Claws and Fangs

by Laurann Dohner

  “What did I do wrong?” She hated the fear that quickened her pulse.

  “Nothing.” He took a deep breath. “It was a rough night and the drive home didn’t calm me any. I’d hoped it would.”

  “What happened?” Strong emotions of anger hit her suddenly but she had a feeling they were coming from him.

  The sight of him shrugging off the leather jacket to reveal muscled arms in a black tank top was one she admired, distracting her from the feelings she picked up from him. Chase’s body always had an effect on her. He tossed the jacket across the back of the chair by the door, sat down hard and tore off his biker boots. They were dumped on the floor.

  “Chase?”

  His intense gaze lifted to meet her curious stare. “Don’t freak out.” Then it was as if a mental door closed between them, and suddenly she couldn’t pick up anything he felt.

  That’s not good. She wondered why he thought she’d be alarmed, but then realized he was snarling his words. “I know you’re not going to hurt me. I believe that. I’m not going to run screaming from you just because you’re in a bad mood.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” He stood, reached down to fist his shirt, jerked it up his body, and tossed it away.

  The bruising on his ribs was horrible enough, but the smeared blood on his side had her stumbling closer. “What happened?”

  “It’s not mine. The damn jerk bled all over me though. The black clothes hide it well enough, but it’s all over me where I couldn’t wash it off without undressing.”

  To prove his point, he removed his belt and unfastened his leather pants. The red stain continued down one hip and thigh. Jasmine’s mouth fell open.

  “One of my pack decided to jump me in the parking lot. He thought it would be a good time to challenge me, after I’d already fought some vamp ass when a few of them got out of line with customers at the club.” He bent, pushing the pants completely off. “I’m guessing he figured I’d be too tired to win.”

  Jasmine inched closer to get a better look. The blood trailed all the way down to his knee, and it was worse when he turned to stalk into the bathroom. More blood covered his back, but it was brighter red and wet. Four slash marks scored his shoulder blade.

  “Chase? You’re hurt.”

  He halted by the door with his back to her. “I could have undressed in the bathroom so you didn’t have to see this, but it’s part of my life, and now yours. There’s no sense in hiding it from you. The enforcer got in a lucky strike with his claws before I got hold of his throat. I’ll heal by morning. Everything is going to be okay.” He glanced at her then. “I’m fine.”

  Jasmine stood statue-still while Chase continued into the bathroom. The sad expression on his face didn’t convince her. He’d left the door open so she didn’t hesitate to follow him inside. The clear glass door allowed no privacy as she watched him stand under the showerhead.

  “One of your pack tried to kill you?” She wanted clarification.

  “Yes. It happens from time to time.”

  “He. Tried. To. Kill. You.” She was horrified. “That’s not okay. I thought packs were supposed to be like family.”

  He avoided looking at her as he dumped soap on a washcloth to scrub at the blood. “They are. Human family members kill each other too. Our worlds aren’t so different in that regard.”

  “Your world sucks.”

  That drew a quick grin from him as he shot her an amused look. “Only the vampires.”

  “I’m not joking around. Someone tried to kill you.” The rest of it sank into her perplexed mind. “Is he going to come after you again?”

  “No.” His gaze narrowed. “It was a fight to the death.”

  You killed him.

  “I walked away. He wouldn’t give up. I had to carry him to my car and go dump the body.”

  Her knees weakened, causing her to sway a little on her feet and grab hold of the counter for support. Fear hit hard, more so than horror. She figured that would come later. “Are the police going to be looking for you?” She thought quickly. “We need to leave the country.” She’d flee with him. She might not be sure everything being a mate entailed, but it was for life. Losing Chase wasn’t an option she wanted to consider.

  “We?” Eyebrows lifted. “You’d come with me?”

  “Of course.”

  She pushed away the reason they needed to leave. It made it easier to handle. He’d saved her life and she’d made a serious commitment by agreeing to be his mate. He also wasn’t human so, in her mind, normal rules didn’t apply to him. It had been a case of self-defense.

  His features softened. “Humans don’t get involved in our business. There won’t be any missing person’s report filed. His family or friends will make it appear as if he left the country if anyone questions what happened to him. It’s what we do to stay under the radar.” He paused. “It’s his family and friends I have to worry about, along with any other wolves in the pack who have a problem with what I’ve done.”

  “Because you had to kill him? Won’t they understand he attacked you and you had no choice?”

  “No, challenges and the resulting deaths are expected. It’s because I mated you.” He turned in the shower, facing away to duck his head under the spray.

  Guilt nagged at Jasmine. She’d mourned the loss of her life as she’d known it while Chase had been at work. It didn’t seem fair that she had to give up her house, her career and the people she cared about to be with him. It’s no picnic for him either, she suddenly realized. People were trying to kill him because they were together.

  “What can I do?” She wanted to help him.

  Chase glanced at her over his shoulder. “You could come in here and wash my back. I’ll heal faster if the wounds are clean. My body won’t have to fight off infection as it mends the damage.”

  One glance down his body had her more than willing to strip and join him. Tan, muscled skin tempted her to do more than touch his back. There had been changes since the mating, ones that she couldn’t deny. Her libido seemed to have gone into overdrive. Just staring at him naked made her ache.

  Her hands shook as she removed her clothes while he watched through the glass. Passion was an easy emotion to read as his eyes began to glow. They fascinated her. She slowly approached. He pushed open the door and stepped back to make room. Steamy hot water ran over her as she waited for him to reach around to secure the door.

  He was so tall compared to her that she had to lift her chin to see his face. A soft growl rumbled from him and the muscles in her belly clenched. Her nipples also responded by growing taut. Desire rolled through her with a jolt. Chase inhaled and his hands gently cupped her hips.

  “You’re so sexy and smell so good. So mine.”

  All she wanted to do was reach up to cup his face and pull his mouth down for a kiss. It was difficult to remember that he was injured. “Your back.”

  “It doesn’t hurt. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I need to wash it.”

  He snarled something under his breath, but dropped his hands and turned. “Do it fast. I’m impatient.”

  He wanted her as much as she did him. She hadn’t missed the state of his dick before he’d spun around. Chase was sporting an impressive erection that matched the rest of him—all hard, masculine perfection. The sight of the ugly slashes across his shoulder blade cooled her passion a bit as she stared at them.

  “I don’t want to hurt you. Should I just use water but not soap?” She reached up to unhook the showerhead from the holder, making it easier to maneuver.

  He grabbed the soapy sponge and handed it to her over his shoulder. “I’ll get a fever if infection sets in. It won’t kill me but it’s not pleasant. I need to be at one hundred percent by morning.”

  “Why?” She accepted it and hesitantly began to wash the wounds. His muscles tensed but he held still, making no sound.

  “I have to work early in the morning. It’s going to be a long day.”

 
Part of her was hurt by that. The least he could do was take some time off to spend with her. She had a lot of adjustments to make, ones that would be easier if he were with her. “Do your bosses know you took a mate?”

  “Yes.”

  She wondered how that had gone, but kept silent. It was a handy distraction, pondering their responses while she finished washing the gashes in his skin and rinsing away the soap. They appeared to be healing at an accelerated rate that would have been alarming if she hadn’t known he was a supernatural being.

  “All done. They aren’t bleeding.”

  He spun back, grabbed the showerhead, and replaced it in the holder. “I want you.”

  His hands returned to her hips and she gasped when he lifted her off her feet, pinning her to the tile wall. Overpowering emotions slammed into her. The mental door had been thrown wide open with an explosive charge.

  “Do you feel how much I want you?” He brushed kisses across the top of her shoulder.

  Jasmine moaned, spreading her legs and wrapping them around his waist as fiery need burned bright. His passion and hers seemed to combine until all she could think about was having him inside her. She clung to him, her nails digging into his wet skin as she used her hold on him to rub against his body.

  “So mine,” Chase softly growled. “You need to feed.”

  “I ate while you were gone.” It annoyed her that he’d think about food while they were touching.

  “Blood.”

  His lips returned to her throat, the points of his fangs drawing erotic twin lines down to her shoulder. One shift of his hips, and his cock nudged against her pussy. She was wet and ready for him as he slowly entered her.

  “Chase!” Raw pleasure blinded her as she closed her eyes, and he drove into her deep.

  He froze there and pulled his mouth away. “Drink.”

  Her hips twisted as she tried to ride his cock, but he pressed against her tighter, making it impossible.

  “Mine? Look at me.”

  Her eyes snapped open. His were glowing, staring directly at her. One hand lifted and she saw his fingernails had lengthened into claws. They would have frightened her before, but not anymore. His index finger dug into his muscular chest above his right nipple.

  “Drink now if you want me.”

  Her mate mentally sent her waves of lust. Her mind wasn’t able to block them and she cried out, hurting for him to fuck her.

  “Drink,” he demanded.

  She sealed her mouth over the bleeding wound and the taste of blood wasn’t gross. Instead, the flavor burst on her tongue, a mixture of something erotic and delicious. She moaned, hungrily sucking. A snarl tore from Chase as he adjusted to grip her hips and began to slowly thrust in and out of her pussy. Pleasure rocked through her system as his thick, rigid cock rubbed against her sensitive tissues.

  All thought left Jasmine as ecstasy gripped her. She kept drinking, overloaded from his addictive taste and how wonderful he felt, until the climax struck and she had to pull her mouth away from his chest to scream out his name.

  His release followed and she cried out with their thoughts linked, coming a second time when ecstasy tore through her again. She could feel his pleasure, making it her own, every jet of his semen filling her with another burst of rapture until blackness threatened to take her.

  “Easy.” Chase tightened his arms more firmly around her, one shelving her ass while the other curled around her waist.

  Her head fell forward to rest against his shoulder as he kicked open the shower door and carried her to the counter to gently place her there. Jasmine didn’t want to let him go, but she knew he wanted to dry her off and take her to bed. The link between them was wide open and while she couldn’t hear his thoughts as words, she knew his intentions. Her hold loosened.

  Jasmine hated the loss as he stepped back to grab towels, but he returned immediately. Big hands were gentle as they patted her dry with the thick cotton. She peered into his eyes as he looked into hers. A strong sense of love filtered through—but also fear.

  “Why?”

  He studied her closely with a frown. “You’re confused and alarmed.”

  “You’re afraid of something.”

  The link between them snapped closed. It hurt, as if he’d rejected her.

  “Chase?” She cupped his face. “Don’t just turn it off like that.”

  He bit his bottom lip and opened up to her again as he stepped between her parted legs to stand there. “I’m sorry. You’re adjusting to being my mate and this bond is new to both of us. I felt your pain. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “What are you afraid of?”

  His arms wrapped around her, lifted and carried her into the bedroom. “I didn’t want you to see that.”

  “You can’t possibly be afraid of me. I’m not going to leave you or ever betray you by telling anyone what you are.”

  He sat on the bed with her on his lap. “I know that. You’re a new mate, and that makes you vulnerable. That worry is what you caught through our bond.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re fragile right now. In time you’ll grow stronger and gain some of my abilities.” He pulled her closer to his chest until they were nose to nose. “Your bone density will be tougher than a human’s, you’ll heal faster and you’ll be harder to kill. You’ll be able to defend yourself better once I teach you how to fight.” He smiled. “I plan to do that.”

  “Fight what?”

  “My enemies. I have many, but I’m working on dealing with them to make you safer. They will never get near you if I have my way, but I want you to learn how to protect yourself just in case you ever need to. We’ll start your training in a few weeks, when your physical changes are over.”

  She allowed that information to sink in. “Am I going to look any different?”

  “No. Denser bones won’t make you physically larger. They’ll just be more difficult to break. You won’t grow fangs either. I’ll always have to cut my skin to feed you.”

  Jasmine glanced down at his chest. The scratch had already begun to heal.

  “I won’t have scars from feeding you. A wound has to be pretty deep to do that.” He suddenly turned, coming down on top of her, where he caged her body on the bed. “Do you know what I want, Mine?”

  “Why are you calling me that?”

  He brushed his lips over hers before smiling. “It’s what you are. Mine.” His mind opened up to her and strong emotions struck.

  “You want me again.” She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I want you too.”

  Chapter Seven

  Every muscle tensed as Chase tilted his head, listening for the slightest sound. The club was unusually quiet.

  “Easy,” Blaron rasped from across the room. “They will come.”

  A human wouldn’t have heard his words but they were clear to Chase. He glanced up into the rafters, where lights were strung, immediately wishing he hadn’t spotted his friend standing on a narrow beam. The Scottish man wore a kilt.

  “Underwear,” he muttered, quickly looking away. “Wear it.”

  His friend chuckled.

  “Aye,” Lethal whispered from behind the bar. “I tell him but he won’t listen. I wear pants to avoid a breeze.”

  “Leave me alone. I enjoy the freedom.” Blaron laughed.

  “I’m not enjoying the view. I never want to see that much of you again.” Chase refused to look up a second time as he scanned the shadows in the club. “Did you hear that?”

  “Aye.” Lethal crouched out of sight. “We have company.”

  The scent of blood was strong as three recently fed vampires strolled into the main part of the club, their scent helping to mask the presence of his friends. Chase walked out to greet them, arms folded over his chest. “Gentlemen, the club is closed tonight. Private party.”

  “We heard.” The brunet vamp grinned to reveal his fangs. “We came to introduce ourselves to your lovely bride. I hope we haven’t missed the wedding?” He gl
anced around. “Where are she and the minister?”

  “In the back,” Chase lied, his fist tightening on the stake he hid between his forearm and ribs. “You need to leave.”

  The second vampire positioned himself to Chase’s left. “Not without meeting your human.” He inhaled. “A–positive? That’s my favorite.”

  Slight guilt struck Chase that he’d purposely cut Jasmine with his fingernail to stain his shirt with a little of her blood while she’d slept. He’d needed to fool anyone within range that his mate was nearby. She’d never know, since he’d licked the tiny wound to heal it, but he should have asked her permission. He just hadn’t wanted her to worry if he shared his plans.

  “I’m surprised you can smell anything over the stench of you three. I hope you weren’t feeding in the parking lot? You know it’s against the rules.”

  The third vampire moved to his right so they nearly surrounded him. “Of course not. We fed inside the club.”

  A new scent reached Chase—and his shoulders tensed as he glanced at the hallway that led from the front door into the main area. Four of his pack males sauntered in. His jaw clenched and it took willpower to mute the snarl that wanted to rise.

  “Feeding from my pack?” He glanced at the wolves. “Since when do you offer up a vein to vampires?”

  Damon, one of his enforcers, growled. “Since you chose a human over us. Vamps are stronger when they’re hyped up on our blood.”

  “You’re no longer our alpha,” Ronny snarled. “We’ve come to kill you and your new mate.”

  Fury burned inside Chase. “You mean you whored yourselves out to vamps, hoping they could kill me since you know you’re too weak to do it.” He glared at his pack members. “Which one of you thinks he’s going to take my place?”

  Damon stepped closer. “I will.”

  “Then you’ll die first.” Chase kept his gaze moving, watching, trying to judge which of them would strike first. “I won’t be the one to do it though. That’s unfortunate,” he jerked his head toward one of the vampires, “but I have to deal with them first, since you made this an unfair fight by giving them an advantage with your blood.”