Big Bad Bite Read online

  The cab stopped in the circle driveway of a hotel, and Jenna got out of the car. A second cab pulled up behind theirs and she watched the men depart from their vehicle, as well. It took exactly two seconds for her brother to become a pain in her ass again.

  “Look at that, Sleeping Beauty woke up. Did Prince Charming give you a kiss?”

  “It was Prince Phillip dumbass, and no, I didn’t get a kiss. But if you continue to annoy me, I’ll give you a kick in the head and you’ll be dreaming about your own kiss from Phillip.”

  “Who the hell is Phillip? What are you talking about, you crazy woman?”

  “Prince Phillip was Sleeping Beauty’s prince; Prince Charming was Snow White’s prince. Get your fairy tales straight.”

  The four men stared at her as if she had morphed into a giant pink elephant doped up on speed, presumably broken out of its circus and currently walking down the street without a care in the world. They didn’t know whether to take pictures and laugh at her, or run for safety.

  “What?”

  Alec answered her, “You do know that it’s disturbing that you know all that, right? We thought you were some go hard, take no prisoners, don’t-look-at-me-or-I’ll-bust-a-cap-in-your-ass, warrior.”

  She balled her hands up by her hips and barked in annoyance, “Well I wasn’t raised on G.I. Joes you know! Mama raised me on princesses and fairy tales, and I just happened to end up liking the swords better than the shoes in the stories. Okay?”

  Jenna was met with more confused staring. Throwing her hands in the air in a show of womanly frustration, she marched away from the four large idiots and into the hotel. They were going to have to take care of this little mission fast, or she was going to end up in some god forsaken German prison for a quadruple homicide. That would sincerely suck since she didn’t know a lick of German.

  Jenna sat on the couch in the sitting area of the hotel room her Uncle and brother would be staying in, across the hall from her own smaller suite, and watched as Owen walked out the door, followed by a fidgety Alec and a decidedly confused looking Adam. She couldn’t help but feel a little shitty at the lingering glance Adam gave her before he closed the door and left her alone with her brother. The way she’d given him the cold shoulder in the cab had the alpha trying to figure out her rapid change of mood, but she wasn’t exactly forthcoming with answers about it. How could she tell him all of her doubts without inadvertently piling more on? If she explained to Adam that she was scared he was putting on some elaborate act to woo her into being his mate, one of two things would happen. Either his feelings would get hurt that she would think that poorly of him, or he would add onto the production she feared he was playing to reassure her that he had only the purest of intentions about them. Jenna wasn’t sure which outcome would hurt her more. Realizing it was all an act, or the look he would get on his face if she did, in fact, hurt his feelings.

  Her brother walked out of the bathroom into the sitting area, and plopped down into a chair that was catty-cornered to the couch she sat on. Oblivious to his sister’s foul mood, he turned on the television and scrolled through the premium cable channels until he found a music station that played American rock music. The pumping chords of Halestorm’s Mz Hyde filtered through the speakers before he set the remote back on the table. Leaning forward in his chair so that his arms were resting on his thighs, he shot her a quizzical look.

  “What crawled up your ass and died?”

  Jenna sputtered, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “You’re giving Adam the cold shoulder. I seriously doubt he did anything to earn the frigid bitch act since he’s been following you around like a lost little puppy. So what’s your problem? You on the rag or something?”

  “You’re an asshole!”

  “No, I’m real and right now you’re a bitch. Which isn’t what I’ve learned to expect from you, so what gives?”

  “Is this you trying to be all loving brother? Cause if it is, you suck at it.”

  “Get your panties out of a wad and tell me what’s bugging you, Sis. On the plane, you two were all cuddled up like some sickening display of Mr. and Mrs. Perfect. Next time I see you, you’re awake and treating Adam like he cleaned out your bank account and took off for Jamaica. So I’ll ask again, what gives? Did he do something? Do I need to handle him?”

  Jenna suddenly saw past her brother’s insults to the underlying reason he was being so dickish. He undoubtedly was playing the brother card. He somehow thought Adam had done something to piss her off or hurt her, and he was ready to defend his older sister as if she were some weak thing who couldn’t beat the shit out of, or put a bullet in, anyone who crossed her. It was kind of sweet, in an extremely annoying way.

  “I don’t know that he’s done anything wrong, Logan.”

  “Then what the hell is your problem?”

  She shrugged her shoulders and adverted her face so Logan could no longer see it. “I don’t know what to say. He didn’t do anything that I know of. I’m just not use to this,” she circled her hand in the air. “You know this… couple stuff. Relationship crap. I’ve never had one, and everything seems to be moving so fast with Adam, but on the other hand, I know it’s not moving nearly as fast as he would like it too. I don’t know how to trust any of it.”

  She abruptly stopped there, remembering that the only person who knew that she was aware of the severity of Adam’s obsession was his sister, Amy. Jenna had to be careful not to give away that she understood more than she’d been letting on. In another two seconds, she might have blurted out all of her fears about Adam possibly faking his affection or interest in her to save his own life. She didn’t think Logan was observant enough to fill in the blank spaces she’d left in her explanation to him though. She cut her eyes in her brother’s direction to see he was regarding her with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he processed what she said. But was he putting together what she hadn’t said? He was only twenty, so he couldn’t possibly be all that perceptive, could he?

  “So what’s really your problem? Are you scared to have a relationship with Adam? If that’s the case, you’re worrying for nothing. I’ve known Adam for years since I’m always with Uncle Owen. He’s one of the most standup guys I’ve ever met, and Uncle Owen is always bragging about him being one of his best Alphas despite what he’s had to overcome growing up. So that shouldn’t be what’s bothering you. Is it that you’re scared this is moving too fast between the two of you? That I could understand if I were in your shoes. You haven’t exactly been raised around a pack, and you have no idea how male shifters can be. Which on a good day, are obnoxiously determined to obtain whatever it is they want, and crazy possessive of it once they have it. Most of the time they don’t care what they have to do to get it, just as long as the outcome is in their favor.”

  He stopped talking when he saw her flinch at his last comment. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re afraid he’ll do anything he needs to get you. Why would that bother you that he’s so driven to have you?”

  Jenna didn’t answer. She’d already given too much away and she hadn’t even opened her mouth to do it. So she sat there on the couch in silence, looking straight ahead at nothing particular, and listened to the music switch to a new band she’d never heard of as the singer started growling through the speakers about putting his favorite girl on her back. That image didn’t exactly help her state of mind.

  Logan’s voice cut through her distracted thoughts, “I guess if I were you, living such a sheltered life as you have, I might not understand Adam’s intentions. So maybe it wouldn’t make sense to me how he is pursuing this relationship as if he’s in a race, and I’m the ultimate trophy. I might question his motives. Does he honestly want me for me? How can he when he barely knows me? Or does he only want me because of something he can gain from me, like say, Pack Master Davies approval. Maybe a rise in status since he would be mated to the Pack Master’s niece.”
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  Damn. Jenna hadn’t even thought of that. Suddenly her already heavy shoulders, weighed down by her confusion and doubts, felt so heavy that she wondered if her back could break from the imaginary strain. Not to mention, it sucked that her little brother was possibly a hell of a lot more perceptive than she’d thought.

  “You’d be wrong.” Logan’s statement brought her attention back to him. “He wouldn’t use you Jenna. It’s not in his character. He’d never hurt someone else to gain anything, especially something like status.”

  Without thinking she blurted, “How do you know? How do you know he wouldn’t use me, do what he had to do to save himself?”

  The second the words were out, and Logan’s face flashed in surprise, she could have kicked herself. So much for keeping her knowledge under wraps.

  “So, that’s what you’re worried about? Adam’s obsession? I didn’t think you understood the ramifications of it. You certainly haven’t acted as if you’ve known about what he has been going through. Because to be blunt, knowing that you comprehended this whole time what’s at stake, and you are still acting this way towards him, well that means you’re a much shittier person than I could have ever dreamed of. Kind of makes you a heartless bitch.”

  Ouch. Talk about being put in her place.

  Feeling as if she had to defend herself a little she said, “I don’t think I’m a heartless bitch, Logan. I think I’m a woman who is trying her best to understand this new world around her. Maybe I’m not doing the best job of it, but I would never intentionally hurt anyone either.” Looking down to her lap, she idly traced circles on the denim encasing her thighs. “I like Adam. More than I could have ever imagined was possible at this point. That doesn’t mean I know how to trust someone not to hurt me when all I’ve ever been taught was that Others would hurt me if they ever knew what I was. It’s hard to pull my mind out of that self-protective mode. On one hand, it would be stupid to blindly trust him. On the other hand, part of me wants so badly to know that I can trust him like that. Can’t you put yourself in my shoes long enough to see that? I don’t want to hurt Adam, and I sure as shit don’t want to cause him to go feral. I just want what every woman wants. I want to be safe, and I want someone to love me for me. Is that too much to ask?”

  Logan got up out of his chair to close the distance between the two of them, and sat on the couch next to her. Throwing his arm around her shoulders in a reassuring embrace, he nodded his head and said, “I get that. No one wants to be hurt. Everyone wants to feel safe and loved by others. However, I can promise you that Adam is not trying to lure you into his diabolical grasp to save his own life. Anyone else, I would tell you to second guess and triple guess their motives. Adam though,” he stopped mid-sentence to shake his head, “I don’t think he could harm an innocent fly. Now, if you crossed him somehow, hell yeah. He’s a scary motherfucker who wouldn’t blink an eye at retaliating on someone who wronged him. But with the way he stares at you with those infatuated puppy dog eyes… I’d say you’re as far as it can get from being in danger from Adam. Maybe in danger of a good boning-“

  Jenna punched her brother in the arm he quickly threw up to defend himself with while laughing at her outrage. She kept playfully pummeling him until he promised never to mention her and the word ‘boning’ in the same sentence again. They settled down to listen to the riff of guitar music playing for a moment before she said, “Tell me about our Dad. I never got to meet him.”

  The subtle scent of Logan’s pain reached her as he plopped his head backwards to rest on the couch. “Dad was awesome. When he wasn’t in his role as Pack Master, having to be all serious, and in charge of everything, he was easy going and fun to be around. He taught me how to play pool and hunt wild game. What little free time he had he always spent with me doing something. Camping, watching movies, trying to teach me how to fight.” Logan barked a hoarse laugh, “He was one hell of a ladies’ man. Women were always in and out of our house. You and me, we’re both bastards you know. He never mated. The man had no desire to be shackled to a woman.”

  Jenna smiled indulgently. “So you came by your man whoring ways honestly then.”

  Logan laughed. “Absolutely. Although, unlike Dad, if I met the right one I would settle down. Every now and then, I’d sneak up on him, and he’d be so deep in thought he wouldn’t even notice me standing there. He usually looked so sad when that happened. Like he had a million regrets. I never got the courage to ask him what he was thinking about, but after he died, and Uncle Owen told me about you, I put it together. He was thinking about you. He must have missed you like crazy. It kind of makes sense to me now when I look back because he would say shit at the oddest times to me. Totally off the wall for the moment. We could be taking a hike on one of our camping trips, or hitting the balls around the table, and all of a sudden he would look at me and say, ‘Never forget son, family is everything. Never forget your family.’ I’d look at him like he was off his fucking rocker whenever he did that, but now I realize he must have been thinking of you. Torturing himself for staying away from you when he so obviously wanted to be wherever you were.” His thoughts seem to trail off as he said, “I wish you could have met him.”

  After a pregnant pause, she whispered, “Me too.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sitting alone in her suite facing the windows, Jenna watched as twilight settled over the city of Frankfurt below. It was an awe inspiring view to behold, and yet she couldn’t genuinely appreciate it because her mind kept running over everything that was Adam. That confusing Pros and Cons list she’d started in her head to help her sort this shit out was about as useful as a hemorrhoid on the ass of progress. She thought about her doubts and fears with Adam, but felt guilty when her brother’s words came back to her. He’d pointed out her insecurities when it came to trusting others. Her almost indestructible emotional walls that kept anyone who wasn’t blood related far away from her heart. More importantly, that she couldn’t walk through this life constantly pushing the people away that could enrich it for her. Those people, like Adam, who could make their extraordinarily long lives enjoyable and worthwhile.

  This brought her back to all of the things she’d listed on Adam’s Pros side. He was sweet. He was funny. He even had extremely romantic moments. He took care of those he called his own. And he might have the overwhelming urge to protect her from all harm, to lock her away and keep her safe, but he curbed those urges just for her. He hadn’t tried to interfere with her job, a job that could be considered dangerous, and he hadn’t tried to prevent her from joining her Uncle’s hunt for the truth. Instead, he stood beside her as if she were his equal and not an inferior wolf compared to his own. Ready and willing to lend her a hand when she needed it. She had to admit that Adam sounded like a fantasy man come to life. Now, she just had to determine if it was a fantasy, or if it was indeed reality.

  She was hoping for the reality.

  The fact that she’d been sitting here staring at the Frankfurt skyline for the last two hours after having left her brother’s company, trying to sort it all in her head without getting anywhere, didn’t help her grumpy disposition. Neither did the knowledge that she should apologize for the frigid bitch routine when she saw Adam again. As Logan had pointed out, just because she was confused and scared didn’t give her the right to treat innocent bystanders like crap. Especially when the innocent bystander was going through a truckload of crap thanks to her. Adam facing down a possible feral future was undeniably her fault. Even if it was unintentional, the blame could still be placed at her feet.

  Adam himself had said that it was more than her looks and her scent that had drawn him to her. It had been her refusal to submit to his dominance that had clenched the wolf’s interest. The wolf had seen a female worthy to rule by its side. If only she felt as worthy as Adam’s wolf seemed to think she was, she’d feel a bit better about all of this.

  The loud thump of a knock on her door echoed through her room. As Jenna walked towar
ds the door, Adam’s scent teased her nose. Opening the door to see him leaning against the doorway’s frame caused a smile to spread across her face. The smile faltered however when she realized he was watching her warily, as if waiting for her to lash out at him again. Well, she couldn’t exactly blame him for that reaction, could she?

  “Hey. How did it go? Did you guys find out anything?”

  “Yeah. Alec is signed up for a fight tomorrow night. We’ll start there. That’s not why I stopped by though. You feel up to our date, or should we reschedule?”

  Her heartbeat sped up in her chest. His uncertainty was like a shot in the gut. Excruciatingly painful. She had caused that too. Thankfully, this was something she could fix. “Yeah. Going out sounds great. Do I need to change?”

  He grabbed one of her hands and laced their fingers together. “No. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

  Adam walked into the quaint restaurant first before allowing her to enter. Jenna shifted her attention to the back of the man who continued to confound her with his unusual behavior, and decidedly rude etiquette. This was the second time Adam had done this to her. After they’d checked in at the front desk, he had refused to let her drop off her duffle bag in her hotel suite until he first went in inspect it and she’d shot her brother a disgruntled look about it. Logan gave her a ‘don’t question it look’ but explained later that, unlike their human brethren, shifters’ manners worked a tad differently. You didn’t open a door for your woman, or allow her to enter a room unless you first checked it yourself for possible dangers. What was the point of holding the door open for your mate to enter a residence if someone was going to attack her the moment she stepped through it? Apparently shifters thought the human male population was downright stupid for not protecting their mates, and weaker family members, when they allowed basic precautionary measures to disappear all in the name of ‘manners’.