s blood that had healed her to heal so rapidly.
The feel of his fingertips made her close her eyes to his touch, savouring the feel of him, and his words, as she felt the silken feel of the gel on his fingers, and with gentle touches that soothed her temperament as they washed away the blood, she felt the fire of desire that replaced her annoyance.
When his fingers roamed over the swell of her backside and traced down the crack of her cheeks, she had to put a palm out against the wall in front of her to steady herself.
“Wade…” She breathed out, and felt his breath against her ear that was like a caress, as he shushed her.
“Let me take care of you.” Wade’s hands continued over every inch of her body, front and back, and by the time he had finished she was breathing hard with her need for him.
“My turn…” Wade was more than aroused. He ached with the need to be inside her and when she cupped his sack with one soaped hand and slid her fist down his shaft with the other it was his turn to palm the wall, reaching passed her body to stabilise his weakened legs, as she moved over him, torturously slowly.
His eyes were closed to the world. If he looked at her, he knew he wouldn’t be able to control the urge he had to be buried inside her.
Jasmine dropped to her knees in front of him and replaced the feel of her hand with her tongue as she ran up and over his shaft, looking up at him, she saw his eyes flash open, saw him bite down on his jaw in an effort to gain control, and out of the corner of her eye she saw one large hand start to reach for her, and took him fast and deeply into her mouth, pushing down his shaft as far as she could take his girth and swallowed down the bulbous tip into her throat as he growled down at her.
She pulled back up to the tip, not releasing him, but circling around the pronounced ridge with her tongue and felt his hand against her hair. When she took him back into her throat he growled loudly, his fingers fisting her hair, getting tighter against her with each stroke she made over him, until both his hands held her in place and his hips moved involuntary as he took his pleasure inside her mouth and throat.
Her hand cupped the weight of his sack and her fingers stroked the skin just behind it, towards his backside, as she watched the pleasure her mate was deriving from her.
The growl of warning the rumbled through his chest made her increase her efforts against him, and when every inch of his body tensed and he pushed deep inside her throat, she felt the power of his release down the back of her throat and gloried in it.
Wade’s palms hit the wall in front of him as his weakened legs quivered beneath him, and he savoured the aftermath of his orgasm. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could feel her against him, licking over his half mast, cleaning his seed from him, and he pushed off with one hand and reached for her.
Wade pulled her up his body and turned her back to the tiled wall. Cupping her face in his large hands, he gently growled down at her before he captured her mouth and demanded entry with his tongue, tasting himself and devouring her as he caged her against him.
“I have a need to taste you…” He growled against her neck before running his tongue up over the vein in her neck and nipping her lobe. The long shiver that ran through her body as his hands roamed over her skin made him want h
er more, want to cause her the kind of pleasure that she had just given him.
Wade scooped her up against him and wrapped her legs around his hips as he turned off the shower and carried her through into their bedroom. Climbing up onto the mattress he laid her down in the middle of the bed and unwrapped her legs from around him. Starting his own slow, torturous journey over every inch of her body.
Jasmine had already endured his hands over her body in the shower, she didn’t know how much more she could take until he was buried deep inside her, and when he made his way up her inner thighs, sucking the skin, nipping at it with blunt teeth, and then soothing her with his tongue she was already ready to explode.
“Wade…” She tried to scoot up the bed away from him, but his low growl was accompanied by the weight of an arm that he threw over her hips to keep her in place.
His broad shoulders kept her thighs open and he settled down between them, running his flat tongue from the puckered hole of her backside, up and over the heat of her core, to the little nub of flesh that housed the most erotic sensations he could bestow on her, and he did.
Slowly circling over the nub with enough pressure to excite her, but not enough to release her, he teased her body to the edge of reason before he slipped his fingers inside her core and stroked over the sweet spot that made her body jerk and her breath catch in her throat.
When he sucked the little nub into his mouth and ran his teeth back and forth around it she moaned her pleasure, and when he flicked his tongue under the tiny hood and found the nerves, she tried to push up with her heels away from him, but he wouldn’t allow her to escape. Bringing her to the edge and then stopping, over and over until her body and mind was almost frenzied with the need for release.
Jasmine fisted her hands in his hair and tried to keep him in place, but each time he pulled back, until she gave up trying and fisted the covers beside her instead. Her insides were practically tied into knots and her mind was screaming for completion, but she couldn’t make a sound, she was too lost in what he was doing.