Sanibel Alpha Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book 5.5) (6 page)

“I didn
’
t service that skank,
”
Bren interceded.  
“
I still don
’
t get what has her so pissed at Mike in particular.
”

The sun softened then, streaming through the window and exposing the Sanibel morning in hues of bronze and gold.  Yes, Mike would make his home here with his Mate, sooner than he imagined possible.
“
We
’
re going to miss first class,
”
he redirected them.
“
Let
’
s go.
”

Jayce shrugged a little too casually for Mike to believe he
’
d dropped this.  
“
Fine, Carter, but don
’
t expect me to play nicely with Jill
’
s brothers.  In fact, I think sparring with the Holms is going to be quite interesting today.
”

Mike got dressed after his friends stepped into the corridor. His attack had nothing to do with anything other than Jill
’
s jealousy.  She felt it the minute he had, when he
’
d first glimpsed Tatum Shirley, catching a faint waft of her scent on Jill
’
s blouse. In the minutes that followed, he
’
d changed, his werewolf clawing to emerge.  He wasn
’
t a fool.  Mike knew exactly what that meant and so had Jill.  So he had brought her back to the Academy, only he didn
’
t sneak her inside his room as planned.  In her fit of jealous rage, she went off and told her brothers that he
’
d pushed her too far.  As if she were some kind of virgin who didn
’
t open her legs to any male who passed her way. The four of them had come at him swinging baseball bats and Mike hadn
’
t any chance, not at seventeen.  

He pulled on a shirt, wincing as the fabric abraded his raw flesh, and grabbed his backpack.   When he opened the door, Bren and Jayce stopped talking immediately.  He knew what they were up to but he didn
’
t care, couldn
’
t stop them if he tried.  But he had other things to think upon, so many things.  In his heart
’
s mind, all he wanted to do now was to follow the mixed blood and take care of all her needs.  Inhaling her scent from a closer proximity would be a dream.  One he would realize tonight, if he could manage to find her.

When they started down the stairwell, Bren caught an envelope flying from Mike
’
s backpack and handed it back to him.  
“
Thanks.
”  
Mike eyed the sealed letter with his ancient family crest waxed over the flap.  Secretly, Mike had met with Ciaran before arriving on Sanibel Island.  His Alpha cousin had given him no other advice than to keep his mouth shut about finding him, and then handed him a chunk of cash and the letter in his hand. Mike clutched it before shoving it into the bottom of his backpack.  Finally, after years, Ciaran had obviously found Mike
’
s true father, was leaving it up to him to open the letter if he so desired.  Right now, Mike wasn
’
t ready.

Jayce inhaled, giving Mike a sidelong glance.
“
I smell an Alpha, not my blood, though.
”

A secret Mike would keep forever.  Ciaran was hunted, his Pack angered since he refused to head back to Scotland and regroup the Pack in his destined leadership roll.  Therefore, he was considered rogue and punishable by any Alpha whose territory he entered unless he reclaimed the helm of his monarchy.
“
You know I
’
m of Alpha blood. That
’
s what you smell.
”

Jayce stopped and raised a questioning brow.
“
You think I don
’
t smell what
’
s on that letter, pal?
”

“Let it go, Jayce,
”
Mike pushed by him, opening the metal door leading outside.
“
For once, let something go!
”

“Tatum, come on, it has been a week.  Get over it.
”
Jill offered her a red, plastic cup.  
“
Guys are checking you out tonight, and you seem oddly content in standing there while feeling sorry for yourself.
”  

Tatum sniffed the cup and pushed whatever it was back in Jill
’
s eager grip.
“
I
’
m not feeling sorry for myself.
”
Troy had been extraordinarily pissed last weekend when she
’
d suddenly halted his pursuit of her cherry.  She couldn
’
t blame him. Guys didn
’
t appreciate getting amped up only to be shot down while their partners were half naked.  But something strange had hit her entire body when they
’
d walked in the house together, causing Tatum to grow cold for him almost instantly. Desperate to make things work between them, Troy had stayed, trying to get inside her pants for another half hour before he left. She
’
d tried to call Troy every day this week, and conveniently, he was never home.

Tatum plopped down next to Jill on an abandoned sofa thingy, wincing when a broken spring prodded her butt. She scooted to the side, sniffing in distaste.  
“
Someone removed this from the back of a car, didn
’
t they?
”

Jill smiled coyly as Jayce Jordan edged the bonfire, downing the contents of his red cup.  
“
Yeah, this baby has quite the productive bounce.
”
She wiggled her hips.
“
Especially when Jayce Jordan is bouncing with you.
”

Tatum eyed her suspiciously, her stomach churning at the thought of Jill being with Jayce. Just as it had when her own sister, Molly, had implied he
’
d also taken her for a one-way ride.  What a whoring ass!  But still
…  
So often, Tatum
’
s mind had wandered to the night she
’
d turned Jayce down flat.  She
’
d never forget the look on his face.  Obviously, her refusal had been a first for him.  What he didn
’
t know is that she
’
d wanted him fervently, but he intimidated her in a way only surpassed by Bren Walker.  

She had no idea when these hangups over being afraid of these guys had hit her. But in her defense, Jayce was absolutely huge for his age.  Heck, he was even huge for an adult.  On top of that, she knew he would have dumped her the minute he finished.  Guys like Jayce didn
’
t stick with one girl. Ever.  Not when they were bombarded with nightly offers of mindless sex, from girls doing things Tatum hadn
’
t experienced yet.
“
So
…
Jayce Jordan, huh.  You didn
’
t stick around with that blue-eyed guy driving the motorcycle?  From what I saw, he was incredible and completely into you.
”

Jill tensed but her voice stayed syrupy.
“
Nah, my sights are set much higher now.
”
She waved at Jayce and he pointedly ignored her, barely glancing at Tatum as he turned around and spoke with some friends.  It looked like a serious discussion, his mouth turning down in a snarl.

“Looks like he
’
s been in another fight,
”
Tatum said, eyeing his bloodied and swollen knuckles.
“
Aren
’
t you afraid of his temper or even his size?
”

“Oh, he gets like that from football practice.
”

Tatum knew better.  Even so, Jayce Jordan was someone she had to forget.  The first step in that daunting process would be to stop talking and to stop thinking about him.  
“
Pass over that cup.
”
She took a swig and it tasted as close to Hell
’
s fire as she ever wanted to get. Then she took another sip, followed by a gigantic gulp.  
“
What is this?
”   

Jill snatched it back.  
“
It
’
s a homemade agave brew.  Some islanders say consuming it will lead you to your destined mate.
”

“Mate? Like animals?
”
Tatum snorted, staring into the growing bonfire.  She had no idea of how long they sat there lost in their quiet thoughts, but the fire
’
s flames were suddenly more fascinating. Tatum reached out for the cup.
“
Give me more!
”

“No way, Tatum, you
’
ve reached your limit,
”
Jill shot back.
“
This shit
’
s potent.
”

“One more sip,
”
she pleaded as she slipped from her perch, her body growing warm and fuzzy, certainly relaxed, though she didn
’
t feel as though she were drunk exactly.  Vaguely she watched on as Jayce and his friends slipped to the edge of the marsh.  She wondered if he had a girl hidden back there and started to giggle when she actually wanted to cry.

Jill
’
s smile grew wide, her gaze moving between Jayce and Tatum.
“
Oh, why not?  What are best friends for?
”
Putting the red cup back in Tatum
’
s hand, she murmured,
“
Finish it off with my blessing.
”

When Tatum opened her eyes next, the moon stood higher in the sky.  
“
What time is it?
”
She reached out for Jill, prodding, but no one was next to her. In fact, not many were circling the fire.  
“
Great,
”
she mumbled to no one,
“
looks as though my ride has ridden without me. How will I get home without calling dad?
”  
Damn, he was going to be pissed. Oh, and she couldn
’
t even bear to think of her mother
’
s clucking tongue going a mile a minute.  Her arms and legs were so heavy, her mind foggy.  
“
Oh, Jill, wherever the fuck you are, I seriously need to rethink our friendship.
”

Tatum felt a light brush against her shoulder. As she turned away from the bonfire, she met the face of Jayce Jordan.  He was going to ask her to make out again, and, this time, she was saying yes.

“There
’
s someone here that wants to talk to you.  Come on.
”
With a heart-punching smile, he gestured for her to follow him into the marsh and she did.   He was walking ahead, not next to her.  Something was strange, different about him.  He smiled over his shoulder.  
“
This way.
”  
Ahead, they reached a clearing in the marsh. Jayce
’
s smile twisted into a smirk as he stepped aside and revealed an angry Bren.

“Why did you do it?  Why?
”
Bren stomped his foot forward, and Tatum jumped behind Jayce. Jayce turned around and stared down at her.  Without a word, he grabbed her elbow and pulled her back against his chest.  In her confusion, she wanted him.  No matter what he
’
d done, she was sorry she
’
d turned him away when he
’
d first come for her all those weeks ago.

While holding her arms, he swung her back around to face a snarling Bren. She was startled at the rage on Bren
’
s face.  Even more startling was the fact that Jayce let her go.  His strong hand pushed her forward, causing her to stumble.  She glanced sideways and he laughed, the scent of that damned brew emanating from his breath.

“Every time I like a girl, Troy Hillman gets his hands on her.  But you
” —
Bren seared Tatum with a heated stare
— “
were supposed to be different.
”  
An animalistic growl left his lips.

“Troy?
”
Tatum questioned in disbelief.
“
So I made out with Troy. We only kissed, and you
’
re not my boyfriend.
”