Mating Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel (29 page)

Tearing his eyes away from her, he stared at the suited man. “Tell me what you want,” he demanded, his voice sounding more animal than human.

“You’re going to do exactly what I say when I say until you’re no longer useful.” Jayce noticed there was no “we” in his statement, just “I.”

Yeah, something about his tone was personal. Not toward Jayce specifically—he was almost sure of that—but this was personal against shifters or paranormal beings in general. The men here hated paranormal beings, that much was obvious, but this guy . . . If Jayce had to guess, he hated them because they were physically more powerful and they lived longer. The man just looked like the type. Probably hated that his money couldn’t buy him immortality. Jayce knew it was a big assumption, but he’d dealt with rich assholes like this over the years. The type who would sell their souls to be like paranormals. “You think you can blackmail me into working for you?”

“I know I can.” There was a bitter bite to the words.

“So what do you want?” Jayce intentionally kept his gaze away from Kat, not trusting himself to look at her when she was being restrained and had a weapon to her head.

“For starters, I want to see what you can do.” He snapped his fingers and the man with the revolver jumped into action. Like a trained dog.

Jayce kept his hands loose at his sides. He might look relaxed to these people, but the second he got what he wanted, he was getting Kat to safety. Deep down he understood her need to do this tonight, but he couldn’t take it anymore. His beast was clawing at him, furious for his captivity. For a moment his vision hazed over and he had to blink, forcing his beast down again.
Shit.
That had been too close.

The man with the revolver returned with two humans wearing leather APL jackets similar to the ones he’d seen on the bikers from that bar he’d been to with Kat. Obviously these guys weren’t hopped up on vamp blood. If they were, the humans here wouldn’t have been able to keep them captive.

Jayce glanced back at the suit. “You haven’t told me your name.” He needed to talk. It helped keep his fury, which was on a very thin leash, at bay.

The man’s dark eyes narrowed. “Anthony—”

“So you’re basically in charge of everyone in Fontana, huh? You know a man named Adler?” he asked, his tone full of disrespect.

Anthony’s eyes turned even darker. “He used to be under my purview, yes.” There was a bite to his words.

“So basically you said jump and he asked how high,” Jayce spat.

“You’re not here to talk about one of my dead subordinates. Now you will kill these two in your human form. I want to see what you’re capable of.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t those guys wearing APL jackets? I thought you guys all banded together.”

“Who they are is none of your concern. Kill them or your female dies. Now.” The flash of his temper rose through the thin veneer of a man who pretended to be civilized but was nothing more than a monster in Armani.

Jayce looked at Kat and saw not fear in her pale eyes but raw determination. Derrick still had a gun trained on him, but Jayce knew he could take him out with no problem. He could move a hell of a lot faster than the cop could shoot.

That still left Kat unprotected. She’d told him she could handle herself, that she wanted to take these guys down her way, to prove to herself she wasn’t a victim anymore. He desperately wanted to give her back that sense of freedom. His wolf said otherwise.

Jayce didn’t know if the gun being held to Kat’s head had silver-injected bullets, but it was highly likely. A shot to the head wouldn’t kill her immediately, but if too much silver got into her bloodstream, it would. As Kat was newly turned, her defenses were still building up.

They’d already gotten everything they needed on tape. Now it was a matter of getting out of this place alive. Giving her an almost imperceptible nod, he lunged. Using all his strength, he let his beast take over as he launched himself through the air. His clothes shredded as his body underwent the change in milliseconds. Unlike others of his kind, thanks to his age and unique breed, his change was always like lightning. Too quick for the human eye.

Everything else around him funneled out. Kat’s head slammed back against her captor. She twisted, elbow raised, prepared to strike him again, but Jayce was so much faster. His paws slammed into the guy’s chest. The man shouted in pain as Jayce pinned him to the ground. The gun clattered to the floor as Jayce swiped out with his forepaw, slicing the guy across the face with such force that he knocked him out.

It felt like an eternity, but Jayce knew mere seconds had passed. Spinning around, he turned to find Derrick taking aim at them. The two restrained humans dove for cover as the man holding the revolver turned toward him and Kat. Everything moved in slow motion. Kat had snapped off her handcuffs with ease and by the stance of her body he could tell she was ready to go for Mayfield’s throat. He could read every tense line in that lean body of hers. She was primed for a fight, regardless of the threat.

He refused to let her go after Mayfield. She would kill him for sure and it would ruin her life. Still in animal form, he threw himself at her, taking her to the floor, using his body as a cushion. Keeping his claws retracted, he encircled her and restrained her.

Bullets flew around them, loud pings ricocheting everywhere. Gunpowder and metallic scents filled the air. He felt the sharp sting of silver entering his body, but he ignored it, keeping Kat down even as she struggled against him, screaming for him to let her go.

Not a chance in hell. The burn of the bullet was nothing compared with the roaring need to protect her. He’d failed her once and he would die before letting that happen again.

Another bullet sliced into his body, and all hell broke loose. Connor, Liam, Ryan, and a bunch of men in uniform stormed through the metal door and the windows. They all carried weapons. Shouts flew from everywhere, but Jayce blocked it all out.

His wolf was in control now. As long as Kat was safe and no one tried to touch her, his beast wouldn’t have a problem. God help anyone who came too close to them.

Chapter 19

A
s men in uniform stormed the place, Kat ceased her struggling underneath Jayce. Blood dripped over her dirty jacket, covering her.
His blood.

Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around Jayce’s neck, pressing her face into his soft fur. The cavalry had arrived, but she’d gone crazy for a moment, consumed with the need to strike out at Anthony Mayfield—the man who likely had ordered Adler to kidnap her, resulting in her subsequent torture and abuse from a total psycho—and kill him. When Mayfield had arrived he’d all but admitted it to her. He’d been talking about how Adler had failed as a subordinate, how the dead man couldn’t follow simple orders, but now that he’d taken charge things would be different in Fontana. Then he’d admitted it again to Jayce.

But Jayce had seen what she’d been planning. He’d probably read her body language before she’d even been aware of her actions.

There were so many uniformed men and women running around, slamming the APL members to the ground. No matter what her packmates or Jayce thought, she was thankful that they had involved law enforcement.

A man in uniform strode toward Kat and Jayce, stretching out a hand as if to help her up, but Jayce snarled and nearly bit his hand off.

Jerking back, the man’s eyes widened and he immediately went for his gun.

“No!” Kat tightened her grip around Jayce. “Just step back. He won’t hurt you as long as you stay away from me.”

Jayce’s change to his animal form had been stunningly beautiful. He was a silvery gray, the color of his eyes. All sleek, powerful animal. All hers.

It suddenly registered that everyone was staring at them. Moving underneath Jayce, she changed positions so that she was half-sitting up. Surveying the space, she saw all the APL members in handcuffs. One looked as if he’d been shot. The rest of the Feds and a few local cops were looking at Kat and Jayce, their hands resting uneasily on their weapons.

Kat soon realized why. Jayce hadn’t moved off her, but his head was turned toward the others, his lips pulled back, his teeth bared in a blatant show of aggression. He was a huge wolf, probably standing five feet tall on all fours. Maybe taller. He had her caged in and was practically daring anyone to make a move. If she didn’t love him and trust him so much, she’d have been scared to see this giant, menacing animal too. But she knew he wasn’t dangerous to anyone who kept his distance or didn’t pose a threat to her.

He’d told her once that the reason he didn’t shift as often as others of his kind was because he wasn’t completely in control when he was a wolf. Unlike most shifters. He was aware of his surroundings, but his beast dominated his logical human self. She knew without a doubt that if anyone approached her, Jayce would attack.

Right now she understood on her most primal level that he was protecting her. It didn’t matter that these people were here to help them. To him, they were threats. She was his mate and he would kill for her, would die for her.

The knowledge brought hot tears to her eyes. Tightening her grip, she turned his face until he looked at her, surprised that he’d even let her pull his gaze away from the others he viewed as a possible danger. Beautiful gray eyes stared back at her. But the animal was definitely in control now. She could see it clearly.

She stroked a hand over his head tentatively. Not only did he allow the caress, but he immediately lowered his head and pushed into her palm, letting out a soft growl.

“It’s okay, Jayce. I’m okay, I’m alive, and these people are here to help us. There is no more threat.” She tried to inject all the love she felt for him into her words.

There was a slight movement behind him, someone’s feet shifting against the dirty floor. Jayce whipped around, a territorial growl filling the room, which had gone very quiet. Except for the harsh breathing of a few individuals and the rapid sounds of heartbeats, no one, not even the APL members, made a sound.

It was as if everyone knew that a terrifying violence lurked inside the wolf she held in her arms. One wrong move and blood would spill.

“I love you, Jayce,” she whispered, continuing to stroke him, needing him to believe it, to protect him from himself. “Please come back to me. I need you right now.”

There was a flash of awareness, understanding, in his gray eyes. After a brief beat of silence, Jayce let out a long, eerie growl and then shifted back to his human form. Gray eyes that still held a bit more animal than human stared at her as he crouched over her in all his naked glory.

His muscles were bunched beneath his smooth skin, a predator ready to attack at the slightest provocation. “I’ll kill him for you. I’ll kill them all, right here and now,” he said quietly. Before she could speak, he continued. “I don’t give a damn about the consequences. If you need Mayfield dead for closure or vengeance, I’ll give it to you.”

It wasn’t just his inner wolf talking. He meant it. No matter that it would cost him his freedom, maybe his life. He would do this for her if she asked. The truth was crystal clear in his eyes.

Tears tracked down her cheeks as she shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. She wasn’t surprised that he would do that for her, only touched. “I just need you. Here, now, forever. Thank you for coming back to me,” she whispered, her heart close to bursting.

Jayce growled low in his throat, and she could tell he wanted to kiss her. But something told her that if he did, he wouldn’t stop, regardless of their audience. Despite the blood streaking down his torso, he jumped to his feet, scooped her up, and strode to the exit, totally uncaring about his nakedness. She didn’t even try to protest. It felt too good to be held in his arms, claimed publicly by this amazing warrior.

“You need a medic.” Parker took a step forward, but Connor grabbed his arm and forcibly pulled him back.

“Fuck off, Parker,” Jayce growled and gave Connor a questioning look but didn’t pause in his stride.

Kat had no idea what the look was for, but her Alpha seemed to understand. “Keys are in the SUV. I’ll be by in the morning.”

A man in a blue jacket stepped forward, flashing his badge as if they didn’t know whom he worked for. “You can’t leave. You have to make a statement, to fill out a report—”

“They’ll do it in the morning,” Parker snapped. “If it wasn’t for them you wouldn’t be getting all the credit for this takedown. Leave them alone. You’ll have plenty of paperwork to keep you busy tonight anyway.”

Kat wasn’t sure if it was because of what Parker said or because Jayce snarled at the man, flashing his sharp canines, but the guy immediately backed off, mumbling something about a breach in protocol under his breath.

Outside they were greeted by police cars and SUVs with tinted windows and flashing lights. A lone SUV with no lights sat near the edge of the dirt road leading away from the place.

She figured that one belonged to Connor and she was proved right when Jayce went straight to the passenger side and placed her gently on the seat. Staring down at her, he took a deep breath. “I want to kiss you right now, but I know I won’t stop. Soon, though . . . Soon.” A soft growl preceded his words, and a delicious thrill coursed through her body.

As soon as he slid into the driver’s seat, she reached for his arm, gently holding it. “You’re injured. Parker was right about that. You need medical attention and—”

He snorted. “I’ve already pushed the bullets out of my body.”

She drew back. “You can do that?”

He let out another snort, not responding as he started driving. She was concerned for him, for the amount of blood covering his naked, sleek, muscular body, but he didn’t seem fazed at all.

Still, all her protective instincts surfaced even as she tried to ignore what the sight of his naked body and sinewy muscles was doing to her. “Please don’t shut me out,” she whispered.

He shot her a surprised look, those gray eyes darkening. “I’m not. Just want to get you home. To myself.”

When he spoke in partial sentences, barely able to get words out, she knew they were going to have a long night. But first, she wanted to talk about what she’d said, to thank him for what he’d offered her. “Jayce, what you did back there . . .”

“Don’t want to talk about it,” he growled.

“Well, I do,” she snapped. “You were willing to give up your life for me. If you’d killed Mayfield with all those Feds around, they’d have either killed you—”

He laughed, the sound sharp and amused.

“Or they’d have locked you up.”

“They could have tried.”

“Stop being so freaking male about this,” she demanded. “What you did . . .” Her voice broke, earning a swift curse from Jayce.

He reached out, stroked the back of his knuckles down her cheek. “Don’t cry, honey. We’re almost home.” His voice was a soothing balm for her frayed emotions.

But it wasn’t their home. It was December’s. And she didn’t know how long he’d be there. He’d said he loved her, but she needed to know exactly what he meant by that. Because she wanted everything from him.

“I want you to live here with me, in Fontana, preferably on the ranch, with the Armstrong pack. I was hoping Connor would let us build a house. Something that’s ours. I know you don’t have a real home, but I hope you’ll consider moving here. If not, I’ll go wherever you want. I just want to build a life with you. I want . . .” She wanted everything, but she couldn’t figure out all the words she needed to say. “I just want you.”

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, the white knuckles painfully visible. For a moment it seemed as if he’d rip it right off. “You meant what you said? About loving me?” Quiet words.

Batting away runaway tears, she nodded.

“You didn’t say it just so I’d return to my human form?” There was such a vulnerable note in his voice, it pulled at her heart.

“Of course not. I love you, Jayce. I have for a long time.” It was one of the reasons she’d run from him when she found out he’d lied to her.

He pushed out a harsh breath and then seemed to gather himself before speaking again. “I have so many enemies, Kat. You might not ever be truly safe,” he said.

“No one’s truly safe, but I have a strong pack to surround me and an even stronger mate. We can’t live in fear because of what might happen.” That was no way to live, not when she had the man she loved right in front of her, willing to spend the rest of his life with her.

“Will you bond with me, Kat?” The abrupt question had her digging her fingers into her palms.

This was the one thing she’d always wanted from him. She swallowed past the lump of emotion in her throat and whispered, “Yes.”

His shoulders relaxed, and it stunned her to realize how afraid he’d been that she would reject him. “I won’t be an easy man to live with,” he continued, his voice rough with emotion as he kept his gaze on the road.

“I don’t want easy.” And she didn’t. She just wanted Jayce.

He swallowed once. “I might be called away a lot on Council business.”

“So? Who says I can’t go with you sometimes? And who says I can’t work with you?”

His eyes widened. “Ah . . .”

He could make all the choking sounds he wanted. She liked the idea of working with him. “We make a great team.” After her attack and her subsequent change into a shifter, she’d quit her job at the ski lodge, and even though she had a degree in education, she had no idea if she would ever want to return to teaching in the classroom. Luckily they didn’t have to make a decision right then.

“Well—”

“Well, nothing. You asked, I said yes, and I’m not changing my mind. You’re stuck with me.”
Forever.
Bonding or not, she could never walk away from Jayce. Never again.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he said with a slight grin.

Jayce put the vehicle into park as he jerked to a stop in front of December’s house, the entire SUV shuddering under the abrupt move. Then he was around the vehicle—still naked!—before she’d blinked, pulled her out of the SUV, and was striding toward the house with such determined steps that her entire body hummed with anticipation.

“I need you, Kat.” The words were a guttural growl.

“I need you too.” More than she needed revenge. More than anything. Life without Jayce was
unimaginable
.

Before they’d reached the stairs he’d stripped her of her clothes, and by the time they’d made it to the shower, he was already inside her, thrusting, taking, absolutely possessing her.

His claiming was primal and toe-curling, and after her third orgasm she thought they were done for the night. But Jayce was a machine, keeping her awake and pleasuring her until the first hint of daylight trickled through the blinds. He told her he loved her so many times, but she knew she would never tire of hearing those words on his lips.

Kat didn’t remember falling asleep. The only thing she was aware of was Jayce’s strong arms cradling her against his chest and the feeling of absolute rightness in the world.