Seeing him with her kids, the way he worshipped her body and his heated declaration of wanting to keep her all fed the fairy tale she’d let herself believe. That Rafe was her Prince Charming. Even his ownership explanation made her feel as treasured as he claimed she was to him. How could she doubt him when he looked at her as if the stars and the moon shone in her eyes? She allowed dreams of the two of them getting married, maybe having a couple of kids and growing old together to bloom but Rafe would never age. She would. Or would she?
She swallowed a groan. She needed answers and she wanted them now. If she waited, her mind would keep churning and she’d work herself up, maybe over nothing. She had to remember she didn’t understand shifter culture or their rules, but she couldn’t ask Rafe about this. Whenever she tried to talk to him they ended up having sex. Besides, if she asked him about mating and he didn’t want her as his, she’d be crushed. But she knew one person who could answer her. Mira.
Carefully, so as not to wake Rafe, she eased out from under his thick arms and inched off the bed. It squeaked. She held still with one butt cheek hanging off the side but Rafe didn’t move. A sense of déjà vu hit her. She pressed against the pain in her chest then swallowed hard and did her best to ignore it.
She tiptoed to the bathroom, turned on the water and cringed. The old pipes banged. Water sputtered out of the tap. She held her breath and listened but Rafe’s steady breathing never changed. After the water heated, she lifted the little tab to start the shower. The metal rings scraped going over the rod but even the shrill noise didn’t wake Rafe. Confident her actions wouldn’t rouse him, she showered, shaved and gave her hair an extra-long conditioning treatment. It was still slightly tangled from Rafe’s fingers.
Dressed in another pair of comfy shorts—chosen in the hope that Rafe would find ways to touch her needy sex throughout the day—and a simple white tee, she slipped from the room. The house was quiet. Not surprising. Seth and Levi usually slept until mid-morning but unlike Rafe’s near comatose slumber, they woke easily.
Her house was old and had two sets of stairs. The rear set was at the opposite end of her big farmhouse near her boys’ room. The other led into the living room where Rafe’s brothers and friends were sleeping. She glanced from the stairs by her bedroom to the rear ones. Seth and Levi’s bedroom door stood open. If she walked past, there was a good chance the squeaky floorboards would wake them.
Which set of shifters did she dare wake? She chose the stairs by her room but stopped at the bottom. The sight before her sped her pulse. She reached for the banister to steady herself. A roomful of sleeping big cats and wolves separated her from the kitchen. Wrong choice. She’d rather deal with cranky kids than lose a limb to a predator she accidentally woke up.
“Come on down. It’s safe,” Josh called out.
She glanced across the sea of big, furry bodies to him. Josh leaned against the doorjamb with a cup of coffee in his hand. He wore a loose gray tee and sleep shorts but it didn’t appear as if he’d slept much. Red, blurry eyes met hers.
Trusting his judgment, she took a step down. If she kept to the edge of the room, she could avoid bumping into anybody’s furry form. She carefully made her way around but stopped and flicked her gaze back to Josh. No swollen eye or bruises and in the place of raw open wounds, four scars remained. Josh met her eyes but turned around and slipped into the kitchen before she could voice her shock.
She rushed forward and tripped over a huge wolf. She fell but human arms banded around her and saved her from face planting onto the floor. Her back met a man’s chest and warm breath bathed her neck. Fear rose but a hand clamped over her mouth before she could scream.
“Settle, Rafe’s mate. I won’t hurt you,” Xander’s voice drifted to her.
She stilled. He dropped his hand but didn’t release her. “Let me go.”
“In a minute.” He hissed out a breath. “You woke me and now I have a beautiful woman’s body in my arms. You’ll embarrass us both if you turn around now. And if your male finds out you aroused me, he’ll beat the shit out of me.”
The rod jabbing into her backside supported his answer and his honesty settled her nerves. She nodded. “My name’s Jazz, not Rafe’s mate.”
“Same thing to me.”
“No, it’s not. We just hooked up. You know, a fling.” Or at least that’s what she would make herself believe until Rafe said otherwise.
Xander chuckled. “Humans are ignorant. I certainly don’t envy Rafe.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said yesterday. You don’t understand anything, woman.”
Jaw clenched, she bit out, “Then enlighten me.”
“All right. Rafe has never been intimate with a human more than once and from the scent of sex drifting down those stairs last night, he probably took you every damn time he woke up. Means your special.” He gave her a little shake and released her. “Don’t screw it up.”
She turned around but instead of a man, a white wolf stood there. Piercing blue eyes met hers then he curled into a ball and buried his nose in his bushy tail. She took the hint and left him alone. The remaining trek across the room was incident-free. She slipped inside the kitchen and let a sigh escape.
The mess had been cleaned up but the dining room’s emptiness was a reminder of the fight that had occurred there, a fight Josh should still be recovering from. She glanced at the man in question. He stood at the counter, her laptop in front of him and a toasted bagel on a dish next to it. No sign of stiffness and no evidence of his injuries except for the scar.
“What happened to you?”
Josh raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
She crossed the room and propped a hip against the counter next to him. “Last night you looked as if you were lucky to have survived the fight. And today you look no worse for wear.”
Josh stared at her a moment but turned his head without answering. He typed on the computer, hit enter. “Mira took care of me.”
“How?”
He ran a hand though his hair and made the ends stand in spikes. “It’s not important.” He closed the lid on the computer and leveled her with a hard glare. “So I guess you and I are over. Huh, babe?”
“We haven’t been an item since high school, Josh.”
He reached forward, captured a lock of her hair and twirled it around his finger. “But you were thinking about getting back with me.”
She pulled the strands free and smoothed a hand down the length. “Let’s not talk about this right now.”
“I think we should. You and Rafe are getting serious and I want to make sure it’s what you want.”
She dropped her gaze. “I don’t know if what I want matters.” Because I’m a beloved human, owned by a wickedly sexy shifter that I’m falling for.
He tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Your wants always matter. I don’t care what Rafe is. If you don’t want to be with him, you don’t have to be. I’ll make sure of it.”
She sighed and admitted, “Yes, I do want Rafe. I know it’s crazy. We haven’t known each other long, but he makes me feel special.”
Josh grunted as if that was the answer he expected. “And he was okay with your explanation of how you found Seth and Levi?”
She’d forgotten about Rafe grilling Josh for details of her past. With everything else going on, what happened five years ago didn’t seem important. “I haven’t told him yet.”
He dropped his hand. “Jesus, babe. You’ve got to tell him.”
“I will.”
“Soon. I don’t want him breaking your heart if it’s something he can’t forgive. Any more nights like the last one and you’re going to fall for him.”
She covered her mouth and squeaked, “We were that loud?”
Josh chuckled. “No, but I slept in the guest bedroom next to yours. The thumping of the headboard on the wall was a dead giveaway that you and your cat-man weren’t sleeping.”
He
r cheeks heated but his teasing tone eased her embarrassment. “Cat-man?”
“Sure, you know, like Batman only he can turn into a cat,” Josh said with a little shrug.
“I’m not even going to comment on that.” She rolled her eyes but was glad Josh wasn’t jealous anymore, or adamantly insisting he wasn’t going to let her go. They’d been through too much together. His friendship meant a lot to her. “Have you seen Mira? I need to talk to her.”
Josh rubbed at his neck. He tipped his head in the direction of the patio doors. “She took a cup of coffee and went out to sit on the deck awhile ago.”
“You didn’t go with her?”
His gaze settled on the closed computer. “Had to deal with Tony’s stuff.”
Guilt and sadness killed the teasing mood. “Have you decided what to do about…”
“About his body?” He nodded. “We’re having him cremated. We’ll have a memorial service later, after things settle down.”
If they ever did. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this world, Josh.”
“I’m not. Megan might not be my kid but she sure feels like it. I love the little munchkin.”
She gave his hand a squeeze. “Why don’t you go get some sleep? You look like shit.”
“Yeah, I think I will,” Josh said and walked to the hallway door.
Jazz picked up the untouched bagel and ate it in three bites. She hadn’t eaten much at dinner then had sex all night. She was hungry. The coffee was cold so she dumped it, rinsed the cup and set it to dry before heading outside.
The deck was vacant but Mira’s coffee cup sat empty on the railing. Jazz stepped to the end and scanned the backyard. Gray storm clouds had moved in. The sun that had woken her was hidden now. She squinted.
Clothes were scattered about the ground near the tree line. She glanced from Mira’s coffee cup to the discarded outfit. A morning run? The thought amused her until she remembered the murdering shifter still unaccounted for. What was Mira thinking? Sure, the Viking twins were watching the property, doing patrols, but she should wake someone up to check on her.
She turned to head back inside but an animal’s whining reached her ears. It was faint but came from the direction of the woods where Mira’s clothes were scattered.
Mira. Oh god. She took a couple of steps down the stairs to get a better view, saw what was lying just beyond the tree line and screamed.
Chapter Twenty
Jasmine’s scream woke him. Rafe sat up, looked at the empty side of the bed next to him and cursed. She left him. Again. He threw the door open and ran down the stairs. Kade and his friends were stirring but none were outside, protecting his woman. He pushed past Xander and circled the house, following her scent and the sound of her sobs.
Rafe found her at the edge of the woods with Mira’s arms wrapped around her. Devin stood protectively over both women. He dipped his head in thanks that they’d kept her safe when he had failed to do so. Twice he’d failed her. It was two times too many.
He smelled blood nearby but it was animal blood, not human or shifter. Although he hated for any creature to lose its life, he didn’t want one of his loved ones to be the one who’d suffered. He turned Jasmine into his embrace. She buried her face against his chest and cried harder. With soothing strokes to her hair, he petted her and murmured comforting words as he did his best to ease her distress.
Finally the sobs racking her body slowed. She sniffled. “He killed Bobby Rae.”
“Mr. Wilkins’ dog,” Devin added.
Tightening his arms around Jasmine, he met Devin’s eyes. “Have you spoken to the male who was watching him?”
Worry etched Devin’s features. “No answer and nobody’s picking up at the neighbor’s house.”
“Shit.” Rafe glanced at the woods around them. “Whose turn was it for patrol?”
“Not sure.” Devin’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I was out of it for a while this time.”
Rafe reached forward and gave the other male’s arm a squeeze but didn’t comment on his problems. They embarrassed him.
“Find out then send the others to hunt the bastard,” Rafe ordered.
“I’ll go too.”
Rafe shook his head. No way was he letting Devin out of his pride’s sight. “Stay close. Help me protect Jasmine, Mira and the kids.”
Devin stared at him through the fall of his hair. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“You’d never hurt a kid or a female. I trust you.”
Devin swallowed hard and nodded. Without saying another word, he took Mira’s hand and led her back toward the house.
Rafe waited for them to step away then demanded, “Why did you leave me?”
Jasmine pushed against his chest but gave up and leaned back to meet his eyes. “I didn’t leave you, Rafe. I went downstairs to talk to Mira. When I couldn’t find her, I got worried.” She pointed to where a pile of clothes lay. “I thought she’d gone for a run. I was going to tell someone but I heard an animal whining—”
“So you decided to investigate by yourself?” Rafe shook her then pulled her close and buried his face into her hair. “He was here, Jasmine. That dog didn’t crawl all the way from your neighbor’s house. He left it to die as a warning.”
“A warning of what?”
Rafe snorted. He swept Jasmine into his arms and headed back to the house. “That he can get close enough to hurt my loved ones.”
She linked her hands around his neck. “I thought that with your friends in the woods I’d be safe. I saw it from the deck and when Mira came out from the barn, I ran forward.”
He stopped walking and stared into her face. “He could’ve gotten you before Mira reached you.”
“I know that now,” she mumbled. “I wasn’t thinking, but Devin came out right behind Mira. So we—”
“We’re damn lucky.”
He glanced around the woods. Calum was close. Might still be. They’d known he was masking his scent. The drug developed a little after the turn of the century was readily available to all shifter groups. It was a common practice to cover the scent of all children. When given in a high enough dose, it worked quite well for adults too. It was why it’d been so hard to find Nina and his nieces after they’d disappeared. There’d been no trail to follow.
“If he can get close to us, we’re not safe. What are we going to do?” Jasmine asked.
“Catch him,” he snapped.
“But how?”
Kade came out of the house before he could come up with an answer. “Got a call from Xander’s male. He’d been drugged and the neighbor…”
Jasmine tensed. “Is dead. Isn’t he?”
Kade shook his head. “He’s alive but he’s been injured. He’s on his way to the hospital.” He paused, glanced toward where the animal had been left and sighed. “And the rest of his dogs are missing.”
She buried her face into the crook of Rafe’s neck and choked back a cry. He held her tighter. “Where the hell are our guards?”
“The one on the front of the house ran off into the woods when Jasmine screamed. The one stationed back here was drugged too.” Kade pointed a few hundred feet from where the dog had been found. “He must’ve gone to investigate. We have him but he hasn’t woken up yet.”
Jasmine began to cry, soft sobs that broke his heart. The urge to comfort her pushed back his anger for the moment.
Rafe nuzzled against her wet cheek but met Kade’s eyes. “Protect us.”
Kade nodded, understanding without the words. Jasmine needed her male’s comfort and Rafe wanted to soothe her anguish without worrying.
“We will catch him and make him pay for this. I promise you,” Rafe assured her.
Jasmine didn’t respond so he tucked her closer. He carried her into the barn and climbed the stairs to the loft. Rafe swept his gaze over the nook and smiled. He’d asked Kade to bring some blankets up here but his brother had really outdone himself. Thick quilts were spread out on the floor and tapestries were
strung up around the makeshift bed. Two large pillows were pressed against the wall and camp lanterns were hung from the exposed beams in the ceiling. A basket in the corner held what smelled like potpourri—a tad strong for his taste but Jasmine would like it—and massage oils. He gave the little spot one last glance and chuckled.
It was corny, borderline cheesy, but the fact that Kade had done this for him meant a lot more than any words of his acceptance could have. Kade approved of Jasmine, wanted her happy as much as Rafe did.
Jasmine lifted her head and glanced at their improvised bedroom. “This is beautiful.” She lifted her gray eyes, puffy and red from crying, to meet his. “Did you do this for me?”
The urge to lie was strong but he wouldn’t be untruthful with his female. If he wanted her honesty and trust, she deserved the same. “It’d like to say yes but I can’t. Kade fixed this spot for us.”
She frowned and looked at the alcove with narrowed eyes. “I didn’t think he liked me.”
He stepped onto the quilts and knelt with Jasmine still cradled against his chest. “Why would you say that?”
She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. “He always has a scowl on his face when he looks at me.”
He laid her down and stretched out next to her. “Kade was born first and he always complains that our mother mixed us up right after birth. That I should be the one in charge of our pride, not him.” He skimmed a hand over her belly. “Sometimes I think he may be right. Mother always called us by the wrong name.”
She rolled onto her side. “I had a hard time telling Seth and Levi apart those first couple of weeks too. I kept Seth in blue and Levi in yellow until I learned to distinguish their cries. Seth was more intense.”
That he was. The child would need guidance as he grew but it wasn’t his fault he had a hard time reining in his emotions. It only meant his animal spirits were more stubborn than Levi’s. He hated to think of the issues Jasmine would’ve had to tackle on her own.
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