Whispers in the Ether

by Jena Gregoire

  "Come on," she said, "we both need food and oxygen.” She rolled out of my arms and off the bed onto her feet. She caught me enjoying the view while she searched out her clothes and promptly threw a balled up t-shirt at my face. I laughed and tossed it back at her.

  “What are the other reasons?” I asked, recalling our earlier conversation.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Tonight you said this,” I waved my hand between us, "wouldn't happen again because you were leaving but you indicated that wasn't the only reason. What are the other reasons?”

  "You for one.”

  "What? The wolf thing? It's not like you haven't dated a wolf before."

  "Yeah, and look how well that turned out,” she said, pulling her shirt over her head. "It’s not that you’re a wolf. I care that you're an alpha. Alpha's lives are complicated at the best of times. Not to mention the whole mate thing is a problem for me.” My wolf stirred at that.

  "Who said anything about looking for a mate?" I asked as I stood and began collecting my clothes.

  "You may not be in the market right now but it's not really up to you, is it?”

  She was right. When it came to a werewolf choosing a mate, the wolf was in the driver's seat, not the man. It didn't really matter what my plans were; if my wolf decided it was time to pick a lifelong partner, I'd have little say in the matter. It could happen tomorrow, fifty years from now, or never. My wolf had never really shown any serious interest in anyone until Jamie, and even that was mild compared to the compulsion I'd experience if he chose a mate.

  "I can understand your hesitation and you're right,” I replied as I pulled my jeans on. “An alpha's life can be complicated but mine isn't, generally speaking. As for the mate thing, I can't argue with you there. That is one aspect of my life I have next to no control over, but for now, I'm a free agent and I want to spend more time with you.”

  "And then what?" she countered. "For the sake of argument, let's say we start seeing each other in more than a horizontal capacity and it goes well. What happens when your wolf decides he likes someone who's not me?”

  "I'm not exactly sure how it works, but looking at it from the interest of self-preservation, I can't see how it would do my wolf any good to launch an internal civil war.” I pulled my shirt down over my head and sat down on the edge of the bed to put my boots on.

  "For my own self-preservation, I'm don't think I'm willing to chance it.” There was no hard edge of refusal to her words, only raw honesty. I couldn't fault her for it. Her concerns were valid.

  “Give me one date to change your mind. Not even a date. Just think of it as two friends going out for dinner and drinks.”

  “With the distinct possibility of sex at the end of the night?”

  “Probably, yes.”

  “That sounds a lot like a date,” she volleyed back. I shrugged and flashed her a sly smile. She began to shake her head and I interrupted her before she could speak.

  “At least promise me you'll think about it.”

  She walked over and stood between my legs looking down at me. She leaned down and kissed me. It was a different kind of kiss than before. It was warm and gentle, the heat from earlier replaced by a sadness. It felt like goodbye.

  “I promise to think about it,” she said, her words almost a whisper. She smiled down at me before stepping away.

  “Mark my words,” I said as I stood and slid into my leather jacket, “you'll change your mind.”

  “You’ll be the first to know,” she threw over her shoulder on the way to the elevator.

  RECKONING

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Finally!” Max yelled when we stepped through the front door of the Bullet. He and Aiden were sitting in a booth with Kade. The three were splitting a pitcher of beer. “We were beginning to think you guys got lost or something.”

  “Or something,” Jamie replied. “I'm going to hit the bar. What are you drinking?” she asked me.

  “I'll take a bourbon, neat please. Thanks.” She headed to the bar and I made my way to join the others.

  “Boss,” Max greeted with a mischievous grin.

  “She will likely kill you if you give her shit, fair warning.” I grabbed a chair from an empty table nearby and took a seat, leaving the empty booth seat for Jamie.

  “For some reason, I don't doubt that,” he replied.

  “Are you two dating?” Kade asked.

  “Not exactly,” I answered quietly, not really wanting to explain further. Aidan scoffed but didn't say anything.

  “Hey, Jamie,” Kade announced as she came toward the table. Mercifully, they dropped the subject.

  “Hello again,” she replied. She set my drink down in front of me before sliding into the vacant seat.

  "The sample is with the coven," Kade said. “The witches seemed optimistic. Marisol said she could feel the magick pulsing through it when I gave her the vial. We should have something by tomorrow.”

  “Marisol?” Jamie asked.

  “Leader of the Manhattan coven of witches,” I explained. “If you stick around, I'm sure you'll meet her.”

  “Are you going somewhere?” Kade asked. If he was pumping her for information, he hid it well. After learning of her hunter heritage, I was sure he probably had more than a few questions but he didn't seem overly concerned by it.

  “My plans were to drift for a while, but Marcel here seems to think I'd like it here in New York.”

  “New York can be a wonderful place to live, especially in the supernatural community.”

  “Yeah, well, I'm not too sure how that community would feel about me taking up residence in their neck of the woods.”

  “Who exactly do you think is going to have a problem?” Aidan asked. “You're currently sitting with a werewolf alpha and the head of the Manhattan-based vampire coven, both of whom you just did a favor for.”

  "Nice use of whom," she interjected.

  "Thank you," he fired back. "My point is if there is anyone in the supernatural community who wants to fuck with you, let them try.”

  "You've got nothing to worry about from my wolves," I added.

  "I appreciate that," she replied, "but you know it isn't that simple.” For a moment, her cool facade slipped and worry flared in her eyes. Under the table, I pressed my leg against hers hoping to reassure her.

  "It's fine," I said quietly and gave her a nod. "You can trust everyone here.”

  She didn't look confident, but I knew Aidan and Max as well as anyone could and they would defer to me when they heard what she had to say. She looked down at the table, clearly unable to meet their eyes. She swirled the brown liquid in her glass and downed it in one gulp before she spoke.

  "I come from a hunter line. I was trained from childhood to eventually take up the family legacy of indiscriminate slaughter and mayhem. Long story short, I walked away, but leaving the family doesn't mean I get a free pass from the supes of the world. If the wrong people find out I'm a hunter, they'll be hunting me. I may as well be walking around with a neon bull's-eye painted on my forehead. New York was supposed to be easy to disappear into and it's really not. I didn't count on there being so many packs here and I'm not sure how smart it is for me to stay. Self-preservation and all that.” I was fairly certain that last sentence was just for me and the pointed look she shot me confirmed it. Kade was suspiciously quiet and Jamie picked up on it too. She faced him and he didn't avert his gaze.

  "Got anything to say?" she challenged. Kade didn't flinch. He just smiled and took a sip of his beer. "Seriously, man, you're making me nervous.”

  "You have no reason to be, provided you don't mean my people any harm.”

  "I have no beef with you or your coven. Clay is a special brand of asshole whose continued existence provokes my ire.” Kade laughed and she smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm going to kill him one day, but in the meantime, I'm not looking for trouble from anyone else.”

  "Then we're good,” he replied with a shrug.r />
  With that cleared up, conversation took a lighter turn. Max grilled Jamie about being a hunter but I’m sure it was out of curiosity more than anything else. I realized Aidan had been quiet and that's when I caught him eyeballing Jamie and me, a satisfied smirk playing at the corner of this mouth. I knew what he was thinking, but Jamie had been clear. Even if I wanted to choose her, she wasn't interested. Still, I could understand his stakes in it. If the stories were to be believed, when an alpha takes a mate, something changes within the pack. Like the last puzzle piece finally falling into place. A completeness. And power.

  None of us had experienced it yet in our time as wolves but we'd all heard the rumors. Stories passed between wolves of enhanced abilities and a new, more powerful pack magick. Werewolves hadn't exactly been renowned historians over the years, so it's not like there are pack archives we can research. We had no proof, only speculation from wolves who probably had no idea what they were talking about. And since nobody in our pack gave a shit about being the biggest, baddest pack in the city, finding a mate for the sake of solving the mystery never made my to-do list.

  "Can I get you guys anything?” Jamie asked, sliding back out of the booth. "Another pitcher?"

  "Yes, please, "Aidan replied. He pulled his wallet from his pocket and tossed it to her. "Take whatever you need out of there, and tip well. I have a reputation to uphold.”

  "Yes, sir," she replied with a mock salute. "Anything for you?" she asked, pinning those sparkling blues on me.

  "Another bourbon would be wonderful. Thank you.” We all watched as she walked away. When I turned my attention back to the table, all three of them were grinning like idiots. "Stop,” I commanded, cutting them off before they could even say anything. "You guys are worse than a bunch of old ladies. Kade, I'd expect better from you, of all people.”

  "I like her.” he replied. "She's ... unique.”

  "That's one word for it," Max added. "I thought hunters were all gone.”

  "They're still around," Kade explained, “but they made a peace agreement with the covens decades ago. She is the first one I've run across in years.”

  "I didn't even know they existed in the first place," I confessed. “When she told me all of this last night—”

  “You've known since last night?” Aidan interrupted.

  “I have, and there is a lot more to her story but it's not mine to tell. I will say this. She was up front about her feelings on supes within minutes of our very first conversation, regardless of her background. As long as we keep our hands to ourselves, she’ll do the same.”

  “Well, you're off to a stellar start,” Max chimed in sarcastically.

  “That was her idea,” I replied. “After the warning when we first met, I let her take the driver's seat.” I glanced toward Jamie at the bar just in time to see Ace wander through the door. “And that's the one I'm worried about crossing the line. If he steps out of line, I promised her I wouldn't interfere. That goes for you two as well,” I added to Max and Aidan. “She's already warned him. I've already warned him. If he fucks up, that’s on his shoulders.” They nodded their agreement. I turned to Kade.

  “Pack business is none of my business. I won't get in the way.” I turned my attention back to Jamie. She was talking with the bartender, and although her back was to him, her finger worrying at the metal ring of one of her knives said she knew he was there. His voice was much too loud and his movements too sloppy. In a shocking twist of events, Ace was too fucked up and acting like an obnoxious asshole.

  And it took him all of thirty-seven seconds to lock onto her like a laser-guided missile.

  "You in a better mood tonight, honey?”

  I bristled at his words and the heat of the familiar red glow began to seep into my eyes.

  "No," she fired back over her shoulder, the single word response dark and humorless.

  "Don't worry," he rebutted, apparently unfazed by her brush off, "you'll come around."

  He turned and walked away. I relaxed again as he seemed to lose interest in pursuing her, even if it would be short lived. She resumed her conversation with the bartender, but I kept a casual eye on him, just in case. He wandered over to the pool tables, chatting up anyone who would listen. After offering to buy their next round of drinks, one of the groups welcomed him like an old friend. Ace pulled his wallet from his back pocket and slapped a bill down on the side rail of the pool table. He called the next game and took a seat while the others finished the game they already had going.

  "I'm telling you, boss," Aidan began. I already knew what was coming next. "Life would be a whole lot easier if we just exiled them.”

  "We could send them somewhere far, far away," Max added.

  "Entertain the thought for half a second. Where would you have me send them?”

  "The bottom of the Mariana Trench?” Aidan fired back without hesitation.

  "Being an asshole isn't really a punishable offense.”

  "You're right but something has to be done. I know you can feel the unrest in the pack. It sets my teeth on edge.” His brusque tone was a testament to his growing frustration.

  "Do you mean that literally?” Kade asked. "I'm just curious. I've heard rumors."

  "Rumors?" I asked.

  "People talk.” He shrugged. “I've been told packs have a psychic connection.” Max and Aidan both stayed quiet, deferring to me to decide how much to tell the vampire. The connection a pack shared wasn't a secret to my knowledge. If it was meant to be, no one felt that fact was important enough to write down anywhere.

  "It's true," I admitted, "but the strength and clarity of the connection varies depending on circumstances. For instance, prior to Ace and Dylan joining the pack, our connection gave us a sense of serenity.”

  "Now it's more like a thinly-veiled anxiety attack that never ends,” Max offered.

  "You can't shut it out?” the vampire asked.

  "No more than we could shut out our own thoughts,” I replied.

  One of the few downsides to the pack connection was the inability to choose when you felt it. It would be nice be able to flip a switch when I didn't feel like being bombarded with the emotions of more than half a dozen other men. Normally, the pros of the pack connection far outweighed the cons but Max was right. It's a little hard to relax when you have the emotional equivalent of nails on a chalkboard playing on a loop at the edge of your mind.

  "Come on, baby—" I heard Ace begin, his words loud and slurred, but he never got the chance to finish.

  I turned just in time to watch him grab Jamie's arm, presumably to make her face him. He accomplished his goal but not in the way he intended. I jumped from my chair to intervene, regardless of my promise, but in a matter of seconds, she proved she didn't need my help. At his touch, she spun around and sliced his palm open with one of her paralytic-laced blades. She pulled back quick and slammed her fist up into his nose. With a sickening crack, blood began to rush from his nose and he stumbled backward, one of his hands over his face trying to staunch the flow. He lost his footing and went down like a ton of bricks, but she didn't slow.

  She jumped on top of him as he collapsed to the floor and unleashed on him, raining down punch after savage punch. Onlookers exploded in a cacophony of cheers and gasps, half the patrons reveling in the violence, the other half floored by the display. The bouncer flung the front door open and issued a high-pitched whistle as he disappeared from view. When he pulled the door open again, two uniformed NYPD officers rushed in past him and I instantly regretted keeping my distance. I shoved my way through the crowd forming around Jamie. Whether it was nerves or she genuinely found the situation funny, she was laughing like a lunatic when the cops hauled her off Ace. He was on the floor, motionless but breathing, his face swollen and covered in blood. I looked to Jamie in utter disbelief. Her laughter had finally stopped, replaced by a wicked grin. The sound of tightening handcuffs ratcheted behind her back as one of the officers read her her Miranda rights. Ignoring his words, she
opted not to stay silent.

  "Still want that date?” she asked.

  I looked down at Ace's lifeless form and then backup to her.

  "Now more than ever.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Internationally bestselling author Jena Gregoire was born and raised in New Hampshire, USA, and despite her abhorrence for any season which dares to drop to a temperature below seventy degrees, she still currently resides there with her two children and several furbabies. Always a passionate reader, her love of urban fantasy books inevitably morphed into a love of writing them. She is currently working on the Hellfire (previously known as Demon Legacy) series and has a Hellfire spinoff series coming soon. Jena Gregoire previously published as J.M. Gregoire.

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