“I’m sorry,” he said, “but the decision is out of my hands.”
Aidan bit down, breaking the skin. Her salty sweet blood filled his mouth, drowning his senses. He swallowed, drinking her in. Aidan had never tasted anything so delicious, so powerful. And she was his.
His for all eternity.
He lifted his head and bellowed, announcing the claiming of his bondmate to the moon. Jenna whimpered, but her eyes never opened.
Blood dripped from Aidan’s chin onto the ground. He buried his face in her neck and cleaned her. He could remove most of the blood, but his mark would remain for all to see.
He kissed the spot. Jenna sighed, but didn’t shy away. It didn’t matter. Fate had already sealed all the exits.
* * * * *
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jenna snuggled deeper under the covers, relishing the softness of the bedding. A plush pillow cradled her head and her body ached in a deliciously decadent way. Memories of the previous night filled her head.
Aidan had been insatiable. She didn’t know anyone past the age of sixteen who could recover so quickly. He’d had her six more times before Jenna had collapsed from exhaustion.
Until last night, she’d never known that a powerful orgasm could make someone faint from pleasure overload. It proved once again that she’d been dating the wrong men.
As if she needed more proof.
Jenna grinned and cracked an eye open. Her smile slowly faded. The room didn’t look right.
The familiar dresser that sat against the wall was gone. It had been replaced by a heavy wood piece that stood at least a foot and a half taller. The walls were also a darker color cream.
She glanced over. The spot beside her was empty. The sheets cool to the touch. Her attention was drawn to the massive headboard that resembled a sleigh. Recognition hit and Jenna bolted upright.
How did she get to Aidan’s room? For that matter, how did she get back to the house? The last thing she recalled was dawn illuminating the sky and being too exhausted to walk.
A memory of Aidan carrying her through the woods, cradling her against his powerful chest, exploded in her mind.
How humiliating!
Jenna fell back onto the bed. Geez, one night with him and she’d become a swooning heroine from a romance novel. She snorted and shook her head at how pathetic she’d been, then sat up once more. Jenna knew she couldn’t stay in Aidan’s room, eventually either he’d return or someone else would find her there.
She threw the covers back and slipped off the bed. Jenna listened, but didn’t hear the shower running. She glanced toward the patio. The doors to the balcony were closed.
Where was Aidan? And why hadn’t he taken her back to her room? Surely it would’ve been easier than carrying her up the stairs and tucking her into his bed.
Jenna looked around again. Her gaze landed on a piece of paper, sitting on the nightstand. She saw her name written on it and picked it up.
Jenna,
I had a meeting set for early this morning that couldn’t be rescheduled. I didn’t have the heart to wake you after what I’d put you through last night. There are things I must tell you, but they can wait until you get back from work.
Aidan
Jenna flipped the note over, but there was nothing written on the back. Not exactly the most romantic message, but she hadn’t expected it to be. They’d had sex. Amazing sex. Stupendous sex. But sex nonetheless.
Aidan hadn’t proposed marriage. He hadn’t even suggested that they date. She appreciated the fact that he’d taken the time to drop her a note, but Jenna wasn’t going to read too much into the gesture.
She found the pad of paper Aidan had used to scribble the note in the drawer of his bedside table. Jenna composed one of her own and tucked it under the lamp on his side of the bed where he was sure to find it.
Her note wasn’t eloquent, but she did tell him how much she’d enjoyed last night. Jenna hoped that when she saw Aidan again that it wouldn’t be too awkward, but she couldn’t worry about that now because she had to get to work.
Jenna poked her head into the hall to make sure it was clear, then dashed out of Aidan’s bedroom. She ran down the stairs, praying the whole time that no one saw her.
She wasn’t ashamed of what she and Aidan had done, but she’d rather avoid the embarrassment of being caught wearing the same clothes she’d worn the night before.
It took three tries, but Jenna finally found her bedroom. She showered quickly and put on some makeup. She was about to pull on her shirt, when Jenna noticed an odd mark near the crook of her neck. She leaned in to get a better look.
It was a love bite.
Jenna ran her fingers over the spot, recalling the moment it happened. She and Aidan had been completely out of control, going at each other like savage animals, biting, clawing and grunting. Jenna had never been one for rough sex, but with Aidan it had seemed natural.
She’d matched him move for move, kiss for kiss, and shout for shout. He’d brought out a side of her that she hadn’t known existed. Now that she did, Jenna couldn’t imagine being any other way.
Jenna pressed down on the spot. The area was tender to the touch. She examined it closely.
Teeth marks.
She should’ve been appalled that she’d let him brand her in such a way. After all, they weren’t teenagers exchanging hickeys. But for some inexplicable reason, she felt the opposite.
Jenna liked seeing Aidan’s mark upon her skin. It seemed intimate, personal—oddly territorial. Which of course was ridiculous, since it was just a hickey.
She glanced at the evidence of their lovemaking one last time, then got dressed. Maybe next time around she’d tell Aidan to lay off the biting.
If there was a next time, an insidious little voice whispered.
Jenna knew she couldn’t make too many plans. She had no idea how things would unfold with Ethan and the lawsuit she planned to file against him. Until she found out, there was no sense thinking about a future with Aidan.
She flipped off the light and rushed out of the room. Jenna hurried down the hall. She could see the door to Aidan’s office was closed as she drew nearer. She debated whether to knock and say goodbye.
The note had said he was in a meeting. Would it still be going on? She didn’t want to interrupt something important, though she was tempted.
Jenna wanted to see him, even if it was only for a moment. In the end, she decided that wasn’t a good enough reason to disturb him. They could talk when she got back.
She left the house and jogged down to the garage. Her Bug was waiting outside for her with the keys in it. Jenna squealed in delight and climbed into her car.
“I’ve missed you.” She patted the Bug’s dashboard and started the engine.
Bernie came out of the garage. “How does she sound?”
“He sounds great.” She laughed. “Please thank Nic for me.”
“Will do.” Bernie reached into the pocket of his coveralls and pulled out a business card. “Give us a call, if you have any problems.”
Jenna took the card. “I will. See you later.”
He smiled as she cranked the radio and slipped the car into gear.
Jenna waved to him, then drove off. This time when she turned left toward Breakbend, she knew her life had finally taken a turn for the better.
* * * * *
Robert breathed through his mouth so he wouldn’t have to smell her. Jenna’s human scent covered Aidan like cheap cologne, making him gag.
How could the Alpha have slept with her without vomiting during the act? The odor was so bad that Robert could almost taste her.
He dry-heaved at the thought.
Now that Aidan had slummed it by fucking the human, was it too much to hope that she was finally out of his system and would soon be out of the house?
“Go to my room and grab the file sitting on the dresser,” Aidan said.
Robert slipped out of the office and gasped, filling his lung
s for the first time in over an hour. He took several deep breaths as he climbed the stairs, trying to get the rank weedy scent of the human out of his lungs.
It wasn’t until Robert reached the top of the stairs that he noticed he could still smell her. The scent should’ve faded.
Robert frowned and searched the hall, but he was alone. He tilted his head and listened. No retreating footsteps. Obviously breathing through his mouth hadn’t worked. The human’s stench was more powerful than he’d imagined.
He shook his head in disgust and strode down the hall. When he reached Aidan’s bedroom door, Jenna’s scent became cloying. Robert stared at the door in confusion, then threw it open.
He took one step inside and fell to his knees. Jenna’s scent was everywhere and seemed to permeate everything. Robert gagged and staggered to his feet. He stared in disbelief at the rumpled sheets on the bed.
Normally only Aidan’s side of the bed was disturbed, not both. He glanced at the pillows. There were two distinct impressions.
No! It couldn’t be. He had to be mistaken.
The Alpha never spent the night with any female. That privilege was reserved for his bondmate.
Robert rushed forward, shoved his nose in the bed, and sniffed. One side of the sheets smelled of wolf, while the other...
His stomach churned as the truth hit. Jenna had slept here. In the Alpha’s bed. All night. Her scent was too strong for it to be otherwise.
Why would Aidan allow such a thing? The bond was sacred to the Moonlight Kin. It was said to be a gift from Freki herself.
Robert quickly searched the room, but the human was nowhere to be found. He was about to leave, when he noticed a piece of paper tucked under the lamp. Robert snatched the sheet off the table and scanned the note.
Cold enveloped him as the words and their implications slowly sank in. Robert crushed the paper and tossed it in the wastebasket, then grabbed the folder that Aidan had requested.
Things were worse than he’d imagined. Robert could no longer stand by and watch the pack disintegrate. He had to act now.
As soon as the meeting ended, Robert intended to confront the interloper. If she refused to leave, then he’d have no choice, but to kill her. And he’d do so, knowing that he acted in the best interest of the pack.
* * * * *
Jenna typed her interview up, while Paul Welling hovered behind her. He’d been acting like a child on Christmas morning, waiting for the go ahead to open the biggest box under the tree.
She finished the last line and hit send, so that it went straight into Paul’s inbox. He raced into his office to make sure the email had arrived, then yelled for Jenna to join him. Paul opened his desk drawer and pulled out a stack of twenties.
“This is just something to tide you over until we sell the article to one of the leading magazines. With any luck, we’ll be able to get a bidding war going.” He handed her the cash. “There should be a thousand dollars there.”
The amount was less than Jenna had hoped, but enough to get the legal process started. She shoved the money into her pocket next to the card Bernie had given her. “Thanks!”
“Take the rest of the week off, but I expect to see you here on Monday,” he said.
Jenna didn’t answer because she wasn’t sure she’d be here come Monday. Much depended on what the attorney she was going to hire suggested that she do next. She left Paul’s office feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Molly saw her come out. “Did Paul give you the rest of the week off?”
Jenna nodded.
“Did he tell you that we normally don’t work on Fridays?” she asked.
Jenna laughed. “No, he failed to mention it.” She looked back at his office. The door was closed. He was probably already on the phone, trying to sell the rights.
“He’ll be happy now that he has his interview, but I doubt it gets him out of Breakbend,” Molly said. “Newspapers aren’t what they used to be. Everyone is reading online. Paul’s still living in the past.”
It didn’t matter to Jenna. There was no one right career path these days. Everybody had to get creative.
“What are you going to do now?” Molly asked.
“I have an appointment with an attorney, then I’m going to head back to the Fortier estate,” she said.
Molly grinned. “Any special reason you’re going back there?”
Jenna looked away. “None that I care to mention.”
Molly giggled. “I knew you were holding out on me about Aidan Fortier.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jenna said.
“That hickey on your neck says otherwise,” Molly teased.
Jenna couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. “Have a good weekend.”
“I will,” Molly said. “But I bet yours is better.”
She chuckled, hoping Molly was right. Jenna stepped out onto the sidewalk and took a deep breath. She’d parked the Bug down the street, where it would stay while she visited the attorney’s office. He was only a few blocks away and she could do with a walk.
Jenna found the office and spent the next hour explaining her situation. She’d been nervous when she first arrived, but Wilson Bennett had quickly put her mind at ease.
By the time she left, the attorney had accepted the job and he’d already started making phone calls on her behalf.
Jenna strolled down the sidewalk with a smile upon her face. It felt good to finally have someone on her side, fighting on her behalf. She could see her Bug peeking out from behind a red truck up ahead.
She dug into her pocket and pulled out her keys. It was only as Jenna drew nearer that she noticed a man leaning against her car. His long legs stuck out, but the truck obscured the rest of his body.
When Jenna was about twenty feet away, the man stood, giving her a clear view of his face. She felt the blood drain from her as her past came crashing down upon her.
“Darling, I’ve missed you.” Ethan opened his arms wide and approached her like he was going to hug her.
Jenna turned to run to the Gazette and slammed into Carl Rich. She bounced off Carl’s chest. He captured her wrist and squeezed, until Jenna whimpered in pain and dropped her car keys. He caught them before they hit the ground.
“That’s for kicking me in the balls,” he spat, then jerked her around to face Ethan. “I believe you have a date in Vancouver that you can’t miss.”
The bell on the door of the paper chimed. Jenna glanced back and saw Molly step out with a pink sweater in her hands. She waved when she saw Jenna, then her smile slowly faded.
Jenna tried to warn her away with a pointed gaze, but Molly wasn’t taking the hint.
“Thought you’d be long gone by now.” Molly glanced at her watch. “If I had a sexy beast waiting for me at home, I wouldn’t still be here in town.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jenna said. Shut up. Please shut up. There was a chance that Ethan and Carl didn’t know about Aidan. Jenna wanted to keep it that way.
Molly’s frown deepened.
Ethan pulled Jenna into his arms and stroked her back. “Smile for your little friend,” he whispered. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”
He was right. It was better to play along, until she could escape. Ethan had already proven that he’d ruin anyone who crossed him. Jenna didn’t think he’d blink an eye at dismantling Molly’s family’s newspaper business.
Jenna gave Molly a strained smile. “As you can see, I have a lot of friends.” She indicated to the men. “Too many to keep track of.”
“Here in town?” Molly asked, eyeing Carl and Ethan in bewilderment.
“Yes,” Ethan said. “If you don’t mind, we’d like to continue this reunion in private.” He winked at her. “I’m sure you understand.”
Molly didn’t say anything, but her disapproval was apparent.
“I’ll see you on Monday, Molly.” Jenna nudged Ethan to distance him
from the woman. She had no idea what he’d do, if given half the chance.
“Yeah, see you then.” Molly nodded, then walked back the way she came.
Jenna watched her go. Her smile faltered, but did not fade.
Molly looked confused, when she glanced back.
Jenna waved goodbye.
Molly shrugged, then slipped inside the Gazette building.
“It appears Carl was right. You’ve found yourself a new friend,” Ethan said.
“Molly’s not my friend. She’s just a co-worker.” There was a chance he’d leave her alone, if Ethan believed Jenna really didn’t know her. He only liked hurting the people she cared about.
“I’m not talking about Molly,” he said. “What’s his name again, Carl?” Ethan snapped his fingers.
“Aidan Fortier.”
Jenna’s blood went cold. Molly hadn’t mentioned Aidan by name, so how had Carl found out about him? Aidan had only come to town with her one time.
“I knew it,” Jenna said. “You’ve been following me around Breakbend.”
“It’s my job.” Carl smirked.
“For how long?” she asked.
“Long enough,” Carl said.
She looked at Ethan. “Leave Aidan out of it. He doesn’t have anything to do with us. With this.” She waved her hand between them.
Ethan tilted his head and smiled at her.
A long time ago, she would’ve thought that expression was cute, but now it made Jenna’s skin crawl. She’d seen that same smile on Ethan’s face right before he’d thrown the legal documents on the table, showing her that he’d swindled her out of her garage.
“I’d love to leave Fortier out it. I really would.” He pressed his hand to his chest, feigning sincerity. “But you ran from me Jenna, which proves that I can’t trust you. There’s no way for me to know for sure that he isn’t helping you.”
“I told you he’s not.”
“Once again, I’m only left with your word.” Ethan rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “I suppose there is a way that you could prove to me that you’re telling the truth.”
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