checking you out,” I said out of the corner of my mouth.
She took a sip of bubbly, blinking lazily at the mage, using all her drool-inducing, female guiles on him. He pushed to the edge of the sofa, unable to resist.
“Hmm, I need more champagne,” I said, even though my cup was half-full.
Jake was halfway sitting on Rosalina’s desk, one leg up and the other still firmly on the floor. After I refilled my cup, I stood in front of him and gave him a once over. His faded jeans hugged his powerful thighs, making me want to run my hands along their muscular length. He wore a dark gray button-up shirt rolled up to the elbows, and his favorite biker boots. They were black, square-toed with one inch heels and several scuff marks. A row of leather bracelets wrapped around his left wrist. Something new to replace the bracelet he’d given me.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were training Rosalina?”
“Because she asked me not to.”
Rosalina had gone to Jake after the rhabo incident at the Pulse Inc. warehouse, and he’d been teaching her all about weapons and self-defense ever since.
“Like I told you,” Jake said, “she’s a natural. I’ve taught her all I could, but I’ve referred her to a buddy of mine because she’s eager to learn more. She also wants to learn how to wield a sword.”
“What?!”
“Yep.”
“What has gotten into her?”
“Maybe she’s an adrenaline junkie, and she never knew.”
More than ever, we needed to get back to just tracking mates. If we didn’t, at this rate, we would end up joining a SWAT team or something.
Another thing that Jake had done behind my back was put a tracker in the bracelet he’d given me. That was how they’d found me at the temple. A tracker on a tracker, wasn’t that ironic? Rosalina had known about it, and when I hadn’t answered her calls, she’d contacted Jake, who traced the signal to the temple. I fiddled with it for a moment, then set the glass down and tried to undo the clasp.
Jake wrapped a hand around my wrist, trapping the bracelet. “No, please, keep it.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“It saved your life.”
That, it had, but I didn’t want him knowing where I was 24/7.
He seemed to read my thoughts because he said, “I won’t use it to track you unless I think you’re in danger.”
I jutted my hip out. “What if I’m on a hot date?”
His silver eyes darken, pupils growing wide. “Please don’t.”
“Don’t what? Go on a date?”
He blinked once in response.
“Fine for you to say, Mr. Engaged.”
“I’m working on it,” he said in a low whisper. “I made you a promise.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t have fun while you do.”
A sad smile stretched his chiseled lips. “I’m not having any fun, I assure you.”
“You expect me to believe Ms. Allison Blackridge doesn’t try to enjoy her fiancé.”
“Believe it or not, we hardly talk.”
Well, that was nothing like what I’d been imagining. When I met her at Walter Knight’s house, I’d gotten a different impression. Of course, I had been blinded by jealousy, so there was no telling which of my memories were real and which were enhanced by my envy of her.
“What? Is she shy or something?” I asked.
“I don’t think so.” He looked pensive for a moment. “She’s just a victim of the circumstances as much as me.”
That certainly offered a different perspective that I hadn’t considered. This was an arranged marriage, and though it was not unheard of among werewolves, it wasn’t common either. Still, she’d had to agree, right? Jake had. No one had forced him. Of course, he was a strong alpha, and I doubted anyone could force him to do anything he didn’t want. Allison, on the other hand... She wasn’t an alpha, from what I understood. Maybe they had forced her.
I frowned. I knew better than to get my hopes up. This pact between the Blackridges and the Knights was real.
“Either way,” I shrugged. “You got yourself into this mess, and even though I’ll be waiting, I don’t see why I shouldn’t have a little fun in the meantime.”
“Because you love me.” Jake grinned his heart-stopping grin.
It was true enough. He was the only man I’d ever loved, but was it smart to put my life on hold for him, hoping he might get out of an unbreakable pact?
I turned away from Jake, determined not to lose my good humor, and grabbed a miniature quiche from the