Cade’s eyes widened at his sudden announcement before he nodded and reached for the fastenings on his pants. “Where are we going?”
“Alone,” Jase clarified. “There’s something I need to take care of alone.”
“Shouldn’t I go with you?” Cade asked. “I’m your enforcer, and you shouldn’t run alone.”
Jase didn’t know what pissed him off more, Cade questioning him or Cade being right. Jase shouldn’t go for a run alone now that he was the leader. His responsibilities took precedence over his desires. He’d always been the responsible one, but he already knew he was going for a run alone.
Cade wasn’t meeting his gaze, but he was looking at his face as he waited for a response.
Jase glared at the young lynx until his gaze dropped.
“Don’t ever question me,” he growled. “Take my clothes back to my place.”
Without waiting for a reply, Jase shifted to lynx form and took off at a run.
Chapter 3
Vexx breathed a sigh of relief as she shifted to cougar form and took off running. It had been several days since she’d last slipped away from the clan territory unnoticed. Her father had become annoyingly overprotective after her kidnapping—not that she blamed him. As hard as she tried to be sensitive to her father’s worries, she desperately needed the freedom of a good run through the woods.
No one truly understood what Vexx was going through. It wasn’t the kidnapping or even being brought back from the dead by a powerful Fae that left her feeling lost. It was the loss of her mate that made it hard to function some days. She hated that she’d somehow become one of those females who felt lost without a male. Jase hadn’t even officially been her mate yet. What she hated even more was that her mate was still alive. Jase hadn’t died, but her death had changed everything.
She ran in cougar form for close to an hour before finally heading to her favorite spot by the creek. Shifting to human form, Vexx walked toward the little stream. The waters were high from the heavy rainfall that year, so she was able to wade into the cold water.
“It’s a little chilly for a swim.”
Vexx laughed and turned toward Abram. “How is it that I run into you every time I’m out?”
“Maybe I’m stalking you because I’m obsessed with you,” he replied as he leaned against a tree, arms crossed in front of his chest. His smile was charming and revealed a hint of fang. That smile often appeared forced and failed to reach his gray eyes. His brown hair went nearly to his broad shoulders. At six-feet tall, Abram seemed to tower over her.
Vexx was used to being the smallest in the group, even among the other cougar shifters who rarely reached six feet in height. As a child, her father had often called her his little pixie because of her petite build, long red hair, elfin features, and green eyes. Her eyes were her most noticeable witch feature. They seemed to glow with an unnatural green light.
“You’re not stalking me,” Vexx replied with a snort before cocking her head to the side and adding. “Well, you might be stalking me, but it’s not because you’re obsessed with me.”
“That’s an accurate assessment of the situation,” Abram agreed with a nod.
“I hope you get over your desire to stalk me soon. If my father knew how often I run into you, he’d lose it,” she said with a sigh.
“Why haven’t you told him?” Abram asked curiously. “Are you afraid he’ll try to keep you from running out this way if he knows I’m out here?”
“That’s part of it. I’m not supposed to be out here,” she admitted as she walked toward the shore. When she’d first run into Abram, she’d been suspicious of his presence, but he’d never threatened her in any way. He actually seemed concerned for her safety. Some part of her trusted Abram. Of course, she had a history of reckless behavior.
“Why do you really show up so often when I’m out?” she asked. “Don’t give me any lines about stalking me.”
“It’s your scent. Not your scent, so much as the scent you carry,” Abram said after taking a shuddering breath. “It’s faint, but you still carry the scent of those who touched your magic the day you opened that portal.”
Vexx didn’t need to ask whose scent attracted him. Abram had asked several times for her help in getting to Kishara in the first few weeks after Vexx had helped transport the half-demon back to her jaguar clan. It had been several months since he’d made any mention of her. “Are you seriously just stalking me because I smell like Kishara?” she asked.
He hesitated, pondering her question before responding. It was funny that she hadn’t asked him before. “It’s not just you I stalk. Sometimes I follow Mitchell. The mage is harder to track, or I’d follow her, too.”
That didn’t answer her question, but she decided to let it go. Abram only shared information when he felt like sharing. “Winter always masks her scent,” Vexx explained. It was a power they shared, but Vexx didn’t often mask hers anymore. Even during her heat cycle, she’d only masked her scent around other cougars. There’d been a part of her that had hoped Jase would find her. He hadn’t, and she’d accepted that he might not want to see her.
“I always feel like a dick talking to you when you’re naked,” Abram said as he stripped out of his shirt and handed it to her.
Vexx slipped it on and laughed. “Is that seriously the only time you feel like a dick?”
He grinned. “Nah, I feel like a dick every damn day of my life. If I start feeling like I’m not a dick, someone always reminds me that I am.”
“Why are you so obsessed with Kishara?” she asked. “You don’t even know her.”
“That’s a question with no simple answer,” he replied.
“Nearly all questions in my life are that way, so why should yours be any different,” she stated.
“I guess my life has never been simple,” he admitted. “There is something in Kishara, a darkness that reminds me of my own. At first, that darkness is what made me so determined to find her. It’s why I followed you and Mitchell.”
“But not anymore?” she pushed.
He shook his head. “You are a curious little cat, aren’t you?”
“I have a right to be curious when you’re stalking me,” she insisted.
“Trust me, Vexx,” he began with a sigh. “You won’t like the answer to your question. It’s best if I keep that insanity to myself.”
“Maybe I’ll just start masking my scent so you can’t find me,” Vexx taunted him.
“That sounds like a challenge,” Abram responded as he took a step closer. “I love a good challenge.”
Vexx laughed and pushed him back. “Fine, don’t tell me what’s really going on. I’ll just keep asking you. I’m a very curious witch.”
Chapter 4
As he ran through the woods, Jase scented the air. She was close. He hadn’t seen her in months. Each time he ran, he looked for her. His obsession with Vexx should have ended when she ceased to be his one true mate, but it hadn’t. He dreamt of the spirited cougar nightly. A low growl rumbled from the back of his throat as he raced toward her. The vampire’s scent close to hers spurred him on.
When he burst through the trees, he found Abram standing shirtless and Vexx dressed in his shirt. On her tiny frame, it ended almost at her knees. The first thing he felt was jealousy, but that quickly turned to lust when Vexx’s green eyes locked with his.
“Jase,” she breathed out, and the air carried the heady scent of her arousal. It hadn’t been there when she’d been with just Abram, so he knew her arousal was for him. Still, the jealousy returned. He shifted to his human form but said nothing.
“Were you planning to stand there, staring at her with your boner waving at her, or were you going to say hello?”
Abram’s crude question was like a bucket of ice water.
“Abram?” he asked her, gesturing to the vampire with his head. “You want to screw around with Abram?”
He knew he sounded like an ass, and his accusation made little sense.
Abram didn’t seem aroused, and Vexx’s arousal was for him, not Abram. None of that mattered. No matter how hard he tried to control it, his inner asshole had free rein.
Vexx glared at him, no longer happy to see him, not that anyone would blame her considering his behavior. “Why do you care who I spend time with?”
“We aren’t fucking,” Abram added. “Even I think that was an asshole thing to say, and I’m a complete bastard on my best day.”
Jase ignored Abram. He didn’t need anyone to tell him what an asshole he was being. He knew it. Jase had always been the nice guy—the one who never lost his temper. That all changed when Vexx was around.
He started to tell her he cared because her father was his ally and wouldn’t like her spending time with Abram, but instead, Jase decided to be honest. “I care.”
“I don’t need to be here for some warm and fuzzy bullshit conversation,” Abram announced as he started to walk off. “Just bury the shirt by the bush closest to you when you’re ready to leave. I’ll get it later.”
“You can take your shirt,” Vexx called out.
Abram waved a hand without turning around. “Consider it armor for your fight. This seems like a conversation you shouldn’t have naked.”
Jase waited until Abram disappeared into the trees before his attention returned to Vexx. “You smell like him with that shirt on.”
“You almost sound jealous,” she remarked.
“Almost?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
“Come on, Jase.” Her light tone didn’t completely mask the underlying note of hurt. “We both know you don’t want me. What difference does it make what I do with Abram?”
“Even Abram knows I want you,” he replied, meeting her gaze. “You couldn’t have missed it.”
“Sorry,” she said with a sigh.
Her apology surprised him. They had a history of fighting and not feeling guilty about it. He was also acting like an asshole and should be the one apologizing. “You shouldn’t be apologizing. Since I got here, I’ve acted like a dick. I’m jealous. I have no right to that emotion, but this whole situation is complicated.”
“Yeah, it’s very complicated,” she agreed. “I was apologizing for taunting you instead of just telling you there’s nothing going on. I’m trying to act less like a child.”
“Again, you don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry for jumping down your throat when I got here. Why are you out here with Abram?” he asked. “The guy’s a psycho.”
She shrugged. “He finds me when I’m out here. I guess I carry some scent that reminds him of Kishara. He’s obsessed with her.”
“Then it’s a good thing she’s so far away,” he muttered. “He almost killed Claire during his brief obsession with her. You should avoid him, or you might be unlucky enough to become his next obsession.”
“Abram isn’t going to hurt me,” she argued. “I enjoy talking to him, as hard as that may be to believe. Yes, Abram is crazy, but he’s not as bad as you might think. I’ve never felt threatened by him.”
Jase studied her. It had been more than a year since they’d spent any time together. In that time, he’d thought of her often, never sure if he was grieving the loss of his mate or missing being around Vexx. Some might argue that it was the same thing, but they didn’t understand his situation. Vexx hadn’t wanted to be his mate. She’d tricked him and rejected him. After learning Jase was her one true mate, she’d done everything in her power to avoid being with him until it was too late. He’d messed up by being too cautious and letting his pride get in the way. His brother, Zane, had told him to mark her and work out the problems in their relationship later. Instead, he’d left her, and she’d died. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the day he’d watched Vexx draw her last breath. It was as if a piece of his soul had been ripped to shreds. A dangerous Fae had brought her back to life, and everything should have been fine. It was fine for Vexx. She had her freedom from him while Jase still mourned and blamed himself for failing to protect her.
“I worry about you, but I have no right to tell you what to do,” he admitted. “How have you been?”
“I’m fine,” she replied with a forced smile.
“You’re lying,” he accused.
She sighed and ran her hands through her long red hair. “I’ve always felt somewhat out of place, but it’s worse now. You don’t want to hear this. I know you’d rather avoid me.”
“It’s not that I want to avoid you, Vexx,” he began with a frustrated breath. “I’m not sure what to say or do around you. You were never all that fond of me, so part of me thinks I should let you pretend I don’t exist. Then there’s the other part of me that feels like you were my mate, so I should offer you comfort.”
He sensed he’d said the wrong thing when she tensed.
“I’m not your responsibility anymore, Jase.”
“No, you aren’t my responsibility, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care,” he argued. “Maybe it’s even easier to care now that I know you aren’t my responsibility. Hell, that sounded stupid.”
She gave him a weak smile. “How’s Max?”
“He’s fine,” Jase replied. “Max is anxious to leave. I figured that once he recovered from his injuries, he’d change his mind about stepping down as the leader. He’s always talked about me taking over one day, but I never thought he’d step down to chase after a vampire.”
Jase had always referred to his father as Max, never Dad or Father. Some thought that meant they weren’t close, but they were wrong. Not once had Jase ever questioned his father’s love. Max was strict but never unreasonable.
Max had discovered a vampire named Eleanor was his one true mate, but he’d never expected to be with her. They’d each believed they had no future together because of their responsibilities as leaders of their people. A near-death experience had changed Max’s priorities, and he’d suddenly decided to step down as leader of their clan to pursue Eleanor, leaving Jase in charge.
There were times when he resented Max for dropping the clan leadership on him when he was already dealing with enough shit, but it was probably for the best. Running the clan kept him distracted.
“He loves her,” she replied.
“She’s his mate,” he added. “You’re also right about him loving her.”
“This is strange,” she said quietly.
“Having a conversation that doesn’t involve me putting my foot in my mouth?” he asked with a laugh.
“Yes,” she replied. “I guess we can have a civil conversation.”
“Can I visit you?” he asked, surprising even himself.
“Why?” she gasped. “That sounded awful. I’m just surprised you’d want to visit me. You can’t be that desperate for conversation.”
“I miss you,” he admitted. “You can even insult me when I visit.”
She hesitated, and Jase held his breath as he waited for her to turn him down. Instead, she flashed him a nervous smile. “How could I possibly resist that offer?”
“Let me escort you back to the cougar territory,” he told her.
She shook her head and stripped out of Abram’s shirt before burying it. “I think it’s best if we leave on a positive note.” She turned, prepared to shift before she looked at him over her shoulder. “I won’t be angry if you change your mind about visiting.”
Not giving him a chance to respond, she shifted and trotted into the woods. It took every ounce of self-control Jase possessed not to follow her.
“I’ll see you soon,” he whispered to her retreating form.
Chapter 5
“Where the hell have you been?” his brother Cam demanded when he saw Jase stalking toward his home to put on some clothes.
Jase and his two brothers, Cam and Zane, all looked similar with amber eyes and tawny hair. Each also stood a few inches shy of six feet tall.
“Out for a run,” Jase replied.
“I know that part,” Cam snapped. “Cade came back here in a panic because you ki
cked his ass and then left. He’s a good choice for an enforcer, by the way. I’m glad you’re giving him a chance, despite his age.”
Jase nodded and walked inside with Cam still following him. “Yeah, he’s a good fighter, and I can tell he’ll be loyal to the clan. If he hadn’t challenged me, I’d have continued insisting he’s too young. I’m pissed that he came back and complained about me going for a run. He’s my enforcer, not my keeper.”
Both were lies. First, Cade wasn’t officially his enforcer yet. Jase needed to announce the decision to the entire clan and ask if there were any objections first. He didn’t need to heed those objections, simply listen. Once Cade became his enforcer, it would be his responsibility to keep Jase safe, even from his own carelessness. Cam knew all that and didn’t seem inclined to accept any of Jase’s bullshit answers.
“You shouldn’t be this hard to find now that you’re the leader,” Cam reminded him. “I’m not even going to justify that crap answer you gave me with a response.”
Jase grabbed a pair of pants and slipped them on. “Why are you here? This isn’t your week to be with the clan.”
Cam’s mate was a vampire with responsibilities to her vampire community, so Max had agreed to let them split their time between each of their homes. Cam was always edgy by the time he returned to his home among the lynx, and Jase knew he wouldn’t have agreed to stay with the vampires if he didn’t love Claire so much.
“Connor asked me to arrange a time to meet with you,” he explained.
“Is something wrong?” Jase asked.
Cam shrugged. “There’ve been some turned vampire corpses found in the wooded areas. No one has claimed responsibility for the kills among his vampires, so he wants to find out if anyone knows who’s responsible.”
“Why’s he care who killed a few feral vampires?” Jase asked. There hadn’t been any significant outbreaks in the area for months, so they didn’t have too many kills. No matter how hard they worked at it, they never fully rid themselves of the feral vampires. Connor rarely asked for an accounting of the feral vampire kills. “How many are we talking about?”
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