by Sydney Addae
Images of his mate taking him in her mouth sent a tremor through him. She rubbed the tip of his dick against her opening and he let her have her way. Inch by incredible inch, she worked her way down on him. He was amazed by how tight she was and how sopping wet she'd been for him. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he remained still until she was fully seated. Their gazes clashed.
“Fuck me,” she said, watching him.
His heart soared. This woman was indeed a match for him.
He moved his hips gently, allowing the tight muscles of her pussy to become accustomed to his full girth. A moan of ecstasy escaped when she moved her hips up and down, clenching her pussy tight around his cock. Heaven on earth. The scent of their play filled the air along with sounds of slapping flesh. He thrust his hips to meet her every move; pushing up when she came down onto him. Unable to stop himself, he pulled her shoulders down slowly to meet his lips, kissing her again as her hips bobbed up and down on his cock. Never had he been so consumed. No doubt he was fucking dying, being rearranged into someone new, better, with each thrust.
She screamed his name and bit down deep into his shoulder.
Something wound tight snapped. He grabbed her hips tight and pistoned in and out of her faster and faster. She screamed his name again, this time as she came. On one final thrust, he emptied inside her as her convulsing muscles milked his cock. Tremors raced through his body, but there was more. An indefinable awareness of the luscious woman in his arms that hadn’t been there a second ago. As his heartbeat and adrenaline slowed, it hit him.
His mate had bitten him.
CHAPTER 12
Jasmine headed to her office after taking the children to school. Asia’s concern regarding Daria was valid and she would press Jacques to get that information as soon as possible. As she turned the corner she wondered again about Lilly’s behavior the other night at dinner. The younger woman seemed withdrawn. In retrospect, Jasmine couldn’t remember the last time Lilly had laughed or smiled.
Should she talk to Lilly? Was that a part of her duties as La Patroness? She had no idea. As plain old Jasmine, she would wait for Lilly to come to her, share her problem, and ask for advice if she wanted it.
However, as her husband continually reminded her, she was no longer plain Jasmine. Lilly’s position as mate of the state Alpha was important to the pack. Which meant Jasmine would need to schedule a conversation and pray that whatever bothered Lilly wasn’t something too personal. With that decision made, she walked through the back door into her office, bypassing the small reception area in case someone was there. She turned on her computer and checked her messages.
Nothing regarding Daria. She glanced at the clock. “Almost nine, I’ll give him until noon before bugging him.” A soft knock on her inner office door interrupted her thoughts.
“Come in.”
Vanessa walked in holding stacks of papers. “Are these the reports you want me to go over?” She held them so Jasmine could see.
“They’re upside down, but I think that’s them.”
“Oops, I’m sorry.” Vanessa turned them.
“That’s okay, I saw them. I’d appreciate if you’d look over them for me, make sure everything’s in order and make notes on anything that seems out of place. I’m just doing this as a precaution. Normally these reports are top-notch.”
“Yes. Yes, of course.” Vanessa paused, turned slowly, and headed to the door.
“Everything okay?” Jasmine asked, wondering if Vanessa didn’t want to do the work after all.
“Yes. No.” Vanessa shook her head and then dropped it. “I’ve been calling Shyla since we got here. At first, I thought she was out shopping or something. But she never called back. Then I called again last night, then later, but she never answered.” She looked at Jasmine, her eyes filled with worry. “That’s not like her.”
Jasmine remembered the strong full-blood, the first person she’d ever fully merged with. Shyla was feisty, and strong with a secret. Had that gotten her in trouble? Jasmine hoped not. “Has Ethan sent someone to check on her?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We’re waiting to hear from them. But I can’t help but think something’s wrong. Shyla doesn’t go out a lot, she loves cooking or puttering around her house. We had one of our receptions there, mostly people we work with.”
Jasmine nodded. “She’s a lovely woman, let me know what Ethan finds out.”
Vanessa opened the door and stopped. Her mouth dropped open as her eyes widened. A gentle breeze ran through the room as Vanessa closed her eyes and tears trekked down her cheeks.
“Silas, you need to see this, bring Ethan to my office,” Jasmine said as she watched the young breeder’s powers unfurl. “Make sure no one else is close by and lock us in when you come.”
“On my way,” he said.
Jasmine sat back in the chair and watched as Vanessa sat heavily in an armchair and placed the papers to the side. “Vanessa? What happened?”
“She’s… she’s not there. Her purse and everything else is there, but they can’t find her,” she said in a ragged whisper. “What happened to her? Where can she be? Did someone take her? No. Shyla would kick ass, but why isn’t she answering her phone?” The entire time Vanessa asked and answered her questions, she stared at her closed fists, not seeing or feeling the mini-whirlwinds in the air above her head.
Mesmerized, Jasmine remained still as unfamiliar energy brushed against her. Silas and the boys had told her about the times she lost control and her energy spiked, but she’d never seen it. Not until now. It was indeed a thing of beauty.
“We’re here,” Silas said, just outside her office. “Are you having an attack? I feel energy but it’s different.”
“It’s Vanessa. Let Ethan walk in first.”
The door opened. Vanessa didn’t turn or acknowledge her mate or Silas, instead, she continued asking herself questions about her friend.
“Nessa?” Ethan said in a soft voice while Silas leaned against the wall, watching.
“Is this what it looked like when I first lost control?” Jasmine asked him.
“Similar. What brought this on?”
Jasmine told him what Vanessa shared with her. “Shyla’s the librarian?”
“Yes, and she’s more.”
He looked across the room at Jasmine. “More?”
“Yes. When I entered her to defeat Brenda, I had access to her memories. She’s something called a Mengistia. I can’t believe I remembered that. It’s a strange name, maybe that’s why.”
“Do you know what it is?”
He nodded slowly. “Keeper of secrets. They aren’t under pack law. I didn’t know there was one on the east coast. I suspected Maheegan, our national pack historian, was Mengistia, but since they are forbidden to disclose their titles or the location of their chambers, I’ve never been positive.”
“Do you think her disappearance has something to do with Ethan? Could someone have taken her in retribution for taking out that small group?” She watched as Ethan stooped in front of his mate, forehead to forehead, and held her loosely. The wind funnels decreased and stopped.
“I don’t know. It’s something to consider. Right now, we need to deal with this. She has to learn control or someone will get hurt,” Silas said, straightening and walking toward Jasmine. He sat on the corner of her desk. “Vanessa?”
She lifted her head and looked at him with watery, red-rimmed eyes. “Sir?”
“Jasmine tells me it’s not normal for your friend to disappear like this. The first thing we should do is contact her Alpha, Jayden. He will send pack to search for her.” He looked at Ethan. “Has this been done?”
“Yes, Sir.” Ethan stood, his hand remained on his mate’s shoulder. “I contacted him as soon as I received the report she wasn’t at home. From what I’ve been told, there is a search for her right now. Her sire and mam have been contacted. They spoke to her recently; I don’t have the exact time, but they are en route to the house from Florida where they
were on vacation.”
“Mengistia are related by blood, always passes through the mother to the daughter. Her mother may be the only person who can enter the chamber and search for clues,” he told Jasmine.
“Clues in the chamber?”
He nodded. “Wherever the chamber is housed, the house becomes a part of the security system. It helps hide secrets.”
“That’s so cool. I’d love to see that,” Jasmine said, rising and standing next to Silas.
“It would kill you before you entered the room. The house keeps its secrets.” He smiled as she pushed his shoulder.
“Something’s wrong, this isn’t like her,” Vanessa said, her hands clasped tightly.
“Calm down, baby,” Ethan said, stooping in front of her again. Their eyes met and after a few seconds, Vanessa nodded. Ethan looked up at Silas. “As you can see, my mate has a problem controlling her energy.”
“You think?” Jasmine said to Silas.
“Yes, I see. What are you doing to help her?” Silas asked Ethan, ignoring Jasmine’s comment.
Ethan stood and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nothing. We haven’t had time to get to it. The wedding, moving and coming here.” He released a stream of air. “This is the second time I’ve seen it. The first time she was fighting Brenda, and then today. It seems as if it happens when she’s mad.”
“I’m sitting right here, Ethan,” Vanessa snapped. “I can speak for myself.”
Ethan looked at her for a few seconds and smiled. “You’re right. My bad.” He stepped behind her.
Vanessa looked as Silas and then Jasmine. “Basically, what he said. Although I wasn’t mad. I’m scared. She’s my best friend, we’ve always looked out for each other. I’m scared something happened to her, that she’s hurt and can’t get help. The idea of her lying somewhere helpless and maybe even dying.” She paused and covered her mouth. One hand pressed against her stomach. For a few seconds, no one spoke. The air stirred but that was the extent of it. “I can’t deal with that,” she whispered. “All this waiting to file a missing persons report, they take too long.”
Jasmine’s heart twisted.
“Pack isn’t like human cops, Vanessa,” Silas said. “Jayden’s already getting reports. No track or scent signatures outside. So, she was in the house when she left. There are some places pack can’t access and they’re waiting for her parents to arrive with keys to open the other areas. She wasn’t taken from the house, she may be locked in one of the rooms inside the house, we have to wait and see.”
Vanessa’s countenance brightened. “That’s good, right? Better than being dragged away. Plus, I talked to her a couple days ago, so she wouldn’t be locked in the room too long, right?” Her gaze, desperate for good news, flicked from Silas to Jasmine and then to her mate, Ethan.
“It’s good,” Ethan said.
Vanessa slumped in the chair and closed her eyes.
Ethan’s worried gaze slid from Silas to Jasmine and back to his mate.
“What are you going to do about her energy spikes?” Jasmine asked Silas.
“I’ll give Ethan some pointers to help him train her. If she needs more, I’ll have her make an appointment with La Patroness, who has firsthand knowledge and experience in these matters.” He straightened and walked toward the door. “Ethan.”
Ethan leaned down, kissed Vanessa’s brow, and then stepped out the door behind Silas.
“I didn’t get him in trouble, did I?” Vanessa asked after a few moments of silence.
“No. You didn’t do anything,” Jasmine assured her. Silas’ words tumbled through her mind. Could she teach someone how to handle their energy? It had been hard in the beginning, but now she recognized and appreciated it for the tool it was. “I didn’t know Shyla and I’m upset she’s missing. Once her parents arrive, we’ll get some answers.” She waved to the stack of papers. “You can get to those later, right now why not rest and wait.”
“Please let me do this now, it’ll keep my mind off what’s happening. Believe me, I need a distraction.” She tried to smile but failed miserably.
“Sure, whatever helps you.” Jasmine paused. “When you were sitting there asking yourself questions, your hands were balled into fists. What did you feel on the inside?”
Vanessa’s eyes widened and then she tilted her head. “Hmm, I never thought about it before, but there was this tight ball in my stomach that grew bigger and bigger.” She looked at Jasmine as if she’d just discovered chocolate tasted good on ice-cream.
“The more your thought about it, the bigger and tighter the ball grew?”
Vanessa nodded. “Yes. I didn’t think about it at the time, it was as if everything was on a loop, with each scene worse than the one before.” She shook her head. “It was a train ride and I couldn’t get off.”
CHAPTER 13
“Looks like you were right, Sir. Having an extra full-blood was just the thing. This last group is four instead of five. But, we still have the 50 you needed. As soon as they arrive, we’ll take off and should make your deadline.”
“You leave on schedule, with or without them. If they’re late, they are of no use to me. Terminate them.”
“Yes, Sir. We will leave in one hour.”
Scorpio watched the monitor a few more seconds and clicked off. Adrenaline flooded his system like an intravenous drip, any second his heart would explode. It was coming together. All the pieces of the fucking impossible puzzle. He bent from his waist and breathed deeply to slow his heart, to think.
The door behind him opened and he straightened slowly, wiping every bit of emotion from his face. Victory belonged to them. Their belief and hard work brought them to this point.
“Any news?”
“Yes, everything is on track. We go forward.” He looked over his shoulder to see the excitement in the eyes of his brother. No one believed this could happen and yet, it was happening, or soon would.
“Finally! Everything is in place, I will place the call to alert the others on our progress. He will be pleased.”
“This must work, we cannot fail him. Not after all this time, we cannot fail.” They exchanged looks and nodded. “I will recheck everything so that we are prepared for anything. Failure is not an option.”
“Not an option,” Scorpio muttered as he looked at the computer monitor. Everything had been planned, contingencies reviewed, it was time to make this happen. His heart tightened in sorrow over a devastating part of their plan. Knowing it was for the greater good offered small comfort to his wounded spirit.
CHAPTER 14
Sex during the mating heat couldn’t be explained. There were no manuals or lectures on what to expect, it simply had to be experienced. Bizarre colors, weird scents from their mating, and sounds of unrelenting pleasure echoed in her mind, hampering her ability to think clearly. For months, she had wanted this, had been jealous over Vanessa’s secret smiles and whimsical expressions. Now she understood. Being mated had serious benefits when it came to sex. Nothing could compare to the level of close intimacy when your souls merged and bathed your body in constant delight. Even now, her skin tingled in remembrance. She ached in places she never ached before.
Rolling to the side, she gazed at his masculine beauty. Brother to La Patron. She hadn’t expected that. Now that she really looked at him, she saw the resemblance. His bloodline certainly could complicate things. Chances were, this was an enemy of La Patron using Angus as leverage and her as bait. That’s the only thing that made sense.
Angus’ arm draped across her chest, he pulled her closer. “You okay?”
Heat raced up her cheeks. “Yeah, I’m good. You?” she asked with a cheeky smile.
“I think you wore me out, whoever said age is just a number lied. I feel every year right now.”
She ran her hand down his side, stopping at his hip. “Tired?”
He rolled on top of her and nudged her legs apart. “Never too tired for you.” His hard cock pulsed against her mound. Leaning down, he
captured her mouth with his and everything in the world ceased. He took his time kissing her, deepening the kiss when she wrapped her arms around his neck. He tasted her slowly. Her greedy, battered pussy throbbed for more of this man.
When they broke apart this time, it was with the assurance they would do this again and again. They had taken off the edge, fed the need so they could think.
“I never knew how much I needed you,” he said, his voice filled with wonder. “But I do. For the first time in centuries, I am complete, which is strange because I never thought I was lacking. Now, it’s as if I’m more.” He shook his head. “Does that make sense?”
“Perfect sense. You are more, we both are because I have parts of you. I relived your childhood, saw La Patron as a pup, your mam and sire. Also, your memories with Ulric and the pack. Those burdens are no longer yours alone. I share those with you just as you have my memories.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes, your mother is quite formidable. I look forward to meeting both your mam and sire. It’s good to know you have a strong relationship with your family. I did enjoy your training and it’s given me some ideas on how to fight this, whatever it is.”
Dread mixed with shame filled her. “I’m so sorry for biting you after we agreed not to bite or bond. I have no excuse other than I’ve never been mated before and had no idea how strong the urge would be.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Shh, what happened, happened. We move forward together as one to defeat the plans of our enemies.” He kissed her again. “Okay, my precious?”
Her heart eased. “Yes. We will win.”
“Good.” He slid off her and walked naked to the door. It opened when he turned the knob. He looked at her over his shoulder and shifted.
Shyla scooted off the bed, shifted, and followed him out the door down the hall. When he stopped, she waited behind him a few seconds, then walked to his side. “What is it?”
