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Jasmine
I TUCK a bottle of wine and an opener in my picnic basket, along with our lunch and climb in the bus to meet Tom at his place. It’s our last afternoon in Taos before we head to Phoenix with the refugees, and I intend to make the most of it.
I’ve been ignoring the little niggles of anxiety that have been running through me as our end draws ever closer.
I don’t want to think about it. Don’t want to give him up. Being with Tom feels too good.
Too right.
And every time I’m with him, his auric field turns pink.
He loves me.
He hasn’t said it, but it’s clear.
And I feel the same way.
I find him sitting outside his place, waiting for me. He surges to his feet as soon as I pull up.
“Hey, big man,” I call as I jump out and hoist the picnic basket.
“What’s this?” He takes it from me. I didn’t tell him our plans, just that I wanted to
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Burning in your Love Tom
WE MEET the charter bus and the shifter refugees the next morning in a dirt parking lot at the juncture of three highways. The black wolf pack show up in two Humvees and Deke’s Mercedes G63. Whatever their jobs really are or were, they have plenty of money.The refugees climb out of the vehicles. Even though they’ve been free for six weeks now, they still wear shell-shocked, wary expressions. I catch their strange, mixed scents—a jumble of animals, nothing that makes sense. It’s just like the misfit shifters from California. Alpha Green asked those three to come up to Wolf Ridge and meet the bus, so these new refugees will have shifter’s who have been through what they have to advocate for them and help build trust.“We’re going to provide escort to Arizona,” Rafe tells me. “Make sure you arrive safe.” I shake his hand. “Thank you.”A young female walks up with a baby bunny cup
Burning in your Love Jasmine
THE DRIVE from Taos to Phoenix is hot. Mountains melt into desert and the air outside grows increasingly more stifling. We pass through Navajo land. I keep catching myself gnawing my lip.It’ll be fine. I release my chokehold on the steering wheel. I’m just meeting Tom’ entire pack.No biggie.But by the time we pull into the parking lot of Wolf Ridge Rec Center, the concrete in my stomach has settled in to stay. Calm down. I jump out of my bus to assist my new shifter friends.Fiona is already off the bus, a pitifully small bag slung over her shoulder. These shifters had nothing. Not even clothes to wear, if Fiona’s makeshift outfit is anything to go by. She looks like she cut up a big man’s t-shirt and a pair of running shorts to fit her. That’s right, focus on helping.When Rey steps off the bus, she stumbles. A lanky male c
Burning in your Love Tom
2 months later…“Ten minutes Tom. Let’s go,” my leader, shouted down the hall. “Briefing on the plane.”That about summed up my life. One mission to the next. After a while, they all just blurred together. I’ve been with Force since its creation five years ago. My wolf had leader traits, but I was no leader. I’d turned down the job when it was originally offered to lead Pack’s first special ops team. There were now six teams, but mine had remained the highest ranked, the most elite, Great team.You’d think the top dogs should be called Leader, but not around here. In Pack, there was only one Leader, john . He was a good man and a great leader. He’d been disappointed with my initial decision, but the moment we both met the grumpy old gorilla shifter, alex Granger, we both knew I’d made the right decision.alex was a character all of his own. He had been the leader of a powerful band of
Burning in your Love Jasmine
“Tylea, you look stunning,” Cbuttandra said as I twirled around for her final approval of the blue dress I had worn for the audition. It had been specifically requested by Ramirez that I return wearing it for the reception. I was in. My plan was formulated, and I was ready to complete this mission once and for all. I’d be in and out before they knew what was happening, and nothing was going to get in my way.The reception was every bit as opulent as I had come to expect from Carlos, and there were beautiful women everywhere, but I was the lucky one that he had chosen to wear on his arm for the night. That put a slight damper on my evening plans, but I would work with what I’d been handed.Carlos looked at me quizzically once or twice at the start of the evening. “Are you certain we’ve never met before?” he asked. “I never forget a face, or the eyes.”I just shrugged and giggled appropriately. As Tyler, he had c
Burning in your Love Tom
I thought I had prepared for every situation imaginable. I had carefully gone through every scenario, except the one that lands me face to face with my one true mate. The way Ramirez had spoken to her and then dismissed her made me want to rip his throat out. I was distracted and wanted to follow her when she left, but I couldn’t find an excuse to leave.Fortunately, Carlos moved on after only a few minutes. I had clearly pbutted his buttessment.“Please enjoy the party, Mendoza,” he had said before moving on. “You’re in,” Painter said through the tiny earpiece we used forcommunication. “Good job, Juan.”I knew I had a mission to complete, and I was torn on what to do. Stay with the mission or follow my mate. I found myself gravitating towards the door I’d seen her leave through. I felt like a moth drawn to a light and I couldn’t stop myself.“Looks like you have company, my man,” T
Burning in your Love Jasmine
I was furious that they took my bag. My life was in that bag and something told me that my hidden compartments weren’t going to fool these people one bit. Who were they?I was trying not to freak out. I didn’t know who Juan Mendoza was, but the others called him Tom, so I had already pieced together the fact that I wasn’t the only one undercover in disguise. At first, I nearly smiled as the one guy asked if there was such a thing as gay mates. I didn’t know one way or another, but the way Juan, Tom, whatever his name was had been acting, you’d think these idiots would have realized I was female. But who knew, maybe it could happen and I’d just not heard of such a thing before.Things weren’t so funny though when they mentioned O’Connell. I didn’t know who I was dealing with here, but it was obvious they were shifters. From their smells, they didn’t all smell like wolfs though. It was screwing with my head and I di
Burning in your Love Tom
I didn’t want to concede, but john’s power was too strong. I was pissed that they’d brought john in on this, but when I settled down and thought about it, I probably couldn’t argue the need for it.As far as my wolf was concerned, my team was a threat to my mate. I could acknowledge the fact that I put her in that situation, but that only made my wolf all the more protective trying to make up for it.“Don’t john,” I warned him as I stood up before them fully naked before my mate.Her scent of arousal spiked in the room and ben smirked. “Yup, definitely a she-wolf.”I growled even though I was no longer in my fur and still maintained my ground to cover and protect her. I could feel the aggression rising within me again.john smacked ben. “Idiot.” Then he addressed my mate. “Look, I’m sorry, I don’t know what to call you, but Tom’s mate, I need you to please touch him
Burning in your Love Jasmine
I couldn’t believe I’d landed myself in this mess. I wasn’t even sure what exactly I’d gotten myself into. I was thankful I had cleared out the van thoroughly before this final push. I had planned on leaving the country anyway, just not quite like this.Tom seemed to be calming down now. He was thinking rationally again. I think it was easier when he was acting all feral and unable to communicate beyond “leave her alone”.john seemed very laid back, but young for an Leader. From what I remembered, Pack was one of the biggest, too.“You sound like you’re speaking from experience, but you’re too young for that,” I buttessed.Tom smiled at me. “There were extenuating circumstances, but he fully bonded with his mate quickly. Kelsey’s pretty badbutt and the best Pack Mother in history,” Tom told me proudly.“What sort of extenuating circumstances?” I asked.“It&
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