Power in Darkness

by Krista Street

  “No! Not turned on. It was just … his touch was bearable and soothing, kind of like yours. That’s how I knew he was another potential mate.”

  “His touch was like mine…”

  “No, not like yours! I mean, I didn’t want to jump his bones or anything, and my nipples didn’t harden—”

  “What?”

  I slapped a hand to my forehead. Freakin’ A, Dar! “Never mind. Ignore that comment about my nipples. It’s kind of an inside joke with myself.”

  A commotion sounded in the background, as if Logan was not only pacing, but also kicking things as he went.

  “Logan?”

  He growled, an actual growl. Double, triple, and quadruple crap! Our conversation was going worse than I’d thought it would.

  “So, to recap,” he said, “you met another guy, possibly a werewolf, who you’re attracted to, and your body says you’d be happy to mate with him, and you know this all because he touched you long enough for you to feel that, and—”

  “No!” I cut him off before biting my lip. “Well … yes. But it doesn’t work like that. I still choose. Meeting him just means my body recognized him as a mate. It doesn’t mean I choose him as a mate. You see? Big difference. And I still choose you.”

  “But he was following you?” The commotion from his end finally stopped. “Was he persistent? Did he try to force himself on you?”

  “No, nothing like that. He just asked for my number, but I told him I had a boyfriend.”

  “Fuck me,” Logan whispered. “I leave you alone for one week, and another dude is already trying to take my place, and he may be another motherfucking werewolf on top of it.”

  Okay. He was pissed. Seriously pissed. But honestly, how did I think this was going to go? “Logan, you don’t need to worry. I don’t want him. I still only want you.”

  Another grumble came from his end. “Where are you?”

  I looked around. A grove of trees swayed at the end of the park, and a swing set waited on the other side of the picnic area. “Um … in a park.”

  “What park? What city? And did you get the guy’s name?”

  “I don’t know the park’s name, but we’re in Silver City in western Montana, and the guy’s name is Jayden, but I don’t know his last name.”

  “I’m going to check the database for a werewolf named Jayden, and Dar? If Jayden shows up again…” He growled. “Fuck. I know I can’t order you around and tell you what to do, but every instinct in me is telling me to claim you right now and to keep you the hell away from him.”

  “Claim me?” My breath stopped at the sheer possessiveness of his tone. Logan had told me about claiming before, and it sounded pretty intense.

  “Just don’t go anywhere, okay?” he added. “I’m taking the next flight out and coming to you.”

  “What about your job and the dragon problem?”

  “That can wait. You’re more important.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Grass brushed along the sides of my feet as I paced the park. An hour had passed since my conversation with Logan. I’d texted him a few times but had gotten no reply. I didn’t know if that meant he was on a plane with his phone off or something came up at work and he couldn’t leave after all.

  Whatever the case, anxiety rolled through me like a pounding ocean surf.

  My flip-flops slapped against my heels as I nibbled my fingernail. The bus lay behind me on the other side of the park, barely visible through the trees, but that was fine with me. I needed to keep moving so I could think.

  Logan was coming because he was freaking out about another guy.

  Even though he didn’t need to worry about Jayden, a thrilling tingle ran down my spine. I had no idea how long it would take him to arrive from California, but one way or another, hopefully I would see him soon.

  I was grinning when I reached the end of the park. A playground and a picnic area filled the lawn back by the bus, but at the end where I’d ventured, trees surrounded the perimeter.

  I inhaled the fresh air, goose bumps rising along my arms since evening had set in. With it, came cooler temps.

  “We meet again,” someone with a deep voice said.

  I shrieked and whirled around.

  Jayden leaned nonchalantly against a tree, his arms crossed over his bare chest. Sweat dripped down his rock-hard abs as he smiled at me. My gaze briefly traveled up and down his frame. I couldn’t help it. He only wore shorts, and with his pose and sweaty muscles, he could have been a model for a shirtless-man calendar.

  “I thought that was you.” He pushed away from the tree and walked slowly toward me.

  I jumped back. “Jayden? What the hell! Are you following me?”

  He stopped, his eyes growing wide. “What? No!” He raised his hands. “Honestly, no, I’m not. This just happens to be a park I run in a lot, and I caught your—” He averted his gaze. “I, uh … I thought it was you over here.”

  Caught my… I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I would bet a million dollars he was about to say that he’d caught my scent, which meant he was definitely a werewolf. I studied him. He had stopped advancing the moment I’d grown wary, and he didn’t seem intent on closing the gap between us.

  All of my instincts were telling me he was a good guy. He wasn’t like my father, Dillon Parker, but he was a werewolf, and Logan said to be cautious of them.

  I took a deep breath then blurted, “Do I smell like roses?”

  His dejected expression disappeared. He straightened and smiled, his hazel eyes warming. “Yeah, actually, you do.”

  I crossed my arms, and that time I did roll my eyes, not even trying to hide it. He’s totally a werewolf. Logan was right. Apparently, more of them were around western Montana, but unlike what Logan had warned me about, Jayden didn’t seem aggressive or like the rogues he’d been worried about. So far, Jayden had been nothing but polite. He was obviously just a normal werewolf.

  Might as well get it out in the open. “So you’re a werewolf?”

  His smile grew. “You can tell? I wasn’t sure if you could, and you’re a witch, right? It’s been a while since I’ve met a new supe, but your scent in the grocery store gave it away.”

  “As I’ve recently come to learn,” I muttered under my breath.

  His eyebrows knit together. “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” My arms dropped as I cocked my head. “Did you just shift recently? Is that what you do at this park? Go for runs in your wolf form?”

  The happiness on his face was growing a mile a minute. “That’s exactly right. This park is one of the few places in town where I can run close to home since the trees are so dense. Otherwise, I head out into the mountains, but that’s only if I can stay in my wolf form for a couple of days.”

  “So are there other werewolves around here or just you?”

  “There are three of us. We all share a house.”

  The sun dipped lower in the sky, making shadows appear around us, and my shoulders relaxed even more at how open he was being, especially since he lived with two other wolves. Definitely not a rogue. “So … are you guys part of the community?”

  “Yeah, we’re part of the community.”

  With every second that passed, I breathed easier. I glanced toward the bus. In the distance, Mike and Cecile were visible. They’d pulled out lawn chairs and, from the looks of it, had the grill going. Smoke rose from it.

  “I should probably get back.” I nodded toward them. “We’re going to have dinner soon.”

  His gaze followed mine. “Are you camping over there?”

  “Kind of but not really.” I waved a hand at Cecile and Mike. “We live together in that bus and plan to spend the night here, but it will be in a bed, not a tent.”

  His eyes returned to mine then widened more. “Hang on a minute. You’re that Daria? Daria Gresham, the healing witch who travels on a bus?”

  I stuffed my hands into my back pockets. “Um, yep. That’s me. So you’ve heard of me?”
>
  Jayden grinned, a full-on mega-watt-take-my-breath-away type of grin. “Of course I’ve heard of you. Everyone’s heard of you. But I thought you didn’t know about the community, that your family excommunicated themselves a long time ago or something.”

  I ran a hand through my hair. So the entire community does know about me. Yeah, not weird at all. “Ah, yeah. It’s something like that, but I’m not in the dark anymore.”

  “Holy shit. I had no idea. It’s an honor to meet you.” He held his hand out again, as if we hadn’t met before.

  I reluctantly took it. As before, my light didn’t respond. Instead, shivers ran through my entire body. Okay, there’s no point denying it. Logan’s right—I’m attracted to Jayden. But that’s merely my body talking. That’s not my heart.

  Still, the realization was unsettling. In a way, it felt as if I had no control over myself. And although Jayden seemed like a nice, laid-back guy who was, let’s face it, easy on the eyes, my stomach didn’t flip with him. Not like it had when Logan and I first met.

  I pulled my hand away and stuffed it awkwardly into my jeans pocket. “Well … nice seeing you again. I better get back.”

  “Oh, sure.” His eyes dimmed when I turned toward the bus. “Hey, Daria? Any chance the three of you would like some company tonight? I could grab my pack mates, and we could come down here to join you guys. I bought potato salad and burgers at the grocery store today. We could grill the burgers and maybe have a beer or two?”

  The hopeful tone of his voice made me bite back a smile. “So you did buy groceries today?”

  He gave a crooked smile in return as a lock of sandy-brown hair fell across his forehead. “Yeah, believe it or not, I actually do buy groceries when I go to the supermarket. I don’t just hit on pretty ladies.”

  I felt thankful for the falling sun. Otherwise, he would have seen my blush. “Well, I mean, I suppose if you all want to join us, that’s fine.”

  I shifted my weight from foot to foot, trying to imagine how Logan would feel if he pulled up and I was having dinner with three werewolves.

  On second thought… I was about to tell Jayden that maybe it wasn’t a good idea when his crooked smile grew.

  “Let me run home and grab the guys. We’ll be back in twenty minutes. That cool?”

  I smiled weakly, not having the heart to tell him no since he looked so excited. “Yeah, totally fine.”

  His smile was so wide that I cringed. I was fine with welcoming his company, along with his friends, but I didn’t want more than that. Hopefully, I wouldn’t need to spell it out for him.

  After all, he knew I had a boyfriend. So everything would be fine. Right?

  Chapter 4

  “You invited three werewolves to join us?” Mike crouched near the front of the bus. The small Weber sat at his feet, the coals heating.

  I coughed and swished the smoke away that swirled in my eyes. “Technically, he invited himself and his friends.”

  “How the heck did you find three new werewolves in the eight hours we’ve been here?” Mike’s eyes twinkled. “Have you become a wolf magnet?”

  If you only knew.

  I hadn’t shared with Mike and Cecile some of the new things I’d learned about myself. As humans, they couldn’t detect my magical rosy scent, but I had a feeling that very scent had been why Jayden had followed me in the supermarket. Logan certainly found my fragrance appealing.

  I furrowed my brow when I checked my phone again. Still no text from my former bodyguard. My heart sank. I thought for sure Logan would have texted if he was about to board a plane or to let me know when he would arrive. He must have been held up at work. Perhaps he wasn’t coming after all.

  Shoulders slumping, I was about to climb aboard the bus to help Cecile carry the steaks and condiments outside when Jayden and two other large guys rounded the front fender. My eyes widened, and I stopped in my tracks. They’d approached silently—like predators.

  Jayden smiled when he saw me, his eyelids hooded. The two dudes behind him appraised me up and down, their nostrils flaring.

  “Oh, hi.” Nervously, I ran a hand through my hair. I had no idea how strong my magical scent was, but considering every werewolf around me was constantly sniffing, I figured it was pretty strong.

  I forced myself to stop fidgeting and shoved my hands into the back pockets of my jeans. My breasts jutted out.

  All three guys’ gazes dipped.

  I hastily withdrew my hands and crossed my arms over my chest.

  Jayden returned to planet Earth first. He shook himself, his gaze leaving my boobs. “Daria, these are my friends Niles and Zach.” He waved at the two guys behind him.

  The guy on the left, Zach, was shorter, probably around six feet, with blond hair and was built like a tank. He lifted his chin. “What’s up?”

  I somehow managed a smile. “Not much. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Jayden’s other friend, Niles, continued to stare at me intently. He was the tallest of the three, probably six-six, with a leaner build and sinewy muscles.

  I gave him a hesitant nod. “Hello.”

  “Hey.”

  Mike set his tongs down and wiped his hands on a towel. “Nice to meet you, fellas. I’m Mike.” He held out his hand.

  Jayden readily took it, followed by Zach then Niles.

  I kept my arms crossed, still aware of their appreciative glances my way, just as Cecile hopped down the steps from the bus, awkwardly carrying the ketchup, mustard, buns, and a large bowl of cut-up watermelon.

  “Oh!” She rushed to set the food down on the picnic table before she returned and smiled brightly at the newcomers. “You must be the three friends Daria said were coming to dinner. I’m Cecile.”

  “Nice to meet you, Cecile. I’m Jayden, and these two are Niles and Zach.”

  In her usual fashion, Cecile bestowed each of them with a serene smile and a gentle handshake.

  With the introductions finished, Jayden held up the bag he carried. “I brought burgers and potato salad, just like I promised.” He winked at me. “And plenty of beer for everyone.” His other hand held a cooler.

  Some of my self-consciousness over my ever-attention-demanding boobs dissipated. “Thanks, Jayden. I can take the potato salad.”

  “And I’ll take those burgers.” Mike reached forward. “I was just about to put the steaks on. I’ll throw these on too.”

  “I cut up a watermelon, so this along with your potato salad means there should be plenty of food.” Cecile bustled over to the picnic table. “Why don’t you all have a seat?”

  Mike straightened his Yankees cap before nodding toward the table. “Yeah, fellas, have a seat. I’ll grill these up then we can eat.”

  Jayden sidled up to me as we walked the short distance to the table, his arm occasionally brushing against mine.

  I put a few extra inches of distance between us, even though my senses didn’t respond to him. I had a boyfriend, after all.

  “It’s pretty quiet around here,” I commented. I’d only seen a few people venture to the park in the eight hours we’d been there. Nobody lingered around at the moment. “Is it always this quiet?”

  “Usually. That’s what I like about it and another one of the reasons I run here.”

  Behind us followed his two friends. I could feel them, their large, silent forms creating an energy of their own.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Cecile said as she set out paper plates and plastic silverware. “I also made a cake for dessert, so save room for that.” She waved at the picnic table and surrounding lawn chairs, telling everyone to sit, before she started arranging the napkins. “Now, Daria tells me that you all live around here. Have long have you been in the area?”

  Jayden deposited the cooler on the ground before opening the lid. “The three of us have lived here for a few years now, and from what I hear, you and Mike travel with Daria?”

  Cecile combed back the hair that had escaped her bun. “That’s right. Mike and I have
been with Daria since she was a little girl.”

  I settled on a lawn chair near the picnic table, and Jayden took the lawn chair beside me. He scooted the cooler closer to him and pulled out some beers.

  Niles and Zach sat opposite one another at the end of the picnic table. The old wooden bench squeaked when Niles shifted to face me.

  Jayden threw two beers to his friends in an impossibly fast move. My eyes widened as the beers sailed through the air. I was certain they would fly right past the two wolves. But when the beer flew in his direction, Niles’s hand shot up and caught it in midair. His gaze never left my face.

  My jaw dropped.

  He smirked and winked.

  With heated cheeks, I leaned back in my lawn chair and let out the breath I’d been holding. Werewolves moved so freakin’ fast. Despite being with Logan and seeing him move like that, too, I still wasn’t used to it.

  “So how long are you guys planning to stay here?” Zach asked.

  “Not long,” I replied. “We’ll have to leave tomorrow for my next show.”

  Jayden frowned. “Is it far?”

  “A few hours,” Cecile answered for me.

  “So not so far that we couldn’t meet up again?” Jayden asked cheekily.

  “Um…” My cheeks had to be bright red by now.

  I was thankful when Mike strolled up to the picnic table with a plate of steaks and saved me from having to reply. “I hope medium rare’s okay,” he said.

  “That’ll do,” Jayden replied good-naturedly.

  Zach helped himself to another beer, grabbing a second for Niles, too, before helping Mike set the food out.

  Everyone helped themselves to the food, the scent of grilled meat and sweet watermelon filling the air.

  When my stomach grumbled, Jayden nudged me playfully. “Hungry?”

  I shrugged, then laughed uncomfortably. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Nothing to be embarrassed about. I like a woman who can eat.”