HISS

Hiss

Kassanna

Hiss

Copyright © May 2013, Kassanna

Cover art by Mina Carter © May 2013

Formatting by Bob Houston eBook Formatting

ISBN: 978-1-939151-44-5

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used

fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any

form.

Sugar and Spice Press

North Carolina, USA

www.sugarnspicepress.com

Chapter One

Jamison tossed back the shot of vodka and slammed the empty glass on the table’s scratched

surface. He studied the other council members with disdain. With a cocked brow, Loubel met his gaze,

challenge burning in his eyes. The other Betaille representatives smirked. When he shifted his

attention to his comrades, Jac and Rolo, they averted their eyes. Scattered across the table before him

were the documents that would cement the arrangements between the Volkshire and Betaille clans.

Rolo picked up the document in question, crumpled the sheet and Armand, the Wolverine Alpha,

growled. The Coyote was in Heinrich’s pocket and Jamison knew it. Not that he had any proof, but

arguing with the arrogant asshole was making it a long night of disputing every point in the pact.

The slow rotations of the ceiling fan did nothing to lessen the heat or cool the explosive tempers.

Some kind soul had thrown the doors to the community center open. With no breeze the humid air was

stifling and sweat had Jamison’s shirt clinging to his torso. He opened his mouth to make a point but

snapped it shut when footsteps pounded across the wooden floor. Her scent reached him first. He

glanced up and was taken aback once again by Marree’s beauty. She’d matured into a beautiful woman

since he’d last seen her.

She wore scrubs and a lab coat that hid her shapely figure but he had intimate knowledge of every

curve and indentation on her form. She’d cut her hair, the waist-length ebony tresses gone, only to be

replaced by a closely cropped cut of deep blonde body waves. The style set off her mahogany

complexion. With bow shaped lips and high cheek bones, Marree had always been striking but when

she looked at you through those pale green eyes, even he could admit he could get lost in their depths.

In her hand she held two bags with large grease stains at the bottom and clutching her pant leg was

Karma, the little girl no one had told him she’d given birth to.

There was something different about Marree now, a confidence she’d lacked before. She met his

stare then turned her head, addressing everyone at the table. “Sint figured you fellas would be hungry

by now so I was sent on a mission of utmost importance to deliver food. I brought shrimp po’boys.”

She dropped the bags on the only spot available on the table not covered in sheets of paper. “Enjoy

your dinner.” Marree gripped her daughter’s hand, spun on her heel, and sashayed down the aisle

toward the front door.

Like a bright light cutting a swath through the darkness, it dawned on him. She’d gained self-

assurance. Marree was no longer the meek girl who had yet to come into her own. Jamison snorted.

Hell no, she’d already arrived and he had missed it. There was still the little matter of the bomb Sint

had dropped on him the day before. That old viper had alluded that Karma was his. He watched

Marree and her child as they exited the building. The little girl would be about the right age.

Originally, he thought she was living with some human and had no idea she’d left Texas. And when he

was appointed Alpha of his clutch, with so much shit going wrong and falling to him to fix, he

couldn’t go after her.

Karma was three, maybe four, if he was guessing right. Of course Marree was avoiding him now,

conveniently disappearing while everyone was caught up in the fight happening between Etienne and

that wolf, Eivan. Jamison’s chair scraped the floor as he pushed his seat back. Now was as good a time

as any to corner Marree about Karma. Loubel snapped his head up and stared at him through narrowed

eyes as he excused himself and followed behind her.

She was placing the child in a car seat in the back of her ride and swung around when his steps

crunched the gravel. Marree pursed her lips. “Don’t you have important business to handle, Jami?”

Pleasure stole through him. Marree addressed him by the pet name she’d given him. He stared at

her pointedly, searching for answers.

“Those intimidation tactics don’t work on me anymore, snake.” She twisted around and slammed

the back door, moving toward the front one without a second glance at him.

“Snake? You’ve forgotten your heritage so quickly, Marree? You’re not human no matter how hard

you try to pretend.” Jamison kept his tone calm, tamping down the anger threatening to choke him.

“I don’t have to
pretend
as you put it,
Alpha
. We don’t know what I am. I can’t shift and honestly

have no desire to try anymore so what does that make me? I mean you made it clear I’m only good for

one thing and frankly I’m nobody’s whore.” She snatched at the handle, wrenching the door open.

Within a few steps he was at her side. Jamison wrapped his hand around her wrist and yanked her in

front of him. “What the fuck does that mean?” Her sugary scent permeated his senses.

His beast reared its head, slithering back and forth in his mind. The animal in him demanded she be

claimed. He softened his hold on her arms.

“It means you’re an asshole.” Marree twisted her hand from his grip and stepped closer, her nose

touching his chest. She raised her chin. “I don’t care that you had to come here. Hell, I’ve been

looking over my shoulder half expecting you to show up since the day I stepped foot in Betaille. It’s a

huge relief to know you came to Betaille for reasons that had nothing to do with me. So let’s leave

everything the way it is and continue to act like we don’t even acknowledge the fact the other exists.”

She eased out of his personal space.

“Is she mine, Marree?” The dam he’d built to contain his anger was developing leaks. His fangs

lengthened, crowding his mouth.

“Karma is
my
child. Her father was nothing more than a sperm donor.” She wouldn’t look at him.

He bumped into her and forced her to walk backward. Marree stumbled and fell against the door. It

gave under her weight and banged shut. Jamison pinned her against the metal with his body. Flush

against him, he could feel the erratic beat of her heart. His dick hardened and he pressed his erection

against her thigh. “Do not play games with me, Marree. I will find out one way or another.”

She swallowed. “I already tol—”

“Everything alright, Marree?” Loubel appeared by the grill of the vehicle.

A low hiss escaped Jamison. He stepped away from Marree, placing his body between her and

Loubel. “This has nothing to do with you, viper.” With his snake so close to the surface, his voice was

a rusty grate.

“But it has everything to do with me. Marree and Karma are part of my clutch and as their Alpha, it

is my duty to protect them from
any enemy
.” Loubel stalked around the bumper. “Council or not—if

you make this personal, I will kill you.” He opened his mouth to expose his fangs. A drop of venom

fell from the tip.

Jamison chuckled. “Are you done? As entertaining as it is to watch you play at being a man, let

alone an Alpha, run along now. I have business with Marree. I’m trying to save you the

embarrassment of getting your ass kicked, little viper.”

“One bite, motherfucker.” Loubel took a few steps.

Marree slid between them. “Stop it!” she yelled.

Jamison reared back and studied her. “Have you lost your damn mind? You don’t get between two

snakes.”

She ignored him. “Loubel, I’m fine. I was having a chat with an old friend.” She grinned wide. “It

was interesting catching up but we are done now. Thanks.”

She spun around and stared at Jamison. Carefully she pulled a syringe from the pocket of her lab

coat. “Listen up, I may not be able to shift but I carry my own brand of poison so if you come at me

again I will put your ass to sleep, and I use that term loosely.” She dropped the hypodermic back in

her pocket and slipped past him.

He stared at her as she opened the door and climbed into her SUV. The truck rumbled to life and

with a nod she backed up. Jamison watched the auto jerk forward, and waited until her taillights

disappeared down the road.

He rounded on Loubel. “If you ever get between me and mine again you’ll be gathering dust on my

feet as a new pair of boots. There won’t be another warning.” He stalked toward the entrance of the

community center, ignoring the threats Loubel yelled at his back.

* * * *

Marree checked her rear-view mirror. She’d left the two most important men in her life with their

mouths agape, staring after her. Sad thing was one man didn’t know how much she still cared for him

regardless of his total disregard for her feelings. The other had protected her, keeping her sane and

safe at the lowest point in her life. Yet she only felt a sisterly love for Loubel. Jamison hadn’t wanted

her five years ago but he’d given her the greatest gift a man could give a woman. She viewed her

daughter in the mirror. The child dozed in her seat. She studied her little girl briefly. Her dusty blonde

hair was streaked green at the roots. If you really looked closely you would see her resemblance to her

father. Not that anybody questioned her when she showed up on Sint’s doorstep three months pregnant

and homeless. The people of Betaille embraced her and surrounded her with an impenetrable wall that

kept everyone else out.

Loubel was especially attentive, publically claiming her as part of his clan and offering her shelter.

It was his clutch that paid for her to finish veterinary school. Strangely, not once did he ever try and

assert himself on her. But each and every time she needed him he was right there, whether it was to

hold her during a particularly rough spell or with fangs drawn to protect her. Something must be

wrong with her because anybody in their right mind would have forgotten the man who’d abandoned