Unzipping the clear plastic case, she took out the toothbrush and the accompanying tube of toothpaste, and turned on the tap. Ugh. Her mouth tasted like sandpaper.
Looking in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, she flinched. She looked awful. Her eyes were dark smudges, and her normally creamy skin was sallow, despite her inordinate amount of sleep.
Tanya rinsed her mouth, drying her hands on a soft towel. She had no idea what to do with herself. She wasn’t on vacation, as she told Angela. She had yet to check her email, knowing that would be a clusterfuck.
She turned her back on her reflection and pulled back the sand and surf patterned shower curtain to turn on the spray. Letting the water jet on her shoulders, she mentally composed the email to her partners, deciding on her parents as the excuse for her last-minute disappearing act.
Squeezing a generous amount of Payton’s shampoo into her palm, she worked up a lather and scrubbed her head like she could scrub away the memories of the last day and night.
The water felt wonderful, and for a moment she dropped her guard, allowing herself to get lost in the silky feel of the soap as it glided over her skin. Closing her eyes, images of Jared passed through her mind, but instead of being terrifying they were sensuous, sexy.
The washcloth grazed her nipples and they hardened. Sucking in a breath, her eyes snapped open and the cloth fell to the tub in a wet splat. Oh, no you don’t.
Uneasy, she finished up quickly and yanked back the shower curtain. Jared was the enemy. Good looking, yes. Pushy, absolutely. Whatever his Knight in Shining Armor schtick, he was not her friend.
She wrapped herself in a thick towel, using a second one for her long hair. Opening the bathroom door, she was surprised to find a set of clothes set out and a note that read, “Breakfast is waiting in the kitchen, come down when you’re ready.”
Tanya brushed her damp hair. It was ten a.m. Had it only been thirty-six hours since her life had changed irrevocably?
Brush in hand, she moved the sheers aside and looked out the window. Her car was still parked where Jared left it the day before. A silent witness to her current circumstances.
Frowning, she wondered if he left Payton the keys. “Not that I’m planning to go anywhere, considering I’m one step from being a fugitive,” she mused glumly.
Surprised the shorts and tank top Payton left fit as well as they did, she dressed quickly. She picked up Payton’s note and re-read it before stuffing it into her front pocket. A smile tugged at her mouth, even as tears pricked at her eyes. Payton was doing her best to make this bearable, and Tanya was touched by the simple kindness.
The swinging door to the kitchen was propped open when she walked through, and a wave of déjà vu hit as she passed the threshold. The breakfast table was set exactly as it had been the morning before, except today it was set for two. No Jared.
“Good morning,” Payton offered her a cup of coffee along with a smile.
Tanya took the cup and slid into a chair, feeling a little awkward, “Good morning to you, too.”
“Sleep well?”
“Surprisingly, yes. Thanks for bringing up dinner. I’m sorry. I was kind of out of it. I don’t even remember you coming in.”
“It’s okay. I figured as much. You’ve been through quite a bit.”
Tanya nodded, snorting a little as she took a sip of her coffee. “That’s an understatement.”
Payton answered with a soft smile “Want to tell me about it?” she asked, pouring milk into her own mug.
Tanya looked at the woman over the rim of her cup. “I thought you already knew what happened?”
“I know what happened from their point of view,” she said jerking her head toward the front door. “You want to tell me yours?”
Tanya slid her eyes toward the front door, almost expecting to see one of the Sentinels standing there like some kind of, well, sentry.
“No worries, Tanya,” Payton said, following the young woman’s gaze. “It’s just us. Jared knows better than to set guards around my house.”
Tanya continued to drink her coffee. “I’m not really sure what to think about any of it. I guess I’m still processing. Mind if I take a rain check?”
Smiling, Payton reached out to pat Tanya’s hand. “No problem, sweetie. I’m here when you want to talk. I know a little about what you’re going through, so I can relate. Take your time. You’ll eventually have questions, and when you do I’ll do my best to answer them. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. Contrary to what you might think, or what Jared and the boys might want, you’re free to come and go as you please. You are my guest.”
Tanya had to look away. She blinked back tears that threatened again. Payton knew what she was going through? What the hell had she seen? Or more importantly, what was it that made her stay?
***
Tanya walked around the living room, while Payton was out running errands. There were no overtures about the dangers of leaving the premises. No threat of dire consequence should she leave. She was a guest, and though she could have easily skipped out, for some reason she didn’t want to.
Work was handled, for now. Her backpack was another story, but even that worried her less and less. Except for her gym clothes, they had nothing to connect her to the scene. Though, that wad of cash could pose a problem.
Tanya usually hated public scenes, but in this instance, giving Jesse his walking papers front and center at the party worked in her favor. He took the money, and then took off with Marlene. Done.
She wandered around looking at pictures and knickknacks. Payton intrigued her. The little she had learned about the woman, made sticking around all the more interesting.
Payton was human, but her husband had been a Sentinel. A shifter like Jared and the rest of the pack. Of course, the two had met under completely different circumstances than Tanya and Jared.
From what she understood, it had taken a lot for the pack to accept Payton. Now that her husband was dead, she chose to live outside the pack community, but that didn’t mean she lost her direct line to what was going on—after all, she was still considered one of them.
The room was filled with memories. Pictures of Payton and her husband, as well as those she could only assume to be his Sentinel brothers. Jared’s face smiled back at her from many of them, and she had to laugh because in some he looked to be no more than twelve or thirteen years old. It was obvious now, the reason for his and Payton’s shared affection. Jared had grown up with them.
“I’m home,” Payton called from the hall. “Come give me a hand with the bags. I think I went a little overboard at the supermarket. Now that you’re up and around, I wasn’t sure what you like to eat.”
The two hefted ten recycled supermarket bags from Payton’s SUV. “Jeez, what did you do, clean out the store?” Putting away the groceries, it looked as if the woman had bought enough food to feed an army. “Expecting company or do you think I eat like a sumo wrestler?”
Payton laughed. “No, of course not. Jared said he might stop by at some point, so I figured I might as well be prepared. I know your experience with shifter men is limited, but let me tell you, with their metabolism they can eat! I just hope Jared doesn’t show up with anybody else or I might have to go back to the store.”
Tanya put the milk and eggs in the refrigerator. Closing the stainless steel door, she leaned against the maple butcher block at the center of the kitchen, fidgeting with the edge of a ten-pound bag of potatoes. “You’ve known Jared for a long time, haven’t you?”
Payton smiled wistfully. “Yes, I have. Jared was only twelve when I married Rick. He was from the same clan as Jared’s family, and Jared’s mother was my first friend here. She’s also a shifter, but understood what it felt like to be an outsider. You see, she grew up far from here in a rather rigid, old-fashioned pack. It was a little difficult for her to adjust, albeit less so than for a tenderfoot like me— or you.”
“Tenderfoot?”
“That’s the c
lan’s term for humans.”
Pushing the netted bag toward the center of the counter, Tanya watched Payton put away the dry goods. “Was your husband the one Jared told me about, the Sentinel lost in the recent demon attack?”
Payton looked up from the pantry shelf she stocked. “Yes.” she answered quietly.
“I’m sorry, Payton.”
“Thanks. Rick was a good man, and I miss him terribly. Sentinel wives learn to live with dread possibilities, sort of like being married to a cop or someone in the military. You try not to think about the risks but, truth is, you’re never really prepared for the worst.”
Tanya took a breath and glanced down at her hand. “I realize my being here is an inconvenience, and I know my questions are painful and probably out of line.” She hesitated, looking at Payton before going on. “I know I shouldn’t ask—but these demons—I know what they can do. I’ve seen it. Jared said there are more now than ever before. What’s going on? Is this common? Am I really in as much danger as he says?”
Payton closed the pantry door. “It’s okay, Tanya.” She pulled out one of the counter barstools and sat. The subtle lines in her face suddenly seemed deeper than a moment ago.
“I think this is why Jared thought it best to bring you here. That you might feel more comfortable with me, considering I’m human, too.” She paused, for a moment. “And believe it or not, having you here helps me, too. You see, if I help them help you, it might lead the brotherhood closer to finding out who is behind this, and then Rick won’t have died in vain.
“Supernaturals have been fighting demons as far back as anyone can remember. It’s part of their history, and the Sentinel Brotherhood is just as ancient. Nobody really knows where or how the first shifters came into existence, but one thing is for sure, the Sentinels came into being the first time a demon turned its red slit eyes toward this plane.
“As to your question, I don’t really know. People are scared, though. Attacks like this haven’t happened for a very long time. The lesser you encountered the other night wasn’t there by chance. If Jared says you’re in danger, believe it.”
Grim, Tanya exhaled hard. “I don’t understand any of this. I mean, where did it all come from?”
Payton shrugged, sweeping crumbs offhandedly into her palm from the countertop. “Sentinel lore speaks of shifters as a separate race that evolved alongside humanity. An evolutionary anomaly that allowed them to retain their animal natures in times of great stress. There are many different types of shifters, from big cats to sea creatures to the wolves you witnessed the other night.”
“But how? Why? And how come the human race has no knowledge of this?”
“Come on, Tanya, you’re a smart cookie. Think about it.” Payton got up, dumping the crumbs into the sink. “Humans may think intelligently as individuals, but when it comes to things that are different, unusual or unexplained, mob mentality is more the case. Tolerance isn’t exactly our species’ strong suit. It’s usually fear and small-minded hate that show up first. Remember the villagers in Frankenstein?”
“So secrecy is strictly for self-preservation and not based on superiority?”
“For the most part, yes. Although we do have factions that believe shifters should remain a pure race. Undiluted. It’s one of the reasons Rick and I had such a hard time. Thankfully things are changing. It’s much easier for the younger generation these days to find acceptance.”
“You know Jared claimed me, right?”
“Yes, Aidan told me. How do you feel about that? Or more importantly, do you understand why he did it?”
“I’m not sure what I feel. I’m grateful he didn’t let his brothers kill me, or whatever they planned to do, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to tie myself to someone over it. Does that sound wrong? My life is set, Payton. Partnership in a prestigious law firm, a house, my parents settled in Florida, perhaps even an apartment in the city. Becoming wolf bait, or whatever the hell I am, wasn’t part of my plan.”
“Life has a funny way of derailing even the best of plans, sweetheart, and I’m sorry you’re mixed up in all this. In this instance, unfortunately, you have no choice but to learn to roll with things as they unfold. I’m certainly not going to stand here and judge you. All I can say, is I’ve been around shifter men for a very long time. For one of them to do what Jared has done, and continues to do, in trying to keep you safe, is rare. I’d think long and hard about what’s behind it. Maybe do a little soul searching myself. Sometimes the fates have a way of mucking with your life for very good reason.”
Tanya didn’t comment, but Payton’s words struck a chord. Was there something behind it? There was a definite attraction between her and Jared. The man both frightened and infuriated her, but at the same time made her want to… Tanya shook her head dismissing the X-rated thoughts. She wasn’t ready to go there, not yet anyway.
Chapter Nine
It was late. Payton had gone out, again. Announcing halfway through dinner she had plans for the evening and was leaving Tanya alone in the house.
Standing in front of the dresser mirror, Tanya’s fingers traced the fine bones along the edge of her collarbone. She must have dropped ten pounds in last few days. Not that she minded. Her breasts were still full and high, but the line of her body had become sleek rather than curvy.
Exhausted and anxious all the time, she didn’t have much of an appetite. It’s not that she didn’t like what Payton cooked. Tonight’s pasta with homemade marinara sauce tasted as good as it smelled. She just couldn’t work up the enthusiasm to eat.
The house was so quiet, it was eerie. Maybe leaving her alone so often was some kind of test. Restless, Tanya slipped on one of Payton’s nightshirts and grabbed a book from the nightstand. She knew she had the freedom to come and go as she pleased, and a part of her wanted to grab her keys and go, but Payton’s words buzzed in her head. If Jared says you’re in danger, believe it.
They both expected him to show up at some point. It had been days since either had seen or heard from him, though he called to see if they needed anything. Yeah, she needed something all right. She needed her life back.
At least she had her cell phone. Still, the thought of calling her friends left her hollow. Hearing about their lives would only serve as a reminder how unreal hers had become, and she couldn’t bear it. Plus, she was a horrible liar.
On top of everything else, she didn’t need to risk a chance at more suspicion. Jared was right. The less contact she had with people not involved, the better.
The screen door slammed, jerking Tanya out of her funk. Her head snapped up. Christ, Payton really needed to get that damn thing fixed. Glancing toward the bedroom door, she waited for the older woman’s customary, “I’m home!” Instead, there were muffled voices in the foyer, and footsteps definitely not Payton’s.
The hairs on Tanya’s neck and arms stood on end. Someone was in the house. Creeping into the hall, she listened, her eyes searching for something, anything to grab. Snatching a statue from the hall credenza, she held it like a bat, ready to whack whoever was in the house with the heavy marble base.
Barefoot, she made her way downstairs. Afraid to even breath, her heart thudded behind her ribs. She pressed herself against the wall, inching her way toward the kitchen while trying not to bump anything in the process. The door was ajar, and the dim light over the sink threw shadows across the floor. Someone was rummaging around, and the light coming through winked as they walked past.
Raising the statue over her head, Tanya charged through the door only to stop short, her bonsai yell frozen in her throat. Jared was standing at the stove alongside two younger boys, and they stared at her like she had lost her mind.
“You practicing for the Oscars with that thing, or is this the way you usually enter a room?” Jared remarked, an amused grin tipping the corners of his mouth.
“You scared the hell out of me, Jared! Would you mind telling me what you’re doing here this late? I could’ve bashed in your hea
d!” With her nightshirt hiked around her bare thighs, Tanya stood nonplussed, feeling a little ridiculous.
Jared calmly licked marinara sauce from his fingers, while the boys tried their best not to laugh. “I doubt that.”
“Excuse me? I deserve an apology, if for nothing else than for giving me a near heart attack!”
“Sorry.”
She slammed the statue on the side counter. “What are you doing here? Checking to see if I’d bolt, now that no one’s here to babysit?” Huffing, she blew the hair out of her face. The longer she stood, the sillier she felt, especially since it was becoming clear this wasn’t an “official” visit.
“Will you give it a rest? We came by to see if you wanted company. I figured you’d be stir crazy by now. Besides, I knew Payton had cooked.” Taking the lid off the saucepot, Jared finished helping himself to the pasta. “Mmhmm, this smells terrific.”
“Please, help yourself.” Tanya snapped sarcastically.
Jared chuckled, fishing around in the pot with his fingers. “Always,” he answered, plopping a meatball into his mouth.
Chewing, he leaned against the counter, handing the serving spoon to one of the boys. “So, how have you been?”
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Tanya blew at her bangs again as she leaned on the opposite counter. “As best as can be expected, I guess. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”
He grinned, sparing a glance for the twins. “These are my little brothers. Evan and Kyle. They were with me in the woods when we took down that lesser demon.”
“Easy peasy, dude.” Evan winked.
Kyle punched his brother in the arm. “Have some respect, bro. It was business as usual for us, but not for her.”
“Her has a name, bro,” Evan shot back, flashing a grand smile.
They were typical teens, and watching them together lightened Tanya’s mood, despite everything. “Nice to meet you both.” She turned back to Jared, still fishing in the sauce pot. “What about you? Anything else happen?”
The Wolf's Secret Witch: Howl's Romance (The Sentinel Brotherhood Book 1) Page 7