Raine ran a hand through her mussed hair and gave him a small nod, but he could already tell her mind was on something else, probably Twila. He could feel his mate’s distress even though they hadn’t actually mated yet and forged the unbreakable bond that would allow them to know what she thought and felt at all times. What he could feel from her now was only a tiny percentage of what he’d be able to feel once they mated her.
He heard from others, mated friends, that once bonded, the sexual experience with a mate was unlike anything one could ever imagine, more sensual and fulfilling than any other sexual experience they’d ever had. He hoped to soon know exactly what his mated friends meant by that. He couldn’t imagine sex so satisfying that you’d feel too weak to even unmount your mate, but his mated friends had sworn that happened more often than not with their women.
Drayven slapped Ryker on the back as they left the office, probably to get his attention. “I’m going to grab us a couple of chairs from the kitchen. There’s no reason to sit on the hard, concrete floor if we don’t need to.”
“Great idea. See if there is anything to eat in there while you’re at it. I’m starved. Raine probably is, too. I don’t think she took a single break since she got the call that the diner was burning.”
Drayven nodded. “You’re right. I’ll whip her up some sandwiches and see what else is in there. She needs her energy, because I don’t think the Demon Lord is done. Far from it, actually. Not after what you told me about what the note said, anyway.”
Grimacing, Ryker couldn’t help but agree. “You’re right. I think this is just the start. He has plans for her, plans we’re not aware of. He’ll come after her.”
“Or her family. If he knows anything about her, he’ll know that family means everything to Raine. She may be independent, but she loves those brothers of hers something fierce. The quickest way to get to her will be through them, especially with us guarding her.”
“You’re right. I’m going to make some calls while you’re foraging for food. We need to call in some reinforcements.”
As Drayven headed toward the kitchen, Ryker pulled his cell phone out of his side holster. He had a lot of calls to make and not a lot of time. His gut told him to hurry, that the Demon Lord Leonard would strike again. Soon. They needed to be ready when he did.
* * * *
Raine stared at her cluttered desk, seeing nothing beyond the tears blurring her vision. She’d only just now had time to check her messages, beyond thankful to hear Twila’s voice letting her know that her daughter was home, safe and tucked into bed. Though they knew who the arsonists were, Billy Bob and Bobby Bill Martin. They were still at large, but for now, at least Twila was home and she had a couple of suspects to locate. At least something good had come out of the tragedy in the last twenty-four hours. Her best friend may have lost her business, but she had her daughter back in her arms, right where she belonged. Closing in on thirty, Raine envied Twila. All her life, even as she fought for her independence, she craved a family of her own, children of her own. She wanted to come home to a house full of chaos after her shift ended at the firehouse, wanted to cook dinner and sit around the table with her family and listen to them talk about their days. She wanted to blow raspberries on her babies’ tummies after their baths and read them a bedtime story, all things she’d watched Twila do over the years, despite not having her mate with her.
And with those thoughts circling in her mind, they inevitably turned to the two men sitting outside her office. Raine wiped away the tears running down her cheeks and pushed her chair back from the desk. Tossing her pen on the desktop, she stood and headed toward the sofa, rubbing the ache at the small of her back. Why now? Why did she have to meet them now?
Raine snatched up the blanket and unfolded it. As she lay down, she stared up at the ceiling. If she had to meet her mates, why couldn’t it have been after all this crap with the Demon Lord was settled, after she’d been Fire Chief long enough that her position there was solidified. Goddess she wanted a family of her own, but she’d only had her job as Chief for a little over six months. She couldn’t really take the time off to get to know her mates and start a family now. But wanting and getting were two different things. The fact was she had two mates, two men who would soon try their best to get her into their arms, something the pheromones in her body would entice them into. Her father had long ago told her about what would happen when she met her mate. Shortly afterward, she’d go into her first heat and it wouldn’t abate until she got pregnant. If she used birth control, she’d be in perpetual heat until she did get pregnant and that was not something she could handle, not working around men all day, day in and day out.
With her hands cradling her empty belly where a child would more than likely soon nestle, Raine closed her eyes. Hopefully, when she woke, things would look a little brighter and maybe someone would tell her that the note from the Demon Lord that she’d tucked in her pocket was only a dream and the last horrifying twenty-four hours had never happened. But even as she thought that, she knew one thing for sure. Whatever else might happen, her lioness would continue to batter her until she gave in to the need and took her mates to bed. She could only hope that in the end, it would be worth it, that she could love them and them her, like she’d dreamed of all her life and that they didn’t suffocate her as she always feared. After one last deep breath, she allowed sleep to overtake her.
Chapter
Jakob drove into Serenity not on the back of his Harley like he’d originally planned but inside his bullet-proof SUV that had been spell-protected by a very thankful fae for retrieving his daughter from her abductor. So long as Raine and his brothers were inside it, nothing would be able to touch them. The fae that had blessed his SUV had already been out to the house and spell-protected it as it was built, from the cement in the foundation all the way to the shingles on the roof. Every inch should withstand anything the Demon Lord tried to throw at it. Now, he just had to collect his brothers and convince his mate to move in with them.
From what he gathered while using his resources to learn about his mate, she had done everything in her power to become independent, using college as the first step toward claiming her freedom. She would not want to relocate to their home and certainly not permanently. But if he could convince her to stay there temporarily for safety issues, they’d hopefully be able to persuade her that their home was the only place she’d want to be. When something was important enough, he didn’t give up on it. And Raine was the most important thing in his life besides his brothers. Her safety his main priority followed closely by her happiness.
He may not have met her yet, but he could feel her through his brothers, could even smell her unique scent if he concentrated on the link he had with his brothers while they were in her company. Every time he did, his lion roared inside his head, insisting he seek out his mate and claim her. The last couple of weeks had been hell as he waited for his brothers to make the first move. He wasn’t a gentle man, not that he would ever harm their mate. He could grant her some freedom, but only up to a point. He and his brothers had lost their parents and baby sister many years ago when his father had become careless, allowing a bounty to follow him to his home and kill him, his wife and infant daughter.
Jakob had just turned twenty-two, had just graduated college, and had to raise his younger brothers while mourning the loss of both his parents and the younger sister he’d doted on. Thank the goddess, his parents had prepared for the future, having a clear will naming him as guardian over his younger brothers with all property and assets left to them equally.
Because of his earlier loss with the premature deaths of his family members, he worried obsessively over safety, making sure to keep the ones he loved safe at all costs. He wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to them that had happened to his own parents and sister. Not ever again. That’s why the moment they’d realized their mate lived in Serenity, they all handed in their resignations, unwilling to take a chance that on
e of the dangerous paranormals the council might send them after could track them back to their home, to their mate or any children they might have. Bad enough that his two brothers were still in the law-enforcement field, targets. But they were still idealistic enough to want to make a difference.
Shaking his head, Jakob turned off Main Street
and headed toward home. He hadn’t been by in a few weeks and couldn’t wait to see how the playroom turned out. It had been the one room he’d insisted on and he’d ordered all the equipment and accessories for it. His cock grew hard and thick just thinking about it. He couldn’t wait to see her inside it, her body prepared for him. He rubbed his shaft through his jeans, wincing at the too tight material. He’d have zipper marks running up and down the length of his dick if his thoughts kept traveling in the direction they were.
Lost in thought, the trip to his new home seemed to fly past. Jakob soon found himself pulling into the long driveway that led to his home. In mere minutes, he’d be home, finally. It seemed like he’d waited for this moment his entire life. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be to have Raine there greeting him, her neck proudly displaying his mating mark. But that would come soon enough. He just needed to get her there and the rest would take care of itself. He’d make sure of it.
As the Mediterranean-style home came into view, he felt his heart hitch in his chest. Home. Finally, he and his brothers would have a home, something they’d lacked the last two decades. Shutting off his engine, he stopped to look at the place with an objective eye, his concern being what Raine’s reaction would be when they brought her here. With pale yellow stucco exterior walls, a red tile roof, large windows allowing in plenty of natural light and an open, airy design, he hoped Raine liked it because it would soon be her home.
The 5500-square-foot home boasted five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a den, a game/media room, a kitchen, a dining room, a breakfast nook, as well as the living room, a family room and a hidden room they’d converted into a panic room. His eyes skimmed over the huge house, past the attached three-car garage before finally resting on the pool house where the “playroom” had been created—his requirement for the house he’d call home.
He couldn’t wait to inspect it to make sure the St. Andrews cross he ordered as well as the spanking horse, hanging ball cage, bondage altar bed and the swing were all installed properly. He’d not have his mate injured because the equipment hadn’t been put together and secured correctly. But first, before he went through the playroom, he needed to know just where his brothers and mate were. The sooner he got to Raine’s side, the happier he’d be. Most definitely the more in control he’d feel and to Jakob, control was a very important part of his life.
Unfastening his seatbelt, Jakob reached for his cell phone. It took only a moment to press the speed dial for his brother Ryker. Two rings later, he answered, voice wary. “Hey, big brother! Are you in town yet?”
Immediately, Jakob’s hackles rose. “Yeah, I just pulled in at the house. What’s going on, Ry?” Without waiting for an answer, he refastened his seatbelt and turned the engine one. Something in his brother’s tone told him he wouldn’t have the luxury of walking through their home now that the interior had finally been finished.
“There’s been another fire—probably arson. This time, more personal. Raine’s oldest brother, Taylor’s hardware store is burning. We’re on our way there now. Raine is with her men on the truck heading toward the burning building.”
“Fuck,” Jakob roared, spinning the SUV’s wheels as he raced down his driveway and heading back toward town. It would take him at least ten minutes doing eighty to get there. “I’m on my way. You stick to her ass like glue. This could be another trap, this time using the hardware store as bait to lure her out there.”
“We’re on it, Jakob. Drayven is riding in the engine with her and Raine is pretty pissed about it, but he’s there. One of us will stick with her ‘til you’re on site.”
“You better.” Jakob closed his cell phone and tossed it onto the passenger seat, keeping his mind focused on the road. All he needed to do was wreck on the way because of carelessness.
In minutes, he’d finally see his mate in person for the first time. He purposely stayed away because he knew the moment he scented her, his beast would never want to leave her side—at least not for a good long while—never mind the man. He’d waited what seemed like forever to find a mate of his own, taking jobs chasing monsters all over the world in an effort to find her. Having her show up in the town they’d long ago decided to settle in meant fate had finally granted him his greatest desire and he would do whatever he needed to keep her safe.
* * * *
Raine’s entire body trembled as she sat in the passenger’s side of the fire engine as it made its way through town heading toward her brother’s hardware store. Each of her brothers had made something of himself and now, her oldest brother was in danger of losing everything. She knew it would be arson before they even reached the site. Knew it to the depths of her soul. The Demon Lord was sending her a message, that he could get to anyone she loved.
Swallowing down the bile determined to come up, Raine wrapped her fingers around her seat cushion and tried to keep her face blank. She couldn’t let the others see her break. She worked too damn hard establishing herself, proving she wasn’t a girly girl in need of a big, strong man to lean on. She would handle this. She flicked her gaze up to the rearview mirror, watching the myriad emotions flow across Drayven’s face. Though she’d never admit it, knowing what she’d face, who more than likely had targeted the store, she was thankful he was there to cover her ass while she went about her job. As though sensing her attention, his gaze met hers in the mirror before he gave her a small smile before turning his head to look out the window.
She’d give anything to know what he was thinking just then, but with her own mental barriers firmly in place, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking and right now that was okay because it meant he couldn’t tell what was on her mind as well.
When the fire engine came to a stop in the street in front of her brother’s store, Raine shoved everything but doing her job to the back of her mind. She couldn’t think about whose store now burned in front of her, couldn’t worry about anything other than fighting the blaze and making sure her people stayed safe while they battled the raging inferno. The smell of burning rubber and plastic made her eyes water and her throat itch. Donning her mask and hardhat, she jumped out of the engine. She scanned the fire, could see the tar of the roof burning, the glass in the front of the store melting from the extreme heat. The store would be a total loss, that she already knew.
“Man the hose, men. Get it unrolled and hooked up to the hydrant. Darius, you’re our nozzle man. Get water on this building, now,” she hollered. Not letting doubt or worry enter her voice, she directed her men. As hot as the fire burned and as quickly as it spread, it would probably be impossible to find a single cause for the fire. The hardware store shelves were filled with flammable liquids that could not only explode, but also pour all over the floors, allowing the fire to spread faster and farther than it would in an abandoned building. Regardless, she had no doubt the fire had been arson, didn’t doubt, also, that once she could enter the building to investigate that, she’d find another note to her from the Demon Lord Leonard.
Once her men were situated, she searched the crowd, looking for the one face she prayed she’d see. When she scanned the bystanders and didn’t see her brother, panic set in. He had to be here. He just had to be. Scared out of her mind, but determined no one would see her fear, she shouted for her brother through their familial telepathic bond. Taylor, where are you? Answer me, damn it! Only a chilling silence met her panicked entreaty.
Chapter
Drayven watched Raine search the crowd, felt her panic rise higher and higher. It didn’t take a genius to figure out whom she hoped to find standing in the crowd. Her fear, her aching sense of loss wrapped around him as if
it were his own. He had to do something. A few short steps took him to her side. She stiffened beside him as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. That he couldn’t allow. You’re our mate, Raine. Get used to it. We’ll find your brother. We’ll find Taylor and warn the others.
Her eyes widened and he couldn’t help but smile despite the grimness of the situation. How is this possible?
Drayven snorted. You’ve known for weeks what we are to you, Raine. Don’t try to deny it.
Raine turned her head away, her gaze once again searching the crowd. I don’t want mates. Hell, I don’t want one mate never mind two.
Three, actually.
Raine’s head snapped around, her jaw hung open in shock.
“What do you mean three?” she asked, obviously forgetting that those standing nearby could now listen in on their conversation.
Drayven shrugged. Serenity’s citizens would have found out soon enough that three Leos in their prime were mating their Fire Chief, so there really wasn’t a need to be discreet. Besides, theirs wouldn’t be the only menage relationship, or even the only foursome in the town from what he’d heard. “Our brother Jakob is the eldest and we’re almost positive he’ll turn out to be your mate as well, but you would have found that out very shortly for yourself.”
“How shortly?”
The sound of a powerful engine roared to a stop across the street from where they stood. “Now, actually. Jakob stayed away to finish up a few things and so you’d get to know us before having to deal with him as well. This situation with the Demon Lord bumped that timetable up by several weeks.”
Again, Raine turned away from him, her eyes now scanning her men, probably making sure they were still safe as much as using it as a distraction from the conversation they were having. An engine from the nearby town of Ransom pulled up, giving her yet another way to change the subject. Drayven let her but followed close on her heels, as she talked to Ransom’s chief. Within a couple minutes, the new squad had donned their gear and entered the burning store to fight the fire from the inside, while Raine’s men continued to pour water on the fire from the outside.
Ravishing Raine Page 3
