by Tonya Brooks
Absolutely nothing.
Right then and there he made a solemn vow to be the father that his cub needed him to be. To teach him everything he needed to know in order to survive and succeed in both human and animal form. To protect him from all harm and show him what it meant to be a good alpha, father, and mate.
Because in spite of the fact that he'd been created as a fucking science experiment, Justis was still his son. And he was going to love the hell out of him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Aylese woke slowly, her hand automatically reaching out for Justis. When she didn't find him lying next to her, she sat up, instantly alert and looked around the room. Bright sunlight filtered in through the French doors revealing a sight she had never thought to see. A sight that melted her heart.
Jerrett Black was sprawled in a chair with his son curled atop his chest. Both of them were sound asleep. It was so sweet, so unlike anything that she had expected from the man that tears sprang to her eyes. Maybe he would be a decent father after all. For the baby's sake, she fervently hoped so.
The cat lifted his head, yawned and stretched, digging his claws into the man beneath him. Jerrett came awake with a pained hiss, looked down at his son and began stroking his fur as he whispered softly. Justis nuzzled his furry little face against his father's, and she could swear it looked as if the cat were smiling.
She was unaware of the smile on her own face, but she couldn't miss the one on the man's. It was such a tender moment that the tears overflowed and slid down her cheeks. She lifted a hand to brush them away and caught his attention. Feeling awkward, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
"Justis did that," he replied with a wry smile and rubbed his chest. "Might have to declaw the little devil."
Aylese would have been outraged if she hadn't known he was teasing. "His claws are like razor blades," she agreed as she slid out of bed. Thankfully she'd slept fully clothed this time. The cub stood up, pounced and hit the floor with a thud. He rolled to his feet, as agile as the cat he was and made a beeline for her.
"Hello, sweetheart," she crooned as she knelt and scooped him into her arms. Justis proceeded to rub his face all over hers before he started licking her neck. She laughed because his scratchy little tongue tickled. The adorable cub was just so affectionate that it was impossible not to love him.
"That is one lucky cub," Jerrett said enviously, and she looked up to see his amber eyes smoldering again. What that man could do to her with nothing more than a look ought to be illegal. Or patented. Because it never failed to make her want to find out if he lived up to his reputation.
That thought slapped some sense into her, and she demanded, "Why are you in my room?"
"You refused to stay in mine," he reminded her.
"There wasn't enough space for one more," she shot back irritably.
"Ah, Aylese," his silken voice purred. "There isn't space in my bed for anyone but you."
"Try telling that to the five women already in it," she snapped.
"Those women are part of my pride," he informed her. "As their alpha, it's my duty to see to all of their needs until I claim my mate."
"Mate?" She queried and winced when Justis nipped her earlobe.
"The one female created just for me," he imparted. "Once we're mated neither of us will ever stray."
"So you mate for life, like wolves," she deduced in surprise.
"Jaguars, love," he replied with a teasing wink. "Wolves are mangy."
A smile twitched the corner of her lips as she said, "I thought that was lions."
With a devilish smile, he shrugged those broad shoulders and said, "Works for either species."
Aylese smiled in spite of herself. Jerrett was a complete manwhore, so the thought of him being tied down to one female amused her to no end. "In that case, I hope you find your mate soon. Justis needs a mother, and you need taming."
"I already found her, love," he said as he walked toward her with the slow, easy gait of a jungle cat on the prowl.
For some absurd reason, that announcement twisted her stomach into knots, and she felt slightly queasy at the thought of him with someone else. "You have?" She queried and put Justis on the floor when he wiggled to be free.
"Mm, hmm," Jerrett agreed when they stood toe to toe. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her body flush against his before he rubbed his bearded cheek against hers much like his son had done. Then he buried his face in her neck and breathed, "You smell so fucking good. I can't wait to claim you."
"C…Claim me?" Aylese stammered, her brain short-circuiting from the sensual overload the rest of her body was experiencing.
"As my mate," he clarified and licked her neck just as the cub had done. Only this time she didn't laugh. And it didn't tickle. Heat streaked through her veins, pooling low in her abdomen, dampening her panties. Her delicate inner muscles clenched and her womb wept with need. "The other half of my soul."
That decadent, dark chocolate voice was so seductive that it took a second or two for her to realize exactly what he'd said. Aylese pushed free of his hold and stared up at him wide-eyed. "What did you say?" She demanded in a shaken tone and knew that she could not have heard him correctly.
"You're my mate, Aylese," he informed her with a simply lethal smile. "My cat knows it and so do I. No one else will ever do for either of us."
"Meow," the cub said plaintively and then began to yowl at the top of his lungs.
"I'm not the one who's crazy. You are," she announced and scooped the cub into her arms to act as a barrier between her and the man who tempted her more than he should. "Justis needs to be fed."
***
Jett barely bit back the torrent of curses that were on the tip of his tongue. He'd never met a woman as stubborn as his mate, and it was frustrating as hell. He'd hoped seduction would soften her up and just when he thought he was making progress; his own cub had cockblocked him. Fucking hell.
"All of his things are in my suite," he said in resignation and opened the door to reveal a member of his pride standing there.
"Thought I'd find you here," Cecily said in amusement as her eyes took in the three of them. Since his mate still looked delectably bed rumpled, it wasn't hard to guess what his pridemate was thinking. He wished like hell that it was so. "The fat cats are waiting for you in your office."
"Fat cats?" His mate queried.
"My brothers," Jett clarified as he lifted the cub out of her arms and handed him to the other shifter. "Justis needs to be fed."
"Oh, but…" Aylese protested.
"Bring your phone," he instructed and was anxious get to the bottom of this situation. "We need to call your sister."
At the reminder of the danger that the cub was in, and quite possibly her sibling as well, his mate nodded her confirmation and grabbed her phone. Placing his hand on the small of her back, he felt the tremble that ran through her. A smile quirked his lips, and his cat practically pranced because she wasn't immune to his touch.
Once they entered his office, he introduced her to the group of men gathered. "Aylese, you already know Ryker as the CEO of FERAL, but what you didn't know is that he's also a lion shifter." The big man inclined his head and shot her a wicked wink when she stared back at him in shocked disbelief.
"This is Wilder Pantere, a tiger shifter and the head of security that polices FERAL funded sanctuaries to protect the endangered animals from poachers and hunters," he explained. Wilds gave her a curt chin lift, and she nodded slowly in response.
"Ari la Blanc is a snow leopard shifter who manages Fated Mate, an online matchmaking service geared specifically toward helping werecats find their mate and procreate," he informed her. Ari nodded and offered a smile which his mate shakily returned.
"Dr. Pierce Montford is the cougar shifter that handles the lab and medical testing used by Fated Mate to ensure breeding compatibility," Jett introduced. Pier blinked at her a few times before bobbing his head, and Aylese offered the befuddled looking man
a weak smile.
"Onyx Farrell is a cheetah shifter and legal counsel for FERAL, Fated Mate, the Pussycat Palace and the founding members gathered here," he explained. Nyx offered a nod and a smile and his mate reciprocated in kind.
"This stunning creature is my mate, Aylese Delacort," Jett announced proudly and didn't miss the narrow-eyed glare she gave him. Before she could argue the point, he turned his attention to the doctor; he asked, "Did you manage to interpret the form I sent you last night?"
Pier nodded his agreement before saying, "I've gone over the data, and it appears they're experimenting with specific cell behavior regarding tissue regeneration."
"In English, Pier," Ryker interjected heavily.
"The focus of the study was how fast the subject healed after an injury," he clarified.
"Subject?" Aylese growled and sounded as feral as a pissed off mama jaguar. She glared sheer venom at the hapless scientist and looked as if she might go for his throat. "Justis is not a subject. He's a baby. A precious little boy who was cut and burned and tortured by sadistic bastards who don't deserve to live."
"I am aware," the doctor acknowledged apologetically. "And I agree with your assessment."
"Why don't you go check on our cub, love," Jett suggested in a soothing tone and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'm sure Justis is shredding the furniture by now."
She gave him an assessing look before handing over her phone. "Find Harp and make sure she's safe," Aylese commanded. "I'll keep Justis out of mischief."
As soon as the door closed behind her, Nyx let out a low whistle and commented, "Your mate is a wildcat, Jett."
Ryker laughed and informed the other man, "You ain't seen nothing yet. She'll have him domesticated in no time."
"Shut the fuck up," Jett growled and was in no mood for jokes. "Harper Stone rescued my cub from GenMod Lab. She said they were growing babies in test tubes and experimenting on them. At present, she's on the run from them, and her location is unknown. She needs to be found and placed in a secure location."
"Last night a man attacked my mate and cub here on the grounds and claimed he was being paid to take them. It's safe to assume that GenMod sent him," he informed them grimly. "We need to rescue the cubs they're using as lab rats, destroy the goddamn facility and everyone connected with it."
"Agreed," Wilds confirmed with a growl.
"How the hell did something like this happen?" Nyx demanded.
"That I can answer," Pier interjected grimly. "The DNA samples were stolen from my lab."
That announcement shocked every man present. At one point or another, they had all allowed the doctor to take samples of their blood, urine, tissue, and even sperm to use as a comparison against human and animal DNA. Through those tests, he had been able to isolate the gene that allowed them to shift.
"That explains how they got my sperm," Jett muttered in disgust.
"Not just yours," the cougar shifter denied. "They took all of the samples. Which means we could all have cubs that are being used as lab rats."
The knowledge enraged each of the shifters, but since Wilds cat was never far from the surface, his eyes glowed, and his canines lengthened. A feral snarl ripped from his chest as he demanded, "Where the fuck is the lab?"
"There's a GenMod Lab located near Atlanta, Georgia," Ari informed them when he looked up from his laptop. "They claim to specialize in genetic modifications through biotechnology."
"Bingo," Pier confirmed. "Genetic engineering changes the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved organisms." At their blank expressions, he clarified, "They have the capability to reproduce werecat cubs for experimentation."
"Harper can confirm if it’s the right location. I'm calling her now so trace it," Jett instructed the tech guru and put the phone on speaker.
"Hey, Lese. Don't have kittens because I didn't call you back last night," a weary voice answered. "I fell asleep once I figured out it was a false alarm."
"Harper, it's Jett Black," he began.
"Who?"
"Jerrett Black, Justis's father," he replied.
"Oh. Sorry. Thought you said Jett Black," she said with a laugh. "Aylese would have lost her shit if that were the case."
A frown marred his brow as he queried, "Why's that?"
"You have met my sister, right?" She chided. "The Purity Princess wouldn't be caught dead associating with the Prince of Pussy."
From what he could tell, there wasn't much that Aylese wasn't willing to do if it meant keeping his cub safe. A smile of pure pride colored his voice when he replied, "You don't know your sister as well as you think. Because I am Jett Black and Aylese is my guest at the Pussycat Palace."
The sound of brakes screeching and horns blowing sounded through the phone before a shocked demand of, "What the hell have you done to her?"
"Nothing other than ensuring her safety," he admitted. "Which is exactly what I intend to do for you, so tell me where you are and I'll send someone to get you."
"I don't think so," the woman on the other end denied and her voice had turned suspicious. "Let me talk to Aylese."
"I will, but right now I need you to tell me more about GenMod," he replied.
There was an extended pause before she finally said, "I'm not telling you jack until I talk to Lese."
He bit back a curse when the line went dead. After calling her back repeatedly and getting a recording each time, he deduced that she had turned the phone off. Barely resisting the urge to roar his frustration, Jett fixed glowing eyes on Ari to demand, "Well?"
"She removed the battery from the phone," the snow leopard confirmed from where he'd been trying to track the call on his laptop. "I managed to narrow her location to Louisiana, and DMV records show she lives in Shreveport."
"If we can find that out then the people at GenMod can too," Ryker pointed out.
"Then we need to get to her first," Nyx interjected.
Letting those bastards get their hands on Harper was not an option. "Ari, send her info to Wilds," he instructed and turned to the tiger shifter. "Find her. Keep her safe. Not only did she save my cub, but she's my mate's sister which makes her a part of my pride."
Wilds growled, "What about GenMod?"
"Nyx, Pier and I can scope the place out," Ari offered.
"Recon only," Jett insisted. "Do not enter the premises until we know what we're dealing with."
When the other shifters left, Ryker pointed out, "Ari ran a background check on the intruder. He's ex-military. A hired gun for sale to the highest bidder. Since he hasn't reported back, they may send someone else to find out why."
"If they do I'll get some answers out of this one before I turn my cat loose on him," Jett decided.
"No, what you need to do is take Aylese and your cub to a secure location while we deal with this," the lion shifter said reasonably. "Besides, from what I've seen, you need some time alone to win your mate over."
Alone with Aylese without distractions. It sounded like a helluva good idea, but Jett didn't like the idea of walking away without a fight. Then again, once this situation was resolved, she'd walk away unless he managed to change her opinion of himself. Sometimes you had to pick your battles, and this time he was going to fight for his mate.
"That suggestion just earned you the role of godfather," he informed his brother.
"I'd rather be the best man," Ryker said with a laugh.
***
No sooner than she entered Jerrett's suite, Aylese began to wish she'd stayed in the office. She should have known that his harem would be there, lounging in his playpen with Justis. The cub didn't seem to enjoy their company as much as his father obviously did because he made a mad dash directly to her.
"There's my little man," she crooned and scooped him into her arms. She cuddled his furry little body as Justis settled comfortably into her embrace and shifted back to his human form. His chubby little hand reached up and latched ont
o a lock of her hair. Aylese eased it loose and placed a kiss on his head.
"That's so sweet," one of the women said a bit wistfully as she brought the bottle to her. "He's not happy unless he's with his mother."
The comment surprised her and Aylese denied, "Oh, I'm not his mother. I'm his au… actually, we're not related at all."
"He thinks you are," another one of the female jaguars said in a bored tone. "Which is why he doesn't want anything to do with us."
"That's ridiculous," Aylese denied as she held the bottle to his lips. Justis grabbed it and began to suck hungrily as she sat in a chair and rocked him. "I've only had him for a few days. He couldn't have grown attached so soon." But she had. The little darling had stolen a piece of her heart that she'd never get back.
"Maybe he can sense the bond," a third one surmised and then asked, "Did Justis bite you?"
"Yes," she admitted in surprise. "The first time I held him."
"That explains it," one of them said, and the others nodded confirmation. "He bonded with you because he can sense that you're Jett's mate."
"You've got to be joking," she scoffed and was seriously discomforted that these women seemed to know about that. Had the insufferable ass told everyone that preposterous tale? Knowing Ryker, he'd tease her about it unmercifully every time they met. "There is no bond, and I'm not anyone's mate."
Shocked silence echoed through the room as all five women stared back at her incredulously. One of them finally started laughing. "Oh, this is priceless. Jett's mate is the one woman who doesn't fall at his feet," she said gleefully.
"I don't understand," the one with the vapid expression said. "How could anyone not want to be Jett's mate? He's wonderful."
"Yes, do tell us why you find the idea unacceptable," the bored one drawled.
"I have no desire to get involved with a man known as the Prince of Pussy," she informed them bluntly.
"So it's his reputation that you're concerned with," another surmised.
"That, this place, and the five of you," she added honestly.