BirthMark (24 page)

“Can we go in now?” she asked when he didn’t move.

He stepped back and rearranged his pants to cover his raging hard-on. Leaning around her he opened the door. She placed a quick kiss on his lips and entered the room.

Davian Bennett was his height, with a muscular build and chiseled features, and looked at Silas’ mate with too much familiarity. His wolf scented the air and didn’t like the other wolf so close to Jasmine. He fought back the growl that rose in his throat.

“Jasmine?” Davian’s jaw unhinged and then snapped shut. He blinked and looked at her again. “Whaaat are you doing here?” He glanced from her to Silas. Then looked at Silas again and straightened to attention. His eyes slid from Silas to Jasmine, but he remained standing and quiet.

“At ease,” Silas said. “Have a seat. Jasmine just discovered you aren’t dead, she talked to Matthew earlier and wanted to talk to you. Do not touch her, this is not a reunion, she has a few things to ask and get off her chest.”

Davian nodded slowly, pulled out a chair and sat. He pulled his eyes from Silas and looked at Jasmine. A little too long in Silas’ opinion.

“Jazz,” Davian began in a soft voice. “I’m sorry. I have no excuse for being such an ass. I thought things would be better for you if I disappeared after I met Matt. I didn’t plan for that to happen. I’m sorry.”

“Why didn’t you just divorce me? You were with that man while we were married. I could’ve moved on, met someone else. Someone who’d love me,” she asked.

“I loved you and the thought of not having you in my life, I…just couldn’t bear it. For a long time I was so angry about Matt. I rejected him as my mate. He’s a man, Jazz. A man…I didn’t like men…” He closed his eyes and shook his head as though the idea was too hard to believe.

“I had a wife, kids, a home, responsibilities. And poof, just like that it was all gone because of something out of my control. I couldn’t believe the fates would do that to me. Matt wasn’t all that thrilled at first either. There was this nurse he was really into. After we met he couldn’t…you know, get it up. And she grew tired of his mouth and … well, you get it. It was a hard thing to accept. But I could see how miserable you were. You tried to make it work.” He closed his eyes. “You’d bought that purple and black lacy thing, and I wanted to—”

A low growl escaped Silas’ lips that this was not the kind of closure he'd agreed to. His wolf was straining at the leash as it was.

Davian’s eyes snapped open. He glanced at Silas with a frown and then looked at Jasmine. “Anyway, I’d never hated being mated like I did that night. Every time I was near you was torture. I wanted you, but my …my equipment wouldn’t work, and you weren’t into much else.” He paused and looked at her. “You were so unhappy, it tore me apart. I couldn’t tell you I was a mated wolf or explain why I couldn’t be your husband in bed.” He released a breath. “You were already entitled to half my pension but I wanted you to have more. So I faked my death and cut myself out of your life.”

“What about the boys?” Jasmine asked.

Silas glanced at Jasmine. She didn’t seem moved one way or the other by what he had just said. And since their link was closed he had no idea what she thought or how she felt about all of this.

He looked away. “They hate me for making you unhappy. Tyrese...” he shook his head. “That boy is one tough sucker. After a couple of years of going back and forth, I introduced Matt to the boys on one of our camping trips. I planned to explain what mating was and how it would impact their wolves. I got as far as the introduction, Tyrese jumped me and Matt, and neither of us is small. I had bruises the next day,” he said proudly, as though congratulating his genes for their part in procreating such a fine specimen.

“They still missed you.”

“Hell, I missed my wife, my sons, my life. But it was out of my hands. You were a passionate woman who deserved to be loved. If I could have given that to you, I never would have left.”

Silas read the sincerity in Davian’s eyes, and was happy for Jasmine’s sake that the man had a damn good reason for being an ass. He waited for Jasmine to thank Davian and leave the room.

“I hated you,” she said, looking at Davian.

“I know.”

“You should’ve told me. I probably couldn’t' have handled the wolf thing back then, but you faked your death. I felt guilty for hating you. I would have let you go, no drama, no strings. A divorce would have worked better, for me.”

She sighed. “I convinced Silas to let us talk for closure. I like Matthew by the way; he gave me permission to slap you for the heartache you caused.”

“I deserve it.” He looked around. “He was in this room, this chair earlier. Is he okay? I mean he had nothing to do with me leaving. It was becoming harder and harder to function when we were separated.”

“I’m mated.”

Davian’s brows rose and he snapped back. His eyes slid from Jasmine to Silas and then back to her.

Silas straightened, wanting the man to know she was indeed his mate.

“So I understand. But I didn’t back then and that’s what I needed closure on. Thanks for explaining what happened. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but… thanks. Be happy, Davian.” Jasmine stood and in Silas’ opinion she appeared regal.

“Wait,” Davian said, reaching forward to stop her.

Silas growled and his eyes burned, no doubt the color of his wolf.

Davian’s hand fell as he glanced at Jasmine. “You’re not a wolf. How can you be mated?”

“How could I have babies who turned into wolves?” she countered.

He nodded. “So you’re a human breeder. We were so young back then, when I heard about that possibility, I ignored it. And all this time you were one of those lucky women who can actually handle a wolf and give him pups.”

Scowling, Silas looked at the man.

Davian threw up his hands in a placating gesture. “Well, we only had the boys, so I thought it was a fluke.”

“No, Davian, it was birth control pills and an IUD. After a few years of marriage I wasn’t taking any chances on another oopsie.”

“When did you first hear of human breeders?” Silas asked.

Davian placed his fingertip against his lip and closed his eyes. “It was right before that party you threw for the boys at the skating rink.” He looked at Jasmine and she smiled softly.

A flash of jealousy hit Silas at their shared memories. She glanced at him and replayed scenes of the two of them with the babies which eased his spirit.

“That would’ve been when they were just turning eight.” She looked at Silas. “That’s been a while.”

“Umm.” Davian looked at Jasmine and then Silas. “So the two of you are mated. Is that why you’re here?”

“Yes,” Silas said before Jasmine could answer.

Davian smiled broadly, stood, and stuck out his hand to Silas. “Thank the Goddess. I prayed she’d meet someone worthy of her and she has.”

As much as Silas didn’t want to like the man, he found himself shaking his hand and doing a scan. Just as he thought, there was no subterfuge in Davian Bennett. He loved his mate, but he loved Jasmine and his sons as well. Most importantly, he was genuinely happy for Jasmine.

“She completes me,” was all Silas could say, watching the color rise on her cheeks.

“If you could put in a good word for me with the twins the next time you talk to them, I’d appreciate it. We live in Arkansas near the University. I’d love to have them visit. Or call me, just to catch up.”

“They live here with us. Both of them are on Silas personal security detail,” Jasmine said, pride ringing through her voice.

Davian’s eyes widened before he looked at Silas. “They are good pups. Smart, strong, loyal, you couldn’t have chosen better.” He looked at Jasmine. “In your mate or security detail.”

Silas nodded. Ready to remove his mate from such close confines, he opened the door and called Tyrese. There was no response. “
Tyrese?”

“
Tyrone?”

“
Yes, Sir?”

“
I cannot connect with Tyrese. Do you know where he is?”

“
One moment.”
Tyrone came back on the line.
“He’s unconscious. Wherever he is, he can’t respond.”
There was a rising note of concern in Tyrone’s voice.

“
Calm down, Rone. Let me in through your connection,”
Silas said, and piggybacked through the intimate connection of the twins, which was much closer than the one he shared with them.

“What’s wrong?” Jasmine asked when Silas remained still without speaking.

He held up one finger even as he threw out a security net around the building and did a body check.
“Hank,. We have two men down in the tunnels heading to the holding rooms. I left two rebels in chains there, check them first.”

Jasmine pulled his arm and stared at him. “Tyrese is missing.”

“What?” Davian said, moving too close to Jasmine. Silas growled and his eyes heated again. “Back up, Bennett.”

Davian returned to the other side of the table, gripping the chair tight. “I can shift and pick up their trail. I’ll contact you through Rone as soon as I find out something.”

Silas held up a finger for quiet.

“
He’s in a trunk and he’s not alone,”
Tyrone said.

Silas inhaled through the link. “Asia, they took Asia.”

“Asia?” Jasmine looked at him.

“One of the rebels I interrogated earlier.” He spoke to Tyrone.
“Any way to determine their direction?”

“
Give me a minute.”

Silas looked at Davian. “Follow me. I’m going to let you out to see if you can pick up his trail.”

Davian nodded.

They moved at a clipped pace to the stairs and went down two levels until they reached the holding areas. “Contact Rone the minute you know where he is. Do not engage them. They may be your family.”

Davian’s head whipped around. “What?”

“The Bennett clan has it out for my mate and her sons. Supposedly they are on their way to kill them. I don’t intend to allow that to happen, of course.”

Davian’s eyes glowed with the force of his anger and the eagerness to change, it pulsed through him. Silas understood his raging need to protect and defend. “My family, with the exception of my son, is in this building. The rest of them are dead to me.”

Silas nodded.

Davian changed into a large brown wolf. He padded around the area a bit before entering the room Tyrese had been working in and the room Asia where had been locked up. He followed the scents down the stairs, past the dead security guard who had driven him to the compound, and out of the building. Silas watched on the screen as Davian cleared the grounds. He motioned Jasmine forward while he continued to monitor Tyrese with Tyrone.

Jasmine placed her smaller hand in his and squeezed it. Her large gorgeous eyes said it all.
Please don’t let anything happen to my baby
.

Silas kissed the back of her hand. “Rone has merged with Rese. We’re going to try and push the drug out of his body so we can get a better understanding of what’s going on. Cameron is on his way with Lilly to meet you at the nursery. I want you and the pups to move to the emergency rooms below ground. I will come to you when things are stable.”

She opened her mouth, and then closed it, releasing a long sigh. “Okay. I love you, Silas Knight. Handle this.” She patted his ass and walked off.

Satisfied that the compound was secure and the dead were en route to the lab for examination, Silas focused on finding Tyrese.

“
I… can’t… push… through the drug,”
Tyrone said, groaning beneath the strain.

“
Let me help.”
Silas worked with Tyrone to stop the drug, but it was a fast-acting concoction. It had already spread through Tyrese’s system. Silas tried to reach his wolf, but the animal growled sluggishly. Whatever they shot Tyrese with was strong enough to knock out both sides of his nature.

“
Your dad is tracking the car and will contact you as soon as he gets a location. I’ve called in my honor guard, a hundred or so will be here within the hour. As soon as we know where he’s been taken, I’ll dispatch the men.”

“
Dad is an excellent tracker,”
Tyrone said.

Silas didn’t respond. A battle raged within him, he was torn. This was the first time he'd ever sent his honor guard out to battle without him in the lead. His wolf strained to fight those who challenged him. It was his nature to prove his right to his position of Patron. But his wolf also refused to leave his mate and pups, believing that he alone could protect his precious litter. It was a bittersweet struggle, one in which his human side had no say.

Agitated but resigned, his wolf remained to protect his den and that settled the matter. He would be active from here, running interference and calling the plays. He would trust Davian and his honor guard to handle this situation on the ground. And while that was a less than an ideal solution, it was one both his natures could agree upon.

“
Rese’s wolf is fighting the drug and is restless. Can you calm him down?”
Tyrone asked.