Instinctive (12 page)

Besides being a council member, Slyck also ran Vibes. Other council members had their own “hobbies” as well. Slyck dubbed it a hobby because inside the town of Serene, they exchanged money for show only. Thanks to smart investments, the vamps alone were worth billions.

Slyck turned his thoughts back to the present when Lily came with their menus and coffee.

“Mmm, thanks, Lily,” Slyck said and took a much-needed sip of caffeine. Lily’s warm yet guarded violet eyes glistened as she listed the daily specials. She then left to give the two men a minute to decide.

As Slyck’s glance strayed to the street, he spotted Jaclyn turning the corner and coming his way. Just the sight of her took his breath away. Slyck sucked in air and fought to retain his composure.

Dressed in a prim, knee-length skirt and a neutral blouse that matched her skin tone buttoned to her neck, she hustled across the street in a pair of low heels, and made her way to the café. Slyck glanced at his watch and guessed she was on her lunch break.

Despite her staid attire, everything in him perked up and he felt his cock tighten in his jeans. Aware of the way he began to tremble with want, he slipped his hands under the table and in desperate need of a distraction gripped his thighs, hard. He bit back a curse and shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his mind recalled the feel of her skin, the delicious taste of her sweet cream, and the way her body had opened for him, the way only a true mate’s would. His nostrils flared, his body urging him to chase across the street and pounce, to leave his final mark on his mate. Of course, he couldn’t leave his final mark and fully claim her as his until they completed the mating ritual in panther form.

Drake’s glance went from Slyck to Jaclyn, and back to Slyck again. He cleared his throat. “You okay, Slyck?”

Slyck tore his gaze from Jaclyn and glared at Drake. “Fine. Why?” he bit out with much more force than necessary.

“Your hackles are up.”

He nodded toward Jaclyn. “My hackles are always up when we have a newcomer in town.”

“Not like this they’re not.”

Drake was the closest friend Slyck had, and for a quick moment, he thought about confiding in him, but then shook it off. Even though they were friends, family actually, and he trusted Drake, he suspected that in a battle Vall still had the means to
force Drake’s submission, should he want to. Best not to put anyone else in danger.

“Yeah, well, seems a few townsfolk are already complaining about her,” Slyck went on to explain. “She accidentally tried to feed chocolate to a lycan.”

Drake cringed. “Shit. That couldn’t have gone over well.”

“It’s not like she knew,” he said in her defense, and then realized what he was doing. Hoping that slip had gone unnoticed, he went back to studying his menu and added, “If she causes any more trouble, folks are going to demand we do something about her, and do it fast.”

“Maybe that’s what the barbecue tonight is all about.”

Slyck’s head snapped up with a start. “What barbecue?”

“She’s having a barbecue tonight.” He paused to reach for his coffee. “A meet-and-greet-the-neighbors sort of thing.”

That caught Slyck’s attention. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

“No, she passed out flyers. Didn’t you get one?”

“Haven’t checked my box.” Not that he expected one.

Drake took a sip of his coffee and studied Jaclyn as she came rushing through the door. “You think she’s going to be trouble, Slyck?”

Slyck thought more about this barbecue. “It’s not like anyone is going to show up. Everyone is under strict orders.”

“Yes, well, we’re not dealing with the most authoritative people here, now, are we? Especially with the promise of food, alcohol, and . . .
fresh meat
.”

“Dammit . . . ,” he murmured. “We could demand they don’t go.”

“Why? Truthfully, this is the perfect opportunity for her to see that she’s not a good fit to the community. Folks will go, eat, drink, and have a good time without bothering to give her the time of day.”

So Drake did have a point. But Slyck didn’t want her socializing. What if the lycans got a whiff of the panther between her legs? And if she started asking questions, raising suspicions, the shit would hit the fan and the townsfolk would demand straws be drawn. Her panther had yet to show, which meant that if she hadn’t fully transformed yet, it was possible a “marking” could change her into another species. If she was full panther, however, already having completed her first shift, and one of the others tried to claim her, it would temporarily weaken her or, worst-case scenario, kill her. Yet if they knew what she was, they’d also kill her. Fuck. It was a lose-lose situation.

Slyck planted his elbows on the table and rested his forehead in his palms. Jesus, he had to figure out what the hell he was going to do about this mess. Restlessness and anxiety urging him on, Slyck climbed to his feet, cut across the café, and came up behind Jaclyn.

Jaclyn spun around, her hand on her chest. “Oh, I didn’t see you there.” Her blue eyes flared hot when they met his, and he could see from the welt marks that she’d been scratching her skin. It was happening. Quickly.

He pitched his voice low. “This barbecue. It’s not a good idea.”

She leveled him with a stare and lowered her voice to match his. “I can’t think of a better way to get to know the neighbors.”

“These aren’t neighbors you want to get to know, Jaclyn.”

Just then the door opened up, and Vall walked in. His suspicious pewter eyes met Slyck’s before he sidled up to the counter. As he moved in beside them, Slyck noticed the way Jaclyn’s body tightened, her panther’s instinctive reaction to the wolf in Vall. Under the guise of needing a straw, Slyck leaned over Jaclyn and grabbed one from the dispenser. “Cancel the party, Jaclyn, or I’ll crash it.”

“Over my dead body.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

 

Jaclyn paid for her egg salad sandwich and soda, and decided to eat back at the store. She told herself it was because she didn’t like the company at the café, but the reality was that Slyck’s close proximity was playing havoc with her senses. Her skin had begun to itch, her birthmark to burn.

She glanced at Slyck as he slid back into his booth. Her gaze shot to the man he was with. Lord, she never expected to find so many hotties in Serene. Not that she wanted to sample any of them, not now, not after Slyck.

Oh boy.

Needing escape, she darted outside and hustled back to the shop. Even though the rest of the townsfolk ignored her, she had made one friend at the department store. A female friend at that.

As Jaclyn entered through the front doors, and welcomed the rush of cool air on her heated flesh, she replayed Slyck’s parting
words. She wasn’t so sure she had to worry about him crashing her party, since she was pretty certain no one would show up anyway. She was hoping to soften the women up and gain their confidence with fine wine and good food. Then maybe they’d trust her enough to purchase her company’s cosmetics.

Jaclyn made her way back to the empty cosmetics counter—she had no idea where Brandy and Gina were off to—and Sunray—her one and only friend, who worked in lingerie and who didn’t at all seem threatened by her—sauntered over.

“That was fast,” Sunray said.

Jaclyn felt so frumpy next to the vivacious Sunray. She took a moment to peruse her friend. Although they were the same height and build, Jaclyn had chestnut hair and blue eyes whereas Sunray had thick golden hair the color of a wheat field and big, beautiful silvery eyes. Jaclyn had never seen such an interesting color outside Serene before. Sunray dressed in sexy clothes, with her hot lingerie peaking out underneath. She wore her pants low on her hips, and when she bent over, Jaclyn always got a glimpse of her lacy thongs and her tattoo. Jaclyn took a moment to wonder if the kitty paw print represented something, but didn’t really know the other woman well enough yet to ask. Her gaze traveled to Sunray’s mouth. Good Lord, no one could pull off red lipstick the way Sunray could. The woman looked good enough to eat. Heck, not that Jaclyn swung that way, but after five days without a man, she was about ready to take a nibble.

“The café was busy, so I decided to bring lunch back.” She held out half her sandwich. “Bite?”

Sunray’s graphite eyes glistened as she licked her painted lips,
except it wasn’t Jaclyn’s sandwich she was looking at when she nodded her head eagerly.

Jaclyn would have taken her for a lesbian, except she’d seen her leaving Vibes the other night with a couple of guys, and the way they were all fawning over one another told Jaclyn they weren’t going for coffee. Heck, maybe her thong swung both ways. Not that it mattered one iota to Jaclyn. She liked Sunray and didn’t judge or label people. Okay, so maybe she had labeled Slyck as crazy, but who could blame her? The way Jaclyn saw it, if anyone showed up at her barbecue, and she had a chance to talk to them, she’d prove to herself that the town wasn’t full of make-believe fairy-tale creatures; it was just a town where the people were suspicious of outsiders.

She put her mind on the matters at hand, chewed her sandwich, and said, “So, Sunray, tell me: What marketing strategies would you put in place to sell cosmetics to all these beautiful, flawless women?”

Sunray gave her a quizzical look, gauging her for a moment.

Jaclyn recognized that look, had seen it on Slyck’s face a time or two. Slyck. Why the hell was she going there again?

“Any ideas?” Jaclyn pressed.

“Maybe if you wore it yourself, you know, showed the women how sexy they can be.”

Okay, so she’d just recounted Slyck’s advice. Although it made sense, she didn’t want to give off the wrong image. If she did, she’d never attract a nice churchgoing boy—someone who was the opposite of Slyck, someone she could bring home to Daddy. She blew out a long sigh. Not that any of the men she’d come across
in Serene fit that description, however. Who would have thought that the small town would be filled with so many hunky alphas?

“Not to offend you or anything, Jaclyn,” Sunray went on to say, “but maybe I could lend you some clothes. You have a great body underneath all that starch.”

“Thanks. I’ll think about it,” she murmured around a mouthful of sandwich.

The rest of Jaclyn’s workday crawled by. She found Brandy and Gina lounging in the staff room and summoned them to the counter so she could introduce and explain the benefits of each and every product. Then she went over sales and marketing reports, phoned a few contacts, and reorganized the shelves. At the end of her shift, she left the building and took note of the threatening clouds moving in from the west. Praying the rain would hold off, she hurried home to prepare for the night’s barbecue and tried to keep her mind off Slyck, and keep her gaze from straying to his bedroom window.

Was he up there watching?

She strung lights over the pool, not that she planned on getting in, whipped up a few salads and desserts, avoiding anything and everything chocolate just in case, and tossed the steaks on the grill. Once the preparations were complete she changed into a pretty floral dress that would be right at home on any one of the Stepford wives. Now all that was left to do was wait.

As she walked the perimeter of the pool, enjoying the cool breeze that had just blown in, a strange energy brewed in the air. Yes, the storm was coming. But it was more than that. As the sun began its nightly descent, there was an eeriness, a stillness over the
town that caused the hair on the back of her neck to tingle. She hugged herself to stave off a shiver.

A noise behind her gained her attention. She brushed off her uneasy feeling, and spun around to find Sunray and the same golden-haired man she’d spotted at the café coming up her walkway. Jaclyn’s eyes widened when she saw the pack of people in the driveway behind them.

“Sunray,” she cried out, rushing forward to give her a big hug.

The man at her side cupped Sunray’s elbow and eased her back to him, seemingly displeased to see the two of them embrace. His nostrils flared, anger flashed in his eyes.

Wearing a sassy smirk that matched her hot little outfit, Sunray ignored him and smoothed a hand over her short, flirty skirt. “Jaclyn, this is Vall. My . . .
date
.”

Jaclyn turned to Vall and fabricated a smile, even though it felt like her skin had suddenly been bitten by a million insects. With every instinct in her body urging her to flee, she gave him a quick glance that took in his worn jeans, navy blue T-shirt, and combative military-issue boots. Who the hell wore heavy boots in the middle of summer?

“Nice to meet you. I remember you from the café earlier today.”

His charcoal eyes slithered over her body, a cold, calculating perusal that turned her blood to ice. But underneath that scrutinizing gaze, she spotted something else, something that looked like carnal desire. Vall inched closer and then drew a deep breath, like he was pulling her scent into his lungs.

She grew extremely uncomfortable under his inspection and fought off a shiver before saying, “Feel free to have a swim.” The delicious aroma of her barbecue reached her nostrils, and it suddenly occurred to her that over the last few days, everything had started smelling better, tasting better. It must have something to do with good, clean country living, she decided. “The steaks will be done shortly,” she added, waving for them to enter her backyard.

With Sunray anchored to his side, Vall shot Jaclyn one last longing look and walked around her, eyeing her pool as his heavy boots pounded against the cement and serrated the moisture-laden air. When he brushed up against her, Jaclyn wasn’t able to suppress a shiver. There was something about that man that she just didn’t like.

A few more folks had found their way over, and before Jaclyn knew it, darkness had fallen and her backyard was full of people. Some were swimming, some were lounging, and others were moaning in bliss as they dug into her food with fevered passion. That made Jaclyn smile. All those years spent under her mother’s thumb learning how to be a proper hostess hadn’t gone to waste, after all. Another group, acting like they had a touch of the devil in them, were causing havoc as they tried to swing from the lanterns that she’d strung earlier. Perhaps they’d all had one too many shots of tequila.