by Jess Buffett
Hunter Clan 5
Jordan’s Purrfect Mate
Colton Rivers was born in captivity. Living within the walls of Potestas, he has lived with a terrible guilt for years, and after what is left of his family turns against him, he turns to the only safe harbour he knows—technology.
Jordan Foster has watched the people he cares most about find their mates, wondering when it would be his chance. So imagine his shock when he discovers his mate is none other than the arrogant little smartarse who has been causing him a world of trouble in their online war against Potestas.
Now, two opposing sides with the same goal—to take down Potestas once and for all—must come together, not just for their sake, but for the paranormal community. Can Jordan see past the attitude and snark, to the vulnerable mate beneath? And can Colton trust that Jordan won’t abandon him like everyone else has?
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 28,043 words
JORDAN’S PURRFECT MATE
Hunter Clan 5
Jess Buffett
EROTIC ROMANCE
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at
[email protected]
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove
JORDAN’S PURRFECT MATE
Copyright © 2014 by Jess Buffett
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-067-0
First E-book Publication: January 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Jordan’s Purrfect Mate by Jess Buffett from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Jess Buffett’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Buffett’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
This is for all the readers who have fallen in love with my boys just as much as I have.
Especially Byron, who always takes the time to let me know how much he enjoyed them. Meeting you at OZ Meet was fantastic!
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
About the Author
JORDAN’S PURRFECT MATE
Hunter Clan 5
JESS BUFFETT
Copyright © 2014
Prologue
Almost two thousand years ago, legend tells, Asena, a she-Wolf with a mane of blue, rescued and nursed an injured young boy back to health. As a result, the she-Wolf gave birth to ten half-Wolf, half-human boys. Many years later, one of her children, Ashina, became their leader and created the Ashina clan that ruled over the Göktürks and other Turkic nomadic empires. What the retellings of the legend failed to mention was the gift Asena’s sons were bestowed with that was passed on from generation to generation. The ability to transform into a Wolf like their mother.
So born was the Wolf-Shifter, to walk among the other paranormals of the world such as the Vampire, Mage, and other species of Shifter.
Of all of them, it was the Mage that were feared the most. Their ability to receive the element of Spirit—power over another’s mind and body—was seen as a threat, and as the races grew in numbers, so did their hate and distrust for those who could easily overpower them. In 1005 BC, a group called Potestas was formed to track down and wipe out any Mage who had obtained Spirit.
After years of living in fear, the Mage rose up and fought back. It was then that the others realised the mistake they had made in thinking a peaceful race would simply lie down and wait to be slaughtered. The Mage became the very thing that they had always feared, but only because they had been left no choice. Seeing no way to win a war they had started, it was recommended by all councils to disband the group, and to finally accept the Mages’ offer of peace, hoping the Mage were sincere. While there were those who still disagreed with the decision, no one outwardly opposed the council, and the Mage, true to their word, never struck out against those who had wronged them.
Time went on, and most wounds were healed. The paranormal races grew larger and spread over the world, living side by side with each other and humans. But most importantly, Potestas was disbanded and forgotten…at least so they thought.
With Potestas’s return, a war has begun and even more questions are being raised. Together the paranormal community is stronger, but with so much deception and misunderstanding, are they strong enough to face the threat that is coming? Who really controls the deadliest power the world has ever seen? And will the mates allow themselves to be torn apart, or will they fight for what was always meant to be theirs?
Chapter 1
Jordan
Jordan Foster was not a happy man.
In fact, the more he heard, the more pissed off he became.
He sat back listening to Jonas, the Rege of the Vaucluse Coven, reveal what he knew about his older brother, Darius.
A few weeks back they had discovered Darius Vaucluse was a major player in the group Potestas that seemed hell-bent on wiping out or controlling the entire paranormal community. Everyone was a target, and no one was safe. Potestas had decided to no longer play by the rules that had been set for longer than Jordan had been
alive. And Darius was leading the charge. It had come as a shock to everyone, but no more so than it had for Jonas and his younger brother Caleb. The two men were still reeling from the discovery.
“I never thought I’d see the day I’d find Darius alive,” Jonas admitted, agony stamped on his features. “Or that I would have to hunt him.”
Xander, the Anax of the Drakon Clutch, stepped forward, resting a hand on Jonas’s shoulder. “No one should have to be put in that position, but my men and I will help you any way we can.”
Clearing his throat, Jake drew everyone’s attention to him. “For those of you who don’t know, Xander and I have been in discussions over the possibility of his Clutch moving closer to the Clan and Coven.”
Jordan sat up straighter. What? How had he not known about this? Snorting at himself in disgust, he knew exactly why. Colton. The pierced, possibly tattooed, attitude-filled Panther had been distracting him since he’d arrived. The way he played with his lip ring when they argued drove Jordan to distraction, but when that tongue ring slipped out, all Jordan could do was shiver thinking of how good it would feel sliding up and down his cock.
Fuck. And now he was getting a boner in the middle of a meeting. Niiice.
Hell, if Jordan were honest, Colton had been driving him crazy a lot longer than just the last few weeks. If only he were capable of having a discussion with the younger man that didn’t result in him wanting to wring the little kitty’s neck. And now, it seemed Colton was even interfering in Jordan’s ability to be a good Ishad. He was supposed to protect the Clan, and right now he couldn’t even tell anyone what was going on with it.
Jordan snapped back to attention when Jake continued to talk. God, I hope I didn’t miss anything.
“After talks with his Clutch, Xander informed me this morning that they will be moving up this way. A treaty has been signed, and Xander has bought some of the unused land a little further north for his people.”
Fuck. Jordan had seen what Xander and his men could do in a fight. It was damned impressive, if not terrifying. He felt a measure of peace knowing they had the Dragons on their side.
“It’s time we made more of a stand. My Clutch is not many, but we are strong. And Potestas is a threat to all of us.” Xander growled, his eyes slitting into that of a Dragon’s as they glowed slightly. “They already knew about Elijah. However, after the last lot of attacks, both from them, and from us, they know that we are here. My guess is, that is why we haven’t heard from them lately. They hadn’t been expecting us, and now they need to regroup.”
The Anax had a point. One thing had been bothering him though. “Has anyone noticed that those we thought were dead seem to be popping up all over the place?”
His brother, Morgan, grunted, throwing a look in his direction. “Dipshit here may need lessons in diplomacy, but he has a point.”
Jordan shrugged at his brother’s censured look. He knew he wasn’t good with words. They usually came out wrong, but he never meant any harm.
Hmmm, maybe that was why he was having trouble with Colton. Jordan really did try hard to curb his usual snark when around the feisty Panther, only Colton seemed to take great pleasure in poking every single one of Jordan’s sore spots.
“Yes. It seems nothing is certain anymore,” Jonas agreed solemnly. “Every attack seems to have been structured for the specific purpose of acquiring what they need. We’ve been operating on the theory that their goal had merely changed from wanting the destruction of the Mage, to wanting to control them. Perhaps that is not the case either. We need to focus on what we do know, and work from there. No more assuming.”
“Right. What we know for sure is that Potestas is on the move again. We were able to maintain control over the warehouse we took down, though any members of the group that survived managed to get away,” Jake informed them. “I want to know how they’re moving so fast, where they went and who the hell else is involved.”
The Kayan paced the room, a sure sign of how agitated he was. Jake’s face was a careful mask of concentration and control. He was always so careful, putting on a game face. No one wanted to see their leader worried or unsure. However, Jordan had known the man since they were children and had been friends with him for more years than either could count. He knew the signs. Jake was ready to blow.
Jordan’s gaze abruptly shot to the door when a seductive and addictive scent hit his nose.
Colton.
Sure enough, only seconds later the door to the Kayan’s study was pushed open to reveal not only Colton, but Sawyer and Jayden as well, who immediately walked over to their mate’s sides. Jake and Rhys opened their arms wide to embrace their mates, and Jordan felt a twinge that he wasn’t able to do the same. Glancing over at Colton, Jordan frowned when he saw the look of longing on the other man’s face as he watched Jayden and Rhys embrace.
What the fuck!
Was Colton longing for his friend, Jayden? How could that be? They were mates, dammit. He knew things weren’t going so well between them at the moment, but the thought of his mate longing for another set his teeth on edge.
A fierce growl ripped through the room, and it was only when Jake cleared his throat and gave him a pointed look that Jordan realised it was coming from him. With a quick look over at his mate, he saw Colton gazing anywhere else but at him.
So the little shit wanted to pretend he didn’t exist, did he? Well, fine then.
Rising to his feet, he nodded respectfully to Jake. “If you have no further need of me, I think it best if I get back to tracking down Potestas’s possible whereabouts.”
At Jake’s nod, Jordan turned to leave, only to be brought to a standstill at the Kayan’s next words. “Sounds good. Colton, you go with him and see what you can do to help.”
Jordan faced his leader and friend, frowning. “I’m good. I can handle it on my own.”
A snort from Colton had his frown deepening.
“You’re not just searching for another location. You’re looking for a whole lot of other locations,” Colton muttered, glaring at him.
Jordan raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly does that mean?”
“It means…” Colton drawled, rolling his eyes. “Potestas isn’t moving from place to place. I thought you knew that, but after talking to Jayden, I figured out pretty quick that you guys didn’t. You’ve been playing the wrong game. All this time you thought you were playing cat and mouse, but it’s been the cups and balls magic trick all along.”
Cups and balls magic, what?
“So basically, Potestas has multiple setups ready to go, and just because we think they are working out of one of them doesn’t mean they don’t have another few set up and functional, in secret,” Jake surmised, shoving his hand into his hair. “Shit! It’s even worse than we thought.”
“They are set up all over the country,” Colton grimaced. “I thought you knew, otherwise I would have said something straightaway.”
“What about Darius?” Jonas asked Colton. “I’ve avoided the question up until now, but it’s too late. I need to know, is he in charge?”
The nervous look on Colton’s face told Jordan he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear. “Darius is in charge of a lot of things, but I can tell you one thing…he answers to someone else.”
Silence and tension filled the room. How high, and how far did this go? Jordan didn’t even need to hear the words come out of Jake’s mouth to know that the councils of all species were going to have to be brought in on this. It was no longer just their problem.
Jordan had the sudden urge to grab Colton and hide him. He snorted at that thought. Like Colton would let him. The Panther had made it pretty clear he didn’t think much of Jordan, professionally or personally. And didn’t that just chafe.
“Want me to set up a conference call for you and the Kurultai?” he asked Jake, trying to distract himself from those depressing thoughts.
Jake sighed. “Yeah. The sooner our council knows what’s going on the
better. I had hoped to keep this under control, but it’s bigger than we thought.”
“I’ll need to inform our council as well. The Consiliu is going to be furious when they discover Darius’s ties to all this,” Jonas added tiredly.
When Xander said nothing, everyone looked towards the Dragon leader.
“We are so few that we no longer have a council. I daresay except for a few strays here and there, my Clutch are the only Dragons in the southern hemisphere.” Xander shrugged. Jordan couldn’t understand how casually Xander spoke of his species being so close to extinction. He mustn’t have hidden his shock very well because Xander gave him a sad smile as he explained. “I have been alive for a long time, Jordan. I have seen so much. Maybe too much. And I have had enough time to come to terms with the idea that my species is dying out.”
Jordan didn’t really know what to say to that, so he gave the Dragon a respectful nod. He couldn’t fathom what it would be like to know his species was dying out, to be so old that you had learnt to accept it. Just how fucking old was the Dragon? Jordan knew that Jake had the details, but his friend wasn’t sharing.
“Well, we should probably get to work,” Colton piped up, a cheeky grin on his face.
Jordan frowned. “We? I think I can handle things on my own.”
No way was he being confined in a small room with the smartarse. The only thing Jordan was likely to accomplish was murder.
Colton’s eyes darted around the room before he lost some of his smile. “The Kayan said you’d need my help. And I have the skills you need to get the job done quicker.”