Rafael

by Faith Gibson

  “Would you rather we let them run loose, killing wildly with no moral compass to stop them? Slow them even? Are you prepared with an army of your own to stop the worst of their kind? Kaya, we have been slaying the dragons since the beginning of time. We just happen to be facing a man-made dragon at present. Do you think you could really stop the worst of the Unholy?”

  “It’s just hard for me as an officer of the law to think there is a different type of justice being handed down than the one I promised to uphold. So what happens now?

  “What do you mean?” Rafael was keeping his hands to himself, arms folded across his chest. This was the first time they had been together that he wasn’t touching her in some way. She missed the connection. Screw it. She placed her hand on his thigh. The muscle jumped under her fingers, but she kept her hand where it was.

  “Is there some sort of mind swipe you do that will make me forget what I know about you?”

  She felt movement and looked up to see Rafael’s chest shaking. Then he did something she would never forget. He tilted his head back and laughed out loud. The sound filled her with joy.

  “Oh, Love. You watch too many movies. We don’t have that capability, although it would be nice.” His smile was brilliant. She removed her hand from his leg and placed it on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into it. She stroked her thumb over the rough stubble. Was it just a few hours ago that his smooth face was rubbing against hers? Thinking back to earlier caused her body to tingle. His nostrils flared, and his eyes flew open.

  “What? What’s wrong? Please tell me you’re not going to tackle me again.”

  Rafael grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand from his face. “It’s been a long night. I should probably go and let you digest what I have told you. Should you wish to see me again, please let me know. If you decide not to, I’ll abide by your wishes.”

  “Just tell me one thing. Did you only have sex with me because of this mate thing?”

  “Kaya, you are beautiful, smart, sexy, driven, and strong. What man wouldn’t want you? I admit, the bond drew me to you, but Love, I enjoyed every second of being with you. If I had my way, you would be in my bed from this moment forward. I cannot imagine not having you in my life, but it’s your decision. I don’t want you to feel like you have to be with me.”

  “But I do have to be with you.” Kaya leaned her body over Rafael’s and kissed his lips. She sat back and removed her sweatshirt then pressed her bare breasts against his chest. She pulled his lower lip into her mouth and sucked. Running her tongue along his jawline, she nipped at his jaw, remembering his reaction the last time. She was hoping for the same result. He turned his body so that one leg was along the back of the sofa, and the other was bent with a foot on the floor. This allowed her to rub against his growing erection.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she had gone down on someone, but she needed to have this man, her man, in her mouth. She kissed under his chin, in the curve of his throat. Working her way down she licked each nipple, biting one then the other. A growl came from his throat. She continued down his body, kissing, licking, biting, until she got to his waistband. She unbuttoned his pants and lowered the zipper carefully. She tugged his fatigues off his hips. His cock was ready for her. She wrapped her hand around it, watching Rafael’s face as she did. He was studying her, his nostrils flaring. That intrigued her. He said his senses were enhanced. Could he smell her arousal? Could he tell how much she wanted him without touching between her legs?

  She licked the head of his cock, eyes still locked on his. She ran the flat of her tongue from the base all the way up to the tip. When she got to the end, she swallowed him down as far as she could. Gripping the base, she bobbed up and down, each time taking him a little farther. When Kaya felt she could take him all the way, she moved her hand to his balls. His chest was rising and falling faster. Each of his breaths more ragged than the last. Knowing she was the cause of his arousal had Kaya turned on. The moans coming from her matched those Rafael was letting loose. She sucked him to the back of her throat and swallowed. Rafael growled and grabbed her hair. The pain to her scalp sent a delicious burn straight to her core. She continued a rhythm of sucking, licking and swirling.

  “Fuck, that’s good. Suck me down.” Rafael’s eyes were still connected with hers. “I’m so close, baby.”

  Kaya wanted to give this to him. Wanted to take this from him. She needed it. She went back to the rhythm that had his hips pumping down her throat. “Mmm.” That’s it Rafael, fuck my mouth. His thrusting into her mouth had her groaning louder. He was obviously enjoying the slurping and moaning. She added her hand and used the saliva from her mouth as lube.

  “Kaya, oh gods. Fuck! I’m coming!” He yelled her name as his warm liquid coated the back of her throat. She swallowed everything he gave her. When he was no longer grinding his hips into her face, she licked the head one last time.

  Chapter 39

  Rafe was ready to propose. Right then and there. Watching Kaya’s lips wrapped around his cock, then swallowing his come was better than he imagined. She gave something of herself to him with that selfless act. She could have stopped at any point, but she continued until he came. She did that for him. Was it possible she still wanted him even knowing what he was?

  She slid her body up his, slowly, languidly. Her heavy breasts stroked his thighs as she moved farther up. Fuck, she was so sexy, all that blonde hair falling over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were filled with lust. She wanted him. That knowledge alone had his dick hardening again, for her. She licked her lips, and he pressed his mouth to hers, wanting to taste himself on her tongue. Goddamn that was so fucking erotic; his spunk mixed with the mint from her toothpaste mixed with her natural essence.

  Their tongues swirled together, each demanding control. She was rubbing herself against his now hard erection. Rafael wanted to please his woman, return the favor. He circled her in his arms, one hand sliding down her back under the band of her sweats. Christ, did the woman never wear panties? He grabbed one cheek and squeezed, kneading the flesh. He slid his other hand down, gripping the other cheek. Massaging her toned ass, he pulled her cheeks apart, dipping one hand between her legs. Fuck she was so wet.

  He wanted his tongue to replace his fingers. He began lowering her sweat pants when his phone rang in his cargo pocket. “Fuck me.” He did an ab curl sitting up, pulling her up into his lap. “I’m so sorry, Love. I have to get that.”

  He dug his phone out of the pocket on the side of his pants and thumbed it on. “Rafe.”

  “My King, I am sorry to disturb you, but we have a situation at the Pen. I need all hands on deck. Dante told me to leave you be, but Rafael, I need you.” Gregor never called Rafe unless he was in dire straits. “I’m on my way.”

  “I have to go. There is something going down at the prison, and I am needed.”

  “But you’re King. Don’t you have, I don’t know, minions to take care of problems?”

  “Sweetheart, I do not ask of my men that which I will not do myself.” He stood, pulling her to her feet along with him. “I hate to leave you in such a state, but I promise to make it up to you. You should rest, yes?”

  “Yes, but I won’t. I’ll be worried about you. Let me go with you. I am a cop after all.” There was the rub. Before now, he admired her for what she did. Now that he knew she was his mate, he wanted nothing more than to shelter her and keep her from harm. His Kaya was a stubborn woman, and he was going to have his hands full going forward.

  “No. Absolutely not. Kaya, I have to go, but please promise me you’ll stay here. This isn’t human business.” He kissed her on the lips, hard. “I’ll call you.”

  He knew better than to order her around, but she was in no way going anywhere near the Pen. He made his way through her house and out the back door to the cover of night. Without looking back, he phased and took to the skies.

  He could feel when his brothers took his flank. He didn’t have to look to know they were ther
e. The soft flap of their wings filled the night as they rode the wind as one. Frey met them and filled them in on what was going down. “We have a breach in the lower level security. One of the Unholy got loose and went crazy. Gregor managed to detain him, but the others are still fighting amongst themselves.”

  “Do we have a plan?” Rafe knew Frey would have scoped it out and come up with the best solution.

  “Yes, we split up into four teams, coming in from each of the corridors that are still blocked off. The stairwells leading down are clear. Luckily the fighting has been contained to the lower lever.”

  “Why don’t we just let the fuckers kill each other?” Sixx asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

  “Because Dr. Henshaw is stuck in the middle of the shit storm. We need to get him out before they find out he is hiding down there.”

  Gregor met the men at the back entrance to the upper level. Frey divided them into four squads, and they made their way down below. The plan was to detain as many as they could without killing them, but if push came to shove, they would shove back. Harder.

  As always, Rafael was the first one to rush headlong into battle. He always had been. What he told Kaya was truth. He would not sit back and let someone else put their life on the line while he watched from the sidelines. He was strong and fearless and could fight with the best of them.

  Pure pandemonium was underway. Rafe and his brothers spread out, taking down anyone who got in their path. When the Unholy caught on to the fact that they were not alone, they stopped warring with each other and turned on the Goyles. Fangs and claws extended, they let it rip. Literally.

  During the cloning process, the Unholy had received fangs and claws but their skin remained as that of a human. The Unholy used their claws to thrash back at their attackers, but the Goyles were able to overpower them and put them back behind bars. It took a couple of hours and quite a bit of bloodshed, but Rafael and his brothers came away practically unscathed. The one casualty in the combat was the doctor. He was already dead when they got to him.

  Tessa listened to her cousin and aunt verbally spar back and forth while she helped Dane through his transition. He was resting comfortably now that he had phased a few times with a little guidance. She felt sorry for Isabelle, having been kept in the dark all these years. Now she knew the truth and could begin to heal mentally and play her part in their world. They needed her now more than ever.

  Isabelle got the last word in with her mother then walked away. Tessa was glad she insisted they take separate transportation. The doctor could go home and lick her wounds while Tessa stayed with Dane. The door opened, and her aunt came in. “How is he?”

  “Very well. His last phase was almost painless; he’s just worn out. His boss called again. Do we have a plan for her?”

  Caroline shook her head. “Not until we speak to Dane. It’s up to him if he wants to continue his life as a detective.”

  Tessa nodded looking at Dane. “Are you going to tell him the truth?”

  “Not yet. I think he’s been through enough for one day. We have to figure out the trigger, Tessa. If we knew what brought on the change, we could prepare them all for what’s going to happen.”

  “I’m working on it. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll go catch up on some sleep so I can start on that first thing.” Tessa brushed Dane’s hair off his forehead then stood. She grabbed her helmet but stopped at the door. “She’ll come around.” Not waiting for a response, she left the building. As tired as she was, she needed the feel of the engine rumbling between her legs while flying down the highway to ease her tension.

  Tessa, unlike Isabelle, was blessed with the knowledge that her mother was alive and well. Even though Elizabeth was hidden away from the world, namely Gordon Flanagan, she was above ground and breathing, and Tessa could visit anytime she wished. Tessa also knew the trigger, but was keeping it to herself. That knowledge was not something she wanted to share just yet.

  Her thoughts were brought to the here and now by a lone set of headlights behind her. Tessa knew these roads well and didn’t hesitate to test the waters. Without signaling, she leaned the bike low, taking the exit ramp quickly. Lights flickered then appeared behind her again. At the bottom of the ramp, she leaned once more, taking the right turn then straightened and opened the throttle wide. The car fishtailed at the bottom of the ramp, corrected, and continued after her. Fuck a duck! Who the hell is after me now? Thankful it was the middle of the night and there was no traffic, Tessa wove her way through back streets and side roads until she was able to shake her tail. She stayed hidden until she felt it was safe to move on.

  Chapter 40

  Kaya had Rafael pinned to the stone wall. She should arrest him; he was guilty. The need to fuck him was overriding all sensibility. He could overpower her at any moment, but he was standing still, allowing her to have her way with him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling his face down to hers. This time it was her that crushed their mouths together. Kaya couldn’t get enough, never enough. It was like she needed his breath to sustain her. He was fisting her hair as she was trying to climb his body. God, she had to have him, now. She didn’t care that they were in public. Rafael pulled back and asked, “Where is he? Who’s watching the boy?”

  Kaya was then sitting on a park bench watching her little boy play on the jungle gym. He slid down the slide, laughing as he landed on his bottom instead of his feet. He jumped up, brushed the dirt off his shorts, and did it again. Her heart was full as she watched her son enjoying life. A shadow fell over her head, and as she looked up, she was grabbed around the neck, being pulled from the bench by an Unholy. She couldn’t breathe. She clawed at the thick hands holding her but she was too weak.

  She focused on her child, sliding down, landing and laughing. He looked to his momma to see her laughter only she wasn’t laughing. No baby NO! Stay where you are. She couldn’t speak. Her air was being cut off. She looked back to her son who was now a Gargoyle. His little body sprouted wings. He was flying in a rage toward his momma’s attacker with fangs bared and claws outstretched. Her attacker released her neck and went after her child.

  “NO!” Kaya sprang up in bed, grabbing her neck. Chest heaving, she felt the tears slide down her cheeks. Oh God, would that be her son? If she and Rafael had children, would she have a little Gargoyle? Could she watch her baby become a shifter?

  “You’re getting ahead of yourself, Kane.” She didn’t know if she could have Rafael’s baby with her being a human. Did she even want to? After the way he left her last night, not allowing her to go with him, she wasn’t sure. Yes, she was a woman, but she didn’t become chief by being a delicate flower. She may be a rose, but by God, she bore the thorns too. And just because his brother ran the prison did not mean they controlled her.

  Shaking off the dream, she headed for the shower. She thought back to the video and what was on it. If Rafael and his men were patrolling as he told her, then someone else could know about him and his kind. Why send her the video? Were they trying to frame him for the murders or alert her to the fact that he was not what he appeared to be? What about the attempts on his life? Someone really wanted him dead. Thinking about the shootings, Rafael wasn’t shot until he covered her. “Oh my God, they aren’t after him; they’re trying to kill me.” She sank down in the tub while the water beat down on her head.

  She really shouldn’t be surprised. After all, she was the chief of police. It was her job to put away scum. As soon as she got to the station she would see who was recently let out on parole. Regardless of who the arresting officer was, it was ultimately her responsibility to put people behind bars. Once all the hot water was used up, she got out and dried off. Without Rafael to save her skin, she would have to be more diligent about watching her own back. How would she know if a sniper were hidden in the trees or across the street? Shit.

  Maybe she would work from home today. Any reports she needed to file could be done tomorrow. She could find the list of pa
rolees online. The ME’s report could also be sent via email. The medical examiner. Dante was a shifter. Gregor and Julian Stone were shifters. Geoffrey Hartley and the two men in the video: shifters. Who else was one of Rafael’s kind that she had met and never knew?

  She watched the charm bracelet slide up and down her arm as she combed through the tangles of her wet hair. Bella Mia. How could she have become his this quickly? The mating pull, as he called it, was the only explanation. Kaya was losing her heart to Rafael a little at a time and she hoped the feelings he had for her were genuine.

  She dressed in jeans and a thermal, just in case she had company. She never wore a lot of make-up so there was no use in starting today. She made a pot of coffee then sat down to get busy.

  Rafael called a meeting at the manor. The men wouldn’t mind getting up early if Priscilla was going to feed them. He had gone to enjoy the solitude of the garden before the others arrived. Footsteps on the walkway alerted him to Nikolas who handed him a cup of coffee before sitting next to him. They both sat quietly, enjoying the peacefulness.

  Nik finally broke the silence. “I think both the daughter and the redhead, Tessa, know more than they are telling. Especially Tessa. I can’t quite figure her out. She was too coolheaded. It was as though shifter blood was running through her veins. Soon after our conversation they both left so I followed. They drove to a large house over by the University. I checked the ownership, and it’s registered in the doctor’s name. The weird thing was she didn’t seem to know the place. Tessa had to point out which door to go in. I want to go back when it’s dark to check it out.”

  “Very good. Let’s finish this conversation inside. I’ll be up in a few minutes.” Nikolas took his empty cup and left his cousin in peace. Rafael enjoyed the solitude for a few minutes longer then joined the rest of his Clan.

  Once they were all seated around the table with their plates full, Rafael asked Nik to repeat what he’d told him about the doctor and Tessa. When he was finished Rafe said, “If Montague was a shifter, he could be alive and the girls could know where he is. If what Nik feels is true about this Tessa, it’s possible that she and the doctor both have shifter blood being related to Montague. We need someone to get closer to the doctor, see if we can get information on the lost journals. Gregor, what do you think about interviewing the doctor for your physician’s job at the Pen?”