A Warrior Wedding (8 page)

******

J
ax pulled into the compound on his bike followed by Blaze and Hunter. His mood was dangerous after his visit with Caroline and by the look of the parking lot, it wasn’t going to get much better. Adam paced around throwing his arms all over the place while Slade had his phone to his ear with a grim expression on his face. Instantly, Jax knew this was about Jill.

Stopping in front of Adam, he killed his engine. “She steal your car again?”

“Fuck yeah!” Adam growled, then nodded toward Slade. “I swear if it wasn’t for that big son of a bitch, I’d kick her ass.”

Jax couldn’t help but smirk at that. He knew Adam would never hurt Jill, and Jill would be a tough opponent to take down, even for Adam. “I’m sure she’ll be back.”

Adam stopped pacing and stared at Jax. “I want my damn car back, now.” His pacing started again. “She sucks at driving. I don’t want her behind the wheel any longer than she has been already.”

“She not answering?” Jax asked Slade, who had joined them.

“No.” Fury and concern swirled in Slade’s eyes.

“I can find her. I already have her scent.” Hunter sat calmly on his bike next to Jax. Reaching into the compartment on his bike, he tossed Blaze a pair of sweats. “Bring these for me.”

“Sweet!” Adam said, anxious to get going.

Hunter grabbed the handlebars. “Give me a second to change into my Superman outfit.”

Jax actually rolled his eyes. “Where in the fuck did you find that guy?”

Blaze laughed. “He’s a pain in the ass, but you’ll be thanking me.” Smirking, Blaze leaned back on his bike. “He’s one hell of a tracker.”

Jax hoped to hell so because every day that passes, Mika becomes more dangerous. Within seconds, Hunter the wolf appeared, his gait set with purpose when he stopped where Adam’s car had been parked. The wolf’s head snapped up and with a confident toss of its head, he took off, expecting everyone to follow.

CHAPTER 9

Jill watched her brother do a perfect backflip off the vine and sighed. Crap, she was going to have to do better than that or she was going to have to buy dinner. Her and her big mouth. Daring her brother when she felt like shit wasn’t the smartest move she had ever made. Yet, she was having a blast. She felt carefree and really needed this moment.

“Eat that!” her brother yelled as he broke surface. “That was definitely a ten.”

“Eh, I don’t know about a ten, maybe an eight and a half.” Jill yelled, her growing grin smug.

“Whatever.” Trevor shook his head sending water spraying around him. “Like you could do better. You could never do a backflip without belly flopping.”

“So that’s my dare.” Jill snorted, knowing he was right. She never could do a damn backflip off the vine, but she was part vampire now and was going to make him eat his words while buying her dinner, even if it was a pack of crackers which seemed to be the only thing that didn’t make her nauseous. Feeling weaker by the minute, Jill knew she could pull this last feat off; she didn’t have a choice. For once and maybe the last time, she would beat her brother at the backflip contest. Anger and sadness pulsed through her, but she pushed it away.

“Oh, yeah.” Trevor huffed as he climbed up the incline toward her. “I can taste that steak and lobster tail bought with your money as we speak. I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving.” Jill snorted.

“And you’re stalling.” Trevor smirked at her. “Come on with your bad self. Show me what you got.”

Jill narrowed her eyes at him and backed up with the vine. Trevor had taken his jeans off and was in his boxers, but Jill kept hers on, stepping on the heavy soggy hems of her pants leg.

Stepping back far enough, her hands tightened, preparing for her final dismount from their trusted vine. With confidence, she glanced at her brother. “Prepare to lose.”

Her brother’s laughter made her even more determined. Once again, Jill swung over the ledge, letting go at the perfect moment. With everything she had, she put her body into not only one backflip, but two. Seeing the water coming up fast, she hoped she had enough for the second flip. Relief filled her when her feet hit the water first. She’d finally beat her ass of a brother in a backflip contest.

As her feet hit the soft moss-covered bottom, she again used her arms to remain submerged. Looking around the murky bottom, she flinched when a large catfish swam toward her to investigate. How cool was it to be able to stay under as long as she wanted, or at least longer than she had before she was a half-breed. Not wanting to freak her brother out too much, she bent her knees to push off, but a loud muffled noise reached her ears startling her. Before she could turn to see what it was and kick off the bottom, something grabbed her around the waist.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Slade’s angry voice boomed as soon as they broke the surface.

“A double backflip.” She held onto his shoulders. “Which I killed!” She shouted up at Trevor with triumph. Then it suddenly dawned on her who was holding her and who was surrounding her brother.

On the ledge were Trevor, Adam, Jax, Blaze and a wolf, who she assumed was Hunter, and the damn thing looked like he was grinning, staring down at her. Jill frowned, looking away from the wolf to Slade.

“What are you doing here?” She wiped at the water dripping into her face.

“You stole my car, dammit!” Adam yelled at her.

“Oh, chill out!” Jill yelled back, still looking at a very wet Slade. He did wet really well. “It’s in one piece as I’m sure you’ve already seen, and you weren’t going to use it anyway.”

“And you knew this because you asked?” Adam stomped toward the ledge, but stopped when loose dirt gave way. “No, you just hotwired it again and rode off without telling anyone. I swear if you mess up my ignition from hotwiring my car, you’re going to pay to have it fixed.”

Jill snickered. “What is it with him and that piece-of-crap car?”

Slade didn’t smile. A frown marred his handsome face.

“You look really sexy wet,” Jill whispered, giving him a half grin as she wrapped her legs around him, pressing their wet bodies together. Even though they were both fully clothed, he felt damn good. She never thought she would have Slade in her swimming hole. 

“Your lips are turning blue.” Slade glared at her lips.

“Then warm them up.” Jill went in for the kiss, but his next words stopped her.

“You can’t be doing stuff like this, Jill.” Slade pulled his head back.

Hoping he wasn’t talking about what she thought he was talking about, she frowned. “Okay, I won’t hotwire Adam’s car anymore.” She went back in for the kiss, but he pulled his head further back.

“I don’t give a fuck about Adam’s car.” He growled with a hiss. “You need to take better care of yourself. Keep your strength up until I can fix....”

“Fix me?” Jill tilted her head looking at him. “You can’t fix everything, Slade. I’m dying. You said it, everyone sees it and I feel it. I’m not going to lie in a dark room waiting for death.”

“I never said you were dying.” Slade’s eyes shifted for a split second, but it was enough for Jill to see.

“When Hunter said he smelled death, you remained quiet. To me, that’s saying more than words ever could.” Jill looked toward the empty ledge; everyone had slipped away.

“You are not going to die.” Slade grasped her chin, pulling her attention back to him.

Jill stared at him for a long moment before saying anything, as if memorizing his features. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Slade.” She kissed his chin, her eyes going back to his. “And don’t expect me to wait around doing nothing until that time comes because I can’t do that.”

He remained silent, but she could see the storm brewing behind his eyes.

“Today with my brother was something that I needed, and now with you here in my childhood swimming hole, it’s made this day complete.” Jill cupped his cheek. “I’m going to enjoy whatever time I have left instead of living in fear and hope for whatever is to come. It is what it is.”

With each word she spoke Slade’s eyes turned dark with anger, but she only spoke the truth and he knew it.

“So, now”—she gave him a smile filled with mischief—“I double dog dare you to double back flip off the vine and if you fail, you owe me a full day of being my sex slave.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“I’m not finding any of this funny, Jill.” Slade’s grip tightened on her. He even shook her a little. “You can talk all you want about dying, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen. First by getting you out of the water.”

Deep disappointment ravaged her, tears beat against her eyes, but she held them back. “Then we have a serious problem.” She pushed away from him with her weakening strength to swim back to shore, but he grabbed her foot, pulling her back to him.

“No,
you
have a serious problem.” Slade’s mouth slammed down on hers. He stopped suddenly as he pulled away. “Because even if you end up hating me, you will survive this, as will Pam.”

“I could never hate you.” Jill once again pushed away. “But I’ll never let you change me if it means you will lose everything, and
that
I will fight you about.”

A flicker of shock registered before his eyes narrowed. “You need to stop eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.”

Jill shrugged while she swam backwards. “Seems it’s the only way to find out the truth.”

“I’ve never lied to you.” Slade swam toward her with predatory ease.

“Keeping information is seen by most as lying.” Jill still swimming backwards swam a little faster.

“Seems someone didn’t wait around long enough for me to tell her the news.” He snatched hold of her feet, pulled her toward him, and wrapped her legs around his waist. “As a matter of fact, she was out breaking the law hotwiring cars.”

Jill held on tightly as he walked them out of the water and up the ledge. “Hotwiring that piece of junk isn’t breaking the law.” Jill rolled her eyes when she heard Adam in the distance still bitching about her taking his car. “But that still doesn’t excuse you from lying, Warrior.”

Slade didn’t set her down once they reached the top, but held her even tighter. “I’ve told you before I’m a very stubborn male. If I say you will not die, you will not die because no matter what I have to do, fuck the risks, I will do. Nothing will take you from me, Jillian ‘soon to be’ Buchanan, is that understood?” When she didn’t answer, he smacked her wet ass. “I asked you a question.”

“Hey!” Jill jerked with a glare.

“Do you understand?” His voice remained hard as he waited for her answer.

“Understood...” Slade always knew when she was lying, so she acted fast to throw him off. “...Master,” she added with a sexy twang to her voice.

“I don’t believe for a second you meant that.” Slade set her on her feet.

“I’ll make you a deal.” Jill crossed her arms, pushing her wet breasts up, drawing his attention which of course made her nipples hard as pebbles.

“I don’t make deals,” he replied without any give in his voice whatsoever, but his eyes skimmed her body.

“Okay, bet.” Jill sighed impatiently, but his eyes roaming her wet body was turning her on so badly, her weakness was completely forgotten. His eyes finally met hers with a cocked eyebrow. “If you complete a double backflip off the vine, I will listen to you.”

“You will listen to me anyway.” Crossing his arms across his massive chest, which was plastered against his wet shirt, he gave her a knowing smirk.

Snapping her eyes off his amazing body, Jill mentally reminded herself with a smack that she didn’t take to dominance well unless it was in the bedroom. At present, he was being a dominant ass with no sex promised. She gave him a growl of her own, then laughed. “It’s okay. Not many people can pull off a double back flip and I don’t want to peer pressure you into anything, but if you pull it off, I’ll not only listen to you, I’ll be your sex slave.”

Slade’s head actually fell back as he laughed, but when he snapped his head back, he was more than serious. “You are already my sex slave as I am yours and you will listen to me...do you understand?”

Jill actually thought she heard herself pant as she nodded. How in the hell could she deny this man anything? Swallowing hard, she leered at him. “Chicken,” she whispered, trying her best to ignore his sex slave talk.

Slade’s eyes narrowed as he looked out over the water then back to her. “I would do anything for you.” With no further words, he took off running, passing the vine, jumping straight up in the air off the ledge and seemed to hover before flipping into not two, but three perfect backflips and, of course, hitting the water in a perfect dive.

“Oh. My. God!” Jill laughed in awe. “That was awesome.” She clapped her hands as he swam back and climbed up the ledge.

Shaking the water off his face, he stared down at Jill. “You happy now?”

“Yes!” She laughed then hugged him. “Show me how you did that. I can barely do two and then I belly flop in the water almost every time.”

He shook his head taking her arm to lead her away from the water. “No.”

“Awe, come on!” she begged with a mischievous grin. “Just once. You said you’d do anything...”

Picking her up in his arms, Slade headed up the path. “You’re going to hold that over my head?”

“Absolutely.” Jill nodded before resting her head on his chest suddenly tired beyond belief. “Afraid I’ll do it better than you?”

Slade’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You know it.”

******

W
hen Jill didn’t answer, Slade looked down at her. She was fast asleep. Hearing the guys up the path, he slowed to a stop to stare at his life in his arms. She
was
his life and the fear of seeing her sick was killing him. He looked composed on the surface—he made damn sure of that—but inside, a fierce desperate panic threatened to consume him.

He had heard talk from other doctors, that they could feel death in their patients, knew when the time was close, and he did also. With Jill, he didn’t know if it was his being a doctor, a vampire or a man in love, but all he knew was he had to act fast.

A water drop from his wet hair hit her cheek making her flinch, but she didn’t wake. Her breathing was even and slow. She had fallen into a deep sleep fast and that worried him. Her pulse beat quickly on the side of her neck, another sign that sent his hidden panic in an uproar. Her coloring was off as well, but that could be due to the cool water. Though he knew that wasn’t it. It was just an excuse he could try to use to make it seem like she was okay, when he knew she wasn’t.