by Riley Storm
The mage’s lips compressed into a thin line, but after a moment she nodded in acceptance. “Very well. I suppose I can’t particularly blame you for that. Who did you have in mind?”
“Oh no you don’t!” Liam barked as Logan turned back to him. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m done thinking about it,” Logan said in his command voice. “As I told the mage, there’s nobody I trust more to ferret out a liar than you, Liam. Work with her, come up with a plan, see what she’s capable of. I don’t have time to babysit this while I plan the rest of the assault on the Manor and oversee all the usual shit of keeping a hundred shifters in line.”
Liam growled, a dozen different protests coming to mind, each of them dying on his lips as he countered them with the logic he knew Logan would throw at him if he was dumb enough to voice them. In the end, he realized Logan was probably right. He was distrusting and smart enough that he would ask the right questions and be able to sniff out any lies on her part.
“I guess I’ll show you to your room,” he said tightly, lips spreading to reveal teeth as he gave her a tight smile.
Logan nodded. Pushing past him, the mage, and the guards, Liam headed for the stairs at a brisk pace. He wasn’t about to start pampering the mage, just because she could waggle her fingers and shoot sparks from it. He’d treat her the same way he treated everyone else on the farm.
With zero trust.
5
The first part was over. She had reached her destination and said her piece to the shifters. In the end, despite some reservations, it seemed her offer of help was to be expected.
So why the hell was her heart still beating so fast as she followed the angry shifter up the stairs? Jennifer could feel it hammering against her neck and in her temple, while her heart thudded violently against her ribcage as if it was trying to escape.
Could it be something to do with her guide? Escort? Bodyguard? She wasn’t sure what to term him, besides cranky and irate at being assigned to work with her.
Well that’s just fine, I’m not exactly thrilled to be working with you either. He was easy on the eyes, at least when he wasn’t glaring or looking like he’d just eaten the world’s sourest candy. That would make putting up with him at least a little easier. Hopefully.
“This is your room,” he said gruffly, stopping at a door and gesturing at it.
Jennifer paused, eying him up and down instead of going into the room as he was clearly expecting. Tall, like all shifters, with the broad, barely sloped shoulders just rippling with muscle clearly evident beneath the t-shirt that strained at the seams. Why was it shifters always wore clothing that barely fit? Did they like to emphasize the thickness of their biceps to each other? It seemed silly, but boy, did she not mind.
It had been some time since she’d last been in the presence of shifters, and Jennifer had forgotten the sheer masculinity they exuded. Especially this one, with his ultra-short hair fading into a soft, gently-curled short beard across his lower jaw. Thick russet brown eyebrows framed a pair of the most royal blue eyes she ever remembered seeing. They were incredible, and if it weren’t for the hostility evident in them, she’d definitely be able to get lost in them for some time.
He was hot. Like, really hot. Blinking rapidly, Jennifer tore her gaze away before the stare became too prolonged, too intense. It would have been easy, especially as he was staring right back at her.
“It’s not polite to look at someone so directly for so long,” she mumbled. Why did her voice sound so timid and shy all of a sudden? What the hell was that about?
The shifter didn’t respond verbally, but she watched his eyebrows raise a fraction of an inch. Then he shrugged ever so slightly and lowered his gaze. To her breasts.
“Wow. That’s so mature of you,” she said, exasperation creeping into her voice.
“So is telling someone that making eye contact is inappropriate. Make up your mind on what you want,” he fired back. But he lifted his eyes.
“So, this is my room,” she said airily, pushing past him into the guest room.
It was…tight. Much tighter than her quarters at the Academy had been. A twin bed rested against the right-hand wall. On the near side was a nightstand. The far side held a dresser, and a small desk. A closet occupied half of the wall to her left. The rest of it was blank. Very spartan, and exactly what she would have expected of wolf shifters living out in secret.
“It’s perfect,” she said, tossing her bag of meager belongings, mostly spare clothing, on the bed. “All I need.”
Her escort—Liam, the alpha had called him—seemed slightly surprised. Good. Let’s keep it that way. No way in hell am I giving you any satisfaction from my discomfort. On any level. You can keep that look of constipated frustration on your face twenty-four seven if you want, you prick.
He was much more attractive when he wasn’t looking all pissy, but Jennifer couldn’t control his moods, and wouldn’t. If he wanted to be a crust old whiner, then so be it.
Just to twist in her comfort level some more, she plopped down on the bed and made a show of relaxing into the pillow. Once she was happy, she let out an audible sigh.
“Yup, just perfect.”
She could just about imagine the sound of his teeth grinding together, based on the look of irritation on his face. This could be some fun, she realized—antagonizing this brute, goading him along. He was proving far too easy to ruffle.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” Liam rumbled from the doorway.
“Why, you kicking me out already?” she teased. “I thought you had to discover my big bad plan first.”
One lip pulled back in a mixture of snarl and sneer. “Oh, I will. You’re hiding something, I know that much already. I can smell it.” He grinned as her smile faded somewhat. “Yeah, I can taste your fear, your nerves. It’s a great act you’re putting on, but it doesn’t mean shit. I don’t know why you’re really here, but I will find out.”
No, you won’t, she vowed to herself. That was her secret, her burden to bear. Not anyone else’s, and she sure didn’t see herself opening up to this jerk anytime soon.
“But that’s not why I said don’t get comfortable. I meant I don’t expect us to be here long. Especially if you can do what you’re here for. If that’s the case, then we’ll be back within Moonshadow Manor shortly. Won’t we?” His grin widened as he stepped fully into the doorway, blocking it. “You can do what you said, can’t you? Take out the Magi?”
Jennifer nodded, trying to keep her composure. “Yes. I can.”
Liam smiled, all tooth and predatory grin. “We’ll see about that. Though I intend to find out what your stake in all this actually is. Don’t think I’m that dumb.”
“I wouldn’t dream of thinking you’re smarter than you are,” she drawled.
Blue eyes flashed with azure fire. “You must think us imbeciles to believe you at face value.”
“Why wouldn’t you?” she challenged.
“Because. Nobody goes up against one of the High Houses willingly. Not when they have absolutely no reason to. Ergo, you have a reason. A reason you aren’t telling us.”
She rolled her eyes. “Is wanting to do the right thing not reason enough for you?”
“No,” he said.
“My reasons don’t have to make sense to you,” she said angrily, hating that he was getting under her skin. “You just have to believe I’m on your side.”
“And therein lies our problem,” he growled, before he abruptly switching gears. “Take some time, get comfortable in here. I’ll be right outside the door. You don’t go anywhere without me. Understood?”
Jennifer stared at him, counting down slowly from ten in her head before speaking. “You do remember I can open a portal to walk through to wherever I want…right? Your threats don’t exactly mean much.”
Liam looked thoroughly flustered at the reminder she could go anywhere she wanted, at any time, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. His knuckles
tightened on the doorframe, and muscles swelled even more.
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” he said with forced calm. Then before she could speak, he stepped back out of the doorway and pulled the door closed behind him.
Jennifer rolled her eyes, got up from the bed and locked the door. He probably had a key, and the wood frame certainly didn’t stand a chance if he wanted to break in, but it was a symbolic gesture designed to irritate him more than anything.
Maybe it’ll also help me to relax a little.
Dealing with Liam, and committing herself to the Canis rebels, was enough stress for one afternoon, that was for certain. Putting even just one more block between her and his attitude, muscles and pretty face and all, would help. Hopefully.
“You’re doing the right thing,” she said to herself as she flopped back down on the bed, speaking in barely audible tones, that even a shifter would have trouble picking up through a door.
“You’re doing the right thing.”
She could only hope it would be enough.
6
She didn’t come out of her room all afternoon, evening, or night.
Every so often, he would focus his senses, ensuring he actually could hear her, confirming to his suspicious mind that she was still inside her room. At some point, her breathing became regular, and she even started to snore ever so softly.
While she slept, he stood guard. He missed meals. Went without sleep. Firmly planted just to the right of the door, he rested up against the wall and waited for her to stir, to make a move, to commune with her masters. Anything he could use to bust her, and get her tossed out, or perhaps sent back to the Mage Council to be exposed. They would deal with her properly then.
But without proof, there was nothing he could do against the fire-headed mage. It bothered him not to have found her true motives already, but perhaps she was better than he was giving her credit for. Liam was going to have to dig deep, use all of his skills to get to the bottom of the mysterious woman’s motives.
Maybe he could use his looks against her. He’d seen the way she eyed his muscles, the flaring of her pupils when he’d flexed in anger. It was obvious she thought him attractive. Truthfully, he felt the same about her. The red-orange flames of her hair and the curves of her body, hidden as they were under the robe, were just perfect, the way he liked them. Lush and thick, he would have no problems taking her to bed, even if he didn’t trust her.
Footsteps on the stairs told him someone was coming upstairs. Most of the command group and a few other ‘senior’ members of the rebellion lived in the ranch house, while the vast majority of the shifters lived out in the barns in makeshift bunks. It wasn’t the Ritz by any stretch, but neither did any of them need it. Often, many would sleep in their wolf forms under the warm clear skies, perfectly content like that as well.
Logan came into view as he rounded the corner at the end of the hallway. The leader of the rebellion saw him standing there and approached, a quizzical look on his face.
“Liam, have you been standing there all night?” he asked, glancing at his watch.
“Yes.”
“Why?” Logan asked disapprovingly. “You should be getting some rest, conserving your energy.”
“I don’t believe her,” he said confidently. “She is up to something. She has to be.”
Logan sighed, not even bothering to argue. He just reached up and rapped his knuckles on the door.
“I’m telling you,” Liam rumbled. “She’s hiding some secret about her reasons to be here. We need to find out what it is.”
There was no answer at the door he realized, tearing his attention away from Logan. “See, she’s not answering!”
Without waiting for approval, he slammed open the door, bursting into the room. Jennifer, nude from the waist up, was halfway out of bed. She screamed, snatching up the sheets to cover herself.
Still stunned at the sight of the mage’s body, the image of her breasts burned into his brain, Liam didn’t do anything.
“Get out!” Jennifer snarled with intense savagery, flicking her hand at him.
Magic surged up her wrist, reached out and swatted Liam back out through the doorway before closing the door behind him. His heels caught on the carpet in the hallway and he tumbled back into the far wall, rebounding and aiming to go right back through the now closed door.
But before he could, Logan was there, blocking his path. “Enough,” the alpha snapped. “You deserved that, it’s your own fault.”
Bristling, Liam stood upright, fury coursing through his veins.
“Can you handle yourself?” Logan asked in a low voice. “Or do I need to get someone else?
It took most of his willpower not to react with violence to the challenge. Logan was calling him out, asking him if he was capable of doing the job he’d been assigned. To even suggest such a thing was an affront to his capabilities, and Liam didn’t take such challenges lightly.
But Logan was also not someone to be trifled with. The alpha hadn’t been the Knight of House Canis for no reason. The second most powerful position in the House, he was the appointed successor to the King. He wasn’t someone to mess with lightly, and even in his anger Liam understood that.
“I can do it,” he rumbled.
“You had better,” Logan said, his tone still just as harsh. “One more incident like that, and you’re done, got it?”
The door opened on its own before Liam could respond and a very angry Jennifer emerged, eyes blazing with red fire the color of her hair. The magic in her lifted the hairs on his arms on end, a surefire warning sign she was close to exploding. She kept her eyes on him, nearly ignoring Logan. Not willing to show any weakness, Liam glared right back at her.
Logan, on the other hand, looked back and forth at the two of them several times, then burst out laughing. Liam was the first to blink, so taken aback by the alpha’s reaction that he didn’t know what to do.
“What’s so funny?” he asked at the exact moment Jennifer voiced the same question, the two of them speaking in unison.
That just caused Logan to laugh even harder, until he was clutching at his stomach. “You two are either going to kill each other, or the Tyrant King is going to have a very, very bad time,” he managed to gasp between howls. “I just hope it’s the latter.”
Liam rolled his eyes, ignoring both the alpha and the mage. “Yeah, me too,” he grumbled.
Straightening, forcing some composure back to himself, Logan eyed the mage. “You’ve had some time to think on this,” he said. “Are you still sure it’s what you want to do?”
“Yes,” she said almost immediately. “As long as I don’t have a parade of shifters walking in on me when I’m half naked.”
“That won’t happen again,” Logan assured her. “Will it, Liam?”
“Of course not,” he said sweetly.
“Then this is where I need to be,” Jennifer responded.
Liam snorted softly at that, expressing his own disbelief.
Jennifer didn’t back down. In fact, she took a step closer, into his personal space. “What is with you?” she snapped. “Why is it only right for you to be here and fight? Why is it so wrong for someone else in the world we share to see what’s going on, and to know your side is the side we need to triumph. That fighting with you is the right thing to do. Why must everyone else be denied that?”
Liam fumbled for his words, looking to Logan for help, but the rebel leader just raised his hands and took a step back. He was having no part in the argument.
“Exactly,” Jennifer went on. “Having the shifter Houses united is better for the entire paranormal world. Everyone knows that. I should be doing my part to help restore that unity. As should anyone who can see just how terrible the current man in charge is. Since I can help, I am doing.” She put her arms on her waist and glared up at him, so much power flowing through such a small body. “Unless you’re hiding magical abilities that would allow you to take on the Magi?”
Liam gritted his teeth but shook his head. “I don’t,” he said, beyond irritated she’d gotten the better of him, and everyone present knew it.
“I just wanted to come by and check to make sure you were still on board,” Logan said, taking that moment to re-enter the conversation. Then he turned to Liam. “Do your job. Don’t let your personal problems interfere with that, got it?”
“Yeah,” Liam growled. “I got it.”
“Good. Then get her acclimated, and then get to work.”
“Work?” he asked, not sure what the rebel leader meant.
“Yes, work,” Logan replied. “You two are in charge of coming up with a plan to defeat the Magi and the magical defenses of Moonshadow Manor.”
With that, Logan took his exit, leaving the two of them alone once more. Liam turned to face Jennifer, ignoring the magic burning in her eyes and the obvious desire to lash out at him that was reflected on her entire face.
“No pressure on you, now is there?” he said with a wicked grin, chuckling loudly as the fire died away, replaced with doubt.
7
For the first time since she’d made her decision and left the Academy, Jennifer was feeling a bit of doubt. She was in charge of the entire plan to take down Moonshadow Manor’s magical defenses? She. Jennifer Shaw. Gulp.
Maybe, just maybe, she’d bitten off more than she could chew. Chew. Her stomach rumbled. Food.
“Are you hungry?” Liam asked. “Do you want to get some food?”
It took her a moment to realize it was he who’d spoken, because, as far as she could remember, it was the first time he’d spoken to her in a voice not filled with malice or anger. He’d spoken to her like a normal person.
Her first instinct was to say yes, she was hungry. Her stomach was growling now at the mention of eating. It was obvious she was hungry. But that couldn’t be her first action. There was some unresolved business between them, and she needed to handle that first, or else she would never be accorded the respect she wanted.