by M. L. Briers
It didn’t serve to free her from his hold. His body convulsed around her and he bit down hard on his jaw as the pain washed through him. She squealed as his grip tightened about her.
“That had to hurt.” Nathan mused as Brock took two steps towards his alpha, before Wade recovered himself and glared at his Beta making him stop in mid stride. “A little harsh, Jazz.”
When he let out his breath on a long deep growl of anger, he turned his eyes down to his mate, who was now squirming and trying to free herself from his grip. Knowing just how enraged he was by the waves of anger that were coming from him, she didn’t need the death glare he was giving her to tell her that she was in trouble.
“Don’t ever use magic against me again.” He growled down. His fangs had dropped and his claws had emerged, and she could feel the need within him to kill something, she just hoped it wasn’t going to be her.
“That got your attention, now put-me-down.” She growled back up at him, her eyes glaring in anger at this man’s audacity. Still refusing to back down, even with the death glare he was issuing her. But instead of releasing her he set off with her across the room.
“Brock, check in with the patrol’s and make sure everyone knows that Nathan is Sky’s mate. I need to have a private word with my mate.”
Jasmine would have swallowed down the lump within her throat if she could have. But she didn’t even have a mind to do that. The way he moved, swiftly and surely with her in his arms, the way he looked down into her eyes with a jet black stare of anger, and the tone of his voice all conspired within her brain to hold her speechless and frozen within his arms as he stalked up the stairs, fast and furious, making her heart pounded within her ears.
The slam of the door echoed through the silence of the room and through her mind, jolting her out of her funk and sending a small amount of panic through her as she suddenly realised that she was alone with the man.
A moment later she was free of his arms, but not in the way she had expected. The sudden rush of adrenalin shot through her when she was tossed in the air, rationally knowing she would have a safe landing, but the shock making her squeal and reach for the security of something anyway.
Her hands came up empty as her back finally hit the mattress, knocking the breath from her lungs and the wind truly from her sails, as she bounced a few times, each time regaining more clarity, more sanity, and more awareness of what had happened.
“You…!” She spat out through a face full of her own flaming red hair. Her hands reached to clear her vision as she tried to sit up at the same time.
The sight of Wade on all fours climbing up over her body on the bed made her squeak out her dismay, and she had no choice but to let herself drop back down to the mattress and toy with the idea of shielding her face with her hair again, at least then she wouldn’t be looking at those dark sexy, predators eyes as he stalked up over her body.
“Me.” He growled at her. The anger still evident when his top lip twitched, but he didn’t take his eyes from hers, as he placed a hand either side of her head, a knee either side of her thighs, and held above her, like a wolf that had its prey exactly where he wanted it and was deciding on the best way to go in for the kill.
“I’ll not mate with you.” Jasmine informed him as quick as a flash and saw the grin that stretched his lips across his face and she contemplated zapping him again.
“Not right now, but you will.” He assured her and she felt the embers of the fire that he had started within her being flamed by his words and knew it was true, and aside from kill him, which was always an option, she had little choice in the matter.
When he leaned his head down towards her she flinched away from him and he stopped and held above her, his eyes narrowed just a little as he watched her, trying to read her emotions. She tested her shields against him. Right now they were strong, but the more time she spent with him the more he would be able to worm his way behind them.
“I want to scent you.” He offered the explanation to ease her stance and watched her face as her wariness eased. She swallowed hard and then turned her head slightly to one side. His eyes fell to her neck and the puncture wounds that the vampire had placed there, and he wanted to roar with the anger that flowed through him, that was satisfying for her, point made.
“Is he your lover?” the distaste in his voice was as strong as the anger and she swallowed again, maybe she was a little rash in poking the damn wolf.
“We have an arrangement.” She admitted. There was no point in lying, even with her shields in place he would know. The sound of her heart beat when she lied, her body language, and the fact that even if by some miracle none of that would give her away, eventually he would find out. Either from Nathan or from bonding with her.
“What kind of arrangement, Jasmine?” The growl was still there, rolling with every word.
“He allows me to use his blood in spell work, and I allow him to feed, it sometimes leads to sex.” She saw the anger that burned within him, barely contained as he tried to push it down.
“As he is my sister’s mate, I can’t rip him limb from limb. But as my sister’s mate, I also know that he won’t touch you in that way ever again…” He lifted his hand and stroked down over the vampires mark with his fingertips and a shiver started in her shoulders and ran down the length of her body.
Just that simple touch brought her body more alive with a desire to feel more of his touch, but even though she wanted to expend all of her energy pushing it away, she knew it would be a useless endeavour.
“But I can’t let you walk around with his mark on your body either.” It took her a long moment to understand his meaning and it didn’t really hit her until she saw his fangs descend, and then she balked.
“Don’t you dare!” She spat out. Her hands came up to his chest, and she felt the hardness of his sculpted muscles beneath her palms when she pushed against him, trying to move him, but all she ended up doing was squirming beneath him with nowhere to go.
She knew this dance already. Nathan had used it against her many times. Their sheer strength alone gave her no chance, as a mere human, to move him. She would have to use magic, and while she wasn’t opposed to using it on Nathan, and had done several times, Wade had already warned her once, and she didn’t think this alpha was as easy going as Nathan was.
He reached for her wrists and had her arms pinned to the mattress before she could even consider using her magic against him. The press of his hips against hers, as he pinned her to the bed beneath his body, made her drag in a shocked breath. When his arousal pressed against her mound and thigh, and he lowered himself down over her to his elbows, his mouth was a breath from hers, and his dark eyes held her within their gaze.
“Oh I dare, Jasmine, and you know why. You are mine.” He growled against her lips. A little more wolf right now than man, and she knew she would be a fool to even consider using her magic.
If he tasted her blood it was over for her for sure, but then who was she kidding, it had been over the moment he had recognised her scent and knew her to be his mate.
“Wade.” She squirmed against him, it was the best she could do.
“Stay still…” He growled, putting a little more demand in it than she could actually resist, even with her shields in place, and she stilled beneath him. “I don’t want to hurt you.” His eyes held her for a moment longer, and then he dipped his head to nuzzle against her neck, gentle persuasion to make her turn her head to the side so he could access the vein in her neck. She complied. The feel of his lips against her skin, his hot breath against her flesh, washed through her and fanned the fire within her a little more.
It wasn’t as though she wasn’t used to the feel of fangs against her skin, but this was different, this was more potent because her body recognised whose fangs they were, and when she closed her eyes and let her breath escape her lips, her body relaxed beneath him.
Wade felt his mate submit to his will and his beast was sated within him for tha
t fact alone. The scent of the vampire in her skin turned his stomach, because he knew that she had let him feed, let him make love to her and that caused a fire within him of the jealous kind.
But he could also scent her, and that was a potent, heady drug that flowed through his system. With total accuracy he eased his fangs into the vampires bite mark and heard his mates gentle whimper, heard her heart beat harder within her chest, and when he eased his fangs out, closing his lips over her soft skin, he sucked on her blood, taking the vampires scent and swallowing down hard against the acrid taste of it, until he had only the sweet taste of her blood from the wound, that washed over his tongue and down his throat, and he groaned with the pleasure of tasting her.
His body ached for more of her, the taste of her juices, and the feel of her body sheathing his, as he buried himself deep inside of her and the cry from her lips as he delivered his seed into her womb. But that he didn’t dare, not without her consent, and he wouldn’t use coercion to get that from her, she would come to it herself.
Wade couldn’t resist taking one more taste of her before he ran his tongue over the wound, tending it, as her body responded to his touch. Her hips pushed up against his, making him groan at the pressure she was exerting against his arousal. He took his time to seal the wound, running his tongue in slow circles over the skin, until he knew he couldn’t take anymore himself without changing his mind about taking her here and now.
“Mine.” He breathed against her neck as he nuzzled against her soft skin and took in the purity of her scent without the vampire’s stench.
When he pulled away he looked down at her, so soft and fragile beneath him, and when she turned her head and stared up at him, he released her wrists from his hold.
The sudden rush of knowing what had happened washed through her body and she felt the anger tear through her. Jasmine slapped him hard across the face and felt the sting to her palm and fingers, but knew that it was worth it. In a heartbeat he had her wrists trapped again and his eyes flashed with anger as a warning growl escaped his lips.
“Don’t ever use your mind control on me again.” She spat out, fire emblazed her eyes as she glared up at him and saw him flinch as the anger rippled and died somewhere inside of him.
“I’ll give you that one for free, because of what I did. But Jasmine, be very careful, you’re a Fae and you know what inflicting pain on my kind can lead too.” She saw the warning in his eyes. Heard it in his tone, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of being the only one with claws. Hers might not be physical, but they should still do the trick to his ego.
“I know. I’ve had a vampire lover.” She breathed out, and then saw the dark cloud descend over his head, a thunderstorm brewing within him, and the long, low growl deep within his chest confirmed that she had hit her target.
“Had. Jasmine, now you’re mine.” The sheer possessiveness in his tone was another warning, this time of things to come, a surety of his intentions.
“I’ll think about it, in the mean time, get the hell off me.” Jasmine was in no mood for his show of superiority, for his jealousy or his dominance. Mate or not, he would find that she wouldn’t be easily put in her place. She was Fae, and she had a fire in her blood that would match his own when push came to shove, she’d quite happily push, or even shove him off the nearest damn cliff if she had to.
“There is no thinking to be done. You’re body is already drawn to me…”
“Yes, but not all of us are mindless, sex addicted, hump a tree types. As you said, I’m Fae that means I have a brain as well as a body. The things below your penis are legs, and mine can choose to leave at any time.” And she could, and maybe she even would. There was no saying that she had to be mated to this mutt.
Wade rolled his hips against her. The pressure of his arousal against her mound made her want to sigh and open for him, but she mentally snapped her legs tightly together and snapped his penis off, just visualising it helped her not zap the hell out of him.
“Do you think I won’t come after you? Where can you hide from me, Jasmine, that I can’t find you? Sooner or later, you’ll be mine. I prefer sooner, but I understand if you need time.” Wade’s voice penetrated her shields and wrapped around her senses, and that spark within her was growing with every minute that he touched her.
“Don’t you have a chew toy to defend from the rest of the pack?” She sneered up at him and waited for his wrath, but all she got back was a drop dead gorgeous smile that did little to subdue the part of her that wanted his lips back on her body.
“I’ll call the Fae council and inform them that you and Nathan will be staying a while.” Wade eased the pressure on her wrists and stroked his fingertips down over the bare skin of her arms, causing the kind of mayhem within her that made a full body shiver run through her, and she cursed her body and thanked it at the same time, for the thrill it got from his touch had her inner muscles clenching rhythmically.
“I can use a phone.” She snapped back, the colour that touched her cheeks when he scented the air, and probably the arousal he’d incited within her, made her want to curl up and die of shame.
“What are mates for?” He grinned down at her, and she couldn’t help but raise one brow and stare at him.
“Drowning at birth?” She offered with the most innocent voice she could find within her. She saw the amusement flash in his eyes before he tossed his head back and chuckled loud and deeply.
“You, my little Fae mate, are going to be a challenge that I will rise too.” He offered her as he climbed off her body and offered her his hand to pull her to a sitting position.
Jasmine slapped it aside and pulled herself up on her elbows, “You’re a Lycan, I’m sure you’ll have no problem rising to any occasion.” Her eyes flicked down to his groin and the hard bulge that was evident there, and she heard him chuckle again.
“Over and over, and over again, Jasmine.” He assured her and she cut her eyes at him, wondering how many ways she knew to kill a Lycan.
Wade assured her that she should make herself at home, but only within the confines of the house. While they were hunting a rogue he didn’t want her to leave the house and venture outside. When she parted ways with him at the top of the stairs, he went to check on his sister, and she couldn’t wait to put some distance between them.
The longer she stayed in his company, the more the calling of her body to his would take a hold of her, and that wasn’t something she was wanted to deal with. Not yet. She cursed Suzanne and the council for sending her here, although she didn’t begrudge Nathan finding his mate, or his mate being alive, thanks to Nathan’s blood, she did begrudge the fact that she now knew who her dream-wolf was.
She spotted Nathan in the kitchen with Sienna and sighed inwardly. She would miss his easy going style, his sarcasm, and his friendship that had become comfortable between them over the years. What Nathan had in spades Wade couldn’t offer her, a worldly view, a sharp wit, and the ability to make her smile even when she was in the foulest of moods.
“Come sit and eat something, you must be half starved.” Sienna called to her and she gladly joined them, but she didn’t think she could force down anything to eat. Her nerves were shot from her encounter with Wade and Nathan picked up on it the moment she sat beside him at the table.
“I’m not hungry thanks. I ate before we got here.” She lied about that, and she knew that both Sienna and Nathan knew it too, but she could deal with the lie but not the explanation or questions her refusal to eat would cause otherwise.
“Coffee then?” Sienna asked as she got to her feet and walked over to the counter already pouring her a cup.
“So how’s your dream-wolf?” Nathan teased, and she couldn’t help but glare at him. He saw the lack of amusement within her and wanted to make it better somehow. She obviously wasn’t as thrilled to meet her mate as he was, and he didn’t like seeing her like this.
“It’s no joke, Nathan.” Jasmine warned him with her eyes and
her tone, and he frowned.
“But you know you’re going to be happy with him, Jazz. Just let it happen, if you fight it…” Nathan cautioned and she sighed inwardly.
“I know, Nathan.”
“I’m just saying…” He leaned in towards her and she sighed inwardly again.
“I know, Nathan.”
“If it makes you feel better, he punches like a girl.” Nathan whispered and Sienna raised her eyebrows, as she placed the cup on the table. Nathan shook his head diplomatically as Jasmine giggled. Resting her head against the hard muscle of his shoulder, she sighed outwardly this time. And he reached over with his other hand and tousled her hair. “It’ll be alright, Jazz. I promise.” Nathan placed a gentle kiss against the top of her head and she drew herself upright in her chair.
“Well the way I see it, it’s going one of two ways, we’ll end up killing each other, or bonding. C’est la vie.” Jasmine reached for her mug and shot a look at Nathan who was grinning wildly.
“You really are incorrigible.” He chuckled as Jasmine raised her eyebrows in mock disbelief.
“I’ve had a very bad influence all of these years, my friend.” She shot back as Sienna grinned over the top of her mug.
“How long have you two known each other?” She asked and Nathan frowned, shooting a quizzical look at Jasmine.
“Too long.” Jasmine offered and Nathan rolled his eyes dramatically.
“I rescued her from a life of crime.” He reached for his mug and she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.
“That’s not exactly true…”She denied hotly, not wanting the woman to think any less of her.
“Oh, but it is my little thief.” He sipped his coffee, as she rubbed her elbow better.
“I was borrowing…” Jasmine shot back, and Nathan raised his eyebrows and slowly turned towards her with an incredulous look on his face.
