"I have to work early in the morning. It's going to be a long day."

Part of her was hurt by that. The least he could do was take some time off to spend with her. She had a lot of adjustments to make, ones that would be easier if he were with her. "Do your bosses know you took a mate?"

"Yes."

She wondered how that had gone, but kept silent. It was a handy distraction, pondering their responses while she finished washing the gashes in his skin and rinsing away the soap. They appeared to be healing at an accelerated rate that would have been alarming if she hadn't known he was a supernatural being.

"All done. They aren't bleeding."

He spun back, grabbed the showerhead, and replaced it in the holder. "I want you."

His hands returned to her hips and she gasped when he lifted her off her feet, pinning her to the tile wall. Overpowering emotions slammed into her. The mental door had been thrown wide open with an explosive charge.

"Do you feel how much I want you?" He brushed kisses across the top of her shoulder.

Jasmine moaned, spreading her legs and wrapping them around his waist as fiery need burned bright. His pa.s.sion and hers seemed to combine until all she could think about was having him inside her. She clung to him, her nails digging into his wet skin as she used her hold on him to rub against his body.

"So mine," Chase softly growled. "You need to feed."

"I ate while you were gone." It annoyed her that he'd think about food while they were touching.

"Blood."

His lips returned to her throat, the points of his fangs drawing erotic twin lines down to her shoulder. One shift of his hips, and his c.o.c.k nudged against her p.u.s.s.y. She was wet and ready for him as he slowly entered her.

"Chase!" Raw pleasure blinded her as she closed her eyes, and he drove into her deep.

He froze there and pulled his mouth away. "Drink."

Her hips twisted as she tried to ride his c.o.c.k, but he pressed against her tighter, making it impossible.

"Mine? Look at me."

Her eyes snapped open. His were glowing, staring directly at her. One hand lifted and she saw his fingernails had lengthened into claws. They would have frightened her before, but not anymore. His index finger dug into his muscular chest above his right nipple.

"Drink now if you want me."

Her mate mentally sent her waves of l.u.s.t. Her mind wasn't able to block them and she cried out, hurting for him to f.u.c.k her.

"Drink," he demanded.

She sealed her mouth over the bleeding wound and the taste of blood wasn't gross. Instead, the flavor burst on her tongue, a mixture of something erotic and delicious. She moaned, hungrily sucking. A snarl tore from Chase as he adjusted to grip her hips and began to slowly thrust in and out of her p.u.s.s.y. Pleasure rocked through her system as his thick, rigid c.o.c.k rubbed against her sensitive tissues.

All thought left Jasmine as ecstasy gripped her. She kept drinking, overloaded from his addictive taste and how wonderful he felt, until the climax struck and she had to pull her mouth away from his chest to scream out his name.

His release followed and she cried out with their thoughts linked, coming a second time when ecstasy tore through her again. She could feel his pleasure, making it her own, every jet of his s.e.m.e.n filling her with another burst of rapture until blackness threatened to take her.

"Easy." Chase tightened his arms more firmly around her, one shelving her a.s.s while the other curled around her waist.

Her head fell forward to rest against his shoulder as he kicked open the shower door and carried her to the counter to gently place her there. Jasmine didn't want to let him go, but she knew he wanted to dry her off and take her to bed. The link between them was wide open and while she couldn't hear his thoughts as words, she knew his intentions. Her hold loosened.

Jasmine hated the loss as he stepped back to grab towels, but he returned immediately. Big hands were gentle as they patted her dry with the thick cotton. She peered into his eyes as he looked into hers. A strong sense of love filtered through-but also fear.

"Why?"

He studied her closely with a frown. "You're confused and alarmed."

"You're afraid of something."

The link between them snapped closed. It hurt, as if he'd rejected her.

"Chase?" She cupped his face. "Don't just turn it off like that."

He bit his bottom lip and opened up to her again as he stepped between her parted legs to stand there. "I'm sorry. You're adjusting to being my mate and this bond is new to both of us. I felt your pain. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"What are you afraid of?"

His arms wrapped around her, lifted and carried her into the bedroom. "I didn't want you to see that."

"You can't possibly be afraid of me. I'm not going to leave you or ever betray you by telling anyone what you are."

He sat on the bed with her on his lap. "I know that. You're a new mate, and that makes you vulnerable. That worry is what you caught through our bond."

"Why?"

"You're fragile right now. In time you'll grow stronger and gain some of my abilities." He pulled her closer to his chest until they were nose to nose. "Your bone density will be tougher than a human's, you'll heal faster and you'll be harder to kill. You'll be able to defend yourself better once I teach you how to fight." He smiled. "I plan to do that."

"Fight what?"

"My enemies. I have many, but I'm working on dealing with them to make you safer. They will never get near you if I have my way, but I want you to learn how to protect yourself just in case you ever need to. We'll start your training in a few weeks, when your physical changes are over."

She allowed that information to sink in. "Am I going to look any different?"

"No. Denser bones won't make you physically larger. They'll just be more difficult to break. You won't grow fangs either. I'll always have to cut my skin to feed you."

Jasmine glanced down at his chest. The scratch had already begun to heal.

"I won't have scars from feeding you. A wound has to be pretty deep to do that." He suddenly turned, coming down on top of her, where he caged her body on the bed. "Do you know what I want, Mine?"

"Why are you calling me that?"

He brushed his lips over hers before smiling. "It's what you are. Mine." His mind opened up to her and strong emotions struck.

"You want me again." She wrapped her legs around his waist. "I want you too."

Chapter Seven.

Every muscle tensed as Chase tilted his head, listening for the slightest sound. The club was unusually quiet.

"Easy," Blaron rasped from across the room. "They will come."

A human wouldn't have heard his words but they were clear to Chase. He glanced up into the rafters, where lights were strung, immediately wishing he hadn't spotted his friend standing on a narrow beam. The Scottish man wore a kilt.

"Underwear," he muttered, quickly looking away. "Wear it."

His friend chuckled.

"Aye," Lethal whispered from behind the bar. "I tell him but he won't listen. I wear pants to avoid a breeze."

"Leave me alone. I enjoy the freedom." Blaron laughed.

"I'm not enjoying the view. I never want to see that much of you again." Chase refused to look up a second time as he scanned the shadows in the club. "Did you hear that?"

"Aye." Lethal crouched out of sight. "We have company."

The scent of blood was strong as three recently fed vampires strolled into the main part of the club, their scent helping to mask the presence of his friends. Chase walked out to greet them, arms folded over his chest. "Gentlemen, the club is closed tonight. Private party."

"We heard." The brunet vamp grinned to reveal his fangs. "We came to introduce ourselves to your lovely bride. I hope we haven't missed the wedding?" He glanced around. "Where are she and the minister?"

"In the back," Chase lied, his fist tightening on the stake he hid between his forearm and ribs. "You need to leave."

The second vampire positioned himself to Chase's left. "Not without meeting your human." He inhaled. "Apositive? That's my favorite."

Slight guilt struck Chase that he'd purposely cut Jasmine with his fingernail to stain his shirt with a little of her blood while she'd slept. He'd needed to fool anyone within range that his mate was nearby. She'd never know, since he'd licked the tiny wound to heal it, but he should have asked her permission. He just hadn't wanted her to worry if he shared his plans.

"I'm surprised you can smell anything over the stench of you three. I hope you weren't feeding in the parking lot? You know it's against the rules."

The third vampire moved to his right so they nearly surrounded him. "Of course not. We fed inside the club."

A new scent reached Chase-and his shoulders tensed as he glanced at the hallway that led from the front door into the main area. Four of his pack males sauntered in. His jaw clenched and it took willpower to mute the snarl that wanted to rise.

"Feeding from my pack?" He glanced at the wolves. "Since when do you offer up a vein to vampires?"

Damon, one of his enforcers, growled. "Since you chose a human over us. Vamps are stronger when they're hyped up on our blood."

"You're no longer our alpha," Ronny snarled. "We've come to kill you and your new mate."

Fury burned inside Chase. "You mean you wh.o.r.ed yourselves out to vamps, hoping they could kill me since you know you're too weak to do it." He glared at his pack members. "Which one of you thinks he's going to take my place?"

Damon stepped closer. "I will."

"Then you'll die first." Chase kept his gaze moving, watching, trying to judge which of them would strike first. "I won't be the one to do it though. That's unfortunate," he jerked his head toward one of the vampires, "but I have to deal with them first, since you made this an unfair fight by giving them an advantage with your blood."

The brunet vampire hissed. "What does that mean? You're the one who'll die. We'll let you watch us play with your mate first though, while she begs you to save her. Her screams will be the last thing you hear. Where is the little b.i.t.c.h?"

Chase didn't wait to be attacked. The idea of them planning to torture Jasmine was enough to send him into a rage. He moved fast, threw out his arm, and embedded the stake deeply into the vamp's chest.

The idiot appeared stunned as his eyes widened a second before lines appeared on his face and it turned an ashen gray. The skin split as he turned to dust, his solid form disintegrating.

The other two vampires weren't going to be so easy to kill, now that he didn't have the element of surprise.

Chase saw Blaron drop from the rafters to land in a crouch next to Damon. His friend's sword flashed in the dim light as he rose to his full height and ended the life of the werewolf in seconds.

Satisfaction was short-lived as both of the dead vampire's friends recovered from the shock of realizing they'd walked into an ambush.

Lethal lived up to his name as he sprinted across the room to join the fray and took out a second werewolf. The sound of bones popping as the remaining two pack members shifted wasn't a concern to Chase. His attention fixed on the two bloodsuckers intent on killing him.

One of them came at him with fangs and claws. Chase barely dodged away in time to avoid a painful slash at his throat. The adrenaline from the wolf blood they'd sucked down was going to be a problem, but nothing he couldn't handle. He'd make certain his enemies died, to ensure his mate's safety. He almost felt sorry for the stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.ds for not understanding how deadly an opponent he'd become.

The second one leapt into the fray, and Chase shoved the stake into his chest but missed his heart. The bloodsucker screamed in pain, but managed to stagger away when Chase had to release his hold to avoid the first one grabbing him from behind. He unleashed his claws and drove them into the jerk's neck, bleeding him out a bit to weaken him.

Swords clashed with claws across the room. Chase didn't have time to check on Blaron or Lethal. His friends could handle themselves. They were old vampires with impressive battle skills. He had his own a.s.s to worry about as the blood-drugged vampires unsuccessfully tried to corner him. They were bleeding and hurt, but they'd be harder to kill with the wolf blood in their systems.

Jasmine's image flashed in his mind, and he howled in rage as he dodged and lashed out with his claws once more as one of the vamps came too close. He couldn't lose the fight. His enemies would track Jasmine down eventually and kill her just for the h.e.l.l of it if they were able to take his life. The bad thing about living for so long was the boredom that could take hold. She would become an obsession to the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.

Lethal was suddenly at his back, and he beheaded one of the vampires with his sword. Chase launched himself at the remaining vampire, taking him to the floor. His claws tore through the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's chest as his opponent screamed. In seconds, he'd removed his heart, and watched in satisfaction as the solid body turned to ash.

He staggered to his feet and glanced around at the carnage of what had been his enemies. Four dead wolves and three ash piles were all that remained. His friends had both survived.

Lethal grinned, holding his bloodied sword. "That was fun."

Blaron's white shirt was torn and wet with blood where claws had marked his chest. "Aye. It's not over yet though." His gaze fixed on the door. "We have more company."

Six of Chase's pack mates entered the club. Four males and two females. He growled low in warning, waiting to see if they'd submit or challenge him. He wasn't surprised at seeing them. Tina led them. She was a pushy b.i.t.c.h who'd tried to tempt him into mating her since he'd first taken the alpha role.

"Surrender your mate to death and allow me to take her place," the she-wolf growled, her fangs showing. "Don't force us to kill you, Chase. I want you."

"The feeling isn't mutual." He snarled and glanced at the other female. Her presence surprised him. Mora was one of the most docile females in the pack, and he'd trusted her enough to make her his secretary. He'd just seen her an hour before.

Her gaze dropped when he looked into her eyes. "You too?"

Fear showed when she glanced up. "They made me," she blurted.

He could believe that. Mora was half human, couldn't shift, and had mated to another half-breed who couldn't protect her against the full-bloods.

Tina's arm flew out and knocked the smaller female to the floor. Mora stayed down and the smell of her blood filled the air. Chase shook his head, giving Tina his attention.

"You'd make a cruel alpha b.i.t.c.h. You're supposed to protect the weakest members, not bully and abuse them." He moved slowly, placing his body closer to Mora and getting between her and the other werewolves. "It's over."

Mora stood and moved behind him but he didn't glance back. It might be a mistake to turn his back on her but he liked the little she-wolf and her mate. They'd been the only pack members to actually welcome him when he'd arrived. The previous alpha had looked down on them for their weakened bloodlines while he hadn't, being a mixed breed himself.