Mated to War

by Emma Anderson

  “Yes, munchkin,” Jewel replied, burying her face into Emily’s hair. Before lifting her gaze to Judge and glaring. “We had to come to check to make sure our girl is okay. Judge was being a meanie and wouldn’t let us come straightaway.”

  Emily turned her head toward him. Her eyes softened. “He was just looking out for me. Don’t be upset with him, please, Jewel.”

  “For you, anything.” Jewel smiled at Emily before lowering her to the ground. “I think Nikki and Gabby are waiting for a hug too.”

  That had the young girl running around the car to the other two women. Even at six years old, she seemed to know to be careful around Gabby and her growing stomach. Instead of throwing herself at the woman, she wrapped her arms around Gabby’s midsection and lay her head on her abdomen. Judge’s sensitive hearing picked up the soft humming coming from Emily’s lips.

  While he savored the sweet sound, he watched as Charli shared an embrace with Nikki. He moved toward them as soon as he noticed the change in his mate’s eyes. It was the first vision she’d had since Emily’s kidnapping four days ago.

  As soon as she returned to the present, he asked, “Is everything okay?”

  Smiling, she pulled back out of Nikki’s hold and took in her friend. “Everything’s perfect.”

  “Are you sure?” Viper asked, his hands coming up to Nikki’s shoulders.

  “What are you worried about, Viper? He’s going to be a strong man.” Charli’s words held no meaning to Judge. Nor to Nikki, if her confused look was anything to go by. Viper, on the other hand, physically slumped.

  “But the life energy is so weak. Maybe you didn’t see him.” While Viper’s words were skeptical, his gaze held hope.

  Charli leaned back into Judge’s embrace. “Viper, my visions only come to me once the future is set in motion. Your son will be fine.”

  “Wait, did you say son?” Nikki’s hands flew to her abdomen when she finally began to follow the conversation between her mate and friend. Turning to Viper, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I only discovered his sex when you did, sweetheart.” Viper pulled Nikki into his arms. “As for the pregnancy, as I explained to Charli, his life energy is so weak, I didn’t want you to get your hopes up only for them to be dashed. I think you’ve been through enough to last all of your lifetimes.”

  “Are you forgetting that he’ll have vampire blood running through his veins, my brother,” Devil reminded, slapping Viper on the shoulder. “His life energy might appear weak for that very reason, but never doubt the power of my kind’s blood.”

  Charli had pulled from Judge’s arms and moved toward Gabby, Jewel, and Emily. Nikki followed suit. The four women and Emily danced around, holding hands, celebrating Nikki’s news. It was nice to see life in Emily’s eyes once again. Though Judge doubted she understood what had the women so excited. She was just enjoying the carefree atmosphere that surrounded her. It had been a long time coming for both of his girls.

  Gabby stopped and pulled out of the circle. Her hands went to her swollen stomach. “Wait, Charli, have you had any visions about the twins? Do you know what we’re having?”

  “I’ve known since our first meeting. Now why don’t we go inside and have some afternoon tea. You guys probably want to freshen up too.”

  Judge watched as the women and Emily entered the house. When he turned to his brothers to suggest they do the same he noticed the shock in Devil’s eyes.

  “Did Charli just give me a sympathetic look?” Devil asked him. “What do you think that means?”

  Knowing his brother, Judge suspected he knew what Charli had meant by that look. Still he asked, “What do you think it means? I’d be guessing along with all of you. This is the first I’ve heard that she knows the sexes of your babies.”

  Devil’s hands went to his hair and fisted within his dark locks. “We’re having girls.” He began to pace. “If they look anything like their mother, I’m going to be fending off boys.” He stopped and looked at his brothers. “I have to get a gun. Maybe two.”

  Judge would have laughed at the effect these women had on his brothers, had it not been for the look on Chaos’s face. While Viper was grinning like an idiot and Devil was panicking, probably for the first time ever, Chaos looked pissed. Following his brother’s line of sight, he saw the cause and was beginning to suspect he had bet on the wrong girl being Chaos’s mate. Judge watched as Jewel pulled out of the embrace with Marcus and smiled up at him.

  Moving to Chaos’s side, he asked, “Are you okay?”

  The large man’s gaze never moved. “He’s old enough to be her father.”

  It was true. His enforcer was in his early fifties. Though thanks to his shifter genes he didn’t look a day over thirty. That being said, Judge knew Marcus had no interest in Jewel outside of a fatherly one. Marcus was one of those unlucky shifters who had found their mate too late. She had already married another man. Instead of pursuing something he couldn’t have, Marcus found himself a wife. Though the marriage didn’t last, they were gifted with a son. One who had made his father proud.

  What Chaos didn’t know was that Marcus’s son was one of Jewel’s college friends. They had even shared an apartment together during her course and had visited pride lands many times over that period. He was still at college chasing his masters. Of course, Judge wasn’t going to share this valuable piece of information with Chaos. Not only wasn’t it his story to tell, but he believed it was about time Chaos claimed his mate.

  “I don’t see the problem,” Judge said, looking to his other brothers, who now seemed to have moved past what Charli had shared. “Marcus is single and so is Jewel. He won’t hurt her otherwise he knows he would have to deal with me. Neither has a mate, so I say let them go for it.”

  “Jewel fucking has a mate. You need to tell that cat to keep his paws off of her.”

  Finally the truth was out. Judge wanted to celebrate his brother’s words but knew he still had some work to do to force Chaos to act on his confession. He could understand the man’s fears. He was large by anyone’s standards. And he had witnessed with his own eyes how many reacted to his size. Women often took a wide berth around him, even crossing the road to avoid him. Chaos hid behind his stoic expression and silence, but Judge knew it affected him.

  Jewel, however, had never treated him that way. She had accepted all four men for who they were. Even after they’d told her that the creatures in many horror movies existed and they were amongst some of them. Not once did she ever show fear toward any of them. She was perfect for Chaos.

  If only he had seen that when he, Devil, and Viper had laid that bet. Judge’s only consolation was that none of them had named Jewel as Chaos’s possible mate. No money would be lost by anyone. But his brother would lose his chance at claiming his mate if he waited too much longer. It was time he pushed Chaos—hopefully into Jewel’s arms.

  Sending Devil and Viper a look that he hoped told them to play along, he said, “I haven’t seen anyone sniffing around Jewel. What about you guys?”

  “Not a thing,” Viper stated with a sparkle in his eyes.

  “Who is he? Do we know him?” Devil asked firmly, maintaining his usual character. “Not just anyone will do for our sister.”

  Rubbing his palm over his bare head, Chaos turned to Judge. “Just call off Marcus, will you? He has no right to Jewel.”

  Mentally high-fiving himself, Judge kept his excitement contained. “Look, if someone has a claim on Jewel, then they need to do something about it. I won’t ask Marcus to deny her when this guy’s not man enough to make his move.”

  “He can’t make his move!”

  “Bullshit, Chaos!” Devil snarled. “You’re just too chicken shit to do it.”

  “She’s too young.” It was the excuse Chaos often returned to when asked about his mate.

  “She’s twenty-six years old and quite capable of making her own decision about the situation,” Viper pointed out. “Our mates aren’t any olde
r, Chaos. Don’t let the way others react to you deny you your mate. Jewel has never once displayed any fear toward any of us.”

  Patting the large man on his back, Judge added, “I can order Marcus away. But what about the next guy? He’ll probably be human and won’t understand our ways. I won’t be able to defer their attentions then.”

  “Damn it!” With that said, Chaos moved toward where Jewel and Marcus were chatting.

  He was halted by Emily, who had come out of the house and grabbed his hand. She was pulling him back toward Judge with one hand, while the other held a bag.

  “Charli promised me that you, Devil, Viper, and Judge would walk me to Katie’s house. I’m having a sleepover,” Judge heard Emily telling Chaos.

  His gaze fell onto Jewel, and he saw an emotion he hadn’t seen in her before. She was looking straight at Chaos with yearning in her eyes. If only his brother could see it. Maybe then he wouldn’t be so reluctant to act on his desire.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Charli stood in Judge’s arms under the full moon. They were surrounded by his pride members. According to her mate, every claiming was celebrated in the same way. A feast was held with plates cooked by each pride family before the official mating. It was the pride’s way of welcoming new members into their mix. In return, the mating couple showed their loyalty to the pride by not exchanging their third bite until the full moon, when it could be shared with everyone.

  “Are you ready, kitten?” Judge whispered in her ear before sucking the lobe into his mouth. The eyes on them seemed to disappear as she relished his attention.

  “Mmm,” she moaned.

  She vaguely became aware of her hair being swept off of her shoulder. It was now bare aside from the tiny shoestring strap holding up her dress. Kisses landed on her neck. Her body relaxed into Judge’s, her backside coming into contact with his hard cock. Another groan escaped her.

  That was when he struck. She was so lost in the feeling of his body up against hers that she hadn’t noticed the loss of his lips until his fangs sank into her shoulder. Heat exploded under her skin. Within a millisecond she had been catapulted from enjoying her mate’s ministrations, to soul-shaking, body-trembling orgasm. Her vision went black as her lungs gasped for the air they were being denied. Only when she began floating back to earth did she realize that she was still holding her breath.

  Gasping for air, she almost missed Judge’s question. “Are you okay, kitten?”

  She nodded her response and collapsed into his arms. Suddenly her feet left the ground. She knew Judge was carrying her, but she had no care of where they may end up. When Judge finally lowered her back down to the ground she opened her eyes, willing herself to remain standing. She found herself looking at a familiar room. It was their bedroom.

  The room was lit only by the moonlight coming in through the open curtains. Charli was backed against a hard surface. Her wrists were grasped above her head, shackled to the wall by her captor’s hand. At her front, her body was held immobile by his solid frame. His mouth came down hard on hers.

  A moan escaped her when Judge nipped at her lower lip. He took her surprise as permission to push past her lips. Their tongues immediately started performing the usual mating ritual, dancing and dueling for supremacy. Though they both knew she would happily submit to this gorgeous man.

  His hand disappeared from where it held hers above her head. But still they refused to drop. She somehow knew they were to stay where he had placed them otherwise the sweet, pleasurable torture he was inflicting would stop. And she doubted even an earthquake had the power to entice her to give up what Judge was offering.

  Her feet flew up from the ground and her hands were dislodged from the wall. Her body floated as she was settled into Judge’s arms. She had no care what was happening as long as he continued to kiss her with such need and intensity. Her pussy wept in agreement while her eyes shed tears of joy. Outside of her mother, no one had ever shown her such devotion.

  Within a blink of the eye, Judge’s lips came away from hers before her world tilted. As the spinning in her head receded, she opened her eyes to find she was staring at the carpet she had often observed as soft and lush. Trying to right herself, she discovered she couldn’t get up. She was helpless, imprisoned by her mate. It was then that she noticed Judge’s feet.

  “What are you doing, Judge?” she asked, wriggling as she suddenly recognized her predicament. She lay naked across her mate’s knees with one hand held behind her back, while her other one was wedged against Judge’s body. Pressure between her shoulder blades held her down. Her backside was in the air.

  “It’s time to pay the price for stealing my car, running from me, and placing yourself in danger by gambling at other casinos,” Judge stated from above her. “Do you have any idea how worried I get every time I consider what could have happened to you?”

  “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again,” she pleaded, though with no real meaning.

  She knew what was coming. The fates had made sure of that. Her pussy leaked in anticipation. Her body wanted every erotic moment Judge was offering. She had seen her future with this gorgeous man, and it was one she craved beyond anything else.

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