SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Three: The Torn Knot
Josie stared at Dominic for a moment, then her mouth opened in that O he adores. She’s so cute when she’s shocked.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it as an insult, but that was the only animal I could think of….”
He smiled as he bent down and gently kissed her. “All shifters knot….”
“So, you’ve done this before?”
He shook his head with a chuckle. “No, Mafilia. I was about to say with their Fated Mate.”
“Oh,” she said. That same cute O shape to her mouth again. “How long does it last?” she asked, her eyes roaming over his face.
Dominic shrugged. “My brother Dustin was the first to find his Fated Mate. He said it lasts about thirty minutes.”
“How long has it been?” she asked, trying to look at the clock on the wall behind her.
“About twenty; we still have ten.”
She sighed, and her breasts moved up and down, making his cock stir. She stared at him—her eyes big.
He chuckled. “I guess I can still get turned on while knotted.”
She smiled. “What is the knotting for?”
“Same as an animal. It’s to ensure we have cubs.”
Josie’s eyes opened wide again. “Cubs?”
“A baby,” he whispered. “We call them cubs because, well, that’s what they are,” he said with his brightest smile.
She nodded. “Makes sense. Does birth control work against it?”
He frowned. “Yes,” he said, sad that she would ask.
Josie pulled her right hand free from his grip and caressed his cheek. “I’m not saying I would never want to have your cub. I just don’t know you, and mostly I was asking because I’m on the pill. I have been for years.”
His eyes brightened some, and she felt better. She may not know this man, but she felt as though he was a part of her, and she a part of him.
“We’ll discuss cubs later—once you know everything.”
He kissed her with so much passion her heart soared.
~🍺~
Josie’s screams were so horrifying that the brothers had to hold Marry-Beth back to keep her from heading back to the office and ripping their brother off his mate.
“What the fuck is he doing to her?!” she demanded, fuming.
“It’s the bonding,” Sharissa whispered as she walked over to Marry-Beth and held her wrists up to her. “It feels like someone has set your wrists on fire. We figure the Goddesses brand us.”
Marry-Beth looked at Shar and her wrists. “It’s that painful?” she asked as she nodded toward the back, where Josie Potter was still screaming.
Shar nodded. “It is. If she hadn’t started screaming, that is when we would have worried. Because it would have meant there was no bonding, and she’s not his mate. But those screams prove that she is.”
Marry-Beth calmed down and shook the brothers off her. “I still want to see her wrists when they’re done.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dustin nodded.
The screaming stopped, and they took in relieved breaths. Shar returned to her seat, happy for Dominic and Josie.
“Dominic will soothe her,” Daryl said as he moved to sit on a stool next to Shar.
“I can’t believe that jerkwad found his mate before us.” Dylan puffed as he sat on the other side of Shar.
“It means things are moving along again.” Dustin moved behind Shar and pulled her against his chest.
“Yeah, haven’t had a mating since Raj and Lyvia.” Dylan nodded.
“More than four months since the last Fated Mate coupling,” Daryl said.
“At least those cops who attacked Dustin and Shar were transferred to another city. Since ours is so full of shifters, witches, and vampires,” Drezden mumbled.
“Speaking of vampires. Has anyone heard from Tate lately?” Daryl asked.
“He called me last week,” Dustin said. “He’s still looking into some shit on those two cops. He thinks there’s more of them, but they’re staying low since those two got caught.”
“Makes sense.” Dylan shook his head. “I just wish I could have gotten my hands on those two pieces of shit. They almost caused problems for little sister and Joy.”
Shar rubbed her brother’s arm. “Tate made sure they were punished and sent away. That’s good enough for now.”
Dylan nodded. “They got off lucky.”
Dustin growled. “They did. If Sharissa hadn’t been in labor, I’d have torn their heads off….”
Shar used the back of her head to headbutt her husband’s chest. “Enough talk of that. They’re gone, and we’re fine. And we have a new Fated Mate,” she said the last two words with a wide grin.
Unseen to everyone gathered at the bar—a man quietly squeezed his way past the Kraftman brothers and their human mate and made his way to the back.
~🍺~
“How much longer?” Josie asked as she tilted her head back to see the clock.
“Eight minutes.” Dominic smiled.
She sighed as she smiled at him. “Can we get out of this club?”
Dominic nodded. “It would be better to discuss this in private. We have a few people to call up as well to join us. And you’ll get to meet our friend Raj. He and Lyvia are the other mated couple.”
“I won’t be meeting her?”
He shook his head. “Lyvia is a week away from her due date. She’s bedridden.”
“Oh,” she whispered.
He smiled. “she’s so big she can’t walk. She’s having four little cubs, and everyone is excited.”
Her eyes grew as round as saucers. “Four?” she squealed.
Dominic chuckled. “Don’t worry, Mafilia. Lyvia is a shifter. She’s also an Omega; she’s the only one who will ever have that many at once. You may have two, but that’s the most you will have.”
Josie sighed with relief and nodded. “I can handle twins.”
He smirked. “And wait until you meet Joy. She’s the cutest cub.”
“She’s your brother and his mate’s daughter?”
He nodded. “Yep. She’s seven weeks old and looks just like her mama.”
Josie smiled. “So, they’ve been together a long time, then? Your brother and Shar?”
He shrugged. “Not too long. Almost five months now.”
“Five months? And they already have a cub?”
He grinned. “Shifters are pregnant for thirteen weeks.”
“Thirteen weeks?!” she shrieked.
He chuckled. “Shar reacted almost the same way.”
Josie rolled her eyes. “We have a lot to talk about.”
He nodded. “We do.”
A noise at the door had them looking at it at the same time.
“We’re not done, you freaks!” Dominic shouted, thinking it was his brothers.
“I think you’ve had your time,” a stranger said as the door opened.
“What the fuck!” Dominic growled.
“Who’s he?” Josie whispered.
“No clue, but he needs to get the fuck out of here,” Dominic said, glaring at the man.
“You’ve had your turn with her. I think it’s time you and your brothers shared the mates. They were meant to be spread around for everyone to enjoy.”
“Fuck you!” Dominic bellowed with a growl. “You know nothing about Fated Mates if that’s what you think. Now get the fuck out….” Dominic was cut off when the man took hold of his shoulder and jerked him back.
Josie cried out when Dominic’s knot pulled on the inside of her pussy.
“You can’t even fuck without hurting the bitch.” The man laughed. “Let a real man fuck her.”
“Stop it! You’re going to hurt her!” Dominic said, swinging at the man.
The man ducked and then wrapped his arm around Dominic’s throat from behind.
“Stop!” Josie cried out.
“You’re going to share,” the man hissed.
“Get the fuck off me!” Dominic roared angrily, then screamed as a searing pain erupted through his cock.
Josie screamed so loud Dominic’s ears rang. His limp dick flopped against his leg, pain searing through it. He almost passed out on the spot. But he needed to protect his mate. He saw the blood dripping from her pussy and wanted to kill the man for hurting her.
The man tossed Dominic to the floor and stood between Josie’s legs.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it all better,” the man grinned as he touched her wet, bloody, wide-open pussy.
“Get the fuck away from her!” Dominic growled from the floor. He was barely staying conscious.
“Stay down there. You’ll get another go at her,” the man said as he pulled his cock from his pants.
Josie tried to move, but she hurt so much her body was trembling, and her legs wouldn’t listen when she tried to kick out at the asshole who’d attacked them. Fuck, now she knows why Dominic was so worried when she’d freaked out while their wrists were burning.
Josie could hear her mate groaning and knew he was in as much pain as she was. She knows the man was about to shove his cock into her throbbing pussy.
’Oh God, please, no.’
She cried, and as much as she tried, she couldn’t get her body to move.
This man is about to hurt her again, and she can’t do anything to stop it. She heard her mate get to his feet; his groans made her cry even harder. He was right about feeling their mate’s pain. Because when she heard his pain, she felt it deep in her soul. Her eyes widened when she saw her mate’s face as he stood behind the asshole who was close to shoving his cock into her ruined pussy.
~🍺~
“Just a few more minutes,” Dustin said, looking at his watch.
A scream had them jumping to their feet.
“I knew he was going to hurt her!” Marry-Beth shrieked.
“Dominic would never,” Dustin growled as he rushed past the bar owner and headed for the office, his mate and brothers close behind him.
They found the office door open and a man about to mount Josie. Dominic stood behind the man, and before any of them could say something, his arms went around the man’s head. They heard a loud crack as Dominic broke the man’s neck and tossed him toward the door.
Dominic looked at his brothers and scowled. “Thanks for guarding the door, you pricks,” he said, then fell to the floor.
“What the fuck!?” Dustin shouted, looking from his brother’s unconscious body to Josie, still sprawled out on the desk.
“He just killed that shifter,” Marry-Beth said, staring into the room.
“Oh my God!” Sharissa screamed. “Hide the body and call 911!” she shouted as she rushed to Josie. “And get me a towel!”
Marry-Beth rushed to find a clean towel while the Kraftman brothers stared in confusion at the room.
Shar looked at them. “Do it now!” she screamed at them.
Dustin looked at his brother. When his eyes fell on his brother’s swollen cock, he understood. “Mother Fucker!” he screamed, then moved over to the dead man and kicked him in the chest.
The other brothers finally saw what had happened and started hollering profanities.
Dylan and Drezden removed the body while Daryl called 911.
Marry-Beth rushed into the office and handed Shar the towel. When she saw the woman’s pussy, she sucked in a breath and then turned on the Kraftmans. “What did your brother do to her?!”
“He didn’t do anything!” Dustin growled as he knelt beside his brother. “That fucker pulled my brother away from his mate while he was still knotted.”
Marry-Beth sucked in a shocked breath. “That’s what happens if you separate too soon?”
“Yes,” Dustin said with a growl.
“Josie,” Dominic whispered when he started to come to.
“Sharissa has her,” Dustin said as he pushed his brother back down.
“The ambulance is here!” Dylan called as he ran back into the room. “Drezden is showing them back here.”
The paramedics didn’t ask any questions when they saw what they were dealing with. Dustin growled at them when they started asking questions about his brother raping the girl.
“Does it look like he raped her? He’s hurting as much as she is!” Dustin shouted at them.
“She’s human, he’s….” The paramedic stopped when Shar grabbed him by his shirtfront and lifted him off his feet.
“You finish that sentence, and I’ll throw you through that wall,” she said, nodding her head toward the far wall. “Do you feel me?” she asked with a growl as she pulled him closer so he could see her blue eyes. “This is something beyond your puny mind, so you are going to take care of my brother and new sister, or you’ll deal with me.”
Dustin held back his chuckle when the man’s face turned white; he had to listen for his heartbeat to be sure he was still alive. He’s never been so proud of his mate as he was at that moment.
“Ye-yes, ma’am,” the paramedic said.
Shar set him down and shoved him not so gently toward Josie.
“Get them to the hospital in one piece, or I’ll come after you both!” she exclaimed, then turned and left the room.
Dustin ran after his mate. He caught up to her and turned her to face him. She was shaking, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. He knew she was about to break down. He pulled her into his arms and held her.
“I love you,” he whispered.
She sighed against him. “I love you too.” She pulled back and looked up at him. “We’ve got to do something about these stupid fuckers that keep coming into this bar.”
“We’ll find somewhere else to hang out,” he said, lightly kissing her. “Right now, let’s take care of Dominic and his mate.”
She nodded as he held her against him.