E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  “Mom know about this?” he asked. If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a fair amount of glee in his tone.

  “Not yet,” Jax grunted.

  “Can I be there when you tell her?”

  “Fuck off, Jase.” Jax sighed and dismissed him by cutting in front of him to guide me up to the door.

  “You planning on claiming her beforehand?” Jase piped up, causing Jax to pause for a moment before putting his thumb on a pad by the door. I felt a little guilty that I was dragging my feet and he’d have to face his pack with a mate who could still decide to reject him. I mentally shrugged. This was Jax’s idea, so it was really on him.

  Jase’s eyes narrowed for a second before he scratched his head and cocked it slightly to the side. “You said she was your mate, but…"

  “Give me a couple of minutes with him, baby,” he requested, interrupting his brother. He ushered me into the house and held the door open for Emerald, who looked about as reluctant to leave as I did.

  “Nice to meet you, Jase,” Emerald said with a cheeky wave.

  I pulled her in after me. Once we were inside, he kissed my forehead and promised to be quick, then shut the door. It was adorable that he thought I wouldn’t eavesdrop.

  I took Malfoy’s carrier from Em and set it on the ground before opening it to give him the freedom to run about. He rubbed up against my leg and mewled, staring up at me with sad, blue eyes. My heart melted and I quickly scooped him up to snuggle against my chest. He rubbed his little face against my arm and then settled, quietly purring.

  With a small spell, my hearing was amplified, and I listened intently to what was being said outside. Emerald leaned over my shoulder as if she’d be able to hear it through my ears too. “It doesn’t work like that, Em,” I said drolly.

  “Shhh,” she hissed. “I’m trying to listen.”

  I sighed and flicked a finger toward her ear before shrugging her off of me. “Aw, thanks, Ro-ro,” she said sweetly.

  I snorted. Emerald was a lot of things, but no one would classify her as “sweet.”

  Jase spoke, keeping me from making a smartass remark.

  “Does Camilla know you’ve decided to mate with someone else?”

  I didn’t know who she was, and Jax and I would be remedying that soon, but my proprietary feelings for Jax were growing fast. I growled at the mention of another woman in any way connected to Jax.

  “I don’t owe Camilla a fucking explanation, or even a single thought in my head,” Jax grunted, frustration thick in his tone. “Why is everyone bringing her up all of the sudden?”

  Excellent question. I nodded even though only Emerald could see it.

  “Chill, bro. I was just curious. I guess I’m confused because the last time we talked—less than a week ago—you were still dead set against imprinting with someone. Now, you’re introducing me to your mate… who you haven’t officially claimed.”

  “Rowan is my true mate,” Jax stated without a single iota of doubt. He’d brought me around to believing it too, so I nodded emphatically again. I thought about this Camilla person and sneered. “Choke on that, suka,” I muttered. I didn’t even think about the pun until Emerald started shaking with silent laughter. She’d known who I was talking to, and calling Camilla a bitch—assuming she was a wolf shifter, which was most likely the case—was too appropriate not to be funny. Our laughter died when Jase responded.

  ‘Wow. Okay, that makes more sense, except, why haven’t you claimed her?”

  “Rowan isn’t a shifter and she has a…unique set of circumstances that make the concept of a true mate a little foreign to her. She doesn’t trust easily and I’m trying not to push her too much because she’s worth the wait. Even if she wasn’t my true mate, she would be worth breaking every rule, every vow, and every bone of any person who tried to come between us.”

  There was a sudden surge of emotion that poured over my head and rushed throughout my body, all the way to my fingers and toes. It was like a cleanse, leaving a clearness in its wake that allowed me to finally see. I’d begun to trust Jax when he said I was his mate, and I’d felt a pull toward him, but now I could see and feel it for myself. The bond of true mates was right there in front of me, binding me to Jax from my heart and my mind.

  I wasn’t sure how we’d work everything out, considering the past that haunted me in this realm and the home and job I’d built in the other one. But I believed we’d figure it out. I believed we were true mates. And even more important, I wanted to be Jax’s mate.

  31

  Jax

  Jase regarded me thoughtfully for a moment before his face split with a genuine smile. “I’m happy for you, brother,” he said as he clapped me on the shoulder.

  I replied with a grunt and returned the gesture. My wolf was pleased by the support he felt from Jase, and likely from his wolf as well, and growled in appreciation.

  His smile suddenly turned a little devilish and I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. “Seriously, can I be there when you introduce her to Mom?”

  I cuffed him on the side of the head and shoved him toward the curb where his Jeep was parked. “Don’t you have work to do?”

  Jase took a step toward his vehicle, then pivoted around. “Who was the other hot woman?” His face lit up a little. “Are they sisters? Because maybe since we’re brothers—“

  “No,” I stated firmly. “Now move your ass.”

  Once again, Jase turned to leave, only this time, it was me who stopped him. “Jase.”

  “Yeah?” he glanced at me over his shoulder.

  “If Mom hears about this from anyone but me, I will string you up on the nearest tree like a piñata and let anyone who walks by take a whack at you with a baseball bat. Do I make myself clear?”

  He just laughed and continued toward his car.

  I rolled my eyes and opened the front door to enter my house. Rowan and Emerald straightened suddenly and the slats on the window covering snapped as they dropped into place. I raised a brow and Rowan looked away while Emerald just grinned unrepentantly.

  “Nice job, Fido. I approve.”

  My wolf had come to recognize the depth of the relationship between our mate and Emerald. While her words meant nothing to him, her tone and body language communicated her emotions and fur brushed against my skin, conveying his pleasure.

  Emerald picked up Malfoy—much to Rowan’s irritation if her cute little growl was anything to go by—and kissed his nose before curling him into the crook of her arm like a baby. “I’m off to find my room,” she announced as she strolled away.

  I should have offered to take her there, but I was too intent on my mate at that moment. “Eavesdropping?” I asked Rowan with a mock scowl.

  “You guys were kind of loud,” Rowan offered as an explanation. One I didn’t buy for a second.

  “Did you let your magic out to play, baby?” I teased.

  Not one to be coy, she dropped her innocent pretense and the corners of her mouth lifted. “You can’t honestly be surprised by that.”

  I laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist, slowly drawing her into me. “It doesn’t, but I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t think of it,” I admitted.

  Bending down, I kissed her with sweet, languid movements, taking my time and enjoying her mouth. It was beginning to whip my lust into a frenzy, so I retreated and pressed my forehead to hers. “I love the way you taste.”

  Rowan hummed and burrowed deeper into my embrace. After a beat, she looked up at me, her head all the way back so she could see my face. “Did you mean what you said?”

  Locking my eyes with hers, I made sure she could see how sincere I was. “Every fucking word, baby.”

  Her face turned a little pink as she flushed with happiness. “I can feel it,” she beamed.

  I snorted. “I’m sure you can, baby. I always want you, but when you’re soft and pliant in my arms like this—"

  Rowan snickered. “Not that. I mean, yes, I feel that too, but I meant the bond.”


  Afraid to hope, I asked for clarification. “Bond?”

  “The mating bond—no, not just that—the bond of true mates.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if she was ready for me to claim her when my cell phone rang. I ignored it, but Rowan dipped her hand into my pocket—making me want to throw it at the wall and move her hand about three inches to the left—and held it up.

  “Mom,” she read from the screen.

  Sighing, I plucked the phone from her hands and attempted to put it back, but her hand on my wrist stilled me. “You should answer. It’s your mother.”

  Something in her tone alerted me and I knew it was another mystery I was going to have to drag out of her. I wanted to argue, but then she said, “Do you think Jase would risk being used as a piñata just to screw with you?”

  Her expression indicated that she found the idea extremely amusing. I didn't find it as funny; it pissed me off.

  I sighed and hit the accept button before putting the phone to my ear. “Mom,” I greeted, trying not to sound as aggravated as I felt. Rowan tried to wiggle out of my arms and when I held tight, she glared and held up a finger, the tip sparking with purple. I glared back at her, letting her know I intended to have retribution, but freed her for the moment.

  “What’s this I hear about you bringing multiple girls home with you?” my mom huffed.

  “Where did you hear a thing like that?” I was already picturing the tree where Jase’s battered body would be on display.

  “Tanner was on guard duty and the good boy called me.” Tanner was dead man.

  “I thought you were going to keep that kind of stuff to the city,” she sniffed. “I can’t have you parading your harem around—"

  “For fuck’s sake, Mom,” I grumped.

  “Don’t you use that kind of language with me, pup,” she gasped. “You’re not too old for me to punish you.”

  I couldn’t help antagonizing her. “And just how would you do that?”

  “I’m not going to share that list with you, then you wouldn’t be surprised.”

  My tone was patronizing when I replied, “Uh-huh.”

  “Maybe I’d start by putting a laxative in your favorite pie.”

  Son of a bitch. Baked goods had always been a weakness of mine, but my mom’s coconut pie was almost worth letting her parade me in front of a bunch of single women in hopes that I would find one to give her grandchildren with. “You wouldn’t,” I retorted, not at all convinced.

  I heard a muffled laugh and glanced up to see my mate aimlessly walking around the room with a hand over her mouth.

  “I guess you’ll just have to take that chance, won’t you?”

  Rowan had apparently lost the ability to contain her laughing and she doubled over but kept her dancing purple eyes on me. My lips curled into a wicked smile and her expression turned wary.

  “As a matter of fact, Mom, I did bring two women home. My mate and her best friend.”

  My mom screeched so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear and it still rang from the high decibel sound. Rowan’s mouth had formed an O and I gloated with triumph.

  “Your mate?”

  “Yup.” I let the p pop.

  Rowan mashed her lips together and started pacing with quick jerky steps.

  “I’ve got to go, Mom. Love you.” I hung up to my mother’s sputtering, silently promising to make it up to her later.

  “I thought you weren’t going to push me,” Rowan snapped.

  “It just slipped out,” I bluffed, immediately regretting it when she threw a murderous look in my direction. I called myself twenty different kinds of an idiot for forgetting Rowan’s ability to sense the truth.

  She pivoted on her heel and marched up to me, stabbing a finger in my chest. “You didn’t even stay on the phone long enough to tell her I’m not a shifter. Is she going to like that your mate is a witch? What if they think I’m too small? Or too sarcastic? Or—"

  Granted, I had only known Rowan a few days, but I had never in that time seen her unsure of herself. And from the way others treated her, how she naturally commanded respect, and things Emerald had said, it was obvious that it rarely, if ever, happened. So when it became clear that her issue was fearing what my family would think of her, I wanted to grab her up and take her hard and fast against the wall in the entry, bent over my couch, and on the floor of my bedroom, before making love to her in my bed all night long. It wasn’t that I was celebrating her insecurity—it was what it represented. If she cared what they thought, she was—at least some part of her—considering the idea of being here with me permanently. Admitting that she knew we were true mates on top of that had my wolf shoving me in her direction, demanding that I fuck and claim her as ours.

  I swiftly crossed to her and scooped her up without even stopping as I headed to the master suite up the staircase on the left. We were only halfway up when the doorbell rang, but I just kept moving. Whoever it was, they weren't as important as claiming my mate. It rang several more times as I reached the top of the steps and stalked into my bedroom. I set Rowan in her feet and cradled her beautiful face between my hands, then lowered my head to meet her lips.

  “Ro!” Emerald’s yell broke the spell we were under and we both jerked in response. “You might want to come down and meet Jax’s visitor.”

  “I’d like to speak to Jax, please.” A familiar, soft voice floated up and Rowan became rigid in my arms.

  I growled, infuriated at the shit timing and my wolf bared its teeth and snapped at me. He wanted me to ignore the other woman and focus on our mate. Unfortunately, as the human half of us, I had to deal with the external bullshit before we could act on our instinctual urges.

  “It’s Camilla,” I grunted.

  “An ex, I’m assuming?”

  Even if Rowan weren’t able to see through a falsehood, I still would have been honest with her. Perhaps she sensed that, and it was why she released a sliver of her tension. “I’ll deal with her.”

  Rowan placed her hand on my arm and shook her head. “No, babe. I’ll deal with her.” Her tone was even and emotionless, which didn’t bode well for Camilla. It was Rowan’s right to face what could be perceived as a threat—but was really more like a pain in the ass—to her. I would’ve expected her to let me deal with anyone who came sniffing around her, so I simply held out my hand, letting her know she could take the lead, but I stayed close so she and Camilla would both know who had my allegiance. I was very tempted to grab some popcorn and sit back to watch Rowan tear the bitch apart. I didn’t hold any more anger or malice toward Camilla; I just got off on seeing Rowan in action. Fuck, she was hot as hell when she was riled up.

  As she descended the stairs, I not only admired the sexy sway of her hips and gorgeous ass, but I also reflected on the way my tiny mate managed to seem ten feet tall. She carried herself with confidence, she was a natural badass, and she had a big personality that could be as captivating as it could be terrifying. She reached the bottom step and the tall, willowy blonde who stood in the doorway glanced at her warily before her eyes came to my face.

  “Jax,” she breathed with a docile smile.

  Emerald mimed gagging behind her before rolling her eyes and strutting over to stand next to me so we were flanking Rowan's shoulders. Then she leaned toward me and whispered, “Fifty bucks says she sends her running with her tail between her legs without even having to mention what she is.” Emerald spoke low enough that only my ears would have pickled it up if Camilla wasn’t also a shifter. Her eyes turned wary as she studied Rowan, obviously trying to see what Emerald had been referring to.

  It was my turn to roll my eyes. “No deal. I’ve seen what that mouth can do. I might as well give you the money right now.”

  Emerald’s eyes sparkled with silent laughter as she inclined her head, conceding my point.

  “Camilla, right?” Rowan asked, though she kept right on speaking instead of waiting for an answer. “Great. So, Camilla, the
thing is, I’m feeling really possessive and a whole lot jealous at the moment. Not because of you, sweetie. It’s simply the way things are when you’re in the processes of mating. I mean, I can barely control the need to jump Jax all the damn time, so it’s not the greatest time for another suchka to come sniffing around him. You get it, right? It’s not you, it’s me. I’m afraid if you do or say the wrong thing, and let’s face it, who the fuck knows exactly what that is when you’re talking about a mate whose hormones are running amok, you’ll end up with some not-so-pretty scars on your very pretty face.”

  “She doesn’t understand Russian, baby,” I murmured, biting back a chuckle.

  “Oh, right,” Rowan acknowledged. “It means bitch.”

  Camilla’s mouth had slowly opened more and more with every word that came out of Rowan’s mouth and she’d even backed up a step when Rowan’s hands flew out in gestures, like they often did while she was talking. When it seemed my mate was finally done, there were a few beats of silence, then Camilla’s eyes rose up to me again and she stuttered. “M-mate? Her?”

  I grinned. “She’s fucking awesome, right?” My wolf let out a low rumble of agreement.

  Emerald snickered and Rowan twisted her torso around to beam at me. “Thanks, babe.” Then she returned her attention to the woman I almost mated, a decision which now completely baffled me.

  Camilla was around five feet and ten inches, with straight, blonde hair that hung to just below her chin. She was as quiet and mild-mannered as her submissive wolf. When she’d broken the bond we’d been forming, one of her reasons was being uncomfortable joining a loud and boisterous family like mine.

  I wanted to grin when I thought about how well Rowan was going to fit in. She’d make up for my more introverted moments. Although I’d found myself to be a lot less reserved with Rowan—somehow, she made being a little crazy look appealing. Her energy drew people, or in the case of someone as meek as Camilla, scared them away. Even now, she was tapping her foot and practically vibrating with the need to be doing something. The only times I’d seen her calm and still were when she was anxious, or when she was in my arms.