Twisted (Rogues Shifter Series Book 3) (34 page)

“W
e can adopt if we ever want kids. I'm kind of a night owl anyway. Jackie deals with the donor thing and so will I. Just pick homely women.”

At first he smiled his beautiful smile at me, the one that makes his dimple appear like magic, but then his expression turned serious
again. “I need to tell you something else. You have a right to know everything before we go any further." I pulled away a little to listen.

“When I told you I was a virgin, it wasn’t exactly true. I’ve been…I’ve been
raped. Eleanor enjoyed people’s suffering and she especially seemed to enjoy mine. I’ve never had sex with someone I cared about.” The horrible pain of those memories showed in his eyes. He looked worried, as if I’d turn away because that bitch tortured him.

“I’m so sor
ry.” I brushed my lips against his, resting my palm against his chest. "I’ll never hurt you, at least not on purpose. You're gonna have to put up with my craziness, too. I mean, I know I’m not so easy to live with. I do really stupid things and I talk too much and I’ve been known to whine.” We both smiled. “I promise that I’ll try to be a good mate to you.”

“I love all those things about you.” He ran his hand gently through my hair and held my chin so I’d look him in the eye.
”I don’t want to disappoint you.”

I started to unbutton his shirt again and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, like I know what
I’m
doing. We’re going to figure this out together. I mean, how tough can it be? When it feels good we’ll keep going and if it doesn’t we’ll stop and try something else.” I shrugged my shoulders and he laughed and looked relaxed again.

His shirt came off and I ran my hand over his perfect chest and felt him tremble with anticipation. He helped me pull my tee
shirt over my head and stared at me in awe. “Bridgett, you’re so beautiful.” I grinned and practically threw myself at him, giggling together as we collapsed in a heap on the bed.

So that night I made love
to my mate for the first time—and the second time. M
ost
of it was absolute bliss, once we got past the being-a-virgin bit, which really wasn't any big deal since I was wrapped in his amazing arms at the time. We shared a little blood, carefully, and that bonded us for real. William, my hot vampire, was loving and gentle and treated me like I was his own personal angel. He’s definitely mine.

Chapter Sixty-One

Jackie: 2:00 PM Tuesday

I’d slept through till morning without a nightmare. Garrett and Samson had both spent the night curled up next to me, but when I woke up two hours ago, Samson was gone and Garrett was back in his room, sleeping his dreamless vampire sleep. I smiled, thinking about all the sweet males in my life. Liam, who’d makes sure I eat well and looks at me with such concern. Ethan, my best friend who calls me everyday and texts me at least ten times a day on various pretexts, but really just to make sure I’m okay. Kyle, who calls me with funny stories. Samson, my faerie guard dog, who’d fought beside me valiantly against the weres and who protects me with his loyalty each night, and of course Garrett, my extraordinary mate, whose undeniable love carries me through this crazy life and makes me feel safe again every night in his arms.

Sinc had called to say she was coming over in the afternoon. When she arrived, I noticed that she had bags under her eyes and a tense expression.
Still, compared to me, she was ready for a photo shoot. I ushered her into the kitchen and offered to make her some lunch, but she asked only for coffee. I sat down next to her with my own mug.

After a few minutes of the usual small talk she asked if I was nervous about the upcoming battle. "I'm looking forward to kicking the butts of some bullies." I answered.

“You love to be in the center of the fight don’t you?” She was laughing lightly.

“At lea
st on the outskirts."

She pulled two folders out of her large bag and handed them to me. “This is the i
nformation Garrett wanted." She seemed happy to be rid of it.

"You okay?"

"I’ve been working…keeping busy.”

Everything about her body language and expression screamed out that she wasn’t ok
ay at all. Was it because of Ethan, or because of the possibility of seeing her old pack and her parents again? I picked the easier subject to breach. “I guess it’s been difficult for you to be working on information about your old pack and your parents.”

“I’m ready to confront them about what happened.
I don’t expect them to respond in any particular way, I’d just like them to hear me out. Maybe then I can let it go.”

“Would you like me with you when you talk to them? I don’t blame you if you’re still angry with me about your nose, but I’d like to be there.”

“I’m not angry.” She clasped her hands together on the table. "Did Garrett tell you?”

“Tell me what?’

She looked surprised. “He told me he wouldn’t tell anyone, but I figured he’d tell you anyway.”

I shook my head. “Garrett doesn’t lie. If he tells you something he means it.”

“Yeah, he’s a great guy.” Her voice was flat and she’d turned away to look out the patio door.

“So are
you
going to tell me whatever it is?”

She sighed. “I didn’t really sleep with Sasha. I just gave him some blood in exchange for him getting his scent all over me, which he enjoyed enormously.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “So I punched you for no reason?”

“I needed that punch; you did me a favor. Lately, I haven't been sleeping. I keep thinking about Ethan and I'm not sure if I can handle working with him.
I've thought seriously about quitting, but I can’t bring myself to do it. If I quit I’d never see him and that might be worse.” She looked down at her hands which were clenched tightly together. “I still love him. I don’t know how to turn it off. I see him everywhere in the house. It’s gotten so bad that I’m thinking of moving. I’m totally fucked up.”

“I take it back, I’m not sorry I punched you.” She laughed half heartedly and looked up at me. “You need to tell Ethan this.”

“Jackie, no matter how much I love him or hurt because we’re not together, I still don’t believe that I’m good for him. Breaking up with him like that was so messed up. It was cruel and I don't deserve his forgiveness, but I'm still sure that breaking up was the right thing to do."

“He’s an adult who can decide for him
self who’s good for him or not. Stop second guessing yourself and tell him. But not tonight. He has a battle to fight, and he needs his head on straight, so maybe hold off until tomorrow.”

Sh
e nodded. “Garrett said I deserved a guy like Ethan even if I thought I didn’t.”

I smiled
. “He never lies, remember? His advice is always perfectly brilliant, but don’t tell him I said that.”

“Why, because I might be extremely confused when you don’t take it?” He was grinning widely, looking as hot as ever, freshly showered and dressed in black for tonight’s rumble.

“Ha, ha.” I pretended to be annoyed. “I take your advice, most of the time.”

“Umm, hmm.” He leaned over to kiss my cheek, then tu
rned to Sinc. “How are you?”

“I’m doing fine.” She lied and I frowned. “I brought all the information you wanted, plus more about my old pack. Garrett, can I come tonight? I’ve gotten pretty good with the crossbow.”

He thought about it for a moment. “I don’t think we’ll have much trouble with this pack. They may back down completely when they see who they’re up against. However, I don’t want to be worried about you, so you have to agree to run if I tell you to.”

“Tha
t’s fine. I’ll stay in the back, out of the way.”

He sighed. “I
suppose I’ll have to let Bridgett come too. Where is she, by the way? Is she upstairs?”

Sinc and I looked at each other and shrugged. “I haven’t seen her at all today. I figured she was sleeping in.”

Garrett’s eyes lost their focus for a moment. “She’s downstairs moving around. She needs to get up here and eat something.” Sinc looked at Garrett strangely. “I’ve been in her mind for an extended period of time, so if she’s near I can sense her. Eleanor’s blood has given me a few extra abilities.” He grinned wickedly.

I stood up to go downstairs only to see Bridgett in the kitchen doorway. “I’m up, I’m up.” She was wearing sweatpants with the legs rolled up and a tee shirt that belonged to William, so we all looked at her curiously. She met our gazes with a huge grin and then blurted out, “William and I are mates. He claimed me and I claimed him.”

I jumped up and hugged her and Garrett congratulated her with a hug of his own. “William will be a good mate for you.” In the world of shifters, weres and vampires, when you claimed someone as your mate, and then completed the other two parts of the ritual, it was for life. There was no divorce or separations. If someone came between two mates it was usually settled with the intruder’s death.  Mates were connected on a primal level and it would take something extremely traumatic to tear apart a union of that kind.

Bridgett he
ated up some soup, dished it out for Sinc and me and then joined us at the table. Garrett looked at the three of us and wisely left for his office, figuring we’d want to share some girl talk.

S
inc and I waited, as Bridgett blushed and shook her head. “Ok, I’m not talking about it except to say that I’m very happy and…wow.” We all giggled. The conversation then moved from topic to topic eventually coming to rest on Bridgett’s trip to Faerie to work there for two years.

“It’s going to suck big time, being away from Will for so long.”

I had a thought. “He’s your
mate
now. They’ll have to let him visit, or let you come home to be with him. The fae are all about balance and there’s nothing that reflects that more than the relationship between a male and a female.”

Bridgett was practically jumping up and down. “Do you really think so? That would be amazing.” She looked at me with large pleading eyes. “Do you think that you could ask Liam or email Farrell or send a message to Lady D.?”

“Lady D?”

“That
’s just my nickname for her. I don’t call her that when I’m in Faerie.”

“I don’t think the Elders would like it much, although ‘Lord C’ might have a laugh. I’ll ask for you. We’ll know by tomorrow.”

“Thank you, thank you,
thank you
.” She hugged me again and then ran upstairs to get changed.

“She’s so sweet
when she isn’t screwing things up.” Sinc was smiling. "Let's hit the mall." I poked my head inside Garrett’s office to tell him where I was going and then left with Sinc for some girl time and some fall fashion scrutiny. I was thinking a pair of knee high kick ass boots and a short leather skirt might be just the thing to brighten my mood.

Chapter Sixty-two

Garrett:
6:00 PM Tuesday

We faced each other across the clearing. On our side stood Fred
, still human, in the center, Mike to his immediate right with Clive and Douglas behind them, all three in animal form. Jackie and I stood to Fred’s left, with Sasha and Ethan behind us and the rest of the team spread out across the back. Bridgett was in a tree in cheetah form and Sinc stood to the back smirking as she held her crossbow loosely but ready to aim at a second’s notice. My entire team looked relaxed, powerful and ready for whatever they had to offer.

As for the weres across from us—
not so much. The two in human form were thin and dirty, looking almost like desperate refugees from a POW camp. The rest, all in animal form, appeared scruffy and hungry. Our estimation as to their numbers hadn't been accurate, they’d arrived with twenty-three, but their physical state was horrendous. Even so, it wouldn’t be wise to underestimate them. Their alpha took a step forward and spoke.

“
I’m Johnny." He looked around the clearing at our team without fear. "We’ll give you eight hours to pack up your basic belongings and get out of Gasquet" He pointed toward me. "Your backup won't help you.” He had some power, but nothing out of the ordinary for a new alpha.

Jackie sent to me, “
Something else is in the woods, I’m going to check it out.”

“Be careful.”
She disappeared and everyone gasped or cursed, including some of my team.

Fred kept his cool and spoke softly
to the other alpha, his voice intensely focused.  “As you see we have more than just backup. You should leave our territory now.” I was impressed by the level of energy buzzing around him. This was a were with as much potential as Aaron, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d kept it hidden for so long. I was sure Johnny could sense it, but curiously, didn’t seem impressed. In fact, their pack did not act like one perched on the edge of battle. They were almost nonchalant. Something was up.

Jackie suddenly reappeared and sent to me, “
Two blood witches. Already busy working a spell. I can take someone back with me to stop them.”

I sent the info to my nest
, feeling grateful that she hadn't tried to take the witches on alone,  and then sent back to her,
“Take Sasha, hurry.”
She reached her hand back to him just as he was reaching for her.