“But you never once talked to me about it, though. I would have listened.”
MJ could tell her friend was hurt. This was something she had to do on her own, however. No outside influence or riding the coattails of anyone.
“Oh, Rini.” She folded Corrine into a hug. After a few seconds she went back to the brownie mix.
Corrine leaned against the counter next to her. “Of course I want it to work out with you and Sam. You’ve always been like a sister to me and if you mated with Sam, well—you would officially be one. I thought things were working out with you and him too, so I stayed out of it. He’s been so happy this last week. He told us you were his mate. Started looking at property to build a house on close to us. I don’t understand. Why would you pick Devon over your mate?”
MJ stayed silent for a while. News of Sam looking for property sliced into her already battered heart. She finished mixing the brownies and popped them into the oven. Turning around, she leaned against the counter and looked at her friend. MJ didn’t know if she would understand. All of the pressure from her parents, from Devon and from Sam. They all wanted a decision and based everything on what they wanted, what they needed. Not one person asked her what she wanted. They only wanted to hear about Dewasa and the mating pull. At least Devon told her what he wanted and had given her a chance to see if there was something substantial between her and Sam. And that’s what it came down to. There wasn’t anyone out there for her, exactly like her parents told her…over and over again.
“Sam says he’s my mate, but I don’t feel anything, Corrine. Nothing. All of that mating pull and connection you talked about having with Jett, I don’t feel it. My Liger doesn’t react. I don’t have anything telling me something is happening between us. I’ve got nothing indicating he’s my mate. My human side is attracted, but that isn’t enough. I want what you and Jett have and, if I can’t have it, I’ll go with the option less likely to break my heart. Because you know Sam would regret claiming me when I can’t give him what he wants. Or when he starts feeling the urge for another shifter. I won’t be able to hold his attention and that would kill me. To have him like I’ve always wanted then have to deal with his rejection. I won’t do it.”
“You don’t know he would do that. He loves you, MJ.”
MJ snorted. “No he doesn’t. He’s in ‘lust’ with me. That’s it. You saw him, Bodie and Soren the other night. My Eseni must have been pretty strong to have them all panting. It’s probably because I’m a hybrid. The Tiger-Lion mixture must be an aphrodisiac or something.”
“No, it’s more than that. I wondered why he would move here to Cascade. I mean, we grew up in Garden. If he were to settle down, I would expect him to go there. I think he was drawn to where his mate was. Here. With you. It all started making sense once Jett and I got our problems sorted. Jett, Sam and I were all suffering from Dewasa at the same time.”
Jett poked his head in the kitchen. “Everything okay in here?”
The timer on the oven chimed, so she turned around and grabbed the brownies out. She set them on the counter and started moving toward the slider. She was hungry and done talking about everything…for now. She looked to Corrine, “I’m doing what’s best for everyone.” Including my parents, she tacked on but didn’t give voice to. “I hope you understand.”
Corrine seemed to study her, then nodded. “I do.”
“So that means we’re all good, right? I’m starving. We were just waiting on you two.” Jett’s stomach growled.
MJ huffed out a laugh. Just like a man to think with his stomach regardless of what was going on around him.
Corrine grabbed MJ up in another quick, hard hug. “I only want you to be happy.”
MJ felt a tear run down her cheek. “I know. Me too. This is what I feel I need to do. I love Sam. I really do, but he’ll be miserable with me and I would never be able to live with myself if he was.
Corrine let go of her friend and went out to meet her husband. Husband. What a funny word to be able to say now. She heard MJ move around her. Corrine couldn’t help but feel a pain in her heart that MJ felt she needed to set Sam free in order for him to be happy. Didn’t MJ see that he would only be happy with her in his life? She guessed not if she was doing something as idiotic as picking Devon over Sam.
Jett wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Are you sure everything is okay?”
Corrine looked up at him. “I don’t think so. I think MJ is making a huge mistake.” She looked to where MJ was now sitting with Devon. They actually made a striking pair visually. His dark to her light. But it wasn’t right. They didn’t look all that comfortable with each other. It almost had the feel that they were both going to the gallows. MJ’s usual sarcastic remarks were missing when she talked. Her naturally exuberant personality seemed to all but disappear. She just didn’t look like the woman Corrine had known since the age of fifteen.
“Whether you think she’s making a mistake or not, she’s still your friend, right?”
Corrine snorted in response. “Yes.”
“Then you’ll support her no matter what?”
“You know I will Jett, but Sam is my brother. I don’t like seeing him hurt, and this definitely hurt him.”
“I know it did, but this is something he’s going to have to figure out. I have a feeling he thought things would be simple. That he would be able to tell MJ she was his mate, have some hot sex, and she would stay with him forever. I don’t think he expected to have to work to keep her.”
“First off, please never mention sex and my brother in the same sentence ever again. There are just some things a sister does not want to know. Second, and I really hate to admit this, I think you might be right.”
“Hell yeah!” Jett swooped in for a kiss. Obviously elated that, for once, she was telling him he was right.
“Don’t get used to it, buddy. Maybe you should write it down or something so you can always remember the first and only time I will admit it to you.” Corrine giggled when Jett pulled out his phone and tapped the moment into his calendar.
“Done. But don’t count your chickens before they hatch. You never know what will happen over the next seventy-five years or so.
“Whatever. Let’s eat, then if Sam isn’t back by the time we’re done, maybe you or one of the guys can go find him and make sure he’s okay?” she said hopefully.
Jett leaned down and kissed her softly. “Anything for you, Corrine.”
Sam wasn’t back by the time everyone finished eating. The tension between Devon and everyone else slowly eased, but worry set in for their friend. The only thing to do was join the search party, which wasn’t being labeled as such. The guys were mumbling about going for an after meal run, but Devon knew it was more than that.
Devon turned to Mary Jane. He could see the worry in her eyes. A part of him felt guilty for not listening when she said it might be better for her to do this alone. He didn’t realize at the time how much Sam really cared for her. If he had known, maybe…but there was no maybe. Maybe meant he would have to face a couple of realities he was still trying to avoid. Maybe meant admitting he was making a mistake. Maybe meant he felt guilt for using that ridiculous indebtedness her parents felt to get what he wanted.
“I’ll go with them to look for Sam. I want you to stay here with Corrine and Jamie in case he comes back while we’re out.” Devon sighed, reluctant to say the words on the tip of his tongue. “I think you should talk to him one-on-one. Clear a few things up and tell him exactly why you decided to be with me. I should have listened to you earlier. I just thought my being here would make it clear that we are together, for better or worse. I’ll try better in the future to give what you say its due regard.”
“Thank you, Devon.” MJ leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He was sad to admit, he still didn’t feel an attraction to her beyond wanting to one day be her friend.
Devon walked over to where the other men were. Jett looked up at
him. He looked worried. “You don’t need to come with us, Devon. We’re just going for a run.”
“And to find Sampson,” he stated. There was no reason for them to tiptoe around the elephant in the backyard.
Jett looked in the direction of the women. “Yes. I was hoping he would be back, but I guess he was more upset than I thought.”
“I can imagine. I’m sorry about how that went down. I guess I didn’t think of the ramifications. I just wanted to show everyone I stood beside Mary Jane. That I wouldn’t let her handle the tough things without me.”
“That’s noble of you, Devon; but there was a better way to go about that,” Bodie interrupted. His tone clearly stating he wasn’t happy with Devon, even though minutes earlier they were sharing a meal.
Devon bristled at the tone. “I can see that. Now. I was just happy Mary Jane agreed to be my companion. Now is that all everyone has to say? We’re wasting daylight and the women are becoming anxious.”
The other three men grunted. They disrobed and shifted. Devon waited for the men to take off into the woods before he followed. He didn’t fully trust Bodie or Soren at his back. They held their animosity enough below the surface as to not upset the others, but he knew it was there.
Fifteen feet into the wood line, Jett took a sharp left; following a path he seemed to know well. It led to a lake tucked amongst the trees and the missing man. Sampson was lounging on the bank of the lake, a paw dangling in the water. He raised his head when the group got close. Devon made sure to stay in the back. He didn’t want to rile the man up again, but he knew it was important for him to ensure Sam was okay. Devon knew he was part of the cause and needed to be part of the solution.
Come to find out, it didn’t matter where he stood. Sam scented him, lifted his head, zeroing in on his location at the back of the pack. Jumping to his feet, Sam stalked toward him. He knew what was coming next and prepared for it. His senses went on high alert, and he kept his body relaxed and ready to react.
It clicked in Devon’s mind that neither of them was going to come out of the ensuing fight unscathed. Someone was going to go down. Would MJ ever forgive him if he injured the man she loved? Did it really matter? Their joining was only in name. He could handle her animosity as long as it was never directed at his children.
Fights between evenly matched Tigers could be fierce, even leading to the death of one or both. Maybe not in the heat of the battle but later if the wounded animal didn’t receive help. Devon didn’t think it would come to death, but he and Sam were definitely evenly matched. Blood Legacy didn’t play into the animal side of their beings. He wouldn’t be able to use it at all and shifting to his human would be instant death. This would be the perfect match-up.
Devon and Sam circled each other, teeth bared, waiting for the other to make a move. Sam reacted first; he roared long and loud, the unearthly sound shaking the ground beneath Devon’s paws. He responded in kind, letting Sam know he wasn’t going to back down; though, the human in him wished he would. They should be able to talk this out like reasonable men, not beasts fighting over a scrap of territory.
Before Devon’s roar finished echoing through the trees, Sam sprang forward. His large paw, claws extended, swiping at Devon’s front flank. He was barely able to jump to safety and get ready for Sam’s next move.
Circling each other a few more times, they both attacked at the same time. They lunged at each other, their powerful forelegs, the size of a man’s thighs, lifted off the ground. Jaws snapped but neither really trying to hurt the other. Sam batted Devon in the head, causing him to retaliate. He caught Sam’s shoulder with his claws, pulling back as soon as he saw the damage.
They backed away from each other, Sam limping slightly. He knew Sam was regrouping and, though he hated hurting the man physically when he knew he was hurting emotionally, Devon had to do it. If only to get it through the Tiger’s head that he was serious.
Before Sam could attack Devon again, a concentrated wave of heat blasted over them, stunning them both. Devon’s back legs gave out as Sam stumbled. Looking for the source, he found Jett shifted back to human using his Blood Legacy.
“That’s enough,” the giant man bellowed. Sweat beaded his forehead, and Devon knew it was taking a toll on him.
Devon stopped where he was and chuffed. He was done. This isn’t what he came here to do, and it wasn’t going to help the situation. He made a wide berth around Sam and loped back to the house.
Stepping out of the woods, he shifted. Quickly getting dressed again, he walked up to Mary Jane and the other two women. “We found him. He wasn’t pleased to see me. It’s time we leave, Mary Jane. I need to head back to Garden and pick the kids up from my parents’ house.”
MJ looked stunned. She glanced at Corrine and Jamie, mouth opening and closing like a fish before closing it completely. She turned to Corrine and hugged her tightly. Whispering in her ear. Once she let go, she gave Jamie a quick hug and they left.
Devon was only too happy to see the house in his rearview mirror. He knew he was going to have to talk to Mary Jane about everything that happened. He just needed a little time to collect his thoughts—and get his heart beating at a regular rhythm again.
CHAPTER TEN
Sam pulled up to work later than he planned Wednesday afternoon. The marks on his back weren’t as sore, but he still felt the wounds stretch and pull with every move he made. It was the reason he called in sick Monday and Tuesday. Something he had never done before. There was no way he would be able to work with clients with the all over body aches and pains he experienced for those two days. It was a good thing Bodie and Soren knew how things worked in the gym and the routines he had scheduled out. He only wished they would stay on longer, but they were itching to move on with their lives; find something that fit them and their lifestyles. Maybe find their mates.
The days away helped Sam gain a little distance from MJ, as well as his family. When he and the guys got back to the house, he wasn’t surprised to find MJ and Devon gone. He was relieved actually. He didn’t want to face how much of an asshole he had been.
The few hours he’d spent running out his frustration came back, slapping him in the face the minute he scented Devon in the area. It was easy to tell him from the others. It was a scent he vaguely remembered being on MJ when she got back from that visit to her parents’ house the weekend he moved to Cascade. It was deep, rich, musky. It invoked thoughts of overwhelming power and a bloodline that went back to the beginning of time.
Attacking Devon had been a dumbass move. One he was, almost, sorry for. He knew the man had to be feeling some pain from the altercation. A sick kind of satisfaction rolled through Sam as he thought about it. They were both big guys and could do some real damage if they wanted.
Getting out of his black Charger, Sam slammed the door shut and felt a pinch of pain radiate down his arm with the movement. The scars that would form would be a permanent reminder of his mistake; of the vow he made minutes before he had lost his damn mind. He knew he had to approach the situation logically, thoughtfully and full of facts. That was the only way he could convince MJ that being with him was where she was meant to be.
There had to be a reason MJ wasn’t feeling the connection as she claimed, and he was going to figure it out, as soon as he apologized. It still baffled him that she would spring Devon on them all without telling them first. Why didn’t she tell him one-on-one her decision? Or at least talk to him about what was on her mind, what her concerns were. That’s what mates did. Hell, that’s what people who were dating did, and he sure as hell thought they were doing at least that much. A guy doesn’t head over to a woman’s house just to hang out and eat pizza and watch chick flicks unless he’s serious about getting to know you.
The door to the bakery shop opened and Corrine came out. It was sort of hard to miss the rumble of his car when it pulled into a place. He just didn’t know who would be walking out the door. He hoped it would have been MJ, but luck wasn’t quit
e on his side these days.
“I was wondering if you were ever going to show back up. You’re lucky I wasn’t beating your door down an hour after you got home, Mister. How dare you leave my house without talking to me or at least telling me goodbye? I’m your sister. Your freaking twin for goodness sake! We shared a womb and almost every milestone together. To not let me help you when you were hurt is unforgiveable. I should call Mom and Dad and tell on you!”
“Please don’t do that! They would freak out and then insist I tell them what’s going on.”
Corrine huffed out an irritated noise. “Fine. But I reserve the right to rat you out if you don’t fix this.”
“Agreed, and thank you for not being a brat. For once.” Sam pulled his sister into his arms and hugged her tight. She was right, but he had no desire to talk to her or anyone else for that matter, when he had gotten back to the house. He just wanted to get his clothes and go home. Lick his wounds in private and figure out a strategy.
He never did figure anything out. His body was too sore and his brain was scrambling to make sense of everything. The best he could come up with, beyond snatching MJ up and kissing her senseless, was to tell her he was sorry.
Corrine sighed and pulled out of his arms. “Just be happy Jett was able to convince me that Bodie and Soren could tend to your wounds and take care of your business. I have to say, the female population of Cascade is quite enamored with your two friends.”
Sam snorted. “I’m sure the guys don’t mind that either.”
Corrine stepped away. He could tell she was hurting about something but, whether it was because of his actions or MJ leaving, he just didn’t know. He decided to bite the bullet. “How is she? Did she tell you what the hell is going on?”
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