Tall, Dark & Heartless

by R. L. Mathewson

Page 54

 

  His eyes narrowed on her foot placed at the base of Jax's throat. He ran his eyes up her smooth shapely leg and nearly cursed at the sight that greeted him. No wonder the bastard wasn't shoving her away, he thought with an inward groan.

  He walked between two grey werewolves, ignoring their warning growls and stepped up to Danni's side. He put his arm around her waist and yanked her back as he leaned down to help the grinning bastard to his feet.

  "Enjoy the show?" he asked as he yanked Jax up.

  "Highlight of my night," Jax said with a huge grin.

  Danni shoved his hand away, but he noted with an odd sense of pleasure that she didn't move away from him. At least she was starting to realize that she needed him. The knowledge somewhat appeased the anger he felt earlier when she pulled away from him. He'd forced himself to lay there and pretend to be asleep as he waited anxiously for her to make her decision.

  Part of him hoped that she felt the same pull as he did and that she'd be unable to leave him. It surprised him how badly he wanted her to want to stay with him. When she made her choice it further surprised him that he was disappointed. He shouldn't want her to need him, to feel this connection with him, but he did, desperately.

  If he was going to be stuck with the overwhelming need for her then it was only right that she have the same problem, but she didn't and he knew that the second she was able to walk away from him. As soon as she walked away he tried to convince himself that it was fine, that he didn't need or want her, but he'd been lying to himself.

  He needed to know that she was safe, that he could go to her whenever he needed her, and the only way that was going to happen was if she was under his protection. Not knowing where she was or who she was with would have been pure torture. Since he wasn't a masochist he decided that he was going to take the decision out of her hands. She was his after all, his responsibility, his mate and his woman. If the shifter didn't stop running hungry eyes over her, he was going to forget their truce and beat the shit out of the bastard.

  "We're going to need clothes," Caine said, drawing Jax's attention back to him and away from Danni.

  With a smirk, Jax ran an assessing eye over him. "Clearly," he agreed with an amused twinkle in his eye.

  "And a bite to eat," Caine said, ignoring Danni's questioning look as he looked around at the ten beasts that were still growling softly at them. He tilted his head to the side and inhaled and picked up the scent of at least eight more taking refuge in the woods. They were far enough away that their scents normally would have gone undetected, but close enough to provide help if the pack needed it.

  He looked up at the pinkening sky and nearly sighed with relief. The pack would shift back soon. It was the perfect time to feed from a shifter. Their blood would still hold the power from their change and would make a hell of a meal. It would give him the strength he was going to need to keep the Master that was no doubt after them now at bay and keep Danni protected. The only problem as far as he could see was that when they shifted back they would need to work off excess energy, they'd need sex.

  Normally he wouldn't hesitate to f**k one of the females while he fed, but after what he just did with Danni the idea of ha**ng s*x with one of the females left him feeling. . . . . . . wrong. It was ridiculous and something he was going to have to get over. She might be his mate, but that didn't mean they were going to have some happily ever after bullshit. He didn't plan on leading a life of monogamy and maybe this was the time to let Danni know that. She was his mate and he'd accepted that, but that didn't mean that he was going to let it control his life.

  "I'll need a female or two," he said, ignoring the way Danni stilled by his side.

  As far as he was concerned she had no right to bitch about this. She left him this morning with the intention of never coming back so if he wanted to f**k a shifter or two then that was his business.

  Jax nodded, looking thoughtful. "I don't think that will be a problem. Just remember my rules," he said, gesturing for his pack to go. A few sent them questioning looks as they trotted past them. He didn't miss the way a few of the females practically purred with interest as they passed him.

  "I haven't forgotten," Caine said as he gave Danni's ramrod straight back a gentle nudge in the direction the pack was headed. Jax's rules were pretty simple, no pregnancies and no drinking past the point of no return. Neither would be a problem for him. He hadn't drunk from the source in years, but he hadn't forgotten all of his old tricks.

  "Do you have some extra clothes?" he asked as they walked towards the camp the pack made the night before. He already knew that they would, but for some reason Danni's cool manner was starting to make him a bit nervous.

  "I suppose we could spare a few things," Jax drawled as he sent a questioning look over his shoulder at Danni who trailed behind them, looking bored. "Do you need to feed as well?"

  Caine opened his mouth to tell the shifter that she was fine and that if she needed to feed that he'd take care of it, but she beat him to it.

  "I could eat," she said, running her eyes over the na**d shifter as she gave him what could only be described as a coy smile.

  "Then it will be my pleasure to feed you," Jax said in seductive rumble as he ran his eyes over Danni in a way that really pissed Caine off. It didn't help that he could smell the lust practically rolling off of Jax.

  "Is there a stream or river where I can wash up first?" Danni asked, throwing him a pointed look. She wanted to wash off his scent, the same scent that marked her as his.

  Oh, f**k no, that wasn't happening.

  Jax slowed his pace to match hers, not even bothering to hide his aroused state and Caine swore that if Danni looked down that he was going to throttle her.

  She looked down!

  Son of a bitch!

  He slowed his pace to match theirs, but of course they ignored him. If the shifter so much as brushed up against Danni he was going to tear his throat out. She was his and the shifter knew it. The man should also know that just because he was going to continue sleeping with other women that didn't mean Danni was allowed to be with other men. It didn't matter that the man was a shifter and they mated for life whether they wanted to or not, and most of them didn't. They both came from a time when fidelity and marriage did not go hand and hand, not that he was married to Danni. He wasn't. By changing her he'd made her his responsibility and his body's mate, nothing more. He felt the need to have her and protect her, but that wasn't going to dictate his life.

  "I brought some supplies and of course I know the perfect spot to bathe. I could help you if you'd like and then you could feed," Jax suggested in a seductive voice that he knew Danni damn well better resist if she knew what was good for her.

  "That would be great," Danni agreed as his eyes narrowed on the woman. Not even ten minutes ago she was kicking the shifter's ass. Now she was willing to f**k the man?

  Bullshit.

  Danni wasn't into shifters, vampires or demons, he reminded himself even as unease crept up his spine. That was before he changed her. What if she was seeing things in a whole new light now? She sure as hell better not, he thought as he glared at the woman. She ignored him as they made their way through the thick brush.

  "Let me check on my pack first and then I can help you find the pond," Jax said as they stepped into a large clearing set up with tents, supplies and shifters just starting to shift back to their human forms. "That is, if Caine doesn't mind," Jax said, drawing Caine's attention.