HISS (3 page)

“I saw Marree and…Karma.” Jamison rubbed the center of his chest. The thought that he had a

daughter and he’d missed the first few years of her life made his heart hurt.

“Oh.”

“Oh! Gertrudis, what the fuck is an ‘oh’? I want to know if she’s mine!” His voice rose with every

word.

“Well, see—umm—I can’t be sure.” Tee sighed.

Static came over the line, similar to sheets rustling. Tee and her mate Myka could be heard arguing

in the background.

Myka’s agitated voice flowed over the line. “I’m guessing the baby is yours and I’m not telling you

this to ease your mind. I’m saying this to annoy the hell out of you. Call my house at this hour again,

snake, and I will stuff your head up your ass.” The line went dead.

Plastic shrieked as he crushed the phone in his palm and threw it into the bayou.

“Still got that temper I see?” Mais, Sint and Percel’s daughter moved from the shadows.

“What do you want, Mais?”

“Daddy sent me to pick you up. Why are you chucking perfectly good technology to the gators?”

“Mais, tell me something.”

She shrugged. “If I can.”

“Is Karma mine?”

“Honestly dude, all you have to do is take a good look at her. Why are you asking questions you

already know the answer to?” Mais threw up her hands and mumbled. “Growing up, I thought you

were the smart one. Come on, I don’t plan on standing out here for the mosquitoes to dine on all

night.”

“You have a thick hide. You’ll live.” Jamison leaned back in his seat.

“Do you want to follow your phone, dumbass?” Mais stomped over to stand beside him.

“I’d welcome the fight, Mais. Do you really want to take me on?”

Her red dreadlocks brushed her shoulder when she cocked her head. “I don’t know. Do you still

cheat?”

“Go to hell, Mais.”

“Been there, babe, and got a shack right on the shore of one very hot lake. Seriously how long do

you plan to sit here? You can ponder the enigma that is Marree at the house.”

“Is Karma the reason Sint hates me?”

“Great Goddess above.” Mais plopped down in a seat next to Jamison. “My momma ain’t been right

since Kiele left. Does she like how you handled Marree? No, but none of us do. Everyone knows

Marree is your mate and I mean
everybody
but you let that old, jealous hag of a mother dictate to

you.”

“She had my best interests at heart. Mom wanted to see me succeed.”

“Fucking mama’s boy, I swear your shell was cracked through your incubation.” Mais touched her

knee to his and leaned forward. “That would have happened anyway. You’re a strong leader. Shifters

see you coming a mile away. Cheryl used you to do what your daddy couldn’t.” She bumped his leg

harder. “Marree would have secured your position a lot quicker than your mom. The best thing Aunt

Loretta did was send her here ’cause honestly, I shudder to think what Cheryl would have done to the

girl once Marree had her baby. Your momma is venomous and I don’t say that because she’s a snake.”

Jamison rose and walked to the edge of the deck. “You know you’re lucky we have history because

had anyone else talked to me like this I would I have crushed them and left the body for Etienne’s

gators. So how do I fix this?”

“And that’s the reason those reptiles are fat and lazy now! Burn the damn bodies! Why does

everyone insist on feeding them to the gators!” She shook her head. “As for your other problem, well,

first you need to get past Loubel…”

Chapter Three

Marree scribbled a prescription and glanced over her shoulder at the young wolverine. “Stop eating

road kill.” She tempered her statement with a smile. “Unless it’s fresh. Hell, then call everybody in

Betaille. They will make it a party. Remember if the meat sits for more than a few hours in this heat, it

will be rancid.”

He hung his head. “But it’s was
so
good and it didn’t smell bad.” The child looked over at his

mother. “I checked, honest.”

Mrs. Le Croix sighed. “We no longer live in the cooler climate, Dathan. You know better.”

Marree reached past her patient to hand his mom the prescription. “I think Dathan here was fine but

he shifted so fast after eating and his stomach didn’t process the meat. When shifters are this young,

it’s like swimming. No shifting until they’ve waited thirty minutes at the minimum after consuming a

meal as your animal.” She ruffled his hair.

“Thank you, Marree.” Mrs. Le Croix helped him off the table.

“Anytime. Would you mind telling the next person they can come in please?”

“Sure will, Ms. Marree.” Dathan trotted from the room with his momma in tow.

She made the final notations in youngster’s chart and moved across the room to the second set of

file cabinets which housed the information on her shifter patients. The hinges on the door squeaked as

it swung open. “Take a seat on the exam table please and I’ll be right with you.” Marree didn’t bother

to see who was stepping into her exam room. She pulled the drawer open and was fingering the files

when Jamison’s scent barreled into her.

“Your propensity to help the needy hasn’t changed I see.” Her muscles knotted as Jamison’s sexy

tenor flowed through the room.

She swallowed before spinning around to face him. His stood a few inches from her. “What do you

want, Jami? There is nothing wrong with you short of an overabundance of ego.”

He shrugged. “I have an ache here.” Jamison pointed at his chest. “So I made an appointment.”

“Yeah, right. Why are you really here? There are people in my waiting room with legitimate

ailments.”

“Since they’re in a
waiting
room then they shouldn’t have an issue with
waiting
a little longer. You

and I have a few things to discuss.”

Marree slipped past him, putting space between them as she inched closer to the door.

He maneuvered his body, cutting off her exit. “I know that look. We will sit here until Kingdom

come if we have to.”

Her heart sped up. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “You made your choice, Jami. There

is nothing to discuss. I’ve a good life here and I did it without you or your clutch. Karma and I are part

of the Viper pit and Loubel looks out for us.”

The deep rumble of a warning hiss escaped past Jamison’s lips. “Have you been intimate with

Loubel?”

She snapped her head to the side, meeting his gaze. “Of course not. He treats me like a like a little

sister.” Marree smirked. “Not that I would mind. I mean, have you taken a good look at that man? He

is hot and that body…my Goddess.”

Jamison was around the table and in her face in a flash. “Why are you trying to piss me off?”

She held his gaze. “You have no rights where I am concerned.”

“You’re wrong. You’re mine, have always been mine, and will always be
mine
.”

Marree slipped her hands between them and pushed against his chest. “You have lost your fucking

mind.”

The side of his mouth inched up in a half smile. “Actually I believe I’m just now coming to my

senses.” He dipped his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

Her thoughts jumbled in her head. He wasn’t holding her and she could easily step away. Her hands

acted as if they had a mind of their own and slowly slid up the smooth cotton of his shirt to curl

around his neck. The downy hair at his nape tickled her palms. He groaned and the sound reverberated

against her mouth. Tremors course through her body as her nipples tightened into points and her belly

clenched. He nipped at her bottom lip, gently tugging it between his teeth.

Marree pulled his head down and angled hers forcing him to release the hold he had on her mouth.

Their foreheads touched. The metal file cabinets rattled as he threw up his hands and planted them on

both sides of her body. She did what she’d been dying to do for days and slid her hand over his scalp.

Jamison closed his eyes and rolled his head on his neck. “That feels good.” When he opened his

eyes they’d shifted to elliptical pupils. His beast was making itself known to her.

She ripped her hands away, let her arms fall to her sides, and curled her fingers into fists. “I won’t

do this. I wasn’t good enough for you or your family years ago. I still can’t shift so nothing has

changed.” She averted her eyes.

He spoke against her hair. “Everything has changed, woman. I won’t let you deny me my child so

you have a choice—we can make this work or I will take Karma. One way or another, I’ll have what I

want.”

“Try to take my little girl from me and I will skin your ass and serve you for dinner.” She pressed

her lips together.

“I’d like to see how you’d do that.” He lifted his arm and checked his watch. “After the meeting

tonight I’ll come by to pick you and Karma up for a late dinner.”

“She’s only four, you idiot. She’ll be asleep.” Anger bubbled up and she felt the presence of her

beast stalk the fringes of her mind. As usual, it was only during the highly emotional situations that

she was reminded of her animal. She blinked back the tears threatening to fall. “Don’t do this, Jami.

She doesn’t know you.”

“Then it’s time she met her daddy.”

“What if she can’t shift like me. Your mother, Cheryl, will make her life miserable and no one will

mistreat my baby. Please don’t do this.”

“I was denied the knowledge of her existence and I will not allow that to continue. I’ll pick up

something for dinner and be at your house after the council meeting. I’ll lay out my terms then.” He

backed up and stopped. “One more thing—if I catch Loubel near you again for any reason, his blood

will be on your hands because I
will
kill him.” Jamison spun on his heel and exited the office.

Marree stared through the open door. Her waiting room was conspicuously still. Crossing the space,

she peeked around the door jamb into an empty area. She eased back over the threshold and leaned

against the wall. No denying he was her mate. She’d known that since she was fifteen. Even with so

much time between them, the desire returned as if they had never been apart. She touched her lips,

tracing her fingertips over them. If he’d asked, she would have gladly spread her legs and offered him

her body.

She sighed. There was only one thing she could do. Get the hell out of town and watch the dust rise

in her rearview mirror. She rushed over to the little desk in the corner of the room and snatched her

purse out of the top drawer. Slipping the keys out of her pocket, she shut the doors behind her and

locked up. If she hurried, no one would know she’d left.

* * * *

whatever she could and run. That’s what she did last time. Had the woman stayed he would’ve had the

family he craved and been content to lead his clutch in Texas. Now it felt like he was back-tracking.

He could admit his mistakes but it was time to make her own up to her errors too. Rolo and the other

council members would be furious he didn’t make it to the meeting he’d organized but some things

were more important than a damn pact.

As if on cue Marree jogged out of the small storefront office and trotted to her truck. He was taking

a gamble assuming she would head home. He’d told Eivan to meet him at her house and made sure

that the sentinel knew to pick up Mais before he came. With a child in tow he was hoping she would

have to pick up a few things and not bolt straight out of town. She hopped into her vehicle, and smoke

billowed from under the truck as the tires spun on the asphalt. He smiled. Yep, she was probably fit to

be tied right about now. He knew Sint kept Karma during the day, and he didn’t want to tip his hand.

Jamison turned into traffic and drove in the opposite direction, toward Cailou.

Sounds of a thunderstorm filed the cab of his SUV. It wasn’t necessary to check the caller ID. He

pressed the phone icon in the steering wheel. “Hello, mother.”

“You mean you’re actually taking my call.” His mom sounded upset. He wouldn’t exactly call it

angry, since she believed that emotion was beneath her.

“Did I really have a choice? You have called me repeatedly for the last forty-eight hours and I find

that
more annoying.” He’d learned some time ago how to deal with Cheryl. Too bad it was after

Marree had left.

Cheryl sniffed. “That’s no way to speak to your mother. I have only ever had your best interests at

heart.”

“Uh-huh, still doesn’t tell me what you want. I already sent your monthly stipend. We really have

nothing else to talk about.”

“Exactly how long do you plan to pout? I’ve already apologized for shaming that stupid girl into

leaving.” Her voice turned glacier cold. “It’s not my fault she chose the human.”

“It’s funny the things you find out when you visit old friends and family.”

“Sint and her sister, Loretta, were always jealous of me. Since we were children, I’ve always gotten

what they wanted
and
I married your father. Sint lost in our rivalry for his ring and now she’s trying to