Jaded

by Danielle James

  “I am sorry to say that you won’t be sleeping tonight,” Gage said apologetically as he entered the room. “Now that you know everyone and have a good handle on our security measures, it’s time to put it to the test.”

  Michael groaned inwardly. Why would he think there would be any sleeping? Of course not. He suspected that his “test” was so much more than any of the others had been through and he suspected it was because Angel had heard his thoughts about Jade. “No problem,” he answered as he flung the covers back and swung his feet off the bed. He didn’t need sleep. He would sleep when he was dead. So… never. “I’ll just get my clothes back on.”

  Gage nodded and quit the room. As he went down the hall he called over his shoulder, “See you at the front gates.”

  Michael dressed quickly in what he hoped was suitable attire for working at night. He shoved his long legs into a pair of black jeans and then his feet into a pair of steel toed boots. He fished out a long sleeve cotton t-shirt that already had holes in the back for his wings. It took some maneuvering, but he managed to get the material over his wings and in the right position. Then he finger-combed his hair and set out to the front gate.

  Jade had been waiting patiently on the wall that surrounded her home for her mate to come out of the house. She wanted to watch his first real test, but she didn’t want him to know she was watching. He didn’t disappoint. He waltzed out of the house and strode down the walkway as if he belonged there. Hell, he did. As he got closer to her, she could see his expression more clearly. Outwardly, he was confident and maybe even a little cocky. But she could hear the hurried beat of his heart and the whoosh of the blood roaring in his veins. He was nervous and he couldn’t hide it from her.

  It was adorable. The trait, not the man. The man was gorgeous. Mouth-watering, even. Jade looked him over thoroughly, from his dark curls that got in his eyes to his strong jaw, those amazing eyes that were always some shade of orange, his strong neck, and those broad shoulders. The shirt he was wearing stretched across his muscular chest and left little to the imagination. That shirt was tucked into his pants that fit his hips like a glove and encased a pair of long, muscular legs. Her eyes traveled back up and looked at his wings that were resting gently against his back. The man was so colorful. Each feather was a different shade and they were everything from white to dark orange and yellow.

  Jade felt her fangs elongate in her mouth and her saliva glands began working overtime. What would it be like to taste him? To run her tongue over his sun-kissed skin and to sink her finger nails into his back? To sink her fangs into that vein that pulsed heavily at his neck?

  Jade’s nipples grew hard as diamonds beneath her shirt and she pressed her thighs together in an attempt to squash the ache that had grown for him. She wanted him something fierce, and she would have him–just not yet. He needed to want her too. Jade knew that he was her mate and if she allowed herself to be intimate with him, she would not be able to resist biting him. The last thing she wanted was a surprise mating. No, he had to know what he was getting into and he had to want it as badly as she did.

  He looked up and for a moment, Jade thought he saw her. He seemed to look right at her. “Do not see me,” she whispered into the breeze. Michael continued to look up, but his eyes traveled over her and did not acknowledge that she was there.

  She tried to push all those errant thoughts out of her mind. She was going to distract him and she didn’t want that. He didn’t need that. Thanks to her father, he needed to be on top of his game for the challenge her family had set up for him.

  ***

  Michael finally made it to the gate. He was so nervous that he had to concentrate on walking. Wouldn’t it make a great impression if he fell on his face in front of everyone? He did stumble once, but not because he couldn’t walk. As he was passing the north wall, a wave of lust slammed into him. In his mind, he saw Jade, fangs extended, coming for his neck. His skin pulsed where she would strike, and he wanted it. He shoved the vision from his mind as quickly as he could.

  Shane was sitting at his post, with his paper and his coffee cup. The only acknowledgement he gave Michael was an almost imperceptible nod. “So, where do you want me?” Michael asked.

  Shane didn’t answer. Sebastian did. “Follow me,” he said in his rich baritone voice. Where the hell had he come from? Michael wondered. It didn’t matter though, because he was walking away and Michael needed to move his ass if he was going to follow him. He watched Sebastian’s back as the man led him into the trees along the west wall. His black hair was free around his shoulders and swayed slightly as he walked. The further they walked into the darkness, the less of the vampire he could see. Sebastian was the head of the security team and definitely not a vampire to fuck with. Sebastian was mated to Jessica, a woman that he had known from his past. She had been prosecuted as a witch and murdered. There was nothing he could do to help her. Then, a hundred years later, she was reborn to this earth as a lovely woman with a will of steel and visions that haunted her dreams; dreams that led her back to him. Michael wondered how she was able to break through his tough exterior and make him open his heart again. Sebastian would kill for his mate without a second thought. Michael knew that they all would. He led Michael further into the trees on silent feet and Michael cursed his own feet for making the slightest noise on the leaves below them.

  “Here,” Sebastian said as he stopped. He turned to face Michael and all Michael could see was the pale blue of his eyes. It was mesmerizing. “Pay attention,” the vamp snapped at him and Michael shook his head. “Someone, and I will not tell you who, is going to get past you. Stop them.”

  Michael opened his mouth to ask how he would know who it was, but Sebastian was gone. Now what was he supposed to do? He looked to his left and then to his right. He saw no one. Ok, so someone was going to try to get past him, but he had no idea who it was. Was he just supposed to stand there and wait? No, probably not, he thought. Michael waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He didn’t have the superior hearing the vampires and shifters had, but he had excellent eyesight. He needed to be in a position where he could see everything.

  He looked up into the trees and saw a small clearing in the limbs about twenty feet above. The branches were too thick for him to fly up there, but he could climb. Better get to it, he thought to himself. He reached up to the lowest branch that could support his weight and hefted himself up. The reached for another, and then another.

  When he was close enough, he jumped from his tree into the one next to it. A lone branch smacked him in the face as he leapt. He growled at it, as if the tree would heed the warning. He was high enough that there was barely enough room for his wings and he spread them out and glided to the next tree. Finally, he was on the tree he wanted, a tall Cypress tree. From his perch, he could see the wall surrounding the estate. There were a few spots he couldn’t see, but not many. He could also see the street outside the gates and the house clearly. He watched as the other security team members made their rounds and talked amongst themselves.

  Michael wondered how long it would be before someone made their move. Would it be one of the guys? Most likely. He could easily spot any of the band members, though. No, they would use someone Michael was not familiar with. Perhaps a member of the team he had yet to meet.

  While he waited, his mind wandered. He couldn’t help it. He had the distinct feeling that someone was watching him. In fact, he was sure of it. But it didn’t feel like Angel or any of his crew. It felt like a woman. It was the kind of feeling one got when they were in a bar and a woman set their sights on him. He could feel the eyes move over his skin like a lover’s caress. No– definitely not Angel.

  Movement outside the wall caught his eye. A person dressed in black was hiding behind a parked car. Michael focused his attention on the figure. It was petite, like a woman. If they thought sending in a woman was going to throw him off, they were wrong. It was probably Leigh. That woman was a force to be reckoned with
. Michael shifted his weight and watched for the person to make her move. And she did. She didn’t approach the gates but ran around the side, toward Michael.

  She disappeared beneath the tree branches and Michael cursed when she didn’t come out on the other side. She knew where he was and was using the trees for cover. Not today, he thought. He dropped from his branch to a lower branch, but still didn’t see her. He was positive that she hadn’t continued to another part of the wall. He dropped a few more feet and was still unable to see her.

  Just before he gave up and dropped to the ground, he heard something. It sounded like an animal scurrying through the leaves, but there was no animal to be seen. Then he watched the ground. The leaves visibly shuffled every couple of feet, as if someone were walking on them, only he saw no one.

  There was only one woman in the house with the power to become invisible that he knew of. Serena. She could easily manipulate the wards surrounding the house as well. The King’s wife and a fey princess. Oh goodie. He knew it was probably going to hurt, but he followed her just the same. He kept to the trees, leaping from one branch to another, following the invisible footsteps as silently as he could. When they cleared the trees, Michael jumped.

  He spread his wings and dived for the invisible person. Just as he would have slammed into her, he opened his arms and scooped her up as gently as he could. He still couldn’t see her, but he could feel her slight weight in his arms.

  “That’s not fair!” Serena’s voice squealed as he shot into the sky with her. She quickly said the spell that made her visible again and Michael looked down at her with a lopsided grin. “How did you find me?”

  “I have my tricks too, you know,” Michael told her.

  “This is awesome!” she said as she spread her arms out to her sides as if she were the one flying. “Go faster!”

  Michael did as he was told and flew over the house like a comet. His wings had caught and fire blazed out behind him. Serena laughed but brought her arms back to hold on to his.

  “Uh oh,” she said.

  “What?” Michael asked, slowing his flight.

  “You better take me down,” she said with a smile. “My mate is looking for me and he doesn’t like you touching me.”

  “Shit,” Michael agreed and dropped to the ground in front of the house. Gage was stomping in their direction before they landed.

  “Have fun, did you?” he snarled.

  Serena gave him a playful smack on his arm. “Oh stop it, it was fun.”

  Angel joined them outside just as Gage snatched his mate from Michael and kissed her hard. Michael rolled his eyes. Like he would ever.

  “Good job,” Angel admitted. “Better rest up. Tomorrow will be more difficult.” As Angel turned to walk back into the house, Michael felt his confidence rise. He could do this.

  Jade watched the entire scene and felt her chest swelling with pride for her mate. She had known all along that he could do it. Now he did too–and that made her a very happy vampire.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Jade stood at the foot of Michael’s bed watching him sleep. The poor man had been exhausted by the time his “test” was over. He had stumbled up the stairs and his head had barely touched the pillows before he was fast asleep.

  She shook her head. He was even still in his boots. Well, she couldn’t let him sleep that way, she thought. With her mind made up, she moved for his feet. She carefully untied his boots and slipped them off his feet one at a time. He didn’t even snore. She pulled his socks off and tossed them to the floor. Even his feet were sexy. They were strong and just big enough to support his large frame. His toes were evenly shaped, except the little one. It bent at an odd angle on both feet. Jade smiled and wondered if he was ticklish.

  Instead of finding out, Jade decided that he should not sleep in jeans, either. She gently popped the button and eased his zipper down. She felt her fangs punch down into her mouth forcefully, but she pushed them into submission. She was caring for her mate, not her own selfish desires, she told herself. As she pulled the denim over his hips, Michael stirred and shifted his weight. Jade’s heart thundered in her chest. She didn’t need him to wake up and find her stripping him.

  When she was satisfied that he was still sleeping, Jade pulled the jeans off his long legs by the ankles. She admired his form on the bed. Those legs were long and muscular, covered in a scattering of dark hair. She was trailing a fingertip through the coarse hair before she realized what she was doing. “Jade?” he grumbled sleepily. “What are you doing?”

  Jade felt all the blood in her body rush to her face. She was busted. What to do? What to do? The only thing she could do. “Nothing,” she replied, taking control of his mind. “You’re dreaming.”

  “Dreaming,” Michael agreed. “Good. Come here.”

  He opened his arms and Jade couldn’t resist the invitation to get closer to her mate. She lowered herself beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her back and held her close to his body. She breathed in his scent and let it fill her lungs. He smelled of sweat and man, but under that she could smell his soap and his cologne. It wasn’t strong, but a nice, subtle scent. It reminded her of the woods.

  Jade felt his hand tighten around her and his other hand gripped her jaw gently. He turned her face up to his and before she could protest, his lips were on hers. He skimmed her lips softly, and then his tongue was there, gliding over hers and seeking entrance. She opened for him. His taste exploded on her tongue and she sucked him further into her mouth. He moaned on a breath and turned his body to hers. With both arms around her, he kissed her harder. He explored her mouth thoroughly, and missed nothing. He even gently brushed his tongue against her fangs, which were fully extended and demanding attention. Jade tried to back away from him, but he tangled his hand in her hair and held her securely to him.

  Her hands explored his back and shoulders while he ate at her mouth. She couldn’t resist dropping her hands lower and getting a handful of his tight butt. That made him move against her and she felt the hard ridge of his erection against her as he pulled her leg up and over his hip.

  Jade sucked his tongue into her mouth again and this time, her fang scraped it. It wasn’t much, but enough that she drew blood. His fiery blood trickled into her mouth and she sucked at him harder. He was delicious, a blend of spicy and sweet that must have been engineered especially for her because she couldn’t get enough of it.

  He broke the kiss to breathe and Jade caught herself with her teeth literally on his throat. What was she doing? Damn it, this was not how it was going to be! She knew she shouldn’t taste him because she knew what would happen. And here she was, getting ready to mark him. No. No. No.

  She wiggled out of his arms and leapt off the bed. As she struggled to get her breathing under control, she took his mind again. “Dream of me,” she commanded. Michael smiled in his sleep and cuddled the pillow to his chest before Jade left the room as silently as she had entered.

  ***

  Michael woke the next morning even more exhausted than he had been when he went to bed. His dreams were filled with visions of Jade. At first, they were innocent enough. He dreamed that they were sitting on a blanket on the beach, just talking. Then the dream shifted and she was standing over him, pulling his pants off. That’s where it got strange. He kissed her. Oh man, did he kiss her. His dreams shifted from one erotic scene to another, all of them starring a petite redhead with razor sharp fangs.

  He stretched his muscles in his bed and chanced a look down his body. Yep, just as he thought. His dick was standing at attention; just as he was sure it had been all night. It was even a bit sore. He grazed his hand over it to assess the situation and his entire body jerked at the contact. Immediately, visions of Jade came to his mind. He saw her leaning over him, fangs extended, licking her lips. Those red, luscious lips. Michael groaned aloud. He tried to think about baseball or golf, but each time the player was Jade. The thought of her wearing a baseball unif
orm with a bat in her hand was almost his undoing.

  As he passed his hand over himself again, he gave in to the urge to take matters into his own hands. He wrapped his hand around the base of his dick and imagined it was her. His other hand found its way under the covers to cup his balls and his ass lifted off the bed, shoving his cock through his fingers.

  Jade was still lying in her bed when she heard him thinking about her. Holy hell, he was having some pretty intense thoughts, too. She had wanted him to want her, and now, she had no doubt. Now she had to make sure that he never thought about another female ever again. With her powerful mind, she erected a wall around her own mind and his as well to keep the rest of the house from hearing. Then she set to work. She pushed images of her taking him into her mouth his way and his answering growl made her panties wet. She dropped her hand into the sheets and found the elastic of her lace panties. She pushed them aside and dipped her hand into them. She imagined each stroke of her fingers was his tongue, and she shared those images with him. She raised her knees and opened herself up for him. In her mind, he rose over her body and positioned himself at her entrance. She pushed the thoughts at him forcefully. She could feel his girth as he entered her, and she made sure he could feel it too.

  ***

  Michael wasn’t sure where the images in his mind were coming from, only that he desperately hoped they kept coming. He was hovering over Jade’s body, laid out in front of him, open and ready. He pushed his rock hard cock into her slowly, savoring the tight, warm, wetness she offered. When he was buried to the hilt he began to rock his hips. They rocked back and forth on the bed, his hand serving as a substitute for her warm, willing body. He had even flipped over so that he was on his stomach. He didn’t feel blankets and sheets underneath him, though. He felt Jade.