Wolfe's Mate (3 page)

“Right now
, we require rest. Once we have more information, we’ll make plans.” Jared reached for her and drew her into his arms. His need to touch her once more before he went to bed was crucial. As much as he wanted her, he couldn’t chance sleeping with her. He couldn’t trust himself to simply hold her. Her scent marked her willingness. But Jared could feel her trepidation through the mating bond. She had been in an accident and faced the possibility that her brother had been kidnapped. Tonight wasn’t the time to cement the bond in place.

He kissed her, gently at first
. Then, she slipped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. He groaned and took the kiss deeper, devouring her sweetness. His tongue slipped into her mouth and licked and tasted. He pulled her closer, one hand wrapped in her hair, until she stood on her tiptoes. She tasted like manna from heaven. She trembled and whimpered. Jared suddenly realized that he needed to regain control or he would end up taking her now instead of giving her time to adjust.

“Go to bed, Esme. We will continue this tomorrow.”
Jared released her.

She frowned
and stepped back. For a minute he thought she would stay, but her nostrils quivered as if scenting danger. She opened the second door and slipped into her room. “Goodnight, Jared.”

“Goodnight,
mon coeur.
” Jared waited until Esme closed her door before he walked into Norris’ room.

The bedroom was
immaculate. The only personal item in sight was a picture of Norris and Esme. Esme appeared to be a teenager and gazed adoringly up at her brother. Jared ran his thumb over her smiling face.
Mine
, his wolf whispered in his head.

Yes, she is ours.
Like their wolf brothers, lycans mated for life. The animal part of his spirit didn’t understand why he waited. She responded to the kiss. Her scent called and showed her readiness to mate. If only it was that simple. Jared needed to give her time.

He sighed and started to undress.

§

Dismissed and sent to her room
, Esme paced back and forth in front of her bed. Growling low, she wanted to shift and rip something to shreds. Jared shouldn’t treat her like a child. She endured enough of that from Norris. How was she going to get Norris back? Danger surrounded him. She could feel it.

She looked at the clock on her dresser. It was awfully late. But she couldn’t sit and wait for news. The longer she waited,
the harder it would be to find Norris. She’d have to convince someone to let her go after her brother. Jared needed to listen to her.

She hurried over to Norris’ bedroom and opened the door without knocking. She walked up to the bed and
… heard the loud snores of her mate. For the first time, she noticed the lines of fatigue on his face. He was exhausted. Knowing she wouldn’t sleep if she went back to her room, she pulled down the covers and climbed into the bed.

She snuggled up to Jared’s back, pressing her face against him. He smelled like earth and fir trees.
Jared rolled over and gathered her close, all without waking. She sighed. Norris would have to wait. In the morning, though, she would make her feelings known. She’d find her brother.

§

The sound of someone clearing his throat was the only hint that Esme and Jared were no longer alone. Esme fought to clear her mind from the fuzziness of sleep. Something warm lay under her cheek, and she didn’t want to move.

“
Uhm, you guys need to wake up. Anton and Laurel are downstairs, and they have news.”

Esme
rolled over on her side, cradled by strong arms. She opened one eye and squinted. A pair of piercing blue eyes came into focus. She blinked, and a strong jaw came into view and then a nose worthy of a Greek statue. She lifted her head and finally could see the whole of Jared’s face. He wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked like he wanted to attack something.

“Tell them we
’ll be down in a few minutes, Granger,” Jared growled.

Esme glanced over her shoulder and saw Granger walk out and close the door. She looked up at Jared. “Are you always grumpy in the morning?” Esme yawned and stretched, arching her back.
Then, she took in the marvelous chest in front of her. She ran her fingers over his pectoral muscles and down his abdomen, feeling each muscle under his soft skin.

“I don’t believe I
’m being grumpy. Putting a lock on the door would be a good idea. I don’t like it that anyone can walk into our room.” A warm hand slid inside her shirt, up her stomach, and cupped her breast.

She gasped as fingers grazed her nipple
inside her lacy bra. “What are you doing?”

“Touching you. Why are you still wearing your clothes from last night?” Jared continued to knead her breast.

“I couldn’t sleep. I was angry at the way you dismissed me. I came in here to talk to you.”

“And you found me asleep.”

“You were snoring.” A giggle, which soon turned into gales of laughter, escaped Esme’s mouth. “You sounded like something out of a cartoon.” She gasped before once more shaking with laughter. “You know the ones with the huge Zzzz’s floating over the characters’ heads.”

Jared smiled
, then rolled the two of them over so he lay on top of her, holding her down. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,
ma petit louve.
” He buried his head in her neck and licked her skin.

She trembled, suddenly aware that she lay pinned to the bed
with her hands caught between their bodies. Jared watched her, his gaze hungry. “I would never hurt you, Esme. Do you know that you smell like honey and taste as sweet? I could lick you from head to toe.”

A tingle of warmth ran through her body until even the bottom of her feet felt hot. What did it mean? A noise from downstairs distracted her. She turned her head to listen. A door opened and closed.

“We need to get up and find out what’s happening with the search for my brother.”

Jared sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. “You are right, of course. Before you scurry away, give me one kiss
, if for no other reason than to convince me to let you up.”

Esme reached up and brushed her lips against his. The sensation of skin meeting skin was much different than in
her dreams. She pressed a little harder and ran her tongue along Jared’s lower lip. His skin tasted spicy, like cinnamon. She liked it.

He opened his mouth
, and his tongue touched hers. Soon, she pressed with her whole body, trying to get closer as their tongues twined and chased each other. Abruptly, Jared pulled away and rolled off her onto his back. “We need to stop. I have only so much control. Go get cleaned up, and I will meet you downstairs.”

Esme stiffened, hurt from rejection. Jared’s thoughts touched hers.
I’m not rejecting you, mon coeur. I’m trying to save you from my desire. If you stay, I won’t be able to prevent myself from taking what is mine. Please, Esme. I want you too much.

Esme scrambled from the bed and hurried to the door. She looked back and noticed the tented sheet over Jared’s groin. Biting her lip
, she paused. Did she really want to go?

“Esme
.” Jared growled.

She gasped and ran from the room
, her heart beating fast.

Jared walked downstairs
and followed the sounds coming from the kitchen. Lycans possessed hearty appetites, and the kitchen was one of their favorite rooms. When he walked through the door, he came face to face with a lycan who looked like his father. He stopped and stared.

The man in question turned to look at him
, and his eyes widened. He studied Jared and smiled. “Hello cousin. You look so much like my brother, it’s unbelievable. You must be Jasha’s son. I’m Anton.”

“My father’s name was Jasha. But how is this possible?”

“Your father never mentioned his family in Siberia? You said ‘was.’ Does that mean your father is no longer living?”

“My father died six months ago.
Before he died, he let it slip that he had family somewhere else. However, he never mentioned Siberia. He didn’t talk much about his past, and I didn’t think to ask. He was busy as Alpha of Quebec, and I was busy learning what being an Alpha entailed.”

“
I’m sorry for your loss. My father will be very sad to hear his brother is no longer living. Your father did become Alpha of his own pack. One of the reasons he left Siberia was he was the second son of the Volkov line. I am the second son of my generation.”

“Volkov? My father went by the name of Wolfe. My name is Jared Victor Wolfe.”
Could this be possible? Did his father have family in Siberia?

A woman with long red curls came up and wrapped an arm around Anton’s waist. He pulled her close, smiling down at her. “Wow, he does look like Dmitry.
” Dmitry, the Siberian Alpha was Anton’s older brother.

Turning to Jared
, she said, “Perhaps your father anglicized the name. Doesn’t Volkov mean ‘Wolf’? I’m Laurel, by the way.”

“Asena’s handmaiden. It is an honor to be in your presence.”

“You don’t have to be so formal. It appears that we are family by marriage. You are my cousin-in-law.” She smiled up at Jared, and peace filled him. This woman was the vessel of the lycan’s mother goddess, Asena. A legend said that long ago a young man was wounded in battle and was nursed back to health by a she-wolf. When he was strong again, they mated and had ten male children, one being the first Khan of the Mongols. Each child was capable of shifting his shape from a man like his father to a wolf like his mother. The lycan race was born and flourished, spreading from continent to continent with the movement of humans. Being only half-human, the lycans learned to hide their differences so as not to be feared and hunted. They were still hiding to this day.

“Where is Esme?” Jared asked, looking around the room
.

“She went for a walk,” Laurel said. “Granger went with her. They were going to buy some juice and rolls to go with the eggs we found in the refrigerator.”

“You let her leave?” Jared felt his wolf rush forward. He could hardly contain the growl that wanted to burst free.

§

Esme walked down the street, Granger beside her. There was a chill in the air, and Esme knew that fall mornings like this would soon be replaced by winter’s cold. She stepped into a patch of sunshine and was glad for the warmth. The street was congested with traffic, and the sidewalks full of people leaving for work. Horns blared, and people talked with each other as they walked down the street.

Esme
glanced at Granger, wondering about him and Jared. Every time she looked at Granger, he watched the people around them and tested the air. Finally getting her courage up, she asked her question.

“Can you tell me about Jared?”

He looked at her and smiled. She almost gasped from the transformation. Granger was gorgeous when he smiled. His golden eyes lit up. Esme had never seen anyone who possessed such unusual yellow eyes. Yellow eyes like a wolf. She wondered briefly how Granger would look in his wolf coat.

“What do
you want to know?” Granger took her arm as pedestrians streamed around them.

“Everything,” Esme sighed.

Granger chuckled. “It’s nice to see that look in your eye. You want him, I’m glad. He deserves someone who will put him first. As the Alpha’s son and now the Alpha, the pack has always been put first in Jared’s life. Don’t get me wrong, his parent’s loved him. But being pack Alpha isn’t an easy job. His parent’s made sacrifices that were hard on him.”

“Hard how?”

“Well, Jared’s parents gave first priority to pack emergencies. It’s hard to explain. Think of what it must be like for a doctor’s son or a preacher’s son. Your father is always running off to handle the next crisis. Growing up, Jared was often alone. The pack supported him, and my folks and I looked out for him.”

“Now, Jared is Alpha. Does that mean he will be running off to handle pack problems?”

“Most likely. But I’m muddling this. I want you to know that Jared needs you. You are the one person who will be his. Once you are bonded, you’ll be able to speak telepathically, feel each other’s emotions. You will be his haven, his support, while he deals with the job of running the pack.”

“I can already speak
to him telepathically. And sometimes when he visited me in my dreams, I could feel what he felt.”

“
Once the mating bond is cemented into place, you will be able to feel everything he is feeling and even see through his eyes.”

“What if I’m not up to the job? What if I can’t be what he needs?” Esme stopped in the middle of the street.
Her stomach knotted. This was her biggest fear in regard to Jared. She had been human until her brother’s cure for cancer turned her into a lycan.

Granger stopped and smiled at her. “The mating bond is never wrong. You are the perfect mate for Jared
, and he is the perfect mate for you. Other Alphas have had human mates, and they all did fine. Now, come on before we get run over. Jared won’t be happy that you left the house without him. I wouldn’t put it past him to search and find you.”

§

“You haven’t cemented the bond into place have you?” Anton asked.

“Esme is an innocent
. She deserves to be wooed.” Jared reached for her with his thoughts. Surrounded by morning commuters, she walked down the street. At least, Granger was with her. Jared began to pace.

“I guess all Volkov men are romantics,” Laurel said. “Come s
it down and have a cup of tea. Esme will be back soon. Tell me about your pack in Quebec.”

Jared allowed Laurel to lead him to the table. He sat reluctantly.
She moved to the cupboard and took down three mugs. His wolf pushed against his skin, wanting out to hunt Esme. He took deep breaths and pushed his wolf back, trying to regain control. He was Alpha, dammit! He wouldn’t lose control.

Before
he sat at the table, Anton put a cup of tea in front of Jared. “Hang in there. I’ve been where you are. Mating heat eats you alive, while your mate needs you to go slow. Unfortunately, I don’t have any physical work, like my brother gave me, to offer you.”

Jared reached for the tea
and grimaced when his hand shook. “I need her. It’s been six months since the mating bond snapped into place. I crave her as a drug addict craves a fix. I’m afraid if I wait much longer, I’ll lose control and hurt her. Knowing she is outside somewhere without me is killing me.”

Laurel walked over and
placed her hands on Jared’s shoulders. He stiffened in surprise. “Relax. Allow me to help you.”

Jared nodded
. Peace flowed into his system from her fingertips. Warmth spread through his body. He hadn’t realized how cold he’d become until she warmed him. He sighed when his wolf spirit relaxed within. Finally, he felt his control slip back into place.

“Better?” Laurel asked.
She moved to the chair next to Anton and sat down.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Jared, I want to know all about the lycans in Canada,” Laurel said. “It could help me find the reason for our breeding problems. But first I need to tell you about Norris before Esme gets back.”

“What is it? Is he dead? Esme will be heartbroken.”

“No, he’s very much alive. He was seen in Aberdeen this morning, and I fear he is once more working with Doctors for a Better Humanity. In fact, I think he knew exactly what he was doing when he turned Esme into a lycan.”

“What?” Jared stood
so fast that he knocked the chair over. He needed to get to Esme.

“Calm down,
Esme will be fine. Two of the single lycans here in London are trailing her and Granger. No one will get to her.”

“You don’t know her like I do. Norris could
convince Esme to do anything. She would go to him in a second. He could call, and she wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Actually, we
do
know that,” Anton said.

Jared didn’t
stop to think. He threw himself at Anton, knocking him to the floor and punching him in the face. “You’re using her as bait, you bastard!” He raised his fist to hit his cousin again when suddenly he couldn’t move. He was frozen.

Laurel leaned down next to them. She placed her hands over Anton’s face and the cut on his lip closed and disappeared. She sighed and
looked at Jared.

“Jared, I understand that you are upset and on edge. You don’t know us.
However, you know Asena, and you know I represent her. I would never risk Esme. Do you understand? I would never take your mate from you. Now, I’m going to release you. I expect you to behave yourself and listen to what we have to say.”

Released from Laurel’s control,
Jared stared at Anton who lay quietly beneath him. “If something happens to her, I’ll never forgive you.”

Anton nodded. “Understood.”

Jared stood up and offered his hand to Anton. Anton took it, and Jared helped him to his feet. It was unnerving. Looking at Anton was like seeing a younger version of his father, except his father’s eyes were blue and Anton’s were gray.

“Now
, can we act like civilized adults?” Laurel asked. “I never trusted Norris or believed his explanation for turning Esme into a lycan. I know Norris wanted to cure Esme of cancer, but I think he used lycan DNA in the bone-marrow transplant on purpose. I also think his experiments to try to change her back to a human are also purposeful. Esme, of course, is naive. She has no idea her brother used her for experiments. Norris does love his sister, in his way. However, I’m not sure whether he is grounded in reality.”

“You’re saying Norris is insane
?” If Esme knew this, it would crush her.

“I
’m saying he is mentally unstable and possibly dangerous to the lycan race as a whole. I’m unsure if he is actually dangerous to Esme, though the organization he is working with has no moral compass and wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice Esme and even Norris if it thought there was a need.”

“That’s not true! Norris would never hurt me. Don’t listen to them, Jared
.” Esme stood in the doorway, a bag of groceries in her arms. Granger stood behind her, frowning. Esme put the bag on the counter and ran from the kitchen. Jared followed her up the stairs and to her room. She grabbed a suitcase from the closet and threw clothes into it. Jared rushed up to her and took her in his arms. She burst into tears, her fingers clutching his shirt. “It isn’t true. It isn’t true. Norris wouldn’t hurt me.”

Jared
held her tight, fighting his instincts to rip something apart. His heart ached for his mate, and if what Laurel said was true, he would kill Norris before he let him hurt Esme again. She trembled in his arms. He kissed her temple and her cheek. He needed her. Needed to protect her, needed her safe in his arms. “Listen to me,
mon coeur
. We will find your brother, and we will learn the truth, together. It’s you and me now, Esme. You are not alone. I will be by your side from this moment on. Do you understand? We will figure this out together,
bébé.”

Esme nodded, her face pressed to his chest. Her sobs slowly quieted
, and she hiccupped. She looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. He leaned down and took her mouth, kissing her with a desperation that surprised him.

Control, he needed control. Esme lifted her hands to circle his neck
, and he shuddered. Even as he fantasized about throwing her on the bed and taking her, he pulled back from their kiss.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Jared. I don’t think I could handle this without you.”

“I’m sure you can handle anything,
ma petit louve
. You’re a survivor. You survived five years of cancer. Don’t forget that. I think we should go down and listen to what Laurel has to say. She cares about you. She would never tell you something she believed untrue.”

“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to believe it. I can’t
. The possibility she might be right terrifies me. My brother would never harm me. I know that.”

“I believe you,
bébé.
But that doesn’t mean that Laurel is wrong. Your brother could be working for this group of doctors.”