“Like what?” Kevin grunted.
“Like you can’t wait to get me into bed and under you.”
“Shut up, guys,” Logan snapped.
Jacyn flushed, from both anger and embarrassment. Okay, maybe he had been salivating over Logan, but did those two jackasses have to point it out?
Jared’s phone started to ring and he went outside to answer it.
“This is amazing,” Jacyn proclaimed, lightly touching Logan’s stomach. “I don’t see any wounds at all. Were you shot somewhere else?”
“No. I told you, we heal quickly if we’re well enough to shift.” Logan sucked in a breath as Jacyn allowed his fingers to trail up his chest.
Jacyn smiled to himself. It was nice to see that he wasn’t the only one feeling this attraction. His head tilted just enough, he licked his lips again, nice and slow, so there was no way Logan could miss it. All the while Jacyn kept his gaze down, directed on the man’s groin.
“You would heal, too, if you shifted,” Kevin spoke up, interrupting Jacyn’s lustful thoughts.
Jacyn froze as a bit of fear slid down his spine. He didn’t remember much from when he turned into a jaguar the night before, but he did recall it had hurt—a lot. “No thanks,” he said adamantly as he stood.
“Not to be a dick, but you have to,” Kevin insisted without an ounce of remorse. “We need everyone one hundred percent in case we get attacked by Ravens. We can’t fight if we have to compensate for your injured ass.”
“Enough!” Logan snarled as he sprung to his feet.
“I’m sorry if the truth hurts the little jaguar’s feelings, but it’s true.” Kevin took a step forward, his blue eyes turning darker with fury.
Jacyn stood, too, because looking at the guy, he was ready to attack. Jacyn realized that despite the fact he was smaller than his buddy, Kevin was by far the most dangerous of the two. “Don’t worry about having to drag me anywhere. I can take care of myself,” Jacyn snapped. For some reason he sensed the best defense against this guy was to throw back some aggression.
“Somehow I doubt that.” Kevin curled his fingers into fists as he flicked a disgusted look over Jacyn’s body. “You don’t look like you could fight a hummingbird let alone a battle-trained Raven. So you’re already going to be a handicap to us healthy. Hurt like you are, you’re a fucking death wish.”
“So tell me, which one are you, Dumb or Ass,” Jacyn countered. “From the way you’re acting, either one would fit you.”
Kevin growled and took a threatening step closer, but Logan quickly stepped in between them. “Back the fuck off,” he snarled at the panther.
Even though his back was to Jacyn, he could feel the anger rolling off Logan. He only hoped it wasn’t directed at him. Since he had no clue about how the shifters lived and what their rules were, for all he knew he could have just broken one by getting in Kevin’s face.
“You need to stop coddling him and make him shift.” Kevin nearly yelled, his face distorted by rage.
“And you need to shut up,” Logan replied in a much calmer tone. “He’s just learned what he is so we need to give him some time to adjust. He only turned for the first time the other day. It’s not like he had years of training to get ready like you did, Kevin.”
“You didn’t have anyone guiding you, but you seemed to manage just fine,” Kevin argued.
Jacyn stepped to the side. A brief flicker of emotion crossed Logan’s face and Jacyn wondered about it. Even if Logan’s parents had been Rogues, wouldn’t they have at least taught him what to expect when shifting and stuff? From the way Kevin talked, he made it seem that Logan had faced it alone.
“Shift,” Kevin demanded, his cool glare directed at Jacyn.
“No,” Jacyn stepped around Logan so he could face off on the guy one-on-one.
“Stop being such a pussy and do it.”
“Fuck off.”
“Such language,” Jared quipped as he came back in the room, the phone still in his hand. He stopped, cocking one brow when he saw Jacyn facing off against Kevin. “Can’t I leave you guys alone for five minutes?”
Jacyn tensed as he waited to see how this would all play out. Would Jared take offense and attack? If so, would Logan get hurt in the fallout? There was no doubt in Jacyn’s mind that the man would jump to protect him. He almost sighed in relief when Jared smiled and held out the phone.
“Mitchell wants to talk to you.”
Jacyn stared stupidly at the phone. His pulse hammered as he realized that on the other end was his brother. One that, until a couple of days ago, he’d never known had existed. What if, as soon as Mitchell heard his voice, the man realized this was a huge mistake and they had the wrong jaguar? What if he just wanted to talk to Jacyn to tell him to get lost because they had never wanted him in the first place? Or worse, what if he turned out to be a huge disappointment? Just by listening to the way the others had gone on and on about how great Mitchell was, how could Jacyn possibly have a chance of even coming close to being his equal?
Logan came up behind him and touched Jacyn on the shoulder. “It’s okay. He’s going to be so happy to finally meet you. He’s the one that sent me out to find you so we already know he wants you. Just think about that.”
Jacyn leaned back against Logan, taking support and comfort from the warm touch of his body. He gave one jerky nod before he reached out and took the phone from Jared. As he lifted it up to his ear, he could feel the gazes of the other shifters on him. “Hello.” He was happy that his voice didn’t sound as shaky as he felt.
“Oh God,” a deep voice breathed. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”
“Ah…” Jacyn trailed off, not knowing how to respond. Finally, he settled on. “Yeah, it is.” He cringed, that was real eloquent there.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you had to find out about all this. I know it must be a whole lot to take in and I should have been the one to tell you everything.”
Mitchell apologized with such a sincere tone Jacyn knew he meant it. “That’s okay,” Jacyn settled further back into Logan’s chest. “Logan was here and he’s been great.”
“I’m sure he has and you can trust him.”
“I do, completely,” Jacyn replied. There was a long pregnant silence and Jacyn winced as he realized he had popped off with that response a little too fast. Earlier, when he’d been in the bathroom, he’d overhead Kevin and Jared lecturing. The last thing he wanted was to get Logan in trouble. He stumbled, trying to recover, “What I meant is, he did rescue me twice from the Ravens so of course I know he’s trying to help me.”
“Yes, he did,” Mitchell didn’t sound too convinced though.
“So do the others know about me yet?” Jacyn asked, steering the conversation away from Logan.
“Are you kidding?” Mitchell chuckled. “Cassie is so excited that it’s all I can do to keep her from coming out to get you. I would let you talk to her now, but she’s out on a mission. She’s missed you so much. We all have.”
“Oh.” Jacyn clutched the phone tight, not knowing what to say. It wasn’t like he could return the sentiment. How could he miss something he never knew he had?
“I realize you probably have a million questions and I promise as soon as you get home, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” Mitchell’s voice sounded a little rough.
Was it because he was getting choked up? That hardly sounded like the leader he’d heard about. “Cool. Logan says we should be there soon.” Jacyn could hear the muted conversations of the shifters in the room with him. There was some arguing, a chuckle and then Kevin and Jared rushing around to load up the gear. Logan still stayed by Jacyn’s side.
“Sorry, but it’s going to take a little longer,” Mitchell said. “I need you guys to check up on something for me. A pack of canines in your area just got a report that someone attacked a family of Rogue felines last night. So I need Logan and the others to check it out for me.”
“Okay.” There he went w
ith another one-word answer. If he kept this up, Mitchell would think he was a moron.
“I want you to keep your head down and let the others handle the situation though,” Mitchell ordered.
“Sure, no problem.” Woo hoo! Three words, someone better stop the presses.
“I mean it,” Mitchell continued to hammer out the commands. “Do not engage the enemy, no matter what.”
“Believe me after the way things ended last time, I’m not eager to play around with these jerks again. I’ll stay out of it.”
“Good.” Mitchell’s sigh sounded relieved. “Because I couldn’t stand losing you again.”
Finishing his conversation, Jacyn hung up the phone and handed it back to Jared. He didn’t say anything and was grateful when the others didn’t badger him with questions. Truth was, if someone had asked him how he felt right now, he wasn’t too sure he would be able to give an answer. While he was overjoyed to finally be able to talk to Mitchell, the whole prospect of entering this new, violent life made Jacyn more than a bit apprehensive.
Since he and Logan had only planned on crashing a few hours to begin with, it didn’t take long to load everything into the car and get moving again with Kevin and Jared following in their Land Rover.
“So are they a couple?” Jacyn asked even though it was obvious they were. Just watching the way they acted around each other showed how much they cared about one another.
“Yeah, they’ve been mates for a couple of years now. Personally, I don’t see how Jared can put up with Kevin.”
“He’s a…” Jacyn trailed off, trying to think of a good insult.
“Jackass, dick, asshole?” Logan supplied for him.
“Yeah, all three rolled into one angry package.”
They both laughed and Jacyn noticed, not for the first time, how when he smiled, Logan’s features grew so soft and sensual. Jacyn wanted to reach across the car and caress his cheek, but resisted, not knowing how Logan would react.
Ever since Kevin and Jared had interrupted them, neither he nor Logan had touched on what had almost happened. Jacyn was both frustrated and confused. The only thing he did know was that if he had to go the rest of his life not being able to hold and taste Logan again, he would be forever miserable. So how could he convince Logan that he wanted to be with him no matter what? Despite their differences, or what others thought, or even if Mitchell ordered them apart. “Have you ever thought about going Rogue?” Jacyn asked.
Logan shot him a surprised look before he answered. “Not since your brother took me into his coalition. He trusted me when nobody else ever had. For that I could never betray him by leaving.”
“How would that be betraying him?” Jacyn realized again how much he had to learn about the shifter ways.
“Mitchell needs every fighter he can get if he ever wants to defeat the Ravens. It’s bad enough that he’s losing men in battle. For me to leave just because I don’t want to be part of the coalition would be selfish on my part and a dishonor to all Mitchell has done for me.”
“That makes sense.” A bleak feeling came over Jacyn. So much for them running off so they could be together. “If Rogues are so anti-coalition, then why are we going to help this family?”
“Unlike most, Mitchell isn’t willing to throw shifters out like yesterday’s garbage just because they decide to leave the coalition.”
The bitterness in Logan’s voice when he said that sentence felt like blow to Jacyn’s chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult your parents,” Jacyn rushed out, feeling like a complete jackass.
“I know you didn’t.” He pressed his lips together in a hard line before, he added, “Besides my parents weren’t exactly gems anyhow.”
“Did they hurt you?” Jacyn’s gut clenched at the thought of anyone harming Logan.
“Not that often, usually they were too drunk or high to even notice I was in the room. They both slowly killed themselves and died when I was still pretty young.”
“Who took care of you then?”
“I lived on the streets for a few years until Mitchell found me and gave me a home.” A ghost of a smile played on Logan’s lips. “My first real one ever. Nevertheless, I shouldn’t complain too much. You grew up alone, too.”
Yeah, he had. Jacyn still had bitter memories of those years. Of not knowing why he had been cast aside. All those times he had felt so alone and so different from everyone else, too. Now he knew why. It was because he was different. “It wasn’t too bad.” He gave an indifferent shrug.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Logan said softly. “I can tell whenever you’re lying to me because you have a shitty poker face.”
“I do not,” Jacyn protested.
“Yeah, you do. You bite your bottom lip and look at the ground.”
Jacyn realized he was doing exactly that. He laughed. “I’m that obvious?”
“Yeah, but that’s okay. I like it.” Logan reached out and ran the back of his knuckles against Jacyn’s jaw.
Jacyn shivered, his body singing from the contact. “So does that mean if I keep doing it you’ll get a room for just you and me tonight?”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Logan asked, looking away from the road long enough to give a heated glance at Jacyn.
“Yes, I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. I want to finish what we started and if Kevin and Jared even think of interrupting us this time, so help me, I’ll shoot them.”
“Ouch.” Logan grinned. “That wouldn’t be good for them. I’ve seen how good you are with a Glock.”
“I told you I knew how to handle a gun.”
“Yeah, I seem to recall you mentioning an old lover teaching you.”
Jacyn ducked his head, but this time it was to hide the triumphant grin. Logan sounded jealous. That had to count for something, didn’t it? Right now Jacyn would take what he could since he had only a day left to convince Logan they belonged together because he had no doubt the man would push him away once they got home.
“We’re almost there,” Logan said, getting all business-like again. “I want you to promise me that no matter what, you’ll stay in the car.”
“Mitchell has already given me the same speech. I’ll make sure I stay out of trouble.”
“I mean it,” Logan hammered. “No matter what happens, don’t leave the car.”
“I won’t go anywhere, I promise.”
Chapter Eight
Before he even cut the engine to the car, Logan knew they were too late to save the family. The old farmhouse and the surrounding wood were silent. Only death and suffering brought that kind of silence. No wind rustled through the leaves. No birds sang. It was as if everything had taken a collective breath of fear and was holding it in. He got out and went to stand at the front of the porch. As Jared and Kevin came to join him, Logan could tell by the tense way they carried themselves that they sensed the same thing he did.
“I don’t like this,” Kevin growled as he looked up into the sky.
“I agree, this whole thing reeks,” Jared said as he pulled his daggers out and held them, one in each hand.
They were right. This seemed too remote, too quiet, as if the Ravens had picked this house and family for a reason. Then the answer came to him like a gunshot. This was all a setup. The Ravens had set up one big fat kitty cat trap and stupid fucks that they were, they had walked right into it. “Jacyn!” Logan roared as he turned to the car.
It was already too late. The sky seemed to come alive with huge black birds. Half landed and shifted into human form while the others continued to fly and circle around the felines. One dove down and attacked Logan, hitting him in the chest and taking him to the ground. He roared again, getting a mouthful of dirt in the process. The entire time, he continued to kick, bite and scratch, desperate to get a glance at the car. A gunshot ripped through the air and he heard Kevin let out a yell of pain.
Logan had dropped his sword in the scuffle and reached out blindly until his h
and hit the hilt. He wrapped his fingers around it and brought it up, the blade slicing though the Raven’s throat. It let out a keening cry before it fell to the side, blood pouring from its wound.
Logan staggered to his feet and looked over at the car. His heart dropped when he saw the passenger side door open and no sign of Jacyn. Another Raven jumped on Logan and he swung his sword at it, all the while shouting Jacyn’s name.
“He’s over helping Kevin,” Jared yelled right before he plunged one of his daggers into a Raven’s throat.
Logan looked over and saw Jacyn kneeling by Kevin. The jaguar was using his own shirt to try to stop the flow of bleeding on a nasty leg wound the panther had. Kevin kept trying to shove him back to the car.
Logan sucked in a sharp breath when he saw three Ravens baring down on the pair. What was worse was he and Jared were too far away to do anything.
“Run, you idiot,” Kevin screamed as he shoved Jacyn away from him. In the next instant, Kevin shifted to a black panther. The cat snarled before it launched itself at the Ravens.
Jacyn paused, his eyes wide with fear. Two more Ravens attacked and he snapped out of his trance. Turning, he did exactly what Logan hoped he would do. Ran as fast as possible from the fight.
* * * *
Jacyn pumped his legs as hard as he could, but could hear the pounding feet of the Ravens behind him. Since they were in human form, they had functioning lips and they made use of them.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” one sang.
Jesus that joke was getting old. If Jacyn had the breath to talk back, he would have told them to think of something new, but he was already sucking wind so he just focused on getting the hell away. Why, hadn’t he listened to Logan? All he had to do was stay in the car and keep out of trouble, but no, he had to go and disobey. A gunshot rang out, hitting a tree limb right above his head. Jacyn flinched, but never broke stride.
The mocking laughter of the Ravens filled the air.
He had meant to stay put, just like Logan had ordered, but then he’d seen Kevin injured and down and the paramedic in Jacyn had taken over. Before he could stop himself, he left the car and ran right into the battle so he could help him.
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