“No. It’s been quiet the last few days. I guess that’s a good thing, but for some reason the calm makes me antsy. Something’s cooking. I feel it.”
Tanya’s stomach clenched. She swallowed, but didn’t say a word. Pushing away from the counter, she busied herself at the sink rinsing dishes. Anything to keep her eyes from meeting his steady gaze. She didn’t need to see the look on his face that spelled more bad news.
Seeing her expression, Jared exhaled. “Look, I didn’t mean anything by that. It’s just a gut feeling. It’s got nothing to do with you or what happened.”
“Uh huh. And I’m the tooth fairy. Look, Jared. Payton’s great, but I want my life back. I have one, you know. I had three cases this week I had to postpone or hand off. I want answers, but instead you leave me high and dry with not much more than what you told me days ago.” Turning around, she dried her hands on a dishtowel, leveling her gaze at all three of them.
“I know you’re frustrated, Tanya. I wish I could tell you more, but the truth is I don’t have anything to report,” he said with a shrug.
Evan coughed, and Kyle busied himself with his plate. Both doing their best to avoid Tanya’s gaze.
“You know more than you’re letting on.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m a lawyer. So I know evasive when I see it. There’s something else.” She leaned against the sink, the wolves’ body language practically screaming the truth at her.
Jared shot Evan and Kyle a warning look. “It’s nothing, really.” Except the sidestep was too late.
Sighing, she folded the dishtowel and draped it over the edge of the sink. “Based on that look alone, I wouldn’t say it’s nothing, but for argument’s sake, let’s say I accept it doesn’t have anything to do with me. Would you tell me if it did?”
Jared’s eyes met hers and held. “I’ve already gone to this much trouble keeping you safe, what do you think?” Reaching out, he ran his knuckles along the side of her arm.
“I don’t know what I think anymore.”
Evan coughed again, clearly embarrassed. “Um, Jared—” Not knowing where to look, the teen stared at his shoes, but Kyle didn’t waste the opportunity, and snatched the damp dishtowel from the sink, snapping it at Jared’s butt.
“Hey, lover boy, you promised us a bonfire if we came with you. Mom said Payton had marshmallows and chocolate waiting for us. I’ve got the grahams, so let’s go. The night’s wasting.”
Tanya stifled a grin at Jared’s obviously embarrassed expense. The big wolf had been thrown under the bus by a couple of fuzzy teenagers.
Images from the 1950s classic I Was a Teenage Werewolf ran through Tanya’s mind, and turning to Evan and Kyle, she couldn’t help but laugh. “That was cold, guys. Funny, but cold!”
Jared grunted.
Surreal as her situation was, the thought of making s’mores at a backyard bonfire was too irresistibly ordinary for Tanya to pass up. She opened the pantry and grabbed the marshmallows and chocolate bars from the shelf, and then grabbed a tray and napkins from the counter.
Hooking her arm with Evan’s, she pushed open the back door. “A promise is a promise, especially one involving chocolate.” Looking back, she caught Jared’s amused scowl as he cuffed Kyle in the back of the head. “Coming?” she asked.
Outside, it was pitch black, and the small motion-sensor lights on the edge of the flagstone path did nothing to illuminate the area beyond the terraced patio. The boys went into the yard to gather wood, while Jared lined the fire pit with kindling.
“Where are you two going?” Tanya called into the shadows. “Kyle, get a flashlight. It’s too dark.”
Jared laughed. “They see better in the dark than you ever will. Besides, they won’t disappear. They’re psyched for this. They still think s’mores and a backyard bonfire are cool, but even if they didn’t, having you here makes this a pseudo-Sentinel posting, so it’s even cooler for them.”
“How long have they been Sentinels? They can’t be more than thirteen years old. Is recruiting always done at the onset of puberty?”
“Not at all, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We even have female Sentinels now, something that was unheard of in past generations.” Jared shrugged. “Welcome to the twenty-first century.”
Squinting, Tanya tried to scan the boundaries of the expansive yard but would have more luck seeing through mud. Walking to the edge of the flagstone, she ventured into the gloom like a blind woman.
“Ouch, Goddamnit!” she yelped, bumping her hip on the corner of Payton’s picnic table.
In a flash, Jared was behind her, making her jump. He slid his arm around her shoulder, covering her mouth like he did in the forest. “Watch your step,” he whispered against the back of her ear.
She elbowed him hard in the ribs, before dipping under his arm to free herself. “Jesus, Jared! Do you enjoy scaring the crap out of me?”
Evan and Kyle chuckled as they came into view, each carrying an armful of dried branches.
“That’s nothing, Tanya. You should’ve seen what he did to Claire the other day,” Kyle said, dropping his bundle on the patio and grabbing a handful of marshmallows.
“Claire?” she asked, her voice a tad higher than normal.
“Yeah, our sister. She’s two years older than us. Fifteen,” Evan answered, his mouth full as well.
Her nervous relief was both awkward as it was unexpected, and she hoped Jared hadn’t noticed. Clearing her throat, she regrouped. “Us? So you’re twins?”
“Yep. Fraternal,” Evan replied. “Kyle’s older by eight minutes.”
The boys tossed the kindling into the firepit as she and Jared walked back, and suddenly the stone circle was ablaze. Tiny flames licked at the dried wood, and illumination from the flames threw warm shadows against the dark patio.
“This is nice. It reminds me of summers I had growing up,” Tanya said wistfully, handing the tray with the s’mores fixings to Evan.
“We do this at home a lot. Our family is big on tradition. As long as I can remember, we’ve always had bonfires. But we haven’t had one in a while, not since Dad’s been gone.”
Scraping a chair closer to the fire, Kyle stuck a marshmallow on the end of one of the long twigs he and Evan found. “Aidan tries, but he’s no good at gatherings. And forget stories. He’s too uptight to tell them right,” he added.
“Stories?” Tanya asked, taking the charred marshmallow Evan offered from his stick. “What kind of stories?”
“Our history,” Jared answered, sitting across from Tanya. “The oral record of our kind. It used to be the way the elders taught the young ones about who we were, and why we were different. Not unlike Native Americans and their stuff.”
“Are they hush-hush, or can anyone listen?”
“Technically our stories are supposed to be passed down by our Alpha, but in this instance, I think a Reader’s Digest version would be okay,” Jared noted with a smile.
“Tell her the one about the priestess and the horny spirits,” Kyle said, licking the chocolate from his fingers.
Tanya raised an eyebrow. “The priestess and the what? Did he just say what I think he said?”
Chuckling, Jared’s shoulders shook in the flickering light. “Don’t encourage him,” he replied, adding more wood to the fire.
The air was cool for late June, and the smoldering embers rekindled, sending glowing cinders up into the smoke. Jared gazed at the flames, the fire snapping and crackling in the quiet.
He began, voice deep and resonant. “Our lore speaks of a time, ages ago, when spirits coexisted with humans. Both were part of the natural world, bound only by their connection to the divine. Nature spirits embodied all things, including the elements. Humans venerated them for the blessings they could bestow, and soon offerings were made to encourage whatever was needed for the human race to prosper.
“The spirits found humanity beautiful. Mesmerized by the radiance of the human soul. Unable to resist, they transformed themselves, taking hum
an lovers to appease that desire. Eventually children were born possessing traits from both worlds.
“These spirit children were revered, even coveted. They alone were dual-natured, and their families considered blessed. Those of the shaman class were the most blessed. Their women the most fruitful. But human nature being what it was, people grew jealous, and through that jealously, sowed seeds of doubt and fear. Their chief was poisoned with it, and his resentment grew more spiteful as time passed. When their medicine woman was welcomed by the spirits to walk in their world, he grew enraged, ordering the deaths of her daughters in a fit of anger. They numbered nine in total, and all had inherited their mother’s gift of walking in both worlds.
“Their mother begged the spirits to save her daughters, offering her life in return for their safe keeping. The spirits agreed, scattering the girls so the chief would never find them. Seeing his greed and envy, the spirits decided to punish humanity, and from then on, the world was to live in spiritual blindness, no longer able to see or speak with the natural spirits surrounding them.”
Tanya listened, watching Jared’s eyes glow as he finished the story. “What a terrific legend. Still, what about mediums and psychics? They see spirits, or at least claim to, how do they fit into the story?”
“They have residual magic in their blood tracing back through their lineage. It’s that way with witches, and with the fae, as well. What can I say? Supernaturals have a weakness for humans,” Jared added with a smirk.
He stood and stretched. The fire was dying again, but instead of throwing more kindling on it he signaled to the boys to start cleaning up.
“Are you spending the night? Payton has the other guestrooms ready upstairs, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” Her question was directed toward the boys, but her eyes were on Jared.
“Sure. Our mom said we could, I mean, if we’re not bothering you and stuff. Whaddaya say, Jared? Slumber party?” Kyle said, waggling his eyebrows.
“Very cute, funny guy. Get moving cleaning up this mess, or have you both conveniently forgotten what you promised Payton when she said you could tagalong?” he said, trying to sound stern.
The boys moved like lightning, whipping the patio into shape in no time. They said their goodnights, but not before getting Jared to agree to some late night TV.
Sitting in her chair next to the dying fire, Tanya watched the boys interact. She caught Jared’s eye, and chuckled. “I guess thirteen is thirteen, regardless of dual-natures.”
“You’ve got that right, but with our teens, there’s a whole other side to the hormone battle.”
Tanya grinned, watching the boys shove each other as they headed into the house. “I can imagine.”
No sooner did the door close behind the boys, than they heard the television blaring. Walking to where Tanya sat, Jared held out his hand. “Come on, let me show you how to navigate through the dark.”
Tanya took his hand, and Jared pulled her to standing. “Am I walking this time, or will I need to get a saddle? I should warn you, the next time I wrap my legs around an animal’s flanks, it won’t be bareback. The bruises from that wild ride have just started to fade.”
A blush flamed in her cheeks when Jared’s gaze traveled the length of her body. He towed her into the darkness, and then whirled to picked her up by her waist, unceremoniously depositing her on top of the picnic table.
“Ouch!” she grumbled. “You’d better hope I don’t get a splinter, I’m in a nightshirt, remember?”
Without warning, he leaned down and kissed her, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.
Too stunned to breathe, she shivered at the sexy, wild sound. “What was that for?”
“How else could I get you to shut up?”
It was so black Tanya couldn’t see her own hand in front of her face, but she knew Jared’s mouth was curved into that deliciously crooked smile.
“I’m making you nervous, aren’t I? I can smell it.”
Shifting her weight in unconscious agitation, she swung her legs back and forth under the table. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not scared of you, Jared.”
“You may not be scared of me, but I make you nervous,” he said, putting his hands on her bare knees.
Tanya stopped swinging her legs. His fingers sent tiny electric shocks across her flesh. What the hell was she thinking coming outside in a nightshirt?
“Shall I tell you something?” he asked, slowly moving his palms higher on her thighs. “You affect me, too.”
Sliding one hand around her waist, he pulled her body forward on the picnic table, placing himself perfectly between her legs.
The thin fabric of her nightshirt rode up, and the rough feel of his jeans against her thin panties sent current through her lower body. Her lips parted, and she instinctively angled her head for another kiss, but then stopped.
She put her hands on his shoulders, holding him at an arm’s distance “What’s happening here, Jared?”
“What do you think is happening?” His voice was low and sultry, and the warmth from his proximity was enough to weaken her defenses.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
Resting his forehead against hers, he kissed the tip of her nose. “Good. Because neither do I.”
Jared took her mouth, kissing her softly, but with an underlying hunger. This time she kissed him back. Their breath mingled as he devoured her lips, silencing further questions.
He fisted the back of her hair, deepening their kiss as his hands skimmed her waist to her breasts, until she broke away with a gasp. “The boys—”
Clearing his throat, he took a step back. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He smoothed her hair where he grabbed. “But I’m not sorry I kissed you that way. I’ve wanted to do that since the moment we met.”
“Really,” she relied with a soft chuckle. “You wanted to kiss me panicked and passed out. Thanks.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. You really love twisting my words and making me squirm.”
She laughed out loud at that. “Occupational hazard.”
“I wanted you even more when you stood up to Aidan. Not because you stood up to my brother, but because you were fearless in the face of something inexplicable and frightening. I’ve never met anyone like you, Tanya.”
She didn’t know how to respond, so she stayed quiet.
“So, how do you like staying with Payton? She’s a trip, but I thought she’d be able to help you understand a little about what we are.”
“She has, sort of,” she replied, grateful he changed the subject. “What I want are answers about what’s happening next, but you avoid the issue.”
“I’m not avoiding the issue. I just don’t have answers, yet. Things won’t be decided until the new moon, and that’s still five days away. I thought Payton would help you understand our ways. Didn’t she tell you anything?”
Tanya breathed out loudly. “Yes. She explained about the Sentinels, I guess. She also said what’s going on with me has more to do with a breach in security than anything else. Secrecy is a big deal to you, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It has meant the difference between survival and extinction for centuries.”
“So humans aren’t the enemy, then?” she asked, wishing she could see his face, but at the same time glad she couldn’t, afraid the answer to that question might be written all over it.
Jared ran his fingers down her cheek. “You’re not my enemy, Tanya, and I certainly hope I’m not yours. What made you think that?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the idea of death by Sentinel Council Edict put the bee in my bonnet?”
Now it was Jared’s turn not to respond.
“I’m sorry, Jared. I keep putting you on the spot, and I suppose that’s unfair. No news is no news. Maybe you can help me get ahead of the curve. Tell me what to expect at the council meeting. Do they have records of previous rulings I can study? Are there books I can look at to familiarize myself
with your code of law? You said we could plead my case. That means I need to plan my defense, and to do so I need to learn your laws.”
“The elders meet once a month. This time they’ll meet here in our territory because of the recent demon attacks. They’ll want to review all the evidence, take testimony. Plus, they’ll probably set up a few special patrols.”
“I don’t really care about business as usual, what can I expect regarding my situation?”
Jared put either hand next to her hips, his palms against the table edge. He leaned forward, teasingly close. “Why are you so worried? Don’t you trust me?”
Tanya’s stomach flip-flopped again. Her body went straight into overdrive the minute he got near. The heat from his body radiated, warming her, and did the man have to smell so damn good? This wasn’t good, she needed to put some distance between them. Holding her breath, she maneuvered herself out from between his arms and off the picnic table.
Jared held her steady in the dark while she adjusted her nightshirt. “I could do that for you, you know?”
Heat crawled toward her private parts, and she guessed full well how his hands would feel doing just that. Problem was she didn’t trust herself, as much as she wasn’t sure she trusted him.
“I got it, thanks,” she said, giving her hem one last tug. “Payton will be home soon, and I want to make sure the boys aren’t making a mess.”
Tanya took a step toward the house, but Jared held her arm. “Look, I know you’d be more comfortable in your own home. I also know you think Payton’s been leaving you alone when she goes out, but I’ve been around. Keeping an eye, just in case. You know your safety is paramount to me. If I you were to go home, I’d be there as well. Seen or unseen. You understand?”
Payton’s words whirled through her mind again, and not just the ones about being in danger. “I understand, Jared. Probably more than you know. If my staying here makes it easier for you, then so be it. You’re right. I want to go home—” she hesitated before adding, “You could come with me. If that wouldn’t be too much of a hassle.”
The Wolf's Secret Witch: Howl's Romance (The Sentinel Brotherhood Book 1) Page 8