Page 6 of Fae Devoted

“Whose?” She was half-listening when her clanmate swung a tuxedo-clad arm around her neck and leaned in close as though sharing a secret. “It’ll be the only path to hissalivation.”

Johnnie couldn’t help it; she giggled. Although her friend’s puns were often terrible, the pack’s resident jokester always managed to make her laugh.

“Andthat should do it,” he said, gulping the last of his Champagne.

“Do what?” Her lips continued to twitch.

“Set a fire under Tucker’s ass.”

“Why would you want to do that?” Johnnie followed Noah’s gaze to the approaching Clan beta, and a flush stole up her neck to heat her cheeks.

“Here we go. Contact in four, three, two…one.”

“Is it hot in here? It’s hot, right?” The butterflies in her stomach went into flutter-mode.

“Nope.” Noah’s light brown eyes danced with merriment.

Well, crap.Was her attraction to Jacob that obvious? Did the entire pack know?

“Lieutenant Tucker, glad you finally made it.” There wasn’t a contrite bone in Noah’s body as he greeted the scowling beta.

“Go,” he replied, attention locked on Noah’s hand on her shoulder.

“I was just—”

Jacob growled.

“Right, gotta run.” Noah palmed Johnnie’s left cheek and tilted her head to kiss her right temple before removing his arm. The innocent peck earned him another fierce scowl. “Happy Majority, kiddo.”

“Kiddo? You’re the same age as I am.”

“Not for long.” His grin was contagious.

“Long enough,” she shouted at his retreating form. Johnnie’s birthday was three days ago. Noah reached his majority last winter, right before joining the Guard.

Declaring achildan adult at twenty-five was a practice observed by all three magical races within Fae Touched society. Even the timeless vampires required their kind to wait the full quarter-century after a successful Infusion to hold seniorpositions within a Dádhe House, no matter their human age when turned.

Noah descended the three flights of stairs to the main level and lifted his empty glass in salute. Next, he set the drink on a nearby bar, then cut through the gyrating masses and snagged the hand of a pretty witch on the dance floor. Johnnie lost them in the mad crush but continued to stare, not quite ready to confront Jacob. She took a deep breath to control her jitters, but his mouth came to her ear before she got control of her jangling nerves.

“Gorgeous,” he whispered from behind her. The warmth of his breath on her skin the only part of their bodies touching.

A single word, yet the yearning in his voice caused Johnnie’s heart to swell with hope. Maybe they were finally making progress after months of standing still.

“Noah was right.” The staccato beat of her pulse competed with the thrumming music.

“About?”

“You reallyarelate.”

“Got held up.” His chin hovered above her head.

Crap on a cracker.Could he smell how much she wanted him?

“Oh.” Johnnie turned and stepped away, putting distance between her and Jacob’s enhanced senses. It hadn’t registered he was in the Guard’s uniform of cargos and a black tee instead of a suit, the butterfly shindig in her stomach wildly distracting. “You should have told me you were on duty tonight. I would have understood.”

Been disappointed but accepted it. Jacob’s duties as Samuel’s second in command were vast, outweighing the needs of a single she-wolf, especially one he hadn’t claimed as his own.

“I wanted to be here.”