The gurgling sound told her Noah was successful. When she had gotten to the two shifters who were struggling to get to their feet, she allowed her claws to grow and with two quick swipes, she decapitated both shifters. When she turned back to track the last one, Noah had his claws in the shifter’s chest. His mouth opened over his throat and cleanly removed his head.
Having fun?
If I could smile as a tiger, I would. But that’s another thing I can’t do to add to the list.
What are the other ones?
Shaking my head and shrugging my shoulders.
Jade smiled at her sexy tiger.
Four more down.
Kai got three; Xander, two. Nine more to go.
She walked toward the door but turned back. Do you want to take point?
Nah, I’m good back here. I’m used to my MP5 if I take point.
She nodded and exited the room. The next two rooms were empty and they met Kai and Reaper at the end of the hallway. They didn’t have to go searching for the rest. The group of shifters decided to advance together, and a .50 caliber led the way.
They hit the deck as the automatic gun fired round after round in the enclosed, underground space. It was fucking loud and to the immortals’ already enhanced hearing, it was almost deafening. Maybe that was their plan, but they would have been just as affected, if not more, because they were by the fucking monstrosity.
She glanced at Noah, who, as a tiger, made the disgruntled look work.
When the gun cut off, Jade could hear the distinct clicking that told them they were out of ammo. Before they could reload, Jade was on her feet and rushing the shifters. The first three were dispatched with said weapon as she picked it up and bashed their heads in with it.
When the weapon was tugged out of her hand, she quickly flipped onto another shifter’s back, ducking when one of his teammates pulled out a .45 and shot him right between the eyes. She pushed the dead shifter onto his friend, and when he became trapped, she cut his head off with one swipe.
The four had made a sudden retreat down the opposite hall. Jade gave chase, Noah right by her side. They split. Two right and two left. Kai, Reaper, and Xander took the right.
I’m gonna fucking kill them when I get my hands on them.
Why are you raging right now?
Jade scoffed. They fucking shot a .50 cal at my mate. I’m gonna rip them apart.
Noah slid to a halt with Jade taking a few steps past him before she stopped and turned, watching Noah as he quirked his head. She knew he had better hearing in his animal form. They all did.
I hear someone saying your name.
Jade concentrated on listening to what Noah heard, and sure enough, she heard her name in a singsong manner. Taking the lead, she took corridor after corridor, looking for the owner of the taunting voice.
Ghost. One of them knows my name.
There was a long pause and Jade knew Ghost well enough to know he would answer when he could. She glanced at Noah.
Don’t worry, he’ll answer.
Okay, three down. Only one left of the twenty. We’re coming to your position. Wait.
Jade leaned against the wall and she smiled when Noah sat back on his haunches, looking regal and handsome as he cocked his ear and listened to the movement around them.
They are coming.
She nodded at Noah and heard the group coming up fast.
“Can you still hear the voice, Noah?”
Yes. Down the hall, to the right, about fifty meters.
Ghost led the way, glancing at Jade and looking unsure about what was going on. The rest of the assassins absorbed Jade and Noah in the middle of the ranks and soon, they could hear the voice clearly.
“Jade. Jaaaaade. Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Let’s go.
With that, all of the assassins filed into the small space and faced the lone man in the room smiling at them. He scanned the group until he found Jade and then gave her a leering smile.
If she’d ever met this man, she had no recollection of who he was. He was older than most shifters, looking close to forty, while most shifters were in their early twenties. He had gray hair scattered throughout his short blond locks, making him look even older. His two front teeth were missing, but there was nothing wrong with his gaze, which kept sweeping over Jade as if she belonged to him.
“How do you know me?”
The cackle that exploded out of his throat sent a shiver of discomfort down her spine. And while he laughed, his creepy gaze came back to her. She stayed silent as her eyes narrowed.
“I knew you would be special. I knew you would be the best out of all of them. That’s why I changed you, because I knew you could take it.”
Again, it didn’t truly matter to her how or who caused her transition. She was happy where she was and the past was just that—the past. When he saw that she couldn’t care less, he stopped laughing like a loon and his face showed his true nature as he sneered at her.
“Don’t you care?”
She didn’t say anything.
No, I truly don’t give a fuck. Can we kill him and leave?
She could hear Xander, Hunter, and Gunnar chuckle in her head. Noah leaned into her and she reached her hand through his fur.
“Well, does your mate care that I kept you for six months before I turned you and passed you around to anyone who would pay to fuck you? Sometimes I would indulge as well. You were sweet.”
She could feel Noah leave her side, but she wouldn’t look away from her taunter. His sound was hidden when the group around her growled at the man, ready to snap his head off if she gave the signal.
“But then a stupid fucking fox shifter bit you and you almost died. No one wanted you after that. Used goods, but not only that, you were broken. You couldn’t even shift and no one wanted a shifter who couldn’t shift. Pathetic little thing. So I ordered you killed, but apparently the stupid shifter I assigned fucked that up.”
Jade was surprisingly not affected by his words. What did she care whether he was telling the truth or not? But she couldn’t help but think there was a reason they were lured here. Soon, her silence got to him and he spilled everything.
“Apparently we don’t care about your past. What you should be worried about is the group of shifters who left about an hour before you arrived. They are going after the white-haired shifter’s mate and their baby. He’s an abomination and must be destroyed. And if you think this is the end, you’re mistaken. We already have our new leader.”
Xander. Go.
Ghost could tell that Xander needed to see if his family was safe. Xander didn’t hesitate.
The man threw his head back and laughed. At that moment, Noah leapt at the man’s throat and ripped it out. As he lay gurgling on the ground, Noah lifted his huge paw and detached his head from his body. And not quite happy, Noah stepped on the detached head, making sure no amount of regeneration could help him.
“Well, I need a shower to wash that filth off. We should have killed him when we spotted him.” Gunnar shivered.
“He was lying. He doesn’t know me at all. He might have found my name somewhere, but he didn’t know me. There was no recognition in his eyes when he saw me. He was ordered to do it. When he told us about a new leader, that was the truth.” Jade sighed.
“Let’s go. And Gunnar…”
“Yeah?”
“Burn this place to the ground.”
Gunnar nodded as they headed back to the SUVs. Noah shifted back and quickly dressed before they piled into the remaining two SUVs and started home.
“Took offense to what he said, huh?” Jade laughed at Noah’s reaction.
“I wish I could have brought him back from the dead and killed him in a more painful way.”
“Well, it looks like there’s more tracking in our future,” Jade said.
Noah nodded. “But first, let’s get married.”
Jade sputtered as she looked at Noah’s growing smile. “It’s
a good idea, baby. You know you want to marry me.”
“I do, but can we get married at the courthouse? I don’t want to plan anything or be the center of attention.”
Noah laughed. “Of course. Tomorrow.”
Jade couldn’t help it. She started giggling but nodded her head, agreeing.
“I love you, baby.”
“I’m so glad I met you. I love you, too.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jade
Jade had woken when she could feel the chill of the cold spring morning shiver over her naked skin. She blinked her eyes open and realized Noah was sitting up, cross-legged on the bed with a cupcake in his palm, the candle on top, lit.
“What are you doing, you crazy man? It’s four in the morning and it’s freezing.”
Noah smiled and glanced down at the cupcake. “It’s our three-month anniversary today.”
Jade couldn’t help it. She blinked at him, confused.
“Noah, you know I love you, more than anything in the entire world. I’m just wondering why we’re celebrating our three-month anniversary at four in the morning.”
Instead of answering, he shoved the cupcake close to her lips. “Make a wish and blow it out.”
Jade smiled indulgently at her husband and closed her eyes. She wished for an eternity with Noah and his crazy antics and his loving ways. When she opened them, she blew out the candle and glanced at him.
The fire banked in his eyes told her exactly why he woke her up so early. He tossed the used candle over his shoulder and moved to his hands and knees as he stalked closer to her. When he could reach her ankle, he gripped it and pulled her until she was flat on her back, her naked body exposed to his view.
She sucked in a deep breath when Noah turned the cupcake so the frosting was pointing down, and proceeded to smoosh it on her stomach and moved the cake and frosting mix over her breasts, up to her neck, and then scooping a bit onto his finger and displaying it so she could take a bite.
When she sucked his finger into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it, Noah growled, sending vibrations straight to her core.
“And the rest is for me. I’m going to lick and nibble each crumb and smear off you before I sink my cock deep inside you and make you come apart for me.”
Jade arched up, hoping to encourage him to touch her. “Your voice is enough to send me over the edge, but I need you to touch me.”
Noah groaned and buried his face against her neck and licked and nibbled around her sensitive skin. He moved from side to side, making sure not to miss anything, while he drove her completely insane. When he’d licked her neck clean, he moved his tongue and swirled it against her chest, not even near her breasts, and her body throbbed.
“Please, Noah, just take me.”
Instead of answering, he continued with his movements as her hips moved up and down, trying to get some friction to push her over the edge, but there wasn’t anything to rub against.
Over the next hour, he cleaned her breasts, her stomach, her sides, with a focus and intensity, until she was panting as thought she’d run hundreds of miles. Her nails were digging into her palms and his breath against her skin pushed her closer to the edge.
“Jade.”
“Oh, God. What are you doing to me?”
“I want to see if you will come at the sound of my voice and my breath against your skin.”
The bed shifted and she felt Noah line up his body close to hers on the bed, still without touching any part of her. Until he pressed his lips against her ear.
“Jade. My love, my mate. I want you to come.”
And that was all it took. Jade arched and her body pulsated with her orgasm. She felt a rush of wetness against her thigh and shouted his name. Within seconds, he managed to get between her thighs and he pulled her up until her legs draped over his thighs. The moment he had her in the right position, he drove into her, drawing out her orgasm as she clutched his shoulders and moved up to meet his thrusts.
“I love you.”
Noah leaned forward and captured her mouth in a scorching kiss. “I know. I love you, too.” He panted for a bit before he spoke again. “I’m starting to think that forever isn’t long enough.”
“As long as I’m with you, I’ll go anywhere.”
Noah moaned her name, letting her know he was about to come, and it sent her over the edge for a second time. When he dropped her legs and pressed his hips against hers, jerking inside her as he came, she held him tight and breathed him in.
Jade loved when Noah dropped down on her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.
It was funny how life worked. She hated the thought of a mate and truly believed that Noah hated her when they’d met, but Noah was everything she could ever want.
“What are you thinking about?”
“How lucky I am to have you. How, despite everything that’s happened to the two of us, I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Noah kissed her and groaned when the sun peeked underneath the blinds.
“Silas will be here soon.”
Jade nodded and pulled Noah up so they could shower together. They made quick work of it, because after Xander had come home and killed two shifters outside his house, trying to get past Silas’s shields, they all stuck close to home. The danger wasn’t over.
As soon as they dressed for the day, there was a loud voice in their heads.
Noah and Jade. I want to see you.
Silas would turn one in less than a month and while they still didn’t want him to grow up too fast, every day Silas amazed them. Weeks after they had taken out part of the shifter group that had been after them, Silas had learned, by accident, that he was a telekinetic like Ara.
They opened the door and found Silas straining toward Jade, a laughing Xander trying not to drop his son as he squirmed in his arms.
Hey, little man. Don’t I get a hug first?
Noah liked to tease him, but Silas ignored him and sent out waves of happiness as Jade pulled him into her arms and cuddled him against her neck. Noah wrapped an arm around Jade’s shoulder and nuzzled against Silas’s neck, making the little boy laugh.
Any news? she asked Xander.
Xander shook his head. Well, they weren’t going to worry about it and they had their eyes and ears open.
“Let’s go get breakfast. Ara is showing Frost how to cook, so we’ll see.”
Jade punched Xander in the arm while keeping an arm around Silas.
“Yes, I’m starved,” Noah grumbled.
“You’re always hungry.”
Noah wiggled his eyebrows and Jade laughed along with Silas.
And although there was a threat hanging above all of their heads, they were a happy group, a happy family, and that’s all they could ask from life.
The End
Hunter (A Dark Assassins Novel Book Five) Coming Soon!
About the Author
Valerie resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and their dog, Maddie. While she had been interested in writing a romance novel for years, it wasn’t until she wrote her first book that she really became hooked, and now she can’t stop. She has notebooks full of ideas, and she plans to write most of them in the years to come.
When she’s not writing or learning about the craft of writing, she can be found surfing the internet way too much, watching Investigation Discovery and thinking that her neighbors are up to no good, and finding new ways to get her husband to laugh.
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