Enslaved in Shadows (33 page)

             
“He has a cub already, he doesn’t need yours.” Draven looked down at the fighter in his arms. Jes didn’t think she was strong enough for their relationship. She thought she was dead inside. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for. Her actions contradicted her words.
Melissa wouldn’t be a threat to a woman who wasn’t concerned about an ex. But his island flower was defending her position by his side whether she wanted to admit it or not.

             
“You got her with cub? She doesn’t smell like she’s ripe. If you’re trying to make me jealous it worked okay, I’m thoroughly jealous.” She pouted and took a step toward him.
She’d ignored Jes and addressed him directly. His team slowed at the entrance to the elevators. They hung back waiting for the explosion. Melissa’s skin was a bright red, blotchy and sweaty. She was preventing her change as best she could. Still, her wolf qualities showed with distinct clarity. Her eyes were wider, dilated. Her hair was thicker and lengthened preparing her for the change.

He made a move to step in front of Jes, to shield her from Melissa, but she took a step in front of him, blocking his ex’s progress. Melissa drew up short; the hands at her side were balled in semi-fists as she made room for her elongating nails.
He knew her wolf took it as a direct challenge, and Draven tried pulling Jes into his safety, but she
sidestepped
him. She was determined to stand her ground and he’d let her and be there if she needed him. She eyed Melissa and grinned.

             
“Honey, I didn’t say I was gonna keep him,” The men in the room coughed. “Look, our daughter is five years old, and as far as marking me, I didn’t ask for it.” Jesminda turned to look at him, but he didn’t hear anything past the not keeping him part. What in all the heavens above did he need to do to make her understand there was no going back? She was his and he was hers. The woman pushed all his buttons, held his heart in a vice grip. She’d squeezed too hard this time. He took a menacing step forward and shoved her behind him and held firmly to her wrist, when she tried to struggle.
Message received and rejected.
He thought.

             
“Back off Melissa, it’s none of your concern, once I’m finished here with my team, I’ll stop by tomorrow to get my things, don’t fuck with me on this.
I can be a real bastard and you know I can. Go home.”
             

             
Draven turned, ignoring Melissa’s fury. He bent at the waist and shoved his shoulder into his mate’s stomach
off balancing
her, he placed one hand on her thigh and squeezed tightly, causing her to squeak. The other hand splayed over her ass in a possessive gesture. It was time he reminded her why he was alpha of this relationship and master of her universe. The others would handle Melissa.

Chapter 20

The barbarian act was getting old, quick. She was tired of being man handled from all sides. She’d only trembled slightly when he’d hefted her over his shoulder.
Progress.
She knew she’d not over reacted. In a
way,
she was prepared for his outburst. Was she baiting him?
Maybe a little.
They had two hours to spare before he left. Why she’d pushed
him,
she wasn’t sure. The effects would prove interesting.
The man had a gorgeous back and ass. The muscles flexed and bunched as he stomped down the hall. And why was her brain clouded with arousal? Things had not been settled between the two of them. She knew he was giving her time to adjust, but really did she want to?
Maybe.

She’d gone completely limp, because, well, there was no use in fighting a man quadruple her size. One who could turn furry at a drop of a hat. He’d never turn on her and she knew that. Somewhere deep inside her safe corner, she’d come to realize he’d never intentionally hurt her or their daughter.

He swung back around to his men ignoring Melissa and her current tirade. She’d suffered an alarmingly dose of heavy jealously. The entire time the other woman ran her mouth Jes only saw two things. Her hitting Melissa and Melissa hitting the floor. No dignity what so ever. If she’d been the one on the receiving end of Draven’s words, she’d have left. Why stay and further humiliate oneself?
When Melissa ignored her, the urge to stand up to her was all-consuming
,
and so she’d reacted.
Killed two targets with a few words. Draven and his ego were hurt due to her declaration of
not
keeping him.
Then to the female
,
by insinuating she wasn’t going to keep him.
Insinuate? As in to imply?
Jes groaned. The hole of miscommunication was getting deeper and deeper. She’d dig her way through the entire core of the planet if she kept acting one way and saying something completing different.
Wishy-washy
wasn’t her.
She always stuck to her plans. Never deviated. She couldn’t keep Draven. She doubted any one woman could. He was the thief in the night, the wolf on the prowl, and she knew in time he’d get bored with her.
Right?
Maybe that was him five years ago. He was different now. Unprocessed sexuality fused itself to his skin. A constant aroma wafted into her nose and played to her feminine side. The logical side of her tried to resist him at every turn.
             

She argued a bit more with herself while studying the ass encased in black sweats. He still was wearing the Henley shirt, but every time he took a step toward the
elevator,
his muscles would undulate and mold to his skin.
Niiiceee.
The shirt couldn’t hide his predators’ grace. It molded to his body, adapted to him. Not the other way around.
He’d let the others know he’d meet them in the conference room in two hours. She figured he’d drag her back to his parent’s house where he’d give her a
tongue-lashing
.
Maybe with actual tongue?
No!

She wasn’t worried, she could handle it, and she realized with a sick feeling in her gut that he no longer required her assistance. They had the location of the vampires and possibly Marcus and the creepy guy Oliver called The Red Sun.
It sounded like an organization, but the way Oliver said the name hinted at maybe it was someone instead of something.

Draven moved with purpose and hit the elevator button. She had to balance herself on his lower back with her arms to lift her head up. All the blood rushed forward making her temples pound. She felt his warm hand on the cheek of her ass, squeezing it. Distracting her from her thoughts.

The doors to the elevator hissed open. They walked in Jes still in his arms. He gently adjusted her to face him. The heat from his hands seared her thighs as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Now what,” she asked.

They were eye level now and his eyes were dark and purposeful. The hands splayed on her thighs squeezed. Her pulse spiked and her nipples hardened. The elevator was too small and the pit of her stomach hollowed. Her mind may not be on board with his barbaric ways but her body was. Draven turned and pressed her into the elevators wall. His lips pushed softly against hers. She surrendered, fighting was too exhausting. Jes wrapped her arms tight around his neck and wiggled against the hard erection cradled by her core.

“Stop moving woman,” he groaned, pulling her tighter in his hold.
His infectious taste made her deepen the kiss, tangling their tongues in a wet embrace. She didn’t want to breathe and he wasn’t trying to let her either. He explored her mouth, cruel and hard he latched on to her lips and sucked. Liquid magma threaten to burn her alive. Her skin tingled and her pussy wept moisture onto her panties.
He did this to her, on such a massive level she didn’t have any other choice but to hang on for the ride.

             
Draven’s hands moved to her waist in a firm hold and he lifted her so that she rose a bit higher than his head. Their lips were still connected by their kiss.
“
Put your feet down baby,” he said against her lips.
She didn’t want to let go she wanted to stay securely wrapped around him. But he was lifting her, pulling her legs free.
He slid her down his body in a slow delicious glide that had them both groaning in pleasure. His mouth traveled to her neck and licked. Her lips and skin tingled from his kiss, leaving her weak and dizzy. Her groan was loud, bouncing inside the small enclosure of the elevator, filling her with a need for more, more of him. He held her suspended between him and the wall. The heat of him penetrated deep into her womb.

His hand slid its way to her breast and squeezed. A delicious sting sending salacious information through her body. She wanted him even if she wouldn’t keep him. There was nothing wrong with a small slice of happiness. A corner would be okay.
Draven bent his head and continued the assault on her mouth. The sensation of their fused mouths, dueling tongues warmed her body and her heart.

“Give. Me. You,” he punctuated each word against her mouth. Made sure there wasn’t any chance of her misunderstanding their meaning. She wanted to, her body responded to him. Her heart did beat for him, with him. They were synced.
He was the champagne to her strawberry, soaked full of his flavor. In the back of her head warning bells were going off, he’d mated her.
He’d attached himself to her in all ways. Why was she falling for yet another man who wanted to control her?
You are not falling for him!
Duh, cause you fell!
             
             

Jes struggled in his arms, tried to push him back. The wall that was his chest wasn’t moving and panic set in. The world was threatening to go black.
Breathe dammit.
Once
again,
a man had tied himself to her and she’d done the same.
A deeper part of her knew he would never hurt her
,
the way Marcus did
.
T
he analytical side of her knew it was wrong to hold him at a distance and put her issues off on him. Making him suffer her attitude that should’ve only been reserved for Marcus wasn’t fair.
But damn, if her instincts weren’t in fight or flight mode. His advances were invited, the relationship not so much. Her insides were on fire for him, but her mind, the logical Jesminda Zealand reared its head. She had nothing to offer him. She was a shell of her former self. Why couldn’t he see that?

They had a daughter, and most people would say that was enough to make their relationship work, but she knew the ugly truth of it. Relationships based on children did one of two things, they either brought endless joy and happiness, or they were band-aids used as an excuse. She didn’t want the band-aid version for her daughter. She’d rather Faith be filled with love by both parents even if they couldn’t be together.

She knew Draven would put their daughter first. She understood being a wolf’s mate was a serious thing. She’d never be ready for that kind of commitment. She didn’t know if it was something that could be broken, or if he was tied to her indefinitely. And wolves mated for life. Territory uncharted for her on all accounts.

“Give. Me. You,” he said again against the hollow of her throat. His voice strained with lust. Draven had been reduced to a caveman. Normally she’d be flattered, but having him in this mode meant he wasn’t much for talking. She pulled his head up to meet her eyes. All of their hopes, dreams, and their future reflected in emerald pools of want.
He was going to demand this from her.

“What if I can’t Draven?”

“What if you can?” He replied back.
Not completely caveman.

Their foreheads touched and Jes took a deep breath. His scent uniquely him. Male arrogance, mixed with an overabundance of confidence and strength. He was every girl’s fantasy, and every man’s nightmare.
The smell of feminine and male arousal wrapped around them in the elevator, their mixture potent, a real drugging combination to her senses. Her body wanted to be penetrated by him, hard.
Aggressively taken and not given the decisions to choose.
In this she would give, she’d let him take her. Her heart wasn’t ready; regardless he’d carved a spot out for himself, a place right next to Faith.

             
“Everything about you is right for me Jesminda.” Draven said “You move me in ways that I never thought to be moved. And even if you hadn’t birthed our daughter, I would still have marked you as mine.” He whispered against her lips. His hands buried in her hair and the massaging of her scalp sent tingles through her body.

His eyes closed, he kissed the corner of her mouth and his lips lingered,
warm,
and soft on her skin.
He was an animal, but he was also a man.
Communication was key
,
in all matters of a relationship.
He’d never mentioned the words love, or devotion. He’d offered her security and told her he’d fix things for them, she wouldn’t be helpless. He’d teach her to fight, stand up for herself.
The terms of their relationship had not been explained. He’d made the decision without even consulting her. The word love made her heart freeze over. She couldn’t hear them and it was good he hadn’t said the words. Maybe he knew?