UnexpectedFind (15 page)

Jazz couldn’t tear her gaze from Rafe. After an initial
awkward moment where Seth and Levi had stared wide-eyed at Rafe when he’d taken
his bowl of chili and sat down on the floor with them, they’d settled into a
discussion about their favorite superheroes. Then they’d looked through the
boys’ comic book collection and played a board game. It didn’t take much to
imagine Rafe stretched out on the floor watching Saturday morning cartoons or
him playing ball in the yard. And seeing him in this light brought a smile to
her lips.

The clock on the wall chimed. “Okay, kids. Say good night to
Rafe. It’s time for bed.”

“Can Rafe read us a story?” Levi asked.

“Please,” Seth added.

She glanced between her kids and a grinning Rafe. He winked
at her and she smiled. “Sure. Hugs from me first.”

She watched them leave and shook her head. He’d won them
over. And her.

“Rafe is very good with kids,” Mira said in a low voice.

Jazz tore her gaze from the stairs and glared at the other
woman. She wasn’t exactly jealous anymore. From the way Rafe worked her body,
she’d known he was experienced. It’d be ignorant to think he didn’t have tons
of ex-lovers around but she’d rather not talk to one of them, especially about
Rafe.

“Appears that way.”

Mira laid a hand on hers and Jazz jerked away. Mira crossed
her arms in front of her. “I’m sorry, Jazz. I’m not used to interacting with
humans. Your beliefs are so different than mine.”

She’d noticed and that’s what churned her belly. She didn’t
understand their culture, how they’d react to things. Without looking at the
other men still lingering in the room, she made her way to the kitchen. Mira
followed her.

Jazz turned and blurted, “Just get away from me, Mira. I don’t
want to see or talk to you. Not now.”

Mira flinched. “I see.” She swallowed hard and dropped her
gaze to the floor. “When Devin gets back from patrolling the woods, I’ll have
him drive me home.”

She watched Mira turn and place a hand on the kitchen door.
Regret rose. “Mira, wait.” She did but didn’t look at her. “I don’t understand
your culture either. I’m struggling too.”

Slowly, Mira turned. “I truly didn’t think anything of my
relationship with Rafe. Sex doesn’t always mean attraction or love. Sometimes
it’s just an escape. Something to chase away the loneliness.”

Jazz thought back to how Mira had stood apart from everyone,
the way she’d been so happy to talk to her. “You’re not seeing anyone?” Mira’s
brow pinched and a frown formed. Jazz sighed and explained, “A boyfriend?
Lover?”

“No lover. I haven’t been with anyone in a long time. I’m
afraid to risk it.”

Jazz’s thoughts drifted back to her earlier worry about
shifter possessiveness and she couldn’t help asking, “Will Devin or one of the
other men hurt you if you take a lover?”

Mira laughed and Jazz’s tension eased. “Gods no. My family
would never hurt me. Actually, Devin would be happy if I decided to take
another mate. Then he wouldn’t have to watch out for me anymore.”

Mate.
Jazz tried the word out. It sounded primitive
and reminded her that the man she’d been sleeping with wasn’t really a man. He
was from a different species with different customs. She cleared her throat.

“So it’s common to have more than one
mate
?” It was
for wild cats, at least.

Mira pushed away from the door with a grin on her face. “See?
This is what I mean. Our cultural differences can cause a misunderstanding.”

Jazz looked at the other woman and thought about what she’d
just said about sex not necessarily being about love or affection. What did
Rafe view their relationship as? Mira might just be her best source of
information. She did seem eager to talk to her.

“Will you explain it to me?” Jazz asked.

Mira nodded and walked closer. “You can only have one mate.
It’s a physical and mystical bond, Jazz.” She hopped up on the counter and
continued, “Physically your tie is through a mate bite. Mystically is a little
harder to explain and different for human mates than it is for shifters.”

Mira scrunched her nose and pursed her lips. Finally, she
nodded. “For shifters, it’s an emotional tie, a deep longing to be with your
mate. For humans, your soul will literally be tied to his.”

“Like soul-mates?” The idea made her belly flutter. She’d
always loved the idea that there was one person in the world she was meant to
be with. She blamed it on reading too many romance novels, but it was the kind
of thing fantasies were built on.

Mira gave a half-shrug. “I suppose.”

Her hand reached up to the spot on her neck that had tingled
when she woke up after having sex with Rafe. “And this mate bite. What does it
look like?”

Mira covered her shoulder and took a deep shuddering breath,
releasing it through clenched teeth. She pushed the long fall of her hair over
the shoulder and tugged her shirt enough to expose a scar. Jazz rose on her
tiptoes to get a better view. Four raised puncture wounds marred the spot where
her shoulder met her neck.

Jazz cringed. “I bet that hurt.”

“A little,” Mira mumbled.

The hitch in her voice caught Jazz’s attention. She studied
her saddened expression. “Did he die?”

A wicked smile spread over Mira’s face. Jazz stepped back
and held her breath.

“Yes, Edmund…
died
.”

And Mira looked quite happy about his death. Jazz didn’t
like to pry into people’s personal lives but she couldn’t help asking, “So a
widowed mate can take another?”

Mira tugged the shirt back into place and slid off the
counter. “Yes, but I was never mated, not completely. Poor Edmund got his
throat ripped out before he could finish the act.”

Jazz covered her mouth but not before her gasp escaped.
Wide-eyed, she stared at the other woman. Mira stood stiffly with her head held
high. Waiting for Jazz to judge her? Not happening. “He forced you, didn’t he?”

She gave a single nod.

Jazz reached out and laid a hand on Mira’s arm. “Is that why
you don’t want another mate?”

Mira shook her head. “No. The truth is I don’t want to be on
the receiving end of a determined male. Once one sets his sight on you, you don’t
get away.” She gave her a knowing smile. “But you know that, don’t you, Jazz?”

She did. Rafe had pursued her relentlessly from the moment
he’d spoken to her in the bar. “Yeah, I suppose I do, but I wish I would’ve
known what I was getting into beforehand.”

Mira sighed. “I’m sorry, but at least as a human you know
that if Rafe mates you it’s because he loves you and will be faithful to you.
He’s tying his soul to yours so he’ll be driven to please you. And if you are
killed, he’ll follow you to the grave.”

The thought made the butterflies take flight and her heart
swell. Marriage, whether the shifter version or the human kind, should be held
sacred. So many of her friends had dealt with infidelity that the prospect of
Rafe cherishing their union was almost a dream come true. Maybe Rafe was her
knight in shining armor, just as he’d teased her about that first night. The
giddiness grew, but as she replayed Mira’s words some of the elation dimmed.

She turned narrowed eyes on Mira. “And if he doesn’t mate
me?”

Mira dropped her gaze. She toyed with the edge of her shirt.
“Rafe seems quite taken with you, Jazz. I’ve never known him to show any
interest in a human beyond the first time.”

The last of the happiness fizzled. “If he doesn’t mate me,
he’ll move on to someone else, right?”

“Probably.” Mira’s eyes widened and she quickly added, “But
he won’t get rid of you. You’re his beloved human.”

Great. She’d have to watch him with another woman. If Rafe
was always going to watch over her, it meant he’d be close, probably move here.
Even if she did avoid him, she’d hear of his new woman. This was a small town.
Everyone knew who was screwing whom.

Jazz squeezed her eyes shut but Josh’s words echoed in her
head anyway. There was no escaping it.
Is that what you want, Jazz? To be
owned by a shifter, even if he is one you’re fucking?
No, it wasn’t what
she wanted. Because dammit, she was starting to fall for Rafe. It was
impossible not to. The man was everything she’d ever wanted.

“Oh Jazz, I’m sorry if I upset you but I wouldn’t worry. In
my experience, when a shifter male is as fixated on a human as Rafe is with
you, he’ll mate her.”

Jazz opened her eyes and studied Mira. Body language and a
person’s expression were great indicators of their sincerity. Mira leaned
forward and held her gaze.

Jazz breathed a sigh. “It’s too soon to worry about the
future anyway.”

“Absolutely. Enjoy the present.” Mira motioned toward the
living room. “I’m going to go see if I can find Devin.”

Mira turned and walked to the door. It opened as she
approached and Josh came in. They collided and Josh wrapped his arms around her
waist to steady her.

“Sorry, Mira. I should pay better attention to where I’m
going,” he said.

She watched a blush creep up Mira’s neck to her cheeks and
Jazz hid a smile behind her hand.

“It’s okay, Josh.”

Instead of releasing her, Josh inched his hand up her spine.
“Where were you rushing off to?”

The patio door slid open and Devin stepped through before
Mira could answer him. “Have you seen—” Devin looked past Jazz to where Josh
and Mira stood. “Get your fucking hands off my sister!”

Josh lifted Mira, set her off to the side. He stepped in
front of her. Legs widened and hands held loosely to the side, he looked as if
he were itching for a fight.

“And you can drop your fucking attitude.” Josh reached
behind him and touched Mira’s arm with the tips of his fingers. “This was
innocent.”

Devin strode forward. “You are not allowed to talk to her
and you sure as hell aren’t allowed to touch her. Do you understand me, human?”

“I don’t give a shit about what you want. If Mira wants to
talk to me, she can.” A sneer spread over Josh’s face. “And if she wants me to
bend her over—”

Devin stopped his words with a punch to his jaw. Josh
groaned then returned the punch. Fists flew and blood sprayed as the two men
went at it. The fight took them from the hallway door to the attached dining
room. Josh’s body went flying and crashed on the table. Devin landed on top of
him and the wood broke under their combined weight.

“Stop it!” Jazz ordered.

Rafe ran into the room but stopped after a few feet. His
eyes—completely golden, feline eyes—flicked from Mira to the fight and finally
her. He ignored the two men rolling around on the floor and crossed the room.

She looked from Rafe to the fighting men. “What are you
doing? Stop them.”

Without taking her eyes off her, he said, “No.”

“But you can’t—”

“Devin, no!” Mira screamed.

She pivoted and took in the sight. Blood ran down the side
of Josh’s face and Devin’s clawed hand lowered again. Rafe leapt over the
counter and tackled Devin, knocking him away from Josh. Their short tussle
ended with Rafe baring huge fangs and hissing. Devin stilled, pants sawing past
his lips. He had a glazed look on his face and stared unblinking at the
ceiling.

Rafe leaned over the man lying spread-eagle on the floor. He
smacked his cheek over and over and snapped, “Get your shit together, Devin.”

Devin curled into a ball and groaned. Mira ran over to him
with tears streaming down her face and pushed Rafe away.

“I’ve got him, Rafe,” Mira sobbed.

Mira helped him stand. They disappeared onto the deck. Jazz
stared at the open door then whipped her head back to Josh.

“Sweet Jesus,” she squeaked.

With one eye swollen closed, bruises around his neck and
blood running in steady rivulets from the slashes across his cheek, Josh looked
horrible. He sat up slowly and chuckled, then immediately groaned and pressed
an arm over his chest.

“Think the bastard broke a rib,” Josh mumbled.

She rushed over and hesitantly touched his side. He jumped. “So
why are you smiling?”

Josh reached for the counter and dragged himself up. “Because
that was the best damn fight I’ve had in years.”

She shook her head and turned away to reach for the
first-aid kit. With the supplies laid out in front of her, she glared at Rafe. “Why
didn’t you stop them?”

Rafe leaned against the cabinets in a relaxed slouch only a
man could pull off. With his legs spread slightly and elbows on the countertop
behind him he looked both sexy and nonchalant. “Josh needed to prove himself if
he’s going to be hanging out with shifters. So I let him.”

Josh swiped a tongue over his split lip. “And did I?”

Rafe’s gaze swept over him and he nodded slightly. “Well
enough.”

“Good. It was worth it.”

Jazz harrumphed. “You’re going to get yourself killed one of
these days, Josh.”

She reached forward and dabbed at the cuts with an alcohol
wipe. Josh hissed and slapped her hands away. “Jesus, you could’ve warned me,
Jazz. That shit stings.”

She ignored him and cleaned the rest of the wound. Without
the blood obscuring it, she got a good look at the slashes. “These need
stitches.”

“No way.” Josh pushed away from her, opened the freezer and
pulled out a bag of peas. With the impromptu ice pack on his swollen eye, he
grumbled, “That’ll make me look weak. Won’t it, Rafe?”

Rafe nodded. “But you’re only human. You don’t heal as
quickly as we do.”

“That’s what I thought.” Josh picked up a pack of butterfly
closures. “These’ll have to do. I’m going to get cleaned up.”

“I’ll help you put those on,” she offered.

“Don’t bother, Jazz. I’m fine.”

She waited until the hallway door swung closed, then asked
Rafe, “You heal quickly?”