by Dana Archer
His cats snarled and slammed into him, demanding to be set free. Their possessiveness fed Rafe’s. Sharpened nails extended from his fingers.
He quickened his pace, and Devin moved closer to Jasmine and Josh.
“Back off, Devin.”
Devin shook his head and blocked Rafe with his body. “Not with that look on your face.”
Rafe took in Devin’s widened stance and hands held loosely at his sides. He blew out a slow breath. “Jazz is in no danger from me.”
“It’s not your female I’m worried about.”
Rafe glanced at Jasmine. Her guarded expression helped him rein in his temper. She didn’t trust him. The truth was stamped on to her face. Why would she? She’d just discovered the male she’d allowed into her body was a shifter.
“Jasmine, come here.” Rafe pointed to the spot in front of him.
Josh pushed her behind him. “No. Jazz isn’t going to you.”
“Yes. She is. We need to talk.”
“Do it from over there.”
That was it. Rafe strode forward. One way or another, he would hold her. He needed Jasmine’s scent in his lungs. It was the only way to calm his cats who demanded Josh be put in his place.
“Stop it, both of you. I’m coming.” She ducked under Josh’s arm and walked to Rafe. “You lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you the truth.”
“It’s how you look at it, right?”
“Yes.”
She sighed and shook her head. “What’s going on? Who is that crazy guy who just tried to kill us?”
Rafe glanced from Jasmine to Megan. “I promise to explain everything but not now.” He blew out a breath. “I know it’s asking a lot, but I need you to trust me.”
“I’m willing to listen to you.”
But she didn’t trust him. Was that what she implied? No. He needed her trust, especially with Jon in town.
“I sent Kade to guard your boys and had Devin watching over Megan. If I’d meant to take the kids, I could’ve at any time.” He narrowed his eyes. “That’s what you were afraid of. That’s why you left me this morning. Isn’t it?”
“Do you blame me?”
“No, I don’t, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth.”
“I was going to call. I just needed…”
“To make sure your kids were safe.”
She nodded.
He held his hand out to her. “Come here. I want to hold you.”
Jasmine walked closer. The moment she was within arm’s reach, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and tucked her against his chest. “What happened at the hotel?”
“I called the boys and—”
“In the lobby.” The reason she’d left him was important too, but her safety came first.
She tipped her head to glance into his face. “Some guy gave me a hard time.”
“Hard time? Yeah, he was trying to force…” Josh glanced at Megan. “He wouldn’t leave Jazz alone.”
Rafe met Josh’s gaze. The unspoken clarification was stamped on his expression. The guy had harassed Jasmine. Touched her. “You made sure he did leave her alone?”
Josh’s sharp nod answered him.
His tiger’s snarl echoed in Rafe’s head. He blocked it out. The aggression wouldn’t do him any good after the fact. Neither would regret. All he could do was focus on the outcome—Jasmine was safe. No thanks to him.
“What did this man look like?” Rafe asked.
“Brown hair. Brown eyes. Built. Maybe in his late forties.” Josh shrugged. “He was shorter than me. Five-ten, maybe.”
Josh’s description could’ve been any number of humans, but the timing suggested Jon had been the one who’d touched Jasmine.
Jasmine had been in Jon’s grasp. He could’ve killed her before Rafe even knew a threat existed. Rafe pillowed his head on hers and lowered his voice. “He held you. As close as I am now. Then tried to hurt you.”
“The…the shifter Devin scared away? It was him?” She tilted her head. “The guy from the hotel.”
“Yes. I think so.”
“Do you know him?”
“Yes.”
And Rafe would make sure Jon didn’t get a second chance at Jasmine. The coward would try too. He’d hated Rafe a century ago, simply because Rafe had been born a Royal. Only, Rafe hadn’t known the extent of Jon’s hatred until it was too late.
The conversation that night Jon had beheaded Rafe’s father had started innocently enough. Jon had found his first gray hair. At four hundred, he’d begun to age and wanted to stop the natural process. Jon had brought up the mating laws involving Royals. It was widely known that when a male Royal mated a human or single shifter female, she shared in her mate’s immortality. Jon had wondered if it worked the same for a female Royal and a male human or single shifter.
Rafe had told Jon not to get any ideas. It’d been tried several times. A Royal female couldn’t form the same bond a Royal male could. Their gods and goddesses had deemed it so. Female shifters were meant to share in their mate’s strength, not the other way around. And immortality was the greatest strength anyone could possess.
Gender equality didn’t exist in the shifter world.
Jon had gotten angry. He’d said the gods had forsaken the single shifters. That it wasn’t fair to favor the Royals over them. He deserved immortality too.
He’d stormed off, but not before he wished Rafe would get to experience his share of death, even if it would never be his own. Jon had made good on his promise too.
Devin cleared his throat, pulling Rafe out of his grim thoughts. “We should go.”
“Yes.” Rafe tucked Jasmine into his side and led the way back to their cars. “Let’s go collect your boys.”
At the roadside, he picked up the purple car seat that sat on the ground next to Devin’s vehicle and walked toward Rafe’s SUV.
“No,” Megan said with a shake of her head. She planted little fists on her hips and glared at Rafe, then faced Josh. “I’m not going with him.” She motioned behind her. “He didn’t talk nice to you. I don’t like that.”
“You don’t have to go with him.” Josh yanked the seat from Rafe’s hands and handed it to Devin.
“No biggie, kid. You can ride with me.” Devin crouched in front of Megan. He held up the car seat. “Do you know how this thing works?”
“Let me help.” Jasmine pushed away from Rafe.
Josh stepped next to Rafe while Jazz installed the car seat. “Let me make this very clear. Devin explained briefly what we’re up against. After what happened today, I know I’m out of my element. That doesn’t mean I’ll blindly trust you or your friends.”
“You have no choice but to trust us.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.” Josh leveled a hard look at Rafe. “Betray me, and I will find a way to destroy you.”
Rafe nodded and matched the warning glare. “Then here is your warning—come between me and Jasmine, and I will destroy you.”
A grin spread over Josh’s face that didn’t reach his eyes. “I won’t have to. She’ll come to me the first time you two fight.”
Jasmine glanced between them. “Everything okay?”
Josh smacked Rafe on the back. “Sure. Just some male bonding.”
Rafe bit back the growl. He held a hand out to Jasmine. She took it without hesitation. He flashed Josh a pleased smile. Josh scowled, and Rafe chuckled.
“If the two of you are done”—Devin stepped next to them—“I’m going to go pick up Kade and the cubs so we can get out of this town.”
“What?” Jasmine looked between them. “You’re not taking my boys anywhere.”
“It’s too dangerous here. The children will be safer back at our place,” Devin reasoned.
“No!” She fisted Rafe’s shirt. “Please, don’t let him take my boys.”
He ran a hand over her loose hair. “You’re coming too. I’m not leaving without you.”
She st
epped back. “Excuse me?”
“You’re moving home with me.” Rafe looked to where Josh stood near Megan. The little girl met Rafe’s gaze. She might only be a child, but her protective instincts were strong. Definitely a dominant. There’d be no splitting her from her human family. “Josh will have to come to.”
“I am not moving anywhere and neither is Josh.” She waved an arm out to indicate the road next to them. “This is our home. We both have businesses here. Friends.”
“You’ve attracted the attention of an evil man. Even if we don’t catch him, you and your kids will always be in danger.” Rafe mimicked her encompassing wave. “This backwoods town is the only reason you were able to live unnoticed by the shifter community, but now you’ve been spotted. You won’t survive the week without my pride’s protection.”
“No.” Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not moving anywhere.”
Rafe sighed. “Be realistic—”
“I am. I only met you a few days ago. That’s not long enough for me to blindly give up everything for you or to put my boys’ lives completely in your hands.”
“But you’re in danger.”
“I understand that, and if it was only me, I’d leave with you. It’s not. I need to make sure you’re not more of a risk to Seth and Levi than we’d face if we just took off, destination unknown.”
“And while you’re making that decision, you’ll be at risk.”
“Then you can stay here and protect us. I won’t just leave with you.” Jasmine dropped her arms and took a step forward. “End of discussion. Those are your choices.”
“Kade won’t like it,” Devin chimed in.
No, Kade wouldn’t, but what was Rafe supposed to do? Sure, he could move them by force. They wouldn’t be able to stop him. Once they were back in Virginia, Jasmine would realize he wasn’t a threat to her or her kids.
Not only did his small family reside there, the largest Royal wolf pack in the States called it home. No shifter would dare attack them, not even Jon.
Jasmine would also hate Rafe for taking her choice away.
A day or two here wouldn’t hurt. He was confident he could protect her, and as long as the kids were with Devin or Kade, there’d be nothing to worry about. They were stronger than Jon, and if Rafe brought in his brothers to help hunt Jon, they might just be able to punish him and find Nina.
“Okay, we’ll try it your way.”
Her breath rushed out, and she grinned. “Thank you.”
He gave her hand a squeeze, then faced Devin. “Call and see if any of my brothers can come down.”
Devin nodded and glanced at Megan. “I’ll ask Mira to come too. She’s good with kids.”
Rafe studied his friend carefully. “Are you sure? You usually don’t allow her around humans.”
“I’m hoping being around Megan and the other cubs will give her some ideas. She’s been alone too long.”
Rafe closed his eyes against the sadness that statement brought. “We can hope.”
“Who is Mira?” Josh strode closer to Devin. “And why isn’t she allowed near humans?”
“My twin.” Devin faced him. “And humans aren’t trustworthy.”
Chapter 18
Jazz waited until Josh got Megan settled in Devin’s vehicle before focusing on Rafe. “Start talking. I want to know who you really are.”
“My name really is Rafe Alexander.” He turned in his seat to face her. “I assist a special unit of the government that retrieves shifters who’ve been kidnapped and prosecutes those who deal in shifter trafficking.”
Shifter trafficking?
And he’d come to town to follow up on a missing person. Gathering information, he’d told her that. Did the government find out about the fake birth certificates she had for Seth and Levi?
“How can I trust that you’re with this special unit and not feeding me a line?”
He grumbled but dug out his wallet, folded it in half, exposing an ID, and handed it to her.
Rafe Alexander, SA Field Liaison.
“Shifter Affairs,” Rafe said. “In case you were wondering about the title. I’m not an agent, just a shifter who’s been trained to do field work. I have limited privileges and don’t get paid, but I’m a point of contact in any feline-related issues in this section of the country.”
She nodded her appreciation and scrutinized the rest of the badge. It had an official-looking stamp on it, and the main address was listed in Washington. She turned it around, studied the glyph in the light, then glanced from the picture to him. It looked official. Real.
It made perfect sense the government would have a group that policed shifters. Someone must’ve raided the warehouse where she’d been kept. The morning after she’d escaped, a fire was reported to have leveled a large section of the industrial facility where it was located. The men running the illegal center wouldn’t have willingly burned it and lost all the experimental facilities there.
Jazz handed the card back. Time for the tough questions. “Okay, fine. Now why were you here in the first place?”
He held his hand out to her, palm up. She stared at it a moment before placing hers in it. He tightened his fingers around her hand.
“We were alerted to Megan’s adoption and came down to investigate. We arrived the evening I saw you at the bar. The fire had already claimed Tony’s life, and I’d worried it wasn’t an accident. That Tony was murdered, and Megan was gone. When Devin found Megan safe, I was free to focus on you.”
“Focus on me?”
“I couldn’t keep my hands off you.”
The lust in his gaze set her on fire. She glanced at where his fingers were twined with hers. “It wasn’t deliberate, then? You weren’t just trying to get information on my boys.”
He tipped her chin toward him. “I didn’t know about your boys until you mentioned them. I touched you because I needed to. You caught my attention.” He rubbed his thumb over the corner of her lips. “You still have it. You’ve mesmerized me, Jasmine.”
His words brought back all the warm feelings she’d experienced the night before. She swayed closer to him, but stopped herself from taking the kiss she desired. There were more important things than her emotions.
“And now? Do you still think the fire was an accident?”
He released her and ran his hand through his shoulder-length hair. “I don’t know. The fire chief seems to think Tony’s death was an accident. Part of me agrees. If it had been Jon, why didn’t he go after Megan as soon as Tony was out of the picture?”
“Jon is the shifter who caused the accident?”
“Yes, and I don’t ever want you to fall into his hands.”
The hard expression Rafe wore didn’t invite questions, but she needed to know what they were up against. “How do you know him?”
His nostrils flared. “He’s the one who took my sister.”
“Oh,” she mumbled, unsure what else to say.
He laid a hand on her thigh. “As long as you’re with me, he won’t make a move. He’s not stupid, which is why we haven’t caught him yet. He knows coming at me head-on is suicide. He’ll sit and wait for us to leave you unattended. Same with your kids, but I won’t. You’re safe with me, and this time I will catch him.”
Seth and Levi. Of course Jon would want to get his hands on them too.
“Do you think Jon knows about them? My boys?”
“If he doesn’t, it won’t take him long to figure it out.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. Was she wrong to be cautious where Rafe and his family were concerned? Maybe she should go with him?
But one night of passion and a few minutes of honesty weren’t enough to base decisions on that involved her kids.
Waiting was the right thing to do. She had to be sure.
Rafe sighed. “You also need to know that you’re in as much danger as your boys. Jon knows you’re important to me. He’ll come after you for that reason alone. To take you from me.”
Jazz swept her gaze over the woods surrounding them. No lion. No glowing brown eyes. He was gone, but the way he’d looked at her in the hotel scared her. He’d be back.
She turned in her seat and studied Rafe, looking for any clue that what he was telling her was false. Hoping for it, maybe.
“You really think he’ll come after us with you here?”
“Yes. He hates my family, me especially.”
“Why you?”
“He took an interest in my sister.”
“And you got between them?”
“Not exactly, but he blames me for his fate because I’m the one who made him face it.”
“Which was?”
“That he could never be with her, and if he loved her, he’d leave her alone.”
“Why couldn’t they get involved?”
“Because she was meant to mate a male like her, one who could shift into three animals not one. No one else. Breaking that rule hurts everyone involved. It’s not fair, but many things about our lives aren’t.”
“Jon wouldn’t accept that and took your sister anyway.”
“Yes.”
“I’m assuming she didn’t want to go with him.”
He shook his head. “My sister had already met the male she wanted to spend her life with, but he was waiting until she got a little older to make it official. He still searches for her, but every year that passes dims his hope of finding her.”
Rafe’s features tightened, and his voice lowered. “Jon knew that. He didn’t care. He wanted what being with her could give him, but it’s physically impossible. She couldn’t share her strengths with him. When I’d pointed that out, he mentioned that there were scientists working on solving our species’ limitations. That if he waited long enough, nothing would stop him. I told him to go cool off. That he was being a fool, and those so-called scientists were getting their data by experimenting on women and children. Within an hour, Jon was gone, along with my sister.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Yes, yes, it is.”
The haunted look on his face chilled her. She hadn’t meant to upset him with her questions. Time to redirect the conversation. “So you came for Megan. What were your plans for her?”
