Sure he had a rough and gruff exterior, but all of her instincts told her that he wouldn’t hurt her. Hell, he wasn’t even interested in her, was he? There was something deeper going on, almost like her wounded panther recognized his. Serra closed her eyes and shook her head at how stupid she was being. She didn’t know him. At all. Yet, here she was, already painting a fantasy that had no basis in fact. She needed to stop. Now.
Pulling the pillow over her head, she shifted Panther and tried to shut off her head. The why didn’t matter. After all of this time, she felt something, and that meant everything. It was exciting, terrifying and addictive. She’d spent too long being numb. She missed feeling alive, and this Panther reminded her of what she’d lost. That was the thing that already had her planning to return to The Pit. Maybe it was a fluke and wouldn’t happen again. Gods she hoped not. She ignored the fact that she was hanging her hope of reclaiming her life on a male that she didn’t know. Admitting it would show how truly pathetic she’d become. Instead, she concentrated on the miracle of feeling anything at all. Serra purred as she thought about the male in various stages of being undressed as she finally managed to drift off.
CHAPTER 4
One boy and one girl. Their eyes were like their mothers, so there was no way to tell who their father was or the secrets hidden within them. They were born in panther form so they would be Garou. Once they were cleaned up, Salvation took them and ghosted himself to Jared’s room at The Pit. As he appeared, the cubs aged. He hadn’t expected that. Sal chalked it up to the time difference. It was a simple fact that time passed faster on this plane. He called for Jared though mindlink. Looking around the room, he saw that the panther had prepared for one new life.
Jared was already on his way back to his room when he heard Salvation’s voice in his head. Pulling the keys from his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. His eyes widened when he saw the Ghardian with two cubs in his arms. “Two?” Jared asked.
“Yes, two. They need a home, and I can’t separate them.”
Jared held out his hands for them.
Salvation handed them over to him. “You’ll need more space than this.”
“I know. I still have the house that you gave me when I got out. I just need to clean out the rest of Emma’s shit. Maybe one day Daniel will live in it too.” Jared looked over the twins, nuzzling them.
Salvation nodded, satisfied with the purrs that filled the room. “If you need anything else, call for me. I’ll leave you to get acquainted with them.”
After Salvation had faded out, Jared sat on the floor and looked them over.
‘One is a boy and one is a girl.’ Salvations voice filled his head.
Jared looked, and sure enough, there was one of each. Stroking their little heads, he decided what to name them. “Theo Elwin, after your Uncle Brian. And Justice Jared for you, Princess.” The twins looked up at him as he spoke to them. Purring, they nuzzled him as if they approved of the names. “Theo and Justice. JJ for short,” he said proudly.
He couldn’t wait for Brian to meet them. He knew his brother would be supportive of all this, even if everyone else thought that he was insane. Laying down on the floor with the twins on his chest, he smiled as they curled up on him and fell fast asleep. Soon his adventures into fatherhood would start, once again. Third time’s a charm, right? It had to be. Failure wasn’t an option. Not this time.
Leaving Daniel and the Cubs with Paula, Jared ghosted to the second floor of The Pit and went downstairs to pick up Daniel’s check. Paula had been kind enough to talk to a few of her friends that were nannies, and after an hour, Jared caved and agreed to meet with some of them. Taking a seat in a booth, he waited for the first one to show.
Kicking the spiked heel of her boot against the toe of the other foot, Serra scanned through the options on the jukebox and tapped her beer bottle against the machine in time with the music. Feeding a few bills into the machine, she made her selections and strolled back to the bar to ask for a menu, more from boredom than hunger.
She dropped the list on the glossy bar top, not feeling anything printed there. Sending her stool on a slow spin, Serra let her eyes move over the crowd, not seeing anything interesting. Then she caught that familiar scent of the woods and musk from the other night. With a smirk turning up one side of her mouth, she stopped the stool and hopped off to track it down.
After talking to a few of the nannies, Jared realized they wouldn’t work as the children were cubs and not babies. “Well, fuck me.” He growled out. Sighing, he slid out of the booth and slammed into someone.
Not watching where she was going, Serra collided with a wall, or that’s what it felt like, as the impact rocked her back on her heals. What the hell? Tilting her head back and only seeing a chin, she craned her neck. Her smile grew as she realized she’d just found the panther she’d been sniffing for since she'd arrived. “Hi, Whatever. Ready to take me up on that drink yet?”
Jared looked down at her. “Sorry, I didn’t see you. Drink?” He stopped and then remembered the last time he’d seen her. “You were serious about that?” He knew the Cubs were okay with Paula and Daniel, so he had time.
“Honey, I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious.” Shaking the blonde hair out of her eyes for a better view of the male, Serra stifled a purr and shoved the hand not holding her beer into her pocket before it did something completely inappropriate. Look at her, being the picture of self-control, not her usual MO. “What’s your poison?”
He arched a brow and caved. “A beer would be fine.” Following her and enjoying watching her ass in a tight pair of Levis, he leaned his elbow on the bar. “So Serra, is it? That wouldn’t be Damion and Monica’s Serra would it?” He asked, looking at her.
Serra ordered the beer and another for herself, hopped up on the bar stool and turned it so that she faced him. “Yeah, that’s my Mom and Pops. You know them?” Figures, go all the way to NOLA and find a friend of the folks. Fine. That happens, but did it have to be one that smelled so damned good? Sometimes life wasn’t fair.
Jared took the beer and nodded “I know them. I met them when I went to see The Violent Offenders there once.” He drank his beer, slid onto a stool and picked at the label on the bottle.
“So you don’t like, hang with them? Because that would just make things weird when we hook up.” Tilting back her beer she sipped and smirked at him over the bottle, waiting to see his reaction, and feeling more like her old self than she had in ages.
“I didn’t say that. I said I knew them. Nothing more than that. Hook up? I already asked you if you wanted to bone, so that ship has sailed, Sister.” He drank his beer and thought to himself that she was different, bold like her parents.
“New ships leave the dock every day.” Shrugging, she twisted the stool back and forth. “And sister?” She snorted. “Not a thing about you reminds me of my brothers. So what brings you here tonight? It doesn't look like the band is playing.”
“I had some family business to deal with. Would you prefer Princess?” He snagged a bowl of peanuts and started to eat them.
Serra grabbed a peanut from the bowl and threw it at him with a laugh. “Fuck no. ‘Babe.’ ’Hey, You With the Hair.’ Anything but Princess, please.” She poked him in the center of his chest to punctuate the last word. Talk about ruining the mood. Only her uncles dared to call her that and lived. “So did I miss my chance or are you just playing hard to get?”
Jared ducked the peanut and looked at her finger in his chest. “Not to be rude, but why does it matter? You don’t know anything about me. And my track record with females is the stuff nightmares are made of. I have a knack for making females bolt, want to kill me, or the last choice, both. Besides, there are way better males around here for you to be interested in, than me. Like Brian, have you seen him? Girls just pass out from his hotness.” Jared thought for a moment. “There’s also Alex, the twins Sirus and Drew. I could go on. Trust me. I’m a walking train wreck. If you don�
��t believe me, I’ll give you my last two girlfriend’s names, and you can ask them yourself.”
Serra nodded as he listed off all of the reasons why she should run, but he obviously didn’t know her. She lived for a challenge, and she’d seen the Brian guy. He was all cuddly and shit. Not her style. Serra liked them tall, gruff and ornery. Always had, and Jared was all three. “No thanks. I never trust what an ex says.” She was overcompensating, and she knew it. Serra hadn’t been with a male in almost a decade, but he didn’t need to know that. “If you’re not interested, just say so, and I’ll walk. No blood. No foul.” Shrugging, she sipped her beer and watched his face.
He laughed at her. She was something. Intriguing. But he’d been played by chicks like her enough to last him a lifetime. His expression turned serious. “I’m only interested in what’s in your pants.” Staring at her, he finished off his beer. He was crude and insulting as hell, but he needed for her to go before he started listening to his panther. The panther in him wanted her so bad that Jared could taste it.
“And yet, here you sit, telling me why I shouldn’t. Interesting.” She arched a brow and smirked. “Don’t remember asking you to marry me, Jared. And I have a feeling if I told you that I just wanted a good lay, you’d find a reason I shouldn’t do that either.” She shrugged and turned back toward the bartender to ask for her tab. Just her luck, a good man was hiding under the fuck off facade, and he wasn’t interested. She should be relieved but instead felt like she was losing something. Maybe she was too far gone to be even worth a good fuck now.
Jared growled at her. “Look, what do you want from me? I’m not good at dating. I’ve been married and mated twice. It was a nightmare. I can’t seem to keep a girlfriend because I’m an asshole. I know I am, and I’m not gonna change anytime soon. So if you think you can try and mind fuck me, think again. No. I don’t wanna fuck you or anything like that. And if I did.? I know how it would go. Because my life is a shit pit when it comes to females.” He slammed down his beer and turned to leave.
She straightened her leg to block his escape, her hand landing on his arm. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe she felt sorry for pissing him off. Maybe the broken parts of her recognized his and wanted to comfort him. Who the fuck knew? Whatever it was, she couldn’t let him stomp out of her life. Not like this. “I’ve got it. Just relax, I’m not asking for anything. Come outside with me for a second before you go.” She glanced around at the heads that had turned their way and curled her lip up into a fuck off sneer. “Please? I didn’t mean to hit a nerve. I don’t always think before the shit just comes out of my mouth.” Sliding off the stool, she started for the door. Somehow, she knew that he would follow.
“Fine. Only because I want to head home soon.” He followed her outside making sure it was clear for him when he wanted to ghost out. He was seething. What the fuck was wrong with her? Why didn’t she slap him, throw a drink in his face or at least leave him the hell alone?
Leaning her head back, she breathed in the chilly night air before turning to face him. Fuck he was tall. “Look, Pops wanted me to come check you out. Yeah, people are talking about you, and I’m supposed to recruit you for a show or two,” she lied. Pulling a business card from her pocket, she slid it into his hand.
“I didn’t mean to offend, and I do find you hot as hell, but if it’s not in the cards.” She shrugged and studied his biker boots. “Then it’s not.” And what a crying shame that was. Jared was the first since that terrible night in Sun Valley that had even made her consider it. “Anyway, if you want the gig, call me before I leave town. Can you point me toward a place where a girl can go running? Because being around all of these humans is making my skin itch.”
Jared took the card and looked at it. “Damion wants me to perform?” His brow arched, not sure that he bought her story.
“Yeah, he does.” Or, he would, as soon as Serra told him about it.
“I’ll think about it. There’s a forest a mile or two that way.” He pointed her in the right direction. “Thanks for the beer, Serra.” Seeing her looking a little sheepish and the regret that tinged her scent tempered his pissed off.
She looked in the direction he pointed and nodded. “Thanks.” Her lips twitched into an almost smile. Pushing up onto the tips of her toes, she kissed his cheek. “I am sorry if I offended you.” Turning away, she headed for the shadows, feeling his eyes on her.
Jared watched her leave. He hadn’t expected an apology. Not from her. Hell, not from anyone. He was a dick and people treated him accordingly. That’s how he liked it. He wasn’t sure what to make of her. Rolling his eyes skyward, he shook his head. She was a complication that he didn’t need or want.
Kara did not understand some of these holiday traditions. Fat men in red suits, dwarf sized elves, flying reindeer and chopping down perfectly good trees to die slowly, covered with decorations. None of it made a lick of sense to her, but when you needed to blend, you played along.
Dragging the tree up the steps, she cussed as she almost fell on her ass. Giving one final yank over the last step, she stretched her leg back, kicking against the door. She had no idea if Jared would let her in or not, and if he slammed the door in her face, she was leaving the fucking tree here. Let him figure out what to do with it. She was done with the damn thing.
“Breathe,” she told herself. “He’s your friend too.” Glancing back at the door, she waited, still holding the butt of the fir tree. “Stupid fricken humans.”
Jared heard a lot of noise outside and went to check what was going on. His brow arched at the huge tree he saw through the peephole. “Hello?” He yelled through the door.
“Open the door all fricken ready!” She kicked her foot against the door again when he yelled without opening it. “This thing is heavy damn it.” Yeah sure she could ghost it in, but what fun would that be?
He opened the door and watched her, amused. “What’s with the wood?” Jared asked, listening to her curse.
She snickered and remembered why she liked the panther. “Maybe I’m just happy to see you?” Smiling wide, she waved him over to her. “Grab and pull, Big Guy. It keeps getting stuck.”
“Dirty!” He chuckled hefting the tree inside and standing it up. “You know I have no use for this, right? Other than to play in it?”
Shrugging, Kara followed him inside, watching as he stood it upright and the stalk on top bent sideways. “Guess I should have gotten a smaller one.” Tilting her head to the side, she eyed the tree. Nope, she still didn’t get it. “I was thinking, what do you get the guy who has everything, and who helped you out that time? Then it hit me... Dead tree.” Kara did her best Vanna White, look at the prize pose, with a grin. “Lame, eh?”
He laughed hard. “A new greeting card for the guy that has everything this holiday season. WOOD!”
“Exactly! Who doesn’t love wood?” She laughed, shaking her head. “Crap, why didn’t I think of just getting you a card?” She slid her hands into her back pockets and turned back to the tree. “We could always put it in Daniel’s shower and let him figure out what to do with it.”
Looking up at the massive tree, he laughed. “A card would be too easy.”
Glancing up through her hair, she sighed. “I wanted a reason to come by and check that you and me are good, Hun.”
Jared arched a brow and said nothing.
“Not gonna make this easy, eh?” Sighing and giving him a look, Kara finger combed the hair back from her face. “You helped me when I needed it, and I like to think you would have even if Emma hadn’t asked you to. That and you crack my ass up. So are we... you and me still good?”
He nodded. “Of course. So did you bring decorations?” He didn’t want to think about Kara’s once BFF. She’d been just as hosed by Emma as everyone else. How could he hold that against her?
Smiling wide, she bounced forward to hug him. “Got loads of them in the car. Never done this before and wasn’t sure what to get so I got everything.” Snickering as she imagin
ed the look of shock on Daniel’s face if he opened the shower door to find a tree. “Still think it would look amazing in your boy’s bathroom, though.”
Jared laughed. “Okay, let’s haul it all in here. Don’t we need Christmas music or some shit?” He asked as they went outside to get the stuff.
Kara grimaced at the mention of Christmas music. “Not really a Joy to the World, kinda girl. Please tell me you have something better than that! Slipknot? Avenged Sevenfold? SOMETHING!” Pulling the bags out of the car, she bumped his shoulder playfully, nodding at the monster sized bottle of Tequila. “Don’t forget the holiday cheer.”
He laughed hard. Something about the Valkyrie amused the hell out of him. “I have them all, but what about some dirty Christmas songs?” He shook his head as she piled bag after overfull bag into his arms. She wasn’t kidding. She did get everything.
Her brow quirked. “Dirty ones? You have my full attention.” Dumping the contents of the bags near the tree, she had no idea where to start. “Are you coming to The Pit on Christmas?”
He started sorting things into piles of ornaments, tinsel, and lights. “Yes, I have some stuff for D and Brother Bear.” Once he had everything sorted, Jared went to put on music.
“Good, I’ll be seeing you there and have something better for you than wood.” She snickered. Slowly, they decorated the tree, listening to an assortment of inappropriate Christmas music, her favorite being by Corey Taylor. Stepping back, she admired their work. “Not bad, if I do say so myself.”
Looking at the tree, Jared grinned. “Damn good. I wanted to share some news with you.” Jared eyed the tree and reached out to fix a light.
“We do damn good work. So what’s up, Babes? If it’s not good news I don’t wanna hear it.” She grinned and tossed more tinsel on the tree.
The Mating (Black on Black, #1) Page 7