Guarding His Heart

by Serena Pettus

  When he rose, Lynn thought she heard… “Did you just purr?”

  An almost bashful smile curved his lips, and Lynn’s heart turned over. “My jaguar has never been this content. Now that we’ve claimed you, he’s finally relaxing some. So, yes, it was a purr you heard. As long as you’re happy, so are we.”

  “I’m very happy.” Stealing another glance at the clock, Lynn groaned. She didn’t want to go in to work today. She wanted to stay here and laze around with Jag. Well, maybe there are a few other things I’d rather do with him, she thought with an inner grin. “It’s Thursday, so I’ll be doing ultrasounds again all morning. Which one of you gets to hang out in my office today?” she asked, taking a sip of the sweetened coffee and eyeing the fruit on the nightstand.

  “I want to check with Mason again, maybe scour the woods with him. Liam will be with you until lunch. Will that be okay?” Jag sat on the edge of the bed before placing his big hand on her thigh. “I need to do everything I can to prevent anything like this from happening again. I can’t lose you, Lynn.”

  “You won’t. I’m tougher than I look.”

  At least, he was smart enough not to call her out on that last statement. Yes, she was tough by human standards, but against a shifter, it was like comparing a rock to an overripe banana. She’d get squashed.

  “I understand,” she said. “I’m sure Liam can entertain himself until lunch. I’m hoping to have enough time to order some subs. Will you be back by then?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll try. Want me to call when I head back? Maybe, I can grab your lunch on the way.”

  “Nah, we can just order. It’s easier since I never know exactly when I’ll stop to eat.” Lynn set down her mug then flipped back the covers to stand. “I need to get a shower before I head in,” she said, giving her hips an extra sway as she walked across the room. Stopping in the doorway to the bathroom, she glanced over her shoulder to find Jag’s eyes glued to her ass. “You want to help me wash my back?”

  Lynn giggled as he nodded and rose to follow her. She’d be late to work, but with the wicked gleam in Jag’s eyes, there was no way she’d say no to whatever he had in mind.

  * * * *

  The morning flew by, filled with smiling parents and black-and-white pictures of their newest additions. Lynn loved her job. And apparently, her office staff enjoyed the new man-furnishing in her office. They’d paraded down the hall, grabbing charts and supplies that weren’t needed just so they could sneak a peek at Liam as he lounged on her sofa, played games on his phone or whatever else he did while she worked.

  He was as handsome as any movie star and down to earth, so it was no wonder the women went gah-gah over him, but Lynn had to wonder if all the attention ever bothered him as much as it had bothered her when men had ogled her in the past. Then again, as a man, he was probably on cloud nine with it all. If the waves and winks he gave the nurses were anything to go by, Lynn would say he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

  It was nearing noon when their subs arrived, and Lynn was famished. Of course, Liam devoured his in record time, but Lynn had to eat and chart at the same time.

  “Have you heard from Jag yet?” she asked.

  “Yeah, he and Mason are working to find these guys. Your friend got a good look at one of them, but she hasn’t seen him inside the bar before.”

  “I’d really like to visit Kitty. I want to make sure she’s actually okay and thank her for trying to defend my car. Then I plan to kick her ass for doing something so dumb.”

  Liam laughed. “Yeah, I think I need to meet this chick, too. Any female who can’t shift but will take on three bears in her human form has to be out of her mind. Either that or she’s got a death wish.”

  Her intercom buzzed, interrupting their conversation to inform Lynn of a delivery. After going up front to sign for it, she took the flowers, candy and card back to her office.

  “Those are nice,” Liam said, eyeing the box of chocolates. “Who are they from?”

  “I’m not sure.” Opening the card, she noted the typed message inside.

  Thanks for making things so easy for us.

  Figuring they were from a patient, Lynn flipped open the lid to the candies, looking over the choices inside. After a moment, she noted Liam’s nose twitching as he sniffed.

  “Okay, are you gearing up for a monster sneeze or is that your way of asking for a piece?”

  Coming to his feet, Liam grabbed the box, sniffed and then dropped them on the desk before snatching the card from her hands. “Who sent these?” he growled, a fierce expression darkening his face.

  “Probably a patient. Care to explain what your problem is?”

  “Poison.” His intense golden eyes locked onto hers before he pointed to his nose. “I can smell the chemicals, but your nose isn’t sensitive enough to pick it up.”

  That one word, poison, knocked the wind out of her. She could have eaten who-knew-how-many pieces had Liam not stopped her.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, unable to find her voice.

  He flipped over the card and showed her more words typed on the back.

  Nighty night.

  “Lynn, how heavy is your patient load this afternoon?”

  What an odd question, she thought. “Not too bad.” She’d been nearly poisoned, and he wondered how many patients were coming in?

  “Good. See if your assistant can take them. We need to get to the Pride clinic. I want to see if that’s some kind of sleeping agent in those candies or if it’s something deadly.”

  Oh, now it made sense. Unable to do much more than nod, Lynn watched as Liam stepped down the hall and spoke to her office staff. He explained she wasn’t feeling well all of a sudden and he felt it best to take her home. It wasn’t far from the truth. There was no doubt in her mind she was white as a ghost.

  Someone tried to kill me! They know where I work. Would they have tried to get to me if Liam hadn’t been here?

  Questions ran through her head, but she was afraid to know the answers. Rounding her desk, she quickly pocketed the gun from her drawer then gathered her purse. Right now, all she wanted was Jag’s arms holding her. She knew she’d be safe with him.

  Liam returned, his fingers flying over his phone as he sent out messages before calling Jag. “Dude, you need to meet us at the Pride clinic. Lynn’s okay, but the rogues made an attempt on her at work today.” He was silent for a moment, but Lynn heard Jag raging on the other end of the line. “They sent poisoned candy.” An impressive roar came through the earpiece before Liam calmly hung up. “He’s going to meet us there.”

  Totally aware of how her mouth hung open, Lynn finally managed, “Is that all you have to say? It sounds like Jag is really upset. Not to mention we dropped him off.”

  Liam shrugged. “You’d rather I tell you he sounded murderous, and I pity anyone who gets in the way of him arriving at the clinic?”

  Lynn winced. “Well, when you put it like that…but you could have let me talk to him. Maybe, he wouldn’t have been so upset. Dial him back.”

  “Darlin’, did you not hear that roar? Your man is running on four legs and probably won’t stop until he gets to you. That means we need to move.”

  Luckily, Lynn’s office was in the hospital and that meant there was a parking garage. Having the cameras lessened the amount of vandalism, but it didn’t mean there was none. Liam was extremely cautious though, making sure to scent the area for any sign of the rogues before giving the truck a good once over, checking the brake lines and such for any signs of tampering. Once he was satisfied, they jumped inside and sped back to Pride territory.

  When they arrived, Samantha waited in front of the clinic with little Eli cradled in her arms. Clearly, she was worried, but Dylan looked somewhat irritated. As Lynn approached, he nodded before saying, “Jag is inside. You need to get in there so he’ll calm the hell down.”

  “Dylan,” Samantha scolded, shaking her head. “It’s not her fault this is happening.”

&n
bsp; Sighing, Dylan offered up an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Lynn. I’m not upset with you by any means. It’s just this whole situation. Why can’t these bastards leave us alone?”

  Wasn’t that the question of the hour. It seemed the only people capable of answering were the very one’s trying to harm them, so Lynn didn’t really care to find any answers just yet.

  Sam came over and gave Lynn a one-armed hug. “I want you to stay here for a while, where we can keep you safe.”

  While touched by her friend’s offer and the level of worry evident, Lynn knew she couldn’t stay. “Girl, you know I love you, right? That’s exactly why I’m not staying anywhere near you.”

  “But you’ll be in the middle of the Pride! The rogues won’t be able to get to you without going through a ton of other shifters first.” Samantha was upset now, tears glistening in her eyes. “We’ll protect you here.”

  “Sam, you and your son are a bigger prize to these assholes than I am. I’d rather go into hiding with Jag. That way I wouldn’t lead them right back to you.”

  Liam sauntered over with the box in hand. He smirked. “I’m sure Jag wouldn’t object to taking you back to his love cave.” His horrible imitation of porn music left both women snickering and effectively lightened the mood. “Seriously though, let’s get you to him before he does anything crazy.”

  * * * *

  An attempt? Liam had called what happened an attempt, but they’d used tainted food. Jag tried to wrap his head around the fact these rogues could have either taken or killed his mate if they’d been successful.

  Pacing the hall, Jag snarled again, frustrated with Liam because he’d failed to mention how fucking long it would take them to get to the damn clinic. Jag had been stomping up and down these halls for the better part of twenty minutes, his fangs and claws out in a partial shift. With the nervous glances he’d received from the staff, he had no doubt they expected him to go berserk at some point, which wasn’t far off the mark. If he didn’t see Lynn for himself and see she was unharmed, he might very well lose it.

  How dare they come after his mate! She’d done nothing to deserve any of this. If Jag had his way, he would tear these assholes limb from limb. There would be nothing left of these shifters but a dry pile of bones for the scavengers to chew on when he was done. They needed to be taught about what happened when someone dared to come after another man’s mate, and he would be more than happy to do it.

  When he’d gotten the call, Jag had been in the woods with Mason again. They’d discovered what appeared to be a few rough campsites with both human and bear tracks around the area. The shifters had been smart enough to stay at a distance to avoid detection by Mason or Kitty, but they’d obviously cased the area for a while.

  Mason’s guess was one of them had come into the bar every day or so, perhaps looking for a target. That’s how they’d seen Lynn. Mason had seen her himself that night just before he’d left for the evening. Even in the crowded bar, he’d detected the scents of two shifters on her, so there was no doubt the others could too.

  There was nothing to be done about it now, especially since Jag had marked her as his. His scent would be on her forever, alerting all others that she was already spoken for.

  Just thinking about her, with those lush lips curled up in a come hither smile, her green eyes sparkling as her beautiful face turned up to him, managed to bring some measure of calm to his jaguar. However, when he heard her sweet voice coming from down the hall, he froze and listened for any sounds of distress.

  “Where is he? I’m telling you, Liam, you should have let me talk to him earlier. Now, he’s all worried.” Lynn’s scolding of Liam brought a grin to Jag’s face. If she could give him a hard time, she was fine.

  “If you hadn’t been white as a sheet and looking as if you were a breath away from passing out, I might have. Darlin’, if he’d heard your voice shaking as it was, he might have lost control wherever he was.” And Liam was absolutely correct.

  “Lynn?” Jag called out, stepping around the corner and seeing her stunning smile as she turned his way. Before he knew it, she was barreling down the hall and flying into his outstretched arms. “Finally,” he exhaled, crushing her to him. “I didn’t think Liam would ever get you here.”

  Liam’s indignant response was quick. “Hey! I got her here safe and in one piece, didn’t I? I wanted to be sure we weren’t followed or ambushed on the way, so I took a slightly different route getting here.”

  “I appreciate you keeping her safe, but the waiting was hell.”

  “I’m just glad to have you holding me,” Lynn whispered. “If Liam hadn’t smelled the poison, there’s no telling what would have happened.”

  Jag gave her another comforting squeeze, running his hand up and down her back as his other arm held around her waist, unwilling to be separated from her at all. His jaguar pressed against his skin, fighting to rub up against its mate as well. Liam must have seen the animal brushing the surface, because he gave a curt nod before pointing down the hall.

  “There are empty rooms down there. Why don’t you two go relax while we test for the type of poison used? We’ll send someone for you in a little while.”

  Giving a grateful nod in return, Jag led Lynn down the corridor until he’d passed enough vacant rooms to ensure privacy. Right now, with his adrenaline waning, his body urged him to action of a different sort. Jag picked up the pace, pulling Lynn into a dark space and slamming the door.

  Spinning her around, he brought his hands up to her head, holding her in place for a deep kiss as he backed her against the wall. Her small hands clung to the back of his borrowed shirt as she pulled him tighter to her body.

  “Jag,” she whimpered when he finally pulled back.

  “Lynn, I need you. I know it’s not the most romantic setting, and I swear I’ll make it up to you later, but—” His words caught in his throat as he felt her fingers slip into the front of his waistband and wrap around his cock. “Fuck!” he hissed.

  “That’s the idea.” Lynn stroked him from root to tip, her thumb smoothing over the pearl of moisture gathered there and spreading it over the broad head of his shaft. “There aren’t really any beds here,” she pointed out.

  “No, but there’s a wall and a counter. Trust me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Without another word, Jag removed her clothes as quickly as he dared with his claws still extended. Luckily, she caught on to the urgency and jumped in to help. In no time, she stood before him, a vision of beauty, a goddess come to life for him to worship.

  He dropped down onto his knees, slowly running his hands over her hips, marveling at the contrast of his darker skin against the creamy perfection of her flesh. Looking up into her eyes, he saw the emotions coming back at him, mirroring his own. She loved him, of that much he was sure, and it was more than he could have ever hoped for. He was madly in love with her, more than anything in the world he wanted her to know this, and now he intended to show her, to stake his claim once again and ensure everyone who came into contact with her on Pride territory knew Lynn Edwards was his.

  Sliding his hand down to her knee, he lifted her leg to his shoulder, groaning when he inhaled the sweet scent of her arousal. “You’re killing me, beautiful.” He bowed his head, snaking his tongue out to part her folds and deliver a quick flick over her little bud. His reward was a gasp from above and her hands clutching his forearms where he held her hips in place against the wall.

  Cats enjoyed their cream, and his inner jaguar had a new addiction to the sweet ambrosia nestled between these silky thighs. Jag feasted on her, relishing her passionate responses and cries of pleasure. With his sucking kiss and a well-timed purr over her clit, she shattered, calling out his name and making him feel ten-feet tall.

  Christ, what this woman did to him should be illegal. His hands shaking, heart racing, cock straining, Jag did his best to remain in control, but all was lost with her faintly whispered, “Please.”

  Jag too
k one final taste then stood, grabbing her lush ass and hoisting her up to wrap those long legs around him. Claiming her mouth once more, he aligned their bodies then slammed into her with enough force to bring a pleasured groan from them both. Her hips rocked, and it was all he needed to start moving again.

  The warmth of her skin, the molten heat of her core and the sweet little mewling noises coming with every harsh thrust he delivered edged Jag ever closer to the primal fucking his jaguar demanded. Hell, he was right there with his cat, but he had to ensure Lynn was pleasured first. She would always come first.

  Changing the angle of his hips, Jag picked up his speed, a satisfied smile curving his lips as her cries grew higher in pitch. Her nails scored his back as she sought purchase while they both climbed toward the peak.

  From the corner of his eye, Jag spotted the exam table, and his jaguar roared his approval. Swinging away from the wall, he stepped over to the padded surface, setting Lynn’s bottom down on the top and chuckling softly as the paper draped over the surface crinkled. When her hooded gaze came up to him, the sparkling green depths held him captive for a moment before she closed the distance and pressed her lips to his.

  Jag rocked his hips, the table being the perfect height for what he had in mind, and he pulled back. “Flip over, Lynn.”

  The little minx didn’t bat an eye at his growled demand. Instead, she gave him a saucy little half smile and did exactly as he’d ordered. His jaguar pressed closer to the surface, and suddenly, he knew that there would be no holding back the beast this time. “Tell me to stop and I will, even if it kills me, but don’t fight me. My beast is too close to the surface, Lynn. I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m about to give you the hard fucking my animal demands, so hold on tight, beautiful.”

  Her moaned, “Fuck yeah,” spurred him into action, and Jag gripped her hips in a punishing hold as he slammed into her body with brutal force. There was no doubt she’d be sore later, but he was like a man possessed. With one hand still on her hip, he ran the other, palm flat, up the length of her spine, pressing her flat to the table.