Chapter Nine
“Jett…” Adonis’ low voice sounded like a scream throughout the room, ringing in Jett’s ears.
Jett lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh. “I know.”
“You have to go after her. She’s your…”
“I know! You don’t have to tell me what the right thing to do is.”
Shoving away from the table Jett strode through the restaurant with all eyes judging him on the way out. He didn’t need anyone to tell him he went way overboard with what he said to Tatum. He knew he screwed up. He was just so damn angry by her reaction to him. Being so turned on by someone who infuriated you to no end at the same time was fucking aggravating. He should have known better though. That was not how you were supposed to treat your mate. But Tatum never even gave him a chance. Her mind was set, and no one was going to change it. But he had to. Deep down in his gut he knew she was the one for him, and he didn’t need Gerri Wilder to knock him over the head to prove that. He could feel it in his gut, only he had to push that feeling away because of Tatum’s stubbornness to let others in. Well, he couldn’t allow that to happen any longer, not since he got confirmation that they were meant for each other.
Jett exited the restaurant, making a b-line toward the elevator, but his keen sense of hearing picked up a woman sobbing behind the door leading to the stairs. It didn’t take long for the sound to register and know it was Tatum. He pushed the door open and without trepidation made the descent to where she was sitting. She snapped her head in his direction before turning back around and hurriedly wiping her eyes as if he hadn’t seen the wet drops fall down her pinkened cheeks. He sat on the step above the one she was on. “So, what are Adonis and Eira having?”
She scoffed. “I’m not telling you that.”
“I’m sorry Tatum.”
She cleared her throat, the pain in her heart still evident in her tone. “For what?”
“For saying those things to you. I shouldn’t have…”
“It’s fine. You were just being honest.”
“No, I wasn’t.” He ran a hand through his inky hair. “You just made me so mad and I spoke without thinking. I wanted you to hurt the way you hurt me and that was wrong.”
“Why do care? I’m no one to you so you’re off the hook.”
“That’s not true Tatum. You’re my…”
“I am not your mate. Stop saying that. You’re first instincts were right. We don’t belong together.” She stood. “Well, you won’t have to worry about bumping into me anymore because I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Jett grabbed her wrist, preventing her from taking another step. “What? Why?”
“Why on earth should I stay? It’s the same thing wherever I go.”
“Then stay. We can work it out. Just give us a chance, I swear it will be worth it.”
“Why would you want to be nice to me after I’ve been so hateful to you?” She paused for a beat. “Oh, right. I’m your mate. You have no choice.”
“Oh, I have a choice. We aren’t fully mated yet. There is a ritual bite that you haven’t received from me yet, so technically there’s really nothing tying us together permanently.”
“So, what happens if we really don’t get along?”
Jett stepped forward, cradling her head in his hands and tilted her head up to meet his heated gaze. “Because there’s too much fire blazing between us to be doused by a few mere disagreements. You’re going to have to put up a much bigger fight to get rid of me Tatum; and even then, I still won’t be going anywhere. So, just let me in. I promise I wouldn’t do anything to hurt and I will protect you with my life. Let me show you how happy you can be with the right man.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and her facial features softened. “You mean the right wolf.”
Jett chuckled. “That too.” He leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers in a ghost of a kiss. Though they were barely touching, that didn’t change the fact that his cock was growing with each passing second as he inhaled her intoxicating scent of motor oil and oranges. He never thought such a combination would be this mind-numbing, but it was. Being this close to her, inhaling her, caused his senses to go reeling out of control. A control that was about to snap if he didn’t put a little distance between them. He had to earn her trust and he just couldn’t jump her bones right there in the stairwell. Oh, he wanted to, but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Damn his need to be chivalrous with his mate. He pulled back from her a fraction of an inch. “Do you want to go back to dinner?”
She shook her head. “No, can you take me home?”
“You mean Eira’s?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t have a place of my own yet.”
“Would you mind if I took you somewhere first?”
“No, I could use some fresh air.”
“You may want to go change your shoes. We have a little walking to do.”
“I’m good. These are comfortable.”
“Okaaay, but I strongly recommend…”
“Jett, I said I’m fine.”
Jett smiled, taking her hand. “Alright, let’s go.”
The almost mile long walk to the river was a bit of a treacherous hike to do in the moonlight. Not for him, but for Tatum. Especially since she was new to the area. Pair that with her ‘comfortable’ boots and it took them double the time to get there than it would have in the light of day and with proper gear. Nevertheless, he wanted to share this moment with her, mostly to get her to relax around him, but he also felt the need to spend this time with someone. He always went out here alone and though he enjoyed his privacy, a piece of him needed to give her the same sense of contentment he always felt when visited the riverbed.
The spot was off the beaten path where barely any humans went because of the rough terrain. Though Tatum had a hard time navigating the rough terrain of the woods, she never complained. She only followed Jett and occasionally, she allowed him to take her hand to guide her, which was shocking to him. He wanted to do so much more than hold hands, but hey, small steps, right?
Taking off his jacket, Jett laid it on the ground and motioned for Tatum to sit down on it. Instead, she removed her own and plopped down on it. Jett smiled and shook his head. Having her as his mate was certainly going to be an interesting ride. Hopefully, she would warm up to him sooner or later.
Jett leaned on his elbows, tilting his back. Millions of stars twinkled above them, making them look like sparkling diamonds scattered across the darkness of the night sky. It was a sight you could only see from mountainous area. The closer you got to town the less stars you could see. Jett closed his eyes, relishing the soft sounds of the trees rustling in the cool breeze. Taking a few deep breaths, he began to relax. He had gotten so lost in his own head, he forgot he wasn’t there alone. That was until a strand of Tatum’s long, black hair brushed the bare skin of his arm, sending a chill through his body.
He opened his eyes and turned to look at her. She really was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen in his life. A primal need to take her right there on the ground surged down his spine. His cock strained against the zipper of his jeans as his animal was clawing at his skin to come out and play. Keeping the wolf at bay was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated, especially since she hadn’t argued with him from the time they left the restaurant. He knew there was someone special behind that wall she built around herself and he was determined to break that wall down. They were mates, and nothing should come between them. From that moment on, they should be sharing everything with each other.
The only thing left to do was to seal the deal by marking her. But, being that she was so guarded he guessed that getting her to trust him fully would take some time. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if she had anyone else she trusted except Eira. “Do you have any friends? Besides Eira, I mean.”
She crossed her legs in front of her and turned to face him, flashing him an annoying glance. “What kind of question is that?”
“I’m just trying to figure out if it’s everyone you don’t like or if it’s only me you hate.”
Her features softened. “I don’t hate you.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, and that was mostly my fault…”
“Mostly?”
“Yeah mostly! If it weren’t for you…”
Straightening into a sitting position, Jett tilted his head an arched a brow. She trailed off, realizing she was starting another argument and it really wasn’t him that was stoking the fire. Her thought process had gone up in flames and he was enjoying every second he got to watch her crumble. Then she did something he wasn’t expecting.
“Thank you.” She said, expressing her gratitude for what he didn’t know.
“For what?”
“For saving my life.”
He contemplated having her repeat the gesture, but he changed his mind. No sense pushing his luck. Instead, he simply replied. “You’re welcome.”
“And to answer your earlier question, I do have friends. Well, one friend back home. He’s the bestest friend a person could ask for.”
“He?”
“Yeah, he. Why what’s wrong? Jealous?”
“No.” Lies. He was so jealous he couldn’t see straight, and he barely knew her. All he knew was he wanted to be as close to her as this ‘friend’ was. But first he had to know more about him. What made him so special that he wasn’t on the tail end of the wrath she always seemed to dish out. “Tell me about him.”
“Who?”
“Your best friend.”
“There’s really not much to tell. Jasper has stuck by my side for years now. He doesn’t judge me like other men do. He supports me in whatever I want to do and is always there when I need advice. He doesn’t treat me like I’m below him just because I’m a woman and my being a mechanic doesn’t bother him in the slightest like it does other men.”
“Some men are idiots Tatum. They project their own insecurities toward those who are the most competition for them. You intimidate men. They think that since you’re a woman, some jobs are off limits to you because you’re supposed to be the fairer sex. So, if they think you’re doing a better job than they are that makes them weak; and rather than boost your confidence, they decide to bring you down to their level. That’s their feeble attempt to make themselves feel better about not being adequate enough in their own lives. You won’t get that here Tatum. Everyone treats each other as equals and just because you’re a woman, that doesn’t mean you can’t do any job around here that a man can do.”
“Then you don’t mind that I’m a mechanic?”
“Tatum, you could pick fleas off a dog for a living and I wouldn’t care.” She laughed and gave her a questioning glance. What’s so funny?”
“I just think it’s hilarious you chose that analogy to demonstrate how you feel.”
“Ha. Ha.” He said dryly. Then his expressionless stare transformed into one of amusement. She smiled for the first time since he met her; and she not only smiled, she laughed. It was the most beautiful sound he’d heard in a really long time and he would do anything to hear it over and over again.
A low rustle echoed from the bushes and Jett jumped to his feet. He cursed himself for not being alert enough to hear the noise earlier. He’d been so distracted by Tatum that his surroundings had become non-existent. He grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up and pushing her behind him until he could determine where the noise was coming from. A low growl began to emanate from his throat. Then a familiar scent permeated the air around him. Ronin. What the fuck was his brother doing lurking in the woods late at night?
“What’s going on?’ Tatum asked with worry laced in her words.
Jett eased the grip on her wrist and tucked her close to his side. “It’s my brother.”
Tatum craned her neck to look out into the darkness, straining her eyes. “I don’t see anything.”
“He’s coming.” Just as Jett finished that statement, the cracking sound of a few twigs because crushed on the hard soil reached his ears and Ronin stepped out of the brush. “Damn it Ronin. You about gave me a heart attack. What are you doing out here?”
Ronin’s golden eyes flitted between Jett and Tatum as he scowled at his brother. “More importantly, why were you not prepared for an attack? What kind of alpha are you? I could have ripped your throat out by the time you realized I was here.”
“I heard you coming and I can smell you a mile away.”
“You were not ready! What if you were flanked by more than one wolf? Who was going to help? Her?”
“Hey!” Tatum interjected. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need either of you or anyone else to save me like I’m some damsel in distress.”
Jett smirked. “You definitely are no damsel.”
Tatum elbowed him in the arm. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“All I meant was…”
Ronin whistled through his teeth. “Can the two of you have this discussion later? We have a very serious situation on our hands.”
Jett’s expression turned serious. “What did you find?”
“I didn’t find anything. Theodore called me on his way home because he picked up an unfamiliar scent. When he got out of his car he barely had time to shift before three wolves raced past him down the mountain.”
“Did he see what they look liked?”
“Of course he didn’t. He’s a big, fat bear. By the time he shifted, they were already gone. He can’t run as fast as wolf. I came out here about an hour ago. I’ve been up and down the mountain and through the woods; I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. We seem to have some very worthy opponents on our ground. We seriously need gather up some of the locals to do another perimeter check. And you should get her back to Woodland so she’ll be safe.”
Jett ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “You’re right. Let me get her there and then I’ll come out here you with again to take another look around.”
“Take her to the apartment for now. When we’re done I’ll go stat at Gabriel’s for the night. The hotel is full again.”
“Why don’t you go stay with Adonis and Eira?”
Ronin gave Jett an exasperated look. “You’re kidding me, right? I am not sitting in that house with Eira’s moody ass. I’ll take my chances at Gabriel and Faith’s place. They usually keep me entertained with their late-night love sessions.”
Jett shook his head and laughed. “You’re a sick, sick wolf. You’re such a creeper. Why do you eavesdrop on them? That is their private time.”
“If they didn’t want me to listen, then they should really be quieter. Have you ever heard Gabriel moan? Damn that man gives me goosebumps.”
Jett held up his hand. “Oh my God! I do not want to hear that right now please.”
Tatum laughed. “Wait, I wanna hear about it.”
Ronin stepped in front of her, offering her his arm as he spoke Jett. “I think I like her. Can we keep her?”
Jett pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked behind them. “She’s not a pet Ronin.”
Leaving Tatum in Ronin’s apartment in the hotel while they searched the surrounding woods with a few other shifters was the best option considering the circumstances. If anything happened to go down there were plenty of shifters at the hotel to watch out for her and the rest of the humans. The situation wouldn’t have been a bad one if they were only loners coming into town for work or trying to make a life here, but these wolves were looking for trouble. They were intentionally antagonizing the locals and wanting to start a turf war. Well, everyone at the resort worked hard to keep the peace despite the various types of shifters in the area and Jett wasn’t going to have the harmony of the place unsettled because a few rogue wolves strolled into town. Not going to happen. Not on his watch.