Authors: Nancy Corrigan
Jasmine’s scream woke him. Rafe sat up, looked at the empty
side of the bed next to him and cursed. She left him. Again. He threw the door
open and ran down the stairs. Kade and his friends were stirring but none were
outside, protecting his woman. He pushed past Xander and circled the house,
following her scent and the sound of her sobs.
Rafe found her at the edge of the woods with Mira’s arms
wrapped around her. Devin stood protectively over both women. He dipped his
head in thanks that they’d kept her safe when he had failed to do so. Twice he’d
failed her. It was two times too many.
He smelled blood nearby but it was animal blood, not human
or shifter. Although he hated for any creature to lose its life, he didn’t want
one of his loved ones to be the one who’d suffered. He turned Jasmine into his
embrace. She buried her face against his chest and cried harder. With soothing
strokes to her hair, he petted her and murmured comforting words as he did his
best to ease her distress.
Finally the sobs racking her body slowed. She sniffled. “He
killed Bobby Rae.”
“Mr. Wilkins’ dog,” Devin added.
Tightening his arms around Jasmine, he met Devin’s eyes. “Have
you spoken to the male who was watching him?”
Worry etched Devin’s features. “No answer and nobody’s
picking up at the neighbor’s house.”
“Shit.” Rafe glanced at the woods around them. “Whose turn
was it for patrol?”
“Not sure.” Devin’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I was out
of it for a while this time.”
Rafe reached forward and gave the other male’s arm a squeeze
but didn’t comment on his problems. They embarrassed him.
“Find out then send the others to hunt the bastard,” Rafe
ordered.
“I’ll go too.”
Rafe shook his head. No way was he letting Devin out of his
pride’s sight. “Stay close. Help me protect Jasmine, Mira and the kids.”
Devin stared at him through the fall of his hair. “You sure
that’s a good idea?”
“You’d never hurt a kid or a female. I trust you.”
Devin swallowed hard and nodded. Without saying another
word, he took Mira’s hand and led her back toward the house.
Rafe waited for them to step away then demanded, “Why did
you leave me?”
Jasmine pushed against his chest but gave up and leaned back
to meet his eyes. “I didn’t leave you, Rafe. I went downstairs to talk to Mira.
When I couldn’t find her, I got worried.” She pointed to where a pile of
clothes lay. “I thought she’d gone for a run. I was going to tell someone but I
heard an animal whining—”
“So you decided to investigate by yourself?” Rafe shook her
then pulled her close and buried his face into her hair. “He was here, Jasmine.
That dog didn’t crawl all the way from your neighbor’s house. He left it to die
as a warning.”
“A warning of what?”
Rafe snorted. He swept Jasmine into his arms and headed back
to the house. “That he can get close enough to hurt my loved ones.”
She linked her hands around his neck. “I thought that with
your friends in the woods I’d be safe. I saw it from the deck and when Mira
came out from the barn, I ran forward.”
He stopped walking and stared into her face. “He could’ve
gotten you before Mira reached you.”
“I know that now,” she mumbled. “I wasn’t thinking, but
Devin came out right behind Mira. So we—”
“We’re damn lucky.”
He glanced around the woods. Calum was close. Might still
be. They’d known he was masking his scent. The drug developed a little after
the turn of the century was readily available to all shifter groups. It was a
common practice to cover the scent of all children. When given in a high enough
dose, it worked quite well for adults too. It was why it’d been so hard to find
Nina and his nieces after they’d disappeared. There’d been no trail to follow.
“If he can get close to us, we’re not safe. What are we
going to do?” Jasmine asked.
“Catch him,” he snapped.
“But how?”
Kade came out of the house before he could come up with an
answer. “Got a call from Xander’s male. He’d been drugged and the neighbor…”
Jasmine tensed. “Is dead. Isn’t he?”
Kade shook his head. “He’s alive but he’s been injured. He’s
on his way to the hospital.” He paused, glanced toward where the animal had
been left and sighed. “And the rest of his dogs are missing.”
She buried her face into the crook of Rafe’s neck and choked
back a cry. He held her tighter. “Where the hell are our guards?”
“The one on the front of the house ran off into the woods
when Jasmine screamed. The one stationed back here was drugged too.” Kade
pointed a few hundred feet from where the dog had been found. “He must’ve gone
to investigate. We have him but he hasn’t woken up yet.”
Jasmine began to cry, soft sobs that broke his heart. The
urge to comfort her pushed back his anger for the moment.
Rafe nuzzled against her wet cheek but met Kade’s eyes. “Protect
us.”
Kade nodded, understanding without the words. Jasmine needed
her male’s comfort and Rafe wanted to soothe her anguish without worrying.
“We will catch him and make him pay for this. I promise you,”
Rafe assured her.
Jasmine didn’t respond so he tucked her closer. He carried
her into the barn and climbed the stairs to the loft. Rafe swept his gaze over
the nook and smiled. He’d asked Kade to bring some blankets up here but his
brother had really outdone himself. Thick quilts were spread out on the floor
and tapestries were strung up around the makeshift bed. Two large pillows were
pressed against the wall and camp lanterns were hung from the exposed beams in
the ceiling. A basket in the corner held what smelled like potpourri—a tad
strong for his taste but Jasmine would like it—and massage oils. He gave the
little spot one last glance and chuckled.
It was corny, borderline cheesy, but the fact that Kade had
done this for him meant a lot more than any words of his acceptance could have.
Kade approved of Jasmine, wanted her happy as much as Rafe did.
Jasmine lifted her head and glanced at their improvised
bedroom. “This is beautiful.” She lifted her gray eyes, puffy and red from
crying, to meet his. “Did you do this for me?”
The urge to lie was strong but he wouldn’t be untruthful
with his female. If he wanted her honesty and trust, she deserved the same. “It’d
like to say yes but I can’t. Kade fixed this spot for us.”
She frowned and looked at the alcove with narrowed eyes. “I
didn’t think he liked me.”
He stepped onto the quilts and knelt with Jasmine still
cradled against his chest. “Why would you say that?”
She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. “He
always has a scowl on his face when he looks at me.”
He laid her down and stretched out next to her. “Kade was
born first and he always complains that our mother mixed us up right after
birth. That I should be the one in charge of our pride, not him.” He skimmed a
hand over her belly. “Sometimes I think he may be right. Mother always called
us by the wrong name.”
She rolled onto her side. “I had a hard time telling Seth
and Levi apart those first couple of weeks too. I kept Seth in blue and Levi in
yellow until I learned to distinguish their cries. Seth was more intense.”
That he was. The child would need guidance as he grew but it
wasn’t his fault he had a hard time reining in his emotions. It only meant his
animal spirits were more stubborn than Levi’s. He hated to think of the issues
Jasmine would’ve had to tackle on her own.
“It’s been a long time since I was around shifter babies but
I remember how hard it is to care for them. You’ve done a wonderful job with
them, sweetheart. They’re healthy and have a good sense of morality.”
She inched closer to him and rested her palms on his chest. “It
was hard, especially after they first shifted. They didn’t seem to have any
control of it. Once I was pushing a stroller down the street and Levi changed.
Thankfully he was in the back of the double seats and I was able to get him
into the car without anybody seeing. I rarely took them out after that, only
when I knew places wouldn’t be too crowded. Stress seemed to be a trigger.”
“That it is.” He reached forward and lifted her arm. The
scars hidden by the tattoo served to show how out of her element she’d been. He
traced the claw marks. “You’re lucky they didn’t hurt you more seriously.”
She pulled her arm away and cradled it close. “It was an
accident. He didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I never said he did.” He took her arm back and wrapped his
fingers around the inked cat at her wrist. The pulse under his palm beat
wildly. “Don’t be defensive. I didn’t mean it negatively.”
“I know.” She dropped her gaze. “I just don’t understand
shifter ways. My first instinct is to protect them. I didn’t want you punishing
them for my clumsiness.”
“I won’t punish them. Guide them. Discipline them. Yes. But
never punish. Children are precious and so are our females.” He let go of her
wrist and reached up to rub his thumb over her lips. “You are special to me,
Jasmine.”
“Because I’m your beloved human.” She sighed. “I know. You
keep telling me that.”
Rafe grinned at the annoyance in her voice. She looked at
him and frowned. He held her face between his palms and pressed his lips to
hers before she could question him. He kissed her slowly and lovingly, showing
her without words what he felt. Words were hard sometimes but this wasn’t. She
met his kiss and they explored each other. Passion rose. He slid his hands to
her shoulders and down her leanly muscled arms.
Softness and strength. Jasmine’s body and soul reflected
both. It had been those traits that had carried her through hardships, let her
survive long enough for him to find her. His treasure, the greatest find of his
long life, and the one he refused to lose.
He undressed her with care. The top and bra were tossed
aside. Her shorts next. Naked, she lay before him open and welcoming. In this,
she trusted him. With her body, she gave willingly. Her heart he feared was
still guarded but he was determined to break through her shields, gain her
secrets, win her love.
“You are beautiful, my Jasmine,” he exclaimed.
A blush stained her cheeks. “I’m glad you think so but—”
He leaned over her and took her lips, silencing her words
with a kiss. He didn’t want to hear her doubts. He had none. Everything about
this female was perfection. He might not have known her long but when it was
real, love came without qualifiers or rules. He pulled back and gazed into the
face of his soon-to-be mate. Lips swollen from his kisses, flushed freckled
cheeks and gray eyes darkened with passion. He ran his fingertips over her
features and memorized each slope and contour.
Gods, he loved this woman. Every little mark and
imperfection made her unique. With his lips barely brushing her skin, he
skimmed over the slope of her cheek and down her neck. For the moment, he
ignored her shoulder. He kissed each arm, paying special attention to the bend
of her elbow and her wrists. Touching the sensitive spots made her shiver,
rewarding him with more of her breathless sighs. He sucked each finger into his
mouth before letting her limp arms fall to the side.
From there he moved to her belly and dipped his tongue into
her navel. She shivered. He couldn’t resist the temptation. He spread his palms
over her sides.
She sucked in a breath. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He grinned and tickled her. She giggled and squirmed. More
of the sadness faded from her eyes. He stretched out next to her with his head
pillowed on a bent arm. His cock was hard and his balls hung heavy. He knew if
touched Jasmine she would be wet and ready to receive him, but he was in no
rush to find physical release. Not this time. Today he would uncover Jasmine’s
secrets and learn about the woman he planned to tie to his soul.
He laid a finger over the small bump on her nose. “What
happened?”
She reached up and touched the spot. “I fell out of a tree
when I was little.”
He kissed the old wound before he traced a thin scar along
her chin. “And this?”
“Crashed my bike.” She propped her body on one elbow and
pointed to her ankle where another white mark remained from a cut. “Got this
one at the same time.” She touched the back of her head. “Hit my head pretty
good too.”
He nuzzled against her chin then pressed his lips to her
scalp. A breathy sigh fell from her lips. He turned his face away to hide the
smile. Her response pleased him. He sat up and lifted her ankle to his mouth
for a kiss. She shivered.
“That tickles.” With flicks of his tongue, he laved the
spot. She tugged her leg to free it. “Let go, you wicked man.”
Ignoring her, he kissed his way up to her knee. She stopped
fighting him. He lifted her other leg to his mouth but paused and asked, “Do
you still want me to stop?”
She shook her head. He grinned against her flesh and treated
the leg to the same caresses before placing it gently on the floor. She watched
him with half-lidded fascination as he crawled into the space between her legs.
With her spread wide for him, he had a perfect view of his personal heaven but
his heart stopped at the sight of her sex. No curls.
“Jasmine?”
She reached down and brushed over the lips. “I thought maybe
you’d like it if I was bare here. Do you?”
He hadn’t cared if she had a full nest of curls or short,
trimmed ones but the smooth skin posed a temptation he found hard to resist.
One look at her slickened, swollen lips and he knew this was how he wanted
Jasmine for eternity.
“I like, baby. Very much.”
He laid a palm over the hairless mound. A sigh escaped her
parted mouth. He knew she’d be more sensitive without the barrier her curls
provided and he planned to take advantage of it. He ran a finger through her
cleft and brought the glistening tip to his mouth. Eyes closed, he sucked on
it. A hungry groan crawled up his throat.