Twice Shy

learned the value of self-preservation.

“Not yet,” he answered softly.

Jonas's cell phone rang before Mick could continue, and as he watched the color rise on Jonas's face, Mick knew they wouldn't be coming back to it anytime soon. After a few seconds he answered with a curt “on my way” and snapped the phone shut. “Grab some jeans from inside. Harper has a visitor at the gate.” He didn't need any more invitation. Jonas had made it a point to not find out why Harper had come to them. Mick was not so reserved. He hurried inside, found a pair of jeans he'd left behind, and then had to race to catch up with Jonas.

Harper's people had come for her, and there was no way in hell Mick was letting her go.

Chapter Three

Damn it. Jonas hated not knowing what he was walking into, and that was his own fucking fault. When Harper had showed up looking for sanctuary, he'd taken one look at her and just known she'd be trouble. Trouble with a capital T. He'd done just enough digging to verify she was who she claimed to be—Liza's cousin and the only daughter of Benjamin Alexander, the chairman of the Magical Council. Jonas hadn't bothered to find out more. Those people had nothing to do with him or the pack after all, and okay, fine, he'd been reluctant to get to know her on a personal level. That reticence was coming back to bite him in the ass. Now they had a wizard at the gate demanding access to his daughter.

A grown woman no less. Couldn't she handle her own damned family? He shook his head as he jogged. He knew the answer to that. He should have done a thorough background check on her, but he'd known what he'd find if anyone broke the wall of silence surrounding the magical community. She'd been so scared, so cowed when she'd shown up. A woman didn't get that way all on her own. There were men in her life who were more abusive than protective. It made his hackles rise. You didn't treat the people you loved like that.

Okay, okay, he sometimes didn't treat Mick as well as he should. But Mick could handle him, teeth and snarls and all. Harper? Harper couldn't handle a spider. It was starting to make Mick a little crazy not claiming her, but Jonas didn't trust himself. Didn't trust himself with such a delicate woman. She would be too easy to hurt, and as much he wanted her, he wouldn't endanger her. Not for his own satisfaction, not even for Mick's, and he'd do damned near anything to make Mick happy.

Which was a problem in the making. Mick didn't have the same hang-ups.

They didn't have to worry about hurting each other, and Mick knew he'd never hurt his mate. So far he'd followed Jonas's lead, but though Jonas was stronger, Mick was definitely not a submissive male. Eventually he would claim Harper, and when he did Jonas wouldn't be able to keep fighting his instincts to do the same.

Borrowed time. He was on borrowed time, and it made him cranky. He hated not being in control.

He arrived at the gate to see a small crowd gathered. Mick was right behind him. Harper stood, more like cowered really, between Liza and Liza's mother, Elspeth. An older, distinguished-looking gentleman stood just outside the gate. A few other wizards surrounded him. Jonas paused in his sweep of the crowd. One looked very much like Harper. A younger brother maybe? His anger seemed focused on Alexander.

“I want my daughter back.”

Liza shrugged. “You can't have her. She came to us for sanctuary. Those are rules that cannot be broken, even between our races.”

“She came in a fit of pique.”

He took an aggressive step forward but stopped just shy of crossing onto their land. Given his position in the wizard pecking order, Jonas bet he'd never been denied anything. How had Harper found the backbone to take off? More importantly, what had made her do it? Her father's gaze seemed to make Harper shrink even more into herself. That just pissed Jonas off, and he had to put a restraining hand on Mick's arm. His questions would have to wait for later. Right now he just wanted this asshole gone, preferably to some dark, inescapable dungeon where he could never hurt Harper again.

“Whatever her reason,” Jonas said, stepping forward, “she's here now, and here she will stay.”

Her father barely bothered to grace Jonas with a contemptuous glance. He held his hand out to Harper. “Come now, child. Enough pouting. Your wedding date draws near.”

She jerked as if slapped, but still didn't utter a word, and Jonas felt his rage rising even higher still. Liza stepped back as Jonas moved to take her place, closing his hand around Harper's elbow.

“That is impossible. She already has a mate.”

Her father's eyes held nothing but disdain. “A werewolf? I will never allow that.”

Jonas handed her behind him to Mick and focused on the threat before him.

He let his wolf rise to the surface. He knew his grin was feral, and he didn't care.

“She's a grown woman and a woman claimed. You know you can't interfere with that.” But he could see from the other man's face he wanted to. Jonas spread his arms. “Try to take her from me, Wizard. You won't survive the night.” The wizard's eyes narrowed, and Jonas felt power rising, sharp and fast, in the air. But Redhawke had their own witches. Liza and Elspeth stepped forward, and in a move that stunned him, so did Harper, linking her hands with theirs. Maybe she had more strength than he'd realized. More than she’d realized. Then in the real stunner of the night, the young man who looked so much like her stepped forward and joined his power with the three women's.

“I believe you're not welcome here, Father,” the young man said, satisfaction oozing from his voice.

“No, you aren't,” Harper echoed.

He gave both of them a look full of malice and hate before spinning on his heel and returning to the black SUV he'd arrived in. Harper held herself ramrod stiff until her father and his retinue disappeared down the road; then all the fight seemed to rush out of her. Instead of turning to him or Mick, she rushed to her brother, whose arms wrapped around her so tightly Jonas wondered if he'd need a crowbar to get her free. It was the second unexpected moment of jealousy he'd experienced in the last few days, and he struggled against the urge to snatch her away from a moment she obviously needed with her sibling.

The other werewolves drifted away until it was only him, Mick, Caleb, and Zach left. Even Liza left after a low, heated conversation with her mates, Zach and Caleb. Elspeth went with her. Mick fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot, his aggression level rising until Jonas sighed. He would have to interfere. But before he'd fully decided to, Harper stepped away from her brother.