He sat down reluctantly. “Watch your back, Jess. The wolves are going to be uptight with the condition Mitch is in and how everything went down last night.”
“I know,” I said.
“You know, you could always just marry me,” Danny half joked. “I could help solve your problems in a jiff. A mated female is off-limits, even for the idiotic wolves who think Cain had something to do with your birthright.”
I paused at the doorway, smiling. “Thanks for the offer, Danny, but you’re just too good-looking for a girl like me. I usually go for the brooding types, but I appreciate the offer. I’m certain another lucky lady will snap you up and you two will be wildly happy together.”
Danny lifted an imaginary hat and bobbed his head. “My chiseled features have intimidated many a maiden, it’s true. It’s been my cross to bear for being gifted with unbelievable genes. Not everyone can claim such a burden of perfection. But I’m sure there’s a woman out there with similar issues, and I do plan on rescuing her in the near future.”
“She’ll be one lucky lady,” I said, meaning it. “I’ll see you both later.”
“Jess,” Tyler called to my retreating back. “Don’t get into any more trouble. I don’t want to bail your ass out of another fight this early in the morning.”
“Don’t worry. Brawling in this condition is the last thing on my list.”
Chapter Four
Hey there,” I said as I stepped onto the worn wooden floor. “Contemplating the universe?”
Nick jumped, turning to face me. He must’ve been deep in thought, because there was no way he couldn’t hear me. All supes had killer hearing. He stepped forward, but then stopped abruptly. “Jeez, you look like shit.”
“Thanks,” I said as I passed him, taking a seat in my favorite spot, an Adirondack chair perched at the very edge of the open rail. “I feel like crap too, but thanks to a mountain of painkillers, the hurt is at bay for now. They’re starting to wear off, however, and I’m not looking forward to what’s lurking for me underneath.”
Nick took a seat on the bench opposite the chair, perched forward, his face full of concern. His skin was a beautiful copper color, his shaggy dark hair curling around his face. His father had been an artic fox, a First Nation Canadian, his mother a Canadian, originally from France. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell me you were going to fight Mitch? At the very least, I could’ve come and been your backup. I heard he brought Josh. You could’ve had someone there to make sure it didn’t go too far.”
I sighed. “If I’d told you, you never would’ve let me go, and you know it. If it all went to hell, I didn’t want you to feel responsible. I know I took a huge risk fighting Mitch, but it was time to slow the madness down. Things were getting crazy, and there was no other way.” I grinned. “Plus, I knew I had a great chance of kicking his ass, or at least going punch for punch, thanks to you. Without all of our sparring and your hard work, my skills wouldn’t have been near the level they needed to be.” I steepled my fingers, cast and all, and bowed my neck. “Thank you, Sensei.”
“He still could’ve ripped your heart out. You’re lucky wolves are massively egotistical and enjoy playing with their prey—to a fault. If it had been me, I’d have gone right for your neck, without fuss, and walked out of there in less than a minute.”
“That’s why the wolves continue to underestimate you, which is lucky for us. Mitch was a calculated risk, one I could stomach, with odds in my favor. Even though I didn’t officially win, it’s all opened up now. My father knows, everyone on Compound has heard by now, so the wolves will have to consider the stakes if they choose to fight me.”
“They’re going to fight you, make no mistake about it.” He looked out at the lake. “We have to get out of here. Did you talk to your dad about it?”
“Yep,” I said. “After the fight and this morning. He was noncommittal, but surprisingly, James took up my case.”
“That is surprising.” Nick grinned. “And welcome. It’s about time.”
“I agree, but for now, we wait. It’s too bad I was born into a supernatural race. It would be so much easier to just leave. I’m nineteen. For a normal human family, that means college, traveling, and a life outside your parents’ home.”
“If you left, you’d be tracked down within a day at the most.”
“I know. Stupid werewolves.” I rested my head against the back of the chair. “My release into the real world has to come from my father. There’s no other way. I’m hoping he’ll see the light soon, before things escalate like we all know they will.”
Nick’s phone beeped and he took it out. “It’s my turn to do a perimeter check, and I’m late.” He stood. We had hunters encroach on our land all the time. My father owned close to five hundred acres, all bordering Bureau of Land Management property, but we patrolled it every day without fail. Risking our secret was unacceptable. Humans were easy to scent, so finding them was a snap. It was ushering them back out that took the most finesse. Nick was good at it, so he did scouting runs most often. He was nonthreatening and made sure they got out alive, which was the goal, because frequent deaths would be investigated. Some of the aggressive wolves had little patience for humans, and if a hunter was unlucky enough to push back, he paid a steep price for trespassing.
I stood up and gave him a hug. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. We’ll figure something out soon.”
He gripped my shoulders softly. “Stay close to home in the meantime. I’ll make sure I clear my schedule for the next few days. We can come up with a new plan—like building you a house a few miles from here and locking you inside.”
“That sounds like a dream. Sign me up.” I smiled. “I love being contained in small spaces. Then the big, bad wolves can come and huff and puff and blow it all down.”
Nick laughed. “Well, it would certainly be better than brushing shoulders with the enemy all day.” He pecked me on the cheek. “Stay safe.”
“I will. I think I’m going to head down to the dock and rest.”
* * *
After Nick left, I walked down the short hill in front of the lodge. We had several docks around the property, but the main dock sat just to the left of the gazebo. It was long, with old, weathered gray planks, the beginning treads sheltered by a cove of trees, giving way to the sunshine at the end. The sun was getting higher in the sky, and as it hit me, it felt good on my tired, abused skin.