Jagers Mate

Chapter Eleven

Jager and Daylen had just gotten out of the shower in the en suite when someone knocked on his bedroom door. Quickly wrapping a towel around his waist, Jager went to answer it while Daylen stayed in the bathroom.

He cracked open the door to find Dirk on the other side with his cell phone held against his chest. “Daylen’s detective friend is on my cell. I figured she’d want to talk to him.”

At the sound of footsteps coming up behind him, Jager looked over his shoulder and saw Daylen with a towel wrapped around her body walking toward him. When she reached his side, she said to Dirk, “I’ll talk to Ted.”

Dirk passed Daylen his cell phone. Both Jager and Dirk quietly waited as she talked to the man on the other end. After a few minutes, she snapped the cell phone closed and handed it back to Dirk.

“Ted came through again,” she told them with a smile.

Jager nodded and then turned to Dirk. “Tell the others that Daylen and I will be down in a few minutes.”

Dirk nodded then left to head downstairs.

Jager closed the bedroom door and turned to watch Daylen getting dressed. His gaze ran lovingly over her body. She had curves in all the right places and had enough muscle on her that he didn’t have to worry that she would break in his arms. Even though Daylen wasn’t ready to tell him she loved him, he already loved her. If he hadn’t have been able to fall in love with her practically at first sight, his mating urge never would have kicked in to tell him she was his.

Realizing Daylen had finished dressing and he still only wore a damp towel around his hips, Jager dropped it to the floor and scooped up his jeans. He felt Daylen’s gaze following his movements as he pulled them up his legs and fastened them at his waist. He moved over to his dresser and took out a clean dark blue t-shirt. Yanking it on over his head, he turned to face Daylen. Her gaze most definitely had a heated look to it that made Jager wish they didn’t have to go downstairs.

As if Daylen had read his mind, she said, “Don’t even suggest it. I have to tell the others what Ted told me. And besides, you just had me a minute ago in the shower.”

He grinned. “You enjoyed it though.”

She shook her head and smiled. “Yes, but you’re going to have to feed me first before we have another marathon of sex. If I don’t get some food into me soon, I’ll start wasting away.”

Jager crossed over to her and put his hands on the sides of her waist. He then brushed a gentle kiss across her lips. “We can’t have that. After we’ve had our meeting with the others, we can go to the kitchen and get something to eat.”

They left his bedroom hand in hand and headed downstairs. They found the others once again congregated in the living room. Much to Jager’s surprise, he saw that both Beowulf and Roxie were still there.

Guiding Daylen over to the couch to where Beowulf and Roxie sat, he got Daylen to sit next to the other woman while he lowered himself onto the arm. He said to the other couple, “I thought the two of you would have left by now.”

“We thought it best to stay to hear what that police detective Daylen knows could come up with,” Beowulf replied. “Plus if we’d left, Saskia would have sent a few of your brothers along to watch over Roxie. We didn’t think it would be fair.”

“Enough chitchat over there,” Leif said from one of the armchairs. “What did your buddy have to say, Daylen?”

“Well, first off,” she said, “Ted couldn’t find anything on a Miles Jensen with the description I’d given him. No driver’s license, no social security number, and no properties under that name either.”

Saskia nodded and said, “Miles must be using an alias. He isn’t stupid. He would know if he used his real name we’d have found him by now.”

“Ted did manage to find out who the owner is listed for the warehouse. It’s owned by a company named Denco Ltd. Ted also figures it has to be a dummy corporation, because he couldn’t find anything else out about it. But, after he did a little more digging, he found an old factory that is no longer in use was recently purchased by a company named Wolfen Inc., which also happens to be a subsidiary of Denco Ltd.”

Kye snorted. “Miles couldn’t come up with better names than that? We’d never be able to guess that a werewolf owned those properties with names like those,” he said sarcastically.

Saskia spoke up before anyone else could add anything more. “What’s the address of the factory, Daylen? Some of us will go check it out while the others stay behind and watch over Roxie. Jager, since you and Daylen are newly mated and shouldn’t be separated just yet, I suggest the two of you stay behind.” When Daylen opened her mouth, Saskia said, “I know you’re one of us now, Daylen, but you still have much to learn about werewolf kind.” She then smiled. “Plus newly mated couples tend to be a little distracted. You and Jager will have more pleasurable pursuits on your minds.”

Jager couldn’t argue with that, and he guessed neither could Daylen when she closed her mouth and blushed slightly. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her over so she leaned against his side while Saskia split up the other Protectors.

In the end, she decided Roan and Ansley would stay behind with Jager and Daylen.

Saskia, Eli, Skylar, Kye, Leif and Dirk would be the ones to go scout out the factory.

Jager was a little disappointed that he would miss out on the action, but he knew Daylen wasn’t ready to face a pack of lone wolves if the factory ended up panning out. And he wanted her turned before she had to confront any of Miles’ men. As a mortal, she was just too vulnerable.

After the others had left to check out the factory, Jager and Daylen raided the fridge.

Since it was already well past noon, Jager made her a thick sandwich that he layered with cold cuts, cheese and lettuce. Having eaten nothing since dinner the night before, Daylen ate with gusto. Jager must have been just as hungry because his practically disappeared in two large bites.

Their empty bellies now taken care of, Jager and she joined the other two couples.

The men eventually got on the topic of weightlifting and ended up heading down to the basement to check out the weights down there while the women stayed in the living room.

Roxie smiled at Daylen and said, “It would seem you’ve managed to tame the brash warrior. Both times I’ve seen Jager today he didn’t have his sword strapped to his waist like it was one of his vital organs.”

“Does he really carry it around that much?” Daylen asked.

Ansley answered her. “Afraid so. And Roxie is forever trying to take Jager’s sword away from him.”

Roxie snorted. “Not that I get it away from him for very long. He always manages to swipe it back when I’m not looking.” She then grew serious. “So have you really adjusted to the fact that you’re mated to a werewolf, Daylen?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’m a bit surprised by how easily I’ve adjusted to the idea. If you would have asked me last week if I believed werewolves existed, and that I would be a mate to one, I probably would have suggested I take you to nearest shrink. It has all happened so fast.”

“That’s the mating urge for you,” Roxie said. “It makes you feel like you’re on a runaway train. It’s even worse for the males. They can’t focus on anything else but the woman who is meant for them.”

Daylen had noticed how more controlled Jager seemed now that their mating bond was in place. “About this not wanting to be separated, is it really that bad?”

“Yes, it is,” Roxie said. “And I’m speaking from experience. Ansley has gone through it as well.”

The other woman shuddered. “You feel as if you’ve lost your mind. All I could think about was that something had happened to Roan, and that I had to get back to him no matter the cost.” Ansley then smiled. “The only good side about the separation is the explosive sex that happens after you get back together. I only suggest that if you ever get separated from Jager for a long time, make sure you get away from other people as fast as you can or you’ll give them an eyeful.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Daylen said. “Maybe it won’t affect me that badly. I’ve always been a bit of a loner. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle it.”

Roxie gave her a look that said she didn’t think so. “If you’re that sure of yourself, why don’t you test your theory? Jager obviously didn’t let you bring a change of clothes when he brought you here handcuffed last night. Why don’t you go back to your place and grab some clothes and then come back? I bet even that short amount of time will get to you.”

“All right, but I don’t have my car here. How am I supposed to get back to my place?”

“Take Jager’s car. I noticed it wasn’t parked in the garage when Beowulf and I arrived. And if you are going to do this, you should probably slip away before Jager realizes what you’re up to. He’ll try to stop you if he finds out.”

Daylen stood. “You’re on.”

She quickly left the living room and headed up to Jager’s bedroom. The keys to the Camaro and her house keys were sitting on top of his dresser. Snagging both sets, she hurried back downstairs and slipped out of the mansion. When she drove the Camaro down the long drive and no hue and cry was raised, she figured she’d made a clean getaway.

By the time Daylen arrived at her house, she’d already started to feel a little out of sorts, as if everything wasn’t quite right. It was less than an hour since she’d left the mansion in Marin County and already she missed not being with Jager. If this was only the start of how it felt when she was away from him, no wonder Roxie didn’t believe her when she’d said she may not be as affected. Daylen could only think about getting back to Jager.

Once she was inside the house, she almost ran into her bedroom. Daylen quickly stripped off the clothes she wore and put on fresh ones. She then made short work of stuffing another change of clothes into an athletic bag.

Daylen was so distracted with thoughts of returning to Jager she almost missed the fact that a man stood blocking her way to the front door. Moving faster than a mortal could, he had her by the throat and gasping for air in a matter of seconds. As Daylen frantically tried to pry his hand off her, she realized this was the same lone wolf Jager had been fighting in the alley the first night she’d seen him.

The lone wolf eased his hold only enough so she could drag in air to fill her lungs.

“You recognize me, don’t you, little cop? I can also smell Jager’s scent all over you. He’s claimed you as his mate. I’m surprised he let you out by yourself, but it does make this a whole lot nicer. You’re his Achilles heel now.” He started to drag her toward the front door. “It’s time for you to meet my boss.”

Daylen dropped the athletic bag she’d been carrying and tried to punch out at him, but all that did was to have him throw her against the wall hard enough so her head cracked against it. With black spots flickering before her eyes, the lone wolf easily flipped her onto her stomach and tied her hands behind her back with a length of rope he’d pulled out of his jacket pocket. He then threw her over his shoulder and walked out of the house.