Authors: Laurann Dohner
“One of my pack decided to jump me in the parking lot. He
thought it would be a good time to challenge me after I’d already fought some
vamp ass when a few of them got out of line with customers at the club.” He
bent, pushing the pants completely off. “I’m guessing he figured I’d be too
tired to win.”
Jasmine inched closer to get a better look. The blood
trailed all the way down to his knee and it was worse when he turned to stalk
into the bathroom. More blood covered his back but it was brighter red and wet.
Four slash marks scored his shoulder blade.
“Chase? You’re hurt.”
He halted by the door with his back to her. “I could have
undressed in the bathroom so you didn’t have to see this but it’s part of my
life and now yours. There’s no sense in hiding it from you. The enforcer got in
a lucky strike with his claws before I got hold of his throat. I’ll heal by
morning. Everything is going to be okay.” He glanced at her then. “I’m fine.”
Jasmine stood statue still while Chase continued into the
bathroom. The sad expression on his face didn’t convince her. He’d left the
door open so she didn’t hesitate to follow him inside. The clear glass door
allowed no privacy as she watched him stand under the showerhead.
“One of your pack tried to kill you?” She wanted
clarification.
“Yes. It happens from time to time.”
“He. Tried. To. Kill. You.” She was horrified. “That’s not
okay. I thought packs were supposed to be like family.”
He avoided looking at her as he dumped soap on a washcloth
to scrub at the blood. “They are. Human family members kill each other too. Our
worlds aren’t so different in that regard.”
“Your world sucks.”
That drew a quick grin from him as he shot her an amused
look. “Only the vampires.”
“I’m not joking around. Someone tried to kill you.” The rest
of it sank into her perplexed mind. “Is he going to come after you again?”
“No.” His gaze narrowed. “It was a fight to the death.”
You killed him.
“I walked away. He wouldn’t give it up. I had to carry him
to my car and go dump the body.”
Her knees weakened, causing her to sway a little on her feet
and grab hold of the counter for support. Fear hit hard, more so than horror.
She figured that would come later. “Are the police going to be looking for
you?” She thought quickly. “We need to leave the country.” She’d flee with him.
She might not be too sure what exactly detailed being a mate but it was for
life. Losing Chase wasn’t an option she wanted to consider.
“We?” Eyebrows lifted. “You’d come with me?”
“Of course.”
She pushed away the reason they needed to leave. It made it
easier to handle. He’d saved her life and she’d made a serious commitment by
agreeing to be his mate. He also wasn’t human so, in her mind, normal rules
didn’t apply to him. It had been a case of self-defense.
His features softened. “Humans don’t get involved in our
business. There won’t be any missing persons report filed. His family or
friends will make it appear as if he left the country if anyone questions what
happened to him. It’s what we do to stay under the radar.” He paused. “It’s his
family and friends I have to worry about, along with any other wolves in the
pack who have a problem with what I’ve done.”
“Because you had to kill him? Won’t they understand he
attacked you and you had no choice?”
“Challenges and the resulting deaths are expected. It’s
because I mated you.” He turned in the shower, facing away to duck his head
under the spray.
Guilt nagged at Jasmine. She’d mourned the loss of her life
as she’d known it while Chase had been at work. It didn’t seem fair that she
had to give up her house, her career and the people she cared about to be with
him.
It’s no picnic for him either
, she suddenly realized. People were
trying to kill him because they were together.
“What can I do?” She wanted to help him.
Chase glanced at her over his shoulder. “You could come in
here and wash my back. I’ll heal faster if the wounds are clean. My body won’t
have to fight off infection as it mends the damage.”
One glance down his body had her more than willing to strip
down and join him. Tan, muscled skin tempted her to do more than touch his
back. There had been changes since the mating, ones that she couldn’t deny. Her
sex drive seemed to have gone into overdrive. Just staring at him naked made her
ache.
Her hands shook as she removed her clothes as he watched
through the glass. Passion was an easy emotion to read as his eyes began to
glow. They fascinated her. She slowly approached. He pushed open the door and
stepped back to make room. Steamy hot water ran over her as she waited for him
to reach around to secure the door.
He was so tall compared to her that she had to lift her chin
to see his face. A soft growl rumbled from him and the muscles in her belly
clenched. Her nipples also responded by growing taut. Desire rolled through her
with a jolt. Chase inhaled and his hands gently cupped her hips.
“You’re so sexy and smell so good. So mine.”
All she wanted to do was reach up to cup his face and pull
his mouth down for a kiss. It was difficult to remember that he was injured.
“Your back.”
“It doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry about it.”
“I need to wash it.”
He snarled something under his breath, but dropped his hands
and turned. “Do it fast. I’m impatient.”
He wanted her as much as she did him. She hadn’t missed the
state of his dick before he’d spun around. Chase was sporting an impressive
erection that matched the rest of him—all hard masculine perfection. The sight
of the ugly slashes across his shoulder blade cooled her passion a bit as she
stared at them.
“I don’t want to hurt you. Should I just use water but not
soap?” She reached up to unhook the showerhead from the holder, making it
easier to maneuver.
He grabbed the soapy sponge and handed it over his shoulder
to her. “I’ll get a fever if infection sets in. It won’t kill me but it’s not
pleasant. I need to be at one hundred percent by morning.”
“Why?” She accepted it and hesitantly began to wash the
wounds. His muscles tensed but he held still, making no sound.
“I have to work early in the morning. It’s going to be a
long day.”
Part of her was hurt by that. The least he could do was take
some time off to spend with her. She had a lot of adjustments to make, ones
that would be easier if he were with her. “Do your bosses know you took a
mate?”
“Yes.”
She wondered how that had gone but kept silent. It was a
distraction pondering their responses while she finished washing the gashes in
his skin and washed away the soap. They appeared to be healing at an
accelerated rate that would have been alarming if she hadn’t known he was a
supernatural being.
“All done. They aren’t bleeding.”
He spun back, grabbed the showerhead and replaced it in the
holder. “I want you.”
His hands returned to her hips and she gasped when he lifted
her off her feet, pinning her to the tile wall. Overpowering emotions slammed
into her. The mental door had been thrown wide open with an explosive charge.
“Do you feel how much I want you?” He brushed kisses across
the top of her shoulder.
Jasmine moaned, spreading her legs and wrapping them around
his waist as fiery need burned bright. His passion and hers seemed to combine
until all she could think about was having him inside her. She clung to him,
her nails digging into his wet skin as she used her hold on him to rub against
his body.
“So mine,” Chase softly growled. “You need to feed.”
“I ate while you were gone.” It annoyed her that he’d think
about food while they were touching.
“Blood.”
His lips returned to her throat, the points of his fangs
drawing erotic twin lines down to her shoulder. He spun them around and pinned
her against the wall. One shift of his hips and his cock nudged against her
pussy. She was wet and ready for him as he slowly entered her.
“Chase!” Raw pleasure blinded her as her eyes closed and he
drove into her deep.
He froze there and pulled his mouth away. “Drink.”
Her hips twisted as she tried to ride his cock but he
pressed against her tighter, making it impossible.
“Mine? Look at me.”
Her eyes snapped open. His were glowing, staring directly at
her. One hand lifted and she saw his fingernails had lengthened into claws.
They would have frightened her before but not anymore. His index finger dug
into his muscular chest above his right nipple.
“Drink now if you want me.”
Her mate mentally sent her waves of lust. Her mind wasn’t
able to block them and she cried out, hurting for him to fuck her.
“Drink,” he demanded.
She sealed her mouth over the bleeding wound and the taste
of blood wasn’t gross. Instead, the flavor burst on her tongue, a mixture of
something wonderful and delicious. She moaned, hungrily sucking. A snarl tore
from Chase as he adjusted to grip her hips and began to slowly thrust in and
out of her pussy. Pleasure rocked through her system as his thick, rigid cock
rubbed against her sensitive nerve endings. All thought left Jasmine as ecstasy
gripped her. She kept drinking, overloaded from his addictive taste and how
wonderful he felt, until the climax struck and she had to pull her mouth away
from his chest to scream out his name.
His release followed and she cried out with their thoughts
linked, coming a second time when ecstasy tore through her again. She could
feel his pleasure, making it her own, every jet of his semen filling her with
another burst of rapture until blackness threatened to take her.
“Easy.” Chase tightened his arms more firmly around her, one
shelving her ass while the other curled around her waist.
Her head fell forward to rest against his shoulder as he
kicked open the shower door and carried her to the counter to gently place her
there. Jasmine didn’t want to let him go but she knew he wanted to dry her off
and take her to bed. The link between them was wide open and while she couldn’t
hear his thoughts as words, she knew his intentions. Her hold loosened.
Jasmine hated the loss as he stepped back to grab towels but
he returned immediately. Big hands were gentle as they patted her dry with the
thick cotton. She peered into his eyes as he looked into hers. A strong sense
of love filtered through but also fear.
“Why?”
He studied her closely with a frown. “You’re confused and
alarmed.”
“You’re afraid of something.”
The link between them snapped closed. It hurt as if he’d
rejected her.
“Chase?” She cupped his face. “Don’t just turn it off like
that.”
He bit his bottom lip and opened up to her again as he
stepped between her parted legs to stand there. “I’m sorry. You’re adjusting to
being my mate and this bond is new to both of us. I felt your pain. I didn’t
mean to hurt you.”
“What are you afraid of?”
His arms wrapped around her, lifted and carried her into the
bedroom. “I didn’t want you to see that.”
“You can’t possibly be afraid of me. I’m not going to leave
you or ever betray you by telling anyone what you are.”
He sat on the bed with her on his lap. “I know that. You’re
a new mate and that makes you vulnerable. That worry is what you caught through
our bond.”
“Why?”
“You’re fragile right now. In time you’ll grow stronger and
gain some of my abilities.” He pulled her closer to his chest until they were
nose to nose. “Your bone density will be tougher than human, you’ll heal faster
and you’ll be harder to kill. You’ll be able to defend yourself better once I
teach you how to fight.” He smiled. “I plan to do that.”
“Fight what?”
“My enemies. I have many but I’m working on dealing with
them to make you safer. They will never get near you if I have my way but I
want you to learn how to protect yourself just in case you ever need to. We’ll
start your training in a few weeks when your physical changes are over.”
She allowed that information to sink in. “Am I going to look
any different?”
“No, mine. Denser bones won’t make you physically larger.
They’ll just be more difficult to break. You won’t grow fangs either. I’ll
always have to cut my skin to feed you.”
Jasmine glanced down at his chest. The scratch had already
begun to heal.
“I won’t have scars from feeding you. A wound has to be
pretty deep to do that.” He suddenly turned, coming down on top of her where he
caged her body on the bed. “Do you know what I want, mine?”
“Why are you calling me that?”
He brushed his lips over hers before smiling. “It’s what you
are. Mine.” His mind opened up to her and strong emotions struck.
“You want me again.” She wrapped her legs around his waist.
“I want you too.”
Chapter Seven
Every muscle tensed as Chase tilted his head, listening for
the slightest sound. The club was unusually quiet.
“Easy,” Blaron rasped from across the room. “They will
come.”
A human wouldn’t have heard his words but they were clear to
Chase. He glanced up into the rafters where lights were strung, immediately
wishing he hadn’t spotted his friend standing on a narrow beam. The Irishman
wore a kilt.
“Underwear,” he muttered, quickly looking away. “Wear it.”
His friend chuckled.
“Aye,” Lethal whispered from behind the bar. “I tell him but
he won’t listen. I wear pants to avoid a breeze.”
“Leave me alone. I enjoy the freedom.” Blaron laughed.
“I’m not enjoying the view. I never want to see that much of
you again.” Chase refused to look up a second time as he scanned the shadows in
the club. “Did you hear that?”
“Aye.” Lethal crouched out of sight. “We have company.”
The scent of blood was strong as three recently fed vampires
strolled into the main part of the club, their scent helping to mask the
presence of his friends. Chase walked out to greet them, arms folded over his
chest. “Gentlemen, the club is closed tonight. Private party.”
“We heard.” The brunet vamp grinned to reveal his fangs. “We
came to introduce ourselves to your lovely bride. I hope we haven’t missed the
wedding?” He glanced around. “Where are she and the minister?”
“In the back,” Chase lied, his fist tightening on the stake
he hid between his forearm and ribs. “You need to leave.”
The second vampire positioned himself to Chase’s left. “Not
without meeting your human.” He inhaled. “A-positive? That’s my favorite.”
Guilt struck Chase that he’d purposely cut Jasmine with his
fingernail to stain his shirt with a little of her blood while she’d slept.
He’d needed to fool anyone within range that his mate was nearby. She’d never
know since he’d licked the tiny wound to heal it but he should have asked her
permission. He just hadn’t wanted her to worry if he shared his plans.
“I’m surprised you can smell anything over the stench of you
three. I hope you weren’t feeding in the parking lot? You know it’s against the
rules.”
The third vampire moved to his right so they nearly
surrounded him. “Of course not. We fed inside the club.”
A new scent reached Chase and his shoulders tensed as he
glanced at the hallway that led from the front door into the main area. Four of
his pack males sauntered in. His jaw clenched and it took willpower to mute the
snarl that wanted to rise.
“Feeding from my pack?” He glanced at the wolves. “Since
when do you offer up a vein to vampires?”
Damon, one of his enforcers, growled. “Since you chose a
human over us. Vamps are stronger when they are hyped up on our blood.”
“You’re no longer our alpha,” Ronny snarled. “We’ve come to
kill you and your new mate.”
Fury burned inside Chase. “You mean you whored yourselves out
to vamps, hoping they could kill me since you know you’re too weak to do it.”
He glared at his pack members. “Which one of you thinks he’s going to take my
place?”
Damon stepped closer. “I will.”
“Then you’ll die first.” Chase kept his gaze moving, watching,
trying to judge which of them would strike first. “I won’t be the one to do it
though. That’s unfortunate,” he jerked his head toward the vampires, “but I
have to deal with them first since you made this an unfair fight by giving them
an advantage with your blood.”
The brunet vampire hissed. “What does that mean? You’re the
one who will die. We’ll allow you to watch us play with your mate first though
while she begs you to save her. Her screams will be the last thing you hear.
Where is the little bitch?”
Chase didn’t wait to be attacked. The idea of them planning
to torture Jasmine was enough to send him into a rage. He moved fast, threw out
his arm and embedded the stake deeply into the vamp’s chest. The idiot appeared
stunned as his eyes widened a second before lines appeared on his face as it
turned an ashen gray. The skin split as he turned to dust, his solid form
disintegrating.
The other two vampires weren’t going to be so easy to kill
now that he didn’t have the element of surprise. Chase saw Blaron drop from the
rafters to land in a crouch next to Damon. His friend’s sword flashed in the
dim light as he rose to his full height and ended the life of the werewolf.
Satisfaction was short-lived as both of the dead vampire’s friends recovered
from the shock of realizing they’d walked into an ambush.
Lethal lived up to his name as he sprinted across the room
to join the fray and took out a second werewolf. The sound of bones popping as
his pack members shifted wasn’t a concern to Chase. His attention fixed on the
two blood suckers intent on killing him.
One of them came at him with fangs and claws. Chase barely
dodged away in time to avoid a painful slash at his throat. The wolf blood
they’d sucked down was going to be a problem but nothing he couldn’t handle.
He’d make certain his enemies died, to ensure his mate’s safety. He almost felt
sorry for the stupid bastards for not understanding how deadly an opponent he’d
become.
The second one leapt into the fray and Chase shoved the
stake into his chest but missed his heart. The bloodsucker screamed in pain but
managed to stagger away when Chase had to release his hold to avoid the first
one grabbing him from behind. He unleashed his claws and drove them into the
jerk’s neck to bleed him out a bit to weaken him.
Swords clashed with claws across the room. Chase didn’t have
time to check on Blaron or Lethal. His friends could handle themselves. They
were old vampires with battle skills. He had his own ass to worry about as both
of the blood-drugged vampires tried to corner him. They were bleeding and hurt
but they’d be harder to kill with the wolf blood in their systems.
Jasmine’s image flashed in his mind and he howled in rage as
he dodged and lashed out with his claws once more as one of the vamps came too
close. He couldn’t lose the fight. His enemies would track Jasmine down
eventually and kill her just for the hell of it if they were able to take his
life. The bad thing about living for so long was the boredom that could take
hold. She would become an obsession to the bastards.
Lethal was suddenly at his back and he beheaded one of the
vampires with his sword. Chase launched himself at the remaining vampire,
taking him to the floor. His claws tore through the bastard’s chest as his
opponent screamed. In seconds he’d removed his heart and watched in
satisfaction as the solid body turned to ash.
He staggered to his feet and glanced around at the carnage
of what had been his enemies. Four dead wolves and three ash piles were all
that remained. His friends had both survived.
Lethal grinned, holding his bloodied sword. “That was fun.”
Blaron’s white shirt was torn and wet with blood where claws
had marked his chest. “Aye. It’s not over yet though.” His gaze fixed on the
door. “We have more company.”
Six of Chase’s pack mates entered the club. Four males and
two females. He growled low in warning, waiting to see if they’d submit or
challenge him. He wasn’t surprised at seeing them. Tina led them. She was a
pushy bitch who’d tried to tempt him into mating her since he’d first taken the
alpha role.
“Surrender your mate to death and allow me to take her
place,” the she wolf growled, her fangs showing. “Don’t force us to kill you,
Chase. I want you.”
“The feeling isn’t mutual.” He snarled and glanced at the
other female. Her presence surprised him. Mora was one of the most docile
females in the pack and he’d trusted her enough to make her his secretary. He’d
just seen her an hour before. Her gaze dropped when he looked into her eyes.
“You too?”
Fear showed as she glanced up. “They made me,” she blurted.
He could believe that. Mora was half human, couldn’t shift,
and had mated to another half-breed who couldn’t protect her against the full
bloods. Tina’s arm arched out and knocked the smaller female to the floor. Mora
stayed down and the smell of her blood filled the air. Chase shook his head,
giving Tina his attention.
“You’d make a cruel alpha bitch. You’re supposed to protect
the weakest members, not bully and abuse them.” He moved slowly, placing his
body closer to Mora and getting between her and the other werewolves. “It’s
over.”
Mora moved behind him but he didn’t glance back. It might be
a mistake to turn his back on her but he liked the little she wolf and her
mate. They’d been the only pack members to actually welcome him when he’d
arrived. The previous alpha had looked down on them for their weakened
bloodlines while he hadn’t, being a mixed breed himself.
“They made me steal your phone,” Mora whispered. “Tina has
it.”
Rage gripped him as he glared at the bitch in question.
“Why?”
Tina smiled. “We told her we’d kill her mate if she didn’t
bring it to me. She was quite helpful.”
“I meant why did you want my phone?” He had a sinking
feeling that he knew.
The club doors opened and his worst fear came true as a
scent reached his nose. “Son of a bitch!”
* * * * *
Jasmine was irritated as she glanced at Jenny. “I thought
Chase didn’t want me to leave the house. He said it was too dangerous because
he has enemies that could target me. I had to promise him I wouldn’t leave the
house before he left this morning.”
The woman behind the wheel shrugged. “Don’t ask me why my
brother does anything. I got the text message for both of us to come to the
club so that’s where we’re going. I’m not thrilled either. I hate blood bags
and howlers but my brother wants us there.”
“Vampires and werewolves? Aren’t you one of them?”
“I’m talking about the full bloods. They snub our kind but
they also fear us. Some will attack without provocation just because of what we
are.”
“Is Chase the only family you have left?”
“No. We have cousins, aunts and uncles.”
“In Alaska?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave?”
Jenny glanced away from the road to frown. “You’re full of
questions.”
“I’m curious and your brother isn’t around to answer them.
You won’t get into trouble for telling me what I want to know.”
A chuckle broke from her new sister-in-law. “He told me. You
laid down the law. Okay, I’ll share. Our people don’t think we’re werewolf
enough to make good mates. They believe our vampire blood runs too strong since
our fathers were ancients and really powerful. They fear we’re dead inside.”
“Fathers?”
“We’re half siblings. Chase left our clan before I did but I
followed him here after spending ten years with our mother. She wanted me to
follow in her footsteps.”
“What does she do for a living?”
“I am not talking professions. She wanted me to hook up with
an ancient blood bag to give him a few children. They find it an ego boost to
have the ability to create offspring if the circumstances are right but I
didn’t want to become some jerk’s science project.”
“It sounds so cold.”
“It is.” Jenny sighed. “That’s why I went to my brother for
his protection. I met my father a few times and he’s the cruelest, most vicious
creature imaginable. It amazes me that my mother ever warmed up enough to allow
him to touch her. Then again, our mother isn’t quite right. She’s got too much
of her father’s blood in her.”
“Who is her father?”
“An ancient blood bag. Let’s just say that gramps isn’t the
warm, cuddly type. He once grabbed Chase and took a bite out of him just to see
how he’d taste. He enjoyed it enough to keep doing it until my brother grew
strong enough to make him stop. No one likes to be an unwilling snack.”
Horror washed through Jasmine. “Your mother allowed it?” She
couldn’t imagine that any woman wouldn’t protect her own child.
“That’s Mom.” Jenny snorted. “Very maternal, wouldn’t you
say? Let me assure you that she’s one mother-in-law you don’t want to spend
time with. Never pressure Chase into taking you to Alaska.”
“I won’t.” It was an easy promise to make. The concept of
meeting someone so cold gave her chills and made her doubt what she’d signed up
for as Chase’s mate.
Jenny seemed to read her mind. “Chase hates our mother and I
can’t blame him. He’s nothing like her, I promise. That’s why I came to him for
protection.”
More questions filled Jasmine. “Why do you need protection?
Are the men stronger?”
“They are.” She nodded. “Mother Nature or whoever you want
to blame gave them bigger bodies, more muscle and a shitload of aggression.
It’s safer if we stick together.” She paused. “I’m safer. He did fine on his
own.”
“He’s pretty tough, isn’t he?”
A smile curved her sister-in-law’s mouth. “You did very well
picking him for a mate. No one will be able to care for you better.”
“I want him to really love me,” she admitted softly.
“He does.” Jenny laughed. “You doubt it? Many females tried
to lure him into marking them but none succeeded.”
“We barely know each other.”
“It isn’t always about how long you know someone. For us, it
is more important how strongly you feel when you meet the right person. We’re
instinctual creatures.”
“And you can read minds.”
“That too. It helps us get to know someone really fast and
well. He didn’t make a mistake picking you for his mate.”
Jasmine voiced her inner fear. “He did it to save my life.”
“No. He did it because he wanted you. We’re…older than we
look and we chose to leave our people. Humans die faster than we do so death is
something we’ve adjusted to. He would have allowed you to die if you weren’t
the one he wanted to mate. Don’t think for a second that it was pity that
prompted him to bring you home for keeps.”