“I’ll be there,” Max said. “The sooner this wraps up, the sooner I can mate with Jackie.”
“You might want to propose, rather than say mate,” Harley said. “That’s what she grew up expecting.”
“Oh,” Max said. “Anything else I should know?”
“You should get a ring,” she said. “Something that makes you think of her and that can be sized easily. Now that I think about it, maybe you should just wait and let her pick one. But for humans, you get down on one knee with a ring and tell her you want to spend the rest of your life by her side.”
“Got it,” Max said. “I guess I’ll worry about that after I tell her I’m a lion.”
Harley laughed. “That sounds okay, too.” She stood to walk with him to the door. “It’s going to be okay, Max. I just believe things have a way of working out as they’re supposed to.”
Max stared at her blankly before shaking his head. “I wish I could have the same faith.”
Chapter 23
“This is bogus,” Tasha said, pushing away her iced tea. “What does he even mean by a break?”
Jackie had gone to work as usual but then texted Tasha to meet for lunch so they could talk. She didn’t like to be needy, but she had no idea how to handle this situation at all.
She’d been angry with Max when she’d left him, but after a few hours away, she’d decided maybe she’d been too harsh. Maybe he really was just wanting a break. Maybe for some good reason. But then why couldn’t he tell her?
Why did it feel like all the things he couldn’t tell her just kept adding up?
“I don’t know,” Jackie said. “It came out of nowhere. I just woke up, and he wasn’t in bed with me. Then he said he wanted to talk.”
“Did anything happen the night before?” Tasha asked. “Anything you can think of?”
Jackie winced. “The condom broke, and he seemed a little upset by it.”
“Well, that would upset anyone,” Tasha said. “I mean, it’s not exactly things going to plan. Did he say anything about it?”
“He said he just didn’t want me to feel out of control of the situation. He wants me to feel safe.”
Tasha’s cheeks flushed and her lips spread into a grin. “I like this guy.” She frowned. “Wait, no, I don’t. He hurt your feelings. I guess we just need to figure out why he wanted this break.”
“I know,” Jackie said. “It sounds so sketchy and passive-aggressive, like he was too weak to break up with me. But Max isn’t like that. And he didn’t want me to date other people. And he said it was only for a few days.”
“Hm,” Tasha said. “And he said you couldn’t come over there? Even to the club?”
She nodded.
“I wonder if something’s going on. Maybe someone’s coming to visit him or something’s happening at the club.” Tasha snapped her fingers. “That’s it. We should go spy on him.”
Jackie raised an eyebrow. “Really? Isn’t that kind of messed up?
Tasha shook her head. “Not as messed up as you giving up on the hottest guy of your life just because he’s sending mixed messages.”
“It wasn’t mixed. He wanted me to stay away for a couple days.”
“Then he’s hiding something,” Tasha said. “Look, don’t you want to know what’s going on?”
Jackie thought for a moment. She didn’t want to just give up on Max, but she honestly couldn’t think of any good reason he would push her away and not even tell her why.
Something had to be up with him.
He wanted to be with her. He made it sound like he wanted things to be long term.
“I don’t know if I want to go to the club,” Jackie said quietly. “It’s not fun if he isn’t there, if he doesn’t want me there. And I want to respect his desire not to see me.”
“Even if he’s being sketchy? Even if he’s done? What if he’s with another girl?”
Jackie blinked. “No. But spying on him?”
“You won’t be the first one to do it,” Tasha said, grinning as she took another sip of her drink. “Come on. We’ll go when the club is closed, just to see if he goes home alone or someone is with him. Or if something weird is going on. That work?”
Jackie sighed as salads were set in front of them. She knew she should probably just leave Max alone, but she also couldn’t forget the night they’d shared. She’d told him she loved him, and he’d rolled off her, saying he couldn’t do it.
Couldn’t do what?
There were too many secrets, and she didn’t want to hang on for him if he wasn’t actually planning to come back or if he was hiding something.
“All right,” Jackie said. “We’ll go tonight. But regardless, we aren’t going to bother him. I don’t want him to even know I’m there.” She rubbed her forehead. “I can’t even believe I’m doing this. Spying on the man I should trust.”
Tasha shrugged. “People do crazy things when they’re in lust. But honestly, no normal man should be acting like this if everything’s on the up and up. There’s no reason to just suddenly take a break and not want you around. After tonight, we’ll hopefully know what’s up.”
Jackie stabbed her fork into her salad, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
“Come on. I think they just turned the lights out,” Tasha said, peeking out from the front seat of Jackie’s car, which they’d parked in a lot across the street from Club Crimson.
They’d camped early and eaten takeout in the car while waiting for the club to run as usual. Max was at the front door, looking breathtakingly handsome. Tonight, he was wearing a leather jacket, and his hair was pulled back in a low ponytail.
He looked fierce as he guarded the line, as if he were watching for something in particular.
He couldn’t possibly know she was out there, right?
The club had closed about an hour ago, but it had taken a while for guests to trickle out and the lights to go down.
“He has to be in there still,” Tasha said. “I never saw him come out, and he’s pretty hard to miss.”
“Maybe he went out a different entrance,” Jackie said, feeling her stomach go still.
“No, he would have to come this way to go to his apartment, so… Oh…” Tasha trailed off, looking over at Jackie nervously. “Maybe he’s still inside.”
“Or maybe he went somewhere else,” Jackie said with a shrug she didn’t feel, everything in her hardening.
She’d never been a very emotional person or given to jealousy. But it was different with Max. She saw the way he looked at her, and she could tell there was something really strong between them.
She just didn’t know what had happened to change things overnight.
“We should go over, peek inside,” Tasha said. “See if he’s in there.”
Jackie rubbed both hands over her face. “What if they catch us, though?”
“They won’t,” Tasha said. “We’ll be careful. And look, there’s no one around. I mean, there’s a few cars around the back of the club, but those came after closing, so I doubt they were going to Club Crimson.”
“Hm.”
“Let’s just take a quick look. If no one’s inside the club, we’ll know Max left with someone. Isn’t it better to know?”
Jackie didn’t think so at this moment. She just wanted to stay in denial in her warm car and wait a few days for Max to call.
But in her heart, she was curious.
“Fine, but just a quick look,” Jackie said, opening her door cautiously.
But just as she and Tasha had exited the car and made their way down the street a safe distance so they could cross without anyone seeing them, lights went on in the club.
But not normal lights. The club was now lit a deep red, looking like its namesake.
Tasha gasped. “Okay, now I really have to see in there.”
“Wait,” Jackie said, trying to grab her friend, but Tasha had already darted out to cross the street, so Jackie followed.
They dashed to the sid
e of the club, hiding behind the wall while Jackie listened for the thumping of music.
When she heard nothing, she looked at Tasha nervously. There was a window just above them, but if they looked in, someone could see them.
“Oh my God, it’s like a secret society or something. Like a club that opens when the other club closes,” Tasha said excitedly, rubbing her small hands together. “I didn’t know they really existed.”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “So Max is probably working late at this other club. We should go now.”
“What if it’s a kinky sex club or something?” Tasha asked, eyes wide. “I still think this bears more investigation.”
“I don’t know,” Jackie said. “I think we should probably go.”
But while they were trying to decide what to do next, Jackie heard loud noises coming from inside. Raised voices.
Someone who sounded like Max.
Unable to resist, she slowly stood, pressing herself to the brick so she could move just an inch at a time. Tasha moved with her, and as they barely reached high enough to see in, Jackie had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep back a gasp.
Tasha grabbed Jackie and jerked her down beside her, her face completely white from what she’d seen.
“Oh my God! Oh my God, did you see that?” Tasha looked like she was a second from fainting. “I… Was there a movie playing? Was that some kind of illusion?”
“I don’t know,” Jackie said, her heart pounding as her brain tried to deny the images she’d seen. “I…”
“There was a man turning into a wolf!” Tasha said. “A huge one. I’m not kidding.”
“I know,” Jackie said. “I saw it.” The man had been sprouting gray fur all over. Though Tasha was pressed against the wall now, shaking, Jackie knew she had to get another look. Her mind wouldn’t forgive her if she didn’t take another chance to confirm what she’d seen.
Something that shouldn’t have been possible.
When she stood again, she peeked in to see people gathered around a table, pushing back from their chairs to circle around two people in the middle of the room. The man sprouting fur was coming down on all fours, and the man across from him…
Her jaw dropped. It was Max, and he was sprouting fur, too.
But it was golden and long around his face, and…
In seconds, he was a giant lion, circling with a giant gray wolf as the rest of people in the room tried to push furniture out of the way.
God, he was so big that his back was higher than the bar, his head almost to the light fixtures. He looked like he would definitely win against that wolf.
For a second, in her shock, she could only take in how beautiful he was. The glistening fur, the golden eyes, they were all the same.
But then she felt him look around the room and had to drop out of sight next to Tasha.
Tasha was breathing rapidly, and Jackie put a hand over her friend’s knee, hoping to calm her down.
Not that she knew how to, since they’d just seen that people who could shift into animals definitely existed.
Her man was one of them.
Jackie felt numb inside. She didn’t know what else she could feel. Did this have anything to do with the break? Surely not, because he had known what he was all along.
Dear God, what exactly was Club Crimson?
The red light from the window painted the ground around them in an eerie glow.
Jackie looked up when she heard the sound of a car approaching the club. It parked in a side lot. Was it another one of these animals?
Was this some sort of animal fight club?
She sighed in relief as Tasha finally began to relax.
“I don’t even know. Should we call the police or the government?” Tasha was mumbling. “I mean, this isn’t… We can’t just…”
“It’s going to be okay,” Jackie said, making the gravel rustle as she moved to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m going to get you out of here, and we’ll go home and everything will just be normal.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t the case.” A shadow blocked their view, and Jackie looked up to see a tall figure looming over them.
She barely had time to gasp before she felt darkness all around her.
Chapter 24
Max held back a snarl as he circled the wolf in front of him, knowing he probably shouldn’t have transformed, as he could probably handle this pup with his bare hands.
But between being frustrated about not being able to see his mate and being tired of every wolf in the place thinking they should now challenge Lock, he’d had just about enough.
Apparently, instead of having info about who had hurt Lock, most wolves were interested in challenging the wounded alpha.
Max didn’t want to know how much worse they’d be if they knew Lock was unconscious.
The whole thing had gotten fucked up really quick, and Max just wanted to show all the wolves what was waiting for them if they decided to get antsy.
After all, Benny couldn’t transform safely inside, and Lock was currently helpless.
Lock might be an idiot with bad morals, but he was still someone Max considered a friend. As such, Max would protect him.
The wolf in front of him let out a snarl of frustration before changing back into human form. He barely had time to gather his clothes before Benny was pushing him toward the door.
“We don’t allow shifting at meetings,” Benny said tersely. “What if there had been humans around?”
“No human would be dumb enough to come here,” the wolf said.
But before Benny could get the struggling man to the doorway, it flew open, revealing a tall figure.
“This human was.” The man had a human slung over his shoulder and another hanging limply over his arm. “This one, too.”
Max narrowed his eyes at the man’s calm voice and the scent lingering in the air. Lavender?
The man was tall, more the height of a dragon than a regular wolf, with pale hair that was short and tousled and light eyes the exact shade of which Max couldn’t make out.
There was a hush in the room as the wolves grew uneasy.
“The Tribunal,” one wolf muttered, causing the others to start whispering.
“Right, the Tribunal,” the newcomer said smoothly. “So anyone who doesn’t want to be involved had better leave quickly.”
There was a quick mass exodus as wolves and other shifters shoved their chairs out and made for the exit, flowing around the tall man as he watched calmly.
The stranger’s eyes turned to Max. “There’s no need for you to stay in that form, is there?”
Max shifted back and took a spare set of clothes from Benny. “No, I don’t believe so.”
It was just him and Benny in the room with the stranger now, and Max had to fight back a shudder of apprehension.
The Tribunal. The wolf ruling class that was known for being as ruthless as it was strong, made up of the purest blood alpha wolves in history.
There were rumors that the Tribunal was now more about controlling the wolf population than protecting it. Rumors of genocide, murder, and rape.
But Lock knew more about it than Max did. As far as he knew, Lock’s whole purpose was to bring the Tribunal down.
The stranger walked forward to place one of the women on the table. Then he held the other one out. “I believe this one has your scent.”
Max snarled when he realized it was Jackie. With her head down, her black hood had covered her face, and the stranger’s scent had blocked Max from smelling her. “Give her back to me.”
The stranger shook his head. “Nope. You have something I want.”
“What is it?” Benny asked, stepping forward, always the calm one in situations like this.
“I need you to take me to Lock,” the stranger said.
“Are you the one who hurt him?” Benny asked.
“I don’t care,” Max said. “It’s a trade.
Benny sent Max a glare. “Be caref
ul. We need him. And besides, what if this man doesn’t keep his word at all?”
“I am known for being a scoundrel,” the man said, tilting his head slightly. “Also a powerful assassin and the last face a lot of people see before they die.” He touched his chin, still holding Jackie with one arm. “Then again, I am beautiful, so I suppose it’s not the worst thing.”
“Did you hurt Lock?” Max asked. “Because if so, we can’t let you see him.” He rolled up his sleeves, stepping forward. “Now give my mate back, and then we can talk.”
The stranger shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think I’ll wake your mate to beg you instead.”
Then he waved a hand over Jackie, and the scent in the room changed. Jackie woke with a gasp, struggling against the arm that held her.
“Let me go, you bastard, you—” She cut off when she looked up and saw Max and Benny. Her expression warmed. “Max…”
“It’s going to be okay, honey,” Max said.
Her expression changed, her eyes widening as her mouth went slightly slack. “I saw you,” she said rapidly. “I’m so sorry, Max. Tasha wanted to see why you had to take a break from me, and I was jealous, and it’s all my fault. I’m sorry.”
She’d seen his lion? He didn’t know whether to be proud or horrified. Regardless, he knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her on his watch.
First, he’d save her, and then they could work out the rest.
“I’m getting impatient,” the stranger said. “So you take me to Lock now, because I heard he was injured, or I’m going to have to put you all to sleep and take her with me right now.”
Max growled, ready to shift again at any moment, but Benny put a hand on his arm.
“Are you trying to challenge him?” Benny asked, stepping forward.
“I don’t have to answer you, bear,” the stranger said, lifting his nose. “Now make your choice.” He pulled Jackie in against him, tilting her head so he could look down at her face. “Not my type, but I’m sure if I take her with me, someone will find a use for her.”
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