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  My Oath To You

  Cassidy K. O’Connor

  Cover Art by Talia’s Book Covers

  Aeslyn Walker and her partner Ash have a successful private investigative business, so when the phone rings they expect the usual requests for help. But when Gerri Wilder calls life gets interesting. Aeslyn’s oath to protect people has her willingly agreeing to Gerri’s favor. She has no idea her next case will be protecting her own mate.

  Sebastian Rutledge was a Medic in the Air Force, he had an oath to save as many soldiers as he could. He had his dream job and his dream life until he lost a patient he couldn’t recover from...home from service now he has turned his attention to the important things in life.

  A missing cat leads to instant attraction and Seb knows he has to keep Aeslyn around. He doesn’t know Aeslyn was staying around for her own reasons.

  Secrets, danger and heartache can love be here too?

  Chapter One

  “Aeslyn dear, how are you?”

  Aeslyn glanced over at her partner Ashton, giving him the signal to pick up the phone on his desk and listen in. “Hi Gerri, it’s been a while. I had a feeling today was going to be interesting and now I know why.” Aeslyn chuckled quietly at her own joke.

  Gerri responded from over the phone, “So cheeky, that’s why you have always been one of my favorites. Ashton dear, it’s rude to spy on other people’s conversations, say hello dear.” Ashton grinned, he should have known Gerri Wilder couldn’t be tricked. As one of the smartest wolves, he knew she was definitely the queen of them all.

  “Hey there sexy mama, it’s good to hear that beautiful voice of yours.” Aeslyn rolled her eyes at Ashton’s flirtation. “To what do we owe the honor of your call?”

  “I want to hire you. I need you to head down to Florida and check in on a friend’s grandson, she had a vision that he was in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble did she see?” Aeslyn, ever the detailed one grabbed a pen ready to take notes.

  “She believes someone is out to kill him. I’m sure it’s nothing but she would feel so much better knowing someone looked in on him.”

  Aeslyn paused to think whether they wanted the case or not, no one said no to Gerri. “We can check in on him. I can head down there today, Ash can stay here and finish the job we’re on now and then come meet up with me.”

  “That’s wonderful, she will be so relieved. His name is Sebastian Montgomery, I’ll text you his address. One thing to mention, he knows there are shifters out there but has never actually met one.”

  “There are thousands of us, how is there any human left who hasn’t met one?” Ashton scoffed, annoyed with having to keep their animal side undercover.

  “Don’t get your fur in knots, they don’t mean any insult.” Gerri chastised him.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll stay inconspicuous and will report back after I’ve gotten a lay of the land.” Aeslyn’s no-nonsense tone ended the conversation.

  The private detectives hung up the phone at the same time. “Why don’t we wrap this case up together then we can both drive down? I know how much you love that mouse, we can stop at Disney World on our way home.” Ash smiled innocently, hoping the bribe worked.

  “Whether we go together or not we’re still seeing Mickey before we come home.” Aeslyn stared him down, daring him to argue. “We both know if something happens to the client because I didn’t go straight there Gerri will have our asses.” Aeslyn ruffled his hair as she strolled past him. “I’m going home and packing, I’ll text you when I’m on the road.” She completely missed the look of longing Ash was giving her.

  Chapter Two

  It wasn’t a long drive from Atlanta to Tampa, Aeslyn made it with minimal stops. She realized how much faster she could get somewhere when Ash and his inability to sit still for long periods wasn’t along for the ride.

  Aeslyn stopped off at a hotel near her client’s address, took a few minutes to freshen up then left again to scout her target. She parked a few houses away and sat back to wait. The house was a cute one story with a large front porch. Looking left or right the houses all around were almost identical. She never was a fan of the cookie cutter neighborhoods. He probably had one of those homeowner’s associations that sent you a warning letter because your grass was one inch long instead of the required three-quarters of an inch.

  Pack life was so much better, they had a lot of land to run free on and no two houses in the area were alike. She had lived in the same house till the day she turned eighteen then she got an apartment with Ash and they started their business. She had known him her entire life, he was six months older than her and had lived next door.

  Thoughts about home were interrupted when a small SUV pulled into the driveway she was watching.

  “Fuck me.” Aeslyn’s mouth went dry, a tall man in a military uniform got out. Her mind and her vagina got excited at the same time, she really hoped this was the man she was being paid to watch. She admired his ass as he leaned in the backseat.

  For the second time in five minutes, Aeslyn’s jaw dropped open. The sex god pulled a small boy out of the car and set him next to his leg, he then went in and pulled an identical boy out and set him down next to his twin. She started to sweat when he went in the third time, she let out a huge breath of relief when he pulled out a duffel bag instead of a third child. She was starting to wonder if his car was like Mary Poppins bag and kids were going to keep getting pulled out.

  She couldn’t help but smile watching the man chase the boys into the house, she could see the laughter on their faces as they ran from him. She really hoped this was not the man she was guarding, it was bad enough trying to protect one person who may have a killer after them but adding kids to the mix made the situation a lot more dangerous.

  Once the family was inside Aeslyn grabbed her cell phone and dialed, Gerri picked up on the first ring. “Hi Gerri, I am in Tampa and I may have eyes on your friend's grandson. Would you happen to know if he is military?”

  “Wow, you made excellent time, thank you for getting there so quickly. I believe I did hear he was in the Air Force. Does that complicate things? Is he living on base?”

  “If he was living on base this would be impossible but I’m lucky and he lives a couple of miles away. Do you know if he’s married or has children? If there are others to think about I am going to tell Ash to rush down here faster than originally planned.” Aeslyn bit her lip contemplating the heartthrob she could see standing in front of the living room window.

  “I’m sorry but I don’t know, I didn’t ask my friend for specifics. She seemed so distraught I called you immediately.”

  “That’s okay, I’m sure this is the guy. I’ll have Ash run his plates and verify just to be safe. I’ll keep you posted.” Aeslyn hung up the phone and found Ash’s name in her phone.

  Run this plate for me, EKG 473. Kids may be involved, might need you ASAP. She hit send on the text and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

  She rested her head against the seat and watched the house, every once in a while, she would see the man walk by one of the windows. Thirty minutes later her senses went on full alert, a car p
ulled down the road and slowed down. She watched as it rolled to a slow stop in front of the house. She grabbed the gun from under her seat and had the door cracked open when a guy got out carrying a bag of to go food. She relaxed a little but stayed on alert in case it was a trap.

  Her mouth went dry again when Sebastian answered the door, he had one boy sitting on his foot with his body wrapped around his leg and the other boy was slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her stomach tightened as she watched him throw his head back and laugh at something the delivery guy had said. She had never been turned on by one of her target’s before, she was suddenly very worried about her ability to stay focused.

  As she watched the car drive away her phone buzzed. Ash’s reply confirmed the car belonged to Sebastian, she cursed, a part of her hoped it wasn’t him.

  Is there a wife? I see two small kids

  She saw the little bubble pop up showing Ash was typing, she waited, worrying how she was going to manage to keep all three of them safe.

  Her phone buzzed again,

  Court docs show he has full custody, not sure if mom is in the picture at all.

  Aeslyn felt guilty at the relief she felt, she shook her head chiding herself for being happy the guy was single.

  Thanks for the info, I’ll let you know if I think there is any danger or if grandma is worrying about nothing. No wild parties while I’m gone and for god sakes use the coasters!

  Aeslyn chuckled at the emoji of a happy face sticking its tongue out at her and a hand flicking her off. He is such a terrible roommate.

  She grabbed the bag of chips out of the grocery bag on the seat and sat back to snack while she watched over the family inside who were blissfully unaware of the danger they may be in.

  Chapter Three

  The alarm blaring through the room had Aeslyn groping in the dark for the offending noise. She pictured herself taking a hammer to the alarm clock, getting a little satisfaction that it would be in a million pieces and unable to disturb her again.

  She blinked slowly trying to clear her vision. She had been having an orgasmic dream about the military man and was disappointed to be interrupted before their climax. The fact that he hadn’t left her thoughts since the moment she laid eyes on him was somewhat disturbing, distraction is what gets people killed.

  It had been a few months since she slept with someone and she had a high libido, maybe it was simply a matter of being sexually needy and not something more. Not that she would mind his fine ass being her mate but she wasn’t sure she was ready to be a mom right away.

  With a huff of frustration at getting up with the sun, she showered quickly and drove to Sebastian’s house. She didn’t know his schedule so she needed to be ready to follow him if he left the house.

  Sebastian living on a quiet street had its pros and cons for Aeslyn. On the one hand, there was very little traffic so seeing a threat should be easy. On the other hand, she didn’t know how long she would be able to sit outside his house before someone became suspicious.

  As she took the last bite of her donut the front door opened, a tingle went down her spine. Sebastian had a duffle bag slung behind his back and a boy on each hip. Domestication never looked so sexy before, the ropes of muscle in his forearms and calves had her biting her lower lip. For a human, he was well built. Images of their lovemaking from her dream popped into her head. With a growl, she shook her head to clear her mind, even if he was her mate like she was starting to believe she still had to focus on their safety first.

  She stayed back as he pulled out and turned the corner. A short drive later she followed him into a parking lot. On the other side of the fence, water was spraying in the air. Kids were running through the spray park; their innocent laughter made her smile.

  She watched Sebastian unload the boys and go inside. Lucky for her the picnic bench closest to her was empty. He stood each boy on the seat and sprayed them down with sunscreen. She could feel her heartbeat speed up as he took his shirt off. His bathing suit rode low on his hips, the v lines on his stomach disappeared into his shorts. She suddenly understood exactly why people loved living in Florida so much. With the weather always warm people were half naked more often than bundled up.

  For the next hour, they played hard, Sebastian never running out of energy chasing the boys. Her biological clock that she didn’t even think she had was suddenly pulsing through her body. She’d seen plenty of kids before, she had to assume the overwhelming feeling of desire to be with the whole family had to do with him being her potential mate. She wasn’t ready yet to say he was her mate, she wasn’t sure she could handle the disappointment if he wasn’t.

  A movement in the trees to the right of the park caught her attention. A shadow was standing alone watching the families too. Her senses went on full alert, he could be there for Sebastian, or he could be a pervert.

  The need to protect everyone inside the park was overwhelming. As unassuming as possible she got out and circled the park. She didn’t want to spook the shadow or the families.

  By the time she made it around, the watcher was gone. Frustration coursed through her, she didn’t want to risk shifting and being seen so she sniffed around the best she could and hoped it was enough to track the person. She chuckled imagining the mayhem that would ensue if someone glanced over and saw a Liger standing in the trees.

  She didn’t know what would shock them more, seeing a large cat or that she was different, not really a lion or a tiger. People tended to fear what they didn’t understand but she didn’t let it bother her. She came to terms a long time ago with her uniqueness, she was a liger. Her father was a lion and her mother was a tiger. They were the Romeo and Juliet of their time, neither pack wanted them together because their offspring would be a mix like she was. It took time but eventually, both packs accepted her, they couldn’t refute the love that was obvious between her parents.

  She circled back the way she came and got in her car unnoticed by anyone. A few minutes later both boys were yawning and struggling to stay awake. She watched as Sebastian dried them off and changed them. She couldn't imagine how he was doing it all on his own. She imagined being a single parent was hard enough let alone having twins.

  She followed him back to his house and watched him staring in at the boys fast asleep in the backseat. It was obvious he was unsure how to get them both in at the same time. Against her better judgment, she jumped out and started walking casually down the street.

  Butterflies tingled in her belly as she got closer to his driveway, she could smell his scent and it had her animal clawing to get out. “Excuse me,” she couldn’t help but pause when their eyes met, how is it fair he was even more beautiful up close. “I, um, uh, my cat got out, I was wondering if you saw him? He’s all white and fluffy.” She was eager to hear if his voice was as sexy as he was.

  “I’m sorry, I just got home but I haven’t seen any cats in the area. The trees are thick behind my house, if you want to look back there you can go around.” He smiled sweetly then turned back to his dilemma.

  “It looks like you could use some help too. I can stand here while you take one in then come back for the other?” She could see the indecision in his eyes, she was a stranger after all. “You can hold my cell phone while you go, I would never leave that behind.” She gave him the most reassuring smile she could. Now that she was so close to him her animal was sure he was her mate and it wanted to play. She struggled to look sweet and innocent while her hormones were running rampant.

  He gave her a guilty smile, “I don’t need your phone but I appreciate the assistance. It will only take me a minute to put him in his bed and come back.” He grabbed the first boy and rushed into the house, even if he did seem guilty for not trusting her he obviously didn’t if his speed were any indication.

  “Thank you again, you can head back and look for your cat. If you are still out there when I get everyone settled I’ll come help.” He slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and carried the other
boy inside.

  Her excuse about the cat was actually perfect, now she had a reason to scope the perimeter of the house. The house and lawn were tidy and well taken care of, she shouldn’t be surprised, the military probably trained them to be perfectionists.

  She went around back and whistled, he wasn’t kidding about thick trees. Someone could be standing just inside the tree line and she isn’t sure they would be seen. She walked around making it look like she was searching for her cat but she was really checking out the doors and windows.

  The back door swung open, Sebastian strolled out with a baby monitor in hand. “Thank you again for your help, I hate when they both fall asleep in the car. I tried keeping them awake but no matter how bad my singing was they still passed out.” He set the monitor on the patio table and joined her near the trees. “My name is Sebastian if your cat is around here I assume that means you are a neighbor?”

  Aeslyn reached out and grasped his outstretched hand. The warmth of his skin heated her down to her toes, she couldn’t hide the slight shiver that ran down her back. She had no doubt now this was her mate. It would have been so much easier if he were a shifter too, if he were they could acknowledge it and get their freak on but being a human, he would think she was throwing herself at him, a virtual stranger.

  She cleared her throat, “I’m Aeslyn, I moved to the area a couple of weeks ago. I live one street over.” She pointed over his shoulder nonchalantly.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you,” she was disappointed to break contact with him as he pulled his hand back. “So, what’s your cat’s name?”

  For a brief second, she stared at him blankly, she hadn’t thought the lie all the way through. “His name is Ash.”

  She felt guilty as Sebastian turned towards the woods and started calling Ash’s name, if only he knew the real cat named Ash is a six-foot four behemoth. She chuckled at the idea of Sebastian finding the other man sitting in a tree in his backyard.