by Tamsin Baker
Her Protectors
Peacekeepers
Book 2
by Tamsin Baker
© Copyright 2016 Tamsin Baker.
All cover art and logo © Copyright Tamsin Baker
All rights reserved.
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Dedication
To Hazel Gower- thank you for the opportunity to write the second book in your series. It had been a blast to live and write in your world. Thank you
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to the talented Jess Buffett for the awesome cover and beautiful Serena for editing out all of my mistakes! You’re the best!
Prologue
At the beginning of time, the Gods gathered to discuss the violent behavior of the paranormal beings. No species seemed to be able to sort out their problems among themselves, or come together to keep the peace.
Together, the Gods decided that they would produce Peacekeepers. These paranormal beings would be from each different paranormal species, but all would be mutual. The Peacekeepers would have extra powers to assist them in keeping the peace. They would live longer, be stronger, heal faster, all their senses would be better, and they would work in pairs and mate in triads. This would help keep their mates and any offspring safe. They all, no matter the species, would have a soul mate, and their offspring would be Peacekeepers, as well.
To help the keepers feel safe, they would have land of their own. When they claimed land as their home, it became mutual ground, and a special protection field would form around it. When they were on their land, the Peacekeepers and their loved ones were safe.
The Gods each chose a species, and they molded two sets of Peacekeepers from each species. Once done, they set their Peacekeepers to work.
Chapter 1.
“Jacky, we have wildlife stuff in Australia. Why the hell do you want to stay at this place?”
Jacky rolled her eyes at her best friend and looked back out the window. Thank goodness Karen liked to drive, or she would have missed so much of the wondrous landscape. She let out a contented sigh and continued to stare in wonder at the incredible nature that rolled around her. Alaska. A huge tick off her own personal bucket list.
Karen wasn’t a nature person; she was a shopping-and-spending-money person. Whereas, she loved wildlife and exploring. She’d given up trying to get her best friend out on hikes with her; it was a tedious task. Even if she did succeed, Karen bitched and moaned the whole time about the pain in her feet and the waste of time that the fresh air was.
Jacky smiled to herself. She loved Karen, the girl had dropped everything to come on this holiday for her. But just for a few days she was going to be selfish and indulge her need for green. Karen could read in front of the fire to her heart’s content.
“I want to see a polar bear, Karen, and this place says they can guarantee it.”
Karen groaned at her, changing the CD in the car to a new song. “Please tell me you haven’t paid a ridiculous amount of money to be scammed?”
Jacky blew her friend a kiss. She didn’t care how much money she had to pay to see a polar bear. She’d researched this lodge thoroughly, and the reviews were amazing. Every cent she’d charged to her credit card was going to be money well spent. “The website and the brochures I was sent all promise it too.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Jacky opened her mouth to ask Karen a question, then shut it again. She really wanted to ask her friend about Karen quitting her job, but it needed to be the right time. Karen hadn’t told her herself, so she had to assume there was a reason for it.
Jacky would never be able to thank her best friend enough for taking two months out of her life to come with her on this trip. Leaving that arsehole of an ex-boyfriend was the best thing she’d ever done, and it was time to reclaim her life and all the things she’d given up to be with him.
Having her best friend next to her made her so much stronger through the dark times.
A small wooden building appeared in the distance and she pointed to it against the cold glass of the windscreen.
“Look, I think that’s it.”
They had followed the directions from the man in the small town they’d passed through on the way and now that she’d spotted the lodge butterflies of excitement fluttered in her belly. It was much smaller than she’d anticipated, but what should she have expected this far into the wilderness?
“It’s not as big as I thought. But they only take one group at a time. Maybe that’s why?”
Karen, who was driving, slowed the car down as they approached the lodge. Jacky craned her neck and saw a second, smaller lodge behind the first one. Perhaps that was where the owners lived?
“Jacky, where do I even park the car? There’s no parking bays?” Karen asked, but didn’t wait for a response as she pulled hard on the wheel and drove into a spot next to the lodge.
“We’re here!” Jacky tried not to squeal as her throat tightened and tingled.
She looked up as two blond men opened the door to the main lodge and began walking towards them.
“Wow. Look. I hope they’re our guides.”
She shared a grin with Karen and they both stepped out of the car. One of the blond giants stepped
around to greet her and the other went around to Karen’s side of the car.
She stuck out her hand in typical Aussie female style and gave him a big smile.
“Hi. I’m Jackson. Jacky.”
The Viking with stunning blue eyes gave himself a weird shake and smiled at her with an uncomfortable tightness around his mouth. Maybe they hadn’t been expecting women? It wouldn’t be the first time her unusual name fooled someone.
“Hi. Welcome to Polar Bear Wildlife Alaska Hotel. I’m Brad. Behind me is my brother Duncan.” He turned to point out the other man and Jacky turned with him.
What the hell?! The other brother had trapped Karen on her side of the car and was now sniffing her neck and pressing close. Way, way too close.
“What on earth is he doing to my friend?”
Karen wasn’t even fighting him! She was just standing there, pressing herself closer. It had been a long time between boyfriends for Karen, but this behavior was ridiculous.
Her heartbeat began to pound against her chest. What was happening? Had she led them into major danger and not even known it?
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.” Brad apologized and left her to stalk over to his brother.
Oh please get him off her.
Once he too got close to Karen, he stiffened up and froze on the spot, his huge shoulders literally vibrating with the struggle. Duncan turned and looked at them and that was when Jacky saw something wild. His eyes were almost black, and white fur had sprouted out of his face. He spoke in a low, guttural voice that made the hairs on her arms stand up.
“She’s mine, ours. We have our mate.”
Jacky screamed as adrenaline began to course through her veins and her heart raced faster. What the hell had she done bringing them here?
“Oh. My. God. What are you two?” Jacky yelled at her friend who was fenced in by Duncan, “Karen, fight. Get away. Get in the car, we need to go. I’m calling the cops.” Her cell phone was in the car. She had to get it. She raced around the car door and reached inside, but Brad grabbed her and pulled her out, closing the door and blocking her from getting the help they needed.
Oh God, what are they going to do to us!
She started screaming and fighting his hold. He was so strong he didn’t budge no matter what she did. She tugged and pulled at the hands on her, but it was doing nothing, and her stupid friend still wasn’t moving!
What had they done to her?
Brad squeezed her and spoke into her ear. “Stop it, now. Calm down. We won’t hurt you. And your friend is the safest person on the planet. She’s our mate. Fuck! It’s not supposed to be like this. This is not how we imagined this happening.”
Jacky stopped fighting against him and forced her body to relax. It was no use anyway. She couldn’t win, and what was she fighting against anyway? They weren’t hurting Karen, quite the contrary. Hang on a second. What did he just say?
“What do you mean, mate? And why isn’t my friend screaming and fighting he-man over there?”
He grunted at her. “Pheromones, they make us irresistible to our mates. It comes in handy when they’re human mates. I’m sure she’ll come back to herself when she’d been claimed thoroughly.”
Jacky glared at him. That sounded terrible! And illegal! “What do you mean when she’s claimed?” Brad had finally relaxed his hands on her so she twisted out of his control. She swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she lifted them up and began backing away. She had to get Karen in the car somehow, and away from these people who seemed to have put a spell over her. “I think we should leave. You can keep the money. We won’t tell anyone. I promise. No one would believe us anyway.” She opened her car door slowly and took a step towards the seat.
“No.” Brad jumped forward and grabbed her by the arms. She squealed as he pulled her from the car, her heart leaping into her rib cage.
“You will not take our mate away. You need to stop that talk now. I’m trying to keep my bear caged. Don’t move, while I think what to do about the situation.”
His what? His Bear? What the hell was that?
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and made a call.
“Hurry up. Get your arses home now. We have a situation. Duncan and I have found our mate, but she’s not alone and Duncan’s bear’s already taken over. I don’t know how long I can hold mine in.”
He sounded stressed, but not dangerous. She didn’t know what the hell was going on, but it was pretty clear she was about to become outnumbered and she was already out-muscled. Only one thing to do, and that was to trust these two strange men.
“Come on. I’ll take you into the lodge. I need you to stay on my left side. I can’t be any closer to her.”
Her?
“Karen.”
“What?” Brad looked at Jacky and she tilted her head to where her best friend and Brad’s brother were moaning and dry rooting each other.
“Her name is Karen.”
In case you actually care.
“Karen, thank you. Karen.”
He repeated her name like an oath, his eyes unfocusing as he memorized the sound. “Come this way. I’ll show you where you can wait.”
Jacky reluctantly followed Brad up to the small lodge, glancing behind herself to where Karen was pashing Duncan now.
Shit!
Brad opened the front door and they stepped inside the warm room, the beautiful homely feel of the wood all around her dampening down her explosive feeling.
She grabbed a hold of her hair and tugged at the roots on either side on her head.
Ouch!
“Woah, calm down, calm down.”
She took several deep breaths and looked around for some where comfortable to rest. They’d been in the car for six hours, and all other feelings aside, she was exhausted and her legs were sore.
She sat down on the couch in the middle of the large room, facing the bodyguard who was stopping her from going back to her friend.
What on earth had they found here in the Alaskan wilderness? All she’d wanted was to see a polar bear.
****
Raylock was relieved when Brad had called them to come home. Those stupid vampires were tiresome creatures. Some of the ones he’d dealt with were good to work with, honest and powerful paranormals he could respect. The two covens he’d just been privy to sorting out, did not fall into that category.
“I wonder what Brad and Duncan’s mate is like?” Ashten asked from beside him.
They’d received a phone call from their brother to head home and man the fort, probably so those two could fuck themselves into oblivion.
“Don’t know. Doesn’t really matter does it?”
He clenched his teeth as jealousy slithered through him like the snake emotion it was.
“Don’t be like that. We’ll find our mate soon.”
He grunted at his brother and pressed his foot to the accelerator. They’d waited a century already. Soon was a relative word, and one he was tired on.
“There’s no one around from what I can see.” They pulled up outside the lodge and jumped out of the car, not a person in sight. Raylock grunted at the soft moans he could hear coming from the small lodge and lifted his chin in that direction. “Sounds like Brad and Duncan are already pounding their mate into next week.”
Ashten growled and gasped. Raylock jumped and turned towards his brother, crouching low instinctively. They were safe on their land, but danger was always near.
“What’s wrong, Ash?”
“I think… I can smell…” His brother couldn’t finish his sentence, but instead stalked towards the main house.
Then it hit him. A scent unlike anything he’d ever smelt. Summer sweetness and nectar, sunshine and nature, everything perfect in this word.
He began to tremble, his cock thickening in his jeans.
“Is that… It can’t be?”
Impossible. It was Brad and Duncan’s mate that had been found, not theirs. They moved up to the lodge and glanced in the window. “Ash, loo
k.”
Inside the lodge they saw Brad with a woman, but he wasn’t touching her. The moans they’d heard must have been Duncan working on their mate. “This must be that friend they were talking about. They said their mate wasn’t alone.”
“She’s gorgeous.” Ashten panted beside him.
And she was.
Red hair to her shoulders and curves for days. Lovely arse, big boobs and when she flipped her hair and smiled his heart stopped.
“Mine. Ours.”
He ran for the door and pulled it open, Ashten hard on his heels. They both stepped into the room, the heat of the burning fire stirring his already blazing blood.
“Oh, thank God. Ashten, Raylock this is Jacky. She’s…”
Raylock grabbed for his brother’s throat, gripping tight. “Our mate. Get away from her.”
Ashten had reached Jacky and Raylock could hear them both moaning. He needed to touch her too, but the protective instincts to kill any other male around his mate had kicked in and he couldn’t let go.
Brad used his considerable skill and strength to pry Raylock’s hands from his throat, stepping away with his hands up. “I’m going to my mate. You take care of yours.”
Raylock managed to nod at his brother over the aggression and testosterone pumping through his body. He knew in the back of his mind that Brad was no threat, but until they were mated to Jacky, his world was at risk of collapse.
His mate was behind him but he couldn’t, wouldn’t risk looking at her until Brad had left.
The door clicked shut and Raylock’s fists unclenched as he turned to see his mate in the embrace of his brother.
Lust slammed into him like a truck, hard, fast and all consuming. “Our mate. The other half of our soul.”
The stories were true; they hadn’t waited in vain. She was here and soon they would be whole.
Ashten had obviously stripped her of her jeans and t-shirt, her lovely breasts spilling over the cups trying to constrain them.