Punt: A British Bad Boy Football Romance (23 page)

“
H
urry up
. We have to get to the Bunker.”

Maddie cracked her eyes open when she heard Jasper’s gruff words. She growled as a pile of her clothes hit her face, flung by a very aggravated-looking Jasper. Maddie would have snapped at him, but her throat was dry as sand. Now that she thought about it, she also had a thunderous headache.

Pulling her clothes on, she watched Jasper. He was fidgety, something she’d never really seen on him before. The tension in his body was evident as he dressed without saying another word.

“What’s wrong with you?” Maddie asked, crossing her arms.

“Nothing. I’m just preparing myself for the Bunker,” he said with a frown.

“You look like you’re headed to your execution. When Shaw returns from a trip, he’s pleased to see his pack,” Maddie noted.

“Shaw isn’t the Alpha of this pack. There won’t be any celebration of my return. It doesn’t matter, anyhow. My beta runs the pack in everything but name,” Jasper replied, pulling open the hotel room’s door and ushering Maddie out to the car. The car ride was silent but short.

When Jasper stopped the car, Maddie got out and stretched as she checked out their destination. They had parked about three rows back from an enormous grey brick building. It appeared to be some kind of huge warehouse, about three stories high and windowless. Big and bland, easy to overlook. A good place to hide something in plain sight, Maddie supposed.

The one thing that stood out about the place was the low throb of music pervading the air, a pulsing baseline spilling from the building. Maddie shut her door and moved to get her bags, but Jasper waved her off.

“I’ll send one of the males down to get the bags,” Jasper said. Maddie shrugged and followed him to the large set of steel doors at the front of the building. The rhythmic thump of the music grew louder as they approached, and by the time they got to the doors it was loud enough that Maddie could feel the vibration coming up from the soles of her shoes. Jasper stopped and pressed his thumb onto a small black panel to the right of the door, then stepped back to wait.

Moments later the door opened, letting out what had to be the loudest sound Maddie had ever heard. She cocked her head to listen for a moment, then smiled to herself. It was Nine Inch Nails, one of her favorite industrial bands. She’d had a serious thing for Trent Reznor since she was a teen, and damn if the man didn’t make some ass-kicking music.

“Alpha!” a lanky redheaded Shifter barked over the sound of the music, snapping to attention as if he were a cadet addressing the human president. He was dressed head to toe in black BDUs, looking every bit like a special ops commando.

“At ease, Langston,” Jasper shouted, clapping the man on the shoulder.

“We were not informed you were returning, sir,” the man said, his body language stiff despite Jasper’s command. “Or that you had brought company.”

The younger Shifter avoided looking at Maddie, which confused her a bit.

“Alister Langston, this is my mate, Maddie Copeland,” Jasper said, motioning to Maddie.

“M’am,” was all the male said. He seemed taken aback by Jasper’s words, but the soldier was too well-trained to ask any questions.

“Have our bags brought in and move the car to the garage, Langston,” Jasper said, giving the soldier his keys.

“Yes, sir.”

“Is there anything I need to know before I go in?” Jasper asked. The younger male blanched, clearing his throat.

“It’s not my place to say, sir,” the younger male said, looking a bit tortured.

“All right. Go on, then,” Jasper dismissed him. Alister looked relieved, jogging off toward his Alpha’s car.

“Well?” Jasper asked, turning back in the doorway to look at Maddie. Seeing her expression, he held out a hand to her. She took it, feeling thankful and childish at the same time.

Jasper led her into the building, one huge, dark warehouse-style room with several neon-lit bars. People were everywhere, dancing, drinking, touching, grinding together. Judging by the looks of the leather-wrapped, pierced-faced, elaborately costumed staff, it must be a Goth or fetish club. Women dressed in little more than leather panties and a few well-placed silver chains sauntered about, serving and flirting with guests. The bartenders, all men, were shirtless and gloriously ripped. Without exception, every employee wore heavy eye makeup and boasted multiple tattoos and piercings.

Maddie was impressed, not to mention a little shocked. Whoever did the staffing here really had an eye for the perfect staff members. Maddie was willing to bet this place was a goldmine, even in conservative Mobile. Hell, maybe even more because it was in such a conservative city.

“This way,” Jasper said, tugging Maddie’s hand when she stopped to stare around. They headed toward the back, passing a tall, pale redhead whose fragile beauty was only vamped up by her ridiculous dress, if ten inches of loose black beading could really be called a dress.

“Master,” the human woman mouthed to Jasper, inclining her head as she brushed past. The hint of a smile on the woman’s face made Maddie’s stomach drop. She’d known that Jasper wasn’t alone over the last ten years, not with his looks and pack status. Maddie had had her own fun over the years, with human men and Shifter males alike. Still, having evidence of his virility shoved in her face was pretty off-putting.

Jasper squeezed her hand, breaking her concentration on the human woman. Maddie turned back to find him giving her a bemused look. He tugged her onward, all the way to the back of the club. They hit a blank black wall of curtains, and Jasper tugged the curtain aside in a spot and pulled Maddie through with him. They walked down a short, dimly lit hallway until they came to halt in from of a Shifter male guarding yet another doorway.

“Kopelli,” Jasper said, stopping in front of the set of steel doors marked PRIVATE. The guard watched them approach, possibly the most enormous person Maddie had ever seen. Funny, since Maddie spent all her time around men over 6’5. But this guy was something else.

He had skin so black that he seemed to be made of polished obsidian, and in the darkness of the room he all but faded into the walls. He also had at least two handguns that Maddie could see, and made no effort to hide them.

“Alpha,” the man said, his voice soft but still deep and rich. He bowed his head to Jasper, turning to press his thumb to a small panel. Jasper moved beside him and pressed his thumb to the panel at the same time. An alarm beeped, and the door swung open to admit them.

Kopelli escorted them inside, then bowed his head again and returned to his post. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Maddie and Jasper alone in front of the Bunker’s glowing entrance portal. It had the same misty, snow-on-the-tv glow as the Den’s entrance, but this portal was perhaps only five feet wide and seven feet tall. Compact and efficient, Maddie thought.

Jasper stepped through first, and Maddie was right on his heels. There was that moment, the flutter of the stomach, the feeling of freefall…

They stepped into the hallway of a sleek, modern office. All the doors were glass, the furniture chrome and teak. Light streamed into the building, making the atmosphere open and airy.

“It’s very… masculine,” Maddie breathed, her eyes darting around in an attempt to take in the office’s bustling activity. There were a dozen males moving around, all dressed in that same black milita-style uniform of pressed black pants and a black cotton button-up shirt. They wore black combat boots, and even carried firearms. One of them was making photocopies, and Maddie had to bite her tongue to keep from giggling at the image. Hard to imagine needing a gun to copy and collate. The male looked up at her with a scowl, as if he could sense her thoughts.

“This way,” Jasper said, releasing Maddie’s hand. He headed left to follow a curving passageway that went on for twenty or so yards before dropping off abruptly before a set of chrome stairs. Maddie moved forward to descend into the lower room, but Jasper stayed her with a touch. They stood for a long moment, looking down into what reminded Maddie of the Star Trek ship’s bridge, all done in gleaming black. There were screens and monitors everywhere, including half a wall covered in screens playing what looked like live security video feed.

Every inch of space not occupied by a monitor was covered in impressive-looking buttons, or digital maps, or documents Maddie couldn’t even identify except to say that they looked secret and important.

“Wow,” she breathed, impressed.

“This is Gwen’s battle station,” Jasper said. The twist of his lips made it unclear whether he was joking or not. He pointed to a slender black-clad figure standing at a podium near the far wall. A tall female, her attention divided between a thick sheaf of papers and the bank of security monitors. This must be Jasper’s second in command.

“Why are we waiting?” Maddie asked, feeling compelled to whisper. Jasper gave her a hard look that softened into a half smile.

“I don’t know. Why are we whispering?” he replied.

M
addie laughed at that
, drawing the attention of Jasper’s second in command. The female straightened and turned, cocking her head. Her gaze was searing, skimming over Maddie for a long moment before jumping to Jasper. Something in the female’s face, something in her eyes when she looked at Jasper… Maddie’s stomach turned to acid.

Maddie’s heart skipped a beat, her lungs struggled. The woman was tall and thin, her face a set of perfectly sculpted planes. She had long, lush copper-colored hair pulled back into a ponytail, and stunning hazel eyes that took Maddie’s measure, and found her lacking. The female could have been runway model, except for her considerable breasts. That, and the expression of distaste adorning her beautiful face.

For Maddie, it was like looking into a funhouse mirror. The hair was a different color, but the same length and style. The eyes were z different color, but the same shape and distance apart. The other female’s chest size was much more substantial, almost unnatural on her lithe frame. The other Shifter was a few years older than Maddie, probably closer to thirty. But otherwise, they could have been sisters, twins even. Same height, same looks, same body type.

Maddie picked her jaw up off the floor and cleared her throat. She looked at Jasper, who hadn’t noticed her shock. He approached the other female, Maddie trailing along after him.

“Alpha,” the woman said, inclining her head.

“Gwen,” he said, seeming at a loss for what to say. Maddie had never seen Jasper anything but entirely confident, and it was jarring. It was like he was scared of the female in front of him. His nervous behavior this morning, and the expression on his face now…

Something clicked into place. Jasper hadn’t been afraid to face his pack. He’d been afraid to face Gwen.

The woman turned her gaze to Maddie, who had to work to keep from flinching under the stony glare.

“I see you brought… company,” Gwen said, looking back to Jasper. She made the last word sound dirty, like Maddie was a prostitute or something. Maddie stiffened, taking offense.

Jasper’s hand settled on her forearm, a plea for silence. Maddie frowned, giving the other female the coldest once-over she could muster.

“I have taken a mate,” Jasper said, looking back at Maddie. His words were soft and simple, but also deadly-serious. Gwen’s eyes widened, her nostrils flaring.

“I see,” Gwen said. Her jaw clenched, anger making a muscle in her jaw tic. Despite the flash of fury in Gwen’s eyes, she said nothing more. Her hands clenched into fists, and her determined restraint grew more and more obvious.

Maddie didn’t know quite why, but she already wanted to throttle the other female. Gwen gave Jasper another look, furious and hurt and… something more. Possessive, almost, or at least covetous. This was not going to fly in Maddie’s world.

“Gwen, meet Madeline Copeland,” Jasper said, looking between them as if he were going to have to break up a fight any moment. Maddie crossed her arms, unwilling to give either of them the satisfaction of seeing her uncertainty.

“A pleasure,” Maddie said, keeping her hands to herself. The other woman smirked, enjoying some private joke at Maddie’s expense. When Gwen spoke, her words were well-honed blades.

“Oh, no. It’s all mine. I can’t tell you how much Jasper has talked about you. I’ve heard your name in just about every context, if you can believe it.”

Jasper cleared his throat.

“Enough, Gwen. You said I needed to get here right away. Here I am. Now tell me what was urgent enough to bring me all the way here on short notice,” he said, looking up at the bank of security screens.

Gwen gave Maddie another frosty glare before turning back to the podium. Moving aside the stack of papers, she began manipulating a touch screen set into the podium. Now that Maddie really looked, each video screen was labeled at the top with the location. Gwen selected a screen from the bottom right, flicking her fingers against the podium to enlarge it. The top of the screen read INFIRMARY, and the image showed a frail body lying in a hospital bed. The woman pictured didn’t seem to be moving, but Maddie suspected, or maybe hoped, that she was merely asleep. It was hard to make out details from this angle, but one thing was obvious: the woman was pregnant, and quite far along.

“Here’s your emergency, Jasper. Meet Sadie,” Gwen said.

“Fuck!” Jasper said, staring up at the screen with a furious expression. “Whose is it?”

“They won’t tell me,” Gwen said, her tone filled with a bitterness that Maddie couldn’t comprehend. “They’re all protecting each other, even the ones who aren’t normally an issue.”

“Are we sure the woman is completely human? She’s made it several months without miscarrying, which isn’t usually the case with halflings.”

“I have examined her myself,” Gwen said with a shrug.

“How do we know a Shifter is responsible?” Maddie asked, trying to be practical.

“We don’t have any way to verify it without calling in a Shifter doctor. I talked to the girl. She claims that it was her first and only encounter. Not just with a Shifter, I mean. The way she says it went down, it might not have been rape… but it wasn’t entirely consensual, either. I’m inclined to believe her story.”

“How are we just finding out about this now?” Jasper asked, looking away from the screen. His fists were clenched so hard that they turned white, the compulsion to hit something evident in his stance.

“The human showed up here last night, alone and panicked. Shifter pregnancies are so much faster than human ones, it’s no surprise that she’s worried. She must have put two and two together, figured out that her lover was more than meets the eye,” Gwen said. “I don’t think she knows any details, or maybe she’s afraid to say. Either way, she’s not talking much.”

“What is she asking for, then?” Maddie asked, curious. Gwen’s eyes whipped over to her, surprised at her engagement. She frowned, but still replied.

“I don’t think she knows what to ask for. She just said she needed help,” Gwen said with a shrug.

“Thank the gods she came here and instead of a human hospital,” Maddie said, looking up at the screen again. “She could have blown our world wide open.”

“Thank you for that analysis,” Gwen snapped.

Maddie flushed, returning the female’s scowl. Looking back to Jasper, Gwen crossed her arms in mirror of Maddie’s stance. Maddie cocked an eyebrow, a split second from confronting the bitchy Beta. Gwen could probably beat the shit out of her, but Maddie would still throw down given the chance. No one in the world talked to her like that and got away with it.

“What do you want me to do with the human?” Gwen asked Jasper, her temper seeming to win out over any attempt at restraint.

“We don’t have a hell of a lot of options,” Jasper said, brow furrowing in thought.

“Jasper!” Maddie gasped, resisting the urge to smack him on the arm in front of his subordinate.

“We’re not going to hurt her,” Jasper said to Maddie, but as he spoke he leveled his gaze at Gwen.

“It is your decision, Alpha,” Gwen said. The anger in her expression slid away, replaced by a calculated calm.

“We’re going to have to ban the pack from seeing human women. We can’t take the chance of more little half-breeds running around, telling their human families about their Shifter abilities. No good can come from that.”

“I don’t know how we’re going to stop them,” Gwen said.

“Some packs don’t allow affairs with human women unless the males agree to take them as their mate. That might be the most effective tactic,” Jasper said, his voice heavy.

“Seems like getting mated is the solution to all our problems, then,” Gwen bit off, turning away from them.

Jasper opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. He sighed, running a big hand over his freshly-shorn hair. The hairs on the back of Maddie’s neck rose. She looked between Jasper and Gwen, saw regret splashed across Jasper’s face. Maddie’s intuition screamed that there was something seriously wrong with this Alpha-Beta relationship.

No Beta in their right mind would speak to their Alpha like Gwen do to Jasper, and no self-respecting Alpha would allow it. The balance of power was all wrong, almost as if their roles were reversed.

Jasper had mentioned before that he’d been delegating to Gwen too often, so maybe guilt was a major factor here.

Eying Gwen once more, Maddie again considered how much alike she and the Beta were physically. If Jasper was attracted to Maddie, and he had frequently indicated that he was, he would probably jump at the chance to romance beautiful Gwen. She was the same body type, but with bigger tits.

Maybe Jasper had propositioned Gwen and she’d rebuffed him, leaving Gwen holding all the cards. It didn’t seem quite right to Maddie, but it was the only thing that made even a tiny bit of sense.

Maddie opened her mouth to ask outright, then closed it again. She didn’t want to show insecurity in front of Gwen. Making a big deal out of the imbalance wouldn’t help Jasper out either, and Maddie wanted to hold their truce for as long as possible.

Besides, did she even really want to know? Her position here was so tenuous and new that Jasper could easily send her packing. Then she’d be back at square one, facing down Jace and Tessa. Better to just keep her mouth shut and her eyes open.

“—gather everyone. We’re having the meeting right the hell now,” Jasper ordered. He stared up at the screen, at the thin human woman lying in the infirmary bed.

“I don’t think—” Gwen started, but Maddie cut her off.

“Are you arguing with your Alpha?” Maddie snapped, giving the other female the nastiest look she could conjure. It felt good to finally get a word in on the aggressive beta. Gwen tensed as if preparing to attack, giving off a low snarl.

“Enough!” Jasper roared, his command sucking all the air from both women. They looked at him, astounded. Jasper might be lenient with them both, but at the moment there was no trace of doubt as to who was in charge here. Command and power rolled off Jasper in waves, his anger almost palpable. If Maddie were a bit weaker, she wouldn’t have been able to resist the compulsion to sink to her knees, to please her Alpha.

Her Alpha. The thought hit her, hard. Shaw was no longer the master of her universe, it seemed. Maddie’s wolf had chosen Jasper, both as mate and as dominant wolf. Things were getting complicated, fast. She watched Jasper, riveted, as he continued to flay both her and Gwen.

“We have enough problems in this pack without the only two females getting into a damned fist fight! I order you both to back down right now!” he thundered.

“Yes, Alpha,” Gwen said. The Beta’s response was immediate and soft, and it threw Maddie for a loop. Jasper gave Maddie a hard look, and she nodded her compliance.

“Gwen, go get the pack ready. We meet in twenty minutes in the conference room,” he dictated. Maddie watched, wide eyed, as her mate went into Alpha mode. It was kind of a turn on to see him like this, swaggering and intent. She followed him to the conference room, eager to see more.