Freakn' Shifters Bundle (3-in-1) (69 page)

“Liar. She wouldn’t leave you.”

Sheng shrugged. “She found her mate. You should know by now the mating bond isn’t one we can fight for long.”

“Ah yes, the infamous mating fever. Funny you should mention that. Imagine my surprise when I met up with the officer who tipped me to your whereabouts. It seems we missed you by only moments. A she-wolf, though? I’m surprised at you, Sheng. Tainting your blood line like that.”

Ice water ran through his veins and Sheng fought not to shiver and give away how Kaleb’s words affected him. His cat didn’t like the implied threat to their mate at all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really? So, she’s not your mate then?”

“She’s not even my type,” Sheng lied and hoped he did it well. No denying, he’d gone through a radical change in the last week. According to his mind and body, only short, curvy and mouthy would do. But he couldn’t let Kaleb know that. Couldn’t admit to anything that might jeopardize Gina further.

“Well, in that case then, you won’t mind if I give her to my boys. She put up quite the fight and they’re eager for retribution. And they’re horny. I just hope they don’t damage her too much. I have clients who like a girl with spirit.”

“Don’t you dare.” Sheng growled before he could stop himself.

An arched brow accompanied Kaleb’s, “I thought you didn’t care?”

“The deal was me for her. It has nothing to do with caring or not. I wouldn’t leave anyone in your sick clutches.”

Kaleb shook his head. “Liar. You care for the she-wolf, else you’d have no problem sacrificing her to save yourself and your sister. Enough talk. Get in the cage.” He pointed towards an open silver cage, the bottom lined in plastic.

“Let her go, first.”

“I think not. Since you didn’t bring me your sister, I’m going to need some extra female bodies to use as incubators. Congratulations, my precious cat, you are going to get to play stud. Even if all the babes you father don’t’ come out clouded leopards, I can still sell the extras. It’s amazing what people will pay for genuine shifters.”

“No.”

“As if you have a choice. Grab him.”

Sheng struggled against the hands reaching out to snag him, but not too hard. He needed on the plane, close to Gina so he could save her. Forget implementing the defense and offensive moves he’d learned over the years. He kicked and thrashed as ineptly as possible without giving away the fact he wanted to get caught.

Moments later, he ended up tossed into a cage. He winced as he hit the bars, the silver burning his exposed skin before he rolled away to the center, away from the poisonous metal. Kryptonite for superman, silver for shifters. Every hero owned a weakness. His sat in the cage alongside his shaking her head.

“Jack?” Gina, a little bit bruised, but none the worse for wear, stood. She wore a t-shirt and shorts that didn’t cover enough. The exposed skin displayed splotches of color, a visual map of her resistance, and fuel for his simmering rage. No one could say she lacked courage. But it pissed him off she’d needed to defend herself in the first place.

Gina approached the bars of her cage but refrained from touching them as she stared at him. “What are you doing here?”

A wan smile curved his lips. “I was making an attempt at chivalry and thought I’d trade myself for you.”

Despite her situation, she met him with an answering grin. Did she not own an ounce of common sense?

“I don’t think it worked.”

“I hadn’t noticed. Are you okay?” He drank her in, noting the burns that spoke of her attempts to free herself from the silver prison. “I’ve been better. So what’s the plan?”

Conscious of the watching eyes and listening ears, Sheng sighed loudly. “The plan failed. Kaleb was supposed to trade you for me, but he lied. But don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.”

“Bullshit. You are too methodical to not have a backup plan B.”

Sheng noted the empty cargo space, but still didn’t trust it. He gave her a hint. “Eyes and ears.”

“And mouth and toes. Why are we singing a kid’s body part song?”

Thankfully, he didn’t have to answer what seemed obvious to him.

A howl rose up outside the plane, the ululation of dozens of wolves. The cavalry implementing part two of their plot.

Kaleb bolted back in to the plane, his two goons following more slowly and taking up position at the foot of the ramp.

“Shit. The fucking cat didn’t come alone. Close the bay door and get this piece of metal into the air,” Kaleb yelled.

“Aren’t you going to do something?” Gina hissed as motors whirred to life.

Sheng didn’t reply, watching instead as Kaleb grabbed a rifle and primed it, but didn’t use it. The door to the plane shut, minus one of the gorilla mercs, cutting off the sounds of snarls, but not quite muffling the distinct cracks of guns going off. Gina’s face turned ashen, her usual spirit cowed at the violence erupting outside the plane.

Ignoring the sizzle of pain as he slid his arm through the bars, Sheng reached for her, and to his relief, she gripped his hand, squeezing his fingers tight.

“Please tell me everything will be alright,’ she whispered.

“I can’t because I made a promise. No more lies.”

“Since when?”

“Since I left you after acting like a jerk because you caught on to me. From now on, I’m going to give you nothing but the truth.”

“Seriously? You couldn’t have decided that days ago, before I began looking into you? Or last night, when you ran off without explanation?”

“About that, I’m really sorry. Patricia called and said my sister was in danger and –”

“Whoa. Back up. Sister? Aha. I knew it. You are Sheng and Jiao, not Jack and Jill, husband and wife.”

Still clasping her hand tight, despite the burns on his forearm from the bars, he told her the story, from his capture with his parents, to their deaths, to the escape and their years of hiding.

“I’m so sorry,” Gina whispered when he was done. “If I’d have known, I would have never done a search.”

“Not your fault. My sister made a very valid point about my paranoia and instinct to act standoffish brought us more attention. If anyone is to blame it’s me. I put the target on us by refusing to blend in and make friends.”

“You’re right. It is your fault. So fix it.”

“I intend to.” He lowered his voice, not worried as much anymore about anyone listening because of the noisy vibrations all around them. Gina needed something to keep her mind occupied, and guess who had the perfect distraction for her? “Just so you know, once we get out of this mess, I’m claiming you.”

Tearing her fingers from his, she took a step back. “Excuse me?”

“We’re mates. Hence, I am going to claim you.”

“Gee, how romantic. Especially the part where you asked me. No.” Eyes flashing, she crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant – but very cute – pose.

“No?”

“You heard me, no. I want a man who thinks of me as an equal. That man isn’t you. I’ve heard your theories on women.”

“Backed by science and brute strength tests.”

“Oh, you’re incredible.”

“And smart,” he added smugly.

“Definitely not modest.”

“Why, when I have nothing to be modest about?”

Such a subtle, yet blatant reminder of his cock and her enjoyment of it, and oh, she reacted beautifully. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes smoldered and her lips rounded into a beautiful ‘O’ perfect for…

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You have a boner!”

An unfortunate aspect to the life of a shifter: nakedness, because clothes were such fragile, easily lost items. Rule number five in the guy shifter hand book, though? Unless you can do something about it, pretend you don’t see the erect evidence. Ignoring his wildly inappropriate hard on – her fault, she turned him on after all in the first place – he forged ahead.

“There is nothing wrong with a virile male showing appreciation of a pleasing female form in the most visible compliment available.”

“Pussycat, you ever get a hard on for another woman in front of me, and you’ll sing soprano in a girls voice.”

“Jealousy. It is the sign of a true mating.” He said the words in his best wise sage voice – the one atop the mountain, smoking a pipe, cross legged with a beard down to his knees.

“Would you stop that?”

“Stop what?”

An inarticulate snarl came from her before she gave him her back. Sheng stifled a grin. How utterly amazing. Here he was, stuck in a cage, his mate also a prisoner, on a plane to who knew where, and yet, he smiled. Not a cold smile, or a wry one, but a genuine, happy in the moment smile.

Now, a person could argue that his misplaced humor, during such grave circumstances, emerged because of his need to protect his mate. A need to prevent her fear. But given their situation, caged in a metal bird, a few thousand feet in the air thing, yeah, he needed something better than, ‘Don’t worry, I got this.’ Come on, a daring escape attempt with her under the current conditions was on par to racing on foot in front of a tornado. Doable, but with a highly unlikely survival rate. Escape was out until they hit solid ground.

But he couldn’t let her panic, or cry. He hated it when his sister cried and suspected he’d hate it even more with Gina. Not that she appeared anywhere close to crying. Nope, she ignored him and studied the wall of her cage.

A part of him felt kind of bad he couldn’t say anything. Yet he was also loathe to reveal too much in case Kaleb or his men possibly eavesdropped.

Still, though, making a joke, and about mating – which he took very seriously – had he completely lost his mind?

Yes he had, and it felt great. He’d spent so long in his serious shell, mistrusting the world, not letting people get close. It hadn’t done him an ounce of good. Miserable wasn’t how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Funny how a change in scenery and a chance encounter could change a man so drastically so fast. However, meeting Gina didn’t cause the entire reversal of his previously held notions. He’d realized a lot of things recently as his sister questioned his true motives behind his paranoia. Honesty within himself oozed forth to shock him.

I’m scared.

Before his capture by Kaleb, the first time when he was still just a boy, Sheng remembered the happy times. The smiles and laughter. The love of his family. Then, in one fell swoop, his bright and shining world was ripped away. He survived. He protected his family best he could. He failed with his parents and escaped with his sister. However, his one victory didn’t appease the fear or bring back those happy days, a past where he didn’t constantly look over his shoulder. 
I fear.
Jiao hit it square in the head when she questioned his reasons for hiding. Forced him to see.

To compound his already fragile mindset readjustment, he met a certain she-wolf determined to get under his kin. Happiness beckoned, but required him to find the courage to grasp it.

But what if I lose it again? What if I can’t keep Gina safe? If I fail…

So many doubts. Time to stop let fear make his choices. Time to live life, instead of envying it. Time to claim his mate and a chance for happiness.

Gina might fight him now, but she didn’t stand a chance.
I want her in my life.
Even if she drove him nuts, he’d have to make sure not to claw the furniture. Gina did, after all, own a gun. He could see plenty of fireworks and head butting, but at least life would never lack action. And if lucky, he’d get to live in love.

Stupid freakn’ silver cage. Too small for her to pace properly, too silvery for her to touch, Gina couldn’t properly vent her frustration by wearing a groove or hitting something. A sane person would have blamed her dilemma on the situation – kidnapped and flown to God knew where – but no. Gina didn’t doubt her family would come to the rescue. They wouldn’t rest until she was found, so if she just sat back and kept herself from getting killed, they’d spring her at some point.

No, her problem napped in the cage beside her. Lying on his back with his knees drawn up and his hands crossed over his naked stomach – taut and defined with washboard abs she’d licked less than a day ago – Sheng slept.  How could he sleep? Especially after telling her he intended to claim her ass as his mate – and sporting a very complimentary boner. The things she could do – and had done – with that perfect dick…

Stop. She couldn’t think that way. He’d smell her desire for sure then. Back to the reason for her annoyance.
I’m his mate, or so he says.

Not likely. Sure, he pushed every single one of her buttons and made her orgasm like nobody’s business – more than once, all three times they’d screwed – it didn’t mean she’d tie herself to a guy who thought women were inferior to men. He’d made his beliefs clear.

I could show him differently.

If she cared. Let someone else teach the jerk that women were just as, if not more than, capable of taking care of themselves. So long as the person who taught him wasn’t a woman.
Ours
, her wolf snarled. Ours indeed. If the idea of him with another woman made her want to neuter something, then something big was afoot.