“Permanent?” she echoed.
“Straws were drawn—” His voice broke off, like he was trying to spare her the ugly details.
She put her hand on his chest. Her throat constricted and her mind raced. She was intelligent enough to figure out the outcome. “And Vall got the short end,” she volunteered. Which explained why he was following her. He planned on marking her, turning her to a lycan. She paused to consider things further. She glanced at Slyck again and began, “And you needed me to be fully turned because—”
Frowning, Slyck narrowed his eyes. “Because if he tries to bite you, you’ll have a defense against him,” he elaborated. “Until your panther showed, you were vulnerable. There was a chance Vall could have turned you into lycan. At least now we don’t have to worry about that.” Despite trying to soften his words, the unease in his cadence hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“So now what do we have to worry about?” She drew a fueling
breath and took a moment to compose herself the best she could under the circumstances. “What if he does manage to bite me?” she probed. “What then?”
He inclined his head, his dark hair falling forward. “The best we can hope for is that it weakens you,” he confessed.
She arched a brow and could feel his heart race beneath her hand. “The worst?” she countered, even though the angst in his tone and the way he’d tried to avoid eye contact had already answered that question.
He lifted his chin to meet her questioning gaze. His eyes swept over her face slowly, apologetically. Instantly aware of the way his body tightened beneath her fingers, she demanded, “Tell me.”
“You’re only a kitten, sweetheart. The virus from a lycan bite can only weaken a mature panther, but on rare occasions, it can poison and kill a young body such as yours.” His voice came out rough, fragmented. His nostrils flared; the muscles in his jaw flexed. “It’s rare, Jaclyn, but we won’t let it come to that.”
“So even if his bite doesn’t kill me, one taste of my blood, and he’ll be able to figure out I’m panther, right?”
“Yeah, there’s always that.”
“So, since I’m the offspring of a rogue panther, either way I’m dead.”
Her blood raced and her mouth went dry as she marveled at the turn of events and all that she’d gone through over the last couple of weeks. She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “Does this kind of thing happen often? Humans getting marked?”
“No, and only with the people who refuse to leave, or ask too many questions about the town. We need to turn them and bring
them into the brethren in order to ensure that our secret society remains a secret.”
When he caressed her lightly, feathering his fingers over her arms, her heart tightened. God, he was so full of power and strength, yet capable of such exquisite gentleness when he touched her.
Confusion crept into her voice. “Who’s to say once a person is changed that they don’t expose this place?”
“It’s not like that once you’ve been changed. You’re here on your own free will because you
want
to be with your brethren,
need
to be with them. You can’t bear to be away from them. Your pack comes before anyone and everything else, so much so that we even go so far as to sacrifice one life for the greater good.”
She rolled her shoulders. “Why couldn’t they just accept me as panther when I showed up? Why would they think I’d expose the town?”
“Because your father was a rogue, and because I covered up his treachery, and because deep down, we’re all primal beings ruled by instinct. I could plead with the council to let them know you’re not a threat, but I can already tell you it wouldn’t matter and they’d terminate you. Trust me. Right now we’re better off not letting them know. Plus I can’t let Vall challenge my authority until I’m certain Drake is ready. Otherwise the entire town could be in jeopardy.” Seemingly weary, he pinched the bridge of his nose as though trying to ward off an impending headache. “I thought I was doing what was best for the town,” he murmured under his breath.
Jaclyn traced the scar just below his ear, her heart going out to him. “Where do we go from here?”
Frustration passed over his eyes, his brow creased in concern. “I’m working on that.” Slyck fell quiet, lost in his own thoughts.
After a moment of silence Jaclyn said, “I felt him following me, Slyck. Just this morning.”
He tensed and drew her body in tighter. “He didn’t see you come into the club, did he?” he rushed out.
God, she felt so protected in his strong arms. Without conscious thought, she snuggled in closer and shook her head. “I was careful.” After she felt him relax, she continued. “When will he try to mark me?”
“He has until the first full moon, which is less than two weeks away, but I think he’ll bide his time and see if I react. Marking you and taking me down in the process, especially if he knows what’s between us, would give him the utmost pleasure.”
Slyck cursed and fisted his hands. Jaclyn could feel his pulse pick up tempo. As though to calm himself, he softly brushed his cheek over her hair and lowered his voice when he explained, “Which is why we have to be extra-careful. We can’t let anyone know you’re my mate, and we can never ever let our guard down.”
She swallowed and put her hand on her stomach. “I think Sunray knows.”
“Sunray?”
“Yeah, she saw me this morning at the department store. I think she even saw my eyes, but I can’t be sure. She was really worried about me. Told me to get out of there and that she’d cover for me.”
He paused to consider that for a moment before saying, “Even though she’s a lycan, she’s not like the others in her brethren.
Many years ago, when she was trying to come to terms with what she was, she used to spend a lot of time at the bar. And in a strange sort of way, with both of us feeling alone in this community, we bonded as friends, and I suspect we can trust her to keep our secret.” Then his gaze went to her medicine bottle, and suddenly, as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head, his eyes lit.
“What is it?” Jaclyn asked.
He kissed her full on the mouth, and something that looked like hope entered his eyes. “You’re brilliant.”
“I am?” She could almost hear his mind race, formulating a plan.
“Yes, Sunray is just the woman to help buy us some time and turn the predator into the prey.”
Chapter Eleven
After listening intently to Slyck’s extremely risky yet still workable plan, Jaclyn put a call in to Sunray at the department store. Sunray readily agreed to meet Jaclyn for drinks after nightfall. It was clear she understood that they needed to talk.
To make their meeting look as inconspicuous as possible, they met up at the crowded bar, just two women sharing a margarita after work hours. Jaclyn could feel Vall nearby. He sat, watching and waiting. Even though she couldn’t see him, his pungent scent impregnated the smoky establishment and stung her sensitive nostrils. Her skin prickled, and she fought back a violent shudder.
Jaclyn kept the conversation light, exchanging pleasantries only, even though Sunray’s silver eyes held many questions. Jaclyn was pretty certain Sunray could feel her stress, despite her efforts to bank her tension. When they finished their drinks, they casually walked back to Jaclyn’s place for a swim as though neither had a care in the world—an act not uncommon for coworkers and friends.
Jaclyn suspected Vall wouldn’t intervene, especially since he’d planned on bringing her into the brethren anyway, and not only would that mean she’d eventually have to bond with Sunray; it also meant she’d have to bond with every other member of his pack as well.
As soon as they stepped across the threshold of her rental, Jaclyn’s cat hissed at Sunray and bolted to the basement. The poor thing was obviously frightened by the intruding canine. Jaclyn made a mental note to give Ruby extra attention later on that night, and maybe even a few special treats.
Both women stopped walking through the dimly lit room when they spotted Slyck leaning against the doorjamb. His arms were folded across his chest, and his expression was serious. Jaclyn had never seen him look so intense.
As their eyes penetrated the darkened bungalow, Sunray shook her head. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded, and took one measured step backward. Silence fell among them all as Sunray watched them with uncertainty.
Trying to handle the situation as delicately as possible, Jaclyn cupped Sunray’s elbow and guided her into the living room. She gestured toward the sofa and took a seat beside Sunray. Slyck positioned himself on the coffee table in front of them, and with his elbows planted on his knees, he leaned forward.
Sunray’s curious gaze went from Slyck, to Jaclyn, to Slyck again. “You marked her,” she stated. Slyck nodded in confirmation. Flabbergasted, Sunray threw her hands up in the air and asked, “Are you fucking insane, Slyck? Vall told us he’d be bringing Jaclyn into our brethren, but after I saw her eyes today, I figured
out what you’d done.” Sunray blew a long, slow breath, her eyes widened with apprehension, and when she turned to Jaclyn, she announced, “When Vall figures it out—”
Slyck intervened. “That’s why you’re here. We can’t let him find out. And we need your help.”
Her eyes shot back to Slyck. “Why me?”
He got right to the point. “Because I know how much you hate Vall.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes questioning, even though she wasn’t denying the accusation. “How do you know that?”
He cocked his head. “Because of the way he treats you, because of the way you act around him, and because you won’t submit to him. And, because over a bottle of tequila at the bar many, many years ago, shortly after you’d been turned, you told me about the night he changed you.”
She gave a slow shake of her head. “I guess I forgot about that conversation.” After a humorless laugh, she held her finger up and wagged it. “Tequila is not my friend.”
Slyck pitched his voice low, to show the seriousness of the situation. “I love her, Sunray, and I won’t let Vall take her from me.”
Jaclyn swallowed. Even though his erotic touch had shown her how much he cared for her, it was the first time she’d heard him voice those words. The first time any man had ever told her he loved her, in fact. Her heart twisted and her insides turned to pudding.
Sunray looked down. The deep sadness in the depths of her friend’s eyes took Jaclyn by surprise. Sunray grew quiet, lost in her own thoughts.
Reading her distress, Jaclyn flicked on a corner lamp that bathed the room in a soft glow. The gentle rays gave sufficient light for her to see moisture in Sunray’s eyes.
“What is it?” Jaclyn asked and captured the other woman’s hands in her own.
Sunray took a moment to gather herself and began, “I understand how you both feel. Vall took someone very important from me a long time ago, and I’ve never forgiven him for it. But I don’t see how I can help you, Jaclyn. Vall has every intention of marking you.”
“Which is why we need him to mark you, instead,” Slyck suggested.
Sunray frowned, her solemn eyes turned to Slyck. “Mark me, instead?” she echoed, and then gave Slyck a look that suggested he was insane. “Do I need to remind you that I’m already a lycan?”
“Which is why his bite won’t hurt you. We need for him to think he’s marking Jaclyn, when in reality he’s marking you.”
She shook her head wildly, her long golden mane tossing about recklessly. “It’ll never work,” she said. “My scent alone will give me away. And, besides, we look nothing alike.”
Slyck shook the bottle of Tylenol and Sunray’s eyes went wide. “There’s nothing a little makeover can’t fix, and with these . . .”
Sunray made a strange sound, a mixture of surprise and incredulity on her face. “I always knew you were a crazy son of a bitch, Slyck.” She paused and then added, “A crazy son of a bitch who’d do anything for love, which is probably why I like you so much.” Then suddenly, as if her mind had gone in another direction, the sadness returned, and her eyes clouded with emotion.
She cast her gaze downward in thought, and she clasped Jaclyn’s hand tighter.
Jaclyn touched Sunray’s chin and angled her head until their glances collided. Tormented eyes met and locked with Jaclyn’s, and in that instant, Jaclyn could feel her friend’s sadness and deep loneliness as though it were her own.
Sunray blinked back the moisture and went on to say, “But I understand the extent you would go to to save a loved one.” Her voice came out low and shaky. “Trust me, I’d do the same if given the chance.” She sagged against the couch and looked heavenward. “God, it’s been close to a hundred years, and I still miss him,” she muttered almost to herself, angst lacing her words. “I miss our secret meetings in the old, abandoned building near the tracks, and our late-night swims in the school’s aquatic center. He was on the swim team and we’d often sneak in.” A pause and then: “I have a hole inside me that will never go away, thanks to Vall. He stole my innocence, my life. I hate him. So much so that I recently bought a gun and loaded it with silver bullets.”
Jaclyn gasped. “You want him dead?”
“Hell, yeah, I want him dead. But I wasn’t going to use it on him. I was going to use it on me, because some things are worse than death, Jaclyn.”
“Like what?” Jaclyn asked gently, coaxing her friend to open up.
“Like submitting to Vall. Truthfully, life would be good here without him.”
“Why didn’t you leave?”
“And go where? These people are my family now. They’re all I have. If it just wasn’t for Vall . . .” She blinked and attempted a
smile. “I was ready to end it all until I met you, Jaclyn. There is something about you, something that reminds me of the man I loved and lost. I can vaguely feel him on you. Smell him on your skin. Like he’s come back to me through you somehow.”
“Was he panther?” Jaclyn asked.
Sunray shook her head. “No, and I know this all sounds insane, but it’s the only way I can explain it.”