UnexpectedFind

by Nancy Corrigan

  “I know,” she mumbled.

  Thankfully, they turned down the road leading to Mr. Wilkins’ house and she didn’t have to discuss Nina anymore. Five years had passed but she still cried sometimes when she pictured her face. If she started crying now, she might not stop.

  She turned her attention to the shaded yard. Mr. Wilkins, a stout man in his sixties with gray hair, sharp eyes and gravelly voice from years of smoking, sat on the Adirondack chair on his front porch. A rifle rested on his lap and Peggy Sue and Bobby Rae, his older Rottweilers, lay on each side of his chair. The other three big dogs were across the porch as far as they could get from Kade, an identical version of Rafe. With shorter hair and a hard glint to his eyes, he looked like a predator. When he slowly turned his head to watch their approach, her breath caught. He was just as good-looking as Rafe but he scared her on a primal level she couldn’t explain. Had she seen him at the bar instead of Rafe she would’ve slunk away and run as soon as she was out of sight.

  The car stopped and Rafe stood at her door with a hand held out but she couldn’t move. Kade still had his unblinking gaze locked to hers. Rafe leaned close and blocked him from view.

  “Don’t be afraid of Kade. His bark is worse than his bite.”

  Rafe grinned as if amused by his choice of words. She might’ve been too if her heart wasn’t beating so hard.

  “If you say so.”

  “You trust me now. Don’t you?”

  Trust. It was a scary word but she did trust him and really, really hoped he deserved it. So far he’d earned it. Even when she’d doubted him, he’d sought to protect her. She nodded and the grin returned. Her response pleased him and warmth spread in her chest as a result. She liked seeing him happy and that wasn’t the reaction she should have with a guy she’d known for a couple of days. Maybe if they’d dated a long time, sure. She could understand wanting to please him. But after two days?

  “Good. Come on,” Rafe said and helped her out.

  He tucked her into his side and the two brothers stared at each other for a long moment. She glanced between them and wondered what the silent display meant. Their faces remained blank, no sign of emotion to judge by. Finally, both turned away at the same time.

  Kade pulled out a phone and walked toward the shed on the rear of the property. Rafe shifted his gaze to the second floor where a curtain was parted enough for a pair of brown eyes to peek out. Levi. She’d know his curious expression anywhere. She smiled and waved to him but the drape fell. He hadn’t acknowledged her. She bit her lip.

  Rafe ran a hand down over her hair to settle at her lower back. “They’re afraid of me.”

  He sounded so disheartened. She turned in the loose embrace he held her in, placing a hand over where his heart beat hard. “They’re afraid of most men, Rafe. Josh and Mr. Wilkins are the only ones they trust, but they’ve known them their entire lives.”

  Instead of easing him, his expression hardened. He flicked angry eyes at Josh. Josh didn’t notice though. He was crouched in front of Megan and spoke quietly to her. She couldn’t hear the words but she knew they’d be soothing ones, meant to calm. Josh had talked down her boys more than once. He was great with kids. Megan was one lucky little girl.

  “Exactly what is Josh to you?”

  The bite to his words annoyed her. She backed away from him. “A friend, and if you want a better answer than that, think again. I do not have to disclose my private life to you.”

  Rafe stepped into her personal space. She refused to back up so she was forced to tilt her head to look into his face.

  “Last night gave me that right.” With his arm around her waist, he tugged her against him. “Now answer the question, my female. Exactly how involved are you with the human?”

  “That human’s name is Josh and if you really want to know,” she paused and let a wry smile spread, “Josh has been a part of my life since kindergarten. We’re close. Very, very close.”

  Rafe bared a mouthful of short fangs at her then yanked her in for a kiss. Those sharp teeth cut her tongue. She jerked in his hold but he sucked on the abused flesh, easing the sting. The passion that had been simmering since she’d watched him stride toward her after the accident flared to life. Using a fistful of hair, he tipped her head back and kissed her hard, no fangs this time, just deep strokes of his wicked tongue. She clutched at his shoulders to steady herself but he pulled back.

  He slowly swiped his tongue over his lips. “We’ll finish that later. Then we’ll discuss your new relationship with Josh.”

  She watched him walk across the yard in the direction his brother had gone and released a shaky breath. Dangerous. The man was dangerous. She shook her head to clear it of the image of Rafe’s tight backside in the jeans he wore and what it would feel like to hold on to his ass while she sucked his cock. It didn’t help. Her mouth watered.

  “Seems you got a man focused on you, Jazz.”

  She glanced at Mr. Wilkins, dogs at his side and a gun held loosely in his hand. “Rafe’s not important, just a guy who likes me.” She pointed up to the window Levi had looked out from. “How are my boys?”

  “Safe but scared shitless. I ain’t never seen them so upset. They really don’t like that one.” He pointed at Kade. “But he seems nice enough to me.”

  She snorted. “He doesn’t look it.”

  With his free hand, he stroked Peggy Sue’s head. “Dogs like him.” He shrugged. “So he must be okay.”

  She tipped her head toward where the other Rotties sat under the shelter of the swing. “They don’t.”

  Mr. Wilkins waved at them and spit on the ground. “Damn sissies is what they are. But they’re only pups. Got lots of growing to do.” He reached toward Bobby Rae and the dog nudged his head into Mr. Wilkins’ hand to receive the little scratch between his ears. “These two I trust. I’d bet my life on their judgment.”

  Trust. How many times did she have to hear that word today? She nodded, knowing better than to argue.

  “If Rafe looks for me, tell him I went in to see the boys.”

  She hurried across the lawn, up the steps and into the house where she and her kids had spent many, many hours. Mr. Wilkins had been in the army with her pappy. They were close so when she’d moved home he’d been the logical choice to confide in since she didn’t have any family left. He hadn’t let her down. She trusted him.

  Geez, she was building a whole list of people to rely on. Mr. Wilkins, Josh, Rafe and his friends. She paused with her hand on the door handle. It was a nice feeling. Almost made her feel as if she belonged to a real family.

  With a heart that seemed a little lighter, she opened the door and jogged up the stairs. The floorboards squeaked, announcing her approach, but her boys didn’t open the door. She turned the handle and pushed. It didn’t budge.

  “Seth, Levi, it’s me. Move the stuff away from the door so I can come in.”

  “Is he with you?” Seth asked.

  She dropped her forehead to the door and breathed through the annoyance. That tone would normally deserve a stern lecture and a few extra chores as punishment but her kids were scared and unsure of the other men. She’d cut them some slack. This time.

  “Rafe is outside with his brother and their friends. I don’t want you to be afraid of them. They’re here to protect us.”

  “From what? Mr. Wilkins wouldn’t tell us,” Levi chimed in.

  “Well I will. Open up. We have a lot to talk about.” The man threatening them, the new shifters who’d be staying with them…and Rafe. Every one of those topics were ones she’d rather not discuss, but being a mother wasn’t always easy. She only hoped she could come up with the right words.

  The sound of scraping wood and a thump of something hitting the ground came from the other side of the door but it finally opened and she slipped inside.

  * * * * *

  “Everything good here last night?” Rafe asked once Kade slid his phone back into his pocket.

  “For the most part.
Kids were terrified of me this morning when I came up to the house.”

  Rafe wasn’t surprised. Jasmine’s boys would be instinctually fearful of all other males. In the animal world, killing a female’s cubs would force her into heat but they weren’t animals. He rubbed a hand over his face, hated that their presence had distressed the children they meant to protect.

  “Poor kids. It’s a good thing Mira is coming down. Any word on when she’ll get here?”

  “A couple of hours. She was waiting on Xander. He had to meet with his pack.”

  Rafe frowned. The canine royal rarely left his family. “Why is he coming and not one of his younger brothers?”

  “Devin insisted, said he wouldn’t allow Mira to travel with anyone else.”

  Devin’s protective instincts toward his sister had grown over the past few months, not that Rafe blamed him for worrying about her, but something would need to be done about it. He pushed the concern away to be dealt with later and focused on the issues he was intimately concerned with—the secret Jasmine harbored and the threat Calum posed.

  “Did Devin tell you about Calum?”

  A low growl rumbled Kade’s chest. “Yeah, he told me. What are we going to do about him?”

  “Come up with a plan to catch him. He knows Jasmine is important to me. He won’t give up.”

  Kade rubbed his nose. “I’m sorry I was the reason she left you this morning. The older dog saw me. It stood there and waited for me to pet it. The human noticed. I had no choice but to go up and introduce myself.”

  “What’s done is done and at least we know who we’re up against. Had Devin not seen Calum’s animal we might not have known about him until it was too late.”

  “We’ll have to have someone watch the older male until Calum is caught or we’re sure he’s moved on. I wouldn’t put it past Calum to kill him.”

  Rafe pinched his brow. “You’re right. We’ll ask Devin to stay then send one of Xander’s brothers over.”

  “Did you ask Jasmine how she came to be the mother of royals?” Kade asked, changing the subject.

  “She claims she found them behind a dumpster.”

  Kade studied his face a moment and frowned. “A lie?”

  Rafe glanced back toward the house where she was no doubt reconnecting with her kids, probably soothing their fears. “Yeah, the lie soured her scent but so did fear. Whatever she’s involved in has terrified her, made her fearful of shifters.” He swallowed hard. “I want to trust her, but I can’t shake the feeling that she stole them.”

  “However she came to be their mother, her love for them is strong. I saw that in her expression just now and the elderly human who’s been watching over the cubs was quite talkative once he learned I was a shifter. Seems he’s the only other one who knew about them. He also mentioned she’s had a rough time protecting them.”

  Rafe tensed as he remembered the careful mask she wore when he’d mentioned about other shifters discovering them. “What does that mean?”

  “It means Jasmine and her boys are damn lucky Mr. Wilkins was a sharpshooter in the army. A couple of years ago, some hyenas came to town and stumbled onto his lands. They picked up her kids’ scent. He took out one of the shifted animals and Jasmine killed the other.”

  He pressed a balled fist against the pain in his chest. His gaze slid to the old human. Jasmine’s only protector. Terror settled in his gut, chilled his blood. Never again. He’d make sure she was safe.

  He pushed away from the shed’s wall and strode toward the house but paused a few feet away. “Once we get to Jasmine’s place, keep the humans and cubs occupied and away from us.”

  Kade chuckled. “Plans for the little human?”

  Rafe grinned and ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth where he swore he could still taste Jasmine’s arousal. “Lots, Jasmine has caught my interest.”

  Kade’s amused expression faded. He studied him for a long moment then asked, “Has she now?”

  “Yes. I can’t get enough of her. I think I’m addicted.”

  “Careful, brother, or your fascination will turn into an obsession. They say that’s how it starts. Enthrallment. And once our instincts kick in, there’s no denying it. You’ll end up mated to the little human.”

  Rafe shrugged and walked away without answering. The female had captivated him but he wasn’t ready to admit it, not to Kade. Or Jasmine.

  * * * * *

  Jazz tightened her grip on Seth’s hand and rubbed soothing circles into Levi’s palm. They each reacted differently to things but both had the same fear—that the three adult shifters in the yard would kill them. She’d tried everything she could think of to convince them they were overreacting. And after an hour, she felt fairly certain her boys understood. It was the animals they housed that had doubts but she couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer.

  She peered out the small window at the top of the front door. Devin and Mr. Wilkins sat at the picnic table with Megan, a bag of cookies between them. The little girl studied Devin with open curiosity, no fear. At least one kid was handling this well.

  Rafe and Kade stood several feet from the porch, talking. As if Rafe sensed her eyes on him, he turned his head. He offered her a small, comforting smile. He’d assured her they had plenty of practice in situations just like this one and she shouldn’t worry. Easy to say, hard to do. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly released it.

  She glanced at her kids. “Ready?” They nodded. “Levi, get the door, please.”

  He did. The door swung open but nobody moved. Silence stretched until finally Rafe walked toward them. He approached cautiously, stopping at the porch stairs. He crouched and clasped his hands loosely between his thighs.

  “Seth, Levi, my name’s Rafe.” He motioned behind him with a tilt of his head. “That’s Kade. He’s our alpha. He might look tough, but don’t let it fool you. He’s a softie at heart, just doesn’t want to let the other pride leaders know.” He lowered his voice. “Can you keep his secret too?”

  She peeked at her boys. Both frowned but neither responded.

  Rafe glanced between them. “He has another secret. Want to hear it?”

  Levi nodded.

  “He’s been known to cry at movies,” Rafe whispered.

  She looked behind Rafe to Kade. His lips quirked as if he thought about smiling but they thinned after a moment. Kade rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to my idiot brother, boys. I have never shed a tear over any ridiculous movie.”

  Rafe braced his body with a hand on the ground and peered over his shoulder. “Oh yeah? What about that dog movie? You know where the boy’s dog has rabies and—”

  Kade’s brows scrunched. “Old Yeller?” He ran a hand through his short blond hair. “I don’t think I ever watched that movie.”

  “Right.” Rafe looked at her boys who’d taken a couple of steps out onto the porch and winked at them before facing Kade. “Or that Star Wars one with the carbonite scene and—”

  “For the love of the gods, stop telling lies about me.” Kade crossed his arms and glowered at Rafe but Peggy Sue chose that moment to bump his leg with her head, demanding a pet. Kade sighed but obliged the dog.

  Seth slid his hand from her slackened grip and walked over to Rafe. He tugged on his shirt. Rafe glanced at him.

  “It was Empire Strikes Back, not Star Wars.”

  Rafe raised a brow. “Are you an expert then?”

  Seth nodded. “We got their toys for our birthday this year.”

  “You sharing?”

  Seth peeked at Levi before meeting Rafe’s eyes. “We’re sharing.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jazz’s house looked exactly how she’d left it yesterday. The grass was calf-high because the lawn mower had broken and she hadn’t found the time to get it fixed. The siding needed to be scraped and painted. Same with the porch. A pile of recyclables to be taken to the landfill was stacked along the side of the garage that housed her restoration shop. Cars with blue
tarps were stored in the field alongside the barn and boxes of car parts were piled near the barn door to be carried up to the loft for storage.

  Everything looked the same yet her life had taken an unexpected turn overnight. None of the concerns that had bothered her yesterday seemed important, not when there was a crazy shifter who had set his sights on her. She always lived with the worry of attracting the wrong kind of attention. It was why she lived in near seclusion here and why she kept her kids away from people she didn’t know. Cindy had hit it on the mark the other night. Her life revolved around Seth, Levi and her garage. And why wouldn’t it? That’s where she felt the safest.

  She peeked at Rafe’s profile. Maybe she didn’t have to face the dangers or live her life alone. Maybe the man she’d always wanted was the one right in front of her, the one who wasn’t really a man, but who’d captured her attentions. He’d tempted her from the minute she’d seen him. Even after learning about what he was, she still desired him.

  The car hit a bump and dragged her out of her inner musing. She turned her head away and focused on the present. Her relationship with Rafe wasn’t the most important concern at the moment. Her family’s safety was her top priority. She needed to get Rafe alone to talk more about this shifter and what Rafe planned to do about it, but it would have to wait. They were home.

  Rafe parked next to Kade’s vehicle in the grass, opened the door and got out. She watched him sniff the air then survey the area. His gaze lingered on the barn, her garage, each and every tarp-covered project she had yet to complete and finally her house.

  He walked around to her side and opened the door. “Stay here until Kade and I can check out the house and the outer buildings.”

  “That’s not necessary, Rafe. I’ll come with you, show you around. I know you were here yesterday but—”

  Rafe shook his head and his golden hair swayed with the movement. She wanted to feel those strands tickling her thighs while he teased her clit. The thought came out of nowhere but her reaction to the wicked idea was immediate and real. Moisture pooled low. She squirmed.