He took Jasmine’s hand, but she pulled it free and moved closer to Dustin. She wanted to make it clear where she wanted to go, and Dustin pulled her in behind him.
“The woman has always had the option to choose. It is our way, and you know it, brother. She doesn’t choose you; she chooses me.”
Dustin could see the fire starting in his brother’s eyes, and he moved in front of Jasmine to stop her from being burned. He was ever aware of how delicate she was, and it was one of those moments that he wished that it wasn’t that way. He wished she weren’t a human that could be killed so easily. It would have been better if she were one of them and could take the blast of fire that his brother was now shooting out of his mouth.
Dustin could feel his body burning because he wasn’t properly back to his dragon self. He couldn’t move, though. If he did, Jasmine would be charred, and she would not live through it. Dalton couldn’t shoot fire forever, he thought to himself, and just about the time Dustin didn’t think he could go on any more, Dalton stopped, and it gave him the opportunity that he needed.
“I am going to kill you, Dustin. Just like I did Father! You’re just like him, all trusting. You never see that your family wants to stab you in the back.”
It was then that Dustin’s cousins came in, and they all heard the confession. Dustin felt anger flowing through him, and it was impossible to hold back any longer. He’d spent months looking for his father’s killer, and it was his brother the whole time.
He told Barry to get Jasmine out of there, and then he turned on his brother. “You’re going to pay for Father, Dalton, and for Jasmine. I’m not like Father at all. I would rather kill you than have to pick up your mess any longer.”
The two men clashed, and Dustin was quickly in his dragon form, going towards his brother with murderous intent in his eyes. His body was badly burnt, but adrenaline made it so he couldn’t even feel it. His body was immune to pain, squarely focused on one thing and one thing only.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jasmine was practically thrown out of the small cabin by a man that she’d never met before but was obviously working with Dustin. Barry, the man had been called.
When she tried to get up and get into the room, he held her back, and she tried to pull free. “Please, I have to make sure nothing happens to Dustin. This is all my fault.”
The man shook his head. “Trust me, Jasmine, this has been brewing for a very long time.”
Jasmine looked towards the cabin, and she could see that half of it was in flames. The place was obviously not going to last much longer, and she feared for Dustin’s life. Not only was she worried that his brother would somehow get her back for wanting to leave him, but she didn't want to lose Dustin. She would much rather stay there with Dalton just to keep Dustin safe.
“Just let me go in there and make sure he's all right. That’s all I’m asking.”
Barry stopped her again, and she tried to push past, him but he looked to be easily stopping her with very little effort. She finally cried out to Dustin, hoping that he would hear her and come out safely.
“What if something happens to him? What if something happens to Dustin? You can't let anything happen to him! He is the father of my baby.”
Barry told her that it was going to be fine, but he didn’t make it very believable.
“It sounds like they're killing each other.”
“They very well could be but trust me when I tell you that your husband's going to be the one that comes out on top.”
“He’s been hurt.”
“He’ll be fine. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
She waved him off like he was being silly. “Of course, that's what I want. How could you even ask that? Dalton held me hostage. But that doesn't mean that I want him to die for it.”
Barry didn't say anything else, and she was worried about what his silence meant. Waiting was the worst part.
The only good thing was that she didn't have to wait very long. Within another couple of moments, it was Dustin that broke through the roof and flew high in the air.
When he came down, Jasmine immediately moved towards him, not even waiting for him to turn into his human form. The dragon side of him used to scare her, but now she didn't feel an ounce of fear. If anything, the strength that he showed just made her feel safer because she knew that nothing was going to happen to her.
They embraced, and she accepted his lips on hers. It was perfection, just like it happened before. How badly she had wanted them to get back together, and now she could feel it all coming back to her. The way Jasmine felt in Dustin's arms was a feeling she never wanted to lose again. It was the only thing that made sense in a world that was topsy-turvy.
Jasmine never wanted to let him go, but she had to. The building behind her was burning down as they spoke, and she could feel the heat from the fire.
She was anxious to leave and was more than happy to follow his lead.
“Can we please get out of here, Dustin? Can we please go home?”
Jasmine was starting to get back to normal, but she still woke up several times a night, sure that Dalton was coming back for her. She needed to know if he could.
Jasmine was also missing her mother. That was actually a funny thing for her to think because her mother was the whole reason that she had been sent down the path she was currently on. When she first found out that she had been sold to a stranger for marriage, Jasmine couldn't think of anything worse. But then, she had met Dustin, and now her life was more full of love than she could have ever imagined. She was almost ready to burst, and it would have been nice to have her mother there.
She tried to be happy with her current situation. It was a lot better than it had been, but there was still just something in the back of her head telling her that something terrible was going to happen. Something, some unknown danger, was just around the corner.
“I see you're in here with your melancholy again.”
Jasmine smiled. “I'm fine. I just have a lot of my mind, I guess.”
“What is it, my love? What is it that has you looking the way you do?”
She shrugged. “I don't know. I guess I just have an awful feeling.”
“About what?”
Jasmine wished she knew.
“I want to ask you something, but I don't want you to get mad at me.”
“Why would I get mad at you?”
“I keep thinking about your brother.”
He moved back away from her again, and she laughed at how serious he got all of a sudden.
“What I mean to say is, I worry about your brother.”
“Why are you worried about him?”
“I have dreams about him sometimes, taking me away from you again. I don't want that to happen, and I just worry about it, okay?”
That seemed to be a relief and she tried not to feel frustrated because of it.
“Trust me when I tell you that my brother will never bother you again.”
It should have been enough because it was probably a painful situation for Dustin, but it wasn't. She had to know for certain, especially with the baby coming.
She put her hand on her stomach to give her resolve and asked him again if he was sure.
“Just tell me what you're getting at, Jasmine.”
“I want to know if he's still alive or not. We never really talked about it after it happened. I need to know, for my own mind’s sake, you know?”
He looked at her a little stunned and then asked her what her preference was.
“I don't think you really want me to answer that.”
“No, I really do. What do you want to have happened?”
“I don't want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”
He nodded and looked like he was in agreement with her. “I promise you now that you never will have to worry about him again. He is no longer walking this earth. I'm sure he is causing hell for someone else now. But it won't be us anymore.”
<
br /> Relief flashed over her, and sure enough, then the guilt came.
She knew that now she would sleep easier, and whether it was right or wrong to feel that way, Jasmine felt better, knowing that Dalton would never pop back up to wreak havoc in her life.
Jasmine tried to pull her emotions back in close, but she could feel her body shaking, and just like all the other times when she felt like she was going to lose it, Dustin was there to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
It was something that he was very good at, and she immediately started to feel better when he pulled her into his arms. The strong biceps and heat settled her nerves and helped her breathe again.
“I don't think you'll ever know how much I love you, Jasmine, or what I would do to keep you safe. You are my family now, and no one will ever hurt you again. I promise you.”
Jasmine needed the reassurance, and soon, she needed more from him than just that. It wasn’t enough to feel like everything was going to be okay. She wanted to feel more than that. She wanted Dustin to take all thoughts from her mind for a while. For just a little while. That’s all she needed.
“You know I can’t think when you’re touching me like that.”
He grinned and slid his hand down between her legs, making her eyes close and a sweet moan escape her lips.
“Maybe that’s for the best. You think too much.”
One Month Later…
Jamie was smiling. She was happy about the news that she’d just received. It was Jasmine on the phone, and she was telling her about her new baby. Randolph had been born the week before. Jamie had worried about the match she’d made between Jasmine and Dustin, but it seemed to be going better than ever.
She was still musing to herself about the baby pictures she’d sent. Another life changed because of her. That’s what she liked to tell herself, anyway. It made her feel better, especially after learning how some of the women, all of them, possibly, had come to get married through her service.
It was easier to think about the success, instead of the dirty truth that was hiding in plain sight. When the phone rang, she jerked and tried her best to settle her nerves.
When she answered, Jamie heard a familiar voice and wasn’t sure what to say or do. William had been a huge part of her operation, procuring all of the women she used. She was still trying to get up the courage to deal with him.
“Jamie, I am glad I got ahold of you. I’ve been trying for several weeks now. Have you been sick?”
Jamie was quiet for a moment. The truth was that she was avoiding him like the plague. She wouldn’t have answered then if she had been checking the number like she should have.
“I’ve been out of the office a bit. What’s up?”
As she said it, she was cursing herself for being afraid. That wasn’t what she wanted to say to him at all.
“I have another girl that is ready for marriage, supreme breeding that would be perfect for one of your men. She’s like Jasmine: prime and untouched.”
She felt nausea sweep over her.
“I don’t think that we can do business anymore, William. It matters how you find them.”
“Well, if you won’t give me the recruitment fee that I have already put out for, then I will have to find someone else willing. The amount of money that is invested, though, it won’t be a good place she goes to, Jamie. Do you want that on your conscious?”
Jamie groaned and agreed she didn’t. “Bring her here, William, but this is the last one.”
He chuckled. “We will see about that, Jamie. I have dozens of girls lined up.”
She swallowed hard, hoping it wasn’t true. The phone went dead, and she replaced it on the receiver. Dozens, he said.
Alpha Wolf Son’s Claimed Bride
(Alpha Shifter Bride Service)
Book Two
Chapter One
William smiled at Carmella. She looked like she was ready to jump out of her skin.
“You are nervous. Would you like a drink, something to calm your nerves?”
She shook her head that she didn’t. “I am not old enough to drink.”
He waved her off and grabbed one of the bottles from the bar in the back of the limo. William liked to splash the cash when he finally met the girl and dropped her off to Jamie Caldwell. The owner of Brides for any Occasion was not going to be happy to see him, but that didn’t matter to William. The only thing that mattered to him was that he would get paid.
William was worried that Jamie would really keep to her word and not take any more after Carmella. Maybe she really would stop purchases, but then he knew he would get rid of them one way or another. That made him smile, and he handed the drink to the girl.
“Shifters don’t have to worry about the rules, now do they?”
She smiled shyly and took a little sip. It was clear from her expression that she wasn’t used to drinking such things because she nearly spit it out and coughed for a moment afterward. William checked out her long legs and the small, angelic face that tied it all together. If he wanted to get married, he would like someone fresh and young like Carmella.
Her skin was supple, curves barely there. Her blue eyes were as innocent as the gestures she made, or the way her eyes got big when he mentioned something out of the way. Carmella had blonde hair and tons of freckles that roamed across her cheeks. A laugh that tinkled his ears to make him smile and tiny dimples on her cheeks when she did.
He could genuinely have had fun with her if he wasn’t trying to make money on her instead. William didn’t know what Jamie charged for her matchmaking services, but he knew that it had to be pretty substantial. It had to be, because his charge was quite high.
William asked more questions about the school that she’d been attending the last couple of years. He got a discount on it because he procured women for the dean and he wanted to know if it was still a good deal.
“It was really grand. The place was full of really nice things, much like this limo. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before in real life, let alone rode in one before.”
“It’s no big deal. It is just a nice, comfortable way to travel.”
She agreed, and there was quiet. Carmella hadn’t touched her drink since she did the first time; he reminded her about it so he could be sure she would be nice and relaxed once they got to Jamie. Jamie was going to have her eyes wide open this time, and he didn’t want to give her any more of a reason not to do business with him in the future.
“It is like the school, really posh.”
He smiled again and agreed with her. The school was posh, and that’s why he had gone with the idea. It helped that the dean was a leech that he could use.
“We are almost there. Are you nervous, Carmella? Is there anything you want to ask me about? I want you to be well aware of what’s going on. It might not be the best time for questions when we get in there.”
Carmella nodded like she understood, but she really didn’t. He was worried about Jamie grilling her and Carmella showing that she really didn’t want to get married. The last time had been a problem because the girl ran her mouth. William didn’t want that to happen again. He had already been ducking one man. He didn’t want to have other strong shifter men looking to separate his head from the rest of him.
Carmella said that she was ready to get married, excited, though nerves were certainly playing a part in her attitude. He could see it coming off her in waves, but William told himself that it would be fine. It had to be. He had too much money into Carmella to do anything but sell her off. At least with Jamie, she would probably have a good life. William didn’t know why, but this time around, this girl, he liked the idea of her being genuinely happy.
The limo stopped in front of the agency and he smiled one last time at Carmella, asking her if she was ready. It would be the last time he saw her, and he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
“This is going to be the start of a new life, Carmella. I know it’s going to be a
good one.”
The words just slipped off his lips. He was able to do that a lot, say things he didn’t mean. He opened the door and waited for her to get out. She was wearing a white lace dress and she looked magnificent in it. He’d been afraid that it would wash her out, but Carmella liked the outdoors from the look of her tan. It just made her look even more innocent. For the first time, William was jealous of whoever got the girl. This one was prime.
Jamie was waiting for them at the receptionist area. A lot had changed, and he knew that it was her last high-profile client.
“It’s good to see you, William. And who do we have here?”
Jamie looked at the girl like a motherly figure. William didn’t like the instant assumption that he’d done something to her. But he could see it in Jamie’s dark brown eyes. She was judging him, and he didn’t like it. How were they so different?
“Carmella, introduce yourself, please.”
Carmella did, curtsying, and William just shook his head. That school was posh indeed. Maybe a bit too fancy for what he would need the girls for next. The culture shock might be too much for them.
“Carmella Sharp.”
“From the Sharp clan in Houston?”
Carmella looked surprised that Jamie knew about her family. She gushed that it was, and Jamie looked to William.
“They are a very prominent family.” Jamie looked concerned.
She was wondering how he had gotten her; William knew. He asked Carmella to sit down in one of the chairs in the darkened reception area. She listened like a child would, the glaze of just a little alcohol in her depths.
“Why don’t we go into your office for a moment, iron out some details?”
Jamie looked to the girl again, like something was going to happen to her if she did. William grinned, but he was really gritting his teeth. She was disrespecting him in everything that she did. He didn’t like it, and since he had elevated himself to such a status, he was no longer used to it either.
Alpha Shifter Bride Service: (A Paranormal Romance Series) Page 11
