Jenna
Chapter 18
I couldn’t believe how well Anita was handling everything. It gave me unfounded hope that maybe things would work out after all. Still, I scolded myself every time my mind went there. Thinking like that would only lead to more heartache down the road. I knew without a doubt that Daddy would never accept my mate.
Throughout the week she even covered for me on a few occasions so I could get some extra time in with Chase. Anita and I had always had a sort of friendship. With our sisters being best friends, we were constantly thrown together. I guess I had never really seen what a true friend she was to me until all this came out.
“Hey,” Anita said as we were sitting in the café having tea between classes on Thursday. “Some of the girls are heading out of town this weekend, some conference or something. I wasn’t really listening. Are you going?”
I shook my head. I knew what she was talking about. Tessa had mentioned it to me, but I had just seen it as a weekend at the cabin with Chase that wouldn’t be scrutinized.
“Did you already make plans?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Not really any plans, just hanging out at the cabin this weekend. Why? What’s up?”
“Oh, nothing really. I just wanted to see if you and Chase wanted to do something with me and Matt. I mean the girls know about me, but I figured with most of them away we could go out and do something together. I think it would be fun.”
“We could do that, but off campus. Too many eyes and way too many people know him for on campus,” I sighed. And too many gossips around, I thought.
Just in the few days since our bonding, word had spread that Chase Westin was off the market. Apparently he had gone to some social with his fraternity on Tuesday night and a couple girls tried to come on to him. He had repelled them, explaining he wasn’t interested, but they weren’t taking no for an answer. One of them tugged on the collar of his shirt and exposed his neck, and my bond mark. It had been the talk and shock of the entire school, but he hadn’t once mentioned who his mate was, just confirmed he was mated and off the market.
A part of me was grateful he had abided by my request to keep it to ourselves, but a part of me wanted nothing more than for him to claim me publicly and let every female in a hundred-mile radius know he was mine.
It had been a tough week just being apart from him, but to have to listen to “Chase Westin this . . .” or “Chase Westin that . . .” or “Did you hear about Chase Westin?” everywhere I turned was grating on my last nerve.
Our last Friday classes had been cancelled. Calculus was a study session only class, which I didn’t need thanks to Chase. Graphic design was an online assignment while Professor Stone was snorkeling in the Bahamas. And the photography instructor was currently on bed rest with complications due to pregnancy.
I was ready to get away from the ARC and thought for a minute about seeing if I could take the Jeep and head to the cabin a day early. Then I remembered Anita had a car too.
“Hey, you’re done with classes for the day, right?”
She nodded.
“Want to get out of here?” I asked.
“Sure, what do you have in mind?”
“I’ve just handled as much of this place as I can take this week. I’m ready to go home.” Anita’s eyes widened, trying to assess the situation. As if on cue, a group of Thetas sat down in the booth behind me.
“Still no word on Chase Westin’s mate?” one of them said.
“No, we think maybe she doesn’t go to the ARC. He was out of town all last weekend,” said another.
“I just can’t even believe it. He was always so much fun to play with,” the third added as the others agreed.
Anita got up. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” As soon as we were out of earshot she added, “I don’t know how you’ve put up with that all week.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” I confessed.
We walked the short distance to the lot where her car was parked. Once we were settled in and on our way, she cranked up the music and we jammed along with the radio. It felt carefree, and tension started rolling off me as we headed for the cabin.
As we turned off the road and drove up the long driveway, something felt off. Anita looked over at me with concern, feeling the shift in my emotions. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but my panther was suddenly very agitated.
She parked the car, but I stopped her from turning off the ignition. I looked around. Nothing was obviously out of place, or at least that’s what I thought at first—on closer inspection, I noticed the front door was cracked open.
I didn’t hesitate. I picked up the phone and called Chase.
“Hey beautiful, what’s up?” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“I think someone’s in the cabin, Chase. The door is cracked open, barely, but it looks like it from the car at least. Everything here feels wrong. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s creeping me out.”
“You’re at the cabin?” he questioned.
“Yes, Anita and I wanted to get away for some girl time, so I thought I’d show her around.”
“Do not get out of the car, Jenna. I need you to listen to your panther. If she’s giving warning, there’s a reason.” He sounded calm, but there was an edge to his voice I didn’t recognize. “Help is on the way. Just stay in the car. Drive over to the mall or something if you need to. I’ll be there soon to check it out.”
As soon as we hung up the phone, Anita asked, “What’s going on Jenna?”
“I don’t know. Probably nothing. I’ve never been out here by myself and I’m sure I’m just spooked,” I confessed.
“So, this is the cabin?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Jenna, this place is huge. It’s not a cabin—it’s a really big house, and literally feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere. How many acres came with it?”
“Thirty-some. They were selling it with three, I think, but Chase wanted the raw land surrounding it, too. It gives us a place to run if needed, without worry of being seen, like the forests surrounding the ARC.”
“So cool! I swear you have the coolest boyfriend ever,” she squealed. “He bought you a house, Jenna.”
I was starting to relax, not seeing anything alarming. Her words rang true to my heart and made me happy.
That feeling was short-lived, though, as the front door of my house opened and a man I didn’t know walked out. He walked right up to the car and knocked on the window, motioning for me to roll it down. I only cracked it, not even enough for him to stick a hand through.
“Hey, can I help you? You ladies lost or something?” the stranger asked, and the tone of his voice and the way his sharp eyes washed over me caused goosebumps to break out over my skin, and not in a good way.
“No,” Anita said. “We’re just waiting on a friend.”
I shot her a glance of warning.
“Here?” the man asked, and I could see him shift uncomfortably from one foot to another and look back towards the cabin.
I took in a deep breath, smelling the air around me. Shifter. I knew this guy was a shifter. That thought on a normal day would have provided at least a little comfort, but in that moment, it only heightened my anxiety.
“My friends and I are meeting a buddy here, too. Why don’t you ladies come on inside and wait where it’s warmer?” the stranger said with a gleam in his eyes.
I glanced back to the front porch and now saw four other large and equally strong men watching curiously. I shuddered, realizing we were dealing with a small pack of something—my panther told me they were dangerous.
I needed to warn Chase.
“It’s fine. We’re good here. Chase should be here anytime,” Anita told him, and I wanted to punch her, or duct tape her mouth shut.
“Chase called a few minutes ago and said he was running late,” the guy added, not missing a beat. “Come on inside. I’m sure he won’t be long.”
“I
t’s okay, really,” I assured him. “We’re fine here. And”—I looked down, grabbing my backpack and pretending to look for something—“shoot, I left my calculus book back at the house. Do you think we could run back and grab it?” I asked Anita, pouting.
At least she finally seemed to catch on. “Again?” she asked dramatically as she rolled her eyes. “So, what’s your name?” she asked the stranger. So much for her catching on.
“Stan,” he said, only hesitating slightly.
Anita strained to look at the men on the porch. “Is that Jack?”
That seemed to really throw Stan off. He stuttered as he finally managed to get out a “Yeah.”
“Tiger, right? He’s dating one of our sorority sisters I think. He’s a TA over at Archibald Reynolds, right?”
I vaguely remembered Tessa mentioning she was dating a tiger, a TA from one of her classes, which suddenly made me stop and rethink things. Could these guys really be that bad then? But what were they doing in my house?
The man that must have been Jack walked over curiously. He stared down at me with obvious shock.
“Tessa, what the hell are you doing here?” Jack asked.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Jack turned red in the face and uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the next. “I’m meeting a few friends here, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m meeting some friends here,” I told him.
Stan seemed to have wandered around the other side of the car towards Anita. Jack motioned for me to roll the window down as he squatted next to the car. Against my internal warnings, I did.
Jack leaned in through the now-open window and moved to kiss me on the lips. I turned my head at the last second so he got my cheek instead. I couldn’t stomach the idea of any other man’s lips on me. My panther roared in my head, but I fought back for full control. It disgusted us both, but he thought I was Tessa and something told me that was a good thing.
He appeared to nuzzle against my cheek as I clearly heard him whisper, “Babe, I don’t know what you’re doing here, but take your friend and get the hell away from here. I’ll call you as soon as I can. You just have to trust me on this.”
I pulled back and stared into his eyes and nodded.
“I have to pick up my books. No sense in a study group without books. We’ll be back in a few,” I assured him. “Come on, Anita.”
I plastered a smile on my face and waved at both him and Stan as I whispered hurriedly “Go, go, go”s to Anita, who I was relieved to see obeyed as she put the car in drive and headed back the way we came.
“What is going on?” she demanded.
“I have no idea,” I admitted. “I don’t know who those guys are, but they’re up to no good. I can feel it, and that Jack guy thought I was Tessa and warned me to get away from there. I need to call Chase back.”
I picked up the phone and dialed his number. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey, any change?” Chase asked, sounding out of breath like he’d just been running.
“Yes. There is a pack of at least five tigers camped out in the cabin. Tessa is dating one of them and he thought I was her and warned me to get Anita and get out of there. Something’s not right with them, Chase. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s the way that guy named Stan was watching us, like we were the tastiest steaks he’d ever seen.”
A loud growl erupted through the phone. “We’re coming, Jenna. Get out of there and I’ll let you know when it’s clear to return.”
“Okay, okay, are you sure? Should I just call the police?”
“No, sweetheart, this is something I need to handle.”
“Chase, please, no! There are five of them at least. I don’t want them to hurt you.” I was fighting back hysterics as tears pricked my eyes.
“Have a little faith in me, mate. I’m coming fully armed. By the time the sun rises, you’ll never question your safety in our home again. I promise you that. Now go, and wait for me. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Chase
Chapter 19
After Jenna’s first call I had made a few of my own. I met my brothers back at the fraternity house. Not one of them questioned me, they all just acted. I explained the layout and perimeter and that Jenna was really spooked by something that I needed backup to investigate.
After Jenna’s second call, I decided we needed to go in with fur. We had almost arrived before her final warning. Tigers. And they were trespassing on my territory. They were about to learn a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget, but first I made a quick call to Kyle to explain the situation. He had enforcements arriving by helicopter, but they would be about an hour out. I already knew they would miss the action, but needed their help to secure my land.
We parked the cars at the front entrance, eight in all. If they had come by car, there was no way they were leaving by my driveway. All Delta Omega Gammas were there and ready. When you went after one of us, you got the whole pack. Never in my time at the ARC had the call of brothers been invoked for anything more than a meeting or party. I knew I’d have to tell them all about my mating to Jenna, but that was a small price to pay for the loyalty and support they each had already shown me without question.
“Okay, so word is there’s a pack of at least five tigers camped out at my house,” I told them as they gathered around.
“Your house?” Brett asked.
“Yes, I bought a cabin. I’ll explain all that later, but right now there is a pack of tigers that spooked my girl and copped a squat on my place. I don’t have a good feeling about this,” I explained.
“Your girl?” Brett asked again. “The rumors are true?”
“Look, I promise to explain everything once my territory has been secured. This is happening with or without you guys. Are you in or not?” I asked in frustration. I didn’t want to tell them that I needed them to watch my back before I killed someone, because both my wolf and I were pissed. Jenna should never, under any circumstances, be afraid in our territory, and I had heard the fear in her voice through the phone.
Damon stepped in. “Calm down, Chase. We’re here. We are Delta Omega Gamma. We are brothers, and we have your back no matter what.” Heads all around started to nod and a little of my tension eased.
“Thank you, my brothers.” Next, I gave them information on the layout of the house and the surrounding land.
“Let me take the lead, Chase,” Chad requested. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement. “People always underestimate the little guys. I can get on the porch undetected. If they open the door, I can get inside and wreak havoc in record time. Even get them all out of the house for you guys to surround. Let me help. Let me do this.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice. I nodded. “If you’re sure, man, we’ll take your lead on that and wait for them to exit the cabin.”
Chad grinned and there was an unsettling hint of mischief and evil there. “No one does wild squirrel better than me.”
The rest of us divided into small groups. Everyone began to strip and leave their clothes by the vehicles before shifting into their respective animals. All but Matt and Chad were some form of canine. Matt’s jaguar was impressively bigger than several of our brothers, and then there was Chad.
I had never seen Chad in his animal form, but even knowing he was a squirrel shifter could never have prepared me for the sight before me. Chad was the fattest squirrel I had ever seen. The kid was chubby in human form, but I didn’t even know how he could stand on his tiny squirrel feet because he was so fat, let alone fight.
Even more shocking was when he turned and nodded my way before taking off so fast I had trouble tracking him when he hit the trees. How in the hell did that roly-poly creature move so quickly?
Brett, already in his coyote form, started to laugh. He sounded and looked more like a hyena, but soon others were laughing, too. Shaking our heads, we started to part. Two groups were heading to the back of the house in case
the tigers came out that way, while two more groups were setting up on either side of the front of the house. Basically, we had groups spread out around all four corners and ready to close in.
I was at the front and to the right, closest to the front door. I watched as Chad jumped up onto the front porch. He scurried around and scratched at the front door just enough to get the tigers’ attention. It seemed like an eternity, but finally the door cracked open and a head peeked out. I didn’t recognize the man, but he was big, easily six foot two and I’d guess pushing two-fifty. Five of them that size and I’d have been on the losing end by myself, but there were thirty-eight of us now and we’d easily take them down.
“It’s just a squirrel. A fat, lazy squirrel looking for food,” the man yelled back into the house. “Hi, there. Shouldn’t you be hibernating, little fella?” The big guy spoke to Chad like he was a small child.
The next thing I saw was when Chad leaped into the air and wrapped his fat arms and legs around the dude’s face. He screamed, and Chad jumped off of him, flying in the air and through the open front door. There was lots of banging and squealing and soon four more men came running out the front door.
It wasn’t even two minutes later that Chad, back in his chubby human form and entirely naked, waved from around the side of the house. No one else was inside. He signaled the others at the back to close in. Five large canines and one fierce-looking jaguar came walking in a line of battle. Five more rounded the corner on the far side, when the tigers finally noticed.
They started to rush back into the house, but Chad in all his naked glory stood on the front porch with a baseball bat in hand. The sight was so comical, it was downright scary.
“I really wouldn’t if I were you,” he warned, but two of the men turned and took off at a full sprint heading for the driveway.
I howled and the rest of my brothers moved in to surround them. The two who made a run for it, didn’t get very far before rejoining their brothers. Four of the guys shifted to tiger form, shredding their clothes in the process. The fifth put his hands up in surrender and backed up to the porch.
Confusing Hearts (Westin Pack Book 4) Page 16
