by J. L. Wilder
"Excuse me, ladies," he said slipping out of the tub.
The girls sounded "awws" of disappointment as Mace hurried out of the bathroom and wrapping a fluffy towel around his trim waist.
He grabbed the phone and answered it mid-ring.
"Yo, Cut!" he said. "What's up?"
"Where are you?" asked Cutter.
"Straight and to the point as always, I see," said Mace. "I'm in Montreal. Where else would I be?"
"Do you really want me to answer that question?" he asked. "Still got fresh memories of your impromptu trip to New York with that group of runway models last years."
"Hey, it was fashion week!" protested Mace through a smile. "Just wanted to make sure I was staying on top of the cutting edge of fashion."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's what you were interested in ‘staying on top of'."
Mace laughed.
"Do you have the supplies?" asked Cutter, his voice severe.
"Not yet," Mace said. "I confirmed the orders last night and was gonna pick them up today."
"Good," said Cutter. "Do it now and double the orders. Shit's gone down in the last day and we need you back here ASAP."
"What kind of shit?" he asked. "What's going on?"
"Better to tell you in person," he said. "But get back here."
The line went dead.
"Shit," said Mace, tossing the phone onto the bed. "Always a fucking laugh with that guy."
"Mace-y?" asked one of the girls from the tub. "Where are you?"
"Yeah," said the other. "We're getting lonely in here."
Fuck, thought Mace. So much for a relaxing morning.
Normally he'd tell Cutter to chill out—being too serious was his thing. But this time was different. Mace could tell by the tone of his voice that this wasn't a screwing-around matter.
Mace moved around the room, grabbing his jeans and shirt and everything else. Once he was dressed, he poked his head into the bathroom, the sight of the two beauties in the tub about the best sight he could've imagined.
"Uh, gotta run!" he said. "But the room's paid up, so...take your time. Get good and clean, ladies!"
Looks of disappointment formed on their faces as Mace pulled his head out of the bathroom. Once he'd checked to make sure he had all his things, he took one last look at the room before stepping through the door and heading out.
He closed his account down at the lobby before making his way to the parking garage. To his relief, the large van they owned for supply trips was there waiting for him. By the time he was seated in the driver's seat, the engine revving, his hangover had gone, replaced by thoughts of what might be happening back at the house.
Just get the shit done, he thought as he pulled out onto the streets of the city. For now, focus.
He went from place to place, picking up food and household supplies and other odds and ends he'd come to get. By the time he was done it was early afternoon and the back of the van was totally loaded with goods.
The trip back to the estate took another few hours, and by the time he pulled back into the front driveway he was ready for some answers.
Mace hopped out of the car and stepped through the main doors.
"Yo!" he called out. "Where the fuck is everyone?"
"In the study!" called back Jack.
"Shit," he said as he made his way. "We having a fucking house meeting or something?"
No response, and Mace knew that meant the answer was "yes." Cutter, as the kind of guy who liked to have all the I's dotted and T's crossed, was notorious for house meetings. Mace, on the other hand, had always found them a waste of time. As far as he was concerned, they'd come out to the woods to live like this to get away from all that sort of bullshit. And there was Cutter, wanting to recreate it.
"Okay," said Mace as he stepped into the study. "Let's make this quick, because I've got a shitload of stuff out in the—"
He stopped in his tracks as he laid eyes on just who was in the study. Cutter and Jack were there, alright. But seated among them was someone who he'd never seen before. It was a woman, one with dark hair, dark eyes, and a body beautiful enough to make a grown man weep.
She was about the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen in his life. And as he stood staring at her Mace realized instantly why other women had been making him so bored recently.
It was because they weren't her.
CHAPTER 13
ECHO
The three men in the study around her, Echo felt totally overwhelmed. Three shifters, all gorgeous, all powerful, were there because of her.
She felt like a problem to be solved, like how these three men had been living before it had all been thrown into a tailspin at her arrival.
"Who the hell is this?" asked the man who'd just arrived.
Like Cutter and Jack, the new man was so good-looking Echo could barely think straight. He was tall and blonde and muscular, built like a Viking warrior. His fair skin was covered in tattoos, and his blonde hair was pulled into a tight topknot. Unlike Jack and Mace, his face was shaved clean, showing off his red lips, a slim nose, and sparkling blue eyes.
How the hell are these men all without mates? Echo asked herself. Anyone of them could be the alpha of his own clan. But they're out here living like this, away from everyone.
It was strange.
"Sit down," said Cutter, gesturing to one of the open seats. "We have much to discuss."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" asked Mace. "You tell me that I need to get back ASAP, which I do, and as soon as I step through the door you start right in with the cryptic bullshit?"
"This is Echo," said Jack. "I found her in the woods yesterday. She escaped from her clan, and I killed the member of it who'd tracked her down. And the clan is the fucking Hearteaters."
That did it. The new man who'd walked in stopped where he stood, his blue eyes wide with shock.
Then, without another word, he stormed over to the bar and made himself a drink.
"Come over here," said Cutter. "We need to discuss what to do next."
Mace did, the ice in his drink tinkling as he walked. Seconds later he was plopped into one of the chairs, the four of them sitting in something like a circle.
"Echo," said the new man. "Echo what?"
"Echo Wilson," she said.
He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb.
"Mace Sharpe," he said. "Good to meet you. I think."
Unlike Cutter's seriousness or Jack's wildness, Mace had a different feel to him, more carefree, easygoing. But she could sense that he wasn't afraid to fight if he had to.
"So," said Mace, turning to Jack. "You decided to get us into a war while I was out in Montreal picking up steaks."
"It's a long story," said Jack.
"No, it's not," said Mace. "Because you summed it up pretty fucking well. And it sounds like it's exactly what I just said it was."
"What the fuck was I supposed to do?" asked Jack. "Leave her there?"
"You were supposed to not get involved," said Mace. "That's what this is all about, not getting involved. Remember?"
The words sounded familiar to Echo, like what Cutter had said yesterday. These men, whatever their living situation was, had been peaceful.
Up until Echo arrived, that is.
"I can leave," said Echo. "None of you are obligated to let me stay here. I can just...go."
"No," said Jack. "You won't last a second out there. The Hearteaters will find you and do whatever the hell it is that they have in mind for you."
"Not to mention that they'll make damn sure you talk about who you've been staying with."
"I won't say a word," said Echo. "I won't tell them who you are or where you live."
"You say that now," said Jack. "But I know how the Hearteaters operate. No issue for them to torture a woman."
"Right," said Cutter. "That fucker Stone...shit, I've heard all about the way he treats anyone who stands in his way."
Echo shuddered at the mention of Stone. As much as she meant it when she
'd said that she was willing to leave to spare the men of any blowback, she knew there was no way she'd ever let Stone get ahold of her. She'd left him for good, and that was all there was to it.
"I just feel like...I've ruined everything for you all," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah," said Mace. "You kinda did."
Cutter shot Mace a hard look, one that Mace returned.
Echo noted how strange the dynamic between the three of them was. They were all strong-willed men, but neither one of them seemed to be the leader. Sure, Cutter clearly was in possession of a calculating mind and liked to call the shots when he could, but he was far from in charge. Jack and Mace had no problems sounding off their own opinions on matters.
She couldn't keep her confusion to herself any longer.
"This is weird," said Echo. "What's...what happening here?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Mace.
She took a breath and tried to form her words mentally before speaking.
"Stone was only made the alpha of the Hearteaters recently," she said. "But even before then it was clear he was going to be the bear on top. What he said went, and if anyone talked back to him the way you talked back to each other...It wouldn't have gone well. I've seen it happen."
"That's because no one runs this clan, or whatever you want to call it," said Jack.
"We're all alphas," said Cutter. "Which means none of us is an alpha."
"I'm confused," said Echo.
"Ronin," said Mace.
"What?" asked Echo, not sure what she'd heard.
"'Ronin' is the name for shifters like us," said Cutter. "It's a Japanese word, means ‘samurai without a master'."
"Each of us left our clan for our own reasons," said Mace. "And now we're on our own."
"Kind of," said Jack. "We each ran totally solo for a time down in Montreal. But the fucking city..."
"Good for a visit," said Cutter. "And supplies. But that's it."
Echo nodded.
"But...now that's all over," she said.
Cutter nodded.
"Stone and the rest of the clan are looking for you right now, no doubt," he said. "They'll burn down these woods trying to find their missing female and whoever it was that killed one of them. It'll be as good as a declaration of war."
"So," said Jack. "That means we're going to have to get ready for a fight."
"A fight?" asked Mace. "What the hell kind of fight are the three of us going to be able to put up against the Hearteaters? I've got full confidence in my ass-kicking abilities, but that still means three against..."
He turned to Echo.
"How many are in that clan?" he asked.
"Maybe fifty," said Echo. "Equal numbers of men and women."
"Shit," said Mace. "Three against fifty. Maybe we should start thinking about a plan for getting the fuck out of here."
"And go where?" asked Cutter. "Leave our ancestral homelands because we're scared of having to defend them? Not a fucking chance."
"And the Hearteaters," said Jack, shaking his head. "They're a cruel bunch of motherfuckers. I've heard stories about shit they've pulled with other clans in the region."
Echo nodded.
"I was there for it," she said. "I mean, I never participated –even if I wanted to they wouldn't let me because I was a woman. They've started wars just for fun, just to humiliate clans by killing off some of their males, letting them know who runs the region."
Cutter's eyes flashed, as if he'd just thought of something.
"And they've broken treaties left and right," he said. "I remember hearing about how they worked out a truce with the Storm Bringer clan only to go back on it within a month and carve out a chunk of territory for their own."
Mace's eyes flashed with the same understanding.
"Yeah," he said. "Heard all sorts of shit like that. Maybe there's only three of us, but I bet if we reach out to some of the other clans, we could get them on our side, maybe convince them that together we can finally rid this area of those fuckers."
"It's worth a shot," said Cutter. "But we're going to need her."
He pointed to Echo.
She didn't hesitate a moment.
"I'll do whatever I can," she said. "I brought this all down on you, the least I can do is help you solve it."
"Atta girl," said Mace, flashing a charming smile.
"Then it's settled," said Cutter. "We can start by reaching out to the Storm Bringers. Bet they'd jump at the chance to get some payback."
He turned to Jack.
"You and me," he said. "We can move tonight, scout out the little territory they have left—shouldn't take long to find them."
"Sounds like a plan," said Jack.
"Wait," said Mace. "You're going to leave me here while you two do all the hard work?"
"No," said Cutter. "Because while we're gone, you're going to watch over her."
Mace and Echo locked eyes.
She knew right then and there that this was going to be more complicated than mere ‘watching over’.
Much more complicated.
CHAPTER 14
ECHO
Jack and Cutter left that night, and Echo was worried sick for both of them. She hated that they were being forced to risk so much for her.
She felt liked she'd fucked up majorly, that her impulsive decision to leave had resulted in consequences that she hadn't predicted.
And now she was alone in the house. Sure, Mace was there somewhere, but the estate was so big that two people could easily be in there together without seeing one another. Only the faint music of an electric guitar being played somewhere in the distance let her know that she wasn't simply wandering around the house like some kind of ghost.
Mace had seemed pissed about the whole situation—that much seemed obvious to Echo. The only thing that appealed to him seemed to be the idea of getting back at the Hearteaters, of fighting a war that he might be able to win.
But Echo didn't want Mace to be a stranger. And more than that, she felt drawn to him. Much like she felt totally unable to resist Jack the previous day, all Echo could think about was being close to him. They'd never met before, but she already felt like she'd known him intimately.
So, after passing sometime walking through the house and trying to make a mental map of the place, she decided to find Mace.
Echo listened for the guitar music, cocking her head to the side and trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. She went up one flight of stairs, and then another, the music growing louder and louder with each step up she took.
By the time she reached the third floor, which itself led to a smaller attic-type area that she hadn't been able to see from the outside, Echo could feel the music in the floor, the bass shaking her bones.
The music was...incredible—passionate, raw, and sexual. It was the aggression of the sort of rock music a younger guy would play, tempered by the maturity of an older man, one who'd actually been through the ups and downs of life.
She eventually reached a large, steel door with a red light above it, the sound definitely coming from the room beyond. Echo listened for a time, focusing on the kicking bass drums, the hypnotic groove of the bass, and the intricate guitar lines on top.
She let the music put her into something like a trance, her eyes closed as she leaned against the door.
Then, suddenly, the music cut off. She heard the crunching distortion of a guitar being put down, followed by the thumping of heavy footsteps. Before she had a chance to react the door opened side, Echo nearly toppling over onto the ground.
Having been leaning against the door, she quickly lost her balance and fell. But instead of hitting the ground, she fell into a pair of arms—thick, muscular arms.
It was Mace.
She stared up at him for several long seconds, taking in the heat of his body, the look of his piercing blue eyes. And he looked at her the same way, like he'd just been caught under a spell.
"What the fuck were you doing?"
he asked, appearing to snap out of it.
"What do you mean?" she asked, not sure what else to say.
He helped her to her feet, and Echo had to take a moment to steady herself. Between the shock of him opening the door and the thrill of him holding her, Echo felt some strange sort of drunk.
"You were standing outside the studio like some kind of creeper," he said.
He opened the door and let her look in. Sure enough, near a large music producer's panel was a small bank of security camera screens, one of the areas right outside the door. Mace and Echo stood in the display and Echo quickly looked around for the camera and spotted it in the corner of the hall.
While she stood there, she took a look at the rest of the studio. Sure enough, past the production booth was a massive setup of a drum kit, a bass, and a long row of guitars hanging on the walls. There was even a gorgeous grand piano.
"You going to answer the question?" he asked.
Echo came back to her senses.
"Um, I just heard the music," she said. "And I wanted to hear it up close."
"Well, you did. That satisfy you?"
A little, but I know what really would satisfy me, she thought to herself.
Her eyes went wide at this, shocked that she'd have such thoughts about a man she'd just met. It was like what had happened with Jack, but all over again.
"You don't need to get pissed off at me," she said. "I just wanted to hear you play."
"I don't play to be heard," he said. "Not when I'm at the house. I play to get away from the bullshit, and right now, you've got a lot of bullshit for me to want to get away from."
"Sorry," she said.
Mace shook his head and looked away, as if suddenly feeling bad for what he'd done.
"What are you doing right now?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said. "Just trying to stay out of the way."
"By eavesdropping on my music," he said.
This time there was a small smirk on his lips, as if he was easing up on Echo.
"You hungry?"
A growl ripped through her belly. Mace laughed.
"I'll take that as a ‘yes'," he said. "Come on."
Without saying another word, he started down the stairs. Not sure what else to do with herself, Echo followed. After a minute or two she was at the bottom just in time to see Mace disappear into the kitchen.
