Chapter One
Outside
of Colorado Springs, Colorado...
Present
Day
The
GPS on Rapier’s truck had gone out two hundred miles ago. He stopped to make
one phone call and to take a piss. Since Keeley programed everything for him,
he hadn’t a clue where the fuck he was going, only that he would finally be
reunited with his mate and, he’d found out, his twin daughters.
Beside
him, his best friend and brother, Osirus Blake, held onto the paper with the
written instructions on it. His brother hadn’t said a word since they left the
restaurant early in the morning after he talked to Keeley or since they began
their trip. He didn’t blame his friend. Rapier wasn’t in the mood to talk, and
he worried if he did, he’d yell and curse more than he talked.
At
first, he’d been shocked, then pissed. Now, he yearned to hold his mate. Rapier
understood his emotional rollercoaster was throwing his brother for a loop. It
always did. He compartmentalized everything, except anger. Yes, the raging
beast he chained within him had reared its ugly head when Keeley told him about
finding Jasmine, but she’d done it because of the FBI agents tracking Quincy’s
men. They were making their way towards Colorado, so she’d started digging.
Rapier
realized there could only be one thing—one person—in Colorado Raymond wanted;
Jasmine, her sister Jenna, and his twins. Leaving Cormyr and Saber in charge
hadn’t been hard. He knew they would continue to work and watch over Tate and
Henry as well as protect against anyone who might want to do them harm.
However, not doing stupid shit along the way had been a whole other thing.
Hence, why Osirus said he’d go too. His friend didn’t mince words. He didn’t
give Rapier the optimistic view. After all the shit Osirus had been through
with his boy, Utah, Rapier didn’t expect him to, which made their friendship
even tighter.
“Where
do we turn?” Rapier glanced at the exit sign on the freeway.
“Next
exit,” Osirus replied. “Do you think Keeley warned her you were coming?”
“No.
She wouldn’t want to tip Jasmine off if there is anyone watching her. I trust Keeley’s
intel on this.”
His
friend stared out at the highway. “You figured out what you’re going to say?”
He
made a derisive sound. “Hell no.”
“She
is going to kick your ass.”
Didn’t
he know it. Their mating hadn’t been a conventional one. Their paths crossed in
Farmington, New Mexico. The full moon had grabbed him by the balls. He’d gone
for a run, not really sure if it would work, to at least tire the lion out and
cool the rising arousal coursing through his body. Instead, he’d literally
crashed into his mate. The sleek panther had tumbled with him, and her sweet-as-fucking-sin
scent had coated him. It’d made his dick ache. All he had been think about was
rutting. And, they had. All night long.
In
the morning, she was gone.
The
next time he saw her, she’d been walking out of a pharmacy and he’d been
helping a customer. His mouth watered. His dick thickened. If he affected her
in anyway, she didn’t show it. In fact, she scowled at him, pushing her big-ass
fugly glasses up her nose before walking away. She didn’t need the glasses, of
course, but for whatever reason, she always wore them. Something about blending
in with the natives so as not to stick out like a sore thumb. Superheroes and
shit like that. Later, she went in-depth with her reasonings and it’d made
sense. Not everyone likes shifters you
know.
He
thought she’d been adorable.
She
called him a tom cat.
He
probably chased her for a good year, hoping he’d get another glimpse of the
sleek panther invading his dreams, night after night. When she finally gave
into him and agreed to have dinner with him, he’d tracked her down where she
worked, at the local library—a place he’d have never really thought of, had Wy
not spotted her there. She’d been sitting behind the counter checking in books
when he entered the building. He caught a glimpse of pink, turquoise, and
purple streaks underneath her raven-colored hair. She had been a conundrum
rolled into a compact ball of pure grace and power.
Her
sister, Jenna, who lived with her, had been the opposite of her. She worked
through the ranks to become a SWAT officer. The bitch, and he used the term
affectionately, because she was one of the baddest bitches he knew and
respected, could take down a man at two thousand meters without batting an eye.
In
a way, he understood Danielle and Caden because they reminded Rapier of him and
Jasmine. Sure, Caden had done some fucked up shit, but the guy had his own
fucked up past he had to deal with, but the same could be said for Danielle.
Whereas Jasmine did everything to keep people at arm’s length due to her being
a shifter and not wanting any trouble, Danielle did it because she couldn’t
trust anyone. Caden and he, on the other hand, were a lot more alike than he
cared to think about. Both didn’t have great families. Both felt the sting of
betrayal.
Truth
be told, Rapier and his ragtag group of brothers were orphans too. Cormyr and he
and Saber were the first since they were biological siblings, same mom,
different dads. Then Rashid. He met Osirus in high school and then one day, the
runt, Wy, showed up looking for food. Damn pup wouldn’t go away so they had to
keep him. Anyway, it made it hard for him, as much as he wanted Jasmine, to
connect with her. It had led to several contentious arguments, and in the end,
almost cost him everything.
Shit,
ten years ago, he’d finally been in a good place to start his life over with a
family filled with love and hope. Then shit went south and he... He lost it
all.
Rapier
followed the exit ramp to the light and turned left. The miles slipped by as
the town grew distant in the rearview mirror. At mile marker 58, he turned
right and followed the dirt road. Anticipation thrummed through his veins. Ten
fucking years. Ten years of waiting to hold his mate. To meet his cubs. Fuck.
He realized they wouldn’t get a chance at getting to re-know each other. They
had to get back to Window Rock first. His house didn’t have much security, but
all of his brothers lived with him. Plus, after they were settled, he’d have
Keeley come by and put in one of her security systems. If they couldn’t protect
Jasmine and their cubs there, they couldn’t protect them anywhere.
They
came to a Y in the road. “Where to now?”
“To
the right,” Osirus said. “You okay?”
“Ask
me tomorrow, when we’re home and I can breathe,” Rapier grunted.
“She
is so going to kick your ass.” His friend chuckled.
“Probably.”
They
drove down the rutted lane. Trees closed in around them, giving them a good
cover but also exposing them to anyone who might be hiding in the thicket.
Fuck, he hated this. The hairs on his arms stood on end. He went on alert.
Paranoia allowed the thoughts he’d squashed several times to swell back to the
surface. What if they were too late? What if Quincy’s men were waiting for
them? What if Jasmine didn’t want him anymore because he’d been gone for so
long? He licked his lips out of nervous habit.
The
first glimpse of the small house on the left side of the road made his whole
body tense. There. A few more feet and he would see his mate. “Keep an eye
out.”
“You
expecting anything?” Osirus went on alert.
“Don’t
know, but we should be ready, just in case. Fuck knows, if Quincy’s men saw us,
they might be on our ass.”
“Do
you think they would?” Osirus cocked a brow.
“Well,
they aren’t the smartest fruit on the fucking vine,” Rapier grumbled.
Osirus
laughed. “True.”
They
pulled into the driveway. No car sat near the house. No toys. Nothing that said
the house was lived in or loved. Rapier scowled. Could Keeley have gotten it
wrong? He looked at Osirus, who shrugged. He popped open his door and slowly
got out, palming the gun at his hip. The still air heightened his tension. He
could feel a set of eyes on him. Where, he couldn’t pinpoint, but they weren’t
close. Osirus got out next. He cocked the shotgun he’d brought with him and
covered Rapier’s back as he started for the front door.
A
squeal came from inside, before the door swung wide and two young girls
appeared. His knees went weak. His heart slammed against his ribs. His
daughters. One was blonde like the color of Danielle’s hair, and the other was
the spitting image of her mother. They didn’t come close to him, and he didn’t
want them to. Not until they were safely back inside. The screen door opened
once more, and there she was.
His
kitten.
Jasmine
held the door open by leaning against it. Her eyes sparkled with mirth. “It
took you long enough, mate.”
“Sorry,
got stuck in traffic.” Rapier smirked, taking a step toward her. “Rush hour is
brutal.”
Jasmine
snorted. “Come on inside. Breakfast is waiting.” She glanced to a spot over
Rapier’s shoulder, in the tree line. “Jenna, you can get down now. They’re
friendlies.”
“Son
of a bitch,” Osirus muttered. “She is still one deadly bitch.”
Rapier
laughed. “Don’t let her hear you say that. She’ll kick your ass.” He placed a
hand on each of his daughters’ shoulders and guided them to the door.
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
He
couldn’t believe he was there or touching his daughters. A welling of pride
filled his chest. They were adorable. Polite. They smelled like their mother
and their aunt, but also themselves. The blonde put her hand on his as they got
closer to the door. What an asshole was he, he didn’t even know their names. I’ll fix it here shortly.
When
they stepped into the house, the scent of cinnamon and heat hit him square in
the chest. The throbbing ache in his balls intensified. Rapier swallowed hard.
Now was not the time to mount his mate. Not while they were in danger. Not
while Raymond’s men could be headed right for them.
“I
don’t mean to tell you what to do,” Rapier stated. “But, we should get back on
the road shortly.”
Jasmine
glanced at him from over her shoulder. The ache in the center of his chest
diminished, and another sensation took root there. Mine. He curled his hands into fists, pushing back the clawing need
thrumming through his veins. He had to control himself. Things had changed in
the ten years they’d been separated. He couldn’t go forcing himself on her with
their children present.
“A
woman named Keeley called,” Jasmine said, scooping the scrambled eggs from the
pan onto a plate. “Said you’d be coming. Bags are packed.”
“I
don’t want to leave, Momma,” the dark-headed twin said. “We should stay here.”
“Zoe,
we’ve already had this discussion. We’ve been preparing for this your whole
life.” Jasmine placed the dish in front of Rapier. “When your daddy returned,
we would leave. It was the promise we made to each other.”
“Took
him long enough.” Zoe pouted as she took a bite of her sausage. The glower on
her face rivaled that of any of the Raferty brothers.
“Don’t
be mean,” the blonde said. “Daddy only did what he thought was right. He was
protecting mom.”
Guilt
settled in Rapier’s gut like a heavy weight. He did what he thought had been
the right thing to do in the beginning. Finding a beaten Mackenzie in the
middle of the desert changed the trajectory of their whole lives. No matter how
much Rapier wanted to believe neither were connected, the evidence had been
right in front of his face. Raymond hated the Raferty Pack, and that hate
transferred to Rapier’s Pride when they brought Mackenzie into the fold.
I couldn’t let him die though. What
was I supposed to do? Exactly what he did, saved the wolf’s
life, be damned the consequences. They’d been severe though. They cost Rapier valuable
time with his mate and his daughters.
“Shut
up, Bell,” Zoe snapped. “He left mom. We live here now. If he wants to live
anywhere with us, it should be here.”
Jasmine’s
shoulders slumped. “We’ve had this discussion, Zoe. Your father and I couldn’t stay
together. It was too dangerous.”
Any
other day, Rapier would know how to fix this. Sitting at the table with his
daughters, he was lost. Completely and utterly out of his element. “The
situation is a bit more complicated.” Should he tell them about all the people
who died in the last few weeks or the fact Raymond had people searching for
Jasmine? “Which is why we really can’t sit around and wait.”
“Can
I speak to you?” Jasmine pointed to the back of the house. “Alone.”
Rapier
nodded. “Anything, kitten.” He stood from the table, then followed his mate
down the short hallway. No pictures hung on the walls. No decorations of any
sort. He frowned at the thought of their house never really being a home.
“Here.”
She opened the last door on the right and ushered him inside before closing it
behind them. The smell of cinnamon was thicker there. Like in the hall, nothing
adorned her room. The sparse furnishings shouldn’t surprise him. Two packed
bags, like she’d said, sat near the door. If they had to leave, they couldn’t
worry about filling a moving truck and taking it with them.
“Bell
and Zoe,” he said. “I like their names. They fit their personalities.”
She
let out a huffed laugh. “You have no idea. Zoe is so strong willed while Bell
is soft, almost too submissive for her own good.” She crossed her arms and
stared up at him. “Give it to me straight. How much trouble are we in?”
Rapier
couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled Jasmine into his arms and moaned. It
physically hurt him to be parted from her for so long. Ten long, bitter years
were over in a flash as they stood in her room. He buried his face in the crown
of her head and inhaled. Through the crisp scent of shampoo and body wash, he
caught the hint of her natural perfume. Cinnamon.
His
mouth watered. His groin tightened to the point of pain. He needed to gather
his tattered wits. Later when they were safe he’d take his time with her. “It’s
bad. Raymond is in jail, finally. So is Marjorie. Tiffany is dead.” He took a
step back from her, afraid if he held her any longer, they wouldn’t make it out
of the house. “It’s a mess. I had to come now because he threatened to kill
you. I couldn’t take any more chances. It’s why we’re here now. Hauser
Benefield, Jerome Blackhorn, and Kalkin Raferty have turned Window Rock into a
safe place for us—everyone. There are still a few things that need to be done,
but Keeley, Kalkin’s mate, said she’d take care of it once you’ve arrived.”
Jasmine
closed the distance between them. “Afterwards?”
He
blew out a breath, holding on to his threadbare control. “Stop tempting me,
kitten. I’m ready to explode here, and you’re not making it any easier on me.”
A
cocky glint filled her hazel eyes as she smirked. “Who’s tempting who, mate?”
She ran her finger down his chest. “Ten years has been long enough, don’t you
agree?”
Arousal
grabbed him by the gut. His heart hammered. His lip curled. A harsh yowl fell
from his lips as the lion pushed forward. “Kitten...”
She
ran her thumbs along the hem of her yoga pants before tugging them down,
exposing her creamy flesh to his gaze. No
panties. Rapier pounced on her. He tugged the fly of his jeans down, releasing
the straining length from its confines. Fuck, they shouldn’t even be
entertaining this idea, but he also couldn’t stop himself. Once he got a hint
of his mate’s scent, he’d been a dead man.
He
pushed her up against the dresser then stepped on her pants, pushing them to
the floor. Jasmine whimpered and wiggled her ass at him. Her sex gleamed in the
light of the room. Fuck, it’d been way too long. The urge to go to his knees
and lick up all her sweet cream rode him hard. Unfortunately, they didn’t have
time. Later. When they finally
arrived back at the house, he’d take his time. He’d eat her pussy until she
begged him to stop then he’d fuck her until they both passed out from exhaustion.
Pre-cum
dribbled from his tip with each pulse of his cock. He wasn’t going to last.
Already the tingle in his stomach warning him of his impending climax started
to spread through his body. “Won’t last long.” He positioned himself at her
pussy before shoving forward. In one long thrust, he filled her.
“Neither
will I.”
Jasmine
covered her mouth. Her muffled cry mixed with the pulse of her tight pussy
trying to milk the cum from his dick. He sank into the sensation. Fucking heaven. He groaned through her
climax. She hadn’t been kidding. Rapier laid his forehead against her spine.
It’d taken all of his will power not come the second he entered her, now he
couldn’t hold it. It felt too good. Too hot. It was too much of everything, and
he couldn’t stop it.
“Coming.”
He latched onto her neck and pumped his hips twice before spilling inside of
her. The force of it stole his ability to breathe.
He
couldn’t move.
Below
him, Jasmine whimpered, rocking her hips as she trembled in his arms, taking
everything he gave her. It wasn’t enough though. It would never be enough. He
gave a weak chuckle, wrapping his arms around her.
“What’s
so funny?” She glanced back at him with heavy-lidded eyes.
“Not
what I had planned,” he said.
“Me
either,” she whispered. “Are you sure we’re in danger?”
He
pulled out slowly and groaned. The drag of his piercing along her walls had him
raring to go again. “Yeah, kitten. You are. We all are.”
“Is
it the only reason you came for me?”
A
bit of his release slid down her inner thigh. A single-minded possessiveness
filled him. “No. It’s time. Been time. I should have come and got you when we
moved to Window Rock. I’ve been a stubborn asshole.” He tucked his still hard
cock into his pants and zipped up. “This just proves it.”
When
she faced him, she took his hands in hers. “You didn’t know. You did the best
you could at the time.”
Yeah,
but at what cost? He went to ask the question when the screen on the front door
slammed shut. Osirus and Jenna’s raised voices put him on alert. From the
minute Osirus met Jenna, he’d insisted Jasmine’s sister was his mate. Jenna had
other ideas about his so-called claiming.
“You
were going to shoot me,” Osirus said. “Admit it.”
“Only
because you deserved it,” Jenna replied. “Where are your parents, girls?”
“In
her room,” Zoe answered. “Momma wanted to talk to him.”
Jenna
snorted. “Sure, talk.”
Jasmine’s
cheeks reddened. “We should go back out there before world war three erupts.”
“Agreed,”
he said. “After we eat, we’ll leave. I want to take the long way around, so we
should be to the house about eight tonight. I’ll call ahead.” He grabbed her
bags on the way out.
When
they’d finished eating breakfast, Rapier made a quick call to Kalkin to let
them know they were back on the road. At the state line, Rashid and Jace would
meet them then escort them the rest of the way to town. Going the longer route,
even to Kalkin, was the best decision. Raymond’s men were lurking around town,
since word got out Raymond had been picked up. It made Kalkin an edgy
motherfucker, and he couldn’t blame the Alpha.
The
only upside to all of this had been the release of several Quincy Pack members.
If the kids were hard to look at, Kalkin said the adults were worse. At least
thirty people, according to Kalkin, had come into town to denounce the Quincy Pack.
Rapier didn’t trust them as far as he could throw them, but Kalkin would give
them a chance. Since it wasn’t his call, Rapier had to hold his tongue. For
now, he’d been satisfied having his mate at his side.
Ten fucking years.
The
quickie in Jasmine’s bedroom had been the worst idea he’d had in a long time.
Her scent enveloped him, kept him hard and ready for her. Osirus and Jenna rode
in the backseat with the windows down a bit. If Jasmine’s scent drove him wild,
he couldn’t imagine how Osirus or Jenna felt or how uncomfortable they were.
Rapier
glanced over at Jasmine. She’d spent most of the ride staring at the passenger
mirror. It gave him a chance to gaze at her features. He noticed straight off
when he saw her at the door. She’d looked tired. More importantly, both Jenna
and she did. He wondered how much sleep either woman had gotten in the last ten
years. How long they spent on alert.
“I’m
hungry,” Zoe said.
“You’re
always hungry,” Bell admonished. “You should have eaten all of your breakfast.”
“Says
you,” Zoe shot back. “We’ve been cooped up for hours.”
Not
necessarily hours, but it had been a few. Rapier glanced at the clock on the
dash and frowned. Okay, more than a few. “Next exit with a food joint we’ll
stop. But it might be a while.”
“We
should have brought food. It would have been easier,” Jenna said. “Oh wait, who
am I kidding? Isn’t like we had time to prepare.” Her words dripped with
sarcasm and a bit of anger.
“Not
like we had a choice either, sweet pea,” Osirus grumbled.
“Okay,
children.” Jasmine turned toward the backseat. “We all weren’t given many
options. We’ll make the best of what we have right now.”
Rapier
glanced up in the rearview mirror. Zoe and Bell were seated between Osirus and
Jenna. Both had e-pads in their hands. While Zoe tilted hers back and forth,
the tip of her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration,
Bell tucked her knees to her chest and sighed wistfully at whatever she
watched. He shook his head. Two little girls, both different as night and day.
“They’re
a handful,” Jasmine murmured, drawing his attention. “Zoe has always reminded
me of you. Bell is soft, motherly. She’s the voice of reason when Zoe wants to
go off half-cocked.”
“I
thought you were talking about Osirus and Jenna,” he teased.
She
huffed a soft laugh. “Them too.” She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers
together. The warmth of where they touched spread through his arm and into his
chest. How many nights had he spent imagining this moment? How many nights had
he felt empty and alone? Too many.
“I’m
sorry,” he said. “I should have come for you sooner. I shouldn’t have let you
go.” He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers.
She
shook her head. “We did the right thing at the time. Even if it doesn’t feel
like it now, it had been for then.” She glanced out the passenger window. “Really,
I don’t want to talk about it. We have enough to worry about now.” They did.
Getting home unseen happened to be the biggest thing on his list.
An
hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of a small truck stop diner. They
still had three more hours before they’d get home. He should have stopped
sooner, but the girls curled into Jenna and Osirus and fell asleep. He hadn’t
wanted to wake either of them. There’d already been too much upheaval in their
short lives. While Jenna and Jasmine escorted the girls to the bathroom, he and
Osirus found a booth away from windows and prying eyes.
Rapier
made another phone call to Kalkin, who advised him to stay where he was. Rashid
and Jace were almost there. The niggle of being watched temporarily slipped
away at the knowledge one of his friends and brother would arrive soon to watch
his back. The weight holding his shoulders down lifted slightly, and for the
first time since he decided to bring Jasmine home, he was excited. Happy even.
The
girls joined them moments later. Bell sat to his left and Zoe wiggled her way
in on his right. Rapier tucked them into his side and grinned. He probably
looked like a fool, but he didn’t care. These were his girls. He’d missed so
much of their lives, and he didn’t want to miss any more. He had to know
everything about them.
“So,
where do you go to school?” Rapier asked.
“Momma
teaches us,” Zoe said, glancing at the menu. “We’re in the fifth grade.”
“I
get all A’s,” Bell said.
“And
you,” he prodded Zoe.
“Meh,
B’s. Some C’s. I like it all right, I guess. Some of it doesn’t make sense.”
She peered up at him. “What do I need to know the Louisiana Purchase for?”
Rapier
swallowed a laugh. “So you understand the history of the country.”
“Okay,
but what is it going to do for me in the future?” God, she reminded him of
himself.
“Depends
on who you want to be,” he answered.
“That’s
such an adult answer,” Zoe muttered. “Mom says the same.”
This
time, he laughed. “Your mom is pretty smart.”
“Debatable,”
Jenna answered. “She mated you.”
“Jenna.”
Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “Be nice.”
Jenna
rolled her eyes and went back to staring at the menu. Neither of them had
changed a bit. Oh sure, outwardly, Jasmine’s breasts were a bit bigger. Her
hips a little wider. She was soft in all the right places, and Rapier chided
himself for not taking more time to feel her up. Next time. When we’re able to go slow. She’d also stopped wearing
those glasses of hers. He frowned. He liked seeing her with them on. They were
a complete turn on along with her full-arm tattoos. From the corner of her
shirt, he spotted a new one. One that hadn’t been there the last time he saw
her.
“So,
what have you two been doing since, you know?” He hated saying since I ran off.
Because in essence it’d been what they both did to protect her and the baby, or
in this case babies, she carried.
“Up
until the first phone call we received from you, I worked with the Colorado
Springs police department’s SWAT division. Jasmine stayed home and took care of
these two rugrats.” Jenna winked at Bell and Zoe. “It was easier than trying to
find babysitters or schools that would take them in while also not making them
a target.”
Jasmine
nodded. “I went to school online at night at first, so I could get a degree in
something...anything, so I could make money on the side for us.”
“What
degree do you have?” For a second time in a matter of hours, pride welled
within Rapier.
“Therapy.
More exactly social work. I have a masters now and before Keeley called, I
thought about working on my Ph.D.” She blushed. The pink tinge crawled across
the bridge of her nose, highlighting the soft freckles there.
“Once
everything is settled, if you’d like to continue, we’ll make it happen. Don’t
you worry, kitten. Besides, I think I know someone who could use your help as
long as you don’t mind working with kids.” Rapier winked at her.
Shit.
He missed the way her eyes lit up whenever she got excited. Missed the soft
expression on her face right before she’d say I love you. He missed her gentle
sighs. The way she fit perfectly in his arms at night. Now, he had her back and
he’d do whatever it took to keep his kitten and their daughters happy.
“Oh?”
She glanced up from her menu.
“Danielle
and Keeley opened an orphanage for all the shifter kids who need someplace to
go. I bet they’re going to have a shit load of work between birth certificates
to housing and whatever it takes to get kids adopted. You’d fit in perfectly with
them.” Knowing Keeley and Cookie as well as he did, Jasmine would have her
hands full with both women before too long. If one wouldn’t be mothering her,
the other would.
“I’ll
think about it,” Jasmine said, as their waitress arrived to take their order.
****
Back
on the road after lunch, this time with Rashid and Jace following them, the
sign for Arizona came into view. Three more hours and they’d be home. He
glanced down at a sleeping Bell, cuddled into his side. She was absolutely
beautiful. So prim and proper. The way she said daddy made his heart soar. Zoe
leaned against Jasmine with her mouth open just a bit. Soft snores came from
her, denoting just how exhausting the trip really was.
He
supposed they could have gone the direct route to their new home; however, he
hadn’t wanted to take any chances just in case. Plus, it would have shaved only
an hour or two off their drive time, not much in the grand scheme of things.
When
he lifted his gaze, he found Jasmine staring at him. A small smile played on
her lips while she ran her fingers through Zoe’s hair. Fuck, he’d missed so
much. He’d missed their first words. Their first steps. He’d missed school and
play dates, if they even had them. Worst of all, he’d missed their birth. He
hadn’t been there to help Jasmine. To hold her hand through the pain. To be the
first one to hold his daughters when they’d been born. He didn’t get a chance
to do late-night bottle feedings or change a diaper.
He’d
be there for them now though. No matter what, he’d make sure the girls knew he
regretted every minute of not being in their lives. To not be able to help
their mom. From today on, he’d be the best father he could be to them and any
other children Jasmine and he might have.
“You
look so serious,” Jasmine whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.
I’m...a little overwhelmed.” He placed his arm around Bell.
“You’ll
get used to it. Try having two of them at birth.” She gave a silent laugh.
“I
wish I could have been there. For all of you.”
“You
were.” She made a wistful sound. “You were always with me. They know everything
about you. I feel stupid not having at least one picture of you, but we
couldn’t chance it.”
No,
they couldn’t. If the photo, even on a phone, had gotten into the wrong hands,
Rapier didn’t want to think of what could have happened. They’d made a pact the
day they went one way and she and Jenna went the other. No matter what, he’d
come for her. However, she couldn’t search for him and vice versa. She also had
to keep her and the cubs safe and protected. Seeing all three of them together,
Jasmine and Jenna kept their promise, and now he had a mate who would make
something out of her life.
“Tate
and Henry will be happy to see you. Same with Utah,” he murmured. “The boy is
built like a fucking lumberjack.” Unlike Keeley and her policy about language,
Jasmine and he never had a qualm with it. Someone in the house was always going
to say shit. Might as well be open about it.
Jasmine
leaned close to him. Her breath fluttered across his cheek. He held himself in
check. If he kissed her now, or even touched her, he couldn’t be held
responsible for what happened next. “Don’t tell Jenna or Osirus, but Jenna has
been learning sign language. It’s also part of the girls’ daily lessons.”
He
cocked a brow. “Do the girls know why?”
“They
think they’re learning a fun second language. I figure when they meet Utah and
see why it’s so important to learn about others, they’ll appreciate it more.”
Good
thinking. “There are more children, all their age and a little older. I think
the girls will like them.”
“They
need friends. They’ve been hidden away too long.”
Rapier
frowned. “You all have been. Get some rest. I have a feeling you won’t be
sleeping much.”
Jasmine
gave her a saucy look. “Yes, daddy.”
He
growled. “Watch it, kitten. We still have a few hours before we’re home.”
