by Becca Van
“I have no idea and don’t really care.” Sage clasped Jaimie’s hand between both of hers. “All I care about are my mates and the other shifters and women in this town. I never really had any great friends nor did I think I’d ever fall in love, but I have. Bladen, Cason, and Dax have changed my life. They’ve made me so happy, I can barely contain the tears of wonder. I wouldn’t change anything. Not even being hurt by that bastard and his father because if I did, I may not have met the men who were meant to be mine.”
“What do you mean when you say mate?” Jaimie asked. She remembered Sage calling Beckett, Daire, and Crispin Jaimie’s mates. She had a feeling she knew what the other woman meant, but she needed to be sure. However, if she was right about the meaning of that term, she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Nevertheless, she was so attracted to the three Rafferty brothers, she wasn’t sure she could walk away.
For god’s sake, Jaimie, you’ve just met them. What the fuck are you doing, girl?
“That’s hard to explain unless you experience it for yourself.” Sage released Jaimie’s hand before brushing her hair back from her face. Her brow was furrowed as she thought about how to answer Jaimie’s question. “A mate is like a wife, but so much more.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“My guys told me that there is only one woman in the whole world the fates created to be theirs. They knew the instant they saw and scented me that I was that woman. The physical attraction between the four of us was immediate. After my experience, I didn’t want to even contemplate another relationship let alone be in one, but there was no way in hell I could ignore the desire and heat between us. The draw is so much more than what humans normally feel toward each other.” Sage met her gaze. “It’s a deep-seated craving that just gets stronger and stronger until you feel as if you’re going to go out of your mind, and while that was disconcerting for me, I’m glad my men didn’t give up. The bond we share now that we’re mated is so strong nothing but death could break it. They feel my emotions and I feel theirs.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” Jaimie muttered.
“I understand how you could feel that because I was very wary in the beginning too. Now, I wouldn’t want it any other way. My mates will never, ever, look at another woman sexually. There is no such thing as divorce or separation with shifters. Before you decide whether to accept Beckett, Daire, and Crispin, make damn sure it’s what you want, because you won’t be able to or want to walk away.”
Jaimie nodded. Her mind was spinning in circles with no results. She had no idea what to do or say. If she hadn’t been so weary or in pain, she would have hightailed it out of the house and the town of Ambrose as if her ass was on fire.
She was scared.
She’d never needed or wanted anyone before, but now that she’d met the three Rafferty brothers, she yearned for more. Just the thought of leaving and never seeing them again caused actual pain in her chest, her heart.
Now that she’d eaten, she was warm and she could feel the pain medication doing its job. Her eyelids were growing heavier and heavier no matter how hard she fought them closing. Maybe getting off the world so she wouldn’t have to think anymore was a good thing. Hopefully, things would like better in the morning.
So why did she feel that if she dipped her toe into the deep end of the pool she’d be lost? If she fell in, she could end up drowning, with no way out.
* * * *
For the first time in forever, Crispin was pissed that the other shifters were in their home. The Louis brothers and his cousins were shooting the shit. With all their talking and laughing, he couldn’t hear what Jaimie and Sage were discussing. Even though he wanted to creep down the hall and listen in, he sat in his seat sipping on a beer, smiling and laughing at the appropriate moments.
He wanted to yell at the other men to get the fuck out of their house, but he never been that rude. He and his brothers had been antisocial up till recently, and while he was surprised to find out he liked interacting with members of his own kind, right now he wanted them gone.
His tiger was driving him up the fucking wall with his pacing, hissing, and yowling. With each passing second, it was getting more and more difficult to keep his tiger from bursting free. He was in a quandary, wanting to let his animal out to go for a run but worried if he did, his beast would take matters into his paws and mate Jaimie without her acceptance.
If he did that everything would go FUBAR.
He glanced over at Beckett. His brother was smiling but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was looking deceptively calm, leaning back in his seat with his arms folded over his chest, but his biceps were bulging and flexing as were the muscles on either side of his jaw. He turned toward Daire. He smiled for real the first time that night when he saw the scowl on his brother’s face and his white-knuckled fists. He wasn’t trying to hide his impatient aggression at all. Daire had always been the most easily irritated out of the three of them. Beckett was the bossy, authoritative alpha, and Crispin was usually more laid-back. He’d always loved women from all walks of life, age, or body shape, and he liked flirting with them, just wanting to get a reaction. Few women still blushed in this day and age but he loved that Jaimie did.
She was so fucking sweet and sexy with her long, wavy blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and sexy body. Just thinking about her had his half-hard cock twitching in his jeans and filling with blood.
He was hot on the inside and out, and his balls felt twice their usual size. He wished he knew Jaimie better and whether or not he thought she’d accept him and his brothers at her mates, but he didn’t. While he wanted to get everyone out of their home so he could wrap himself around his woman even if it wasn’t in a sexual way, he wouldn’t, couldn’t.
She might have agreed to come home with them while under the influence of painkillers—which he felt bad over—but he wanted her to stay with him and his brothers forever. What frightened him was that once the medicine wore off, she might ask to leave.
He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep a tight reign over his tiger if that happened. He was barely hanging on by a thread already and he’d only known his mate for a few short hours.
What the hell was it going to be like the longer he spent in her presence?
When Sage entered the room, his heart flipped so hard it hurt and he stopped breathing altogether. He stared at the other woman, trying to glean what she was feeling, hoping against hope that Jaimie had agreed to be theirs even though he knew he was expecting way too much at such an early date.
Before he even thought about what he was doing, he was on his feet, striding quickly toward Sage. She stopped in the doorway, looking wary. So instead of keeping on his trajectory, he changed directions and walked into the kitchen. He heard snarling and hissing from his cousins and knew they were pissed at him for upsetting their mate, and rightly so. He hadn’t meant to scare Sage. All he’d wanted was to ask her about Jaimie. How she was doing. If she was scared or hysterical after talking with his cousins’ mate.
He kept his back to the room, bracing his hands on the counter, concentrating on keeping his breathing regular as he tried to get control of his aggravated tiger and the impatience surging through his blood. When he was sure he wouldn’t go off half-cocked and start demanding answers from Sage, he shoved upright and turned around.
When he saw Sage trying to bury herself in Bladen’s arms, his body, the guilt in his gut turned to a lump of lead. He’d fucked up big time. Sage had been through a lot of shit and he’d just scared the crap out of her. Surely, she didn’t think he’d hurt her in any way. Did she? He and his brothers had helped their cousins along with the Louis men to save her from those fucking cronies the DA and his bastard son had sent after her. She had to know that he would have given his life to protect her and her unborn cub.
However, as much as he wouldn’t have given breathing his last breath a second thought at that time, he was highly glad it hadn’t come to that.
She was the love of his life and just imagining never meeting her almost brought him to his knees.
Those thoughts helped him regain control, and a calm he’d never felt before washed over him.
He’d do anything to have Jaimie in his arms, his bed, his heart.
He’d wait years for her to accept him, his brothers, and their tigers if that’s what it took.
She was his world, and he wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize their chances of having her as their mate.
Crispin just hoped that neither of his brothers did anything to fuck things up either.
Chapter Five
Beckett was seconds away from following Crispin but was glad he’d controlled the urge to pounce on Sage and interrogate her about Jaimie.
For a second, the poor woman had looked downright frightened, and while he knew it was a residual knee-jerk reaction to being beaten before she’d even stepped foot in Ambrose, his heart ached for her.
He glanced at Bladen when he got all protective, his tiger making aggressive hissing, yowling sounds as his cousin surged to his feet and hurried toward his mate. Envy pierced his heart as Bladen opened his arms when he was a few feet from Sage and she immediately walked into his embrace. His cousin and woman gazed at each other with such love in their eyes, he was envious. Even though he and his brothers had chosen to keep themselves apart from humans as well as their shifter friends, right at this moment he had no idea why.
He’d always loved his solitude, but now he’d never felt so lonely.
He had a mate down the hall sleeping in that big bed all by herself, and all he wanted to do was crawl in under the covers with her and hold her in his arms for the rest of his life.
“I’m sorry if I scared you, Sage,” Crispin said when she drew out of Bladen’s arms. “I would never do anything to hurt you or purposely frighten you.”
“I know that, Crispin. I didn’t mean to let the fear take hold. Sometimes it’s just instinct to flinch away.” Crispin nodded. His stoic expression turned to one of surprise when Sage slowly moved toward him until she was only feet away. “Do you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing for me to forgive you for,” Crispin said. “But I’ll forgive you as long as you reciprocate.”
“Deal.” Sage smiled, taking the two steps separating them before wrapping her arms around his waist. Beckett smirked when Bladen, Dax, and Cason started snarling. Sage didn’t release Crispin until he hugged her back. As soon as she removed her arms from around his brother’s waist, she dropped them to her sides and turned to face her mates. “You can cut that shit out right now. Y’all know damn well that I don’t feel anything for Crispin and his brothers other than the love of a sibling.”
Bladen scrubbed a hand over his face before nodding. “I know, baby.”
When Sage covered her mouth to hide a yawn, Cason and Dax shoved to their feet before hurrying over to her and Bladen. “We need to get our mate home,” Dax said. “She’s tired.”
“She is right here and can speak for herself,” Sage snapped. Her ire was ruined when she yawned again.
Beckett quickly changed his chuckle to a cough when Sage gazed his way. She winked at him before clasping Bladen’s and Dax’s hands in hers. “But this time y’all are right. I’m tired and want to get some sleep.”
“Thanks for coming over and explaining things to Jaimie,” Daire said as he rose.
“You’re welcome.” Sage yawned again. “I’d like to tell you that Jaimie is going to accept you all as her men, but she didn’t say one way or the other. Don’t go pushing her to agree to mate you. You need to go at her speed. I have a feeling there’s more to Jaimie than she’s letting on.”
“What do you mean?” Beckett asked.
“I know a haunted look when I see one. I saw the same thing in my own eyes every time I looked in the mirror while I was in danger.”
“You think she’s on the run?” Daire snarled.
“Don’t fucking talk to my mate like that,” Dax snapped angrily as he stalked over to Daire. He didn’t stop until their chests were pressed against each other’s as they tried to stare each other down.
“God save me from overbearing, testosterone-ridden alpha men.” Sage sighed.
“Sorry, sprite, but no one talks to you like that and gets away with it,” Dax said in a growly voice.
Sage rolled her eyes. “Daire wasn’t, isn’t angry at me, Dax. He’s worried about Jaimie.” She tugged on Bladen’s hand, laced the fingers of her other hand with Cason’s and headed out. Dax stepped back from Daire, shrugged, and followed his brothers and woman toward the front door. Crispin walked behind them.
Beckett was glad when Preston, Liam, and Gabe decided to take their leave too. He walked them to the door, shook all the men’s hands as he said good-bye, and trailed Crispin back into the house, closing and locking the door behind him.
He and Crispin glanced at each other before peering down the hallway. The bedroom door at the end of the hall was wide open, and without being aware of consciously deciding to peek in on Jaimie to make sure she was all right, he started moving. Crispin was on his heels.
He wasn’t surprised to find Daire standing at the end of the bed, staring at their mate.
She was so damn beautiful she took Beckett’s breath away.
She was curled up on her side, her uninjured hand under her cheek as she slept. The bed was so big it almost seemed to swallow her whole. She was smack dab in the middle, her cheeks flushed, looking so peaceful and innocent as she slept.
He wanted to strip off his clothes and crawl in beside her so he could hold her in his arms, but he curled his hands into fists instead. He wanted to make sure she didn’t hurt her arm if she turned to her other side in her sleep, but if he got into bed with her, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his hands to himself. Plus, she would probably scream the house down if she woke up to find a strange man in her bed, mate or not.
To Jaimie, he and his brothers were unfamiliar.
Beckett just hoped she stuck around to give them all time to get to know each other. He’d be absolutely devastated if she decided she didn’t want to stay with them. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his tiger contained if she chose to leave.
* * * *
As soon as Jaimie walked into her apartment, she knew something was wrong. Her first instinct was to turn around and leave before calling the cops, but her feet felt as if they were weighted down.
She clutched the keys in her hand hard enough to hurt and leave an imprint in her skin, but she couldn’t make herself let go. She had no idea if she blinked or if she’d blacked out from fear for a second or two, but when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the entrance to her home but standing in her kitchen.
There was a white envelope sitting on the counter and even though she didn’t want to touch it, open it, and read what was on the note, she saw her hand reach toward it as if of its own accord. She was so scared her mind and body felt disconnected in a surreal dream-like kind of way and no matter how hard she tried to regain control, she felt as if she was living through a waking nightmare.
She was moving like an automaton as she watched herself tear open the envelope and pull the piece of paper out and unfold it.
The words on the page had her heart slamming hard and fast against her sternum and her hand shaking.
You killed him you bitch. You’re going to die just like he did, but your death is going to be slow and painful. I’ll start with your colleagues, take them out until you’re the last one standing. Then it’ll be your turn. Their deaths will be on your conscience for the rest of your life. Will you be able to live with that, knowing they’re dead because of you, because of what you did?
I’ll take my time with you. I won’t kill you right away like the rest of them. No, that would be too easy. I’m going to torture you for days on end until you’re begging me to kill you, until you’re pleading me to end your life.
You’ll die in my time, by my hand, just like you killed my son.
With a cry of terror, she dropped the paper, watching as it fluttered to the floor, and then the scene changed.
She was in the emergency room where she worked in the emergency department of the hospital as a triage nurse. The double doors to the left burst open, and then chaos reigned. The sound of a semi-automatic gun was loud enough to almost drown out the screams of terror from patients and medical staff. Bullets whizzed by, thunking into walls, slamming into equipment and thudding into people.
Blood sprayed, arcing across walls, squirting up onto the ceiling, and pooling on the floor.
She had no idea when she’d dropped to the floor until she turned her head and saw one of the other nurses on her side behind the desk, blood gushing from a wound in her neck and spilling onto the floor. Even though she knew it was far too late, she belly-crawled over to her friend to see if she could help her, but it was futile. She wasn’t breathing and her eyes were open, staring lifelessly into the eyes of death.
The silence that followed such a terrifying experience was so loud her ears hurt.
Jaimie had no idea where the gunman was, if he was still there or whether or not he’d left, but she had to do something. She had to try to save as many people as she could.
Moving slowly so as not to make any noise and draw attention to herself, she got up onto her hands and knees, trying to ignore the copious amounts of blood covering the floor, and she got up higher onto her knees. She couldn’t see anyone and figured the gunman was long gone so he didn’t get captured by the police who were on their way to the scene.
She could hear the distant wail of sirens and knew it wouldn’t be long before the cops were crawling all over the place. While she urged them to hurry in her mind, she braced her bloody hands on the desk before shoving to her feet. She was the only person standing and as she gazed about tears welled, rolled down her face, and she screamed.
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