Page 55 of Sinful Mates

“Thanks for letting us attend the races, Slade,” said Dash, their president, a six-foot five brunette. Younger than me by a good five years or so. Good looking guy. Not as handsome as Castor. Pretty boy like Alaric.

He extended his hand to shake mine, and I accepted, noting his posture. Firm. Confident. Cocky. Alpha male, like me.

A good start. I scanned him for weapons for the third time. Fuck. Alaric’s vigilance rubbed off on me, the Wolves’ and cops’ interfering fueling my paranoia.

After mating Aaliyah and her getting closer to her mates, our powers soared, finding new abilities and enhanced strength. My gift of reading chaos got clearer, and I studied Dash’s mind and heart. Debt. Stress. Determination. A man who would put in blood, sweat and tears to improve his circumstances. Family pressure to find a mate, set up a home, and breed pups. Threats from external packs and his future as the alpha.

“Glad you came, Dash.” I clapped him on the shoulder and dropped his hand. “Steele.” I thrust out a hand for the VP, who accepted, shaking mine with a firm hand.

Steele Stiff and guarded. Decent looking. Equal height. Grave fucker reminded me a lot of Zethan. Fuck. I hope they didn’t end up like my and my enforcer.

Tingles along my neck gave me a good feeling about these two and their crew. Trustworthy. Honest. Loyal soldiers. Right now, I needed trusted allies with war brewing on our borders with Hellfire MC trying to take the turf we procured in Newcastle by killing the Winters Devils.

Three days ago, I put out a call to other MCs within a three hour’s ride to gauge interest in banding with the Jackals. Three clubs replied, including Dash’s. Small time, but I could mold them into what I needed. Protection on the edge of our territory. Our first line of defense if another club invaded our territory. Strength to show that we usurped territory from those who fucked with us. Power to broaden our reach.

With Mia onboard, I had to think of protecting my family, especially if our large brood expanded with babies. I sure as fuck wanted my own kid. Zethan, too. I was sure about Aaliyah’s two other mates. Kids stole a lot of time and I wanted to scale back the time I devoted to the club, especially while my kid was young. After all, they were only young once. Mine would be my fucking pride and joy.

That meant hiring new collaborators to do the high-risk work and taking the heat off us from the cops. Young men with dollar signs in their eyes willing to take risks, run deliveries through their territory right through to distribution.

No more goddamn thefts or wars with other clubs to consume my every waking hour. No fucking danger to haunt my dreams. No stress to drive me to smoke and drink my way to a goddamn early grave. I had a mate and child to live for now.

I introduced the rest of my men to Dash and Steele. “This is Alaric, my road captain.” I gestured at him, then swung my pointed finger to my other side. “And Zethan, my v… enforcer.”

Zethan was good at reading people, sensing the conflict of their soul with his death powers. Invincible when combined with my gift and Alaric’s. My enforcer’s stony expression gave nothing way, but I felt the turmoil bubbling below. I wanted to give him a second chance to make up for his disloyalty and disobedience, but my grand gesture went without appreciation and gratitude, telling me our friendship fell into the Duat for judgment.

Dash smiled, his stormy gray eyes vigilant and assessing as he greeted my brothers. “Appreciate the opportunity to meet with the infamous Jackals.”

Infamous, all right. Word spread through the MC community that we took out the Wolves and absorbed their territory. Hellfire MC kicked up their grudge against us, threatened by the Jackals claiming another club’s turf. Thorns in our fucking side, and I had to send men down to Newcastle to remind them who owned that patch. If they didn’t stop giving me grief, I would wipe them out and take over their terrain too. But I had to be strategic about how I did it. Acquiring territory too quickly might alarm some of the larger clubs that we were coming for them, and we didn’t need an all-out war against the five large clubs in New South Wales, two of which enjoyed our hospitality today.

The server returned with a platter of quiches, spinach and feta filo triangles, and other warm pastries. First, she offered them to me, batting her eyelashes again. Girls like her were drawn to danger but they didn’t have the first clue about how to survive amid it. Most of the men were careful when picking their partners. They needed strong stomachs and even stronger resilience to keep it together for their men when things got hairy.

I selected a handful, picking at it, ignoring the female mating me with her eyes. “Tell me about your club.”

Dash piled treats in his palm. “We’re a small club. In it for fun.”

A riding club, not a proper MC. We might make one yet.

“Why do you want to go pro?” I queried, sussing him out. This was part interview, after all.

Dash glanced at the other clubs, whose attention was captured by the server girl or the race below. He jerked his head, requesting privacy, and I followed him inside, followed by Alaric, Zethan, and Steele.

Out of earshot of the other clubs—the humans—we got to shifter business. “We need more members, more shifters to protect our family.” Dash spoke the truth. My war god senses didn’t detect any lies with respect to his strategy. “The Guild of Shadows have killed a few shifters.”

Stele stiffened, his brown eyes more alert, troubled.

News to fucking me. Damn Guild. We had a few run-ins with them over the years. Told them to stay out of our fucking business and they respected it. We didn’t need them interfering with our business again and another fucking pain in our asses.

Gathering intel on my enemies and potential allies, I removed my cigarette paper, stuffing tobacco in it and rolling it up. “Tell me about the Guild’s activities.” I lit the end and drew down the smoke.

“My sources tell me they were given orders to eliminate all half-breeds that are unnatural to this world.” Dash had reason to be worried if the Guild stuck their fucking noses in this.

Fuck. If this was true, we were going to have another front to fight. Another problem on my hands I didn’t need.

Smoke thickened in my veins as I extracted it from my ciggie. “What’s got their noses out of joint?”

Stubble on Dash’s jaw crackled as he scratched it. “They claim shifters crossed over the veil and laid with humans, creating the half-breeds that don’t belong in this world, and it’s their job to wipe the scourge from Earth.”

Bullshit Bible and ancient stories written by superstitious men. Truth came from the gods directly, not men with fables and fucking allegories.

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