by Juniper Hart
“I didn’t do anything!” Jordan insisted. “The pack is trying to use me as the scapegoat for the murder of one of our competitors, but I didn’t have anything to do with it!”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Jordan snarled. “It’s true. And you owe me, Wren, way more than you realize.”
She laughed mirthlessly. “How’s that now?”
Jordan’s mouth curled into a sneer.
“You entitled little bitch,” her brother hissed. “You really have no clue, do you? You think you just managed to run away from home at fourteen, and that was the end all and be all? You abandoned your family, our pack. You’re young, but I didn’t know you were stupid.”
Wren eyed him warily. He’s making things up because he’s desperate. Don’t listen to him. But she couldn’t close her ears off to what he was saying.
“How do you think they got me, Wren? You think I wanted to continue on their path, running drugs and dodging the Council?”
“Oh, stop it!” She’d heard enough of his protestations over the years. He was beginning to sound like their mother.
“They used you, Princess. They used you as bait. If I didn’t do what they asked, they threatened to drag you into it. I took over your role in the family so you could go and judge me as you lead this pathetic existence you call a life.”
The words shouldn’t have stung, but they did—to her core.
If that’s true, why didn’t he ever say anything before? It’s not true. He’s a liar, just like everyone else.
“I can’t help you,” she said flatly. “Sorry.” She turned away, but Jordan reached out and seized her arm ruthlessly, causing Wren to spin back around. “Get your hands off me!” she yelled, her face shifting again. She didn’t want to throw down with her brother, but she couldn’t let him think that she was any softer than him. Even if it was true.
“September 4th,” Jordan muttered. “It was a Friday night. Where were you?”
“I already told you I’m not helping you, Jordan! Get away from me and stop following me around!”
Again, Wren’s mind moved toward Landon Burke, and her heart leaped into her throat. If Jordan was in hiding and being sought by the authorities, the Council must have some knowledge about it. Was that the real reason Landon had been coming around so much?
“Do you really want me to die, Wren? I mean, whether or not you agree with my choices, are you willing to have me decapitated or demon-bit? I’m still your brother! I’m still the only one who tried to protect you when our parents were high off their faces! I’m still the one who played on the PlayStation with you!”
Wren’s head jerked up, and she met his eyes. “Was that real? Did we have a PlayStation?” she asked quietly. “I thought I’d made that up.”
“We had one,” Jordan replied with a sigh. “Until Dad sold it for a fix one day. It lasted three days.”
Misery soaked through Wren’s bones, and she hung her head, her pulse racing in her veins.
“Why can’t we break this cycle?” she mumbled, a lump in her throat. “You need to end this, Jordan. I’ll help you get out.”
“It’s too late for that now, Wren. I need you to help me with this alibi, and then I’m going to disappear.”
“You just said there’s no escaping,” she retorted. “Where are you going to go?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Jordan chuckled. “You haven’t for over a decade, after all.”
Shame nearly choked Wren, and she eyed him. “I don’t remember where I was two months ago, but if it was a Friday night, I was probably working at Aragon. I can’t be your alibi in that case.”
Disappointment clouded Jordan’s eyes. “Yeah,” he sighed. “I guess not.”
“Jordan, there must be someone else who can help you,” Wren insisted. “Someone else you trust.”
“Trust? I don’t even trust you,” Jordan snickered, releasing her arm. “You were just my absolute last resort. Sorry I bothered you. You won’t hear from me again, Wren.” He moved back into the shadows.
“Jordan, wait!” she called. “Hang on a second.” Her brother paused but didn’t come closer. “Where are you staying?”
“Here and there,” he answered vaguely.
“You’re coming home with me.” Wren said the words before she could reconsider them.
“No,” Jordan replied, though there was no conviction in his voice. Wren realized that he had nowhere to go.
“Yes,” she insisted, gesturing toward her car. “Come on, get in.” Her brother didn’t argue again, and they were silent as they climbed inside her beat-up Civic, each lost in their own thoughts.
Chris is going to flip her lid when I bring him home, Wren thought, but that was the least concerning matter of everything before her. If they’re actively looking for Jordan, it’s only a matter of time before they come to me, isn’t it?
Maybe not. It was probably the best place to hide Jordan, at least for the time being.
But as she started the car, the headlights shone into the interior of another stationary vehicle in the lot, and two people pulled apart in surprise, their eyes bright in the unexpected brightness.
“Who the hell is that?” Jordan whispered, lowering his massive frame in the passenger seat. It was too late; the couple had seen them.
Wren wasted no time zooming out of the lot, her head dizzy with what she’d just seen.
What a slut, she thought with uncharacteristic nastiness. Getting it on in our work parking lot. She’s disgusting.
Yet as Wren floored the gas, she knew it wasn’t Linda who had engaged her fury, not really. It was Landon Burke, his face smeared with her red lipstick as his eyes met hers.
The jealousy was foreign, unwarranted, and embarrassing to Wren, but she couldn’t suppress it from bubbling in her gut.
“Wren, who were those people?”
“No one,” she answered tightly. “No one at all.”
“Are you sure?” Jordan asked nervously. “They seemed to recognize you.”
“Just drop it.” The words emitted from her mouth like bile.
Why do you care if Linda is screwing Landon Burke? Better she’s getting screwed than you.
10
“What’s wrong?” Linda demanded, snuggling back up to Landon. He pushed her off, disgusted with himself. He didn’t know why he’d come back for her when he wasn’t remotely interested in her to begin with.
“I think I’d better get going,” he said, straightening up in his seat. Seeing Wren with another man had completely killed any semblance of desire he’d felt in his loins for Linda, and he suddenly just wanted to go home. Was that why she was so standoffish with him? Because she had a boyfriend?
An inexplicable and uncharacteristic jealousy shot through Landon, even though he knew he had no right to feel that way. He wished he could stop going back to her, stop making attempts to catch her attention when there was no possibility for them to be together.
“Wren doesn’t care,” Linda whined, touching his face with her open palms. The words irritated Landon, mostly because they were true. He shrugged her off.
“I’ve got a headache,” he said. At least that part was true, but Linda wasn’t taking the brush-off well.
“You were just fine until you saw Wren,” she bit back hatefully. “What does she have that I don’t?”
Class? Landon almost said, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. Leaning across the passenger seat, he opened the door and gestured with his head for her to leave. She shook her short, stylish hair with dismay.
“I don’t get you at all. You’d rather chase a girl who doesn’t want you than take something that’s right in front of you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Linda,” he said coldly. “But it was a mistake for me to come back here tonight. I have no interest in you. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damn right it won’t.” The door slammed, and Landon cringed at
the vibration. Despite his desire to leave immediately, he waited for Linda to get in her car before driving away.
With my luck, she’ll get mauled by a werebear tonight of all nights, he thought.
He drove around aimlessly for a while, trying to overcome his frustration. He was upset by what he’d seen, and he knew it was ridiculous. Wren had obviously had a life before him, and she owed him nothing. On the contrary: she’d essentially told him to back off, and yet he couldn’t let her go.
This is insanity. It’s time to visit Lane and figure out what’s going on with me. This isn’t healthy or natural. Whatever it is, I need a cure, and fast.
Henry was furious when he opened the door just after dawn.
“What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t we just leave you?” he grumbled.
“I’m here to see Lane.”
“You could have called,” Henry growled, shaking his head. “I was just about to go to bed, and Lane’s got a busy day.” Suddenly, the vampire turned and eyed him. “Did you just fly here from Seattle?” he asked, shaking his head. “What’s going on?”
“Please,” Landon insisted. “Is Lane here or not?”
“Yeah, she’s here. Come inside. I’ll get some coffee.” Henry pointed toward the sunken living room, and Landon flopped onto the couch as he waited. He was bone tired, but his headache was making it impossible for him to see.
I’m sure the air pressure didn’t help any, he thought, shaking his head. I should have called. It would have been easier for Lane to come from New York to Seattle than the other way around.
It was too late now.
Lane appeared, her body wrapped in a silk dressing robe as she entered the open-concept living room, her green eyes filled with concern. In Landon’s blinding pain, she almost looked like Linda, with the disheveled red hair.
“Landon! What’s wrong?” she asked, glancing warily at Henry, her lover, who had entered behind her.
“I have a problem, and I need you to make me an infusion,” he told her. “Sooner rather than later.”
Lane slowly approached, and as she did, Landon realized there was an energy about her that hadn’t been there previously, a pulsating radiance than he knew well. Laurel and Raven possessed the same intensity.
Her abilities are magnified now that she’s found her mate.
“Are you in pain?” Lane asked, perching on the edge of the sectional sofa to look at his face. “You look like you’re in pain.”
“I’ve been getting migraines regularly,” Landon began, “and nothing is making them go away long-term. Laurel seems to think it’s somehow connected to the death of your grandmother, but I don’t really know how that could be. I mean, I liked Miriam, but she wasn’t that special to me.”
Lane peered into his eyes and narrowed her own. “May I touch you?”
“Do whatever you have to do to get this resolved,” Landon growled. “I don’t care what it takes.”
Lane pressed her open palms against the sides of his face, and again, he was struck at how much she reminded him of Linda. The realization only fuelled his resistance, and his broad back tensed. He and Lane were not exactly buds, not when Lane had bad associations with him from years back, but Landon needed her.
“You need to relax,” Lane told him. “I can’t help you if you don’t trust me.”
“It’s hard to relax when something is drilling a hole into my brain,” Landon replied caustically.
“No,” Lane said slowly, releasing his face. “That’s not why you can’t relax. You don’t like me. You don’t even trust me, and I can’t work like this.” She turned toward Henry, who seemed as confused as Landon.
“What?” Landon barked. “You’re not going to help me?”
“Lane?” Henry asked, sounding shocked. “I mean, I know you two have had your differences—”
“I can’t help him,” Lane interjected. “I would if I could, but I can’t. There’s too much negativity between us. I’ll have to call on my cousin, Brey.”
“She’s an Aldwin witch, right?” Landon asked worriedly.
“Of course. Sorry I can’t be of more use, Landon, but we won’t work well together. Anyway, I suspect I already know what your problem is, and if I tell you, you’re apt to get defensive.”
The Lycan stared at her. “What? What’s the problem?”
“I’ll leave that for you to work out with Brey, but I’ll tell you this much: if it is what I think it is, I highly doubt any infusion she gives you will help.”
“Okay, I just flew across the country after having a night from hell with a migraine. I’m acting irrationally and am in pain. I don’t want to play games with you, Lane! Tell me what’s going on with me before I lose it!”
“Don’t threaten her!” Henry barked.
“I’m not! I’m genuinely concerned I’m going to lose my mind!” Landon pleaded. “Please, Lane, tell me what you think is going on!”
The ginger sighed heavily and sank back into the cushions. “My grandmother was a decent witch. She liked you guys, and she wanted you to be happy.”
“Yeah, yeah, Miriam was a saint. What about it?” Lane scowled at him.
“I’m saying that what she did, she did with good intentions,” she continued, giving Landon a look that he could barely see through his blinding headache. He didn’t need to see it to feel the animus seeping toward him, though.
“What does any of this have to do with me?”
“I suspect that the spell that my grandmother cast for you, Henry, Theo, and Alec to find your mates had an adverse effect on you, which is making you sick.”
Landon scoffed. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about that stupid spell. It has no bearing on me no matter what she thinks—or thought at the time.”
“It worked for me,” Henry reminded him.
“Well, congratulations, Henry. It’s giving me a migraine, not a mate.”
“I think that’s the entire problem, Landon,” Lane said softly. He squinted at her, wishing she’d get to the point.
“What’s the problem?”
Lane sighed heavily. “You’re fighting it. If you weren’t fighting it so hard, you wouldn’t be in so much pain, and you probably would have found your mate by now, too.”
Landon felt a quiver in his gut as Lane’s words settled into his soul. Wren. Is that why I’m so drawn to Wren?
“You’ve already met her, haven’t you?” Lane asked excitedly, leaning toward him. “You can’t resist her anymore, Landon, or things are just going to get worse for you. Do you understand?”
“I don’t know what you’re going on about. Just get your cousin on the phone and have her fix me up an infusion. I don’t have time for this.”
“He’s not listening,” Henry chuckled. “He’s being the same stubborn ass he always is.”
“He’ll have no choice but to listen. The headaches are only the start,” Lane promised. “If he fights this much longer, he’ll have other issues as well.”
“Like what?” Landon demanded. “What kind of issues?”
“I thought you didn’t believe me,” Lane replied mockingly. “Why don’t you wait and see?”
Landon frowned. “Would you please get your cousin here?”
“I could have saved you a trip,” Lane sighed. “Brey is in Portland. You need to go back west again.”
“Is this a joke?” Landon snapped. “Are you guys toying with me?”
“No,” they answered in unison, and Landon suddenly realized they genuinely believed everything they were saying.
“So I have to hook up with my mate, and all the headaches will go away?” Landon demanded.
“Not ‘hook up,’” Lane groaned. “You need to be with your mate and stop fighting the inevitable.”
“And what if she doesn’t want me?” Landon heard himself mumble. There was a small silence, and he looked at Lane.
“If you’re both fighting it, things are going to get considerably worse for both of you,” Lane murmured. “
I suggest you stop being so stubborn before you both do yourselves some serious damage.”
Landon groaned and dropped his lids to block out the sunlight filtering in through the windows of the penthouse condo.
“You witches are a pain in my ass,” he muttered.
“You’re welcome,” Lane retorted sarcastically. “I’ll see to that coffee now.”
Landon didn’t open his eyes as he tried to process what he’d just learned. Lane could have been toying with him, but she really wasn’t the vindictive type. If Raven had given him the same prognosis, he would have doubted her sincerity, but Lane was as guileless as the pope. Whatever resentment she might have toward him, she wouldn’t put his health at risk.
It made sense why he had been unable to stay away from Wren, and now it seemed he had no choice but to do it.
“Is she the reason you invited the lower classes to the ball?”
Landon’s eyes opened, and he glanced at Henry. He hadn’t realized the vampire was still sitting in the room. He opened his mouth to deny it but changed his mind at the last second.
“Yeah,” he said. “It is.”
“Who is she?” Henry asked. Landon laughed humorlessly.
“Someone who wants nothing to do with me and someone from whom I should stay very far away.”
“Sounds like you have some work to do,” Henry commented, and this time Landon was amused when he chuckled.
“Yeah,” he sighed, rising from the couch. “I guess I do.”
“If they’re amazing, they won’t be easy. If they’re easy, they won’t be amazing,” Henry quoted, making Landon snicker.
“I’ll keep the great Bob Marley in mind when Wren is glaring at me with those heated brown eyes.”
“Wren Archer?” Henry asked suddenly, his voice hardening. “Of the Elliot Bay Pack?”
Landon’s lids lifted fully, and he stared at the vampire dubiously.
“What do you know about her?” he asked suspiciously.
“I started looking into the Elliot Bay Pack after you mentioned them at the last meeting, and I found out that they’re in a turf war with the Bellevue Pack.”