Page 14 of Sinful Mates

She jerked my hand. “Come on and give me that shower you promised.”

Anything for her. Relieved breath came out of my mouth as I trailed behind her to the bathroom. In the shower, I washed the dried blood flecks I smelled in her hair, from her chest and shoulders, mixed with cold sweat. Cleansing her. Christening her. Welcoming her to the world of darkness where murderous demons haunted us.

Afterward, I towel-dried her hair, and walked her back to the bed.

“Go back to sleep, angel.” I kissed her one last time and guided her back into the pillows covered with a towel. “I’ll be here if you have another nightmare.”

“My Sky god,” she murmured, rolling over to snuggle into her daughter.

My hawk shrieked at her forgiveness and watching his new family nest.

Mia rolled over and clutched Aaliyah. “Where were you? Don’t leave me again.”

Shit. She woke in a strange bed and didn’t know where she was.

Aaliyah clutched her head, stroking her hair, quieting her with whispered promises not to leave again.

I retreated to my position in the doorway. Vigilant. Scanning. Protecting. My duty. I couldn’t rest. Couldn’t sleep. My demons were quieter these days, thanks to Aaliyah putting together my broken pieces, but that didn’t settle me. Sharks surrounded the Jackals, my mate and me, and to fight them off, we had to remain united and wary.

CHAPTER6

Zethan

D-day had fucking come.Time to face the fucking music for my disobedience and disloyalty. Five years of my life on the line. Rebuilding after Dylan’s death. Expanding after we lost our mate and distracting myself with the shelter to forget. Dread burned like ice under my skin.

I sat at Slade’s right at the head of the table, all eyes on me. The club knew why we assembled. What decision they were making. Permit me to stay with the club or banish me. Tension suffocated the air, sucking all oxygen from it, squeezing my lungs, forcing me to breathe harder. Through it all, I kept my stony mask on, not letting anyone see how much this tortured me.

Brix sat smugly in his chair, and I wanted to smash the smirk off his face. Prick thought today was his lucky day. Asshole gunned for a spot in the club hierarchy for years, but he was the last person any member would choose… besides his pack of two groupies… also on Slade’scanlist.

Bloodlust played on the bond as my president killed the asshole with his stare. Black crowded his indigo eyes with his shifter coming to the surface, ready to feast on every single enemy, inside and outside of the club.

As for my sorry ass, I deserved to be here for betraying my president’s order and the club. Rebellion I’d repeat in a fucking heartbeat, no question. Her love, her life, and that of her daughter, were worth it, consequences be damned. Before her, the club and shelter were my everything. I poured my fucking heart and soul into them to fill the emptiness inside me.

Love was never part of the equation for me. Fate had other plans, tearing my sister, son, and mate from me. That fucker wouldn’t take Aaliyah from me this time, because I deserved happiness for once. If she met the same fate as my loved ones, I would inflict the worst curse of death the world had ever seen.

Punishment from my president was my way to earn redemption for murdering my last mate. Liz’s death sat heavily on my conscience the past two and half years, like a stone on my chest, constricting my breathing, my pulse, my personal forgiveness. Each day I carried it around, I died a little more inside. That weight lifted now with Aaliyah in my life. The dark void in my heart from Dylan’s death scabbed over with Mia in the family. My redemption complete from saving Mia from certain death.

Conversation with Aaliyah from this morning came back to me, calming the raging storm inside me.

“Do you want me to come?” My mate cupped her coffee, the pink diamond engagement ring on her finger a reminder of the promise she made to Slade. She was ours. “I can get one of the wives to babysit Mia for a bit.”

This was why I loved this woman. Why she was my heart. My soul. My forever. Her love shone light on my dark, lost heart.

Mia dropped her spoon into her bowl of Cheerios and tugged at Aaliyah’s denim jacket sleeve. “No, Mom, don’t leave me.”

Sweet little thing was frightened her mother would abandon her the way she believed her parents did. Dylan did the same thing when I worked long hours as a police officer, because his mom ignored him while she injected her veins with heroin.

Aaliyah appeased her agitated child with a sweep of her palm over her hair. “I’m not going anywhere, honey.” Her dulled bond said otherwise. She wanted to be by my side as I was by hers.

Mia squealed as Slade lifted her for the tenth time that morning to distract her. Pretending to fly, they left the kitchen, giving us some space, and my frosty chest warmed slightly with gratitude. I had to hand it to Slade; the asshole was being respectful of our differences.

“I’ll bring her to the club with me.” Love scrawled across my mate’s features. Unbreakable despite the situation, determined to beat the odds.

“No, baby. Mia needs you more.” My broken whisper sliced like a bullet to my heart. This wasn’t just a broken dream for me.

“You need me too.” It felt like the gates of Hell opened up and swallowed me at her defeated tone.

“You’re always with me.” I rubbed my chest over my heart, along the material of the shirt she got me. Skin to skin. Heart to heart. Together always. Just like I was with her, the lacy bra cupping her perfect, generous breasts all day. Not a bad place to be.

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