Page 16

V an didn’t know how he had gotten such a lucky break, but he wasn’t about to throw it away.

He smothered the goofy grin on his face when Jayden glanced suspiciously over her shoulder.

He followed her to the back door of the kitchen.

Reaching out, he opened the door for her, giving her a charming smile when her eyes narrowed.

“After you.”

She shook her head and stepped into the kitchen area. There was a mixture of humans and shifters inside. Van was relieved to see Jayden’s tense shoulders relax as she surveyed the room.

He crossed to an empty table in the corner. She followed at a slower pace. He observed her attention lingering on the lavish spread of appetizing food at the buffet.

“I’ll put your stuff down if you’d like to grab a plate and dish up,” he offered.

She thrust her bag at him and turned away. He didn’t know whether to laugh or curse when she grabbed a plate and held it to her chest. Her eyes were flashing from one tray to another. She reached out and gripped the spoon on a portion of beans as if afraid the feast would disappear.

She scooped a serving on her plate. She licked her lips and studied the assortment of dishes before she replaced the spoon and eagerly lifted another. He placed her bag on the back of the chair and leaned her lance against the wall.

He turned in time to see her walking in a fast clip to the table. She was balancing a plate that was overflowing in one hand and a large cup in the other. He grinned at her when he noticed the roll hanging out of her mouth and the purposeful gleam in her eye.

He chuckled when she wrapped her foot around the leg of the chair and pulled it out before placing her plate.

His low whistle of appreciation earned him a disdainful glare.

She pulled the roll from her mouth. A large chunk was missing from it.

He was fixated on her lips, unable to look away as she chewed and swallowed.

“I thought you said you were hungry.”

He swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, I-I’ll be right back.”

Turning, he headed to the buffet. He needed to keep his thoughts clean and focused. A part of him was still in shock that she had agreed to a meal with him.

She like us.

He bowed his head and grinned as he filled his plate. Yeah. I smelled her reaction earlier. We just need to take it slow and easy. We don’t want to scare her.

His wolf snorted in amusement. The image of Brennan’s pale, outraged face flashed through his mind. Peterson would have his hands full soothing that lion-shifter’s ruffled mane.

He returned to the table after filling his plate and grabbing an unsweet ice tea.

Sliding into the seat across from her, he contemplated eating or just enjoying watching her.

He picked up a bowl from his tray and placed it next to her plate.

She wiggled her nose and eyed the pudding with a wary expression.

“What is that?” she asked.

He gave her an offended look. “Chocolate pudding. Haven’t you tried the pudding before?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “No. I saw it, but it looked—strange. It’s not like we humans just pop into your kitchen and decided we want to eat—” She eyed the chocolate pudding again before picking up the bowl and tilting it from side-to-side before finishing what she was saying, “liquid poop.”

He scowled and tried to take the bowl back from her, but she held it out of his reach. “It’s not poop. It’s very delicious. If you don’t want to try it, I’ll eat it. I love chocolate pudding.”

She sat back in her chair and studied his mutinous face. Van tried to keep the outrage on his face, but it was difficult with her staring at him as if trying to decide if he was telling her the truth or not. She released a snort and shot him a disgusted glare.

His eyes followed the movement of her hand when she stuck her finger in the creamy dessert before opening her mouth and sliding her finger over her tongue.

He choked back the low, primal groan when she wrapped her tongue around her finger and sucked on it.

All kinds of wicked thoughts flashed through his head, especially when she moaned with delight and continued scooping the delicious treat out onto her finger and sucking the chocolate delight clean.

“I agree. This choc-o-late pud-ding is very good. Almost as good as the cookies and the pie,” she said.

He swallowed when she stuck her tongue out and licked the last bit from the bowl.

Her focus froze on his face, transfixed by the intensity in his eyes.

She lowered the bowl to the table, picked up her half-eaten roll, and tore a piece off.

He blinked in surprise when the bite-size tidbit struck him between the eyes.

“What did you do that for?” his voice was low and rough with desire.

She lifted her eyebrow at him. “You don’t hide your thoughts very well.”

A wicked gleam glittered in his eyes. He was learning a lot about their defiant mate. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Nor was she afraid to taunt the wolf inside him. Both characteristics heated his blood.

“And what do you think I’m thinking?” he asked in a low voice.

She scoffed and shook her head. “I’m not falling for whatever charm shifters use to enchant us humans. I’ll slit both of your throats and wear your hides as a coat before that happens.”

He sat back at her vehement threat. Her eyes glittered with defiance and a hint of fear before she looked down at her plate. Her fingers curled on the table on each side of the nearly empty dish before she pushed back her chair and rose.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” she mumbled.

He rose when she did. “Why?”

She looked at him again. This time, the look in her eyes was sad… almost defeated. She picked up her bag off the back of the chair and reached for her lance before she answered him.

“It makes me realize how much you shifters have taken away from us. You are not our friends. You never have been and you never will be,” she said.

She turned away. Anger and frustration waged a battle inside him. Anger at what the shifters had done to the humans centuries ago and frustration at not knowing how to break through the barrier she was determined to erect between them.

“You’re wrong, you know. You just need to give us a chance,” he called after her.

She didn’t turn around. She pushed past Peterson when he entered the kitchen. Peterson looked at him with an inquiring expression. All he could do was shake his head in response.

She like chocolate pudding.

He ignored his wolf. It wasn’t the chocolate pudding that he needed her to like. He sank back down into his chair when Peterson approached. This was going to be a lot harder than either of them imagined.

Darkness was descending and one-by-one each of her clan members made their way to the central firepit.

Old habits die hard, and the need to gather as a group was just as strong here as it had been out in the forest. Jayden waited between her own and her grandparents’ cabin.

She had been avoiding her parents since their earlier argument.

The creak of the screen door warned her that her parents were heading to the fire ring.

“You go ahead, love. I’ll be there in a minute,” her grandfather said.

“Is everything alright, Cyrus?” her mother asked.

“Yes. I’ll be there shortly,” Cyrus called.

Jayden watched with a deep sense of sadness as her grandmother joined her mother and father. She was about to turn away when her grandfather cleared his throat. She glanced upward, surprised when she noticed him standing near the railing.

“Care to spend a few minutes with an old man?” Cyrus asked.

A reluctant smile curved her lips. “You may be old, but you are still one sly fox. How did you know I was here?” she retorted.

Cyrus chuckled and motioned for her to climb up onto the porch. He was sitting in one of the two rockers by the time she climbed the steps. She walked over and sat down beside him.

“Your father tells me that you are refusing to go to the new compound,” he said.

Her throat tightened and she gently rocked the chair. Tears burned the back of her eyes. She would miss this. Time was a precious thing and never a guarantee.

“Yes,” she finally answered.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

She glanced at her grandfather in surprise. She had expected him to try to talk her out of not going. The last thing she expected was for him to ask her for a favor—unless he was trying to use that reverse psychology stuff on her that he used when she was little.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Do you remember my box?” he asked.

She frowned and nodded. “The one with pretty carvings on it? Yes.”

“I need you to retrieve it for me,” he said.

She gave him a startled look. “You don’t have it with you? You never go anywhere without it.”

He shook his head. “I was afraid back at the cave that we were going to be captured. I wanted to keep it safe. I took it with us when we hid. If you remember, I wasn’t well and it was left behind.”

“What’s in it that is so important? You always promised you’d tell me one day.”

“Today is that day. It is time for you to take over protecting our secret. For centuries, our family has been tasked with a very important mission,” he said.

“You make it sound serious. Shouldn’t that task go to Dad if it is so important?” she asked.

“Your father has too gentle a soul.”

“What does that say about mine?” she demanded with wry amusement.

Her grandfather chuckled. “You have the heart and soul of a warrior. Believe it or not, your ancestors were the protectors of a kingdom. They were part of the King’s Guard.”

“King? King of what, farmers and herders?” she scoffed.

“No, protectors to an Orangutan shifter named King Or’Ang and his queen, a beautiful human named Elizabeth,” he said.

Jayden pressed her feet against the wooden boards and stared at her grandfather wide, shocked eyes. He was serious. Her expression gradually eased from disbelief to curiosity.