by Kym Grosso
“There’s something wrong with you, you know that?”
“I’m hungry and you’re grumpy. Want some?” He tore off a chunk and crumbs flew up into the air.
“You’re a slob.”
“You love me and you just can’t admit it, can you, Alpha?” Jake joked.
“Toss me the bread.” Jax gave him a smirk and caught the loaf as it flew across the room, white flecks spraying everywhere. “I’m not cleaning this up.”
“As if you would clean? Let’s get real. I’m sure Samuel is on his way down here now.”
“No, he isn’t, smartass. I told him to stay home.”
“Backup maid?” Jake smiled broadly and nodded.
“I’ll text him.” Jax retrieved his phone and sent a message to his butler. He hoped he could find someone to tend to the mess after they’d left the house.
“Good deal. You’re going to love me big time in a few minutes,” Jake promised.
“Crawfish for breakfast? I highly doubt it. Are you always this cheery in the morning?” Jax sipped his drink.
“It’s technically the afternoon but yes and yes. Positive attitude. It’s what it’s all about.”
“Really? Is that what you demonstrated yesterday?”
“Hey, easy there. First of all, that witch is one scary bitch. You don’t even know the half of it. And second of all, Kat’s reaction to that house…well, that kind of speaks for itself. We all may have pretended like it didn’t happen, but you know that shit’s not right. And that redheaded witch knew the score. Fucking Luca, man. He’s got a stick so far up his ass he’s like one of those marionettes.”
“He’s not going to let us see her, so just give it up. Mick’s next on the list.”
“Are you sure you really wanna go there? I like running in the bayou at night as much as the next wolf, but I’m not so sure about this freak fest this warlock has going on.” Jake sat down at the table with Jax and tapped a beat on it with his spoon, then paused. “I’ve met Mick before, ya know? He’s, uh, how should I put this? He’s kind of a free spirit. If you’d met him, you would never think he was some big and powerful warlock. He’s a player.”
“A player?”
“Yeah, you know. A player. With the ladies,” Jake sang, a lilt of amusement in his tone. “And I’m not just talking witches. He’s charismatic. Really good-looking.”
Jax raised a questioning eyebrow at him in silence.
“For a guy.” Jake glanced to his steaming pot and then focused back on the Alpha. “My point is that we better have a plan B. It’s not that I doubt what Samantha’s sayin’. Logan confirmed that Mick has taken most of the coven outside of the city. But from what I gather, it’s more like a big ole voodoo orgy. There’s magick happenin’ all right, if you know what I mean?”
“So he’s a flake? It’s better than hearing we’re going out to talk to some mage who practices black magick.” Jax shrugged. It wasn’t the best situation but it wasn’t the worst. In the end, it didn’t matter, because he was going to get answers if it was the last thing he did.
“I’m just setting expectations is all, which are pretty low.”
“It’s quite simple. If Mick doesn’t have answers, I’m going to Logan and there’ll be an all-out war with the vamps. Because that will mean that Samantha really is the only one who might be able to help. Granted, I get why Luca doesn’t want her around this black magick stuff. Or Katrina right now for that matter. I don’t want her or her baby hurt. But I’m not buying that she doesn’t know what we found. And even though she may be a new witch, she must be pretty damn influential if she has the keys to Ilsbeth’s private home. I wonder if she’s even taking orders from Mick.” Jax reached for the butter and sliced off a slab, smearing it onto the bread.
“You can be stone cold sometimes, you know that, right?”
“You misinterpret things, Jake. Come on, you’ve been around Logan and other Alphas, right? It’s not your first time at the rodeo.”
“Yeah, but they’re not as bold as you, no offense.”
“None taken.” Jax bit into the bread.
“I’m not sayin’ this is a bad thing, it’s just that you are a little more intense than most Alphas. That’s all.” Jake shoved out of his chair, and went to the refrigerator to retrieve the pitcher. He set it on the table and searched the cabinets until he found glasses.
“What you describe as intense, I would describe as thoughtful. I’ve learned the hard way not to be impulsive. At the same time, as Alpha, one must be decisive.” Jax shrugged. “You’ll see.”
The young wolf had no idea of his own power, Jax mused. From the second he’d met Jake, he’d known he was special. Yet, Jax resisted telling him. All things in good time. Until there was a need, it would be best for Jake to learn on his own.
“And,” Jake pointed his glass at the Alpha, before setting it in front of him. “You’re a cryptic son of a bitch. You wouldn’t happen to be related to Léo, would ya?”
“A vampire? Ha. Ha. You’re hilarious.” Jax’s stomach growled and he peered around Jake to eye the pot on the stove. “That done yet?”
“Ah, ha! I knew it. You gettin’ ready to show my cookin’ some love?” Jake poured the thick red liquid over some ice and inserted a crisp celery stalk.
“Maybe.” Jax laughed and reached for the cocktail. “Don’t tell anyone, though. I’d hate to ruin my rep.”
“You’re badass. I don’t think a little happy time with my mudbugs is going to make people think you’ve gone soft.” Jake focused on his meal and didn’t hesitate, changing the topic. “So, uh, speaking of soft, how’s Katrina?”
“Nice segue.”
“Hey, I try.” He laughed.
“She’s good.”
“Good? Trouble in paradise already?”
“It’s complicated.” Jax coughed and set the glass down. “Damn, these are strong. What the hell did you put in them?”
“Again. Secret recipe. Besides, it’s good for you. Veggies. Kinda like a salad in a glass.”
“That would be a smoothie.”
“Close enough. So what’s the deal with Kat?”
“It’s nothing really.” Jax sighed, contemplating how much to share with the wolf who was becoming a friend. He enjoyed Jake’s company, his continual petty challenges akin to a puppy biting at his heels. He saw a more innocent version of himself and hoped that with guidance, he and Logan could give Jake what he needed to be a great leader.
“You know I love Kat, I mean like a friend,” Jake was quick to qualify, “but she’s been on the run for a long time.”
Jax nodded.
“She acts strong. Hell, she is strong, but she’s scared.”
“She won’t mark me.” Jax’s eyes met Jake’s as he confided in him. “Fucking demons, whatever they are. She’s convinced she’s going to hurt me.”
“I don’t know much about mating, but watching D…let’s just say it doesn’t seem like you get a whole lot of choice. I mean he was resisting it, worried he’d kill Gilly’s tiger and then the next day? Boom. They’re mated. Now, this thing with her magick…it’s not right.”
“I know. I can feel it. Sometimes,” Jax paused, and glanced over his shoulder. He heard water running upstairs, which told him she was awake. “Her magick, it can be strong, just like it should be for someone who’s an Alpha’s mate. But then, there are other times when it just feels different. I mean, we both know wolves aren’t mediums. They don’t touch objects and feel something. We’re wolves. We shift. Yes, the pack can sense me and my feelings, and I can get a general vibe on my pack, but this is completely different.” Jax sighed and swirled the celery around the spicy mixture before extracting it. “I don’t know if it’s Katrina and what they did to her? Or maybe somehow Ilsbeth did something and it’s just that house? Maybe she set up a spell so that only Katrina could find the clues?”
“Let’s say that’s the case. That would mean that Ilsbeth somehow knew about what was happening to Kat. Someone
would have had to have told her, because Kat never even met Ilsbeth.”
“You said D was sleeping with her?”
“Yeah, but he’s true blue with the pack, man. He’d never let secrets slip out over pillow talk.”
“Ilsbeth knew about these things, because she sent Quint to the prison. And so that means she probably knew about them before Kat ever came down to New Orleans.”
“How would she know what was going on in New York?”
“Because she’s like Léopold. She travels a lot. I’ve met her several times at charity functions in Manhattan.”
“You’ve met, huh?” Jake raised a suspicious eyebrow at the Alpha.
“What?” Jax shook his head and took a bite of celery.
“Just how many times have you met her?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I don’t know. A few times. A half dozen times tops.”
“Just wondering why you’re so willing to forgive the bitch. Oh, did I just say that?” Jake held his finger to his mouth, his eyes wide. “Sorry, I meant witch.”
“We’ve been through this, okay? I get what she did to Dimitri. I’m just saying, and this is the Alpha speaking, got me? The Alpha can see the big picture. Ilsbeth has done some good things over the years. She’s helped Kade. Even Léopold. Granted they’re vampires, but she performed tasks in goodwill. So that tells me that on occasion, she can take the right path. Now as Gilly’s brother, I want to kill her for what she did. It’s fucked up.” Jax sipped his drink and blew out a breath. “But that’s the thing, as Alpha, I don’t just get to be her brother. I must see the big picture. And it tells me that she’s not all bad.”
“She’s not all good,” Jake countered.
“True. But what happened last night? Something…instinct is telling me that Ilsbeth is trying to help us. Maybe something bad happened to her.”
“One can only hope.” Jake threw a stack of newspapers on the table. “Can you spread those out for me?”
“What?”
“Spread em’ out. On the table. Bugs are up.” Jake slid oven mitts onto his hands and lifted the metal colander out of the boiling pot.
Jax unfolded the papers and continued his train of thought. “I’m just saying, maybe she went away to lick her wounds…”
“Or hide because D was going to kick her ass from here to the moon.”
“More like Gilly. Stop interrupting.” Jax gestured to the covered surface. “This good?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“The thing is, just because Kat didn’t know her doesn’t mean she didn’t know Kat. She’s shrewd. She might have known what was going down. Maybe she even knew that she’d need Katrina to help bring these assholes down.”
“Heads up, Sherlock,” Jake instructed, dumping a steaming pile of red crustaceans onto the papers. “Look at that! That’s a slice of heaven right there.”
“I’m just sayin’. You need to learn to look at the big picture, Jake. Jesus, those things do smell good.”
“Told ya.”
“Not as good as…” Jax turned to find Katrina standing in the doorway.
Wearing nothing but his white dress shirt, his mate smiled at him and shifted her weight from one hip to another, inadvertently flashing a hint of inner thigh. He made a mental note to thank Samuel for making sure his closet had been stocked with his clothing. She’s the only sustenance I need, not a damn crawfish.
“Hey, Kat.” Jax inwardly laughed, realizing how nothing else seemed to exist in her presence. Pushing onto his feet, he reached for her hand. She giggled as he took her into his embrace. Although she’d showered, he could still smell his scent all over her skin and his cock hardened in response.
“Hey,” she responded back, her voice soft and husky.
Her smooth palm ran under the fabric of his shirt, grazing over his abs. She gazed up into his eyes and brushed her thumb over his flat nipple. Jax lost his words, and his eyes fell to her lips. Smiling, his mouth descended on hers.
The kiss was gentle, like a soft breeze in summertime. More than aroused, he was comforted by the support she’d given him when he’d told her about what had happened with Phoebe and his father. His heart tightened as she relaxed into his arms. He could fall for this woman, and although he’d known it would happen, the rush of adrenaline running through him confirmed how much he cared about her, about his future with Katrina.
“You guys are killin’ me, ya know that, right?” Jake teased.
Jax smiled into her lips and slowly opened his eyes, pleased with the come-fuck-me-now expression his mate wore. A pity it had to wait. But the way his thick shaft strained like a steel beam against his zipper, breakfast would have to be fast. A set of fingernails combed down his back, and he sucked a breath as they delved down inside his pants, cupping his ass.
“Hmm…now that’s the way I like to wake up,” Katrina purred.
“Baby, you’re tempting me.” Jax laughed as her other hand glided down between his legs and gripped his straining erection, stroking it through the denim. “Ah, shit. Not fair.”
“Who said life is fair, Alpha?” Katrina pressed a kiss to his cheek and glanced to Jake, who shook his head.
“Really? I am right here.” Jake gestured to his chest.
“Hmm…I think Jake likes to watch,” she quipped.
“You’re wicked.” My little minx wants some public fun, does she? Jax hadn’t thought it was possible, but her statement sent a fresh rush of blood to his already painfully erect cock.
As she spun in his arms to open a cabinet, he gave a devious smile to Jake.
“Let me help you,” Jax said sweetly. Without releasing her waist, he came up behind Katrina and lifted her shirt, exposing her bare bottom.
“What are you doing?” She laughed. As she reached for a coffee cup, she jumped as he roughly clasped a rounded cheek.
“My mate is very poorly behaved, don’t you think? Teasing you like she did.” Jax looked over his shoulder to Jake. “I think it’s my little wolf who likes being watched. Perhaps you should come see her?”
Jax knew he was playing with fire, inviting him to play. Allowing Jake to bring Katrina pleasure wasn’t an option. His wolf would lose it, and he risked shifting. Unmated, his wolf growled in warning, but the Alpha’s pulsing dick won the battle.
“You’re serious?” Jake shot him a look of surprise, and dropped the pot holders onto the counter.
“Did you know that my mate enjoys being spanked?”
“Jax,” Katrina hissed, wiggling under his touch.
“Isn’t it amazing how the Goddess sees fit to give me such an adventurous mate?” Jax nuzzled his nose into her thick locks and teased the back of her neck with his lips. The fresh scent of her coconut-scented shampoo reminded him of her wild nature. “You know, my sweet princess…the sooner we complete our mating, the sooner we can explore all the possibilities.”
As Jax kissed her skin, he sensed her wolf yearning to claim him. Although Katrina kept her restrained, the tether strained tight, fraying apart where he’d worn it thin. Like a game of chess, he’d strategically play his new mate, breaking her will until she set her wolf free. He suspected when she finally did, they’d bond.
“She’s always been beautiful.” Jake cautiously approached.
The Alpha lifted his head, meeting his gaze. As expected, the young wolf knew better than to reach for her.
“She,” Jax smacked her ass, the slap sounding throughout the kitchen. As he expected, Katrina moaned in arousal, not making an effort to move, “is amazing. And very, very hot.”
Jax’s fingers grazed down her cleft until he cupped her mound, giving it a light tap.
“Jax…we shouldn’t do this,” she panted.
“Jake was nice enough to make us breakfast.” He winked and gave a small chuckle. “And you came down here teasing us with something far more delicious. Should we give him a taste?”
“I…I…” Katrina’s gaze went to Jake. “Ah…”
&nb
sp; “Hmm? What was that? I can’t hear you.” Jax plunged two thick fingers into her, causing her to cry out in pleasure. He marveled at how aroused she’d become at having an audience. “She’s dripping wet. And such a naughty wolf. You like him watching, don’t you? Tell him, Kat.”
“Jax…just…oh please,” she breathed. Bracing her arms on the outside of the cabinet, she spread her legs wider, giving him better access.
“You need to answer when I ask you a question. Seeing that my hands are busy, would you mind assisting me in teaching Katrina how to answer me?” Jax glanced to her ass and nodded at Jake.
Taking his guide, Jake gave him a grin. “Yes, Alpha.”
As Jake slapped Katrina, her tight channel clenched around Jax’s fingers. “Oh yeah, she likes that, all right. Don’t you, Kat?”
Her hips began to thrust forward seeking relief, and Jax thought he’d come from the sound of her moaning. Jake spanked her again and she yelped.
“Yes, goddammit, I like it. Please…I can’t take this. Fuck me.” Katrina bit at her own skin and squirmed as Jax withdrew his fingers.
Jake fell back against the granite counter as Jax moved behind his mate, and unzipped his jeans. His eyes went to Jake, who undressed.
“Look at Jake. Look what you do to him.” Although unsure if he’d ever share his mate fully, the idea of making Jake watch turned him on as well. Jax slid his palm over his thick cock. Thumbing its slit, he brushed his seed over his shaft. He lifted her shirt once again and positioned himself, pressing his crown to her entrance.
“Oh my God…” Katrina grunted as Jax plunged into her.
Sliding a hand up under the flowing cotton, he reached for her breast. His other hand reached around between her legs, his middle finger spreading through her labia.
Her pussy pulsated around him as he rocked in and out of her slick core. Katrina glanced to Jake, who stroked his dick. Jax gave her a wicked smile as her gaze finally drifted to him. He never took his eyes off of her as he increased the pace. In all his days, he’d never been so impulsive. Fucking her in the kitchen, let alone in front of Jake, had been the furthest thing from his mind when he’d woken up, but there was no way he was stopping now.
