by Lacy LeRoch
I’m spinning around and blocking Alison from the sight in front of us. I can’t even begin to process what I’m seeing. The wolf disappears into a shimmering cloud of smoke, standing where the wolf once stood, stands the form of an equally large man. He easily stands six foot or more. His shoulders are wide, and he doesn’t carry the narrow waist most men go for. He’s solid, not fat. And he has some of the largest muscles I’ve had the chance to lay my eyes on.
“What the fuck?” I curse, confused.
“Damn… Philli is going to have some fun training you. He doesn’t like a girl who curses, you know?” the male growls crouching low. He turns his head from side to side, getting a good look at me. He whistles through his teeth and chuckles to himself.
What an arrogant…
Hang on.
“Wait, did you just say, Philli?” I ask, keeping his attention on me.
I shift my weight sideways and use my slender form to block Alison from his sights.
“Don’t try to hide her. I have heightened senses and that shit just pisses me off.” His words hold warning, but his face is telling me something completely different. He’s smug and pleased with himself. He winks and goes on, “I won’t lie, this will make things…” he twirls his finger in the air, “…a tad bit more complicated, but well, there are always ways around everything.”
“If you lay one hand on her, asshole, I will rip your throat out,” I hiss standing straight, with my legs parted just the littlest bit, and my knees bent slightly. I need to be ready to make a move to attack him if necessary.
The dark haired male starts laughing, shaking his head. “Holy shit… I think I love you. It really is a shame that you can’t belong to me.” He chuckles, licking his lips in an over exaggerated sexual motion. He clucks his tongue and goes on, “You’re going to be a challenge, but fuck this is going to be so much fun to see.” He laughs.
This jackass laughing in my home after breaking in, makes my blood run hot. I snap and run as fast as I can toward him. I bring my fist back ready to swing at his unnaturally beautiful face. My clenched fist flies through the air and collides with… nothing, absolutely nothing. The jackass had moved before I got a chance to hit him.
“What the fuck?” I growl, spinning around.
Alison whimpers from behind me, and I spin around fast. He has a hold of Alison’s arm in a loose grip. The stranger has his nose buried into Alison’s inner wrist. He inhales her skin and snaps his head up to me.
“What the fuck? Is the right question. Look, I don’t want to hurt you, and shit if this one here gets hurt…” he says pointing to Alison and shivering, “…I don’t even want to think about what will happen to me.”
“Alison,” she whimpers. “My… my name is Alison.”
“I would say it was nice to meet you, Alison, but I know you might not want to hear it. Never the less, my name is Jordi. Now, are you girls going to make this easy on me so I don’t have—”
The door slams behind me, hitting me hard in the center of my back. The crack of the wood on my spine knocks me off my feet and I fall face first onto the floor with a hard thud knocking the wind from my lungs.
“I fucking knew you were a whore.” Lucas clucks his tongue, narrows his eyes and glares down at me in contempt. “I’m very disappointed in you, Madison. Did you not hear me when I said you belonged to me?” Lucas sneers, walking into the room. He grins sadistically, pointing the gun at Jordi’s head. I feel the crack of Lucas’ boot in my ribs as he passes me. The air flies out my lungs in a pain filled groan.
“Hey cock, I wouldn’t aim that at me if I was you. Besides, I haven’t eaten today and I’m quite hungry,” Jordi growls. He let’s go of Alison’s arm gently and stands, then he discreetly takes a step to the side, without Lucas noticing the move. He’s moving away from Alison, keeping the focus on him and making sure she’s safe at the same time. Okay, I might be able to like this guy. Lucas strides over to Jordi aiming the gun at his heart.
“Don’t begin to tell me what to do. This woman here…” Lucas points to me on the ground and sneers, “…she belongs to me. True she may be a whore, but she’s my whore.”
Jordi tsks, discreetly placing his body in front of Alison’s. The move wins him brownie points with me. I gingerly sneak up onto my knees and start moving slowly over to the chest of drawers. I need to be careful not to be spotted by Lucas. Jordi looks out of the corner of his eye and notices me sneaking across the carpet. He narrows his eyes, shaking his head slightly.
He better have a plan, or I’m not going to be happy.
“I’m going to kill him,” I mutter low under my breath.
My gaze burning a smoldering hole in the side of Lucas’ head. I start to think of all the brutal ways that I would like to maim him. Jordi laughs, shaking his head.
He couldn’t have heard me, right?
The imperceptible nod of his head, confirms my suspicions. Jordi dashes across the room, faster than my eyes could track. He thrusts his hand forward, knocking the gun out of Lucas’ hand. It clatters to the floor just out of my reach. Lucas’ eyes widen, his face blanches briefly before he gains his composure. Lucas propels his clenched fist forward, hitting Jordi with a sickening crack to the ribs. Jordi clenches his jaw tightly, sweat gleaming on his face, and side steps the next blow.
Jordi’s nostrils flare and his eyes narrow. My muscles are rigid as I watch Jordi’s clenched fist flying toward Lucas. He’s unrelenting with blow after blow, hard and violent. Each one connects in a different spot with precision and speed. Lucas sways from side to side, his head droops wobbly on his neck. Jordi growls and hits Lucas square in the jaw. The crack of the blow echoes around the room. Lucas howls in pain as he reaches up and tries to hold his jaw still.
Jordi’s lip lifts at the side. “What’s the matter, pretty boy?” Jordi taunts, as he reaches out and takes hold of Lucas’ throat in a crushing grip. He uses the hold he has on Lucas’ throat and lifts him swiftly off the ground, his feet dangle in the air. Lucas’ face starts to take on a blue tinge, as he gasps desperately for air.
“There’s only one reason right now that I haven’t ripped your throat out, and that’s because young innocent eyes should never have to witness such things. Now, if I ever see you around these girls again, I will eat you. Oh, and ass… that’s a promise, not a threat.”
Jordi pitches his arm back with Lucas hanging like a leaf in his hold. Lucas’ eyes turn glassy, his skin blotchy in appearance. Jordi laughs maniacally and effortlessly throws him out of the window. Jordi pulls down on the bottom of the black T-shirt he’s wearing, dusting his hands on his jeans and turns around with a self-satisfying grin on his face.
“Now ladies, as you can see I’m the man or wolf or…” He leans down and kisses one bicep, then the other.
“Do you want a minute alone with yourself or…?” Alison chuckles.
Jordi drops his arms and laughs heartily, holding his stomach. “Oh my God, you girls are fucking perfect. Now, back to what I was here for. Well, that was until that little pipsqueak interrupted. So you wouldn’t believe me if I told you the reason. But just know that I need you to come with me.”
Alison gingerly rises from the sofa holding her stomach. Jordi’s eyes widen and focus on Alison’s hands resting on her baby bump.
“Holy fuck!” Jordi yells, his eyes bugging out even more and they don’t leave Alison’s distended stomach. “Oh, fuck me… sorry but, fuck me! How the hell did I miss that? I can’t um… fuck, fuck, fuck. I um…” he rambles.
“You come jumping into my house, smash my window, which by the way you own me for, then you beat the shit out of my ex, throw him out the window, all without even breaking a sweat. But you see a pregnant woman and you totally freak out?” I chuckle, staring at Jordi’s ashen face.
Jordi walks over to the sofa, gazing off into space as he takes a seat. His chest starts heaving in and out, he’s on the verge of hyperventilating. I don’t know what’s overcomes me, but I want to pu
t him at ease so I change the subject and ask.
“So tell me, Jordi, why is it we need to come with you?”
Jordi stares down at his boots for a heartbeat of time, then he finally sighs and brings his gaze up to me. “We don’t have a lot of time.” His voice is now nothing like the cheeky, confident one that crashed through my window. He sounds deflated and defeated. “I will try to tell you as much as I can quickly, then I will leave it up to you. The decision will be yours to make.” I raise my eyebrows in question, making him add, “If you will come with me or not.” He then leans back, spreads his knees apart and pats the cushion beside him.
“Please sit down, Alison. He will kill me if I don’t care for you like gold.”
Jordi’s sudden change in behavior is frightening. It’s hot one minute, ice cold the next. The way he looks at Alison in wonder and admiration is unsettling.
“Who will kill you?” Alison asks timidly, shuffling over to sit next to Jordi on the sofa.
He shakes his head. “It isn’t my place to say, but know that he will cherish you. He may come around as hard and demanding but… well… I see through all that. ”
“Oh, gee… and dude, thanks for caring about me as well,” I joke, walking over to sit down next to Alison.
Jordi ignores my jab. Rolling his eyes, he sighs. “Okay, here’s the thing. I’m a wolf. There was no lie with what you just saw. No trick of light, or anything like that.” He shivers. “I was sent here by my leaders to bring...” Jordi points to me, “…Madison back to our Island. We need your help, and not only that, Philli needs you. We don’t know how it happened, but you are mated to him, and unless I bring you back to the Island within eighteen hours, Philli will die. The mating needs to be completed.”
“What the fuck do you mean, mated? God, I don’t understand any of this,” I tell him shocked.
“Please, I need to do this quickly. It’s unsafe for me to be here. Like I just told Alison, there are some things I don’t have a right to tell you.” He looks at me intently, the gaze scorching and not in the hot sexy way. He’s mad. “And the whole PhiIIi thing is one of them. I can only give you the basic outline and hope you can piece it all together.” Jordi wrings his hands together on his lap as he continues, “I didn’t know Alison was going to be with you.” He raises his hand to stop me when I open my mouth. “God woman, just keep your mouth shut and listen for a minute. I knew I needed to take her the minute I smelt the Lyian scent on her skin. But the baby, well fuck! That took me by surprise. When I said I could smell Lyian on her, I also smelt the scent of a Watcher. One of our strongest, if I’m being honest. For that reason, I cannot help her back to my home. I need the father’s permission. We have laws against touching a Watcher’s Lyian. While we can get around a mated one, we cannot break the huge rule of not touching a pregnant one.”
“Okaaay…” I say slowly, trying to digest all the information just thrown at me. “Let’s say that I believe you, and I do agree to come with you. I have no idea what’s going on, but anything to do with Philli, concerns me. Don’t ask me why I feel that way, I just do. But you need to understand that I won’t under any circumstances leave Ally behind,” I tell him sternly.
“Madison, are you out of your goddamn mind,” Alison pipes up, she looks at me like I’ve gone insane. “He’s sitting here spouting so much fairytale bullshit, I don’t know if I’m coming or going. Besides, I wouldn’t know how to contact the fucking father,” Alison snaps getting up and pacing the room. “I really did try to find him.” She sobs quietly, casting her watery eyes down.
“Ally, you need to calm down. It’s going to be okay. I won’t leave without you, I swear. If you don’t want to go, neither do I,” I tell her. Jumping up from the sofa, I pull her small body close to mine smiling softly when I feel the baby move against my side. I spin around with Alison and face Jordi.
“If you can guarantee Ally’s safety, we will help you with what you need.”
“You need to understand something here, that’s not all I need help with. While I love Philli as a brother and would do anything for him, we need you for your healing powers as well. We need you to help many of our hurt, there are woman and children who are relying on me to bring you back.”
Jordi stills, raising his nose in the air, he jumps to his feet growling low in the back of his throat and stares out the window. “Fuck, we have incoming. Listen to me very carefully. No matter what happens, I need you to protect Alison and the babe.”
Alison and I watch dumbfounded, as a gray cloud of smoke engulfs his body. Loud howls and snarls vibrate around the small area. A large black wolf jumps out from the mist. The wolf’s eyes reminding me of Jordi’s golden ones. This confirms that what he said to Alison and it was indeed the truth.
I’m not scared, I should be panicking, but I’m not. Seeing this feels natural, like everything I’ve ever felt before this was the lie and I’m finally learning the truth.
“Ally, get behind me, now!” I yell, pushing Alison behind my back.
Jordi lowers his body to the ground and growls, he pads over the broken glass and peers out the window, teeth bared, snarling heavily. The pure anger radiating from him scares me. If a strong wolf like Jordi is this angry, it can only mean real danger is coming. I brace my body for what’s to come. My hands shake at my sides and my chest is heaving with every breath that soars in and out of my mouth.
“Whoa, my man. Stow the fangs,” a smooth voice rumbles from the darkness outside.
An imposing large figure takes a step out from behind one of the trees cast in the darkness, and into the light glowing from the living room’s broken window. I watch transfixed, as a tall man dressed in a black and a red robe steps into the streaming light. The stranger reaches up, lowering the hood off his head, exposing his face.
The man is gorgeous in a rough and ready way. His shoulder length dirty blond hair is pulled back in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. His eyes creep me out, they’re as black as the night sky. He glares over Jordi’s shoulder toward the house, noticing me standing in the broken window frame.
“Little sister, do not try to hide her. I can smell my kin a mile away,” the stranger tells me low and menacingly.
He walks over and pats Jordi on the head, causing him to growl. The stranger laughs at Jordi and strides past him toward the house.
“Wait, that’s your brother?” Alison whispers behind me.
“No, not just hers, little one. I am your brother as well, now stop hiding. Come out and show me your face,” he replies sternly, his head tilts to the side trying to see past me.
“Controlling much,” Alison sneers, holding onto the back of my shirt.
“You have no idea, little sister. Now, do not make me ask you again. I want to see your face.”
“What the fuck, dude? They’re your kin?” Jordi snaps.
I was so caught up in the stranger, that I didn’t even see Jordi shift back into human form.
“Yeah, man, they are my little sisters. I was just as surprised as you are. I thought I could sense kin close, but it wasn’t until about two hours ago that Lacy got the vision and I was pulled with the urge to come here,” he says, stepping into the living room through the broken window. “Jordi, my sisters need to get out of here and now. What the hell has taken you so long to get them back to safety?” He glowers at Jordi.
“Now, you wait just a goddamn minute mister…” Alison questions, stepping out from behind me.
“Jay, my name is… what the actual fuck?” Jay stammers, his mouth flies open in surprise when he gets a good look at Alison for the first time.
“Your name is Jay What-The-Actual-Fuck.” Alison chuckles in delight. “Well, Mr. What-The-Actual-Fuck, Jordi has been very busy…” She waves her hand in the air, “…you know, saving us and all. So it would be great if you backed off and left my wolf alone.”
Jay narrows his eyes and places his hands on his hips. Jordi sputters, unable to hold back the laughter, and winks at Aliso
n. Jay walks over and slaps Jordi hard up the side of the head and growls.
“Oh, ouch…” Jordi laughs. “Oh, sorry, my man, but that’s a classic.”
“Jordi?” Jay growls, warning clear in his voice.
“Sorry man, but it was funny. And besides, I was going to tell you before you went all, do this and do that. I can shift with Madison, but I can’t touch Alison,” Jordi explains, kicking at the carpet in exasperation.
“Alison, Madison, beautiful,” Jay whispers our names like a prayer on his tongue. Jay lowers his head deep in thought. He snaps his eyes closed and growls. “Hang the fuck on, what do you mean that you can’t… Oh, fuck no. Oh, come the fuck on. Who do I have to kill?”
“Do you really have to swear so much?” Alison comments tilting her head to the side and placing her hands on her hips, glowering at Jay.
“One… two… three,” Jay mumbles keeping his eyes tightly closed. “Fuck it,” he snaps, opening his eyes and scowling at Alison.
Wind picks up in the room blowing everything around, books start flying off the shelving, pictures fly off the walls. The windows start shaking violently in their frames as Jay stands tall, feet slightly parted. His eyes glaze over getting a light red hue to them.
Jordi walks over to Jay calmly, dodging the flying objects and reaches out, he gently places a hand on the back of Jay’s shoulder and squeezes it gently. “Calm down, Brother, it’s going to be okay. Focus Jay, we need to get your kin home. We need to get them, home,” Jordi tells him softly but firmly.
The wind slows down in strength until it’s nothing but a breeze leaving the room. Jay’s body relaxes, his shoulders unbunch, and his jaw unclenches. He turns and looks past Jordi, his face stony and expressionless. He draws in a deep breath, sighs, and turns back to Jordi.
“You know who, don’t you?”
Jordi nods once looking him directly in the eye, unflinching from Jay’s menacing glare. “I do, man, but don’t make me tell you. It isn’t my place to say such things.”
“I understand your loyalty wolf, and I do respect it. But mark my words, I will find out who the father is and knock his fucking teeth in for knocking her up. She’s only a babe herself. Not to mention, this is my baby sister.”
