The door swung open at just that moment, and a tall, muscular black man in a pair of designer shades stepped into the room.
With a curse, Maximus threw his shirt over me, blocking my body from Jett’s view.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Jett said with a grin, holding up both hands. “I’m a patient man. I can wait.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as if settling in to watch. Of course he’d chosen this moment to show up after going MIA for a week.
I pushed up on my elbows, glaring at him. “Ever heard of knocking?”
“And miss the good stuff?”
My wolf whined for more of Maximus's touch, but he’d drawn back, a scowl on his face. He got up, picked up my jeans, and handed them back.
Jett shrugged. “Looks like I missed it anyway.”
“Have some decency,” Maximus said, grabbing Jett’s shoulder and manhandling him out of the room.
I threw myself back on the bed and pulled a pillow over my face to muffle my groan of frustration. Maximus had gotten me all worked up for nothing, and now I was so freaking horny I could scream. Instead, I had to face all of them together and talk about politics. At least I’d smoothed things over with Maximus. Now I just had to tell the other three that I had four mates. That should be fun.
17
Ariana
I tugged my clothes back on before following Maximus and Jett out to the living room. My jaw clenched and irritation lashed through me. Though the heat burning through me had dulled some, my core still ached to be filled.
Of all the times Jett could choose to reappear, it had to be right then? I snorted and pursed my lips. Maximus shot me a questioning look, one eyebrow raised. I shook my head. It wasn’t important. There’d be plenty of time for us to sneak off later.
Jett flashed a grin over his shoulder like he knew what I was thinking. Damn cat.
“What are you here for again?” I asked, my voice low with annoyance.
Jett chuckled, the sound shaking his shoulders and sending a jolt of heat directly to my center. I ground my teeth and squeezed my thighs together.
Mine, my wolf rumbled.
Yeah, yeah. So you say.
Jett leapt over the back of a plush white leather couch, sinking into the cushions and draping a relaxed arm over the back. “I have some information about your little vampire attack.”
I blinked in surprise. So he wasn’t here just to interrupt us.
Maximus stiffened. “What did you find out?”
I slid onto the couch’s matching loveseat, and Maximus was quick to drop down beside me, sliding a possessive arm around my shoulders. I leaned back into the crook of his arm, taming my growling wolf just a little.
The smug smile on Jett’s face quickly faded. “You sure you don’t want to wait for the other two? Where is the Dragon Overlord anyway?” He looked around comically. “I’m surprised he’d miss spending time with Quick Silver.”
“Quick Silver?” I scoffed. Was that the panther’s new name for me? My wolf smiled at the pet name, while human me couldn’t help crossing her arms. He was a cocky one, a fact proven by his toothy grin.
“We’ll fill them in later,” Maximus said, squeezing my shoulder.
Jett shrugged. “Fine by me. So, you remember how some of your little vampire friends got away during the fight, right?”
I nodded. Of course I remembered. The bloodsuckers were lucky to get away without my mates chasing them down.
“Well.” Jett took a bracing breath. “One of them is human now.”
“What?” Maximus barked, sitting bolt upright.
“I don’t understand,” I said. “Vampires can’t be made human again… Can they?” I looked at Maximus for confirmation.
“Not until now,” Jett said. “I wouldn’t have believed it if my spies hadn’t shown me proof. It matched the face of your attacker from security footage at a nearby intersection. It was a match. That vamp is now human.”
“That isn’t possible, Jett. Someone has their wires crossed,” Maximus said.
I narrowed my eyes at Jett. This all seemed too unlikely, not to mentioned convenient that he had access to some kind of vampire spies and street footage. My chest tightened and cold pooled in my stomach. Could Jett be working with the vampires? Was this some kind of trick?
“It’s real,” Jett said. “Your mate has vampire curing juju in her blood.” His dark gaze landed on me, inspecting me like a lab rat. There was definitely more to Jett than the bravado exterior he liked to show.
“This is crazy,” I said with a shiver.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Jett said. “But stranger things have happened.” His gaze slid from me to Maximus, and I could have sworn jealousy flashed in his eyes.
My wolf rumbled for freedom, and I quickly clamped down on her overzealous urges. Jett might be one of my mates, but if he was a traitor to shifterkind, I didn’t want him in our lives. Even if my wolf cried at the thought of losing him.
The elevator dinged then, and the three of us turned just in time to see Cash and Owen walking in. Cash flashed a smirk and gave me a wink the moment his eyes landed on me. My blood heated in response. Owen brushed his hair back and gave me a lopsided smile.
“Welcome to the party!” Jett opened his arms and grinned, his bravado returning.
Cash raised an eyebrow. “Did I miss something?”
“Ariana’s blood turned a vamp human,” Maximus said.
Cash’s eyes widened, and Owen’s mouth dropped open.
“Explain,” Cash snapped.
Jett seemed delighted by their reactions. “Like wolf-boy said, my spies informed me of it a few hours ago. One of the vamps that bit Quick Silver and got away is human now.”
“That’s impossible,” Owen said.
“That’s what I’m saying,” I grumbled.
Owen took a seat on the couch a good two feet away from Jett while Cash began pacing the living room.
Jett shrugged like he didn’t care if they thought he was lying. He’d done his duty in bringing the information forward. I pursed my lips. I could feel slivers of Maximus's trust through the bond. Even if the clans had been at war for years, the alphas did seem to trust what Jett was saying.
But I couldn’t shake my suspicions completely.
“What does this mean?” Cash said. He stopped and turned to face us.
“That life’s about to get a whole lot more dangerous for Ariana.” Maximus drew me closer to his side.
I barely resisted the urge to snuggle against him. Overwhelming myself with his mouthwatering scent wasn’t going to help me think clearly. “We can handle it.”
“Of course we can,” Cash said. He looked at me pointedly.
I bit my tongue on a groan. Why did I have a feeling they were about to chain me in a tower like Rapunzel?
“As long as we stick together, everything will be fine,” Owen said, my voice of reason. He gave me a sweet smile, and I relaxed. I wanted to go curl up in his arms suddenly, but after what had happened earlier, I didn’t think leaving Maximus's side to go sit in the lap of another was a great idea. Especially with the whole four mates thing still hanging in the air.
“Exactly,” I said. “We can continue visiting the other clans. We’ll just have to be more vigilant.”
Maximus stiffened. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Of course he didn’t.
“I’m not going to stay locked up at the pack’s lodge.” I turned from Maximus to Cash. “Or this apartment. So you’re all going to have to live with it.”
Maximus's body vibrated with his growl, but he didn’t argue.
“Well, I’ll let you kids sort it out.” Jett stood and stretched, his tight black shirt rising to reveal a deep V descending into his low-slung jeans.
My eyes widened and my blood pumped, filling me with heat. My wolf howled mine and clawed for the surface.
Down girl. I gulped and forced my gaze away, but not before Jett caught me looking. His co
cky grin returned, and he dropped his shades over his eyes before rounding the couch to head for the door.
“Let us know if you find out anything else,” Cash said.
“Will do.” Jett gave a mock salute before he disappeared down the hall to the elevator.
“I don’t think continuing the tour of the clans is a good idea,” Maximus said as soon as the elevator doors dinged shut.
“It’ll be fine,” I said.
“It will,” Owen added. “We’re head to bear territory next. She’ll be safe with my clan.”
I shot him a grateful smile.
“I suppose we can’t get out of it,” Maximus said. “I’ll allow it to continue as long as you don’t go anywhere without one of us.”
I looked around at the three gorgeous men with me. My mates. I could hardly believe I was so lucky.
“Deal,” I said.
Cash twisted his jaw. “We don’t take any risks…”
“Not with Ariana. Ever,” Maximus said.
Owen nodded.
My mates had finally come to an agreement. Protecting me seemed to be the only goal they had in common. I could only hope I wouldn’t need it, and they were all worrying for nothing.
18
Ariana
Ignoring my wolf, who was growling on about not having laid claim to Jett, I turned to Cash. “Do you have access to the garage from up here?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Could you lock the door?” I asked. “I need to talk to Jett before he disappears again.”
“What for?” Maximus asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Actually, I need to talk to all of you,” I said. I might as well get it all out in the open. If they were my mates, they might be affected by this weird vampire-curing blood of mine. Not in the way vampires were affected, of course, but in a more someone-might-want-to-murder-them way. I’d told Maximus that I had four mates already, but the others deserved to know, too.
Cash was lounging on the sofa, dropping winks in my direction every time Maximus looked away, silently gloating at the knowledge that he’d fucked Maximus's mate. The alphas might respect each other politically, but that didn’t mean they were above battling for dominance in other areas. Frankly, his cockiness was making me regret the night before.
I might actually enjoy seeing his face when I told him he had to share me with three other men.
“Jett’s not going to be happy when he finds out he can’t get out of the garage,” Maximus said as Cash tapped on the screen of his phone.
“He can get out,” Cash said with a smug smile. “He just can’t get his car out.”
A few minutes later, Jett came storming back into the room. “What the fuck,” he shouted at Cash. “You’re holding me hostage now? What is this shit?”
Cash shot to his feet, a growl in his throat at being challenged. “Don’t forget, you’re in my house.”
“I’m well aware,” Jett said. “Seeing as I can’t get out of it.”
“No one’s holding you hostage,” Owen said quietly. “Ariana wants to talk to us before you go.”
Jett turned his furious eyes on me. “You couldn’t talk to me five minutes ago when I was up here?”
“The Silver Shifter would like a word with the alphas of the four clans,” Maximus said. “It’s within her rights to ask for an audience with us.”
“You didn’t stick around long enough to give me a chance,” I said to Jett. I wasn’t going to let him talk to me that way, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let Maximus answer for me. I appreciated his standing up for me, though, especially since I knew how painful my announcement was for him. I sent him a rush of love through our bond before sitting up straight and shrugging his arm from my shoulders. If I was so damn important, I could have my own voice.
“If you don’t want to be included in conversations that affect your clan, that’s your choice. I thought I’d show you the courtesy of offering before we made decisions without your input. We’ve all been here discussing the welfare of the clans for weeks, and you haven’t participated. I thought you might have showed up to rectify that, not just to deliver your news, turn around, and pull a disappearing act again.”
Jett crossed his impressive arms and stared down at me with hooded eyes. “Looked like you were real busy discussing the future of the clans when I got here,” he said. “But hey, if that’s how we do business now, we can take this to the bedroom. Would it help if my head was between your thighs for this conversation?”
“It might help if you took your head out of your ass,” I shot back, my face hot.
Maximus snarled at Jett, but Jett ignored him. His hostile gaze was locked on mine. I wasn’t about to back down. My wolf growled inside me, and I bared my teeth at Jett.
Cash took a step toward him, looming over Jett as if trying to intimidate him. Jett didn’t seem to notice. His dark eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring as we stared each other down.
My wolf growled louder, no longer wanting to mate. She sensed danger, and she wanted out. She wanted to fight.
“I get the feeling I’m missing something,” Owen said, shifting uncomfortably. His gaze moved between the rest of us, looking utterly lost.
“Ariana,” Maximus said. “Care to explain to them what’s going on?”
“Yes,” Jett said, pursing his gorgeous lips. “Do explain.”
“All right, guys, let’s all have a seat and calm down,” Owen said. “There’s a lot of tension in here right now.”
“I’ll relax when I know this isn’t an ambush,” Jett said, his glare turning back to Cash.
“I’m unlocking the garage right now,” Cash said, pulling out his phone and tapping something on the screen. He showed it to Jett, who gave a grunt and took a seat on the couch, apparently satisfied.
“Spit it out, Quick Silver,” Jett said with a scowl. “I’ve got more important things to do than lounge around a dragon’s lair making eyes at everyone.”
I gritted my teeth in annoyance, then turned to face the the others. Maximus's protectiveness made me feel safe to speak. Owen’s quiet strength gave me courage. Cash’s certainty steadied me. And Jett, well, he pissed me off just enough for me to enjoy breaking this news.
“I admit, until Maximus pulled me out of the pits, I’d never even heard of the Silver Shifter,” I said. “I’m not sure of all my duties and responsibilities. Maximus tells me I’m also supposed to have some special skill.”
“The last Silver Shifter was an oracle,” Cash said.
“Have you discovered your power already?” Owen asked, clasping his huge paws between his knees and leaning forward.
“No,” I said. “But I do know one thing.”
My heart suddenly thudded hard in my chest, and nerves overtook me. What if they were all as pissed as Maximus had been? What if they hurt each other?
My wolf was having none of that. She snarled at the very thought of anyone—even one of them—hurting her mates.
Cash gave a cocky grin. “Tell them, Ari.”
Maximus put a hand on my thigh and gave it an encouraging squeeze while glaring daggers at Cash.
“I’ve already told three of you separately,” I said. “But I wanted everyone to know. My wolf has claimed all of you.”
Jett snorted loudly.
“Well, she hasn’t officially claimed you, Jett,” I said, my face warming at the realization that he now knew exactly what was going on inside my head. At least the primal, wolf part of my brain.
“Wait a second…” Cash said.
“I know,” I said. “When we were together, our animals claimed each other. But my wolf had already claimed Maximus. And Owen.”
“She didn’t claim me,” Jett said.
“So, you’re not my mate,” Cash said. “You’re still Maximus's.”
“I’m both,” I said. “You felt the bond. You know I’m your mate.”
“Yeah,” Cash said. “I know I am. But I didn’t know they were.”
> “I’ve already shared that bond with Maximus,” I said. “And it’s still there. My wolf claimed him as her mate, as she should. And then she claimed Owen.”
“And then me,” Cash said.
“Each of you means something different to me,” I said. “But I can’t choose between you. You are all equally important, and my wolf claims you equally as her mates.”
“How’s this going to work, Ari?” Cash asked. “You can’t have more than one mate.”
“She does, though,” Maximus said quietly. I could feel the hurt lingering in our bond when he said the words, and I took his hand, linking my fingers with his. He might not have been my first, but he’d been my rescuer, the person who brought me back to life. Our bond was deeper than physical.
“It’s one way to unite the clans,” Owen said slowly. “You have to admit it hasn’t been done before.”
“For good reason,” Jett said.
“And the clans are always at odds,” Owen said. “With one mate to unite all our alphas…”
“Unite the clans?” Jett asked incredulously. “Sharing one mate sounds like a good way to start an all-out war. Shit, don’t you white people love the story of Helen of Troy?”
“I’m not trying to turn anyone against each other,” I said. “I’m only telling you what’s happened. Obviously I’m not going to force you to be my mate.”
“Then remind me why I’m here,” Jett said.
“I just thought you should know,” I said. “My wolf thinks you’re her mate, too, Jett. Trust me when I say I’m no more crazy about the idea than you are.”
“Now I know,” he said, standing. “If the garage is open and I’m free to go, I’ll just be going.”
“Can you honestly say your panther isn’t telling you the same thing?” I asked. I knew his panther was in agreement. He had to be.
Didn’t he?
“It doesn’t matter what he’s saying,” Jett said. “I don’t make important decisions with my dick or my panther. Not all men are animals, Quick Silver.”
Her Wolf: A Why Choose Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 1) Page 12
