“You’re welcome. But first…um, we have to talk.” He frowned and sat on the edge of the couch.
I sat down next to him, slowly and cautiously. “Is this about that guy that came in here? Because I know what he is…he’s like you, isn’t he?”
He nodded. “Yes, but…”
“Is this about me trying to attack him?” I continued when he looked down at my hands rested in my lap.
Jayce chuckled. “No, although, he did tell me that you pulled a butcher knife on him. Good job, by the way.”
I laughed. “I thought maybe those bad men had found me again. I didn’t know who he was.”
“You’ll be okay, Violet. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. And Treyton is my cousin.”
“Oh.”
I smiled. “I thought you two seemed close. Kind of like brothers.”
“We grew up together like brothers. My grandpa raised us. Remember when I told you that my dad was a human? Well, he was also a rolling stone with a thing for feisty female shifters.”
“So, your mom was feisty?” I asked.
He grinned. “According to the legends. But my dad was something else. He wasn’t very popular with the men in the pack, especially the ones with young daughters of breeding age, for obvious reasons. My mother had one sister and a brother. The other sister married a human and conceived Treyton.”
“I’m glad I understand that now. You said you wanted to talk to me about something. What is it?” I frowned when he paused. “Look, if it’s about identifying those men’s faces again, I don’t think I’m up for it. I just want to forget about that. I’m a little embarrassed.”
He caught my arm and squeezed gently and reassuringly. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed. That wasn’t your fault. They had no right to chase you down like that.”
“Well, I think I deserve it for running off without telling my family. I ran for selfish reasons and I was careless about it.” I shrugged.
“Why’d you really run from your fiancé…er, ex-fiance?”
I swallowed. “I’m not in love with him. He’s this big-time lawyer, and where I come from, my family name is well known.”
“You’re a rich city girl then.”
I bit my lip, a blush flooding up my face. “Yes, pretty much. Well, I’m not. My family is. I’m going to be rich one day, but I want it to be because I worked for it.”
“I assume you’re talking about money.”
“Huh?”
“There’s more than one way to be rich, Violet. It’s not always about how much cash one has in the bank.”
“Oh. Well, I knew that,” I teased.
He chuckled. “Sure you did. I know a thing or two about you city girls.”
I swatted his chest. “Oh, do tell, country boy.”
“I’ll tell you about it all one day, but first…” He picked up my wrist again and turned it over, rubbing the delicate skin with his thumb.
I slid my wrist from his grip and turned it over, hiding the recent bruise. “It was an accident, I’m sure,” I mumbled.
“What do you mean?”
“When I uh…attacked your cousin with the knife, he caught my wrist to keep me from stabbing him.”
“That’s not a bruise, Violet. And Treyton would never ever hurt a woman. You could have stabbed him multiple times and he wouldn’t have done anything to hurt you.” Jayce shook his head. “That’s not how we were raised. That’s not us.”
“Oh?”
“Do you have any other birthmarks?” he asked, his gaze shifted back to my wrist.
I extended my arm and pointed to the mark—the sun. “You mean this? You think this is a birthmark? It’s not. I wasn’t born with a birthmark. Not that I know of. I don’t even have tattoos. I mean, I’m not trying to say I’m perfect and flawless or anything, but if I had marks on my body, I would know by now. This is a bruise. This just happened.”
I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince him. It didn’t look like he was buying it.
“That’s more than a birthmark, Violet. It’s a mate mark.”
“A mate mark?”
“Yes.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“It means that only one other person in the world has the same exact mark.”
“How would I know if someone has the same mate mark as me?”
“You wouldn’t know unless you met them somehow. By chance. By fate. Maybe even by accident. You wouldn’t know unless the marks were clearly noticeable.”
“I don’t believe in fate,” I replied, nervously. “Do you mean mate mark, as in, an actual mate, as in a man and a woman, together?”
He nodded, pressing his lips together to hold back a grin. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Oh boy,” I breathed. “I mean, my body has been feeling kind of weird since I woke up.”
“How so?”
I had no intentions of telling Jayce that I was so utterly attracted to him that my body responded in ways that surprised me. I could even look at him straight and not think about his physique of perfection.
I shook my head. “Just…I’ve been feeling weird. And about this mate symbol, I’ve never seen anyone with a birthmark on their skin that looks like a sun with rays.”
He grinned. “Are you sure?”
Jayce was so easy to talk to, so I started babbling.
“Well, if you’ve seen someone who could be my mate walking around your town, do let me know because I haven’t had much luck in the mating department. I mean my luck has been terrible. The men back home aren’t like you. I mean, they’re not…desirable to me. It’s gotten to the point where I haven’t had sex in ages. I even told my ex I wanted to wait and not have sex in the months leading up to the wedding, but the truth was that I wasn’t even majorly attracted to him like that. He was my childhood friend, for Godsakes. How could I have agreed to date him and then let it go on for so long that he actually thought it was a good idea to propose to me?” I sighed heavily. “Sitting here with you, like this…I can honestly say that I haven’t felt this alive ever. I feel free to do whatever without watchful eyes staring at me and judging me. Maybe it’s because you’re just so fucking sexy and hot and the way you look at me is…I don’t know…dark and feral. And oh my God, I’m babbling again.” I rolled my eyes and looked down at the carpet fibers. Jayce was utterly quiet while I talked myself into a corner. “I guess I’m just trying to say that I’d really just like to be with a man and not feel so obligated to marry him because my parents think it’s the proper thing to do for a lady of my upbringing. I just want to…to—”
“You talk too much,” he growled low, and then with an intensity that shocked me, he slipped his fingers against the back of my neck and claimed my lips possessively.
I parted my lips, letting his tongue slip inside. He tasted exquisite—like fresh rain from the sky. I had never been kissed this way before. His mouth was heaven and soon my body became pliant to his demands. His thumb stroked a spot at the nape of my neck that caused me to gasp and moan into his mouth.
He parted from my lips long enough to speak endearingly to me. “I want to claim you for myself.”
“Is that what wolves do…claim?”
“Yes,” he breathed against my neck, pressing small kisses along the column of my throat.
“God, your mouth feels so good against my skin,” I moaned.
“Can you imagine how my mouth would feel all over your body? I’d taste every single inch of you.”
“Please…yes…”
“I have to warn you, Violet. I’m not a one-night-stand type of guy.”
“Yes, okay. Don’t one-night-stand me.”
I heard his chuckle against my skin, but I was serious. I wanted this man so much.
“If I do this…if I take this sexy body, there’s no going back and there’s nothing either you or I can do about that. Fate brought us together, but once I take you, you’ll be mine.” He peppered a row of kiss
es from my mouth to my ear.
“Is your mark visible like mine?” I panted.
“Yes,” he breathed, tasting my skin as he kissed me softly and slowly.
“Are you going to show me?”
“Oh, yeah…I’m going to show you. When I’m done with you, you’ll be marked inside out and you’ll know that I claimed you. You’ll know that you’re mine.”
The loud shrill of a phone ringing on the table next to us made my heart leap. I jumped apart from him as reality flooded back to me. I pressed my fingers to my lips.
What was I doing?
“What’s wrong?” Jayce asked.
The phone continued ringing. “I…I’m sorry. I’m not usually like this. I don’t normally ask men for sex.”
“There’s a reason you’re in heat like this.”
“In heat?”
“Yeah. That’s not just an animal thing. When true mates meet, the urge to bond is strong,” he exclaimed. “I better get that. Not many people have my landline number. Might be my alpha,” Jayce said and then leaned over and picked up the phone. “Jayce speaking,” he answered.
Unlike a cell phone, the volume on the headset was deafening. And whoever was on the other end had a deep, commanding voice. I was inches from Jayce and I heard every single word.
“Jayce, I’ve got something. I think I know why they were chasing that out-of-towner. There’s a lot of history behind it, so I can’t say much over the phone. Is Draven on the way?
“He is. Should be here by morning.”
“Let’s meet at your spot in the morning.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
VIOLET
Early the next morning, I woke up to the sound of men’s voices. More than one of them. One of the voices belonged to Jayce. Following the life-alternating events from yesterday which were both horrifying and enlightening, I realized that I was dazed, confused, and tired. After the phone call from an ex-sheriff who had information about the men who attacked me, I was unnervingly overwhelmed. Before the call even ended, I had quietly retreated to the guest bedroom and curled up on top of the covers. I must have fallen asleep while trying to process everything.
My memory of the kiss I shared with Jayce was still at the forefront of my mind. I’d never be able to forget how I felt in his arms or how his lips felt against mine. I was a hot mess, sex-deprived, and lusting over a wolf shifter disguised as a man.
I sighed.
Who was I fooling? Only myself.
Jayce was a man. A real one. Flesh and bone…and everything in between.
The clouds shifted and a ray of sunshine beamed through the curtains down on my face and I shielded my eyes with my forearms. My headache was back and the last thing that I wanted to do was raid Jayce’s medicine cabinet. He’d already been kind enough. Even though a group of shifters had attacked me on my way through Jayce’s town, I was the one who had gotten myself into this mess. It was time I got myself out of it.
I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I cringed a bit when my foot hit the floor. My leg muscles were super sore, probably from running like heck for my life. I rubbed at the back of my neck and groaned. Almost everything was sore.
I couldn’t hear the voices anymore, so I started to walk over to the window to spy. Before I could make it across the room, there was a light knock at the door.
“Violet? Are you awake?”
“Yes,” I replied, running my hand down the front of my shirt and checking my reflection in the tall mirror near the closet before going to answer the door.
“Eddie had some guys tow your car. It’s in the front lawn,” he said, behind the closed door.
Relieved at the mention of my car being found, I flung the bedroom door open.
“Really?” I breathed.
“Yeah, the fancy Mercedes right?”
I nodded. “Yes, that one.”
Jayce held up my purple overnight bag. “This was in your trunk. I thought you could use it right now. And this…” He pulled my cell phone from his back pocket. “…was wedged between the center console and seat.”
I blushed, realizing that I had bed hair and hadn’t brushed my teeth. I grabbed the bag and cell and dropped it in a chair. “Thanks.”
“Although, the car doors were unlocked, we didn’t find a key.”
I sighed. “Oh, God. I remember taking my keys inside the station when I went to pay for my gas and then…that’s when it happened. That’s when the men took me.”
“You must have dropped it nearby. I’ll call the attendant and have them check the area. Maybe someone turned something in.”
“I hope so. I can’t go anywhere without it. I left the spare at home. I saw you outside talking to some men. Did you learn anything else about the rogue wolves?”
Jayce leaned against the door. “There are theories. The Alpha is on his way. Eddie wants us to discuss it together.”
“Eddie?”
“The ex-sheriff I told you about. My Alpha should be here any minute now. Feel free to come out whenever you like. I made some breakfast.”
I smiled, wondering if he was always this thoughtful. “When I went to bed, you were still on the phone. Did you sleep last night?”
“Hardly, but don’t worry about me. I personally want to nail those bastards for what they did, but this is also my job. You couldn’t even begin to imagine the stuff that goes on out here. We have other enforcers in the pack to help out, but I’m the lead and every day there’s something different.”
“Right. Thanks for being so hospitable.” My gaze lingered away from his face to his body. He had on a fresh pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt that fit tightly across his chest. I bit my lip as my attention roamed lower, landing below his belt.
He reached out, touched my face, slipped his fingers under my chin, lifting it so that we saw each other eye to eye. “Is everything alright?”
I swallowed. “I’m fine. Do you have any more Advil?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
When Jayce disappeared down the hall, I searched through my bag hoping that my purse and cell phone were inside, but I didn’t see either. I wasn’t worried about Janet, but my parents had probably called me a dozen times since yesterday.
And Donovan…
I groaned. Especially him. He’d always been a stickler for check-ins. My sweet childhood friend had turned into the boyfriend from hell. He had to know where I was going and who I was with at all times. All I knew was that he had this idea of marriage really fucked up. I hadn’t even moved in with the guy yet. I could only imagine the nightmare my life would be if I had followed through with the wedding. I just couldn’t. I liked being his friend and all and giving him advice, but I just couldn’t marry him. I wouldn’t.
I glanced out of the window again and spotted a truck with a hitch rolling off Jayce’s property and then another pickup truck pulled up in the yard. A tall guy with thick broad shoulders stepped out. He shook hands with an older guy and gave Treyton a hard smack on the back. Jayce wasn’t outside, so I figured he was still looking for the painkillers.
So much had happened since I packed my things and took off. Everything was a blur, and I had tried so hard to forget the pain of being traced like an animal through the woods. It wasn’t working.
Jayce knocked at the door before pushing it open slightly. “Found the Advil. Keep it. You might need more later.”
“Thanks.” I took the bottle.
“I hear my alpha out front. I’m going to go check on something right quick and then I’ll be back inside. Breakfast is in the kitchen. Holler if you need me.”
“Sure. Hey, can you check with the guy who towed my car here to see if they might have found a purse? I know for a fact that I left my purse inside. I just realized that all of my money and credit cards were inside. I need my keys, some money, and I.D. at the least to get where I’m going.”
Jayce shook his head. “There wasn’t
a purse. I checked. The only thing left was the bag in the trunk. We called Jackson last night and he went out there to get your car as soon as we told him.”
My heart dropped in my chest as he delivered the news.
Jayce closed the distance between us, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting hug. The tension and aggravation left my body instantly.
“Hey, you’ll get through this. I promise,” he whispered against the top of my head as his fingers caressed the nape of my neck.
His fingers were like magic as he effectively settled my nerves.
I sighed in relief. “Okay.”
He stepped back to look at me. “In the meantime, call your bank and report your cards missing.”
I nodded. “Good thinking.”
“I’ll be right back.” Jayce took off down the hallway again.
When I looked out the window again, the men were huddled together, deep in conversation. I felt like an outcast within their shifter community. I wasn’t even supposed to know they were here. Maybe the rogues meant to end my life last night and none of this would have ever happened. And I never would have met Jayce. The truth was, I never would’ve had a fighting chance without him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
JAYCE
“Who is she?” my alpha Draven asked, directing his question at me, but Eddie pushed a plain manila folder into his hands.
“Violet Murphy. She’s a twenty-six-year-old paralegal from Green Bay. Parents are Paige Stewart, a housewife, and Ryan Murphy, a big-time land developer. Owns a country club out there. Very affluent family. Very wealthy,” Eddie said.
“High profile human female. Great.” Draven raked his hand through his hair and grumbled.
Treyton snorted, and then commented, “She smelled like she came from old money.” He looked over Draven’s shoulder at the papers. “Looks like she’s even engaged to be married.”
“Was,” I corrected.
They all turned around to look at me, frowning as if I was telling some lie or something. “Guys, she means us no harm,” I exclaimed, pushing off the truck I was leaning up against.
“It’s too soon, and you’re already head over heels,” Treyton blurted.
Jayce: Shifters of Timber Rock Page 6