by Lisa Kessler
What would I be if he walked away?
Jason took my hand. “Wait a sec, I need to tell you something.”
Butterflies filled my stomach. “Okay.”
“Before I discovered you were my mate, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I watched you from my office window that day because I couldn’t make myself look away. I wanted to learn all your secrets, to hear you laugh and make you smile.”
He cleared his throat and ran one hand through his hair. “My interest in you had nothing to do with instincts. I didn’t believe the Pack stories about mates were even real. But when you touched my hand and I recognized you for who you were—”
I rose up on my toes and pulled him down, my lips brushing his. Yes, I was interrupting, but in my defense, he was good with words. I wasn’t. I wanted to tell him how much I enjoyed seeing him grin and knowing it was because of me. I wanted to open my heart. He was risking his life to protect me. He deserved to know what that meant to me.
But fear tied my tongue in knots. Admitting I needed him, that I cared about him, it opened me up for wounds I couldn’t bear to feel again. For now, this was enough.
My feet left the ground as he cradled me in his arms without breaking the kiss. I savored his lips, happy to lose myself in the fire he stoked inside of me. He walked forward. I didn’t open my eyes to see where he was taking me. I didn’t care. My heart raced, my blood heated, and I yearned to forget Nero. Sex until we were too exhausted to move seemed like a great idea.
“Kilani,” he whispered against my lips.
“What?” I sucked gently at his lower lip until he growled.
“I can’t get enough of you… But…right now…we need to…” He groaned, surrendering to one more heated kiss. His tongue demanded mine, hungry, as his fingers tightened into a fist in my hair. Seeing the effect I had over him gave me a delicious taste of power, passion, and I wanted more. His other hand slid up my thigh, cupping my ass, squeezing it until heat pooled low in my belly.
He broke the kiss, fighting to catch his breath. “We can’t miss that plane.”
The plane. My grandmother. Nero. I nodded, keeping my gaze locked on his. “You are one hell of a kisser.”
A sexy, crooked smile curved on his lips. “You inspire me.”
He lowered me to the ground, holding me tight against him. His erection pressed against me, making his jeans taut. If lives weren’t on the line, I might’ve dragged him into the tack room for more inspiration.
Instead, I took his hand. “I’m still scared.”
“I’d be worried if you weren’t, but we’ll get through this.”
Being a part of a “we” was something I’d yearned for and dreamed about since my mom abandoned me while I was at school. Now this handsome, intelligent, brave man stood beside me, claiming me as his own with every touch, every kiss. I should’ve been happy, but as we walked to his car, fear ran her icy finger down my spine.
Jason might not walk out on me, but what if he died standing at my side?
Chapter Nineteen
JASON
Jared opened the door to our parents’ house. “Hey, Jason.” We clasped forearms and he turned to Kilani. “You haven’t run away screaming?”
She smiled, and my pulse pounded with relief. Since we’d left Adam’s place, she’d been somber and quiet. “Not yet, although you’d probably all be safer if I did.”
Jared stepped back so we could come inside. “Nah, we’d just find trouble elsewhere. You can’t protect us from ourselves, believe me.”
“We brought over more supplies for Dad. Where’s Mom?”
“Back here,” she answered, hearing me perfectly.
We headed for the bedroom and found my dad sitting up with pillows propped behind him. For a second, words escaped me. I’d been praying for this for weeks, dreaming he’d look me in the eye one more time, and here he was.
“You just going to stand there? Come in and give your old man a hug.”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. I crossed the distance in two strides and bent over to embrace my father. He wrapped one arm around me and mumbled about his other arm not working right yet.
I straightened and cleared my throat, struggling to find my voice. “It’ll come, Dad. Your body just needs a little more time to heal.”
“You try laying in this bed for weeks and then talk to me about time and patience.”
My mom chuckled. “He must be feeling better, because his mulish tendencies are back in full force.”
Hope and happiness radiated from my mom’s smile. I wasn’t sure I’d ever been more grateful. I took the bag of supplies from Kilani and handed them to my brother, then I caught her hand, lacing my fingers with hers. If she hadn’t come into my life and used her gift to see my father’s future…what if we hadn’t given him enough time? What if we pulled the plug on his care too soon?
There was nothing I could offer to repay her. All I had was myself.
“How long will you be gone?”
Jared’s voice jarred me from my thoughts. “Not sure yet. I brought enough to keep Dad taken care of for ten days just in case.”
He frowned. “Ten days? There’s a full moon in there.”
“Yeah, there’s a good chance I’ll be on my own for this one.”
“Bad idea, bro.” He crossed his arms. “Adam signed off on this?”
“Not happily. But we’ve got to get Kilani’s grandmother to Reno so the Pack can protect her from Nero. She’s their only leverage to get Kilani to turn herself over.”
He ground his teeth, contracting a muscle in his cheek. “I’ll go with you.”
“Mom needs you here. With Nero in town, we can’t risk leaving her and Dad vulnerable.” I clasped his shoulder. “Keep our folks safe for me.”
Mom stood and embraced me, her voice buzzing against my ear. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
I held her tight and kissed her hair. “I love you, Mom. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Kilani stiffened when my mom released me and focused on her. My mom had no clue about my mate’s previous bad experiences with prejudice. While my parents didn’t hold any of those judgments in their hearts, I still sent up a silent prayer that my mom wouldn’t say anything that could be misinterpreted.
“I heard through the grapevine that your grandmother is a big Neil Diamond fan.”
Kilani nodded slowly, her dark eyes flitting toward me and then back on my mom. “She claims she’s his biggest fan on the islands.”
My mom smiled, although it didn’t reach her worried eyes. “If it helps get her to come back here with you, please let her know he’s coming through Las Vegas soon and I have a spare ticket with her name on it if she’d like to go with me.”
Kilani’s eyes widened, shock plain on her face, before she grinned. “If that doesn’t get her to come back with us, then nothing will.”
My mom winked. “Good. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“And she’ll save me from having to sing another chorus of ‘Sweet Caroline.’” My dad met my gaze and smiled. “You take care of that little lady. I’ll keep working so I can open the door when you get home.”
“There’s no rush, Dad. Sitting up and talking are huge improvements. It’ll come with time.” I brushed my hand against the small of Kilani’s back, guiding her to the door. Good-byes weren’t my strong suit. “See you soon.”
Jared followed us to the door and pulled me into a tight hug. “Don’t take any chances over there. Find her grandmother and get back here.”
“Will do.” I stared into his eyes for a moment. If I didn’t make it back in time for the full moon, this would be the first time we’d ever shifted apart. And if I didn’t play my cards right, we might be apart permanently. “I’ll be back. Watch out for Dad for me.”
After grabbing some clothes from my place, I drove toward the airport. Kilani had been pretty quiet since we left the house. Seeing the bullet holes in my driveway and front door was a harsh reminder of
the reality of the danger ahead.
Signs for the airport started showing up on the interstate. We’d be in the air soon, on our way to Hawaii, to her past. The urge to shield her swelled, but there was no way I’d ever find her grandmother without her help, let alone convince the elderly woman to follow me back to Reno.
After the car was parked, I grabbed our duffel bags before she could complain.
“You’re the one with a concussion; you shouldn’t carry the bags.” Her voice soothed tension I didn’t notice growing in my shoulders.
“First off, they don’t weigh that much, and secondly, my head feels much better. I’m fine.”
She rolled her eyes and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “You’re not fine.” She walked ahead. Even under her breath, her words were plain to me. “But who am I to talk. I’m not fine, either.”
I followed close behind, giving her some space. When you were a werewolf, you learned pretty quickly that our super hearing could be annoying to others when they muttered under their breath. Whether or not it was intentional, it was still eavesdropping.
Waiting in the security line, I conjured up Sebastian’s brother in my mind. Damian Severino. After Kilani’s last vision, it was even more important that I stay on my guard until we were back with the Pack.
I chose to see her premonition as a warning, not a real outcome.
Something else was bothering me. Why wouldn’t Sebastian tell us about Lana’s father? He was hiding something. Why? I kept replaying last night after the fight, his brother standing under the yellow streetlight in the parking lot with a knife. Something about him seemed familiar. I’d never seen him before. But still…
“Do you want window or aisle?”
Kilani had her carry-on and her ticket ready. I didn’t even notice our flight had been called for boarding. If I couldn’t get my head together, this trip could end badly. “Why don’t you take the window so you can see the island when we get closer?”
“I’d rather not.”
“All right.” I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked ahead of her down the Jetway. The only good thing I’d done so far was upgrading our tickets to first class. We’d have more room, better food, and no stranger sharing our row. I hoped that meant we might talk a few things out, but that would depend on my mate.
We got seated, our carry-ons stowed, and a flight attendant took our drink orders. I could only watch the luggage being loaded on the plane for so long. I shifted around and took her hand. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
She shrugged. “Could say the same for you.”
“I’ll share if you will.” She didn’t say no. “Okay, I’ll go first. My head is still a little foggy, but something about Sebastian’s brother was familiar. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
“I couldn’t see him very well; the light kept reflecting off his knife. Did he look like Sebastian?”
“Not really. He’s shorter and more solid.” I dodged a backpack as a late-comer rushed onboard. “This wouldn’t be a big deal, but Sebastian got defensive…and it’s got to be about Damian.”
“You asked him about Lana’s father.”
I nodded. “And he wouldn’t give me a straight answer.”
“Maybe Lana’s father is Sebastian’s superior or something.”
I blinked. Clarity smacked into me like a two-by-four plank. “The only person higher up than Sebastian is Mr. Severino himself.” Good thing I’d already buckled my seat belt or I would’ve shot out of my seat. “That’s it. That’s how I recognized Damian. He reminded me of Lana.”
“Lana?” Kilani raised a brow.
“Yes. Damian smiled at me, and then later at the ranch when Lana started to smile…it was the same. And they’re the same age, too.”
“You think Damian and Lana are related?”
The thrust of the plane’s takeoff barely kept me down as the pieces fell into place. “It makes sense. Lana had a twin, but only her twin was delivered to Nero. Her mother left her behind, hoping she’d save her from spending her life as a lab rat.”
“You think Sebastian knows?”
“Yes.” I gripped the armrest on my seat as we gained altitude. “He didn’t admit anything, but he was the one who brought us a flash drive with the breeding experiment Lana’s mother participated in. When he delivered the information, he conveniently left out the identity of her father, but he told us he was alive and still working for Nero.”
“Her mother?”
“Eliminated.” Just like they’d been ordered to handle Kilani. Silenced forever.
Over my fucking dead body.
“Why would Sebastian want to keep that a secret?”
I shrugged. “No clue, but the more I think about it, it makes sense. After Sebastian stole that file, he stopped pursuing the mission to bring Lana back to Nero. They ended up bringing in Sasha to finish the job.”
“Sasha? As in Nadya’s sister the police detective?”
“She wasn’t a detective at the time. Long story.” I took another swallow of my Coke. “But if I’m right and Damian is Lana’s fraternal twin, then Sebastian is her older brother…he’s related to her twins, too.” I raked a hand through my hair. “Jesus. Malcolm and Madeleine are Severino’s grandchildren. Shit.”
“Maybe you’re wrong.”
I sucked in a slow breath and met her eyes. “I’m not. I can feel it. I need to warn Adam.”
I struggled to calm my mind. If I was right, and I’d bet everything I was, then my Alpha’s mate and their twin toddlers were in more danger than we realized. Nero wanted Lana because she’d been the first female-born shifter, and now she’d passed that along to her daughter, and somehow, even though Lana was a jaguar, her son was born a werewolf like his father. The secrets in their DNA could change Nero’s breeding program forever, making their supply of shape-shifting assassins never-ending.
Did Sebastian give his father that information? That was the million-dollar question.
I passed my empty cup to the flight attendant and did my best to box up my concern. There was nothing I could do while we were 35,000 feet above the ocean.
Leaning over, I brushed my lips to Kilani’s temple. The fresh scent of her hair, her skin, calmed the tempest twisting inside me. “So, your turn. What’s been keeping you so quiet?”
Chapter Twenty
KILANI
He made it sound so simple. But my thoughts had been running in circles for hours, and I couldn’t keep up anymore. I was going back to Hawaii to find my grandmother who hadn’t spoken to me in more than ten years, I’d seen Jason’s death in a vision, and then there were the mercenaries from Nero after us.
At this point, I was clinging to calm by a thin thread greased with butter.
“I’m not sure where to start.” That about covered it.
“The beginning?”
I nudged him with my elbow. Somehow, in spite of my near panic, Jason could still make me smile. “The beginning. Okay…I’ve never been back home for a reason. When I left for Brightwood, I made the trip without my grandmother’s consent, and she never contacted me, so I didn’t reach out to her, either. Now it’s been years, and I have no idea what to expect. I assume she’s still angry with me, but…” I cleared my throat and gazed past Jason, out the window. “Deep down…I’m scared she just doesn’t care.”
Jason took my hand, drawing my attention back to him. The setting sun coming through the jet’s window made his hazel eyes brighter, fiery, and the set of his jaw, the cut healing on his eyebrow, they all came together into a masculine package that stole my breath. Why couldn’t we be going to Hawaii for a romantic getaway?
Because life was anything but fair. I’d learned that lesson firsthand more than once.
“Whatever kept your grandmother from contacting you doesn’t really make a difference anymore. It’s time to let it go and start over. You’ve both lost time you’ll never get back.” He kissed my knuckles. Watching his lips caress my skin was a welcome di
straction from the dread and worry. “No matter what the future holds, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here for you.”
God, had anyone ever “been there” for me? It was like he offered cool water after I’d been lost in the desert. A little voice whispered, Too good to be true, but I did my best to ignore it.
I’d already given him my trust and my body, but my heart remained locked away, and I forgot where I hid the key.
“Easy to say that now. You haven’t met my family yet. It’s not neat and tidy like yours.”
“Really?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Is that what you think? Our Pack is a lot of things, but neat and tidy? No way. Love isn’t always pretty, and it’s usually during the ugliest moments when you discover just how strong it can be.”
I wanted to believe him. “We should get some rest.”
He didn’t prod or push, surprising me. Instead, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Settled in against his chest, I tried to forget about assassins, past hurts, and even the new ones waiting for me when we got to the islands.
In the steady beat of Jason’s heart, I found peace.
We landed in Honolulu. The scent of fresh flowers on the cool evening breeze swamped me, drowning me in a wave of unwelcome memories. My mother teaching me to weave leis and find sand dollars on the beach. And the afternoon my grandmother wiped my tears and promised me she’d take care of me after my mom walked out of our lives.
Jason squeezed my hand. “I’ve never been to Hawaii before. Does it always smell so…”
“Yes.” I nodded, shoving my childhood into a dark corner. “I never realized how amazing the air smelled here until I went to New York. I took it for granted.”
We collected our bags and caught a cab to the hotel. We planned to spend the night in Honolulu and catch the first plane to Maui in the morning. Jason checked us in under Lana’s reservation. Nero would be looking for Jason or me, so hopefully Lana’s name would fly under the radar. For all we knew, Damian and his men were already over on Maui anyway.
