True, but in that instance, you would steal something of great value to sell.
Maybe Tyler did and that is why the gang is not telling what it is. It’s a matter of pride. Although, his cougar was not convinced. Axel’s logic made the most sense. But a person?
Why not? Axel sighed and fixed his attention on Jenessa. She looked pale and her eyes misted with tears as Axel’s words sank in.
“All this time we’ve been accusing him of being a thief when all he’s done is run off with his mate?” Jenessa shook her head. “Why didn’t he come home? We would have helped him.”
“He must have known he wouldn’t have been accepted back into the Orion MC. Not with a member of the Hell Fire gang as his mate. That’s why he ran.” Axel took hold of her hand and held it in his. She was cold even though the apartment was warm.
“Hogg has a daughter. If it was her, then he would not want her to mate outside of his gang. He sees them as a pack. The thought of some guy from another gang being a threat to him would not sit well.” Cooper rubbed his chin before he got up and went to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle and three glasses. “I need something stronger.”
“How long have you had this idea?” Jenessa asked as Cooper poured out the liquor. “Thanks.” She took a drink without asking what it was.
“The thought came to me yesterday. I was trying to figure out what would make a man do something so stupid. The only reason I could come up with was love. Or a mate.” Axel shrugged. “I may be completely wrong.”
“How do we find out if you are right?” Jenessa rubbed her fingers across her forehead, she looked worn down and beat.
“I can ask around to see if anyone has seen Hogg’s daughter,” Cooper suggested.
“But it could be anyone, couldn’t it?” Jenessa asked. “Just because it’s not Hogg’s daughter doesn’t mean it’s not another gang member’s daughter. Or sister.”
“No, it does not, but it has to be someone high up or they would not have been willing to go to war over it. And war is what they threatened. If the Orion MC hadn’t denounced Tyler, then there would have been violence on the streets.”
“Where would he go?” Axel asked no one in particular. “If he did steal away his mate, where would they go?”
“Wait, is Hogg’s daughter a shifter?” Jenessa asked.
“Yes, she is, but like you said, it might not be her.” Cooper stood up and paced the room. “This is one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard.”
“But most of the gang are shifters. Wolves. Can you imagine how they would feel to have a bear run off with one of their women?” Cooper shook his head. “Ahh, it makes sense.”
“If she was a shifter, she would feel it, too. The mating bond, so Tyler didn’t really steal anything.” Jenessa took another slug of her drink.
“So it seems.” Axel nursed his drink while he thought over what this meant. There had to be a way of making things right.
We can’t make things right until we know for sure what is wrong. His cougar raised an eyebrow. Do we really think this is all due to pack politics?
Possibly. You know how gangs are. Now add in pack politics and things could get nasty, fast.
“Listen, we should all get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, you go and speak to Timone and I’ll try to find out if any women are missing from the Hell Fire MC.” Cooper downed his drink, went back for a refill, and swallowed the next shot in one go. “I have no idea how this is going to get resolved. Tyler and his mate might be on the run for the rest of their lives.”
“Oh, no. I am going to find a way to end this. I know I don’t know as much about gangs as you all do, but I am going to resolve this situation and bring Tyler home.” She swallowed down her drink and carried the empty glass to the kitchen.
As he watched her, Axel swelled with pride. His mate was smart and unstoppable, he believed that if anyone could figure out a solution, it would be Jenessa. If anyone could. He had his doubts, but he believed in her.
“Coop’s right, we should sleep on it and wake up with clear heads. In some ways, this just got harder.” Axel took his glass and the coffee cups to the kitchen. “Of course, I could be wrong, and Tyler might just have stolen a bike or something of sentimental value. He might have done it as a dare or even to prove himself to his gang and it backfired. There are a million and one other explanations.”
“But none that makes as much sense.” She looked him in the eye and he saw the desperation there, the need to cling to hope that her brother was not a bad person and he hadn’t turned to life in a motorcycle gang for any other reason than he’d found his mate.
“It does make the most sense, but life doesn’t always make sense. We try to find logic where there is none. If we all went with what made sense, we would all get along much better. But add in passion and envy and all the other emotions that rule us and bad things happen. Things that we don’t mean to happen. Things we wish we could take back.” Axel took a breath. “We need to keep an open mind.”
“I will, I promise.” She kissed his cheek and then stepped back. “I need some things from the car.”
“Okay.” Axel’s mouth twitched up at the corner. “If there is anyone who can figure this out, it’s you.”
“It’s a good thing you brought me along then.” She ran her hand down his chest and then left the kitchen heading for the stairs.
“I’ll come and give you a hand.” Axel followed her across the apartment.
“The guest room is through there.” Cooper pointed to one of the doors leading off the open-plan room. “The bathroom is next to it, my room is on the end. If you need anything, just help yourself. I’ll be back in an hour or two.”
“You’re going out?” Axel asked in surprise.
“Yeah, I like to run at night. If you know where to go, the streets are deserted enough that no one notices me if I stick to the shadows. And those that see me are usually too drunk to believe their eyes.” Cooper went down the stairs and Jenessa and Axel followed.
“When we’re back in Cougar Ridge, you should come and stay for a while,” Axel suggested.
“I might take you up on that.” Cooper opened the door leading into the garage area. “Although, I’m needed here.”
“You’re still helping kids get off the street?” Axel asked.
“Trying to teach them a trade, give them somewhere safe to go. I wish there was more I could do, but it all takes money.” Cooper headed for a small door on the side of the building. “I’ll lock up behind myself. You two go get some rest. We’ll get together again over breakfast and figure this all out.”
“Thanks, Cooper,” Jenessa called as Cooper unlocked the small door.
“You’re welcome, Jenessa. And I’m sorry I gave you a hard time over your dad.” Cooper stepped outside and was gone before she had a chance to answer.
“He’s a good guy.” Jenessa opened the trunk of her car and pulled out her overnight bag. “Do you know anything about Cooper and my dad?”
“No, but then until you walked into my life, I had no idea who your dad was. And Cooper doesn’t talk about the past very much. He’s like a closed book. We used to run in the same gang for a while and we left about the same time. I think that’s why we kept in touch, because we both have to deal with the same demons.” Axel grabbed his backpack and looked around the garage. “This place hasn’t changed at all.”
“The area is ripe for development.” Jenessa’s cheeks flushed pink. “Sorry, I’d better not say that to Cooper since his life is here.”
“No, I think he’d like to see the area developed, it would break up the gangs that roam the streets. Plus, he owns several of these warehouses. He could put the money to good use and finally make the difference he’s always dreamed of.”
He led her back upstairs. After they found Tyler, he would come back and talk to Cooper about selling the old warehouses. Jenessa was right, they were ripe for conversion and might help pull the local area up off its knees and bring hope to t
he people around here.
After Tyler, his cougar said firmly. We cannot allow anything to slow us down in our search for him. If he has found his mate, we need to find them and help them to safety.
I could be wrong, and we might be setting off on some wild goose chase. Axel wished he had concrete information that Tyler had found his mate in one of the women from the rival Hell Fire gang and this was why he’d run. It would make his actions much less criminal.
As long as she went by her own free will, his cougar reminded him. Otherwise, he might be charged with kidnapping.
Whatever happened, it’s a murky road, but one we have to travel along to find out the truth for Jenessa.
“This is the room.” Jenessa stood nervously outside of the bedroom door.
“I can sleep on the floor or out here on the sofa,” Axel offered.
“No, it’s fine.” She reached for the door handle and turned it, the door swung open to reveal a large double bed and a dresser. There was a built-in closet along one wall and two nightstands on either side of the bed. The furniture was all plain and functional. “We can share.”
“I don’t snore, I promise.” He tried to make light of them sharing a bed for the night, and Jenessa smiled gratefully.
“I might, since I don’t remember the last time I spent the night with someone else.” Her forehead creased. “Not that I sleep with men and then leave.”
Axel chuckled. “It’s okay, and I’m okay with you snoring. Just remind me to buy earplugs tomorrow.”
“Hey, I didn’t say I did snore, I just meant...” She wagged her finger at him. “You’re making fun of me.”
“No, I’m trying to sweep that dark cloud away. It’s been stuck over your head since we got here.” He dropped the bags on the floor and went to her. “Let’s just forget about everything else for the night. We have a plan and no matter how many times you go over it in your head, the plan is not going to change tonight. So why don’t I go and make us some coffee, or tea, or pour us something alcoholic and then we can relax and go to sleep.”
“I have another idea of how we might relax and forget about everything.” She slid her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to his.
“Now who is teasing?” Although, he could not resist placing his hand on the small of her back and drawing her close, so their bodies were pressed tightly together.
“Who said I was teasing?” She inched her head forward until her lips were almost touching his. Jenessa hesitated, as if asking him a question and waiting for his response.
In answer to her question, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. Fireworks went off in his head. This first kiss would stay with him forever.
Chapter Sixteen – Jenessa
Jenessa ignored the question in her head. She didn’t want to think about whether this was a good idea or whether it would mess up their hunt for Tyler. She was fed up with all the questions that seemed to play on repeat in her head.
Instead, she acted on instinct, and her instinct told her this was the best idea she’d ever had.
Making love with Axel was the right thing to do. And as he kissed her, it was the only thing she wanted to do. For once she was going to take what was hers and hold onto it. And Axel was hers, just like she was his and always would be. It was the one certainty in her life.
“Are you sure?” he whispered when their kiss broke, and she took his hand and led him toward the bed.
“Absolutely.” She looked down at their hands joined together. “I want this. I want you.” She looked him in the eyes. “If it’s what you want, of course. Just because we’re mates, you might not want to...so soon.”
“Oh, I have wanted you since the moment we met.” He let out a short nervous laugh. “But I don’t want to rush you, I don’t want you to think that you need to for me to go with you.”
She smiled, her shoulders relaxing. “I know how you feel and I’m doing this because I want to. Because I want you. Not because my brother has gotten himself in trouble.” She tugged on his hand and he came closer. “Tonight is just about you and me.”
“Well, if you put it like that.” He slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her once more. Her insides turned to liquid fire and her clothes felt too tight, too restrictive. She longed to be naked beneath him, to feel him inside her, and know that he was hers.
Not that she didn’t know. His possessive kisses told her that he would fight to the death for her because they were mates.
Axel pushed her jacket off her shoulders and immediately set to work removing her sweater before the jacket hit the floor. He certainly scored points for his eagerness.
Jenessa gasped as he dragged the sweater over her head and took her shirt with it. She was dressed in only her bra and... He expertly removed her bra, his eyes filled with hunger as he cupped her breasts in his hands and lowered his head to suck in one taut nipple.
“Oh.” She thrust her fingers into his hair and cradled his head to her breast as he rolled his tongue around and around the tortured bud. Her stomach clenched, she wanted him inside her, she wanted him to thrust hard and deep and take her to new heights and chase away the pain in her heart.
Her fingers fumbled on the buttons of his worn jeans, but she undid them, then realized she had to tackle his belt before they would slip down over his narrow hips. It was as if his mouth on her breasts and his fingers stroking her skin robbed her of all coherent thought.
He broke away from her as his jeans slid off his hips and pooled at his feet. With a step to the side, he freed himself of the fabric, lifted her in his arms, and placed her down on the bed. With no fumbling whatsoever, he unbuttoned her black slacks and pulled them off, taking her panties with them. She was naked.
Her hand reached for the bedspread, she wanted to cover herself with it, not lie here exposed by the light.
“Let me look at you.” Axel reached for the hem of his T-shirt and dragged it over his head in one fluid movement.
Jenessa’s hand closed around the bedspread. She could just cover herself with it. They could make love under the warmth and safety of the covers.
But Axel’s eyes, feasting on her soft plump skin, gave her courage. He loved her no matter what size she was. So what if she carried a few extra pounds on her hips or if her thighs wobbled in places they had no right to wobble. He loved her for who she was. His mate.
Jenessa reached for him, her hand slipping around his neck as she pulled him down to her side. The warmth of his body chased away the chill of her cool skin and she shivered as he leaned forward and kissed her neck, his lips light as they skimmed her skin. Jenessa turned onto her side and faced him, wanting to drink in his features and commit them to memory. All this was so new, he was so new. She hadn’t explored the contours of his body through his clothes, there had been no preamble to their lovemaking. Everything about Axel was new and raw and exciting. So very exciting.
He stroked her skin, his hands rough from manual labor, yet gentle, his touch light as if she were a small animal he didn’t want to crush. Jenessa pulled his head down farther and their lips met in a searing kiss that heightened her arousal. Lifting her leg, she draped it over his thigh, pressing herself closer to him, wanting to feel him inside her. Yet she didn’t want to rush things. She wanted to spend time exploring his body, touching his flesh, and stroking his skin.
His lips moved against hers and she opened her mouth to allow him access. He slid his tongue along her lower lip, nipping the soft sensitive flesh, teasing her before he entered her mouth. She ached in her core as their tongues entwined. The need to feel him inside her, for him to fill her and move in a slow steady rhythm until she came, was too much.
Jenessa reached between their bodies and curled her fingers around his hardened length. The breath hissed through his teeth and their kiss broke as he groaned, his eyes closed as his fingers curled the pillow into a tight ball. Up and down she moved her hand, stroking him, teasing him while he lay there enraptured by her touch.
>
As if he finally broke the spell she’d cast on him, he rolled her onto her back, and she moved her thighs wide apart so he could nestle between them. Axel placed his hand on her thigh, inching her leg higher as she guided him into her. She gasped as he entered her, he was big, his hard length stretching her inner walls as he drove deeper and deeper. She tensed her muscles, a tight sheath around his silken hardness that drove him insane. He groaned, the noise guttural, primal, and she was reminded that he was half-man, half-beast, possessive of his mate with a burning desire to please her.
And please her he did. Thrusting deeper, he moved with perfect control as he penetrated her completely. For a long moment, he lay still inside her as if savoring the feel of her surrounding him. Then he moved, pulling back out before thrusting deeper, harder, pushing her to those new heights she dreamed of and chasing away all thought of anything other than him and the way he made her feel.
Her excitement grew, her body was oversensitive to each touch of his fingers as he trailed them lazily over her skin. His mouth worshiped her body, soft kisses, his tongue lingering over her nipples before moving to lick the curve of her breasts.
Jenessa nipped his neck, wanting to leave a mark to say this man was hers, she had claimed him. Then she licked his skin to soothe it as if she could soothe away his pain and his regrets.
As they rode together toward their climax, she wanted to make everything right in his world, to brush away his old life and show him a new life, one filled with love and wonder. There would be no room for hardships. She could provide for them both. If he would let her. All she wanted in return was a man, a husband who would be loyal and kind and give her children and be the best father a child could wish for.
If only Axel would accept this version of their lives and not feel threatened.
He lunged into her, his mouth on hers as her orgasm hovered in front of her. She reached out and grabbed it, her inner muscles tight around his hardness before her climax hit her. Axel jerked into her as he came, his body tense as he filled her with his essence.
Axel Summer Shifters Season 2 Page 11