HISS (6 page)

Jamison licked the shell of her ear. “Tsk, tsk. Who do you belong with?”

She bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep the words from spilling past her lips. Electricity

sizzled along her nerves making the tiny hairs on her skin stand up. He slid his palm down the

contours of her form and over the soft curve of her belly to slip a digit between the folds of her slit.

“
You are mine, Marree
. Now tell me who do you belong to?” He pinched her clit.

“You.” The word came out in a wail.

He pulled out almost completely and surged deep. Jamison gripped her shoulders and slid his mouth

across her throat. The prick of his bite on her neck sent her into an abyss of flashing white light.

Another orgasm welled up, making her limbs shake as another wave of bliss replaced the first one.

He hugged her close holding her back to his front. “I never stopped loving you.” He shoved deep

and chanted her name like a mantra as he rocked against her and shuddered.

Her hands shook as she carefully removed the clothes pins from her breasts; tingles in her elongated

tips sent aftershocks of ecstasy coursing through her pussy. She locked her fingers on the railing as her

knees buckled. Jamison dipped his head to kiss the mark of his mating.

Marree covered the bite with her palm. Tears welled up behind her lids. She tried to keep the shock

out of her voice. “What have you done?”

“I should have claimed you years ago.” He eased his shaft from her passage.

“It will never work.” She looked down at the tattered remains of her pants and kicked them off her

legs.

He stepped away as she turned around. His fangs hadn’t receded and the bright yellow in his eyes

conveyed how close his beast was to taking over. “Marree, man or woman, I will kill anyone who

meddles in our business. Don’t make me prove it.” Jamison pulled his slacks over his hips and zipped

up.

“You don’t understand.” She took a step and stumbled forward.

He scooped her up and stalked to the door. “What don’t I get? You are the other half of me and I

won’t make the mistake of letting you go a second time. You want to turn the key and open the door?”

He hiked her up.

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to say I’m heavy?”

Jamison shrugged. “It’s to be expected. You had my kid.”

“Dude, this is not the way to endear yourself to me.” She pulled the key free and turned the knob.

“I was being honest, and I think your curves are sexy.” He crossed the threshold. “Which way is the

bedroom?”

“We can’t. Karma will be back soon.”

“We can and will. I have years to make up for.” He strode down the hallway she indicated.

“Wait, I need to lock the door!”

“We’ll leave it. Our scents are in the air and all over the place around here. A shifter would be

stupid to walk into this house. And if they are actually that foolish then they deserve to die.”

* * * *

straight up, he looked around the room. A sliver of light cut through the room and he followed it to its

source. The sound of rushing water came from the same direction. Marree must be in the shower. He

rose and took a couple steps in the bathroom’s direction when a rapid knocking caught his attention.

With a huff he turned, yanked his pants from the foot of the bed and headed for the front door.

Eivan had his hand raised to batter the thin barrier again when Jamison snatched it open. The sentry

scowled with a bulky car seat in his arms. Karma stood next to him, her hand clutching his jeans leg.

“Okay, little bit, Uncle Eivan has got to go now.” He nudged the little girl forward.

She smiled up at Eivan and let go of his leg.

Jamison reached out to grab her hand and help her over the threshold. She looked back and flexed

her fingers in a wave. He looked up from his child to the sentinel.

Eivan quickly wiped the smile from his face. “Colin, Rolo and the others are trying to get a hold of

you. They say you won’t answer your phone.”

“My cell is sitting somewhere in the bayou. I’ll get around to calling Colin. Tell the others

something came up and we can work out our differences tomorrow.” Jamison looked own at Karma.

“What would you like to do, kiddo?”

Her brows knitted together. “My name is Karma. It starts with a K. Why can’t you call me by my

name?”

Eivan burst out laughing. “You have your hands full with little Miss there. I thoroughly enjoyed her

conversations with the boar.”

“Where is Mais, Eivan? Tell me you didn’t leave her stranded somewhere?”

The guard’s smile withered. “I wish. I dropped her off first. The close proximity to her was giving

me a headache. She wears the strangest perfume. I swear it reminds me of fresh linen.”

Jamison schooled his features to keep from laughing. “That is interesting.”

“Shut up snake. It’s not what you think. Anyway, what time tomorrow would you like to have the

committee members reconvene?”

“After three. That should give our hosts time to take care of their daily business.”

Eivan nodded. “Okay.” He gazed down at Karma. “See ya around, Tiny.”

She raised her hands palms up and stomped her little foot. “My name is Karma.”

Eivan chuckled. “The rumors have to be true, snake. That little girl acts just like you.” He set the

seat down, turned away, and trotted down the porch stares.

Jamison stared down at his child. “So what would you like to do?”

“Where’s my mama?”

“In the bathroom.”

He watched Karma turn and skip down the hall. “Where are you going?”

She stopped and spun around. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.” Karma disappeared into the

bedroom he’d exited.

Jamison snorted. He had to admit Eivan was right—she did behave like him.

Chapter Six

Jamison slapped the table and it shuddered from the weight of his hand. Jac jumped and Rolo

smirked. Jamison narrowed his eyes and shoved the various papers toward the coyote, enjoying the

way the beast’s lips turned down. Armand and Percel snickered.

“What exactly is your fucking issue, Rolo? You’ve been talking in circles for days. The offer is

legitimate and no different than the hundreds of other offers I’ve been looking over. There are also

questionable pacts with several of your alliances including your and Heinrich’s rout. If this Betaille

deal can’t be agreed upon perhaps I should talk with Matos and other board members. I’ll petition that

all
agreements be nullified. If Volkshire and Betaille have to wait, I promise you every damn clan will

and I’ll make sure that each tribe knows it was your idea.” Jamison held the gaze of the sneaky shifter.

“If you weren’t so busy sniffing behind that vet, then you would understand my concerns.” Rolo

sneered. “The only thing worse than a human is a shifter
who can’t
shift
.”

Jamison leaned his fists on the table’s surface. “My personal life is my own, dog. If you have a

problem, there’s the fucking door—walk through it.”

“It becomes our problem…” Rolo swept his hand out, “when you can’t even be bothered to show up

for the meeting you’re in charge of. Is a piece of ass worth your responsibilities to the animals we are

in service to?”

Armand scooted back. “Uh-oh.”

Those were the only words Jamison heard as he lunged for Rolo. His beast slithered into the

forefront of his mind. His clothing fell away as his body tightened and bones softened and broke.

Muscle built, thickening and realigning around dense cartilage. He hit the table with a
thwack
and the

rickety furniture piece collapsed under his weight. Papers danced in the air above him as he wrapped

himself around the coyote’s legs.

Caught mid-shift, Rolo yelped and hopped in an effort to get free.

Intent on crushing the beast, Jamison didn’t see Jac transform into a Puma. Intent on helping his

fellow ambassador, the cat scraped its claws across Jamison’s skin and his form rippled under the

attack. Jamison continued climbing up Rolo’s body, squeezing tighter with each revolution he made

around the beast. A snarl rent the air then a yowl. Completely shifted, Rolo nipped his jaws

centimeters from Jamison’s head. Jamison snapped his body and the coyote skidded across the floor,

head over ass. Pain twisted through his body and he hit the floor with a
thump
, Jamison coiled to find

Jac’s mouth latched onto his midsection. He curled his tail around Jac’s leg and yanked, sending the

cat sprawling over the hardwood.

A wolverine jumped over Jamison’s head, landing before Rolo as he struggled to rise. Armand, the

wolverine, went for Rolo’s soft underbelly. In a blur to his left, a green and yellow pit viper raced past

him. Jac jumped, landing soundlessly on a chair as Loubel went to strike, barely missing him.

Jamison slithered behind the canine Rolo as Armand herded him in the anaconda’s direction. The

coyote stopped short and spun, twisting his head between both Jamison and Armand. Jac yowled from

somewhere above them and Loubel slid underneath Rolo, winding around his back leg and sinking his

teeth into the animal’s thigh.

Rolo staggered forward and collapsed, his breathing labored.

Loubel shifted next to the downed coyote. His accent thickened his words. “Someone better call

Marree. Don’ want ta lose alliance income if the bastard dies.”

“Dammit all, viper! Have I not told you to control your venom?” Percel bellowed.

Jamison changed forms. “Fuck! This could certainly put a hiccup in the pact approval process.”

“I will not support this backwater town nor its ignorant residents in its bid to join Volkshire and

obtain a seat on our council. I’m calling Heinrich and Matos. Jamison, get the protection team

together. We will be leaving tonight once that hick doctor stabilizes Rolo.” Jac, now human, looked

down his nose at them from his perch on top of the cabinet.

Armand rose and brushed residual fur from his arms. “Who the hell is the kitty talking to?” He

yawned revealing the razor sharp teeth that had yet to recede.

“Fuck ’em, it’s probably too late anyway. Nobody called Marree.” Loubel kicked at the coyote’s

belly.

“I’m calling her now.” Percel lowered the phone from his face. “What in Goddess’s name were you

thinking, Loubel?”

The viper shrugged. “He annoyed me. Kinda like that house cat crouched above us.”

“Get in line, Loubel, I got dibs on the…what are you anyway? You’re
petite
for a predator.”

Armand tilted his head.

Percel and Loubel snickered.

“There will be sanctions,” Jac screeched. “I will make sure of it.”

“For fuck’s sake, will everyone shut the hell up?” Jamison yelled.

All eyes turned on him and Percel arched a thick brow. The air was heavy and the squeak of the

slowly spinning fan was the only noise in the room. Jamison opened his mouth.

Marree’s light voice broke the quiet. “If Sint is sick, Percel, tell her I said suffer.”

Percel lifted the phone to his ear. “As interesting as that nugget of info is, my problem is a little

more serious than that.”

Her groan was audible as the old boar pulled the cell a few inches away.

“There will be no penalties.” Jamison pointed an index finger at Loubel. “You better keep the

bastard alive. Hell, give him mouth to mouth if you have to.” He marched over to Percel.

Loubel’s lips curled back. “That is plain nasty, old son.”

Jamison twisted around. “Don’t know why. You practically kissed his ass to bite him.” He

straightened and stared at Percel.

“Gracious Goddess, hold on Marree.” Percel held out his hand, the phone square in the center of his

palm.

“So, which snake is dead?” The gentle tones of Marree’s voice made him smile.

“Neither, although it’s questionable. The dumbass water moccasin bit one of my panel members.”

He looked over at the prone form of Rolo and waited. The animal’s chest heaved slightly. “I don’t

think he’s dead yet. And the beasts of Betaille have a cat cornered on a cabinet.” He looked over his

shoulder and shook his head. “For some reason the little shit won’t come down.”

“What the hell is going on over there? Ya know what? Never mind, I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Jamison crossed his arms. “Jac, get down now.”

The puma snorted. “Not without the protection of the Volkshire dogs. You sent our sentries away on

purpose! There will be retribution for this senseless attack. Heinrich will have your balls.”

“Pussy,” Loubel murmured.

Armand stepped forward. “If we kill both men then no one will be the wiser and who is this

Heinrich? Let him come. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed the thrill of a kill.”

Loubel snickered. “You have been hanging around Etienne way too long.”

“
Non
.” Armand threw up his hands. “Why is it every animal here gets to kill but me?”

“Can we stay on task?” Percel pulled a seat up to the wrecked table and picked up several papers in