At that very moment, he made a promise to himself to change his ways. As corny as it sounded, Kelan made him want to be a better man—a man Kelan would be proud to call his mate.
Jake and Kelan left Cody’s apartment around midnight.
Neither Cody nor Stefan could cook worth a damn, so Cody had ordered take out and they’d shared a few bottles of wine. Well, Jake, Cody, and Stefan had drunk the wine.
Kelan couldn’t stand wine himself and had insisted on beer.
He couldn’t believe how much he’d enjoyed the evening, and both his brother and Stefan had seemed to like Jake. Cody and Jake had got along especially well together. Kelan had been jealous at first, but he’d done his best to rein in his feelings. He knew Cody was blissfully happy with Stefan and wouldn’t even dream of looking at another man. If he wanted to build a life and a future with Jake, then he had to learn to trust him, too.
Jake had started to relax more as the evening wore on, and by the time they were ready to leave, he was happier than Kelan had ever seen him.
Kelan had felt his chest fill with pride.
His mate really was something else, and Kelan could already envision them living together on the ranch with his brothers and their mates. Jake would fit in perfectly with his life back home in Texas.
When they arrived back at Jake’s place, Kelan’s light and happy mood darkened in an instant. The door to Jake’s apartment was ajar, and Kelan could smell an unfamiliar scent in the hallway outside.
Someone had been inside his mate’s apartment.
No, not just someone, a shifter had been inside.
Chapter Twenty
“Huh, I thought I’d locked that,” Jake said, pushing the door wider.
“Get behind me, Jake,” Kelan ordered.
“What?”
“Someone’s been inside. Does anyone have a key?”
“No, no one. How can you tell?”
“I can smell them.”
“But how could they get in without a key?”
“I don’t know. Wait here.”
Kelan pushed in front of Jake and shouldered his way into the room.
“I can only make out the scent of one person—a man—someone I don’t recognize. The apartment’s empty and nothing appears to have been disturbed. Okay, it’s safe for you to come inside now.”
Jake strode into the room, took a look around, and sighed.
“Does it look like he took anything?” Kelan asked when Jake had joined him in the living room.
“Not that I can tell.” Jake peered around the room. “How do you know it’s a he?”
“Men and women have different scents. It’s definitely a man, and I don’t think he’s human.”
“What do you mean, not human? Are you saying another wolf has been in here?”
That would be impossible.
Kelan was the only wolf Jake knew.
Except, of course, for Matt, but he hadn’t seen him in over ten years.
“Not a wolf, no, but definitely another shifter.”
Jake stared at Kelan, uncomprehending.
“I don’t understand. Are you saying there are different types of shifters, other than wolves?”
“Well, sure. Mainly cats, but I’ve heard of a few bird shifters, too.”
Jake wasn’t sure he was able to process that information. Cat and bird shifters? He’d had a difficult enough time accepting that werewolves existed.
“Do you know of any?”
“Not personally. Shifters tend to stick to their own species and most cats are solitary, except, of course, for lions and such, who live in a pride.”
“Lion shifters?” Jake eyed Kelan dubiously.
Kelan chuckled.
“Yeah, but I think lion shifters are rare. Leopards and jaguars are the most common species.”
“Huh. Who would have thought? What do you think he was doing here? Do you think he was disturbed before he could take anything?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it. Especially after the letter you got this morning.”
“You don’t think they’re connected, do you?”
“Could be. Either way, I don’t want you to be alone here until we get to the bottom of this. It could be dangerous.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “I really think you’re overreacting. Look, I probably just forgot to lock the door on the way out and someone came in to find something he could sell.
“Maybe one of my neighbors disturbed him before he could take anything.”
“Maybe,” Kelan conceded. “But I’m not taking any chances. You’re not staying here anymore on your own.”
“And where am I staying, may I ask? Shall I commute to work from my place in the Hamptons?”
Kelan’s eyes widened to comic proportions. “You have a place in the Hamptons?”
Jake sighed. “No, I was being sarcastic. This is it. I have nowhere else to go.”
“Look, don’t worry about it. I’ll think of something. It doesn’t matter right now, anyway, because I’m staying with you tonight.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Kelan paused. “Where did you think I was going?”
“Uh, home, back to Cody’s? I don’t know.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
“No, I just didn’t think we’d be spending every night together is all.”
Kelan frowned. “Jake. I intend to spend every night with you for the rest of my life. Do you have a problem with that?”
Jake’s instincts were screaming at him to cut and run.
Kelan was moving fast.
Very fast.
Jake didn’t know how to deal with that. He must have looked like a deer caught in headlights because Kelan walked up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders, his expression soft.
“Will you quit worrying? Stop waiting for something to go wrong between us. It isn’t going to. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
Jake nodded. “Sorry, I guess old habits die hard.”
“Don’t worry,” Kelan said. “I’ll be sure to tell you every time you act like an idiot.”
Jake threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”
When he woke up the next morning, Jake felt incredibly happy, his doubts and reservations from the previous evening had all but disappeared. Kelan was sleeping soundly at his side and Jake had to pinch himself to prove he wasn’t asleep himself.
Although he’d convinced himself he was happy in the years he’d spent alone, he had to admit to himself now how incredible it felt to have someone to wake up to in the mornings, especially someone as amazing as Kelan Morgan.
He hadn’t realized that his life had been lacking, but he was seeing everything with more clarity now. And he liked the change very much.
Jake imagined the two of them spending a lazy Sunday morning together. They could eat breakfast in bed, read the papers, and snuggle up. They could do all the things other normal, happy couples did together on their weekends off.
When he went out to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, he discovered another note pushed under his apartment door.
He should have known better than to hope for something so mundane.
Life always had a way of making you come crashing back down to earth.
His stomach tightened when he opened the note and began to read.
Nice apartment you have, Jake, even if you don’t deserve it.
Scum like you don’t deserve anything good.
I’m going to see to it you get what’s coming to you for what you’ve done to me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Well, shit.
That at least proved Kelan had been right.
Whoever had left the first note was the same person that had been in Jake’s apartment last night. It was obvious now this wasn’t some silly prank like he’d first thought. The person who was leaving these notes had some sort of grudge against him and now they’d taken it one step
further.
They’d actually broken into his apartment.
Jake shivered as he looked around the living room. He hated the fact that someone had been in his home, his sanctuary. What had they been doing in here? Had they been through his personal belongings? What had they found out about him? Had they taken anything? Would they be back?
Jake folded the note and stuffed it into the pocket of his robe. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea to tell Kelan. The man was already insanely overprotective. If he read this note, Jake doubted Kelan would leave his side for a single second. Although, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.
“What do you have there?” Kelan asked, walking in and nodding to Jake’s pocket.
Crap.
“Uh, nothing.” Jake was careful not to look Kelan in the eyes.
“You know I can tell when you’re lying, don’t you?” Kelan said. “Your scent changes.”
Jake sighed.
So much for keeping the note to himself.
He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Kelan.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
Kelan read the note. He growled, his eyes instantly shifting to their wolf form.
“Does this guy have any idea who he’s fucking with?” he raged.
“I think we should call the police. There’s obviously something wrong with this man. He could be dangerous. We don’t know what he’s going to do next.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. Trust me, this creep won’t get the chance to get anywhere near you any time soon. I’ll make sure of that.”
“I don’t understand who would do something like this. And how did he get in here?”
“Are you sure no one has a spare key?”
“No. I haven’t given a copy to anyone. Although I do keep one here.” Jake crossed the living room to a hook that hung next to his bookcase. “Yep, it’s still here.”
“Is there any way someone could have taken the key and copied it?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t left any men alone in here for any length of time.”
Kelan folded his arms. “Just how many men have been in here? No, wait, don’t answer that. I don’t think I want to know.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “There haven’t been that many men in here. Well, maybe there have, but I hardly left them alone in here. We usually go straight to the bed—”
“That’s enough information, Jake,” Kelan interrupted, looking at his mate sternly. “Jealous alpha wolf here, remember?”
Jake grinned. “Sorry. I wouldn’t like it if I had to hear about the men you’d been with, either. For what it’s worth, you’re the first person to fuck me in over ten years.”
Kelan crossed the room and took Jake’s mouth with a fierce possessiveness.
“And the last,” he said against Jake’s lips.
Jake groaned into the kiss, grinding his now very interested cock against Kelan’s equally impressive erection.
“And the last,” he agreed.
After another bout of hot sex, Jake called a locksmith to change the locks on his apartment door. They still weren’t sure that someone had got in with a key, but Kelan didn’t want Jake to take any chances. The locksmith put on an extra lock and gave Jake the number for a firm that could come out and talk about the different types of security options available.
It was gone five by the time the man left.
“At least now he won’t be able to get back in here,” Kelan said, wrapping his arms around Jake’s waist. “If he had a key, that is.”
“Yeah. I just wish I knew what he was doing here in the first place. What does he want from me?”
“I don’t know but I intend to find out.”
“What are your plans for this afternoon?” Jake asked.
“I told Cody I’d help him with the rest of the packing. You wanna come?”
“Thanks, but I need to go to the gym. I’ve put it off all weekend. I need to get a session in before work tomorrow.”
“Fair enough. Shall I meet you here later?”
“Okay, I’ll only be a couple of hours.”
“Cool. Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Watch your back. Until we figure out who broke in here and sent those notes, I don’t like the idea of you going anywhere alone. I know that’s not practical,” Kelan added when Jake opened his mouth to object.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”
Jake nodded his agreement.
“I’ll be careful.”
After Kelan left, Jake settled himself on the sofa and dialed Tony’s cell phone. He had to apologize to his friend for the way he’d treated him. Not just on Thursday night, but on a lot of other nights they’d been together in the past ten years, too. The more he came to think about it, the more he was surprised that Tony had stuck around for as long as he had.
Tony didn’t pick up the call, so when Jake got his voicemail, he left a message telling him where he’d be.
Wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck, Jake quickened his pace as he took his usual route home from the gym. It was only October, but already the temperature had taken a nose-dive and he could feel the onset of winter in the crisp, evening air. As much as he loved New York, he hated its long, cold winters.
Texas was starting to look more and more attractive.
Absurd.
Jake could hardly believe he was contemplating a move to Texas, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea grew on him. Yes, he loved the fast pace of the city, but if he wanted things to work with Kelan, then he had to at least consider the possibility of moving to be near him.
It could be an exciting new chapter in his life.
As he rounded the corner at the end of the block, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. A shiver rolled over his body, and it had nothing to do with the cold. Jake got the horrible feeling that someone was following him, but when he turned around, the sidewalk behind him was empty. He rolled his eyes and kept on walking.
The letters he’d received and the break-in at his apartment must have had more of an impact on him than he’d first realized.
Just a couple more blocks and he’d be home. If he was really lucky, Kelan might be there waiting for him when he arrived. He could think of no better way to warm his bones than having Kelan’s sweat-soaked, muscular body writhing in ecstasy above him.
A car backfired, causing Jake to jump.
He put his hand over his heart and stopped walking, taking a moment to calm himself. He was about to set off again when he thought he heard footsteps walking behind him. He froze for a moment then turned and scanned the area, but the street was practically empty.
“Jesus, get a grip,” he mumbled, continuing on his journey home. He rolled his eyes. “Great. Now I’m talking to myself too.”
After another block or so, he heard the same heavy footsteps pounding the pavement behind him and his heartbeat accelerated.
Shit.
Jake knew if someone was following him it was only likely to be the person who had broken into his apartment, and that person clearly disliked him.
What if the man had a knife or a gun?
“Jake!”
Jake span around when he heard his name. He squinted in the darkness to make out the features of the man running towards him.
“Jake! Wait up!”
“Tony?”
“Hey, Jake.” Tony stopped at his side, grinning from ear to ear.
Jake narrowed his eyes. “Have you been following me?”
“Excuse me?” Tony frowned. “You know you really ought to get over yourself. You called me, remember?”
“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry. I just thought there was… Oh, forget about it.”
It had probably been his overactive imagination.
“Look, I called to apologize to you about the other night.”
“Huh?”
“Thursday night in Liberties. I…”
“Yeah. I know what you�
�re talking about. I just can’t believe you’re actually apologizing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use the word ‘sorry’ before, like ever.”
Jake hung his head. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that, too.”
Tony scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Never better. Do you wanna come back to mine for a drink?”
Tony hesitated then shook his head. “Sorry I can’t. I’ve got a date tonight.”
“Wow, good for you. With who?”
“Just someone I met at Liberties on Saturday night. We got on, so I decided to see him again. What happened with that guy from Thursday night? Did you take him home?”
“Yeah,” Jake said. “Actually, I spent all weekend with him.”
“You did? That’s not like you. So, you like him, then?”
“Yeah, I do. His name is Kelan. Kelan Morgan. He’s from Texas. Actually, I’ve even been considering moving there with him.”
Tony looked like he’d been hit over the head with a flat iron.
“You’re what? Are you insane? You’ve only known the guy for four days, Jake. Don’t you think that’s a little soon?”
Crap.
When was Jake going to learn to keep his big mouth shut?
“Well, yeah. I don’t mean right away, of course…but it’s a possibility, uh, for the future.”
“Oh, right. Look I can’t stop, or I’ll be late, but if you want to talk, we can meet up tomorrow night at Liberties?”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll meet you there at eight.”
“Cool. See you then.”
Jake waved goodbye to his friend then made his way towards his apartment. He wasn’t far away, but he couldn’t get there quickly enough. He felt vulnerable and exposed, and those weren’t emotions he was used to.
Jake had always been able to take care of himself.
Not that he got into fights often—he didn’t—but he knew how to handle himself if the situation arose. The scary thing was, Jake didn’t know what he was facing, and if this guy was a shifter like Kelan had said he was, he’d be strong and fast.
Jake had made a point of telling Kelan he could look after himself, and under normal circumstances, he could…but these weren’t normal circumstances. Jake had to concede that maybe he might need Kelan’s protection after all.
Kelan's Pursuit (2019 Reissue) Page 7
