By the time she reached Rafe, her breath sawed past her lips. Rafe closed his hand around hers and pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her ear over his heart. It didn’t race. The beat was steady and strong. Hers slowed to match it, and each of his caresses over her messy hair relaxed her tense muscles.
“Where are the kids?”
“In the house with Josh and Kade.”
She nodded, then tightened her grip on him. “Do not make me do that again.”
“I won’t, but it was necessary to show them that not only do I own you, you’ve accepted me.”
She leaned back to look into his eyes. He couldn’t have actually said that. Could he have? “Own me?”
He traced the column of her neck—the same spot that had tingled after they’d had sex the previous night. “I’ve claimed you as mine. My scent is a part of you.”
He’d claimed her? Like his favorite toy?
“The term is ‘beloved human’,” the kilt-wearing man said. “It’s an honor, little female. It means Rafe will always watch over you. Care for you. It’s a title few humans hold, and you should be proud to be his.”
“Proud?” She glared at the brown-eyed shifter. “He’s my lover, not my owner. Not my boyfriend. Not my anything.”
The words pierced her heart. They were lies. Rafe had become a huge part of her life in the short time she’d known him, but no way did she want to be owned. Even if part of her liked being commanded by him.
The guy bent closer. “Do not dishonor my friend with your ignorant complaints. You might know about shifters, but you don’t know our customs. And you don’t know how special you are to Rafe. Bite your tongue until you get to talk to him more about what his claim actually means.”
He was right. She didn’t know about shifters, not really. She exhaled slowly and focused on his words. Beloved human. It didn’t sound offensive. In fact, it did make her feel special, and if Rafe would always watch over her, he’d be close. A part of her life. She wanted that. She simply didn’t want him to rule it. In bed, sure. He could command her sexually all he wanted. It was everywhere else she refused to give up complete control.
She focused on Rafe’s face. “Okay, talk. What does being your beloved human actually mean?”
Rafe didn’t answer her. He took her hand and faced the man next to him. “Watch your tongue, Xander. Jazz will learn about our culture from me, not you.”
Xander inclined his head, but she caught his warning look. She had a feeling the man didn’t take orders well and planned to say what he wanted to her when Rafe wasn’t around. She made a mental note to avoid him. His focused glare wasn’t appreciative like the other men. His held animosity.
She glanced at Rafe to see if he noticed the hard look, but his attention was on Mira. Or maybe he was watching Josh who was headed in her direction. Either way, Rafe’s tense muscles set Jazz on edge.
Rafe’s other brothers turned to watch him too. Josh didn’t meet anybody’s intense stare. His gaze was locked on Mira, and he closed the distance between them with determined strides. Or maybe he had noticed the shifters watching him and didn’t care. That was more like Josh. She’d seen him wade into fights at the bar without worrying about getting hurt. He liked to start them too.
Rafe’s brothers blocked Josh’s approach. A head taller than Josh’s six-foot-one frame, they were huge and chilling with their pale complexions and braided white-blond hair. Tattoos and skull T-shirts completed the look.
“Rafe?”
“I see.” He sighed and led her forward.
Mira glanced between Josh and Rafe’s brothers. A small smile played on her lips. She might be amused by the male posturing, but Jazz wasn’t.
“Back off.” Rafe released Jazz and stepped closer to his brothers. “The human isn’t a threat to Mira.”
The man closest to Jazz pushed his sunglasses up, and her breath caught. Pale-blue eyes, cold and emotionless, focused on Josh.
“He’s male. Devin’s orders were specific. Xander is the only man from outside our family that’s allowed to talk to Mira.”
“Why?” Jazz asked him.
“Because Devin is her guardian and makes the rules.”
“Guardian?” She looked to Rafe for an explanation. If it involved Devin “owning” Mira, Jazz was going to have a serious problem with shifter culture.
“Our women are precious, but there are many who see them as”—Rafe met Mira’s gaze—“breeders. As Mira’s guardian, Devin has vowed to make sure she’s not forced into a bond. His way of doing that is to keep all men away from her until he determines if they’re a threat.”
“Forced? As in…” Jazz couldn’t say it. Rafe was taking about rape.
Rafe nodded. “A bond lasts for life too.”
“That’s…” Jazz cringed. “That’s barbaric.”
“I know.” Rafe stroked his fingers down her arm in a soothing caress, then faced his brothers. “Let it go. Mira is here to help with the kids, and Megan is Josh’s child…for now.”
“What do you mean?” Josh asked Rafe. “I’m not giving up my rights. Tony had a will listing me as her guardian.”
“Tony didn’t have the right to do so. Megan’s adoption wasn’t legal.”
“Not legal? Tony paid those lawyers an ungodly amount of money to adopt her.”
“I’m sure he did, but her shifter parents wouldn’t have given her up willingly. Most likely, Megan was stolen.”
“We were told they’d died in a car accident.”
Rafe shrugged. “Maybe they had, but if not, she belongs with her parents.”
Josh glanced toward the house. “I’ll be allowed to see her?”
“That’d be up to them, but I can’t imagine why not.” Rafe faced her, putting an end to the discussion. “I am going to shift and explore. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find Jon. While I’m gone, Xander and my brothers will protect you and the kids.”
She glanced over her shoulder
