He slinked an arm around her waist and pulled her against his powerful frame, turning her body and putting himself in the path of the oncoming bad guy she’d not known was near her. Asher took a hard hit from behind from a rather beefy shifter, but it didn’t seem to faze him.

A gasp came from behind her and Jinx glanced over her shoulder long enough to see that Eadan had witnessed what had happened. Jinx put a hand to Asher’s chest and he looked down at her, his dark gaze piercing through her. Her succubus side reared to life, sensing desire radiating from Asher. Something she’d never sensed from him before in all the centuries she’d known him.

Unsure what to make of it, Jinx tried hard to keep her succubus from responding. Asher’s allure was too great. His nostrils flared and his eyes shifted colors—a sign he was losing control of his beast side. A side she knew he kept repressed.

“Asher,” she said, her voice low. “Your men will see.”

He spoke and his voice was deeper than normal. “Let them.”

She shook her head. This wasn’t like him at all. Her hand went to his stubble-covered jawline. She wanted to go to her tiptoes and kiss his full lips, but she held back. It was incredibly hard to do, especially with her succubus hormones raging out of control. Asher was simply too close and smelled too good. Not to mention he was drop dead gorgeous.

Jinx tried to push away from him but he held her, his grip iron-clad. He bent his head, his nostrils flaring. “I smell you.”

She gulped, knowing what he meant. He could smell her sex—her desire. She pushed harder on his chest. “Asher.”

He growled and stiff-armed a man trying to come at them, never losing his hold on her. Suddenly, his face was right in front of hers, his lips dangerously close. Jinx tried to harden herself against the pull to him, but she failed miserably as she did indeed go to her tiptoes, her lips touching his.

She expected Asher to come to his senses and push her away. He didn’t. He lifted her off her feet, his tongue thrusting into her mouth. Her succubus side lost its mind, turning on in full and then some. Asher’s kiss intensified and Jinx melted against him, letting him lead. Her body craved an alpha male. Always had and probably always would.

He broke the kiss as fast he’d started it, leaving her touching her lower lip as he released her and spun, thrusting a leg out and kicking one of Helmuth’s men in the chest. The man’s feet came up and off the ground as he went backwards.

Asher advanced on two others who were currently trying to double-team Roi. Asher ripped one back and slammed his head against the bar top. He turned and looked in Jinx’s direction. His eyes widened as someone grabbed her from behind, yanking her backwards.

Jinx stilled as something hard and sharp pressed to her throat. Hot, rank breath coated her ear. “Enough or I cut the whore,” said Jasper against her ear so loud it was nearly deafening.

He pulled harder on her head, making a cry escape her lips. She hated displaying a weakness. She was about to try to break free when something deep down told her to look in Asher’s direction.

His fellow I-Ops had held him back but they didn’t look they were going to be able to hold him long.

Roi’s eyes were wide. “Anyone wanna tell me why the colonel is so fucking hard to keep in place?”

“Methinks the colonel has some explaining to do,” said Eadan, sounding strained. “Colonel?”

Asher locked gazes with Jinx before his gaze hardened and went to Jasper. His eyes shifted colors again and fur sprouted out and over his hands before claws emerged from his fingertips, making his men all suck in sharp breaths. “Take your hands from her at once,” he said, signs of an accent that normally wasn’t there showing through. The air around him began to bristle with raw power and his men loosened their hold on him enough that he shook them off, his full attention on Jasper.

Jasper held tighter to her. “Back off or I cut the bitch.”

“You could try but you’ll be dead before one drop of her blood is spilled,” said Asher, no longer sounding like himself at all. It broke Jinx’s heart to know he’d gone this far over the edge on her account. She knew what control meant to him. She understood what this was costing him. More than that, Jinx knew full well the guilt he’d carry if he couldn’t rein it back in.

“Asher, no,” she pleaded.

Jasper snorted. “Listen to her. She doesn’t want you hurt.”

Jinx stiffened. “I don’t want him to do what he’s capable of. And trust me when I say he isn’t the one who is going to get hurt here. You should take your injured and leave while you still can.”

Asher moved his head back and forth, cracking his neck loudly, the air around him still thick with power. Eadan lifted a hand, running it through what looked to be nothing but what Jinx knew to be raw magik. Eadan’s eyes widened and he whispered something to Roi.

“Colonel is a fucking magik too!” shouted Roi.

Lukian groaned and pulled back on his men. “Give him space.”

Eadan tugged on them both. “Yeah, a lot of space.

Roi seemed very lost. “What the hell is going on?”

“Our colonel is something none of us thought was real,” said Eadan.

“A born shifter with magik,” said Lukian. The man seemed torn, as if he wanted to pull Asher back but knew better than to try.

Jinx met Lukian’s gaze. “He’s more than that even. Go now. He won’t be able to control it and he’d never forgive himself if he hurt you or your men. He sees you as sons even if he’s never said as much.”

Lukian stiffened. “We aren’t leaving him.”

Asher glared at Jasper, his focus singular. “Release my woman.”

His woman?

It was Jinx’s turn to inhale sharply. What was he talking about? She wasn’t his. As she opened her mouth to protest, she stopped, her gut telling her his words weren’t said in error. Her mind raced with all the years she’d known him. With their past. With the fact he’d seemed to keep her at arm’s length for so long. Joy should have been her reaction to discovering she did indeed have a mate. Anger was what won out.

Jinx stomped on Jasper’s foot and spun around, pushing on him with all her might. He didn’t budge. He did lift a clawed hand and bring it at her head. There was a blur and then Jasper was no longer quite Jasper. His head was on one side of the bar while the rest of him sank to the floor in a bloody heap.

Asher stood there, blood splattered on his handsome face and all over his clawed hands. He twisted, appearing very far gone. Vaguely, Jinx heard the I-Ops yelling for her to get back from him. Ignoring them, Jinx reached out and slapped Asher hard across the face.

He blinked, his eyes returning to their normal color. He glanced around and then paused, seeming confused. His gaze went from Jasper’s body to Jinx. “He was going to hurt you.”

“You stupid son-of-a-bitch!” she shouted, hitting him again.

Asher cringed but made no move to defend himself from her. Large arms wrapped around her from behind, lifting her up and off her feet.

“No killing the colonel, darling,” said Roi, holding her to him. “Not until he explains what just happened.”

Jinx wiggled. “Let me down. I’m going to tear his head off now.”

Confusion covered Asher’s face.

Jinx pointed at him. “Your woman?”

Asher paled, his gaze whipping to Lukian.

Lukian nodded. “Yep. You said it.”

“Shit,” said Asher.

Jinx stopped struggling. “That is how you feel about me being your mate?”

He shook his head and reached for her, but stopped as blood dripped freely from his hands. “No. That isn’t it at all, Jeneathea.”

She hung limp in Roi’s arms, unable to believe Asher was really her mate and that he’d spent so long shutting her out. She closed her eyes and hung her head. “I wouldn’t want me either.”