Realization poured over her and her fingers stilled.
“Condom,” she blurted, startled when his silken flesh slapped into her hand, reminding her of how stupid she’d almost been again. She’d forgotten that all-important element of sex before. She couldn’t risk doing so a second time.
Jackson looked at her, confusion in his eyes. “What?”
“We need to use condoms. I’m not on the Pill.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” He pinched her nipples, causing her to gasp, passion and sexual hunger attempting to overcome reason. “Trust me.”
She’d trust him with just about anything…but not that. The ramifications were too severe. The cost too high.
“I do,” she disagreed, denying her traitorous body, feeling his cock prodding her thigh. She steeled herself not to respond when he circled his fingers around the pointed peaks covered by her clothing.
“It’s not your time to conceive. I’d know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Of course I do.” He rose above her, his irises like bottled whiskey tempered by fire. “I am part wolf, baby.”
No arguing that.
He was equal parts animal and man—a perfect and sinful combination.
Unexpectedly his pocket buzzed again, teasing her fingers through the thin layer of denim. She frowned, manipulating her hand and making out the shape of a phone. She was about to ask who was calling when everything changed—throwing her off balance, confusing the hell out of her. She didn’t have a chance to brace herself. Jackson suddenly disappeared, leaving her gazing at the open sky feeling cold and bereft.
Who knew he could move so fast?
She hadn’t even seen him pull away.
Flipping onto her stomach, she tried to look in his direction. Where had he gone and why? A loud snarl pierced the air, horrifying in a way. When she finally saw Jackson her breath caught, sexual heat swiftly turning to alarm.
He was crouched a few feet in front of her, his hands steady on the ground, resting his weight on his toes. She couldn’t see his face but the tense line of his shoulders told her something was off. He was focused on something in the distance she couldn’t see.
“Jackson?” she asked cautiously, unnerved by his behavior and the awareness that bloomed inside her. He was putting himself between her and what he perceived as a threat.
“Don’t move,” he commanded, his voice deeper than usual, and she felt his power slam into her to reinforce his will. “Stay there, Chloe. That’s an order.”
There was no time to question him. He leapt from his crouch, moving so quickly that he vanished into the line of trees in a blink. She held her breath, heart pounding in her chest, palms stinging from the pine needles that had dug into her skin. Seconds ticked by. She wanted to stand but couldn’t. Despite willing her limbs to move, she stayed exactly as he’d left her. Something inside her obeyed Jackson’s command, taking it as gospel.
What the hell?
A loud snarl came from the trees, then another. She heard Jackson, growling something she couldn’t make out. Silenced followed.
She waited, her stomach uneasy.
What had he found out there?
Werewolves weren’t supposed to be frightened of anything. Judging by Jackson’s behavior he’d been more than concerned about what he’d sensed—he’d been pissed. She hadn’t thought anything could rattle the man. Knowing something had the power to put him on alert like that, taking him from a demanding lover to a hard-edged wolf, made her nervous.
Loud snapping sounds—branches breaking under force—interrupted the soft melody of nature. She watched, unable to do anything else, eyes lingering on the space between two trees. More snaps followed and she realized the noises were footsteps. Then she heard Jackson’s deep baritone. He was speaking softly, a warning, evident by his tone. When he appeared he was holding another man—a completely nude one, at that—by the back of the neck.
“You’re one stupid son of a bitch.”
“I can’t tell my Alpha no,” the man responded, walking as though he wasn’t embarrassed by his lack of clothing. “I only came to confirm the rumor. I didn’t mean you any harm.”
“The hell you didn’t,” Jackson snarled, giving the man a firm shake. “You came to spy on me—on my fucking mate—with shitty intentions.”
“I didn’t—”
“Andy, shut the fuck up before you piss me off. I’m trying real hard not to kill you. I’ve got enough shit to deal with without your blood on my hands.”
Although his state of undress didn’t bother Andy, his first glimpse at Chloe did. His green eyes widened, becoming saucers as he stared at her. It was as though he comprehended something he hadn’t before, putting two and two together. She wasn’t sure what he was seeing or why he looked so spooked. He lowered his gaze, swallowing so hard she saw his Adam’s apple bob.
“It’s okay, baby,” Jackson said, tearing her mind from the man. “Go ahead and get up. You’re safe.”
Just like that, whatever spell had kept her in place was broken. She considered giving Jackson a piece of her mind. Who the hell was he to bring her to heel? She was a person, damn it. Not a pet.
After she rose to her feet, however, she thought better of it. Blood tricked from slices in Andy’s skin, created by Jackson’s claws. She studied the vicious-looking things, shocked by how long and sharp they were. When she’d gotten a glimpse of his fangs when they’d had sex, she’d been turned on.
This made her feel something else entirely.
A stampede coming from behind her got her attention, forcing her to rip her eyes from the claws at Andy’s throat. She turned in time to see the man from the parlor—Declan—running like the devil was on his ass. He slowed when he saw them, his face a mask of agitation. He continued crossing the distance, fury radiating from him, his eyes a bright shade of gold.
“I see I didn’t make it in time.” He lifted his hand, revealing a phone. “Next time, answer your fucking cell.”
“Tell me what you know,” Jackson instructed without an apology, within a few feet of her now, forcing Andy to walk slightly in front of him.
“Gavin found out I was asking questions.”
“How?” Jackson knew Gavin would notice Declan sniffing around, but he hadn’t counted on the Alpha doing so that quickly.
“Some of his business acquaintances overheard me at the diner. When I visited Gavin’s bar, I managed to eavesdrop on a conversation before I was told to leave. Gavin spread the word that something was going down. He sent your friend there,” he pointed at Andy, “to see what was what. I tried to call and warn you but you didn’t have the courtesy to answer your goddamn phone.”
“So he doesn’t know?”
Declan’s gaze darted over to her. “Not yet.”
There was a hidden meaning in that look.
“Know what?” she asked, determined to know what he was hiding, ready to take control of her life and everything involving it.
Jackson’s expression changed. Despite the distance between them she felt the shift in his mood. Her stomach churned, bile rising to her throat. She didn’t know if what he intended was bad or good.
He looked at Declan and said, “Go inside and call the pack. Tell them to meet us at the shop in an hour. It’s time to strategize.”
“You got it.” Declan went from annoyed to almost eager. He rushed away, running from them almost as fast as he’d approached.