by Dana Archer
“Why?”
The single word was no more than a breath of sound, but the confusion in it was obvious. He swallowed hard. “You’re dying. This is the only way to save you.”
Her eyes widened. “Jon?”
“Yes. He hurt you, but he’s dead. Seth is safe. He’s with Josh.” Rafe leaned closer so she’d have an easier time bringing his face into focus. “I need you to trust me. We’re running out of time.”
* * *
Jazz looked into Rafe’s familiar eyes. His voice came to her in a garbled echo, but she heard his words. They chilled her. She was dying. It was too soon. It wasn’t supposed to happen until he mated her. She’d lose him. She couldn’t. She loved him.
“Answer me. Tell me you understand. That you’ll trust me to save us.” Rafe pressed his lips to her ear. “Did you hear that? I said us. If you die, I’m following you.”
No! He couldn’t die.
If Rafe wanted her trust, she’d give it to him. She nodded, hoping to show her agreement. Words were beyond her. Her body felt leaden. She wasn’t sure she pulled it off but must’ve managed a small dip of her chin. Relief washed over Rafe’s face, easing the pinch to his eyes.
He disappeared from view. Her body was turned. Another jolt of pain shot through her. She squeezed her eyes shut against the agony and focused on the warmth of Rafe’s body pressing along her back.
Strands of his hair brushed against her cheek as he kissed his way down her throat. He pressed his mouth to the spot where shoulder met neck. The warmth of his breath was her only warning. He bit, and sharp teeth gnawed on her bone.
Agony. The feeling was so intense she was sure her heart stopped. Pain whipped through her, adding to the throbbing of her wounds before centering in her chest. Her fingers and toes burned, and everything in between jerked with a wrenching tug. She screamed—maybe out loud, maybe in her head—but the cry echoed within her soul.
As quickly as the pain came, it ended. For a moment, she floated, bodiless and free, and in the next, she crashed back into herself, but she wasn’t alone. She felt Rafe hovering as a shadow within her.
Rafe licked her shoulder and eased the last of the sting. He pulled her into his lap, cradling her close. The world swayed, and black dots spread over her eyes. Rafe’s face was still blurry, but she could pick out the details she loved—the slope of his nose, his full lips, his intense eyes.
He pressed his wrist to her mouth. “I love you, Jasmine. Drink and let my blood heal you. Be my mate in this world and the next.”
Realization dawned. She had to take his blood, borrow his strength. Anything. She’d do anything to stay with him. She parted her lips and flicked her tongue. Sweet and rich. His blood tasted of chocolate. Suddenly hungry, she latched on and sucked.
“That’s it. Take more, and when you feel me inside you, grab on and don’t let go. You need to lock us to you, to fill the holes we’ve left in your soul. If you don’t, we’ll slip through your fingers. You’ll lose us.”
Rafe clamped his mouth over her shoulder while she closed her eyes and drank, but she didn’t feel anything, only the warm liquid sliding down her throat and the sharp pinch of his teeth. She swallowed another mouthful. Something brushed along her skin. Fur. It tickled. She squirmed, but Rafe held her firmly to his chest, his wrist to her mouth.
“Reach for them, baby. You need to accept them as they’ve accepted you.”
Trusting in Rafe, Jazz closed her eyes and focused on the sensation. It felt as if Rafe’s cats were rubbing against her, except it wasn’t just her legs getting the gentle strokes. Their caresses touched every inch of her body. They were inside her. Not Rafe. She tensed and shoved away from them.
“No, don’t you dare freak out on me. My cats love you as much as I do. You have to allow them to join with you. They’ll protect you. Comfort you.”
Join them how? Rafe had said he would do that. He never mentioned what she’d need to do other than trust him.
The nudging in her chest increased. Demanding her to look at them. Rafe’s cats wanted her to pet them. With her eyes shut, she called to them, coaxing them closer. A tiger slammed into her. A vortex spun around her, sucking her down. She fell into the abyss. Lights danced across her vision. Green, brown, blue, gold. The colors swirled until Rafe’s eyes became her world.
She sighed and let the last of her fears fade. When the next two thumps came, she dug her fingers into thick fur and tugged them close.
Heat surrounded her—the warmth of three feline bodies curled around her. She snuggled into the cocoon they made.
Through them, she saw the goodness that existed in Rafe. He truly was her knight in shining armor. His love, strength, devotion. It was all exposed to her. She knew without being told he saw the same in her soul too. Together. They were literally two halves of a whole, joined by the three big predators who shared them.
“I love you, Jasmine.”
“Love you too, Rafe.”
Another wave of misery swept through her, but she didn’t fear it. She wasn’t alone. She had Rafe and their cats.
“Remember, my mate. Don’t let go.”
“Never, Rafe. Never. You’re mine.”
Epilogue, plus next book preview
Jazz woke to the sounds of her kids’ favorite animated movie playing in the background. She looked around the empty bedroom. The television was on, and coloring books were scattered on the floor, but Rafe and the boys were nowhere to be found.
“Hello, my Jasmine. Did you sleep well?”
She smiled. Hearing Rafe’s voice in her head always made her happy. It was a benefit of their mate bond.
“I did, but I hate waking up to an empty bed.” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s only noon.”
“And I couldn’t amuse the munchkins any longer. They were hungry.”
And that was his secret code for saying he was hungry. The man could easily eat six to seven meals a day.
“Really? And what were they hungry for this time?”
“Chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bacon. Again?”
“Bacon is good, woman! It’s full of protein. Now be nice or I’m eating your share.”
“Okay, I’ll be right down.”
Jazz slipped on a robe and followed the scent of food to the kitchen but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that met her.
“Puppies?” Jazz looked at the four little Rottweiler pups rolling around on the floor with Seth and Levi. “When did we get puppies?”
Rafe rubbed the back of his neck. “This morning. Josh dropped them off.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Peggy Sue was lonely. She needed friends.”
At the mention of her name, the older dog came over and bumped her hand. Jazz gave the dog’s head a scratch. Because of the severity of Mr. Wilkins’ injuries, he’d been forced to move into a nursing home. Until he recovered, they were taking care of Peggy Sue while the younger dogs stayed with their neighbor.
Jazz glanced from Peggy Sue to the puppies. “But four?”
Rafe wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her against him. “Sure. One for each of us.”
One of the pups ran across the floor and skidded into the wastebasket next to the desk. Balled-up papers and loose scraps tumbled out, scattering over the hardwood. As if the trash was a brand new toy, all four dogs descended on the mess.
She sighed. “Do you know how much work they’ll be? They’ll need training and until they’re housebroken, constant babysitting.”
Rafe cleared his throat. “Devin and Mira are going to stay with us for a while. I figured between us and the dog trainer I contacted, we’d be fine.”
She ran her fingertips over the muscles in Rafe’s arms and rested her head against his chest. “So does this mean we’re not moving back to Virginia?”
She hoped, at least. They’d talked about it for hours, discussing all the pros and cons.
“No, we’re staying. I d
ecided you’re right. It’s best not to uproot the kids. Besides, I’ve realized living apart from humans isn’t always best. Had I left our property more often, our paths might’ve crossed sooner.”
“True, but sometimes things must play out the way fate has it planned for us.”
“You’ve been talking to Kade again, haven’t you?”
She shrugged.
“His trust in the goddesses’ plans for us is unfounded. They’ve failed us.”
“They brought us together.” Or maybe sheer luck had, but either way, Jazz was glad she’d met Rafe.
“And what have they done for Nina? She’s still missing.” He lowered his voice to a mere breath of sound. “Or Seth?”
Jazz dropped her gaze. She didn’t have an answer. In the few weeks since Jon was killed, there’d been many discussions about Seth and why he was “broken” but none offered a good explanation.
The facts were that Seth carried two animal souls—a tiger and a jaguar—but only a shadow of his lion. The animal was tied to his soul in the same manner as the others, but it wasn’t whole. After a long talk with Rafe, Seth admitted he could see through his lion. That was why he couldn’t shift into it. It didn’t have a solid body.
“How about Molly and Megan?” Rafe asked, proving his point.
“Okay, you win. Your goddesses are fickle. Is that what you wanted me to admit?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” He sighed. “I just hate not being able to solve all our problems.”
She leaned against him, offering her silent support. Rafe settled his hands on her hips and nuzzled closer.
“We do have some good news about Molly,” Rafe said.
“What?”
“We have a possible address on where she’s been staying.”
“That’s wonderful news. Where?”
“Delaware. Kade, Devin, and Xander are on their way there now. Zach and Evan will be staying to help me watch over you and the kids.”
“That’s not necessary, is it? Jon’s dead.”
“But there are plenty of other males out there like him, and your stubborn friend refuses to stay here where I can keep an eye on him and Megan.”
“Josh likes his independence.”
Rafe made a noncommittal sound.
“What?” she asked.
“The constant back and forth driving to Virginia is wearing on Kade. He’s considering moving here also.”
“That’s a good thing.” Because when Kade wasn’t close, Rafe worried about him.
“I think so, but we’ll need to find a large tract of land for sale close to here.”
“There’s an old logging company nearby that’s selling off some property. The place is having financial problems. You should get a good deal.”
“I’ll tell Kade to look into it.”
“Perfect. See?” She smiled. “Things work out. Maybe not exactly the way we’d like, but we’ll find our way, and it’ll be better than we could ever have hoped for.”
“I love your optimism and your ability to conquer the challenges of life.”
“I knew it. Sweet-talker. That’s what you are.”
She tipped her head for the chaste brush of lips that warmed her as easily as his wicked kisses could. He pulled back and stared into her eyes.
“I’m only speaking the truth. You, my Jasmine, were an unexpected find, but one I’ll treasure for an eternity.”
She linked her hands around his neck. “And I’m glad you found me, my mate. You truly are a wonderful man.”
He kissed her nose. “I know. That’s why you love me.”
“You’re right.” She hugged him tight and let happiness surround her. She’d finally found her prince charming and a love to last a lifetime. And it was one she’d never lose.
The series continues with Devin.
READ Chapter One
Devin Moore peered through the windshield at the sprawling mansion. He took in the small pond, the English garden with its ornate fountain, and the hedge maze. Butterflies fluttered above the bushes. A frog hopped from a lily pad into the water. And a squirrel ran down the side of a tree.
There were no standoffs. No fighting lions. No gun-toting agents. No people whatsoever. For the scene of a shifter trafficking deal, the property was essentially deserted. Only the fancy red sports car parked near the front door offered any indication that the large home was occupied.
“Are you sure this is the place?” Devin asked.
Kade, his pride leader, caught his gaze in the rearview mirror. “I put the address Shifter Affairs gave us into my phone’s GPS. I’m sure.”
Six hours ago, Shifter Affairs, the small unit of the government dedicated to shifter-related issues, contacted their pride with an update on Molly, their missing lion cub. The agent working her case had not only found their preschooler but was in the process of organizing a retrieval. Time was of the essence. He’d discovered Molly was set to be sold to a lion shifter pride.
The older human had broken protocol by contacting the Alexander pride directly. Devin, along with his pride members, were liaisons to the department, not full-fledged agents. They did recon, followed up on low probability leads and helped rehabilitate recovered shifters. As civilians, they weren’t supposed to be exposed to any dangerous situations.
Devin didn’t care if his life was endangered. He’d wade into a gunfight, a fire, anything, if it meant saving a kid, but the closer they got to the quiet house, the stronger his unease grew. The three predators who shared his body—tiger, lion, and jaguar—matched his wariness.
They were walking into a trap.
Trained task force members should’ve been called in to deal with any confirmed shifter trafficking case. Yet, no government cars were on site. There should’ve at least been a Delaware state trooper here. Although not all humans knew shifters existed, many larger law enforcement agencies had at least one individual who did. That person was often the first responder. Not today.
Devin focused on the expensive car. “It’s odd nobody from Shifter Affairs has arrived.”
Xander, the male Devin considered a brother despite the fact Xander housed wolves instead of big cats, turned in his seat and leveled a stare from hardened brown eyes at Devin. “You know how slow the humans can be, especially when it’s not one of their own in jeopardy.”
“But why call us immediately?”
“Guilt?” Kade shrugged. “The agent who called is the same one who had Rafe escorted out with an order not to return until he could act like a civilized person, not an animal.”
Rafe, Kade’s twin, had contacted the humans for help finding the little girl a few weeks prior but hadn’t been given the warmest of responses. The agents had hundreds of missing shifter cases. Molly was only one of many lost kids. The explanation hadn’t soothed Devin, not when Molly’s sister, Megan, was crying for her twin.
“Look.” Xander motioned to the side of the house with a jerk of his head, his black hair swinging with the move. He shoved it out of his eyes with an annoyed grunt. “Guess the humans will have to sit this one out.”
Devin turned his attention to the group moving from the house to the five-car garage. Close to a dozen shifter males surrounded a human woman and a little girl. Only glimpses of the two females were visible between the tight circle of bodies, but Devin saw enough. Molly’s white-blonde hair was unmistakable. So was the human’s hand twined with the largest of the lion shifters.
“Recognize them?” Xander asked.
“Yeah. They’re members of Edmund’s pride.” The aura surrounding them was one Devin was intimately familiar with. He’d watched it fade as his sister’s rapist lay dying in a pool of his own blood.
“Devin’s right. They’re from the Krisban pride.” Kade gripped the steering wheel with claw-tipped hands. “Last I heard, they were in trouble with the human government for keeping human females as sex slaves too.”
“So what are we going to do with them?” Devin asked, even though he knew the an
swer. As a lower member of the pride, he knew his place, and that didn’t allow him to order his alpha around.
“Invoke Pride law.”
“I want first blood.” And if the government decided to punish them for it, Devin would be the one who paid for the crime. Just as he’d paid for his sister’s crime when she’d murdered her rapist.
“It’s yours.” Kade turned the wheel hard, exposing Devin’s side of the car to the group.
Devin leapt from the moving vehicle, hitting the blacktop on a roll.
Two fully shifted lions charged him. He spread his legs and waited until they jumped him before unleashing his claws. One swipe. Two. And their heads fell with a thump. He kicked them aside and ran toward the throng of males.
Kade’s car spun, coming to a stop on the other side of the group. Devin didn’t look to see if Xander and Kade ran to the house or attacked the rival shifters. His gaze remained locked on the human female’s fingers twined with the guy who’d thought to kidnap Molly.
Devin wanted the woman away from the male. The urge built into a compulsion. His cats fed it. Devin didn’t know why it suddenly seemed important, but he wasn’t about to give in to it. Getting Molly away from the pride known across the globe for their cruelty was all that mattered.
He focused on the need to save Molly and charged them. The other shifter released the female’s hand and spread his arms wide, inviting the fight. The male’s cockiness wouldn’t last, not once Devin ripped him open with a single slash from his sharpened nails.
Movement caught his attention. The female picked up Molly and ran toward the house. He wanted to go after them, but it was better if they hid. Molly didn’t need to witness the bloodshed he’d deliver. However, the sooner he eliminated the threat, the sooner he’d be able to help Kade with Molly, calming her and easing her fears.
Devin curled his upper lip, exposing his fangs, and met the lion shifter, slamming into the smaller male’s body. They hit the hard pavement and rolled onto the grass next to the driveway.
The lion shifter pinned Devin to the ground with clawed hands dug into Devin’s shoulders. Glowing hazel eyes focused on him. Hatred burned in them. The sight of them yanked a memory out of the depth of Devin’s mind when another lion shifter had stared at him. Those hazel orbs had been unfocused and hazed with pain, yet the depravity in them had been clear.
