by Lynn Hagen
Tight lines formed around Colton’s eyes and mouth as he paced. "I’m positive. I heard him yelling for me, but by the time I got to his room, he was gone."
Matt slipped his hands into his pockets as he met Colton’s gaze. "I think the Consiglio knew the warrant wouldn’t be executed, so they took matters into their own hands."
"We can go to wherever they took him and break him out," Jason suggested from his perch on Matt’s chair. "Or is it like some kind of maximum-prison-type of thing? I’m down for a covert operation. Although I look awful in black." Jason shrugged when the pack turned to stare at him. "Just sayin’."
"Isn’t he adorable," Landon said with a quiet chuckle. "Can we keep him, Pa?"
Matt shook his head when a few of the men snickered. "The Consiglio have to open a doorway to allow us through. There’s no way they’ll open it for one of us, not when they’ll know why we came."
"Your world just gets stranger and stranger," Jason grumbled before rifling through Matt’s desk drawers.
"I could always kill Magnus, have a warrant issued for me, and then you don’t execute it," Rhys suggested with a smug smile.
Matt stared incredulously at him. "How the hell is that gonna help when you’ll be sitting right next to Anthony?"
"I don’t see anyone else coming up with a plan." Rhys glanced away, as if done helping.
"What am I, chopped liver?" Jason asked. "At least my plan doesn’t include murder…I think."
When Jason nibbled on his bottom lip, Matt imaged what those soft lips would feel like wrapped around his cock. He turned his attention away from his mate, telling himself to concentrate on the matter at hand.
Besides, he was beginning to worry about Jason’s health. Before they’d left the house, Jason had thrown up in the bathroom. Maybe giving Dr. Ethan Whitfield a call wouldn’t hurt. Matt doubted Jason was still suffering from the effects of the pepper spray, and what if something more serious was wrong? The fact humans were so fragile only made Matt worry more.
"We could get in on our next capture warrant," Rio suggested.
"But we don’t know when that will be," Colton argued. "It might be too late by then."
"Maybe not," Stuart said as he walked into Matt’s office and held up a piece of paper. "Got a capture warrant right here for—"
Colton grabbed it before Stuart finished his sentence.
Nick growled.
"Just because you’re a wolf doesn’t mean you have to act like an animal," Stuart sniffed. "A thank-you would be appreciated."
"Thanks," Colton said with sincere apology in his eyes. "Sorry about snatching it."
Stuart beamed and walked out.
"This is our ticket in," Colton said.
"Not unless you have a plan to go with that paper," Matt said. "Council Hall is impossible to penetrate. How are we gonna get past three levels of security, an elevator that requires a retinal and palm scan, and search for Anthony among the hundreds of cells on the lowest level of the building without being detected?"
Jason practically bounced in his chair. "I volunteer to be the guy lowered in on one of those retractable cables."
Matt’s left brow rose a fraction.
"What?" Jason spread his hands. "It’s not like any of you guys are light enough to be lowered. It would take three of you just to hold the weight of one shifter."
Matt hid his grin. It seemed the real Jason was showing, not the scared guy who couldn’t figure their world out. Matt liked his mate’s humor, though it probably wasn’t the best time for it—although some of the wolves seemed to be in a humorous mood, as well.
Rio grinned and wiggled his finger twice at Jason. "I agree with Landon. Can we keep him?"
Jason flipped Rio the bird. That only made Rio’s grin grow wider.
Matt walked over to Nick and lifted his chair with Nick still sitting in it, proving that it didn’t take three shifters to handle one. "This isn’t Mission Impossible."
Jason sat there staring wide-eyed at Matt. "I’m suddenly turned on."
Matt growled when a few of the men burst out laughing. He lowered Nick’s chair and was tempted to turn it on its side when Nick winked at Jason.
"If you really want to be impressed, then come sit on my lap while he lifts me again," Nick said.
Matt growled again. "Not unless you want me to cut your fucking dick off."
"I’m gonna tell Stuart about your offer," Colton said with a shit-eating grin.
"Why would I care if you tell the receptionist?" The slight panic in Nick’s eyes belied his blasé question.
Maybe there was more to Nick’s flirting than he let on.
"What we need to do is enlist the leopards help," Rio said. "They do own an agency that specializes in covert ops."
"Really?" Jason looked stunned. "I thought they owned a lounge."
"Just like the humans think we run an agency that locates missing persons," Rio said.
"The lounge is a front?" Jason asked as his brows shot up.
"Unlike Mercury Rising where we don’t take on human cases and the leopards do have high-end clientele they cater to," Landon said.
Jason’s brows crinkled. "Like parties for the wealthy?"
"In a manner of speaking." Matt wasn’t about to tell him the leopards ran a premium escort service that catered to rich men. That part of their business was on the down-low. But not all of Vane’s leap worked the lounge. Some of those leopards were mercenaries.
"I’ll talk to Vane about our need for the Dupree brothers," Matt said. "But I’m not sure he’ll agree, no matter the price, since this is Council Hall we’re talking about breaking into."
The Dupree brothers were the most lethal mercenaries Matt knew.
"I know Anthony is a screwup," Colton said to the men gathered in Matt’s office. He had bags under his eyes and looked worn the hell out, defeated in a way that came from the worst kind of stress. "But he’s family."
"Question is," Rio said as he stared at Colton with a mixture of sympathy and firmness, "what happens to him if we do manage to pull this off? Sorry, bro, but even if by some miracle we get him out, I highly doubt he’ll fall to his knees in appreciation for being saved from execution."
The room grew quiet. Rio had spoken what everyone had been thinking since the warrant was issued—probably even before that. Anthony had a knack for befriending the worst people and making wrong choices. Matt wouldn’t say that people couldn’t change, but it was rare, and the person had to be willing to make that change. Anthony never showed remorse for the things he’d done or the people he’d wronged. Matt knew in his heart that Anthony would go back to being a screwup if he got free.
That only meant Matt would have to step in and handle things. Colton would hate him, but Matt saw no other option than exiling his brother. Matt wished that wasn’t the case, but he had to protect his men.
* * * *
Jason shot from his chair as he slammed his palms onto Matt’s desk. The rest of the men had cleared out, leaving Jason alone with his mate.
"Don’t even think of leaving me out of this! If you want me to adapt to your world, then stop trying to leave me with babysitters." He held up a hand. "I’m not asking to go with you when you serve warrants." Although he knew what Matt did for a living, Jason didn’t want to witness it firsthand. "I’m just saying there’s nothing wrong with me accompanying you to things that don’t require you pulling your gun."
Jason narrowed his eyes when Matt bared his canines. The sight was truly frightening, like looking at a dangerous dog about to attack, but he was starting to learn how the shifters worked. If he backed down now, Matt would never let him play with the big boys.
"Who says I won’t need to pull my gun?" Matt asked. "Although the different breeds coexist, that doesn’t mean we get along. We’re talking about two alphas in the same room. That’s always a recipe for disaster."
"You and Devin don’t go at each other’s throats," Jason pointed out. How bad could things get if Matt wen
t to see Vane? They were grown men who lived and worked in the same town. Things couldn’t get that bad, could it?
"That’s because bears are lethal, but neutral. Devin doesn’t get into pissing contests with other alphas."
Jason pulled out his ace in the hole. "And do you think this Vane person would risk a war if he did something while your mate was there?"
He wanted to pump his arm in victory at the surprise in Matt’s eyes.
"That’s very intuitive of you," Matt admitted.
"You’ve told me more than once how special a mate is to a shifter."
"Be that as it may, you’re still not going."
Jason bared his blunt teeth. "Be that as it may, if you stop me you’ll be screwing your fist instead of me for an entire month."
There was no possible way Jason could give up sex with Matt for a month. He barely held out five seconds whenever he was near the guy. But he had a damn good game face and used it as his mate glared at him.
"You couldn’t hold out." But judging by the expression in Matt’s gray eyes, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d called Jason’s bluff.
Jason sauntered over to his mate, cupped Matt’s thickening cock and gave the bulging outline a tight squeeze. Matt hissed as his eyes became heavy-lidded. Evoking that kind of reaction from someone like Matt was empowering. It made Jason's confidence soar.
"Want to try me? You yourself have called me stubborn." He moistened his bottom lip with a slide of his tongue while massaging the heavy bulge. "I’ve been dying to find out what you taste like. It would be a shame if we had to wait because of your stubbornness."
He hadn’t lied about wanting to taste Matt. Ever since the night he’d laid eyes on the man’s impressive cock, Jason had been dying to suck Matt off. If he hadn’t been fighting against being treated like he needed a sitter, he’d drop to his knees and take his mate into his mouth right now.
Matt gritted his teeth and Jason could tell he was fighting the urge to push Jason to his knees. Apparently Jason wasn’t the only obstinate person in the room.
Knowing he had to gain the upper hand, he unsnapped Matt’s jeans, then slowly lowered the zipper, keeping his gaze locked with his mate’s. He slid his hand between Matt’s ripped abs and his boxers, brushing his fingertips over the swollen head, relishing the hot hunger on Matt’s face.
"Can I go?" Jason gave Matt his best pouty face while fisting the man’s cock. He stroked the hard and heated flesh just once before adding, "Please?"
He froze when Matt unfastened Jason’s pants, then reached around and slipped his hand between waistband and buttocks. Matt dipped a lone finger between Jason’s crease, teasing his hole. "Baby, I’ll have you begging me to fuck this tight little ass of yours. I’ll have you willing to suck me off before I drive my cock deep into your ass. Don’t play a game you can’t win."
"Screw you and the horse you rode in on." Jason yanked his hand free before he shoved at Matt’s chest. He walked a few feet away, knowing the man was right. Jason would be begging to get fucked in seconds.
When Matt stalked toward him, Jason backpedaled and his ass collided with the desk. He was boxed in before he could get away.
His heart raced when Matt freed his erection. "Do you think for one second I’m going to let you walk away after doing this to me?" He fisted his cock.
"Yes?"
Matt slowly shook his head. His eyes had gone wolf. "Think again."
Squaring his shoulders, Jason jutted his chin in defiance, fighting the overpowering need to drop in front of his mate. "Not doing anything until you say I can go with you."
"Damn it, Jason." Matt ground his teeth. "Why are you so hell-bent on putting yourself in danger?"
"How much danger can I be in if I’m with you?" he argued. "I thought we were partners?"
"You’re human," Matt snapped.
"Which means what, that I need to learn my place when it comes to shifters?"
Matt’s feral expression vanished. "You know that’s not what I’m saying."
He jerked from between Matt and the desk, knocking the man’s hand away when he reached for Jason. He’d searched for someone who wanted him for something more than sex, but it was painfully obvious Matt didn’t think too highly of humans.
He might not be able to defend himself against preternatural, but hearing Matt all but say Jason couldn’t stand at his side because he was inferior to shifters cut him deeply.
"Jason."
He held up a hand. "You’re right. There is no way we could ever be equals. I’m just a weak little human who needs to stay with his sitters so you can go take care of shifter business."
Jason exited the office, fighting to contain his anger and pain. He’d been a fool to think his luck with men had changed. Matt might want more than sex from him, but that was because fate had decreed them mates, not because Matt actually wanted him.
He battled back the stinging tears when he spotted Nick by the reception area. Jason had to clear his throat twice before he could speak. "Can you take me to work?"
Nick merely nodded, as if he could sense something was wrong. Jason gave Stuart a forced smile, then turned on his heel and walked out the front door, leaving his shattered heart on Matt’s office floor.
* * * *
Matt was furious by the time he’d left the Leopard Lounge. Vane had flat-out turned him down.
He began to wonder if Jason was truly his right fit. If the male was, then Matt shouldn’t feel like a piece of shit. It wasn’t that he didn’t respect Jason. He adored his mate. He was just terrified of losing him.
He ground his teeth as he headed down the street and back to the agency. Mating should not be this damn complicated, and Matt wasn’t sure how to fix things.
His wolf snarled to be with Jason, unconcerned about their squabble. All it wanted was to curl up in Jason’s scent.
Dumb animal.
Matt’s chest tightened. Who was he kidding? He wanted to curl up in Jason’s scent, as well. Not only that, he wanted Jason’s forgiveness.
Jason’s happiness meant everything to him. He sighed as he sat on the empty bench in front of the barbershop.
Matt was so fucking clueless. He knew how important a mate was, but navigating through the dynamics of a relationship was proving harder than he’d thought.
Regardless what anyone said, he couldn’t allow Jason to be put in harm’s way. It just killed him that his decision had hurt his mate. He had no idea how to balance his need to protect Jason with Jason’s need to prove himself.
Matt sat back and grabbed his cell when it rang, half hoping Jason was calling him. He frowned when he saw the number for Grizzly’s.
"Is everything okay?" he asked when he answered.
"You might want to get over here. I already called Dr. Whitfield," Devin said.
"What’s wrong with Jason?" Matt shot from the bench, his heart lodged in his throat. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. If one more thing happened to Jason, Matt would tie his mate to his side.
Devin cleared his throat, which only heightened Matt’s anxiety. He bolted toward the tavern, his phone pressed to his ear. "Damn it, Devin. Tell me."
"He passed out while working his tables. He didn’t hurt himself, mind you. But when I carried him to my office and laid him on the couch, his shirt slid up some and I saw the faint swelling of his belly."
The impact of those words made Matt light-headed. He ran his hand over his hair. "I must have heard you wrong. Did you…did you just say swollen belly?"
Devin grunted. "You know as well as I do that it doesn't matter the gender or species when it comes to the Katana."
Fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck.
Matt had been so shocked that fate hadn’t cursed him to live without a mate that he’d forgotten… He felt out of breath, as if someone had gut-checked him. In a way, Devin had.
Devin sounded amused. "You, my friend, are going to be a father in four months."
Chapter Ten
Jas
on sat in Devin’s office, ankles crossed, hands folded in his lap. A large window was on the west side of the room. The blinds were partially open, the brightness of the evening sun causing zebra patterns to cut across Devin’s cluttered desk. The brightness also made the room stifling hot.
Then again, that could be just him. Since he’d been carried to the office, he felt as if the temperature had risen twenty degrees. Dots of sweat lined his arms and trickled down the sides of his face.
Aside from Devin, another man was in the office. He stood across the room from where Jason sat, casually leaning against the wall. Devin had introduced him as Dr. Ethan Whitfield, a veterinarian.
"It’s just the heat," Jason said, wiping at his forehead. What he wouldn’t give for a glass of ice water and a fan. "I’m still trying to adjust to it. I need to get back to work."
"Just relax," Dr. Whitfield said as he pushed away from the wall.
"And how am I supposed to do that?" Jason narrowed his eyes, silently warning the vet to keep his distance. He was through letting an animal doctor examine him. "Neither of you will tell me what’s going on."
He could understand Dr. Whitfield’s presence if one of the shifters was ill. That would make sense…sort of. But Jason was human. If he needed a doctor—which he wasn’t convinced he did—then the guy needed to be a real doctor, one who saw humans in his office, not furry creatures.
"I can assure you everything is fine," Dr. Whitfield said. His face was as unreadable as a closed book.
"Tell me one more time why I let a veterinarian check me." Jason glanced at Devin, who hadn’t said a word after introductions were made. His boss just stood there like an additional piece of furniture.
"He’s the preternatural doctor in Mercury," Devin said. The two glanced at each other as if sharing a secret. Jason was getting pissed. He didn’t like being kept in the dark, especially when it pertained to him.
"Fine, keep your secrets." Jason stood to walk out, but Devin moved toward the door to keep him from leaving. He fought the urge to scream, because it wouldn’t do him any good. Devin’s face was set in stubborn lines. Jason dropped into the chair, his anger mounting.
