Treasured Find (Royal Pride Book 1) (16 page)

Her muscles quivered with his steady pushes. So good. He fit her, filling her completely and igniting all her nerves. She rocked with him. Faster. Harder. She rode him, taking her pleasure from him as surely as he did from her.

“Perfect. That’s it. Fuck me.” He gripped her hips and helped her, lifting her and slamming her on his hard length. “Use my dick to get yourself off.”

His words excited her. She leaned back, and the head of his erection teased her deep inside. “There. Yes, there.”

She rolled her hips, taking herself higher.
Using him.
The thought was naughty…erotic, but right. He was hers to enjoy. To love. To fuck. It didn’t matter if he controlled her or she led the moment, he’d give her everything.

The possessive thoughts she’d felt earlier wrapped around her. They sent her over the edge. Her muscles seized and clamped down on the shaft piercing her. She trembled with the intensity of the orgasm. Her scalp tingled, and every inch of her body came alive. The sensations grew with each clenching wave along her core until she wasn’t sure if what she felt was pleasure or pain.

“Don’t fight it. Let go. Feel, Jasmine. Feel us.”

She shook her head. “Can’t. Too much.”

“No. It’s not too much. You can take it.”

With a tilt of his hips, he rammed his cock inside her, sending her higher. She wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her mouth against him to muffle her scream. The muscles under her palms trembled, but Rafe held completely still while she writhed. He became her anchor, grounding her as came harder than she ever had.

Finally, the pleasure waned. She laid her cheek against his chest and simply breathed.

“Beautiful, my Jasmine. That was beautiful.” He ran his palm over her hair and down her back. “Are you ready for more?”

“More?”

He flashed her a lopsided smile. “Yes, more. I didn’t get to come.”

She didn’t know if she could handle another round of loving. The sight of his swirling golden brown eyes locked on to hers changed her mind, though. The hunger displayed in them stirred hers.
Impossible. I just came incredibly hard.
She couldn’t deny the heaviness settling low, though.

She licked her lips. “Yes. Give me more.”

He used his hold on her hips to lift her off his erection until only the head was held captive by her lower lips. Her focus zeroed in on the emptiness in her core. She opened her mouth to beg him to fill her, but he slammed her over the silken steel rod before she could get the words out.

She tipped her head back on a moan. Heaven. If there was heaven on earth, it was here in Rafe’s arms. With his fingers biting into her flesh, he lifted and dropped her over his cock. Over and over, he pierced her. Everything from his rough grip to his groaning pants fed the desire only Rafe could stir within her.

The pressure built in her womb, and her muscles tensed, readying for a second release, but Rafe’s driving thrusts pushed the ecstasy further out of reach.

“Please,” she begged.

“More, Jasmine. Want you crazed.”

Sandwiched between his chest and the wood behind her, she couldn’t help but take more. Each driving push of his cock into her body whipped her higher.

Her core tightened impossibly more. With one last deep thrust, he came and took her with him into a place where only pleasure existed. And Rafe. She whispered his name, all she could manage with her mind hazy. On an on, the ecstasy rolled through her. It buoyed her. Strengthened her. And cocooned her.

She never wanted the moment to end, but it passed. The release dimmed, and she was left in Rafe’s arms, held close by the flesh and blood arms of the man who’d worshipped her. Who’d shown her what being his meant. And she had to admit, she liked it. A lot.

Peace settled over her. Her eyelids drifted shut.

He pressed his lips to her temple. “Let go, beautiful. I’ll watch over you. You’re not alone anymore.”

She nodded and did as he suggested. She let sleep claim her. She was too tired, too sated to fight it. Or the man.

Then again, she’d never really resisted him. It was only the fear of getting hurt that made her question what her heart was telling her.

She’d found her home.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rafe carried Jasmine to the couch. Flushed from their loving, she looked sated and far more tempting than she could ever imagine. He focused on her shoulder and ran his tongue over his descended fangs. The delicate slope would be a perfect backdrop for his claim.

For the mate bite that would tie her to his soul for eternity.

With one knee on the thin cushions, he stroked the crook of her neck. The raised scar would announce to the world that she was his. He wanted that—to claim the one female who’d captured him.

He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with her scent. The big predators he housed lay down, rested their heads on their paws and closed their eyes. Their peace radiated through him. That was something all shifters—Royals and single shifters alike—sought.

Peace.

It was incredibly hard sharing a body with other souls, especially when the entities tied to each other didn’t get along. There was no running from them, and living in constant discontent often drove the person mad, along with the animals inside them.

Jasmine’s presence promised he’d never have to face that fate. He couldn’t say exactly what it was about her that had managed to not only tame his cats but mesmerize him. Her scent had attracted him, so had her beauty, but other women had smelled incredibly alluring and had aroused him instantly. Those clues weren’t enough to go by when looking for a true mate.

He knew of many males who’d thought they’d found their true mate, only to learn it had been nothing more than lust. A couple of times in bed with their supposed
one true mate
had cured them of the fascination.

For him, it was more. He respected Jasmine for raising shifters, protecting them as if they were her own. Add in her warm personality and ability to meet life’s challenges and he saw a woman strong enough to face an eternity’s worth of ups and downs.

Maybe his cats hadn’t realized how perfect she was for him at first glance, but they’d sensed something special about her. They’d wanted to get closer to find out what. Rafe was damn glad he’d given in to them.

She showed him what life could entail when he wasn’t always fighting his animals’ wants. He didn’t want to give that up. Neither did his cats. They’d made their choice—Jasmine.

It didn’t seem to matter to them that she was human and would never be able to carry his kids. For many older Royals, it didn’t. After living alone for centuries, the promise of peace that a true mate offered overrode their animalistic drive to breed. Rafe agreed. Eternity was a long time to spend with a woman you only desired, not loved.

Jasmine on the other hand? She wasn’t ready to accept him. She didn’t trust him, not completely, and he needed her to have complete faith in him.

The mating process was too dangerous to allow for even a second of doubt. If she were to fight him as he walked through her soul, she might die before he could complete their bond. For a human, that level of trust would not be gained overnight. He would gain it, though, and once he had it, he’d claim his mate.

He turned away from the couch and the temptation Jasmine posed and studied the room she used as an office. It was simply decorated—a desk, a couple of metal filing cabinets and a small table shoved in one corner with catalogs and unopened mail on its surface.

The other corner held a tiny kitchen with a sink, microwave and mini-fridge. Next to it, boxes of toys and stacks of books sat on the floor near an ancient boxy television complete with rabbit ears. A photo stood on top of the old set.

Brown hair, smiles that suggested their childhood had been a happy one and eyes that stopped his heart exactly as they had the last time he’d looked into them. Darker than his with less of a luminous quality, their eyes hinted that their father was a single shifter, not another Royal.

Biologically, conception was possible as long as he was a feline shifter. Practically, Rafe had never heard of any Royal female willingly mating a single shifter. It was the same thing he’d told Jon the night he’d killed Rafe’s father. No Royal female had ever successfully tied a male’s soul to hers.

Rafe would be the first to admit their mating rules weren’t fair. The facts couldn’t be denied, though, and those who challenged the gods’ decree learned that truth the hard way.

Most likely, Seth and Levi’s mother had been forced into a mate bond. Rafe didn’t want to imagine which one of his missing relatives had met that fate. Nina wasn’t the only female they’d lost over the years, she was just the last. But he couldn’t ignore the truth. One of his relatives—sister, niece or cousin—was mated to a single shifter. The proof was right in front of him.

He replaced the picture and pinched the bridge of his nose. How had Jasmine ended up with Seth and Levi? Her account of finding them abandoned didn’t ring true. She’d lied, at least about not knowing the mother. But why?

Jasmine had been afraid when she’d delivered her lie. Something bad had happened that had left her alone and fearful. He had to get her to share the whole story. It would be the first step to earning her trust.

He walked back to the couch and traced the length of her calf. Determination settled over him. He’d protect her and learn her secrets. No other option was acceptable. He wasn’t losing her, not to another male or to death. He allowed his fingertips to linger against her soft skin a few moments more before he forced himself away from her.

He picked up his phone from where it had fallen in his haste to free his cock.

A grin spread as he took in the state of his dress. He still wore his shirt and boots but his jeans lay in tatters on the floor. Five hundred years old, and she made him act as if he were a barely mature male and driven by his hormones.

Rafe moved to the farthest end of the studio apartment so as not to wake her and called Kade. “Have you arrived yet?”

“We’ve just turned down the driveway.”

“Get the kids settled, then bring me a spare pair of pants from the car and shorts or something for Jasmine.” He imagined she wouldn’t be comfortable walking into the house in her short skirt without underwear.

“Overly eager?”

“A little. My woman’s hot.”

“That she is, brother.”

Rafe gripped the phone tighter. “Jasmine is special. I told you that. Do not look at her.”

“It’s hard not to. She’s fucking beautiful.”

“She’s also fucking mine. Do you understand me?”

A long passed before Kade mumbled, “I’ll be right there.”

The lack of response angered Rafe, but Kade ended the call before Rafe could demand an acknowledgement of whom Jasmine belonged to. Rafe was being possessive, but couldn’t help it. The gods had promised shifters peace in the form of a true mate. Jasmine was his.

Why wouldn’t he want to keep other males away from her?

Several minutes later, the door opened a crack and two pairs of shorts came flying in. Rafe placed one pair on the sofa and tugged on the other.

Dressed, he slipped outside. Kade leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

“You’re serious,” Kade said the moment Rafe stepped in front of him.

“Yes. She’s mine.”

Kade flicked his gaze to the second floor door. “Your lover or your true mate?”

“She’s tamed my cats. They feel at peace near her.”

“She bridged you? You’re sure? She’s human.”

“I’m sure.” Rafe crossed his arms over his chest. “The gods never said our perfect complement had to be another Royal. It’s why they’ve allowed us to tie any female to our souls.”

“That was an oversight on their part. They’ve told us that many times.” Kade pressed a balled fist to his chest. “The golden goddess wants us to prosper and grow our family, even if that means mating a single shifter in order to do so. Our family is her only tie to the human world.”

As the leader of their pride, the goddess could visit Kade, though the deity rarely did.

“She has told you this?”

“Yes.” Kade slowly nodded. “The last time she spoke to me she said our family was special. We’ve been chosen to lead the way into the new world, and we’d need to remain strong to face its challenges.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us?”

Kade shrugged. “It was the night after I took our father’s place. We had other things on our minds.”

“True, but that was century ago.”

“Would her words have soothed you?”

“No. I would’ve been angry. If we’re so special, why allow every one of our females to be taken from us?”

“Which is why I didn’t bother, but it doesn’t change things.”

“I agree. It doesn’t. Jasmine is my true mate.”

“She’s also human and can’t give you children.”

“And? I’ve lived long enough to know a male should never settle for a breeding partner when his true mate is out there.” Rafe motioned toward the apartment. “Jasmine is mine.”

“But the goddess wants us—”

Rafe stepped forward. “And would you turn your back on your true mate just so could tie yourself to a breeding partner?”

“Yes.” An incredulous look passed over Kade’s face. “I’m the head of our pride. I have an obligation to carry on our family.”

“It your true mate ends up being a human, you’ll change your mind.”

“I doubt it. My true mate will be a Royal. I just haven’t met her yet. The goddess wouldn’t punish me that way.”

The stony look on Kade’s face matched his tone.

Rafe shook his head. “If you say so, but I am under no such obligation. As soon as I earn Jasmine’s trust, she will become my mate.”

“And if you don’t earn it?”

“I will, but it won’t happen anytime soon.”

“She’s wary of shifters.”

“Yes, and I hate that it was her fear that sent her running from me this morning.” Rafe curled his fists. “And because I kept secrets from her, Jon knows about her. For that alone he will go after her, but if he suspects Jasmine is not merely a lover but my true mate, he won’t back down.”

Kade cursed. “I doubt time has dimmed his hatred of our family. If he doesn’t try for Jasmine, he’ll go after Seth and Levi.”

Rafe glanced at the woods. “Agree. He’s out there. Waiting. Planning. I fear he’ll set a trap for them.”

“And that is why it’d be best to take them back to our home.”

“Jasmine wants to stay. Besides, this might be our last chance to punish Jon for taking Nina. Don’t you want to avenge her? Maybe find out where he took her?”

“Of course, but at the risk to your female and the cubs?” Kade narrowed his eyes.

“We’ll protect them.” Rafe wouldn’t allow any other outcome.

“Jasmine lives in the middle of nowhere.” Kade waved an arm out to encompass the yard. “And with Jon masking his scent, he can wait until we are out of sight and attack. There is nothing to stop him. No cameras. No motion sensors. No electric fences. We’re sitting ducks. We should pack up the cubs and the humans and go back to our home. There, they’ll be safe.”

“And how is that going to earn Jasmine’s trust? She actually thought we were going to take her kids.”

“She doesn’t still believe that. If she did, she wouldn’t have left them in our care.”

“Did she trust
us
with them? Or did she trust that Josh would protect them from us? She had wanted to talk to me. Alone. Maybe that was why she’d left with me.” Rafe sighed. “Don’t you see? I don’t know Jasmine. I have no idea how she’ll react to moving home or the mate bond. Hell, I don’t even know if she would want me.”

Kade’s brows scrunched. “Why wouldn’t she? You’re a good male, and she’d be getting immortality. What else is there to consider?”

What indeed? Rafe’s gaze strayed to the house where Josh was waiting for his chance to steal her away.

Rafe rubbed his thumb over his fingers to ease the sharp pinch of his claws pushing against his skin. “We’ll give it a couple of days. Jon might not even stick around. We’ll sit tight and wait. As long as the kids and the humans are with one of us, Jon won’t dare touch them. He knows he’s no match for us.”

“I hope so, brother. I don’t want to lose any more of our females to him.”

“We won’t,” Rafe said, then jogged across the lawn.

It was time to learn more about Jasmine, and his best source of information was Josh. Actually, Jasmine should be the one to reveal everything, but Rafe didn’t have time to get to know her, not if he wanted to gain her trust before the next time it was tested.