Shepherd’s Watch 2: Guarded
J. Hali Steele

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2010 J. Hali Steele

ISBN: 978-1-60521-142-8
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Changeling Press LLC
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www.ChangelingPress.com

Editor: Chrissie Henderson
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

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Shepherd’s Watch 2: Guarded

J. Hali Steele

One stroke of his tongue and you’re his forever. Experience the true meaning of doggy-style.

Wade Alsatian is stuck guarding the owner of the escort service he frequents. He doesn’t count on the sexy as hell woman tying him in knots and driving him insane with her mouth and body.

Jetta Volker still carries scars from a dog attack. Now she’s left in the care of a huge shepherd, and afraid to move in her own home. But it’s for other reasons she waits for her guard to return. His scent triggers a need she has ignored far too long. Jetta gave up on men -- but she wants this one.

Breaking through barriers and accepting the scars from their past may tear them apart.

Chapter One

Expletives blasted past his lips and echoed from the alley walls. He swiped his cheek with his hand and stared at the muck and bits of garbage stuck to his fingers.

“You okay?”

Wade hadn’t realized he had company other than the two dogs he pursued into the alley that had scampered off. The mangy mutts disappeared again. His eyesight was five times better than humans’ but the shepherds were nowhere to be seen. “God damn it.” They’d make an excellent addition to Shepherd’s Watch.

“What a filthy mouth, Mr. Alsatian.”

From his sprawled position beside the putrid dumpster, Wade Alsatian glared at the pert brown face above him. Her mesmerizing voice doused him with a shockwave of calm. She had the same effect on his two brothers, Ren and Max. He didn’t like it one bit. “What the hell are you doing here?” He hauled his six-foot frame to his feet. He felt ridiculous and was glad the area wasn’t well lit. Last thing he wanted was Victoria Germaine seeing his face redden. How the hell had she snuck up on him anyway?

Head up, he sniffed the air a few times in a last-ditch effort to scent the extremely large, black, brown and tan mongrels he’d damn near caught this time. “Wily bastards.” It was as if they’d never been here.

“Who’re you talking about?”

Wade brushed at the gooey mess stuck to his leathers and wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Guess you didn’t see two really large dogs dash from the alley?” There was something odd about Victoria that he just couldn’t put his finger on, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure why his older brother Max seemed to be drawn to the woman.

Victoria was gorgeous but too damn skinny. She had the clearest skin that looked like it had been dusted with nutmeg. Wade didn’t trust her. He shrugged his thoughts away. He didn’t have to live with her, or sleep with her, for that matter. His preference was for curvier women. Squaring his shoulders so he stood inches above her tall frame, he attempted intimidation. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m surprised Shepherd’s Watch has any clients if you deal with them.” The glint of humor in her amber eyes pricked the hairs on the back of his neck. “Follow me. You can clean up at my place around the corner. The Seared Soul is just a few blocks that way.” She waved toward where the dogs had vanished into the night. “I cut through the alley because it’s quicker.” She continued in the direction she’d been heading.

Wade had acquiesced to Max’s order that no one but him watch Ms. Germaine. Had he known she lived in this neighborhood, he would have disobeyed his brother’s wishes. Especially since the two young shepherds he’d chased for the last week lived around here too, and somehow they always managed to disappear in the same place.

The lady was an enigma, and since he scented better than either of his brothers, Wade couldn’t understand why he smelled nothing around her other than the cloying odor of cinnamon. Strange.

Keeping his distance, he followed her sucking in shallow breaths. The stench was vile. Sometimes it didn’t pay to have the nose of a dog. Not any dog, but that of a keen-smelling German shepherd. Wade and his brothers were… well, shifters. They were genetically created by an Austrian monk who experimented with dominant and recessive traits in peas. Fucking peas.

No one suspected exactly how far the man had gone. His splicing genes and implanting embryos in female shepherds were the reason his kind existed. Thank God for the monk who smuggled their dam along with him and his brothers to safety, or they would have been put to death.

They’d reached the street when a scuffling sound at the opposite end of the alleyway caught his attention. He spun on his heels just in time to see a man carrying someone. The growls alerted him -- the dogs were back -- and instantly, they attacked the stranger. He dropped the body against the dumpster when the animals pounced on him. Bloodcurdling screams echoed through the quiet night. Victoria was beside him in a flash, and with her fingers in her mouth, she sounded a sharp whistle.

The dogs released their catch and swung in their direction, growling. Baring their canines, a course of howls followed before they retreated back into the street. The man scrambled to his feet and limped off behind them.

Wade broke into a run, pursuing the injured stranger. He passed the body sprawled in the filth. A woman.

“Oh, my God! Jetta. Damn it, I told you this was going to happen.” Stopping at the mouth of the alley, he glanced back and watched Victoria flop down beside the unconscious body. “Let him go, Wade, help me.”

He was unable to change into his shepherd in front of Victoria, and it was unlikely at this hour in the morning that anyone else would stop the felon. He wouldn’t forget the man’s odor.

Wade’s attention became riveted to the body slumped against the wall. His nostrils flared at the familiar scent dancing around his head but he couldn’t place it.

Victoria ripped a piece of the lady’s shirt and attempted to clean her face. His nostrils flared wider when the smell wafted up his nose. Elegant Escorts.

This woman was the proprietor of the business he used to procure the women who met his needs. Wade had never seen the owner, but her scent surrounded her office and it had always enticed him. What was she doing beat-up in an alley, and how the hell did Victoria Germaine know her? Shit, this could turn out to be a real mess. “I got her.” Wade bent down and lifted her gingerly. “Lead the way to your place.”

Partway down the alley, she winced and her body bowed out of his arms. Her shirt was now torn, but there wasn’t much blood and there were no visible injuries. Her fists, balled in tight knots, pressed against her stomach. Trying hard not to jostle her, he lengthened his steps, hoping they didn’t have far to go.

Her hair was dark and hung past her shoulders. Pale skin revealed she didn’t spend much time in the sun. Her nose turned up at the tip, giving her a young, soft look. Tears stained her rounded cheeks, and he noticed a slight swelling on the left side of her jaw.

Wade couldn’t help staring at her breasts since they were only partially covered by the ripped shirt. Where was the blood coming from?

The hiss of air drew his attention. Her eyes were open. Hazel green flecked with gold. Beautiful. They stretched wide with fear. A scream full of terror barreled past her lips and into the night air. He cringed at the high pitch, his gut tightening at the sound.

“You’re safe.” He tilted her so she could see Victoria. The scream withered away but she struggled in his arms. Wade was at a loss on how to deal with her.

“Hurry,” Victoria yelled back as she rounded the corner a few feet in front of him.

Slowing his step, he whispered in the woman’s ear, “Shh, no one will ever hurt you again.” He stroked his tongue over her brow and down her cheek. He swept it over her lips, and his heart bumped against his rib cage. That was his shepherd. Dogs enjoyed tasting and lapping their bodies, and anyone else’s.

God only knows why, but it quieted Jetta. Dark eyelashes fluttered to her cheeks and her breathing slowed. She’d passed out again.

“I’ll find that bastard and tear his hands off for daring to touch you.” Energy zinged through his limbs, making him move faster. Wade didn’t understand what was happening, but he knew one thing. He meant every word.

* * *

Jetta Volker lay curled in a fetal ball, the unmistakable scent of cinnamon lingering in the air. Comforting, because she knew she was in Vic’s apartment. Her memory was fuzzy. She’d walked from her office to her car and Jordan, her ex, was there. Everything else remained hazy. Elegant Escorts wasn’t far from her friend’s place, but how had Jetta ended up here?

Listening to the quiet voices in the hallway, she began to shake. His voice was low, hard. Made her nervous as hell, but at the same time, something about it soothed her, made her want to hear more.

A brief glimpse of his face in the alley, and she’d never forget it. Brown eyes glazed with anger and… something sinister. His dark hair had looked thick and unkempt, while his lips were drawn in a savage line.

He’d licked her face! She moved the hand resting on her hip to her face and traced over her brow and down her cheek. The path his tongue took, tingled. Her eyes watered when she touched her jaw. Damn, it hurt. What the hell had happened? Her head pounded as she tried hard to concentrate on their conversation without alerting them she was awake.

“I have to go back and set up for tomorrow,” Vic said. “You can handle a couple hours.”

“I got things to do. I’m not a damn babysitter.”

“Wade, I’ll be back before you know it.” The front door shut with a bang.

“Shit.”

One word bitten out. Oh God, she didn’t want to be left alone with the stranger any more than it sounded like he wanted to be saddled with her. What was Vic thinking?

The hand knotted against her stomach, burned. Rolling onto her back, she raised her arm and opened her fingers. It stung like hell. Dried blood was crusted in the palm. While she watched, a thin line opened and blood seeped out, dripping down her wrist.

The sound snaked its way from the pit of her belly and erupted in a wail that bounced from the walls.

“What the fuck…” The man whirled into the room, crouched in a fighter’s stance, his eyes scouring every corner. In two long strides, he reached the side of the bed. “Are you okay?”

“My hand.” It still hung in the air and blood continued to dribble down her arm.

He gripped her fingers and curled them tight against the wound. “Your fist was clenched so tight around your car keys, you cut yourself.” He stared at her. “Keep it closed, I’ll be right back.”

Hurried steps receded down the hall, and Jetta heard the water come on in the bathroom. Back in a split second, he sat on the bed and opened her hand in his lap and pushed a cold, wet cloth against the ragged cut.

Her stomach roiling, she stared mesmerized at the blood soaking through the cloth, and knew she was going to faint. “I --”

Jetta passed out.

* * *

She came to and heard the shower running. Her hand throbbed and she lifted it to see a clean, well-wrapped bandage. Thank God, no blood. Jetta wasn’t proud of the fact that she fainted at the sight of blood. She considered herself pretty hardboiled but a single drop of the red fluid could shut her down like an electrical blackout.

It hadn’t always been that way. Eight years earlier she dated a guy -- a man Jetta thought she’d marry -- until she walked in on him with another woman. That wasn’t the worst of it. He owned a very high-strung Doberman that went nuts in the ensuing storm and attacked her. The dog lunged at Jetta, and she spun to avoid damage to her face before the dog knocked her down and mauled her back.

In an effort to escape, she turned and crab-crawled backward to reach the kitchen door. The dog pounced again and sharp teeth sank into her stomach. She vaguely remembered hearing the girl scream and the dog being yanked from her. Looking down and seeing her blood-soaked shirt, she slipped into unconsciousness. From that day forward she’d been afraid of dogs -- and she passed out at the sight of blood.

Jetta’s scars reminded her every day of losing her dream of modeling. As for being Jordan’s wife, she considered herself lucky it hadn’t happened.

On each visit to the hospital he’d apologize, said he was sorry a hundred times. Even said he wanted her back and it would be different. Jetta didn’t believe him. Her ex had become more and more agitated each time she rejected him. He was demanding and rude to everyone who tried to help her. Now that she thought about it, Jordan was just as high-strung as the dog.

She’d scraped together all her money and opened an escort service, and for a few years lived a wild life bolstered by lots of alcohol. Bitter, she’d vowed never to let another man hurt her. Living like that couldn’t last long. After the pain in her heart eased, she settled down to a quiet, uneventful life. She’d moved, hired all new girls, and had one steadfast rule -- don’t do anything you don’t want to. She had a one-night stand occasionally, but there hadn’t been another relationship or a man in her life.

Tonight was the first time she’d seen Jordan since leaving the hospital. He’d come to her office to see how she was doing. Opening a bottle of wine he’d brought with him, he rambled on saying he was sorry and had to see her. She took the glass he offered, took an obligatory swallow, and then asked him to leave. Jetta hadn’t felt anything for him at all. Not even anger.

Stretching to ease the sore muscles in her body, she heard the floorboards squeak, drawing her attention to the doorway. A brooding devil stood there. A damn good-looking one. His belly was ripped with muscle, and a damp towel circling narrow hips looked ready to fall to the floor. Brown eyes gazed at her from a tanned face with one brow quirked up.

She could have sworn a smile shadowed his lips. It vanished quickly. Sternness settled on his features and he appeared more like a golden statue. All hard, sculpted muscle and sinew glistening with drops of water.

The only really bad ache was in the palm of her hand. That wasn’t enough pain to mask the flood of heat that washed from her vagina. Damn, he’s hot. For a brief moment, she wished for the old days. Jetta shook her head side-to-side in an attempt to clear her mind of thoughts she hadn’t had for a long time. The palm of her hand tingled, sending a shiver up her arm. Weird.

“You okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’m Wade.”

“Jetta Volker.”

“I know. We need to get you showered.”

“I can do it.” Last thing she needed was to have this man’s hands on her body. Sweat trickled between her shoulder blades. “I need to put something on.”

“Won’t be the first woman I’ve seen naked.” Not budging, he continued to gaze at her and the smile had returned to his mouth. It never reached his eyes. “Sure you don’t want some help? I promise not to like it too much.”

“Go to hell.”

“Come on, you smell bad.” He strode to the bed, grasped the edge of the sheet and peeled it back. His eyes went wide. “Jesus!”

Gathering every ounce of strength and courage, she rose from the bed, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and holding her head high she walked naked toward the door.

Her heart sank to her knees when she heard him hiss. Jetta’s back wasn’t as bad as her stomach, but she’d grown used to the shock it gave when others saw the crisscross of lines embedded there. The ugly scars came in handy for chasing any man right out the door who thought of staying the night in her bed.

When the attack happened, there wasn’t enough money for plastic surgery. After she could afford it, Jetta didn’t care anymore. Why in the hell did it matter now? She wished she had covered up. Jetta didn’t want Wade’s pity. Her voice shook when she turned to glare at him. “I don’t want your pity.” She walked stiffly through the door.

For the first time in years, tears slipped down her face because of the scars.

Chapter Two

Victoria returned while Jetta was still in the shower, and Max sat beside on the sofa. “Who the hell did that to her?”

“I’m not sure she’d want me to talk about it.” Her voice was sad. “I don’t know who would want to hurt her now. Maybe a disgruntled customer? She’s not in the most… favorable line of business.” She looked at Max. “Promise me you’ll watch her. I don’t want her alone at her place, it’s too far outside of town.”

“First we need to ask some questions, Vic. She might not want a guard.”

“I’ll do it.” Both sets of eyes were on Wade as he crossed to the window and stared out into the darkness. “And I’ll find the motherfucker who dumped her in the alley.”

“Wade, do you know what you’re doing?”

His brother’s words hung in the air as Wade looked down on the street. He needed to get Jetta away from here in case the bastard had been watching and planned to come back. If he did, he’d rip him to pieces. All that mattered was keeping her safe, and for the life of him, he didn’t know why it was so important. Jetta wasn’t getting out of his sight.

“It’s not open for discussion. I got vacation coming, I’m taking it now.” Wade spun to face his brother and Victoria. “Before daybreak, I want her out of here. We’ll go to her place so she’ll be comfortable until you can get some answers.”

Wade would make her understand she needed him. He prowled back and forth, anxious for the water to stop running in the bathroom so he could put his plan in motion. His ever-watchful dog took every step with him. His stomach churned when his shepherd pawed for release. He’d keep him in check.

“There’s a deep wound on her hand and that’s it. That much blood in the alley means the man was wounded by the mutts I chased earlier.” Wade clenched his fists in a ball. “Get Jack’s friend at the police department to do a DNA test on the blood.” Margy, his brother Ren’s wife, had an uncle who was a senator. Jack Gardner had made a few connections for Shepherd’s Watch in various police departments.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Everyone spun toward the living room doorway. “Vic, I hope you don’t mind, I borrowed a dress to wear.”

Wade didn’t move a muscle. His eyes drank her in like a man who’d been too long in the desert. Jetta wasn’t much shorter than Victoria, but the thin, black material clung to her like a second skin. She had far more curves. Her long, dark hair hung in wet curls down her back. The scent of lavender seeped into his nostrils and tugged at the beast buried in him. If he’d been outside, he would have howled. As it was, all he could do was stare with his mouth open. His cock pressed painfully into his zipper and wept to get out. So did his shepherd. The animal zigzagged back and forth through his gut, whimpering. Christ. Wade wasn’t sure he could keep the dog in check.

Before Vic answered, Jetta took a step into the room and faltered. In one leap, Wade caught her and sat her in a nearby chair. Her small hands pushed at his chest. “Stop, damn it. I’m fine.”

“Fine, my ass. You almost fell.”

“I don’t want your help.” Green eyes blazed at him before she turned away. Why was she so pissed off? “Vic, can you take me home?”

“You need someone with you.” Wade looked at Victoria for help. Now she needed to pour on that syrupy voice of hers more than ever. “Vic?”

“He’s right. You’ve had a nasty bump, and unless you can tell us why you were kidnapped and dumped in the alley, you need to be guarded.” Clearing her throat, Victoria continued. “One of your girls could have riled someone and they want to take it out on you. I keep telling you to get out of that damn business.”

“I live far enough out of town that no one will bother me, and furthermore, I won’t be kept from my business.”

“Honey, unless you stay here, you get a guard. You’ve heard me talk about Shepherd’s Watch and the Alsatian brothers who own the company? This is Max.” The smile Victoria Germaine leveled on his brother practically lit up the room. “You’ve met Wade, and he’ll take good care of you until we can figure out what’s going on.”

“Over my dead ass.”

Wade leaned down, and with his lips practically touching hers, he whispered, “Sweetheart, that’s a distinct possibility.”

She glared at him. The gold flecks dancing in her angry eyes excited his animal, and his throat worked to trap the growl lifting through his chest. Shit. Wade pulled away from her and faced his brother who wore an odd look.

“You two take my car, and I’ll have Ren bring you a change of clothes and… and whatever else you want once you’re settled.” Max stood and peered at him closely. “Ren can help with what you’ll need more than I can.”

It dawned on Wade what he meant. “No, brother, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“We’ll see.” Max left the room with Victoria, and Wade hoped he’d bring the car to the front door of the building. The sun was peeking over the horizon, and he didn’t want to chance anyone seeing them leave.

Jetta fidgeted in the chair, and he twisted to face her. His shepherd mewled inside like a fucking sick cat. Damn it to hell, what if Max was right. Was it possible this woman was his mate? “Christ.” Sweat beaded on his brow.

She was very astute and it was as if she knew the meaning of their cryptic conversation. Jetta smiled at him, but when she spoke it was cold. “Don’t worry, Mr. Alsatian. I keep very good books and I know the type of woman you need. I’ll arrange something.”

He snatched her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. Burying his hands in her hair, he tugged until she looked in his eyes. “That won’t be necessary, you’ll do fine.” His mouth smashed down on hers and he pried her lips open until he tasted her. Her body molded against his perfectly and her tongue lashed back at him. It was heaven.

Wade knew he should stop but he couldn’t. His dog clawed for release and he damn near let him out. If Victoria wasn’t still in the apartment, he’d have ripped the clothes from Jetta and taken what he wanted right there on the floor. He moved his hand to caress her cheek, and she whimpered. Jesus Christ. What had he done? He was no better than the jerk-off who’d dumped her in the alley.

Jetta bit into his lip and shocked him back to reality. He let her fall back into the seat. With his fingers, he touched the fresh bite. Watching her reaction, he put his fingers in his mouth and sucked them. She never batted an eyelash.

“Guess you only faint when it’s your blood.” Turning, he strode toward the door. The words he threw over his shoulder brooked no argument. “Be ready to leave in five minutes.”

* * *

They rode in silence to her house located just out of town on three secluded acres of land.

Jetta had cringed when Victoria said his surname. She’d heard it around her business often enough. Alsatian. She was no saint, but this man was a real fucker. Truly -- a man whore. He’d been with practically every girl at Elegant Escorts. He couldn’t have screwed them all, could he? Bastard.

Her lips still felt the heat of his and she touched them with her fingertips. The odd tingling sensation returned to the palm of her hand. Why did it bother her so much that he’d slept with others? “Damn.” Her body, her mind, everything, picked now to want a man. This man.

At least none of the girls had complained about him, so he wasn’t cruel or mean. When a girl reported that kind of behavior the customer was stricken from the books. Shuddering, Jetta wrapped her arms around herself.

Victoria and the men believed it was a stranger. Jordan may not have been faithful, but he had never tried to hurt her. His actions at the hospital didn’t even come close to anything like this. Rubbing her jaw, she needed to remember what happened. She held no malice toward him, and the dog had always been nuts. Jordan told her he’d put the animal down, and that hadn’t given her the satisfaction she thought it would. Jetta believed the animal was the way it was because of its owner. There had been some really bad moments over the years but Jetta had moved on with her life. Had her ex moved on?

“Damn, what?”

“Nothing. Turn here,” she said when they reached her lane. She had never bothered to pave it and it was so ramshackle no one ever used it. You couldn’t see the house from the road, so she was pretty much left alone by door-to-door visitors of any type.

Post World War II construction, the house consisted of two floors that she’d had renovated to suit her. Old wooden floors had been refurbished and shone like glass. New triple-pane bay windows sat on either side of the entrance and let in a lot of sunlight. Colorful flowers bloomed everywhere. Jetta had planted each and every one and liked that there was no order. It reminded her of nature on a rampage.

“You feel safe out here all alone?”

“Until you got here.” Jetta opened the door and practically jumped from the car. Stopping at the steps, she groaned loudly. “My keys. And where is my purse?”

“I put the keys on the dresser at Vic’s place. Your purse, I don’t know.” Wade did a quick appraisal of the front of the house. “Wait here.”

Watching him disappear around the side, she plopped down on the steps. His scent lingered in the air and drew a deep sigh from her. Between her legs throbbed with desire. Lord, she had enough on her mind besides struggling with the idea of masturbating right on her front porch. A smile lifted the corners of her lips.

She’d gone far too long without the touch of a man. What would be the harm of being with this one while he was here? Not like he was married or had a girlfriend.

Jetta didn’t like serving married clients and insisted the girls only escort them, but she had no real control over the situation or the wayward husbands. That was the downside of her business. She’d always said once she had enough money, she’d get out.

Maybe Victoria was right.

The front door squeaked open. Jetta stood and turned to go up the steps. Wade rested against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, and he smiled at her. Why was his shirt open? Lord, he looked good standing there. Her insides became mush.

“You live dangerously. Your bedroom window was unlocked.”

“How’d you know which room was mine?” She climbed the last step and waited for him to move. If she had to touch him or brush past him, that would be the end of it. “You climbed to the second floor?”

“Piece of cake with all the trees lining the back of the house. The room’s colors, they match your eyes.”

Her heart flip-flopped. Wade knew the color of her eyes. The smell of sweat and something else far sweeter than she’d ever imagined circled her head. The man was an aphrodisiac. The fingers of her good hand wanted to explore the dark hairs on his chest, see if they were as soft as they looked.

Her pussy leaked juices she didn’t even try to squeeze back. She had tossed her panties into the trash with her bloodied clothes at Vic’s so there was no barrier to prevent moisture gathering at the juncture of her thighs.

He reached behind her neck and gently pulled her closer. “You smell delicious.”

“Wade, I --”

His finger pressed against her lips. “Don’t. It won’t stop me. Desire is dripping from you. I smell it.”

“This can’t go anywhere.”

“Right now, right here.”

His lips closed over hers and again his tongue was buried deep inside her mouth. So good. Jetta wanted more. She ran her fingertips over his chest, and his hair was as soft as she imagined it would be. His nipples rose in hard peaks as her palm caressed them. She broke the kiss. “I don’t want your pity.”

“You won’t get pity from me.” His hand moved through the side of her hair, lodging the thick waves behind her ear. Fingers feathered over her bruised cheek so delicately it felt like an airbrush.

“Last night, when you looked at me --”

“Shocked something so beautiful could be marred.” He pulled her back into his embrace. “People like you and me don’t look for pity.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Let me have you here. Now.” Large, strong hands covered her ass, nestled her against his erection.

Need, want, lust, and far too long of going without fulfillment, blossomed through her channel. No amount of effort could stop what slipped from her mouth next. She bared her soul to him in the silence surrounding her home. “I haven’t been with a man in years.” Why did she tell him that? Jetta didn’t care what he thought about her. Or did she?

“It wouldn’t have mattered.” He brought a hand to the side of her face, his thumb brushed her lips and he lifted Jetta’s chin and stared straight into her eyes. “I’d never do anything to harm you.” Brown eyes bore into her. “I can’t carry any diseases.”

Somewhere in the back of her mind that statement registered but she didn’t care right now. She wanted this man, all of him, and his words had struck a chord. Jetta believed him. “I need you,” she whispered. He’d never understand how much.

Sweeping her into his arms, he backed through the doorway, turned and took the steps two at a time, heading toward her bedroom.

Standing her by the bed, his hands moved down her hips to the hem of the dress. He pulled it up and over her head so slowly she thought she’d die. Wade didn’t stop there. His eyes were full of fire as his fingers traveled a heated path down her chest to her belly. “Why are you trembling?” Puffs of warm air brushed her cheeks. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Anticipation… it’s been a long time.” Jetta’s words were barely audible.

When his head dipped and captured her lips in a hard, unyielding kiss, her knees buckled. Wade caught her and one arm held her pressed tight against his body. His tongue danced in her mouth, making her pussy clench in an attempt to stem the warm gush of liquid. His other hand grasped her butt, his fingers exploring her cheeks and the crevice there, causing her to push into his erection. “Please,” she muttered.

Easing her down to the mattress, he knelt in front of her and lifted first one foot, then the other to remove her shoes. His large hands massaged her feet before he stroked them up her legs to rest on her thighs. Pulling them apart, he sniffed loudly at the air. “I can’t stand smelling you much longer.” Wade reached for two large pillows at the head of the bed and shoved them behind her. He eased her back onto them. “I want you to watch me eat your pussy. I want you to see how much I like it.”

His hands drew across her stomach, stopping at the bite scars. He gently traced around it. Opening her legs wider, he eased between them and bent over to plant kisses on her belly.

Jetta cried out. No one had ever touched her like this. She tangled her hands in his thick, brown hair and held him to her. She shuddered when his tongue flicked her navel. She’d never felt so vulnerable. Tears slipped from her eyes as she watched him lick her skin.

“Silky smooth,” he murmured. His eyes were so bright they burned into her and made her want him more. With a hand under each thigh, he raised them until her feet rested on the bed. His tongue swept over the light dusting of hair she wished she’d taken the time to shave. Lifting his head, he gazed at her and whispered, “Don’t ever shave this off, Jetta. It’s soft, warm.” She’d died and gone to heaven. A man who wanted her pussy au naturel. “Watch, baby, watch me.”

His tongue slipped down her mound and delved into the wet folds. Jetta bowed up from the pillows. “Mmm, yes. More.”

“I plan to give you lots more.”

Chapter Three

Wade wouldn’t have stopped now if she begged. He’d never tasted anything as delicious as Jetta’s pussy. Holding her legs, he drove his tongue through her folds, leaving no spot untouched. His shepherd rolled and lolled inside, fully in harmony with the man.

Running his tongue back over her clit, he sucked and pulled at it, finally nipping it with his teeth. He nudged it with his tongue, prodded it until Jetta writhed beneath him and pressed upward into his face. More cream slipped from her canal, coating the moist, hot lips of her pussy. He lapped it all up.

Wade’s penis grew harder, bigger, and pressed agonizingly against the front of his pants. His balls were heavy and his cock was ready to burst. He couldn’t wait to bury it deep inside her, but he wanted her to be so wet and ready she’d beg for it.

“Uh, Wade.”

Raising his head, he saw the gleam in her eyes, knew she was close. “I can’t wait to be in you, honey.” He moved one hand between her legs and pushed two fingers inside her. He thrust them in and out, watching the pleasure play over her face. She never took her eyes from him. “You like that.”

“More, please.”

“More what?”

“Damn it, Wade. I want your cock inside me.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Stroking her channel a few more times, he eased his fingers out and stood to remove his clothes. He’d already had everything off once out back. It had been much easier to undress and let his stronger dog bound up the tree, though it was unnerving once he’d gotten inside. Wade had imagined going to the back door and finding her there with his pants and shirt in hand.

It wasn’t until her pink tongue darted over her lips and her eyes flickered with desire as she looked at him in the doorway outside that he remembered he’d failed to button his shirt. That’s why he preferred tees.

One of the drawbacks of being a shifter was the inability to have his clothes follow suit. The outfit he wore was one he had kept tucked in a hidden place close to Ren and Margy’s house for emergencies. He’d snagged them on the run last night after Jetta passed out. His leathers smelled so bad, he couldn’t bear to put them back on.

Gazing at her pale, shapely body, Wade wished he could flip her over and take her hard, the way he really wanted to. Bury his length deep in her ass. That had to wait. Nothing in the world would make him bring her any more pain. Nothing.

Rosy nipples stood hard and erect, peeking up at him. Unable to move, he grasped his shaft and stroked it. Drops formed on the tip and slipped over the crown when her tongue swept her full, pink lips. “Do that again.”

A secretive smile curved her mouth and she poked her tongue at him. “Is this what you want?” Slowly, the tip moved corner to corner, leaving her lips glistening. She pushed her finger into her mouth and sucked it, letting it come out with a little pop.

His hand jerked faster on his cock. “I could eat you some more.” He could tell his scent affected her. Her nostrils flared and Jetta’s full breasts shook with each breath of air. Wade wasn’t prepared when she sat up quickly and gripped his hip with her bandaged hand. Her mouth covered the knob of his cock so completely, he almost came.

“Damn, baby.” He moved his hand to the back of her head and let her take control of his hardness with her fingers. Her head bobbed back and forth on his dick and sent him in a fit. He tightened his ass in an effort not to send a shot of cum down Jetta’s throat. “God, you gotta stop or I’ll come in your mouth.” Even as he spoke, he pushed and pulled her head back and forth in an effort to bury more of his penis in her mouth. “Feels so good.”

She took his length as far as she could and then pulled back, sucking so hard he thought it would be the end of him. Wade watched as her tongue drew lazy circles around the sensitive ridge of skin surrounding his crown.

Jetta peered at him through long lashes until she released him and smiled. “I want more.”

“No more of that,” he said, pushing her back against the pillows. Wade climbed to his knees on the bed between her legs and pulled them up to hook over his shoulders. Grasping his swollen cock, he swept it through the crevices of her pussy, wetting the head until it shone with her juices. “I waited for this.” He nudged at her channel, seeking entrance, and sank his cock in just enough to hear her suck in a lungful of air. “Tell me when you want more.” Giving her time to adjust to his thickness, he didn’t move.

“Ooh,” she moaned, and the O her lips formed made him think of driving back in her mouth. “Now.” Her knuckles were white as she gripped the bed covers.

He eased in inch by inch until his penis was buried inside her. Pulling out, Wade thrust back in slowly. Again and again, wanting to take his time, wanting her to love every minute of what he did to her.

When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he pushed in to the hilt and stopped. “I can’t hold it. Come with me, Jetta.” Hugging her thighs, he rocked in and out of her. Feeling her convulsions made him move quicker with short, hard jabs. Jetta’s cunt was hot and tight as it pulsed around him, milking him.

“Wade,” she cried. “Coming… I’m coming.”

“Let it go, baby, give it to me.” Warm juices slipped around his dick, making it easier to slide in and out. One final squeeze from her pussy, and Wade spurted deep inside her. “Take it, Jetta. Squeeze, honey, and take it all.” Pumping into her once, twice more, and he was empty.

He rested between her legs, catching his breath, and planted small kisses inside her knees, licking and tasting her. “Damn, I want more.” But she needed to rest. She’d been through hell in the last twenty-four hours. Jetta wanted him too, but he should have waited.

Untangling her legs from over his shoulder, he stood and wished like hell he could release his shepherd. The scent of her drove his dog nuts. He’d have licked and prodded and cleaned every crevice.

That would never happen.

A growl slipped unbidden through his lips, and he saw the questioning look gather in her eyes. “Shit, Jetta, I’m sorry.” Climbing from the bed, he spun to leave the room and heard her gasp.

“Oh. My. God!”

Jesus Christ. He hadn’t intended for her to see his scars. They were much worse than hers.

“Wade?”

Pivoting around, he snatched his pants from the floor and backed away. “No pity, remember.”

He reached the hall and sped down the steps heading for the front door, throwing it open with a bang. The animal tore from him, giving him no time to prepare. He shoved his slacks behind a cabinet in the hallway before pain doubled him over, sending him to his knees with a hiss. His hands, balled in fists, banged against the wooden floorboards, drawing a rumbling growl from his chest. Bones popped and reformed, pulling his shoulders into a hunch. Ears sprung up as his snout lengthened and his tail unfurled, swishing back and forth in agitation.

The shepherd was loose. Wade threw his head high and a mournful howl poured from his huge, furred body.

Before he was aware, a car came around the corner and tires crunched on the gravel, spraying it across the driveway. At the last minute, the car veered to miss hitting him. He trotted off, but not before he glanced back at the passenger side.

He saw Victoria Germaine’s eyes stretched wide. Max was driving. Pinched brows, the grimace on his mouth, spoke volumes. Spinning in right behind them was Ren and Margy.

Damn it to hell.

* * *

His brothers found him lying by a stream about a mile away, and Max was still pissed off. “Have you lost your fucking mind? Don’t ever put me in a position to lie to Victoria again.”

They’d left the women alone at Jetta’s, under the pretense of looking for the shepherd. Max lied to Vic, saying Wade had brought the dog with him.

“That’s your biggest concern?”

Both brothers had likely shed their clothes and hid them once they were safe in the woods. All three sat on a grassy knoll, naked as jaybirds.

“I warned you, damn it.”

“Fuck off, Max. I don’t want to hear ‘I told you so.’ Not now.”

Ren sat between them and chuckled. “This mating thing, it’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

“You should have heard her when she saw my scars.” Wade lay back with his hands laced behind his head. “She can’t stand the sight of me.”

Max cleared his throat, sending small animals scurrying into nearby trees and back into their safe burrows. “Vic told me about her accident. Anyway, it’s doubtful she’ll hold a few scars against you considering she got past your ugly face.”

“Go to hell.” Wade was stockier than his brothers and he’d never be considered classically handsome standing next to either of them. That stopped bothering him a long, long time ago. He thought the scars had too. “Vic needs to keep her mouth shut.”

By the time he’d heard the growl, it was too late. Max yanked him to his feet and a hard blow sent him sprawling back on his ass. “Don’t ever do that. Never use that tone when you talk about her.”

Ren jumped between them. “Easy, man.” He craned his neck at Wade on the ground rubbing his chest. “Get up, we need to head back. I don’t want to leave Margy alone too long. I love her to death, but she’ll give away all our secrets if Vic pours on that syrupy charm of hers.” He spun back to Max. “I’d really like to know what’s up with her voice and the constant smell of cinnamon.”

“I’m keeping my eye on her.” Max bowed his head and scratched at his thigh. “I -- um… chased a couple shepherds away from her restaurant last week. Haven’t seen them since. If I didn’t know any better…” His words trailed off.

Wade glared at him. “I’ve been trailing them all over that side of town. If it wasn’t for those mutts, I wouldn’t have been in the alley to help with Jetta.”

“You get any scent from them?” Ren’s head twisted back and forth waiting on someone to answer him.

Wade spoke up. “Nothing, just dogs, but they’ll be great once they’re trained. Still, it’s bugging the shit out of me.”

Ren’s teeth worried his bottom lip. “Okay, Jack’s cop is following up on the blood in the alley. Max, I guess we can’t keep you away from Victoria and the Seared Soul.” He smiled, piercing Wade with a look. “I’ll try and pick up the strays’ trail unless you want to trade places. You search for the dogs, Margy and I can stay out here.”

Wade felt the heat rise up his neck. “You bastards are itching to get your asses kicked.” He stabbed his brothers with a look. “She’s mine.” He gripped Ren’s shoulder. “How did you get up the nerve to tell Margy?”

“You’ll know when the time’s right.” Ren said solemnly, “You have to tell her, Wade. It’ll drive you and your shepherd crazy if you don’t.”

Releasing their dogs, they headed back to Jetta’s.

After his brothers donned their clothing, Wade was impatient with the pace. His beast even nipped Ren in the ass to speed him up. All he got for his trouble was laughter. He waited at the edge of the woods while Max retrieved his pants from the hallway.

When he entered the house, Jetta excused herself to go take a shower. She can’t stand the sight of me. Not good at small talk, he did his best. What he really wanted was to be alone with Jetta. “Margy, how are things with the new eye specialist?” Ren’s wife remained blind from an accident involving one of the Watch’s guard dogs.

She tilted her head in his direction. “You want us out of here, don’t you?” She laughed. “Actually, he thinks I’m keeping myself in the dark so I don’t have to see my husband’s ugly face.”

Ren stood and swooped her up from the chair. “I’ll show you ugly when we get home.” He faced Wade. “If you need me, brother, howl. I’ll be here.”

Max cleared his throat. He did that a lot lately in an effort to keep them in line and from saying the wrong thing around Vic. Wade wondered why the man just didn’t screw her and get rid of some of the pent-up emotions he’d carried long enough. He hadn’t touched a woman or a bitch since the day she walked up on them at the Seared Soul. It wasn’t possible she was his brother’s mate -- the man would have no control by now.

Wade was nervous as hell waiting for Jetta to come down, so he cleaned up in the kitchen. While he was out with his brothers, the women had eaten. Vic brought her specialty of pepper-crusted lamb and cinnamon glazed sweet potatoes. The woman was fixated on cinnamon.

“Shocked something so beautiful could be marred.”

Her hushed words made him jump and bang his head on the pots hanging overhead. “Shit.” He was losing it.

Wade looked down at her bare feet. His gaze traveled slowly up her legs, and got no further than her breasts swelling over the top of a thin, purple cover-up. Damn, she looks edible.

“Wade, I have no right to ask questions unless I’m ready to answer some, and I’m not.” Jetta fiddled with the strip of plastic that covered her wound.

“I haven’t asked anything.” He tugged her into his arms and leaned back against the counter. “Here and now. That’s all.” This wasn’t the time to tell her she belonged to him, that he never intended to let her go.

Shadows clouded her eyes. “Once you find who dropped me in the alley, it’s over, right?”

“Right.” She stood on her tiptoes and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. His heart raced out of control. Air whistled through his lips when her cool hands stroked his chest. An audible moan filled the room when she took a hard nipple into her mouth. “You know what you’re doing?”

She licked little circles around his nub before she gazed up at him. “I know what I want.”

Chapter Four

“Tell me, so I can give it to you.” His shepherd was freaking purring inside him.

She leaned into his chest and sucked a nipple into her mouth. Not yet finished, Jetta moved to the other nub, treating it with the same loving care. A weaker man’s legs would have buckled. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he shoved his hands into her hair and held her mouth tight to his body. “Bite it, baby. You won’t hurt me.”

Jetta bit down lightly on the bud, and the shepherd in him keened. Wade drew blood, biting the inside of his cheek to stop the growl that gurgled from the pit of his stomach.

Gripping her shoulders, he pushed her away. The look of desire in her eyes burned through him like a hot poker. Bringing her back into the circle of his arms, he smothered her lips under his and pried for entrance with his tongue. Moving his hands down her back, Wade grabbed her butt and wedged her against his hard-on. He needed her to feel what she did to him.

“Mmm.” Her moan slipped into his mouth and started a fire that would not be extinguished. Her tongue battled with his, searched out places no one had ever touched. Breaking the kiss, he eased her back and spun her to face the counter. “This has to go,” he said as he ripped the flimsy material from her body. “I’ll get you another one.”

Her lilting laugh drove him on. It was as though his shepherd sat on the side of a hill baying at the moon. That’s how crazy the animal was. The sound rattled through his chest, and it took every ounce of strength to hold in. He’d have to tell her soon, or the creature would tear him apart. Jetta belonged to them. Wade was going to show her that.

Flipping her chestnut hair over her shoulder, he covered the back of her neck with kisses. He licked and sucked until her skin was red. When he reached the first scar, he moved his tongue over the welt. Then the next and the next. She shuddered beneath him. Had he been there, done this when the lacerations were fresh, they would have healed much quicker and better. No special power, just something all animals knew and humans seemed to forget.

When she’d passed out at Victoria’s, he had licked her palm clean before he bandaged it. God had given the saliva of every living thing the power to help start their healing process. It took him a long time as a man to learn to refrain from sweeping his tongue over things. The stimulation was euphoric.

Continuing to the top of her ass, Wade stopped when she whimpered. “I can’t help it, you taste so good.” He twirled her back around and lifted her to the counter.

“Wade…”

“Jetta, stop me. Stop me because I don’t know if I can let you go.”

* * *

Her back tingled everyplace his tongue had been. Jetta’s nipples were sore from Wade’s sucking and nipping on them. Yet her hands stayed buried in his hair and she held him to her breasts. It was a pleasurable pain.

Stopping him was beyond her power. Wade exuded a scent she’d never before smelled, one that captivated and drew her further under his power. The man smelled like heaven, and she sniffed noisily at the air.

Her pussy quivered with need, and if Jetta was honest with herself, no one could fill that void but Wade. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Confiding to him about Jordan was out of the question until she could talk to her ex first. Considering their past, she felt she owed him a chance to explain why he turned up at her office, and why he had waited by her car. Then it would be over. Wade would go on his way and she could return to her quiet life of… loneliness.

Shit. Jetta didn’t want it to end. Wade made her feel beautiful again. He made her feel like the scars didn’t matter. Was it because he was scarred too? When she saw his back, she cringed inside at the idea he’d suffered even more pain than she had.

What amazed her most was they looked exactly like hers. A dog attack.

Shepherd’s Watch used the animals to patrol and help guard clients, which meant Wade had to be with them every day. How did he deal with the fear? She avoided dogs at all costs, crossed the street when she approached people walking them.

While the guys were out earlier, Vic attempted to put her at ease over the fact a shepherd was here. Margy had gone to the bathroom, and Victoria talked with that hypnotizing voice of hers. She told Jetta the dog on her property was special and would take exceptional care of her if need be. Her friend’s cryptic words raced through her mind. “He’ll love and guard you even if it means losing his own life.” Why would she say it like that? Love her? She’d never laid eyes on the creature and didn’t want to.

Wade wouldn’t let it hurt her. Somehow she knew that with every fiber of her being. “Wade, don’t let the dog hurt me.” Instantly, she wanted to take the words back.

“What?” He lifted his head from ministering to her nipples, his brow furrowed.

“Nothing.”

“Talk to me, honey.”

She pushed her hands into his wavy, brown hair and pulled his mouth to hers. “Love me. Make love to me.”

“Are you sure?” His eyes pierced her like arrows. “Maybe I won’t let you go.”

* * *

Letting her go now was out of the question. In the only way he could, he tried to tell her but his words weren’t enough. Jetta had no idea what she was getting into.

Wade reeked of her, always would. He’d sniff her out a mile away for the rest of his life, and soon she’d carry his scent. Max had been right. Jetta was his mate.

And if his beast was anything to go by, they were paired. That’s what the pack doc called it. Pairing. They learned about it when he’d paid a visit to the States not long ago when Ren was freaking out over Margy. How the hell could he tell her? Especially if he had heard her right. Don’t let the dog hurt me.

He’d known immediately after seeing her scars that they were from a dog attack. Wade silently cursed the owner. Accidents happened. Christ, look at Margy, she was a prime example. One of their dogs had gotten out of control, knocked her down, and the blow to her head had damaged her optic nerve, leaving her blind.

Daggett, the Watch’s employee who had handled the Rottweiler that fateful day, would have never let the animal do what some dog had done to Jetta. Her back, the bite on her stomach, it was too much even for him to comprehend.

Wade spread her legs wide and leaned in to kiss the scar on her belly. Her womanly scent started his dog prowling. He wanted her too. It tore at Wade’s heart that his shepherd would never feel her except through him. His dog would never touch another bitch and would cause Wade unbearable pain if he tried to touch another woman. The beast would die protecting Jetta from any harm.

Forget. That’s what he wanted to do. Forget everything but right now and being with her. “I want to taste you.” He parted her legs and dipped his head between them. The scent wafting around him sent his body into overdrive. Wade’s cock stiffened beyond belief, the slit leaked against the front of his pants. “Damn, I love smelling you.”

“Do it now.”

Grasping her thighs, he lifted her legs. “I’m going to make you come so I can taste every part of you.” He lowered his head and swept his tongue across her nether lips. Sweet. So good, his shepherd settled into a quiet ball inside him and waited.

He inched his tongue further into her folds and lapped like the animal he was. Back and forth, he stroked over her cunt until she fell back against the cabinets.

“More,” she moaned.

Spreading her thighs further, he delved deeper into her pussy, plunging his tongue in and out until she squirmed, lifting her ass toward him. Finding her clit, he nibbled at it softly before nudging back inside her canal.

In and out, again and again, he took her with his mouth and tongue until she cried out in release. “God, I’m coming.”

Her pussy grew even wetter as cream slipped from her channel and into his mouth. Wade licked and sucked until she stopped wiggling beneath him. “My turn,” he mumbled. Dragging her to a sitting position, he pulled her from the counter and eased her around to face it. “This is how I want it.” He yanked his zipper down and shoved his pants over his hips. That’s as far as they got.

There was no stopping the animal now; it stirred restlessly inside. Forcing her further over the counter, he nudged his dick into the crease of her ass. “Shit, baby, tell me where to find some lubricant.” Pulling away, removing his pants from the ridiculous puddle they now formed around his ankles is not what he wanted to do, but he wouldn’t hurt Jetta.

“No, I want it like this.” Hazel eyes glared at him over her shoulder.

Christ, he loved this woman. She wanted him raw, and if he had to guess, Jetta wanted it hard and fast. Just the way he wanted to give it to her. Love? Where the hell had that come from?

It was true. The woman had tied him in knots and lashed him to her side. Wade would guard her for the rest of his life. And like it. There was no letting her go now.

* * *

Jetta had pierced him with a look that dared him to stop. She wanted to feel Wade deep in her ass, every inch of him. Her vagina contracted as she watched him spit into his hand. He stroked the length of his cock, then pressed it between her ass cheeks, letting the pre-cum wet her more. “Fuck me,” she cried out. The flared tip nudged at the rosette, and she sighed, relaxing her muscles to take him. Her hips were high in the air and ready for the big cock behind her.

A low growl rumbled from his throat. “Damn, I want you.”

“Take me, hard.” He eased the head in and waited just a moment for her to adjust to his size. Jetta pushed back and took the rest. “Yes!”

His hands closed around her waist and he began to fuck her. Long, hard thrusts in and out. Just how she wanted it. Jetta bent over as far as she could, and shoved as much of her butt up as she could to take all of him.

Wade’s nails dug into her waist as he dragged her back each time to meet his strokes. Pain and pleasure. Enough to start another orgasm. “Tight, so fucking tight.” He ground the words out.

Jetta moved one hand down between her legs where she plunged two fingers into her pussy. She was so wet the noise excited her even more, making her slam back into his driving cock. The scent of their lovemaking poured around the room, sending her over the edge. “Ooh, please, please,” she begged.

He moved faster, shoving harder into her ass, filling her in a way she’d never felt before. “You like it hard, baby?”

His cock seemed to grow thicker with each stroke, and Jetta loved how it rubbed the inside of her anus. When he bent and nibbled at the hideous scars, she dropped her head to the counter and pushed her fingers faster in her pussy. She pinched and pulled her clit, worked the bump buried in her soaked folds.

Jetta was tumbling headfirst in love with Wade. He’d unlocked a place inside her heart no one had ever breached. Quickly driving the thought away, she concentrated on pleasure, but he’d stopped moving and his thickness pulsed inside her. “Don’t stop.” She put her hands on the counter.

“Turn around, see me.” He leaned with his face beside her.

She twisted her neck to look at him. The raw lust in his brown eyes sent a shock wave up her spine. Buried there was something else, something wild and dangerous. Something Jetta needed. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.” She spoke the words so softly, she wasn’t sure he heard.

“Mine. You belong to us.” Wade pulled his cock out until just the head was inside her. “No one else will ever touch you again.”

Breath hitched from her throat when he slammed back into her. Using both hands, she braced herself against the counter as he plunged in and out of her, taking what he wanted. Over and over again.

In a storm of pain and pleasure, she fell forward as the orgasm ripped through her, plummeting from her pussy. She came so hard, moisture slid out and soaked the inside of her thighs.

Wade’s fingers dug deeper into her sides as he went up on his toes behind her and bellowed, “Mine!” The sound bounced from the walls as a warm stream of cum filled her ass. Pumping easier and slower, he didn’t stop until he was empty. Falling over, he rained kisses up and down her back, stopping only to tenderly lick the welts she’d carry for the rest of her life. “Shit,” he mumbled. “I’m so sorry.”

He pulled out, and Jetta slipped toward the floor. Wade quickly caught and lifted her, carrying her through the kitchen to the bathroom upstairs.

Once there, he sat her on the commode until he had the water running and its temperature regulated. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, baby.” His fingers were warm as they brushed over the new bruises on her sides.

Jetta pressed her fingertips against his lips and looked deep into his eyes, searching for that dangerous man she’d glimpsed earlier. “You’ll never hurt me.”

She believed those words with all her heart.

Chapter Five

Stretching lazily against the cool sheets, Jetta winced. Folding back the cover she couldn’t contain a smile. Wade was rough and she liked it.

Her joy was brief when she remembered another event from last night. Wade had wanted to take a walk and he insisted on going alone. Waiting for him to return, Jetta looked out the front window and saw the humongous German shepherd on her porch. The animal’s ears pricked up and he turned to stare at her.

Its eyes were deep brown and filled with… damn, if they didn’t appear lustful. As though the creature wanted to eat her alive. She’d wondered where Wade was, but decided to go to bed instead of waiting for him. Jetta felt much safer distancing herself from the dog.

This morning the house was quiet with no sign of him having been in the room. The man had a special scent, one that engulfed her when he was near. It made her all hot and bothered. An odd idea popped into her head and she couldn’t rid her mind of it. The shepherd’s eyes looked like Wade’s. Stupid.

Slipping from bed, she stretched her limbs before grabbing her robe from the back of the door. Padding softly down the length of the hall to the steps, she heard a noise. Jetta reached the landing and saw that the front door was ajar, and a tapping sound reached her ears. She froze.

It was the shepherd and its large head poked into the doorway, looking right at her. Watching her from there, the animal didn’t venture any further inside.

Shit. Where was Wade? If she ran back to her room, would it bound up the stairs and beat her down the long hallway? Her legs began to tremble. Sure the dog smelled her fear, Jetta tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. Deep draughts of air into her lungs seemed to help. With legs like rubber, she couldn’t run now if she had to.

The dog took two more steps into the lower hallway.

Peering around the landing, she spotted a heavy lead vase on a small table. Inching closer, she grasped it by the lip. She had to time it just right or it was over.

The animal’s large head shook and sniffed the air while it continued staring at her. The sound of tires on gravel snatched the shepherd’s attention. When it took a step back and swiveled its head to look outside, her reflexes took over. Now.

Hurling the vase down the stairway, she grazed the animal on the hip. With a yelp, it fled through the door. Nails scraped across the porch, and she saw it run toward the trees lining the yard. Jetta practically jumped down the whole flight of stairs. She skidded with a thud into the door, banging it shut.

“Wade?” Ren’s voice. So Wade was out there too.

Air hissed in and out of her nose. Shaking like a leaf, she clutched the robe around her and raced up the stairs back to her room. The door shook the hinges when she slammed it. Hurrying over to the window, she moved the curtain and peeped out. “Get a grip,” she told herself. Jetta threw the curtains wide and looked in every direction. No sign of the dog.

She relaxed a tiny bit as she watched Ren walk around the car, his eyes searching the edge of the wooded area. His unexpected smile, accompanied by a wave when he glanced up at her, pissed Jetta off. Bastard. Was he here to collect the Watch’s animal? Jogging into the trees, she lost sight of him. “Hit that ass good,” she muttered.

No sooner had the words left her mouth, remorse flooded her chest and heat flared in her face. She fought with herself not to leave the room, to run down the steps and out the door in search of the dog. She worked hard to dispel the overwhelming feeling. Why in God’s name did she want to comfort an animal she feared?

And why hadn’t Wade come into the house? Jetta rubbed her cold arms as fear crept back over her. It was different, something she couldn’t quite pin down. She shook herself and tried to put everything back in perspective. Okay, so the creature hadn’t made a move toward her, but what if it had? Her insides churned at the idea.

A shower would help calm her. When she removed the robe, Jetta glimpsed the bite mark on her belly. Hideous, it still turned her stomach. How could Wade not be repulsed by it? Probably because his back was a mass of scars too.

Suddenly it dawned on her how little she knew about him, or Shepherd’s Watch, for that matter. Vic trusted them, but did Jetta really want to place her life in their hands? Wade should be here guarding her now. Instead, he was off somewhere and had recklessly left her door open.

Finished with her shower, Jetta dressed in a pair of dark green slacks and pulled a loose white top on over her damp hair. A shadow of doubt still fresh in her mind about Wade, she had decided to call an old friend of Jordan’s. Maybe he’d know where to find him.

Jetta hung up the phone, no closer to finding her ex. But the guy took her cell number and promised to call if he heard anything.

Another call to her office and she learned her purse was found under her car and had been given to Vic who stopped by and told them Jetta was fine. Thank goodness, because with everything going on, she had failed to check in. Something she always told her girls to do. So far, they’d all been lucky.

It was time to get out of the escort business. There was plenty enough money to live on until she found something she wanted to do. Jetta had invested well. Maybe open a small modeling agency to help young women achieve their dream. She wished someone had been there for her.

Pacing back and forth wearing a path in the carpet got her nowhere. Cracking the bedroom door, she heard voices downstairs. Shit, they must have come in while she showered.

When she entered the room, she found Ren, Max and Vic talking with Wade. She tossed an angry glare his way before she spoke to Vic. “Thanks for picking up my purse.” Damn, she knew about Jordan’s visit to her office. The way her eyes searched Jetta’s spoke volumes. So the others probably knew too by now.

“No problem.”

Flustered, she turned on Wade. “I hope you’re better at your job than you proved to be here.” Her shrill voice cracked. “Damn dog could have killed me.” Silence hung in the air.

He fixed her with a hard look. “It would never hurt you. Rest assured, it won’t happen again.”

“Here’s where you say ‘trust me,’ right?” Jetta couldn’t let it go. A knife could have cut the tension.

His back stiffened. “Do or don’t, doesn’t matter to me.”

“You’re a real bastard.” Jetta rushed from the room and out the front door. She needed to breathe, needed to get away from their prying eyes. She stormed across the yard, wondering how she was going to fix the mess she’d gotten herself into. The truth was out. Still, what could Jetta tell them until she was sure what had happened, herself?

Kicking at tree limbs and stones, she continued rushing down the path, not caring where she was headed. The sound of car engines told her the others were leaving.

Wade. She’d never get him out of her mind or her heart, yet she struck out at him with venom. Guilt. Jetta should have told him as much as she knew. Too late now. He’d made it quite clear he didn’t care what she felt or whether she trusted him or not.

Coming to the grassy meadow on the other side of the tree line, she flopped down against a wide trunk. She wished she could remember what had happened in those lost moments outside of her office, but she’d have to live with that. Her loud sigh sent a flock of birds fluttering into the sky.

Jetta would be glad when this was all over.

* * *

Wade stood stock-still as Max and Vic left. He turned and leveled a glare at Ren. “Don’t say a fucking word, it’s not your business. I’m worried about this ex of hers showing up.”

Ren had come to tell him who the blood belonged to. The detective had discovered he was an ex-boyfriend named Jordan and it had been his Doberman that had been responsible for Jetta’s scars. Evidently the guy had paid her a visit, and after being attacked by the dogs, he dumped her in the alley. That’s all anybody knew right now. Maybe Jetta was afraid to confide in him because she still cared for the man.

“You’re my brother, and that makes it my business. You have to find a way to tell her or you have to get as far away as possible.”

“You heard her, Ren. She’ll never trust me.” He rubbed at the sore spot on his ass. “Jetta’s scared to death of dogs, and it’s what I am.”

“This is your damn fault. You keep undressing in the house like you’re a pet or something. Then you try to sneak back in the front.” Ren’s grin aggravated him. “You ever think of using the back door?”

“Hell, she was asleep, and I didn’t plan to be gone that long.” He walked to the window and stared out. “She’ll never accept what I am.”

“One thing I remember is Margy telling me she couldn’t resist my smell. Jetta will be going through the same thing. Give her a break. This isn’t easy for them.”

Wade continued to rub the spot on his ass and hadn’t noticed that Ren moved closer until his brother swatted his butt hard. “Motherfucker! That hurt.”

A broad smile set on his Ren’s face. “You better tell her soon. Evidently you’re not as fast as you used to be, and the lady’s got quite an arm.”

“Get out.” Laughter rang through the hall.

The cars moved out of the driveway and he went to the door. Sniffing the air, Wade headed in her direction. He couldn’t leave her alone out there.

Reaching the spot where she rested, he gazed at her. Did she smell him? If she did, he had to tell her, but he had no idea where to start. Jetta’s scent aroused his animal and the shepherd’s primal need bore down on him hard. Shit, would he never have peace when she was around? “Jetta?”

“Before you say anything, I owe you an apology.” She twisted around to look him in the eye. “I was angry because I didn’t know what to say.” Turning toward the meadow, she continued, “You know about Jordan?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t tell you anything about that night. I don’t remember. I think he drugged me.”

Moving near her, he rested with his shoulder against the tree. “How’d you know it was me?”

“I don’t know.” Her hand flipped through the air. “For some reason I can smell you.” She looked up, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Don’t worry, it’s nice.” Hazel eyes darkened and locked with his. “Why is that?”

He pretended not to hear her. “Tell me about Jordan.”

“Not much to tell. We were lovers a long, long time ago.” Facing the meadow, her voice drifted off. “It was his dog that attacked and scarred me.”

Easing down beside her on the ground, he reached for her hands. “Jetta, I’d never let that happen to you. Look, the shepherd that’s on the property, he’s special.”

“I hit him pretty hard this morning. Is he okay?”

“Yeah, I know, but he’s all right.” His ass was bruised. Ren was wrong. Wade wasn’t slower, he just had problems thinking clearly around Jetta.

“How’d you know?” Her quizzical eyes glittered in the sun. “Look, first Vic, now you with how special this animal is.”

Wade snapped to attention. “What did Vic say about m -- the dog?”

“After she told me he was special, there was something else about it loving and guarding me even if it kills him.”

How the hell would Victoria know that? “Just as closely as I would.” Wade pulled her across his lap and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. “I do want you to trust me.”

“Wade --”

His mouth covered hers, cutting off the words. He couldn’t fight it any more, he needed her -- and right now. His tongue was insistent, and she responded by taking it in her mouth. Jetta’s arms came around his neck and she kissed him back deeply. Her tongue lashed at his, covering every dark corner of his mouth.

While he used the hand under her back to hold and caress her, he eased his free hand down her belly to the vee between her thighs where he rubbed with his fingers. Her slacks were damp and that pleased him. Wade was reminded of a volcano, one hot and ready to blow. And she was all his.

Jetta spread her legs, giving him access to massage her pussy. The heat through the material started a fire in the pit of his stomach and he knew how to extinguish it.

His shepherd whimpered, it wanted to feel her, taste her. That could only ever happen through Wade who had every intention of giving the dog what it wanted. Breaking their kiss, he told her, “I want to take you right here.”

Her arms untangled from behind his head and she feathered the tips of her fingers over his cheeks, across his lips. Pulling one into his mouth, he sucked it, savored the taste of her.

Jetta used the other hand to quickly unfasten her pants. Rising from his lap, she pushed to get them over her hips as she kicked off her shoes.

The smell of her sex leaked into the air. He wished his face had been buried in her pussy. Ripping his shirt open, he pulled it off and laid it on the ground. Jetta slid her butt onto it after she removed her pants.

Standing, Wade toed his boots off, and they were followed in short time by his pants. He stood naked over her and pulled on his engorged penis until it leaked. Stroking the skin back and forth, he couldn’t wait to be inside her.

Going down on his knees between her legs, he grabbed under her thighs, lifted, and opened them wider. The sight of her swollen and moist nether lips was an invitation he couldn’t resist. His hard cock touched her folds and Jetta took it in her hand, guiding him home. Wade plunged all the way inside her.

The pace he set was maddening as he thrust into her pussy. Back and forth, he ground hard into her pelvis each time he pressed in. Every stroke was meant to give her pleasure, and to take what he needed. Her cunt throbbed and convulsed around him, held him tight each time he buried his cock inside her. He couldn’t get enough. The base animal in him urged him on, it wanted everything. “Squeeze it, baby, take all of it.” Jetta’s body lifted to meet every stroke he delivered. Short and fast, long and slow, he fucked her until his insides were in a knot.

“Ooh, yes, oh God,” she wailed, shattering the silence around them.

“Come for us, give it to me.” Keeping her legs high, Wade slammed deep into her pussy, giving her every inch. Again and again, he drove into her.

Her channel tightened around his cock, coaxed his orgasm from the depths of his nuts. “Ahh, shit, here it comes, baby.” Something burst inside Wade. Cum spilled from his dick and shot into her. It seemed like it would never end. He continued to jam his penis inside her until he was empty and couldn’t move.

Collapsing on top of her, he captured her lips and kissed them. He planted kisses on the side of her neck, sucked her skin until she was marked. Jetta Volker belonged to him -- heart and soul.

Now, he had to tell her what he was. “Damn, I like fucking you.” Not the words he meant to say.

The air filled with her throaty laugh. “I like it when you fuck me.” Turning serious, she asked, “Tell me about the scars.”

Shrugging, he answered, “I was young and dumb. Thought I could take on a whole pack alone. It was a painful lesson.” Wade stood and stretched before he bent to grab his pants.

“What happened?” She rose to her knees and handed him his shirt.

“Huh?” Aww, Christ, the bruise on his ass, she’d noticed it.

“The bruise.” Jetta pointed to the black and blue mark, which was much better looking than it had been. The shepherds healed quickly.

Wade couldn’t lie. Not anymore. “I got hit this morning.”

Tilting her head to the side, she stared at him. “That’s a pretty big bruise.”

“You should have seen it a few hours ago.” Holding his breath, he waited.

“Who hit you?”

It was as good a time as any. “You did.”

“What?” Her eyes were saucers, the hazel color going gray.

“You have pretty good aim. Especially with lead vases.”

“Lord. God. No!” The high-pitched sound that passed her lips echoed through the trees. “Tell me what you’re saying.” She shuddered.

His head went up and he sniffed loudly. Son-of-a-bitch. Wade would never forget the man’s odor. Mixed with it was her smell of fear and it made the shepherd tear at him mercilessly. The bastard had the nerve to show up on Jetta’s property.

Chapter Six

“Can we talk about this later? You need to get dressed.”

“Talk to me now.”

“Look, honey, I’d love to. We got company.” He pressed his shirt into her chest. “Put it on.”

“Company?”

“Jordan is here.”

Shoving her arms in the shirt, Jetta shouted at him, “Jordan is here?” She trembled so hard she could barely button the shirt. It wasn’t her ex she was afraid of. Maybe she should be, but right now he didn’t top the list.

“Tell me what’s going on, Wade. I want to know what you meant when you said I hit you.” The shaking subsided, slowly replaced by anger. It flared in her chest. “I hit a dog.” She glanced around him, looked over her shoulder. “How would you know if Jordan was here?”

“Damn it, Jetta, I smell him.” Taking her arms, he drew her against his chest. “Be quiet and stay calm. He could be armed.”

She shook her head back and forth. “No, he wouldn’t carry a gun.”

“You know him so well? How many years has it been?” His eyes stabbed her like arrows. “We’re talking about the man who let an animal tear you apart.” Wade spat the words at her. “The same man who abandoned you in an alley just days ago. Does he mean that much to you?” His body visibly stiffened and he sucked in a lungful of air.

“And if it hadn’t been for you and those damn dogs, she’d be locked away and safe with me.”

She jumped at the sound of Jordan’s voice, but Wade didn’t move a muscle. He must have known already that the man was behind him. His eyes were black pits when he turned away to face her ex. He kept his naked body placed firmly in front of her.

Peering over Wade’s shoulder, she couldn’t believe this was happening. “What do you want?” Jordan’s eyes were wild, crazy. This wasn’t the man she knew eight years ago.

He glared back at her. “I’ve been watching you for months, Jetta.” The leer on Jordan’s face was maniacal and his hands shook. “How long have you been fucking him?”

The growl emanating from the man standing in front of her shattered the air. “You’re going to die.” Wade’s voice was even, the words menacing.

Suddenly Wade fell to his knees, his body contorted as black and brown fur sprouted up his arms and down his torso. A long snout pulled out from his jaw and his tongue lolled out. Unable to move, Jetta watched in awe as he placed his hands on the ground in front of him, his shoulders hunched up and bones popped and clicked. Paws clawed at the earth.

A huge dog stood in front of her. It lunged across the short distance and pounced on Jordan whose screams filled the air as the animal clawed his back. “Jesus Christ!” She strangled on the words. Jetta’s feet were locked where she stood.

Wade raised his head and howled, shaking the tree limbs.

A shrill whistle snatched her out of the trance. Turning, she saw Victoria running across the meadow. Jetta could only stare at her before she dropped to her knees. “Vic, what the fuck is happening?”

Both of them spun around at the vicious growl coming from Wade as he stood over Jordan. Opening his mouth, baring his canines, he bit down on Jordan’s forearm. The sound of bone breaking made her stomach lurch.

“Damn it, Jetta, stop him,” Vic hollered. “He’ll kill him.”

She glared up at Vic, then turned to look at the dog shaking her ex by the arm. It was like a bad dream and she waited to wake up.

Victoria’s voice became soft, hypnotic. “No one can stop him but you.”

Twisting toward the chaos, she gathered strength from somewhere deep inside. “Wade, don’t.”

The man she’d fallen in love with was covered in fur and on all fours, tearing at her ex. He was the same man who minutes ago had made sweet love to her. They kept telling her the dog was special, that he’d never harm her or allow anyone else to hurt her. Now she understood. Everything. The dog’s eyes on the porch, the desire to chase him this morning and make sure he was okay. All of it made sense. Wade was the shepherd.

Jordan had come here to hurt her, but she didn’t want Wade to kill him. Calm settled over her frayed nerves. “Wade, stop.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but the huge animal released the man, who had passed out, and turned to look at her. His brown eyes shone with an inhuman light. “Don’t kill him, please.”

Leaving the bloodied man, the dog padded slowly in her direction. She tensed when his nose nudged the toe of her foot. Jetta wanted to reach out to him, but she couldn’t. Her heart raced when he took another step toward her. Scrambling back, she shouted, “No!”

“Jetta?” Vic sounded surprised.

She stood and backed away. “I can’t.”

The shepherd growled, raised its head, and then howled, the sound so sad, it tore a moan from deep within her. Though it was Wade, Jetta couldn’t bring herself to touch the animal. It turned from her and ran into the woods.

Gathering her clothes in a ball, she stood in Wade’s oversized shirt and glanced at her friend. “You knew what he was all this time?”

“Yes.” Vic’s gaze didn’t waver.

“How?”

Two large dogs resembling Wade bounded to her friend’s side and flopped to the ground.

Then it dawned on Jetta. “Shit, no. You too?” She looked down at the animals lying at Victoria’s feet.

“My brothers,” Vic said. “I wanted to tell you. I kept them away from the apartment when you were around because I knew how you felt.” She patted the one nearest her on the head. “Go, clean his wound.” Both dogs stood and trotted over to Jordan and began licking his arm and back where the shirt had been torn from him.

She watched, mesmerized as the animals lapped at the blood. “We need to get him help.” The sight should have sickened her, yet it didn’t.

Victoria sniffed at the air. “Help’s on the way.”

Spinning around, Jetta glared at Vic. “How am I supposed to understand this?” She’d known the woman for a while and never suspected. She wondered how she’d hid it so long, how the others had hidden in the world. What else was out there?

Vic’s eyes were blank as she stared off into the distance. “We were genetically created by a monk who did experiments with DNA.”

“How?”

“I can’t explain it. The Alsatians can. I’m much younger and I never had the benefit of being with a pack. My brothers and I were separated from any contact with others like us at an early age by… Look, you need to find Wade.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Until you knew what he was, how did you feel?” Her eyes pierced Jetta. “He’s a man, he has all the feelings of a man, and we’re not responsible for what we are.” She averted her eyes. “You have to -- you smell like him.”

“What the hell does that mean?” With everything Jetta had been through in her life, this wasn’t as shocking as it should be. Still, her heart clamored in her chest as she tried to put the pieces together. She wanted to go somewhere, be alone and think. She twisted around at the sound behind her. Max and Ren.

Ren said, “We’ll make sure he’s okay before we return him to where he belongs.”

“What?” His words, nothing made sense.

“The detective found out your boyfriend had been institutionalized. Went nuts. Seems he disappeared from a group outing weeks ago and they’ve been looking for him.”

Max glared at Victoria. “We had Dag posted up the road just in case he came here. He spotted him and alerted us. How’d you know?”

Vic appeared to examine her shoes. “Jetta’s cell phone slipped from her purse in my car. It kept ringing so I thought it might be important. The man said he’d found out Jordan had been hospitalized and wanted to let her know he was missing.”

“Want to tell me about them?” Max pointed to the watchful shepherds who now stood by Vic. The larger dog bared its teeth with a low rumble in its throat.

Taking a step toward the dog, Max growled and the eerie sound shook the ground. Both dogs immediately flopped down at Vic’s feet. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag. You can stop with the cinnamon bullshit now.” He continued to gaze at her for a moment before he jerked around and walked away. He disappeared with Ren into the woods, Jordan dangling between them.

“Will you be all right?” Vic’s voice was soft, minus her normal mesmerizing energy.

“Will you?” Something unspoken had transpired between her friend and Max. “I’ll be fine. I need to be alone right now, but we need to talk. I trusted you, Victoria.”

“I know. Call me.” Vic’s voice had never held such sadness. She whistled and her brothers trotted off behind her.

* * *

Jetta stopped at the small stream and watched the crystal clear water bubble over the rocks, washing them clean.

She smelled Wade. Not strong or close by, but his delicious scent seemed to linger in the air. It was in his shirt and it shrouded her with a feeling of comfort, safeness. She sat down, and the scent grew stronger. He had been here. Had sat on this spot.

She hadn’t lied to him, and he hadn’t lied to her, they just hadn’t told each other everything. The same thing with her friend. Vic should have told her. Jetta would have run for the hills if she’d known what they all were. She bit back a hysterical bubble of laughter.

Finally, deciding what the hell, she let it out. Like a lunatic, she threw her head back and laughed loud and hard. Wrung out, she rubbed her aching jaw, and it spurred a vague memory. Jordan had smacked her by the car. She now remembered balling her keys in her hand, taking a swing at him and hitting the back of his head. Then she’d passed out.

The wine. Oh God, the bastard drugged me! Her thoughts drifted to Jordan lying on the ground bleeding and the fact that, for the first time in years. she hadn’t fainted at the sight of blood. That was because of Wade. He made her feel stronger, safer.

The idea of never seeing him again became agonizing. She buried her nose in her shoulder, breathed in his scent, and tears welled in her eyes. Damn, his aroma made her want him like crazy. But good Lord, he was some kind of screwed up science project. How in the hell could something like that happen?

Suddenly it didn’t matter. Jetta needed him. But could she get past what he was?

Standing, she grabbed her bundle of clothing and headed home. Finding Wade, talking to him, was all she could think about.

* * *

The path he wore in the rug was the same path being worn inside his churning stomach. His animal paced with him. Would she be able to accept every part of him? Belong to him totally?

Gravel crunched out front, sending his shepherd into a frenzy. They both waited to hear her voice. To know what Jetta wanted.

Walking through the doorway, she dropped a pile of clothing next to a chair and looked him square in the eye. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She appeared so vulnerable in his wrinkled shirt, he just wanted to take her in his arms and hold her. He knew better. They had to work this out, for better or worse. “What was I supposed to say? Oh, by the way, I’m a dog.” He flopped down in the nearest chair. A loud sigh slipped from his mouth. Gazing at her, he asked, “Why weren’t you afraid of your ex, what he might have done to you?”

“He was sick and dangerous, but I didn’t want him to die.” Jetta stood looking out the window.

“Is that why you stopped me, or was it something else?” He had to know.

“Wade, I stopped caring for him a long time ago. I don’t even hold what happened to me against him.” She turned and stabbed him with a look. “There have been men in my life, but none penetrated the wall I built.” Jetta squared her shoulders. “Somehow, you got through. But I don’t know if I can forget the pain an animal like you caused.”

“We are not that animal.”

“I saw what you… it did to him. Would it ever do that to me?”

He stood and went to her. “Never, not in a million years. We both need you to be whole.” He tilted her chin up. “Smell me, that’s your scent. We belong together, Jetta. He’d tear me apart before letting me ever touch anyone else. He’d emerge in an instant and guard you from anyone or anything that tried to harm you.” Moisture threatened his eyes, forcing him to face away. Shit, he couldn’t let her see that.

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

Anger boiled in his chest at the thought of losing her. “What the fuck do you want from me, baby?” He whipped around and grasped her arms. “Kiss it, make it all better? I can’t do that. You know what I am -- I’m not going to change.”

The pain smashed into his lungs like a hammer. Wade struggled with his clothes, removing them as fast as the pain allowed. The shepherd was ripping its way from his body and he couldn’t stop him. Fuck. It thought Wade had threatened Jetta.

Falling to his knees, he tried to restrain the animal, but it wasn’t going to happen. His shoulders hunched up, and the popping sound rang in his ears as they sprouted straight up. The dog’s snout pulled from his face, followed by hair racing over his torso and down his limbs. His body rapidly took on the black and brown fur. His large paws scraped at the floor until the animal was totally loose.

Jetta! She wouldn’t understand the beast’s desire to protect her.

She sucked at the air and stumbled back. Loose now, the animal pranced back and forth, seeking to ease her fear. The dog continued to move slowly in front of her. He had no control over the creature. Stopping suddenly, it peered up at her face. Her smell of fear was drifting away.

Jetta whispered, “He has your eyes.” Tentatively, she reached for the dog’s back. It turned so she could stroke him. Sweet Jesus, he wanted to feel her bury her hands in his fur, holding him. Accepting what he was. “Beautiful, soft,” she murmured. Her hand swept over his body. “You’ll guard me forever.”

Wade’s animal panted heavily, its tongue lolling out. He whined for more affection and got it. Jetta stroked his sides, down his chest, touching him so gently.

The shepherd turned and licked the palm of her injured hand, tasting her. It squealed in delight. Taking a few steps back, its head held high, a solemn howl lifted into the air, the sound bouncing from the walls.

Releasing Wade, the animal slowly pulled back into the man’s body. Naked, lying on the floor, he gasped, “You didn’t fear him.”

“He’s a part of who you are.” Jetta gazed at him with tears in her hazel eyes. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“He’ll never hurt you, I’d never hurt you.” He sat up.

Easing down onto the floor, she landed beside him with one hand resting on his thigh. “When you say I belong to you, what’s that mean exactly?” A deep sigh left her as her other hand’s fingers feathered over the scars on his back, touching him in a way no other woman had.

“We are a mated pair.” His voice cracked. “The dog won’t ever know another female; he’ll never let me touch another woman. Seems I’d better only touch you the way you want to be touched.”

A smile curved her lips. “You better not even raise your voice at me, babe.” Her fingers drew lazy circles around his belly button, driving him insane. When they moved to his nipples, Wade hissed.

His cock stuck out from between his legs. “I can raise something and it’s pointed right at you.” He had to be inside Jetta, to ease the pain of the creature that would die for her.

“Shepherd’s Watch didn’t know about Victoria. Why couldn’t you smell her?”

“She discovered a way to disguise what she is with cinnamon. The woman reeks of it.” He moved his fingers to her nipples and played with the stiff peaks. Her chest rose and fell rapidly under his hand. Ripping his shirt from her, he sailed it across the room.

Jetta leaned into him, took his nipple into her mouth and teased it with her tongue. “You taste as good as you smell.”

“I smell something that needs my attention right now.” He rose to his knees and pushed her back on the floor.

A deep chuckle slipped from her mouth. “Now I know why that tongue feels so good. You like licking things.”

Lifting and spreading her legs wide, Wade said, “Baby, all of me feels good. I’ll show you later. Right now, I want this.” He dipped his head between her legs and lapped at the swollen folds that were already wet with her desire. “Mmm.” Moving his hand down, he used two fingers to enter her while he sucked and played with her clit.

Jetta bucked under him, pushing her hips high, letting him have everything he wanted. His tongue found and nudged the spot that would help take her over the edge. “Uh, Wade.” He twisted his fingers inside her, touched the glorious spot that made her screech in delight. “Ooh!”

“Come for us, honey.”

She did. Her pussy clenched on his fingers, and she moaned as she came. Her orgasm slipped past his probing fingers and coated his tongue.

Through Wade, the shepherd tasted the only woman he’d enjoy for the rest of its life. “Damn, Jetta.” He groaned the words between licks. He didn’t stop tasting her until she sighed.

“Enough,” she said. Standing, he bent and pulled her to her feet. Lifting her, he carried her upstairs. Her head rested against his shoulder, her hazel eyes locked with his. “Tell me more about this mating thing.”

He dropped her in the center of the bed and stretched out beside her. “We just learned about it with Ren and Margy.” Stroking her belly, he came to the scars which he touched with reverence. The pain she must have endured still rocked him to the core. “The doc will be in town next week. We’ll learn much more.”

“Your brother seemed pretty angry at Vic. He won’t hurt her or her brothers, will he?”

“Brothers?”

“You didn’t see those two big ass shepherds with her?”

He must have run off before they showed up. That explained why the evasive animals he had chased a couple times were always in Vic’s neighborhood. “No.” Why did they smell like dogs? They didn’t have the same scent as the shepherds or Victoria’s odor of cinnamon.

“Max scared them.”

“He’s alpha.” Wade grinned. “I think he’s getting ready to get his comeuppance. Vic’s going to give him a merry chase.”

“You think they’re mates?”

“I think so.” How in hell did his brother stand not taking the woman?

“Good. He’ll never hurt her.” Jetta snuggled her butt into his crotch, and his cock came to life, bumping against her ass. “Goodness, I don’t know if I can take more.”

“You can take it, baby.” He nudged the tip into the crease, touching the puckered rosette hidden there.

“Mmm, does feel good.” There was still so much to learn about each other, things to talk about, but for now, Jetta accepted him.

His shepherd lay quiet and at peace. “This is just the beginning.”

J. Hali Steele

J. Hali Steele would much rather be roaming where her fictional big cats live -- in the high desert of California -- so would her four furfriends. She enjoys spending time with her sisters and friends who willingly listen to her ramblings about fantasies and the paranormal world of vamps, shifters and anything else that goes bump in the night. They are a captive audience, but she promises to untie them soon!

A multi-published author, J. Hali is a RWA PAN member, she belongs to its Passionate Ink and ESPAN chapters and she’s a member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. When she’s not writing, she can be found snuggled in front of the TV with a good book, a cat in her lap, and a cup of coffee.

For more information, you can visit her at www.jhalisteele.com. She blogs every Friday at www.paranormalromantics.blogspot.com and answers all emails at joannhali@yahoo.com

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