by Tl Reeve
“You don’t do relationships,” Jasmine said.
“No, I don’t. I’m not saying I’m going to do anything, but if I can help I will. Besides, you and the girls need to have the space to relearn how to be a family. Can’t do that with all of us under foot.”
True. However, they’d spent ten years together. The girls would be devastated by the news. Zoe and Bell were attached at the hip to Jenna. “You’re going to have to tell the girls.”
“I will tonight.”
The door to the house opened, and there stood the sisters. Keeley and Danielle. Both of them wore wary expressions on their faces. Jasmine couldn’t blame them. She’d been a right bitch to both of them. Embarrassment crawled through her veins. Though she had rules, she wished she could go back and change how she acted. All she could do now was apologize profusely and chalk it up to lack of sleep and lack of sex. As the Alpha female, she’d understand.
Hopefully.
Jasmine stepped forward and waved. “Hey.”
Keeley lifted her chin a bit. “Hello.” Her cool tone surprised Jasmine.
Danielle placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Glad you could make it.”
“Yeah.” Jasmine climbed the stairs to the porch. “I need to apologize.”
“Why’s that?” Keeley cocked a brow. The firm set of the woman’s jaw and the way she stared up at Jasmine in such irritation made her wince.
“What she means i—”
“No, she means what she says,” Jasmine said. “It’s her right as the Alpha female to be pissed. I’m sorry for being a bitch to you. I didn’t let you get a word in edgewise, and that wasn’t fair to you or your sister. I am sorry.”
Keeley relaxed. The muscle in her jaw twitched before a small smile tugged at her lips. Her hazel eyes sparkled. “Wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Jasmine grit her teeth. The little witch was teasing her. “Nope.”
“Come on in.” Keeley ushered them into the house. “I have tea and beer. We’re not fancy around here.”
“Beer,” Jenna said, following them out to the back patio.
“Tea is fine,” Jasmine added.
“You’re sisters?” Danielle stared at both Jasmine and Jenna. “Yet, you’re nothing alike.”
“Well, not all of us can be wonder twins, like you and Keeley,” Jenna muttered.
“We’re not twins,” Keeley said while her head was in the refrigerator. “She’s older.”
“I would have never guessed,” Jasmine stated.
Keeley snorted. “Yeah, I got the bossy gene. She’s more apt to sing Kumbaya than rip a face off.”
Danielle sniffed. “I’ll have you know I threatened to skin Caden and hang his pelt on the wall.”
“Daaaaaaaamn.” Jenna drew out the word. “She’s the silent but deadly type. I like her.”
“You would. You sadistic bitch.” Jasmine laughed.
Jenna shrugged. “My sadistic ass kept you safe for ten years. I think I’ve earned the title.”
“So, it’s true what Kalkin told us?” Keeley handed Jenna an opened beer. “You two have protected each other for ten years?”
“Yeah,” Jasmine answered. “Heard you two haven’t had it easy either.”
Danielle cast her gaze on her feet. “Nope.”
“Come on,” Keeley said after grabbing a tray filled with snacks and drinks. “We’ll tell you everything outside.”
The shade of the umbrella over the table kept the oppressive dry heat at bay. Jasmine couldn’t remember the last time she sat outside in the sun without worry of someone spotting her. A foreign feeling washed over her at the idea of being free—of having the ability to walk through town without having to look over her shoulder or be on guard.
“Wow, so you and Danielle were on the run for all those years as well?” Jenna leaned forward. “Where were your parents? You’re human after all. Shouldn’t they have protected you?”
Danielle frowned. “It was better to be invisible.”
“Our mother didn’t know how to raise two daughters with abilities. We were aberrations. Freaks. She didn’t encourage us to be what we are.”
“What are you?” Jasmine cringed at her harsh tone. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Keeley said. “I’m a telepath with telekinetic and pyrokinetic abilities.”
“I’m an empath with healing abilities, and I am a psychometrist,” Danielle said.
Jasmine stared at Danielle. “Wait, so you’re both psychics or whatever?”
They both nodded.
“Well shit. So, this guy Simon, he’s been chasing after you, and you just finally got free of him?” It was like looking in a mirror as she sat there talking to the sisters.
“Being in Window Rock saved our lives,” Danielle said. “If it hadn’t been for Kalkin and Caden...”
“But, you and Caden were on the outs. How did you fix it or whatever?”
“Rapier,” Danielle answered. “And a swift kick in the ass both of us needed from everyone who mattered, including our sons and my step-daughter.”
“Wait,” Jasmine said, surprised by Danielle’s words. “You have a step-daughter?”
Danielle laughed. The melodic sound put Jasmine at ease. “I do. Unbeknownst to me, some things happened to Caden before Keeley and I showed up here. It shaped Caden’s life, harming him in ways he’s still trying to reconcile. However, out of all the bad, he had a daughter.”
Boy, did she feel like shit now. Not only had she treated the sisters like dirt, but she’d also misjudged them. They’d been through as much if not more than her and Jenna. “Fuck, I feel like such a bitch now.”
“Don’t,” Keeley said. “I got overexcited. We... Well, Danielle and I made fast friends with Rapier after he showed up in town with Mackenzie. When we found out about you, we made it our mission to bring you home. Mates should never be separated. It took both of us time to realize that simple truth. I’m just glad you’re here now. Both of you.”
“Thank you for helping Utah,” Jenna stated. “We met Mark and he’s... Amazing.”
Danielle perked up. “He is great. We met his brother when he came for an interview. Seems he’s been here the whole time, and no one knew it.”
Jasmine sat back in her seat. “This is a lot to take in. I mean, I came here thinking we’d end up hating each other.”
Keeley snorted. “We’re more alike than different. It will be a pleasure being Co-Alpha female with you.”
Jasmine cocked her head to the side. “Come again?”
Keeley and her sister exchanged a look. “You didn’t know?”
She shook her head. She was sure if Rapier had told her about sharing the duties, she’d have remembered it. Then again, they hadn’t done much talking since they’d spent more time fucking than they had carrying on a normal conversation. Rapier had said there was so much to tell her. This had to be part of it. “No, I didn’t.”
“Shit,” Keeley muttered. “I’m sorry. I thought Rapier and you talked about it and that’s why you came, besides... You know.”
“They were too busy fucking like rabbits to talk.” Jenna snickered.
Jasmine flipped her off. “Asshole. You should just give in and jump on that scraggly lion waiting for your ass to return.”
“Fuck you and the lion whose dick you rode in on. I will never acquiesce to that tom cat. He’ll have to wait until I’m old and grey.”
“Well, at least you both fit in here.” Danielle chuckled. “I think we’re going to be great friends.”
Keeley frowned. “I always do this shit. I get excited, and then I fuck something up.”
“It’s okay. I guess that means Kalkin and Rapier are Co-Alphas as well?” Jasmine cut her gaze to Jenna. “Which would also mean Jenna and Danielle will be the Betas of the pack.”
“Something like that,” Danielle said. “Caden and I are still getting our footing, but we’re stronger now than before.”
“So I’ve heard, Cookie.”
&nbs
p; Danielle blushed. “About that...”
Jasmine sighed. Swallowing her pride and insults would take some work; nevertheless, if she wanted all of this to work, she’d have to. “No. I get it. While I’m not happy my mate thought it would be important to make himself available to use, I understand it.”
“I’d never. In fact, I hated it. I felt bad because I thought I’d led him on. It’s another reason Keeley and I knew we needed to find you and bring you home.” Danielle placed her hand on Jasmine’s, and she jerked. “Promise I won’t do anything. I wanted to also say sorry for earlier. I saw your daughters, and I didn’t want to argue in front of them. I didn’t want their first impressions of us or this pack/pride to be negative.”
Again, she took the steam right out of Jasmine. How the fuck were they able to do that? How could she have been stewing all day after taking the girls to check out the town, and lose it all when these two sisters said sorry? “I appreciate it, but what I said remains true.”
“I know. My rules...our rules are never to do anything without anyone knowing.”
“Well...” Keeley said, looking sheepish. “We did make a connection with Utah. It was easier than fumbling our way through it while he stayed with us.”
“Now that I can understand,” Jenna said. “He’s withdrawing. I could see it when we first arrived. He’s trying to hide from everyone.”
“He’s such a sweet boy, and he loves kids,” Danielle said. “He’s teaching Aiden and Nicolas sign language.”
Jasmine bit back the awe sitting on her tongue. Utah had been through the ringer. Osirus did all he could for a boy who didn’t belong to him, but claimed him after his mother killed his twin. “He was so young when everything happened with us. Not to mention what happened with his mother.”
“Osirus has done his level best to give that boy a good life. He tried everything under the sun to give Utah a great quality of life,” Jenna added.
“Well, we’re hoping Mark makes the biggest impact where Utah is concerned.”
“We’re applying for a companion for Utah. As much as having a K-9 Companion is weird for me to even comprehend, seeing Mark with Molly solidified the point. They’re best friends, but more than that, she is Mark’s ears. If Utah can obtain a little bit of that, then it’s more than worth it.”
“Look at us being civilized,” Jasmine said.
Keeley laughed. “Trust me, we’re not always civilized, especially during the full moon.”
“Speaking of which,” Jasmine said, running her hand down her jean-clad thigh. “How do you handle things around here?”
“It used to be, Kalkin sent the kids—teens to be exact—to the community building and the older pack members would watch them to make sure they didn’t cause problems or get into predicaments they couldn’t get out of,” Keeley answered. “Now, we keep them in the orphanage. It’s also only the teens who haven’t been adopted. Utah spent time there last month.”
Jasmine glanced at her cousin and frowned. “Utah went there?”
“Along with Nico. Bodhi will join them soon as well, so will Tate and Henry,” Keeley said.
“Wait. So, you put them all in the orphanage together? Boys and girls?” Jenna placed her bottle of beer on the table.
“No, not even close,” Danielle said. “There is a side for the boys and a side for the girls. Neither will see each other.”
“You sure about that?” Jasmine cocked her brow.
“Well, after the disappearance of Emmitt along with a few other incidences, like a boy who got his girlfriend pregnant, we have made it so male and female members are there to watch over them. So far in the last year and a half we have had no issues.”
“We want the kids to have better lives,” Danielle added. “They were statistics when they were born. So, they were already at a disadvantage. If we can break a horrible cycle now, well then, we’ve done our job.”
“Makes sense,” Jasmine said.
“All we’re expected to do is help admit the teens, then check on them periodically during the night,” Keeley said. “Which isn’t easy, because, you know.”
Oh, she did. “Incredible.” She laughed. “What does your mate say about it?”
Keeley shrugged. “He doesn’t like it, but I remind him all the time it’s three days out of the month an—”
“Seven,” Jasmine said. “Felines are different. We’re not dependent on the moon. It follows our cycles.”
“Good to know,” Danielle stated. “There are things we’re still learning.”
“Never seen shifters before now?” Jasmine cocked a brow.
“No, we knew you existed, but every place we went to seek shelter wouldn’t let us in. When we came here, we had no idea this was pack lands let alone our neighbor was the Alpha of said pack.”
“It’s not like we were in the right frame of mind to pay attention.” Keeley placed her hand on Danielle’s. “We had several reasons to not trust anyone.”
“Say no more.” Jasmine held up her hand. “If you have any questions, we’ll answer them.”
“Thank you.” Danielle smiled at her.
“So, about these Co-Alpha duties...”
Chapter Five
Could today get any worse?
Rapier rolled his neck. The cracking and popping of his joints eased the strain. Ever since he returned to the job site after speaking to Kalkin, everything had gone to shit. It had been one thing after a fuckin’ ‘nother since he got on site.
First, the delivery of plywood they were expecting today had been delayed. Apparently, the lumber yard they normally used didn’t have enough stock and instead of sending what they had, they’d canceled the entire shipment—without letting anyone know.
He freakin’ hated delays.
Now he was on the phone, fighting with a manager over the concrete delivery at another site. The damn truck had been three hours late. When it finally arrived, the concrete failed the slump test and they refused the delivery. John, the manager of the plant, didn’t feel Rapier’s assessment of the load was correct and was attempting to argue his point, claiming they’re still responsible to pay and would incur additional fees if they wanted another load rush delivered for tomorrow at the same time.
Bullfuckingshit. Last time Rapier looked it wasn’t his fault the damn truck broke down and Dryer Construction wasn’t going to pay for someone else’s fuck up.
Not now. Not ever. There were plenty of other companies in the area willing to get his business.
Rapier looked up from the paperwork as Wy let out a shrill whistle and Kalkin’s cruiser came to a stop in front of the site. The muscles in his shoulders and neck tightened when he saw the other man step from his vehicle. Rapier bit back the growl of annoyance. Granted he had willingly sought Kalkin out that morning but seeing Kalkin twice in one day couldn’t be good for anyone’s health. It didn’t help that in the past, any time the Alpha of Raferty Pack showed his smug face at his job site, it usually meant Rapier ended up mad as hell.
“Listen, John...” He reiterated his stance while effectively cutting off the other man’s speech about specs and protocol. He didn’t bother to tamp down his ire. Instead, he allowed that asshole prick of a lion to come through in his tone. His voice was rough, growly with irritation, and the sound had Saber looking at him in shock. His shirt, thanks to the rush of adrenaline running through his blood, was tighter across his back and shoulders, and Rapier could feel the veins in his head pulsing. “I’m not paying for material or the delivery. If I’d poured that shit mix, the county inspector would have failed it, requiring me to fix it. That’s not how we roll at Dryer Construction. So, either fuckin’ send a replacement delivery tomorrow, or I’ll find someone who will.” With that, Rapier pulled a Kalkin Raferty and disconnected the call without a word of goodbye.
“That was rude, don’t you think?” Kalkin said, a sardonic smirk on his lips.
Instead of giving an immediate reply, Rapier took a deep breath in and held it, hoping
like hell the Alpha lion, who lurked dangerously close under his skin at all times, calmed the fuck down before he dealt with the next headache. He blew the breath out, feeling marginally better. At least he didn’t want to rip anyone’s throat out right now. It was a start.
“Figured I’d take lessons from you,” he snarled to the other man.
Kalkin didn’t even blink. “Are you aware your eyes are freaky as fuck right now?”
Rapier shrugged. It just meant his lion continued to lurk. “Whatever reason you’re here for, it’s not to discuss my eyes. Why are you here?”
“News on Quincy,” Kalkin said.
“Motherfucker,” he hissed. “If you tell me that piece of shit is out on bail or what the fuck ever it’s called. I’m telling you right now, I’m going to go find that cocksucker and remove his head from his body.”
“Might not be a good idea, bro, to make a threat like that in front of the law,” Saber pipped up. Rapier turned to his brother and growled. Saber held up his hands in defeat, a grin twisting his lips. “Just sayin’.”
“Say it the fuck away from me then,” he snarled, waiving his hand where the others stood.
“I’m going to go stand over there.” Saber pointed to where the rest of the Dryer Pride stood. Assholes were trying to look busy, but were anything but. They just wanted to find out about Raymond fuckin’ Quincy.
“Good idea,” he snapped before turning his attention back to Kalkin.
Kalkin smirked. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you threaten to murder a man awaiting trial.”
Rapier stood tall, arms crossed over his chest in defiance. “To be honest, I could give a fuck. Arrest me. Just do me a favor and make sure you throw me into the same cell as Raymond.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Kalkin responded, mimicking Rapier’s stance.
“What’s next, a pissing contest?” Rapier asked, glaring at his brothers and willing them to get back to work.
“You really want to go there, or do you want to talk about Quincy?”
“Honestly?” Rapier retorted. “I’d rather get my teeth pulled than discuss that asshole.”