Dismayed thoughts. .h.i.t him in waves. She'd worked hard to buy a house she loved. Her family wasn't close but she worried about never speaking to them again. Real estate was all she knew. Financial concerns came next.

"Enough," he ordered. "I have more money than we could spend. You don't need to return to your office. I know you enjoyed it but it's too dangerous to go back to the life you had. I am the alpha of a werewolf pack, and we're always accepting new members who need homes. You could help find housing for them to avoid becoming bored. You'll be able to call your family and friends sometimes. It would be best if you tell them you fell in love and married someone from another country. I can handle the cell phones to block our location. I'm good at that. Your house, well...I'm sorry. You'll have to sell it, but I think you'll love this one after you take a tour."

"Married?"

She was stunned and it amused him more. "Mated is married. We could have an official ceremony if you want. I'm not opposed. Though, what's a piece of paper and some guy saying words compared to the kind of bond we'll have?"

"I don't know what that means."

"It's deeper than anything you could imagine. You'll learn soon enough though." Just as soon as you agree. He didn't want to rush her but he wanted to seal the bond. He closed down his ability to read her, swamped by how rapidly she could come up with new things to worry about. "It will be fine."

"Says you." She tried to wiggle away but his arms hooked around her waist to hold her secure.

"Kiss me."

"I know how that ends. Are you going to keep seducing me until I agree to stay here?"

It was a great plan. "Maybe." He chuckled. "I could do worse things." He hated the fear that ghosted in her eyes. "It was a joke. You have to believe I'd never hurt you."

"I kind of do, but we've spent so little time together and I haven't seen you for all these months. You didn't even call...but you want to get married? That's kind of nuts."

"Welcome to my world." He rolled, pinning her under him. She gasped but didn't fight when he lowered his mouth to her throat. "Wrap your thighs around me. You won't regret it."

The swelling had gone down but they were still joined at the hips. He loved being inside her welcoming body. She fit him perfectly, blew his mind, and he wanted her again. Jasmine lifted her thighs to press against his waist and her calves settled across his a.s.s. He began to move slowly, kissing her lips and neck. Her moans of pleasure spurred him on.

No, seducing her isn't a bad plan at all. He'd do anything to a.s.sure she'd stay and be his. He lifted up slightly, adjusted the angle of his c.o.c.k sliding in and out of her to make sure the shaft rubbed against the still-swollen bundle of nerves at the top of her p.u.s.s.y. Louder moans came, and her v.a.g.i.n.al walls clamped tightly around him. He had to fight the pleasure to avoid embarra.s.sment. He was ready to come as if he were an untried teenager again.

Jasmine was so hot, so wet, and so his. She was heaven and h.e.l.l, temptation and salvation. He'd spent a solitary life, knowing he'd never completely fit in with a pack or a nest after his mixed bloodlines became more p.r.o.nounced. He couldn't shift at all, and didn't stand a chance of taking a dominantly werewolf mate. They feared he wasn't warm enough to love or feel deep emotions, and instead was too fixed on his need for blood.

They were wrong. The woman under him was the most important thing in his life, and would remain that way until death claimed him.

Her muscles tightened more until he clenched his teeth, fighting to move inside her without losing his control. He leaned in, so his mouth could reach her breast. Suckling on her taut nipple, he used his teeth to nip her. It was enough to send her over the edge as she cried out, clawing at him with her fingernails. Her p.u.s.s.y milked his shaft until he threw back his head, let go, and filled her with his seed.

Chapter Four.

Jasmine woke alone in the big bed. The fire had been tended recently, the flames high and bright in the room. Chase must have covered her with the sheet, since the last thing she remembered was him making love to her until she'd pa.s.sed out. She sat up and glanced around.

The room was big, with brick walls and portions of old oak-wood paneling. It was tastefully furnished with dark antiques. The dresser was ma.s.sive and there was a matching wardrobe. A door to a bathroom was open. The two closed doors next to it were probably closets.

Her wrists were unmarred as she closely studied them. Not even a faded scar from her injures remained. The infected area on her shoulder where she'd been bitten by the rogue had healed as well. Pink, healthy skin denied any proof of the attack. The other wounds had disappeared too. Chase had healed her.

The handsome man she'd obsessed over was part werewolf, part vampire. It screamed insanity but she believed.

She shoved the covers back and put on the nightshirt Chase had relieved her of during one of their bouts of s.e.x. The stone floor was cold under her bare feet as she padded to the bathroom. It was a nice room with a Jacuzzi tub. She longed for a bath but showered instead.

A new toothbrush had been left on the counter for her use. It touched her that Chase had obviously thought about her needs. He'd also left folded clean clothes next to it. She eyed the oversized T-shirt and boxers, a.s.suming they were for her. They hung on her a little due to his size, but were comfy, and after brushing her wet hair, she reentered the bedroom. He hadn't returned.

Hunger and curiosity drew her to the bedroom door. She gaped a little at the thick metal door and the locks on it. She gripped the k.n.o.b, half expecting it to be locked, but it turned without difficulty. The door was heavy when she pushed, and revealed that instead of just a typical frame, there were deep-set ridges, as though it could be sealed air-tight when closed.

The fact that she hadn't been locked in implied she wasn't a prisoner, surprising her. It stunned Jasmine further when she realized she was underground, and she followed a hall toward an open doorway. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember seeing any windows in Chase's bedroom or bathroom.

A surprise waited as she realized it wasn't another door at the end of the hall, but instead a wall. She pushed against it, stepped into a bas.e.m.e.nt, and turned to study the wine racks attached to the front of the wall. All but two of the bottles were dusty, as if they hadn't been touched in years. When the wall was closed, the hallway and bedroom would be concealed to the casual eye.

Jasmine glanced around. The rest of the bas.e.m.e.nt was large, appeared old, and a musty scent hung in the air.

The stairs were solid stone, reminding her of a castle. Part of her feared she wasn't in the town where she'd been raised anymore. There was a black hole in her memory between Chase finding her and reaching his home. Had he taken her out of the country?

Again, the door at the top was metal and thick. It creaked slightly when she eased it open to peer at a big, modern kitchen. Sunlight streamed through a window. She padded over to look out into dense woods.

"You shouldn't be up."

The feminine voice startled her. She spun, gaping at the brunette from the night before, whom Chase had claimed to be his sister.

"I'm Jenny. You're Jasmine." She smirked. "I guess 'J' names are popular."

"Where is Chase?"

"He had some business to attend to. He'll be back in a few hours." The woman's gaze dropped to her waist. "Hungry? I can hear your stomach rumbling."

"That's weird." Jasmine regretted saying it the moment the words were out, not wanting to offend.

"You'll adjust to keen hearing once you're fully mated. It will enhance your senses all around." Jenny pointed to a table. "Have a seat. I hope you don't mind cereal. I don't cook unless my brother demands it."

A hundred questions popped into Jasmine's head, but she settled for a few while she watched the woman prepare a quick breakfast. "I could do that myself."

"It's easier if I just do it. You don't know your way around the kitchen yet." Jenny glanced at her. "But you'll need to learn at some point."

"You live here then? Why would Chase tell you to cook? Do you work for him?"

"He's my protector, so I do whatever I'm told. It beats living on the streets and he's good to me. He isn't around much, but I suppose that will change now that he has you." The woman stared at her.

"Protector?" A few hundred more questions resulted.

"Our mother really loved to seek out older vampires, the stronger the better, so we got the vamp genes from them. It made some of the werewolves we lived with nervous, knowing we needed so much blood to survive. Mates don't mind you sinking fangs into them, they kind of get off on it, but they get testy if you drink otherwise. Blood banks weren't around where we come from."

"Where is that?"

"It doesn't matter. When we were older our mother became a companion to a vampire so we lived with a nest." Jenny put a bowl of cereal in front of her. "Eat. Ask Chase your questions."

"He's not here," Jasmine pointed out.

"Too bad for your curiosity then. I have things to do outside." Jenny left through the back door.

So much for us becoming friends.

Jasmine ate, rinsed the bowl, and then washed it. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to explore the house, but no one had said she couldn't. Chase had mentioned it was her home too.

The first floor of the house was big, obviously a mansion built in the forties, from the architectural details. Some were confusing, as if parts of the house had been remodeled sometime in the seventies. The formal dining room was dusty and it seemed no one had used it in a really long time. One door was locked. The living room had more modern furniture and a big-screen television. A small sitting room held tons of older leather-bound volumes of books in the built-in shelves. Two bathrooms were located on the first floor as well, and she paused at the steps, peering up the curved staircase to the second floor.

"Please don't go up there."

Jenny startled her again, and Jasmine spun around. She rested her hand over her racing heart. "You scared me. I didn't hear you come in."

"I'm quiet. It's the predator in me."

"Um, I'm not sure how to respond to that."

A smile curved the brunette's lips. She was pretty, with blue eyes very similar to Chase's when they glowed, but slightly paler in color. "It's what we are. We may appear human, but never forget things aren't what they seem." She jerked her head toward the stairs. "That's my s.p.a.ce up there, and I like my privacy. I can't outright order you to never go to the second floor, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't. Chase doesn't like to sleep above ground. It's probably because of what happened twenty years ago."

"What happened?"

"Vampires attacked us. They knew what we were and tried to kill us. It was a deadly mistake." She chuckled. "They sent only five of them after us."

"Five vampires?" Jasmine was taken aback.

"They should have sent twice that many if they were serious about killing my brother and me."

"So what does that have to do with sleeping upstairs?"

"They came in through the windows of the home we used to live in. It was a full breach in the dead of night." Jenny waved her hand to a chair. "Sit."

Jasmine took a seat on one of the sofa benches in the entryway. They weren't the most comfortable things but they were attractive. Jenny sat on the opposite one ten feet away.

"I refuse to give up having a real bedroom with windows, fresh air and sunshine. My brother feels more secure underground. Fewer points of entry in case of another attack. That's where he lives most of the time. Under that club he works at, they supposedly have a lot of underground chambers, but that could just be rumors. It's not as though he's ever taken me there, so I'm not certain if it's true."

"You don't like the club where he works?"

"It's owned by two vampires." Jenny watched her as if she were something fascinating. "Did you meet my brother there?"

"No. I was his realtor. He bought some land."

Jenny nodded. "I'm glad. I'd hate to think he'd accept leftover goods."

"What does that mean?" Jasmine wasn't sure if she really wanted an answer or not.

"The women who frequent that club are playthings for the vamps. They f.u.c.k them, bleed them, and mess with their minds so they forget everything but the s.e.x." She paused. "It doesn't even have to be good s.e.x, but they can make them believe it was the best they ever had so they return again and again. I've heard that's how they keep a steady food supply."

It was a little disturbing. "And Chase?"

"What about him?"

"Does he do that? Have s.e.x and feed from women at the club?"

"Not anymore, if he ever did." Jenny smirked. "You have no clue about mates, do you?"

"I didn't even know vampires or werewolves were real until last night."

"He wouldn't bond with you if he wasn't sure you were the one he wanted. It's extremely rare for a mate to cheat. They'd have to be mentally unstable and heartless. Your pain would become his, and vice versa. It's kind of like shooting yourself in the foot. Isn't that the saying? The bond amplifies emotions, pa.s.sion, and nothing else can compare to that. It would be unsatisfactory if he nailed another woman."

"I'll take that for a no. Why is Chase's bedroom hidden? Because of the attack? I saw the fake wall."

"Yes, it's to protect him, and now you, in the event of another attack. There are four inches of steel and concrete surrounding his sleeping area. No one would be able to breach it without a lot of work and time. We have dangerous enemies. Chase and I argue often about my preference to sleep upstairs, but he's not here enough to make me comply with his wishes. I spent too many years living underground as a child. I won't continue to do it as an adult just in case a few a.s.sholes attack us."

"Like the rogue vampire who grabbed me?"

"Try Chase's own pack and the bloodsuckers in this area. He can never let his guard down around the club members. Lethal and Blaron have extended Chase their protection as their head of security, but not all vamps are sane."

"I'm confused," Jasmine admitted. "What does protection from this Lethal and Blaron mean?"

"They are his vampire friends, and their protection means they've warned other vampires to never target Chase because he's a mixed breed. That doesn't mean all of them will listen."

"Do vampires hate mixed races?"

The other woman licked her lips and clasped her hands on her lap. "We're stronger in a lot of ways than vampires or werewolves. It means we could kill them. None of them are comfortable with that. Vampires can't day walk without burning to a crisp, while the sunlight only gives us a tan. They resent that we have that ability, and they know we could attack them when they're at their weakest. We can do everything they can do but we're more."

Jasmine understood. "And the werewolves?"

"We can't shift, but we have all their other abilities, plus the vampire traits. Most packs living within the cities work for the vamps, and the pack members naturally attempt to follow the strongest wolf. Chase's scent is wolf, despite not being a full-blooded one. And he's very strong. Any alpha would have to challenge Chase. Werewolves respect strength and dominance the most."

"But you said they posed a danger."

"Chase scares the s.h.i.t out of them. Any of them would take him out if they were able. They're never going to completely trust him to put them first because he's not fully wolf, yet they can't help but follow him."

"Have any of them attempted to kill him?"

"A few."

"What happened?"

"Chase killed them first."

The words were said so simply, without any emotion. A chill ran down Jasmine's spine. "That's horrible."

"It's survival of the fittest." Jenny stood. "He's home." Her gaze turned. "h.e.l.lo."

Chase leaned against the wall just inside the room, and appeared to have been there for a while, judging by his relaxed stance. His eyes were another matter, the blue nearly glowing as he regarded his sister with a cold stare.

"What are you doing?"

"Answering her questions."