by Kym Grosso
Jax ignored him, cupping her cheek. She turned into his touch, her lips brushing over his skin.
“Come here,” he told her, bringing her into his arms.
“Hmm…” Katrina nuzzled against his chest.
“Jake and Finn brought breakfast.” The Alpha spoke into her hair, inhaling her scent. A mixture of coconut infused with mango still remained and he recalled their interaction in the tub. Lifting his head, he met her gaze and trailed his thumb along her bottom lip.
“Sounds good.” She snuggled into his embrace.
“Hungry?” His dick tented the thin fabric of his pajama pants, detecting her arousal.
“Yes,” she purred, her palm sliding over his bare chest.
“Really, people? We’re right here,” Finn pointed out. “Maybe you all need to go get a room, as they say.”
“Hey, speak for yourself.” Jake leaned back in his chair with a wide grin. “Kat. Jax. Don’t listen to the big guy over there. I’m up for a show.”
Jax caught the amusement on Jake’s face and knew he was only half kidding. He’d heard from Gillian how she’d helped him heal after he’d been shot, having made love to both Dimitri and Jake. While he couldn’t be certain he’d share his mate, he’d happily let him watch. Jax suspected her interest in the idea, pushing the envelope sexually. Undressed in his office, his little wolf had responded with arousal to the intrusion. Jax had always been sexually adventurous, and after making love to Katrina, he looked forward to exploring her fantasies.
“Seems we have an audience this morning,” Jax laughed.
“Ah,” Katrina peeked around his shoulder and winked at Jake. “It appears we do.”
Jax put his arm around her and ushered her to the table, unfazed about revealing his erection to the others. Some things were meant to be concealed, but his sexual prowess and his interest in his mate wasn’t one of them.
“Finn, call a pack meeting. Announce that I’ve left for New Orleans on official business. Meeting with Logan and my sister.”
“And if they ask about Kat?” Finn stood from the table, combing his hair back with his fingers.
“Tell them she’s a person of interest in custody with our pack.” Jax smiled at Katrina, who laughed. “Tell them I’m interrogating her, ensuring she provides us with information leading to the capture of my kidnappers.”
“Interrogating, huh?” Finn shook his head and gave a lopsided grin.
“He certainly has perfected the craft.” Jake smiled at Katrina and Jax. “I mean, all that interrogating he did in the office yesterday and then last night obviously led to more interrogating, hence the marking. The Alpha’s been busy.”
“You guys aren’t going to make this easy on me, are you?” Jax asked, picking up his coffee.
“Nope. Not even a little bit.” Jake pressed his lips together, stifling his laugh.
“Yeah, no, not going to happen,” Finn agreed with a smirk. “Hey, don’t feel too bad, Alpha. While you were doing all that interrogating, Jake and I were bonding.”
“You got it, brother. We had to save ourselves.”
“You two are hilarious.” Jax shook his head and sighed.
“They are pretty funny,” Katrina admitted. She reached for a pastry, her eyes on Jake.
“Go tell the pack. Also, do me a favor and call the helicopter. I want to skip the traffic. I’ve already texted Rhys and called up the plane.”
“Okay, I’m outta here.” Finn began to walk toward the foyer but stopped and paused. “You gonna be okay without me? The last time…”
“I’m not going to tell you that we aren’t going to run into trouble. But Jake’s going with me. Logan and Dimitri are there too. I’ve gotta find out what Ilsbeth knew. If I find the witch, I have a better shot figuring out how to stop these things.” Jax blew out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I really need you up here, Finn. The pack has been through enough shit the past month. One of us has to stay to keep order, and that, my man, is you. I’m trusting you to do this.”
“I got it. I’ll text you later with a status.” His new beta gave a wave and turned on his heel, leaving the room.
Jake gave a sideways glance to Katrina and back to Jax. “So, uh, just to recap about last night. Everything’s okay? Quintus looked like he bit you pretty hard.”
“My mate doesn’t listen well.” Jax slowly spread the cheese onto the bread, his eyes trained on his knife.
“You’re both overreacting. I’m perfectly fine.” Katrina unconsciously reached behind her neck, where Quintus had bitten her.
“Very soon she’ll experience a lesson that she will not forget,” Jax warned. His eyes went to Jake, who nodded his head in agreement.
“I’m sorry but I wasn’t going to let Quint kill Jake,” she replied.
“You know I love ya, Kat, but Jax is right. There’s a reason he’s the Alpha of this pack. You can’t just ignore him when he tells you what to do in these situations,” Jake asserted. “It’s worse that you challenged him. You’re his mate.”
“We’re not bonded yet,” she contended.
“We will be soon.” Katrina’s words cut through Jax, and he couldn’t identify the emotion that followed. Anger? Arousal? The growl of his wolf reverberated in his mind, urging him to take her again. While he hadn’t known her long enough to fall in love, the commitment would come in time.
“You know what will happen if we mate. I can’t risk anything happening to you.” Katrina pursed her lips and set her food on a plate. “And as far as me not listening, as you put it. I’ve lived a long time on my own with no master. I’m an Alpha’s daughter, a sister. Tristan doesn’t force me into antiquated rules. What makes you think submission to your will is in my blood?”
“Because, my little wolf…” Jax didn’t miss a beat as he drove his fingers through her hair at the nape of her neck. Tugging her locks, he tilted her head backward, exposing her throat. He leaned in, his lips inches from hers. “That little mark on your neck is mine. You are mine. Our mating will happen. Don’t. Test. Me.”
The tense whisper of his statement died as Jax captured her lips. His bruising kiss was met with passion. Katrina gasped into his mouth, returning his advance, biting and sucking at her mate. Fingernails raked down over his shoulder, tearing at his skin, and the sting reminded him that Katrina harbored a wild nature, one that might be impossible to tame.
“And I think that’s my cue to leave.” Jake laughed and pushed up from the table. “As much as I enjoy a good show, I can’t figure out if this is going to be super-hot or more like gladiators. Yeah, I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
As Jake left the kitchen, Jax forced his libido under control. He’d torn his lips away from his mate, frustrated with her refusal to accept her fate, their mating. After making love with her, there was no doubt in his mind that the bond would make them stronger. But without her trust, he’d need proof before she’d consent.
Jax heard the water running, and was reminded that Katrina had gone to shower. His cock hardened as the image of her perfect nipples dripping with water formed in his mind. Goddammit. For the next year, I’m going to have a perpetual hard-on. He adjusted his erection, but resisted the urge to stroke it. As much as he loved that the Goddess had given him an attractive mate, it was going to make it damn hard to concentrate on business.
The doorbell rang, breaking his concentration. On any other day, he’d have his staff attend to it, but he’d dismissed his butler and the rest of the staff, unwilling to risk Katrina’s safety or theirs. As he opened the door, he sensed London’s presence. He waved her into the foyer and retreated into the great room.
“Why are you here?” Jax had been grooming her to take over day to day operations. London had been working with Nick for several years and knew the company inside and out.
“Finn said…well, if you’re leaving, I need to get your input on these first.” She sat on the sofa and flipped open her tablet.
“I just sent you my fe
edback. We didn’t have to do this in person. Go with the black and white on the cover. Follow up with the color spread.”
“I just thought…”
“Why are you really here?” Jax asked, already suspecting why she’d insisted on visiting him at his penthouse.
By now, the pack already had their suspicions about Katrina’s role in his life. After their romantic interlude on his desk, half the company probably had heard her scream in orgasm. Although he’d found his mate’s lack of inhibition refreshing, he’d thought better of what he’d done afterward. He needed more time to work through Katrina’s introduction to the pack. Going down on her with the office door swinging wide open wasn’t exactly the optimal way to do it.
Jax ignored London, who slowly put her things back into her bag. With thick raven hair, green eyes and a razor-sharp mind, she’d caught the attention of many men, humans and supernaturals alike. Although Jax hadn’t slept with her, they’d shared an intimate moment. In a moment of weakness after Nick’s death, they’d kissed in the nightclub. Despite the fiery interaction, he hadn’t expected more than a fling. Despite not being his mate, the females in his pack often sought the attention of the Alpha.
As he leaned back on the sofa, he pretended to be engrossed in his email. With Katrina already vulnerable, he wasn’t ready to divulge information to his pack.
“There are rumors,” he heard her say. Jax kept his head down but lifted his gaze to meet hers.
“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
“Everyone knows she’s here.” London scooted toward the Alpha, closing the distance. “So she isn’t staying? That bitch from Lyceum wolves is finally going home?”
“You need to check yourself.” Jax’s eyes flared in anger and he struggled to conceal his irritation. “Katrina. That’s her name. I suggest you use it. Not a request. And yes, she’s staying here. For as long as I say she stays.”
“Jax, please.” London’s voice softened as she edged closer, her knee brushed his. “We haven’t talked about what happened. The night you disappeared. At the club. Our kiss.” She closed her eyes and drew a breath, her chest rising and falling slowly. Gradually she opened them, and continued. “There’s something between us. I don’t know what it is. I know I was with Nick before and maybe that’s an issue, but he’s gone.”
“I don’t want to talk about Nick. I don’t want to talk about that night. It was a kiss. It was nothing more. I’m sorry, London.” Jax shook his head and set his iPad aside. Jesus, he hadn’t expected this conversation today. In the distance, he noted the shower had stopped running.
“Then maybe…” London gently laid her things on the table. “You need to give us a chance.”
Before Jax knew what was happening, the brunette had swung her thigh over his. Straddling him, she pressed her groin to his.
“What the hell?” Jax exclaimed. Because Katrina hadn’t claimed him, her wolf would lose it if she saw him with another woman. “You need to get off me right now.”
“That night…you kissed me. I’ll never forget it. If you just give us a chance I know…”
Jax sensed the second Katrina entered the room, but it was the growl that drew his attention. The small white wolf bared her teeth. With her hackles raised, she gave no doubt as to her intention to attack London.
“Get off me right now. Easy now.” Jax lifted her by the waist and tossed her onto the sofa. He held up his hands defensively, aware that Katrina had gone feral. “Nothing’s going on here, Kat. London’s just confused. She’s missing Nick.”
“What the hell is wrong with her?” London backed into the corner of the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. “Really? She wants a challenge? I’m not shifting right now.”
“No one is shifting. Get your things off the table and slowly walk out of the house.”
London moved to collect her tablet and Katrina stalked toward her, continuing to growl.
“Kat. This is not what it seems. You need to trust me.” A rush of satisfaction filled his chest, observing his mate possessively claim him. But he couldn’t let her kill London. “You need to back off. Let her leave. She’s got to get back to the office.”
“I can’t believe you let her in here,” London lamented.
“Let her go,” Jax commanded.
Katrina whined. Her fangs exposed, she settled to the floor. Although she hadn’t ceased her aggression, it would have to be sufficient. Jax’s gaze moved to London, who’d already begun to stand. “Move slowly and get out now. Keep moving. And not a word to the pack, London.”
“Seriously?” London asked.
“I’ll be back in a few days and if I hear you’ve been talking, your employment will be in jeopardy. Leave here and go back to the office. Go now!”
Jax towered above the petite wolf, breathing a sigh of relief as London slammed the door behind her. He looked to Katrina, who continued to show the whites of her teeth.
“What you just saw here,” Jax held his palms upward and swiveled, looking around the condo, “this was nothing. A misunderstanding. My pack…they don’t know about you, baby.”
Katrina transformed into her human form. Standing bare, she glared at Jax.
“This thing between us…you know we both have pasts. You can’t go around trying to kill every woman I ever dated.” Jax laughed. “You haven’t even marked me yet. Your wolf, she’s not going to be very happy until she gets what she wants.”
“Who is she?”
“No one. We work together.”
“You fucked her?”
“No, but I did kiss her. Jesus, why am I even explaining myself to you? You know what, Kat? You’re going to have to learn how to trust me.”
“Really? You do realize you just had a woman straddling you, right?”
“And you need to learn how to listen.” Jax drank in the sight of his mate standing nude before him. From her fierce eyes to her full breasts down to her cream-colored painted toenails, she exuded sexuality. She brushed her long blonde mane behind her ears, and licked her lips. The defiance caused his dick to thicken.
“Are you kidding me?” she continued. “You were the one with a female in your lap.”
“And you,” Jax approached her within two broad steps and gave her a devious grin, “are the one who continues to challenge me.”
He wasn’t sure whether it was the tip of her pink tongue brushing over her swollen lip or the way she crossed her legs, attempting to conceal her own arousal, but he lost control. Katrina squealed as he placed his fingers on her waist and hoisted her over his shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing? Put me down.”
“My dear, dear, Katrina.” Jax ran a strong palm over the back of her thigh. “I realize we don’t know each other very well yet, but you, my lovely mate, you must learn to trust me.”
“I do trust you.” Katrina didn’t fight as he lifted her and set her in front of the back of the sofa.
“Really? Because on more than one occasion I’ve given an order and you not only ignored it, you fought me. And this,” Jax smiled as he turned her around, her bottom brushing over the front of his thighs, “is the perfect opportunity for us to have this discussion.”
His cock lengthened as he ran through the scenario he planned. He’d always enjoyed a little bondage. Today, he’d test Katrina’s limits. The defiant little wolf needed a lesson and she’d learn why he was Alpha.
Chapter Twelve
Katrina yelped as Jax bent her over the sofa. He spread her legs wide open, the cool air rushing over her pussy. She reached to balance herself, her palms flat on the soft leather.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, her emotions vacillating between pissed as hell and aroused. A smooth palm cupped her ass and she sighed, deciding on the latter. “Just because my body responds to you, that doesn’t mean I’m forgetting that bitch you let in here.”
“Trust,” he began.
Katrina gasped as his warm breath teased her bottom. His f
ingers dug into her hips.
“Even animals born without the magick to shift understand that trust is essential to life. You should know better. There’s structure within our lives that protects all of us. Without it, there is chaos. So this is why our wolves value order. Challenges to my position aren’t tolerated.” Jax slid his grip over her smooth ass and squeezed gently. “Disobedience…”
“I know full well what it’s like to live within a pack, but this situation isn’t life and death.” Katrina’s pussy ached as his soft fingers traced a line down between her legs, grazing over the outside of her labia. Growing wet, she shifted her position, attempting to move. Her action was rewarded with a firm slap to her bottom, the sting leaving her skin tingling. “Hey…”
“As I was saying, disobedience is not tolerated. Wolves, they choose willingly to submit to their Alpha, accepting their position within the pack. Because they know…” He paused and smacked his palm against her other cheek.
“You can’t just spank me,” she protested. Guilt rose as arousal flooded between her legs. She’d never allowed a man to spank her, yet the twinge on her skin left her wanting more.
“The pack knows,” he continued, ignoring her statement. He trailed a finger through her wet slit, eliciting a moan, “that by giving their submission, they’re protected. As a whole, we are stronger than individuals. We cannot do that without collaboration. This is what unites us.”
“I don’t know what you want from me,” she sighed. Her aching clit swelled as he brushed over it. Katrina pushed up on her toes, but was unable to move, as his hands held her firmly in place.
“You’re not going anywhere.” The Alpha bit gently at his mate.
“What do you want from me? Ah…” Katrina sucked a breath as his teeth nipped at her flesh, leaving her quivering with pleasure and pain. “You could die if we…Jax…”
“What do I want?” he growled. His warm breath teased her skin. “I want everything. You. Us. This.”
“I can’t…” Soft lips brushed over her bottom, silencing her. Painfully aroused, she knew it’d be minutes before she was begging him to fuck her.
