The Mating (Black on Black, #1)

by BJ Cunningham

  Using the powers Zev had gifted him with, he tracked Zander and the triplets to The Abbey in the French Quarter. Jared made his way through the front door. The place was wall to wall people. The smell of human sweat, lust, and broken dreams hit him hard. Keeping his head down, he spotted the foursome at a table in the back of the bar, talking.

  Jared sat at the bar next to a large drunk guy, knowing the male would block their view of him, but he could still see them. He ordered a beer. As he waited, his phone went off. Pulling it from his pocket, he saw his mate’s picture on the screen. “Hello.”

  “Jared, where are you?” Serra asked, her worry evident in her voice.

  “I’m just having a drink,” Jared answered calmly.

  “Look. Please don’t do something stupid. I know you think you’re doing the right thing, playing lone cowboy, here. But you don’t have to do it alone, Baby.” Serra knew the cost of all of this. She wanted more than anything to help and keep her mate safe.

  “I’m fine,” Jared said, drinking his beer.

  “Where are you?” Serra asked.

  “A bar.”

  “Goddamn it Jared! What bar? Don’t play with me.” Before he had time to really think, she appeared in the doorway of the bar. Weaving through the crowd, she sat next to him. “Two can play that game.”

  Jared put his phone away. “Someone could have seen you.”

  Serra shrugged, not giving a fuck. “So why are we here?” She took his beer and took a long pull off it.

  Jared nodded in the direction of the table where the Ligers sat.

  Serra leaned back and saw them. Her anger exploded. She wanted nothing more than to see them all gutted on the ground for the pain they’d caused her mate and her family. She sat the beer down on the bar. “So what’s the plan?”

  Jared shrugged. “I hadn’t made one. I was going to slit their throats, but Zev wants Zander in one piece.”

  Serra growled. “Slitting their throats has my vote.”

  Jared took her hand. “Serra, I promised your father I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Please, go.”

  Serra sunk her nails into his hand. “No. I’m not leaving you to do this alone. Let that fantasy die, now.”

  Grimacing, Jared thought a moment before letting go of her hand. “Well we can do this two ways. One, I go over, grab Zander and ghost out, which will send the humans into a fucking panic. Or two, we figure out a way to get them out of here, then I grab him and ghost out.”

  Serra brushed the hair from her face and smiled at him. “Both seem a little boring.”

  “Now honey, there are humans and there are rules.”

  Serra grinned wider. “Yes. If we were in place that had rules. Look around at where we are. It’s not governed by anything but man.” A twinkle sparkled in her sapphire eyes as she spoke.

  She was right, though he didn’t want to make any more of a mess than need be. “I’ve been watching them off and on for days now. If you want to help me, you may have to be bait,” Jared said looking at his mate.

  She tilted her head and arched a brow. “Bait?”

  “Yes, go over there and use your charms to get Zander away from the others. Once he is, I’ll take him to Zev.”

  “Sounds easy, Baby.”

  Jared laughed “It rarely is, my love.”

  Serra kissed him. “I know, but a girl can hope. Can't she?” She slid off her seat and stood up, fixing her top and licking her lips. “So what, get him outside?” She asked.

  “Yes out back where it’s dark so I can ghost him away.”

  Serra nodded and headed for the table. She had this. Smirking to herself, she replayed everything she knew about Zander, twisting it and deciding how to use it. Resisting the urge to glance back at Jared, she fell back on what she’d been taught. This wasn’t the first time that she’d been sent in to get a problem to a place where it could be dealt with, but it was the first time without Pops or her uncles as back up. She wasn’t worried. She trusted Jared to have her back if shit went south.

  Leaning against the wall, Serra studied the table, watching how the triplets all waited until their alpha laughed before they dared to join in and the way they twitched when his eyes landed on them for too long. Her eyes swept over the males, smiling and inclining her head respectfully when Zander glanced her way before he turned to the male on his right but his gaze crawled back to her.

  Biting her lower lip, she pushed her hair back and eyed him like she was checking out a choice cut of meat. Serra matched his raised brow with one of her own and flashed a smile, nodding her head toward the dimly lit hall that led to the restrooms and beyond that the back lot. His crooked finger called her over. This was too fucking easy.

  Smirking, she pushed off the wall and sauntered to the table slowly, adding a little extra swing to the sway of her hips. Pushing in between two of the Tigers, Serra placed her hands on the table and leaned forward to give Zander a better view of what was stuffed into her top. “You wanted something?” She purred out softly, holding Zander’s golden eyes and ignoring the others.

  Zander leaned back in his chair, drinking from his glass that was heavy on the bourbon and light on the Coke from the smell of it, and said nothing. Staring at her, Serra knew he was waiting for her to lower her eyes and show submissive fist. Every fiber of her being wanted to stare the fucker down and then slaughter him where he sat, but Zander was a male used to getting his way. Fine, she could play. Letting his eyes go, she let her gaze take a lazy stroll down over his chest, to his crotch. He had nothing on her mate. Not even close. Raising an appreciative brow like she was awed by what she saw, she snapped her eyes back to his and licked her lips.

  “If I’m wrong. Honey, I can go.” Pulling her hands from the table, Serra shoved them into her back pockets, pushed out her chest a little and tapped the toe of her boot on the worn floor behind her. Shrugging, she flipped her hair back and spun on her heel to walk away.

  ‘Wait.’ The mindlink stopped her. She glanced back over her shoulder to see him push back his chair and stand. Gods, he was fucking tall. The triplets snickered like a group of teenaged boys. Pathetic. Smirking, she waited, turning toward him.

  “Yes?” Serra purred up at him when he finally made it to her. She tilted her head to the side, leaning forward and closing her eyes to sniff him. Purring, she sold the hell out of his scent making her hot, when it made her want to gag, and smiled wickedly when his eyes lit up. She stepped closer, closing the space between them until her chest grazed his and tilted her head back making sure that the smile on her face showed in her baby blues.

  He leaned down and growled into her ear, licking it. “How much?” His hand palmed her ass and she hissed at the claws that bit into her skin. “How much for me.” He bit her earlobe, his growl growing louder. “And my boys.” He pulled back to look down at her.

  What the hell was he talking about? Her mind raced and she was doing her best not to gut him right here. Then it hit her. Oh. He thought she was a pro and that shit was funny. But she could work that. Smiling and running her hands over his chest, Serra looked past him to study the other three like she was doing the math and flipped her eyes back to his. “You’re free Honey, but they can’t afford it.”

  He chuckled and yanked her against him. Zander turned and mindlinked the triplets. “Give us fifteen and then you can have her.” His hands on her hips turned her around, and copped a quick feel. “Lead the way, little panther.” He growled against her ear.

  Serra didn’t like the barks of laughter that came from his table, but she’d worry about that later. Turning her head to smile back at him, she ground her ass against his zipper and purred. “This way. I know a place.” She dropped her head to hide her eye roll, when his hand clamped onto the back of her jeans. “Don’t worry Honey, I’m not going to run.” He must not be buying it, because he didn’t let go. Shrugging, she covered the hand still on her hip, with hers and started walking, leading him toward the back door.

  Jared
watched his mate work her magic. After a few minutes, he looked back at the table, pretending to stretch and saw the triplets stand and follow Serra and Zander. Getting up, Jared slipped into the crowd of people that flowed out through the back door of The Abbey. As people poured into the side street, he heard one of the Tigers sensed him. “I smell him. I’m telling you he’s here.”

  He was tired of hiding from them. Stepping into the light, Jared whistled. “Hey dick bags. You looking for me?” They spun and snarled. He turned and headed back into the club with the Tigers right behind him. Once inside the bar, Jared pulled the fire alarm, making instant chaos of people yelling and running for the exit. Jared hoped the humans would trample the Tigers. No such luck.

  Outside, Zander followed the female to this spot she talked about and took hold of her wrist, making sure she didn’t get too far away.

  “Easy Baby.” Serra purred and winced when his hand clamped around her wrist, his claws biting into skin and bone. Turning, so that she was flush against his chest, Serra grabbed a handful of his shirt and walked backward, pulling him into the shadows. Flashing him a smile that promised that she was into this, she masked her scent, hiding the disgust she felt and replacing it with lust. She never doubted it would work, changing her scent was the first of her abilities she’d learned to use when just a cub and it used to drive Pops nuts.

  Her back butted against the rough brick when the fire alarm began to scream. Not part of her plan and neither was being pinned when she stupidly glanced toward the sound.

  Zander ignored the outpour of humans and licked his lips. First, he was going to fuck her and then he was going to kill her. It had been a long time since he’d had the taste of blood in his mouth and he needed it. His pride still stung after his run in with the Panther and his bullshit. He growled thinking about Jared and Jared’s parents. Looming over her, Zander pulled her arm over her head leaning his weight on her wrist, grinding it painfully into the brick and then his mouth was on hers, hard and brutal.

  Serra fought the need to vomit at the taste of cheap bourbon and hatred that coated her mouth. Growling when his hand mashed her breast and twisted painfully, she bit his lip, hard. “I said, easy.”

  Zander laughed in her face, dragging her arm up the wall until her feet barely scraped the broken pavement. “No,” he growled back, biting into her neck and setting her fight or flight instincts free with a burst of adrenaline that made him laugh against her skin. His knee wedged between hers, and he knew she was stuck. “Don’t fight.” He grabbed her jaw, his fingers biting into her skin and pushed her head back against the brick so hard that her teeth rattled. “You feel me?”

  Fuck that, her mind screamed even as the ‘you can’t kill him,’ chant played on a constant loop inside her head. She could feel the blood dripping down the side of her neck and that just pissed her off more. It took everything she had in her to go wide eyed and nod as much as his clenched hand on her face allowed.

  Where the fuck was Jared? She couldn’t put up with much more of this before she snapped or those memories that she refused to acknowledge surged up and turned her stupid. Serra mindlinked her mate, trying to sound calm, ‘Any time now, Baby, or I am going to skin this fucker where he stands.’

  In The Abbey, Jared was doing his best to wrestle the Tigers into submission. With a grunt, he hit the floor as yet another table came flying at him. He rolled out of the way and pushed himself to his feet as Jet and Rocky came at him.

  Hearing Serra’s link, he growled. ‘I’m sorry. I’m still dealing with Larry, Mo, and Curly.’ He linked back as Rocky leaped at him. Jared pulled his taser from his pocket and hit Rocky in the throat with it. The Tiger screamed in pain and started to shift uncontrollably.

  Jet roared in rage as his brother went down. “I’ll fucking kill you!” Jet shouted leaping at him. As he went for Jared’s throat, Jared hit him with the taser, too. Jet met the same fate as his brother. Looking around for the last tiger he spotted him, stalking Jared in form with claws and fangs bared.

  Jared’s body was screaming in pain from the glass and other debris he’d fallen on. Blood poured from his mouth, ears, sides, and hands. He spat, watching the last tiger stalk him. He fired the taser, making it spark. Stone growled and hissed at him. “Here Kitty, Kitty!” Jared said coldly.

  Jared glanced at the large lights hanging over the bar. He backed up slowly as Stone came forward and then broke into a run. Stone laughed in his head, thinking they were playing chicken.

  Jared launched himself into the air, taking hold of the light fixture above the tiger and dropping his weight on it. The light gave out, the ceiling cracked. As it broke, Jared let go and landed face first on the ground. The light hit Stone in the head, hard. Knocking the tiger to the worn floorboards as the wires snapped, they sparked zapping Stone. He roared in pain before being knocked out cold.

  The light’s wires swayed in the air from the ceiling. The sparking electricity hit some of the alcohol that had spilled during the fight. There was a whoosh sound before the booze and the bar started to go up in flames. Jared ghosted outside to time to see Zander getting rough with his mate.

  Serra held her temper in check, ignoring the pain of her wrist dislocating and managed not to puke as Zander’s hands roughly fondled her, pulling at her clothes. Serra refastened them with her magic every time he managed to get her jeans or her top open and ghosted them back on when he took them away. Honestly, it was exhausting. Growling loudly, he finally dropped her wrist and choked her, hitting her face with the back of his hand and ringing her bell. That’s it. Time to kill the son of a bitch.

  Her growl couldn’t make it past the hold he had on her throat. She reached for Zander to dole out a little punishment of her own. He wasn’t there, and she was falling.

  Jared grabbed Zander by the back of the neck and pulled him off Serra. He bounced the Liger’s face into the wall hard. Bones cracked, and the smell of blood filled the air. Zander pushed off the wall and spun on Jared, giving him a right to the jaw. Zander roared and lunged at him, Serra forgotten.

  Landing in a crouch, her hand went to her neck as she gasped for air. Coughing and pushing her way to her feet, she watched Jared hit the ground and roll with the Liger. Fuck. She leaned against the wall, growling at the blood on her hand when she pulled it away from her neck.

  “You dirty son of a bitch.” Zander cursed as he hit Jared full force. Both males hit the ground hard.

  Jared pulled his legs up and kicked Zander off him. “Serra go. The police will be here soon,” Jared yelled as Zander put two and two together.

  “Fuck that,” she muttered when Jared told her to go. Like there was any way in hell she was leaving until she knew Jared had this. Not that she doubted her mate, but she needed to see it with her own two eyes. She smelled the smoke, and the sirens in the distance were getting closer. Shit.

  “You cunt! I’ll snap your neck,” Zander snarled at Serra. “Don’t go too far, bitch.” Zander got to his feet and shot a fireball at Serra hitting her in the legs. Her clothes started to go up in flames.

  Jared wanted to go to her and put her out, but he knew that he couldn’t take it eyes off Zander. Growling he ran at Zander making sure both his hands touched Zander’s flesh. Using his powers of biokenesis, he began to stop the blood flowing through Zander’s body. Zander screamed in pain.

  Snorting at the threats hurled by Zander, Serra ghosted away her flaming jeans, exchanging them for new. Lame fucking attempt.

  Jared snarled and drove the Liger into the ground. The Slayer was much older than him, but Jared didn’t care. He was fueled by rage and Zev’s magic watch. His powers were ten times stronger than normal and so was his hatred. This mother fucker had manhandled his mate and hurt her. He could smell Serra’s blood in the air mixed with Zander’s, and his. He wanted him to pay. He wanted him to die for all the pain he’d caused his family.

  As Zander’s heart stopped pumping, Jared started smashing his head against the ground in blood-
fueled rage. The sound of the police and ambulances brought him out of his rage clouded mindset. He told Serra one last time to leave before ghosting out with Zander in hand.

  Nodding, because talking wasn’t happening right now, Serra watched him disappear with Zander and ghosted herself home.

  He appeared in the basement of The Pit, throwing the almost dead Liger into a cell slamming the door closed. Saying nothing to Brock, who looked up from his book, Jared ghosted out before he killed Zander after all.

  Brock arched a brow and pulled his phone from his pocket to shoot Salvation a text that they had a prisoner and no, he didn't know why. Eyeing the crumpled Liger that twitched on the floor with little interest, be went back to the novel in his hands. His shift was almost over, and everything seemed under control, so he wasn't going to get worked up over it.

  Still coughing Serra headed for the bathroom. She needed to shower now, to get the feel and stench of the Liger off her skin. Stepping into the stall, she turned on the hot water and turned her face into the spray. Smirking when she heard the shower door open and felt her mate behind her, Serra turned and dropped her head against his chest, pulling shards of glass from his skin. Rolling up on her toes, she kissed him and purred. It was over. Every cut and bruise were worth it. Zander was out of their lives for good.

  Daniel dropped the beat up black backpack on the bench beside the front door and looked at the place that Serra had asked them to keep their shoes, sneered and ignored it. He needed to talk to his father. This shit with Zander had been eating at him since Jared told them. Daniel couldn’t sit back and wait for his Dad to take care of it. Not by himself. Not this time.

  He poked his head into the living room. Serra was dropping toys into the bins near the playpen. He tried to back out before she wanted to be chatty or some shit that Daniel had no interest in. Her head turned, and he groaned. He wasn’t fast enough.

  “Hey.” Serra gave a small smile, wincing at the tightness of her face where Zander had backhanded her.

  “You seen Dad?” His jaw tensed at the bruises on her face. He wasn’t going to ask because it wasn’t his problem. That didn’t mean that he liked seeing it on her, though.