Treasured Find (Royal Pride Book 1) (29 page)
Read Treasured Find (Royal Pride Book 1) Online
Authors: Nancy Corrigan
Jazz woke to the sounds of her kids’ favorite animated movie playing in the background. She looked around the empty bedroom. The television was on, and coloring books were scattered on the floor, but Rafe and the boys were nowhere to be found.
“Hello, my Jasmine. Did you sleep well?”
She smiled. Hearing Rafe’s voice in her head always made her happy. It was a benefit of their mate bond.
“I did, but I hate waking up to an empty bed.”
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
“It’s only noon.”
“And I couldn’t amuse the munchkins any longer. They were hungry.”
And that was his secret code for saying he was hungry. The man could easily eat six to seven meals a day.
“Really? And what were
they
hungry for this time?”
“Chocolate chip pancakes, eggs and bacon.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Bacon. Again?”
“Bacon is good, woman! It’s full of protein. Now be nice or I’m eating your share.”
“Okay, I’ll be right down.”
Jazz slipped on a robe and followed the scent of food to the kitchen but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that met her.
“Puppies?” Jazz looked at the four little Rottweiler pups rolling around on the ground with Seth and Levi. “When did we get puppies?”
Rafe rubbed the back of his neck. “This morning. Josh dropped them off.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Peggy Sue was lonely. She needed friends.”
At the mention of her name, the older dog came over and bumped her hand. Jazz gave the dog’s head a scratch. Because of the severity of Mr. Wilkins’ injuries he’d been forced to move into a nursing home. Until he recovered, they were taking care of Peggy Sue while the younger dogs stayed with their neighbor.
Jazz glanced from Peggy Sue to the puppies. “But four?”
Rafe wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her against him. “Sure. One for each of us.”
One of the pups ran across the floor and skidded into the wastebasket next to the desk. Balled-up papers and loose scraps tumbled out, scattering over the hardwood. As if the trash were a brand new toy, all four dogs descended on the mess.
She sighed. “Do you know how much work they’ll be? They’ll need training and until they’re housebroken, constant babysitting.”
Rafe cleared his throat. “Devin and Mira are going to stay with us for a while. I figured between us and the dog trainer I’d contacted, we’d be fine.”
She ran her fingertips over the muscles in Rafe’s arms and rested her head against his chest. “So does this mean we’re not moving back to Virginia?”
She hoped, at least. They’d talked about it for hours, discussing all the pros and cons.
“No, we’re staying. I decided you’re right. It’s best not to uproot the kids. Besides, I’ve realized living apart from humans isn’t always best. Had I left our property more often, our paths might’ve crossed sooner.”
“True, but sometimes things must play out the way fate has it planned for us.”
“You’ve been talking to Kade again, haven’t you?”
She shrugged.
“His trust in the gods’ plans for us is unfounded. They’ve failed us.”
“They brought us together.” Or maybe sheer luck had, but either way, she was glad she met Rafe.
“And what have they done for Nina? She’s still missing.” He lowered his voice to a mere breath of sound. “Or Seth?”
She lowered her gaze. She didn’t have an answer. In the few weeks since she’d been awake, there’d been many discussions about Seth and why he was “broken” but none offered a good explanation.
The facts were that Seth carried two animal souls—a tiger and a jaguar—but only a shadow of his lion. The animal was tied to his soul in the same manner as the others, but it wasn’t whole. After a long talk with Rafe, Seth admitted he could see through his lion. That was why he couldn’t shift into it. It didn’t have a solid body.
“How about Molly and Megan?” Rafe asked, proving his point.
“Okay, you win. Your gods are fickle. Is that what you wanted me to admit?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” He sighed. “I just hate not being able to solve all our problems.”
She leaned against him, offering her silent support. He settled his hands on her hips and nuzzled closer.
“We do have some good news about Molly,” Rafe said.
“What?”
“We have a possible address on where she’s been staying.”
“That’s wonderful news. Where?”
“Delaware. Kade, Devin and Xander are on their way there now. Zach and Evan will be staying to help me watch over you and the kids.”
“That’s not necessary, is it? Jon is dead.”
“But there are plenty of other males out there like him, and your stubborn friend refuses to stay here where I can keep an eye on him and Megan.”
“Josh likes his independence.”
Rafe made a noncommittal sound.
“What?” she asked.
“The constant back and forth driving to Virginia is wearing on Kade. He’s considering moving here also.”
“That’s a good thing.” Because when Kade wasn’t close, Rafe worried about him.
“I think so, but we’ll need to find a large tract of land for sale close to here.”
“There’s an old logging property nearby that’s selling off some property. The place is having financial problems. You should get a good deal.”
“I’ll tell Kade to look into it.”
“Perfect. See?” She smiled. “Things work out. Maybe not exactly the way we’d like, but we’ll find our way, and it’ll be better than we could ever have hoped for.”
“I love your optimism and your ability to conquer the challenges of life.”
“I knew it. Sweet-talker. That’s what you are.”
She tipped her head for the chaste brush of lips that warmed her as easily as his wicked kisses could. He pulled back and stared into her eyes.
“I’m only speaking the truth. You, my Jasmine, were an unexpected find, but one I’ll treasure for an eternity.”
She linked her hands around his neck. “And I’m glad you found me, my mate. You truly are a wonderful man.”
He kissed her nose. “I know. That’s why you love me.”
“You’re right.” She hugged him tight and let happiness surround her. She’d finally found her prince charming and a love to last a lifetime. And it was one she’d never lose.
The Royal Pride series continues with Devin’s story,
Beautiful Mistake
.
A tortured man…A fearless woman…A mistake that’ll change their lives forever.
Three centuries ago, Devin Moore sacrificed his sanity to save his sister. Every day since is spent in a constant battle of wills with the three crazed cats—lion, tiger and jaguar—he houses. Keeping his shattered mind together has taken its toll, destroying any hope of having a family, but he can’t turn his back on innocents in need.
When information on his pride’s missing child reaches him, he rushes to bring her home. But the rescue mission goes horribly wrong. Lena, the human female who turns herself into bait in order to protect the little girl, is wounded and struggling to survive.
In a desperate act, he saves Lena. But it doesn’t erase his past mistakes. And for a broken man who’s finally offered hope, there’s only one thing left to do—prove his worth. The only problem? He’ll never be whole. Or sane. But maybe…just maybe…even the damned can find peace.
NOTE: The Kagan Wolves series is set in the same world as the Royal Pride series
Chance on Love
—a FREE story
Hunter Sacrificed
—a FREE story
Sander’s Valley
Keep reading for sneak peeks of
Chance on Love
,
Hunter Sacrificed
and
Mist Revealed
.
Sometimes the only choice is to take a chance…and enjoy the consequences.
Kagan Wolves
, Book 0.5
Sean Reynolds is content wielding his dominant personality as the public face of Kagan Industries. Pack leadership—and all the responsibilities that go with it—don’t interest him. But when alpha-in-waiting Nic Kagan skips town, there’s no one to take on his aging father’s spirit wolf. No one but Sean.
Sean wants none of it, but with his wolf growling in eagerness to fill that void, he heads for the bar in an attempt to drink the beast into submission.
He’d like to ignore the sultry blonde shifter burning up the dance floor with moves that make him painfully aware of the full moon. But when she abruptly disappears, his wolf sends him in hot pursuit. Following the scent of a female he can see in his bed not for a single night, but for a lifetime…
Chapter One
Another loop around the Kagan Industries’ office, and Sean cursed. Pacing wasn’t helping. Nothing he’d tried since sundown had. He hurt, plain and simple. His skin itched, and his bones ached. The sensation of claws raking the inside of his chest made it worse, but it wasn’t the pain gripping him that left him angry. It was the obstinate wolf he housed. The separate entity he’d been born with had its own wants and goals. At the moment, they conflicted with Sean’s plans for the evening. Since he was ultimately in charge, the animal would just have to suck it up.
His wolf’s pissed-off snarl echoed within him. No doubt it disagreed. Not his problem. His wolf wasn’t the only stubborn one, and he refused to allow his primal side to rule him. He would not make the same mistake his friend Nic had.
Sean was too damn young to fall in love. Or in lust. Both could seal a shifter’s fate.
Hands fisted, he strode for the window. As much as he wanted to ignore the full moon, he needed the strength it offered. He shoved the lace curtain aside and stepped into the swatch of moonlight. Warmth infused him, and his wolf calmed. Momentarily, at least. Still, he’d take the brief reprieve. He had a long night ahead of him.
He leaned against the window frame and surveyed the little slice of West Virginia that had served as the Kagan pack’s home since the early seventeen hundreds. Stone paths wove through gardens and around the large, man-made pond. Beyond the still water, a fountain and a gazebo offered a place to sit and relax. Farther out, trees marked the separation of the humans’ town and their territory. Their communal land was beautiful. He loved every inch of it, but at the moment, he wanted to run as far and as fast as he could away from it.
“Greeting the full moon all alone again, huh?”
Noah’s voice cut through the silence of the night.
Sean peered over his shoulder at his cousin. Protective instincts flared. “What are you doing here? Tanner males aren’t allowed on Kagan pack lands.”
“Worried about me?”
“Yes.” As a member of their rival pack, Noah’s presence could be constituted as a threat depending on who saw him. Sean knew better. Noah would give his life if it meant saving one of them. Sean would do the same.
Noah shut the door behind him. With his dark blond hair in a short ponytail and a white T-shirt stretched over his muscled chest, he garnered the attention of males and females alike. One glance into his deadened green eyes, however, and most people steered clear of him. Guilt, anger and loneliness gave him a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe that was hard to miss. Losing a female days after mating her would do that to any male. It gave Sean yet another reason to avoid their women.
“Technically, I’m not on your pack’s lands. The Kagan office sits a few hundred feet inside the humans’ town. As for why I’m here?” Noah leaned against the opposite side of the window. “Your alpha asked me to try to talk some sense into you.”
About Sean’s refusal to shift. Everyone in their pack had been on his ass about it. Their lectures had gotten old. “You’re wasting your time. I’m fine. My wolf’s fine. End of discussion.”
“Is it?” Noah raised a brow. “You’re not getting edgy? Irritable? Or feel like you’re going to come out of your skin?”
If Noah considered insomnia and the new holes Sean had punched into his bedroom walls as fitting those criteria, then the answer would be yes. He shrugged. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Noah made a noncommittal sound, then glanced out the window, scanning the property the way Sean had. “Any word on Nic? Is he coming home soon?”
“What? No warnings or long speeches about how I’ll go insane if I don’t let my wolf out?”
“Nope. You’re not stupid. You’re just an idiot.”
Sean laughed. “Yeah? What’s the difference?”
“You know the facts. You’re just choosing to ignore them.”
Noah had a point. Sean wouldn’t deny that. He grunted and turned his attention to the backyard. “I’m not shifting until I’m sure I have control over my instincts.”
“And when’s that going to be?”
“Soon.” Or not.
Silence descended in the room while his wolf’s growls reverberated within him, building the pressure behind his eyes. Finally, Noah sighed, breaking the tense moment. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Nic? Any word from him?”
“He called this morning.” Actually, Nic called every day with the same question—how’s Riley? The human female he’d fallen in love with and tried to mate had ruined him, but it wasn’t her fault or his that she’d been born the wrong species. Fate had screwed them both and guaranteed neither would be happy.
“Did he say when he’s coming home?”
“Not until it’s time for his dad to pass on our pack spirit. He wants to enjoy life before he has to pick a shifter female to mate. He’s in no rush to be saddled with a breeding partner.”
“Saddled? Well, that’s a shitty way to look at it. Being mated is a wonderful experience.”
“How would you know? Yours—” Sean groaned and dropped his head against the cool glass. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“And completely out of character for you.” No anger darkened Noah’s voice, only understanding. He laid a comforting hand on Sean’s shoulder. “It’s going to get worse. You need to shift and accept what you are. Fighting it is only going to make all your moods stronger, from ones of aggression to passion.”
“You think I don’t know that? It’s why I’ve been fighting to get my wolf to obey me. Without Nic here…” He shook his head, disgusted by his instincts.
“Without Nic here to claim the spirit wolf from his aging father, you’re driven to secure your position in the pack, so you can take over as alpha.”
Noah voiced the truth that had plagued Sean since Nic took off six months prior. In Sean’s wolf’s eyes, Nic’s absence offered Sean the opportunity to seize the most revered role a shifter could hold. His wolf didn’t care that Sean had no desire to be alpha or that the official challenge would claim the life of Nic’s father. It wanted the power the top spot offered.
“I’m newly matured, and I’m horny. I know that’s normal, but every unmated female I come across stirs me. I don’t know if my interest is purely physical or if, subconsciously, I’m shopping for a mate.” Because without a mate to birth him an heir, he’d never be able to hold on to the spot.
Noah dropped his hand. “Stop fighting your wolf and trust yourself. That’s the best advice I can give. There’re no guarantees in life or in love. Remember that. You make a choice, then live with it.”
Sean raised a brow. “Speaking from experience?”
“Yeah.” Noah spun on his heel and walked toward the door. “Call if you need me. It’s not like I have anything better to do with my life.”
The front door banged shut behind him. Sean stared at it for a minute, then grabbed his wallet. “Well, I do, and it involves me, some whiskey and maybe a few beers.”
And a bar where he’d be sure not to stumble across any shifter females.