past thirty-one years since Chloe’s death. He drew back from her concern. He was Alpha, and couldn’t be seen as weak. Especially before a lovely Fae who’d almost stolen his heart years before.
“What the hell are you doing here, Ariel? You trespassed. I deal swiftly with trespassers. Or slowly. Very nice… and slow.”
White lines of tension edged her full mouth. “I had no intention of coming here.”
Ariel struggled to her knees, fell back. He reached out, cupped her elbow. “Easy now. You’re in no shape to leave.”
“And I suppose your men intended on that.”
Her melodious voice was low and hoarse, as if sandpaper rubbed her throat raw. She cupped her breasts in a protective manner. Jarrett glared at his men, who shuffled their feet. “Talk. You know the rules. You’re supposed to chase any four-legged intruders out of our lands.”
Sam shook his head. “She smelled too nice to throw back.”
“I am not a fish.” Ariel glared at him.
“No, but you’re a gift. For you, Jarrett. We knew how much you craved her.”
Jarrett rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his muscles tighten with unwanted sexual arousal. Ariel Abidos. Years ago, the lovely Fae shifter had teased and tempted him to the point of panting, and then slipped out of his bed before they consummated their bond. She’d even fled her own beloved colony and never returned.
Until now.
He needed a mate. Jarrett concentrated on Ariel. Those huge blue eyes, innocent and wide, were watchful. Her skin was nearly translucent, blue veins running close to the surface. Heat filled him as he remembered nuzzling her neck, tracing the delicate shell-like ear, licking the tiny pointed tip while his hands stroked over her trembling body….
Never again would he fall in love. But a new mate, that was different. Ever since their release from prison six months ago, the males refused to impregnate their mates. It was forbidden until Jarrett took a mate. The Alpha’s duty to the pack was to provide them with an heir.
His dreams of happiness had died along with Chloe and their unborn child. But he couldn’t bear to see his people suffer any longer.
“We’d die for you, Jarrett,” Sam said, spreading his hands out. “We love you, man. You kept our sanity all those years in prison. You’d do anything for us, and we can’t bear to see you go on like this anymore.”
His men, strong and loyal to the end. Emotion tightened his chest. He went to Sam and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Go, back to your homes, all of you. I’ll call for you if I need you.”
The men nodded, spared a knowing glance at Ariel. Jarrett shut the bedroom door behind them. Ariel glanced up.
“I’m sorry about Chloe. What happened?” Her voice was so soft, so melodious and soothing. He closed his eyes.
She’d said her name. No one else in his pack even whispered it, as if they were afraid of his reaction. The dull ache always present in his chest deepened into a sharp knifelike twist. He walked to the window, lifting the lace curtain with the back of one hand. Chloe had sewn the window coverings. They were too feminine for his taste, but he couldn’t change them. They were a small connection to the past.
Emotion tightened his throat. Jarrett swallowed past it. He would never love again. It hurt like a bitch when you lost someone you loved. His heart hadn’t been broken when he’d held Chloe’s broken body in his arms. It shattered.
“One of the Ancients, the powerful soldiers who fight evil for the Society for the Prevention of Malevolent Magick, came onto my land looking for my sister. She’d killed hunters who had killed her mate while he was in wolf form. I found out the Ancient took my sister’s life, and went after him, then all hell broke loose.”
Every muscle in his body tensed as he remembered. “Chloe was killed when she rushed out to find me. She was terrified and wasn’t thinking, and she got killed by a jaguar. The jaguars said it was an
“What the hell are you doing here, Ariel? You trespassed. I deal swiftly with trespassers. Or slowly. Very nice… and slow.”
White lines of tension edged her full mouth. “I had no intention of coming here.”
Ariel struggled to her knees, fell back. He reached out, cupped her elbow. “Easy now. You’re in no shape to leave.”
“And I suppose your men intended on that.”
Her melodious voice was low and hoarse, as if sandpaper rubbed her throat raw. She cupped her breasts in a protective manner. Jarrett glared at his men, who shuffled their feet. “Talk. You know the rules. You’re supposed to chase any four-legged intruders out of our lands.”
Sam shook his head. “She smelled too nice to throw back.”
“I am not a fish.” Ariel glared at him.
“No, but you’re a gift. For you, Jarrett. We knew how much you craved her.”
Jarrett rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his muscles tighten with unwanted sexual arousal. Ariel Abidos. Years ago, the lovely Fae shifter had teased and tempted him to the point of panting, and then slipped out of his bed before they consummated their bond. She’d even fled her own beloved colony and never returned.
Until now.
He needed a mate. Jarrett concentrated on Ariel. Those huge blue eyes, innocent and wide, were watchful. Her skin was nearly translucent, blue veins running close to the surface. Heat filled him as he remembered nuzzling her neck, tracing the delicate shell-like ear, licking the tiny pointed tip while his hands stroked over her trembling body….
Never again would he fall in love. But a new mate, that was different. Ever since their release from prison six months ago, the males refused to impregnate their mates. It was forbidden until Jarrett took a mate. The Alpha’s duty to the pack was to provide them with an heir.
His dreams of happiness had died along with Chloe and their unborn child. But he couldn’t bear to see his people suffer any longer.
“We’d die for you, Jarrett,” Sam said, spreading his hands out. “We love you, man. You kept our sanity all those years in prison. You’d do anything for us, and we can’t bear to see you go on like this anymore.”
His men, strong and loyal to the end. Emotion tightened his chest. He went to Sam and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Go, back to your homes, all of you. I’ll call for you if I need you.”
The men nodded, spared a knowing glance at Ariel. Jarrett shut the bedroom door behind them. Ariel glanced up.
“I’m sorry about Chloe. What happened?” Her voice was so soft, so melodious and soothing. He closed his eyes.
She’d said her name. No one else in his pack even whispered it, as if they were afraid of his reaction. The dull ache always present in his chest deepened into a sharp knifelike twist. He walked to the window, lifting the lace curtain with the back of one hand. Chloe had sewn the window coverings. They were too feminine for his taste, but he couldn’t change them. They were a small connection to the past.
Emotion tightened his throat. Jarrett swallowed past it. He would never love again. It hurt like a bitch when you lost someone you loved. His heart hadn’t been broken when he’d held Chloe’s broken body in his arms. It shattered.
“One of the Ancients, the powerful soldiers who fight evil for the Society for the Prevention of Malevolent Magick, came onto my land looking for my sister. She’d killed hunters who had killed her mate while he was in wolf form. I found out the Ancient took my sister’s life, and went after him, then all hell broke loose.”
Every muscle in his body tensed as he remembered. “Chloe was killed when she rushed out to find me. She was terrified and wasn’t thinking, and she got killed by a jaguar. The jaguars said it was an
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