Rafe's Mate

by Rianne Thaxton

  Ian’s mouth turned up in a wicked grin. “Well, if you’re having problems with not staring out here, you’re definitely going to have issues when we get inside.”

  “There’s more?”

  Ian shared a look with Rafe. “You could say that.” Ian glanced around and then said in a covert whisper. “And I hear congratulations are in order.”

  Rafe narrowed his gaze. “For what?”

  “Alpha Regent is a big deal from what I understand.” Ian kept his tone low.

  “How did you…” Rafe nodded with a grimace. “Carter.”

  “Of course,” Ian said with a quiet laugh. “Are you surprised?”

  Rafe shook his head with a slight huff. “I guess I shouldn’t be. But does that bastard know everything that goes on in the world?”

  “Pretty much.” Ian inclined his head at a man waving their way while leaving the building. Then he turned his focus back on Rafe. “Except when it comes to the whereabouts of Master Lew—as he liked to be addressed. I told Carter you were looking for information on his disappearance and he’s heard nothing.”

  “Really…” That surprised Rafe more than Carter knowing about his own new status. The man was an enigma—a shadow. Hell, Rafe wasn’t even sure Carter was his actual name. But whoever or whatever he was, for him not to know anything to assist in their search for the former Alpha Prime was unsettling.

  “Does this Carter person not knowing anything have some kind of significance?” Max asked as his eyes widened and he looked up at the ceiling again.

  “It could, but we’ll have to see.”

  “You know,” Ian said, as he motioned for Rafe and Max to come with him. “I honestly had no idea Master Lew was one of your people.”

  Rafe pushed at Max’s arm to pull his focus from the ceiling and get him moving as Ian walked away. They followed closely behind. “He is. Just not a good representative of one.”

  The closer they got to the doors going into the main part of the club, the louder the thumping, rhythmic beat of music.

  “You know,” Ian said over the blaring classic rock as someone exited through the big wooden double doors, “after our conversation, it made me wonder about who else among my members are…you know.”

  Rafe lifted his head and breathed in the scents surrounding him and grinned. “Probably more than you’d be comfortable with knowing.”

  Ian scanned the outer area with a critical eye. “Hmmm… Now you’ve got me curious.” He raised a brow at Rafe. “Care to share?”

  Rafe didn’t answer, but the look he gave Ian was more than enough as the other man shrugged and said, “Right. Okay, then. Let me introduce you to Tiny.”

  “Tiny?” Rafe asked as Ian indicated a man the size of a full-grown bear.

  “Yes. My head of security.”

  “Tiny, isn’t very tiny. Is he?” Rafe said as they approached the man who stood up from the stool he had been sitting on. He was even bigger than Rafe had realized.

  “Tiny Daultry, meet my guests, Rafe Navarro and Max Fairchild.”

  “Ian!”

  Ian turned at his name where another man gestured for him to come over. “Excuse me,” he said, walking away. Then he tossed over his shoulder, “This’ll only take a minute.”

  “Welcome to The Covenant,” Tiny said as he leaned his head back with a frown when Max took a quite obvious and overly loud whiff of him. Tiny’s brows rose up to the base of his bald head as he stared at the man presently invading his personal space. “Is there a problem?”

  “No,” Max said, looking Tiny up and down as he straightened away from him. “For a minute there I smelled bear.”

  “Max…” Rafe warned, frowning and shaking his head as he made sure no one else was close by.

  “Well, Ms. Kristen says I remind her of a teddy bear.” Tiny grinned.

  “No,” Max shook his head, his skeptical gaze traveling up the man who met him eye to eye. “Wrong kind of bear.”

  Tiny gave his own quick whiff before a slow grin spread over his face as he leaned in. “Well,” he whispered so low only Rafe and Max would have heard him over the pounding music and the laughter and talking of members, “not so’s you could tell. But maybe just a little bit on my momma’s side.”

  Rafe glanced over at Ian with a smirk where the other man was still deep in conversation.

  “I thought so,” Max said with a satisfied nod. “What?” he asked, when he glanced at Rafe.

  “Exposure and discretion.”

  Max grinned. “I was discreet.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “All right,” Ian said, rejoining them as Tiny put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture and gave them a conspiratorial wink. “So, I’ve arranged for you to speak privately with a few of my people.” Tiny left his spot and pulled open one of the doors as Ian continued. “Just remember to try and keep a low profile.” He pulled two yellow bands from his pocket. “And I’ll need you both to wear one of these.”

  “What’re these for?” Max asked as he took a strap and attempted to wrap it around his thick wrist.

  “They designate you as guests and that you’re not allowed to play.” Ian grinned at Rafe.

  “Play what?” Max asked, looking up from his task.

  “You’ll see.”

  Rafe took in a deep breath to say something over the music when the almost masked taste and scent of lilacs and honeysuckle hit his senses.

  “What the fuck?” He rushed past Tiny through the open door with Max calling after him. He was inundated with the aroma of sex and sweat mixed in with alcohol and what he could only assume was various forms of lubricant. He scented the air. Maybe he was mistaken. Maybe…

  No. There it is again.

  “What the hell’s going on,” Max said, coming up beside him and grabbing hold of his shoulder, but then he quickly released it as Rafe turned his burning eyes on him.

  “Aubrey’s here,” he growled as his muscles strained against his suddenly too-tight clothes.

  Max’s eyes widened before he averted his gaze and then did a quick glance around the balcony.

  “Aubrey? Where?”

  “What’s going on?” Ian asked, jogging up to them. Rafe ignored his low, “Holy shit,” as Rafe lifted his head and took in another deep breath of the club’s sex-saturated air muddling Aubrey’s scent.

  “We gotta get him out of here,” Max said. “Like right now.”

  Rafe blocked out Max and Ian along with the cacophony of noise in the club as he stretched his senses to seek Aubrey’s presence among the sea of people. His heart constricted as denial rose up and his alpha form pushed harder at him to be let loose. His mate was here—possibly with one of the Doms of The Covenant.

  “Fuck! Is that fur?” Ian said in a rush and then pushed up against Rafe’s side as he grabbed his arm. His expression went hard and eyes intense as he held Rafe’s gaze.

  Human or not, Ian was all but issuing a challenge—one he would lose.

  “Step away,” Rafe growled, his words low and guttural as he chuffed in Ian’s face. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Ian’s gaze didn’t waver as he lifted it to Rafe’s ever-increasing height as Max came up behind Ian and put a firm hold on his shoulders. His human friend winced but didn’t back down, even when Max said low, “I would listen to him, Ian.”

  Ian’s stare narrowed as he frowned over his shoulder at Max, saying through gritted teeth as members and staff, oblivious to the danger in their midst, brushed passed them, “I’ve seen that fucking, giant, goddamned monster, were-whatever thing it is he can turn into.” He faced Rafe and glared at him. “You are not Hulking out and destroying my club.”

  “Shit, man. It’s because his mate’s here somewhere.” Rafe’s mind registered Max’s concerned voice as he forced himself toward the balcony where he held onto the rail and his alpha form with a brutal grip. Ian and Max came up on either side of him—their movements cautious. “And if he sees her with another man, Hulk smashing won’t
be our only problem.”

  Ian blew out a harsh breath. “Why would she be with another man if she’s his mate?”

  “She’s human and has no idea.”

  “Why doesn’t he just—”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Rafe searched the crowd in the pit, where members and staff could be found in various stages of undress and degrees of intimacy. None of them was Aubrey.

  Glass shattering pulled his attention to his left where he spotted a man stumbling in place as he fumbled with his pants. His attuned shifter hearing picked up the man’s slurred words.

  “Stay right where you are, sweet cheeks.” The man’s attention was on the floor in front of him. “You’re in just the right position for what I want.”

  And then, almost from nowhere, Aubrey’s dark blonde head appeared as she stood up in the same black bra and bowtie he’d noticed on the women out front.

  Rafe heaved a sigh of relief mixed with aggravation at the fact she’d kept this from him. Then he said in a more normal tone, “She works here.” His relief grew stronger seeing she was fully dressed while the fury of his alpha subsided.

  But why was she working here?

  “She does?” Ian asked, his own relief evident in his voice as he peered over the balcony.

  Max blew out a hard breath. “Thank God.”

  Rafe’s racing heart slowed until the drunk grabbed Aubrey by the upper arm and hauled her against him, saying. “I said I want you on your knees.”

  Nothing else mattered as the roar, “Mine,” ripped from his throat and the need for vengeance once more had his alpha form ready to come out and play.

  Not the gasp of the crowd as he vaulted over the railing, not Max’s, “Dammit, Rafe,” or Ian yelling, “Back the fuck away,” when he landed in a crouch a few yards from the man holding too tightly to his struggling woman.

  Only Aubrey’s wide-eyed gaze as she’d stared up at him moments before and the whisper of his name on her lips before he’d gone airborne had mattered.

  The stunned crowd parted as he stalked toward his mate and the man who hadn’t yet realized he was about to die. But just as he was ready to pounce, Aubrey tore her gaze away from his while pulling out of the drunk’s grasp. Then she hauled off and punched the man flat in the mouth, sending him sprawling to the floor.

  Rafe stopped short, his fury dwindling as did the imminent shift to his alpha form as Aubrey shook out the hand she’d punched the man with and then rounded on him.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” She looked around at their audience as her fair skin flushed a deep red—all of it shown off in the tiny outfit currently searing an image into his brain and now firmly ensconced in his spank bank.

  “Saving you!” He couldn’t help the growl. His alpha form was appeased the man was down but his panther was this close to coming out and batting him around like a cat toy. “And you,” he hissed as he narrowed his gaze on the drunk trying get up off the floor. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down.”

  “Okay, everyone.” Ian’s anger-filled bellow filled the cavernous space as the song playing overhead changed to AC/DC’s, “Highway to Hell.” “It’s over.” Ian’s glare went toward where the drunk had landed. “Master Warren, I’ll see you in my office.”

  “But, but…” The man wearing brown leather, who had appeared from the crowd to help the drunk up, pushed the man back down and then stepped over him to stalk toward Ian who was busy directing several men dressed similarly to Tiny to move the club members and other staff back.

  Ian turned on the other man. “No buts.” He stared him down. “You know the rules and I have zero tolerance for what just happened. So I’m laying this mess squarely at your feet for not staying with your guest to make sure he followed the fucking rules.” Rafe followed Ian’s gaze to Tiny who was dragging the drunk up off the floor. “Get both of them to my office.”

  “Gladly,” Tiny said as the murmur of voices grew louder and the members of The Covenant slowly went back to whatever they had been doing.

  “I was just trying have a little fun,” the drunk complained as he was pushed along past Rafe while wiping blood from his busted lip. The man Ian had called Master Warren groused as he too was escorted away, “Just shut up, Mike. Thanks to you I’m probably banned.”

  “Well, so much for your worry about exposure and discretion,” Max said, moving in closer as his fascinated gaze took in the club before turning his stare on Rafe. “At least you didn’t break anything.” Max grinned. “Or kill anyone.”

  “Rafe, if this is your idea of keeping a low profile, I…” Ian shook his head as he faced Aubrey. “Are you okay?”

  Rafe held her angry glare as she said, “Yes, Master Ian.” She then turned her attention to her boss, her expression falling as she lowered her gaze. “I’m so sorry this happened.”

  “It’s not your fault. I saw this Mike fellow had his unwelcome hands on you.”

  “I’ll finish cleaning up the broken glass and then get back to work—”

  “Like hell you will,” Rafe muttered as he prowled toward his mate to meet her toe to toe. “You’re leaving. Now.”

  “I beg your pardon?” It was cute how she balked at him. “I might work for you a few hours a week, but that doesn’t give you some kind of authority over me. I’m—”

  “That’s it,” he said, picking her up by the waist and throwing her over his left shoulder.

  “Have you lost your mind!”

  “Probably,” he said turning toward a grinning Ian as Aubrey kicked out her feet and pushed at his back as his grip on her tightened. “I’ll call you so we can set up something else.”

  “Fine, but not during club hours.” Ian’s gaze darted around before he moved closer. “You do realize I’m only letting you get away with taking her out of here like this because I kind of understand this is part of what you are. Right?”

  Rafe gave Ian a slight nod.

  “If you don’t put me down right now,” Aubrey said, her voice calm, “I’m going to scream.” Her voice rose on the last few words.

  “Okay,” Rafe said over his shoulder. “Then I might as well give you something to really scream about.” He administered two quick smacks to each cheek of her ass through her silky panties with his free hand.

  “Oww!” She stiffened. “You… You… You spanked me!”

  “I did, and I’ll do it again if you don’t behave.” He focused back on Ian as Aubrey’s anger radiated out to him, but she just slumped and let out a loud huff. “Max will…” He closed his eyes and held in a groan as the faint aroma of Aubrey’s arousal hit him full force in the face. If they were anyplace else, he’d throw her down on the nearest flat surface and nuzzle into all that wet heat calling to him. But all that would probably get him at his point was a sock in the mouth like she’d given the drunk.

  “Max will call you,” Max provided for him before glancing around. “It might be a good idea if we left now.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Ian said with a grin while he perused the club that had quickly switched gears and begun to go back to normal business. The loud pop of what was probably a paddle sounded from one of the stations.

  “You know,” Rafe said, grabbing Ian’s attention and speaking just loudly enough only Ian would hear him. “It’s too bad you’re human. You’d make one hell of a Beta Regent.”

  “Me? A beta?” Ian grinned and shook his head, keeping his voice low. “Believe me, if I was a shifter, I’d be an alpha.” Ian raised one brow as a gleam of assurance lit his eyes. “And you’d have a real challenge on your hands.”

  Rafe had no doubt he would. “It would be an interesting battle.” He squeezed the smooth flesh of Aubrey’s bare thigh and breathed in again of her deepest scent so close to his face.

  “But I don’t think you’ll be lacking in conflict.” Ian nodded toward Aubrey’s exposed ass—something he hadn’t considered when persuading his mate she wasn’t staying. “It looks like you al
ready have an interesting enough battle on your hands as it is.”

  “You have no idea,” Rafe said as Aubrey squirmed on his shoulder and the repercussions of what he’d just done slowly hit home. He’d nearly exposed his kind to a club full of humans and he had his Destined Mate hanging upside down with her ass in the air. He frowned as Ian’s gaze went over said ass, and then he scowled. “Just keep your eyes to yourself.”

  “I have eyes for only one ass,” Ian laughingly responded and then held up a hand at Rafe’s continued hard stare. “But don’t worry, I’ve never seen your…friend’s ass before. Because if you’d taken the time to notice—which I’m thinking you haven’t—she’s wearing a yellow wristband.”

  She doesn’t play.

  Max sidled up closer to him, murmuring again but more urgently, “We seriously need to go.”

  “You really do,” Ian said. “But don’t be a stranger.” He grinned once more at Aubrey’s backside. “And good luck. I think you’re going to need it.”

  With a goodbye salute, Ian turned and disappeared into the crowd.

  “Well, that was fun,” Max said as they made their way through the pit while Rafe ignored the speculative stares of members and staff and tried not to laugh at Aubrey’s muttered threats aimed at his manhood. “But let’s not do it again.”

  Rafe appreciated having the bear at his back as he weaved through the crowd. No alphas were present, but he had scented a few of the more scavenger breeds of shifters, and he didn’t trust them. They made it to the stairs and he took them two at a time, with Aubrey letting out several oomphs and one or two colorful curses as he jostled her.

  “I’m Max, by the way,” the bear said as they made it to the landing. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Nice to… What am I saying?” Aubrey groused as she wriggled. “I can sort of see Master Ian being okay with this, but if you’re a friend of this lunatic, you should be doing something about his behavior.”