Jake (Immortals of New Orleans Book 8)

by Kym Grosso

  Jake heard a familiar howl and caught a glimpse of Hunter scraping his paw over a wolf, the bodies of Chaz’s guards strewn at his feet. Jake released Chaz, his dead carcass tumbling onto the cracked earth. His attention shifted to Quintus, but the vampire had disappeared. No longer sensing his presence, he suspected he’d materialized in search of blood.

  Jake called to his wolves. Anzober. He shifted, standing proudly as he demanded the submission of his pack. Alpha.

  “I’m here to claim this pack as mine. Is there anyone here who challenges me?” The hum of the pack sizzled through him, their exaltation and appreciation smashing through his mind. “Anzober Wolves. Acadian blood flows through my veins, but from here on out I’ll lead you. I am your Alpha.”

  One by one, the wolves submitted to the mighty Alpha, crouching before him. Kai descended from the heavens, landing at his feet. She knelt in submission yet kept close, claiming her rightful place at his side. My mate. My pack. Always.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kai took a deep breath, inhaling the salt air, thankful to finally see her Alpha. For the first day in nearly a week, her beast settled in anticipation of seeing him. During the attack, Kai had dragged her sister to the helicopter and had called on the Elders to materialize her away from the battle. Immediately after Jake had reclaimed Anzober Wolves, she’d returned to her sister’s side in San Francisco.

  Although Shilan had physically recovered, she’d refused to discuss what had happened. Kai’s chest crushed with the pain of her sister’s depression. Shilan insisted she return to her mate, and Kai reluctantly agreed to fly to San Diego, promising to return within a week.

  Jake had taken over Anzober Wolves with no challenge to his leadership. The bodies of Chaz and Kasdeya had been flown to the Elders, who held a ritualistic cremation ceremony, ensuring neither the vampire nor wolf could reincarnate, and sending any demonic remnants to hell. Samantha continued to insist Ilsbeth held no magick, but both Kai and Jake had refused to acknowledge the existence of the Kris to the coven. They’d decided to keep it safe in San Diego until Dominique recovered.

  It had been a week since they’d last seen Quintus. The vampire had disappeared after the attack. Both Jake and Kai worried that he’d been poisoned after he’d tasted of Kasdeya’s blood. The Alpha had attempted contacting him, eventually reaching out to Jax and Léopold, but no one had heard a word.

  The roar of the ocean broke her contemplation and she smiled. When she arrived at the beach, Jake had texted her with directions, telling her to go directly down the wooden steps onto the beach, promising a spanking if she disobeyed. She’d laughed, seriously considering ignoring him on purpose. As soon as she’d stepped out of the taxi, she’d been in awe of the gorgeous home, but had avoided knocking on the door. Instead she’d made a beeline down the dusty path and the stairs onto the shore. A wide blanket stretched across the sand, and a bottle of champagne chilled in a bucket.

  She smiled at the sight of a solitary surfer riding a wave as the sun dipped toward the horizon. Kai reached into her purse and glanced at her phone, checking the time. Where is he? He’d told her the property belonged to a friend and not to worry about trespassing but as she looked up to the spectacular beach house, she hoped like hell she was at the right address.

  Kai sat on the blanket, lying back onto her elbows, her bohemian sundress brushing her ankles. As she stared out into the rolling ocean, she contemplated how she planned on telling Jake she’d decided to move. A local university had expressed interest in her research and she’d accepted the teaching position.

  Butterflies danced in her stomach in anticipation of her Alpha. Kai’s instinct to complete the mating had grown stronger. More than her beast, her humanity drew her toward Jake. Funny and self-deprecating, her charismatic and brave Alpha had stolen her heart. In her mind, she’d run through all the different ways she planned to tell him her feelings.

  Kai closed her eyes, relaxing in the late day sun. You look beautiful, my little pixiu. Her eyes flashed open, pulse racing as she heard his voice. Forget me so quickly? She laughed, searching the beach for her Alpha.

  “Never. Where are you?” She focused her attention on the surfer who rode a long wave into shore, pumping the board, pushing the distance.

  Jake. Kai gave a broad smile as he dove into the water, and broke the surface. Within seconds he strode out of the surf, his board under his arm. As she attempted to shove up to stand, she heard his command.

  Don’t move, sweetheart. Kai laughed, desire spiking between her legs. Jesus, that man makes me hot.

  Kai’s heart skipped a beat as Jake drew closer and dropped the board onto the sand. Unzipping his wetsuit, he revealed his tanned chest. As he peeled it off to his waist, Kai struggled to keep rooted on the blanket. Like a dripping wet Greek God, he stalked toward her wearing a sexy smile.

  “Hey,” she managed, her body afire with arousal at the sight of her Alpha.

  “You don’t listen very well,” he told her, tugging his suit open further.

  “I’m not wolf,” she countered, a flirtatious lilt in her tone.

  “Ah, but you are,” he replied. “You do know there’s no wolf in Anzober who would cross you. You impressed the hell out of them.”

  “It was pretty cool flying,” she admitted.

  “You were in control.”

  “Sometimes I like control,” she said, recalling how she’d attacked. Unlike the other time she’d shifted, she’d restrained her beast, settling her into submission at his feet. “But with you…” Kai lost her words, her face heated. “You make me lose control.”

  “Kai, I…” Jake smiled as Kai slid her palms up his legs, pulling at the stretchy fabric.

  “When we mate, all my good fortune, this will become yours,” she told him. The Elders had confirmed he’d likely be able to influence people and situations, using the luck she absorbed inside her. “This is a great responsibility. And do you know what?” Tugging hard, she smiled, her eyes drawn to his ripped abs, his magnificent cock springing toward her as she freed it from its constraint.

  “What?” he asked with a small chuckle.

  As he stepped out of the suit, Kai sucked a breath. Her hotter-than-hell mate towered over her, the sun reflecting off his bared skin.

  “You’re an amazing person. The right person to own this power. The only person. But Jake…what if I never bear you a child? Before we do this…I…I don’t want you to regret being with me.”

  “I should smack your ass right now for even saying that. Don’t you get how I feel about you?” He glanced up to the house. “You see that?”

  Kai nodded, her pulse racing as he stepped closer.

  “This is our home, sweetheart. And whether it’s filled with ten children or no children, it will be filled with love.” Jake gave her a sexy-as-sin smile and licked his lips. “This is a new life for both of us. Together.”

  Kai’s heart bloomed at his words as he accepted her as she was. Goddess, I fucking love this man. She squealed as he dropped onto his knees, straddling her waist. Her beast purred in submission as the heat of his body danced over her skin. Kai closed her eyes and inhaled, a touch of the sea intertwined with his clean masculine scent. Unable to resist, she darted her tongue over his flat nipple, tasting her mate.

  “Hmm…Jake, I missed you so much.”

  “I want you to know something, Kai.” His tone was serious.

  He cupped her cheeks, locking his eyes onto hers. The intensity of his gaze painted over her, and she swore he could see within her soul. Jake Louvière. This incredible man owned her heart, and she’d give him anything he wanted.

  “This thing between us…it’s so much more than just mating. I love you, Kai. If you want kids and we can’t have a baby, we’ll adopt. We have each other and that’s all that counts.”

  Kai’s heart tightened as he spoke. He gave her hope she never thought she’d have…love, children, family.

  “I love you too,” she whispered.


  “Goddess, Kai…fuck, I missed you too.”

  A carnal hunger filled his eyes, and his mouth crashed onto hers, his strong body engulfing hers as he laid her back onto the blanket. His tongue danced against hers, and Kai moaned in response, tasting her mate. Losing herself within his drugging kiss, she felt her chest bloom with emotion.

  “I’ve got to be in you,” he whispered into her lips, shoving up her dress. “No underwear again? Jesus, Kai.”

  “Oh Goddess, yes…” Kai cried as he speared a thick finger inside her.

  “Jesus, you’re so fucking wet for me,” he growled, readying her slick heat.

  “Please…yes…” Kai tilted her pelvis into his hand and spread her legs as he settled his hips between them.

  “I can’t wait. Later slow…this is happening fast, baby.”

  “Ah, yeah…” Kai sighed, her body tingling in awareness as he eased his thick cock inside her pussy. He grazed his pelvis over her clitoris, teasing her swollen nub.

  “Everything about you. I’ll never let you go.” Jake tore his lips from hers, peppering kisses along her jawline to her ear.

  Kai shivered as he ran the tip of his tongue down her neck, tasting her as he made love to her. She wrapped her leg around his waist, meeting each slow thrust. Her fangs descended as her skin glowed. The urge to claim him rose from within but she yielded to his wolf.

  She panted as he increased his pace, filling her completely. His teeth scraped over her shoulder, and her pussy clenched around his rock hard shaft, quivering in arousal.

  “Please…please…” she begged. So close to coming, she skated on the edge. Her tongue darted over his delicious skin, kissing her mark.

  “Always mine, Kai. My lover. My mate…Forever,” he promised.

  Kai screamed his name at the twinge of his bite on her neck. Her beast roared, accepting her mate and she sunk her fangs into his soft flesh. He pounded inside of her, his potent blood running down her throat. The power of her Alpha sizzled throughout every cell in her body, hurling her into a delirious oblivion of pleasure. His power twisted through her veins as the hottest orgasm of her life tore through her, leaving her shaking in its wake.

  “My Alpha,” she breathed, licking her lips, as he thrust into her one last time. I love you, my little pixiu. Kai closed her eyes, immersed in the sensation of his love. Alone for so long, she’d been blessed by the Goddess with an incredible man, a wolf who’d forever love her. My Alpha.

  I love you, he heard her whisper. Buried deep inside Kai, Jake claimed his mate. Her golden blood rushed down his throat, infusing him with the mystical fortune she’d collected over a lifetime. Like a tsunami, her energy smashed over him, their souls entwined forever.

  Luck. Serendipity. Destiny. For over a hundred years, he’d thought he’d known his place in life, yet his rise to Alpha had been an unexpected fate he’d perhaps not have chosen without the push from his fierce pixiu. Kai had taken him on a dangerous adventure, one that led him to claim both his mate and his pack.

  Jake glanced to the breathtaking sunset, knowing that for the rest of his life, he’d happily lead Anzober Wolves as their Alpha. As he brought Kai into his embrace and her soft lips brushed his chest, his heart bloomed with love. Kai’s body fit perfectly within his arms, her palm resting on his chest. Their hearts beat in rhythm as they celebrated their newfound mating. Jake knew in that moment that home wasn’t a place. Home was a state of mind and he’d always be there, leading his wolves with Kai by his side.

  Epilogue

  As Quintus lay immobile on the cold slab of concrete, his mind spun, recalling his living nightmare. It had been seven days since the battle. Seven days since he’d last materialized. Seven days since he’d been poisoned, seen the light of day. How the hell he’d ended up in New Orleans, he couldn’t be certain, but he suspected his bond with the Alpha had flashed him to the Big Easy when he’d rescued Cassandra. He’d managed to get her to St. Mary’s, dropping her off in the dead of night at the emergency room exit.

  Unable to manage a second transformation, he’d stumbled several blocks before finding his way into a blood bar. The seedy establishment had been long forbidden by Kade. Within the walls of the underground microcosm, killers roamed, cloaked within the safety of darkness. Rarely did the vampires of this type venture into sunlight, only leaving to feed when necessary. More often they employed donors or paid a steep price to drink imported blood.

  Quintus blinked, his gut burning with the demon essence. It’d been days since he’d last fed. Although the barkeep had insisted he feed from a virgin donor, Quintus had been unable to keep it down.

  He’d traveled deep inside the small subterranean village. In exchange for a few hundred dollars, he’d rented a crypt, sealing himself inside. Praying for a miracle, he’d suffered starvation, his body slowly deteriorating.

  Three days he’d been alone and no one knew his whereabouts. The vampires had avoided him, the taste of death in the air. With no internet or cell reception, he’d been unable to reach anyone.

  Quintus’ mind roamed to his long lost pixiu. He’d failed her, beaten as his sire killed her. He’d never recovered from the loss, had sworn he’d never fall in love again. Falling for a supernatural would have never been wise, as he suspected he’d forever need a human to sustain him. The very nature of feeding brought an intense sexual instinct. His pixiu would never have accepted him feeding, touching another human. To ask her to do so, to watch him feed off another woman, would have been intolerable.

  Humans were entirely too fragile creatures, emotional beings who were easily broken. In contrast, Quintus lived for the battle, and thrived on the edge of danger. While he’d lived in New York City, most days he’d reveled in his freedom.

  Quintus sensed Death’s angel coming for him. The visions of his mother and father reminded him of his mortal beginnings. The voices spoke to him, imploring him to give in to the fight, let the Goddess take him.

  Let go, they called. No more pain. Quintus licked his cracked lips, sucking in the moldy air. He blinked up to a crack in the apex of the marble roof. A sliver of moonlight crept in, and he drew on its strength. One more day, and the pain will go away. I live. He coughed, his life force seeping out of his chest in a gurgle. Closing his eyes, he gave in to her sweet deadly song. So tired, he’d just rest until sunrise.

  A feminine scent carried in the air, and he thought it a deliriously incredible dream. The scraping of stone on stone sounded, yet he failed to rouse, again falling victim to the dark slumber. Hot air infused the room, his cool skin touched by a brush of warmth. The voice spoke his name, its words dancing in his mind.

  “Quintus,” she whispered, her voice vaguely familiar. “I’ve come to get you. Please, wake up.”

  Her call tempted him from death, but the siren sang louder, and the light shone bright. Comforted by the wonderment within his mind, Quintus stepped toward the tunnel. In the distance, he spied the silhouette of his pixiu. Come darling, she beckoned. As he went to find her, the whispers of the female faded.

  “Quintus. It’s me. Please. No, you can’t die. Feed. Feed from me,” she begged.

  So far, far away, Quintus studied her, hot tears splashing onto his cool skin. Saying goodbye to the dangerous world he’d loved, his dream faded, and he surrendered to his slumber.

  Romance by Kym Grosso

  The Immortals of New Orleans

  Kade's Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1)

  Luca's Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2)

  Tristan's Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 3)

  Logan’s Acadian Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 4)

  Léopold’s Wicked Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 5)

  Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6)

  Lost Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6.5)

  Jax (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 7)

  Jake (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 8)

  Club Altura Romance

/>   Solstice Burn (A Club Altura Romance Novella, Prequel)

  Carnal Risk (A Club Altura Romance Novel, Book 1)

  Wicked Rush (A Club Altura Romance Novel, Book 2)

  About the Author

  Kym Grosso is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the erotic paranormal series, The Immortals of New Orleans, and the contemporary erotic suspense series, Club Altura. In addition to romance novels, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She is also a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.

  In 2012, Kym published her first novel and today, is a full time romance author. She lives in suburban Pennsylvania but has a not-so-secret desire to move to a beach in southern California where she can write while listening to the roar of the ocean.

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