UnexpectedFind

Nancy
Corrigan

Royal Pride, Book 1

Since the murder of her best
friend, Jazz is stuck in a safe but lonely way of life. She’s willing to
sacrifice everything to keep her family safe from the shifter world. The sexy
stranger who struts into her friend’s bar changes everything. From the first
glance Jazz knows she’s sunk—their chemistry sizzles from across the room,
it’ll be undeniable up close.

Rafe wants Jazz from the second he
sets eyes on her. The depth of the need that swamps him every time he’s near
her surprises him. It takes every last ounce of his self-control not to pounce
on Jazz and make her his. Only her distrust of his shifter nature holds him
back. He counts it as a win every time his beloved human gives in to their
passion and takes him to her bed. But Rafe’s patience isn’t infinite and he’ll
do whatever it takes, face any danger—past or present—to ensure that Jazz
becomes his. Forever.

A
Romantica®
Paranormal erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Dedication

To
Mr. Corrigan…my unexpected find.

Five Years Ago

Jasmine Wyncosky peeked at her watch then scanned the park.
Still no sign of Nina. She wasn’t sure why she kept checking. At nine months pregnant
with twins, Nina wasn’t hard to miss but worry twisted Jazz’s gut. She had to
do something. Nina had promised to meet her. In the short time she’d known the
troubled woman, she’d never failed to show for their nightly chat session.

The soon-to-be mother was on the run from an abusive
husband, that much she’d learned, but the details of her situation were
sketchy. It didn’t matter. For two months they’d talked about everything and
nothing. They’d clicked and Jazz considered her a sister, as crazy as it
sounded. Besides, Nina didn’t have anybody else. She needed her.

After placing the take-out bag on the ground, Jazz stretched
out on the bench to wait. She shielded her eyes from the setting sun, but as it
slipped below the horizon and black overtook the blue, her anxiety skyrocketed.
Why hadn’t Nina shown? Jazz blew out a rough breath. She did her best to stay
calm but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had happened. She
stood up and glanced around her second home.

With the Fourth of July celebrations gearing up over in
Logan Square, the only other people in this neglected park were a couple of
gang members and a few locals, like her. No Nina. Jazz wiped sweaty palms on
her shorts. She turned to the shaded edge of the small park. A flash of gold
caught her attention, there and gone so quickly she wasn’t sure she actually
saw it. She squinted and studied the spot. Nothing. But Nina’s hazel eyes
sometimes looked brighter at night, especially in the moonlight. She also
feared most men and there were some questionable ones here tonight.

Jazz worried her bottom lip. She glanced between the bench
where Nina had promised to meet her and the shadows. She didn’t know much about
pregnancies or babies but the way Nina had rubbed her lower back yesterday
worried her. Fear for her friend made her decision.

She crossed the park and took the path that led to where an
old cabinet factory once employed hundreds of people but now only blighted the
landscape. It was also where Nina had been staying. Jazz had suggested she room
with her but Nina had refused, claiming she didn’t like being cooped up because
she wasn’t human.

Jazz snorted thinking about
that
conversation. Nina
was convinced she had animals living inside her—big cats, to be precise. Jazz
had smiled and nodded but wondered if she could get the woman in to see a
shrink after she had her babies. Because…yeah, she was nuts. At least Nina had
agreed to move into the shelter once labor hit. It was a start.

Halfway down the hill, she heard coughing. She swept her
gaze over the quickly darkening landscape, caught another glimpse of gold, then
nothing. Nina or her overactive imagination? Only one way to find out. With
trembling hands, she tucked her hair behind her ears and continued on. She
couldn’t turn back. Nina might need her.

Jesus, what if she was in labor? Or Calum, the asshole
husband, had found her?
The thoughts took hold. Her heart raced. Hoping she
wasn’t too late, she ran through the open gate of the defunct industrial site.
A few floodlights cast circles of light on the ground. She moved from each
lit-up beacon and kept an eye out for Nina or trouble.

Quite a few street people used to bunk down here, but most
had moved to different parts of the city or into the homeless shelter she
volunteered at. They’d complained about strange sounds at night. She’d blamed
the mass exodus on paranoia and hadn’t given the stories a second thought. In
all the time she’d spent here, nothing unusual had ever happened. No odd noises
or scary creatures. Just a lot of people down on their luck. But as she moved
through the area now, the chilling tales replayed in her head.

At the edge of the last lighted circle, she hesitated. What
if there really was something unnatural living down here? She looked back the
way she’d come then into the u-shaped area Nina had chosen to sleep in. It was
a good choice in that the wind didn’t whip through there. She had privacy too.
But the working spotlights stopped here. It was pitch black beyond this spot.

Crazy. The woman was downright certifiable. How could she
feel safer here where anybody could sneak up on her than in Jazz’s apartment?

Jazz slid her hand into her pocket to touch the can of
pepper spray. The cylinder gave her a measure of comfort, but the knife next to
it served as a better deterrent. She gripped the handle and pulled it out. Just
in case. With a deep breath that did little to settle her nerves, she rounded
the corner of the building and covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

Oh god, she was too late.

Blood pooled on the ground near a bundle of blankets, but
there was no sign of Nina. Jazz walked closer and spotted a pile of tattered
clothes, the same ones Nina had worn the last time they’d talked. She bent and
picked up the maternity shirt. The seams and the neckline were torn, not cut.
She fingered the frayed edges and frowned.

Somebody coughed. Jazz froze but didn’t hear anything else.
She dropped the cloth and stood. Eyes narrowed, she surveyed the area
surrounding the loading dock and locked onto bright golden eyes in the
distance.

Nina?” she called out.

Another cough.

“Nina, are you okay?”

No answer.

Jazz walked closer but stopped after a couple of feet. The
moonlight broke through the clouds and showcased what awaited her. The eyes
didn’t belong to Nina. Nope, not even close. A huge cat—jaguar, maybe—crouched
there.

Shit, shit, shit. They were right.
She clutched the
knife tighter and took a couple of slow, backward steps but it didn’t attack.
It dropped its head onto its paws and whined. She stilled and studied it. It didn’t
look feral or vicious. Maybe it was somebody’s exotic pet or maybe…
Jesus,
what if Nina has been telling me the truth and she really is a shifter?

Jazz licked her lips and whispered, “Nina, is that you?”

The black animal’s shape wavered. A naked blonde woman took
its place. Nina.
Oh god, she wasn’t lying.
Jazz stared at her
open-mouthed. Same hair, same body but instead of a swollen belly, a flat
stomach remained.

Jazz pushed her disbelief and fear aside and rushed forward
in time to catch her as she collapsed.

“Nina?” Jazz lowered her to the ground and supported her
with an arm around her shoulder. “What happened to the babies?”

Nina pressed her hand to Jazz’s cheek. “Aren’t you going to
ask what I am?”

She laughed nervously. “Umm, a shifter? You told me that.”
And
I didn’t believe it.

A wry smile graced her mouth. “Afraid?”

She should be but this was Nina, the woman she’d felt an
instant kinship with. Nina also hadn’t attacked her when she’d had the chance.

Jazz shook her head. “I trust you.”

Nina stared at her with completely yellow eyes for a long
moment. “Do you remember when I told you I was running from Calum?”

The abusive husband, how could she forget? Jazz nodded.

“He wants to sell my babies to a group that hurts kids like
mine. Experiments on them.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “He sold our last
babies, Jazz. Little girls. I won’t let him have our boys too.”

She forced her jaw to unclench. “Why? My god, they’re his
kids!”

“He’s sick, Jazz. Sick. He hates them because they’re
royals. Special, like me. He’s not and it’s made him bitter.” Nina gripped her
hand and Jazz bit her cheek to hold back the cry of pain. “You have to take
them, protect them.” She met her eyes. “You’ll do that for me, won’t you, Jazz?
Keep them safe.”

Jazz didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t the same woman she’d
gotten to know over the past couple of months. Nina looked as if she were close
to a breakdown but before she could answer, Nina pushed away and stood on shaky
legs. She grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the dumpster.

Two newborns swaddled in dirty blankets lay on a pile of
clothes. Both had softly glowing, light-brown eyes. No white around the edges.

Jazz swallowed hard and took a couple of steps back. The
babies followed her with those freakish, unblinking eyes. Her pulse kicked up. “Uhmm,
I don’t—”

A roar rang out, followed by another and another. Nina’s
eyes darted to the edge of the fence. “He’s coming for me. I won’t ever be
free.” Nina flicked her gaze back to her. Pants fell from her parted lips. “Please,
Jazz. I have nobody else.”

“Isn’t there anybody…like you?”

“No!” Nina screamed. She glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t
trust them. I don’t trust anyone. Only you, Jazz. You haven’t hurt me.”

The growls and snarls grew louder. Nina whimpered.

Jazz looked from the terrified woman to the helpless infants
and made a decision. She scooped the babies into her arms.

“Okay. But how do I get in touch with you when it’s safe?”

Instead of answering, Nina kissed each little boy’s cheek
then shifted into a tiger and ran off in the direction the noises were coming
from.

Jazz glanced between the two newborns and the broken fence
line where Nina had disappeared. The sounds of animals fighting reached her.
She did the only thing she could. She cradled the babies to her chest and ran.

Present Day

Rafe Alexander slammed the car door closed and walked across
the gravel parking lot. His gaze skimmed over the other vehicles and the
lingering humans. A few males tucked their dates closer and turned in the
opposite direction. Others dropped their eyes and studied the ground. He
clenched his hands and did his best to ignore them. It wasn’t their fault.
Humans might not know what he was by looking at him but they sensed the
danger—the predator in their midst—and reacted accordingly.

Fools. If only they knew how damn lucky they were that he
was here.

The corner of his lip lifted and his nostrils flared but he
kept the sound of his annoyance contained. He didn’t need any more attention
directed his way, not with the shit that had happened here a few hours ago.

Halfway across the lot, he stopped and tipped his face up to
the breeze. A whiff of lion drifted on it. He parted his mouth, dragging in a
breath to taste the scent. Faint, yet distinctive. He was on the right path.

Long strides took him around the bar, an older structure
that looked as if it had seen several upgrades and expansions over its
lifetime. An upper and lower deck graced one side. The raised level had tables
while the lower featured a live band and dance area. People moved around on
both and the sharp twining sounds from instruments as the musicians warmed up
carried over the drone of their laughter and conversation. The place was packed,
which was good for those partying tonight and an inconvenience for him. He had
business to take care of that didn’t need an audience.

He walked past the decks to the employee entrance around the
back. Several cars and trucks were parked near the door. He followed the smell
carrying on the breeze to a blue SUV and peeked inside. A child’s car seat was
secured in the back and the lion scent seeping through the cracked window was
strong. He tried the door, found it locked.

Rafe pulled out his cell and dialed. He drummed his fingers
on the roof and listened to the ringing.

“Yeah,” the rough voice of his friend, Devin, answered.

“Tony’s brother has Megan,” he announced and waited through
the string of curses assaulting his ears before he added, “I think you were
right. Josh either doesn’t know what she is or doesn’t care. I found his car
and there are enough stuffed animals and toys in it to amuse any cub with a
short attention span.”

“Thank the gods,” Devin breathed. “I suppose it’s too much
to hope you have her?”

Rafe glanced over his shoulder at the building. He snorted. “Josh
owns a bar. I doubt it has babysitting services.” He rubbed his knuckles under
his chin. “Hell, maybe it does. I don’t know what humans do with their kids
when they go to work.”

“Let’s hope so. I want out of here as soon as possible.”

“You didn’t have to come. I could’ve brought one of my
brothers,” Rafe said and wasn’t surprised when Devin grunted.

“You know I couldn’t stay behind, not when kids are
threatened.”

Yeah, he knew that. It was a damn honorable trait, but Devin
wasn’t exactly sane. Dropping him in a tense situation with humans close by was
a disaster waiting to happen, but Rafe wasn’t their pride leader. He didn’t get
to make the decisions. Kade did and sometimes he wondered if his twin thought
through his dictates before issuing them.

“So, what did you find?” Rafe asked.

“A whole box of documents from the lawyer who handled Megan’s
adoption and…”

Rafe waited for him to finish and finally prompted, “And?”

Devin cleared his throat. “The female you smelled outside
Tony’s house has spent time inside too.”

Rafe curled the fingers of his free hand to hide the tips of
claws and dipped his head so his hair slid over the ones holding the phone. He
released a slow breath through clenched teeth and banked his rage. He knew
better than to let it get the best of him.

When they’d stopped by the house listed as Megan’s
residence, they’d found police tape blocking off the place, no sign of their
white lion cub or the shifter who’d killed Tony, Megan’s adoptive father. But
her
fragrance had lingered there—a feline scent-marked human. The predators who
shared his soul—a lion, tiger and jaguar—took one whiff of it and demanded
more. Lust had hit unbidden. And it didn’t matter to his inner spirits that she
belonged to another male.

But therein lay the problem and the reason he and Devin had
split up their search. None of his brothers or cousins owned a human. Their
family’s territory ranged from Quebec to Virginia and as far west as Chicago,
and no other feline would allow their human to wander onto another’s lands
without repercussions, unless they meant to cause problems. And with the rise
in shifter trafficking, they’d lost one too many innocents not to be
suspicious.

The situation had spiraled out of control. It left him
picking and choosing where the focus should lie. He’d called in backup to help
hunt the woman because finding Megan came first but he couldn’t help asking, “Did
you pick up her trail?”

“Nope. She must’ve driven every time. Her scent was heaviest
in the kitchen and living room, never went upstairs.”

Relief swept through him followed by irritation. He shouldn’t
be relieved to learn the woman hadn’t entered the male’s bedroom. But he was.

“All right. Check out the next of kin addresses. Hopefully
Megan will be with family. I’ll corner Josh and find out what he knows.” Rafe
ended the call, gave the pile of toys in the car another glance and headed
toward the front entrance.

He stood in the doorway and waited for his body to adjust to
the sensory overload assaulting him. The room smelled of sex, stale beer and
sweat, not a combination that appealed to him. His nose twitched and his ears
rung from the thumping music and range of voices.

The sheer number of people milling around made his cats
anxious. They paced the metaphysical enclosure he kept them in. Until he could
assess the potential threats the humans posed, his inner beasts wouldn’t calm.
And for a royal shifter with multiple entities sharing the same body and soul,
it was wise to keep them all happy.

Darkness edged the room. Rafe moved toward it, needing a
moment to acclimate to the environment. A few females caught sight of him
despite his slow retreat. Their hopeful gazes tracked him. He ignored their
obvious interest, leaned farther into the shadows then stilled. The blanket of
obscurity it provided offered a perfect place for lovers to grope and would-be
one-night stands to explore their new partners. It also allowed him the
opportunity to study the bar patrons without drawing their attention.

Most of the humans filling the room were typical bar
hoppers—scantily clad females looking for love and affection and rough men
willing to exploit their insecurities. A few heavy drinkers mixed into the
crowd, but they lingered close to the source of their pleasure, hovering over
their beers. Unless someone tried to take their drinks away, they wouldn’t be a
problem.

Rafe evaluated and dismissed them and the couple of
instigators who’d fight over a slighted look. Their unnaturally bulky muscles
and beady eyes pegged them as worshipers of those man-made drugs some humans
indulged in to counter their failings. For most people, they could pose
trouble, but even with their steroid-enhanced bodies, they were no match for
him…or the impressive male surveying the crowd in much the same way he did.

A tall, black-haired, blue-eyed human stood with his arms
crossed and scanned the crowd from his perch behind the bar. Rafe knew without
being told that this was Josh Conway, brother to Tony and now guardian of
Megan. Even across the room, his strong signature carried and the force of his
personality shown through the confident way he watched the others. Human or
not, he was a threat, the only one in the room.

Rafe’s muscles tensed with the need to put him in his place.
He took a step forward but his cell vibrated against his leg. He dug it out,
glanced at the screen and let Devin’s call go unanswered. It was too loud in
the room and he wasn’t about to leave Josh unsupervised. Knowing the drill,
Devin sent a text. The short vibration announcing it traveled up his arm. He
peeked at the screen and breathed a sigh.

Devin had found Megan at the first address, Josh’s parents.
He was laying low and watching the house. Apparently, they were asleep. And
that meant at least one thing had gone right tonight. The most important thing.

Rafe sent a reply saying he’d meet him after talking with
Josh. He slid the phone back into his pocket and made his way to the bar.

Josh watched him approach with narrowed eyes but ambled over
to the counter when he stepped up to it.

“What can I get you?”

“Actually, the question is, can you help me?” Rafe grinned
at the bemused expression on the male’s face. “You see, your brother’s
desperation has dropped you in a world I can guarantee you don’t want to be in.”

* * * * *

Jazz locked her car and hurried across the parking lot. She
returned waves to those who called her name but she didn’t see them. The only
image in her mind was of Tony’s smiling face when she’d dropped off a plate of
cookies this morning. She’d known him a long time but over the past couple of
months they’d become close friends. And now he was gone. Dead. She paused near
the bar’s doorway to blink back tears. They kept filling her eyes, clogging her
throat. She released a shaky breath and sat on the bench near the entrance.

The police said it was an armed robbery and were confident
they’d find the killer. They had fingerprints, evidence. She hoped they did.
Tony’s killer deserved to be punished but what concerned her most was his
brother, Josh. He was now part of a world he never knew existed and one that
would change his life. It had certainly redirected hers.

Jazz stood, tucked her hair behind her ears and mentally
prepped herself to break the news to Josh that the child he’d become
responsible for wasn’t really a child…at least not by human standards. She didn’t
look forward to the conversation but it was necessary. At least he didn’t have
to face it alone. He had her.

She stepped around two college students arguing with the
bouncer and slipped inside. On her tiptoes, she scanned the crowd for Josh. He
rarely left others in charge of the bar but with Tony’s death, his parents had
said he’d asked his head waitress to come home early from her vacation. He was
handing the reins over to her.

The Black Widow was busy but it didn’t have a lot of
competition. Nearest big city was forty-five minutes away. Great for Josh. He
had the monopoly on entertainment. And good for her too. It kept her boys from
being discovered. Well, usually. And she didn’t want to think about those
unfortunate encounters she’d had over the years. The nightmares would start
again.

She didn’t see him at his normal spot behind the counter.
Maybe she’d missed him.
Shit.
She really didn’t want to have this
conversation around Megan, which was why she came out tonight. Josh needed to
know about Megan’s shifter status—the sooner, the better—but he’d ignored every
one of her calls today. Not surprising really. His life had been turned upside-down.
And now she was here to give it another spin.

She swept her gaze over the crowd and saw Cindy, another
good friend. Jazz waved her over. “Have you seen Josh?”

Cindy leaned against the wall, arms crossed and brows
scrunched. “Yeah, I think he’s still around. He was waiting for Sara to get
here. He’s itching to get back to Megan.” She studied her, a frown making the
fine wrinkles on her face deepen. “What’s wrong?”

Jazz flashed a bright smile. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

“You’re a horrible liar.”

Jazz ignored her—she didn’t have time for this. She climbed
up on a nearby chair and glanced across the room. She caught sight of Josh in
the far corner talking to another man. She couldn’t see the new guy’s face, his
back was facing her and he stood in the shadows. But she saw enough to form an
initial impression—tall, blond and built like a body-builder. A little shiver
ran down her spine. She shook off the weird reaction and waved her arms to get
Josh’s attention.

Josh tilted his head and looked in her direction. Anger was
stamped on his face but the scowl and narrowed eyes lessened when he met her
gaze. She pointed to him then herself. He nodded and the man with him turned
his head. She was too far away to see the color of his eyes but they pierced
her, seemed to look straight through her. Unblinking, they swept over her in a
blatant perusal. Her breath caught and her skin burned under his heated study.

She had the sudden urge to hide but his gaze trapped her.
She couldn’t move. The reaction struck her as odd. He wasn’t the first guy to
look at her. She didn’t need to act as if his attention was anything special
but she still studied him as intensely as he did her. It was impossible not to.
He was a sight to behold.

His face was all hard angles and tan skin that looked golden
in the wash of light from a nearby beer sign. Blond hair went with the
sun-kissed skin. It was pulled in a tail at the base of his head. From the
length held in the band, she guessed that unbound it would just brush his
shoulders. A surfer. That’s what he reminded her of. She could easily picture
him on the beach with a surfboard and a following of bikini-clad women.

She swept her gaze over the length of a body she wouldn’t
mind seeing in a pair of swim trunks…or less. His chest rose and fell with
quick breaths as if he’d just run a mile.
Maybe barefoot and naked across
the sand?
Oh yeah, she liked that image. It made the horrors of the day
disappear.

She smiled and focused on his face. His full lips were
parted slightly with pants that explained his heaving chest. She stared at them
until one corner of his mouth lifted and he turned his head, breaking the
trance.