“You said this happened Friday night? Was it here at the house?” Gabe calls over his shoulder for one of the guys inside to come photograph the car.
I shake my head. “No. I went to the grocery store Friday night around seven. The one in town, down from the diner. I parked in one of those spots in that side alley. When I came out, the car was like this. The paint was still wet. I didn’t like being in the alley alone, so I got in my car and came home as fast as I could. I parked in the garage so that no one would see it.”
Gabe looks at Jack, who is shaking his head. I get the impression they’re communicating in some way.
We all go back inside. The guy in my kitchen hands me a cup of coffee with cream only, just how I like it. How would he know that? There’s a lot of activity going on around me. Gabe and Jack are talking just out of earshot, and Max is putting a piece of wood over the broken window. Some of the police officers and a few of Jack’s guys are coming in and out of the house, telling Gabe and Jack stuff. I can’t hear any of it. I don’t know that I want to.
I feel like I’m in a bad dream and can’t wake up. I’m still scared and jumpy. The tears won’t stop. The coffee I’m drinking is giving me something to focus on. After a while, the crowd starts to thin out. I see Gabe walking toward me.
“Ms. Carson, we’ve done all we can here. We’ll be heading out. If you think of anything else, please give me a call. You’ll be kept informed as the investigation continues.” Gabe hands me a business card. He nods to Jack before he follows the last of the police officers out of the house.
“Jack, we’ve secured the outside. Max put a patch on the window, and we’ll be back first thing in the morning. Call if you need us.” Grant, Max, and the guy who made the coffee all leave behind the police.
After I hear the door close, I look up at Jack, confused.
“I’m staying.” Jack’s leaning up against the counter, watching me.
“What do you mean, staying? You mean here, with me?” I’m still confused and at the same time, relieved. I was starting to panic at the thought of being alone.
“I told you that you would be safe. I can’t keep you safe if I’m not here. You could have told me about your car on Saturday. I got the feeling something was wrong. I’m sorry I didn’t ask about it. If you don’t want me here, just say the word and I’ll go.” He’s looking at me, calmly waiting for my reply. I can’t read his expression at all.
“No, please stay. I’m relieved that you’re here, to be honest. I don’t want to be alone. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything on Saturday. I was embarrassed and angry. I just met you and I don’t know anyone else here. Who could I have pissed off?”
Jack puts his arm around my shoulder and turns me toward the bedroom.
“We can worry about who’s pissed off tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep. Morning will be here soon.”
As we walk toward the bedroom together, I get that confused feeling again.
“Jack, where are you going?” My confusion must be evident when my footsteps slow to a stop.
“To bed. I’m going to sleep next to you. It’s easier to protect you if I’m close. I want the side nearest the door if that’s OK with you.” He smiles, looking back at me, lifting his shirt over his head as he continues his walk to the bathroom. “Can I use your toothbrush? In the rush to get here, I didn’t bring one with me.”
“Yes. It’s in the cup on the counter.” I stand there baffled.
Part of me is happy he’s staying. I do feel safer with him here. The other part is close to freaking out. He wants to sleep in my bed, next to me. This seems completely…what’s the word I’m looking for? I want to say crazy, but it doesn’t feel crazy. If I’m truly honest with myself, it feels normal, like it’s where he’s supposed to be.
The person responsible for the break-in said he’s hers. Did she mean Jack? And does this make me the other woman? How would I feel if my boyfriend or husband wanted to protect another woman by sleeping in her bed with her? I wouldn’t like it at all. Despite how normal it feels to be around him, I need to get some basic information from this man.
My mind is overflowing with questions that need answers. How do I begin the conversation? Waiting until we’re in bed together seems a bit late to bring it up. And what exactly do I want to accomplish besides not being the other woman? I really don’t want him to leave. The thought of being alone terrifies me. Maybe we can clear the air and he can sleep somewhere else. The only other option is the floor since I don’t have any furniture yet. Am I really going to ask the man keeping me safe to sleep on the floor? I guess not.
I still won’t get any sleep. Seriously, the man is built like a Greek god. He has rippling muscles, that perfect “V” in his abs that disappears into his jeans, and the slightest hint of a tan. There’s just the tiniest amount of chest hair. I tried not to stare when he took off his shirt, but he was right there in front of me. I should not be turned on right now. It wasn’t that long ago that I was completely terrified. I still can’t believe someone broke in. What is wrong with me?
This is going to be a long night.
CHAPTER 11
Jack
Something is wrong. I feel it in the air. My wolf senses it too and neither of us can ignore it. Timothy and Chase just got back from checking on Ashley’s property. They said everything was good, but I’m not convinced. In the middle of trying to decide whether I should go to her house myself, I hear my phone ring. I half run, half walk to the counter to answer it. The others have noticed that my guard is up, and they’re standing by. I answer the call, but before I can speak, I hear Ashley’s voice.
“Jack, it’s Ashley. I’m sorry to call you so late, but someone is breaking into my house. I heard glass breaking. Will you call the police, please?” She’s whispering softly. Her voice is shaky, and I can tell she’s trembling.
While she’s talking, I alert Timothy and Chase, pointing toward the door. Go back to Ashley’s. Now!
I communicate the command with my mind. They’re completely clear on my instructions and are rushing out the door. We communicate telepathically when we are wolves. We call it mind speak. An alpha can do it with members of his pack even when he’s not a wolf.
Before I end the call with Ashley, Grant has already called the police. Max and the others ran out the door behind Timothy, and I hear their trucks pull away. Everyone heard my command, and most of them heard what Ashley said on the phone.
Grant and I run out the door as I disconnect the call. I probably should have let him drive. I’m not focusing on the road and my mind is all over the place. Who the fuck is stupid enough to break in after we claimed it? The property and the house are marked with my scent. And the humans in Wolfton know better than to intrude on shifter property. It has to be an outsider.
For now, I need to focus my attention on the intruder if I want to stay in control. Thinking about the fear I heard in her voice and felt through the phone is enough to make me sick. My mate is in danger, and I’m not there to protect her. That’s the worst feeling to have.
We finally pull up to the house. My pack has already arrived, and they’re scattered in the woods. I can hear them in my mind shouting out to one another. Sounds like they might be on a scent. Gabe and his crew are also just getting here. Gabe’s sending a few of his guys out in the woods with my pack. I shout over to him that they might have a scent. I can tell he’s relaying the information.
Waiting to go into the house is difficult. I have to let Gabe and his team go in first, which goes against my instincts. We already sense that the intruder is gone, but the house has to be cleared first. Once he gives the all-clear and begins the investigation, I go to find her. I follow her scent down the stairs to the basement. I also smell the son of a bitch who was here, but I can’t let that distract me now.
Walking into the basement, her scent stops. What the fuck just happened? I take a few steps backwards and forwards, trying to figure it out. Holy shit. Her scent literally stops, like sh
e disappeared or something. Did they find her and take her out of the house? No. They couldn’t have. Her scent would be outside mixed with the intruder’s.
I call for her and after a commotion, the bifold doors beside me open and she falls onto the floor. Unbelievable. I’m looking right at her on the floor, and I can’t fucking smell her. I pull her into my arms, trying to figure it out. How is this possible?
I’m probably holding her too tight, but I have to get her scent. My wolf is just as unnerved as I am. She’s crying and trembling in my arms. I slide my hand up the back of her head and grab her hair. My face is buried in her neck. I want her to know that she’s safe, but I also have to smell her essence. Neither my wolf nor I will calm down until I do.
Finally, along her hairline, I catch her scent. My wolf starts to relax a little. I do as well, but I’m still completely mystified. I’ve never encountered such a thing and don’t know what to think about it.
Upstairs, there’s a lot of commotion. Brooks is in the kitchen making coffee, and I signal to him to make her a cup when it’s done. I nod to Gabe, and he makes his way over to where we are. I know he wants to talk to Ashley.
Why does everything about this woman confuse me? The only thing that does not confuse me is the fact that she’s my mate. I need to figure out why I couldn’t smell her when I got down to the basement. Her scent just stopped. How in the world did she do that? I’m convinced it saved her from whoever was after her. That son of a bitch better be long gone.
My mind is bouncing from thought to thought. I know Gabe is talking to her, but I can’t stop trying to sort it out in my head. The pieces just don’t add up. I need to pay attention to what they’re saying. Ashley is leading him to the garage. I follow close behind them in an attempt to get back in the conversation.
As soon as we enter the garage, that sick feeling hits me again. What the fuck is going on? Looking at her car, I’m so angry that it’s hard to think. My instincts were right on Saturday, and I just walked away. My wolf is just as furious as I am and partly at me for not listening. I turn away, not wanting her to see my anger. It’s getting harder to keep it under control.
I know they’re talking again, but I can’t focus on their words. My rage is escalating, and I can’t let her see it. I need to calm down fast so I can be here for her. Focus on her.
We go back into the kitchen. Brooks hands her a cup of coffee, and she sits at one of the barstools. Gabe and I step over to the side, just out of earshot. I don’t want her to hear us talking or pick up on my anger. The chatter in my head tells me they lost whatever scent they had picked up earlier.
Gabe gets straight to the point. “What’s on your mind, Jack? You know something I don’t? Christi’s scent is all over the back patio. It leads down to the dock and then trails off. She didn’t enter the house, but someone else did.”
“I was here on Saturday and knew something was wrong. I could feel her fear. Everything in me told me not to leave her alone, but I did it anyway. I had two guys patrol the woods Friday night and last night. They had just gotten back from surveying the area when I got the call from her. Shit! They just missed those two showing up.”
I run my fingers through my hair and continue. “What the fuck is Christi up to? This is extreme, even for her. It just doesn’t make sense. I can’t come up with a logical reason for her to do this. She had to have done the car as well. So far it’s the only thing that fits.”
Gabe nods. “The scent the guys picked up is faint, and it trails off by the lake. He must have gone into the water. Hers is too strong and is masking most of his. We do know that it’s a male and a wolf. She probably hired one of the rogue shifters from down the mountain, which would explain why no one recognizes him. He’s probably long gone by now, but we’ll keep looking.”
Gabe writes something in his little notebook. Then he looks back at me and continues. “Christi is another story. We’re pretty sure she came and went by boat. I think I’m going to keep this quiet for a few days while we look for the accomplice. We’ll let Christi simmer for a bit. I’ll have her watched just in case. I don’t want her to know we’re on to her just yet while we try to figure out a motive.”
Gabe listens to a few of his guys as they check in. “Don’t beat yourself up, Jack. You’re in a tough situation. Pretending to be just the contractor is difficult. You’ve known her only a few days. All your actions have been normal for any human.”
Gabe directs his guys to wrap it up. He walks over to Ashley and I hear him tell her his goodbyes.
All the police leave. Grant, Max, and Brooks go as well, closing the front door behind them to go back to the pack house with the others. Timothy and Chase are going to keep watch out in the woods, but Ashley won’t know that. Now it’s just the two of us alone in the house. She glances up at me, a confused look on her face.
I tell her that I’m staying and for a few minutes I wait, not sure how she’ll respond. Relieved that we have that settled, I go into the bathroom. I take a quick shower, but it doesn’t help. I’m all mixed up. Pissed that I wasn’t here to protect her. Happy it wasn’t worse. Nervous that I’m about to get into bed with her. I need my anger at Christi and her hired thug to be enough to stop me from doing something stupid.
Gabe is right about one thing. I’ve been pretending to be just the contractor. I need to let her know that that’s not the case. But I need to do it in a way that doesn’t scare her. Make my intentions known without coming on too strong.
When I come out of the bathroom, Ashley is already in bed. The lights are off, and she doesn’t know that I can see her watching me walk across the room. Just before I get into bed, I drop the towel on the floor. I hope she doesn’t notice that I’m naked. I can’t sleep with clothes on. I get too hot and sometimes I shift in my sleep. I hope that doesn’t happen tonight.
We both just lie there. I can hear her breathing. A lot has happened tonight. She’s still nervous. Maybe a little scared. I’ll try not to move too much and let her get comfortable with me being here.
“Jack? Are you asleep?” Her voice is quiet.
“No, I’m awake. What’s on your mind?” I turn my head to face her.
“I didn’t tell Gabe everything. I didn’t tell him what I heard the voices outside say.” She doesn’t move.
“You want to tell me what you heard?” I don’t want to rush her.
“It was a female voice. She said, ‘That bitch can’t have him. He’s mine. Now go scare the shit out of her and be convincing. I want her running out of town, screaming.’” She pauses for just a second before adding. “She was talking about you, wasn’t she? Do you know who it is?” Ashley looks into my eyes. Even in the darkness, she’s trying to gauge my reaction.
“Yes, she was talking about me, and yes, I know who it is. Gabe also knows. She wasn’t the one who entered the house.” I take a deep breath. I need to stay calm and not let my anger at Christi take over.
She continues before I can say anything. “Are you married? Is she your girlfriend? This is a bad idea. You shouldn’t be staying here.”
I roll over onto her. Pinning her partially beneath me, cutting off whatever she was about to say. I look into her eyes and brush the hair off her forehead with my fingertips. She shivers.
“I’m not married, nor do I have a girlfriend. I’ve never even been on a date with the woman who did this. For years I’ve tried to make it perfectly clear to her that I’m not interested. Do you believe in fate, Ashley?”
Her eyes go wide as she nods.
I smile and continue. “You are the one I want. I knew it the second I met you. I don’t know what brought you here, but I’m pretty sure it was for me.”
“I do believe in fate, Jack. I feel it too. But why would this woman think that you’re mine?” She looks like she’s trying to figure it all out.
She’s not pushing me away and has relaxed under me. She feels good beneath me. I can smell that she’s turned on from this close contact. She’s rubbing her f
ingers on the back of my bicep and looking at my lips as I talk. I must maintain control. If I kiss her, I won’t be able to stop. My wolf is demanding I claim her now, but we have to wait.
“Thursday after the walk-through, I met Grant, Gabe, and Nicholai at Dakota’s. I may have said that I just met the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with. It was busy that afternoon at the pub, someone could have overheard.”
She tries to hide a grin. She likes what she’s hearing.
“When I couldn’t figure out what was wrong on Saturday, I started to suspect you might be afraid of me.” I watch her closely, needing to be completely sure before I take another step toward a relationship.
She looks away for just a second before she responds. “I was trying to be brave on Saturday. I got scared and being here alone didn’t help. I felt safe when you were working in the office. And I didn’t tell you what happened with the car because I didn’t want you to think I was weak.”
This is the perfect time to kiss her, but I can’t.
I smile back at her and try not to look at her lips. “You’re not alone anymore. I know we just met, but do you and me sound like something you would be interested in?” I glance down at our touching bodies, then back up to her eyes. “A real relationship. I don’t want to pressure you into anything. We can take our time and get to know each other.”
Her smile is radiant, and she is nodding. “Yes, Jack. You and me. I would like that. I’m in.”
“I want us to go slow. I want you to get to know me, and I want to get to know you. I don’t want to fuck this up by going too fast. That OK with you?”
She nods, and the smile grows bigger. I wrap my arms around her and hold her close.
“Yes, Jack. I’m OK with that. Thank you for coming to my rescue, and I’m glad you stayed.” She’s holding me tight. I hate that she’s wearing a shirt. I want to feel all of her against me.
I finally pull away from the hug and slide back to my side of the bed. “Tell me if anything else happens. As soon as it happens. I’ll call Gabe in the morning and tell him what you heard. Try to get some sleep. The crew will be here early to get started.”
Delivered: (The Blackpaw Prophecy, Book 1) Page 9
