Chapter Twenty-One
The rain pelted Jamie’s windshield, but Jamie welcomed it. California’s drought had been killer, and his day wouldn’t be destroyed over a little summer storm. After work he’d called Skylar, and she mentioned she’d had to cover a shift. And she always welcomed him over afterward. He ignored the warmth that pooled in his belly at the thought of seeing her again, and the smug satisfaction of his wolf.
His headlights lit up the sidewalk along Skylar’s house, and the truck out front. It wasn’t one he recognized, and for a second he wondered if someone in the pack had bought a new vehicle. But nobody in their pack would have purchased the rusted piece of crap next to him. His fingers tensed on the steering wheel when a horrifying thought came through his head. He slowed his own truck to a crawl, parking far enough from the truck to not be seen, but still able to see the front of the house. He killed the engine, shut off the lights, and pulled his phone out. Finding her number quickly, he listened to the loud tone in his ear.
“Come on, Skylar. Pick up, pick up,” Jamie whispered into the dark, begging for her to be okay. After a couple more rings, it switched to voice mail. His heart quickened, and he threw his phone on the seat. “Dammit, dammit!” He slammed his hands into the steering wheel, furious and frustrated. Come on, Jamie. It could be a friend from town; don’t overreact. But he was a man who lived off gut instincts, and right then his instincts were going haywire. Still cursing himself and begging for it to be okay, he slid from the truck into the pouring rain.
Jamie’s wolf paced within, anxious and determined to find out what was happening. The animal needed to do something—anything—to protect the woman he recognized as his mate. So Jamie slipped his clothes off, throwing them in a pile on the floor of the truck. The wolf practically jumped out of his skin when he shifted, but Jamie pulled the reins in on it, not letting it have complete control. His paws sank into the layer of pine needles above mud as he moved around the outskirts of the house. He hid his blond body among the tree trunks and stayed low to the ground, trying to pick up any scent that wasn’t thunderstorm or earth. He sprinted from the cover of the trees to the rusted truck and sniffed the unfamiliar vehicle. Whiskey, cigarettes, and most importantly, Shifter. Someone he didn’t know, and that scared the shit out of him.
He wasn’t there to protect her, to protect Emery, and they were up there with whoever owned this truck. His pulse thrummed in his ears, and he let out a low growl, baring his teeth to the hunk of metal. He sprinted back to the cover of the trees so he could make a zigzag to the porch in case someone saw him coming. But before he could step out from underneath the pine branches, the front door of Skylar’s house swung open.
There she was. Jamie almost sighed with relief, and his wolf sank farther into the trees when its muscles relaxed. That was until a face he knew came through the door as well. One he’d seen on police records, and that made bile rise in his throat. His wolf growled, and Jamie held at bay the animal instinct to destroy. They walked in single file through the rain, Skylar’s chin lifted high in defiance. They were followed by a scene that disgusted him and explained why Skylar was going willingly. A graying wolf dragged a familiar red one behind them toward the truck. He swallowed past the growl but bared his teeth in anger.
The group made it to the truck, and Skylar’s voice rose over the rain. She pleaded with Jonathon to let Emery go, and that she would go peacefully. Jonathon paused at the rear of the truck, his hand placed casually on the gate. His back was to Jamie. Looking between both Shifters, Jamie crept out from under the cover, careful that his steps were masked by the sound of the rain. Skylar’s voice rose in panic, escalating Jamie’s urgency to get to her.
Jonathon screamed at the other Shifter to kill Emery, and that was when Jamie let loose. He rose up and threw himself into a full sprint. His paws slammed into the soft ground, his wolf salivating with the need to sink its teeth into the man in front of him. His gaze locked on to the target, the soft flesh beneath the thin, wet, black hair. Lightning struck somewhere nearby, illuminating the scene and accentuating Skylar’s scream, just as Jamie’s body slammed into the other Shifter.
His teeth grazed the back of Jonathon’s neck before their bodies crashed into the truck. The hint of cold metal taste in his mouth said he’d broken skin, and Jamie felt smug satisfaction even as the soft flesh beneath him turned to solid muscle and fur. Jonathon shifted beneath him, wiggling underneath Jamie’s stable paws. But the old man had been unprepared for Jamie’s sneak attack and had no chance. Jamie watched the realization in the dark eyes and relished the feeling of his teeth tearing into the thick fur and soft flesh of his opponent. Someone who took their anger out on those who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, fight back. Someone ruthless in their torture. And he felt no guilt even as he knew the body beneath him was dead.
Panting and chest heaving, Jamie slid his tongue over his teeth, tasting the copper of blood. His wolf craved a traditional howl on a kill, but just as Jamie craned his neck, a loud yelp rang through the air. Ears perked, he whipped toward the sound to find a black wolf above the older graying one. A wolf he had never seen because Skylar refused to let her out. Her fur clung to her lithe body from the drenching rain, and her teeth braced against the other Shifter’s neck. His body hummed from the latest kill, and his wolf wanted that other vengeful death.
But this one was up to Skylar.
* * * *
God, she wanted to bite down. Selma’s pulse thrummed against Skylar’s tongue. She could practically taste the blood that would drip into her mouth the moment she tore through fur and into flesh. Her wolf shook with excitement, needing Skylar to relinquish control so it could relish its kill. But Skylar’s stomach clenched, and she closed her eyes in pain at the decision she was going to make.
Skylar knew in her heart that Selma wasn’t a horrible person. She was almost as much of a victim as Emery and Skylar were. She had been tortured for years by Jonathon, and it was her instinct to survive that pushed her to allow Skylar and Aurelia’s beatings. It had been fear that had made her almost kill Emery.
Maybe if Selma had struggled, Skylar wouldn’t feel the guilt rising. Instead, Selma lay there, submissive and accepting of her fate. If Skylar had to guess, the poor woman knew she was going to die and didn’t really care. But Skylar couldn’t do it. Her wolf wanted to, but her humanity—her damn forgiving soul—couldn’t take Selma’s life. Skylar wanted to cry, but she swallowed back the burn in her throat. Her wolf growled and whined even as Skylar pushed the beast down. She shifted on top of Selma, her naked flesh making her vulnerable against the strong animal. But she gripped Selma’s throat with one hand and forced her to make eye contact. Selma looked at her in confusion and whined.
“I should kill you for what you and Jonathon put us through. And I want to, Selma, believe me. But I’m not going to give you that release.” Skylar sat back on her feet, letting go of Selma’s throat. The wolf stood cautiously even though all it would take was one rip of her teeth to take Skylar down. She must have sensed Jamie lurking by the truck, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. “I never want to see you here again. I don’t want you anywhere near my pack. I don’t even want to hear about you. Go upstairs, take your shit, and disappear.”
Selma’s gaze flashed between Skylar and Jamie before she bolted back into the house to grab her stuff.
Skylar watched Selma’s tail swish into the house. She pitched forward, barely catching herself before she fell face-first into the soaked lawn. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as she fought to suppress her angry wolf. Please—please calm down. She wished she could reach a hand out, pet the wolf, maybe calm her down, but instead she was forced to withstand the tumultuous anger that fought within her. She itched with the feeling of fur racing under her skin. Skylar dug her fingers into the mud and groaned with frustration.
“Submit, damn you!” she yelled. Years of keeping her wolf at bay had gone out the window. Her wolf had tasted freedom and wanted out again. Tears pricked behind her eyelids, and she arched her back in pain.
Warm hands grabbed her around the waist, and she screamed in agony.
“Skylar, baby, calm down,” Jamie said against her ear and pulled her onto his lap. Razor blades scraped her insides, and her heart threatened to explode. He held her closer, forcing her head onto his shoulder. He slowly rocked her, whispering in her ear.
“Calm down, Sky. You’re okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. Everyone’s okay. I’m right here.” His words were sweet nothings, but they had an effect on her and her wolf. Jamie quieted the madness with his voice. His hot breath fanned against the side of her face as he continued to rock them, and she realized she was no longer shaking in agony, but shaking from the sobs racking her body. She fisted a hand on his naked chest, and the rain pounded against their bare flesh, masking the sound of her cries.
A sudden movement in Skylar’s peripheral vision caught her attention. She opened bleary eyes and peeked over at Emery’s attempt to stand. Skylar shot forward on her hands and knees, a sudden desperation fueling her with adrenaline.
“Oh, God, Em,” she groaned, angry at her momentary breakdown.
When she reached Emery, she dug her hands into the red fur and pulled her onto her lap. The wolf whined at the sudden movement and growled. Emery’s eyes half opened, but Skylar doubted Emery even knew what was going on. Blood matted the area around her neck, and Skylar sobbed at the sight.
“I’m so sorry, Em. So sorry,” Skylar whispered, burying her face in Emery’s neck. The animal shivered in her arms, and Skylar rocked her the same way Jamie had done to her.
“Come on, sweetheart. Shift back for me. It’s okay now.”
She didn’t know how long she sat there, begging her sister to come back. She was soaked, and Emery’s fur had given up repelling the drenching rain. Warmth suddenly spread down her back, and Skylar looked up at Jamie’s grim expression. He hesitated pulling away, his hands resting on her shoulders where he’d lay a blanket.
“Killian called someone to take care of the body since he’s out of town.” His voice was gruff, and his eyes were cold. But behind the anger he had pulled forward to handle the situation, Skylar knew he was worried and had been just as scared as her. She nodded and gripped Emery tighter.
A whistle filtered through the sound of the rain, and a man suddenly appeared at Jamie’s side. He quickly pulled his hood over his head and shot Jamie an irritated stare. What the hell was that?
“What did your pack do this time?”
Jamie sighed and finally removed his hand from Skylar’s shoulder. He waved it toward Jonathon’s body by the truck. “He was holding the little one hostage. So I took care of it.”
The man looked down at Skylar and the shaking wolf in her arms. His mouth tightened, and he nodded.
“Your Alpha is going to owe me for this. If my coven were to find out…” His voice trailed off as he walked toward Jonathon. Jamie shook his head and looked down at Skylar.
“Aidan’s a Warlock. They’re not supposed to be helping us.”
A Warlock. Skylar had never seen one in person. Her pack had told stories of the Witches and their powers—how they could tear the Shifters apart if they ever decided to. Lucky for them, the covens chose to mind their own business.
When the man knelt over Jon, Skylar burrowed her face in Emery’s neck. “It’s going to be okay, Em. We’re safe now. It’s over.”
And for once, she could believe the words coming out of her mouth. Their enemy was dead, now a ghost of their past. And it was so relieving to know they were free.
* * * *
Jamie leaned against the doorjamb and watched Skylar pull one of his T-shirts down her body. He’d accidentally left it behind and didn’t have the heart to ask for it back. Not to mention he loved the way it fell to the middle of her thighs, revealing just enough curvy skin to make his mouth water.
He’d helped carry Emery up to her bedroom, and she had asked them both to leave. She was exhausted and needed to sleep, or so she said. Through the walls he could hear the faint sniffles of the crying teenager, and he knew Skylar could too. Skylar gripped her hair roughly and threw it up in a ponytail while nibbling on her bottom lip. She paced back and forth in front of him. Could she even tell he was standing there?
Jamie stepped forward and grabbed her hand. That worked. She looked up at him, taking him in. He wanted her to confide in him, to tell him what was torturing her behind those silver eyes. But she just stared at him. What was he supposed to say? He had promised to keep her safe—promised to never leave her alone again—and she had almost watched the person she loved more than anything die. He could only thank the goddess that he had made it there in time.
He expected her to cry. He expected panic. He expected her to maybe even yell at him.
But when she threw herself at him, her hands tangling in his hair and her lips crashing onto his, he could say that he didn’t expect it. He caught her waist before they both flew back into the living room. She groaned, and the sound vibrated against his lips.
God, this woman knew how to turn him on. The thrust of her tongue against his, the sweet scent of vanilla invading his senses, and the friction of her body had him rolling his eyes back. He teased his fingers down, desperate to feel the heat of her skin. The second his hands touched her lower back, she gasped and backed away.
The loss of her body against his shocked him. He opened his eyes, taking in her retreating form. Her hands clenched the hem of her shirt, dragging it slightly upward to reveal her belly button. He probably should have stopped her earlier, shouldn’t have taken advantage of a highly distraught woman. His gaze clashed with hers, and he realized how mistaken he was. She wasn’t moving backward in shock. Her gaze blazed with desire. Her pupils dilated to huge saucers. Her mouth parted slightly, and her tongue darted to taste her own lips.
She lifted her shirt delicately over her head, exposing her large, bare breasts. Jamie fought the urge to groan at the gentle sway of her dark nipples as she dropped the material to the floor. He fisted his hands to keep himself from grabbing her right then.
“Skylar, you need—” The words croaked out because his mind was telling him to stop, but his throbbing cock was telling him, “Hell, no, boy, you better get that.” It was futile because she interrupted him.
“What I need,” she said, her voice thick and heavy, “is you, cowboy.”
Skylar swayed her hips slightly, dipping her fingers beneath the red lace boyshorts. His focus followed the movement even as they fell to the floor. Jamie stepped forward, pushing down his desire.
“You need to sleep, sweetheart. Come on. I’ll climb in with you.” He touched her shoulder, twisting a stray curl around his finger. It was hard—fuck, it was hard—to resist her at that moment. His dick pushed against his jeans; his balls throbbed with the need for release.
She nodded and turned her gaze away from him, and Jamie felt simultaneous relief and frustration. He was going to have to take a long, cold shower after that scene. When she looked back up at him, she tugged that delicious bottom lip into her mouth.
“I see,” she said, backing up toward the bed. She trailed her hands up her sides, cupping the heavy flesh of her breasts. When Skylar’s fingers squeezed her nipples, Jamie groaned in agony at the strain in his pants. “I guess I’ll just have to do it all by myself, then.”
He was trying to do the right thing.
He really was.
But there was only so much a man could take.
Jamie kicked the door shut behind him and flicked the lock. They crashed together, limbs and tongues tangling. He lowered them both to the bed, resting himself on top of her. He tasted her mouth, neck, shoulder, thankful she’d taken the initiative to take her clothes off. They’d probably be shredded on the floor right now if she hadn’t, and that shirt was one of his favorites. Her hands fumbled with his jeans, but she eventually pulled them down just low enough for her to dig her nails into his ass.
He growled into her mouth. “Fuck, Skylar.”
He could feel her heat on the other side of his boxers. Her wetness rubbed against the fabric, beckoning him, teasing him.
“Jamie,” she whispered, pulling on his hair when he tried to dip his mouth to one of her nipples. “Fuck me.”
What the woman demands, the woman gets. Jamie kicked his jeans off and grabbed a condom from her nightstand. After rolling it on, he thrust deep into her, swallowing her groan before Emery could hear. God, she tore him up. She writhed beneath him, her every movement urging him to go faster, harder. Every gasp and moan left the taste of her on his lips. He sunk into her with each frantic movement of his hips, pounding both of them toward that ultimate oblivion.
Skylar suddenly swung her body weight, turning them over so she was on top. It was his own groan that echoed in the room when his cock pushed even deeper. He arched off the bed as pleasure rippled up his spine with every rise and fall. He gripped her hips to urge her on.
She was so fucking beautiful. She gripped her tits, fingers twisting as she bounced relentlessly. She arched her neck, and her lips parted with each gasp and moan that escaped her beautiful mouth. The sheer erotic sight of her had his balls tightening and the orgasm ripping through him.
“God, Skylar,” he groaned, pulling on her hips and surging into her with each satisfying release of his cum. Her own orgasm had her gasping his name and keeping time with his carnal thrusting.
They sat there, shaking, the only sound in the room their combined ragged breaths. Jamie’s hands lay limp against Skylar’s thighs, and she dropped forward to brace her hands against his chest. Her head fell forward, and every breath made her shoulders rise and fall. It was the sniffle that had Jamie shooting his eyes open.
“Sweetheart,” he said, but she didn’t respond. He sat up and pushed the fallen strands of hair away from her face. She wasn’t shaking from her orgasm. Her eyes filled with tears, and the tiny drops spilled over onto her cheeks. “Skylar…”
“It’s over, Jamie,” she whispered, her eyes widening. “I just can’t believe it’s finally over.”
The quiver in her voice broke his heart, shattered him to a million fucking pieces. He wrapped her in his arms as she burrowed her face into his shoulder. He didn’t care that he was still inside her in that moment. He focused on the shaking of her body, her scent mixed with his, and the dazed elation sweeping through her. She was still in shock over the whole situation, even as her arms wrapped around his head.
“It’s done, sweetheart. He’s gone. You’re safe,” he murmured into her neck, placing a soft kiss right where it curved into her shoulder.
“I almost lost Emery. I almost lost you,” she whispered, tightening her hold.
His heart swelled. She’d been worried about him. He smiled against her skin. “We’re still here. I’m not going anywhere, Skylar.”
She cried quietly, her tears trailing down his shoulder, and he just held her with joy because right then he had his whole world in his arms. And he knew nothing was going to take her away now.