Punt: A British Bad Boy Football Romance (24 page)

A
short time later
, Maddie sat by Jasper’s side at one end of a long polished-chrome and glass conference table. The pack straggled in one by one, looking extremely harassed. Maddie recognized a few of the faces from last month’s fight against the Legion, but she didn’t know any of them from Adam. Every single one wore that same uniform, black on black and a look of cruel skepticism.

Once the twenty chairs at the conference table were full, males took positions against the walls. Standing, watching. Waiting. They watched Jasper and Gwen, too, but most of the attention was on Maddie.

She squirmed in her seat a bit, uncomfortable with thirty sets of eyes staring at her. Some of them were looking at more than her face, too. Several of the males were nudging each other and making a show of looking her up and down, egging each other on.

“Stop looking at my mate, Donovan,” Jasper ordered, singling out one male in particular. A tall, dark-haired male, packed with muscle and wearing a definitive sneer. The male sat across from Maddie, a few seats down. At Jasper’s command Donovan dropped his eyes, but he flashed a knowing smirk at the other pack members.

If anything, this intensified the various curious and dirty looks she was getting. She kept her expression blank, deciding that a reaction would only worsen matters. She couldn’t stop the flush that crept over her skin, though.

Gwen entered the room, taking a seat by the door. She nodded to Jasper, who cleared his throat.

“I have no doubt that you all know about the pregnant human female,” he said, his eyes scanning the gathered faces. A murmur of agreement, heads nodding.

“I also have no doubt that you all understand how serious this is. One of you has threatened all of us and ruined a girl, and there must be a reckoning.”

The men were tense, expressions ranging from snide to guarded to questioning.

“Unfortunately, we don’t know who to blame. No one has come forward to claim the child, and the human isn’t talking.”

Maddie didn’t like the blatant relief on several faces. It turned her stomach sour to think she had to share the same air as a male who would prey on a young human female and then leave her and the baby high and dry.

“You have forced my hand. Bringing a human into this world without taking her as a mate is unacceptable, and it is my duty to protect this pack by ensuring that it doesn’t happen again. To this human, or any other. Now I demand two things: one, that a member of this pack takes the female as a mate—”

A chorus of shocked voices piped up, stunned at Jasper’s words. He held up a hand, calling for silence.

“I’m not finished. The second is that no one from this pack will have relations with a human that will not become his mate. Sort the first amongst yourselves, and take the second very seriously. Infractions will be punished severely.”

One of the less furious-looking males spoke up, voicing the objection that they were all no doubt thinking.

“But we have no females in our pack! I mean, except Gwen,” he said, avoiding eye contact with the female Beta.

“Not my problem. I didn’t make this pack a boys’ club. You all did, with your attitudes and behavior. The human girl is my problem, and this is how I am dealing with it. If you don’t like it, leave the pack. If you want females to join us, stop acting like a bunch of wild dogs.” Jasper’s expression was hard as steel, not accepting any flak from the males.

“If any of you have questions, come to me directly. Dismissed,” he said, pushing back from the table and standing up. Everyone else mirrored his actions, the room filling with angry murmurs. No one dared to confront the Alpha, though.

Maddie gave Jasper an admiring glance. When he played Alpha, he was a badass. All superior and strong and growly. Maddie liked it on him.

The other Shifters filed out of the room quickly, giving Jasper and Maddie and Gwen virulently hateful glances as they went.

That left Maddie, Gwen, Jasper, and one fierce-looking blond Shifter. The male looked a bit familiar to Maddie, his distinctive green eyes and remarkably defined musculature easy to remember.

“Kellan,” Jasper nodded to the man, who gave a curt nod in return. “You have an issue with the new rule?”

“No,” the male said. He shifted on his feet and rubbed the back of his neck, almost cringing when he explained. “I will take the human woman. As a mate, I mean.”

Maddie noted the look of surprise on Jasper and Gwen’s faces, inferring that this male was probably loyal to them. Jasper assessed the male for a long moment before speaking.

“The child is not yours.” A statement, not a question.

“No.”

“I take it you have a good reason for volunteering?” Jasper asked, raising a brow.

“I have seen the woman. She is not unattractive,” Kellan shrugged, his face growing heated.

“That is not a good enough reason to bond a female to you for life,” Jasper said. “Mating is no trifling affair.”

Maddie ignored the way Jasper’s eyes cut over to her before returning to the other male. Kellan seemed to weigh his options for a moment, and then released a sigh.

“I believe I know who the father is, and I believe the woman would suffer if they were to be joined,” he admitted.

Maddie sucked in a breath, surprised. The Bunker was chock full of aggressive, negative masculine energy. So much of it that her skin crawled. And yet, here was this male, doing something remarkably honorable and brave. The contradiction was a bit mind-boggling.

After a long moment of silence, Kellan spoke up again.

“I have means, and I will be a kind mate. I would never hurt a female,” he said, shifting in place again. His blush deepened, and Maddie bit her lip. There was something truly compelling about Kellan, though he was doing his level best to keep it hidden.

“I don’t object,” Jasper said, seeking Maddie’s gaze. Maddie dipped her head to indicate her approval, pleased that he would ask her opinion on the matter. Judging by her stiff posture, Maddie guessed that Gwen did not appreciate his choice of counsel.

“She must agree to the match,” Jasper said, his words measured.

“Of course, Alpha.” The male inclined his head briefly. Before he could leave, Maddie piped up.

“Perhaps you should be on guard duty. You could set yourself up in the infirmary and take the opportunity to talk to the girl. Get to know her before you ask to exchange bites,” Maddie suggested.

“Yes m’am,” Kellan replied, his face heating anew.

“All right. Go ahead with your suit,” Jasper said, turning his attention to Maddie. The Shifter ducked his head again and fled the room.

“That was interesting,” Maddie commented.

“Kellan is a good man, and he’s taken a huge problem off our hands,” Jasper said with a shrug. Maddie saw that some of the tension had left his body, and she found herself glad. “In any case, I need to go over some accounts with Gwen before I do anything else. Maddie, you don’t have to stay for this part, but I would prefer if you stuck close to the office until I’m done.”

“Okay, whatever,” Maddie said with a roll of her eyes. He might have sought her counsel a moment earlier, but Jasper had made it clear that she wasn’t needed now. Just to piss Gwen off a little more, she purposely did a leggy strut that showed off her ass as she left the room. She didn’t have to look back to know that Jasper was staring, she could feel the smoldering heat of his gaze as she walked away.

Smiling, she wandered the corridors of the office until she found an exit door and let herself outside. The sun was setting, and Maddie shaded her eyes with a frown. They hadn’t really been in the Bunker that long, had they? Pulling out her cell phone, she checked the time. It should have been early evening, but certainly not dusk. Time must run oddly in the Bunker. Sometimes Faerie-made objects had their own rhyme and reason. The recent battle against the Legion, where the Louisiana pack’s Den had been a prominent weapon against their enemies, had only reaffirmed Maddie’s belief that it was best to simply trust Faerie objects to do their job.

M
addie found
a nice spot under a huge leafy tree and sat down. Her wolf was happy to be outside, and Maddie couldn’t agree more. Like the Den in her home pack, the Bunker was insanely beautiful. The setting sun was throwing dusky pink rays everywhere, highlighting the perfectly emerald leaves on each tree. Birds chirped, which would normally have been annoying but seemed to suit the moment.

Maddie looked around, soaking up the Bunker’s gorgeous wilderness. Just steps away from the concrete-and-steel main building, a thick forest rose around the compound, the trees looming dark against the fading sunlight. Aside from a few outbuildings, likely garages and storage, the main building stood alone. Unlike Maddie’s Den, where most Shifters had their own small house and an expanse of forest to themselves, it seemed that the Alabama pack lived communally. The uniforms, the fact that they all carried weapons at all times, the strict hierarchy and militant attitudes, and now the fact that they likely lived in dormitory halls…

It occurred to Maddie, for the first time, that she’d mated a soldier. Though she’d seen him in his uniform during the battle against the Legion, seen him give commands and lead his pack into the fight, it had been such a blur that his authority and demeanor had hardly registered.

In hindsight, it told her a lot about her mate. And there was another surprise: Maddie didn’t really know Jasper. She knew some of his habits, some of his longer-held beliefs, yes. But their childhood love was so far in the past by now, and it seemed that Maddie hadn’t been the only one to do a lot of growing up. Jasper was no more that same teenage boy than Maddie was still a wounded, lovesick pup.

She saw flashes, sometimes. Of that old anger, of the stiffness in his posture when he felt any kind of pain. That old Jasper was still there, hidden inside the handsome, proud male he’d become.

So though Maddie didn’t know this new Jasper well, neither was he a complete stranger. It was a strange situation, probably as much for him as for her.

Maddie relaxed, leaning back against the tree as she communed with her wolf. They hadn’t spent much quality time together lately, and the wolf was itching for a run through the Bunker’s forests. Still, Maddie didn’t know her way around. For now, she decided to stay put and enjoy the unnatural beauty of the sunset.

“Awww, what do we have here?” came a rough voice. “Alpha’s new mate. Couldn’t get away from him fast enough, huh?”

Maddie turned her head, trying not to show that she’d been startled. Three hulking males stood just a few feet away, looking at her like she was a free steak dinner. Maddie swallowed, noting that one of them was Donovan, one of the Shifters that gave her a really bad vibe. Maddie had learned long ago just to trust her instincts when it came to men’s intentions, and she didn’t like what her gut was telling her now.

“I’ve been inside all day. Just needed to get some air,” Maddie said, keeping her tone light. The males were looking for a reaction, a reason to get in her face. She’d be damned if she gave it to them so easily.

“We ain’t complaining a bit,” one of the others chipped in with a smirk.

“Yeah, it’s real nice out here today,” another said, somehow twisting the words to sound like a threat. Maddie’s sense of alarm increased, but she continued to repress her reaction.

“Glad y’all are enjoying the great outdoors. Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to have get some peace and quiet,” she said, breaking into her honey-sweet Southern accent. It only ever came out when she was good and pissed, but it often put aggressive males at ease.

“I’m afraid we do mind. You see, your man Jasper has put us off our women. Seeing as we can’t see our girls anymore, I think we oughta spend some time with you, sugar. What’s your name, little girl?” Donovan asked, his seductive twang making Maddie feel filthy all over.

Maddie crossed her arms and leveled the males a bored look.

“How about you boys go fuck yourselves?” she said, dropping the sweet act in an instant.

Donovan walked right up to her, stopping only inches away. It was all Maddie could do not to scramble backwards and try to gain her feet. To do that, though, she’d have to give the males her back for a long second. Not worth the chance, she decided.

“I’d rather play with you,” the man said, reaching a hand down to touch Maddie’s hair. She couldn’t repress the shudder of disgust that ran through her body, and Donovan laughed at her reaction.

“Tell me something,” Maddie purred, giving him a sly glance.

“What’s that?” Donovan asked, his eyes glinting cruelly.

“I was wondering whether you are very, very stupid, or if you just have a death wish,” she said, widening her eyes and peering up at Donovan.

His face darkened, his expression going murderous. He stepped closer and sunk his fingers into her hair, tightening them and yanking her head back. A sick kind of exhilaration filled Maddie’s chest, the feeling of panicked excitement the moment before she had to choose.

Fight, or flight?

“You and me are gonna have so much fun,” Donovan promised, his eyes boring into hers.

Maddie’s heart hammered in her chest for long seconds before she grinned at him. Judging from the feel of Jasper’s quickly-approaching presence, Donovan was about to get a lot more fun than he knew what to do with. She reached up and gripped Donovan’s wrist with both her hands, digging her nails into his flesh until he released her hair with a snarl.

Maddie saw the other two male’s reactions long before she saw her mate. The males looked between the main building and Donovan’s grip on Maddie, and she could smell their fear leaking into the air. She heard heavy footsteps approach. There was a deep snarl from only a few feet away, though in her position Maddie’s view was blocked by Donovan’s bulky body.

Donovan turned and flinched. She released him, ducking to cover her head. Her eyes closed for a few long, heart-pounding moments. She heard shouts, and sounds of a struggle. She couldn’t resist opening her eyes, watching the fight, though she knew just how it would play out. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that her mate was going to destroy the other males.

Maddie looked up to see Jasper tackle Donovan to the ground. The sheer fury on Jasper’s face made Maddie’s breath catch. His ice-blue eyes had gone nearly black, pupils dilated with rage. His lips pulled back from his teeth, a guttural snarl escaping him. He moved so quickly, his fists flying as he ravaged the other male, it nearly made Maddie dizzy.

The other two Shifters glanced at each other before they took off, not caring to tussle with the enraged Alpha.

Maddie heard a sickening crunch as Jasper slammed his fist into Donovan’s face. His opponent went out like a light, but Jasper didn’t stop. He roared as he worked, unleashing the full force of his wrath on the unconscious male. It took Maddie a few moments to realize that unless she intervened, Jasper was going to kill Donovan.

For a second, she thought about letting him. In the next heartbeat she relented, knowing that Jasper would regret it later. Not so much the loss of Donovan, probably, but the taking of a life. One look at Jasper spoke of his need for strict self control, and yet Maddie had never seen him hanging from such a thin thread of restraint.

“Jasper, that’s enough!” Maddie said. She stood up, turning to see Gwen appear beside her.

“Help me break it up,” Maddie said to the alarmed Beta. Gwen gave her a surprised look, and for a moment Maddie thought the Beta might refuse. Gwen took a deep breath and nodded, signaling that she’d follow Maddie’s lead. Triumph burst in Maddie’s chest, though she had no time to enjoy it.

They stepped into the fray together, each grabbing Jasper by an arm. He struggled, his expression one of the purest ire. Though they pulled back on his arms, he moved them both with ease. He wasn’t able to hit Donovan anymore, but neither was he under control.

“Jasper, stand down! Stand down, damn it!” Gwen howled, her face going red with the effort of holding Jasper back.

Jasper didn’t respond. Chest heaving, sweat forming a fine sheen over his chest and back, he seemed lost in his anger and pain. He lurched forward again, insensible to Gwen’s irate screech.

“Jasper, stop!” Maddie shrieked into his ear. He froze in place. He tensed for a moment, and then backed away from Donovan’s unconscious form. Shaking the females off, he closed his eyes and popped his neck. After a few long seconds, Maddie called to him.

“Jas?” she asked, reaching out to skim her fingertips against his shoulder. Just in this moment, for the first time in her life, she actually felt a little afraid of him.

“I’m fine,” he said, opening his eyes to look at her. The cold-blooded look he gave her spread goosebumps over her flesh, and she dropped her gaze in submission. Yet another first for her.

Several Shifters jogged over from the main building, assessing the damage to Donovan’s unconscious body. Someone whistled low, making Maddie shiver. Gwen snapped out orders to the pack.

“Take him somewhere. Not the infirmary,” she clarified. “Take him to someone’s quarters and wait for him to come around. I want to know the second he wakes up.”

“Let’s get you inside,” Maddie said, reaching for Jasper’s hand. After a glance at his bruised and bloodied knuckles, she grabbed his wrist instead. She led him back toward the offices. Jasper turned at the last moment, pulling her along to a cement water fountain. He shook off her touch, plunging his hands into the clean water. Maddie watched him intently as Jasper washed Donovan’s blood from his hands, his expression blank in a way that made her feel sick inside.

Maddie turned and gave Gwen a searching look, but Gwen just shrugged. For all the earlier subtext between the Alpha and the Beta, Gwen was curiously hands-off just now.

Jasper spoke, his voice gone to gravel.

“We’re going to get settled into my quarters,” he told Gwen.

“No need,” Gwen said, her expression dispassionate. “I called ahead this morning and had the Alpha’s House prepared for you. Now that you have a mate, it is only fitting.”

“I don’t think—” Jasper started. His head snapped up, and he gave Gwen a startled, hurt look.

“No need to thank me,” Gwen said. Her tone was dripping with mockery, and Maddie wondered again what she was missing, what lay between the two. “I’ve kept it exactly as it was. I know you’ll feel right at home. Your father would be so proud.”

Maddie glanced back at Jasper, surprised to see the wince of pain, the stiffening of his shoulders. His expression was so black and forbidding that Maddie reached out to take his wrist again, afraid that he might actually go after the insolent Beta.

“Fine,” he ground out. “Lead the way.”