Cailyn sat down on the soft cushions with a sigh. Another night without her mate and she was ready to scream bloody murder. Izzy was still gone, and Jace was once again at the hospital for some emergency or another. She should go to bed, but she was tired of hiding out in her room.

Her foot bounced as she picked up the remote and clicked through the stations. It had been years since she’d watched much television and she didn’t find that she missed it all that much. She took up reading after Jace got her a tablet. Sadly, her reading app was getting more action than she was.

She reconsidered heading to her room to finish the latest romance about a dragon king and his mate. The author was surprisingly good and not all that far from reality. Made Cailyn wonder if Nate was hooking up with humans and telling tales.

Rolling her head on her shoulders, she tried to relieve the tension. Skipping past a medical drama on the television, she clicked to the travel channel and watched a show about the best barbeque in Memphis.

Barbeque was one of the foods Elsie hadn’t mastered. Mainly because it required smoking meat over long periods of time and her sister enjoyed creating masterpieces in the kitchen. Those ribs looked damn tasty, Cailyn thought and her mouth watered. One of the guys could man the grill while Elsie made the side dishes. Reaching for her phone, she almost texted Jace to ask if he’d pick up some ribs on the way home then she remembered he wasn’t going to be there for hours.

Ignoring the tension pulling her shoulders tight, Cailyn jumped up and began rearranging the magazines on the coffee table before she crossed to the bar in the corner of the media room. She poured herself a glass of merlot from their stone wine dispenser and walked back to the sofa.

Cailyn tried again to get into the show. She polished off her wine then texted Elsie, asking her sister to join her. It was quiet in the house, and they could have some sister time.

It had been a long time since they’d spent time just the two of them and Elsie needed that right now. When Cailyn looked back on their lives, she never would have imagined they’d end up mated to paranormal men with her sister being the Vampire Queen.

“Hey, beautiful,” Cade said as he entered the media room and plopped onto the other end of the couch from where Cailyn sat. “Ooooh barbeque. I love grilled meat. We need to cook out more often.”

Cailyn chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing. I’m going to have Nate order some ribs.”

“And some brisket. There’s nothing better than a good brisket smoked with a dry rub,” Cade commented as his eyes took on a dreamy look. He was a good-looking male and always available. Why couldn’t she have mated someone that wasn’t a doctor?

“Are you a potato salad or cole slaw guy?” she asked.

“Hmmm. Both, but coleslaw is a must on a brisket sandwich. And, traditional slaw. None of this fancy stuff,” he said as he pointed to the television where they were making a salad with ginger, garlic, and chili paste.

“Are you kidding? That looks fantastic. It reminds me of one Elsie makes,” Cailyn said.

“And, that is perfect with her Vietnamese burgers, but those flavors don’t go with barbeque. The sauces are vastly different.”

Cailyn reached up and rubbed her neck. Knots the size of softballs were compressing her shoulders and making it difficult to concentrate. The wine helped a little, but not nearly enough.

“We could make a brisket with a dry rub of Asian ingredients. I know Elsie uses Anise in the burgers. I bet it would be yummy with a rub of those same spices,” Cailyn suggested, thinking of the flavors. Just remembering it made her mouth water and her tummy rumble.

“There’s no reason to mess with a good thing. Brisket should have paprika, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and spices like that. Here,” Cade said as he sat up and turned to her. “Let me help with that.”

Cailyn jumped when he reached for her shoulders. She felt uneasy about another man touching her, but she could ignore it for a good shoulder rub. Something had to get rid of those knots before they became a permanent part of her. The pain was shooting through her skull, making it throb.

“Good thing you’re a big, strong vampire. It’s going to take all your muscles to work through these. I swear, they’re made of titanium,” Cailyn replied as she swiveled on the cushion, turning her back to him.

She had a moment of doubt where her gut clenched. They’d shared a couple of intimate moments and shouldn’t have. Not that she’d cheated on Jace, but the thought had been there, and that was not okay in her book.

Cade was just a sweet friend, keeping her company and offering to alleviate her discomfort. Right?

Strong fingers kneaded her flesh, making her grimace with pain. “Did I hurt you?” he murmured, his voice far closer than it should be.

“Yes, but no,” Cailyn responded and scooted a bit forward. “Working through these beasts is going to hurt, but I know that I’ll feel better afterward.”

“Damn female. You’re carrying the weight of the world on these shoulders. There’s no need to do that. We’re here to help, you know,” Cade declared, working magic with his hands. Her head dropped forward, so her chin hit her chest. “I don’t think anyone realizes how much you take on and handle because you’re so quiet. I mean, we all know that Mack is killing skirm and demons left and right. And the rest have their clear roles and jobs, but not you. You cover all the bases. Wherever there’s a hole or need, you’re there, fixing it. Who’s taking care of your needs?” he uttered as his hands trailed to her back.

His words brought tears to her eyes. No one ever noticed how much work she did around the compound. She never cared that she was overlooked and underappreciated until Jace became the worst offender. Jace had been attentive and supportive until he became overworked.

A loud, war cry echoed throughout the room, startling Cailyn, but before she could lift her head to see what was happening, Cade’s hands ripped from her shoulders, and she heard a crash.

“Jace!” she shouted when she lifted her head and saw him panting above Cade. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Mine,” he snarled, flashing his teeth at Cade. Jace didn’t have fangs, but there was no mistaking the threat in his tone.

“Dude, you need to chill. I was helping her. She’s in pain,” Cade explained, but Cailyn could tell Jace wasn’t listening.

“You don’t touch what’s mine,” Jace growled.

“Cailyn isn’t a toy you can bring out and play with when you have time. She’s a brilliant female that happens to be funny, sexy and—” Cade’s words were cut off by Jace’s fist slamming into the side of his face. Cade’s head snapped back, and a ferocious growl left his throat.

“You’d better watch yourself, bro. I’m helping your mate because she’s in pain while you’re too busy to give a fuck. She deserves so much better than you. You don’t even appreciate what you have!” Cade divulged and shoved Jace.

In the next blink, Jace called his staff to his hand. That never meant anything good.

“Oh, you wanna fight dirty? I like dirty,” Cade threatened as his fangs descended.

“No!” she screamed, jumping between the two men. “Don’t do this.”

“I will kill anyone that touches my mate,” Jace spat as he jumped up on the coffee table, kicking her wine glass and sending glass shattering against the wall.

Cailyn had never seen this side of Jace. Yes, she’d seen him fight, but this was completely different. An unknown force possessed him and would kill Cade, a fellow Dark Warrior, for touching her. It was absurd. They weren’t doing anything wrong. She wasn’t cheating. Liar, her mind chided.

No, she wasn’t cheating, but the thought crossed her mind for one millisecond in her loneliest moments. The attention was sweet and made her feel attractive and wanted. She fed Cade's interest when she shouldn’t have, but she had no idea how to stop this disaster.

Jace jumped and swung his staff, connecting with Cade’s back. Cade stumbled and grabbed Jace’s leg, yanking him off his feet. Both men fell to the ground, and she screamed at the loud thud when they landed.

“I can see you love Cailyn. Well, here’s a piece of advice. You’d better start paying attention to her. She should come first. There are plenty of male’s willing to give Cailyn what she deserves,” Cade said as he rolled to avoid Jace’s elbow.

Both men were on their feet in the next second and Jace was in Cade’s face. “Cailyn is mine. No other male will ever have her. I don’t give a shit if I’m no good for her. She’s mine, so stay the fuck away from her.” With that, Jace threw a punch and knocked Cade on his ass.

Without waiting for the male to get up, Jace turned and marched toward Cailyn. She expected yelling and more cursing, but Jace leaned over and grabbed her legs.

When he stood up, she was hanging over his shoulder. She looked back at Cade who was wiping the blood from his mouth. Arousal flooded her system at Jace’s display.

He was still jealous of anyone paying attention to her. Why she found that sexy, she had no idea. She laid her hands on his back and rubbed circles as he breathed heavily while carrying her up the stairs.

Elsie came out of her room as they approached and Cailyn heard her sister gasp then giggle. When they passed her, Elsie smiled the first genuine smile Cailyn had seen since Izzy's abduction. Cailyn smiled back and waved at her sister as Jace entered their room and kicked the door shut.

Suddenly, Cailyn’s arousal was battling her nerves for supremacy. She had no clue what he planned to do with her, but the suspense was thrilling. Jace set her down and gently grabbed her face in his hands.

“I’m sorry. I know Cade is right, and you deserve better, but you’re mine and no one can have you but me,” Jace whispered.

Tears welled in Cailyn’s eyes. “I know you’re busy. It’s okay. He was only trying to work out these knots in my shoulders. It won’t happen again,” she promised.

“Damn right it won’t because I’m going to be here to take care of you. And, you have no reason to be sorry. You did nothing wrong. I love you more than you will ever know. You are what keeps me going through the long hours and bullshit of the ER and patrols,” Jace admitted to her.

He lowered his head and claimed her lips in a kiss that branded her soul all over again. The chains binding them flared to life, strengthening their connection while Jace devoured her mouth.

Gone was the self-loathing male she’d met all those years ago. Jace's mouth moved over hers with precision and intent. Her arms wound around his neck, and she poured her desire into the kiss.

Picking her up, Jace carried her to the sofa and sat down with her in his lap. Their kiss continued for several long minutes until they were both breathless and panting with need.

Jace broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “Things are going to change. I will quit the hospital before I allow you to suffer.”

Cailyn shook her head violently. “I’m not going to lie. It’s been complicated for me to be without you, but quitting isn’t the answer. You have a gift. The Goddess gave it to you so you can save lives and I will not be the reason you let it go to waste.”

“My gift means nothing if I know you are hurting, Shijeì,” Jace murmured.

She slowly unbuttoned his shirt and opened the fabric, revealing beautiful bronze skin. She ran her hands over his muscular chest, licking her lips as he tensed beneath her touch. She leaned down and placed a kiss on one nipple then the other. Jace groaned when she bit down on the tender flesh.

“I can’t think when you do that to me, love. I’m trying to grovel here,” Jace murmured and tossed his head back when she licked her way up the side of his neck.

Stopping at his ear, she licked the shell then whispered, “If groveling is the only way I get you naked, then, by all means, continue.”

“You can have me naked anytime. But, the changes at the hospital are a done deal. My new schedule was approved. No more long hours. And, Zander has the new class going through the training program so I should have fewer patrols.”

Cailyn knew Jace well enough to know that he wasn’t saying this to appease her. It was clear that he was upset about missed time with her, as well. He’d been working on it for a while if his schedule already changed.

“Don’t cut patrols if that means more children at risk. I couldn’t live with myself if we weren’t doing everything possible to fight these demons,” she told him, thinking that Izzy wasn’t the only child missing.

Jace kept one arm around her waist and called his staff in the other. His magic filled the room as he waved the alder wood and candles came to life all around them. Another wave and the lights went out. Her favorite magic trick followed when their clothes disappeared.

The electrical currents running between them were enough to power the entire compound. It sizzled and crackled, turning Cailyn on even more. The thought made her wonder if there was a way for Jace and Gerrick to harness the energy the couples in the house emitted and use it as an alternative to electricity. Perhaps they could use solar paneling to aid in the endeavor. She filed those questions away for another time as Jace swiveled his hips.

A moan escaped her throat. “God, I’ve missed this,” Cailyn said as she rubbed her sex over his pulsing erection. His long braid fell over his shoulder and tickled her nipple, enhancing every sensation.

“You will never have cause to miss this again. But,” Jace said, holding her firmly to his body, “you are never to allow another male to touch you again. I’m not trying to deny you, Shijeì, but I will kill the next male that lays a hand on you. I know it meant nothing to you, but I can’t say the same for Cade.”

Cailyn waved her hand, trying to erase the frown lines between his eyes. “Cade was goading you. He wanted nothing from me.”

“Don’t be naïve, Cai. You don’t have my sense of smell. I scented his arousal the moment I walked through the door. He’s lucky I didn’t behead him,” Jace replied without a hint of remorse.

Wiggling her hips, she kissed his lips before planting kisses on his face and neck. “I don’t want to think about him when I have you naked beneath me. Take me to bed, Jace.”

“Your wish is my command. I love you,” Jace declared as he stood and strode into their bedroom.

“With all my heart,” she echoed before she fell against the soft mattress and lost herself to pleasure only her mate could provide.