She looked a bit unsure, but gave him a nod. I checked my phone and realized that I had to meet up with Trey to make final preparations for tonight. I walked to where Jules sat and kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands in mine.

  “I will see you later sweetheart, and don’t worry, you’ll be just fine.” I leaned in for a kiss and she took her hand from mine, gripping the back of my neck and crushing her lips to mine. I could not stop the moan as her tongue darted into my mouth, tangling with mine. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tight to my chest, pouring myself into the kiss. Too soon I had to pull back, not before whispering in her ear. “I have to go love.” She grasped my face in her hands and her deep blue eyes speared me. “Come back to me Raife.” I smiled and squeezed both her hands before leaving through the back door. Dallas followed me out and stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

  “See you at seven, The Den.”

  I just nodded and strode off. When I hit the tree line I let myself go, running with vampire speed to the rendezvous spot with Trey.

  Trey had hand picked the ten vampires who stood with us for the job tonight. They were all fierce, trustworthy and loyal to me. We waited in the back hallway of The Den for Dallas. We’d gone over the plan thoroughly and everyone knew their role. We were surrounding the old industrial building we’d previously identified, because only a vampire could chase down another vampire if they tried to make a run for it. The shifters were going into the building in force to take down everyone inside. If everything went to plan, we’d be in and out of there. Of course that was a big if…nothing ever went to plan. So, we’d tried to plan for anything that could go wrong and be prepared for it.

  The door to the office opened and Dallas strode out, followed by Jay and the rest of his men.

  “We good to go?” He gave me a hard look and I nodded.

  “We’ll have the building surrounded by the time you get there.”

  “Let’s go.” Dallas headed to the parking lot where the shifters all got into vehicles. I motioned to Jay and we all took off. We could run there faster than they could drive since we didn’t have to stick to the roads.

  We took our positions around the building. We didn’t have an exact count of vampires and shifters that we would face, but hopefully they had a large group in there. The more we could take out in one shot, the better.

  The shifters approached and silently took their positions around the three doors. Only the front of the building had windows but they were small and would be difficult for anyone to get through. As one they blew through all three doors and swarmed inside the building. Shouts and the sounds of fighting quickly escalated as well as the thuds of bodies hitting the sides of the building. As a unit we moved in closer to the building, our perimeter now only about twenty five feet out.

  A vampire burst through the front door and before he’d made it ten feet I had my arm around his neck, a quick jerk and it was broken. He collapsed to the ground but I could not leave it at that, he could heal from a broken neck. I slipped a dagger from my inside pocket and plunged it into his chest. Hitting his heart, he disintegrated into dust.

  Another vampire quickly followed and Jay dispatched him just as easily. A group of five swarmed out of the front door and tried to scatter as we gave chase. I caught the two in the lead within about one hundred yards, quickly throwing one to the ground and stabbing him in the heart. The other vampire rushed me from behind and caught a glancing blow to the side of my head with his boot. I grabbed his leg and yanked upward, throwing him onto his back, but before I could make the killing blow, he swung a dagger and sliced across my chest. I grabbed his wrist and slammed it against my knee and he dropped the knife as his arm cracked. He kicked out, catching me in the ribs and I felt one crack before I got my arm around his neck and gave his head a sharp twist. He fell to the ground and I quickly slammed my dagger into his chest.

  I raced back to the building where two groups of vampires still fought. Jay just got his arm around one vamp’s neck when I shoved my blade between his ribs, hitting his heart. Together we finished off the rest of them that had tried to flee the building. That made a total of eleven who’d made it outside that we took care of. The noise from the building was dying down, so motioning at Jay to remain outside I made my way to the front door.

  Inside, I looked for Dallas and saw him striding through the groups of men that were checking the dead. It was hard to tell how many vamps had been killed, because there were no bodies, just dust. The shifters looked to number about twenty and it didn’t appear anyone had been left alive.

  I approached Dallas and saw that he had four deep gouges from his shoulder to his chest… claw marks.

  “Did we lose anyone?” I asked.

  “No”, he said, “You?”

  “No.” I motioned with my chin to his injury. “Big cat?”

  “Yeah, they had a mountain lion shifter. Cats are sneaky fuckers.”

  “How many vamps do you estimate? We took down eleven outside.”

  “It was hard to tell, but when we got inside, it looked to be close to fifty total. There were twenty shifters, so must have been close to thirty vamps.”

  I let out a low whistle. “Not bad.”

  I tipped my head at Dallas, “You know when Jules sees you she’s going to be upset.”

  “Yeah, you too”, he smirked at me as he looked pointedly at where my skin was sliced open right across my chest.

  “Hmm”, I’d forgotten about that.

  “I’ll send my guys in here to help with the clean up and you and I can go. I’m anxious to get back to Jules.” Before I could get to the front door, a strange sensation filled my chest, a panic wanting to burst right through my ribs. Dallas was already running and just before he shifted, he roared! “Jules!”

  I charged after him, panic pounding at my insides. I passed Dallas, running with everything I had in me to get to Jules! As I approached the shifter’s property I scoured the land with all my senses, desperate to see or smell her! I made out the faintest sound of footsteps running, north, and I adjusted to pick up their trail. Vampires! I gained on them quickly. I could tell by their sounds that one was carrying something, costing him some speed and I quickly took advantage of it. They were headed toward the highway, probably to a waiting vehicle. I had to reach them first or we’d have no way to track them!

  I could hear Dallas behind me but not too far. I needed to get in front of them to cut them off before they reached the highway, then Dallas could come up from behind. Taking a risk I veered slightly off their path and powered toward the road as fast as I could go. I could see the road ahead and cut back into what should be their path seconds before them emerged from the trees.

  Four vampires, one carrying Jules over his shoulder skidded to a stop when they saw me, but I didn’t stop. I ran right into the one furthest to the right of their group and threw out my arm, letting my speed do the work as I ripped his head right off his shoulders. I spun into the next and not bothering with a dagger, I drove my hand right between ribs until my fingers grasped his still beating heart and I ripped it right out of his body.

  Dallas came barreling out of the trees and launched himself at the other vamp, his massive jaws clamping down and tearing head from shoulders. I spun to the vamp who still held Jules just as Dallas slammed into his legs from behind. I grabbed Jules and pulled her into my chest as Dallas finished the vampire off.

  Desperate, I searched her for injuries, cradling her against my chest. She was so still! Her breaths were shallow and her heartbeat was slow, but beating steadily. Dallas strode up to us, his hands frantically running up and down her body, checking just as I had.

  “I think she’s been drugged”. It was the only thing that made any sense.

  The growl that ripped out of Dallas was so intense, so fierce, it made the hair at the back of my neck stand on end.

  I kept her tightly cradled to my chest as we made our way quickly back to Dallas’ house.

  Chapter twenty

  Dallas

  I was gonna fucking lose my shit if she didn’t wake up soon. Raife had laid her on the couch and stayed with her while I went to check on Luke and the bunker. The door had a huge fucking hole where the handle, the locks, and all the electronic safeguards should have been! They must have used an explosive to get in.

  Luke lay on the floor in the middle of the room, a dart still stuck in his neck. I checked he was still breathing, pulled the dart out and left him there. I couldn’t deal with him right now! Not when my mate was still fucking unconscious! I yanked on a pair of sweats before returning to Jules and Raife.

  “Any change?”

  “No.” Raife’s face was a mask of tightly controlled fury. Good. We were on the same page.

  “She was definitely drugged. Luke still had a dart stuck in his neck.”

  Raife swung his head to look at me, but I couldn’t stay still. I had to break something before I fucking exploded! I marched back down the stairs to the bunker and ripped the fucking door right off the hinges. Pieces of the wall came with it, but what the fuck did I care. I launched it across the room, where it hit the cement wall and broke in half. Not good enough! I grabbed half the door and smashed it down on the other half, did it again, and again until the shattered pieces of the door lay scattered across the floor. I stood bracing my hands on my thighs, gulping in lungfuls of air. How the fuck could I let this happen! My mate, my other half, and she was almost fucking stolen from us! I threw my head back and roared until my throat hurt! I would kill every one of those motherfuckers!

  When I got myself under control and went back upstairs, Raife was sitting on the couch with Jules’ feet in his lap. Carefully I lifted her head and shoulders and slid onto the couch, gently lowering her head to my lap. My fingers shook as I stroked them through her hair, staring at her beautiful face. I didn’t know what I’d do if she’d been taken from us. I heard the back door open and Jay stopped in the doorway.

  “Go downstairs and take care of Luke”, I ordered. He moved away and I tried to concentrate on calming the fuck down.

  “The bond”, Raife said. “We need to send some healing energy through the bond to Jules. Help her to get free of the effects of the drug.”

  “Right. How the fuck do I do that?”

  “Think about where you feel the bond wrapped around your heart, then concentrate positive healing energy around the bond and it will do the rest.”

  Okay. I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths and pictured Jules as I normally would. The picture of health and vitality, her beautiful glowing skin and silky hair. I tried to let that positive picture fill my mind and heart. My fingers just kept stroking her as I let myself sink into the Jules in my mind.

  “It’s working”, Raife said. “ Her fingers are twitching.”

  My fingers drifted across her jaw as I pressed my lips to her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered a moment before they opened and her bottomless blue eyes locked on mine. She sucked in a deep lungful of air before letting it out slowly.

  “One more”, I said and she complied, breathing deeply. I found her hand and enfolded it in mine, needing to feel her skin more than I needed to breathe.

  “Hello sweetheart”, Raife whispered. Her gaze traveled to his and her breath stuttered a bit.

  “Raife.” Her voice was raspy and the rage inside me ignited like a flash fire.

  “Deep breaths love.” I swept my thumb back and forth across her wrist, feeling her pulse pick up a notch from the sluggish rhythm it held before. Her eyes darted from Raife to me and back again and tears slipped from the corner of her eyes. I brushed them away with my thumb.

  “Shhh, you’re alright. You’re safe now love, we’re with you.”

  “We’ve got you sweetheart. You’ll feel clearer soon.” Raife continued stroking her legs and her eyes fluttered closed again.

  Just sleeping now, not drugged. I felt the vice around my chest loosen a bit and took a deep breath, leaning my head against the back of the couch.

  “Do you want to clean up while I sit with her, then I can when you’re done?” We both were covered in dirt and blood and I’d rather not have Jules see it.

  “Okay.” He slid out from under Jules feet and gave me a brief nod before leaving. I must have dozed off for a moment, because he was back and I didn’t know how long he’d been gone.

  We quickly swapped places and I got to my bedroom before stripping my clothes off and showering.

  I really needed to check in with Jay and the rest of my guys, so I spoke quietly to Raife. “I need to go out and check on everything. You should put her to bed and stay with her. Use my room.” He scooped her up and stood and I gently caressed her cheek before he moved toward the bedroom. Shit! Just leaving her to go outside and check on our security was causing me actual pain! What the fuck!

  The guys all checked in and we established a rotation for patrols, at least for the next twenty four hours. Jules birthday was the day after tomorrow and who knew what the fuck would happen after that. I made my way quickly back inside and after checking the entire downstairs I slipped into my bedroom.

  Jules lay in the middle of the huge bed with Raife completely wrapped around her. I slid in the other side and eased myself toward her, resting my hand on her hip. I smoothed my hand up her side, repeating the motion until my breathing settled and I could feel my heart syncing with hers. Nothing would ever come close to the feeling of our hearts beating as one.

  ***

  A gray light edged past the window blinds when I opened my eyes. I eased out of the bed and dressed quickly before heading out. I couldn’t take any chances with Jules’ safety and today I would make sure no one got to her without going through me first! Unfortunately, Darvon had not been at the warehouse last night and he wasn’t one of the group that kidnapped Jules. We needed to find where the fucker was hiding! Although I wasn’t convinced he had the brains to organize against us. Someone else was behind this, but fuck if I knew who it was. I needed to check in with some of the alphas in the area and make sure the packs were still loyal to me, and if they weren’t they’d find out pretty quickly why I was the one in charge.

  Chapter twenty-one

  Jules

  I peeled my eyes open and found Raife searching my face. He smiled when our eyes met.

  “Good morning sweetheart.”

  “Good morning”, I rasped. I sounded like shit.

  “Was Dallas here?” I thought his warm body had been next to me in bed.

  “He was, but he was out before the sun.”

  “Hmm”

  Raife encircled my waist and pulled me snugly against his chest. His fingers trailed along my side from shoulder to hip, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He drew me in for a kiss, feathering his lips across mine before moving onto my cheeks, my eyes and my forehead. He worked his way down across my jaw and onto my neck before sucking gently on the sensitive skin below my ear. I sank into the feeling as my fingers traced the ridges lining his abdomen. I let my fingers drift lower and was surprised to find no clothes blocked my way. I brushed my fingers across the trail of hair below his belly button and let my fingers graze his hard cock. I encircled his satin smooth hardness gently, just a trace with my fingertips.

  Raife’s hand enclosed mine around his cock and squeezed firmly before moving it up with the same pressure. He pumped my hand twice as he crushed his lips to mine in a blazing kiss that was all about claiming! His hand left mine and slid between my thighs, his finger stroking my wetness and circling my clit. He broke the kiss and left me gasping as he pulled my shirt up, sucking my nipple into his mouth. A pinch of his teeth followed by his sweeping tongue had my back arching off the bed as he pushed a finger inside me. He pumped his finger while his thumb lay on my clit with just a little pressure. The heat was building inside and my legs quivered.

  “Raife, Raife please…”, I moaned.

  “Come sweetheart.” He pushed down on my clit with his thumb as he pumped two fingers inside and my back came off the bed as my orgasm tore through me. His fingers stroked me and he nibbled my neck as the tremors slowly subsided.

  Raife lowered his mouth to mine and our tongues danced, his hands continued stroking, teasing and pinching. He lay on his back and placed me on top, straddling his hips. I splayed my hands across his chest and leaned forward to kiss his neck, his jaw, cheeks and finally his lips. I rolled my hips against his hardness and drew my shirt off over my head. His eyes blazed with hunger as he stared at me naked on top of him. I reached for him and slid my hand along his cock, hard, the way he liked it. I leaned forward and lined him up with my entrance before leaning back and sliding down his long length. I stopped partway to allow my body to adjust to the fullness of Raife inside me, before pushing all the way down.

  He groaned as his hands gripped my hips. I gave my hips a little swivel before lifting halfway off and lowering down again, slowly. I continued my slow assault until I lifted almost all the way off him before slowly sheathing him again. The feel of Raife was more than just physical, it was a connection I felt deep inside. I marveled at it. This was everything.

  Raife sat up and wrapped me in his arms, his hips pumping slowly into me. The pressure was building and I knew I couldn’t hold off this orgasm. Raife flipped us so I lay on my back and he was above me. He slowly thrust into me, hitting every spot inside that I never even knew I had. My legs wrapped around his hips, my feet digging into his ass, spurring him on faster. I moaned and clutched the hair at the back of his neck just as his finger pressed down on my clit and I exploded! A scream tore from my throat as my back arched and my legs clamped around him. Intense waves of pleasure shook my body and just as they slowed, Raife pressed on my clit again and we both fell together.

  I clung to him, as the world slowly came back into focus.

  “Fuck me.”

  “I think I just did”, he chuckled. We lay on our sides, arms and legs all tangled together and him still inside me.