sounded suddenly weary. “If each of us waited for our one true mate, we would cease to exist as a race—and we don’t exactly have that luxury. Without offspring, our species will become extinct.”
“A fair enough point.”
“You don’t need a true mate to have tikes,” James said. “You just need a gal who has something lingering in her gene pool from long ago, when villages used to be situated close to Pack boundaries. There were plenty of women back then who could birth strong pups. The lads even stayed with their mums until their adolescence. Then, over time, the lines became diluted as the gene pools spread out. We’ve lost our ability to reproduce easily.” James was deep in thought for a moment. “True mates weren’t as important to us back then. Once a woman had your child, she was considered your mate and you protected her and your son as such.”
Was there a touch of sadness lingering behind that last part? To my knowledge James had never fathered a child, but I wasn’t sure. I’d only been alive for twenty-six years, not the last few hundred. “A true mate is supposed to provide you with more than just a child, though, right? Supposedly compatible to your wolf in all ways. She is able to give you children, but she can also calm a part of your wolf like no other, and from what I understand, she alone can keep you from making a change.”
“Aye. And your wolf, in its true form, is supposed to be able to spot her from a great distance. Your blood sings for her.” James walked to the sink and started to fill the basin. “ ’Tis the rarest gift to receive.”
“My mother wasn’t my father’s true mate, was she?” I’d always wondered but never had the nerve to ask my father. Since I’d never known her, she was only a figment attached to a few photographs. I’d grown up in such a male-dominated world, I’d never had a chance to dwell on it too much. If she had been there, I’d be a much different person than I was today. Maybe I’d be softer. Who knew?
“That wasn’t entirely clear to outsiders, even in the end.” James dipped his hands into the sudsy water he’d drawn and grabbed a dish off the counter. “Callum was crazy for your mum. Followed after her like a lovesick puppy. Though when Annie died in childbirth, he didn’t go through the deep, dark depression they say happens to a wolf when he’s deprived of his mate. He also didn’t end his own life, which is commonly spoken of in the lore. He was already Alpha then, though, and had a pair of twins to look after. Your father has always done things his own way.” That sounded about right. “He’s a man worthy of following. The strongest I’ve ever known.”
James washed the dishes and handed them to me to dry. He’d always been fiercely loyal to my father. He would make a wonderful mate to a female, strong and valiant. I found myself hoping he would find her someday, aching for him to find his happiness.
He caught me staring. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” I glanced at the clock. “We should get going. We don’t want to leave my father waiting.”
“No, Jessica, that wouldn’t be a good idea.”
13
James and I headed out of my apartment together. James discreetly forced my door back into its rightful opening, while I knocked on Juanita’s door. I hadn’t seen her since before my apartment had been trashed, and I was hoping she’d be home. She usually left early for work, so she was probably up.
The door whipped open before I had a chance to knock.
Juanita pulled me into a fierce hug. “Ooooh, Chica! I have been so worried! It es soooo good to see you here in the live.” She pushed me in front of her and then grabbed me back into another bear hug. For a tiny person of roughly five feet two inches—in heels—she was a lot stronger than she looked. I also noted, when she finally let me go for the last time, that her ensemble today consisted of a bright pink sleeveless blouse accentuating her ample breasts, coupled with an orange miniskirt. Her hair and makeup were flawless. Her scent, I quickly found after I separated out the myriad other smells, was equal parts eucalyptus and lime. She smelled tough, and I liked it.
“It’s good to see you too, Juanita,” I told her, stepping out of reach of any more hugs.
She pushed up on tiptoes and glanced over my shoulder. James was still wrestling with the door. “Oooooh, Chica! Muy bien!” She gave me a saucy wink. “I was beginning to worry, you know, when I don’t hear from you.” She bobbed her head toward James and then leaned toward me for a conspiratorial whisper. I obligingly met her halfway. “Es that who you were fighting weeth last night? I hear some noises again coming from jour place.” She laughed and elbowed me in the stomach.
“Um, yes, he’s the one.” What else was I going to say? Nope, it was a scary rogue werewolf trying to kill me?
“I keep jour secret, Chica. You know me, I weel always have jour back. We”—she motioned between the two of us with her cherry red nails—“we have to stay together when the tough get going.”
“That’s great, Juanita. Thanks.” I felt like a chump asking her for a favor when I had so obviously shunned this nice woman’s attempts at friendship over the last few years. “Um, I have a favor to ask you, Juanita, if you don’t mind.”
“No problem.” She smiled at me with no misgivings. “I do it for you, whatever it es.”
“As you can see, I had a little problem with my door last night.” James grunted under his breath at my choice of the word ‘little.’ “I’m going to call the super, but I was hoping you could maybe keep an ear out if anyone who happens to come by when you’re around?”
“Si, thees es my day off, so I weel keep up guard for you no problems!”
I eyed her outfit again, wondering what motivation got you out of bed and into full dress and makeup on your day off. But who was I to judge? This woman was turning out to be a great ally, and I was kind of running short on those at the moment.
“Listen, Juanita.” I leaned in closer and she immediately followed, her forehead almost touching mine. “It’s very important you don’t open your door if you hear anyone out here, no matter who it is.” As I said it, I looked straight into her eyes, trying to force some Vulcan mind-meld mojo at her—a gift that I might or might not have, but it was worth a try. I was interested in Juanita’s help, but I had no intention of forfeiting her life for it. Whoever hired rogues meant business. They would not hesitate to take her out. “I mean it, Juanita. No door opening under any circumstances. Use your peephole and call me if anything seems … um, I guess … strange.” Well, stranger than what you heard last night. “Or overly unusual.”
“Okay, Chica. I weel not open the door to no one, even if they say to me es okay, si?” She was obviously completely unpersuaded by my nonexistent mind-meld skills. A pang of disappointment ran through me. Not having an arsenal of super new gifts was going to make it hard to navigate in the supernatural world, where power was a must. I was really hoping for persuasion; it would’ve been a great asset.
James had finished propping the door into the opening and it looked fairly good at first glance, however, one push of a fingertip would likely topple it back into my apartment, but it would do for now. I’d put a call into Jeff, the super, as soon as I could. I had nothing to steal, as my apartment was bare, but allowing access to anyone who stopped by was tricky. If Juanita alerted me to anything suspicious, I might have an advantage.
We were late.
I quickly jotted my number on the piece of paper I’d brought out and handed it to her. “Remember, Juanita. It’s extremely important that you do not open your door for any reason. Are we clear?”
“I weel no open, Chica. I weel keep watch with all my strength for you.” She leaned in to me one last time with a sly look. “But for my repayment, you weel need to come to my house to have a drink, si? Juanita weel keep jour secrets for you, but in return you have to tell Juanita what es happening here in thees crazy place.” She shook her head at me. “Es too much. I worry for you.”
Juanita was sharp as a tack and I admired her spunk. “Okay, Juanita, you have a deal.”
I pulled into my office parking lot a few car lengths ahead of James. There were a ton of cars already in the lot. No one was waiting to jump me outside, so I figured my father had them under control. I parked and headed into my building. There was no need to wait for James with plenty of able-bodied wolves inside. A supe bent on attack, even if it was another rogue, would be foolish to come here. The smell outside was a swirling tide of male aggression.
I pushed the doors to Hannon & Michaels open and Marcy strode toward me anxiously. “You’re late.” Her eyes gleamed with the sparkle of adventure, not a typical sight. Her signature scent of fresh lavender wafted
