Shadows of the Ancients (29 page)

The gesture wasn’t enough, and yet it was probably all she could manage without bringing forth her husband’s ire. I wasn’t sure how anyone’s wolf could agree to be bound to someone like Antoine. Maybe he had been different long ago? I didn’t know. I just knew I was getting tired of all the shit that the men around me kept tossing my way.

Mikael took a step to come closer to me, but stalled when I gave him the evil eye. “Hate the situation all you want, but don’t hate me. You knew before I did, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“You know what? It wasn’t an endearment. I call lots of women sweetheart. It doesn’t make you special or mean that I want to be your mate, so get over yourself already. I am not my brother.”

“You know what? I can’t get over myself because your dad won’t allow it. He’s forced his will on me. I had to give you a chance. I don’t get a choice in that, Mikael.”

“Am I so bad? Jesus, you’d think you were told to go have dinner with Jeffery Dahmer or something.” He moved in much closer, lifting my chin with his fingers until my tear-filled eyes looked up at him. “Christ, Jess, don’t cry.” He swore under his breath. “I’m not a damn monster, you know!” With that, he turned and left the house too. He did so as a human though.

Sometime during that little exchange Asriel had gone out to search for Evan, leaving me there in the house alone with my parents and Ashley now. “How does everything keep getting so messed up?” I stood and went up to my room, where I could sulk in peace.

“Jess,” Ashley said as she knocked on my bedroom door.

“Ashley…” I called out wistfully. I could deny a lot of people entrance to my room, but not her. I needed my best friend right now, more than anyone. “What am I going to do?” I said as she sat down on the edge of my bed.

“You’re going to stop moping, and make the most of this situation.”

“Easier said than done.” I looked down at the quilt that I tossed across my legs. “I don’t have a choice now. Every time I think of going after Evan, I feel the pull to go after Mikael too. Unless those dumb asses ever thing to run off to the same place, that kind of leaves me feeling split apart.”

“Yuk. I can’t believe Antoine did that to you, especially after everything you just went through. I guess Evan was right when he said the rest of his family wasn’t like him.”

“Exactly, Ashe. And the rest of his family includes Mikael.”

“Jess, there’s something you should know though.”

“Really? Is it how screwed I am? Because I already know that.” Ashley laughed a bit, but then she leaned over and put her arms around my shoulders and squeezed. A couple hours ago, and that would have hurt like hell, now that I’d spent some time in my wolf form, it simply ached a bit.

“When you were missing…” she started, sounding a little unsure of herself as she spoke. “Mikael was out there, trying just as hard to find you. He’s a better tracker, Jess, and he actually followed your scent for quite a while. It’s ridiculously crazy, because when we got about ten miles out from the cottage, while following Zach, we saw Mikael. He had almost found you before we did.”

“Seriously?” I asked, honestly surprised by that turn of events.

“Yeah, he was actually the one who ended up pulling the bars apart. Burned the crap out of his hands too, and then Evan swooped in and snatched you out of there. Not that Evan wasn’t doing his part, Jess. I’m just telling you that they both did.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know why men do what they do,” she said.

“No, I mean why are you telling me this? Ash, you of all people should be completely against this. He turned you, he tried to kill you.”

“Yeah, he did, and I can’t be mad at him for it either. Look what it’s gotten me. I will be able to spend multiple lifetimes with my best friend, and I found my soul mate, my bonded half. Jess, aside from the drama that Marcus caused for you, this has been the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I feel like I owe Mikael a thank you for nearly killing me.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” I announced.

“You know he’s been looking for Zach too, while Evan’s been here taking care of you.”

“He has?”

“Yes. He has.”

“Ash, I want to be with Evan.”

“So, then be with Evan. He can’t force you to choose the other brother, only to give him a chance. So, go out on some dates with him, become friends, while you love Evan. What’s the big deal? Either way you’re still going to get what you want in the end, right?”

I flopped over on my bed, and threw the quilt up over my head, groaning all the while.

“Talk to me, Jess. What’s the problem?”

“Ashley, why did you tell me that Mikael was tracking me, and trying to find Zach?”

“I thought you should know.”

“But why?”

“Jess, you’ve never dated anyone before Evan. Not a single soul. You’re still a virgin, and now you have to remain that way until summer. Bless your poor little soul,” she added with a laugh. “I like Evan for you, I do. But a few days ago even you had your doubts about him. He walked away from you without so much as a word. Believe me when I say that’s been on my mind. Tonight, he turned wolf and ran because his brother spoke to you. Who’s to say he won’t do it later on too?”

Ashley sighed before she continued, “On the flip side, he was torn apart when he came looking for you. He was a broken man when he saw how badly you were hurt. He’s been by your side ever since. Until today, he hasn’t left.” She curled up beside me on the bed then and threw her arms around me. “If the person you want, beyond a shadow of a doubt is Evan, then there’s no problem. He’s just going to have to learn to deal with you going out with his brother once in a while.” She cringed, “Okay, that’s a little awkward, but you can get through it.”

“And what about Mikael in all of this, am I supposed to go through all this just to hurt him in the end?”

“I think he knows what his chances are, Jess. Besides, Mikael has some power in this too. And here’s some food for thought, he could end it all right now, just bow out, and say he doesn’t want you. He didn’t do that though.”

“That’s what concerns me.” I pulled the blanket down off my head, and looked into Ashley’s big blue eyes. “What if he wants this? What if he makes me stick it out until the very last day?”

“What if? The choice will be yours.”

“I choose Evan,” I said, leaving no doubt in my mind where my heart was.

“Okay, then you just have to make it through the next seven months of dealing with his brother too.”

“Maybe you can chaperone all of our dates?”

“Yeah, no. I love you and all, but I am not up for that amount of awkwardness on a regular basis.” Ashley hugged me hard, and then wiped the tears away from my cheeks. “You want to hear the good news, sweets?”

“Lay it on me, Ash.”

“You killed the shit out of Marcus!”

“Yeah, I did!”

PREVIEW

Falling into the White

The Ancients Vol. 2

Jessica St. Marks has come to grips with being the stuff of legends. She is destined to be the leader of her kind, the werewolves.

While she dreams of uniting the two breeds of werewolves, the Ancients and the Lesser, she must first put a stop to the tyrannical rule of the current werewolf king, Antoine De’ Lune.

Jessica must first come into her full power in order to take her rightful place as the white wolf ruler. She cannot do that without first accepting a mate.

A choice must be made between Evan, the wolf whose claim she has already accepted once; and his brother, Mikael, whom she was forced to get to know. One will help her embrace her destiny, while the other is fated to destroy her.

Turn the page to read the first chapter of
Falling into the White
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Falling Into the White

The Ancients Vol. 2

Not Quite a Double

“Which guy are you with today? I saw your Jeep parked outside Angelique’s. You are on a date, right?” I looked down at the text from Ashley, but I didn’t respond right away. When I got here I slid into my favorite booth near the back, but now I was second guessing my choice of seating.

“Excuse me, may I switch to the table over there?” I asked the waitress who came to take my drink order.

“Sure thing, sweetie. Is it just you today?”

“No, I’m meeting someone. Can I get a water with lemon and some of those Louisiana chips too, please?”

“Yes, ma’am! I’ll be right back.”

I stared at my phone while I waited. I was a few minutes early, as I had planned to be. I wanted to make sure I got to pick my seat out first, and work out what I planned to say beforehand. As I was contemplating that a text came in and I looked at my cell again.

Finally, I decided to stop thinking so much, and responded to Ashley’s text instead. “Yes, Ash. I will tell you all about it later, I promise.”

“In full detail!” She responded, and then another text came in. “Wait, which one?” I smiled, and was going to tell her, but I felt a tingle of power wash over me that had me looking up into the most gorgeous smile I’d ever seen. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a black polo shirt that was stretching the limits of indecent as it highlighted every ripple of muscle in his upper arms and torso, and black boots. He strutted over to the table, leaning down to place a quick kiss on my cheek. As he did a few strands of his black hair came loose to frame his chiseled jawline. Cobalt blue eyes stared down into my own, sending tingles through my whole body. Evan took the seat directly to my right, pulling his chair just a bit closer as he scooted it back in.

“Jess, I’m sorry if I’m running a little late. I was caught up with a delivery issue at the bar.”

“It’s okay, Evan. The waitress hasn’t even brought my water and chips yet.” As if on cue, she came walking up and placed them down on the table, not really paying attention to us at all. She was preoccupied with someone who had just walked in up front.

Evan cleared his throat, “I’ll take a glass of sweet tea and a menu too, please.”

“Yes sir,” she started, and when she looked down and saw who she was talking to, I swear her jaw nearly hit the table. “Um, I will…” apparently the sheer sight of Evan left her speechless. I couldn’t blame her for that. “I’ll be right back, hon.”

“Funny,” I said, “she didn’t seem to have that problem when she was taking my drink order.” I was laughing at him, until I spied the reason the woman had been so preoccupied to begin with. A tall, very handsome man with short brown hair, that was threatening to finally flop over into his eyes if he didn’t get it cut soon, was sauntering toward our table like he owned the place. The smile on his face exuded confidence, as if he were comfortable anywhere he went, and those bright emerald eyes of his were shining like the jewels they mimicked.

“Sorry, I got hung up in the parking lot. The new bike sure does get people talking.” Mikael said as he came in around the opposite side of the table that Evan had. He proceeded to park his ass in the chair to my left. We were not now, nor had we ever been on kissing terms, so he never attempted to greet me the way Evan had, thankfully.

Evan’s chair slid back, as if he were preparing to jump across the table at his brother. “What is he doing here?” He breathed through clenched teeth.

“Please, calm down, I thought we could all talk this out like adults.”

Evan noticed that Mikael was not the least surprised to be sitting here with the two of us. I had already warned Mikael about the fact that this was going to be a group date so we could get a few things understood between the three of us, before I officially started dating both of them. Not that I wanted to date them both. Their father, Antoine King of the werewolves, couldn’t order me to bond with his older son; but he did order me to at least date and try getting to know him between now and the summer solstice. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Dating Mikael meant pissing off Evan, but not doing it meant facing untold pain in order to defy Antoine. I know, because I tried.

I called them both here to try to figure out a way to do this with some kind of rules, so that I wasn’t forced to endure more lectures from Evan, disappointment when I turned Mikael down, or pain when as I disobeyed Antoine. I hadn’t told Evan about the fact that Mikael would be here though. I may be the fated white wolf ruler one day, when I come into my full power, but for now I was still a woman new to the dating scene, and wishing it weren’t this complicated.

“You knew I’d be here?” Evan asked his brother.

“Of course I did. Jess told me she wanted to talk to both of us, to get some things straight so that there were no hard feelings or problems down the road.”

Evan was looking at me in an accusatory manner then. “You never told me about that.” He snapped at me.

“Because every time I tried to suggest it all last week you just got angry and ended the conversation or walked away. I figured if we all just showed up at the same place you would…” I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase the rest of what I wanted to say to him, and I tripped over my words as I desperately attempted to come up with a polite way of telling him to just cooperate and stop being an ass.

“That I’d what?” He snapped again, impatiently.

“Have to deal with it. Be an adult. Get over yourself.” Mikael offered helpfully. Well, he did it a little more sarcastically than helpful.

I sighed heavily. “I definitely underestimated your reaction. Please this is hard enough on me, must you make it worse?” I asked Evan. When Mikael snickered I rounded on him too. “That was meant for you too. You’re both making this beyond difficult for me.”

Evan looked pointedly at Mikael, “it doesn’t have to be. He could be a real man, respect your wishes, and end this madness now.”

“If I thought you were best for Jess, I would, but you’re not. So, I won’t.” Silence greeted his comment. I was staring open mouthed at Mikael, and Evan looked like he was ready to commit murder right here in my favorite restaurant. As if we couldn’t get better timing the waitress came back, nearly drooling all over herself, trying to take Mikael’s order.