Hot Blooded

then, once again, the line snapped. I need to be able to communicate with you when you’re in danger. I’m getting tired of this,” he growled.

“I know,” I said as I entered the cover of the trees and found a downed tree. I set my pack down and sat. Everyone could hear me, but it gave me the illusion of privacy. “I never hear or feel anything from you when I’m in my Lycan form. I have no explanation. But I’m fine. I was fighting”—I paused for a moment, because I hadn’t told him about the spell, which was why Tyler was perturbed with me—“a residual spell from Selene. But it’s gone now.” I held my breath. I’d kept this information from him on purpose, fearing he would never have let me go had he known I was harboring a death spell. It was hard to admit, and I knew he was going to be angry.

Tyler grunted, yanking the side door of the truck open loudly in the distance. I’d made him swear not to tell our father what had happened the night before, and it’d taken everything I had to convince him I had it under control. After what everyone just witnessed, “control” had been an illusion on my part. I’d put Tyler in a precarious position with his Alpha.

“What you talking about? What spell?” The phone crackled and broke across the line, but his anger came through loud and clear. “Answer me.”

“Selene hit me with more than one spell when she took me down in the clearing.”

“And you knew about this other spell before you left?”

“Yes.”

“And how exactly were you planning on getting rid of it?”

“I was hoping I could reach her and kill her before it struck again.” The theory with witches and spells was that if you killed the witch, the spell died. No fuel, no fire. Before Selene achieved her

“goddess” status, she’d been a witch. Most goddesses started that way.

“I’m assuming that didn’t happen, because you’ve barely been gone twenty-four hours and you’ve already been forced into your Lycan from.” The phone buzzed in my ear, the connection worsening.

I sighed. “I was hit again with the spell without warning when you felt the change. We’re right outside her boundary and it might have been triggered by the proximity, but I have no real clue. It could also be time release. But the good news is I handled it and it’s gone. I know you’re not happy with me, but nothing was going to keep me home. We both knew that. It would’ve been too much to tell you in the short time we had left and it was better to go without a fight.”

“Jessica, I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know what’s going on,” he ground out. “We could’ve had another witch examine you. There could’ve been some sort of counterattack. Going off on your own is not going to work. This is Pack. It’s not a one-man operation. It infuriates me that you have the ability to block me. Keeping things from me in the future will not be tolerated.”

“I hear you. I won’t let it happen again and I promise to tell you everything from now on. But, in my defense, I couldn’t risk Rourke’s life like that. If you had ordered me to stay home, it would’ve been worse. We could’ve had a fracture between us. You would’ve forced me to leave Pack.”

He was quiet for a few beats. “Jessica, I understand why you did it, but it stops now. I need to know everything, and from there we make the decisions… together. Your life is going to change very quickly from now on. I get it. But I’m still your Alpha.” A fierce growl spread across the line. “I don’t give a goddamn if my commands don’t stick. You will follow my rules or you will find yourself on the outside. Are we clear?” His voice was stony and a few faint ripples of his emotion flowed through me, our blood connection barely triggering this far away. But it was there.

“Clear.”

“I just arrived in Redman’s territory. We meet with him first thing in the morning. I want you to check in with me again as soon as you can. If I feel any more issues from you, I’ll call. If I can’t get a hold of you or Tyler, I will drop what I’m doing and come after you.” I knew he would.

“Got it.”

“Jessica.” My father’s voice dipped low. “Please stay safe.”

“I’m doing my best.”

I clicked off the phone and reached down to grab a pair of pants out of my pack. Once I was dressed, I rejoined the group, strapping my pack on my back. Naomi stood silently next to the truck.

She hadn’t moved since I’d taken the call. Eamon paced off to the side.

“You are strong,” she said firmly as I stopped. “Stronger than most.”

Was I strong or was I different? “I’m not going to argue with you, Naomi. But now’s not the time to talk about my genetic makeup. We’ve lost enough time. Which way are we headed? Lead the way.”

“We are one pass away from the correct entrance,” Naomi said; her voice rang with tension. “We will have to climb to the top of this peak and down to the next gorge. Once we cross the river at the bottom, we will pass into Selene’s territory. It will take longer than if you had found the correct entrance, but we have no choice now. Follow us.” Eamon was already moving through the trees.

“How did we miss it?” I asked, falling in step behind her. “This was the only road that made any sense on the GPS.” Danny trailed behind me, followed by Tyler, who had just locked the truck. Ray took up the rear. “Can Selene mess with GPS signals?” I guessed a goddess could do what she wanted if she was clever enough.

“Whether she can or cannot is not our concern,” Naomi said. “We do not need GPS. The road you were looking for had flood damage and the entrance has since been wiped away.” She arched an eyebrow over her shoulder at me like a pro. “You are a supernatural, are you not? I will be more precise in the future. I told you the road you wanted dead-ended into the lake. This”—she gestured around her—“does not.”

Touche. Another demerit for the hillbillies.

Tyler came up next to me, grumbling, “We can’t shift, so it makes it a little harder to find the right coordinates. Especially if they’re not on any map.”

“Yes, but direction isn’t our strong suit, is it?” Danny interjected. “Remember that time in the

Everglades, tracking those alligators? It took us a week to get out of that bloody hellhole.” Danny chuckled to himself.

“You’re not helping,” Tyler growled.

9

We hiked straight up. The incline was steep, but the vamps seemed to glide over every stump and rock like it wasn’t even there. During the walk Danny had sidled up next to a patient Naomi and filled our walk with light banter. Eamon had taken in the lead, and the rest of us trailed after them.

“So what do you eat when you’re traveling, then?” Danny asked. “Not many humans out here to nibble on. Except for the one we’ve brought along, of course. We can loan him to you for the right price.” Danny laughed good-naturedly. He was pouring on the charm, and even though Naomi was keeping herself close, I could tell she was having a teensy bit of fun.

She indulged his curiosity pleasantly. “We don’t need to feed often. Our bodies are well preserved,

requiring a fuel source only every few weeks or so. If we find ourselves out longer than necessary, we can take the blood of an animal. It’s not as nutritious, and has a terrible aftertaste, but it will suffice.

We will not starve.”

“Where are you going to sleep when dawn breaks?” Danny asked. “Not a lot of spooky manors or crypts around here.”

She gave him a patient look, paired with a slight smile. “My brother and I have scouted this area.

There are caves and cool places for us to stay during the daylight hours. They will do.”

I cleared my throat, coming up behind the two of them. “Will we arrive at the next pass before the sun rises?” As we’d climbed, I’d become more and more agitated. My body sensed Rourke was near.

His essence was inside me and his blood sang directly to mine. I craved him.

My wolf prowled in my mind like a caged animal, sensing constantly for danger as the air grew thicker with Selene’s signature. Much like the immediate power a supe gave off, but more widespread.

It brushed against my skin like an angry breeze.