Pack Bound, page 11
Skye ducked her head, avoiding his gaze. ‘That’s okay. I get it. Besides, I’m a big girl.’ She took a breath, the scent of paint and chalk not enough to overpower the earth and clean mountain air scent of him. ‘I can take the consequences of my actions.’
‘I don’t remember it just being your actions that night. I remember it being mine too.’
‘Yes, well …’ She swallowed, unable to rid her mind of those unwanted memories. ‘Let’s just forget all that. It was a fling. A one-night thing. No harm, no foul.’
‘What if I wanted more than one night?’
Her head snapped up. ‘What?’
‘You heard me.’ He smiled at her again, a smile that could only be called wolfish.
‘But … you … we … it was a fling … I don’t normally do things like … the wine … I’d had medication for my foot and I—’ She snapped her mouth shut as his grin widened, her jaw popping as she clenched it. Then, trying to plaster a smile on her face, she said, ‘I don’t fraternise with the parents of the children I look after.’
‘I’m not Tom’s parent.’
‘No. But you’re his guardian. It’s the same thing.’
‘Then I’ll find another childcare centre for Tom to attend. Which would be a pity given he’s already made a friend. But if you’re going to be so unreasonable about it, I have no choice but to uproot him. Again.’
Skye gaped at him. ‘That’s blackmail.’
‘Is it working?’
‘Absolutely not! Besides,’ she narrowed her eyes, ‘I don’t think you’d do that at all. I know I don’t know you well—’
‘I think you know me very well.’
Skye’s jaw popped again as she clenched her teeth, trying not to call him every name under the sun. She. Would. Not. Swear. In. Front. Of. The. Children.
‘That’s not what I meant,’ she said after she got herself under control, gesturing for him to follow her as she moved away from any little ears that might overhear things they shouldn’t. ‘I saw the way you looked at Tom. I don’t think you’d take him away from here just to get some.’
Jason’s eyes twinkled, his lips quirking at the corner, and then he sighed. ‘You’ve got me there. I wouldn’t do that. But still, I’d like to see you again.’
‘I can’t. It wouldn’t be right. I need to be able to keep a professional distance. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to Tom because when things didn’t work out—’
‘Don’t make this about Tom. This is about us and what we felt up at the snow that night.’
She blinked at him. She was kind of surprised he hadn’t backed off like most men would, making comments about her jumping the gun.
‘So just to be clear—you want sex again.’
He barked out a laugh. ‘That’s what I liked about you right from the very first. You’re not afraid to say what you think.’
‘I don’t see the point in evasiveness.’
‘Neither do I. So I’m going to tell you up front: I am interested in having sex with you again. But that isn’t the only reason I want to see you. There are other reasons. Important reasons.’
‘It would be the only reason I’d see you again.’
The look on his face would have been priceless if not for the fact that Skye was mortified once again by her runaway mouth. ‘I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.’
He choked on a laugh. ‘No. It sounded just fine. Mind-blowing sex is always a great reason to get together with someone.’
Skye blushed. ‘It wasn’t that good.’
Jason stepped closer, his warm, spicy breath brushing over her. ‘I don’t know what you’re remembering, but what I remember was … explosive, to say the least.’
Skye swallowed hard around the hot ball of desire in her throat. ‘Look, it’s lovely to catch up, but as I said, what happened at the snow was a one-off. It can’t happen again.’
‘You won’t change your mind?’
His voice was a husky whisper that made her heart beat so hard in her chest she wondered if Melbourne was experiencing an earthquake.
But nobody else seemed to notice—so just her.
Taking herself in hand, she took a step back from him. ‘No. I won’t change my mind. I have to follow my own rules.’ Her voice sounded remarkably calm despite the deep need tearing her apart inside.
Aware that some of the children had stopped to watch them, she planted a smile on her face and pulled him over to the corner behind the sleep screen. ‘I won’t go out with one of the parents, or guardians—’
‘Don’t give me that line about fraternising again. This is different. We met before my nephew came under your care and it will mostly be Adam or Tom’s nanny, Suzie, who’ll bring him into the centre every day, so you won’t be dealing with me as his guardian. And not to sound desperate, but I thought there was something between us before we slept together and I’d like to pursue that. See where it leads. Surely you felt it too?’
He sounded almost uncertain. If he’d sounded cocky, she wouldn’t have found it difficult to say no to him. But that uncertainty undid her. Despite all her previous resolve, she whispered, ‘I felt it.’
‘Well, come to dinner with me. Tonight.’
She wanted to say yes. Instead, she said, ‘I can’t. I’ve got to have dinner with my grandmother.’
‘Your grandmother?’ He seemed absurdly shocked.
‘Yes. My grandmother. People do have dinner with their grandmothers.’
‘Of course they do. It’s just that I didn’t think you had a—’ He stopped. ‘Never mind. That’s one of those things you can tell me about when we have dinner. So, if you’re busy tonight, how about tomorrow night?’
It was so tempting to say yes. For that reason, the answer would always be no. ‘I’m not that easily swayed.’
His eyes glinted as he took a step back and smiled at her. ‘Then all I’ve got to do is find how to sway you. This could be fun.’
‘Jason.’
He turned to face Adam, who’d come out of the kitchen with two boys in tow. She grabbed his arm to stop him moving away, but let go immediately, the heat of him a burn on her fingertips. ‘It won’t be fun. I’m not swayable.’
‘We’ll see.’ He smiled at her and turned to his brother again. ‘All done?’
‘Yep. I’ve never seen two little monkeys pack away so much fruit.’
‘I’m a wolf, Uncle A. Not a monkey.’
Adam looked down at Tom, a glint of humour in his eyes. ‘I don’t know about that, matey-o. I’ve never seen a wolf chow down on as much banana as you just did. That’s kind of a monkey thing.’ He bent down and tickled Tom’s stomach. Tom squealed. ‘See? A monkey noise. You’re a monkey.’
‘Uncle Jase!’ Tom said, his face crinkling with laughter. ‘Tell Uncle A I’m a wolf.’
‘A wolf?’ Jason leaned in and gave Tom a tickle too, making the boy collapse in a giggling heap on the floor. Then turning to Andy, he asked, ‘If Tom’s a wolf, what are you?’
‘I’m a lion. Rooaarrr!’ His roar was cut off midway when Adam tickled him too. Andy fell to the floor laughing next to Tom.
Other children were starting to notice the commotion, so even though she was loath to stop the merriment, Skye stepped forward. ‘I think that’s enough. You’re going to make them sick—especially if the monkeys ate as much fruit as you say.’ She smiled warmly at the two boys as they stopped rocking and laughing and scrambled to their feet. ‘Now, how about that tour?’
‘That sounds like a marvellous idea.’ Jason’s smile flashed again.
She remembered that smile as he’d looked down at her in bed, telling her to look at him as he thrust himself deep inside her. Blinking rapidly to dispel the image, she met his smile with her own.
Where was Jenny? Over with the children making sock puppets. Damn! ‘I can see Jenny is busy again, so that leaves me. Andy? Do you want to help me show Tom and his uncles around?’
‘Yeth!’
‘Terrific. What will we show them first?’
‘The picture wall.’
‘Great idea. Let’s go.’
She turned away from Jason and his charm offensive.
Nothing could happen between them. At least, not again. She must never give in to his ‘swaying’. That way lay madness—and heartache. Because, no matter how attracted she was to him, she couldn’t be with him. She wasn’t a fling kind of girl. She also wasn’t the marriage and kids kind of girl. She couldn’t be. Couldn’t involve someone else so intimately in the insanity her birthright had cursed her with.
Especially not a man who threatened everything she’d ever believed about herself.
As Andy showed his paintings on the wall, Jason turned, a gentle smile on his lips as if aware of being watched. His wolf-blue eyes lit as his gaze met hers.
Gulping, she hurried them through the tour, desperate to get away from Jason and the temptation he offered. Finally, she stood with the two men at the front door—they’d left Tom happily painting with Andy under the watchful supervision of one of her staff.
She shook Jason’s hand, pulling hers out of his grip as quickly as possible and turned to Adam. ‘I think Tom will be happy here, but if you have any concerns, please just give me a call.’
Adam’s gaze darted in confusion to Jason. Jason nodded. ‘I will.’
She put out her hand. A spark of warmth flew from her hand into Adam’s. He snatched it away as if he’d been burned.
‘Holy f— I mean, hell! That’s quite some static charge.’
She looked up at him. For a brief second, she thought she saw red glow in the amber of his eyes and a golden haze spill out from his skin.
But then he shook himself—like a dog—and grinned at her. ‘You sure pack a wallop. I envy my brother. I really do. I can’t wait to welcome you to the pa— to the family, Skye.’
She glanced between them and stepped back. ‘I don’t think …’ She shook her head. She had to get a grip. He was just teasing, like Jason said he liked to do. ‘Very funny. I’ll see you this afternoon when you pick Tom up.’ She turned away.
‘Skye?’
She glanced over her shoulder at Jason, brow raised. ‘Yes?’
‘I’ll be seeing you.’
12
Adam followed Jason into the study, slammed the door shut and crowed, ‘That was fucking fantastic!’
Sighing, Jason rubbed his hand over his face. ‘She’s still channelling magic and has no idea she’s doing it. I don’t know how to stop her.’
Adam stared at him. ‘I don’t know why you’re cracking the sads, Jase. Cordelia said staying away would help and it obviously did. She didn’t flare out or faint or get sick when she channelled that magic. And you weren’t so concerned while we were there. I mean, the sexual tension was so overpowering I was surprised you didn’t jump her. You certainly weren’t averse to prodding her into using her power.’
‘That’s because I was testing her, you idiot. I wanted to see how safe it was to be around her. Besides, I also wanted to see if she remembered anything at all.’
‘And? What did you discuss in that hot little tête-à-tête?’
Jason glared at Adam. ‘Nothing you need to know.’ He raked his fingers through his hair again. ‘I need to talk to Cordelia.’
‘Why?’
‘Because while Skye didn’t get sick or flare out, she was upset and surprised about the show of power until I pretended it was static electricity.’ He shook his head, trembling. ‘One touch. I almost turned there and then. She’s so strong.’
‘No shit, Sherlock,’ Adam said. ‘She touched me too.’ He leaned forward. ‘I thought I wasn’t going to be able to pull the old boy back.’ He clapped his hands together and laughed. ‘Can you imagine the look on her face if I’d changed? Perhaps it would’ve been best if I had. Maybe it would’ve jogged her memory. Made her remember what we are and who she is to us.’
‘Are you serious? It wouldn’t have helped at all. Not to mention we would’ve scared all those children and made the evening news. I just hope we’re not wrong to leave Tom there.’
‘He’s not changed yet and is unlikely to for a few more years. Don’t stress.’
‘Easy for you to say.’ He shivered. ‘I can still feel it cascading through me.’
‘Me too. And while it was unexpected, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use what she gave us. It’s been too long and my wolf wants out. Come on, Jase. Stop brooding. Let’s go for a run. I bet you I can beat you this time.’
Before Jason could answer, Adam lowered his head, a golden rainbow-hued glow shimmering around him. His clothes shredded as the glow intensified and then it faded as fast as it had come and a huge black wolf stood in his place. The wolf looked up at Jason, challenge in his eyes.
Jason knelt before his brother and gripped the fur on either side of Adam’s wolf’s head, something he’d been unable to do for far too long, thanks to the Curse. ‘You’re on.’
Adam let out an excited bark as the glow of change swept over Jason. Then they were off.
As Jason’s paws pounded the earth, sending up the scent of dirt and bark and wattle and eucalypt, he remembered Skye saying she was having dinner with her grandmother. But that was impossible; her grandmother was dead.
Morrigan Collins had run away from the pack and disappeared just after Paul was born, her bones turning up on the edge of their land six months later, identified by her sister by a necklace she always wore and never took off. What happened was still a mystery, but there was no doubt, Morrigan Collins was long dead.
Somehow, he didn’t think Skye had lied.
So was this the person who had kidnapped Skye when she was eight? He had to find out more about this so-called grandmother. And the best person to find out this information from was Skye herself.
Another reason to make certain she swayed his way. As if her being his mate and their Pack Witch wasn’t already enough. She was also the key to finding those responsible so he could exact his revenge.
He just had to figure out why she was frightened of her magic and how on earth she was holding it back.
The only person who could help him with that was Cordelia. He needed to see her.
He sped up, putting his all into the race with Adam, pulling up first by a nose right at the end of the designated lap. In the privacy of their backyard, he changed, the golden rainbow shimmer of the change casting colourful patterns on the foliage around him. Turning, he faced Adam, whose tongue was lolling out of his mouth, a stupid grin on his face.
‘You’re out of shape, brother. You better practice with another lap while I drive out to see Cordy.’
Heading inside as Adam took off, Jason got dressed, grabbed his leathers and helmet then went to the garage to jump on his Triumph Rocket III Roadster. He could call Cordy, but he couldn’t read nuances over the phone.
Besides, he really needed to see if Marcus would still back him. Not to mention putting some distance between him and Skye was a good idea right now, otherwise he’d go back there—which would only serve to make her dig her heels in even more.
The growling roar of the Roadster matched his mood as he started it and, with a squeal of wheels, he was off.
The McClunes’ hereditary land ran adjacent to the McVales’ on the peninsula in Red Hill, but twenty years ago, they’d bought up a new tract of land past Coldstream that led into the national forest and part of the Great Dividing Range. Marcus had moved many of his central people there to help rebuild after the devastating Black Saturday fires had ravaged the land more than a dozen years ago. It had become his main base of operations—out of the way, plenty of room to expand and for his pack to roam and be safe. Jason knew that’s where he’d find Marcus and Cordelia.
The drive there was uneventful, the day mildly chilly despite the sun. As he flew along the black roads, the Roadster purring under him, Jason revelled in the wide-open spaces. Farmland surrounded him, the green pastures where sheep and cattle roamed a wild contrast to the dark marching rows of grape vines from all the wineries now situated in this glorious part of the country. But even though he appreciated the beauty and simplicity of the farmland, it was the rise of undulating hills around him leading into the wilderness of mountain ranges to the north that spoke to his soul.
Maybe, after everything was sorted, it was time to think of expanding again.
He became aware of the sentries following him the moment he crossed the border into McClune land. He acknowledged them with a wave and drove on. They wouldn’t stop him. While he was an Alpha of another pack, the McVales and McClunes had long been, if not friends, then allies.
Twenty minutes after he’d crossed the McClune border, he pulled up in front of the old Victorian homestead that was Marcus’ Packhouse and home.
As he cut the engine, Cordelia appeared at the front door, a smile lighting up her freckled face. She had hair of fire not unlike Skye’s, but it lacked the rich shift of gold to burnished copper that Skye’s hair had and it was dead straight, where Skye’s was wild and full of untameable waves. He preferred the wild.
‘Jason.’ Marcus appeared behind Cordelia, his darkness a marked difference to her flare of brilliant colour. ‘Cordelia told me you were coming.’
Jason wasn’t surprised she knew he’d come here today. She’d been keeping a close eye on the situation. ‘I need her counsel. I hope you don’t mind.’
Marcus watched him for a moment and then a smile broke across his face, transforming the brooding seriousness into something close to friendly. ‘Of course not.’ He walked down the stairs and held out his hand.
Jason gripped Marcus’ hand, held it. ‘I am welcome then?’
Marcus shifted his grip, his fingers wrapping around Jason’s wrist. ‘You are welcome.’
He glanced behind him at Cordelia, who rolled her eyes at him as she jogged down the stairs to join them now the formalities were over.
‘For Goddess’ sake, Marcus. Jason would never let me be harmed. He, more than any Alpha before him, understands the value of a Pack Witch. When he brings Skye into his fold, I’d like to meet her. She will need my help.’
