The Wolf's Surrender

CHAPTER 15



Somehow, against all the odds, Mia was having some of the most fun she’d had in recent memory.

Aislynn O’Doyle, she had decided, was going to be a friend no matter what happened. Mia had already laughed so hard her stomach hurt, and they had plenty in common. They sat across from one another now in a booth, where Aislynn sat flipping through the songs available on the mini jukebox attached to the wall. Every booth had one, all connected to the large juke at the far end of the diner where the songs they selected would play.

For several minutes now, Aislynn had been debating over how best to torture the other diners. She was between an inexplicably popular teenaged boy who sounded disturbingly like an untalented girl, and a teenaged television star who actually was an untalented girl.

“I’m plugging my ears,” Kenyon protested, laughing. “I don’t want to know what you pick, and I’m afraid my ears will start bleeding if I hear it.”

Mia looked at Kenyon, who was sitting beside her. He had dimples, she noted, because of course he did. And nothing he’d done had changed Mia’s impression of him. He was polite, charming, and so boyish he sometimes seemed even younger than he was. He was also handsome enough that Mia had seen every woman in the place, from teenagers to old women, ogling him. Kenyon was just so ridiculously...cute.

She was also completely positive he wasn’t for her. But at this point, she had to give him credit for persistence.

He turned to her, blue eyes crinkled up at the corners. And he’d gotten awfully close to her, she realized, by sliding slowly over when she wasn’t paying attention. She could almost see the little hearts in his baby blues.

Uh-oh.

“So I was thinking,” he said. “Why don’t you come out with me tonight? We could grab some dinner, maybe catch a movie. The little theater here is actually pretty nice.”

Mia smiled and tried to think of a nice way to let him down. Even if Jenner backed off again, Kenyon wasn’t the kind of guy who would be all right with a single night. He deserved someone who...well, actually, someone who looked at him the way Aislynn was, if he’d just stop to notice.

“Actually, Kenyon...”

She heard the bell above the door ring, and a wave of joy crashed through her that took her completely by surprise. All Mia knew was that one moment, she felt normal, and the next, every nerve ending was singing with pleasure at some new sensation in the air. Something lovely and familiar and absolutely adored...

She looked up and saw Jenner, looking far too big and dangerous to be allowed in a silly kitsch diner, walking through the door. He zeroed in on her immediately, and the moment their eyes locked, Mia felt everything else fade away. She let out a breath she hadn’t even been aware she was holding. Every instinct she had insisted she get up, go to him, drawn forward as though Jenner had an actual magnetic pull.

Her reaction to him had been intense enough before. Sleeping with him, it seemed, had multiplied that by a thousand.

Her heart beat once, twice, and she could hear the echo of his own in her head. She had the oddest thing happen then: her mind filled with the faint sound of a deep voice saying her name with a tenderness that made her ache inside. Then it was over, gone like the brush of butterfly wings. She wondered if she’d imagined it. But she hadn’t imagined Jenner.

And she wasn’t imagining the murderous look on his face when he saw who was sitting beside her. There was a soft but unmistakable sound beside her: growling. With a great deal of effort, Mia turned her attention away from Jenner to look incredulously at Kenyon.

“No,” she said, hearing the pleading note in her own voice. “Please no. Not in the diner.”

The only person who seemed to be amused was Aislynn. She was watching the scene unfold with a great deal of interest, and didn’t look particularly concerned. That, despite the fact that Mia had a terrible feeling that Jenner and Kenyon were going to start pummeling one another any second.

Jenner strode to their booth, looking absolutely delicious in ripped jeans that hung low on his hips, scuffed boots, a black T-shirt, and a rumpled jacket. His lip twitched as though it wanted to curl, and his eyes seemed to burn. As angry as he was, though, the instant he turned those eyes on her, Mia thought she might melt into a puddle right there.

“Hate to interrupt,” he growled in a tone that said the opposite, “but you’re going to have to cut your lunch with these two short.”

“Now?” Mia asked, trying to get her thoughts together. “Why?”

“I’ll explain it when we get out of here.”

“If this is about Gaines, then it concerns me, too,” Kenyon said, every trace of sweetness gone from his voice. “I think I’ll come with you.”

“The hell you will,” Jenner replied, and now his lip did curl. “Since all this concerns is me, Mia, and a healthy dose of ‘you’re not invited.’”

Kenyon stood up quickly, drawing the attention of quite a few diners. Mia cringed inwardly. People tended to notice when there was a fight brewing, and the testosterone in here had just jumped to critical levels.

She stood up, too, though more slowly, and tried not to look as desperate as she felt. Men did not fight over her. Ever. And she now understood that having it happen was not nearly as cool as it sounded.

“You’re not shoving me out of the way,” Kenyon growled at Jenner. All traces of that boyishness Mia had seen in him were gone, and she could clearly see the wolf lurking beneath the surface. He might be a lover, but there was no question he was also a fighter.

She laid a hand on Kenyon’s arm, feeling the tension that coiled through him like steel cables. But the gentle pressure of her hand got his attention.

“I’m going with him,” she said. “And you’re staying here. There’s no reason for you and Aislynn to leave just because of me.”

His face fell, and Mia felt terrible. She could see Jenner eyeing her hand with a particularly ugly look, but as long as he didn’t decide to gnaw Kenyon’s arm off, she would ignore it.

Kenyon didn’t say another word to her, just gave a short nod and stepped out of the booth to let her pass. To Jenner, however, she heard him mutter, “I have a few things to say to you. Later.”

She caught the smug look Jenner gave him, and felt her own temper spark. Just because Jenner had gotten his way was no reason to taunt the losing party. She turned and said goodbye to Aislynn, who promised she would see her later on in the day. Then she left without another word to Jenner, not trusting herself not to shout at him. He followed close behind her, and she could feel the warmth of his presence as though the sun were beating on her back.

She loved it, and she hated it. Because while every bit of her thrilled at just having him near her again, the logical part of her was terrified that this was all leading up to some huge disappointment. Almost from the start, Jenner had told her that he wasn’t interested in any sort of relationship. But if he wasn’t, then why did he look at her the way he did? And why had he touched her the way he had, as though she were something precious to him? Last night had been everything she’d wanted...but then, not quite everything. She wanted him to be with her, only her. She wanted him to ask her to stay.

And Mia had no idea if that was ever going to happen.

She made it only a few steps outside before whirling on him.

“Well?” she demanded.

“Well what?” he asked in a surly grunt. He still looked decidedly pissed off, his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his large frame slightly hunched.

“You storm in, act like a complete Neanderthal, demand I leave with you for some unspecified reason, and then storm out again. Sound weird to you?”

Jenner shrugged. “Doesn’t sound very unusual to me.”

Mia exhaled loudly. “No, it probably wouldn’t to you. In the world outside the Hollow, however, where people aren’t used to you acting like a bully, that sort of thing is considered rude.”

Jenner lifted one dark brow. “Good thing I live in the Hollow, then.”

Mia stared at him, lifted her hands, and growled in frustration. “For the love of—why are you so awful to Kenyon?”

“Because he wants you.”

The answer, honest and to the point, surprised Mia into stunned silence.

“And I want you, too, Mia,” Jenner finished. “With wolves, that kind of thing means Chase and I aren’t going to be friends. It also means I’m not going to just smile and deal with it when you decide to have lunch with him while I’m gone.”

“You...want me.” She said the words slowly, trying to be sure she’d heard them correctly. His actions had shown it, of course...but the admission was more than she’d expected.

Jenner glowered at her. “Pretty sure we were both there last night.”

Mia gave an exasperated laugh and pushed an errant lock of hair out of her face. “I...okay, for one thing, you did see there were three of us in there, right?”

Jenner’s stony expression didn’t change. “Uh-huh. Aislynn can get her earful later.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “She volunteered to run interference, Nick,” she said, hoping the intimacy of his first name would remind him of just how much they’d shared last night. His gaze softened, ever so slightly. When he stayed silent, Mia pressed on, flustered by his reaction. Territorial werewolves were a new experience for her.

So was being the territory.

“I guess I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say to you. I want you, too? It’s not very romantic.”

“Neither am I, Mia. I’m warning you about that right up front.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. “I can handle that, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It isn’t,” he said, his voice a rough growl. Mia settled her hands on her hips, completely exasperated.

“Then what are you asking?”

Finally, the bluster fell away, and Mia could finally see what was beneath. He was just as nervous and uncertain as she was. Somehow, it made her feel better, knowing that this was new for both of them.

“I thought you might want to go for a ride,” he said.

It was only then that Mia noticed the car parked beside the curb, hulking like a muscular metal beast and gleaming in the sun.

“I thought it wasn’t done.”

“Close enough,” Jenner said. He watched her unblinkingly with those intense eyes of his. “It’s a beautiful day.”

“It is,” Mia agreed, feeling strangely off balance. Jenner seemed to be good at doing that to her. He was such a mix of wild and civilized. It fascinated her.

“So?” he asked, and there was a wealth of meaning in that one simple question.

But when it came to Jenner, everything seemed to boil down to a single, simple answer.

“Let’s go,” Mia replied, and walked toward the car.

* * *

Riding in a growling hulk of a muscle car turned out to be better than good. It was exactly what Mia had needed.

She was inches away from sticking her head out the window and going the full canine route as they flew down a hilly back road. The day was warmer than had been expected, almost like the end of summer. She’d caught Jenner’s bemused expression when she’d pulled an elastic out of her purse, tied her hair back in a quick ponytail, and rolled down the window.

“It’s a beautiful day” was all she said. “I’ll deal with the tangles later.”

“Good choice,” Jenner replied, and she wondered if either of them were actually talking about her hair.

There was something freeing about the speed, and the painted glory of the trees as they rushed past. Mia felt the tightness she’d had in her chest all weekend ease. She wanted things to be simple. Nothing ever was. Except this.

Jenner’s presence was solid and reassuring beside her, and when she snuck glances at him he looked as comfortable as she’d ever seen him maneuvering the muscle car around curves and beneath tunnels of trees. They headed farther out into the country, and Mia watched farms and homes fly past. The air smelled rich, like decayed leaves and wood smoke. Some of her favorite smells.

When Jenner slowed and turned into a long drive, Mia looked around curiously. There was a lovely, weathered farmhouse at the end of the drive, and squatting nearby was a barn and chicken coop. Cattle grazed placidly in the fields surrounding the house.

She turned her head to look at Jenner. “I don’t care what you say. You’re not going to convince me to chase chickens. Not yet, anyway.”

His laugh, the deep, warm roll of it, pushed her further toward the edge of a precipice she’d been inching toward ever since she’d met him.

He parked the car on the grass beside the house, then killed the engine. They sat in silence for a long, surprisingly comfortable moment. Finally, Mia looked over at him, genuinely curious.

“Can I ask what brought this on?”

Jenner’s gold eyes caught hers when he turned his head. The lazy half smile made her feel like melting into her seat. But there was something in his expression that puzzled her...almost a kind of resignation. Mia wondered what it was about. Whether it was about her.

“I got up early.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Okay.”

“I had a lot of time to think while I was tracking this morning. We found a body, by the way. Didn’t belong to Gaines.” He frowned and put up a hand before she could ask any questions. “I should have saved that. It’s not what I brought you here for.”

“But was it one of...yours?” She’d almost said “ours.” It had been on the tip of her tongue.

He shook his head. “No. We think he might have been one of Gaines’ men. Unfortunately, that’s about as much as we can figure right now. He...wasn’t in good shape.”

“Oh.” He was right...this wasn’t a great lead-in.

Jenner laughed quietly, as though he knew what she was thinking. “I mentioned I wasn’t great at talking, right? Walk with me,” Jenner said. “It’s beautiful out here, and there are some things I guess we need to talk about.”

That, at least, was a relief to hear. “Yes,” Mia agreed. “I guess there are.”

Without another word, Jenner got out of the car. Mia got out, too, noting that Jenner had come around to take her hand and shut the door. It was a small thing, but he kept her hand in his as they headed off down a narrow path that veered away from the house and through a meadow that Mia imagined would be in all its glory come the spring. There was a pond in the distance, and she could hear a few ducks and geese.

Jenner walked quietly beside her for a few minutes, and Mia waited. Though she hadn’t known him long, she understood how he was. Jenner was a living illustration of how still waters ran deep.

Finally, he spoke. “I didn’t think I’d ever be all that interested in anyone again, Mia. But every time I’m near you I forget every damn rule I’ve made for myself. Last night...” He trailed off, then stopped, turning to face her.

“Last night meant something. I knew it would, I guess, which is why I was trying not to let it happen. But it did, and I can’t take it back. I wouldn’t want to.”

A hard knot she hadn’t even been aware existed finally began to loosen deep within Mia’s chest.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” Mia admitted. “It ought to feel crazy, but it doesn’t. Look at what I’m dealing with, what I just went through. The last thing that should be on my mind is a guy, but it’s all I can do not to throw myself at you every time you walk in the room. And last night...” She tried to find the words and failed miserably.

The deep rumble of Jenner’s laugh rippled through her, telling her he understood.

“It’s like that with wolves, when things are...right,” Jenner said. “Even faster with us because you’re bitten already. Nobody’s really sure why werewolves have accelerated courtships, but it’s expected within the pack.” He watched her from beneath long, impossibly dark lashes. “I won’t lie, Mia. This might turn out to be a big mess no matter how you or I feel about it. But there’s no way in hell I’m letting Kenyon Chase or any other man anywhere near you for even one night.”

“You’re offering to initiate me,” Mia said.

Jenner shifted and ran a hand through his hair, finally showing some of his agitation. He blew out a breath, then said, “Yeah. And after that, we can maybe, you know...see where it goes. There were some good reasons I told you I wasn’t the right guy to choose for your initiation, or for anything. I don’t know how much I’ve got to give. I can’t promise you anything. But I can tell you that what you’re feeling, what I’m feeling, means we’d be good together. And...I’d like to give it a shot. I know what you said about wanting to take off soon, but...I’d like it if you stayed a little while. Maybe give it a try with the Blackpaw. With me.”

Mia looked at him standing there, looking every inch the fierce, protective werewolf he was, and felt her heart clench painfully, then release. He was taking a big chance, one she’d never expected him to take.

She wasn’t the only one who was learning to take risks, she supposed.

And she knew that before long, she would have to take a few more. Jenner couldn’t stay in the dark about her gifts. She needed to find a way to tell him. Soon.

“Will Bane accept this?” she asked, hating that it was even a question. But this wasn’t her world, and she didn’t want Jenner to suffer on her behalf.

Jenner nodded. “Yeah. He, ah...wasn’t exactly surprised. There are going to be ruffled feathers, but you made your position on choosing pretty clear.” She saw a hint of his smile. “He only asks that we wait a couple of days. Until the night before the full moon. He’s worried that if we close you off to Gaines, he’ll just go and find someone else. Unseelie blood is rare, but...”

Mia nodded, relieved. She had a little time to figure out how to tell Jenner everything she needed to...hopefully in a way that wouldn’t ruin everything. Even though it was selfish, she wanted to enjoy him right now, in this moment. She’d never had anyone, not really. It couldn’t be wrong to want to enjoy a few hours of it, no matter what came after.

“So,” Jenner said softly. “What do you think?”

Mia saw the way his Adam’s apple moved and knew just how twisted up he was over this. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and reassure him, to feel all that wonderful warmth and strength and know it was hers...even if it was just for now.

“Yes” was all she said.

She immediately found herself crushed against Jenner’s chest, his mouth on hers. Her head was full of him, every inch of her skin feeling like it was shooting off sparks. She opened her mouth for him, moaning as his tongue swept inside. Jenner lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She could feel how hard he was for her, and she arched, gasping, into all of that delicious heat.

It was an unpleasant shock to feel herself lowered quickly back to the ground, though Jenner wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head beneath his chin. It was some small consolation that she could feel his heart pounding just as quickly as hers was.

“I promised myself we were going to take it slow this time,” Jenner said, his deep voice husky.

Mia laughed. “Nothing about this is slow,” she said.

“Okay. Mostly I promised myself I wouldn’t tear your clothes off in the middle of this field if you said yes.” He looked down at her. “Let me take you home, Mia.”

She nodded, then she put her hand back in his and held on tight, hoping she wasn’t taking this step only to be forced to let go.