by A. Z. Green
Nik's eyes brightened in recognition. “I remember.” He said nothing more about it. After a moment of passing through difficult memories he added, “I trust your judgement. I never thought to ask your reasons for her joining.” He sounded apologetic, rubbing his hand across his shaven head.
Kerk smiled poignantly. “It was purely selfish on my part, I assure you.”
Driver looked up at him with his hand still cupping the back of his neck. Kerk's eyes were bright and intense from across the desk. They spoke volumes of his love for Tyra.
Nik closed his eyes, showing he understood. “No one will begrudge you for it,” he replied in a low, soft voice. “Did you find out who the sneaking bastard is?”
“I did, but before I tell you, you need to know something. I found a portfolio buried in the woods. I'd startled him before he'd had time to burn it. I couldn't bring it, in case he suspected we were on to him, but I took photos.” He handed them over and Nik studied them, reading the text.
He looked up. “Njord is part of the halfbreed exterminators?”
“The Cur Hunters.”
Nik smiled darkly. “I think my name's better. It's more fitting.”
Kerk bobbed his head in agreement. “He's certainly interested in them if he isn't with them. He's been digging up information about them, using spies from all over to retrieve intel. He's also been very interested in you. And your... love interest?”
Nik's eyes sharpened. Kerk gazed at him levelly.
“What are you talking about?”
Kerk gave him a look that said 'oh, come on,' and Nik skewered him with a glare, but there was a glimmer of concern in his eyes that only Nik could have seen, had he been watching himself.
“There's been rumours about you and Jasmine.”
“I don't care about rumours,” Nik dismissed it, jutting his chin up.
“But Njord does. And now he's curious about her,” Kerk warned. Nik clenched his jaw. “I think he wants to know what all the fuss is about.”
Nik gazed at Kerk for a short, irritated moment and then sank in his chair, resting his chin on his hand, and sighed. “I had a feeling this would happen.”
Kerk nodded.“You should always trust your instinct.”
“Do you know why? What he wants?”
Kerk tipped his head to one side. “Besides the obvious, it isn't clear yet. He's never seen her in person, though I'm sure he's had spies take photos of her if he's that interested. But I don't think he wants her as a prize. At least, that's not his ulterior motive, even if he maybe putting up that facade.” Nik bobbed his head. “A greedy prick like that will always want what his enemy has. No doubt he knows she's 'untouched', and with his sick mind that's probably more interesting for him than her looks. But rather than spy on you and find your weaknesses, why is he spying on her? I haven't found any proof he's been using his time to find your weak spots. Or maybe that's just it? Your one weakness, is Jasmine?”
Nik shook his head.“She's a member of this Pack, nothing more. I have no other attachment to her. People may assume she's a possible mate because of her connection to her sister, but that doesn't mean anything. I've not seen any proof to confirm their suspicions. Emotionally or otherwise.
“I care about her as much as anyone else and I'm protective of every member in this Pack.
So does that make everyone in my Pack my weakness? It doesn't make sense.
“And now that I think of it, what about Lora? Why be interested in Jaz and not her? He's had enough chances to attack me at my lowest moments and yet, he hasn't. Why?”
Kerk frowned thoughtfully. “You don't suspect he had anything to do with Lora's death?” Nik shot him a look. Kerk bowed his head. “I'm sorry.”
Nik sighed.“I don't see how. Maybe it would have been easier for me to deal with. And I'd have had an excuse to rip his head off and no one would have stood in my way.
If he wanted to hurt me now, and he believes that Jaz is my mate, all he has to do is kill her. So why hasn't he? Because I believe he's plotting something a little different, and I think she's somehow a part of it.”
“You think she's helping him?” Kerk's tone raised.
“No, of course not. But he's definitely after something. Something more than just satisfying a grudge, or stealing land. And it has something to with the Cur Hunters, Jaz, and my head on a platter. Nothing good can come from that.”
“Not when you have a traitor in your Pack.”
Nik looked at him squarely and then held up the photos on his desk. “Who was this deal meant for?”
Kerk sucked in a breath and squeezed his eyes. “I'm sorry but... it was Garik. Even if I hadn't seen him with my own eyes, I'd recognize his scent anywhere.”
~Chapter 25- Excite~
Tuesday June 7th , 3:07 a.m.
“He was spotted.”
“You're sure?” The young man demanded, turning to his dark-haired source with vibrant eyes.
“I'm positive. Now Nik knows about Garik.”
The young man thought for a moment then smiled menacingly. “This maybe useful to us. Even if it comes back to Njord. We can use this knowledge to earn his trust. I want Njord to trust me enough, then when the time is right, he'll be eating out of the palm of my hand.”
“What does he know about us?” asked the mature, light-haired woman.
The young man scanned her up and down in a way that made her blush, but she kept her firm gaze locked on his light brown eyes.
His dark-haired source looked at the woman and then at him saying, “He knows we exist, which is bad enough. He's this close to getting everyone's name, if he hasn't got them already. He will expose us and then we'll be the one eating out of his hand, that's if he doesn't turn us in.”
The young man scoffed. “Let him try.”
“He will use it to control us.”
“How do we know he doesn't just want to use our expertise, or join our cause?” The mature woman suggested.
The dark-haired source shook his head in disagreement. The young man smiled as if he found her opinion humorous, like something a child would say. “Then why is he consorting with Garik behind our backs? He has an ulterior motive and he's only playing along with us because we're useful to him, as he is to us.
“He and I have an understanding. He won't expose me or kill me because he believes I'm helping him to overthrow Nik. So as long as he believes that, we're safe. He won't jeopardize that chance. And as for him 'joining our cause', actions speak louder than words. He may very well be gathering evidence about possible halfbreeds but I think he has other interests.”
The source growled. “Halfbreeds are an abomination! What possible reason could he have not to agree with our cause!?”
“The same reason anyone has who wants us dead... they believe in 'equality' and abhor 'cannibalism' and 'murdering innocents'.” The young man made a face. “But not Njord. So why else...?” He smiled evilly.
The woman's face lit up. “He knows someone who's a halfbreed, someone he cares about,” her voice was high with realization and excitement.
The young man grinned grotesquely. “Exactly.”
~Chapter 26- Collide~
Thursday June 9th, 7:40 a.m.
Carr had written up a strict timetable that Jaz was supposed to follow religiously until 'you can handle me in a fight'. Jaz had laughed sardonically. She'd be doing this forever.
She'd accepted it much more willingly than either of them had expected. The truth was though she'd kept up this act that she hated the gym and getting up early, she was actually starting to enjoy it. She felt better in herself. Her appetite had increased, her body had firmed up and slimmed down, she was stronger and more alert.
She'd even refused to take her iron injection that week and she wasn't planning on taking the last one in the batch next week either. She hadn't touched her pills since her first attack. And she felt great, though she had been warned by Maria, who had also told Edda, to keep a close eye on her and to let Maria k
now straight away if she started getting any symptoms of low iron in her body.
She'd had a blood test on Wednesday and to her surprise her iron levels had been in the normal range. So she had decided to stay away from anymore injections and although she'd promised Maria and Edda to take at least one pill a day for a while and then wean off, she'd stopped altogether. It was stupid and reckless, but she was on too much of a high to care.
That Thursday morning, Carr had timetabled for her to go out for a jog. He'd shown her the route after her first day at the gym. It was an hour long, there and back. The grounds were enormous and the up and down route gave her a hard workout.
She started towards the building, turning right where the site had been, then circling far around it to come back up the long way through the trees. Then turning right again, passing her cabin that she could just make out through the thick curtain of trees and then off again. Away from the lake and then up hill through the enormous forest that spread across to the east for miles, until it stopped, opening up onto grassy fields and then more patches of trees followed by two streams.
She was told to stop when she reached the field and then head south-west back towards the main building.
This was her first run and it was tiring as hell. She was so breathless but nowhere near as bad as she would have been two weeks ago.
She was jogging a quarter of the way through when she nearly smacked into someone as they ran across her path. She skidded to a halt, losing balance and sliding onto onto her bum. The stranger stopped just as he passed her, turning to look down at her.
“Oh I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking.”
Jaz gazed up to find a very attractive guy grinning down at her, holding out his bronze hand. She blinked and said out of breath, “It's okay. I guess I didn't hear you.”
He was in shorts and a t-shirt with sweat patches under his pits and on his chest. His copper hair was stuck to his gleaming forehead and his warm, almond eyes regarded her with polite curiosity.
She took his hand lightly and he gripped hers, tugging her up off the ground. She hastily dusted off the back of her sweatpants and smiled apologetically at him.
She was pleased to find he wasn't an enormous giant, which seemed to be the trait of all the male and most of the female Weres here. She was 5 foot 7, not exactly a short arse, but here she felt like a dwarf. He, on the other hand, made her feel a little more like her true height.
“You're Jaz right?”
She nodded, studying his face as she wondered what he knew about her. Then she realized she recognized him from somewhere. “I've seen you before.”
“Yes, we passed just outside the gym a few days ago. I'd just come back from a one on one wrestle. Shame you missed it. I was magnificent.” He flashed a smile and she couldn't resist smiling a little too; his grin was infectious.
“Yeah I remember now.”
He'd definitely undressed her with his eyes then. Now he only observed her with intrigue. She still felt uncomfortable around him, but then she usually did around strange men. She wasn't exactly a social butterfly either.
“So I hear Carr has taken you under his wing.”
“Nothing is a secret round here,” she commented jokily.
He grinned his attractive smile. “And he's got you working this death trap?”
“Well it was either this or wrestle a lion.” The man laughed heartily. “I didn't get your name?”
“Oh, sorry, my name is Swain.”
Jaz shook his hand. When he didn't see any recollection in her face, he added, “Nik's brother.”
Jaz's hand froze mid-shake. She let go, her face muscles fixed in a stunned gape. “You're Driver's brother?” she questioned in a low voice.
“The one and only. So you found out who he was eventually then?” Jaz stared at him, unsure of his meaning. “I thought it kinda childish and frankly unnecessary to hide it from you, I'm sure you could've handled it from the very beginning. You're a tough lady.” He looked her up and down with his naturally seductive eyes. He smiled, sighing, “But he is after all the Pack Leader, and my bro. No one would want to get on his bad side, me especially.”
She took a moment to think, walking forward to get her muscles moving again before they cramped up.
Too late. Her left calf groaned in protest. She stopped and bent forward, stretching it out. She winced as she fought against the increasing cramp pain. “May I?” He held out his hands in service and Jaz eyed him uneasily from her bent over position. With her neck craned back to look at him, she finally gave him the okay with a look. “Sit on the ground.” She paused and then sat. “Give me your leg.” She raised her stiff leg, he grasped her foot and with her leg angled up and straight, he bent her toes gently back, stretching the muscle.
Jaz exhaled loudly. “So he really told people to keep it zipped?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Seems he really didn't want you to know he was paired to your twin sister. Any reason why?”
She squeezed her eyes, fighting the pain, trying to ignore the insinuation in his voice. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
He regarded her with an odd expression. She saw it just as she peeked through her squinting eyes. Then he was back to smiling flirtatiously. “Oh don't tell me you've never suspected he has feelings for you?”
My lord, people here really like to stick their noses in your personal life.
“Nothing's going on between us.”
The cramp had finally fizzled away and Jaz removed her foot from his grip. He stood up straight and held out his hand to help her up. She ignored it and jumped up.
“I meant no offense. It's just what I've seen.”
“For someone who's only met me this one time, you sure seem to suspect a lot about me.”
“So you deny you have any feelings towards him?”
Jaz scoffed. “What are you, the Pack shrink? I'm not going to answer that. I've only just met you.” Swain gave her a knowing look. Jaz scowled and then straightened her face, trying to stay as polite as she could. “I may have never known my sister, but I'm not the kind of girl to jump into the life -or the bed, if we're gonna quit beating round the bush here- that she had and steal her partner. Even if she wouldn't mind. Even when she's dead. Even if I actually wanted to. It wouldn't feel right.”
Swain grinned. “I don't think she'd mind. And even if she did, how would you know?”
Jaz didn't like how he joked about it, even if he meant nothing by it. But clearly he didn't think of her as a woman with her own mind or someone who gave a tinkers about morality.
Did he really believe that just because almost every other woman he'd met found him completely irresistible and witty -in his mind anyway-, that she must do as well?
He clearly noticed his effect on women, in fact he expected it. Even from her when he was adamant she had a thing for his own brother. If she'd begged him to jump her bones right there and then, would he have done? Even if he suspected his brother had feelings for her?
She thought he was pretty to look at but as arrogant as shit stains. Gross image, but that's what came to mind. And maybe she was being judgmental but he'd really pissed her off.
She was about to retort back when a sound coming from about half a mile away -a footfall, a twig snapping- stopped her. Swain had heard it too. It had come from the south. They listened for a moment and then were both stunned to hear a voice a few feet behind them, in the other direction.
“Swain, I didn't think you were a morning jog kind of person?” Driver had a friendly, mocking expression that made the right corner of his lip twitch up slightly. But Jaz saw the caution in his eyes.
She was surprised how much better she was getting at judging his moods when he was so good at concealing his emotions from his face. Sometimes she didn't even need to concentrate, as if she just sensed it. She frowned at the realization.
She had jumped at the sound of his voice -so did Swain- and they'd both swung round to gawk at him.
Sw
ain quickly recovered and flashed his brother a smile. “Was just getting acquainted with your secret lady.”
If Swain was completely off the mark on that front, Nik didn't show it. Jaz was a little uneasy by that, but of course, her weak, goo-goo eyed side felt a flutter of delight. She clenched her jaw and reigned the feeling back in its cage.
“Jaz.” He focused on her with his dark, unreadable eyes. “I'd like to talk to you if you're free?”
The warm fluttery feeling, turned swiftly into an unpleasant, icy sickness in her stomach.
“She was just doing her run. I wouldn't get in the way of Carr's routine if I were you, Nik.” Swain grinned, glancing at Jaz.
Jaz eyed them both sheepishly.
“We planned it together, I'm sure he won't mind,” Nik responded then he turned to Jaz. “I'll run with you while we talk, if that would be better?”
She hesitated for a moment, not looking forward to the conversation that was inevitably going to happen but then slowly nodded.
“Well, I guess that's my cue to leave.” Swain slapped his hips and exhaled loudly.
“Thanks for um, my leg,” she mumbled self-consciously.
“No problem,” he smiled seductively.
She bit her lip, her cheeks growing red as she suffered the unwanted attention.
Nik studied her with discreet amusement not taking his eyes off of her as Swain walked away. She glanced at Nik, aware of his eyes on her and when she looked back, Swain had disappeared as if into thin air. She gasped and scanned the forest in case she'd mistaken in what direction he'd left, then looked back at Nik questioningly.
“He's a fast runner.”
She stared at him for a long moment then gazed down at the floor, raising her eyebrows and then dropping them, expressing her bewilderment and confusion but reluctant acceptance that things, which were very strange to her, were the norm here.
She walked ahead, avoiding his gaze and he followed a few paces behind. It didn't take him long to catch up.
They strolled in silence for at least five minutes and Jaz could almost believe she was alone, until his deep voice broke that fantasy. “So you chose to stop the iron injections?” Jaz peered at him from the corner of her eye and then nodded her head. “I'm happy for you.” She tried not to smirk at how lame he made that sound. When she didn't bother to make conversation he changed topic. “Skye's been asking about you.”