Private Release (10 page)

Jared shook his head, trying to wake himself up. “Sorry, Cassandra. I will try to pay more attention.”

She pouted. “Poor soul. You’ve been working yourself to the bone.”

“Yeah, that’s it. Look, I’m sorry, Cassandra, but preparations for the mating ceremony don’t interest me in the least.”

“You don’t want to be joined with me?”

“No, of course I do.” He was lying through his teeth of course, because all he wanted was Adele. “I just have a lot of things on my mind.”

Like licking Adele’s pussy and making her come with his mouth. Just the thought of it caused his dick to become hard as a rock.

Dammit.

“I have to go, Cassandra. Please forgive me.”

“Of course.” She smiled and nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes.” Jared left the room, he had to take care of his problem with a cold shower or jerk off. Even though all he wanted to do was slide his cock into Adele’s wet, hot pussy. He couldn’t get her off his mind.

He’d kept his distance from Adele, even though it was physically painful and it didn’t seem to be working. His conscience, his very soul, thought of Adele as his mate. Not Cassandra.

Only he had to be joined to Cassandra, for the good of his clan.

So he had to keep away from Adele, but when he saw her across the atrium today with Étienne, everything had slowed down in that moment. He remembered the way she felt in his arms, the way she tasted and smelled.

He needed Adele like air.

Again he found himself standing in her room. If he kept up this pining he was going sleepwalk right out into a semi truck or something. Jared turned away, but he couldn’t move himself. Instead he reached down and picked up one of the feather pillows on the bed.

The scent of her green tea perfume was permeated into the Egyptian cotton. It was this scent that invaded his dreams before she came to him, his soul’s way of telling him she was his chosen mate.

He just didn’t count on her being human.

“What are you doing?”

Jared spun around to see Adele standing in the doorway, her eyebrow cocked in question. He set the pillow back down.

“You’re not going to feed me some folderol about inspecting the sheets or something?”

“You’re mocking me aren’t you?” he asked.

“What gave it away?” She walked toward him. “Not that long ago I wouldn’t have minded to see you in here, sniffing my sheets, but since then I’ve been getting the cold shoulder for some time.”

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have come, but I just couldn’t help myself.”

“You’ve told me that before.” Adele let out a sigh. “Jared, I really like you. A lot, more than I ought to probably, but I can’t stand all this hot and cold with you.”

A pang of regret slammed into his gut. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no apology needed. I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions regarding my sex life, it’s just… I think I’m falling for you and I don’t want to be hurt again.”

“Have I hurt you before?” he asked, hoping he hadn’t caused her heartache with his stupid, erratic behavior.

“No, not you. I was engaged before.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and took off her arm braces. “I was in love with him and he broke my heart.”

Jared’s inner beast growled at the thought of someone hurting Adele. “What was his name?”

Adele looked up at him quizzically. “What does that matter?”

“If he hurt you…”

“Jared, he didn’t physically hurt me, he left me after I was shot. Not straightaway, but when the prognosis for regaining the strength I had before was not good, when I was told by my surgeon and physiotherapist that I would have to rely on these crutches for mobility… When we were told we’d have a hard time having kids, well, he left me when I became disabled.”

“He deserves pain.”

Adele laughed and smiled at him. “Maybe, but it took me a long time to get over him. He broke my heart, but the worst part was trying to regain my confidence again. You helped with that, but I know I can’t handle the hot and cold. You’re either done with me or you’re not. I just can’t risk falling in love with you, Jared.”

His heart clenched. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. Even though rationally he should just walk away, he couldn’t. He needed her.

Adele may not love him, but he was in love with her.

“Are you going to walk away?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “No, I can’t walk away from you.”

Tears glistened in her eyes and she smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Let me hold you, Adele. I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

“I want you to hold me.”

That was all he needed to close the distance between them. He was sitting next to her on the bed, reaching out he brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. “I was a fool. Such a fool.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Never mind.” He tilted her chin and brought his lips to hers, gently pressing in a light, butterfly kiss, savoring the taste of her. Then he deepened his kiss, because he wanted her. He’d never get enough of her.

He pressed her down on the bed and she gladly went with him. Jared slipped his hand up her shirt, she wasn’t wearing a bra. It drove him near mad.

Jared needed her naked. Now.

With regret he pulled himself off her and got out of his clothes as quickly as he could. Then he went to work on her clothing, with her help, until her skin was bared to him.

His fingers ran up her thigh, hooking under the waistband of her panties and pulling them down. He stroked her pussy and she was already wet for him. He sucked in a deep breath, thinking that soon he would be buried inside her.

Right where he wanted and needed to be.

He stood over her, dragging her to the edge of the bed. He cupped her ass, angling her hips, and then sank into her moist heat.

“Fuck. I love the feel of you wrapped around me.”

“Jared.” She sighed.

“Rub your clit for me, baby,” he said. “I need to hold you to properly fuck you.”

Adele’s hand slipped down and began to rub, circling two of her slender fingers around and around. Every time he thrust forward, he could feel her pleasuring herself and it made him hot for her.

Mark her.

His sharp incisors punched down through his gums. He sucked in his bottom lip and bit down, drawing blood. It helped ease the urge to mark Adele.

“Faster, Jared. Oh God, faster.”

He growled and did exactly as she asked, pumping in and out of her wet, slick heat as fast as he could.

“Oh God. Oh God.” Her neck arched and she came around him, her pussy squeezing his cock. He dropped her hips and leaned over her, his arms braced on either side of her head as he thrust in quick movements, his balls slapping her ass.

“Fuck!” he cried out, stilling as he stiffened and spilled his seed into her.

When he was spent he slipped out of her and dropped down beside her, pulling her against his chest. Her breathing was hard, as was his.

“I can hear your heart,” she whispered.

It beats only for you,
which was he wanted to say to her, but couldn’t. “You gave me quite a workout.”

She glanced up at him. “Stay with me.”

He kissed her, his cock getting hard again. “Of course, I won’t hurt you again.”

“Promise?”

“I do.”

And he meant it. He’d break off his engagement to Cassandra tomorrow and face the wrath of his clansmen. He couldn’t pretend any longer.

Courage. You’re the chief.

Jared took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to break off his formal engagement to Cassandra. He was going to end that, because there was no way he’d be able to mark her, let alone mate with her.

All he wanted was Adele, even if it meant his line ended.

Jared leaned over the wooden desk that had once been his father’s and found himself staring at a picture of his father, Sheridan and him. Sheridan and he were just children in the photograph. Their dad was smiling as Jared sat on his lap and Sheridan was leaning from behind, her arms wrapped around his neck.

He knew if his father was alive, he’d be disappointing him.

“I’m sorry, Dad, but I just can’t do it.”

There was a knock and Étienne entered the room. “The council is assembled.”

Jared nodded. “Thanks.”

“What’s this for anyways? Did Ms. Banks find some discrepancy with Clement’s income tax returns.”

“What?” he asked, confused. “Income tax returns?”

“Yesterday I took Ms. Banks down to see Clement Rideau. She had some questions and wanted to go over some financial records with him. I thought she would’ve told you.”

“No, she didn’t mention it.” Probably because they’d been otherwise engaged, but if she found some reason to suspect Clement, then Jared had to make a mental note to keep an eye on him.

“I’m already watching Clement,” Étienne said as if reading his mind.

“Because of Ms. Banks?”

Étienne shook his head. “No, because when Levi was in charge Clement seemed to be his right-hand man. When Levi turned up dead Clement claimed he was forced to, that he was threatened to comply. He showed us some pretty nasty scars from where Levi and his goons apparently tortured him.”

Jared had a sinking feeling. “Then he may know where the missing funds are?”

“He says he doesn’t. All Levi wanted from him was the codes to access the bank accounts.”

He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll talk to Adele after the council meeting.”

“She’s Adele again, eh?”

“What’s it to you?”

“You’re going to be mated to Cassandra,” Étienne said, sternly.

“Again, I ask what’s it to you? Are you in love with Cassandra?”

“Fuck no. I just want to see what’s done right by the tribe. You need to mate with one of our kind, not a human.”

“What about what’s right for me as chief?”

“That’s selfish, bro, and you know it.”

“I can’t mate with someone I’m not bonded to. How is that right for the clan when I won’t be able to produce an heir? Cassandra is in heat, but it isn’t affecting me any. What do you think about that?”

Étienne’s face paled. “You’ve bound yourself…to a human?”

“Maybe I have.”

Étienne spat on the floor. “You can’t join with a human woman.”

“Why do you hate her so?”

Étienne shook his head. “She’s not one of us.”

“I can’t control who I bond with.”

“Is that why you’ve called this council meeting? You’re going to break it off with Cassandra and tell them you choose a human woman as your mate?”

“Yes.”

Étienne shook his head and spun around on his heel, storming out of the office outside the council chamber. Jared heard the doors slam as he walked away. He was pissed off that Étienne disapproved, but he didn’t give a flying fuck that he did either. He didn’t know what humans had done to piss Étienne off so much, but Jared didn’t give a damn. Once Étienne cooled down he’d accept Adele as a member of their society, even if it meant they couldn’t produce a child together since no known human
Mukswa
hybrid existed to his knowledge.

It didn’t matter. He just couldn’t go through the mating ceremony with Cassandra. He loved and wanted Adele. Her presence in his life made him whole. She made him a better man.

The door to the main chamber opened and a young clansmember peeked inside. “We’re ready for you, Chief Jared.”

“Thanks.” Jared glanced down at the picture of his dad again.

Sorry, Dad, but I love her.

* * * * *

The more Adele dug deep into Beare Enterprises financials under the helm of Clement Rideau the more she became suspicious. When she spoke with him, he’d been so edgy. Although he answered all her questions and went over the financials with her, there was just something off-putting about him.

She saved the file she was working on to her USB stick. Everything was anonymous because she needed to get a second opinion on something and her old boss at the RCMP forensic division would help her out. He’d been the only one who advocated for her return to the field. Of course, given the fact she could no longer run, that option was not viable and a desk job just didn’t appeal to her. She also wanted to investigate Clement Rideau and she had all of his information from the personnel files she had access to. Adele needed to put her mind at rest.

She stood and shoved the USB stick into her pocket just as the elevator doors slid open. Étienne lumbered out. He glared at her, and even from across the room she could see hate or anger in his eyes.

“Jared is in a meeting. Can I do something for you?”

“No.” He stopped a few feet from her, not looking directly at her. “I know…I know he’s in a meeting. I just came from there.”