The Mating (Black on Black, #1)

by BJ Cunningham

  The hum of crickets buzzed louder as she thought. “Already two like hearts are beginning to beat as one and from them will come the first of the bonding man with the Buffalo. Their children will be able to shift and use their magic easier than the humans. They will be twins. One will be Garou and able to turn into the spirit animal of their human father at will. The other will be Sainday, and like his father will only fully be able to harness his magic with the phases of the moon. Nurture them, Tatanka, but protect your heart, for one day they may revert to their human roots and endanger us all. Then it will be your duty, and that of the other Ghuardians, to restore order. Are you sure that you are ready for the responsibility?”

  Tatanka lowered his head and closed his eyes, already feeling the weight of the task he carried on his shoulders. “Yes, Mother. What if they want to return to the world of man?”

  “You must let them go and find their path, but the humans must never know that the Garou and Saiday walk among them. I wish you luck Tatanka and never doubt that you will make me proud.”

  The wind dropped out, and Gaia fell silent, leaving the Buffalo alone with his thoughts.

  CHAPTER 1

  Laying in his cell, with his arm over his face, Jared’s hazel eyes were closed as he tried not to pull at the choker, collar, whatever you wanted to call it, around his neck. He’d always thought that these damned things were just a story to keep kids in line until he found one around himself wearing one. His sensitive nose told him that it was old buffalo hide, and the silver was rumored to have been panned from a rare vein of the precious metal in the sacred Black Hills. Jared had no idea if that was true or not, but he did know that he couldn’t remove it and that it chafed like a son of a bitch. Hell, he still wasn’t sure why he was wearing it, and it wasn’t like anyone was going to tell him.

  Growling his annoyance, he tried not to think about it. Instead, his mind turned to Daniel. He'd been so small when Jared had come here. How much had he grown? Did he even remember his old man? Gods knew Heather wouldn't bring the boy to see him. His hand balled into a fist, and his jaw ticked. She didn't visit either, and that was for the best. If he ever got his hands on the bitch, he would be a murderer. His mind drifted, replaying that fucking night that had ruined his life.

  Tossing one of Daniel’s stuffed animals into the toy basket, Jared’s head turned at a strange noise outside. Going to the window, he separated the slats of the blinds and peered through the glass. His brows shot up. Police. Here and coming up the walk. He groaned, letting the blinds snap back together and rubbed his stubble covered jaw. What the hell had Heather done now?

  Daniel padded into the living room, trying to shake off a piece of tape stuck to his paw. Looking down at his son, he felt the ghost of a smile drift across his face. Kneeling beside him, Jared carefully removed the tape, taking care not to pull the cub’s fur. ‘Gods, you deserve better,’ he thought to himself as he stroked his son’s coat. “I need you to play in your room for a little bit while Dad deals with grown-up stuff.” He met his son’s defiant hazel eyes and almost laughed. Sometimes it was like looking into a mirror. He would have laughed if he could shake this feeling of dread that hung over him. Sighing, he ghosted the cub to his room. ‘Please stay there, Bud,’ he said, mindlinking him.

  Pushing his hands through his hair, he looked at the door, hearing the scrape of hard soled shoes on the stoop. “Fuck.” He muttered and stood to open the door before the cops could knock. “Can I help you?” He asked, arching a brow and eyeing the two tall, well-built males.

  “Yes.” The brunette took off his hat and tucked it under his arm as he consulted the paper in his hand. “We’re looking for a... Heather Madison?”

  Jared groaned inside his head and stepped back to let them in, praying that Heather hadn’t left anything laying out that would draw the attention of the uniformed officers. His eyes looked around the room, searching as they walked past him and into the living room. His nose twitched. They both smelled human.

  Closing the door behind them, he leaned against a chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Thank fuck she wasn’t here to make whatever this was worse. “She isn’t home at the moment. I haven’t seen her in a few days. Business trip to Seattle.”

  “And you are, Sir?”

  Jared sighed. “Jared Morgan. Her husband.”

  The blonde officer looked at him coolly and wrote in the small notepad that he pulled from his jacket pocket. “She hasn’t called you?”

  Jared shook his head no. “She checks in when she lands and when she’s on the way home.”

  Pulling out a card, the officer writing things down, handed it to him. “If you hear anything from her... Anything. Please call us, Sir.”

  Jared looked down at the card, sliding the pad of a finger over the raised lettering before slipping it into his back pocket. "What did she do?"

  “We can't say anything at this time. All we can tell you is that she has a warrant out for her arrest.”

  A few minutes later they were gone. Jared leaned on the arm of the couch and scrubbed his face with his hands. His mind raced. What the hell had Heather done this time? Daniel started to cry. Looking up at the ceiling, Jared shook his head. What the fuck was he going to do? It didn’t matter. His son needed him. Trying to shake it off, he exhaled slowly and went to check on his cub.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, he cleared the landing and opened the door to find Daniel waiting for him, crying loudly. Jared leaned down and scooped the cub up, stroking his fur and purring soothingly. “What’s the matter, Bud? Don’t you worry. It’s all gonna be okay.” He smiled softly at the rough rasp of the cub’s tongue against his cheek as the boy calmed down. Pulling his phone from his pocket, Jared tried Heather’s number and again got nothing but a message saying that her voice mailbox was full, followed by a dial tone. Mindlink also seemed to be out of order. Swallowing his growl, not wanting to upset the cub again, Jared scrubbed his face with his hand.

  Through the window, he watched the black and white pull away, and Brian’s beat up red Chevy roll into the drive. At least he could always count on his brother when everything else went to shit. They’d been through a lot together over the years and saved each other’s lives more than once. It was hard to remember the gangly and introverted cub that Brian had been when he’d arrived in NOLA after his clan threw him out. Jared still didn’t know what had happened. Brian never spoke of it, and Jared never asked.

  “Let’s go see Uncle Brian.” Jared ruffled the fur on the cub’s head, hearing the front door open downstairs.

  “So what’s wrong?” Brian asked and dropped into one of the chairs as soon as Jared entered the living room.

  “It’s Heather. I can’t reach her, and the cops were here looking for her.” Jared lowered the squirming and mewing cub to the floor and ran his hands through his hair as he sat down on the couch.

  Brian’s brow quirked up as he scooped up the little panther and stroked his fur. “What do you mean, you can’t get a hold of her?”

  Jared shrugged. “I’m starting to get worried. Maybe I should get a hold of Ozzy or Sal.”

  Brian shook his head. “No man, don’t call in the big guns yet. Let me see if I can find her.”

  Jared stared at his brother for a moment. “Okay, fine. If she isn't home tomorrow night, you can try. Thanks for watching Daniel while I work.”

  Brian nodded and grinned. “No problem. You’ve got food in the house, and I have nothing in mind tonight.”

  Jared laughed and got up to get ready. Thirty minutes later he was at his post, working security for a boxing match. It was a lot of nothing doing for an hour or so. Just the average humans, drunken betting and thick cigarette and cigar smoke that stung his eyes and made his nose twitch. Standing at his post by the door, he noticed that one group was getting louder and more disruptive than the others. He turned his head to see them getting into it with another table, not far away. His eyes locked on them, not because of the drama they were cau
sing, but because Heather was in the middle of it. How had he not smelled or sensed her?

  Walking over to Blade, the other garou working the door, he watched his mate. She seemed to be having the time of her life. "I'll be back. Taking a break." He took Blade's nod and arched questioning brow when his eyes followed Jared's, as good enough. "I won't be long." Slapping the male on the shoulder, Jared forced himself to smile and then went to investigate what the hell was going on.

  “Heather?” He asked softly, standing a few yards behind her, his nose curling up at the wall of perfume that stopped him cold and made him gag. No wonder he hadn’t been able to pick out her scent in the crowd.

  She turned, her blue eyes widening with surprise and malice before she ignored him.

  “What are you doing here? Why haven’t you returned my calls? Daniel and I’ve been worried about you.” He murmured, stepping closer to her.

  Heather pretended not to know him. “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else,” she said shaking her blond head, dismissing him and turning back to the men at the table.

  “Damn it, Heather! What’s going on?”

  One of the men stood up. He was six foot two, and though Jared was taller, this gentleman was wider. “Leave the lady alone, Junior.”

  Jared growled. “She’s my wife.” He reached for Heather, who cringed away from him and the man slapped his hand away.

  “I see no ring on her finger, Buddy. She doesn't seem to know you.”

  Jared glowered at the man, his jaw ticking. The idiot was human and snapping his arm off would be easy. He moved closer and got in the man’s face. “She’s my wife.” He took out his wallet and flashed a photo of them. “We have a baby that she should be home with, not out here doing whatever it is she’s doing.”

  The man shoved Jared back.

  “Why are you here?” Heather’s voice was annoyed and cold.

  “I’m working, so I can pay our bills. Remember those?” He growled, his eyes still locked on the human that needed to learn to mind his own damned business. “Baby, it’s time to go.”

  She started ranting that Jared had beaten and raped her. His jaw dropped open with shock. He’d always known that his mate was fucking nuts, but this? This was a new low, even for her. Before he could say a word, the men at the table pushed back their chairs and jumped on him.

  Jared heard her screaming for them to stop as fists rained down on him. He didn’t have time to deal with the screaming banshee his wife had become as he grabbed arms and shook off bodies, between returning blows. Had the crazy bitch finally remembered that her life and her mate's were tied together? If he died, then so did she. Jared fought to keep Daniel from being an orphan. Heather begged them to stop to save herself, and the men weren’t listening.

  Something sprayed into his eyes. Growling, he swiped the back of his arm over his face, and when he opened his eyes, there was a pile of bodies lying at his feet. All of their throats gaped open, slit from ear to ear, and Heather stood there wiping the blood from her nails on a cocktail napkin like she was wiping her hands at the dinner table.

  Covered in blood Jared stared at his wife, shocked. “What have you done? They're human! You’ve killed us both!” He growled as chaos broke out. Taking her hand, he vanished them from sight and back to their home. Jared’s mind raced at the mess she'd made for them. For their son. How the fuck were they going to pull their asses out of this?

  “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t been all male about this shit, we’d be fine.” Her voice was as cold as her glare. She turned on him, a pissed-off sneer turning her beautiful face ugly as they appeared in their fenced in back yard.

  “Fine? The cops came here today. So tell me how we’ll be okay. What the hell is going on?” Jared glared, truly hating her and the universe for tying her to him as he dragged her through the back door and into the downstairs bathroom. “Shower. Now! When you’re done, we'll talk about this.”

  Heather stripped and left the blood stain clothes on the floor in a pile, her cold sky blue eyes shooting daggers the entire time. Jared took the pile back outside, set fire to it on the barbecue grill and vanished the ashes to the ocean. Pacing, keeping his ranting to himself so that Brian and Daniel wouldn’t come looking for them, he waited for her to get out of the shower. There was a knock on the door. Jared’s head shot up from his hands, and his heart jackhammered in his chest.

  Brian was just about to check to see what the commotion in the kitchen was when he heard the door. Opening it, he saw two officers. “May I help you?” Raising a questioning brow at Jared when he strode into the room, his hand tightened on the knob, ready to close it quick.

  As he appeared, Jared recognized them as the same two that had been there earlier and realized too late that he’d taken care of Heather’s clothes, but he was still covered in blood. They pushed past Brian and pulled their guns.

  “Mr. Morgan, you’re under arrest for four homicides. Place your hands in behind your head and get down on the ground.”

  Closing his hazel eyes in defeat, Jared opened them to look at his son. He didn’t fight when he was grabbed by the back of the neck, forced to his knees and then face down into the carpet. Turning his head to the side, he watched his cub get scooped up into his uncle’s arms. ‘I love you, Bud. Never forget that. No matter what happens,’ he mindlinked the boy.

  It wasn't until that moment, laying there and eating low pile carpet in his blood splattered clothes, that Jared knew that Heather had set him up. She’d rolled the dice, betting that he’d care more about their son than himself, and she’d won. That evil bitch needed to die. So fucking what if his heart stopped beating when hers did? It was worth the sacrifice. Not that he had much of a life to give up. Not now.

  “On your feet, Boy!” A voice boomed.

  The door of the cell flew open, banging loudly. Jared’s body jumped as the stench of hyena mixed with the usual piss and blood scent of the prison filled his cell.

  Jared lifted his arm to look at the guards, his eyes leaving them to rest on the photo of Daniel, tucked into the springs of the bunk above him and reminding him that he needed to live for his cub. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up. He didn’t know their names and simply thought of them as Pinky and Brain. One was always coming up with twisted shit to do, and the other wasn’t very bright but always joined in.

  “We’re going to remove the collar. You try to shift, and you’ll be sorry.” Brain stepped closer, his chest butted against Jared’s and growled out his words menacingly while Pinky stepped behind him and did whatever they did to remove the damned thing. The collar tightened until Jared couldn’t breathe and then raked across his throat, taking the top layer of skin with it.

  Jared remained stone-faced as his magic returned, filling him with a rush that made his skin tingle and his panther stir, wanting to kill the hyena pieces of shit. He refused to cough or rub at the inflamed skin.

  “You haven’t showered yet, so that’s what you’re gonna do, before chow.”

  Eyeballing the guard, Jared didn’t move. He would rather eat glass then go into the shower with the others.

  “Did you hear me, Boy?” Brain barked, getting into Jared’s face until their noses almost touched, his green eyes flashing and his freckled skin turning blotchy.

  “Yes, Boss,” Jared said evenly. Uncollared, he could kill them both without breaking a sweat, but the blowback he’d face wasn’t worth it. “I’ll get a shower.”

  “No bullshit, like last time.” Brain warned.

  Jared’s jaw ticked, but he kept his mouth shut. Oh sure, because the last time was his fault, trying to keep his ass from being ripped open like a Hefty bag by three jackals. Jared believed they were jackals. They sure as hell stunk like them. “Yes, Boss,” Jared replied, unclenching his jaw and leaving the cell with a shove between the shoulder blades from Pinky.

  He caught the towel that Brain threw against his chest and took the long walk past the rows of empty cells, exp
ecting one of Miko’s gang to jump him at any second. His muscles coiled tightly. He entered the shower room. Cheap, chipped, institutional green tile lined the floor and walls with tarnished chrome shower heads placed at uneven intervals, too high for anyone to reach.

  Jared stripped off his shirt and turned on the water. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Pinky and Brain had made themselves scarce. Not a good omen. Leaving his boxers on, Jared stepped under the spray, keeping his back to the wall. He washed as fast as he could. Wiping the water from his face and sliding his hands up and over his hair, he watched the door wearily. Finished, he turned to leave. He wasn’t fast enough.

  Two large inmates in prison orange blocked Jared's path. “Where you headed, Fish? Don’t you know washing is good for you?” Bull smiled, the turning up of his lips creasing the teardrop tattoo at the outer corner of his left eye.

  “Yes and I’m done.” Jared’s voice was cold.

  “Oh, I don’t think you are. You and I both know how smelly fish are.” Bull snickered at Kato, who arched a jet black brow over cold blue eyes. They looked at each other and stepped further into the room, their shoes echoing against the tile as water dripped from him. Jared backed up. There was no way out.

  “Look. I said I’m clean.” Jared held up his hands.

  “I think we’ll find out for ourselves.” They grinned and jumped at him.

  Jared spun out of the way, trying not to slam himself into the wall. “How about no?” Jared made for the door again.

  Kato grabbed Jared’s towel and yanked hard.

  Jared faltered, his foot slipping on the wet tile. Before he could make another break for it, more guys filled the doorway. “Fuck my life.”

  They circled him. Jared tried to fight them off in human form, but there were too many. Without thinking, he shifted into his panther form and clawed and bit his way through them. Blood coated his fur and muzzle, dripping on the green tile. His sides heaved as he jumped out of the pile of humans. Jared ran down the hall and into the common area. Food trays clattered to the floor. Men screamed like school girls, and the inmates erupted in a panic at seeing a huge black panther in their midst. All Jared wanted was to get back to his cell and have this nightmare end.