He parted his mouth slightly on an inhale.
She stormed closer to him. “You don’t need to scent my emotions. I’m angry. That shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.”
“Why? Because Jon is likely baiting me?” He nodded as if he’d pinpointed the trigger for her bad mood. “I told you—”
“Exactly. You told me.” Her skin warmed. Her pulse sped. She fisted her hands to hide the slight tremble in them. “Don’t my concerns matter? I thought you said nothing was more important than me? Well, I have a problem with you running off on a vigilante hunt!”
“Of course your opinion matters.” He opened his arms to her. “I’m sorry.”
She stepped into his embrace. “Then listen to me when I tell you that you’re letting your cats’ primitive drives influence you.”
“Now you’re telling me.” Rafe raised a brow. “Are you sure you’re not the one looking for reasons to get what you want?”
Jazz glanced away. That was exactly what she was doing, but she had a good reason.
Didn’t she?
She worried her lip. Maybe Rafe had a point, but it didn’t change anything. He was being stubborn. He too was safer staying at the house. What if something horrible happened? What if he lost his head?
“Mate me now,” she blurted.
He blinked at her but didn’t say anything.
“Do you think Jazz is strong enough to be a shifter’s mate?” Xander’s question echoed within her.
She grasped Rafe’s hand. “Or did you change your mind?”
“I didn’t change my mind. You’re my true mate. I want to spend my eternity with you. This world and the next.”
“And that’s how I feel. If the unthinkable happens and you’re killed, I don’t want to lose my chance to be with you, even if it means I have to spend it with you in heaven.”
He kissed her hard, and they explored each other—give and take. She poured her feelings into the raw kiss, showing him how much she loved him. He finally pulled back, leaving her panting and hungry for more.
“You are amazing, my Jasmine, but you’re worrying over nothing. I’m a Royal. Strong. Jon is nothing to me. He can’t hurt me.”
“And I’m strong too. Strong enough to be a shifter’s mate. And I will make it through the mating. I can handle a little pain if it means getting to love you for eternity, even if you are the most stubborn man I’ve ever known.” She tugged at her shirt, exposing her shoulder. “Just do it quick. Bite me, then go after Jon.”
He studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “I can’t. I won’t be able to leave your side while your body recovers from death. You’ll need my strength and my comfort to deal with the pain. It’ll be days until the bond is complete and you’re healthy again.”
Her chest squeezed tight. “Death? What are you talking about?”
“I had planned to sit you down after this situation with Jon was over and explain everything to you.” Rafe rubbed at his eyes. “But it’s obvious that was the wrong choice. You overheard Xander talking to me, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” The word came out as a squeak.
“I didn’t think you were close enough.”
“Well, I was.” She raised her chin. “Now explain it to me.”
“In order for me to share my immortality with you, we must soul-bond. That means after I tie our souls, I’ll need to tie my cats’ souls to you. The only way to do that is to join us while your body is at its weakest so you are less likely to fight me.”
“Why would I fight you? If I’m committing to you, I’ll welcome your claim.”
“No matter how much you love me or want to stay with me, you’ll instinctively resist. Your trust in me is what will ensure our bond is successful. The process is”—he cracked his jaw—“painful. It’s also frightening for humans. I will be taking a piece of your soul and so will my animals. I will know you. Every intimate detail. Your memories. Your weaknesses. Your fears. I will experience it all. So will my cats.”
“And if you don’t like what you see?”
“I will. You are a beautiful, loving person. Strong and brave. Worthy. I’m lucky to have found you.” His words rushed out.
She narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t letting this go. “And if your cats don’t like what they see?”
He stared at her for a long moment, then rolled his shoulders. “They will. They—”
“And if your cats don’t like what they see?”
He grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged it hard. “Don’t make me say it.”
“Don’t make me ask again.”
“Any one of them can refuse you. They are individual entities with free will. I can’t force them to accept you, but they will. You’re our true mate. I don’t doubt them. If I did, I wouldn’t have even brought up the subject of mating.”
“And if one of them refuses me, I die. For good. That’s what you’re telling me.”
“Yes. If I had been born a single shifter, it wouldn’t be so traumatic. I wouldn’t have to…” He balled his fists. “I wouldn’t have to inflict a death wound in order to mate you.”
When he said it like that, the idea of mating lost its romantic appeal. She reached for the wall to brace her suddenly shaky legs. Rafe got to her first. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her close. “This isn’t how I planned our conversation about mating to go.”
“And when exactly were you going to share that little detail?”
“After I knew for certain that you not only love me but would trust me with your life. Why do you think I’m so anxious to get rid of Jon? Yes, it’s because I want him to pay for his crimes, but I also want him out of the picture so that I can earn your trust. I guess I also want”—he sighed, and his warm breath stirred her hair—“to prove to myself that I can protect you. Knowing first Josh and then Devin protected
