A WARRIOR WEDDING
Copyright 2015 Teresa Gabelman
All rights reserved. The right of Teresa Gabelman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Gabelman, Teresa (18-8-2015). A WARRIOR WEDDING.
Draft2Digital Edition.
Editor: Hot Tree Editing
Photo: iStockphoto
Cover Art: Ron Gabelman
www.teresagabelman.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Teresa-Gabelman/191553587598342
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Acknowledgement | Thank you to my editor Becky Johnson (Hot Tree Editing), Donna Pemberton, Donna Bossert, Emma Treadway and Kelly Perkins. Without you this book wouldn’t have happened. I am forever grateful and appreciate you more than you will ever know. | To all the readers...without you...there is no story!
A WARRIOR WEDDING | by | Teresa Gabelman
COMING SOON | ‘Lee County Wolves’ Book #2 | ‘The Protectors Series Book’ #7 JAX
Acknowledgement
Thank you to my editor Becky Johnson (Hot Tree Editing), Donna Pemberton, Donna Bossert, Emma Treadway and Kelly Perkins. Without you this book wouldn’t have happened. I am forever grateful and appreciate you more than you will ever know.
To all the readers...without you...there is no story!
A WARRIOR WEDDING
by
Teresa Gabelman
CHAPTER 1
Jill rushed through the drug store looking at the signs hanging from each aisle. She needed to hurry. Sloan wanted them back at his office fifteen minutes ago and, as usual, Steve was on the verge of a freak out. They had just finished target practice and she practically had to beg Adam to stop. No one wanted to walk into Sloan’s office late. Well, maybe Sid, but that was Sid.
Seeing the aisle that she needed, she headed that way, her heart beating out of her chest as her stomach heaved painfully. Finding what she was looking for, she cursed. “Holy shit.” Seriously, how many of these things were there?
An older woman strolled down the same aisle looking first at Jill, then to the products Jill was looking at, and then back to Jill, an understanding expression crossing her wrinkled face before moving on. Jill shifted uncomfortably. Once the woman had disappeared, Jill grabbed a box only to stare at it. She knew deep down this was impossible. It couldn’t be, but she had to be sure.
“Five minutes?” Jill whispered as she read the box. She could have the answer in five minutes and then she would know for sure, what she already knew, but then again, since becoming a half-breed, things were not always what they seemed. Surprises were around every single corner she turned, and for a girl who used to like surprises, she was now hating them with a passion.
“What in the hell are you doing?”
So deep in thought, Jill jumped, the box flying out of her hand as she turned. To her horror the box landed in Adam’s hand. Reaching for it, she missed when he pulled it further away from her grabbing hands. Adam’s eyes narrowed as Steve snatched the box.
“What is it?” Steve looked at the box for a few seconds before shock flashed across his face and he threw the box back to Adam. “What in the hell have you done, Jill?”
“It’s not mine.” Jill looked away quickly then back, indicating she was lying her ass off. When she saw the identical looks of ‘calling her bullshit’ on their faces, she sighed. “Just give it to me.”
“What’s going on?” Adam crossed his arms, while still holding the box.
“Yeah, inquiring minds want to know,” Steve added, also crossing his arms and blocking her escape path. “What is going on?”
“There is no way you can be pregnant.” Adam glared down at her. “So why were you buying this?”
“Yeah, there’s no way...unless...” Steve’s mouth formed an ‘oh, shit’ circle. “Slade’s dead, but you’re not. You’re only half dead which means...”
“Which means what?” Jill growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. When Steve just cocked an eyebrow at her, she grabbed another box from the shelf throwing it at him. “I’m not cheating on Slade, you ass.”
“Then why do you need that?” Steve pointed at the box Adam held, then to the box on the floor before waving his hand at all the boxes on the shelves.
She knew she could blow Steve off, but Adam was a different matter. His penetrating gaze told her that he was not letting this go, and would stand there all day until she talked. Another woman started down the aisle, but spotted them and backtracked until she disappeared.
“I’ve been sick.” Jill sighed and felt a little better saying it. “It started after the initiation and hasn’t gotten any better.”
“So you think you’re pregnant?” Adam frowned. “We’re half human, Jill. We can still get sick.”
“Yeah.” Steve looked a little less stressed. “You probably just have a virus or something. You do look like crap though. Maybe we can stop by the makeup aisle and get you something for those bags under your eyes.”
Adam slowly turned his head toward Steve, his frown hard.
“What? I’m making an observation. She looks like crap.” Steve looked back at Jill. “And now that we’re on the subject, you’ve lost some weight. It could be water weight though.”
“What in the fuck are you talking about?” Adam growled. He then closed his eyes with a shake of his head. “You know what, don’t answer that.”
Steve ignored him and answered anyway, “Women have water weight. So sometimes when they look like they’ve lost weight, it’s just water weight. Not weight-weight.” Turning his attention to Jill, he continued like he knew exactly what he was talking about, “Other than losing weight and those dark bags under your eyes, what else is going on with you?”
Jill actually touched under her eyes self-consciously, then cursed because she was actually listening to Steve. “I can’t keep blood down,” Jill replied, feeling weak just saying it. “I fed from Slade a couple days after initiation and it came right back up.”
“What did he say?” Adam asked, but when she remained silent, he frowned. “You haven’t told him?”
“No.” Jill shuffled from one foot to the other. “He’s been so busy with all the funeral ceremonies, I just thought like you guys do. I have a virus, but I’m not getting any better. Regular food makes me nauseous, but even if I eat a rare steak for the blood, it comes right back up.”
“Ah, hello!” Steve threw his arms out wide. “You’re engaged to a doctor.”
Jill stared at Steve for a second before tugging the box out of Adam’s hand and heading to the register.
“You need to tell Slade.” Adam followed her. She could almost feel his frowning glare smacking her in the back of the head. “This doesn’t sound normal.”
“He’s been so busy and”—Jill tossed the box on the counter to pay—“I don’t want to bother him.”
The woman behind the counter took the box, but was staring at Steve and Adam with disapproval as Jill dug money out of her pocket.
“Honey, you shouldn’t be the one paying for this.” The woman glared at Adam and Steve, who stood behind Jill with their arms crossed.
Steve’s eyes widened as he stepped back from Jill, a mortified look on his face. “Whoa!” He looked around nervously as if Slade would pop out of the hair product aisle behind them. “I have absolutely nothing to do with...that!” He pointed to the box.
When the woman’s eyes went to Adam, Adam just shook his head, but didn’t say a word. Jill paid for her purchase, asking the woman to double bag the one item.
T
he ride was silent except for the radio playing. Jill’s hands shook, making the plastic bag rattle. Dropping it in her lap, she stared out the window. Her fear choked her as if someone had their hands around her throat. Something was definitely wrong because she was never sick. Even as a human she was never sick. How she had hidden it from Slade was a miracle, because Slade missed nothing.
Jill knew she wasn’t pregnant, yet in the back of her mind, she remembered when her mom was pregnant with Seth, throwing up constantly and all she did was sleep. Resting her head back on the headrest, her eyes closed. She was tired and weak. All she wanted to do was go to bed and never get up.
******
She could hear her name being called, but she had to fight to pry her eyes open.
“Go get Slade!” Steve’s worried voice broke through the darkness she was fighting out of.
“No!” Her voice croaked as her eyes finally opened to slits. “I’m fine. Just waking up. Give me a second. Geez, can no one take a nap around here?”
“We’ve been trying to wake you for ten minutes.” Steve’s voice was high-pitched with worry.
Jill straightened to sit up, willing her eyes to open all the way. “Steve, stop being dramatic.”
“He’s not being dramatic, Jill.” Adam broke in, his eyes missing nothing. “We’ve been trying to wake you for ten minutes.”
“So I’m tired,” Jill grumbled. “Haven’t you ever been tired?”
“Not since I’ve been turned,” Adam added, backing away to let her out of the car. When she swayed, he steadied her. “You need to talk to Slade.”
“I will.” Jill nodded, stretching. “I just think all the stress from everything going on got to me. I never did handle stress well.”
She knew by the look Steve and Adam gave her they weren’t buying it and neither would Slade.
CHAPTER 2
As soon as they made it inside the compound, her phone buzzed indicating a text. Quickly looking at it, she saw it was from Slade, wanting to know where she was. Putting her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, she tried to fit the bag with the pregnancy test in there too. But it wasn’t going to work. Wrapping the plastic bag around the test, she made sure no one could see what was inside. There was no way she could put off going to Sloan’s office any longer. Hearing Adam and Steve’s phone go off and their quickening steps, she knew they were really late and an ass chewing was only minutes away. Just what she didn’t need.
Following them into the office, she glanced around. Slade stood leaning against the wall, his intense stare following her. She gave him a smile, but didn’t head his way. Instead she followed Adam, her gaze finding Sloan who sat behind his desk, surprisingly not glaring or chewing their asses out.
The tenseness of the Warriors surrounded her, but Sloan seemed at ease sitting behind his desk staring at her. Okay, something was definitely off.
“It’s about damn time,” Sid grumbled, glaring at all three of them. “Where in the fuck have you been?”
“Jill had to get...” Steve started, but Jill stopped him by stepping on the back of his shoe. “Dammit, Jill.”
“Sorry.” Jill’s eyes narrowed in warning at Steve who bent to put his shoe back on, his eyes meeting hers. The warning in her stare was clear. He needed to shut the hell up or else. Her eyes once again found Slade who hadn’t moved an inch, but his gaze had become more intense. He knew. What he knew, she didn’t know, but he knew something. Dammit.
“Sorry we’re late.” Steve walked toward Sloan’s desk, without looking Sloan in the eye.
“No problem,” Sloan replied and eyed Steve, Adam and Jill closely.
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to stare at Sloan.
“Who the fuck are you and what have you done with Sloan Murphy?” Sid glared at Sloan as if searching his soul.
Unease slithered down Jill’s spine when she searched Sloan’s eyes. This easy-going guy sitting behind Sloan’s desk looked like Sloan, sounded like Sloan, but that was where it ended. He sure as hell wasn’t acting like Sloan.
“What?” Sloan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.
Jill actually felt every Warrior in the room tense. Slade slowly moved toward her. Again her eyes moved to Sloan, but the office door slammed open, drawing everyone’s attention. What she saw was something she hoped everyone else saw. If not, she really was sick...at least in the head.
“What the hell is going on?” Sloan’s voice boomed as he stopped right inside his office.
Guns were drawn, half aimed at the Sloan behind the desk and the other at the Sloan glaring at them from his doorway.
“Eenie meenie miney mo, which Sloan has got to fucking go?” Sid’s voice rang out, his gun pointed at the Sloan behind the desk, but looking over his shoulder at the Sloan in the doorway.
“You better have a damn good reason to have those guns pointed at me.” Sloan took a step, as if daring any one of them to pull the trigger, but stopped when he saw his twin sitting behind his desk looking directly at him. “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” was all he said as he continued to stare at the other Sloan.
“Everyone needs to calm down,” the Sloan behind the desk said, starting to stand, but stopped as the sound of triggers clicking echoed in the room.
Jill watched the situation wishing she had her gun; she’d catch hell for that, but her mind had been preoccupied lately. She finally noticed Jax, who stood in the corner of the room, an arrogant half-grin on his face looking way too at ease with no gun drawn.
“Don’t order my men around, motherfucker. If you Warriors don’t stop aiming those fucking guns at me, you will be getting them surgically removed from your goddamn asses!” The Sloan by the doorway growled loud enough that Jill swore the room shook.
The Warriors, without moving an inch, looked at each other for a split second before all guns were turned and aimed toward the Sloan behind the desk. That was when all hell broke loose. Jill was pushed back when the Warriors, as one, took the Sloan doppelganger to the ground.
“You going to fucking do something?” The impersonator shouted.
Jill watched Jax slowly move away, his eyes meeting hers briefly. “Let him go.” Jax’s voice was smooth and calm.
Jared and Sid jerked the man up to a standing position, holding him tight, and Jill gasped. The man no longer looked like Sloan. His black hair hung in his eyes shielding them from view, but his massive frame loomed over Jared and Sid. He shook his head, finally revealing golden eyes framed by long black lashes. His fine muscled arms were sleeved with the most beautiful tattoos Jill had ever seen. She loved tats, but was too chicken to get one herself because pain sucked. Yeah, shock made her think of dumb shit.
When Jared and Sid didn’t let go, the man growled loudly and shook them off. Sid re-pulled his gun aiming at the man’s head.
“If someone doesn’t start explaining, I’m going to unload in two seconds.” Sid’s voice was not the easy-going tone he usually expressed.
The man turned to Sid, bending slightly so the barrel pressed against his forehead. “Pull the trigger. I dare you.”
“Good thing you didn’t double dog dare him.” Jared sneered. Everyone in the room became even more tense, if that were possible. “I’d hate to have my favorite shirt splattered with your brain matter, dumbass.”
Sid’s eyes darkened as he pushed the gun harder, making the man’s head move slightly as he leaned closer. “Any last words.”
“Yeah.” The man also leaned into the gun. “You’re a pussy. Pull the trigger.”
Sloan reacted by knocking the gun away before landing a punch to the man’s face, then picked him up by the throat shoving him against the wall. “You have exactly one second to tell me who the fuck you are and why you shifted to look like me, which I never want to happen again or I will take your life with no questions asked.”
The man cocked his eyebrow before hissing as Sloan’s hand tightened painfully around his throat.
“I brou
ght him in,” Jax spoke up, still looking at ease and not at all put out by the situation that had everyone else on edge. “Blaze is not only an ex-Warrior, but a highly intelligent shifter.”
“I wouldn’t say he’s too intelligent in the position he’s in now.” Steve snorted then stepped way back when Blaze’s eyes narrowed on him.
“You going to let go of my throat?” His raspy voice from short air supply echoed in the room. Everyone waited to see what Sloan would do.
A rare sinister smile formed on Sloan’s lips. “Not until you agree to never impersonate me or any of my men.” Sloan’s grin left his face quickly as his lip tilted into a snarl. Blaze struggled, but Sloan, even though just a bit smaller than the man, didn’t lose his grip. “And even then I’ll think about it.”
“It was his brilliant idea,” Blaze hissed out, his eyes betraying Jax.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sloan pushed away from the man, letting his death grip go before turning on Jax. “Explain,” he demanded, walking around his desk, everyone giving him plenty of space. Jill tripped over her own feet backing out of Sloan’s way. She had never seen him so pissed.
Jax didn’t seem the least bit upset that Blaze ratted him out. “I wanted to prove to everyone how easy it is for someone to shift and impersonate any one of you. Until now, I don’t think you guys totally understood. Now you do.”
“He didn’t shimmer,” Jill pointed out. “Don’t they usually shimmer before they shift?”
Blaze snorted, but his eyes pinned her to the spot. “I don’t shimmer.” His words were hard and deep.
“And that’s exactly why I brought him in,” Jax replied. “My brother is up to something and honestly, we need more help finding him. Blaze is the best and is an ex-Warrior. He knows a lot of people in both the vampire and shifter circles. We need him and he agreed to help.”
“Ex-Warrior?” Steve glanced at the large man whose head swiveled toward him. “You get kicked out or something?”
At first it didn’t look like Blaze was going to answer, but a humorless grin curved his lips. “Or something.” His eyes went to Adam and then Jill. “So when did the VC Warriors start letting boys and women join the ranks?”
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