Page 23 of Cold Foot Sentry (Wreck’s Mountains #6)

Something was wrong.

The rain was splattering against Tammy’s windshield, and she turned her wiper speed up higher. She’d been to Wreck’s Mountain before to hang out with the Crew, and more specifically Harley, but never at night. It sure looked different.

Or perhaps it was the rain making it feel so moody.

Or maybe it was just the melancholy in her chest from missing Tawk so damn bad.

A hundred times today, she’d checked her phone to see if he had responded to her text from this morning. She had come out to brand new headlights installed on her 4Runner. She knew it was him. It was his way. He was a fixer.

He must’ve replaced them in the night, while she’d been tossing and turning inside, thinking of him.

She’d been so close to him and hadn’t even known.

She could’ve just walked outside and been with him. What would she have done?

Hugged him.

She knew that was the answer. Her skin yearned to press against his.

She wanted the comfort now that she’d processed and accepted watching him nearly kill that polar bear with his hands.

She’d accepted his power now. Accepted that he could be monstrous, because she believed the good in him was bigger.

So, she’d texted him the moment she realized he’d fixed her truck. Come back. She didn’t know why she had typed that out instead of a simple thank you. All she knew was that they had unfinished business.

No one had texted her back all day until the group text where Wreck said Mandatory Crew meeting. 8:00 tonight. Firepit.

She’d thought it was a mistake at first, but Dylan’s number was included in the group text. They were bringing in even the outsider humans.

Something was wrong.

Tammy scanned the clearing outlined by a half-circle of gorgeous A-frame cabins.

In front was a firepit covered by a sprawling awning that was newly built.

It hadn’t existed when she was here a couple weeks ago, but she was thankful for the timing because it was pouring rain outside, and there was a chilly bite to the air.

Garret and King were lowering two canvas sides to the free-standing awning to block the wind, and from here, she could see Timber handing out blankets. The firepit flames were tossing a flickering golden glow on everything in the clearing.

Dylan’s truck was parked to the right. She was probably the last one here, but she’d had to work, and rush straight here.

She cut the engine and got out, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her hoodie as she sloshed her way to the others.

Lately it felt like she was walking in a haze…like she wasn’t really in her body, but she didn’t know why. Maybe it was leftover magic from Jess.

As if thinking of her had conjured her, Jess appeared in front of the others to greet her. Tammy was polite and waved to her before she swerved her hug and took a seat next to Harley, who squeezed her hand in a greeting. Her friend looked concerned, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Long day.” It wasn’t a lie. Tammy had learned quickly that shifters could tell a lie, and were comfortable calling it out, so she got real comfortable with the truth real quick.

Jess offered her a blanket, but she shook her head and said, “I’m okay, thank you.”

Jess’s gaze ducked to the ground, but Tammy had seen the hurt there. Tough shit. She was part of the reason Tawk wasn’t here anymore.

“There’s some serious tension here,” Cash said from where he was perched on one of the stone pillars that encased one of the legs of the metal-roof awning. His gold eyes were narrowed at Tammy. “Should I make the rest of us popcorn? Are y’all going to fight?”

Tammy shook her head and said, “No interest in fighting.”

Wreck was in a power stance, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Jess. “Jess is the one that called this Crew meeting. I’m not going to lie, I am pretty fuckin’ intrigued right about now.”

Kade was sitting in an Adirondak chair right behind where Jess stood, his hands clasped, his gaze trained on the flames.

Dylan had been standing, but he came to sit in the empty chair on Tammy’s other side, his attention on Jess.

“I did something wrong, and I owe apologies,” Jess said.

“What did you do?” Wreck asked.

Jess blew out a shaky breath and began. “The other day, when Tammy called you, and I asked if I could take care of it,” she said to Wreck. “I took care of it.”

Confusion swirled in the Alpha’s fiery eyes. “As you said you did. So?”

“I didn’t tell you how I took care of it.

” She cleared her throat, and said, “I wanted Tammy to be at this meeting so she can keep me accountable. Lately, I’ve been wanting to hide what I’m going through, or omit parts of the story.

” Moisture rimmed her eyes and she ducked her attention to the flames.

“I did well when I was being mentored by Clara, and Vyr. But Lucia Novak got me into contact with a spell-caster named Serena, and I started training with her. Only I’m not built like her,” she said, her voice going thick.

She lifted her gaze to Wreck and admitted, “I’m bigger.

Serena said it’s because I come from a powerful lineage, and paired with being a shifter, I’m having some… side-effects.”

“What side effects?” King asked.

“I lose…” She glanced up at Tammy and then back down to the ground. “I lose track of right and wrong.”

“Oh shit, are we in the beginnings of your villain story?” Cash asked.

“I did something the other night that felt natural, and was fueled by my anger,” Jess explained. “I saw Connor and his missing hand, and I saw my brother and I knew they were here to hunt me, and I just…I just…”

“Say it,” Wreck gritted out.

Jess inhaled deeply and said, “I took over Tawk’s mind, and put a story there that wasn’t happening, and made him feel like he had to kill Connor.”

“Holy shit,” Reed murmured. “You can get into minds?”

Jess nodded. “It’s new, but it comes very naturally to me. And when I’m angry?” She shook her head.

“Did Tawk kill Connor?” Garret asked.

“No, but not because I pulled him off.” Jess’s glowing eyes darted to Tammy and away. “Tammy stopped him.”

Beside her, Dylan jerked his attention to her. Everyone was looking at her now.

“Serena had explained that no one would be able to stop me, but Tammy did. And when it happened, I could see it.”

“See what?” Tammy asked. “The horror on Tawk’s face that is now burned into my mind for eternity when he realized he’d been betrayed by someone he knows? When he figured out he was used?”

“All I saw was the bond,” Jess said quietly. “It was tethering you to him. Bright purple. Thick. Strong. He could see you and feel you while I was doing everything in my power to make him only see and feel what I wanted him to.”

“Jess,” Timber murmured. “What the hell?”

“I know! I know. Tawk lit me up yesterday and I can’t freaking stop thinking about it now. I wasn’t sorry. You should all know that. There was no guilt. Only a feeling of complete power, and a little frustration that Tammy had stopped Tawk from doing what I wanted him to do.”

“You were mad that she stopped you from forcing Tawk to murder someone for you? Dude, you’re the worst,” Cash said, arms crossing over his chest. Tammy had never seen him look so serious.

“Come on, man,” Kade rumbled, standing.

“Oh what?” Cash said, straightening up. “You gonna fight me for saying it’s fucked up what she did?” Cash barked. “Fight me then.”

“No, no, no,” Jess said, jumping between them and pushing Kade back by the chest. “Cash is right! Kade, Cash is right. And Tawk was right. I can feel the changes in me, and I don’t want them. Please. Sit down and let me finish this.”

Kade sat slowly, his furious gaze on Cash.

Jess dragged air into her lungs and turned to Tammy. “You had a bond that is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and I pushed Tawk out of the territory, and I’m sorry. I messed up.”

Tammy couldn’t hold her gaze. Her eyes were burning with tears, and she didn’t want anyone here to see her cry. This meeting was so clear now. This was Jess’s apology meeting. It was her accountability meeting.

Tammy could respect it. She inhaled a shaky breath and stood, made her way around the fire pit and hugged Jess up. “No more,” she said thickly.

Jess’s shoulders shook and she sniffed. “I already told Serena I won’t be working with her anymore, and asked Clara and Vyr and Lucia to go back to mentoring the way we were doing it before. I was happy and steady then. I want to keep learning control, not power.”

Tammy released her from the hug and wiped her damp cheeks in a rush. Feeling everyone’s eyes on her, she asked Wreck, “Can I go now?”

Wreck canted his head, his phoenix eyes glowing with flames. “I think you should stay.”

“Why?”

A couple of loaded moments passed before he twitched his chin toward the trees.

When she looked in the direction he’d intended, Tawk stood there in the rain, just on the edge of the tree line.

He wore a soaking wet white T-shirt that had gone translucent, and a baseball cap pulled low over his glowing eyes, the bill dripping with rainwater.

Tammy froze. “Tawk?”

He looked at the others, lingered on Jess, then back to Tammy, then sauntered toward them with powerful strides.

“What are you doing here?” Dylan asked. “I thought you left.”

He gestured to Jess. “She begged.”

“As she fuckin’ should,” Cash murmured.

“Enough,” Kade barked out.

“If she’s going to apologize to Tammy, she sure as hell should apologize to Tawk. This isn’t what we do here. We don’t eat our own!”

Jess stood beside Kade, leaned against his shoulder and rubbed his hair in the back, trying to block his view of Cash.