“Enough,” Jaxson cries, bringing his wolf to the front. The pack energy creeps over the place.
Next to me, I feel the female werewolf breathe it in and sigh. Oh, she has it bad. She is wild, I can feel it. Her energy is all over the place, buzzing with delight. Her wolf longs to run free. I’ve never felt this kind of wolf energy before. It’s almost affecting me. I don’t know if it’s because I now have a connection to the wolves or if my powers are getting clearer.
“What you heard was Rayne’s choice. She said she has nothing to prove; rather you all have something you must prove to yourselves. You all have one week to make a decision. Either you join us, or you leave town. I am the alpha and I’m claiming this city as my own. If you don’t believe, then I will have my second personally pay you a visit and you can test her power then.”
“Choose carefully,” I warn.
“Now, as for you,” Jaxson states, turning to the she wolf in stiletto heels. Brown eyes to brown eyes, they stare each other down until she finally relents. Still, the amusement is apparent on her face.
“Let’s talk privately. You are a stranger to my city at a time when we are not so trusting. Follow us.” Jaxson walks forward, expecting us to follow him.
I look back again and try to pinpoint that elusive energy that I had felt earlier, but it’s gone. They didn’t seem to be an enemy, but I don’t think they were one that he invited either. Should I bring it up? Maybe, but not yet.
As I look around, the club seems to have gone back to normal rather quickly. The two members of the pack are quietly observing the crowd and I nod in satisfaction. If anything goes down, they’ll handle it. Besides, I’m much more curious about this woman in front of me.
We head back to the office where Jaxson had spoken with me and Selene before. I make myself comfortable in the black leather chair as Jaxson sits at his desk after closing the door for privacy. She remains standing until Jaxson allows her to sit. Amusement paints her face again. The female wolf doesn’t seem to take pack etiquette seriously. She is clearly a firecracker. I’m just waiting on the explosion.
Legs crossed, she looks around the room, pretending to care about the empty walls and desk as she waits for Jaxson to speak. I lean back farther in my chair as I stare at her profile. There’s something about this wolf that’s different, but what is it?
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“It’s Jun. Darn, I was hoping he would be the one interrogating me. That is, unless you’re the good cop and he’s the bad cop,” she says, her voice coming out more like a purr.
Jaxson stiffens in his chair and then composes himself. I try not to laugh at his clumsiness. She’s going to eat him alive.
“And do you have a last name Jun?” I ask as Jaxson is too stuck on staring.
She ignores me completely and leans closer to Jaxson, giving him a great view of her small, but perky breasts. I don’t take offense. When there’s attraction, you sometimes are better off going for it.
Especially when tomorrow isn’t promised.
“You feel it too don’t you?” she breathes.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he says quietly, gaze flicking to me, frustrated that I’m in the room.
Oh well, he can wait a few more minutes so that I can leave with all the information that we both need. Then, it occurs to me what she meant. It’s that werewolf instinct, that click that Anubis told me about the first time he kissed his mate. This isn’t ordinary attraction for these two. This is something deeper. Now I feel like I’m intruding on a private moment and as I look into Jaxson eyes, it’s almost as if he’s hoping that she really is the one.
“Um, the quicker we get on with this, the sooner I can leave you two to discover yourselves.”
With that, they both turn to me and I shrug my shoulders. “What?” I ask. “I get it, I really do. Now, Jun, your last name?”
She gives me another wolf smile, feeling me out. I roll my eyes at her and she continues.
“It’s Jun Jones.”
“Seriously?” I roll my eyes again.
“I chose to change my last name when I left my family behind. I was a witch by birth, but I was partying in the mountains with some friends about six years ago when I was attacked by two werewolves. My magic was enough to kill one of the wolves, but the other one got me good. The only reason why he didn’t eat me is because I fell from a cliff. I broke eight ribs, both of my legs, and more. A couple of my friends weren’t so lucky. The other one that survived killed herself last year. It’s too painful to bear sometimes. Feeling the magic inside you, dying to be released, but knowing you can’t use it because the wolf now controls all. Normally, witches don’t turn. That wolf turned two of us.”
Her eyes gaze off into the distance as she remembers the awful attack. I search her skin for wounds but as usual, werewolves that are turned from an attack usually become healed of all the evidence.
“My family tried to help me deal with the change, but I was too much to handle. I blamed them for not teaching me better magic to defend myself and for not helping me find a way to at least be able to use my magic even though I was now wolf. They feared my temper and that I would expose them as awakeneds out of spite. I was forced to leave my home. So, I changed my last name. After that, I went to seek help in New Mexico where a pack of werewolves live in the forests. Because of them, I was able to accept the wolf as my other half.”
“So, why are you here now then instead of going back to your family to make amends?” Jaxson asks suspiciously.
It’s good to see that even though they may have a deep need for each other, he still needs to think like an alpha and treat her as an outsider. She knows that she can’t lie to another werewolf, but something tells me that she’s had plenty of practice at hiding the truth.
“Because honestly, I’m not ready. I may even have a death wish. I understand my wolf a lot better, but she is anxious about something as if she won’t rest until she finds it. She wants a fight and I don’t think I can deny her much longer. There is a deep rage inside me. I don’t know if it’s the magic, my true nature that is affecting her, but she’s forever pacing, hunting. I ended up here. I don’t know why, but I’ve been traveling a while and I wanted to be around my kind so here I am. I caught your speech and since you don’t smell like anything but human, I became curious as to why an alpha would claim a human as his pack. With your words, I see why. You are powerful, I can feel it.”
“You don’t even know what we’re fighting for,” I say to her, pulling my sword. She focuses on it but doesn’t make any moves. “You come here with this story, this mysterious aura you put out there. You make moves to seduce Jaxson and then tell me you have a death wish. That last part I do believe. Why else are you here?” I ask sharply, putting Katsu’s point against her throat.
Jaxson and I share a look. He was wondering the same thing. Running a hand through his mohawk, he watches our exchange with interest.
Unfazed, or just a great actress, she states, “I caught word that there was an alpha here that had special qualities. His pack was growing more powerful and seemed to have some special abilities that other packs lost. I thought that he’d be able to help me too. It sounds to me like he has some magic inside of him as well.”
Jaxson nods and I sheath my sword.
“I like you,” she tells me.
“I’ll withhold my judgment,” I respond.
“You’ve clearly already made some judgments about other aspects of me,” she quips.
“Oh, and what does that mean?” I ask, giving her the side eye.
“I notice things, okay. You were staring at my body. Clearly, you appreciate beautiful forms.” She leans back in the chair and crosses her arms, feeling triumphant.
Jaxson and I both laugh at her remark.
“Okay, I think I do like you. Cockiness appeals to me. A beautiful form appeals to me, what can I say; I’m spoken for, so don’t worry. My eyes will adjust. I was just wondering about your l
ack of wounds.”
“My father is a healer. Along with the healing that the wolf gives me, he was able to fix everything else.”
Sounds about right. But, back to business at hand. I let Jaxson take the lead now.
“That alpha you were referring to is not me. He is dead and we are waging a war against the witch that is responsible for his death along with many other crimes against our kind. This man hopes to expose us all to the world so that he can control it, one nation at a time, with his choice of who should rule where. What do you think of that?” Jaxson questions. He narrows his eyes as he watches her reaction intently.
She seems to be in deep thought again. I feel her weird wolf energy buzzing around her, the hair on the back of her neck rises. It’s almost like she’s consulting with the wolf inside of herself. She very well could be. Jaxson doesn’t seem to refer to him and his wolf as two separate entities in such a divided way, as if it is an intruder in his body, but he was also born a werewolf. Maybe it’s different for those that have been bitten. Maybe it’s the reason why she has issues because she hasn’t accepted the wolf as her.
“I think the world is going to find out about us sooner than later and we had better be prepared for that day. Yet, for one man to make that kind of decision for all of us, it doesn’t seem right. I don’t know. I do know that I want to know more about you,” she tells Jaxson, smoothly switching subjects.
Jaxson grunts. “As I said before, you will either fight with us, or you will leave my city. Attraction or not, I don’t have time for games woman.”
Her eyes flash yellow. “I think I’ll stay a while.”
“Good. Now, wait outside until you are called on,” he dismisses her.
The same amused look paints her face again as she stands. “I guess I’ll be seeing you later then, right?” Jun directs the comment to me.
“Oh, but of course. I look forward to working with you.” I stand up to shake her hand. She squeezes firmly, but not enough to hurt me. It seems that she’s already staking out her territory. Yes, Jaxson is going to have one hell of a night if she has her way.
Jun’s hips sway seductively as she exits the room, closing the door gently behind her.
“So, should I start making wedding plans?” I joke.
“Shut the hell up,” he growls.
Chapter Twenty Four
I was able to talk to Jaxson about getting guards for Damien and Tamara during the day. He agreed to do the best he could while keeping the wolves protected. I promised that they’d be compensated as well and was able to convince him that this would be a good way for him to find a real enforcer. Then, we talked about Jun.
She is going to stay at the pack’s house so that they can keep an eye on her. After I made fun of him for his reactions to her flirting, he reminded me that I had tried to flirt with him to get into the club and it didn’t work. That earned him a punch in the chest.
Last, I filled him in on the press conference and my plans to meet with the board at Whitmore Industries. I told him that I wanted him on the payroll so that he could spend less time at the club and not have to worry about money for the time being. Slightly offended, he declined. For now. I apologized and then went on my way, leaving him to get to know Jun in a more intimate capacity.
It felt good to be able to walk out of the club and not be attacked. I guess the third time is the charm. Keeping my head down and not making any stops, I was able to make it back to my home without incident. Just as I get to the door, Zara is pulling up. I wait for her at the front and then walk in with her by my side.
Selene comes from the kitchen wiping her hands as she takes in the two of us.
“What’s up?” I ask Zara before kissing Selene on the cheek.
Zara is dressed in loose fitting black jeans, some gray Timberland boots, and a short-sleeved, gray Henley shirt. Her usual jewelry adorns her body and her full sleeve makes her look attractive as usual. From her scent, she’s wearing some Calvin Klein fragrance. I take a step closer to Selene just in case my power attempts to reach for her.
Selene touches my hand and waits for Zara’s response.
“I’ve been called away for a couple days by my cousin. It seems that there is urgent business with the nine that we must discuss. I also wanted to let you know in person that I have some vampires that will be watching you guys during the evenings. If you sense them, then they are not mine. These vampires are trained especially for security and assassination so they know how to remain hidden. I have them watching Damien as well,” Zara tells us.
“Okay, thanks,” Selene says.
“Not a problem. There’s something else that I want you to know. That demon that attacked you the other night, the one that flew away; well apparently she is still in town. I think she’s searching for something. Namen may have given her the impression that you have it. Be alert and I’ll try to be back as soon as possible. When I return, we will meet with my grandmother. Good luck tomorrow. If you need me, call.”
“I will. We’ll be careful. You do the same,” I say.
“And if you need us, you call,” Selene adds, surprising me.
Zara smiles warmly at her, flashing fang. “I will priestess.” She bows with one arm across her chest. “Now, make sure you both train.”
She leaves in a hurry. Her car roars to life outside.
“She’s really worried about something,” Selene tells me.
“I think so too. I think she has some issues with Apollo that she’s not ready to deal with. He scares her for some reason,” I respond thoughtfully. Her energy changes whenever he’s brought up.
“Well, that may not be a good thing for us. I wonder if he’s going to ever be a problem that we’ll have to deal with,” Selene says.
“I hope not,” I say. I change subjects, not wanting to add to my worries. “But, we have some time to ourselves, so what do you want to do? I turned my phone off so I’m not getting any of these exclusive interview offers. I just want to have a semi normal rest of the day. After I tell you about what happened at the club.”
“Well, tell me what happened. Then, I’ll tell you what I want to do.”
“A female wolf came in and stole the show. Jaxson is completely mesmerized by her. Her name is Jun and apparently she was a witch before she was bitten,” I say, flopping on the couch and kicking off my shoes.
“Really?” Selene asks, eyes lighting up in curiosity. “What’s she like?”
“Well,” I start, thinking about the best way to describe her. I pull Selene down to the couch and into my arms. “She’s a wild one. Very sexual and very cocky. She’s superficial almost, but you can tell that she’s seeking something to hold on to. That something may very well be Jaxson. They are extremely attracted to each other. She’s pretty; Middle Eastern I think. Tall, maybe an alpha female. She’s either going to be a great ally or a giant distraction.”
“That sounds a lot like someone I know,” Selene states.
“Uh, and whom might that be?”
“Hmm. I’ll let you think about that one.”
I frown. I’m not like that am I?
“Now, as for what I’d like to do, I’d like to eat this meal I put together first. Then, I’d like a nice massage, and some wine,” she tells me after placing a kiss on my cheek.
“Well, take me to your kitchen,” I say trying to sound like an alien. It only comes off corny and lame. Selene still laughs at my attempt which makes me happy anyway.
“We eat rib eye steak, broccoli, and garlic mashed potatoes, which is one of my favorite meals. The steak is cooked to medium perfection and fills me with so much joy every single bite I take. I find myself moaning in satisfaction. I had forgotten that Selene is such a great cook. We enjoy a nice red wine after the meal and I pay my compliments to the chef.
Selene smiles like a kid that just got all a’s on her report card. That smile ignites something inside me.
“You’re just so damn beautiful,” I tell her in a whisper. My voice has
gone raspy and it’s not from a dry throat.
“Thank you,” she says quietly. Selene locks her gaze on mine and I can read all her thoughts in that instant.
“Do you want dessert?” I ask, licking my lips seductively.
She tucks her long black hair behind her ear and bites down gently on her lip. Her brown ombre’ shines from the light. Her yellow tank top comes off within seconds, leaving her black lace bra there alone. I look at her as if I’m seeing her for the first time. I swallow hard and grip the table with my fingers tightly.
“Do you want me?” she asks in response. Her gaze is uncertain, begging for validation. I’m sure her heart is pounding.
“I always want you,” I tell her honestly. My throbbing down below drives the point home.
She proceeds to unbutton her tight blue jeans. Then, she pulls them from around her waist, off her round butt, and down to the floor. I study her flawless tanned skin and imagine the softness of it under my fingers. Instinctively, I begin to breathe heavily in anticipation. I had thought that this moment would come a little later, but I’m grateful that it’s now. I have every intention of making it worthwhile.
Selene directs me to clean everything off of the dining room table. I do so, knocking all that unnecessary shit to the floor. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow and then laughs. I love the sound of her voice. I love her body. I stare at it in expectation. I want it all.
As if reading my thoughts, Selene asks me, “What do you want, Rayne?”
With no hesitation, I say, “I want you inside of me.” It comes out pleading, desperate, but right now, I don’t care.
“Is that all?” she asks, planning her every move. Her green eyes have a fire in them that I intend to quench. They shine with desire and my body gets chills from their depths.
“I want everything that you’re willing to give,” I say to her, studying every inch of her body. I breathe in her scent. Strawberries.
The sound of her accent caresses my ears. I want her voice, her warm breath, her lips pressed up against my skin. “I can make that happen.”
Killer Rayne Page 14