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Clay eased himself down next to her, lacing their fingers together as he took her hand in his.
“I guess I’m just feeling self-conscious about things since we broke the mate bond.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand as he spoke, and Jade could feel the tension radiating from him. She squeezed his hand trying to reassure him.
“Since I broke the bond, you mean.” She couldn’t hide the guilt in her tone. “If I could take it back I would.”
“I don’t blame you. You did what you felt was right to protect yourself; to protect us. My pack didn’t know that our way of communicating left us vulnerable. I don’t think any of us ever considered that was a weak point. Once this mess with your coven is sorted out we’ll have to figure out what it means for Lycan’s and if there’s anything we can do to ‘fix’ it.”
CLAY COULD SEE how upset she was and even though he ached for the connection the bond created between mates and he was hurt by how she’d cut the link so quickly without so much as consulting him he couldn’t fault her for her actions he would have done the same thing to protect her. She was used to being on her own and it was clear after meeting her elders that she’d often had to depend on herself, so much so that it was probably a reflex now.
Jade leaned into him resting her head against his shoulder. The two of them stayed that way for a long time enjoying the solitude until eventually, Jade’s stomach rumbling interrupted the quiet moment.
“I guess we should go eat. I didn’t mean to keep us here so long.”
“The house is a little crowded, and I get the feeling that Jace and Caleb aren’t my biggest fans.” Her tone held a note of subdued defeat.
“They like you just fine. They’re protective of Sara that’s all. Clay cringed thinking back to how they had both turned cold towards Jade once she had questioned if there might be something strange about Sara’s aura. He’d scolded them both as soon as they’d had a moment alone. Once Clay had reminded them that Jade was putting herself at risk both men changed their tune.
“Have you ever seen Sara in her wolf form?
“Of course I have. I stayed with the pack for a while when Kelly was recovering.” At the mention of Kelly Jade’s gaze shifted away from his and, he had to fight another cringe still embarrassed about how he’d hurt Jade’s feelings. Clay didn’t see Kelly as anything more than family. Now that she was mated to his cousin she was family but the truth was that his wolf had been so comfortable around her that he had been willing to mate with her when she’d come to the Yellow Claw pack and if their roles were reversed, if Quinn ever came sniffing around or if another lycan offered to mate with Jade he’d be a lot more upset than she’d Hi been.
“What does she look like?” When Clay raised an eyebrow at her question Jade clarified. “When she shifts and is in wolf form what does she look like?”
The answer should have been easy. Clay had run with the pack while he’d spent time living with them. He’d seen Sara as a wolf, yet for some reason, he drew a blank, and the harder he tried to remember the more difficult it was to grasp the answer.
“I don’t know.” He couldn’t hide the confusion in his tone. “I should know though. I spent months here before leaving to help investigate the fertility issues. I should easily be able to tell you what her wolf looks like without even having to think about it.”
Every time tried to recall, the answer seemed to slip away and if he tried to focus on it he felt like shards of glass were piercing his brain. He put a hand on his temple trying to calm the stabbing sensation in his eye socket.
“Stop, you’re only going to make it worse. Let it go. I was expecting that.”
“You were expecting me to get a migraine?” He chuckled as the pain started to fade.
“Well no I didn’t think you’d get a headache but I was expecting you to not be able to tell me what Sara looks like.”
When her stomach growled again Clay stood up helping pull Jade to her feet. They made their way back toward Ryan’s house.
“I’ll ask the others tonight if they remember. I expect their reactions will be similar because I don’t think Sara shifts though I believe you all think she does.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The house was bustling with noise and full of people when they returned. Ryan and Kelly of course as well as Jace, Caleb, and Sara but several other pack members had stopped by for a visit. Most had turned up because of the rumors that were circulating since their arrival. Everyone knew about the reproductive challenges the pack faced and they were aware that Clay had been trying to help find a solution. Beyond that, they wanted a look at Jade. Most didn’t know she was his mate so there might have been a few hopefuls in the crowd. There were whispers about her being evil from those who’d heard she was a witch. No matter why they were there having so many people in the house made Clay uneasy feeling all eyes on Jade and if there had been more than curiosity his unease would have turned to displeasure quickly.
He could tell Jade wasn’t entirely comfortable with the attention since she chose to stick close to his side than he’d become accustomed to. It brought out every protective instinct he possessed and his wolf on high alert, which in turn had Ryan and Jace reacting to his behavior as though Clay was a threat to their mates. Clay managed to bite back a growl hating that it was a typical alpha response and had the tension in the room rising rapidly before Kelly stepped in to defuse the situation.
As Luna, her job often entailed seeing to the emotional well-being of the pack and despite Ryan being a fair and reasonable Alpha, those skills were often necessary.
“Let's all take a deep breath and give Jade some space. Remember she came here to help, not to be gawked at like some science experiment.”
Clay watched as several people turned away ducking their heads to hide their embarrassment at being caught staring. Jade was blushing too uncomfortable being the center of attention. Kelly gave her a warm smile which Jade seemed to return hesitantly. It sent another stab of guilt through him knowing that he’d helped to create that uncertainty.
He squeezed Jade’s hand in a show of support and then reached out to Jace using their communication path.
Jade needs to speak with you and Sara, but I know she won’t even attempt it with all these people around. Especially if you and Ryan don’t tone down the Alpha vibes.
“Ok everyone time to go home and give our guests some peace.” Jace made the announcement but the pack filed out as if Ryan had spoken. Clay knew it wasn’t because the two were identical twins and they had the two men confused. They responded to Jace because he was an Alpha wolf, just as strong if not stronger than Ryan. He was also part of the council. A position that meant he was rarely questioned once he’d given an order. After some polite goodbyes, they were alone in the house again.
“I hope I’m not as much of a spectacle when we get to your pack.”
