by Lynn Hagen
“Are you sure they’re not shifters?” Darren asked. “I heard about a guy in Brac Village who pretended to be the sheriff’s German shepherd for two years, but he turned out to be a shifter. Sheriff Werth is still pissed about that and is still mourning the fact that Max isn’t his dog anymore since Max mated.”
Russell grinned. “You can’t just take away a guy’s dog.”
“I think I’d know,” Cyril said. He looked at Jeremy. “Do you think Samson and Davidson are shifters?”
Jeremy crinkled his nose. “If they are, Davidson needs to be taught some manners. Every time I turn around, he’s licking his nuts.”
“It’s true!” Kenny chuckled. “I lived with them for a while.” Kenny looked in Jet’s direction. “If those dogs are shifters, they both need to be taught some manners. And they’d have to be mates the way Samson always has his nose in Davidson’s ass.”
Jet wrinkled his nose. That wasn’t an image he wanted. When Cyril and Russell started arguing about whether the dogs were shifters or not, Jet looked around the bar again. He couldn’t brush off the fact that he felt as though he was being watched.
“Come on.” Raven stood and pulled Jet to his feet. “Let’s dance.”
The table erupted into catcalls and whistles as Raven pulled Jet to the back of the bar where there was a dance floor. The song was gentle enough that Raven slid his arms around Jet’s waist and moved slowly to the tune. There were others on the floor, but Jet wanted to run back to his seat.
“I can’t dance.”
Raven grinned. “You seem to be doing just fine to me.”
After taking a steady breath, Jet slid his arms around Raven’s shoulders. This wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t a fast song where Jet had to actually dance. Swaying in Raven’s arms was nice.
“You want to tell me why you’ve been checking the place out?”
“You pulled me onto the dance floor so we could talk in private?” Jet felt a little disappointed that this had been a ruse to get him away from the table just so they could talk.
“And to dance with you.” Raven winked. “I’ll never pass up the opportunity to have you in my arms, Rainbow.”
Jet rested his head against Raven’s chest. He was definitely falling in love with Raven. The guy just kept saying and doing all the right things.
“Is it because of what happened today?” Raven asked. “Are you sure you’re okay? We can ditch this place any time you’re ready.”
Jet shook his head and looked into Raven’s amazing brown eyes. He felt as though he would drown in them at any moment. “I think today just shook me up. I keep having this feeling like someone is watching me.”
Raven pulled Jet closer to him. “Anyone in particular?”
“No,” Jet said, smashed against his mate. “Can you give me room to breathe?”
“If your gut is telling you that you’re being watched, then—”
“It’s just the residual effects from earlier.” Jet didn’t want to ruin their night. Raven had been having a good time, and Jet didn’t want to leave just because he was being paranoid. They’d both been under a lot of stress, and this was as good a night as any to let their proverbial hair down and have some fun.
“Do you still feel like someone is watching you?”
Jet thought for a moment and let himself feel the air in the room. The hairs on his arms were no longer standing on end. “No.”
Raven gave him a blazing kiss before he grabbed Jet’s hand and led him back to the table once the song had ended.
“Aw, I wanna dance,” Kenny said to Russell. “Dance with me.” He grabbed his mate’s hand and pulled Russell from his seat.
Jet noticed his food was on the table when they returned. He ate all three tacos and washed them down with a soda. He really like the human realm, now that he’d gotten to see more of it, and was thankful Panahasi had allowed him to stay.
Chapter Nine
Jet hadn’t been the only one who’d felt as though someone was watching them. Raven excused himself and went to the men’s room, just to see if anyone would follow him in there.
He was washing his hands at the sink when the door opened and in walked Calhoun Reckless, one his father’s best trackers. The guy wasn’t even a wolf shifter, but he’d been accepted into their pack when Calhoun had been a mere kitten. It had been Raven’s mother who had taken the guy in, had raised him, and now Calhoun had been sent by Raven’s heartless father to bring him home.
Robert McCoy was nothing if not calculating to send Raven’s childhood friend and adopted brother after him. It had been three decades since he’d seen the guy, and back then, he and Calhoun had been thick as thieves.
“McCoy,” Calhoun said as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Long time since we last saw each other.”
Calhoun was a beefy guy with tattoos. He was also quiet, observant, always thinking before he made a move. Calhoun studied Raven with his icy blue eyes as he kept leaning against the wall.
“You here to drag me back to my father?” Hell if Raven would let that happen. Not only was he mated and happy living in Maple Grove, but he was already dealing with enough bullshit trying to keep Jet safe.
The guy gave a lazy shrug, but Raven knew Calhoun was anything but complacent. The white tiger shifter might be big and muscled, but his size didn’t stop him from moving lightning-fast. Raven had to be very careful with his old friend. “I was.”
Raven let his wolf close to the surface. He geared his body for fighting as he asked, “How do you want to do this? Is this going to be a fight to the death? Because that’s the only way you’re taking me.”
The guy’s lazy smile made Raven want to slug the bastard. Calhoun had always been a laid-back guy, hard to ruffle, and a deep thinker. When they were growing up, they’d had plenty of sparring matches, and Raven hadn’t always won them all. They both had brute strength, determination, and a drive to prove who was the strongest.
Calhoun would be a challenge, but Raven was up for it.
“Look at the prince,” Calhoun said as he stood there regarding Raven. “Always spoiling for a fight instead of using your head.”
Raven curled his lip. “I’m no prince, nor am I an heir. I walked away from that, Calhoun. You know damn well I don’t want to be a part of my father’s legacy. I’m not coming home to rule the pack or run his company. You’ll have to kill me and drag my dead carcass to my father.”
More studying. More silence. Those icy blue eyes had Raven’s hackles up. If they were going to fight to the death, Raven wanted to get this over with, and he planned on being the one who walked away.
“You don’t want to take over McCoy Industries?” Calhoun asked. “You don’t want the fortune that will be left to you?”
“I told my father that my cousin can have it all. Michael has a better business mind. He can run the company. I have no interest in any of it.”
When Calhoun pushed away from the wall, Raven’s claws slid free. But the guy didn’t make a move. He simply stared at Raven. “This won’t go down in a bar full of humans. I won’t do anything with your mate around.”
Raven watched as his longtime friend, a man who had been raised as his brother, walked out of the bathroom. How the fuck had the guy figured out that Jet was Raven’s mate?
When Raven followed, he didn’t see Calhoun anywhere. The guy was gone.
* * * *
Raven didn’t look fine when he came out of the men’s room. His shoulders were tight, and his jaw was clenched. He kept looking around as he made his way back to their table.
Jet was worried that Raven was still tense about someone watching them. He wished he’d never said anything. Jet didn’t want their night ruined.
He got up before Raven reached them. “What is it? Is something wrong?” Jet looked around, but he didn’t see anyone paying too close attention to them. He was concerned about Alston and Sindri, but Jet needed to also remember that Raven had his own problems. His father might send so
meone to drag Raven back to his pack.
Jet had promised himself that he would never use his magic against anyone, but if someone was after Raven, Jet wasn’t sure he could keep that promise. Not when it came to Raven, the man who meant everything to him.
Raven smiled and kissed Jet’s forehead. “You ready to get out of here?”
Jet studied his mate. Something wasn’t right. He didn’t demand Raven to tell him what was going on. Jet took Raven’s hand and nodded. “We can go.”
They said goodbye to everyone before they left. When they climbed into their truck, Jet turned to face his mate. “We’re alone now. Tell me what’s going on, Raven.”
“I’m just exhausted from working so hard.”
Jet couldn’t believe Raven was flat-out lying to him. He’d thought their relationship was more solid than that. He thought they had a healthy line of communication, too. “You just lied to me.”
Raven sighed as he started the truck. “Look, it’s nothing for you to worry about. I just ran into an old friend.”
All Jet could do was gape at Raven as his mate pulled away from the parking lot. Pissed beyond words, Jet crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the road.
When they got home, Jet went to their bedroom and slammed the door. He paced in front of the bed, telling himself not to wring Raven’s neck. How fair was it that Jet had been open and honest—after Raven had found out that he was Unseelie—and Raven wouldn't even tell him what had happened in the bathroom? Old friend my ass.
Jet took a few calming breaths, telling himself that this was just a hiccup in the road, that Raven wasn’t purposely making Jet feel shut out of whatever problem his mate was dealing with.
When a half-hour passed and Raven didn’t come looking for him, Jet stormed from the room, but his mate wasn’t in the house. So much for trying to calm down.
Had Raven taken off and left Jet at the house? He didn’t think so. No matter what was going on, Raven would never leave him alone. Not when Alston and Sindri were still out there somewhere.
Jet crossed the room and looked out the front window. There was a single light on in the garage.
Had Raven seriously gone to work on cars instead of trying to talk to him? The bastard was dodging him, and no fucking way was Jet going to let him get away with it.
He came out the back door, rounding the house. But as mad as he was, Jet took a moment to breathe in and out. He looked up toward the night sky, letting nature run through him and settle in his core.
Jet was a child of nature. All fae were. He felt the energy of the plants and trees, of the whispering wind as it gently moved past him. He also thought about how Sindri had tried to take all of this away from him. He’d damn near drained Jet dry before Jet had gotten away.
After calming himself, Jet reached the garage. When he stepped into the front area of the shop, Jet saw Raven sitting on a rickety chair, resting his head in his hands.
His mate looked so damn lost that a heavy weight sat in the center of Jet’s chest. He didn’t want to disturb Raven, but god, Jet wanted to go to him, too. Whatever Raven was wrestling with, Jet could give his mate time. Maybe if he let his mate work things out in his head, he’d seek Jet out later.
He had no right to intrude on his mate when Raven clearly needed time to himself.
“Don’t go,” Raven said when Jet turned, ready to walk away. He paused but didn’t turn around.
“I’m not sure what to do,” Jet said. After a deep breath, he took a step closer. His arms ached to wrap around his mate, but Jet held back, waiting to see what Raven would say.
Raven dropped his hands and stared at the floor. “I wasn’t trying to shut you out, Rainbow. I just needed time to think.”
Jet was relieved that his suspicions had been right.
He walked across the room and knelt in front of Raven. He pulled his mate’s hands in his. “Tell me what you need.”
Raven gave him a wry smile. “I shut you out and left you in the house, angry at me, and you want to know what I need.” Raven shook his head. “How did I get so lucky?”
Jet ran a hand up Raven’s leg. “What’s going on?”
Raven told him what happened in the bathroom at the tavern. “I didn’t want you to worry. I wasn’t trying to shut you out.”
Jet stood and moved a few paces away. “You have some deranged wolf after you and I’m not supposed to worry?” On what planet was that okay?
“He’s not a wolf, Rainbow. He’s a white tiger, and yes, I don’t want you to worry. I’ll take care of Calhoun myself.”
Jet rounded on Raven. “Like you let me take care of those guards? No, you left me sitting in the car while you and the others went into the woods to get Poppy. I had a better chance of fighting them than any of you did.”
Raven jerked from the chair. “Like you fought them in the diner?”
“That’s not fair!” Jet was quivering with rage. True, he didn’t have the ability to shimmer away. And since Sindri had placed a spell on Jet, he couldn’t even conjure a decent protection spell. Poppy had done all the heavy lifting, and Jet wasn’t even sure his cousin had done a good job since he wasn’t very good at spells.
“How is it not fair?” Raven asked. “You’re not only pocket-sized but you’re defenseless at the moment. Tell me how you can fight those guards.”
“What does any of that have to do with you shutting me out?” Jet asked. “I’m not looking to fight any of them. All I want is for you to be honest with me. I didn’t think that was too much to ask.”
Raven visibly deflated. He walked over to Jet and pulled Jet into his arms. As badly as he wanted to tell Raven to go fuck himself, Jet knew they were both under a tremendous amount of stress and taking it out on each other.
“I don’t want to fight with you, Rainbow. You’re my balm, the person I find solace in when the world is kicking my ass.”
Jet’s anger faded. He held on to Raven, pressing his head against his mate’s chest. “Then don’t lie to me. I don’t need you to protect me from what’s going on. I need you to let me know.”
“You’re right, and I’m sorry.” Raven kissed his temple. “Come on, let’s go back inside. I really am exhausted.”
Pulling out of Raven’s arm, Jet walked out of the shop, his mate right behind him. But Jet was worried. They had a third enemy they had to watch out for. It didn’t seem as if life was cutting them any slack.
Jet just wished Sindri hadn’t placed a binding spell on him. Until it was lifted, Jet was as helpless as a human. If things got hinky, there was no way Jet could shimmer himself and his mate away.
“I think we didn’t do too badly with our first fight,” Raven said. “What do you think?”
Jet rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t as horrible as some spats I’ve seen, but let’s try not to perfect our technique.”
“Bet,” Raven said. “I’d much rather fuck you than fight with you.”
Jet bounced his eyebrows. “Makeup sex?”
Raven stopped walking and looked as if he were mulling that thought over. Jet gave a playful growl as he elbowed his mate. “If you have to think about it, then—”
“No thinking at all.” Raven cupped Jet’s face. “I never hesitate when it comes to getting you naked.
“Then maybe—” Jet’s words were cut off when Raven flew backward and hit the ground with a loud grunt and visible pain reflecting on his face. “Raven!” Jet raced forward but came to a hard stop when he saw Sindri shimmering into the backyard.
Chapter Ten
There went that feeling of being hit with a sledgehammer again. Raven hadn’t liked it the first time, and he wasn’t asking for a repeat performance.
He rolled to his back, rubbing his sternum, and waited for the pain to subside. His brain must’ve been knocked loose, too, because Raven suddenly remembered Jet. He didn’t have the luxury of lying there until he recovered.
He had to get to his mate.
With concentrated effort and a whole
lot of pain, Raven rolled to his hands and feet. He spotted the guard walking slowly toward Jet, while Jet stood there with terror in his eyes.
Raven forced himself to his feet, shaking off the tingling that racked his body. He might not be able to defeat the fae guard, but he would fight to the death to keep Jet safe.
Wasn’t someone watching the house? It was clear that whoever was on babysitting duty was out front, because they weren’t running to help Raven.
He was on his own in this.
Jet’s eyes widened when he looked Raven’s way. His mate walked backward away from the guard, getting closer to Raven.
“Why, Sindri?” Jet asked. “Why are you doing this to your own people? Is whatever drug you’re using worth betraying your own kind?”
Sindri curled his lip and ran his gaze scathingly over Jet. “It’s nothing personal. This is business. Do you think I like being ordered around? Do you think I like working for a sniveling king? His advisors tell him what to do. Arion doesn’t have a smart cell in his brain, and I’m supposed to do his bidding like I’m his personal lap dog? I struck out on my own, away from Arion and his ignorant ways.” Sindri shrugged. “Making money hand over fist is much better than being Arion’s lap dog.”
Raven eased closer with measured steps. So far Sindri hadn’t noticed that Raven had gotten up. Just as long as he steered clear of those electric blasts, Raven should survive this.
Just as long as Sindri didn’t use any spells. If he did, Raven was fucked.
“Greed?” Jet’s eyes narrowed. “This is all about money? You’ve drained countless fae for money?”
His mate moved slowly to his right, still backing away, still coming toward Raven. Raven had to get between Jet and Sindri. If Raven’s assumption was correct, Sindri wanted Jet back in that lab. Jet was the one who had gotten away, and from what Raven had seen so far, that was a blow to the guard’s ego that Sindri couldn’t accept.
“You’re not going to make me give you a monologue.” Sindri moved closer to Jet. “It doesn’t matter what this is about. You’ve already exposed my operation. I’m gonna have to shut it down, but not before I get my revenge on you.”