BirthMark (22 page)

“Yeah, I think a gratitude stone might be a nice gift for him. Thanks.”

.

<<<<<>>>>>

Jasmine entered the secure room and looked at the large glass in front of her wondering who was on the other side. Tyrone? Tyrese? Silas? Because of how personal this was, she knew it would be one of them. She bit back a smile, the twins had avoided her for the last two days, just sticking in their heads in the nursery to say hi and keep moving. It would be good to see them, check out their reactions to Davian being alive. Although he was no longer important in her life, he would always be their dad. And for the most part, he had been a decent father.

Butterflies raced in her stomach as a door from the other side opened and she released a pent up breath. She had no idea what she thought Davian’s mate would look like but it wasn’t the tall, redheaded, man who stood just as nervous near the door. Matthew wasn’t handsome, in fact Davian probably outshine the man whenever they were together. He offered her a hesitant smile and his whole face changed. His green eyes were cautious but they also lacked guile, the brackets around his mouth said he enjoyed a good laugh.

In a patented diva move she learned from her sister, she inclined her head. Not quite sure what she expected from this conversation, but committed to see it out.

“Matthew?”

“Yes, Jasmine?”

She took a seat at the table, interlocking her fingers together to hide her nervousness. He took the one across from her. They studied each other for a moment in silence. He was as tall as Davian, which had been a surprise. Maybe it was the pale skin and green eyes. Davian was very light skinned although he tanned quickly when he spent a lot of time in the sun.

“So you are Davian’s mate?”

He rubbed his chin. “Yes I am.”

She nodded.

“This is awkward. I mean every since La Patron told me you were here and might want to meet with me, I've practiced what I would say. I had a litany of reasons why Davie and I are together, why he faked his death, why he returned to you so many times before making the final break.” He paused and released a breath. “But…now, looking at you.” He shook his head. “You are beautiful. I understand why it was so hard for him to leave.”

She glanced at the Kelly green and white short-sleeved shirt and matching pants she wore and wondered if he were giving her a line.

“Hard for him to leave? He left quite often if you’ve been mated for eight years.”

He nodded. “You’re mated. You know how hard it is to deny your mate, and he did that for a few years because he was torn. He wanted to be with you and his sons, but the mating call pulled him in a different direction. There were times I thought he’d end it all for real.”

She didn’t want to hear how hard it was for Davian to leave her and the twins. “Davian is gay? How long has he known? Did he date other men while we were married?”

Matthew frowned. “Neither one of us is gay. We’re mated and that’s not a gender thing. No one was more surprised than me when he walked into the hospital where I was working at in Iraq. I was dating one of the nurses at the time, and I really liked her. A lot.” He chuckled and something eased inside her.

“The only man I’ve ever been attracted to is my mate. He never cheated on you, with a man or woman. He’s not that kind of man. This mating thing…” he raked his hand through his hair. “The only way to understand the intensity of it is to experience it. I don’t think anyone can truly explain the joy of being irrevocably connected to another person at a cellular level. It is mind boggling.”

Jasmine thought of Silas and had to agree with him on that point. She leaned forward, elbow on the table and held her the side of her face in her palm. “I hate him, you know.”

He released a breath. “I know.”

“He should’ve divorced me.”

Matthew nodded. “You’re right.”

“That was a high-handed move. He left me at home while he spent time with you.”

His face twisted in a grimace of distaste. “Huh, he should’ve stayed at home. He only sat around feeling guilty when he was with me.”

“We didn’t have sex the last few years.”

“Honey, he couldn’t get it up for anyone but his mate, that’s physiology. But I wasn’t getting any real sex either.” He looked at his hand, opened and closed it a few times and then winked at her.

She laughed. She couldn’t help it. Matthew was a likable guy.

“Seriously. I got no real loving until after his death. Then, well let’s just say it’s all good.”

“Good?” She shook her head wondering if he had low standards, because Davian had never been that good of a lover. Especially after being with Silas, her ex didn’t even rate.

“Most definitely.” He paused and leaned back watching her. “Can I tell you something? I mean I know we’re being watched, I was warned within an inch of my life to remain respectful and not to upset you.”

She wasn’t surprised. “What do you want to tell me?”

“He was scared of you. Davie.”

That surprised her. “Why?”

“You’re human. He’s a big man, in many ways. He was always afraid he would hurt you. But if you’re mated with La Patron, you could’ve taken anything he could’ve thrown at you. I’m glad for all of our sakes he didn’t know.”

Jasmine wondered if Matt knew she was a human breeder. “You’re right. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I was actually happy with Davian and he left me for you,” she said in a sarcastic tone.

“What if by some twist of fate, you were happy with Davian and then you met La Patron? Huh? What if he realized you were his mate? That would be a disaster of gigantic proportions.”

That was unimaginable
. “He would have brushed me off as some human,” she said dismissively to see if he knew anything about breeders.

“La Patron is a wise man. Telling you about Davian was a hard decision for him. The man was torn. I offered to leave and take Davian with me, to keep the lie in place. To keep you blissfully unaware. But he refused. Said he could not lie to you and the lies needed to stop. He made that decision knowing it would cause problems between the two of you. Not that he admitted that, but if I were you, I’d be mad as hell.”

She tipped her head in acknowledgment but remained quiet. It wasn’t often she heard this side of Silas’ decisions.

“He warned me that you might want to talk to me or Davian, and when I asked him to keep you away, he refused. He said you had access to any room in this place; no one could lock you out of anything, or something similar. I was impressed and then scared to my toes when he said you were his mate. So… that was my rather long-winded way of saying, La Patron might have fought the bond for a while, maybe even tried to respect Davian’s human claim as your husband. But at the end of the day, you would be right where you are, a woman who is loved by her mate and sons.”

Touched, Jasmine swallowed hard and tried to smile. “Thanks.”

He nodded.

“I’m still going to kill him, though.”

Matthew laughed. “Oh please don’t do that, I’ve just about got him trained just the way I need him.”

Heart lifting, she smiled. “Okay, I won’t kill him.”

“Thank you. You are as kind as you are beautiful.”

She sobered. “But I am going to talk with him, for closure.”

He nodded. “I understand. Plus, he heals super fast so feel free to slap him around a bit, just nothing permanent please.”

Jasmine laughed. “I’ll try and restrain myself.” She paused. “What do you know about the breeders?”

“Not much, I’ve just started including them in my research. It’s been hard getting the half-breeds to say who the women are. From what little I’ve gathered, they are unique beings. It’s as though someone spliced the best of the wolf and human and came up with the breeders. It’s fascinating research.” His eyes were lit with an almost fanatical glow.

“We have a breeder locked up. The one with the bomb is also a breeder.”

“Was.”

“Huh?”

“She died when they removed the bomb. It was connected to her heart.”

“Oh.” Jasmine didn’t know how she felt about that. Julie was the one she normally talked to. She had just recently met Siseria in the caves.

“Good news is, they’ve discovered a way to identify the bomb and nullify the detonation.”

“Okay.” He talked fast when he was excited and it took a moment for her to understand him. “That’s good. What about the wolf?” Seems like a lot had gotten done the two days she had been on lock down.

He smiled. “That was my baby. The reason that wolf was impacted by the shot was because the fool hardly ever shifted. So the wolf was weak and timid to begin with. The shot was a simple compound that I was able to recreate in the lab. If La Patron hadn’t discovered the sick wolf, it would’ve gotten worse.”

“Would that have killed the man?”

“I don’t know…we caught it in time and I prepared an antidote. The wolf is getting stronger, and eating again. But I am going to petition La Patron to allow me to study some of the deceased shifters to see if there is a possible connection.”

She nodded, knowing Silas would welcome the assistance. “Does the virus only attack half-breeds?”

“No, I don’t think so. From my findings it amplifies whatever is already in place. So if the wolf is weak, he becomes weaker.”

Jasmine tapped the table. “But if a healthy wolf gets a shot of this, he gets…what? Stronger?”

“Yes, I believe that’s what happens. I have only tested the formula on three people and they all said they were stronger, faster, and their reflexes were quicker.”

“Sounds like steroids.”

He frowned. “That’s the problem with dabbling with chemical enhancements; you don’t know the long lasting consequences until someone uses the drug for a long time. By then all you can do is record the results, it’s too late to do much else.”

“So what happens now? With the wolf?”

“I’ll watch him a little longer, but he should be fine.”

That wasn’t what she was asking but realized he had no idea who the wolf was or why he was there in the first place. She sent Silas a message.
“I want to talk to Davian.”

“
Jasmine…”

“
Either you can bring him here or I’ll find a way to meet him in town. Your choice.”

“
I have sent someone to retrieve him, but…you cannot meet with him alone. You cannot touch him. He cannot touch you. My wolf would not allow it.”

She heard the regret in his voice and melted. Glancing at Matthew, she stood. “It was nice to meet you and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around. Thanks for talking with me.”

His eyes widened and then he smiled brilliantly. “The pleasure was mine. Thank you for not hurting me.” He grinned as he stood and left the room.

She walked out the opposite door, glanced at security, then headed for her wing. “
Silas
,” she whispered through their link.

“
Jasmine?”

“
I understand and I won’t meet with him alone. But this conversation is for closure. He’s the father of my sons. I thought he was dead and I never had a chance to say goodbye.”

“
I am asking you to say goodbye without touching him or he will be dead. It will be difficult for my wolf to allow your former lover anywhere near you, let alone touch you. Please tell me you understand.”

When he put it that way, there wasn’t much to say. “
Okay
.” She hesitated.
“I love you, you stubborn, pigheaded man. I will always love you, but you hurt me and I cannot live like that. We have to be partners or this will not work.”

“
We are partners, we are one. You are in me and I am in you.”

She realized he didn’t fully understand and decided to wait so she could explain clearly.
“Let me know when Davian is here.”

“
You forgive me?”
His voice held too much hope and longing in it for her to ignore.

“
I’m working on it.”
She disconnected and headed for the nursery.

<<<<<>>>>>

Silas turned from the huge blond wolf sitting shackled to the chair and smiled. His heart leapt joyously. He wished he was done with the interrogations of the rebels so he could go see his mate. He missed her smile, touching her face, and holding her close. The past two nights, he’d stayed in his office unable to rest. He missed her warmth. His need to be close had driven him to the door of their suite many times. But he was determined to prove to her he would honor her wishes no matter what it cost him. Most of all he wanted, no needed, her to see him as she had the night before everything went to hell.

He glanced at the camera in the corner ceiling. There was one just like that one in each rebel's holding room, where they watched their comrades on a monitor while awaiting their turn with La Patron. He'd started with Leonidas since he was the biggest and more importantly, Silas needed to release some pent-up frustration. Once he rifled through the rebel’s mind, he relayed the information to Tyrese, who verified the data, which gave Silas time to slap the large wolf around.