by Liza Street
Jase nodded, but he was frowning. "Witches aren't known for doing favors."
"Well, it's the only idea we have," Marcus said, "unless you have a suggestion?"
"Unfortunately, no, I don't." Jase took in a big breath and let it out slowly. He gave Jessica an evaluating look, a look Marcus wasn't so sure he liked. Then he said in a serious voice, "Is Marcus treating you okay?"
Marcus’s respect for Jase increased. Jase was taking care of Blythe, and he was showing concern for Jessica. He knew Jase had designs on making the Junkyard a better place, gathering some of the shifters together. It seemed to Marcus that Jase was a natural leader, and he had a good heart.
"Yeah, he's treating me well," Jessica said.
"Glad to hear it," Jase said. "You need anything?"
"A practice partner, to fight with Marcus," she said. "He's going to try to win Blythe for me, but I'm no good at helping him practice."
A smile spread across Jase's face. "I'll be fighting for her too."
"What?" Jessica said, all goodwill gone as she jabbed a finger in Jase’s chest. "You keep your hands off of her."
Jase laughed, his teeth white against his tanned skin. "Easy, there. I'm fighting for the same reason you are. To keep her away from those other assholes."
Jessica's shoulders relaxed, and she backed up until she stood against Marcus. "Okay, then. But if you hurt her..."
The next few hours passed quickly, with Marcus and Jase sparring. Jessica watched for the most part, adding commentary from time to time, and cheering for Marcus.
"You were holding back on me," she said at one point.
Marcus shrugged. He wasn't going to lie to her. But there was no way he would come after Jessica with the same force he would use on Jase. As far as Jase’s abilities, he was a damn good fighter. Maybe not as good as Carter, but Carter was an anomaly. Until Lena, Carter had spent every waking moment fighting.
Sweaty and exhausted, Jase finally said goodbye, leaving Marcus and Jessica alone.
Jessica marched over to Marcus, arms outstretched for a hug. Then she stopped suddenly, wrinkling her nose. "Ew. You're all sweaty. It looks sexy, but I don't want to hug you."
Marcus pretended to reach for her, and she squealed.
"Maybe we can sneak down to the lake," he said. "We can both cool off.”
"Do you think it's safe?" Jessica asked.
"I can scout ahead. The shore curves at one point, protecting it from view. Lots of trees in the way. What do you think?"
She agreed, so Marcus hurried off to make sure the coast was clear. He checked, and double checked. No one was nearby.
He returned with Jessica, bringing her to a part of the shore that was guarded by a thick grove of trees. Not wasting any time, he took off his shirt and pants and jumped in the water. It was cool, but not cold, a balm to his overheated muscles. When he came to the surface, he was pleased to see Jessica standing on a flat rock wearing only her bra and underwear.
"What do you say, Jill?" he called. "Are you coming in?"
In answer, she jumped from the rock, landing close to him, her splash catching him in the face. Her head broke the surface a moment later. She was grinning.
"This is way better than last time," she said.
"I still feel bad about that." Marcus couldn't resist. He reached out and tugged her into his arms.
She splayed her hands over his chest, sliding them over his skin. Her gaze was lowered like she was thinking about something.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'm thinking about Jase. Are you sure he's not going to hurt Blythe, if he wins?"
Marcus nodded and took one of her hands in his. "I'm sure of it. I can tell when someone's lying, remember?"
She looked up at him then, her brown eyes searching. "Can you really?" she asked in a skeptical voice. "Have you tested this?"
"No need to test it," he said. "It just is."
"I won an essay contest when I was eight."
She was testing him. He didn't mind playing along. "That's the truth."
"It was an argumentative essay that my parents made me write to convince them to extend my bedtime." She spoke with a straight face and without a hitch in her voice, but he could sense a difference.
"There's a lie in there somewhere," he said.
Grinning, she said, "I'm impressed. It was an argumentative essay, but I was campaigning for sugary cereal."
He laughed. "You're still lying to me."
"Damn, you're good. I was trying to get my babysitter fired."
"The babysitter was that bad, huh?" Marcus asked.
"The worst. She actually made me do my homework."
"Intolerable," Marcus said.
Jessica laughed. "She was. But only because it was really my parents who I wanted around."
"That makes sense. So you and your parents weren't close?"
"Eh." She dove under the water and swam a small lap around Marcus. When she came up again, she wiped the water droplets from her face and said, "We weren't close in the ways that counted. They love me, and I love them, but they don't get me.”
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked. He didn't like the defeated expression on her face.
She shrugged. "It's kind of dumb. I mean, they took care of me. They were champs in that regard. I had a nice house, food to eat, and all the support I needed in school. So really, I don't feel like I have room to complain. Not when so many people have less."
"The thing about pain," Marcus said in a quiet voice, "is that it fills whatever space it has. Whether or not other people are worse off, it still hurts you."
She nodded thoughtfully. "So you're saying that even though others are struggling with more, it's okay for me to recognize the pain of what I’m feeling."
"Yeah. There's probably always going to be someone who's worse off. But it doesn't minimize what you’re going through."
"I just don't want to be a spoiled little rich girl." She wrinkled her nose, like the phrase was distasteful.
"Someone has called you that before," he guessed.
She flipped around and floated on her back. Staring at the sky, she said, "My dad did, yeah. He was mad when I didn't want to go to this writing camp."
"But if writing isn't your thing..."
"Exactly. They’re authors, and that's great for them. And with their contacts in New York publishing, not to mention the hype that could be built up just because I have their name, I could write and publish books, too.”
He was starting to wonder just who her parents were. “Wait a second. You said your last name is Valdez. Are your parents—”
“Carlos and Donna,” she said. “Yeah.”
He wasn’t a big reader, but he’d heard of them. Their books were frequently turned into movies or streaming series on Netflix.
“I bet having famous parents makes for a lonely childhood,” he said.
“It doesn’t have to, but it did for me,” she said. "Anyway, that's why the books and the notebook you gave me are so perfect. I feel like for the first time someone that I care about actually knows me. Or is at least trying to, you know?"
"Yeah. I know."
They spent the next hour swimming and floating on their backs in the lake, until Jessica got too cold, and it was time to go back to the trailer. The whole time though, Marcus was conscious of the fact that she didn't have anybody else who could love her as much as he was starting to.
17
Two days later, Jessica awoke with Marcus’s arms wrapped tightly around her. She kissed his forearm.
She knew the big fight was coming up. She knew they had to rescue Blythe. She knew there were dozens of reasons that she shouldn't be falling in love with this man.
And yet...she was falling in love with this man.
She had been in love before, or she had thought it was love before—brief infatuations with boys in school, far away crushes on guys at college. She knew she had a tendency to latch on too quickly. Even as she enjoyed Marcus's embrace, sh
e tried to remind herself of that fact.
The birds outside the trailer sang their morning chorus. Marcus's hand was curled around her hip, warm and possessive. He had given her so much over the past few days. He'd given her his time, his attention, his affection. She suspected that despite the short time they had been together, he knew her better than anyone else knew her.
Yet she sensed, despite everything he was giving her, he was holding a part of himself back.
Jessica would have to try to hold herself back, too.
She carefully climbed out of bed. She found a pair of pants and a shirt and put them on.
Marcus stretched and watched her get dressed. “Do you have to put clothes on?” he asked.
“Yes, we need to train. Do you think Jase will join us again?”
Jase had come yesterday, and he and Marcus had trained for hours. Jessica was impressed. Jase didn't even know Blythe, yet he seemed one hundred percent invested in protecting and defending her.
"I'm not sure," Marcus said.
Jessica turned toward the kitchen counter to fix them some breakfast, but Marcus grabbed her hip and swung her back toward him.
His gray eyes were soft with tenderness—a tenderness that felt sharp against her heart.
"Are you doing okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm great." She tried to move away. There was breakfast to make, and her heart to protect.
"We established I can tell when you're lying."
Well, that was hardly fair. She couldn't bear to tell him the truth—that she was falling for him. She was already weaker than him, being smaller, being human. Why should he also get the advantage in their relationship, or whatever this was?
"Julie." His voice was firm. "You're thinking a lot. Do you want to share with the rest of the class?"
She stared at him. "Not really."
He let go of her with a sigh. "Fair enough."
She moved away then, over to the kitchen. Coffee would help, even if it tasted like mud.
As she worked, she was very aware of Marcus watching her from the bed. His chest was bare, and he leaned up on one arm. His gray gaze was soft, contemplative. Dark scruff decorated his cheeks. She wondered when he shaved. He had to, occasionally, or he would already have a full beard by now. Clean-shaven or stubbly, he was the handsomest man she had ever seen or ever would see. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest.
Why did love have to hurt so much?
Thankfully, sparring took most of Jessica's attention over the course of the morning. There simply wasn't time to mope about unrequited love when she was dodging Marcus’s hits. She wished she was stronger so that he could use more of his skill and strength with her during training. Sadly, though, he would have to make do with her until someone better came along.
The thought made her freeze. Was that why he held himself back from her? Was he waiting for someone better to come along? Not to spar with, but to love and care for?
The idea made her gut churn, so she shoved it to the back of her mind.
"Time for a break," Marcus said.
Jessica didn't want a break. Fighting was the only thing that kept her from thinking.
Ignoring his request, she threw a punch at him and made contact with his chest. She suspected it hurt her hand more than it hurt him.
"You're feisty this morning," he said.
"Maybe. Or maybe I have more energy than you, old man."
"Aw, Joan, you're in trouble now."
He picked her up, and she squealed. They were both sweaty, and a part of her was grossed out by that, but mostly she didn't mind. Holding her tight, he walked them over to the old picnic chair leaning against the trailer.
"Will that hold us?" she asked as he eased down, cradling her to his chest.
"Sure, it’ll hold us."
No sooner had he settled his weight all the way into it, than the porch chair collapsed. They fell into a heap, and once Jessica realized she hadn't been hurt, and Marcus hadn't been either, she started laughing. He laughed too, his smile so carefree that it caused her breath to hitch with a pleasure-pain so acute, her laughing immediately stopped.
This was not going to end well.
Instead of getting up, he kept her cradled against him. She was quickly becoming addicted to this feeling of being embraced by Marcus.
"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you yet?" he asked.
Not this again. She didn't want to talk about it—the feelings were too raw. But there was something she could give him instead.
"I don't know that much about you,” she said. “You hold yourself back. I've told you all about my childhood, but I don't know very much about your past."
She felt the movement of his chest as he nodded.
"I told you how I came to be here," he said.
"Tell me more about your sister."
Some of the tension melted out of him. In a softer voice, he said, "She's amazing. I'd do anything for her."
"Does she turn into a wolf like you?" Jessica asked.
"No, she's human. Like you. She's my half-sister, and quite a bit younger than me. We have the same mom, different dads."
Jessica leaned her head back against his shoulder. "Is your dad still around?"
"Not so much, no. He didn't really love my mom—she wasn’t his mate. What they had was a fling, I guess, and I wasn't really planned. He stuck around long enough to set me up with a local pack, so they could help me learn how to be a wolf shifter. Last time I saw him, I was fifteen or so."
As far as Jessica was concerned, the man had to be an idiot if he didn't want to hang around his son. Marcus was one of the best people she knew. But Marcus didn't seem that upset by it, so she waited to see if he'd say anything else.
"Anyway, my mom met my stepdad, fell in love, got married. They had Marianne. Before I had a sister, it bothered me that my dad didn't want to stick around. But as soon as Marianne showed up, I felt like I had all I needed."
"She must be really special," Jessica said.
"She is. She makes me laugh, kind of like you do. She likes to test my shifter abilities, just like you did at the lake the other day."
Jessica laughed, then she said, "You said something weird a minute ago. You said your mom wasn't your dad's mate?"
"Yeah. It's a shifter thing."
She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead, he helped Jessica off his lap and stood. "I should make us some lunch."
"Want some help?" she asked.
"No, you fixed breakfast. I'll take care of lunch."
There was tenderness in his eyes as he spoke, and some sorrow, too. Jessica wondered what caused it. He must have been missing his sister. And maybe there was more to missing his dad than he had said.
She leaned against the side of the trailer. Her new nature notebook was inside. Maybe she should get it, make some notes on the leaves Marcus had gathered. Then again, it was really nice sitting out here in the sun. It felt warm against her face, like Marcus’s touch. She closed her eyes and decided to enjoy it.
"I thought you said there weren't any women in there."
The unfamiliar feminine voice made Jessica jump up and she looked wildly around. Two women stood on the other side of the gravel line. One had blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. The other had blond hair and stood a good six inches taller than Jessica and the brunette.
Remembering how nice Caitlyn had been, Jessica hurried over to them.
"Hey," she said. "I'm Jessica."
The brown-haired woman spoke. "I'm Lena. This is Allison. Um, we’re looking for Marcus?"
Jessica cocked her head, reevaluating the women. What did they want with Marcus?
The blonde, Allison, turned to Lena. "There's a male wolf’s scent all over her. Is that Marcus’s scent?"
Jessica wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know how someone would smell Marcus on her unless they were shifter. The flash of competitive jealousy in Allison's eyes made Jessica glad she wor
e Marcus's scent.
Lena chewed her lip thoughtfully, but her eyes were friendly as they evaluated Jessica. “Yes, it is his scent.”
Jessica looked from one woman to the other, then said, “I’ll, uh…I’ll go get him.”
Before Jessica could turn around, Lena looked past Jessica and her expression brightened.
"Hey, Marcus," Lena said with a little wave.
Marcus was hurrying toward them. He stopped next to Jessica. She wondered why he didn't hold her hand. If they had been alone, he would have touched her. He was always touching her. So why not now?
She shook it off. She was overanalyzing this.
"Hi, Lena," Marcus said.
"Hey," Lena said slowly. "I was just stopping by for a visit, with my new friend Allison."
Could Jessica feel Marcus tensing up beside her? Or was that just her imagination? She willed her brain to stop thinking and analyzing everything.
"Hey," Marcus said to Allison.
Jessica did not miss the way Allison's eyes appraised Marcus. And she didn't at all like the way Allison frowned when she focused on his right wrist, where his hand used to be.
Still, Allison's voice was flirtatious as she responded, "Hi. We were just meeting your…friend. Jennifer, is that right?"
Finally, finally Marcus put his arm around Jessica's shoulders and drew her closer to his side.
"Jessica," he said, at the same time Jessica corrected her.
Jessica peeked up at him. His face was impassive, showing no emotion whatsoever.
Lena spoke next. "Do the others know about her?"
"Only Jase," Jessica said. "I've been hiding in the trailer, and we’re hoping nobody comes around."
"Lena, well, it's good to see you,” Marcus said, “but Jessica and I are just about to have lunch.”
“Sure,” Lena said. “Do you mind if I have a quick word, though?”
Jessica knew when she was being dismissed, but she didn’t budge until Allison walked away, too.
Jessica had nearly reached the trailer when she heard Marcus say, "I told you I don't need your matchmaking, Lena."
"Well, how was I to know you had a woman squirreled away in the trailer?" she asked.
