Later, Cazz had pulled out a couple of the blankets, and we curled up under them, sitting again with our backs against the cab of the truck. I was leaning against his shoulder. I had been hugging his bicep, but let my hand trail down his arm intending to take his fingers. But when my palm reached the inside of his wrist, he gave a little flinch.
I sat up and pulled his hand up, out of the blankets, to see red bands across his wrist. From the belt
“Shit, Cazz! Why didn’t you tell me! I didn’t mean to hurt you!”
He shrugged and pulled his hand back under the cover of the blankets. “It’s barely a rub-burn, Jesse. I’ll live.”
“I know, but… I wasn’t me
~ JESSE ~I slept so deeply that night—in Cazz’s bed—that I was aware of nothing until he woke me, curling against my back, his arousal pressing against my back.I stretched happily, pressing myself back against him. “Good morning,” I breathed.Cazz gave an answering rumble that sounded so hot it actually made my belly clench. Then he pushed up on his elbow behind me and let his hand drag up the front of my thigh as he leaned in and began to kiss my shoulder and my neck.The tandem brushes of his lips on the sensitive skin below my ear and his fingertip running up and down my leg, then teasing between my legs, lit me on fire. I reached back to hold him agai
~ JESSE ~I hurried away from the dark damp of the tunnel near Maya’s cave, my thoughts spinning.Maya was still very focused on this power she said was growing inside me, insisting that it would manifest. Warning me to watch for it—to pay attention to how it affected me, or others around me. I didn’t doubt that she was right, but I hadn’t seen anything or felt anything, so I wasn’t sure what to do.The truth was, I didn’t want a power like Cazz’s. Maya growled whenever I expressed that, but it was true. I turned the conversation back over in my mind, but I didn’t see what else I could do.“You cannot deny what God has given you,
~ JESSE ~“I’m glad you’re back, albeit unexpectedly,” Cazz said to Rake, though with a question in his tone, and without the same warmth he’d given me. His jaw was tense and the frown lines were there in his forehead—but that was pretty much his norm. Rake didn’t seem uncomfortable, or wary.Rake nodded, his eyes intent on Cazz like he had important news to share. “Me too, but I can’t stay for long—four or five days tops. I just needed them to believe that I was too important to you to be gone too long—and besides, I need the cover of getting called away unexpectedly in case I need to escape at any point.”“So you’re here until…?”“Thursday at the latest. If we can get
~ CASIMIR ~As I walked Jesse back towards her chambers to change before we met Rake I was careful to hide the tension that was still roiling in my veins, because I knew it would worry her. I didn’t close her off in the link, only carefully walled away my own tension so she wouldn’t feel it.Since the days with Sheba, and that female’s betrayal, I had never really been the jealous type. I had never allowed myself to care enough for a female to feel threatened by her attention to another male. I was possessive as any Alpha would be where another wolf threatened to encroach on what was mine. I did not stand for the disrespect of it. But jealous? Envious? No.And yet… when I’d been certain Jesse was moving towards me from Maya’s, I hadn’t been able to resist leaving the ledgers and
~ CASIMIR ~“I believe so… but I can’t be certain,” Rake said reluctantly. “They’re being careful with me, which is why I have to let this play out as if I didn’t have permission to be there with them.”Then he turned to me. I took a bite of my meal to give myself something to focus on as I worked to shove down that heated envy.“Cazz, I’m pretty sure they believe that I’m working on getting Jesse to them—that she’s here reluctantly. They know she was taken against her will—obviously—but they seem to accept that she could be convinced to use her power against you.”“Use her power as Queen? For what?”“They&rsq
~ CASIMIR ~Jesse’s head snapped towards me, her eyes wide. “Cazz…” She licked her lips like she was nervous. “I don’t want to leave you or the Palace, but I do want to help. And Rake’s right—if they see me… I know how to play that, so they believe me. I know what drives them. They wouldn’t hurt me—not like that. They’ll want to leverage my access to you and the wolves, so they’ll be on their best behavior. They still think I’ll be driven by money the way they are.”Rake cleared his throat. “They also believe you could bring them female wolves, which they covet. Apparently, the men in your world see them as legendary. Sexually. They’re expecting me to report back with an update on what promises you’ll make and what you can bring them—and what terms you req
~ CASIMIR ~Jesse stood, resting a hand on my shoulder which made my skin prickle. I almost grabbed her and pulled her into my lap, but instead clenched my hands to fists as she smiled at Rake and leaned across the table to squeeze his arm.“I’m so glad you’re safe and here and… I’m just glad, Rake. Let’s go for a walk or something when you have time, okay? I want to do like Cazz said and have you show me how my brothers are acting with you, and how they’re saying these things, in case there’s anything you’ve missed or I can help interpret.”Rake got to his feet because he was old-fashioned like that. Maya loved it and always muttered criticism at me when he did it and I didn’t.But I was distracted from t
~ CASIMIR ~I snorted. “What has happened is that I am learning who I can trust. And I trust you, Rake. I also trust my mate. Both of you are the only ones who know about this entire picture. Now, don’t distract me and get off the subject,” I said hurriedly. “I’m telling you, you have a male on your team who is well intended, but has concerns about you. Be careful what you let him see. If he misinterprets it and comes running with claims of your betrayal… I shudder to think what could happen.”Rake flapped his hand. “He’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him, let him ask his questions, explain what he’s seeing so he knows how to watch for my heart in it. Leave it to me.”“I will. I just wanted you to be aware.”
~ CASIMIR ~I was pretty sure if I didn’t get inside her, I was going to eat her alive.Scooting with her in my lap, still straddling me, I got her so both my knees and her back were flat against the wall. Then I flipped open the wide, leather cuffs that had been secured directly to the wall and first lifted one of her hands, to strap it in so her hand was levered above her shoulder, but with her arm comfortably bent so she could relax. Then I did the same with her other hand on the other side.So I straddled the banana-seat, while she straddled me and her hands were secured to the wall behind her.Her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing, and her eyes were bright with desire.Overwhelmed again with how much thought she’d put into this, for a moment I just took her face in my hands and kissed her. But that drew us together—my cock pressing against her, and I couldn’t resist rolling my hips, teasing
~ CASIMIR ~“I made a new Den,” Jesse whispered, her hands over her mouth, staring up at me—those beautiful eyes wide, but also a little fearful. “I know it’s not the same, but I got Ghere to help me because he remembered what things you’d had before and… I hope you like it.”Like it? Was she serious?My heart was slamming against my ribs, and I was having trouble breathing.The room seemed smaller than I remembered because the walls were painted a dull black. But the tighter space than what I’d had down next to the Den just made it feel more intimate.There were two lamps, one on each end, and a chandelier high above. Candles everywhere, though she hadn’t lit mo
~ JESSE ~It was Cazz’s turn to plan the monthly date. But I was humming about this one. Things were finally ready, and impossibly, Ghere had helped me successfully pull off the surprise. But I still had to figure out how to get Cazz there without ruining it.He’d taken me out to the meadow again—my favorite date. Though we’d enjoyed several others now too—and we’d just finished eating. He was leaning back against the cab of the truck, looking out at the city lights, his brows a little heavy.“What are you thinking about?” I asked him, though I had a hunch.He had his arm around me and I was leaning on his shoulder. His hand trailed up and
~ CASIMIR ~I came out of the bathing room after a long bath rubbing my hair with a towel, to find my mate standing in the middle of the chamber with her arms folded and looking sternly at my daughter, who sat on the floor in nothing but a diaper, with her chubby legs straight out. She, too, had her arms folded and her lips pursed in the perfect reflection of her mother.The two glared at each other and half my heart went cold, while the other half wanted to splutter with laughter.“Abigail, I have told you—”“No!”Our daughter could only get her tongue around a few words so far, but
~ JESSE (a few weeks later) ~I had just finished nursing Abigail and was holding her on my lap while Reeca sat with me on the couch.Her eyes were bright and she was beginning to smile, so I was tickling her cheeks to see if I could get her to do it. But she was sleepy because she’d just eaten and only yawned and cooed.“She’s a very calm baby,” Reeca commented from the other end of the couch, smiling. She loved babies, and had been so helpful when I was tired—and just for reassurance for me.She was a calm presence in any room, and with Abigail, she showed a lot of delight and joy that she seemed to stifle in other areas of her life.“Reeca,” I said carefully, because I’d b
~ JESSE ~I was too tired to do more than lift my hands to his neck, so I just curled my face into his chest and let him settle us into the chair, cradled in his arms with my ass in his lap.When he’d sat, I had my head resting on his shoulder and my body curled in his arms.“Do you hurt?” he asked quickly.“No, just tired, like I said.”I felt him relax a little then and another chill started in my blood.“Cazz… what’s happened?” I asked quietly.He turned his head to meet my eyes and lifted his hand to comb hair back from my face. His throat bobbed, but his touch was g
~ JESSE (Hours later) ~My dreams were disturbing—my body in pain, screams of terror, darkness, the floor shaking, the mountain falling, humans fleeing and wolves…I tried to break free, tried desperately to open my eyes and to speak, because I knew I was asleep. But all I did was fade… in and out. The nightmares, or nothing.And through it all, his voice.“Heal… live.”My heart ached. My body hurt. My chest didn’t want to expand. It was as if my flesh fought his words, and I didn’t understand.But finally, the dreams faded and I could hear a heartbeat. Little, and quick. And feel warm flesh. And the breath of my m
~ CASIMIR ~I felt the moment the power went out of Jesse. The entire mountain felt it.I howled with triumph and shifted, sprinting towards the room, ecstatic when there was no sense of Maya gripping my mind or stealing anything from me. But of course, there was no power left for her to steal.I prayed and pleaded and ran, Rory and the others coming in my wake. And the moment I broke through that door in my wolf—the only power left to me anymore—everything slowed. Though my body whipped and my mind was singularly focused, it was as if everything happened in slow motion.I caught a bare glimpse of Jesse on the bed, and at first my heart leaped. She was moving, awake, aware,
~ JESSE ~Maya had me sitting up in the bed, curled forward, gripping my knees. Reeca on one side, helping prop me up, a guard on the other.My body was nothing but a conduit for pain. Wave after wave, my entire lower body condensing, contracting, pushing to get this baby out. I could barely think.Cazz was there, so quiet, so distant, but there, calling his encouragement and pushing love at me through the bond.There was a moment when I thought I wouldn’t make it, when I thought my body would give and I would just drift away.But then I caught Maya smiling. Leaning forward between my legs, reaching, grasping, for