The Wolf's Surrender - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,33
attempt to refrain from shouting. Jenner had to fight back a smirk, despite his anger. It took a lot to get Bane to this point, but he’d always been pretty good at it.
“Would it kill you to follow the rules on this, Jenner? Mia’s not attached to any of us. What does it matter which pack she ends up in? Letting Kenyon at least try to get in her good graces doesn’t do any harm. If she rejects him, so be it. But stepping back will keep the peace. Besides, I can’t think of any Blackpaw who’s seriously in the market for a mate right now. I’m sure as hell not.” He paused, lifting one black eyebrow. “Or maybe you are.”
“Of course I’m not,” Jenner muttered. “I like my life the way it is.” And he did. So why was this so important to him? Why was the thought of her with someone else so unconscionable? Imagining Mia alone with Chase had his nails lengthening, sharpening, and digging into the arms of his chair.
Bane prowled over to perch on one of the arms of the couch. His gaze was piercing, and saw far too much. “You seem awfully invested in this woman.”
Jenner felt his shoulders trying to hunch defensively, and fought it. “No.”
“You’ve known her for one night,” Bane continued, speaking as though he hadn’t heard Jenner’s denial, “and you’re arguing to keep her for the pack, not to mention getting in a high-ranking Silverback’s face when he takes an interest in her. That looks like you’ve taken quite an interest to me. If you want to challenge for her...”
“I don’t,” Jenner growled, and now his shoulders did hunch. “Not liking the idea of setting her up to feel a certain way doesn’t mean I want her. Jesus. You know me better than that, Bane.”
“Uh-huh.” Bane watched him curiously, as though Jenner had suddenly become a part of a particularly riveting circus sideshow. “Thought I did, anyway. But this breakfast-serving, warm and fuzzy side of you is something new.”
“Bite me.”
Bane snorted. “You know, normally I’d enjoy giving you a rough time about this. But you keep acting like a possessive mate around Mia, you are going to have a fight on your hands. Kenyon will challenge you for her outright.”
Jenner glowered, hating Bane’s habit of cutting straight to the heart of an issue with a minimum of finesse. “That would be a mistake. I’d beat his ass.”
“Of course you would. You’re the frigging Blackpaw Lunari. But you beating his ass would create some...diplomatic issues.” Bane’s eyes were not unsympathetic, but Jenner knew that sentiment had no place in this. Jenner was almost certain that Bane would back him if having Mia were that important to him, despite the strain it might create for a time between packs. But Jenner had no intention of creating a situation there.
If Mia took a shine to Kenyon Chase’s particular lack of charm, that was.
Which meant that right now, he had no answers for Bane. No good ones, anyway.
“She trusts me,” Jenner finally said. “I’d prefer to be worthy of it.”
A slight smile touched Bane’s lips, not mocking, but genuine. “You are, Jenner,” he said. “I wouldn’t like you half as much as I do if you didn’t have a raging justice complex. No one’s going to make Mia do anything she doesn’t want to do, or steer her in a direction that would cause her further harm.”
“But you still want to steer her.”
Bane chuckled. “Sure. But it remains to be seen if she’s steerable. Hopefully she isn’t anything like you.”
The two men grinned at one another, and Jenner felt a few of the knots he’d tied himself into relax and unwind. They were all right again. It was important to him. More important, Jenner reminded himself, than the unknown feelings of a woman who was little more than a stranger. And he needed to remember that the next time he thought about beating up the Silverback’s Alpha-in-waiting.
“Okay. She stays here, then. Not like you were going to listen to me if I said otherwise anyway, but I’ll defer,” Bane said.
Jenner managed a half smile.
“For what it’s worth, I won’t try and scratch any itches I might have with Mia. Apart from the pretty package, she’s not my type. I won’t have anyone harassing her, but if she decides to give Chase a shot, she can have him. Just don’t expect me to play nice with him, and we’re good.”