Protection: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance

by Wood, Vivian

  “Number four, he keeps seducing me. He’s got this sort of come-hither desperation – I swear one second I’m glancing at his face, the next second…” Tessa trailed off, blushing.

  “Your panties hit the floor?” Kat suggested.

  “Kat!” Tessa protested, covering her face with her hands.

  “Really, Tessa. I have eyes just like you do. I’ve seen your male when he gets all fired up. It’s really something worth witnessing,” Kat said with a wistful note.

  “We are so not talking about this,” Tessa insisted.

  “Prude. What’s number five, then?”

  “He won’t make up his damned mind. He doesn’t want me, but he doesn’t want me to be with anyone else. He wants me, but he hates that I’m a human. Blah blah blah blah. It’s wearing me out,” Tessa sighed.

  “It’s unfair,” Kat agreed, reaching over to give Tessa’s shoulder a comforting pat. Tessa smiled at her, glad to have made such a wonderful friend despite the circumstances.

  “I guess if he’d picked one or the other, you and I wouldn’t have gotten to be friends,” Tessa said.

  “Sounds like something to go on the ‘pros’ side of your list,” Kat said.

  “Well. The pros are pretty good… Number three is that he has great people. The whole pack is so close that it’s like a huge family. I’ve really never had anyone other than Camilla.”

  “What are the other four?”

  “You’re going to laugh.”

  “Probably, but you should tell me anyway,” Kat said.

  “Well, for one, I kind of like that he’s an alpha male. I’ve never been with anyone like that and it feels good. Like I’m special and cherished,” Tessa admitted.

  “Nothing wrong with that. I’m pretty sure it’s encoded in our DNA somewhere – Shifter females must love macho men.”

  “And I kind of love that he has a crazy sister. After dealing with Maddie, I’ll seem like a dream come true,” Tessa said.

  “Absolutely true.”

  “Let’s see… oh, he’s intelligent and very well-read. To look at him you’d assume that he would be sort of…” Tessa trailed off, trying to find the right words.

  “A mimbo?” Kat offered.

  “What on earth is a mimbo?” Tessa asked, confused.

  “A male bimbo,” Kat said, as if it were obvious.

  Tessa couldn’t suppress a giggle at the term.

  “Okay, okay. Yes. Jace looks like he should be a model, not a computer whiz who loves Hemingway. In his case, you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

  “Even if it’s a really sexy cover,” Kat chimed in.

  “Which brings us back to the topic I don’t want to discuss. Let’s just say that he is very attractive and he knows how to use that to his advantage,” Tessa said.

  “In a sexy way, I assume,” Kat speculated.

  “Let’s leave it at that. The last one, of course, is that he has great people surrounding him. And those people happen to be Shifters, just like me. It feels sort of predestined.”

  “That’s because it is. Mates are made for each other. Neither of you would ever be happy with anyone else after you complete the mating ritual. The bond is just too strong. It’s such a huge decision, a lot of Shifters struggle with it. There are good parts, like how Shifter mates can communicate mind-to-mind in wolf form, but it comes at a high price.”

  “I guess I can see why that’s scary. A married couple can get divorced, but a mated couple is stuck together. The idea could be pretty suffocating if you’re not sure about your choice of mate,” Tessa acknowledged.

  “The mating process is a little different for males, too. They get this obsessive need to protect their females, and that’s not even to mention the jealousy aspect of it all. Then you pile on all these emotions and stuff… as you can imagine, they don’t really take it all that well,” Kat said, bemused.

  “I’ve never even thought of it that way. Do you think Jace is being a smother-y ass because he’s freaking out a little bit?” Tessa asked slowly.

  “Probably more than a little bit, but you get the idea.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t realize that. Thank god you’re here, because apparently I know absolutely nothing about men.”

  “Glad to be of service. That said, I have to be off. I just came to check on you. You should get dressed and come meet us for lunch at the Mess Hall,” Kat suggested.

  “That actually sounds great. I’m starving,” Tessa said.

  “Well, yeah,” Kat said, as if it were obvious. “You’re a Shifter now. We burn like twice as many calories as humans do.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes at Kat’s back as the other woman got up and let herself out the front door. The first order of business would be a shower, and then lunch. After that, she’d try to track down Jace and talk to him.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  When she reached the building that housed Jace’s office, Tessa found the main door was locked tight. She’d looked all over the Den for him, and this was the last place on her list. A short list, she’d admit. Frowning, Tessa made her way around the side of the building in hopes of finding another way in. She found an identical set of doors but they too were locked. Tessa groaned and raised her fist to pound on the door in hopes that Jace might hear her from his office.

  “I wouldn’t do that, Tessa,” came a deep voice from behind her.

  Whirling, Tessa found herself face to face with a very pissed-off looking Jasper McDonough. Make that a pissed off Jasper McDonough who happened to be holding a sleek black gun. Tessa’s eyes widened in terror and her breath caught in her throat.

  “You’re coming with me. Be quiet,” Jasper said, motioning toward a well-worn footpath into the woods. He moved aside just enough to let her pass by, but they nearly touched. She shivered as a spike of fear shot up and down her spine.

  Tessa stumbled as they hit the tree line, and Jasper nudged her in the back with the gun. Fear coursed through her veins, but anger did too. Who did this guy think he was, going around kidnapping people? Jesus, it was like Tessa had a giant sign on her back that said VICTIM in day-glow letters.

  She’d escaped Jasper twice, and she was determined to do it again. Maybe the third time was the charm. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

  “What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?” she ground out.

  A pause before Jasper answered.

  “I have a right to challenge Copeland for you,” Jasper growled.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tessa sneered.

  “I formally requested a challenge from your Alpha, but he hasn’t responded. I assume he’s been putting me off so that he can keep the new Ascendant in his pack. Mate you to Copeland, or even himself. It’s against our laws to ignore a formal challenge,” Jasper said.

  “But it’s not against your laws to abduct someone?” Tessa hissed.

  “Not if they’re unmated, it’s not. More walking, less talking,” he commanded.

  They trudged along the wooded path in silence for what seemed like ages. The path narrowed as they went, brush pushing in on both sides until the path vanished. Tessa picked her way along the line of trampled grass. She scrambled for a way out that didn’t involve her trying to outrun McDonough. Somehow, she didn’t think that she’d get very far. He might just go ahead and kill her before she had a chance to get away. She couldn’t lie and tell him that she was mated, either. He’d know by her scent.

  The trees and grass thinned out, opening into a large clearing. Inside was a small clapboard house, similar to Jace’s. Tessa stopped at looked back at Jasper, unsure how to proceed.

  “Inside,” he demanded.

  Swallowing, Tessa stepped up onto the porch and opened the door. She shuffled inside, moving forward to keep her distance from Jasper, who followed right behind.

  The cabin wasn’t much more than a bed, a couple of chairs, and a fireplace. It had a small wood burning stove, but no table. It seemed as though it had
lain dormant for ages, though there were signs here and there that someone had visited on occasion. The place certainly didn’t look lived in.

  “Sit,” Jasper ordered.

  Tessa shot him an angry glare as she brushed off the seat of one of the aging wicker chairs, and then sat down. Jasper drew his own chair up close to hers, and Tessa shrank back.

  Jasper hesitated, and then sighed. He pulled his chair back a little before sitting down. Tessa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Still, she wrapped her arms around herself and dropped her gaze to the floor. She shivered, and was surprised again when Jasper got up and grabbed a musty blanket off the bed. He tossed it to her before sitting down again.

  “Why are you trying to be nice to me?” she asked as she pulled the blanket over her body.

  “I’m going to be your mate,” he said, as if amazed that she didn’t already know.

  “In what universe does courtship involve abduction and rape?” she snapped, aghast at his assumptions.

  “No one’s raping anyone unless it’s you to me, and in that case you can’t rape the willing.”

  Jasper sat back, folding his arms with a cocky grin.

  “You’re crazy. You pointed a gun at me and made me come to some creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere. What exactly am I supposed to think is going to happen?”

  “Not that. I brought you here as bait.”

  “Bait? For what?”

  “I intend to challenge Copeland again. That bastard won’t get you without a fair fight,” Jasper said.

  “A fair fight? How is he even supposed to know where we are?”

  “I figure he’ll know to come to where we used to live together. It’s all very logical,” Jasper explained, sounding exasperated.

  Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but a distant howl filled the air. It was mournful, and somehow familiar. The hairs on her neck and arms raised in warning.

  “See? That’s him figuring out you’ve gone. It won’t be long now.”

  “You said you lived here together. Are you… brothers?” Tessa asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

  Jasper laughed, seeming genuinely amused.

  “He hasn’t told you anything, has he? No, we’re not brothers. But we were from the same pack before it was destroyed. Initially I was brought here. I lived with Jace and Maddie and a foster family, but it didn’t work out,” Jasper said.

  “What do you mean, didn’t work out?” Tessa asked.

  “The Mobile pack felt slighted because none of the survivors were placed there. They made a fuss, and the only way to placate them was to place a kid with them. Jace and Maddie couldn’t be separated, and women don’t fare well in the Mobile pack, so…” Jasper spread his hands in explanation.

  “So they sent you away,” Tessa said, frowning.

  “I volunteered,” he corrected.

  “And then raised you to be… like them,” she said.

  Jasper’s head snapped up.

  “I don’t know what Copeland’s been telling you, but it’s not what you think,” Jasper said.

  “He told me that you have a history of abducting and abusing women. That was all I needed to hear,” Tessa said, huddling under the blanket.

  “His information is inaccurate. My foster father was the Alpha of our pack, and he believed in the old ways. Shifter females were once so rare that they were shared openly amongst the packs, and the offspring raised communally. My father just took that to an extreme,” Jasper said.

  “Like kidnapping?” Tessa offered.

  “He didn’t really see it like that. He felt that going out and finding Ascendant females was the only way to keep his pack going. As he got older, he started to lose his grounding, mentally. That’s when it started to get bad.”

  “You’re speaking in the past tense. Is he…” Tessa trailed off.

  “Dead, yes. He finally lost control and nearly killed one of the females. I had to intervene,” Jasper said. His body went stiff as he spoke.

  “I didn’t mean—” Tessa started, then stopped. Why was she feeling guilty?

  Jasper stood up, heading for the door.

  “I’m going out to wait for Copeland. Don’t bother trying to run,” he said over his shoulder. The door slammed behind him, leaving Tessa alone once again.

  Biting her lip, Tessa traced his footsteps to the door. Hesitating, she tried to decide whether to wait or to run. If she waited…

  Shaking her head, Tessa sighed. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t in her to wait for anyone, much less some incredibly misguided stranger to come back and… it didn’t bear thinking about.

  Suddenly her wolf stirred, giving Tessa an idea. Kat had said Ascendants could shift when they were comfortable with their wolf… maybe it was time to find out what her wolf could do. She could at least run faster. Also she thought Kat had mentioned something about Shifters mates being able to call out to one another. If she and Jace were close enough to being mated, perhaps she could reach out to him.

  Slipping out the cabin door, Tessa couldn’t suppress a grin despite the circumstances. It was time for a Shifter test drive.

  “I guess it can’t hurt to try,” Tessa said aloud, as if that would make her first Shift easier.

  Closing her eyes, she turned her thoughts inward to seek her wolf. The wolf was there in a heartbeat, wrapping herself around Tessa, comforting her. Tessa could almost feel warm fur against her skin, feel herself stretching to bury herself in the wolf’s welcome presence.

  Tessa showed her wolf what she felt, showed her that she needed to find Jace. The wolf understood her need, and gave a short howl. Then she was quiet for a beat before releasing another howl, longer this time. This time Tessa could hear the faintest response, far off in the distance. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on listening as her wolf howled again.

  Another response, and chills ran down Tessa’s spine. It was Jace, and he sounded distressed. She could feel him in the distance, like a lighthouse beacon. He wanted her to stay put until he found her. She should hide until he was closer.

  Tessa’s wolf whined. She wanted something from Tessa, sending Tessa an image of Tessa hugging the wolf tightly. As Tessa watched, she and the wolf stretched out together and melded together.

  Tessa imagined the same scene. In it, she flung her arms around the wolf as she had in the image. Then she was caught up in a languid stretch, feeling as if she’d woken from the most pleasant nap. It was incredible.

  Opening her eyes, Tessa wobbled as she found herself on all fours on the damp forest floor. She tried walking, but only managed to land her butt on the ground with a thump.

  Confused, she looked down. Sleek tawny fur was the first thing she saw. She was looking at her wolf, somehow.

  No. She was the wolf. Tessa stood up, watching her own hands… paws, whatever, to test her theory. Sure enough, she was inside the wolf and the wolf was in there, too. The wolf was telling her to get a move on. She just had to figure out how to walk with four feet instead of two.

  After a few attempts, Tessa was up and moving with ease. She took off at an easy lope, moving at incredible speed with no real effort.

  Concentrating, she honed in on the growing beacon of Jace’s wolf. She slowed, the sheer sensation of running with her wolf almost intoxicating. She couldn’t believe she’d ever thought that this was unnatural; it was the opposite. It was freedom. Looking around, she spotted nice bit of brush to hide in.

  Tessa dropped to her belly and crawled into the concealment, laying her head on her paws to wait for Jace.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Your mate seems to have left you,” Maddie said, her disapproval evident. Jace had just had a long talk with his sister, during which Jace had to admit that his interest in Tessa ran deeper than he had ever intended. The discussion hadn’t gone very well, to say the least.

  Now they’d returned to Jace’s house in search of Tessa; Jace hoped that bringing Tessa and Maddie together would open up a clearer channel of communication, perhaps
allay Maddie’s fears.

  “She never seems to stay where I tell her to stay,” he grumbled, checking the bedroom and bathroom.

  “Funny thing, apparently women don’t like to be ordered around. Have you truly learned nothing from having a sister?” Maddie sassed back.

  “It’s just… I need to know that she’s safe,” Jace replied, rubbing his hand over his heart.

  “And for you to feel she’s safe, she needs to stay locked up in your house every minute of the day. Makes perfect sense,” Maddie mocked. Jace sighed, trying to explain.

  “I almost killed her, Madd. I feel so responsible for her, and I worry about her. It’s like… when she’s standing next to me, I feel fine. Great, even. But if she’s out of my line of sight, I can’t think about anything else. How am I supposed to do my job and live my life if she won’t stay where I tell her to stay?”

  “Jesus, you are such a dude. Your personal anxieties aren’t her problem, Jay. You’re just going to have to learn to work around it.”

  “I’d rather just skip the whole—”

  Jace trailed off, his brow creasing as he ran a hand over his face. He felt wrong, almost ill. His wolf had been making all kinds of racket for the last few minutes, but Jace was blocking out his other half. The wolf was probably just going nuts over Tessa’s scent, which seemed to have soaked into every inch of Jace’s house.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Maddie asked, crossing her arms as she eyed her brother. “You look like you’re about to puke.”

  Jace thought he might if his wolf didn’t tone it down. With a sigh, Jace let down his barriers so that the wolf could have his say. The instant he did, every hair on his body stood on end, his heart pumping like crazy.

  Jace could feel Tessa, but not… not only Tessa. Tessa’s wolf was sending out a distress call, flooded with panic and fear. Jace took a deep breath, willing Tessa’s wolf to show him what was wrong. He got a flash of Tessa’s scared face, then one of Jasper leaning close. He got a flash of the cabin where he and Maddie had once lived with Jasper, a place he’d spent years trying to forget. Then Tessa was gone, the connection severed.