by Angel Nyx
“What are you doing here? I doubt you came all the way to New Orleans to get a cup of coffee, especially since you’re way outside of jaguar territory.” She lowered her hands so her phone couldn’t be seen by them and opened up a text to Declan. Hopefully he wasn’t off doing Goddess knew what for the Pard because she didn’t have time to text Remy too. S.O.S. Jaguars in shop. All alone.
“Doesn’t look like there are any leopards around; maybe they’re not too worried about protecting their territory,” the one who’d spoken before said. He leaned against the counter and stared at her. “What do you say we lock the door, turn the closed sign around, and have us some fun.”
“I don’t think so. You need to leave. You’re not welcome here, and it has nothing to do with the fact you’re a jaguar. You’re an asshole; you’re clearly into intimidating women, which is pathetic and suggests to me you can’t get any action otherwise, so even if you were attractive, which you’re not, I still wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”
Anger flashed in his eyes; and he started to move around the counter when the door opened and several people walked in. He settled back on the stool and stared at her.
Lily tried to ignore him as she took care of the customers who’d just walked in. She was glad they’d shown up because she’d let her mouth get the better of her. Please let Declan get here before they leave me alone with these assholes.
Declan
Declan and Remy were on the boat, on their way to the compound, when his phone vibrated. One glance at the text and he nearly lost it. “Fuck! Turn this thing around; we’ve got to get to Lily’s work, right fucking now. Those fuckers I told you about, the ones I heard talking about some ‘bitch’ at the mall, they’re at the coffee shop with Lily.”
“Hold on,” Remy said and whipped the wheel around. The boat tipped almost sideways because he turned it so fast and then he opened up the motor.
Declan held onto the side of the boat and fought to keep his wolf under control. If any of them put a hand on Lily, they were dead. He would cut them up and feed them to the fucking gators. No one touched his mate and lived.
Lily
Lily was getting nervous. The small group was finishing up their drinks, and she knew that soon they would be leaving. Once they were gone, she would be alone with the jaguars, and by the looks on their faces, things were going to get…testy. Did they really think they could hurt her though and there wouldn’t be any repercussions for it? Maybe they did since she was technically a lone wolf there in Pard territory. Maybe she needed to disabuse them of that notion. “If you think you can get away with whatever you’re plotting, you should know the Pard thinks of me as one of them,” she said, low enough that the humans wouldn’t hear her.
“All the more reason then. They’re weak; it’s time to show them just how weak. They can’t even protect their own; what makes you think they’ll protect you?” He smirked at her.
Lily blinked. What in the hell was he talking about? Before she could give it any further thought, the group got up, placed their cups on the counter for her to wash them up, and headed for the door.
“Good, they’re gone. Make sure the door’s closed,” the one who was obviously the ring leader said. He moved around the counter and approached her. “You talk a big game when you think there’s someone around to save you, or you’re in public. What’s the matter, is all that bravado just talk?” He leered at her. “I’ve never had me a wolf; are you just as wild as a cat?” His hand snaked out to grab her arm so she couldn’t get away from him.
Declan
As soon as they reached the docks, Declan hopped in his car while Remy climbed into the passenger seat. He tore through the streets on his way to Gathering Grounds. He didn’t give a fuck about speed limits, stop signs, or red lights. As long as he didn’t cause a wreck, he would pay whatever tickets he got out of it. He needed to get to Lily. That was the only thought in his head. He pulled up just as a group of people were leaving the shop. He saw, through the window, one guy push the door closed while another stalked around the counter toward Lily. He fought down a growl and barged into the shop just as he was reaching for Lily’s arm. “You fucking touch her and I’ll rip your goddamn arm off.”
All three jaguars turned at the voice. “You’re not one of the leopards,” the one closest to Lily said.
“No, he’s not, but I am,” Remy said as he followed Declan in. He flipped the closed sign and locked the door. “What’s dis look like to you, Declan, cuz it looks to me like dese boys are lookin’ for trouble.” He had a wicked grin on his face.
“They found it.” Declan’s voice was more a growl than anything as his wolf pushed for control. “Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. My. Mate.” He bit out each word.
The jaguars shared a look before they shifted right there in the shop and went on the offense. As he shifted, Declan kept his eyes on Lily. He couldn’t help but notice how quickly she jumped into action, running to the door where the light switch was so she could kill the lights and drop the blinds to block out the shop from passersby. One of the jaguars came at him, and Declan lowered the front of his body closer to the ground as the cat reached him. The position allowed him to get under the cat, and he used his hind legs to lift the jaguar and throw him into a table, which shattered beneath the jaguar’s weight.
With one jaguar down, Declan faced off with another. He growled low in his throat as he and the cat circled each other. In his periphery he could see Remy holding his own with the jaguar he’d taken on so Declan focused on his opponent. Claws slashed out and Declan hissed. He would be feeling that for a while. He ignored the pain in his side and charged the cat. The sound of breaking dishes assaulted his ears, but he didn’t have time to see if it was Remy who’d crashed into the coffee cups or the jaguar. He caught the slight tension in the jaguar’s haunches and knew the cat was about to pounce. He was ready for it. When the jaguar came at him, he used the cat’s own momentum to throw him into the side of the counter where a chunk of wood broke off to land on the floor. As soon as he was sure the jaguar wasn’t getting back up right away, he looked to Remy. The leopard was bleeding from his shoulder but he was otherwise unscathed. By the time the fight was over, several tables, along with their chairs, were broken, there was a chunk of wood missing from the front of the counter, and at least half of the porcelain coffee cups were shattered. Of course, once they all returned to human form, none of them had a thing to wear because shifting had ruined their clothes.
“I’ll call Gage. He’ll bring a cleanup crew and bring us some clothes,” Remy said as he snagged a tablecloth and wrapped it around his waist before he found his phone to make the call.
Declan didn’t bother with hiding anything. He ripped a tablecloth into strips, and once the jaguars shifted back to human form, he bound the trio so they could be taken somewhere and questioned before they were dealt with.
“Emile is going to fire me. And then kill me. He can’t afford the repair cost to replace everything that got broken.” Lily looked like she was in a bit of a panic as she gazed at the damage that the fight had caused. “At least the cappuccino machine wasn’t damaged.”
Declan went to her and took her face in his hands. Her eyes were wide, her pupils were dilated, and her breathing had become erratic. “Just breathe, doll. It’s over, and don’t worry about the damages. Whatever the Pard can’t replace, I’ll pay for. He won’t lose any business by having to be closed a day or two; I’ll see to it.”
Lily blinked at him before her gaze took in the fact that he was completely naked. The fact she hadn’t noticed it right away spoke to how shaken up she was. “You need to cover up before anyone gets here.”
Declan smirked at her. ‘“Took you long enough to notice. Alright, doll, I’ll wear a fashionable tablecloth skirt just to make you feel better.”
Lily smiled, just a little. “I didn’t know if you were even in town or if you were off doing something for the Pard or if you’d get here before…before an
ything happened.” Her voice was just barely above a whisper. “All I could think, when they walked in though, was that I needed you here.”
Declan pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay. They won’t ever try to touch you again, doll.” He wanted to rip them to shreds for putting that fear in her eyes. He held her and for once there was nothing sexual about it. This was just about comfort.
Remy’s phone went off a little while later, making them all jump. He glanced at the incoming call. “It’s Gage,” he told Lily and Declan before he answered it.”Where y’all at?” He listened for a moment before he responded. “On my way dere,” he said and hung up. “Dey’re at da back door. Don’t worry, cher, dis place will be all cleaned up before mornin’.” He worked his way to the door at the back of the shop to let his brother and the cleanup crew in.
“Looks like I missed all da fun.” Gage took in the three bound jaguars, the broken table, and the tablecloths Remy and Declan were wearing. “Nice skirts.” His chuckled comment made both Declan and Remy growl at him.
Lily laughed softly. “They do look quite fetching, don’t they?” Before either man could react, she snapped a picture of them with her phone. “Blackmail material.” She grinned at them both.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tink about dat before now.” Gage glanced over at Lily. “Dey didn’t hurt you, did dey?”
“No, thank Goddess. Declan and Remy got here before they could.”
“Makes sense. Dey’d probably be dead right now if dey had.” He held the bag of clothes out he’d brought for Remy and Declan to change into and motioned for the cleanup crew to get started.
The jaguars were hustled out back and into the waiting van before it pulled away.
Declan got dressed before he moved to Lily’s side. “Let’s get you home. Remy can lock up the coffee shop for you when they’re done cleaning up the mess we made.”
Lily reluctantly agreed, and after giving Remy the code for the alarm, so he could set it once they were done, she let Declan escort her out to his car.
“You don’t like to drive unless you have to, do you?” He knew she walked to work.
“Not really. Why drive when it’s a relatively short walk and the exercise is good for me?”
“Fair enough.” He helped her into the passenger seat before he went around and got in. Minutes later he was escorting her up to her apartment.
When they got to her door, Lily stood there for a moment before she turned to look at him. “Will you stay? I don’t want to be alone tonight. I’m not...I don’t… I just need to be held, okay? That’s all.”
“Whatever you need, doll; all you have to do is ask.” Declan took her keys from her and opened the door, then ushered her inside. Sure he would love to be there to question the jaguars, but Lily needed him and that took precedence over his need to get answers.
“Thank you.” She went straight to the kitchen and poured herself a drink. Her hand started to shake when the glass was half empty and she set it down. “Gods-damn it, why am I still so shaken? Nothing happened; I should be fine.”
Declan moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. “There’s no deadline on how long it takes to get over a close encounter like that, Lily. You’re allowed to still be shaken up, if that’s how you’re feeling. Come on, let’s get you into something you can sleep in and I’ll hold you. I promise to not let my hands wander. At least not tonight.” He might have a raging hard-on all night as a result of breathing in her scent, but he’d suffer through it to give her what she needed, which was comfort, not sex.
Lily shook her head at him but she didn’t argue. She went into her bedroom to change.
Declan removed his boots, socks, belt, and finally his shirt, while he waited for Lily to get ready for bed. Jeans weren’t the most comfortable for sleeping but he’d make do for her sake. When she opened the door, he couldn’t help but stare at her. Even dressed in simple lounge pants and a T-shirt, she was beautiful. He moved to her and reached out to caress her cheek. “You’re beautiful without even trying, doll.”
Lily blushed, just a little, at the compliment. “Thank you. Come to bed.” She stepped back so he could follow her into the room. Her bed took up most of the space. It was a king-size bed with a thick pillow top that made sleeping a luxurious thing.
Declan followed her, and once she crawled into bed, he slid in beside her. When she curled up next to him, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He felt her shaking, just a little, and caressed her side. He pressed gentle kisses into her hair and growled softly—a low rumble meant to soothe her. “Good night, Declan.”
“Good night, Lily.” He felt her relax as sleep finally claimed her, but he remained awake for a while, just watching her. She was such a contradiction. She was strong, independent, stubborn, but she was also soft and needy when she let her guard down and let someone in. She was quickly stealing his heart without knowing it. Finally he let his eyes close and he drifted off to sleep with her.
Chapter Fourteen
Lily
Lily awoke to the feel of strong arms wrapped around her and Declan’s morning arousal pressed against her inner thigh. Her face warmed when she realized that at some point in the night she’d half draped herself over him and one of her legs was entwined with his. Not wanting to move just yet, she lay there enjoying the feeling of safety she got from his presence. When had that happened? When had his presence gone from something that frustrated and aroused her to something that made her feel safe, even loved? She lifted her head up to study him and discovered he was awake and watching her. “Hi.”
“Hi, gorgeous. How do you feel this morning?”
“Better than I did when we went to sleep last night. Thank you for staying.”
“You don’t need to thank me for doing something I’ve wanted to do from the moment I laid eyes on you, Lily.” He dipped his head until his lips almost touched hers. “I’ve wanted you in my arms like this from the beginning,” he added to make sure she knew what he meant before he closed the distance between their lips and kissed her.
A soft sound escaped her at his confession, and when he kissed her, she lost what little control she’d woken up with. She shifted closer to him and rubbed her thigh against his erection.
Declan groaned. “Lily, you’re fucking killing me here. Don’t do that unless you plan to follow it through.”
Lily pulled back enough to reply. “I thought you could smell when I was aroused.”
He snorted at that. “Doll, you’ve driven me insane with your scent, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about you, it’s to not assume you being aroused means you’re willing to follow through. You have to say it, and this time there’s no booze to blame it on later.”
“I’m sorry I did that.” A sense of shame filled her for the way she’d dismissed what happened between them as something brought on just because she’d been drinking. “You didn’t deserve that, Declan.” She lifted a hand to trace his jaw with her fingertips. It was rough with stubble and she shivered at the thought of feeling it against her skin. “I want this; I want you.”
“About fucking time.” A growl escaped him as he kissed her with pent-up passion and need. He slid a free hand beneath her shirt to caress her breast. Once her nipple was stiff, he pinched it between his thumb and finger and smirked at the soft mewl that escaped her.
Lily gave herself over to the feel of his hands on her skin. She’d never before thought a bit of pain could heighten her arousal, but when Declan pinched her nipple, the spike of light pain made her wet, and she mewled at him. Her back arched and she pressed her breast farther into his hand. This felt different; it wasn’t as crazed as it was the first time they’d had sex. That night things had happened so quickly it felt like a whirlwind. This, was a slow-building burn that had her entire body flushing with heat and her pussy clenching with need. She was so turned-on, her lounge pants were already wet.
Declan
“Mm, sounds like someone likes a lit
tle pain with their pleasure.” He smirked at her reaction to the pinching of her nipple.
Lily’s cheeks flushed at his words. “Only with you.”
Her whispered confession damn-near had him losing control. She’d never been turned on by a little pain with anyone else. She had no idea how much of a gift that was for him. His morning wood went from half-mast to almost painfully erect. She was so fucking sexy and she had no clue the affect she had on men. Maybe that was one reason why he craved her so fucking much. There were so many women out there who knew they were hot and they used it to string men along or they walked around acting like all men should be falling all over themselves just to be in their presence. Lily was different. She didn’t see how gorgeous she was, she didn’t see the way men stared at her curves and wanted to get her naked and under them. He kissed her like he couldn’t get enough of her and continued his gentle assault on her body.
He slipped a hand down inside her bottoms and groaned. “You’re already so wet,” he growled and slipped a finger inside her. He lifted his head to watch her face as he worked it in and out, then added a second, burying them both as deep as they could go.
Lily moaned and arched into his fingers. Her hands gripped his shoulders and her eyes fluttered in pleasure. “Oh gods, Declan. Don’t stop.”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Keep your eyes open, Lily. I want to see your face when you come for me.”
Lily
Her eyes snapped open and her mouth opened in a silent O of surprise. The command in his voice was a total turn-on, another surprise for her. She’d always thought of herself as the more ‘dominant’ one in bed but Declan was proving her wrong. If this was what it was like to be with another shifter, holy hell, she’d been missing out. Or maybe it was just because he was her mate and he complimented her in a way she’d never realized she needed before.
