Reluctant Heat

by Jaden Sinclair

  “I thought you told her things?” Dominic asked Darian.

  “Some stuff I have.”

  “It’s a bit more complicated,” Skyler said next. “With our kind we have different laws. We don’t do the human marriages, unless we are mating a human. So if a shifter male finds his mate—”

  “It’s one law my uncle hasn’t been able to change yet,” Fox butted in. “Uncle Dedrick has been trying for years to better protect the females of our kind.”

  “And for the most part he has,” Skyler added.

  “Yes, but he can’t get the board to change this,” Fox went on. “The only thing that has changed with our claims is the age. If a male finds a female that’s his he can mark her, but not take her away until she’s eighteen, unless he sees the family is unfit to keep her protected. The how part is all up to him also. But if Daxis, for any reason, feels like Lyssa is not being taken care of by dad, then he can come and take her away by our law. And like we just said, we won’t be able to stop him.”

  “Can we change the subject, please?” Dominic asked. “Before your father comes back and remembers why he didn’t like me before.”

  “Good idea,” Skyler said. “Girls, why don’t you get the dining room set up and Fox, find Alex and the two of you go get Lyssa. I’m sure she’s down at the dock with the girls I don’t like her hanging around with. As much as I do hate to admit it, if she doesn’t settle down, Daxis will have all rights to come and take her away now, before she comes of age.”

  Lindsey followed Darian into the dining room and since she really wasn’t paying any attention to her she almost bumped right into her.

  “Okay, give,” Darian demanded.

  Lindsey frowned, “Give what?”

  “There is major tension between you and Fox, and I want to know why.” Darian placed both hands on her hips, leaned to the side, and literally started tapping her foot. “You two have always gotten along in the past, so give.”

  Lindsey swallowed hard, though quickly. What should I tell her? How would Darian take the news that her brother kissed her? Hell, for that matter Lindsey still couldn’t process it. Still didn’t understand the why of it. Why would Fox kiss her? With all the time she spent at the house he’d only treated her as nothing more than another little sister. When had things changed?

  “I’m waiting?” Darian said.

  Licking her lips, and then looking behind her, Lindsey pushed Darian farther away from the entrance to the kitchen, back to a corner. “Okay, but you promise me you won’t freak out?”

  “That bad?” Darian raised both eyebrows.

  “Darian,” Lindsey sighed.

  “Okay, promise.”

  Lindsey bit her lip for a second, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see the shocked expression on Darian’s face. “He kissed me the other day.”

  “What!”

  Lindsey jumped, quickly put her hand over Darian’s mouth, looked over her shoulder, and hissed, “Shhh! You promised!”

  Darian shook her hand off. “He kissed you? What—why? I mean...” She rolled her eyes when Lindsey cocked her head to the side, likely trying to understand why Fox, or anyone for that matter, might kiss her. “That’s not what I mean,” Darian hissed, also understanding the change in Lindsey. “What I mean is, he’s never showed interested like that in you before. What made him kiss you?”

  “Will you lower your voice?” Again, Lindsey looked over her shoulder, making sure they were still alone. “I don’t need the whole family knowing.”

  “Oh I’m sure they know.”

  “God, I hope not,” Lindsey groaned.

  “Linds, what I mean is, Fox has never showed anything but brotherly love towards you. It doesn’t make sense why he would all of a sudden kiss you. You know what I’ve told you about the males. If by some chance you were one of my brother’s mates they would’ve known years ago.”

  “I think it was more of a pity thing,” Lindsey looked down at the floor. “He’s the first guy to ever kiss me.”

  “You’re kidding me!”

  “Shh!”

  “Sorry. Are you serious though? No one else has ever kissed you before?”

  “Why would they?” Slowly she brought her eyes up to meet Darian’s.

  “You’re kidding me, right?” When Lindsey said nothing, Darian sighed and rolled her eyes. “Oh please. You’re very pretty.”

  “I’m fat.”

  “Says who?”

  “The same group guys from when we were back in school.”

  “Those dip shits said those nasty things to you that one day because Ben Fallen was there, and that prick always makes fun of others. Hell, he used to say the same thing about me.”

  “Darian, I never had one date in school. You telling me that it’s because I’m so skinny and pretty?”

  “Dating was over rated.” Lindsey turned away from her and started setting the table. “What I mean,” she went on quickly, “Is that when you go on a date around here the guys just want a fast screw. And you were also too damn smart for half of the dicks around here anyway.”

  “It’s not working,” Lindsey said.

  “What’s not working?”

  “You trying to make me feel better.” Lindsey gave her a quick smile. “I know your brother did it only out of pity. I told him that I had never been on a date or kissed and he kissed me. End of story.”

  Darian chuckled, walking behind her with the plates. “Oh girl, if you think it’s the end of the story you still have much more to learn about us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, unless the males are looking for a fast screw for their heat, they don’t just go out and kiss someone out of pity. Something’s been sparked in my brother, and girl I’m going to say it now. Cover your ass. He might just be the one to claim it.”

  * * * *

  “So you going to spill and tell me what’s going on?” Alex asked Fox.

  Fox sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window, wondering why Lindsey might be telling Darian. They were close. Very close. Which meant they told each other pretty much everything. If it wasn’t for Darian’s big mouth Lindsey wouldn’t know what they are, or what they do. He’d put his last dollar on the fact that by the time they got home Darian would know it all.

  “Nothing to tell,” Fox said, not looking at his brother.

  Alex snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  Fox then turned in his seat. “How’d you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Keep the calm with Jewels?”

  Alex’s consistent cool cracked then. He squirmed in his seat, hands tightened around the steering wheel and color rushed to his cheeks.

  Alex looked just like their father, except for the hair. None of them, besides the girls, had the blond hair. All of the boys had a golden brown, but they all had the blue eyes. Their mother always said the boys’ eyes would be any girls undoing.

  Saying nothing, Alex pulled the car over, parked it, and turned in his seat toward Fox. “First off, and this stays between us, little brother, there is no calm. That woman drives me nuts all the time, and I’m not talking sexual either. So as for any calm, there is none. Now second, I’m asking you what the deal is between you and Lindsey.”

  “There is no deal.”

  Alex smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t bullshit me, Fox. The tension is so damn thick I can cut it.”

  Fox turned back in his seat facing forward, his arms crossed over the chest. He didn’t like talking about this. Hell, he didn’t like thinking about it. But to put words to what he thought, how he felt would steal that calm he still had inside him.

  “I want more,” he blurted out.

  “Son of a bitch.” Alex sighed, slumping back in the seat. “Does Dad know?”

  “Only you. And only until now did I even know it.”

  “Fox,” there was a warning sound in Alex’s voice.

  “I know!” Fox snapped, turning back to his
brother. “Don’t you think I know? This is killing me inside. We are friends. She’s been a part of this family since she was a little girl. Believe me when I say I know the cluster fuck I’m in here! I know I need to stay away from her, and I swear to you right now if I could I would. Fuck, Alex, I’m fighting a battle that I can feel is slipping from my fingers. The pull is getting stronger and I’m afraid of what’s going to happen when that time comes and I can’t fight anymore.”

  “You need to talk to Dad.”

  “And say what? Sorry, Dad, but your advice about staying away and control is shit. I want to let the animal lose and claim. We both know how well that talk will go.” Fox rubbed his face and took a deep breath. “Her scent is what’s driving me nuts. I want nothing more than to walk up to her, bury my face in her hair, and just let her scent wash over me. I want to feel her skin.” He dropped his hands and met his brother’s eyes. “I want to mark her and make her mine.”

  “Then you know the answer to your big question.” Alex put the car back in drive.

  “What’s that?”

  “Who your mate is.” Alex pulled back onto the road and headed for the docks where all the kids would hang out.

  The dock ended up being full of teens having one hell of a party. Off to the left on the sand a large bonfire had been made, where couples sat and made out.

  Alex went towards the fire and Fox headed in the opposite direction. They scanned everyone, looking for their baby sister, who seemed to want to bring hell down on her. Their mother was right about one thing; if Daxis did hear how Lyssa was behaving, the wildness in her lately, then he would arrive in an instant to take her away from it all and there wouldn’t be a damn thing they could do. He would be within the rights of a male with a claim. With Lyssa behaving the way she was it would appear her parents didn’t give a damn how she behaved.

  Fox was just about to turn around when he heard the scream followed by a yell. He turned and sure enough Alex had found her, and it seemed with a ‘date’. Alex dragged Lyssa by the arm and she dug her feet into the sand, to no end. She still moved.

  Behind them, her date had the balls to stand up to Alex. “Who gave you the fucking right to take her away?” the date demanded.

  Fox saw a twitching under one of Alex’s eyes and knew, without a doubt, there would be trouble. Alex shoved Lyssa so hard toward Fox he had to catch his sister before she fell face first in the sand. Together they both stood and watched while Alex turned around slowly, grabbed the guy by his throat, and picked him up. Fox picked up the faint scent of the date being a shifter, which was why Alex was able to hold him up like that and not kill him.

  “I’m her fucking brother,” Alex snarled, gave him a shake and then brought the poor bastard up close to his face. “And she’s marked. You don’t want to go there.”

  “Alex, stop!” Lyssa yelled.

  Fox held her tight. “I don’t think you want to try to make any demands right now,” he told her.

  “Piss off,” she snarled as she tried to twist out of his arms. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Alex gave the date a hard toss away, and the poor bastard went flying. Then his anger turned on her and Fox almost felt sorry for his sister, almost, but not really. He had enough shit on his own plate at the moment.

  For a moment, Fox thought that Alex might backhand her or something. He had a deathly expression on his face. But it wasn’t his place to correct or even slap her. That was their father’s place. Instead, Alex came to her, took hold of her by her throat, and jerked her close to his face.

  “Do you even have a clue what could’ve happened?” he snarled in her face. “Daxis could’ve been the one and then you would be fucked!” He shoved her hard back into Fox’s arms. “Get in the car.”

  For once Lyssa kept her mouth shut and rushed to the car. Fox kept his mouth shut also and followed, got in and just waited for Alex to take them back home.

  By the time they got home, Alex’s temper had cooled. Fox rushed into the house to give his father a heads up on what happened. And just like his brother, Adrian’s face turned red, his anger coming quickly and, n that moment, all the company in the house was forgotten.

  Alex brought her in and Adrian went up them both. What he did next shocked everyone in the house. Adrian backhanded Lyssa. She might’ve fallen to the side if Alex wasn’t still holding onto her.

  “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Adrian yelled at her. “How dangerous this game is you’re playing?”

  Alex let her go, moved around them and Lyssa rubbed her cheek, but didn’t shed one tear.

  “Adrian—” Skyler started to say but Adrian’s hand went up and cut her off.

  “Not this time.” Adrian took Lyssa by the arm. “You’re not saving her this time.”

  “What are you going to do?” Skyler asked.

  “I think something that should’ve been done a long time ago. Something you always seemed to stop when it came to any of them.”

  “Adrian—” Skyler followed after them.

  Lindsey stood up. “I think I’m going to head home. This is a family matter and I shouldn’t be here.”

  Fox turned to Lindsey. He opened his mouth but Darian beat him to what he was about to offer.

  “Nick and I will take you home,” Darian said. “And get the hell out of here before the shit hits the fan.”

  “Thanks.” Lindsey cast Fox a quick, shy look before following Darian out the back door.

  “Think before you act,” Alex said low in Fox’s ear when he passed him and continued toward the stairs. “Think real hard.”

  Chapter Four

  Hell broke out in the house. The screaming and yelling was so bad the only thing the brothers could do in order to stay out of the line of fire was leave. Fox grabbed a couple of burgers and headed over to Lindsey’s place. The lights were still on when he parked, and when he got out he swore he could pick up the scent of another. Shaking it off, he walked up the porch steps, paused at her door and knocked. Seconds went by before it opened and Lindsey looked at him in surprise.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He held up the bags, “I know you didn’t eat.”

  She stood there for a few moments before sighing and rolling her eyes, taking a step back and letting him in. He set the bags on the table and looked around.

  “No one’s been here, if that’s what your checking for,” she said.

  “No, but he’s been outside again,” he said, facing her with arms crossed over his chest. “Maybe you should think about staying at our house. I’m in the boat now and—”

  She cut him off with her hand up, “Your parents have a house full and I’m not going to add to it, Fox. I’m fine here.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes. I’m not going to be anyone’s’ burden.”

  “No one ever said you were a burden.”

  “Can you please drop it,” she begged and put her hand up to her forehead as if she had a headache.

  With a shrug of his shoulders, Fox dug into the bag and handed her a large double cheese burger. She took it and sat down on the sofa. He grabbed his own and joined her, making sure to put a little bit of distance between them.

  “So how bad did the shit hit the fan when I left?” she asked.

  He had taken a big bit of his hamburger when she asked, stilled for a moment then chewed real fast, swallowing a large amount. “Well, let’s just say we all left when Dad took her upstairs.”

  “That bad?”

  “I don’t think Lyssa has gotten a whipping like the one I’m sure she’s getting tonight in years. She really did cross the line tonight.”

  “I guess I still don’t understand that part.”

  “You got some sodas?” She nodded and he got up, went to the fridge, and brought two cans. After handing her one, he sat down. “Okay, let me try to tell you from the male side. Once we make a claim that’s it. End of story kind of thing, only with the new laws in place it isn’
t. We can claim anyone that we think might be our mate, but with the new laws we also have to respect the age of our mate. We can’t just go out and claim a child. She has to be of legal age now, which is eighteen.”

  “That was how old Darian was, right?”

  Right. Dominic waited until she turned eighteen, and the subject still pisses my dad off, so don’t bring it up.”

  “Gotach.”

  “Okay, well with our cabinet agreeing to this age change, it also means that other things could be changed as well. If say, by some fluke like Lyssa’s case, they are summoned to a Gathering and claim. Of course she can’t go with him. They don’t know each other, and at the time she was only fifteen, but, and I do say but here,” he stated with a finger up in the air, “She is under protection now by our father. He no longer has rights.”

  “Okay, that is the part that confuses me. You father isn’t her guardian any longer?”

  “They don’t look at it as a guardian thing. Each female, whether it is a child or mate, is under protection of a male, in children until they are of age. When Lyssa was claimed, even though she is underage, the protection turns to her mate. Because of her age, that protection can stay with her father as a courtesy only. At any time, if something is to go wrong, say the protection isn’t enough, then the mate is still allowed to come and take her.”

  “Come and take her?” she frowned.

  “Daxis can walk into our home and take Lyssa away. Won’t be a thing my father can do. Not if it’s proven that the protection isn’t proving to be safe enough.”

  “And your sister knows all of this?”

  “She does.”

  “So why is she doing this then, if this guy can just walk into your home and make her leave?”

  “Because I think she believes that he won’t. That Dad will somehow save her, as he’s always been able to. But if Daxis wants, he can take her away. Just a whisper of what she’s been doing gets to him and more shit will hit our fan.”

  “Man, guess I never even thought your world could be so—”

  “Cold?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “It is, in a way. The males of the old families want to keep things the old ways. They don’t like change, like it better when the females were nothing but things to use. It’s still somewhat barbaric. We get to claim and, for the most part, if we find our mate we don’t give a shit if she’s willing or not.”