by Vivian Wood
“No, we haven’t talked to anyone. I trust you’ll be discreet,” Tessa said, her voice going flat with annoyance.
Before Maddie could reply her cell phone rang, blaring her favorite obnoxious hip-hop jam. Holding up a finger to Tessa, Maddie flipped it open.
“What?” Maddie snapped into the phone.
“Where is my leather jacket?” Jasper’s voice came across the line. He didn’t sound very happy. Probably because Maddie had in fact hidden said jacket under the bed for safe keeping… her own keeping, not his.
Sighing, Maddie got up and went out the front door into the yard. As she got outside she saw Jace pull up on his motorcycle. Maddie flapped a hand in greeting and returned to her phone conversation.
“I have no idea,” she replied, using the saccharine tone that she knew pissed Jasper off.
Jace headed inside to greet Tessa, and Maddie walked to the far edge of the yard for privacy.
“Damn it, Maddie. I’ve had that jacket for ten years. It’s traveled the world with me, and I’m not about to leave it here for you to ruin,” Jasper argued.
“If I had it, which I don’t, I wouldn’t ruin it. It’s a very nice jacket, Jas,” Maddie answered, keeping her voice flirty. She knew that voice drove Jasper up the wall, so perhaps it might get him off the phone faster.
“I didn’t figure you for the type to keep souvenirs, Madd,” he said. “You trying to say you’re gonna miss me?”
“Goodbye, Jasper,” Maddie hissed, ending the call.
Stalking back toward the house, Maddie caught the tail end of Jace and Tessa’s conversation.
“We talked about this. I’m just not ready to tell anyone, Jay.” Tessa’s voice drifted through the open front door of their cute grey bungalow.
“She’s my sister,” Jace replied..
“I just—” Tessa shut up when Maddie came back through the front door into the sunny kitchen.
“Tell me what?” Maddie asked, plucking an apple from the fruit bowl adorning the center of the kitchen’s large granite-topped island. Moving around the counter, Maddie slid onto a barstool next to her brother.
“Um,” Tessa said. The petite blonde ran a hand anxiously through her ringlets and shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. She looked to her tall, dark, and handsome mate for guidance. Jace crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, frowning.
“Just tell her, Tess,” he chided, looking at his mate with obvious affection. Maddie was half surprised they weren’t rubbing all over each other like cats in heat, as was their usual behavior.
“I… was hoping you’d be in our bridal procession?” Tessa asked, dropping her eyes. Maddie caught Jace’s there-and-gone expression of surprise.
“I already agreed to stand in the wedding,” Maddie said, giving Tessa a searching glance. “You ordered the dress and everything, remember?”
“Oh, yes,” Tessa said, flustered. “I guess I meant to ask if Jasper was still going to walk with you in the procession.”
Maddie’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. Tessa was a terrible liar. How the Ascendant had managed to fool Jace when she’d first arrived, Maddie had no idea.
“Yes, he will.” Not the exact truth, but close enough. So far Jasper had refused because until moments before he’d mated Maddie, Jasper had been a contender to mate Tessa. Long story short, Maddie had offered herself in Tessa’s place, and Jasper had taken her offer without hesitation.
Unfortunately, that made things between the two mated pairs more than a little awkward.
“He hasn’t said it in so many words, but he’ll do it,” Maddie added. If she had to pull out every trick in the damned book, she would. No way was her supposed mate going to make her walk alone in this thing. Shifters were judgy enough without a whiff of scandal to stoke the fires.
“Oh. Well, that’s good,” Tessa mumbled, looking to Jace for help to keep the conversation going.
“Tessa’s dress arrived today,” her mate noted.
“Oh! Yes, do you want to see it?” Tessa asked, looking excited. Maddie had to repress a dramatic eye roll at the other woman’s pleasure. Weddings were a weird human tradition, a huge waste of time and money as far as Maddie could see.
“Sure,” Maddie said with a shrug.
Tessa grinned and half-skipped down the hallway toward the bedroom.
Maddie gave Jace a look, which he returned with a frown.
“Be nice,” he warned.
“I didn’t say anything!” Maddie protested, raising her hands.
“No, but you’re thinking it. I can read your face, Madd. So can Tessa,” he replied.
“I can’t believe she talked you into doing a human wedding,” Maddie muttered, crossing her arms.
“She didn’t talk me into anything. I wanted her to have the wedding she’d imagined. Just because she’s joined our pack doesn’t mean she has to give that up. Besides, we’ve already done the Shifter ritual. This is just icing on the cake,” he said, waving a hand.
“Okay!” Tessa’s voice came from the hallway. “I’m coming out!”
She stepped into the living room, swathed in a frothy satin number. The dress was a beautiful ivory color, two narrow shoulder straps drawing the eye down to a deep vee of cleavage before broadening into a full skirt. Delicately draped layers of silk clung just so to her chest and hips to emphasize her petite figure, dropping gracefully to Tessa’s feet. She turned, revealing a creamy expanse of skin from her nape to the small of her back. The dress was tailored to perfection, and Tessa was beautiful in it. She turned and gave Jace and Maddie a brilliant smile, jubilant.
Maddie’s jaw dropped. She tried to form a compliment, but she lacked the words for how amazing Tessa looked. Instead, she blurted the completely wrong thing.
“Holy shit. How much did that dress cost?” Maddie marveled.
Tessa’s face reddened, her smile wavering.
“I— I bought this myself!” Tessa said, her joy draining away.
“Maddie!” Jace growled, vexed.
“I didn’t mean— you look amazing, Tessa. Really!” Maddie insisted, trying to cover her gaffe.
Tessa bit her lip, smoothing a hand over her dress as she looked down at herself.
“You think?” Tessa whispered. Maddie could have kicked herself for ruining Tessa’s moment.
“I really do. It’s the perfect dress for you,” Maddie soothed, giving Jace a glance. He relaxed a little, but he still didn’t look thrilled.
“Oh. Well thank you,” Tessa said, giving Maddie a weak smile. “I’m just going to go change.”
She headed back down the hall.
“What is wrong with you?” Jace hissed, nudging Maddie with a hard elbow.
“I don’t know. I didn’t mean to say that,” Maddie sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. All the sudden, she felt completely exhausted.
“Jesus, Madd. I hope you’re nicer to your own mate than you are to mine,” he said, shooting her a dark look.
Maddie didn’t reply, not wanting to open that topic for discussion.
Tessa reappeared, pulling a barstool up across the table from Maddie and Jace. Settling down, Tessa cleared her throat and drummed her fingers against the granite counter top.
“Well, it’s a beautiful dress. Just make sure you don’t gain or lose an ounce,” Maddie said, trying to make a joke. “Otherwise we’ll have to sew you into it for the ceremony.”
Tessa’s weak smile collapsed, and she buried her face in her hands. Jace jumped up and slid an arm around his mate as soft sob wracked her small frame.
“What did I say? I was just kidding!” Maddie said, baffled.
“Please just tell her, Tess,” Jace said, running a hand over the female’s curls. Tessa’s tear stained face appeared, making Maddie feel even worse.
“You can’t tell anyone,” Tessa sniffled, looking distraught.
“What, did you two decipher the Enigma machine or something?” Maddie asked, unimpressed by their secret-keeping.
Jace’s face darkened and a muscle ticked in his jaw.
“No, it’s okay. Um. I’m with child,” Tessa said, hugging her stomach as if to prevent Maddie from seeing… well, nothing really.
“You’re WHAT?” Maddie screeched, choking on a bit of apple. Jace reached over and thwacked Maddie soundly on the back several times, harder than necessary. Glaring at him, Maddie wiped at her watery eyes.
“Well, it’s just—” Tessa started.
“You’ve barely been mated for a month!” Maddie cried.
“We’re pretty sure it happened the first time we—”
“Whoa! Too much information. Gods!” Maddie said, cutting Jace off. “Seriously, I don’t need to hear that.”
“Be nice, Madd,” Jace growled, his voice thick with warning.
“Well what are you going to do?” Maddie asked, at a total loss. If she were in Tessa’s place, she wouldn’t be able to handle something like this. Especially not with Jasper.
“What do you mean?” Tessa asked, confused.
“With the baby,” Maddie said, her mind whirling.
Tessa went completely silent and still.
“Jace,” Tessa said, not taking her eyes off Maddie. “I want her out. Right now!”
“I don’t understand,” Jace said, looking between them.
“I just meant—” Maddie started.
“She is saying that I could just abort our baby,” Tessa said, her voice rising to a shout.
“Tessa, I think you’re overreacting. That’s not what I meant at all,” Maddie said, crossing her arms. “Jace, talk to her.”
Jace rose to his feet, his tension apparent in his stance. He looked down at the floor for a long moment, as if trying to contain himself.
“No,” he mumbled, not looking up.
“I didn’t mean that she should do anything. She’s taking it the wrong way,” Maddie said.
“I want you out,” Jace said. He looked up, spearing Maddie with his tawny gaze. Pushing away from the counter, he grabbed Maddie by the arm and yanked her off the barstool like a child.
Snatching her arm back, Maddie growled.
“What is your problem?” she asked, intentionally cutting her gaze to Tessa as she spoke.
“You! You are my problem, my only problem!” Jace shouted, his face growing red. “Every other damned thing in my life is perfect, and then you come around and shit on everything!”
“I didn’t mean—”
“No. You’re done. You’re done talking, you’re done being a bitch to my mate. This baby is the most incredible thing in my life, and you’re just casually discussing… I can’t even say it!” he bellowed.
“I didn’t realize I was talking to Planned Parenthood, over here. This isn’t a pro-life rally, we’re talking about your current situation,” Maddie said, rolling her eyes. She hadn’t meant that they should do anything extreme, her words had been nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction.
“I’m not— don’t change the subject! You will never speak to Tessa with such disrespect again, and you will never talk about our child like that. Until you figure that out, I don’t want to see your face!” Jace hissed, grabbing her arm again and dragging her outside.
“But—”
“Not another word, Madd. I mean it. Now get off my property or I’ll call Jasper to come get you,” he said, slamming the door in Maddie’s face.
Maddie let out an indignant growl, furious. Turning, she climbed on her bike and started it up. She pulled out onto the path that the Den opened for her, not really thinking of any specific destination. Her brother and his mate had clearly lost their minds. At least Tessa had an excuse, Maddie thought. She’d heard somewhere that being pregnant turned your brain to mush.
Jace was just being an ass, as usual. He didn’t even like children, as far as Maddie knew. Besides, she hadn’t meant that they should get rid of the thing, just that there was a lot to consider.
Clenching her handlebars tightly, she headed home.
7
Jasper didn’t have to look up to know Maddie was approaching the house. He didn’t have to hear the roar of her bike’s engine, either. Standing in the living room as he packed, he could almost feel her anger from clear outside. Gods, he could only imagine what she was worked up over now.
The thunder of her bike’s motor only echoed his sense of her fury as she pulled into the yard, stopping short and cutting the engine. She stomped up onto the porch, her footsteps giving Jasper a premonition of the fight that would surely ensue between them.
Maddie slammed the door open hard enough to jar a couple of the framed photographs hanging on the living room wall. Standing in the living room and folding his clothes, Jasper turned his head to look at her. Maddie’s chest heaved, and she almost vibrated with the force of her anger.
Even pissed off, she was a walking wet dream. Make that especially when she was pissed off. When Jasper was that angry, people shrunk away from the darkness in his expression, the intimidation of his physical tension. When Maddie was angry, Jasper was more drawn to her than ever. Damn if life wasn’t unfair.
“Ugh!” she yelled, slamming the door closed. She came in and flung herself on the couch, oblivious to Jasper’s neat stacks of sorted and separated clothes. He tried not to scowl when she upended two large stacks of folded tee shirts and jeans onto the floor.
“You’re on my clothes, Madd,” he sighed, not expecting any real response.
“Jace is an ass!” Maddie declared, crossing her arms. The motion drew attention to the lush mounds of her breasts. As his gaze dipped down to appreciate them, Jasper was reminded of how well they’d fit in his hands . When she’d been writhing on his lap like a whore in heat, pressing those heavy orbs into his hands…
“Don’t you want to know why?” Maddie demanded, angry. She pouted, showcasing shapely, bitable lips. Just what Jasper needed, more thoughts about her lips and all the dirty things she could do with them. Had done with them, damn her.
“Alright,” Jasper said. He barely knew what he was agreeing to, distracted as he was. It was easier to agree than to ask questions.
“He got the Ascendant pregnant,” Maddie said with evident distaste. Waving a hand, she continued as if she were talking to herself.
“And I was just trying to help. I mean, they just got mated a month ago! How can they even know that they even really suit each other?”
“Yeah,” Jasper mumbled, although he thought Tessa was pretty much perfect. The ideal woman, actually. He’d almost fought Jace to the death for her not so long ago. Or tried to, anyway. Maddie had jumped in to stop the fight, offering herself in Tessa’s place.
He’d been floored at her offer, his brain turning to liquid at the thought of having Madeline Copeland as his mate. After all the years of telling himself it would never be possible, suddenly she was handed to him on a silver platter. He could have no more refused her offer than he could have stopped breathing air.
And now? Now instead he was standing here, scoping out Maddie’s body like a horny teenager. If he had somehow won Tessa, he probably would have regretted it the second he saw Maddie again.
Not that he was benefiting from having Maddie as a mate right now. She’d made it clear that she’d chosen him for practical reasons, not because she wanted anything physical or emotional from him. He couldn’t blame her. If she knew the truth about who he was, what he’d really done the day their pack had been killed… he’d be denied even this much interaction. Gritting his teeth, he turned back to his packing.
“—so basically I have no choice,” she was saying. “When do we leave?”
“We?” Jasper asked, his hands stilling.
“Yes,” Maddie said. She talked slow, as if he were mentally handicapped. “I just said I was going with you.”
“Going with me,” Jasper repeated back. Maybe Maddie was right, and he was a bit on the slow side. He’d been in enough fights and had enough concussions that it wouldn’t be shocking.
“To Mo
bile,” she prompted.
“Oh. Ohhhhhh,” he said, trying to keep a straight face. She was coming back after their fight this morning, tail between her legs. Jasper knew how proud she was, and that it was probably killing her to have to go back on her previous words. He ought to be gracious about it, but it was beyond him.
“What— are you laughing?” Maddie asked, outraged. Putting on his strictest expression, Jace shook his head.
“No, of course not. It’s just… you really were going to miss me, weren’t you?” he said, unable to resist teasing her. Maddie crossed her arms and glared at him.
“You are lucky that I don’t have a choice,” she huffed.
“Oh, yeah. Okay,” Jasper said, a grin cracking across his face once more.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“That Brad Pitt smile thing. Just don’t,” she said, frowning.
Holding his hands up, Jasper made his dimples stand out a little more. He had a sneaking suspicion that Maddie had a secret weakness for his dimples. When she wasn’t threatening to kill him, of course.
“I’m just being me. Can’t be any other way.”
Biting his lip, he spun in place, pretending to showcase himself. Maddie’s mouth quivered as if she might laugh, but instead she stood up and gave him a reproving glance. Looking at the clothes now scattered all over the living room floor, she pursed her lips. Reaching out, she looked him right in the eyes and flipped another tidy stack onto the floor.
“You know I’m gonna have to refold all these before we can leave,” he said, unwilling to give up his good humor.
“Not my fault you’re OCD, Jas,” she retorted, skirting around him and heading for the bedroom.
She was back in the living room a second later, empty suitcase in hand.
“What am I supposed to pack for Alabama?” she asked, as if they were going to a different continent instead of a few hours away. Jasper couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Mostly overalls, I’d say. Flannel, anything flannel. If you have any baseball caps that’d be good, and I think that’s about it. Don’t bring anything nice,” he said, all innocence.
“Overalls?” Maddie gaped.