UnexpectedFind (13 page)

He turned away from the bed and the temptation Jasmine posed
and studied the room she obviously used as an office. Simply decorated, there
was a desk with a computer, a couple of metal filing cabinets and a small table
shoved in one corner with catalogs and unopened mail on its surface. The other
corner held a tiny kitchen with a sink, microwave and mini-fridge. Next to it,
boxes of toys and stacks of books sat on the floor near an ancient boxy
television complete with rabbit ears. A photo stood in the center of the old
set. He walked toward it, picked it up and studied the image of Jasmine and her
boys.

Brown hair, smiles that suggested their childhood had been a
happy one and eyes that stopped his heart just like they had the last time he’d
looked into them. Darker than his, their eyes hinted to the fact that one
parent wasn’t a royal but the shape was familiar and so was the slope of their
noses, the contours of their faces, the shape of their mouths. They were
Alexanders. Having been in their presence confirmed it. Without the heavy
perfumes tainting their signatures, he picked up on the underlying core
scent—the one that belonged to their goddess, the golden one. But no matter how
long he stared at their faces he couldn’t decide who they belonged to, just
that he knew they were of his blood. In the end, that was all that mattered.

He replaced the picture and pinched the bridge of his nose.
How had Jasmine ended up with them? Her account of finding them abandoned didn’t
ring true. She’d lied, at least about not knowing the mother. But why?

Jasmine had been afraid when she’d delivered her lie.
Something bad had happened that had left her alone and fearful. He needed to
find out what, get her to trust him with the secret. It would be the first step
to earning her devotion.

He walked back to the bed and traced the length of her calf.
He was drawn to her. The desire to touch her, love her consumed him. It was the
drive of a mated male. They weren’t mated yet but he recognized it for what it
was and wouldn’t fight it. He wanted her safe and happy. He allowed his
fingertips to linger a moment against her soft skin before he forced himself
away from her.

He picked up his phone from where it had fallen in his haste
to free his cock. A grin spread as he took in the state of his dress. He still
wore his shirt but the front of his jeans was ripped open. He’d been eager to
get inside his female. He stroked the half-erect shaft. It stirred to life.

His gaze returned to the sofa bed. Jasmine lay like an
offering and her scent tempted him to return to her. Love her. He fisted the
shaft and it jerked in his grip. The woman had him addicted to her. Not that he
minded. He’d never had such pleasure as he found within her sheath.

He stroked the length. The tight grip felt good but it didn’t
compare to her core. His gaze traveled back to the bed. He released his shaft
and took a step forward. Stopped. Jasmine was only human. She’d need to sleep,
rest up for another round of loving.

Rafe moved to the farthest end of the studio apartment so as
not to wake her and called Kade. He waited for him to answer and said, “Bring
me a spare pair of pants from the car and shorts or something for Jasmine.”

Kade’s knowing chuckle filled the line. “Overly eager?”

He glanced down at his ripped jeans. “A little. My woman’s
hot.”

“That she is, brother.”

A growl crawled up his throat. “Jasmine is special, Kade. I
told you that. Do not look at her.”

“It’s hard not to. She’s fucking beautiful.”

“She’s also fucking mine. Do you understand me?”

A long pause then Kade mumbled, “I’ll be right there.”

The lack of response angered him but Kade ended the call
before he could demand an acknowledgement. A couple of minutes later, the door
opened a crack and two pairs of shorts came flying in. He placed one pair on
the sofa bed for his female and slipped on the other.

Dressed, he let Jasmine sleep and slipped outside. Kade
leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed over
his chest.

“Please tell me you’re not serious,” Kade said the moment
Rafe stepped in front of him.

Rafe studied his brother’s tense pose. “About what?”

“Jasmine. Are you sure it’s not just an infatuation that’ll
fade after a few fucks?”

He straightened and announced, “I marked her womb.”

Kade’s eyes widened. He flicked his gaze between the second
floor door and him. “Then I congratulate you, brother, and welcome your mate.
She will bear you beautiful children.”

“Thank you, Kade, but I fear it’ll be some time before I can
join us. She doesn’t trust me.”

“Humans don’t trust easily and you haven’t known each other
long.” Kade shrugged. “She will. There’s no need to rush these things.”

“I know and I don’t mind waiting, but it was her lack of
trust that sent her fleeing from me this morning. It was my fault and I regret
it, but it doesn’t change the outcome.” Rafe closed his eyes so Kade didn’t see
the fear in them. “Calum had her in his arms and now he knows I left my scent
in her body. For that alone he will go after her, but if he suspects Jasmine is
not merely a lover but a potential mate, he won’t back down. He’ll seek to take
her from me and if she pulls another stunt like today, he’ll win.” Rafe glanced
at the woods. “He’s out there. Waiting. Planning. I fear he’ll set a trap for
her.”

“Mate her now, Rafe. Once you share the bond, there will be
no secrets between you. And she won’t ever be able to leave you.”

“I can’t, not without her trust.” Rafe grabbed fistfuls of
his hair and tugged. “If I don’t earn that, what do you think will happen when
it comes time for me to take her human life? If she panics—”

“She might fight your cats’ presence and die before they can
join the two of you,” Kade groaned.

“Exactly.”

Kade’s gaze slid back to the door above the garage. “Do you
have a plan to gain her trust?”

“A sketchy one,” Rafe mumbled. “But we also need to come up
with a way to take out Calum. This might be our best chance to eliminate him
for good.”

“But at the risk to your female and the cubs?” Kade narrowed
his eyes. “I do not approve of staying here. It’s too dangerous. Jasmine lives
in the middle of nowhere and it’s going to be near impossible to patrol her
property.”

Kade waved an arm out to encompass the yard. “With Calum
masking his scent, he can wait until we are out of sight and slip through.
There is nothing to stop him. No cameras. No motion sensors. No electric
fences. We’re fucking sitting ducks. We should pack up the cubs and the humans
and go back to the compound. There, they’ll be safe.”

“And how is that going to earn Jasmine’s trust? She’s still
afraid we’re going to steal her kids.”

“But she’ll see how much safer it is. She’ll understand.”

“Will she? Or will she see it as a betrayal?” Rafe sighed. “Don’t
you see? I don’t know Jasmine. I have no idea how she’ll react to moving home
or the mate bond. Hell, I don’t even know if she would want me.”

Kade’s brows scrunched and he looked him over. “Why wouldn’t
she? You’re a good male and she’d be getting immortality. What else is there to
consider?”

What indeed? His gaze strayed to the house where the human
she’d run to this morning was waiting for his chance to steal her away.

Rafe faced Kade. “We’ll give it a couple of days. Calum
might not even stick around. We’ll sit tight, center our position here and
wait. As long as the cubs and the humans are with a royal, Calum won’t dare
touch them. He knows he’s no match for us.”

“I hope so, brother. I don’t want to lose any more of our
females to him.”

“We won’t,” Rafe said, then jogged across the lawn. Time to
find his rival and learn what he could about Jasmine. It was damn hard to lead
her into a conversation that might reveal her fears when he didn’t know
anything about her. He stopped at the bottom of the porch and looked across the
yard. Kade sat with his back against a tree, his gaze on the outer buildings.
Good. Jasmine would be safe.

He glanced between the garage and the house. Doubt filled
him. Jasmine should be the one to reveal everything but he didn’t have time to
get to know her, not if he wanted to gain her trust before the next time it was
tested. He wouldn’t lose her.

Rafe turned away and called out to Josh.

Jazz jerked awake, sat up and scanned the room. Memories
came back to her. Rafe, mind-blowing sex and the lion peering at her through
the car window. She pressed a hand against her chest. Oh god, it was real. All
of it. From learning about Tony’s death to Rafe loving her.

She glanced down at her body—naked with reddened marks of
his possession. Her breath escaped in a rush. She ached in a delicious way that
reminded her she’d been taken hard. The man was amazing, filled her more
completely than anyone had before and stirred emotions she knew weren’t safe.
His heated praises, the way he was desperate for her body and even his possessiveness
made her feel special. With a grin on her face, she collapsed on the
uncomfortable, squeaky sofa bed. Thinking of Rafe pushed the scary thoughts
away but it didn’t last.

Reality crept back along with the sound of voices. That’s
what had woken her. She jumped up and scrambled for her clothes. She couldn’t
find the bra so she pulled the shirt on and reached for her shorts. Ripped.
Rafe had torn them off her. Great. Now what? Her gaze traveled back to the bed
and the neatly folded pair of shorts. Her heart swelled. He’d thought of her.

Obviously his, the shorts hung to her calves. She had to
roll the waistband three times for it to stay up but she was decent.
Fashionable? Not even close. Anyone who looked at the outfit and her
disheveled, tangled hair would be able to guess exactly what she’d been doing.
The thought embarrassed her but her need to see who was here pushed it aside.
She was an adult. Who cared if these strangers knew she’d been intimate with
Rafe?

With her feet shoved into her sneakers—she didn’t even
remember losing those—she hurried to the door. Peeking through the glass, she
looked toward the driveway. Two more SUVs with darkened windows were parked in
the grass next to the house. Four new men stood in a circle. One woman leaned
against a dark-blue car—the same one from Rafe’s phone. Beautiful. She had to
be Mira, Devin’s twin. She was curvy, tall and with the uniquely colored hair,
exotic. She also looked incredibly sad. In the throng of men, she stood alone.

Eager to know what she’d missed out on while she’d napped,
Jazz opened the door. All the new people turned and looked in her direction.
She froze under their unblinking stares. Two of the guys, ones she suspected
were related to Rafe, openly perused her. If their heated gazes were any
indicator, they liked what they saw. Her skin burned. It took every bit of
self-control she had not to slink back into the office and hide. Now she knew
how a gazelle felt.

She licked her lips and forced her feet to move. Image was
everything, especially when her heart knocked hard against her ribs. There was
no way to hide her fear from them. They’d smell it.

Rafe stood near the flowerbed with a raven-haired man, but
the new guy didn’t have the same up-tilted eyes as Rafe, Kade and Devin. His
were almond-shaped, deep-set and brown but just as intense. Another predator.
She’d bet money he wasn’t feline though. Wolf, maybe? Didn’t matter. The only
man’s eyes she wanted on her were Rafe’s.

She locked her gaze with his and silently urged him to come
over. He gave a small shake of his head and held out a hand. Was she supposed
to walk across the yard in front of his family? When he didn’t move or drop his
hand, she guessed that’s exactly what he wanted.

Her hands shook but she tucked her tangled hair behind her
ears and went to him. She kept her eyes on Rafe’s face—her anchor—and ignored
the ones that tracked her progress. By the time she reached Rafe, her legs
shook and her breath sawed past her lips. Rafe closed his hand around hers and
pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested
her ear over his heart. It didn’t race. The beat was steady and strong. Hearing
it calmed her. Her pulse slowed and each of his slow caresses over her messy
hair relaxed her tense muscles.

“Do not make me do that again,” she whispered.

Rafe’s chuckle shook his chest. She sighed and snuggled
closer.

“I won’t but it was necessary to show them that not only do
I own you, you’ve accepted me.”

Her eyes widened and she leaned back to look into his eyes. “Own
me?”

He traced the column of her neck—the same spot that had
tingled after they’d had sex last night. “I’ve claimed you. My scent will
always be a part of you.”

She stared at him wide-eyed and couldn’t get past her anger
to say anything. He’d claimed her? Like his favorite toy?

“The term is ‘beloved human’,” the other man said. “It’s an
honor, little female. It means Rafe will always watch over you, care for you.
It’s a title few humans hold.” He bent close and captured her gaze with his
piercing stare. “Do not dishonor my friend with your ignorant complaints. You
might know about shifters but you don’t know our customs.”

Rafe’s grip on her waist tightened. His heart beat harder
but a carefully neutral mask hid his emotions. She glanced from Rafe to the new
man, letting his words sink in.
Beloved human.
It didn’t sound
offensive. In fact, it made her feel as special as when she’d woken with a
satisfied smile on her face. And if Rafe would always watch over her, he’d be
close. A part of her life. Happiness brought the grin back. She buried her face
against his chest.

“So what does that make you?” she asked Rafe.

Rafe didn’t answer her. He took her hand and faced the man
next to him. “Watch your tongue, Xander. My female will learn about our culture
from me, not you.”

Xander inclined his head but she caught his warning look.
She had a feeling the man didn’t take orders well and planned to say what he
wanted to her when Rafe wasn’t around. She made a mental note not to be alone
with him. His focused glare wasn’t appreciative like the other men. His held
animosity.

She glanced at Rafe to see if he noticed the hard look but
his attention was on the woman several feet away and Josh, who approached from
behind her. Oblivious to the fact that the other guys nearby had turned to
watch him, Josh closed the distance between him and Mira with determined
strides. Or maybe he had noticed and didn’t care. That was more like Josh. She’d
seen him wade into fights at the bar without worrying about getting hurt. He
liked to start them too.

Two men broke from the ring loosely surrounding Mira and
blocked Josh’s approach. A head taller than Josh’s six-foot-three frame, they
were huge and chilling with their pale complexions and braided pale-blond hair.
They reminded her of Vikings.

“Rafe?”

“I see.” He sighed and led her forward.

Mira watched Josh and the Viking twins. A small smile played
on her lips. She might be amused by the male posturing but Jazz wasn’t. Josh
could handle himself in a fight, but not against these two. If they were Rafe’s
friends, they weren’t human.

“Back off,” Rafe ordered. “The human isn’t a threat to Mira.”

One of the two blonds turned and Jazz sucked in a shocked
breath. Pale-blue eyes, cold and emotionless, stared at them.

“He’s male. Devin’s orders were specific. No man from
outside the pride is allowed to talk to Mira.”

Anger and annoyance rose and she blurted, “Well, why the
hell not?”

The other blond’s lips lifted in a small smile. The hostile
edge to his expression faded. “Because Devin is her guardian and makes the
rules.”

“Guardian?” She looked to Rafe for an explanation.

Rafe appeared as if he were choosing his words carefully. He
glanced at Mira, Josh then her. “All females need a guardian, someone to
protect them. Our women are precious but there are many who don’t follow our
belief and see them as no more than breeders and sexual slaves. Given the
chance, they’ll force a bond on any unprotected female.”

“That’s barbaric,” she said.

“That’s our way.” Rafe shrugged. He faced the men. “Let it
go. Mira is here to help with the cubs and Megan is Josh’s child…for now.”

“What do you mean?” Josh asked. He stepped around the wall
of male flesh and stood between them and Mira. “I’m not giving up my rights to
Megan. Tony had a will listing me as her guardian.”

“Tony didn’t have the right to do so, but Kade is willing to
allow you to remain a part of her life as long as her parents aren’t found,”
Rafe said. “It’s the best you’ll get, Josh.”

Jazz pushed away from Rafe. “And if her parents are found,
Josh won’t have any contact with her?”

“Most likely not. If they’re alive, she belongs with them.”
Rafe reached for her but she stepped back.

Nina’s stories came back to her and Jazz shivered. “What if
the children are better off with a human guardian?”

Rafe’s mouth parted slightly. He studied her with narrowed
eyes. “Shifters do best when they grow up with their own blood. The familial
bond calms our animals.”

She swallowed hard and flicked her gaze to the people
standing near them. Every shifter watched her the same way Rafe was—with
suspicion. She ignored them and turned her attention to Rafe. “So if a parent
is found, the children will always be reunited with them.” He took another step
toward her, she took a matching one backward. “Just answer my question, Rafe.”

“Yes. Always. We love our children but many parents would be
grateful to the humans who cared for their young and could be persuaded to
allow contact.” Rafe paused then said, “I will do everything within my power to
make sure you and Josh are granted the right to see them.”

“To see them,” she repeated. Oh god, her worst fear was
coming true. If Calum got his hands on her boys he’d sell them, maybe even kill
them. She wouldn’t put it past him. He murdered his own wife, sold his
daughters. What were two more lives?

Rafe wrapped his arms around her before she could get away. “Why
are you so upset?”

“I don’t want to lose my kids to someone.” She slid out from
under his arms. “I should’ve met you for our date instead of letting you pick
me up. Then you never would’ve known about them.”

His gaze flicked to her wrist. “When I figured it out doesn’t
matter.” He shrugged. “I did and now you and your children are safe. It’s too
soon to worry about losing Seth and Levi. We don’t even know if their parents
are still alive.”

What he said was true and if she was going to trust him,
maybe even hope for a relationship, she should accept his words. Just let it
go. She glanced down at her wrist, the one her boys always rubbed their cheeks
against before she left the house. She’d scoured the internet for anything she
could learn on big cat behaviors and learned that cats often scent-mark things,
territories, people. She assumed that’s what they were doing.

With the threat of being discovered by other shifters always
hanging over her head, she couldn’t risk walking by a stranger on the street
who’d recognize it for what it was. As soon as she got to her car after they
marked her, she would use baby wipes to get the claim off. Except for the day
she met Rafe. The tub had been empty. She’d meant to wash her hands at Tony’s
house but she’d gotten distracted then…

Then everything had spiraled out of control.

“You smelled them on me that night in the bar, didn’t you?”
she asked.

Rafe took a step toward her and she scrambled backward. He
stopped and balled his fists at his side. “Yes. I scented you at Tony’s house
and when you came into the bar I knew I had to find out who marked you. Nobody
in my pride owns—” He cleared his throat. “Nobody in my pride has a beloved
human. It made me suspicious.”

“So you made a point of getting me alone and coerced my name
and number out of me. Is that it?”

Rafe moved before she could retreat. He pulled her close and
pressed his mouth to her ear. “This is not the time or place for this
conversation, Jasmine. What we shared has nothing to do with getting
information from you. I told you before and I’m telling you again, you’re
special to me. I needed to be with you.”

She huffed and pushed against his chest. “Whatever, Rafe.
Let me go. I don’t want you to touch me right now.”

“No, that’s not happening, not while you’re upset. Calm down
and listen to me.” He leaned back and met her eyes. “I don’t know of any mated
couple who lost boys in the last decade. A report would’ve been made. I can’t
guarantee you anything but I don’t think you have to worry about losing Seth
and Levi.”

Of course Calum wouldn’t file a report for children he
planned to sell. She took a deep breath and tried to do as Rafe said. The panic
eased as she focused on Rafe’s words. No report meant Calum wasn’t looking for
them. If he did show up, she could always tell the Shifter Affairs people what
Nina had told her. It would be her word against Calum’s but unless she was
going to take her kids and run, she’d have to work within the system.

Rafe brushed his lips against hers. “Put your faith in me,
sweetheart. I will do everything I can to keep you and your boys together.” She
nodded and he stepped back. “I am going to mark my territory and look for our
murdering shifter. Xander and Kade will protect you.”

She wrapped her arms around her chest and looked around at
the strange faces—all predators—who watched her. Fear rose at the thought of
being alone with them. She pushed it back. Rafe trusted these men, so she would
too. She cleared her throat. “Your territory?”

“Yes. My territory.” He waved his arm out to encompass her
yard. “The house, the outer buildings, the land. It’s mine and I need to claim
it.”

She let her gaze roam over him and anger rose. “Excuse me?”

He narrowed his eyes. “What’s yours is mine now, Jasmine.”

She blinked and took in his stiff pose and eyes that dared
her to challenge him. “And you have this right because you
own
me.”

Rafe snapped his teeth together. “Because you are my
beloved
human
. And yes. I do.”