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I take a few slow steps in that direction, but I’m still hesitant.Don’t do this. Paxton doesn’t trust Zeke, so we shouldn’t either.Zeke’s been nothing but friendly, but my wolf is on high alert. I might not trust Paxton, but I do trust my own gut. And there’s no reason a sparring match—especially a mock spar—would be in any danger of damaging someone’s house.
“I don’t think so, actually.” I stop moving, planting my feet instead. I do still have a sense of self-preservation, even if my wolf doesn’t think I need it with Paxton.
Something flashes across his expression. Something distinctly not friendly.
“Oh, come on. You’re not scared of me are you?” He holds his palms up. “I’m harmless. Paxton’s the one who kidnapped you, remember?”
“Do I remember you helping him kidnap me? Yes, I absolutely do. And now you’re making me uncomfortable, so I’m going back to the house.” I start to retreat a few steps, walking backward to keep my eyes on him. I can feel that something is wrong here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Zeke’s eyes narrow.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that. Let’s just get back in the Jeep, and I’ll take you home. No harm no foul, right?” He starts to move toward me, but he pauses when I hold a hand up. His eyebrow twitches like he’s annoyed, and I have a feeling he’s only trying to keep up the ruse that he’s harmless, not actually respecting my boundaries.
“No. I’m definitely not going anywhere with you.” I consider calling for Paxton, but I’m too confused about how quickly everything keeps changing around me. Who can I really trust?
“I’m trying to be nice, Jarreau.” He takes a few more calculated steps in my direction. “I know some people that would pay good money for you or one of your siblings. We all figured the small one would be the easiest to grab, but now you’ve fallen right into my lap, haven’t you?”
There it is. Let a villain talk long enough, and they’ll always give themselves away.
I don’t like Paxton. I don’t like that he dragged me out here or that he’s insistent about us being mates when that’s just not possible. But at least Paxton’s been really clear about his intentions, and for now, that makes him seem a hell of a lot less dangerous than Zeke.
Paxton. I think we have a problem.
His response is instant.What? Are you okay?
I don’t get the chance to answer because Zeke startles me by shifting. I’m not fast enough to shift too before he leaps toward me.Protect yourself, my wolf urges.
And like all the other times, the bright energy that pours off of my entire body comes seemingly from nowhere. One second, I’m staring at Zeke’s approaching form in horror. The next, bright bursts of white light knock him away from me, sending him sprawling to the grass with his limbs at unnatural angles.
He lets out a pain-filled howl, and I can feel myself pale as I reel back, the light receding.
“What happened?” I didn’t hear Paxton coming, but his hands are on me, pulling me hard against his chest. “What the hell happened?”
I try to open my mouth to explain, but I have no words for what just happened. I don’t know what the energy is that keeps bursting out of me when I feel threatened. Whatever it is, it protects me. But I have no control over it, and that means the energy inside of me is dangerous. Unknown.
Paxton wraps one of his bigger hands around both of mine. “You’re shaking. What the fuck did he do?”
By the harshness of his voice, I can tell Paxton is ready to tear Zeke limb from limb. Though considering the wolf is keening and twisted up like a pretzel several feet away from us, he doesn’t seem like much of an impending threat at the moment.
“Tasha?” Paxton turns me in his arms so he can look down into my eyes. The concern I see there is overwhelming. And familiar. His concern looks exactly like Jimmy’s used to.
I don’t know how it happened, but Paxton Glass really does believe I’m his mate. Whatever trick is being played on me, it’s obvious someone is playing it on him too. It can’t be possible, but someone has gone to great lengths to try to convince us all of this ruse.
Mate. I shut my eyes to try to drown out my wolf’s voice, but it’s no use. My wolf is more persistent than she’s ever been now that she’s present again.Mate. Mate. Mate.
Paxton’s grip stays tight around me as I shake my head sharply, trying to clear away my wolf’s insistence on being heard. I’m hearing her, all right. I just know that she’s wrong. There’s no mate for me out there, not anymore.
Jimmy is forever a part of East Terrace Green Pack land now. Callum let me be the one to spread the ashes in the garden of the Beta house. I still ache over the memory.
I take a deep, shuddering breath and force words out. “I don’t know what happened exactly. He got pushy about wanting me to spar with him, and I could tell there was something off about it. Then he started saying something about someone paying for me or my siblings, I guess?” Oh, Goddess. “Do you think my sister is in danger?”
Paxton grimaces. “I don’t know.” He lets go of me with one hand to reach into the pocket of his sweatpants for a phone that he slips into my pocket. “Their number is in there. Go in the house and call. Tell Dominic everything you can and see if he knows anything.”
“Where are you going?” I blurt out, inexplicably alarmed as he untangles himself from me.
“I’m going to deal with Zeke.” The hard tone in his voice makes me think I won’t be seeing Zeke again. I can’t help but feel relieved. Then guilty, as I realize I’ve wrapped my fingers around his arm to stop him from pulling away from me.
“Sorry,” I mutter, jerking my hands away as if his skin burns.
