by Sydney Addae
“Jasmine?"
“Yeah?”
He could tell she was distracted, so he spoke quickly. I will allow Cameron to compete.
“That’s good. I’ve got my hands full right now. Renee and Adam ganged up on David. He is not a happy person." Once Jasmine snapped out of her depression, she'd retook the nursery, much to the caregivers' relief. His pups were a handful who required loving discipline; however, no one would do that other than Jasmine or himself.
Silas’ brow rose. “Really? Do you need me?”David had gone through a recent growth spurt within the past few weeks and was now taller than the others. He dabbled in each of his siblings’ interests. He would color with Renee, work through puzzles with Jackie, and chase Adam around the room until his brother collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles. Seeing David bloom filled Silas with wonder, amazement, and most of all, love.
“Always."
He waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he sent warmth through their link, not wanting to interrupt her longer than he already had. Trusting his mate’s opinion, he sent a simple message to Alpha Jayden. “Yes, Cameron will compete."
Glancing at his watch, he realized he hadn’t heard from Tyrese regarding Tyrone’s condition. “Rese?"
“Sir?"
“How’s Rone?" Silas asked as he stepped out into the corridor. He needed to beef up security both for the christening and Asia. If Tyrone could be left alone, he and Tyrese could get started making plans.
“He and Rose are still resting. I haven’t heard much from him in a while."
Silas had forgotten that Rose had taken off because of the symptoms. “Good. I need you to meet me in my office in twenty minutes. Let Rone know where we are." Silas paused. “Davian will be moving into Matt’s quarters until his mate finishes a big project for me. Let Rone know that as well."
“Yes, Sir," Tyrese said slowly. “I’ll tell him and meet you in twenty minutes."
Silas disconnected and headed for the nursery. He wanted to see his pups, and give Jasmine the news in person that Davian would be staying in the compound for a while. His wolf wasn’t happy, neither was the other side of him. Jasmine still hadn’t worn anything remotely frilly for him like she had for her ex. He planned to remind her of that as well.
Chapter 9
Jasmine heard the soft sound of the door closing. Three hours ago a call had come in the middle of their sexual play. Silas had surprised her by answering the summons, and then completely blew her away when he lifted her from his lap to the side of the bed. Hurt and disappointment had warred with her need to be wrapped in his arms as she watched him leave their bedroom. He thrown a promise over his shoulder to return in an hour.
Stewing with sexual frustration, she had waited. After the first hour she'd shut down their link so he couldn’t hear her horny thoughts and took care of her needs with one of her toys. The vibrator took the edge off, but what she really needed was Silas. Seeds of doubt rose within her fertile imagination. It wasn’t that she thought he was cheating on her, through their link she would know. Plus there was the whole 'can’t get hard with anyone except your mate thing'. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t lose interest.
Despite Davian’s claim to the contrary, there were many days, before he met Matt, when other things had taken precedence over meeting her needs. Many nights he'd slept in the guest room, claiming he didn’t want to disturb her. The truth of the matter was she had been so horny, she couldn’t get to sleep without battery operated aid. She never thought she would need a vibrator with Silas. At first his sexual appetite had been enormous. She would take naps to recover, but lately…he seemed to have lost interest.
For the past two hours he'd attempted to reach her through their bond, but she was so damn frustrated with her needs taking a back seat, she didn’t want to be bothered.
His irritation was a living, breathing thing in their bedroom. “Jasmine.”
“What?” She didn’t bother rolling over. He wasn’t the only one in the room unhappy.
“You shut me out. Why?”
“I was busy.” She pressed her thighs together as her body vibrated with need.
“With what?” He sounded confused.
“None of your business,” she snapped, and scooted to the edge of the bed.
The silence in the room stretched taut like thread at the end of its elasticity. “Everything about you is my business.”
She squeezed her eyes tight at his soft reply. Damn it, he was supposed to get angry. She could remain pissed at angry, arrogant Silas. Soft, loving Silas…she wouldn’t stand a chance. And she needed to keep her wits so that they could make some changes. After spending most of her day in the nursery, she needed some adult time with him.
The bed depressed near her hips. He was too close. “Talk to me, what is wrong? Have you stopped taking your medication?”
She bit her lips as her lids lowered. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t taken her meds since yesterday but she wasn’t depressed, she was hurt, angry. A combination of musk and his natural scent wafted across her nostrils, teasing her, tempting her to roll into his arms. Pressing her lips together, she curled into a ball, refusing to speak. She sensed him trying to connect through their link and slammed it down tight.
“Jas…I’m sorry. I was gone longer than I promised. There's the problem with the Lieutenant missing, and some security equipment failure, one thing led to another, delaying my return.”
Heat rushed to her face and neck at his explanation. Rolling out of bed, she looked down at him. “I won’t do this.”
“What?” He gazed at her, his face a mask of confusion. And that hurt even more.
“I played second fiddle for twenty years to one man. I am not doing this again.” She shook her head, emphasizing her point. “Nothing you just said could not have waited until tomorrow or least for a few hours. You could have turned any and all of that over to someone else so that we could spend some time together. Ever since the bomb scare, and then the depression, we spend less and less time together. I know I went through some health problems, but I’m over that now. You come in too tired to make love. It’s been a quick screw, if that, and then you’re up and out at dawn. We don’t talk, don’t cuddle or do any of the things I need from you. You’re so damn busy –”
“Busy making sure you, my pups, and every damn one else is safe,” he argued, standing slowly to face her. He wiped his face with his palm before speaking in a low, clipped tone. “A woman sat in my damn house for a month with a bomb inside her body waiting…waiting to blow me up.” He slapped his chest. “I fed that bitch, kept her warm, healthy, and for some fucked up reason she probably could not explain, she threatened everybody I love.”
She stiffened when he raised his voice. His eyes took on an ethereal glow and changed to a frosty emerald green, a sure sign of his mounting anger. “I am aware of that –”
“Are you? Are you really? Because I wonder about that, considering you’ve invited your family to visit at a time like this. Right after we discovered two bombs and Rese was kidnapped from below. What if something happens while they are here? Huh? How do I keep them safe? How will you look at me if a bomb goes off and they get hurt? Will you still love me? Or leave me?”
Horrified by the scenarios he painted, and that he would think she was that shallow, she blew out a breath. Pointing her finger at him, she spoke through a tight throat. “That’s not fair. I have never placed any kind of conditions on loving you. Why are you dragging my family into this? What do they have to do with you not spending quality time with me? What do I have to do to get a few hours with my damn mate?” she screamed, brushing the tears from her face.
He stepped toward her.
She held out her hand as she backed up. “No, Silas. No. I refuse to do this again. It’s gotten worse not better. If dealing with security because of the christening is freaking you out, you should’ve talked to me. If this is too big of a deal, you should talk to me. Not back off and d
isappear for hours at a time. I am not doing that with you. Not happening.” She had backed up to the door with no clear plan where she would go. She simply needed time to think.
“You say you never placed any conditions on loving me, but when you’re angry, you withdraw. You shut down, cut me off and you know what that does to me. I have told you it’s like losing a lung, it’s harder to breathe, and yet you do it every time you are angry.”
It was the combined hurt and sorrow in his voice that stopped her. She had never heard him sound so mystified before. As if he had shared something with someone and they had turned that knowledge around and used it against him. Surely he wasn’t implying she deliberately tried to hurt him, when she merely trying to protect herself.
“Stop that. I do not. You are trying to flip this around.”
He held up his hands and then stuffed them into his pocket. “No. Honestly, it’s not my intention to place the blame on you. You are right, I could have returned sooner. I could have assigned those tasks to someone else. On those issues you are right.” He met her gaze. “But you are wrong to say you are second in anything in my life. If I am working long hours, it is to make sure you and my pups are safe. I want all of us to have thousands of tomorrows. How could I pass on the responsibility to someone else to take a look at security equipment when Tyrese was taken from beneath my nose a few weeks ago?” He removed his hands and took a step toward her. “You think I don’t hear the bombs going off in my sleep?” he whispered raggedly. “I brought the enemy into my compound and both of them were locked and loaded. Could’ve killed my pups, my people, my mate. How can I allow anyone else to check security? I can’t. That’s not the wolf… man I am.”
She swallowed hard knowing he was right. Stripped emotionally, she spoke from her heart. “I don’t like sleeping alone. I need…I need you. I miss you when you’re not here.” She paused. “Don’t forget, I went through all of that with you. The bombs, Tyrese’ kidnapping. Silas, I sat in a room with Siseria while the bomb was inside her. If you think I don’t have nightmares about those bombs, you’re wrong. I may not have seen the bloody aftermaths like you did. But I sat not five feet from her, talking, trying to get information. So…yeah, I need you to hold me at night. To talk me through my fears, allow me to hold onto you when you’re dealing with this shit. We’re supposed to be a team, but you’ve gone Lone Ranger on me. I can’t handle this by myself. I miss you so much, I ache with it.”
He stepped closer, touched her arms. She trembled at his nearness.
“Jas…I miss you too. I want to ride between your thighs every minute of the day. You know that’s my favorite place. But… right now, there is a war going on…”
Frowning, she took a step toward him. “War? Did you just say war?”
He nodded. “Asia gave up some interesting information today. I can’t remember if it was before or after you came in, but another group of humans have declared war on us.”
“What? Do you mean like a real war? Like they have overseas or the ones they show on TV? Organized crime turf wars, that kinda thing?”
“Wolves being killed in experiments, that’s war. Some are being changed into weapons, some are being sent to fight on behalf of the highest bidders. They got the jump on us. I have my teams working around the clock to find answers and develop solutions so that we have a fighting chance. It’s going to take some time for them to complete that task. That means I have to play offense to buy them that time.”
She searched his eyes, read the sincerity of them, and stepped into the circle of his arms. He wrapped them tightly around her. His warmth filled every nook and cranny of her chilled soul. War? She knew something was off but hadn’t expected that. Her sons, her mate, her family were at risk. Prickles of energy raced up and down her spine. She wondered if he noticed. “What do you plan to do?”
“Kick their asses in such a way they never come back at me.” His answer was quick, to the point and oh so Silas Knight.
“I’m sorry.” Although her complaint was legitimate and something they needed to deal with, the timing sucked. He needed her strength and support right now.
He squeezed her tight and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I should have told you what was going on. Things changed today, I stepped up security and made other plans. I discovered the location of one of their warehouses and will be sending them a surprise visit.” His voice changed to one of gleeful determination. “Like I said, offense.”
She nodded against his chest, the feel of his cotton shirt warm against her skin. “Whatever you need from me, let me know.”
“Keep my pups safe.” He took her arms in his hands and pushed her backward. Their gazes connected and she read his intent. “If anyone breaks through security and comes after you or the children, take whatever you need from me and kill them.” He waited a moment. “Do you understand?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I heard you.”
He shook her slightly. “I asked if you understood.”
“Silas, I’m not simple-minded. I heard and understood what you had to say. Now listen to me.” She waited a moment for his attention to shift to her eyes. “If someone breaches security and comes after me or my kids, I will kill them. You obviously don’t know me well if you thought for a moment I would do otherwise. But here’s where you got it twisted. I will kill them if they come after you as well.” She held up her hand to stop him from speaking. “Don’t waste your breath telling me to do or think anything differently, because I’m not going to change my mind, you can take that to the bank.”
He dropped his hands and took a step back. They continued to look intently at one another. He scowled and she gazed at him until he threw his hands up. “I need you safe.”
“Likewise.”
His head snapped up, he opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. “Jasmine.” His tone held a plea.
“I love you, Silas. Don’t ask or expect me to accept something happening to you without doing something to help, I can’t do that anymore than you could.” She read the resignation in his eyes and released a breath. Her mate could be stubborn but he was realistic.
He snagged her around the waist, their bodies slapped together when he pulled her close. “Be careful, try not to get hurt. You are my barometer for control. If you get hurt, I will lose it and level this place,” he whispered next to her ear.
She shivered hearing the ring of truth in his words. Many would die if he lost control, she would need to be extra careful. Damn, this was the worst time to lose control of her emotions. She opened her mouth to tell him about her energy surges and then changed her mind. He had a lot on his plate. She would deal with this.
“I will have my children with me; you know I don’t play when it comes to family. You never have to worry about that.” She gazed up into his dark green eyes. “With everything that is within me, I will not allow my family to die without a fight. Believe that.” As she spoke, a gentle breeze touched the nape of her neck.
“Your eyes changed.” He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.
“Huh?”
“When you made that vow, there was a glow behind your eyes. They became translucent, like liquid gold.”
Her brow rose. “Really?” She pretended a nonchalance she didn’t feel.
His gaze went from thoughtful to resigned as he placed a kiss on her lips. “Yes. I pity any fool who attempts to come after my mate or pups. I have no doubt you will handle them well. Thank you, love.” He took her lips and deepened the kiss.
Her heart jumped and then raced as she sank into his embrace. Familiar heat flared between them as he lifted her in his arms. She laid her palm flat against the hard plane of his chest as he carried her to their bed. Inhaling, her senses were inundated with the scent that was all him, masculinity personified. If she could bottle his unique fragrance, men would pay a mate’s ransom for an ounce of the potent cologne. Her tongue flicked into the crook of his neck.
“Umm…” he moaned, depositing her on the ma
ttress, then falling on top of her. “You are my mate, it is impossible for you to be second in my mind, we are merged into one. You are the beat of my heart and I am sorry you felt neglected. I will spend all night and tomorrow if necessary to correct my mistake. No one is more important than you, Jasmine. “He gazed into her eyes, holding her captive. “No one.”
Tingles of mind bending pleasure shot through her as she met his unwavering stare. Her eyes filled as his head lowered. “You are my queen.” He placed a soft kiss on her lips. “My mate.” He kissed her again. “My woman.” He brushed the tears from her cheek. “I am sorry you are hurting.” Instead of kissing her again, he rolled her over on top of him and held her gently while she pulled her thoughts together. His nearness had a habit of robbing her of her wits at times.
“I know you do. But you have to talk to me, Silas. I don’t want to listen to your conversations all day through our link. I have enough just dealing with the kids. I expect you to fill me in on the highlights so I’m in the loop.”
He rubbed her back with his fingertips, sending zings of heat rushing to her core. If this wasn’t so important, she would demand he take care of her needs right now. But her mate was not fully human and thought in black and white; she needed him to move toward the gray areas to compromise.
“I need a few hours of just the two of us. Doesn’t have to be sex, although that would be great,” she rushed to say when he stiffened. “We used to do that before the bomb scare, we need to go back to it. Like I said, I miss you and need to re-energize. That only happens when we spend time together.”
He nodded. “Okay. Whatever we need to do to get back to where you are comfortable, let’s do it. I didn’t realize how much everything that happened a month ago impacted my actions. I cannot allow that.” He squeezed her tight. “Thanks for telling me about it.” He pushed her up so she could look into his eyes. “But you can’t leave me over stuff like that, or for any reason.”
