Protection: A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance (34 page)

W
hen she reached
the building that housed Jace’s office, Tessa found the main door was locked tight. She’d looked all over the Den for him, and this was the last place on her list. A short list, she’d admit. Frowning, Tessa made her way around the side of the building in hopes of finding another way in. She found an identical set of doors but they too were locked. Tessa groaned and raised her fist to pound on the door in hopes that Jace might hear her from his office.

“I wouldn’t do that, Tessa,” came a deep voice from behind her.

Whirling, Tessa found herself face to face with a very pissed-off looking Jasper McDonough. Make that a pissed off Jasper McDonough who happened to be holding a sleek black gun. Tessa’s eyes widened in terror and her breath caught in her throat.

“You’re coming with me. Be quiet,” Jasper said, motioning toward a well-worn footpath into the woods. He moved aside just enough to let her pass by, but they nearly touched. She shivered as a spike of fear shot up and down her spine.

Tessa stumbled as they hit the tree line, and Jasper nudged her in the back with the gun. Fear coursed through her veins, but anger did too. Who did this guy think he was, going around kidnapping people? Jesus, it was like Tessa had a giant sign on her back that said VICTIM in day-glow letters.

She’d escaped Jasper twice, and she was determined to do it again. Maybe the third time was the charm. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

“What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?” she ground out.

A pause before Jasper answered.

“I have a right to challenge Copeland for you,” Jasper growled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Tessa sneered.

“I formally requested a challenge from your Alpha, but he hasn’t responded. I assume he’s been putting me off so that he can keep the new Ascendant in his pack. Mate you to Copeland, or even himself. It’s against our laws to ignore a formal challenge,” Jasper said.

“But it’s not against your laws to abduct someone?” Tessa hissed.

“Not if they’re unmated, it’s not. More walking, less talking,” he commanded.

They trudged along the wooded path in silence for what seemed like ages. The path narrowed as they went, brush pushing in on both sides until the path vanished. Tessa picked her way along the line of trampled grass. She scrambled for a way out that didn’t involve her trying to outrun McDonough. Somehow, she didn’t think that she’d get very far. He might just go ahead and kill her before she had a chance to get away. She couldn’t lie and tell him that she was mated, either. He’d know by her scent.

The trees and grass thinned out, opening into a large clearing. Inside was a small clapboard house, similar to Jace’s. Tessa stopped at looked back at Jasper, unsure how to proceed.

“Inside,” he demanded.

Swallowing, Tessa stepped up onto the porch and opened the door. She shuffled inside, moving forward to keep her distance from Jasper, who followed right behind.

The cabin wasn’t much more than a bed, a couple of chairs, and a fireplace. It had a small wood burning stove, but no table. It seemed as though it had lain dormant for ages, though there were signs here and there that someone had visited on occasion. The place certainly didn’t look lived in.

“Sit,” Jasper ordered.

Tessa shot him an angry glare as she brushed off the seat of one of the aging wicker chairs, and then sat down. Jasper drew his own chair up close to hers, and Tessa shrank back.

Jasper hesitated, and then sighed. He pulled his chair back a little before sitting down. Tessa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Still, she wrapped her arms around herself and dropped her gaze to the floor. She shivered, and was surprised again when Jasper got up and grabbed a musty blanket off the bed. He tossed it to her before sitting down again.

“Why are you trying to be nice to me?” she asked as she pulled the blanket over her body.

“I’m going to be your mate,” he said, as if amazed that she didn’t already know.

“In what universe does courtship involve abduction and rape?” she snapped, aghast at his assumptions.

“No one’s raping anyone unless it’s you to me, and in that case you can’t rape the willing.”

Jasper sat back, folding his arms with a cocky grin.

“You’re crazy. You pointed a gun at me and made me come to some creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere. What exactly am I supposed to think is going to happen?”

“Not that. I brought you here as bait.”

“Bait? For what?”

“I intend to challenge Copeland again. That bastard won’t get you without a fair fight,” Jasper said.

“A fair fight? How is he even supposed to know where we are?”

“I figure he’ll know to come to where we used to live together. It’s all very logical,” Jasper explained, sounding exasperated.

Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but a distant howl filled the air. It was mournful, and somehow familiar. The hairs on her neck and arms raised in warning.

“See? That’s him figuring out you’ve gone. It won’t be long now.”

“You said you lived here together. Are you… brothers?” Tessa asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

Jasper laughed, seeming genuinely amused.

“He hasn’t told you anything, has he? No, we’re not brothers. But we were from the same pack before it was destroyed. Initially I was brought here. I lived with Jace and Maddie and a foster family, but it didn’t work out,” Jasper said.

“What do you mean, didn’t work out?” Tessa asked.

“The Mobile pack felt slighted because none of the survivors were placed there. They made a fuss, and the only way to placate them was to place a kid with them. Jace and Maddie couldn’t be separated, and women don’t fare well in the Mobile pack, so…” Jasper spread his hands in explanation.

“So they sent you away,” Tessa said, frowning.

“I volunteered,” he corrected.

“And then raised you to be… like them,” she said.

Jasper’s head snapped up.

“I don’t know what Copeland’s been telling you, but it’s not what you think,” Jasper said.

“He told me that you have a history of abducting and abusing women. That was all I needed to hear,” Tessa said, huddling under the blanket.

“His information is inaccurate. My foster father was the Alpha of our pack, and he believed in the old ways. Shifter females were once so rare that they were shared openly amongst the packs, and the offspring raised communally. My father just took that to an extreme,” Jasper said.

“Like kidnapping?” Tessa offered.

“He didn’t really see it like that. He felt that going out and finding Ascendant females was the only way to keep his pack going. As he got older, he started to lose his grounding, mentally. That’s when it started to get bad.”

“You’re speaking in the past tense. Is he…” Tessa trailed off.

“Dead, yes. He finally lost control and nearly killed one of the females. I had to intervene,” Jasper said. His body went stiff as he spoke.

“I didn’t mean—” Tessa started, then stopped. Why was she feeling guilty?

Jasper stood up, heading for the door.

“I’m going out to wait for Copeland. Don’t bother trying to run,” he said over his shoulder. The door slammed behind him, leaving Tessa alone once again.

Biting her lip, Tessa traced his footsteps to the door. Hesitating, she tried to decide whether to wait or to run. If she waited…

Shaking her head, Tessa sighed. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t in her to wait for anyone, much less some incredibly misguided stranger to come back and… it didn’t bear thinking about.

Suddenly her wolf stirred, giving Tessa an idea. Kat had said Ascendants could shift when they were comfortable with their wolf… maybe it was time to find out what her wolf could do. She could at least run faster. Also she thought Kat had mentioned something about Shifters mates being able to call out to one another. If she and Jace were close enough to being mated, perhaps she could reach out to him.

Slipping out the cabin door, Tessa couldn’t suppress a grin despite the circumstances. It was time for a Shifter test drive.

“I guess it can’t hurt to try,” Tessa said aloud, as if that would make her first Shift easier.

Closing her eyes, she turned her thoughts inward to seek her wolf. The wolf was there in a heartbeat, wrapping herself around Tessa, comforting her. Tessa could almost feel warm fur against her skin, feel herself stretching to bury herself in the wolf’s welcome presence.

Tessa showed her wolf what she felt, showed her that she needed to find Jace. The wolf understood her need, and gave a short howl. Then she was quiet for a beat before releasing another howl, longer this time. This time Tessa could hear the faintest response, far off in the distance. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on listening as her wolf howled again.

Another response, and chills ran down Tessa’s spine. It was Jace, and he sounded distressed. She could feel him in the distance, like a lighthouse beacon. He wanted her to stay put until he found her. She should hide until he was closer.

Tessa’s wolf whined. She wanted something from Tessa, sending Tessa an image of Tessa hugging the wolf tightly. As Tessa watched, she and the wolf stretched out together and melded together.

Tessa imagined the same scene. In it, she flung her arms around the wolf as she had in the image. Then she was caught up in a languid stretch, feeling as if she’d woken from the most pleasant nap. It was incredible.

Opening her eyes, Tessa wobbled as she found herself on all fours on the damp forest floor. She tried walking, but only managed to land her butt on the ground with a thump.

Confused, she looked down. Sleek tawny fur was the first thing she saw. She was looking at her wolf, somehow.

No. She was the wolf. Tessa stood up, watching her own hands… paws, whatever, to test her theory. Sure enough, she was inside the wolf and the wolf was in there, too. The wolf was telling her to get a move on. She just had to figure out how to walk with four feet instead of two.

After a few attempts, Tessa was up and moving with ease. She took off at an easy lope, moving at incredible speed with no real effort.

Concentrating, she honed in on the growing beacon of Jace’s wolf. She slowed, the sheer sensation of running with her wolf almost intoxicating. She couldn’t believe she’d ever thought that this was unnatural; it was the opposite. It was freedom. Looking around, she spotted nice bit of brush to hide in.

Tessa dropped to her belly and crawled into the concealment, laying her head on her paws to wait for Jace.

“
Y
our mate seems
to have left you,” Maddie said, her disapproval evident. Jace had just had a long talk with his sister, during which Jace had to admit that his interest in Tessa ran deeper than he had ever intended. The discussion hadn’t gone very well, to say the least.

Now they’d returned to Jace’s house in search of Tessa; Jace hoped that bringing Tessa and Maddie together would open up a clearer channel of communication, perhaps allay Maddie’s fears.

“She never seems to stay where I tell her to stay,” he grumbled, checking the bedroom and bathroom.

“Funny thing, apparently women don’t like to be ordered around. Have you truly learned nothing from having a sister?” Maddie sassed back.

“It’s just… I need to know that she’s safe,” Jace replied, rubbing his hand over his heart.

“And for you to feel she’s safe, she needs to stay locked up in your house every minute of the day. Makes perfect sense,” Maddie mocked. Jace sighed, trying to explain.

“I almost killed her, Madd. I feel so responsible for her, and I worry about her. It’s like… when she’s standing next to me, I feel fine. Great, even. But if she’s out of my line of sight, I can’t think about anything else. How am I supposed to do my job and live my life if she won’t stay where I tell her to stay?”

“Jesus, you are such a dude. Your personal anxieties aren’t her problem, Jay. You’re just going to have to learn to work around it.”

“I’d rather just skip the whole—”

Jace trailed off, his brow creasing as he ran a hand over his face. He felt wrong, almost ill. His wolf had been making all kinds of racket for the last few minutes, but Jace was blocking out his other half. The wolf was probably just going nuts over Tessa’s scent, which seemed to have soaked into every inch of Jace’s house.

“What’s wrong with you?” Maddie asked, crossing her arms as she eyed her brother. “You look like you’re about to puke.”

Jace thought he might if his wolf didn’t tone it down. With a sigh, Jace let down his barriers so that the wolf could have his say. The instant he did, every hair on his body stood on end, his heart pumping like crazy.

Jace could feel Tessa, but not… not only Tessa. Tessa’s wolf was sending out a distress call, flooded with panic and fear. Jace took a deep breath, willing Tessa’s wolf to show him what was wrong. He got a flash of Tessa’s scared face, then one of Jasper leaning close. He got a flash of the cabin where he and Maddie had once lived with Jasper, a place he’d spent years trying to forget. Then Tessa was gone, the connection severed.

A rush of adrenaline surged through his veins. Tessa was in danger, and that was unacceptable.

Before Jace even realized it he was running, Maddie sprinting flat-out behind him in an attempt to keep up. As they made it into the forest Maddie was harried by the dense brush and trees, whereas Jace just went through everything like a steamroller.

Minutes or hours or years streamed by as Jace ran full-out toward the cabin. He wasn’t conscious of anything but the slam of his heart in his chest and the harsh rasp of his breathing as he barreled toward his destination.

When they reached a clearing surrounding the cabin, Jace skidded to a halt. Lifting his face, he scanned the area with caution. Of course Jasper would lure him here.

“Come out, Jasper,” Jace commanded.

A rustle, and then a huge blonde man dropped from a tree on the opposite side of the clearing.

“Are you ready to accept my challenge?” the other man asked, his tone surly.

“I will fight you, Jasper, but not until I’ve seen Tessa,” Jace responded.

“She’s run off into the woods, if you can imagine. I figure we fight and the winner gets to chase her down and talk her into the bite,” Jasper said, seeming almost amused.

“That sounds great. It’s too bad that I’ve already claimed her. She’s made her decision,” Jace said, trying for smug but failing.

“I don’t believe you, Copeland. You may have claimed her back in the city, but you two haven’t taken the final step yet. If you’d bit her you’d be doing a victory dance right now, crowing about it. You always were proud of yourself,” Jasper retorted.

“Jesus, Jasper. It’s been nearly fifteen years since we’ve laid eyes on one another. You don’t know me from Adam,” Jace growled back.

“That doesn’t make me wrong about you,” Jasper said with a sneer. Both men looked up as Maddie crashed into the circle in her human form.

“Maddie, go find Tessa,” Jace snapped.

Jasper had gone still, staring at Maddie. She stared right back, challenging him. They both bristled, tensing to attack.

“Leave my sister out of this, Jasper. She’s got nothing to do with this,” Jace growled, his voice dropping so deep it grated.

Maddie’s eyes widened just a fraction.

“You?” she said to Jasper. “You are here for her, too?”

Jasper stayed silent, not daring to drop his gaze.

“Tessa. It’s all about Tessa. Well I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the golden girl already belongs to my brother,” Maddie hissed.

Jasper laughed, a cold sound.

“My father was right. I should have taken you before you grew such a strong will. Too bad he’ll never know he was right. He would have loved to lord that over me.”

“Was?” Jace asked, looking up at the other man.

“I put him down two years ago,” Jasper said, making no effort to hide the pain in his voice.

“Why didn’t you come to me? I would have helped,” Jace said, the anger bleeding away from his voice.

“It doesn’t matter. I have to find Tessa,” Jasper responded, his voice thickened with old emotions.

A soft rustle of leaves announced that they were not alone. A gorgeous white wolf ducked into view, trotting a few feet into the circle before stopping to take in the scene. She was breathtaking, marked on her forepaws and behind her ears with a luscious chocolate brown.

Jace’s heart stopped, then began pounding out of control. The second he saw Tessa, a dual waves of relief and possessiveness swept through him. She wasn’t just some random Ascendant anymore, Jace realized. Somewhere along the way he’d stopped hating her smart mouth and stormy eyes; now he couldn’t even imagine her with anyone else. She was Jace’s female now, and he’d die before he saw her with anyone else. He couldn’t live with that.

Swallowing, Jace pushed back the tide of emotion that threatened to overtake him. He didn’t have time to examine the exact nature of his feelings, but they felt a lot like love.

He started to take a step toward her, only to be stopped by the click of a gun being cocked. Jace glanced up to find Jasper aiming a gun at Tessa, looking apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Jace. I can’t let her go until I’ve got what I came for. I won’t leave here without a mate,” Jasper said, his misery plain in his expression and voice.

“You can’t have her, she’s already mine,” Jace said, tensing for a fight. If Jasper shot at Tessa, Jace wouldn’t pull any punches. He’d kill his childhood friend on the spot, without a second thought.

“Just let them go, Jasper,” Maddie demanded. Maddie was furious, her hands bunched into willing fists.

“And what good will that do me?” Jasper rasped, his eyes glued to Maddie’s face as if soaking in every detail.

“Let them go, and I give you my word that we will exchange bites,” Maddie said.

The gorgeous white wolf let out a snarl, voicing her disapproval at the same time that Jace did. Jasper was quiet for a long moment, studying Maddie’s face as if to discover her intentions. He lowered the gun slightly, not looking away from Maddie.

“Not good enough. If I let them go, we exchange bites now and figure the rest out later,” Jasper demanded.

“No!” Jace shouted.

“Fine,” Maddie agreed, licking her lips as she eyed Jasper. Jace could smell her fear and anxiety, coupled with a bright note of something less definable. Interest, perhaps.

“It’s a deal,” Jasper said, his eyes trained on Maddie.

“Fine.”

Jasper lowered his weapon and beckoned Maddie over. She walked over to Jasper, her steps purposeful. She turned around, baring her neck. Jasper ran two fingers along the curve where her neck and shoulder met, eliciting a shiver from Maddie. The next second he struck, sinking his teeth deep until she cried out.

Jace and Tessa both released guttural snarls, both moving in as if to attack. Maddie held up a hand, gesturing for them to stay back. Jasper released her and pulled back, examining his work.

“I’m fine,” she croaked, wincing. “It’s done.”

She turned to Jasper, who threw his gun to the ground. He had eyes for no one but Maddie, and when she stepped close to him his whole body shuddered with anticipation.

Maddie didn’t flinch, slipping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. Her bite was incredibly fast, almost over before it began. She pulled back from Jasper a little bit, looking up into his face.

The air was saturated with things unsaid. Jace swallowed bile as he watched his beloved Maddie in the arms of a man he’d come to loathe. True, she seemed well enough, and Jasper had once cared for Maddie above all others. Still, Jace had much higher hopes for his sister. A red mist began to haze his vision as he realized the whole problem could be solved if he just killed Jasper.

Jace moved again to strike, but Maddie turned to him and let out a deep growl. Just like that, she took Jasper’s hand and they left clearing. Jace stood open-mouthed, watching the last fifteen years of his life go up in flames, a complete waste. He’d failed his sister many times, but this was an inescapable disaster.

Jace couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but listen to the blood pounding in his ears. He watched as Maddie left hand in hand with none other than Jasper McDonough. He couldn’t decide if he was going to be sick or not; he felt as if he’d swallowed a thousand shards of glass.

Fur brushed his leg, and then his hand. He looked down to find Tessa’s glorious wolf leaning against him, calming him. Even in this form he could read the sympathy and caring in her expression. He knelt to run his hands over her coat, awed by her fierce beauty.

Her pelt was thick and soft to the touch, and he loved the feel of it. Her breathing was ragged, reminding Jace how difficult the first change could be. Tessa was overdoing it, and she could hurt herself if she stayed in her wolf form too long this first time.

Jace took one last look toward the spot where Maddie had disappeared, and then concentrated on Tessa. Jace pulled the snowy wolf into his arms and carried her into the cabin. Laying her down on the bed, Jace knelt to put his face at her level.

“Tessa. I need you to change back. Just remember what it’s like to feel like your human self. Remember the feel of your arms and legs, your neck, your hands. Remember it and just let go of your wolf,” he said, feeling desperate. Desperate to touch her, to know that she was going to be okay.

Her form wavered and shimmered for several long beats before flashing to reveal her human form. Jace climbed up onto the bed and gave her a gentle shake, trying not to stare at her naked body.

He pulled her close as he waited for her to wake. His heart swelled at her proximity, a feeling half pleasure and half pain. It caught him off guard. Jace had maintained physical and emotional distance from everyone except his sister, and yet here he was pulling Tessa close, waiting for her every breath. The worst part that while the anxiety was painful, a deeper part of him was thrilled to have a female in his arms. Not just any female, either. His female, he thought with an unwelcome surge of pride.

Jace had never had such a pure moment of wanting. It was physical, yes. But there was more, a deeper and more satisfying level of being with his female that pulled at him, relentless. He wanted her for more than the sum of her parts, and it was driving him crazy.

Tessa’s eyelids fluttered, revealing her intense gray gaze. A smile creased the corner of her mouth as she looked at Jace, her expression slumbrous.

“You came. I wasn’t sure you would come,” she said, rubbing her face against his knee like a cat.

“Of course I came,” Jace said, trying not to sound offended. Jesus, if she thought that… he really had been nothing but a bastard to the only female he’d ever cared for since childhood. He pushed the thought away.

“Well, it’s just…” Tessa said with a yawn, pulling one of the blankets over her body and sitting up.

Jace leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her lips. Tessa gave one of those breathy little sighs that he just couldn’t resist, and then he couldn’t resist kissing her a second time. She did that to him, made want more with every touch, every kiss. He pulled back after a moment, regretful.