Protection: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (23 page)

“
L
ong ago in ancient Greece
,” Jace began, “there was an Arcadian king named Lykaon. Lykaon had the best of everything; bountiful crops and scenic pastures, loyal subjects, a large family, and a beautiful wife. In times of peace, everything was good, but there were times of hardship too. When war came to Southern Greece, King Lykaon refused to take part in it. He said that he had everything he desired, and no desire to war and kill.

The other kings of Greece were jealous. They fell upon Lykaon’s golden kingdom. They ravaged everything he had worked so hard to build. Lykaon’s fields were burned, his subjects hunted and tortured, his wife and daughters defiled, their throats slit.

Standing amongst the ruins of his once-great castle, Lykaon turned to the gods. He offered his own life in exchange for vengeance against those who had wronged him. A lone god took pity on Lykaon. The god offered him strength and power, enough to find justice and rebuild his kingdom. The god had three clauses.

One, Lykaon had to be truly willing to die. Two, the king must choose the greatest animal he knew, an animal to guide him into battle, and to teach him harden to his heart against his enemy. Three, Lykaon must be sworn to secrecy, because otherwise all humans would want such power.

Lykaon agreed, saying that he was willing to do anything the god asked. As his animal Lykaon chose the wolf. Clever and quick, but also strong and deadly.

The god approved his choice. He told Lykaon how to gain his power; the king must go down to the lake and leave his clothes behind in the sacred ash tree. Then Lykaon must swim across the lake, leaving his soft-hearted ways behind in the waters. The god warned Lykaon that there was no room for tenderness in the wolf’s spirit.

The king did so at once, emerging from the lake not as a man, but in the form of a wolf. As he took the shape, the spirit of the wolf stayed within him. It guided him as he hunted and destroyed the men who had taken everything from him. The wolf taught Lykaon its ways, and Lykaon was unstoppable in his wolf form.

There was only one problem. Lykaon never learned to harden his heart. Despite his losses, despite the many enemies that fell before the great wolf, the king’s goodness remained.

He came across a small group of his people. They were half-dead, running from a group of mercenaries. The king dispatched the mercenaries, but he could not stop there. He refused to leave his people without defense.

Lykaon took them to the lake and showed them how to take on the spirit of the wolf; those who were strong enough and brave enough to swim across the lake would be invincible, he said.

And so Lykaon transformed the last of his people, unable to deny a single person his secret.

When the god found out, he was furious. Proud Lykaon declared that he would accept any punishment, because he was at peace again. He’d taken his vengeance, and established his remaining subjects as a new tribe, calling them the people of Arcadia.

The god was impressed by Lykaon’s boldness. Instead of punishing the king, he melded Lykaon’s spirit with that of the wolf . A reward, from the god to the fierce warrior king. The change rippled through Lykaon and all his people, altering them forever.

Lykaon and his followers found that they could change their shape at will. The wolf stayed within them, even in their human forms.

They lived out their long lives in peace, protecting the lake and the god’s secret knowledge. Their children and their children’s children carried the same traits. They came to be called Lycans, after their fierce but soft-hearted King Lykaon.”

J
ace went quiet
.

Tessa was so entranced by his voice and his story, she hadn’t wanted it to end. She blew out a big breath, surprised at his storytelling skill.

“Thank you for that,” she said. She looked over at Jace, the stranger who’d saved her twice in a span of hours. Handsome, courageous… and damn, but he could spin a yarn. Tessa bit her lip, making a mental note to keep herself as far away from him as possible. That combo spelled nothing but heartsickness.

Jace nodded, not meeting her gaze.

“I thought it might take your mind off supernatural stuff,” he said with a shrug.

“Not exactly,” Tessa said. “But you’re quite a storyteller. It did help me calm down, so thanks.”

“I didn’t mean to panic you earlier,” he said, looking uncomfortable with her praise. “Most Shifters are raised knowing about other supernaturals, so I didn’t think about it.”

“I understand. I never knew about any of this. My parents were completely human, and I’ve never had any run-ins with goblins or ghouls. I still wonder if this might all be some kind of mistake. Like maybe I’m not an Ascendant, or whatever. No offense.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re definitely an Ascendant. Ascendants come from the human world, although it’s a rare thing. Recessive genes, I guess. Under normal circumstances, the closest pack of Shifters would find you when you’re young, though. They work something out with the parents, bring Ascendants into the fold. Maybe you should drop some hints to your parents and see if they were ever approached.”

Jace cleared his throat. Tessa got the feeling that he wasn’t used to talking at length to anyone, much less some random human woman.

“I guess I’ll never know. My parents passed away when I was fifteen. I lived with my sister Camilla and our guardian until my sister was eighteen, and then we moved into our own place.”

“Makes sense. You should have been brought into a pack by the end of your schooling, at least.”

“You’ve never met an undiscovered Ascendant my age?” Tessa asked, cocking her head. She couldn’t be that big of an anomaly.

“Not your age, no. The Ascendant genes really start to bloom in teenagers. In some cases, Ascendants are strongly drawn to us. It’s enough to make them show up at our Den, looking for answers. They don’t know why, but they know they should be there.”

“Your Den?” Tessa asked, eyebrows arching. “I can’t help but wonder what that entails.”

“It’s just a nickname. It in no way resembles an actual wolf den. It’s just…” Jace trailed off.

“It’s just what?” Tessa pressed, her curiosity piqued.

“I’m not sure how to tell you without talking about supernatural stuff.”

“Ah. Maybe we can take a rain check on that? It sounds interesting, but you don’t want to spend the whole night talking me down off the ledge,” Tessa suggested. She really did feel a lot better, but it wasn’t worth the risk of another panic attack. Jace had done enough for her today.

Jace shrugged and cleared his throat again, but didn’t speak.

“Um. You could tell me a little about yourself,” Tessa suggested. “Like, are you from Louisiana originally?”

“No.”

Tessa waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t.

“O-kay. Where are you from?” she asked.

“Georgia.”

Again, no elaboration. Asking him questions was proving more than a little difficult.

“Why’d you move here?” Tessa tried again.

“Could we not talk about me? There’s nothing to tell,” Jace snapped.

Tessa blinked at his chastisement, frowning.

“Fine. Just making conversation,” she said, irritable.

“Well, don’t. Not about me, anyway.”

Tessa frowned again, but dropped the subject. What was a good topic, when talking to a complete stranger? Sighing, she lay back down on the bed and tried to relax. She could hear Jace doing the same on his pallet.

The sun was going down. Tessa was more of a night owl under normal circumstances, but she couldn’t suppress a big harm. The day’s events, hell the last month’s events, weighed her down like a block of lead. She lay on one side, then rolled to the other. Sighing, she tried to find a comfortable position.

Jace was silent. It seemed to be his natural disposition. Still, Tessa could tell he was completely awake. The man was strange; one moment he was kind, the next he was a terrible grouch. Oh, and there was the whole part where he could turn into a wolf. That bore remembrance.

Tessa’s thoughts drifted from Jace to Camilla, and her sister’s well-being. She’d put up with a hell of a lot more than some cranky macho man werewolf for Camilla. The question was, just how deep was Tessa going to have to go?

Her thoughts turned cyclical, a cruel snake eating its own tail. Every end she reached, every conclusion about this venture… it didn’t end well.

Sacrifice Camilla, or lead a perfect stranger to certain death? Tessa shuddered at her choices.

Tessa rolled onto her stomach, burying her head under the blankets and praying for sleep to take her burdens.

T
essa awoke in slow degrees
, unable to shake her dream. In the dream, James had come to the house and crawled in the bed with her. James dropped soft kisses against her neck, his languorous caress stoking the fire of her lust. Between kisses, he whispered dirty words to her in a sibilant hiss, but she couldn’t make out what he said. Or perhaps Tessa simply couldn’t pay attention. She was flushed and tensed, waiting for him to brush his lips just so against the spot on her nape. The one that made Tessa melt inside.

When she opened her eyes, she was clutching a pillow as if it were her lifeline. The soft hiss from her dream continued, although at least James was nowhere in sight. Tessa rolled over, pushing the sweat-dampened blankets off her body. She looked over to find Jace’s pallet empty.

Her sleep-addled mind added things up, and she realized that the hiss was actually the patter of water from the bathroom. Jace was taking a shower.

An image flashed of Jace’s tall, well-muscled body, naked and hard as hot water sluiced down his chest, his flat abs, his big shoulders and toned ass. Tessa bit her lip, her heart thrumming with excitement. She gave in to the fantasy for a moment, picturing him reaching down to take his erection in hand, closing his eyes and groaning as he stroked himself.

Tessa forced herself to stop, blushing at her own thoughts. On any other day, her libido was all but silent. Tessa could appreciate a good-looking man, but she never had much of an urge to do anything other than ogle.

Now her thoughts ran away with her, picturing herself joining her white knight in the shower, stepping under the water’s hot spray, brushing her wet skin against Jace’s body.

Tessa shivered. She didn’t have a whole lot of experience to fill in the rest, but it was probably better that way. She was here on a mission, and that didn’t include lusting after the man she was supposed to be ensnaring in her web.

She heard James’s voice, then. Not the sexy whisper from her dream, but the dreary monotone that James used in reality.

Werewolves are often attractive, Tessa. You’ve proven to be easy to sway, just by a pretty face; remember how we caught you in the first place. You must not be tempted by these demons, no matter what form they take.

Hearing the painful truth again bled any risqué thoughts from Tessa’s mind. She was in this whole mess because she’d decided to take a lover. She’d dressed up, and gone out to a singles’ bar. She’d waited for hours, nerves making her turn down several offers of free drinks or dancing. Then a somber-eyed young man slid into the seat beside her, giving her a piercing look. Something about him beckoned to her, made her curious.

She’d found James attractive enough for a few rounds of witty banter. She’d allowed him to take the lead. She liked how, after a few minutes, he opened up and told her stories and jokes. He’d fed her a few glasses of wine, made her laugh, and asked her to come back to his place. All just a diversion, a way to get her into the bar’s dark parking lot. The moment the big white cargo van had pulled up and opened its doors, all Tessa could think about was those terrible Lifetime movies. Women were pushed into vans, kidnapped, sold into sex slavery in their own hometowns. A thousand terrifying scenarios…

A rustle in the hallway made Tessa jump, breaking her free from her thoughts. Jace came stomping into the room, avoiding her gaze. He wore the same clothes but smelled nice, clean and masculine. She noticed that his shower-darkened hair was curlier when damp.

He tossed Tessa a clean towel without so much as a glance, then headed for the front room.

Tessa watched him go, keeping her thoughts to herself. It seemed she wasn’t the only one with dark thoughts looming overhead. In the meantime, Tessa needed a shower and some quiet time. She had to figure out how she was going to get the grumpy Shifter to trust her enough to take her back to his Den. She had the feeling it wouldn’t be easy.

J
ace couldn’t get far enough
away from the girl. Every inch of his body was tense, straining to touch the female. He knew he’d regret the contact, and forced himself to behave. It was harder than expected, though. The safe house was filled to the seams with her sweet, thick Ascendant scent, tempting him. The scent made his wolf restless, made Jace’s body harden. It made him think of the way her skin had felt last night.

After she had fallen asleep, Jace had made a long mental list of all the reasons that he shouldn’t be finding the girl so interesting.

First, she was a human. Even if she was Ascendant, it didn’t matter. Jace didn’t want a girlfriend, much less a mate, much less an Ascendant mate. Not to mention that she was almost entirely ignorant of Shifter ways; she was human through and through. Everything about her was the opposite of what Jace needed in his life.

For another thing, she was a stranger. An attractive stranger, who’d seemed to fall right into his lap. A damsel in distress. Jace knew there was something a hint off her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He’d have to try to get some information out of her… as soon as he could stand to share the same air, the same small space. He had to cool off a little before he tried that again.

He had enough facts to call in a background check, at least. He’d taken her basic stats from her wallet and texted it to Cera, his second in charge at the pack’s security office. He’d hear back from Cera within a few hours on the human’s priors and basic history.

Jace could hear Tessa moving around in the back of the house. She released a pent-up sigh, and then closed herself in the bathroom. That sigh was quite familiar by now, much to his shame.

Sometime in the night Jace had awoken to find Tessa in distress. She tossed and turned, sultry moans pouring from her lips. A nightmare, he’d thought. He’d agonized for several minutes before crawling over to the girl and giving her a gentle shake. She didn’t respond to his touch. She didn’t respond to him shaking her hard, calling her name. She moaned and writhed, the movements pushing her closer to Jace’s lap as the sounds taunted him. He wasn’t interested in human women, but he was still a male. He cursed when he grew erect, hating himself a little for his weakness.

This couldn’t go on all night. Jace needed to be sharp in order to keep them both safe. Sacrificing a night’s sleep was not an option.

After a few minutes of torturous indecision, Jace had flopped down on the mattress. He pulled the girl close, ignoring the sad little sounds she made. Her sleeping form was soft and warm, and she was the perfect petite height to fit just so alongside his body. He didn’t want touch her, and he damned well didn’t want to enjoy it.

His intention had been just to calm the girl down, but by the time her breathing grew deep and even, Jace had found himself drowsing. He dragged in deep breaths, taking in lungfuls of her intoxicating scent. It was like lilacs and green apples and honey. He slept, sweet-smelling nymphs ran through his dreams, and they looked like Tessa.

Jace woke up with both hands wrapped around the girl, clutching her hips. In sleep, he’d slipped his hands under her tank top to rest his palms on the smooth, bare skin of her flat stomach.

When he woke, he wondered if he was in a dream-within-a-dream. He leaned close to nuzzle her nape, take in more of her delicious scent. He placed a probing kiss against her neck, just under her ear. Tessa sighed, all smoky heat and desire. Her Ascendant scent poured off her body in waves, and Jace breathed it in like he needed it to live.

Then she made the smallest, breathiest sound. Just a tiny ohh, a half whisper. It was the hottest thing Jace had ever heard. Part sigh, part exclamation, part demand for more.

That was how he knew he wasn’t dreaming. His mind would never invent a breathless little whisper like that. He went for blatant, raw women who knew what they liked. That sound… It was much too innocent to have come from Jace’s lusty imagination.

Jace froze. The girl released another breathy sound that had his cock at full attention. Gods. Even in her sleep, this female was a seductress. This, Jace reminded himself, was why females were the enemy of the bachelor.

Slowly, so as not to disturb the girl, he released her and withdrew from the embrace. The girl shivered when his body heat was gone. He covered her head to toe with blankets, though the early morning sun warmed the room.

Jace had headed straight for an ice-cold shower, which had barely taken the edge off. The girl’s scent was everywhere, threatening to turn Jace into a drooling, mindless puppy. He needed some way to master his lust, or this was going to be a tortuous couple of days.

He’d decided last night that Tessa needed to come back to the Den. She was an Ascendant, and she needed protecting. She also needed to be with her own kind. She’d claimed to be an orphan, so there would be no ties to cut, no humans to come looking for her.

Moving her to the Den would require preparation, though. Shaw, the Louisiana pack alpha, would have to be notified and give approval. She’d need a room in the communal dorms, as houses were only given to mature Shifters who worked for the pack. After yesterday’s reaction to all the magic talk, Jace knew he’d have to prepare her for the Den. It was a place of pure, concentrated Fae-made magic. It could be a little overwhelming to Ascendants, even ones who didn’t have Tessa’s innate fear of the supernatural. It wasn’t every day that humans left their own realm and went into a Shifter-owned, Faerie-created world cum Shifter bolt hole. Just trying to put it into words was an enormous headache.

There was also the matter of the soft voice in the back of his head, the one that kept telling him that something was not quite right about Tessa. She seemed naive and sweet, but there was something… she was lying about something. Too bad he had no way of knowing what. She could be using a false name to protect herself. She could be pretending not to know much about Shifters. It could be big or small, benign or malicious.

Jace shook his head. It boiled down to a lack of trust, and the only way he’d find out more was to dig deeper, ask her questions.

As soon as the girl was up and in the shower, Jace stepped outside for some fresh air. His head cleared a bit, and he cursed his own stupidity.

You locked yourself in a small space with a single female whose Ascendancy is blooming. Your presence is only aggravating the change, too. On top of all that, she’s not unattractive. Add the fact that she needs your help, that she seems innocent… IDIOT. If she even looks at you wrong, you’ll be all over her. No male could resist.

Jace was muttering to himself when Tessa came out on the porch to join him, She dried her damp curls with a towel, watching him. The girl’s scent, sweet yet crisp, invaded Jace’s senses. How did she do that? Damn her.

“How did you know what to do last night?” Tessa asked.

Jace frowned. He’d assumed she didn’t remember his embrace, or her nightmares. He wasn’t sure how to answer her question, so he shrugged. She came to sit beside him on the steps.

“I’ve had a panic attacks before, since I was a teenager. Not just anybody knows what to do in that scenario,” she pointed out, sounding curious.

Jace let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. It seemed the girl didn’t realize how close they’d come to something a hell of a lot worse than a panic attack.

“My sister has had panic attacks since she was young,” he replied, keeping his tone level.

“Ahhh. Well, thanks for helping me last night.”

Jace nodded, unsure how to start digging for Tessa’s background information.

“You were cool under pressure. You should be a paramedic,” she commented.

“How do you know I’m not?” he said, raising a brow.

“I guess I don’t. But I don’t think you’re in the medical field,” Tessa said, pursing her lips as she surveyed him. As if just by looking at him she could know everything about him.

“I’m thinking… a consultant. But not a lawyer, and not a money guy… are you in law enforcement?”

Jace raised a brow, impressed.

“Security,” he filled in.

“I have trouble seeing you walking around the mall with a flashlight, scaring off teenagers,” she said, eying him.

“I run all high and low tech security at the Den. I’m more like your company’s IT guy, but with a lot more responsibility,” he said, allowing a little bit of pride to wash through his voice. He was damned good at his job, and he helped protect his pack. At least he could be useful in that way.

“Ah, the Den. Still sounds a little sketchy to me. Are you sure it isn’t a big hole in the ground?”

“It’s not below the earth. It’s our name for the whole compound. It’s kind of like a commune, Shifters only. A safe place for us.”

A flare of interest lit Tessa’s features.

“You all live there?”

Jace shrugged, not keen on giving away information on his territory to a stranger. Even an attractive blonde whose Ascendant scent was somehow stifling him even now, though they were in the open air. It was like sitting in an apple orchard.

“That must be tough, all of you crammed in together,” Tessa commented, busying her hands as she folded the towel into a neat square.

Jace grimaced, imagining sharing one big room with the whole pack.

“It’s not like we sleep in tents or anything. The Den is a huge spread of land. We all have separate quarters.”

“If all the Shifters are as dominant as you, I can bet that you need your privacy.”

Jace was silent, attempting to hide the lecherous thoughts that sprang to mind. Jace’s wolf had lots of ideas for ways to use his private time. Teaching Tessa how to suck his cock, for example.

He sighed, rolling his eyes at himself. He was acting like some horny teenager, for god’s sake.

What is it about this female that is so distracting? he wondered.

“Why is McDonough following you?” Jace asked, the question out of his mouth before it had even fully formed in his mind.

Nice, he thought, subtle interrogation tactics.

Tessa’s brow wrinkled for a moment, showing a hint of confusion before she answered.

“I assume it’s because of the Ascendant thing. I can’t see any other reason why he’d notice me in particular.”

Jace could think of several reasons, namely physical attributes. It had to be more than that, though. There must be another layer to this whole affair. Jace just couldn’t see it yet.

“You said you’d run into McDonough before, right?” he asked, trying to lay out the pieces.

Tessa nodded.

“He came up to me in a bar last week. It was my second night in town, and I didn’t know anyone. We talked for a few minutes, but I didn’t stick around for long,” Tessa said. “You know what’s funny? He was actually pretty nice, if a bit full of himself. But there was something off about him. I went with my instinct. I’ve been avoiding him for a few days now.”

“McDonough may seem nice, but you don’t want to run with his pack. It never ends well for the females.”

Tessa gave Jace a surprised glance.

“You know him?”

“I wouldn’t really say that.”

“Oh. Well, that’s probably good,” Tessa said, leaning back against the steps and crossing her arms.

“You aren’t from here, I’m assuming?” Jace asked.

“No. I got here about a month ago.”

“Where are you from?” Jace probed.

“Boston,” she said.

“Is that where your parents are from?”

“I’m not sure. We never talked about things like that before they passed away.”

Jace bit back a frustrated groan. Getting information from Tessa was more difficult than he’d anticipated. Most females were eager to spill their whole life story at the drop of a hat. That Tessa seemed reluctant made him suspicious.

“Yesterday, you said you have a sister. Is she here, too?”

A glance at Tessa’s face showed a flicker of dark emotion – anger, or maybe fear. Jace didn’t know her well enough to distinguish. An interesting response.

“She’s nearby. Is there anything here to eat?” Tessa asked, standing and brushing herself off.

“Kitchen’s that way,” he groused, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

“Uhh. Okay. I can make you something, too. If you want,” Tessa said, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

Jace averted his eyes and shrugged, which made Tessa frown.

“Fine,” he said, hoping to keep her talking and find out some more about her past. He didn’t feel the need to mention that making food for an unmated male or female was considered tantamount to a come-on in the Shifter world. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her, right?

Jace followed Tessa inside, into the tiny kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out bread, deli meats and cheeses, and several different types of condiments. She hesitated, then turned to Jace.

“What, um… what can you eat?” she asked, shy.