MinetoChase

Mine to Chase

Laurann
Dohner

This book is loosely related to
Scarred and Kilt
from
the anthology Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2.

Jasmine met the guy of her dreams, who unfortunately wasn’t
interested. She’s spent a year filled with lustful fantasies and soul-deep
yearning for a man who doesn’t want her. Now she’s locked away in a dark hole,
kidnapped by a madman, her life almost over. She’ll never know what could have
been, if only he’d felt the same.

She was supposed to be his a year ago, but Chase had walked
away to protect her from his world. He’s a mixed-breed—vampire and werewolf—and
his list of enemies is endless. His current mission is to hunt down and kill a
rogue vamp who’s preying on humans, but what Chase finds changes everything.
Jasmine’s
one of the victims. Instinct demands he protect her, possess her. He won’t be
denied again. This time, she’s his—for keeps.

A
Romantica®
paranormal erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Mine to Chase

Laurann Dohner

Dedication

Ruben “Angelo” Dario Riguero-Brito—Thank you for being as
beautiful on the inside as you were on the outside. You will be missed.

Chapter One

The stench of death hit him the moment Chase crept inside
the abandoned house on the outskirts of town. A human wouldn’t have picked up
those slight traces but he wasn’t human. His nose flared as another scent
teased his senses—sweet feminine fear. His predatory instincts immediately rose
to the surface as his fangs began to ache. He raised a hand, motioning for the
two werewolves to circle the property.

“We found him,” one of them confirmed before he disappeared,
skirting the porch to make sure no one escaped out the back.

Yes. We did
. Rage gripped Chase instantly. Rogue
vampires were the enemy, risking discovery by humans of
all
Others. No
one wanted that. It would mean the beginning of a war if the killings didn’t
stop. Humans far outnumberedOthers. It was better to live in peace,
their existence nothing but myth and entertainment, than the alternative.

A board above him creaked, betraying where the enemy hid. A
smile curved Chase’s lips as he stealthily maneuvered through the lower floor
to the open stairwell. One whiff assured him he was close to the enemy as he
withdrew two blades. His knees bent slightly before he leapt, effortlessly
sailing over the upper railing to land gracefully on booted feet.

The vamp sitting in the chair appeared surprised as his eyes
widened. “Who are you?” He paused, nostrils flaring. “
What
are you?”

“Your worst nightmare. You’ve been found guilty.”

Chase moved before the rogue could react, the speed he’d
inherited from both sides of his bloodline assuring the outcome. With the slash
of his hands, steel sliced into skin and bone and then he jumped back to avoid
the tumbling head touching his trench coat.

The body fell forward, slumping on the carpet. It didn’t
turn to ash and he muttered a soft oath before whistling. In seconds feet
pounded up the stairs. He turned to give his pack orders.

“He wasn’t turned too long ago. Get rid of the body.”

“Damn, Chase.” The wolf smiled. “That was fast. You didn’t
even allow him to make a run for it.”

“Should we burn down the house? I smell rotting bodies.” The
other wolf breathed through his mouth. “Multiples. He probably hid them in the
basement.”

“I’m aware.” Chase sighed. “It’s best to dispose of them
without drawing notice. Fire and police would come if we torch his lair. They’d
investigate and might discover remains in the rubble.”

“Gasoline would take care of it if we soaked the corpses
first.”

Irritation rose and so did a menacing growl deep within his
throat. “You heard my orders.”

Both wolves dropped their gazes in submission. “Yes, Chase.”
They rushed to do his bidding.

He wiped the blades clean on his kill’s clothing before
putting them away to use his cell phone. The call connected as he walked
downstairs. It was answered on the third ring.

“We located the rogue who murdered Lacey’s sister. She’s
been avenged, Lethal. Give her a kiss for me.” He disconnected with an amused
grin when his friend snarled, more than a bit possessive of the woman he loved.

Chase’s job was done. He inhaled but then winced.
Almost
done.
The bodies would have to be disposed of. He located the basement door
right off the kitchen and paused, bracing for the worst. Running security for
his vampire friends could sometimes get messy but corpses were rarely involved
unless they were bad guys. This was different.

The stench intensified to a nauseating level when he jerked
open the door. He regretted killing the rogue so swiftly. Human women had been
slaughtered to feed the bastard. A needless waste. It was easy for the vampires
to get blood without murdering their sources—just a quick mind swipe would clear
their memories—but the rogue obviously enjoyed taking lives. Chase could guess
why. The sick bastard got off on tormenting them first and watching them
suffer. He breathed through his mouth to suppress some of the offensive odor as
his eyes adjusted to the darkness below. The stairs creaked under his weight.

The unfinished basement had piles of dirt in at least six
locations, the corpses under the thin layer of covering too obvious to be
anything else. “Fuck.” His voice rose. “Get six body bags.” He didn’t wait for
a response, knowing his pack heard. Their hearing was almost as keen as his.

He scanned the room for something to dig with, not a job he
wanted to do with his bare hands. The state of decay he smelled promised to
make it a messy task. The rogue had to have used a shovel to bury them. He
located it leaning against the wall in the corner.

Jasmine held very still, her gaze locked on the tall,
massive man standing at the bottom of the stairs. Light from above revealed
enough of his features to scare her into absolute silence. A very masculine
face turned slightly enough to make out full lips and a strong chin. It wasn’t
the man who’d taken her but he appeared just as dangerous. Perhaps more so.

It had been days since Jasmine had slept, too terrified to
close her eyes. The madman who’d kidnapped her was pure evil. He hadn’t given
her food and had savagely bitten into her a few times. It wouldn’t surprise her
if she was delusional from the wounds being infected.

No tears filled her eyes. She’d passed that stage already.
First she’d been terrified, pleading for her life. It had pleased her
kidnapper. Then she’d hit the acceptance phase that her death was imminent. The
bastard had watched her cry as if it fascinated him. The bruises along her arms
still hurt from where he’d pinched them to make her kick and hit at him in an
attempt to protect her body. He’d liked that too. It was the only reason he
said he wouldn’t kill her outright. He admitted to being bored and she amused
him.

There was something familiar about this man but she figured
it was her mind playing tricks. Then he lifted his face, turned toward the door
at the top of the stairs and Jasmine recognized him. Chase Woods. A very
memorable client from almost a year before.

The striking features were his. He was the man she’d dreamed
about—muscular and big, with the sexiest brown eyes she’d ever peered into.
He’d bought some land on the edge of town as an investment. She’d tried to tell
him that the two hundred acres of forest were too dense for building. The cost
of clearing and leveling the land would be extreme.

She’d liked him a little too much despite it not being
mutual. He had never flirted, though she’d given him green lights to do so.
He’d ignored her subtle hints that she had been interested.

He’d claimed his work didn’t allow time off and had wanted
her to show him properties after hours. She probably would have been terrified
of meeting a man in such remote locations at night but her attraction to him
had made her shove common sense aside.

A memory surfaced in her mind. They’d been surveying a
parcel of land after dark and she’d been distracted, a little unnerved by the
odd request that she show it to him at night but there had been something about
Chase that she couldn’t resist. Something different…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She never saw the tree root and nearly fell. A strong arm
wrapped around her waist and she was in the circle of his arms, held against
his body.

“Careful.” His deep voice was sexy.

“I don’t know how you see anything. Wouldn’t it be better to
return in the morning?”

“The moon is almost full and I have great eyesight.”

She grabbed onto his biceps. Her hands didn’t come close to
encircling the thick muscles. He was strong, much bigger than her, and smelled
wonderful.

“I’m almost blind out here.” She realized she should release
him but he kept hold of her. It seemed only fair to touch him back. She lifted
her chin to stare up into his face. She couldn’t make out much but she could
tell he wasn’t looking at her. He had turned his head to the side. “Are you
okay?”

“Yeah.” His voice came out even deeper. “I told you to wait
in your car.”

He had, but she’d wanted to spend as much time as possible
with her client. There was something about him that drew her. It wasn’t just
his handsome face. She’d dated men who were good-looking before and had learned
the hard way that some of them had less than stellar personalities. It could be
how fit and muscular he was. Every woman would notice Chase Woods when he
walked into a room. She discarded that as well. It was just
him
. He was
sweet, mysterious, and looking into his eyes always did something funny to her
entire body. She’d never been more attracted to a man in her entire life.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I made you view the
properties alone. You might have questions.”

He chuckled—a deep, rumbling sound. “Can you identify all
the tree varieties? There are plenty of them out here.”

Jasmine glanced to the side, seeing nothing more than a lot
of dark shapes. “Um, no,” she admitted. “I can tell you how long it’s been on
the market and how much we can haggle on the asking price.”

He drew her closer when the wind suddenly picked up,
shielding her from it. He really did smell wonderful and she suddenly had an
urge to rest her head against his solid chest. Other thoughts came to mind as
well. Wild, naughty ones that were shocking. Stripping naked in the woods with
a man she barely knew wasn’t something she’d ever considered before. It didn’t
stop the images from filling her head though.

She wanted him to kiss her while lifting her higher into his
arms. The skirt she wore would be easy to shove up to her waist after she
discarded her panties. Chase was strong enough to hold her up during sex. His
jeans would be simple to unsnap to free his cock and then nothing would be
between them. They’d be skin to skin. Her knees weakened slightly just
imagining the way he’d feel entering her body.

Chase suddenly stepped back and his arms were gone from her
body, leaving her feeling cold and sexually frustrated.

“I’ve seen enough.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll take it.
Let’s get back to your office and draw up an offer.” He was brusque after that.

The next day, Chase agreed to the seller’s first
counteroffer. The paperwork was finalized for the sale and he refused to allow
her to take him to dinner to celebrate his purchase. It hurt. The warmth and
friendliness was gone. He was cold and withdrawn once their business was
concluded.

The attraction was so powerful that it was almost
unsettling. She couldn’t stop wishing he’d call and ask to see her again.

It just hadn’t ever happened. That had been the last time
she’d seen Mr. Woods but his memory lingered in her dreams. It explained why
her imagination would bring him into her nightmare.

His voice drew her out of her memories and back into the
hellish basement…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Hurry up,” he demanded. “I don’t want to be here all
night.”

That sexy voice was one she’d never forget. It still made
the feminine parts of her respond. It was whiskey and honey, husky but full of
strength. A bitter laugh threatened to burst forth. She was dying and her mind
had decided to create more fantasies that included him. It beat fixating on the
horrific way her life would end.

The slats in the door were wide enough to watch him cross
the room to retrieve a shovel. She reached to touch the rough wood, wishing she
could get closer. The chain jerked her in place when the length, shackled to
her wrist, pulled taut. The cuts, caused by her struggles to wiggle free, hurt
enough to make her whimper.

Mr. Woods suddenly spun her way. She couldn’t see his face
in the shadows but his blue eyes seemed to glow and he was looking right at
her. He dropped the shovel and headed toward the wall. She froze in place,
barely breathing, as he crouched on the other side. The change in the color of
his irises was stunning, only strengthening her belief that it was just her
mind playing tricks.

“Hi,” she got out, not caring if she was talking to a
figment of her imagination. Her voice came out rough, dry, and it hurt. She’d
kill for a sip of water.

His eyes definitely radiated blue as they widened and his
fingers suddenly dug between the slats. Wood snapped when he yanked hard,
tearing it away.

“Son of a bitch.” His tone deepened into a snarl, his anger
clear.

Jasmine swallowed, trying to stay in the fantasy. It beat
the alternative. “Did you ever build those condos?” She wanted to wince at how
horrible her voice sounded. It seemed pretty pathetic to screw up a daydream.

“Jasmine?” He leaned closer, a dark shadow.

He gently gripped her upper arms. It still hurt but she
didn’t pull away. He had big hands and the warmth of them was worth the pain.
His glowing gaze traveled down her body where she sat in the dark, cramped
space, before lifting to meet hers.

“I’ll get you free.” One hand released her and he magically
withdrew a knife from his long coat. “Hang on.”

His other hand dropped away to grip the shackle on her
wrist. It hurt enough to make her cry out but he didn’t stop. The tip of the
metal stabbed the lock and he flicked his wrist. The shackle parted, releasing
her. He tossed it aside and the chain fell to the dirt next to her knee. He
repeated the process to free her from the other restraint.

“Come here.” The knife disappeared into his coat and his
arms opened. “Crawl to me. I don’t want to drag you out.”

Every movement hurt but she managed to shift to her knees,
careful of the low roof of the storage area she’d been confined inside. He
backed up enough to give her room. She straightened the second she was clear
and threw her arms around his broad shoulders. Her breasts were smashed against
warm cotton and a firm torso.

His soft, silky hair was down now, testament to him being a
fantasy. The real man had always kept it secured in a leather tie at the base
of his neck. She’d always wanted to see how it would look free from that
confinement.