Jade

by Valerie Ullmer

  Jade barely touched Noah’s shoulder to wake him and he immediately sat up, aware and scanning his surroundings. Jade explained everything and Noah stood, packing without question.

  “We should find a cave or another type of cover, so if we need to hunker down or escape, we have some place that isn’t easily accessible and we can hear anyone approaching for several miles,” Noah suggested.

  Jade agreed and within minutes, their campsite looked as though no one had been there and they hiked west, heading away from their ultimate destination.

  They lucked upon a hidden cave, several feet from the ground but surrounded by trees and scrubs. They set up the tent and unpacked the non-essentials, before donning their lighter packs and heading in the direction of the shifters’ scent.

  Despite the occasional wind gust letting Jade know she was on the right track, the weather held. By mid-afternoon, the scent brought them to a series of wooden barns and smaller, one-room cabins, but no house on the property. The way it was set up, it had been obvious that it was an abandoned ranch.

  “I remember arriving on a long dirt road, but we arrived in the dead of night and they hadn’t turned out their headlights. This place has no outside lighting.”

  Jade nodded. “I smell a variety of scents, but there are too many to nail down a hard count.” She pulled out her GPS receiver and shot a quick text to Ghost with the longitude and latitude of the place.

  “I don’t see movement, but there’s no dissipation of the scents. It’s like they are near…”

  Noah’s eyes lightened in realization. “Underground.”

  Jade sent that information off to Ghost, wondering if he could get a scan with heat signatures of the property.

  Noah stilled next to her and she scanned her surroundings, wondering what he picked up on.

  “I have a bad feeling. The kinda feeling I got before a mission went south and people died.”

  Jade glanced down and caught the message Ghost sent.

  Intel received. Come home.

  “Let’s hike back, spend one more night and head back to the car in the morning. We’ll have plenty of time to avoid the storm.”

  Noah nodded but moved his MP5 against his chest, joining two holstered HK Mark 23 .45 caliber handguns. They trekked back toward the cave. The only sound was their breathing and the crunch of snow under their boots.

  Jade sensed company and tapped Noah twice on the shoulder, their signal trouble was near. She pointed to the cluster of small pines, perfect for camouflage. Noah raised his eyebrow and she nodded toward the tall pine and pointed up. Noah nodded once and set off toward the trees as Jade leapt up onto the highest branch that would hold her weight, about fifteen feet in the air.

  She wanted to glance around and see if Noah was safe, but she refused to look anywhere but the clearing where she knew the shifters would be coming through. Their two pursuers burst through the copse of trees and into the clearing and without hesitation, Noah shot one of them in the forehead, causing his brains to explode out from the back of his skull as the bullet expanded on exit.

  Jade dropped onto the second shifter. She scurried from his back to his chest and pulled out the 9 mm that had bullets filled with Kai’s venom. She pressed the gun to the shifter’s chest and put two slugs into his heart. There was a gasp that sounded almost like a screech of pain and she vaulted from his chest and she landed on the ground.

  With widened eyes, she noticed the shifter’s veins darkened as the venom spread from his chest, up his neck, and turned his eyes black. His fists were clutched against his side, and when she happened a glance down, inky splotches darkened his skin as all his blood turned black. He fell back where he lay, dead.

  It took her a few minutes, and then, for good measure, she extended her claws and with a clean swipe, removed his head from his body. She watched in horror as his blood, now thick, oozed from his body and splatted onto the snow.

  That was fucking disgusting.

  Shaking out of her surprised stupor, she walked over to the shifter Noah shot and removed his head the same way.

  “We should get back before they realize these two are missing and find us here.”

  “Huh. Is that because of the vampire venom?”

  “Yeah. Ghost will be excited that it’s effective, but I’ll be sure to show him exactly what it does.”

  They picked up their packs and Jade found one of the perfume bottles she packed and broke the glass against the tree to hide more of their scent. The perfume would overwhelm their senses and hopefully throw them off track.

  As they started their hike, Noah cleared his throat. “Why did you remove their heads?”

  Jade glanced at him. “Didn’t Reaper tell you that immortals can regenerate?”

  “No, I don’t think so. He and the others told me I have to sever the brain stem when I shoot them, but I don’t remember anything about regeneration. Seriously?”

  “Remind me to punch Reaper for not telling you. Anyway, we can regenerate from gunshots and other wounds, but once our heads are detached, an immortal can no longer heal themselves.”

  “How much damage can you take before regeneration fails?”

  “Well, Reaper had been shot in the heart seven times with hollow point bullets and it killed him. Ara brought him back from the dead. Anything that doesn’t shred heart tissue isn’t fatal. You can shoot them in the head, even severing their brain stem, but they could regenerate. Most wounds will heal in a couple of hours, but more severe wounds, most immortals lose consciousness and will heal as they sleep. If it’s severe enough, get a hold of Ghost and have him send Ara.”

  Noah grew quiet as they ate up the miles, the adrenaline still rushing through their veins from the takedown. She couldn’t call it a fight. And Jade knew they were getting close.

  “Do you feel guilty for killing the immortals?” Noah’s question was quiet, but carried to her.

  “No. We’re just like humans. Some want peaceful lives without conflict, and others seek power and control over others. Most likely, they were greedy and vicious as humans, and when they were turned, every bad trait multiplied until they thought nothing of killing, human or immortal. I have no problem killing, if it’s for the greater good.”

  Noah chuckled. “You know, you’re sexy as hell when you go badass.”

  A burst of laughter escaped her throat. “Are you flirting with me, Mr. Hale?”

  He nodded. “But I’m also trying to distract you from the fight. You still seem keyed up.”

  She clenched her fists against her sides. “I felt such a rush of disgust when the bear shifter caught sight of you, and I think I let the rage take over for a moment. I’m trying to rein it back in. I don’t want to run into anyone else. I’m feeling very protective of you right now.”

  Her breath caught in her throat when Noah wrapped his arm around her lower back and placed his hand on her hip. Jade watched with wide eyes as Noah came closer and her breath caught in her throat. He stopped several inches from her lips, but his blue eyes sparked with desire and she almost moaned aloud when she thought about what his lips felt like pressed against hers.

  Jade’s gaze dropped to Noah’s lips and she felt his other arm slip around her back and he opened his large hands on her back. She forced her eyes up and met his gaze and sucked in a breath at the desire that shone through. Desire for her.

  “Can I kiss you?”

  “Yes,” she breathed.

  Jade felt the same skitter of electricity in her veins, but this time, her blood turned to molten lava when his tongue traced her lips, getting her to open for him, before he delved inside, tasting her and moaning, asking her to taste him back.

  She lost herself in the sensations, not holding back and moaning into Noah’s mouth as his hands opened over her back and rubbed his thumbs along her spine, sending shivers throughout her untried body.

  Without breaking the kiss, she stepped forward and clutched at Noah’s hips, bringing him closer while being careful o
f her strength. The last thing she wanted was to hurt him because she lost control. Being this close to him, feeling his warmth and savoring his scent, had her moaning into his mouth.

  She wanted more, but she had no idea if he wanted the same.

  As soon as the thought formed, Noah stepped closer and brushed his erection against her stomach and moaned as he branded her. Her knees shook as desire pooled in her belly and she couldn’t help but cling to Noah.

  He broke the kiss but they couldn’t stop touching. She knew that he truly wanted her and she wanted to be free to show him how much through touch.

  While breathing hard, she reached forward and brushed her fingers across his lips, memorizing the feel of them. With her fingers still tracing them, Noah spoke.

  “I want you, Jade. I want to explore every inch of you, drawing out sensations you’ve never experienced before and searing every sensation and sound into my mind.”

  Jade could feel her body shaking in anticipation at his words and she couldn’t stay away and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips against his. After another scorching kiss that left her panting, she lifted herself onto her toes, bringing her lips close to his ear.

  “I want to touch you, too. To make you feel as good as you already make me feel.”

  Fire banked in Noah’s eyes and she reached for his hand, turning them both toward the cave.

  “Well, what are we waiting for?”

  Noah laughed, and they both rushed up to the cave, her heart beating hard in her chest. There was nothing she wanted more than Noah.

  Chapter Six

  Noah

  Noah almost laughed at Jade’s enthusiasm for them to get back into the cave, until he remembered that she had no experience with men and her innocent reaction was based on her trust of him. After knowing each other for almost a week, it was heady to realize that Jade truly did trust him. She’d never even shared something as innocent as a kiss with another man. Although beautiful, she had no real understanding how truly stunning she was, but he had to make her understand that he didn’t want her because of her beauty. No, he wanted everything that encompassed Jade.

  “I didn’t mean to pressure you into this. I wanted to tell you how I felt, and if we’re moving faster than you wanted, please, just let me know.”

  Jade shook her head. “I’ve been drawn to you before I’d laid eyes on you. I scented you when I walked into Ghost’s building, and because I didn’t understand what my body was trying to tell me, I had no idea what it meant at the time. But I do now and when you touch me and kiss me, it feels indescribable and I want to feel that again. I know you’re not pressuring me into anything, because I want you.”

  “And I want you. We’ll live in the moment.”

  “Yep, and I don’t want to overthink this because I’ll start analyzing everything. And I want to enjoy everything we do.”

  Knowing they were on the same page, they quickly ate up the miles back to the cave. When they reached the entrance, Jade turned around and scanned the area. He kept quiet, knowing that she would use all her senses to see if they’d been followed. When the wind shifted, he watched Jade’s face and noted that it remained passive as she took one large inhale. He had been watching her expression since they’d met and he would have known if she detected anything off.

  “All clear?”

  “Clear.”

  He shrugged off his parka and gloves, and the thermal fleece jacket underneath, leaving him in a thermal Henley. With quick movements, he set up and switched on the two portable heaters and the three LED lanterns Jade had brought, giving a soft glow to their space.

  As he finished setting up the last of the lanterns, he startled when he heard a deep rumbling, as if they were having an earthquake, but there was no movement under his feet. Noah turned around and watched as Jade easily dragged a boulder and partially blocked the entrance to the cave and kept their scents from drifting outside. He could still see the orange glow of the setting sun through the space between the boulder and the cave.

  Noah hadn’t realized he’d moved, so when Jade turned back inside the cave, she was pressed against him, her warmth bringing a smile to his face.

  He released her long hair from its hold and ran his fingers through the soft locks. Unable to stay away a moment longer, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips, savoring her taste as he gently explored. There was no rush in getting to know each other intimately. Rather, they wanted—at least Noah wanted—to map her body and find where she loved to be touched.

  When they broke the kiss, he lifted her easily in his arms and while she was pressed to his chest, he buried his face against her neck, breathing her in.

  “The more time we spend together, your scent seems to change.”

  Jade leaned back slowly and met his gaze.

  “When we met, I could detect a hint of peaches along with vanilla, but your scent becomes…well, it’s going to sound ridiculous, more earthy. I sometimes still smell the vanilla, but mixed in is lavender and pine.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe we’re more in tune to each other and my scent is changing based on you, adapting to more familiar scents. I remember Kai telling me Liv’s scent never changed, but I don’t really know about the others. And to me, you smell like the earth dampened after a heavy rain.”

  Noah, unable to stay away, captured her lips in another kiss. He had been holding her against his body and loved when she wrapped her legs around his hips, pressing them closer. Like the actions that came before, Noah felt as though everything elemental in him knew by this movement alone that they were made for each other.

  Jade panted as she pulled back. The beautiful green haloed her blown pupils. “I’ve never craved a touch as much as I want yours, right now, but before we make love, can I explore you?”

  Noah swallowed and absorbed a shiver that ran through him as she waited in anticipation of his answer. “I would love for you to touch me.”

  He loved it when Jade took charge, and after his answer, she captured his lips in a searing kiss that had his cock throbbing against the zipper of his jeans. Noah felt the loss when Jade hopped down out of his hold.

  They held each other’s gazes for a long moment before her fingers skimmed along the bottom hem of his shirt, and when she touched his already scorching skin with her soft, cool fingers, he sucked in a breath and bit his bottom lip to prevent the moan from escaping. It was a simple touch but it set his body on fire.

  As her hands slid torturously slow up his clenched abs, Jade surprised him by standing on her tiptoes and nuzzling into his neck. When he sucked in a breath, she moved her hands around his sides and onto his back, all while nibbling on his skin underneath his ear and lower, to where his shoulder met his neck. This move sent heat and a pounding pulse straight to his cock.

  “Fuck!” Noah shouted when Jade scratched her nails down his back, causing his entire body to shudder. He took a deep breath to prevent himself from throwing Jade onto their makeshift bed and ravishing her body.

  With quick movements, she pushed his shirt up and off, groaning as she saw his naked chest for the first time. In the military, you had to be in shape. It was a matter of life and death. And in the months since his discharge, he’d been diligent with his exercise routine. Never in his life had he been as grateful for it as when Jade raked her eyes over his exposed skin and exhaled a half moan, half plea.

  “Anything—whatever you want to do, just touch me.” His voice came out gruffer than he wanted, but he saw the flare in Jade’s eyes and knew she understood his desperation.

  Jade started by kissing down his chest, taking her time as if her lips were exploring every curve and indent, while causing the most delicious ache to run throughout his entire body. Her lips explored his pecs, her tongue drawing across his nipples, before she traveled lower. She kissed his belly but he was distracted by her hands moving all over his exposed skin, but when she dropped to her knees, he sucked in a deep breath and prayed he wouldn’t emb
arrass himself.

  Her fingers deftly opened the top button of his pants and he groaned when her fingers brushed his hips and she pulled the waistband down a couple of inches. That groan turned into a deep moan when she pressed her mouth against his skin. He hadn’t been aware, until that moment, his hips were an erogenous zone.

  When she pressed her mouth a couple of inches above his straining cock, he moaned her name, not recognizing the deep reverberation that escaped his throat. She surged to her feet and cupped his neck, bringing their mouths closer. He leaned down to meet her swollen, soft lips against his.

  His cock throbbed as she slid her tongue against his. The kiss deepened and he wanted to press his body to hers to relieve some of the throbbing pleasure he received whenever she touched him, but she was in control and he didn’t want to take that away from her.

  They broke the kiss, both taking deep breaths, and he watched as Jade bit her lower lip and glanced up, meeting his gaze.

  “Could you lay down?”

  He nodded and started to move, but she gently stopped him with her hand on his forearm.

  “Could I undress you first and then explore?”

  Unable to find his voice, he nodded and faced her again. She made quick work of his pants, but when she slid them off, he found himself still clothed in his boxer briefs. With slow movements, she lifted his arm and traced the veins on his forearm before dropping his arm at his side and, using just her fingertips, traced the cut from his abs down to the waistband of the only remaining item of clothing he had on.

  Her touch elicited a shiver of anticipation of what was to come.

  “You are the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

  Before he could respond, her thumbs hooked the waistband of his underwear and slowly lowered them over his hips and down his legs. The pounding pulse of need almost had him reaching for her, but he clenched his hands at his side, knowing this was her time to explore and he could get through it.

  Hopefully.