Chapter 4
FOUR
RAIKAR
Raikar settled into his chair behind his desk and kept his hands deliberately still against his desk's surface.
He should have offered his hand when Jade entered—basic courtesy demanded it, professional protocol required it.
But touching her would activate the mate bond completely, and his control had already been fraying for eighteen hours straight.
Gerri's asking me to do the impossible.
The matchmaker's plan required him to pretend Jade was here for training and missions when every cell in his body recognized her as his fated mate.
His panther had been prowling restlessly since yesterday's call, demanding he claim what belonged to him as soon as Jade stepped foot on Nova Aurora.
The beast didn't understand political maneuvering or careful courtship—it only knew possession and protection.
Meanwhile, the council's patience had finally snapped, and Councilor Xylen had reached out last night to confirm just that.
Within days, they would announce Sera as his chosen mate and expect a mating ceremony that would secure his promotion to High Commander.
The timing couldn't be worse, crossing every plan he'd made.
Sleep had been impossible. Every time he'd closed his eyes, he'd imagined sitting across from Jade without blurting out the truth, without pulling her into his arms and consequences be damned.
Now she sat mere feet away, and her scent was unraveling his sanity thread by thread. Lavender and citrus wrapped around him like silk, infiltrating his senses until he could taste it on his tongue. His control, built through decades of military discipline, was crumbling by the second.
"Well, Raikar," Gerri's voice cut through his internal battle, "before you dive into all the formalities, why don't you introduce yourself properly? Explain a bit about who you are so Jade knows exactly who she's working for."
Damn meddling matchmaker.
Her suggestion was a trap wrapped in social courtesy.
She knew he couldn't appear cold or distant—not if he wanted Jade to warm to him.
And time was running out faster than he'd anticipated.
The council wouldn't wait much longer, and he needed to convince Jade of their connection before they forced his hand with Sera.
Which would never happen. He would never accept Sera over Jade.
Raikar leaned forward and extended his hand across the polished surface of his desk. "General Raikar Veyth."
Jade leaned forward to accept the gesture, and his breath caught as her blouse shifted, offering a glimpse of smooth skin and the curve of her cleavage. His panther surged forward with predatory hunger, and then their palms connected.
The mate bond exploded through his nervous system like lightning finding ground. Every nerve ending ignited as recognition slammed into him with the force of a physical blow. His panther roared mine with such intensity that he nearly shifted right there in his chair.
He found himself gripping her hand harder than intended, his fingers tightening around hers as their eyes locked.
The world narrowed to this moment, this connection, this woman who was finally within reach.
Her pupils dilated, darkness replacing the warm brown, and he realized with satisfaction that she felt it too.
Good. She's not immune to the mate bond.
The brief contact had awakened every possessive instinct, and now his panther would be impossible to control. The beast would demand more until Jade was properly claimed and marked. Sleep would become even more elusive, and his focus compromised by the need burning through his veins.
"Wow, is it stuffy in here or is it just me?" Gerri's voice sliced through the charged atmosphere.
Reality crashed back. Raikar released Jade's hand and leaned back in his chair, fighting to project casual composure while his pulse hammered against his throat. "It's just the jungle atmosphere. Takes some adjustment."
He forced his voice into a professional tone, though his panther protested every word that wasn't a claiming growl.
"Jade, let me give you a brief background of myself.
I've been General of the Southern Jungles territory for a decade.
My father held this position before me, and his father before him.
Leadership runs in our bloodline, and the clan respects and trusts my family implicitly. "
Jade nodded, but her attention seemed focused on him with an intensity that went beyond professional interest. She was trying to mask it behind controlled composure, but he could scent the shift in her pheromones and the way her heartbeat had accelerated.
"Tell me about yourself," he said, needing to hear her voice, to learn everything about the woman fate had chosen for him.
"I served four years in the Army on Earth.
That taught me structure, discipline, and teamwork.
" Her voice carried crisp authority. "After my service ended, I became a martial arts competitor and advanced to expert level.
I'm a fifth-degree black belt in karate.
Eight years ago, I opened my own dojo and have been teaching various forms of martial arts since. "
Her response impressed him immediately. Confidence radiated from every word, her posture remaining straight and assured despite whatever she was feeling from their handshake.
Perfect.
His panther preened with satisfaction. She was everything he needed—competent, disciplined, clearly driven. Someone who understood the value of training others, of making people stronger. She would stand beside him as an equal, not behind him as a decoration.
"Do you still compete?"
"Not for the past two years. I focus solely on teaching now, building up other athletes."
Gerri had done masterful work finding his fated mate. Jade possessed every quality he'd unconsciously been seeking—strength without arrogance, discipline earned through effort rather than inherited privilege.
"Impressive accomplishments for someone from a small town."
Something shifted in Jade's expression, vulnerability flickering beneath her controlled exterior.
"Lately, I've felt like I've outgrown that place.
When Gerri presented this opportunity yesterday, I wanted to come here and push myself.
Not just to help you, but to grow as an athlete and instructor by learning whatever training methods you'd share. "
The admission seemed to surprise her, as if she hadn't meant to reveal that much. But it sent satisfaction coursing through him. She was here by choice, seeking growth and challenge—not running from something.
"My training methods will definitely push you to your limits."
"Good."
The single word carried enough steel to make his panther purr with approval. She wasn't intimidated by the prospect of being tested. If anything, she seemed to relish it.
Gerri glanced between them, then checked her watch with theatrical precision. "I really hate to rush off, but I have another meeting I absolutely must attend." Her eyes glinted with mischief as she stood. "I trust you can handle everything from here, Raikar."
Sudden nervousness crashed over him. Being alone with his mate while his panther demanded he touch her again, claim her properly, felt like standing on the edge of a cliff.
"Thank you for everything," he managed.
Gerri smiled and retrieved a business card from her designer handbag, extending it to Jade. "If you find yourself needing to reach out, don't hesitate."
Then she was gone, leaving him alone with the woman who was supposed to be his everything—and who had no idea what she truly meant to him.
The silence stretched between them, and Raikar found himself caught in the peculiar trap of his own making.
His hands remained flat against the desk's polished surface, his fingers spread wide to prevent any unconscious movement toward her.
Every instinct screamed at him to close the distance, to touch her again, to claim what his panther recognized as theirs.
But Jade's sharp brown eyes were reading him with the precision of a seasoned fighter assessing an opponent.
Her posture remained controlled and professional, yet he could still scent the subtle shift in her pheromones—confusion mixed with something deeper, something more primal.
She felt the pull too, even if she didn't understand it.
The mate bond hummed between them like electricity in the humid air, making his skin feel too tight and his control increasingly fragile.
His panther paced restlessly, demanding action while his rational mind scrambled for a strategy that wouldn't terrify her into bolting back through Gerri's wormhole.
"General?" Jade's voice cut through his internal battle, crisp and direct. "Could you explain my training and my role here? I'd like to understand what's expected of me."
The question jolted him back to reality. Right. She was here for training and missions, not to be claimed by a panther shifter who couldn't keep his beast under control. He needed to think, to create a plan that would keep her close without overwhelming her with truths she wasn't ready to hear.
"Right. Your expectations and training."
His words came out rougher than intended, and he cleared his throat, forcing his voice into the professional tone that had served him well in countless military briefings.
The problem was, he hadn't mapped any of this out.
His entire night had been consumed with imagining how he'd handle being in the same room with his fated mate without losing control completely, not with creating actual training protocols.
Think, Raikar. She's a warrior. She understands structure and objectives.
"First, we need to get you settled. I understand you're staying with Talia and Brenn, which is perfect.
They're two of my finest warriors and will be able to answer any questions you might have about our territory and clan.
" He paused, his mind racing to construct a reasonable framework.
"They'll also be the ones handling your training. "
Jade's brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her features. "I thought you would be training me."
The innocent question hit him like a slap.
His panther surged with possessive hunger at the thought of spending hours with her, teaching her their fighting techniques, watching her body move with that controlled precision he'd glimpsed in her posture.
The beast wanted to show her every secret of panther combat, to mold her into the perfect fighting partner who could stand beside him in battle.
But that path led to disaster. If he trained her personally, his control would shatter within hours.
Every correction would become an excuse to touch her, every sparring session would end with her pinned beneath him as his panther demanded he claim her properly.
She wasn't ready for that intensity, and he couldn't risk frightening her away.
"Maybe in a few days I'll assist with some training." The lie tasted bitter on his tongue. "Right now my schedule is pretty full, and I have other duties to attend to."
It wasn't entirely false—the council situation alone would consume most of his attention. But the real reason was standing three feet away, her scent driving him slowly insane while she waited for answers he couldn't give.
Jade nodded, accepting his explanation with the pragmatic grace of someone accustomed to military hierarchies. "I was hoping to train with you at some point, but whenever you have time works for me."
The casual acceptance in her voice pleased him more than it should have. She wanted to work with him, to learn from him. That desire would serve him well when the time came to reveal the truth about their connection.
"What will I be doing once my training is complete?"
Another question he hadn't fully considered. Raikar's mind scrambled to construct a plausible mission structure that would keep her integrated into his forces without raising suspicions about his true motives.
"You'll work with Talia and Brenn on their daily patrols. If any other missions come up, I'll see if we can use you at that point."
The plan formed as he spoke, and he found himself satisfied with the framework.
It would keep her close, allow her to prove herself to his warriors, and give him time to figure out how to navigate the growing pressure from the council.
Most importantly, it would let him maintain some distance until he could get his panther under better control—though he suspected that might prove impossible.
Jade's posture relaxed slightly, her shoulders losing some of their rigid tension. "That sounds like a solid plan."
Relief flooded through him. She was satisfied with the direction, and he'd managed to create a path forward without revealing the deeper truth. Now he just needed to get her settled before his control snapped entirely.
"Let's go find Talia and Brenn and get you settled."
He rose from his chair with controlled movements, every muscle coiled tight with the effort of maintaining his composure. Jade stood as well, hefting her duffel bag over her shoulder with practiced ease. The casual display of strength sent another wave of possessive satisfaction through him.
She's strong enough to be ours.
"Let me carry that for you."
He stepped around the desk, closing the distance between them before she could protest. Her eyes flashed with annoyance but he was already reaching for the bag.
"I can handle—"
Their hands brushed as he grasped the strap, and heat flooded his body, every nerve ending igniting with need. His fingers tightened involuntarily around both the bag and her hand, holding her trapped in the electric connection.
But Jade stepped back instinctively, her pupils dilating as the same need slammed into her. Her breath caught, and for a moment, the careful control she wore like armor cracked, revealing the confusion and desire beneath.
She knows something is happening between us.
The knowledge sent savage satisfaction coursing through him even as it complicated everything.
How were they supposed to navigate the mate bond's pull professionally when they both clearly felt it tugging at them?
This was going to prove the biggest challenge of his life—managing a mate bond with a woman who didn't know she was his mate, while keeping the council at bay and his own beast under control.
"Follow me." His voice came out rough as he turned toward the door, her bag slung over his shoulder.
The scent of her confusion and arousal followed him like a shadow, making every step away from her feel like fighting against gravity itself.