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No wonder her brothers seemed suspicious. He looked like the disreputable sort. The bruise was starting to fade from his jaw, but it was turning a sickly yellow as it healed. His hair was a shaggy mess—it had grown out since he’d buzzed it short when he’d left the pack and he’d been too damn busy to get it cut.
Ty opened the door to find Jess staring mutinously at her brothers. From the tension shimmering in the air, he could bet what the talk was about. Her damp hair was caught up into a ponytail, but renegade wisps formed little curls to frame her face. Her hand was fisted around her keys.
She turned to glance at Ty, her cheeks coloring. Edgar snatched the car keys from Jess during her momentary distraction.
“I got this,” he said, his voice too smooth, too rational for Ty’s taste.
“Yeah, but I didn’t ask you to.”
Edgar tweaked her nose as though she was twelve. “No problem. You can thank me later.”
Jess huffed and crossed her arms. There was preciously little room left in the immense entry hall with four Brierly brothers filling the space. Ty bet he wasn’t going to get a good-night kiss.
He nodded toward her. “Thanks for a nice evening.” The understatement of the century. It had been a spectacular and memorable evening, one he’d never forget.
A small smile touched her lips. “Good night, Ty.”
Neither Riley nor Edgar said a word as they headed out, bypassing Jess’s truck to get in the sensible gray four-door sedan parked behind it. They climbed in and Ty was actually grateful they weren’t crammed together shoulder to shoulder in the front of Jess’s truck.
He waited until the doors were all shut before he voiced his question. “So why’d you take her keys if you were going to take your car anyway?”
“Insurance. I’m a cautious man by nature, Mr. Grayson.”
Ty glanced at the house. He thought he saw a flutter of the curtain at Jess’s window, as if it had been stirred by a breath, or perhaps a quick movement, like her pulling back.
Maybe the Mesmer was screwy since he wasn’t part of a formal pack. Maybe it was just him having gone too long without some serious female company. Either way, Jessica Brierly was not a good choice for a Were mate. First off, she was too ingrained in this community. Anything that happened to her would be noticed by everybody and their mother. Second, she had too many damn bodyguards in the shape of her older brothers. She didn’t need another protector. She needed— Hell, what did she need? She had a roof over her head. A good job. Security. A home...a family.
He might have everything she wanted, but nothing that she needed.
Edgar cleared his throat, breaking into Ty’s thoughts. “Look, you seem intelligent enough to get this the first time around, so I’m going to make it fast. Stay away from our sister.”
Ty glanced up in the rearview mirror at Riley. No eye contact. The kid was staring out the passenger window in the backseat. He wasn’t going to be any help or hindrance in this situation.
He locked his gaze back on Edgar’s profile. “Short, sweet and to the point. I appreciate that. But don’t you think it’s up to Jess?”
Edgar glared at him. “Not really. Jess is the kind of girl that’d be easy to take advantage of. She’s sweet that way. Always looks at the good side of people. And you’re not her type. And I’d hate to have to meet you under professional circumstances.”
Since Edgar was a coroner, Ty could only assume he meant in the county morgue. “You threatening me?”
“Let’s consider it a friendly warning. Stay away. You’ll only end up hurting her, possibly ruining her career.”
“How do you know?” Riley spoke up from the backseat, a bitter edge to his tone. “Commander Grayson’s been better than any sergeant I’ve had so far. He actually gives a damn about each of us. Isn’t just putting us through the paces. He might be just what Jess needs.”
The temperature inside the car clicked up an easy five degrees with the tension alone. Edgar glared up at the rearview mirror at his little brother in the backseat. “When I want your opinion, Riley, I’ll ask for it.”
They fell into an uneasy silence as the streetlights flicked past. Up ahead Ty could see the red neon sign reading OON.
Ty kept his words to a bare minimum. “That’s our stop.” Gravel crunched beneath the tires as they pulled into the parking lot. He put his hand on the door handle, but couldn’t seem to open it until he said his last words to Jess’s older brother. “For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t do anything to hurt your sister. You’re her family. You protect each other. I get that. I know what it’s like. She’s an amazing woman. You’re right to want to protect her.”
Edgar’s eyes softened slightly. No matter what else the man was, he cared about his younger siblings. “Take care of my brother.” His gaze flicked to Riley. “You listen up and keep yourself safe out there. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Yeah, yeah, if I die, you’re going to come kill me.” Riley grinned. Edgar’s lips twitched slightly, but it couldn’t be called a smile. “Night, Riley.”
“Night, Ed.”
They shut the doors and watched the car turn back onto the main road and out of sight.
Riley rocked back on his heels and caught Ty’s gaze. “I bet you need another beer after meeting my family.”
“Beer? Kid, I need something way stronger than that.” Ty walked over and opened the door to his black pickup. “But we’ve got to get back. Hop in.”
* * *
Jess walked downstairs in the morning to find her three older brothers waiting for her. Not good.
She shoved her hair into a haphazard bun, or messy bun, as her kids called it at school. Her body was sore. Okay, perhaps sore was an understatement. She’d done things she didn’t know she could do last night, and the thought left her breathless and a little light-headed. Maybe she was hungry.
Only the smell of crisp bacon and warm cinnamon buns from the oven had tempted her enough to brave the gauntlet of her brothers the morning after. She suspected the only reason they’d left her any breakfast in the first place was to lure her into the kitchen. They knew her well enough to know she’d want to avoid them for a few days. Perhaps if she acted as though nothing had happened, they’d just let it go.
“Morning.” She tried to sound chipper and ended up sounding strained, even to her own ears.
“Jess, we need to talk,” Davis said before she could even grab a cup of coffee. His dark neat hair and well-pressed uniform made him look as if he was getting ready to lead an interrogation.
She held up a hand to stop him. “Seriously? At least have the decency to let me get caffeine in my system before you start your lecture.”
His mouth thinned into the disapproving line she’d memorized since she’d been fourteen and he’d been in charge. Jess did her best to ignore it as she pulled out a mug, filled up her coffee cup and added the necessary three packets of sweetener and generous splash of half-and-half, stirred and sipped. The familiar warmth trailed down her throat. She cradled the cup between her hands, letting it warm them, and rested her hip against the counter as she took another fortifying sip. How did anyone live without coffee in the morning?
Edgar didn’t wait any longer. “We’re worried about you.”
“How do you know you can trust a guy like that?” Paul added.
Davis was far more grim and final. “He’s not for you.”
They fired off comments in such rapid succession it was like a firing squad. Jess could have gone along with the concern. She could have handled reason, but to be told flat out what she could or couldn’t do chafed like no one’s business. She locked gazes with Davis.
“Look. For the last time, I’m an adult. And just like the rest of you, I’ll see who I please when I please. You don’t ask my permission and I shouldn’t have to ask yours.”
Fine lines of tension appeared around Davis’s eyes. “And what about your career, Jess? Have you considered what somebody like that might do to your reputation? How it could ruin a job you love?”
She set the coffee cup down on the counter and crossed her arms. It was hard enough to battle with her brothers confidently, harder still when she wore a fluffy robe with kittens cavorting over it. “You’re one to talk, Davis.”
He winced.
“You remember Shelby? How smart was it to get involved with her?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“She lied about being single.”
“And yet you stayed by her side for months. This was just a fling. One night.”
“You sure about that?” Paul interjected.
“I’m telling you. You guys are preaching to the choir here. There’s no reason for us to keep seeing each other.” Jess picked up her cup and took another drink. “As you say, he’s not my type. I’m not going to jeopardize teaching for some mountain-man jarhead, no matter how attractive. Don’t worry your pretty little heads. I’ll never see him again.” After all, it wasn’t as if he’d come looking for her, was it? What had been brain-melting sex for her could have been just another night out for him. She really didn’t know.
Edgar snorted. “Don’t think he sees it that way.”
Her stomach did an uneasy roll. Jess speared Ed with a glance over the steaming rim of her cup. “What did he say?”
“Nothing. Didn’t have to. God, Jess, it was written all over his face. Even you had to see that. The guy has it bad for you.”
Jess’s heart pounded at the thought. Did he? Surely he didn’t think she did those things with everyone she dated. She’d dated guys before, but no one had brought out her wild side like Ty. She was like a different woman when she was in his arms. Wanton. Insatiable. “You guys are way overreacting. Trust me. One date was it.”
Paul looked over at Davis. “Isn’t that all Mom and Dad had before they got hitched?”
Davis nodded, his mood still surly.
As if that ever happened nowadays. Nobody believed in love at first sight anymore. They were just being the same overprotective brothers she’d always known. Jess sighed. She couldn’t blame them for being who they were.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s got his survival school to run and I’ve got my class to think about come Monday.”
She set down her coffee and grabbed the last plate set out by the stove, picking up several pieces of bacon and ignoring the cinnamon rolls. For whatever reason, she was craving the bacon, but the thought of eating the sweet, sticky rolls no longer sounded appetizing. “You three don’t have to worry,” she said as she bit into the bacon and chewed. “I’m a big girl. I’ll guarantee you, Ty’s already forgotten the whole thing.”
* * *
Ty looked over his group of recruits. He hadn’t slept when they’d gotten back to the compound. He’d packed Riley off to his barrack, then sat staring up at the moon until dawn had streaked in brilliant fingers of fiery red and glowing orange over the horizon in the east, turning the moon into a pale imitator of her original glory.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, and found the scent of her still lingering on his hands. Her peppermint kiss on his skin, the intimate spice of her body on his fingers. Gods. He was screwed. Well and truly screwed. The Mesmer had to be stopped now before it got any stronger. Otherwise he’d never have a chance at building a decent pack.
If a Mesmer fully formed, he’d never want another mate and would chase every female away from the pack territory out of instinct alone. And a pack full of bachelors didn’t last long—if it lasted at all. Eventually order broke down. Brother turned against brother. All hell broke loose.
He needed a mate who would handle who and what he was. And Jessica Brierly was too damn complicated to fit that bill. Besides, she hadn’t even given him her damn phone number. All he’d been to her was a one-night stand. Maybe she was the smarter one.
It was time to get back to work. He pushed his recruits hard, himself harder. He did what they did, all day long. They did a rock climb and hiked ten miles with their full gear packs, then they built shelters from whatever they found in the woods until sweat poured into his eyes and his muscles twitched with fatigue. But not even the physical effort could erase the image of Jess seared into his brain.
“Commander, can I have a word with you?”
Ty glanced at Riley and gave one quick nod. The kid’s face was streaked with grime, his hair plastered to his head with sweat. He needed to remember these recruits weren’t Weres. Their bodies wouldn’t repair and recover as quickly as his did.
“This about the workout or your sister?”
Riley looked nervous. Sister. Definitely.
“Do you think you’ll see her again?”
“Doubt it. Your sister didn’t even give me her phone number.” Not that there weren’t a dozen ways of getting it.
Riley had a devious spark in his eyes. “Not that hard to get if you know the right people.”
Ty bit back a smile. “Not the point, kid. If your sister wanted to see me again, she’d have made it clear.” He pulled his canteen from his hip and took a long drink, then offered it to Riley.
Riley took it, slugging down a drink, and rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. “My brothers do this all the time, you know. She hasn’t dated a guy longer than a month before they start picking him apart and warning him off of her.”
Ty took back the canteen and placed his hand on Riley’s shoulder. “Got to respect them for protecting your sister. They just want somebody good enough for her.”
Riley let out an irritated sigh. “Problem is, in their opinion, nobody’s good enough for her. It’s not fair to Jess.”
“When you’re the youngest in the family, kid, nothing’s fair.”
Riley nodded. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“If we’re going to eat tonight, blue team needs to get firewood.”
Riley saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
Ty watched the kid jog back to his team. A few days out in the wilderness and a good hunt would do Ty good.
* * *
Monday came and went. So did Tuesday, followed by Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in a boring, predictable order that made Jess feel as though she were walking around with weights tied to her feet all week. She found herself daydreaming in the middle of class—more typical for one of her sixth graders than her.
She’d felt off all week, had a low-grade fever. Maybe she was just coming down with the crud that always seemed to circulate around the school this time of year. Maybe she was just heartsick.
“Miss Brierly, Evan won’t give me back my calculator.” Jess glanced at her student Mila. Evan did everything he could to get the girl’s attention, in the most irritating, stupid fashion. Pulling on her hair. Putting used chewing gum on her desk. Taking her things or shoving into her at recess. Boys really had no clue. Too bad most men didn’t, either.
She’d waited for Ty to call. Something, anything to indicate he’d found their night together, well, more than just a fling. How hard could it be to get her number from Riley and find five minutes to call her?
Obviously too hard, she answered herself. “Tell Evan to come see me.”
Mila strode confidently back to the small collection of desks she had to share with Evan and four other students. Evan had a hangdog expression. He wasn’t a bad kid, he was just immature and the hormones had only just begun to make him stupid about girls.
“Yes, Miss Brierly?”
“Evan, did you take Mila’s calculator?”
“I borrowed it.”
Jess nodded, twisting her hair back on her head and shoving a pencil in it to hold the messy bun in place. “Here’s the thing, Evan. Borrow implies you mean to give it back. Are you going to?”
He nodded, his hand brushing absently over the pocket of his jeans, as he glanced back over at Mila. Poor kid.
“Look, I know it’s cool to have something of hers, but all it’s doing is making her angry and I don’t think that’s what you want, is it?”
Evan shook his head.
“Give it back to her. Next time, why don’t you try giving her something instead of taking it?” The kid shuffled back to the table and handed Mila back her calculator. Mila barely glanced at him.
Jess knew that feeling and wondered if relationships ever got any easier. They sure didn’t seem to. She reassured herself she was being silly for expecting anything from Ty. She’d wanted a hot night to be free, without it impacting the rest of her life. She’d gotten exactly what she’d wanted. She should be happy. But if it had been just what she wanted, why did thinking about him still make her heart beat harder?
Jess took a deep breath. Time to move on and quit daydreaming about what if. What if he really liked her? What if she wanted to get to know him better? She glanced at the clock and realized recess was in two minutes. “Okay everyone, put your math books away, please. I’m waiting to see which table will line up first for recess.”
The minute she’d seen the last student out the door, she grabbed a can of air freshener and sprayed it around the room, replacing the odor of boy with that of Wildflower Spring. It was a saving grace when it came to keeping the air in the room breathable with so many boys. A trick she’d learned at home when she was younger.
She plopped down at her desk, and her gaze flicked to the neat squares on her desk calendar, garbled with messy notations in several different colors of ink. Friday. Good.
Wait.
Jess frowned. It was the middle of the month? Already? She started counting. Twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two. All the blood left her head in a rush, leaving her skin cold and clammy. She braced her hand on the desk, feeling numb from head to toe as she stared at the dates in horror.
Damn. She was late.
Chapter 5
Stunning how she could still function when her heartbeat and breathing were stopped cold. Jess sat on the closed lid of the toilet in the powder room just off the kitchen and stared at the little clear window in the white plastic stick.
She shook it.
It was wrong, of course. Had to be.
Picking up the box, she reread the directions. “Most accurate test on the market, my foot.”
There was simply no way she could be pregnant.
Not now.
Not with him.
She didn’t even know him. Not really.
Jess flicked the plastic stick into the trash, a throbbing burn starting behind her eyes. She tried blinking rapidly and staring up at the ceiling as her nose began to run and the tears came anyway, then turned into a full-on crying jag.
A few minutes later a knock at the bathroom door jarred her. Jess sniffled loudly, then grabbed some tissue and blew her nose.
“You doing okay in there?” Edgar’s voice made the tears well up all over again.
“Yes—no—I don’t know.”
The door opened a sliver and he peeked in. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Everything.” Jess wiped her face with the backs of her hands, but the tears were still sliding down her cheeks. “It’s just all so silly. I should be happy, not crying, shouldn’t I?”
He looked thoroughly puzzled. “Is this a female thing?” he asked cautiously.
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