by Tl Reeve
“Understood,” Charles said, his gaze moved to Caden. “You realize, though, you’ll have to testify. In an open court.”
“I’m a deputy of the law. I know exactly what is required of me. Marjorie deserves to rot in hell for what she’s done to me. Maybe with me stepping forward, others will also. I’m done letting what she did define me.”
ADA Franks nodded. “Understood.”
Chapter Twelve
The anxious energy coursing through Rapier’s body since Raymond had threatened his family didn’t dissipate, even when he pushed through the door of his home with his brothers. It’d taken every ounce of his self-control to rein the lion in and not rip the motherfucker’s face off right then and there.
He yanked at the tie at his throat, loosening it. The constriction from the damn thing only added to his agitation. He needed to fuck or fight. He preferred fucking, but would fight all the same. However, his brothers made themselves scarce the minute they walked through the door, leaving him to search the house for his mate.
Rapier lifted his chin and inhaled. Jasmine was there. He followed her scent, taking the stairs two at a time, until he stopped just inside their bedroom. There she stood, her back to him, a towel wrapped around her lithe body. The hues of purple, blues, and oranges from her lion tattoo drew his attention to her shoulder and neck.
His mouth watered.
Every time he saw that damn tattoo and the one right above her slit, declaring she belonged to him, fuck, he lost his ever-loving mind. “Drop the towel, mate.” He growled, advancing on Jasmine.
She turned her head and peeked up at him from the corner of her eyes. “Bad day in court?”
“Something like that.” He dropped his jacket then his tie and shirt.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not yet,” he said, removing his shoes and slacks.
“So, you want to fuck it out of your system?” Jasmine faced him, opening the towel. “Right here, right now?”
He snarled, yanking off his boxer-briefs. “Yes.” The scent of cinnamon wafted from his mate along with the musky smell of her arousal. If he didn’t hold himself in check, he’d be a drooling fool.
Jasmine dropped the terrycloth material, allowing it to pool around her feet. “Okay, daddy.”
Rapier pounced. He had her in his arms and against the wall within seconds. Lowering her onto his hard cock, he let out a strangled moan. “Fuck.” He buried his face in her neck and bit down, holding her in place as pumped his hips at a brutal pace.
She was like liquid heat, searing his cock with her juices. Each thrust calmed a bit of the madness within him. It wasn’t enough though. Raymond threatened to rape and kill his mate and cubs. He threatened to destroy Rapier’s family. What kind of a man was Rapier if he couldn’t keep them safe?
Jasmine’s sweet sighs and soft cries were music to his ears. “Daddy, gonna come if you keep going like this.”
His rough chuckle caused her to clamp down on him, and he groaned. “Do it, kitten.” He tensed as the first flutters of her release kissed the tip of his dick, then began the rhythmic pull of her climax. Rapier clenched his jaw, trying to stave off his release, but failed. “Naughty kitten.” He held her tight to him as he filled her with his seed.
She peered up at him through her lashes. “Sorry?”
He snorted. “No, you’re not.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and began moving again. “But, you will be.”
She gasped. “Rapier?”
“Can’t stop, kitten.” He moaned, spinning them around toward their bed. “No one threatens what’s mine.”
Rapier laid her out on their bed then slipped from her and went to his knees. “When we’re done, everyone will know you’re mine and I protect what’s mine.”
Jasmine ran her fingers through his hair. “I think they already do.”
The teasing way she said those words only strengthened his determination. “Then it’s time they understand the ramifications of threatening what’s mine.”
Rapier didn’t give her a chance to respond. He placed his lips to her collarbone and drew the sensitive flesh between his teeth. He nipped her there, then eased down her body, alternating between kissing and nipping her skin. She writhed below him, whispering his name. When he drew her nipple into his mouth and began manipulating the piercing, she arched to him, crying out. Her grip tightened in his hair, sending sparks of pleasure down his spine.
“Please,” she whispered. Her voice trembled with such need, for a split second he thought about giving up and fucking her again.
Instead, he switched to her other nipple and applied the same attention. He rolled her clit, playing with the hard nub as well. She gasped and shuddered. Her cream and his cum coated his fingers as he continued to tease her.
“Please what, kitten?”
“Fuck me,” she sobbed, shaking in his arms.
He smirked at her before nipping her side. “Not yet. I haven’t gotten to the creamy center of my treat.”
She groaned, urging him lower. “Hurry up.”
This time he laughed while pushing his finger into her. Warmth engulfed him along with the sticky wetness of their combined releases. “Patience is a virtue, mate.”
She snorted. “Was that little display a minute ago about patience?”
Rapier growled and added a second finger, making sure to rub them against that sensitive area that drove Jasmine wild. Her hips bucked and rolled. Her cry sent a thrill down his spine. He loved her fresh mouth and the way she matched him tit-for-tat. It’d been what drew him to her second, after the smell of her being his mate hit him square in the chest. She could eviscerate anyone with her words and laugh while she did it.
Adding his thumb, Rapier circled her clit, applying pressure with each swipe. Jasmine’s body tensed. The clawed tip of her fingers dug into his scalp, sending shards of pain and pleasure through him. He loved it when his she-cat came out to play. Not only did it turn the man on, but also the lion. Years ago, when neither of them could control their instincts, they’d both shifted and fucked in their animal form.
It’d been the most hedonistic thing he’d ever done, and it left him questioning himself. Was it right? Were there consequences? Since that day, his lion always traveled with him just below the surface.
Watching.
Waiting.
Rapier groaned, lowering his face to her pussy to give her clit a lick. The heated taste of cinnamon popped against his taste buds. Their combined taste laid against his tongue when he licked her again. The lion shoved forward. The desperation in the feline’s demeanor overwhelmed him. Rapier glanced up at his mate and saw the same anxious anticipation in her feline gaze. He knew what was coming, there was no way to stop it.
He reached between his legs and grabbed the piercing at his tip to remove it. He wouldn’t hurt his mate, especially since the last time they did this, he hadn’t had it. “You need to shift, kitten. Now.”
She stared at him for a second then drew in a sharp breath. With a curt nod, she rolled to her stomach and gave over to the feline sitting so close to her skin. Dark fur sprouted across her skin. Her bones reshaped to hold the power of her panther. Her sleek form glowed in the afternoon sun. The small rosettes of her spotted form were camouflaged by her black pelt.
Okay, asshole, here’s your chance. Rapier gave over to the salivating lion pacing within his psyche. He dropped the piercing in his hand on the floor, groaning as the lion pushed forward. His body contorted, reshaping through the warmth. He chuffed the minute he smelled Jasmine. Her scent darkened, becoming wilder than her human’s smell.
The lion mounted her, and Rapier groaned as the lion clamped his mouth on the back of Jasmine’s neck. Being in the backseat was weird to say the least. He’d been in control 99% of the time and now, he had to enjoy the ride, for as long, or, in some instances, short, as it lasted. The lion pumped his hips and chuffed again. The sensation sent tingles through Rapier’s body. The animal’s arousal ampl
ified the human’s. Sensitive nerve endings sparked to life. He could feel his impending orgasm building.
As much as he wanted to hold onto the moment, it was fleeting. Felines weren’t known for their staying power. Rapier gave over to the pleasure as the lion’s mouth increased its pressure on Jasmine’s neck as he found his release. Jasmine’s panther yowled and jerked her hips, clamping down on him.
The lion pushed deeper, coming again.
Just when Rapier thought the lion would give over to him, the asshole began again, this time with more urgency. Rapier couldn’t keep up with the feline part of him. He’d never done this before or maybe he had and he didn’t remember... Shit, asshole, what are you doing? The lion roared at him, baring his teeth. He finally had his mate and Rapier, it seemed, wouldn’t be getting her back for a while.
He’d laugh, if it wasn’t so awkward or weird.
Again, the lion’s hips began to pump. His motions were jerky, anxious, and held the same desperation he’d seen reflected in his mate’s eyes. Then he felt it, the barbs of his feline cock engaging, holding him within his mate. Rapier let out a low groan that was more of a roar. Pleasure shot through his body. With the first spurt of his release, Rapier felt the lion meld with the human and give control back to him. Slowly, he and Jasmine returned to their human bodies. Rapier was curled around her from behind. His chest heaved for breath as he shook.
“Fuck.” He groaned. “I can’t pull out.”
“I can’t move,” Jasmine replied. “What the fuck happened?”
Rapier chuckled then hissed. “Is that a rhetorical question?”
“Maybe,” she teased then let out a shuddered sigh.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” He hated the idea of his beast being too rough with her. Doing something she might not be ready for. Jasmine shook her head, and he relaxed. “He’s been pushing at me all day. Guess he wanted out.”
“Guess so,” she murmured. “How long do you think we’ll be like this?”
If the way he continued to throb every so often inside her was any indication, or how securely he’d been held in place due to the lion’s barbs, he couldn’t say for sure. “A while, I think.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Might as well get comfortable.” Rapier cupped her breast and tugged at the barbell in her nipple.
She moaned. “You have me at a disadvantage.”
“I have you right where I want you, mate.” He ran the pad of his fingers over her clit. “I think it’s only fair if you come as much as I have.”
* * * *
Rapier stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his hips. It’d been two hours before he could pull out of Jasmine. In that time, he’d made her climax as many times as she could physically stand before she pushed his hands away with a whimper. When he slipped from her, he could understand why she’d been so sensitive. His tip felt raw. His balls ached as though they were overused. Even touching himself while he washed up was almost too much.
“Hey, something is going on.” He lifted his gaze to meet Jasmine’s as she stood at the door to the bathroom. “You might want to see this.”
Rapier grabbed his jeans and threw them on, careful of his abused dick. He followed her out of their room, the scent of their mating still clinging in the air, and down the stairs to the kitchen. The murmurs of the television grew louder, and he could make out the voice of one of the reporters who’d been at the trial with them earlier.
“We called this joint press conference this afternoon to ask for the public’s help,” Kalkin said. “As the trials begin for Raymond Quincy and Marjorie Pendergrass, new information has emerged.”
Saber turned to him. “Did you know they were going to do this?”
Rapier stared at the screen. Kalkin stood at a podium inside city hall. Behind him on the right was Caden and to Caden’s left, ADA Franks. “No. They didn’t say anything before I left.” He sat down on the couch then gathered Jasmine in his arms. After the intensity of their mating, he had to have her close to him.
“A new investigation has been started this afternoon by my department in conjunction with the State’s Investigator and the District Attorney’s office. As of two this afternoon, Marjorie Burke-Pendergrass has been charged with statutory rape of a minor below the age of seventeen. We believe there are others out there who have fallen prey to her tactics. It happens on the full moon. The person is usually on their first run. They believe it is their fault due to said full moon. Some may have children now and not know it or have had them left on their doorstep. Or, unfortunately, brought to or found by those who running Window Rock Orphanage. If you think you might be one of her victims, please come forward. You will be kept anonymous. You did nothing wrong.”
Kalkin lifted an old photograph of a young boy with curly brown hair and hazel eyes. He also had a youthful happiness, edging on cockiness in his smile. “This is Emmitt. We are withholding his last name. He has been missing for two years. We know he was associated with Tiffany Burke. We know one infant was removed from her custody due to negligence. There could be others, again, like with Marjorie Burke-Pendergrass. If you have seen him or know anything about his case, please step forward. Your information will be kept anonymous.”
The reporters in the room erupted in questions, hurling them one after the other at Kalkin, who stood there stoically. When he stepped back, ADA Franks came forward and he tuned out what the man said. He couldn’t believe Caden would even allow this; though Rapier had heard the Beta loud and clear in the courthouse, it wasn’t a public setting. Marjorie would see it. She would know. If it wasn’t for Caden, none of this would be happening.
“Damn.” Saber whistled. “This shit just got flipped upside down.”
“Yeah.” Rapier frowned. “Family meeting. Saber, get everyone home.”
* * * *
It hadn’t taken long for the rest of the Dryer family to come strolling into the house. Rapier knew what jobs they were currently working on, and how long it’d take them to wrap it up and get back home. A half-hour after Saber made the call, the youngest Dryer, Wy, entered through the back door.
His dark hair was mussed as if he had been running his fingers through it, or his latest piece of ass he was banging was. Knowing Wy, it was the latter. One look in Wy’s eyes told him all he needed to know. Wy had not been at work, he’d been balls deep in pussy.
At some point, Rapier was going to have to have a conversation with his youngest sibling about keeping his dick in his pants before Wy ended up with a passel of Wy juniors running around his knees. Rapier caught Cormyr’s gaze across the room. The other lion shook his head and rolled his eyes. Good. At least Rapier wasn’t the only one noticing their sibling’s activities.
“You’re late, Wy.” Rapier growled, still uneasy about the events at the courthouse. Fucking Jasmine had only helped ease some of his aggression.
“Ten minutes. No biggie,” Wy said, his tone glib, irritating the fuck out of Rapier.
Before Rapier could respond, Saber smacked Wy on the back of the head, hard, in warning. “Stop being an idiot and go sit down.”
Properly chastised, their youngest brother found his seat, far away from Rapier. Not that he minded. The mood he was in, he was likely to go Alpha on Wy for his smart mouth. Jenna came out of kitchen and sat near Osirus. Although they weren’t Dryers they were part of the Pride and had a right to be here just as much as the brothers. “Utah is outside, in tiger form. He’s got his eyes on Zoe and Belle.”
Rapier nodded. His cubs were safe with the young, temperamental tiger. They had decided it would be best, because of all the upheaval the girls had already experienced in their short lives, to not include them in this family meeting. His cubs didn’t need to worry about something that might never occur.
“Why’d you call a family meeting, Rapier?” Saber inquired.
Out of all the Dryers, only Saber shared blood with Rapier. Their mother, from what they learned later in life, had been raped twice. Once by a lion shift
er and again by a coyote. After she birthed both of them, she walked off. Where she went or what happened afterward, no one knew. Saber and he had been loners for their most formidable years. He guessed it was why he cared for Tate and Henry like he did. No child, shifter or human, should have to raise themselves without love or a place to call home, which made their family meeting all the more important.
“He’s worried,” Jasmine said, her voice hoarse from the multiple orgasms he’d given her earlier.
“That ain’t no lie,” Rapier admitted.
Family meetings weren’t about holding back. Nope, if anything they were balls to the walls about being open and truthful. “Raymond Quincy is a slippery bastard. Even with all the evidence, and him being tried for domestic terrorism and in solitary, I’m worried the son of a bitch is going to either break out or get off.”
“Is that even possible?” Jenna hedged.
“It shouldn’t be, but we’re talking about Quincy—” Rapier paused, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. “—anything is possible. I want to try to get ahead of this.”
“What do you mean?” Wy leaned forward, his elbows rested on his spread knees.
“I think it’d be a good idea for everyone to have a go-bag packed and ready, just in case,” Rapier advised. He hated the fact he might be disrupting their lives yet again. “Might be a good idea to get our hands on some cash too. We can store it here, in the safe.”
Window Rock was a great place to put down roots. Finding new friends outside of the Pride, and finally get steady work for the construction company, it sucked he’d be responsible for destroying his entire Pride’s hopes and dreams.
Jasmine placed her hand on his thigh in support while Rapier’s gaze floated around the room. Not a single one of his brothers showed a hint of emotion. Even Wy appeared unfazed.
“If anyone chooses not to go, if that’s what it comes to, it won’t be held against you. I—” Jasmine squeezed his thigh. “—we totally understand and support your decision. No one will be ordered to follow us.”
