Jenna could feel Cash’s hurt and anger. She wasn’t that far away, she had needed to stay close to him. She justified the need by saying she wanted to make sure he was taken care of properly, but that was a bunch of bullshit. Jenna knew damn well he was being taken care of, she trusted Kiera with her life. Her need to be near him had a hell of a lot more to do with the fact she had irrevocably bonded them to each other. She could justify it was to save his life, but she was afraid he wouldn’t feel the same way.
Jenna sat down on the couch; it was now or never. Opening her mind, she let Cash fully into her head, she couldn’t hide anymore. The words echoed in her mind, Tell me now! She could also feel his physical pain. She didn’t have to search for the bond that joined them. Now, it was a part of her as much as it was a part of him. Pushing her power through, she started to feel him relax. When he demanded that she stop, she was shocked.
Damn it! Stop! I don’t know who the fuck you are, but it’s time you told me what the hell is going on and not through this fucked up link between the two of us. Get your ass here, now. I’m giving you until the end of the day. If you don’t come, I will find you, Jenna Smith, and when I do, you will not like the outcome.
The connection cut off so quickly, it startled Jenna. Cash had never once done that to her before. Now there was a wall up she couldn’t get through. It felt like a piece of herself was missing. It hurt so much, the pain became physical, and she leaned forward clutching at her stomach, tears already burning her eyes. Damn, what had she done?
She felt the cushion on the couch shift and large hands rubbing her back, and she knew her Uncle Matt was there offering her comfort, but it wasn’t the same or the man she needed right now.
“Look at me, sweet girl,” her Uncle Matt said softly. Jenna didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to talk to him, but she knew he would stay there all day until she did as he asked. Taking several deep breaths, she whispered, “I can’t. Please, can we do this later?”
“Jenna, I have given you weeks to come to me and tell me what’s going on, so I can help you. Times up, honey, you need to let someone in. Tell me what happened up in that cottage of yours and what has you so sad now.”
“I can’t Uncle Matt,” Jenna shuttered out a breath, “I just can’t, right now. Please, I’ve done something horrible, and I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”
“Sweet girl, whatever it is can’t be that bad,” Mattias said, still rubbing her back. It pissed him off Jenna had become so shut off, and he blamed Declan for that. If the man hadn’t been playing all his games, Jenna wouldn’t be hurting so much right now. He had warned him, but as always, Declan thought he knew best. Mattias sensed him as soon as he walked in the door and knew this was the one person Jenna would open up to. Bending down, he kissed the top of her head.
“Okay, sweet girl, for now, but if you need me, just call.” Before he made it through the door, Mattias heard Jenna sobbed “Thank you,” and it tore him apart. Someone was going to pay for this. Walking down the hall, he waited for Kayden to turn the corner.
Kayden was a cocky fucker who Mattias didn’t always have the patience for, but he knew the other man loved Jenna like a sister. That was the only reason he had left her crying in Kiera’s living room. Jenna was Mattias’s, period. She was the daughter he never had, and he would do anything for her. When Declan found out about her and decided she was better off staying in foster care, away from the rest of them, Mattias went after her, bringing her into his home. At first, it was just to piss Declan off, then it turned into more. Kayden was another one of his adopted children, but the reasons behind that were far darker.
Reaper. Kayden loved the look in Mattias’ eyes when he called him that. Typical, Mattias couldn’t be baited to respond, but that slight squinting of his eyes was enough for him. It meant the man did feel something. Over the years, it had become a game for Kayden, any reaction from Mattias was considered a win. Jenna was the only one who got a good reaction from the man, a loving one. It wasn’t as though Kayden wanted Mattias to treat him the same way, he wasn’t jealous of Jenna in any way, but he wanted to know what Mattias was up to. He always knew Mattias wasn’t capable of loving anything, even Jenna, and it bothered him to see Mattias actions because they were genuine. No, Mattias had an end game, one Kayden couldn’t figure out. That was why he always encouraged Jenna to find her own way, away from everyone.
“Kayden, took you long enough to get here, I called you last week.”
“Well, old man, I had a few things I needed to take care of first. You know, like trying to find my Beta, dealing with my sister and niece, you know basic shit.”
“Knock it off, boy, you know better than to pull that shit with me,” Mattias growled, letting a little of his inner beast show in his eyes and stature. It didn’t scare Kayden in the slightest, having seen it too many times before.
“Are you leaving?” Kayden questioned
“Yes, Jenna is in the living room. I expect you to care for her,” Mattias said over his shoulder.
“Yeah, just like always,” Kayden said under his breath. Kayden loved Jenna, would do anything for her, that was why he was here now. Otherwise, he would have never obeyed Mattias’s dictate to come. He and Mattias were like oil and water when put in the same room together. It had always been that way. The arrogant ass didn’t even bother to say anything else, just walked out of the room, leaving Kayden standing there.
Kayden paid it no attention, going immediately to the enormous bar, grabbing a couple of bottles and two shot glasses. As he made his way into the living room, his heart broke. He hadn’t seen Jenna in a couple of years, but she was crying softly, curled in on herself. Damn, this was going to suck.
“Hey, Jenna,” Kayden said. When her head snapped up, he saw the misery she was in, then it changed to shock, then a beautiful smile. Just as he expected, she stood and ran to him, jumping into his open arms. Kayden had to jostle her around a little to keep hold of the bottles and glasses in his hands, but he managed.
“So, tell me, Jenna,” he said, kissing her on the forehead, “you have been here for weeks and didn’t once think to give me a call.” Her smile faded, but they had agreed a long time ago always to be honest with each other.
Jenna looked up at Kayden and straightened her body out, so he would let her go, but he didn’t, he was waiting for an answer. The truth was she had wanted to call him but knew he had a lot going on. Being the Alpha of Bravo was a huge responsibility, and he hadn’t had the position long. Plus, she had to admit to herself, she had been hiding. Kayden had a way of getting her to talk when no one else could.
“Kayden, I—” she started.
“Nope, not going to work.” Kayden let her down and lifted up the two bottles and glasses she hadn’t noticed he was holding. “I think this calls for a rematch.”
“Kayden,” Jenna raised her eyebrow, “we haven’t done this since high school.”
Kayden walked over to the couch and sat down, putting the glasses down, then held up the bottle in his left hand.
“Whiskey or,” looking at the other bottle, “Tequila?”
Jenna smiled and pointed to the Tequila. If she had any chance of getting through the next hour, Tequila was her choice because it always got Kayden flustered. He was a shifter, so he wouldn’t get drunk. No, that was what was going to happen to her, but Tequila made him talk, and if she could keep him talking long enough, she wouldn’t have to talk herself.
“Do you remember the rules?” Kayden asked.
Jenna walked over and sat on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table.
“Yeah, do you?”
“Yep, whoever has the shittier life gets to make the other take a drink. You ready?” he asked as he poured two shots.
“Don’t you think we are a little too old for this, Kayden?” Jenna countered, lifting the glass to her lips and downing it. The harsh liquor burned its way down her throat. It had been a long time since she had done shots. When they were kids, they used to sneak a bottle from Uncle Matt and go out into the woods to play this very game. She had come up with it; it was the only way she could ever get Kayden to talk. He had always been closed off like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders, and Jenna had to admit, in a sense, it had.
“Nah,” Kayden said while filling her glass again, “I figure, why change something that works. You had time to come to me on your own, and you didn’t, so bottoms up girl.”
“Nope,” Jenna laughed, “you're forgetting this works age before beauty, plus, I already did one, so spill.”
“Okay, you have me there. Let’s see.” Kayden made a big show of trying to think of something, then blurted out, “My sister doesn’t want to be within fifty feet of me.”
Jenna had heard about Zoey when she got back, Uncle Matt telling her all about what she had missed hiding out in the backcountry. Dr. Franklin had been playing his games with a lot more people’s lives than Jenna had ever known. Having personally lived through some of it herself, she felt for the woman. Jenna, thankfully, only experienced foster care before Uncle Matt saved her; Zoey had experienced white slavery. Jenna also knew it was part of Kayden’s nature to protect, and part of that protection involved putting the people he loved in a box and wrapping them so tightly in protection, they couldn’t breathe. Jenna knew he meant well, but most people couldn’t handle that; she hadn’t been able to, and from what she heard about Zoey, she didn’t think she ever would either.
“Good one, my turn,” she said, clearing her throat. “Okay, hmm, I can’t be within fifty feet of my sister without my head wanting to explode or wanting to slap her silly.”
“Okay,” Kayden laughed, “I think that one is a draw, we both drink.”
Jenna downed her glass quickly, the second shot going down much smoother than the first. They played the game until she didn't feel much, her whole body feeling numb and fuzzy. Kayden, the asshole, looked like he was bored, he probably was. Jenna laughed, her drunken state giving her the giggles. They had gone drink for drink, each of how shittier their life was ending in a draw. Then she blurted out.
“I bonded with a man who is in love with my sister.” Holding up her arm, she ripped off the bandage she had been wearing, showing Kayden the fate mated mark.
Kayden’s eyes bulged out a little, then started to glow. She knew he was pissed, but he was holding back.
“Who is he?” he demanded, then shook his head, having heard the same stories she had, and asked, “Cash? Oh, damn, Jenna.”
Yep, those words summed it up, Oh Damn. But Jenna wasn’t done, downing her shot, she got up, staggering a couple of times to catch her balance.
“Oh, that isn’t it either, Kayden. Not only does he love my sister, but I did it to him, not the other way around. My curse,” she sneered. “Yeah, I tried to save him, and look,” Jenna said, throwing her arm out, “this is what I get for it, fate bonded for life. Now he’s demanding I come and talk to him.”
“Jenna, Cash is missing. Did you, did he?”
Jenna snorted. “Cash Warren hasn’t been missing since his plane went down. Jessie could find that man in the middle of the largest city or in any backwoods area. Hell, Declan had her practice enough. Didn’t you wonder why he hadn’t sent her out?”
“I just assumed…”
“Well, there you go, you know what assuming does, it makes an ass,” Jenna tripped and fell forward, barely catching herself on the coffee table before finishing, “you and me.”
“Jenna, you can’t be fate bonded unless you, well, fuck,” Kayden said, still shocked at the words coming out of her mouth. None of this made sense. He was aware of Jenna’s powers, had to stay on constant alert, blocking her every moment he was with her. It took a lot of effort, but he had learned how to handle it when he was young. Cash had been shot, hurt, he already knew that, but they had been searching for him for months. The members of Alpha were going nuts with grief. He wasn’t joking when he said he had thought about Jessie’s skills and wondered why Declan hadn’t sent her out; he just assumed the man was dead. Declan would know, but then again, so would Jacks. Oh, fuck, this was getting worse and worse. Kayden poured two more drinks, Jenna didn’t need them but he sure as fuck did.
Jenna snorted again and shook her head, leaning to the side, precariously.
“Nope, no fucking involved, he was unconscious the whole time.” Jenna laughed harder, picking up the bottle, tipping it towards Kayden. “I got bonded and didn’t even get the orgasm to go with it! Lucky me.”
Kayden watched as Jenna took a large swig from the bottle. This was worse than anything he could think of. Getting up from the couch, he grabbed the booze out of her hand, having to jump over the table when she lost her balance and nearly toppled to the floor.
Damn it, Kayden had known this shit with Cash Warren and the Gunther’s was going to come back and bite someone in the ass one day, but he never thought, in a million years, it would be Jenna. Kayden had his own guilt about knowing, often avoiding the man and Alpha Team altogether. But he was a soldier and had followed orders, him and Milo both.
When the shit came out about Pandora and Dr. Franklin, his sister, and niece, he hadn’t put two and two together until much later. Confronting both Declan and Mattias in private, Kayden had demanded the truth, all of it. He had always thought Jenna and Jessie were an anomaly born to one Shifter parent and one human, or that their mother had stepped out. They didn’t have animals but had some special abilities; he was so used to it, it didn’t faze him. Jenna didn’t talk about it, so neither did he.
When he confronted Senior and Mattias, only then, did he get the whole story. Jenna and Jessie were a product of in-vitro fertilization by Dr. Franklin's hand. After the babies were born, part of the deal was they got to keep one and the other was to be watched after by Franklin. Kayden didn’t try to pretend he understood that shit, how someone could be so desperate to have a child, they were willing to make that kind of sacrifice, but the Gunther’s had done it.
Then there was Cash. That story he did know because once he met Jessie, it was all she ever talked about. Cash thought the two of them were fated mates. Jessie was still young and liked to brag about it, but growing up knowing the stories about fated mates, Kayden had always just blown her off. They didn’t live in the same area, and he didn’t know the man. When he joined the service, there were a couple of times when the units combined or helped each other out, but Kayden kept his distance, watching. One thing he did know was Cash Warren was a good man and deserved better than any of this shit going on or what had happened in the past.
“Jenna, you have to talk to him,” Kayden said, holding her in his arms. When she started sobbing, he rubbed her back and tried to give her some kind of comfort, but he knew nothing would until she went to Cash. The question was would he hate her, or would he accept what fate had laid out for him, and how would Jenna handle any of this? How would she get through another person putting her in second place? Fucking hell.