Starting up his bike, he pulled away from the curve, realizing once he headed out he was going to Jenna’s. Within minutes it would be dark, but a very minor disadvantage to riding a Harley was that it was difficult sneaking up on anyone. Seth scowled. He wasn’t a coward.
And you’re a professional. Which meant presenting the facts and putting them in order.
Jeremy Drury was a good man. He had eyes and ears better than most cops on the force and had helped Seth out more times than he could count. Tray Long was after Jenna. Seth could come up with at least several tangible reasons why Long chose Jenna, but the reason he’d have to put at the top of the list was that she was quite obviously the hottest woman in Omaha, if not the entire fucking state.
Jeremy would love hearing that.
Seth pulled up in front of Jenna’s rural home, buried on the outskirts of the forest, and pulled into the long gravel driveway. There were several cars parked there already. He had never seen Jeremy in a car. Jeremy always called where they would meet for information exchange and he was always on foot. A quick glance at the tags on the cars parked in the drive showed they weren’t all owned by the same person. Seth’s boots crunched over the gravel as he walked up the drive, then along the narrow cement walk to the door.
The house was old, somewhat kept up, the front yard recently mowed, although at the edge of the yard the dense foliage at the base of the tree line made for a natural wall against the rest of the world. Seth knocked firmly on the door, then glanced the other direction, past the driveway at another old farmhouse down the road and across the street. The road curved after that, making it impossible to see any other neighbors. He turned, facing the door, and knocked again.
With all the cars in the driveway, it would appear the house was full of people, yet no one answered. He considered walking around to the back side of the house when the lock on the door clicked and opened. Jeremy stared at Seth, his expression serious if not a bit put out. He stared at Seth for a moment, not saying a word.
“May I come in?” Seth asked, focusing on Jeremy’s steel-blue eyes and noticing shreds of silver laced across the blue that he’d never seen before. Obviously the unique eye color was a family trait.
Jeremy continued staring at him, his expression unreadable. Seth never doubted the man would be as grave of an enemy as he was an ally. He held his ground, though, not backing down but waiting for the answer.
“Why are you here?” Jeremy asked, not letting him in.
Someone said something behind Jeremy. It was another man and Seth swore he heard him say, “He doesn’t belong here.” When Jenna retorted, coming up behind Jeremy and grabbing his arm to move him out of the way, Seth understood. Jeremy knew damn good and well why Seth was there, but he would give the guy something to hold on to, since apparently Jeremy wasn’t the only one feeling a need to protect Jenna.
“We can discuss her if you want,” Seth said, keeping his attention on Jeremy when Jenna pushed next to her brother. “But I’m here on business.”
Jeremy took his sister by the arm and held her next to him when he stepped back and opened the door for Seth.
“Why are you letting him inside?” a stocky, dark-haired man Seth didn’t recognize demanded. He had been sitting on the couch and rose when Seth entered the home.
“Welcome to our home,” Jeremy said gravely, the meaning in his words heavy. He kept a watchful eye on Seth as he closed the door, then whispered something to Jenna.
“No,” she snapped, not whispering in turn. “I’ve kept nothing from you and you aren’t keeping anything from me.”
“Do as you’re told,” Jeremy growled.
Other than the stocky guy on the couch, another thick, tall man who looked vaguely familiar leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as he studied Seth with almost a curious look on his face. Seth was definitely under scrutiny, as if they weren’t sure he belonged here. It was an interesting sensation. He definitely had entered many homes where he wasn’t welcome. It came with the job. But this was a different sensation. There weren’t criminals in this home. That much Seth would swear to. But nonetheless, even Jeremy seemed on edge. If they were all that protective over Jenna, it was a bit extreme.
As the silence weighed heavy in the room, Seth met Jenna’s pained expression. Giving her a slight nod, he cleared his throat. “I’ll come find you before I leave,” he told her, breaking the silence.
All three other men moved, shifting their weight, not appreciating Seth breaking the tension.
“You better.” Jenna pushed away from Jeremy and walked up to Seth, touching him.
Jeremy growled, sounding almost like a wild animal, protective of what was his and willing to attack to protect it. The only difference here was obviously Jenna didn’t want his protection. At the same time, Seth fought not to grumble in return. Her hand brushed down his arm, her deep blue eyes imploring him to understand and work through the possessiveness embedded in her brother.
Seth hesitated only for a moment, then touched her cheek. “Let me talk to your brother,” Seth told her. He wouldn’t insult Jeremy by not allowing him to see what he felt for Jenna. The emotions were new, raw, but there. Jeremy needed time to accept them, and seeing the affection, even if it were the slightest of touches, would help the man come to terms with the fact that Seth didn’t intend to leave Jenna alone.
“Why did you come here?” Jeremy asked after Jenna left the room and a door closed, suggesting she’d gone to her bedroom.
“Two reasons,” Seth told him, remaining standing inside the front door.
Jeremy didn’t suggest they sit. He stood in the middle of the living room, facing Seth, while the two other men watched him warily.
“And they are?”
“I ran a tag number on Tray Long before coming over here. Do you know an Elizabeth Helo?”
Jeremy’s blank stare showed he didn’t. He looked at the other two men, who both shook their heads. “Apparently we don’t. She owns the car Long is running around in?”
“Yup. It’s a brown Honda Accord, a ’96.” Seth relaxed some, accustomed to talking shop with Jeremy. Although he didn’t know the other two men, if Jeremy was content having them in the room, Seth didn’t mind. Not to mention, Long was stalking Jenna and they had a right to know all Seth could offer them to be able to recognize the asshole in case he came around. “It’s a two-door with some rust on it. When Jenna and I were at lunch today—,” he continued but was immediately interrupted by Jeremy stepping forward.
For a moment he looked as if he’d lunge at Seth for announcing he took Jenna to eat. He’d seen some protective families before, but this was too much. Every muscle in Jeremy’s body bulged, his rage so visible the guy almost shook from it. Seth frowned at him and knew this needed to be discussed. He would broach the situation as soon as he finished telling Jeremy what the guy needed to know about Long.
“And left the restaurant,” Seth continued, keeping his focus on Jeremy in spite of the guy’s intense irritation over him mentioning Jenna, “Tray Long entered the parking lot. I then learned he’d tried abducting Jenna before she came to me today.”
Jeremy roared, unable to hold his rage in any longer. Instead of pouncing on Seth, Jeremy turned and slammed his fist against his wall, creating a dent in the wall and causing a wall hanging to crash to the floor. Ignoring it, he spun around, his blue eyes so silver it was fucking eerie.
Jenna raced into the room, her look wild as she came to a stop, her eyes wide as she stared at her brother. “What did you say to him?” she asked Seth, whispering.
Seth didn’t answer her. He kept his attention on Jeremy. “I plan on going to Elizabeth’s when I leave here but want you to know what I’ve learned about Tray, as well as discuss your sister’s insistence that she can walk around town by herself.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Tray Long tried attacking you?” Jeremy turned his fury on his sister.
She shot Seth a condemning glare. “Thanks a lot.”
“Jenna is convinced she can take care of herself,” Seth continued, tightening his grip on her when she tried creating distance and looked up at him, ready to argue with him. “And I’m sure she has tons of experience fending off men. But this situation is different. She can’t continue walking around town alone.”
“Seth!” she cried out.
“Agreed,” Jeremy said, also ignoring Jenna’s outburst. “She didn’t tell me Tray Long got that close to her.”
“I hesitate in speculating on his motives, but Tray Long is stalking your sister. I’ve tried telling her what this jerk does to women, the atrocities he inflicts before killing them.”
“Jeremy!” Jenna yelled, spinning around in Seth’s arms when he wouldn’t let her go. “Tell him I can take care of myself.”
“He will kill you,” Jeremy said, his suddenly quiet tone more disturbing than when he was yelling. “Even more so now that you’ve fucked him.” He gestured at Seth.
Seth was surprised Jenna had told her brother they’d had sex, but didn’t blink, unwilling to show any remorse over his actions or surprise that Jenna had decided to confide in her brother what level her relationship with Seth had moved to.
“Seth, come outside with me.” Jeremy moved to the door. “There is something I am going to explain to you.”
“What?” Jenna slid out of Seth’s arms, hugging herself and suddenly looking so pale she looked sick.
The other two men stepped forward. “What are you going to do?” the large man who looked vaguely familiar demanded.
Jeremy held his hand out, silencing the group. He held weight as the head of this household; even the two men respected his commands. “I trust this one. You will all accept that.” Then turning to Jenna, the transformation in his expression, the rage dissipating as compassion replaced it, he cupped her cheek, like a father would to a daughter he loved very much. “This is for the best, Jenna,” he whispered. “Better for him to know now than for you to be so hurt later.”
Jenna hugged herself, backing away from Jeremy as she bit her lip. She looked ready to cry but then shook her head frantically. “Let me tell him then.”
“No.” Jeremy opened the front door. “Seth, come with me.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jenna raced to the back of the house, knowing Jeremy would take Seth to the backyard.
“You can’t go out there,” Bruno called after her.
“Shut up!” She ignored him, hurrying to the back door, her heart pounding a thousand miles an hour in her chest and her palms wet when she gripped the cold metal handle on the door.
Why was Jeremy doing this? Seth would run so fast if he learned they were werewolves. She couldn’t accept that Jeremy wanted her to be hurt. And he knew she had feelings for Seth. Even though he didn’t approve of her being with a human, Jeremy liked Seth. He’d said as much. They were friends.
She was ready to rip the handle out of the door when the lock suddenly wouldn’t cooperate with her.
“Would you want a relationship with someone that you could never be yourself around?” Bingo said from behind her.
She’d always liked the older werewolf. Her parents had been killed when she was fifteen, leaving her under the protection of her brother and their pack. Bingo sometimes felt like the sire she no longer had. And more than once when she wanted to shred Jeremy’s skin with her claws, she’d run to Bingo, unloading on him until he helped her feel better. But Jenna didn’t want his words of wisdom right now. She rested her forehead against the smooth wooden door, her heart refusing to settle in her chest.
“You don’t understand. He is different.” Even as she spoke, though, Bingo’s words sank into her system, creating a nasty bile in her throat. “I can’t let Jeremy destroy this.”
Somehow she yanked the door open without crushing the lock. Then as she closed it behind her, both Seth and Jeremy, who were at the edge of the yard by the trees, where no one would see them in daylight, turned and stared at her. The concern and confusion in Seth’s eyes ripped at her heart.
“Jeremy, no. Not like this,” she said, running to them.
“It is time.” Jeremy was all business, his cool, determined smell assuring her he wouldn’t be swayed on the matter.
Jenna wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t lose it in front of Seth. Throwing a fit would make her look like a cub. “Then let me show him.”
“Show me what?” Seth demanded. “Neither one of you are making any sense.”
“We aren’t human,” she stammered, blurting out the words.
“Jenna. Silence,” Jeremy ordered.
He was her brother, the elder in their litter. Years of honoring him, of following his lead after their parents died, made it almost impossible to completely defy him. Jenna had already told herself, and him in so many words, that she’d continue seeing Seth regardless of what Jeremy ordered her to do or not do. But in this matter, in breaking their laws, in allowing a human to know the truth about them, she obeyed without thought and shut her mouth.
“There are laws,” Jeremy said, voicing her thoughts and shifting his attention to Seth. He pulled off his shirt as he spoke. “They are very clear and written for the safety of our pack, as well as for all packs.”
Seth took a step backward. “Man, what are you doing?” He smelled so confused it was hard not to reach out to console him.
“Jenna is right. We aren’t human. More times than you realize I’ve smelled your bewilderment when I’ve given you pieces of information on a case you’ve been working on and known you couldn’t figure out how I knew what I did.”
Seth didn’t say anything but took another step backward when Jeremy kicked off his boots, then reached down and pulled off his socks.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Seth ordered when Jeremy reached for his pants. “You’ve lost it, Jeremy. And you aren’t making any sense.” He turned from Jeremy, walking to Jenna and then gripping her arm. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing.” Her mouth was so dry she could barely speak. It was too hard to move. She wanted to grab Seth and run, take him somewhere no one would interrupt or ruin the wonderful thing that had begun between the two of them.
“Seth,” Jeremy said, his voice garbled as he stood naked in his and Jenna’s backyard, the change already boiling strong in his blood.
When Seth turned around and saw Jeremy, the expletives that left his mouth turned Jenna’s blood cold. Her brother transformed before them, his face altering and contorting while fur spread over his flesh, the change in full force and taking over him with rapid speed.
“Get in the house,” Seth ordered, gripping her arm and almost lifting her as he took long strides away from Jeremy.
“No. Seth!” Jenna put more than a little muscle into the effort of keeping Seth outside. “Seth, look at him.”
When he again turned his attention to Jeremy, Seth froze, pulling Jenna into his arms with enough force all air left her lungs. “What the fuck?” he hissed.
“Seth, we’re werewolves.”
Seth paled noticeably, the smell of fear overwhelming in spite of how he stood his ground when Jeremy fell to all fours and took a step toward them. He walked slowly, his head held high, and his features relaxed. Jeremy was a noble creature, his dark, coarse hair reflecting the sunlight. It wasn’t often Jenna saw him in his fur in the daylight, but she sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling a wave of pride over what her brother was doing. He was bringing Seth closer to them, bridging a gap that had always been there up to this moment.
“There’s no su
ch thing,” Seth said firmly.
He might as well have stabbed her in the heart. “How can you say that?”
She laughed although there wasn’t anything funny said. Pointing to her brother, she grabbed Seth’s arm, looking at him as her gaze riveted to the scratches still visible on his neck. For some reason, a strange sensation washed over her. If Seth were a werewolf, those scratches would be long gone by now. The realization of how vulnerable he was, of how easily he could be marked and hurt because of his species, created mixed emotions inside her she didn’t understand.
Jeremy once again began transforming and Seth’s jaw dropped, his pallor turning so pale he looked like he might get sick. When Jeremy stood, naked, then walked to his clothes, Seth started shaking.
“I don’t believe it,” he whispered, noticeably upset.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, pressing her palm against his chest and feeling the steady beat of his heart.
Seth looked down at her, the smell of his fear gone and anger filling the air between them so quickly its spiciness almost made her sneeze. “Can you do that, too?”
“Yes,” she whispered, searching his face. “But now you know. I don’t have to hide it from you.”
“No,” he said, not elaborating but letting go of her and storming around the side of the house.
“Seth, wait!” She ran after him, catching up as he reached his bike. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got work to do,” he said, not looking at her when he climbed on his bike and caused it to roar to life.
“I’ll come over later.”
He looked at her, his expression so cold and distant and the strong, spicy smell of outrage scaring her. Seth stared at her as if they were strangers. He backed his bike up without saying anything, then turned it around, causing his tires to send gravel flying when he tore out of her and Jeremy’s driveway and took off down the highway.
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