by Kate Douglas
She didn’t agree with his decision, but knew arguing wouldn’t help. Turning a chair at the table around, she helped him straddle it. Even through the dried blood, she could easily see the three bullet holes. The one in his shoulder appeared to be already healing. The two in his back still oozed a bit of blood. She saw two small bumps beneath the skin at the holes, as if the bullets were working themselves out of his body, as Jay said they would.
After draping the blanket around his hips, she hurried to the refrigerator for a bottle of water. “Drink.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He opened the bottle and drained half of it in one gulp while looking at her. “You have blood on your dress.”
“I don’t care.” She ran her hand through his hair. “I only care about you.”
The sound of the doorbell pealed through the house. “I’ll get that. You drink the rest of the water.”
Roni answered the door to see a man in his mid-forties, dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans, carrying a large brown leather bag. His scent announced him as wolf.
“Where’s Jay?” he asked without bothering with introductions.
“In the kitchen.”
Brian Hutton headed toward the kitchen as if he’d been in Jay’s house many times. Roni shut the door and hurried after him.
“Who’d you piss off, Jay?” the doctor asked, setting his bag on the table. He withdrew a pair of latex gloves and snapped them on his hands.
“And a good day to you, too, Brian.”
“At least you waited to get shot on my day off.”
“I didn’t want to interfere with your golf schedule.”
Jay flinched when Brian touched the two protruding bumps. Roni clasped her hands together at her waist to keep from snatching Brian’s hands away from Jay. She knew the doctor would help Jay, yet she couldn’t stand anyone hurting her mate.
“I’m going to give you a couple of shots to deaden the area so I can remove the bullets.” Brian looked at her over his shoulder. “Veronica?”
“Roni. People call me Roni.”
“Would you get a bowl of warm water and a washcloth for me?”
It made her feel better to be helpful. By the time she returned with the items Brian requested, he had removed one bullet from Jay’s back.
“You’re lucky you were able to shift.” He dropped the bullet in an empty coffee mug Roni assumed he’d taken from a cabinet. “If you’d passed out as a human, these babies would’ve done lots of nasty things in your chest.”
“Roni helped me.”
Brian looked at her again. “I see that. I assume that’s your blood on her dress?”
“Yeah.” Jay gazed at her, too, but Roni couldn’t read his expression. She sensed ... discomfort from him, and she didn’t think it had anything to do with the bullet holes.
“Got it.” Brian dropped the second bullet in the mug. Dipping the washcloth in the bowl of water, he gently cleansed the blood from Jay’s back. “I’ll bandage the wounds. Even though they’re already healing, there might be some seepage. You should be fine by tonight. Until then, take it easy, okay?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll make sure he takes it easy,” Roni told Brian.
“Good.” He kept looking at her as he pulled off his gloves and dropped them in the trash can at the end of the cabinets. “I’ll want the full story about you two when he’s better.”
Somehow Roni managed a slight smile. She liked Brian Hutton. He had kind eyes and gentle hands. Plus he’d helped her mate, which put him way at the top of her like list.
A quick glance at Jay found him gazing at her, that unreadable expression still on his face. Apprehension formed a knot in her stomach. Something obviously bothered him, something more than the gunshots.
Brian touched Jay’s shoulder. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Thanks, Bri.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Roni said.
“Don’t bother. I know my way.” He smiled. “Nice to meet you, Roni, although I would’ve preferred nicer circumstances.”
“Me too.”
She waited until she heard Brian leave before she turned back to Jay. He leaned against the cabinets, one hand clutching the blanket around his waist. “What’s wrong?”
He drained the last bit of water in his bottle before answering. “I got shot.”
She crossed her arms over her stomach since it still churned. “I have a feeling it’s more than that, especially since you won’t look at me.”
He turned his head and peered at her with eyes that were flat. The apprehension in her stomach turned to fear. “Are you angry at me?”
“Why did you go to the cliff, Roni?”
His strange question surprised her so much, she didn’t know how to answer it at first. “To give you time to answer your call from Troy. I wanted to give you privacy.”
“But why the cliff? Why so out in the open?”
“It’s a sunny day. I wanted to look at the water. I didn’t think anything about ...” She stopped when realization hit her. With that realization came pain more intense than she’d ever experienced. “You think I lured you out in the open so you could be shot?”
“Hackers have plagued JEMATAR ever since the first time we spoke on the phone, Roni.”
She splayed one hand over her chest. “You think I had something to do with that? How could I? You called me first!”
“Your company certainly had something to do with it. That call from Troy was to tell me he tracked the hacker back to St. James Security.”
Shock left her speechless. The man she loved, she man she hoped would father her children, stood there and accused her family of trying to destroy him and his company. “Jay, you can’t be serious. No one in my family has any reason to hurt you.”
Jay straightened his shoulders and faced her. Anger filled his eyes. “I’ve received threatening letters and phone calls from a man named Clint the last two years. Is that your brother?”
“I don’t know anything about my brother sending you threatening letters and calls. Why would he?”
“Because he’s a guard in your pack and is angry that your Alpha died.”
“You had nothing to do with that!”
Jay scowled. “I know that! But apparently he doesn’t care about that minor point.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you helping him, Roni?”
It surprised Roni to discover she could still stand and breathe when her heart had completely crumbled. The pain was so excruciating, she couldn’t even cry. “I don’t know why my brother would want to hurt you. I don’t know why you believe I would want to hurt you. You’re my mate, Jay. I love you.”
He said nothing, only continued to stare at her. Right then, Roni knew they would never make it together as a mated pair. There couldn’t be love—true love—without trust. And Jay no longer trusted her.
Or perhaps he never had.
She had never begged anyone for anything in her life. She wouldn’t start now. “I need to borrow the bathroom to change my clothes before I leave.”
He motioned with his hand toward the downstairs bathroom, but still said nothing. Head held high, Roni left the house to retrieve her suitcase from Jay’s SUV. She called information for a taxi service while stripping off her bloodstained dress. After slipping on faded jeans and a comfortable sweater, she dropped the dress in the small trash can.
The taxi arrived as Roni came out of the bathroom, pulling her carry-on behind her. She stopped when she saw Jay in the foyer. He still clutched the bloody blanket around his hips. She would’ve gone to him if she’d seen any evidence of love in his eyes. She saw nothing but emptiness.
Not bothering to say good-bye, she walked out the front door and out of Jay’s life.
Jay gave up trying to sleep at five a.m. He’d gotten totally shitfaced after Roni left, throwing down shot after shot of bourbon to forget that he’d let his mate walk away from him. He finally stumbled to his bed shortly after two. For three hours, he lay awake and st
ared at the ceiling while calling himself every kind of fool.
He remembered the pain in Roni’s eyes when he’d accused her of being the hacker, the shock when he’d suggested she’d lured him to a spot on the cliff where he could be shot. Thinking of how much he’d hurt her tightened his gut with regret. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid! He loved her and knew she would never do anything to hurt him.
Forcing himself out of bed, he drew on jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. He stumbled down the stairs and to the front door. Opening it wide, he stepped out on the small porch and inhaled deeply. He could sense Roni, feel her nearby. She was still in the city.
Which meant he could find her and tell her what an ass he’d been.
Jay slammed the door and ran back upstairs for socks and shoes. Grabbing his keys from the foyer table, he threw open the front door again. A man stood there, one Jay had never seen. He instinctively sniffed the air and caught the scent of wolf ... and Roni. That meant this man belonged to Roni’s pack.
“Can I help you?” Jay asked.
“Jamieson Millington?”
Jay nodded. The man’s deep voice sent a shiver up Jay’s spine. Before Jay could slam the door in his face, the man withdrew a pistol from his jacket pocket and pointed it at Jay’s chest. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. You must be Clint St. James.”
He didn’t even bat an eye that Jay knew his identity. “I am.”
Jay walked backward a few steps while trying to decide what to do. Clint followed, the hand holding the pistol steady. “I paid a hell of a lot of money to have you killed. I’m not happy my man didn’t do his job.”
That’s it, keep talking. As long as you talk, you won’t shoot. “Oh, he did it. My doctor dug two bullets out of my back. The third one went straight through.”
“Why was my sister here?”
“What makes you think she still isn’t?”
Clint gave Jay a look that clearly said Jay should know better than to question Clint’s intelligence. “I know Roni’s scent. I don’t smell her.”
“So this is all your doing. The hacking, the murder attempt. Roni had nothing to do with it.”
“Of course she didn’t. I don’t want my sister involved in anything ...” He trailed off, as if searching for the right word.
“Dirty?” Jay supplied. “Illegal? Immoral?”
Clint scowled. “You talk too much, Millington.” He lifted the gun another inch, flashed a wicked smile. “It’s time for me to end that.”
“What the hell is going on?” Jamieson roared.
Jay and Clint both whirled to watch Jamieson stride toward them from the dining room, leaning heavily on his cane. The instinct to protect his father and his Alpha made Jay step in front of Jamieson. “Dad, this is between Clint and me. Please leave.”
“He’s a wolf. I’m not going anywhere.” He moved out from behind Jay and pointed a finger at Clint. “Why are you holding a gun on my son? And why aren’t you kneeling before an Alpha?”
“I won’t ever kneel before you,” Clint said with a sneer. “You’re the father of the man who killed my Alpha.”
The anger faded from Jamieson’s face. He sighed deeply. “No, son, Jay didn’t kill your Alpha. I did.”
Jay glanced from his father to Clint. Roni’s brother appeared as shocked as Jay felt. He looked back at Jamieson. “What?”
“Clint’s Alpha—Benjamin—and I both loved Tara. She loved me, but Benjamin wasn’t willing to accept that. He challenged me for her. I had to accept the challenge.”
“Why?”
“It’s the pack way, Jay. To turn him down would be to appear weak to my pack.”
Jay knew nothing of a challenge between his father and another Alpha. His mother had died when he was three. He barely remembered her. He did remember how lonely and lost his father had been for years, until he met Tara. She’d always loved Jay as if he were her own son.
Clint rubbed his forehead. “Jamieson Millington killed my Alpha. That’s him.”
“It’s both of us,” Jamieson said. “I’m the senior, Jay is the junior. We carry the same name.”
Still looking confused, Clint’s hand holding the gun wavered a bit. Jay decided to make a move to grab the pistol when Clint straightened again and frowned.
“I don’t care which Millington killed him. He has to die. Now.”
“Clint, no!” Roni screamed.
Jay jerked at the sound of Roni’s voice. Clint whirled around, the gun in his hand now aimed at his sister. The wolf in Jay leaped and growled, ready to defend its mate.
Before he could move, Roni snatched the pistol from Clint’s fingers. “What are you doing? You aren’t going to shoot anyone!” my
Clint pointed at Jamieson. “He killed our Alpha!”
“In a fair fight, Clint! I wasn’t able to get a flight back to Dallas yesterday, so I spent last night researching our packs’ history in my motel room. Benjamin challenged Jamieson. He had no choice but to fight.”
“He didn’t have to kill him!”
Roni slipped the pistol into her jacket pocket, moved closer to Clint. “It’s the pack way, Clint. You know that as well as I do. Jamieson did nothing wrong.” She gripped her brother’s hands. “He defended himself and was hurt doing so. He wasn’t able to get help quickly enough to stop permanent damage. That’s why he walks with a cane.”
Clint’s shoulders slumped. “I was his guard, Roni. I was supposed to protect him.”
“You couldn’t. No one could. A challenge is to the death and no one can interfere. You know that.”
Clint looked over his shoulder at Jay and Jamieson. Jay saw the regret in Clint’s eyes, the helplessness. He understood that. If someone challenged Jamieson now, Jay would do everything in his power to protect his father, pack law or not.
Jay stepped forward. “Maybe it’s time to put the past behind us, Clint, and start fresh. I’m in love with your sister. If she’ll forgive me for being such an ass yesterday, I plan to marry her.”
A soft smile curved Roni’s lips. “I have three brothers. I know about men being asses.” Looking back at Clint, she took the pistol out of her pocket and held it out to him. “Are you good with starting over?”
He nodded, took the pistol, slipped it back in his pocket. Turning to Jamieson, he lowered his head, placed one fist over his heart, and dropped to one knee. “Sire.”
Jamieson touched the top of Clint’s head. “Rise, Clint. We have a lot to celebrate. Our packs will soon become one.”
Clint rose to his feet, held out a hand to Jay. “I, uh, apologize for ... everything.”
“It’s over.” Jay accepted Clint’s hand. “Fresh start begins now.”
Clint nodded again, then drew Roni into his arms for a hug. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“I know.” She cradled his face in her hands. “I can feel the tension still in you. Why don’t you go take a walk or something and come back later for dinner?”
A grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“Jay and I need to talk privately. Plus he owes me a big apology. I plan to take a very long time to accept it.”
Jamieson clasped Clint’s shoulder. “If you don’t mind hanging out with me, I’ll buy you breakfast.” He glanced at Roni, then Jay. “Maybe lunch, too.”
Jay followed his father and Clint to the front door. He closed it, turned the dead bolt. When he faced Roni again, his heart jumped up to lodge in his throat. She stood with her arms crossed beneath her breasts, her chin high. The soft smile she’d given him earlier had disappeared.
“Exactly how big is that apology supposed to be?”
“Pretty damn big.”
“Would chocolate help?”
He thought he saw her lips twitch. “It would help, but it isn’t enough.”
“Yeah, I figured that.” Jay walked toward her. She uncrossed her arms, let them hang at her sides. Taking her hands, he raised
them to his mouth and kissed her palms. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for hurting you. I never should have doubted you.”
Her eyes softened, love shining from them. “It’s over. Clint agreed to a fresh start. It’ll be one for us, too.”
He kissed her with all the love, all the desire, he felt for her. “We have a lot to talk about, Roni. What happens now, where we’ll live, your family, my family—”
A fingertip to his lips stopped him. “I agree we have a lot to talk about, later. Right now, I want the rest of my apology.”
Jay struggled not to grin. He had a feeling he knew exactly what she meant, but pretended he didn’t. “Do you want more words, or should I take you to bed and show you how much you mean to me?”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Jay couldn’t stop the grin now. “I do love the way you think.” He scooped her up in his arms and headed for the stairs.
APHRODISIA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Wolf Tales
Copyright © 2006 by Kate Douglas
Embrace the Night
Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Jordan
Nightshift
Compilation copyright © 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
“Dream Catcher” © 2011 by Kate Douglas
“Taken Between” © 2011 by Crystal Jordan
“The Right Number” © 2011 by Lynn LaFleur
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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ISBN: 978-0-7582-8192-0
