Jaxon
“Holy fuck,” I cursed in shock. I pushed into Sierra's mind relieved to see she was just sleeping. Our mating had been intense. I’m not kidding when I say I've just had the best sex of my life. She really is made for me. I’m one lucky son of a bitch. I pulled out of her as carefully as I could and saw my come leaking out slowly. It made me instantly hard again. I was so damn proud that she hadn't freaked out. I'd felt her tense, but her thoughts had told me she was ok. My mating mark on her skin was such a turn on, and knowing that every male who saw it would know she was taken, that she was mine, made me want to strut. She was perfect. With Sierra, what you see is what you get. She's sweet, she's kind, and she is fucking beautiful. I can't wait to see what our children will look like. I climbed off the bed and headed to the bathroom to grab a washcloth. Wetting it, I went back to Sierra and gently cleaned her up. She didn’t even stir. Our mixed emotions had really taken it out of her. She looked so peaceful lying there on my bed, naked and relaxed. Crawling back into bed I carefully arranged her lax body against mine with her head on my arm. I flicked the cover over us and wrapped my free arm around her waist. Breathing in her delicious scent, which was now mixed with mine, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me. My wolf and I were at peace now we'd claimed our mate.
****
I jerked up quickly, reaching for Sierra to make sure she was still with me.
“What's the matter?” She asked in a sleepy voice.
“I'm not sure.” I admitted. “Something has happened, I just don't know what.”
“OK.” She said slowly.
A knock at the door startled her. I jumped out of bed and headed towards it. I could hear Sierra scrambling for the duvet and I checked to make sure she’d covered her nakedness before I opened the door.
Gabe was on the other side looking furious.
“What's happened?” I asked him.
“Five vampires entered our territory an hour ago.”
“Where are they now?”
“That's the problem. We don't know.”
“We can't scent them?” I asked in confusion. “How is that possible?”
“Deacon told me a while ago that there have been whispers of a perfume that can mask a vampire’s scent, but he didn't have any proof of it at the time.”
“Well, I think we have it now.”
“Yeah.”
“Has Deacon tried scenting them?”
Gabe grimaced. “He disappeared right after the meeting last night. We don't know where he is.”
“I think I know.” Sierra's sweet voice came from behind me.
I turned to her in surprise. “You do?”
She walked to the door careful not to trip over the duvet she’d wrapped around herself. “Didn't you see his face when he said Milly’s name? I would bet everything I own that he’s gone to see her.”
I looked at Gabe and he shrugged. “I’ve tried calling him, but he isn't answering.”
“I could call Milly and ask her if she's seen him, but if I'm wrong, it might upset her.” Sierra said worriedly.
“Don’t worry. For now, we’ll try to do it without him. We have to find the vampires before anyone gets hurt.” I said to her as I caressed her cheek. “Go get dressed and then we’ll get breakfast, afterwards, I’m going hunting with my pack.”
Her eyes flashed, I felt her worry, but she only nodded and backed away from the door.
“Gabe, I'll be ready to go in an hour.”
He nodded. “I'll get the pack ready. The vampire helpers should be here soon.”
“We need to be polite.” I warned him.
“I will be, but it doesn't mean I like it.”
“No one likes it, but as they’re here to help us get rid of the trash, they are our allies.”
“I'd much prefer we do it ourselves.”
“Me too. I want to be the one to find them. I want to rip them apart limb from limb.”
“Blood thirsty, I like it.”
I chuckled. “I'll see in a few.”
He saluted. “You got it boss.” I closed the door, turning to find Sierra standing in front of the wall length mirror examining my mark. Her fingertips brushed against it. She caught my eye in the reflection. “How has it healed already?”
“You gained the ability to heal fast when I claimed you with my mark.”
She smiled, “Another surprise.”
“You’ll have a few more soon.”
“I will?”
“Life is going to be one huge surprise.”
“Cryptic.” She grinned.
“God, you're beautiful.” I said in awe.
With a blush staining her cheeks she smiled at me, her eyes alight with happiness. “You’re gorgeous.”
“I guess we're a good match.”
“I guess we are.”
“I’ll have clothes brought for you today, but for now you'll have to wear mine again.”
“Ok.”
“You like wearing my clothes.”
“It makes me feel close to you.”
“It makes me hard.”
“Jaxon.” she said with a giggle. She was so pretty when she smiled her whole face glowed.
“What?” I asked her with a grin. She shook her head still giggling.
“I will have your belongings picked up and brought here.”
“All of them?”
“You’re my mate. You live here now.” I said with force. Was she going to deny me?
She closed her eyes on a sigh. “Dial the anger down, you’ll give me a headache.”
Startled by her words, I laughed. “What?”
“I can read your thoughts now you're not sending my body into a frenzy of need. When I said all of it, I wondered if you meant my furniture as well.”
“Yes, that too.”
“Where will it go?”
Her innocent question made me realise she'd only seen a small portion of my house. “Honey, there is plenty of room here. Get dressed and I'll show you.”
She frowned. “Do you even know where I live to have my things packed up?”
“You live here.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you know where I used to live?”
“That's better. No, but if you write it down, I'll give it to Gabe so he can arrange for everything to be brought over.”
“Ok.” She walked over to the chair where her borrowed clothes lay. “Do I have time for a shower?”
“A quick one.”
“Are you going to join me?”
“If I did, it certainly wouldn't be quick.”
She liked that idea. Her scent filled the room and my wolf whined in my head. “Go now, Sierra. Please.”
Seeing the struggle I was having, she quickly grabbed the clothes and almost ran into the bathroom closing the door behind her.
I needed a cold shower. I couldn’t stand here and listen to Sierra soaping herself up. She was way too tempting, and we didn’t have time. I grabbed clean clothes and headed to the bathroom in the hall. Turning the water on, I climbed in. I cleaned myself all the while trying not to think of Sierra doing the same thing and once I rinsed the bubbles off, I got out. Just as I wrapped the towel around my waist, I heard a woman’s voice in my hallway. I opened the door and stepped out into the path of an unmistakeably pissed off woman. Her eyes were blazing with fire, her lips compressed in a thin line and she had a hand out as if she was warding someone off. My bedroom door opened and Sierra stepped out wearing my dressing gown. She'd obviously heard the commotion too.
“Milly.” She said in surprise as she got a look at the woman.
“Sierra, thank God.” She cried as she ran to Sierra almost knocking her over with the force of her hug.
“Deacon, do you want to explain what the hell is going on?” I asked him when I saw him stood wide-eyed and frozen to the spot where the woman had come from.
He shrugged. “With the war coming she is safer here with you.”
Milly pulled herself away from Sierra and stomped her foot. I stifled my grin when I caught Sierra's warning look.
“You kidnapped me, dragged me out of bed, didn't let me get dressed and then carried me to your car where you ignored me for the entire drive.” Milly screeched. She was standing close to Deacon now, her finger in mid-air as if she was about to poke him, but she’d stopped herself. Deacon’s eyes were blank, his face showing no emotion, and I wondered how much it was costing him to keep himself in check. He didn't speak to her; in fact, he acted as if she wasn’t even there. He looked over her head at me; I saw the hurt spread across Milly's face, Sierra did too. She approached her and linked their arms, pulling her away from him. “Come in here and you can tell me how you've been.” She said softly as she tugged her towards our room. “I can see you need clothes, but women’s clothes are a bit scarce around here. I can ask Jaxon to ask one of the men if you can borrow something.”
Deacon growled his wolf angry at the thought of Milly wearing any male’s clothes that weren't his. I heard Sierra laugh, and I knew she'd said it on purpose. I heard Milly sniff, “I'll be ok. I'm going home as soon as I find out where the heck I am.”
“No, you are not.” Deacon shouted. “You'll stay here until I say it’s safe.”
“You can't make me!” Came her reply as the door slammed shut behind her.
Deacon took a step towards the door and I grabbed his arm pulling him back. He almost lunged at me, his eyes dangerous, but he stopped himself at the last second.
“Don't you think you've hurt her enough?” I asked quietly.
“She isn't my mate.” He said in a sharp voice.
“Whether she is, or she isn't is irrelevant right now. That girl is hurting and you're the cause.”
Deacon sighed. “I know.”
“You said earlier ‘she's safer here with you’ I take it that means you're not staying?”
“No, I'm going hunting.”
“So am I.”
“No you're not. You can't.”
“I'm the alpha of this pack. I will not stand by while the pack is in danger.”
“Yes, you will, if you care about your mate.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked angrily.
“The rogues know about her. From what I can gather, they've decided the best way to get to you is to use her.”
My wolf pushed through my control, my fury so strong I very nearly shifted.
Deacon said my name sharply. “If you shift here, you'll break something.”
I sucked in a breath then another until I felt marginally under control.
“I'm going to sort the hunting party out. I have a vague idea of where we can start.”
“I don’t like it, but Sierra comes first. Take Gabe with you.”
He shook his head. “No, he's staying here on guard. If the vampires get through our defences, you'll need him.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but I thought of Sierra alone if something happened to me and I closed it again.
“That's settled then.” He said.
“Fine. As much as I want to be there personally to rip them to shreds, I'll stay back for Sierra, but you’d better make sure you get them all.”
“You can bet I will.”
He looked down at his feet. “Please keep Milly safe.” He said in barely a whisper.
“You have my word that nothing will hurt her.” I promised.
“Thank you, Jaxon. I’m sorry I just dragged her here.”
“You want to keep her safe, I understand that. She will too, one day. I would have done the same.”
“Yeah,” He grimaced. He turned to go, his leather jacket flapping around his legs. “I'll keep you updated.” With that, he was gone.
I walked back into the bathroom, pulled on my clothes and then I knocked on my bedroom door. I didn't walk in, I wasn’t sure if Milly would be afraid of me or not now she’d had time to calm down. Sierra opened the door, a small smile on her face. “Hey,” I said, “How's your friend?”
“Angry, hurt, heartbroken. She's sleeping now.”
“It’s understandable, Sierra. I think, no, I know he cares he's just...” I trailed off.
“Scared,” She finished for me. “Yeah, I get it. He's afraid his big bad hybrid self isn't good enough for her, but he's not only hurting himself, he's hurting Milly as well.”
“How do you know that?”
She shrugged. “I read his mind.”
“But how? He's strong; he puts up barriers that even I can't push through.”
“Maybe he wasn't concentrating.”
“No, that's not it. He would never let his guard down. I tried to reach him and he blocked me.”
She looked worried for a minute then she relaxed. “I think he wanted me to know how he feels, maybe a part of him wanted me to understand his actions.”
“You might be right, but I know him, baby, he is stubborn. He won't accept her as his mate when he thinks he could be a danger to her.”
“Then we'll have to help her meet someone new.”
“No. That's a dangerous game.”
“Why?”
“If another male touches her, Deacon will kill him.”
“Oh.”
“Deacon might not want to acknowledge she is his mate, but his wolf has. If another male touches Milly they will die.”
“Ok. I'll stay out of it then. It just makes me so sad.”
“Me too, but they’re adults, they have to find their own way together. Besides, fate wouldn't have paired them if it was going to end in tears.”
“I hope you're right, Jaxon. Do you think I could get that coffee now?”
“Sure. I can give you the tour like I promised.”
“That would be nice. I think Milly will sleep for a while. She was exhausted.”
“It's no wonder she is. Deacon is hard work.”
“I think she's realised that.”
She slipped her hand into mine closing the door behind her. I made a mental note to change our sheets. There was no way I could sleep in there with a female scent surrounding me that wasn’t my mates.
Sierra sighed. “I may not like how he did it, but I'm glad he brought her here.”
“It would kill him if anything happened to her.”
“Do you think he will give in, eventually?”
“I hope he will, but until he learns to accept himself and embrace his differences, he can't accept her.”
“My heart is breaking for her.”
“We'll keep her safe here until he comes to his senses.”
“I don't think she will like it.”
“You can explain the danger. Tell her you're lonely, make her feel too guilty to leave.”
“You're awful, but that could work.” She grinned.
I could see from her reaction that she hadn't been paying attention to where we were walking so when I stopped and stood in the middle of the kitchen she gasped. “Holy crap, Jaxon,” She muttered.
“You like it?” I teased
“Like it? Oh wow.” She let go of my hand and walked further inside spinning in a circle with her arms out. She reminded me of a child. “Jaxon, it's beautiful.”
I grinned. “I like the light.”
“I can see that.” She looked up at the glass ceiling. “The light touches everything, it's magnificent.” I walked towards her and pulled her into my arms kissing her lips softly I caught her eye, “Coffee?”
She nodded. “Can we drink it in here?”
“Of course, take a seat and I'll bring it over to you.”
“Thank you.” She skipped to the window seat sitting down gracefully. The sunshine glittered in her hair, it made her skin look like porcelain. I had a sudden urge to bend her over the kitchen table and take her from behind. I wanted to see the rays of light shimmer on her pale skin. Now was not the time, I had things to do, and she had to be sore from last night. I closed my eyes trying to get myself under control. Hearing movement, I snapped them open and found her standing by the table. Her arousal filled the room, whipping around me making my senses go haywire.
“I'm not sore.” She said excitedly
“You're not?”
“No. I want you, Jaxon.”
“I can smell your need.”
“What do I smell like?”
“Vanilla and chocolate.” I growled. Moving towards her fast I gripped her biceps. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Take me.”
That was all I needed. I ripped her clothes off dropping them to the floor. She gasped in surprise. I ripped mine off as well and pushed her forwards so she was bent waist down over the table. She flinched at the coldness, but that didn't stop me. I pushed my leg between hers and parting them to give me room. My hand slipped between her thighs and I tested her readiness. She was soaking wet for me. My cock was throbbing almost painfully, but I forced myself to be careful. Slipping between her legs, I fed my cock into her pussy and locked my legs. She was so hot; her pussy sucked me in, her muscles clamping down so hard I was worried I would hurt her. Moving a hand under her stomach, I reached down and placed a finger on her swollen clit flicking it softly with my finger. She arched backwards driving my cock deeper inside her. I moved then, the high-pitched noises coming from her spurred me on. When it felt like my balls would fall off, I felt her body tense, her fingers scratching against the table. She screamed so loudly I worried for a second that my pack would come and check on us. My cock hardened to the point of pain and then my seed shot from my body making me groan. My legs nearly went out from under me and I gripped the table to keep myself upright. I could hear Sierra’s ragged breathing as I lay on top of her careful to keep most of my weight off her. She was shaking, her whole body moving with each breath she took. I kissed my mating mark, teasing the skin with my tongue. She giggled quietly. “It tickles.”
I chuckled. “Are you ok?”
“You blew my mind.”
“Baby, I think it was the other way around. I thought I was going to pass out from the pleasure.”
“We're explosive.”
“We are also both naked in my kitchen.”
“Oh God what if someone comes in?” She struggled to move from under me.
“Sierra, no one will come, but if they do, they will knock first. They know we are newly mated.”
“Ok.” She calmed down slightly. “I'd still really like to get up though, this table is cold now.”
I chuckled. Pulling out of her, I watched my come slip down her leg.
“You like that?” She asked as she caught my reaction.
“Yes.” I admitted. “My mark shows your mine, but my come marks you with my scent. It's fucking awesome.”
She looked horrified. “People will know we've had sex?”
“Yes, they will.” I said proudly.
She slapped her hands over her face. “Oh God, I need to shower.”
“No.” I growled grabbing her hands and making her look at me.
“No?” She asked in alarm.
“Are you ashamed of me?”
“No! Of course, I’m not! I just don’t want people knowing my business.”
“Baby, you're part of the pack now. I'm afraid everyone knows everyone's business. You’ll get used to it.” I added when she looked at me in horror. “I’d better get you some clothes before you catch a chill. Stay here a minute.”
I walked naked to the laundry room and grabbed a clean t-shirt and boxers from the drier. When I walked back towards her and saw her face, I chuckled. She was staring at my still hard cock. “You do this to me.” I grinned.
“I'm a bit sore now.” She admitted.
“I know baby and I would never cause you pain by taking you again.” I handed her my t-shirt, and she slipped it over her head. Picking up my trousers from the floor, pleased to see they were still in one piece, I stepped into them pulling them up my legs and over my still hard cock. Holding a hand out to her, I led her to the downstairs bathroom. Using a cloth, I cleaned her gently and gave her my boxers to pull on. Tugging her back to the kitchen, I poured two fresh cups of coffee and handed her one. She took a sip and sighed in delight.
“This is good coffee.” She said.
“The coffee at the diner isn't bad.”
“That’s because Maurice makes it. Crap,” she cursed. “I should be at work today.”
“I called him and said you were under the weather.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I also had someone go in and cover your shifts.”
“Wow. Thank you.”
“No thanks needed. Jo was happy to do it. She's saving for a car.”
“Oh, I'm so glad Maurice won't be left in the lurch. I think I should go and check on Milly, she might be awake.”
“She isn't moving yet, I would hear her if she was.”
“Your hearing is that good?”
“It's excellent.”
“I need to remember that.”
“I can turn it off if I need to.”
“That's good to know. What if I want to talk about you to Milly?”
“I will definitely be listening to that conversation. I'd love to hear what you have to say about me.”
“What if I want to say mean things about you?”
“You won't.”
She raised her eyebrows. “How can you be so sure?”
“I'm sure because I know you love me.”
She screwed her face up. “You could at least wait until I tell you myself.”
“Sorry.” I grinned.
“Yeah, you look it.”
“Baby,” I cupped her face. “I love you.” Her face crumpled.
“I love you too.” She said tearfully.
“Why are you crying?” I asked in alarm.
“Because I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and this will all be a dream.”
I wrapped an arm around her waist. “Trust me, I'm real, you're real, and what we have it real.”
“It's crazy how fast things have happened.”
“It's the shifter way. How do you feel about babies?”
“I love babies.”
“That's good. We will know in two days if you're pregnant.”
“What!” She screeched spilling coffee down herself. She placed the cup down on the counter and grabbed the towel rubbing at the spill. “How can that happen so soon?”
I shrugged. “We're shifters.”
She placed her hands on her stomach. “Wow.”
Smiling, I placed my hand over hers. “We may have happened fast, Sierra, but it doesn't mean our feelings aren't real.”
“I know I love you. Inside I know I was made for you as you were made for me, but my human brain is cautious.”
“The truth is we are going to have a long and happy life together.”
She looked worried, “As long as we defeat the rogue vampires.”
“We will.”
“How do you know for sure?”
“We have Deacon on our side.”
“Is he really that dangerous?”
“He's a hybrid. No one really knows what to expect because no shifter has ever survived a vampire bite. I don't mean that he will single-handedly take them out although he will try. I wasn't joking when I said he was stubborn, he won't give up until he eliminates the threat.”
Sierra opened her mouth, but I shushed her. I heard a bang upstairs. Without thinking, I grabbed Sierra's hand and raced up the stairs to my room. I had a bad feeling in my stomach. When I pushed the door wide open, I found it empty. “Fuck.”
Sierra looked around worriedly. “Milly.” She called.
“She's gone baby.”
“What, how? You would have heard her if she’d just walked down the stairs.”
“The vampires have her.” I growled. I pulled my phone out and dialled Gabe. He answered on the first ring. “Milly is gone.”
“Gone where?”
“The vampire’s took her. I can smell one faintly. What I don't understand is how the fuck they got into my house.”
“I'd like to know that too.” He growled.
I winced. “Fuck. Who's going to tell Deacon?”
“I'll leave that you alpha. He will be out of control. You’re the only one strong enough to subdue him if you need to.” Gabe said with concern.
“He'll be ok.” I said, but I wasn’t sure I believed the words myself.
Sierra pulled on my arm and pointed to the window. The curtains were fluttering in the breeze and something was hanging from a crack in the broken wood. I walked up to it sniffing.
“We have a scent.” I said to Gabe. “One of them has left us a souvenir.”
“Great, we have a starting point. Deacon will track them down in no time.”
“Let’s hope he finds her alive because if he doesn’t…” I trailed off.
“I think we are about to find out just how much Deacon has been holding back from us.”
“You might be right. I just hope he doesn't lose himself in the process.” I said worriedly.
“In a crazy way this might be good for him. Milly will bring him out of his self. I don't think they will hurt her, I think she is just simply bait. I wonder if they thought she was Sierra.”
“That thought crossed my mind too, but I believe that the rogues are about to discover who the real threat in our pack is.”
“They might have bitten off more than they can chew. We are strong, but Deacon is a power on his own.”
“A power they are just about to unleash.”
“I hope they are ready.”
“I hope we all are.” I said as I cut the connection.
Chucking my phone down on the bed, I pulled Sierra into my arms. Her shoulders were heaving with her sobs and I rubbed her back in soothing strokes.
“She will be ok, baby. Deacon will save her.”
“She's been through so much already. Oh, god she must be so scared.” She sniffed.
“I know. She doesn't deserve this. I think if they wanted to hurt her though they would have done it here.” I said gently.
“Why do you think they took her?”
“I think they’re using her as bait and when Deacon tracks them down, they’re going to wish they'd never laid a hand on her.”
“I hope you're right, Jaxon. She’s my best friend. I want her to know our babies, be their auntie.”
“She will be back. I promise. I have to call Deacon now. Will you be ok for a minute?”
“I'll be fine.” She said as she climbed off my lap, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “Tell him to make them hurt.”
I smiled at her fierce words. “He’ll do that don't you worry.”
Picking up my phone from the bed, I dialled Deacon’s number, waiting impatiently for him to pick up. I had no idea how I was going to break it to him, I figured there was no point hesitating, he’d appreciate me being blunt.
“Yeah,” He snapped in greeting.
“Deacon, I’m sorry, they have her. The vampires have Milly.”
The phone went dead.
Shit.
The war continues in Deacon’s story…
Coming Soon.