by C. M. Owens
So Gage agrees with me. I’m not sure why I feel good having that ounce of vindication. As a matter of fact, I frigging hate it. It’s a small wedge of insecurity I’m not used to, and it’s certainly not welcome.
Sitting back, I decide to be quiet. My emotions are all over the place. I went from a fortress of composure to a human teenage girl in no time. And I’m sure as hell not a teenager.
“I haven’t seen Reese in over a decade,” Thad says idly. “You?”
Gage shrugs. “Probably two decades. Kimber?”
I really hate how good my name sounds on his lips, and I also hate the fact he seems unaffected by me.
“I saw him a few years ago, but all my encounters with him have been brief. I’ve never gone to any of his establishments before. Werewolf territory is usually marked, and it’s hard to get in without an invitation. Needless to say I don’t get too many invitations, considering I’m related to the queen and werewolves don’t play by all the rules.”
While they sit in silence, I note their similar attire. Both are in black T-shirts. Both are in dark jeans. And both have on black combat boots. Their hair is a stark contrast to each other’s, and all of Gage’s piercings make him stand out.
“Did you two help each other pick out your wardrobes this morning?”
Gage’s jaw tenses and the steering wheel whines under his unrelenting grip.
“I’m fairly sure Thad was in your room, not mine.”
Well, crap. I should have seen that jab coming. I really am losing my edge these days.
Thad turns to look at me, his grin spreading, and then he shifts his attention to Gage.
“Dice and the half-demon chick were hooking up in the car on the way back. They barely made it to the couch, dude. All I did was sleep in Kimber’s bed. I’m not stupid enough to get into the mix with Drackus and Kane.”
Rolling my eyes, I drop back and cross my arms over my chest. I forget how everyone immediately freaks out when they find out who my family is. But Gage already knows, and he had no problem turning me away last night.
“They couldn’t have been the only ones making those sounds,” Gage mutters under his breath, and if I didn’t have immortal hearing, I would have missed it.
Thad bursts out laughing, and Gage flips him off.
“You’re fucking with me, right? Dice is an incubus. He has a room in all of your houses. How can you not know what it sounds like when he fucks? It’s like call of the wild.”
“I thought he was impotent until last night,” Gage says with a smirk.
“Well,” I say, my voice tight, “those sounds had to be all from them unless Thad joined in. Someone stuck me in a sleeper spell before tossing me into my room.”
Gage shifts uncomfortably, and Thad smothers his laughter with his hand, trying to turn it into a cough.
“I haven’t joined in with Dice. Ever. Two dudes? No. Two chicks? Hell yes,” Thad adds, chuckling ever so slightly.
Gage’s eyes meet mine again in the mirror, and he narrows them on me as though I’ve said something wrong. I refuse to let last night be the elephant in the room forever.
Besides, I want a redo without the influence of Dice. It’s rare I want something for myself, but Gage is slowly becoming a new obsession for me every time I look at him. Lust at first sight. I’m not stupid enough to expect more. But I’d love to get him out of my system so I could go back to focusing on important things.
“So you think this girl can help us?” I ask to kill the sexual topic when I start to squirm.
“Hopefully. She had to have been on the breathing plane. She can’t vaporize yet.”
“She can shift, so we can’t know that for sure,” Thad tells Gage.
Before I can add anything, we’re pulling up to the werewolf bar that has motorcycles lined up all the way down.
Gage gets out first, and I climb out right behind him, looking over the scene with a wary eye. I’ve only ever ventured into Kingston when necessary. The entire town is marked territory.
“Stay close,” Gage says over his shoulder, not letting his eyes meet mine. “Reese is trustworthy, but the rest of his wolves are completely unpredictable. They usually find it’s easier to ask forgiveness as opposed to asking for permission, so they strike first and apologize later.”
“I can handle the were,” I say flippantly. Honestly, does he not realize I’ve made it just fine in my life without the big protective hands suffocating me?
Two guys walk outside before we make it to the door, and grins break across their faces when they see Thad and Gage. “The changer and the dark user. Should have known that’s who they’d send.”
One of them scrolls their eyes over me, and I hold the gaze without lowering my eyes.
“Pretty toy you brought us,” the guy says in a slow drawl.
Despite the fact he looks like a muscled up model, I feel nothing but repulsion. I really hate alpha dicks—especially when they’re not even alphas.
“Not yours to touch,” Gage says with a smirk. “Try it and see what happens.”
Great. Gage is acting like I’m not able to speak for myself, and he’s about to get his ass chewed up by them. Their temper is easily agitated.
To my surprise though, the guy just laughs. “I’ll pass. I’ve seen you in action. I was there during the fight between Kane and Reese. Anyone crazy enough to handle Drackus isn’t someone I feel like fucking with today.”
Gage doesn’t react or respond, so Thad starts to walk in. But one of the guys puts a hand on his chest.
“Reese is in the middle of something. Don’t interfere.”
“Were business isn’t our business,” Thad assures. “We’re just here for the girl.”
The guy growls low in his throat, and his eyes flash with autumn sparks. “She shouldn’t exist. What the hell is going on?”
Gage looks around, eyeing our surroundings. The town is quiet for the most part, and only a few people are on the sidewalks.
“Not out here,” Gage tells him. “The bar is soundproofed. Lets’ go in.”
Thad walks in behind one of the goons, and Gage waits for me to walk in behind Thad so that he can follow behind me. Why is he getting to me?
Then realization spurs, and I almost laugh at how stupid I’ve been. This isn’t good. Not good at all.
As we head into the bar, the loud chants, cheers, and whistles deafen the room. Brutal crunches echo through my ears, and sprays of blood burst into the air above the crowd I can’t see around. When I hear that Reese’s name is one of the chants.
Great. Wolf fight.
“What’s happening?” Thad asks one of the guys. “And why is the Northwestern pack here?”
The guy looks back to him and smirks. “Pack consolidation. Shit’s going down out there, but we don’t know what. But whatever it is, we want to be prepared. Strength in numbers.”
“So this is an alpha fight?” I ask, only catching a glimpse of the fur through the people.
“Yep. And Brutus has another thing coming if he really thinks he can take on Reese.”
One of the men standing close by growls at us. Apparently he belongs to the Northwestern pack. Gage frowns, looking around the room, and I step closer.
“What’s that look for?” I whisper, keeping my voice loud enough for only him to hear.
He slides his arm around my waist, pulling me closer until I’m in front of him, and he bends down to my ear.
“I had a minor disagreement with them a few years ago when they marked dark user territory. It was resolved, but there might have been some bruised egos and possibly some bloodshed.”
He sounds proud of that fact, and I glance around to take in the numerous eyes narrowed in on us. Thad turns around, and the humor that has been in his eyes all day falls flat when he sees me leaning against the dark user that has invaded my head.
He directs his attention back on the fight, and I take a steady breath. I’ve already screwed up, and there’s only one way to fix it. Gage w
ill just have to talk to me and answer some questions, my mind will paint a picture, and I’ll be fine again.
I cringe when visions try to assault my already tired mind, but the unfocused, pointless images only annoy me. As usual. Closing my eyes, I try to focus on the sounds, but it’s too loud in here.
Slipping away from Gage becomes easy when a guy draws his attention away, and I quickly make my way outside to find quietness. The visions play on repeat for about five minutes, and though I can’t usually see more than a stilled image. But if I can just tune into the sounds within the vision.
As soon as I reach the outside and the doors close behind me, I zone in on the distant sounds that have already started fading.
“Shit,” I growl when the vision dissipates completely.
“Missed vision?” Thad asks, and I turn around to face him.
“You know me well,” I grumble.
He gives me a look that proves he didn’t just come out here to investigate my vision episode.
“Yes, I do,” he sighs. He takes another step forward, his eyes burrowing into mine. “And you need to stay away from Gage. You can’t accept mysteries, and he’s the biggest mystery in the world. Not even I know his story. He never even let Alyssa in. There’s no one you can ask questions to piece together the story, and you already have one obsession.”
Swallowing hard, I cross my arms over my chest and look away.
“I’m fine. I just met him. Something like that would take months,” I lie, because I know damn well it has already started.
He studies me for a long moment, and then he blows out a breath while running a hand through his hair. “I need to get back in there. Reese will have Brutus submitting any minute now. You coming?”
I massage my temples, feigning a pain that isn’t there just to stall for time. “I just need a minute.”
He nods, and then walks back in, leaving me outside to kick idly at the loose gravel that spreads over the pavement. Turning back toward the street, I notice it’s getting darker. Fewer and fewer people are on the sidewalks, and I take in the distracting yet peaceful scenery.
“Gage’s bitch isn’t really welcome around here,” a girl’s voice says.
I whip back around, confused and startled, and see four guys and three girls, all of them staring at me like it just turned into werewolf Christmas.
“Ironic that you’re calling me a bitch,” I drawl. “But I’m not Gage’s anything.”
She growls at me, a deep rumbling warning that emanates from her chest. Rolling my eyes, I take a step toward them. Unfortunately, they start spreading around, putting me in the middle of their circle.
This isn’t good.
It’s not like I can throw open some portals and toss them in. They’d know my power then.
“Told you Reese’s pack played with riffraff,” one of the guys snarls.
Wolves. Always so aggressive.
“Well, as charming as you all are, I need to get back inside. This is Reese’s pack, and he happens to be a friend of mine. Don’t do something stupid that your alpha will make you pay for.” I start to walk off, but a guy blocks me, stepping close enough for me to nearly bump into him.
“You see,” the first girl says, her eyes dancing with menace, “Reese is still fighting for that title with Brutus. Until that fight is over, we’re in limbo.”
Ah, hell. “You really don’t want to do this,” I growl.
Taking on seven werewolves without using my gatekeeping abilities could prove to be stupid. But revealing my power is even more stupid.
Before anything can happen, though, they all start crying out in pain, and they drop to their knees like heavy blocks. What the…
“Can’t teach old dogs new tricks, apparently.” Gage’s voice brings my eyes up just as he walks outside, his hands dangling loosely at his sides as he struts toward us with such casualness.
The werewolves continue crying out, gripping their heads as though he’s squeezing their brains. He smirks as he looks down at them, and I swear he’s enjoying the power he has.
The screams stop and shift into heavy breaths as they slowly lower their hands, apparently no longer in pain, but none of them move as Gage comes closer, standing just across from me and behind them.
“You’re fucking with the wrong pack again,” a girl hisses.
Gage’s dark expression is almost scary to me. I’ve never seen him like this.
“Then do something to me,” he dares, standing unafraid and unmoving.
Just as one of the guys starts to move, they all cry out in pain again, but this time they drop all the way to the ground, squirming on their backs as their screams pierce the night. Gage motions me over just as Reese walks out beside Thad.
His autumn eyes come to life in the darkness as he glares over at us. His upper body is bare, blood is dripping down his skin in thin trickles as he heals, and his teeth are bared.
“The fuck is going on?” he roars.
Gage pulls me to his side, but he doesn’t seem the least bit worried.
“Your new mutts just tried to touch Kimber. It’s handled.”
“The hell it is,” he snarls. “No one touches the queen’s family in my territory. Get inside. Now!”
Damn were tempers. Thank God Reese is a strong advocate of Alyssa, even though Kane beat his ass in front of his pack.
As they hang their heads like scolded pups and make their way inside, I start moving to join them. But when I make it almost there, my body stops moving. It’s as though I’m suddenly cemented to the ground and forced to stay in place.
“Are you doing this?” I ask with my back turned.
“What were you doing out here alone, Kimber?” he asks instead of answering my question. “I told you to stay close.”
“I’m not a child, Gage. I’ve told you that numerous times. I could have handled them.”
I refuse to look at him even though I can feel his eyes on my back.
“Were you planning on revealing your hidden talents in front of a pack of mutts?”
He’s impossible. “No. I was going to handle them in other ways. Now let me go!”
In a blink, I feel my body moving through the air until my back slams against the wall of the bar, and Gage’s hand closes over my neck as his blue eyes stare into mine. I’ve never seen him look so pissed.
“Seven werewolves, Kimber. Stop being so fucking stupid. I took a risk by bringing you here because of our conversation. Instead of staying close, you detached from the group and went outside. Then you planned on taking on seven werewolves?”
Swallowing hard, I glare at him. I know it was stupid, but it wasn’t like I had a choice.
Before I can spit out a wicked retort, though, his lips slam down on mine. Hard. It startles me into a gasp, and he seizes that opportunity to slide his devilish tongue into my mouth. The bar in the middle teases my tongue, and like a fool, I melt against him, threading my fingers in his hair to pull him closer.
Too soon, he breaks the kiss to stare into my eyes again, and my breath disappears. “Keep testing me, Kimber, and I’ll become the distraction you need to keep you away from your death wish.”
I’m fairly positive that is supposed to sound like a threat. But to me, it sounds like a promise I want him to keep.
“Get inside. Find Thad. Stay with him,” he says under his breath while backing away. As soon as I step away from him, Thad is back outside and staring over at me with concern in his eyes.
This is really not what I need right now.
Chapter 10
GAGE
Why the fucking hell did I just kiss her? Probably because she’s driving me crazy. Now I keep trying to get myself under control before I go back in there and do it again.
“That’s a lot of power you used.” Thad’s voice startles me, and I turn around to see him standing behind me.
“I just sent Kimber in to find you.”
“No worries. She’s with Reese.”
Never thoug
ht I’d hear a changer say that about a werewolf.
“It was a spell I came up with after our last brush with the werewolves and Kane. It does take a lot of power, but not enough to cause problems. I’m not Drackus.”
He snorts while nodding. “Thank fuck for that.” He paces a circle around me, something he does when he has something uncomfortable about broaching. “What was that kiss about?”
Ah, hell.
“I think we have more pressing matters at hand to worry about.”
He frowns, but I’m not sure why. He was enjoying this tension between myself and Kimber on our way over here. Now he’s acting as though he’s pissed about it.
“Right,” he says, still frowning. “Then let’s get to it.”
***
GAGE
“Where’s this girl?” I ask Reese, my patience frayed and unraveling quickly.
Reese leans over his desk, and Kimber shifts closer to me on the large, rounded couch.
“First things first. The girl is still mortal. And she wants to live a mortal life while she can. My pack will be keeping her safe from afar. But she has written down everything she remembered before I changed her memories.”
I leap off the couch before I even realize what I’m doing, and Reese growls while jumping to his feet, too, ready to fight.
“We needed her for this! You changed her fucking memories? How?” I demand.
“I know a witch. The girl will remember everything when she turns immortal because magic isn’t strong enough to work that way on an immortal. She wrote down everything before I had her memories altered. Shouldn’t she have that small amount of time without the pain of her truth? Shouldn’t she have the chance to live like a normal girl?”
Before I can lash into him again, Kimber’s hand comes down on my forearm. “He’s right. If she’s written everything down, then we don’t need her. She deserves to live without the pain of those memories.”
Her words come from a sad place, and something in the cracks of her voice makes my anger flee. I turn to look down into her blue eyes, and I see the pain she masks so well. She’s haunted. That’s why she acts so tough. She’s haunted by what it feels like to be so weak.