Ice Moon (11 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Jared

H
oly shit. I wanted to climb up on the roof and howl. My mate was hot, and not in the fireball way that frightened her. In the month I’d known her, she’d grown from this cold, aloof queen hidden in her tower, into a strong, sensual, empowered woman.

And knowing she wanted me sweetened the moment considerably. Truth was, I wasn’t big into dressing up, but she needed me, so I’d be right there beside her.

For the rest of my life if she gave me the chance.

Unlike my brother, I’d always hoped the old Pack stories about mates were true. It certainly was for my folks. But when my wolf recognized Taryn, part of me didn’t believe it would ever work. Her emotional walls seemed impenetrable. But bit by bit, things changed, we swapped mental scars.

Maybe some of the initial desire might have been wolf instincts, but every day I got to spend with her, to see her smile, hear her laugh, and taste her lips, she got further under my skin, closer to my heart. I was falling for her, not because of the sex; her powers hadn’t let us get that close…yet; it was her determination, her courage, and the warm kindness she kept hidden under the Ice Queen façade.

I’d shared my secret, or at least part of my true reason for the sudden change of course for my life
,
and she never judged me or tried to fix me.

She accepted me, cracks in my armor and all.

Would she still stick with me when I told her about shifting into a werewolf once a month? Would she believe her son was a wolf, too?

That was a question I was afraid to answer. If she ran, I’d lose my mate, my one love in this lifetime, but even worse, Charlie would be a time bomb as he grew into puberty and his first shift.

“The costume fits perfect. You’re a dead ringer for Wolverine.”

I chuckled. “There’s some claws too, but I’m dangerous enough without those.”

I went to her and slid my fingers through her silky hair as my lips crushed hers. She moaned into the kiss, her arms sliding around me. My other hand moved down her back, gripping her ass and pressing her tighter against me.

“Mom!”

We jumped apart as Charlie burst through the front door. I’d been so wrapped up in her, I hadn’t noticed Sherri’s car pulling in the driveway.

His green eyes shifted from his mom to me and back again. “You’re X-Men.”

Taryn nodded. “We were trying on our costumes for the Masquerade.”

He grinned. “I want to go, too. Can I be Beast? I want to be hairy and blue and—”

“And it’s a grown-up party.”

Charlie sighed. “Can I still be Beast for Halloween? You could keep your costume, Mom, and we could trick-or-treat.”

“We’ll see.” She looked at me, her face flushed, but her eyes sparked with desire. Great look for her. “I better change and get back to work. I still need to overnight the deal for Mr. Severino.”

Cold shower. Adrenaline replaced the yearning in my bloodstream. “He’s buying a place up here then?”

She nodded. “Damian’s offer was accepted, but he got called back to his main office. He won’t be back until Friday.”

Oh shit. Not that any Severino would be good news, but if it had been Sebastian at least we might have had a chance at having Lana or Sasha getting him to rethink this purchase.

This news meant we could shift here in Tahoe during the full moon Thursday night without Nero watching, but those bastards were about to have a base in our territory, and my mate was inadvertently helping them.

Charlie went over to the dining room table and started rifling through his homework. I took Taryn’s hand and lowered my voice. Charlie would still hear every word. “We need to talk about Nero.”

She raised a brow. “How did you know that’s his company?”

“That’s what I want to talk about.”

She squeezed my hand and glanced at Charlie. “We’ve got to change. Be back in a second.”

I followed her into her bedroom and closed the door. Taryn sat on the edge of her bed.

“I recognized his last name and assumed it wasn’t a coincidence.” I remained standing, too amped to sit, and having the door closed in this room without vaulted ceilings didn’t help. “Nero funds Brightwood Academy.”

A crease formed between her eyebrows. “What?”

“Yeah. Sylvia, the principal who helped you…”

“Severino.”

I nodded. “Nero is interested in girls with psychic abilities to work for them.”

“Doing what?” She frowned.

“They train assassins.”

The temperature of the room warmed suddenly like I’d just stepped in front of a roaring fireplace.

“That’s why they wanted me to start fires.”

“Probably.” Sweat beaded on my forehead. “Taryn, you’ve gotta breathe.”

“And I burnt his hand.” She inspected her own. “And he went back to headquarters.”

A bead of perspiration rolled down from my temple. Between the heat and the closed door, it was getting tough for me to catch my breath. “Taryn…”

“He’s trying to find out if they have a record of me. That’s why he was asking where I lived before Tahoe.”

Her lampshade beside the bed yellowed, warping slightly. I knelt at her feet and grabbed her upper arms. She was smoldering right through the costume. “Taryn. You’re hot. Breathe. Let this go and cool off.”

She met my eyes and suddenly connected with my words. “Ohmygod.” She gulped in a breath, closing her eyes.

“Think about the snow, the cold lake outside.” I watched for any sign of flames. “Slow breaths.”

Her chest rose and fell, controlled, and gradually the temperature settled into a more comfortable zone. When her blue eyes met mine they were clouded with fear.

“If he figures out I went to Brightwood, he’ll be able to pull my records.”

Yeah, I didn’t like it either. “Was Goldstone your name back then?”

She shook her head. “Malcolm had a new driver’s license and social security card for me.”

“That should slow him down.”

“But he must suspect.” She sucked in another breath through her teeth.

I nodded. “He probably does, but he has no proof. The trick is keeping it that way.”

“You never told me how you know all this.”

Her room almost caught on fire a minute ago. Not a good time to drop the werewolf and jaguar shifter bomb on her. I sucked at lying, but telling the truth with omissions, that I could do.

“My brother’s girlfriend lived at Brightwood. We’ve been helping her keep Nero out of her life.”

She slowly got to her feet. “That’s why you didn’t run when you researched about Pyrokinesis. You know someone else with psychic…gifts.”

I grabbed on to her postulation with both hands. “Yeah. Maybe you two knew each other. Her name is Kilani.”

Her jaw relaxed for a second as she nodded. “She wasn’t in my grade, but I remember her. She got flashes of the future. She was from Hawaii. We all used to take turns braiding her hair and wishing ours was long and soft like hers.”

“She’s a nurse now.”

Taryn almost smiled. “I bet she’s great at it. We could never play games with her because she always knew our next move before we did.”

“Maybe one day soon you can meet her.”

“Not yet.” Her shoulders tensed. “Not until I can control this more.”

“Okay.” No double dates in my future. “But be very careful with Damian.”

“I shouldn’t have to be around him much longer. I’m overnighting his documents and then I’ll give him the keys when escrow closes.”

“Be sure to keep contact with him minimal. It can’t be a coincidence he wants to own property here.”

She nodded, staring at the floor. “Why is this all happening now after so many years?”

“I wish I knew, but we’ll get through this.” I took her hand, relieved to find it cooled off.

“I like the sound of we.”

I smiled and kissed her slowly. “Me, too. I better get changed.”

She met my eyes. “Thank you for helping me.”

“You did the heavy lifting. I just pointed out it was happening.”

“I got scared. If they ever tried to separate me from Charlie…” She focused on the ceiling. “I’d turn into that weapon they want.”

“I won’t let that happen. Ever.”

I intended to keep that promise…somehow.

A
fter Taryn left for the office, I went around back to work on the deck. And to call Adam.

“Hey, Jared. What’s up?”

Lake Tahoe shimmered in the afternoon sun, peaceful in spite of my turmoil. “Damian is the jaguar I smelled in her office.”

“The asshole who shot Kilani?”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yeah. He’s alive, and he’s buying a house on the lake.”

“Are you shitting me?” Adam roared.

“Wish I was. Taryn said his offer was accepted. The only good news is, he’s back in Virginia at the Nero headquarters.” My anger grumbled into my voice. “He cornered her, and she burned his hand. I’m pretty sure he went home to rifle through records and see if he can figure out if she’s in there anywhere. The bastard is probably salivating at the prospect of bringing her back to lie at his father’s feet.”

“If Damian is still after Sebastian’s birthright that would be a step in the right direction.”

“I don’t care who he is, if he threatens Taryn or her son, I’ll kill him.”

“First we need to find out what Nero is planning. Lake Tahoe is Pack territory. They have to know we’ll push back.”

“Somehow I doubt he’s going to tell us anything.”

“We’ll make a plan on Thursday. Meet at the ranch before sundown.”

“I’ll be there.”

I ended the call and put the phone in the pocket of my jeans. After an hour of hammering and drilling, the railing was coming along. I still needed to stain and seal it, but as long as the weather held, I’d be finished by Friday.

The door opened and Charlie poked his head out. “Jared? My homework’s done.”

“Well are you going to come out and help me work, or what?”

He grinned. “I’ll get my tool belt.”

I chuckled and picked up another slender baluster. Spacing it two inches from the other, I drilled it into the two-by-four rails. Charlie’s footsteps thumped across the deck.

“Can I drill one?”

“Sure, but first I need to talk to you…man to man.”

“Oh.” He knelt down beside me, no sign of a smile. His man face. I had to struggle to keep from smiling.

“It’s about your mom.”

“She’s not mad at you again, is she?”

“No.” I set the drill aside. “In fact, I wanted to ask you for your permission to court your mom.”

“You’re taking her to court?”

I shook my head. “No. It means I want to date her.”

“Like be her boyfriend?”

“Exactly.”

He was quiet, and for a second, my confidence wavered. Finally he grinned. “’Course you have my permission.”

“Thank you.” I mussed his hair. “I’ll do my best to make both of you happy.”

He rolled his eyes. “You already do, and you were kissing on her when I got home from school. On a work day!”

Apparently, we hadn’t jumped apart fast enough after all. I handed him a baluster board and helped him with the drill, and together we almost finished the railing.

T
uesday and Wednesday the snow came in. Not blizzard levels yet, but enough that I wasn’t eager to drive up the Mt. Rose highway. Taryn and I talked on the phone, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to feel her in my arms, to see her laugh and smile.

Instead, Tank and I cleaned the house and had Jason and Gareth over for dinner with their mates. Kilani and Nadya both went to school with Taryn, but neither seemed to know her very well. They remembered her power.

“No one else had a gift that physically manifested while I was at Brightwood, plus I was younger, so Taryn was more of a legend than a real person.” Nadya cut her steak while she spoke. “Does she know you’re a werewolf yet?”

I groaned. “No. She can barely control the fire. I don’t want to upset her and have the house go up in a blaze. When I told her about Nero funding Brightwood, her bedroom lampshade warped and the room turned into a sauna.”

Kilani pushed her food around her plate. “Once she finds a way to switch it off, you really should tell her. You never know, maybe she’ll be able to relate. Her power takes physical form just like the wolf does during a full moon. She might believe you.”

“It’s telling her about Charlie that worries me.”

Gareth, Nadya’s mate, was traditionally a man of few words, so it surprised me when he set his fork down and stared at me. “She lives up at Tahoe, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Where?”

“Opposite shore from the Sloan cabin.”

He tipped his head, cracking his neck. “We need to shift as far away from her place as possible.”

“Why?” I frowned. “It’s not like we’re going to be in the populated areas anyway.”

He glanced at Nadya and back to me. “Because I learned the hard way that when our wolf is in charge, he will claim his mate whether you want it or not. I fought with everything I had to get my wolf to turn and walk away from Nadya that night, but he wouldn’t be swayed. Even though it might’ve killed her, he tracked her scent and made her one of us. I was trapped, a spectator.”

“Shit.” I raked my fingers through my hair. “There’s no way I can let that happen. Not only does she have no idea werewolves exist, but I have no clue how the conversion might affect her and her powers.”

Nadya cringed, probably walloped by my sudden swell of dread. She was a strong empath and usually kept her shields up, but this came on suddenly.

“Mine are definitely still working.” She rubbed her temple.

“Yeah, mine are the same, too.” Kilani got flashes of the future, but normally just a moment before they happened. Enough to make her an incredible nurse, helping patients before they realized they needed it.

“But what if hers were enhanced by the bite? We could both be killed.” I shook my head. “The mess just keeps getting better.”

I filled them in on Damian and let Kilani know Taryn remembered her, but wasn’t ready for a double date just yet.

We had to get through the Masquerade first.

Chapter Seventeen

Taryn

T
he snow kept Jared away. It unsettled me to realize how much I missed his company. The last time I’d let someone in my heart, he walked out when I needed him most. Probably wasn’t fair to Jared to compare the two, but Noah had been my only experience with falling in love, and I fell so hard, I gave up everything for him. Gave him everything.

And lost it all. But I’d never call it a mistake. Through that storm, I made it to the other side with Charlie. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat if I had to.

Unlike Noah, Jared had been loyal and strong since the day I met him. He was good to Charlie, and helped me contain my power enough to hug my little boy. His kisses lit a passion in me I never realized existed. Just imagining making love with him left me breathless.

He even called me when he couldn’t be here in person.

But I still couldn’t shake that nagging feeling there must be something awful I didn’t know. No one had ever been so stubborn or cared enough to take the time to figure out my Ice Queen persona was emotional armor. He broke through my walls to save me and Charlie. Set us free.

But what if there was some motive I didn’t see? Ugh. Being left alone with my thoughts was a dangerous place to be.

Thankfully it stopped snowing on Thursday. I invited Jared up to dinner, but he had some kind of family thing he couldn’t get out of.

I spent the evening bundled up on my deck, staring at the full moon. The bright moonlight shimmered on the lake and in the distance, the wolves howled. Until Damian mentioned them, I’d never really noticed any howling. Maybe I just hadn’t been outside during the full moon. It wasn’t like I had anywhere to go or anyone to hang out with.

In fact, until now, I’d never realized how ethereal the winter full moon nights could be. The blue hue reflected off the snow drifts along the water’s edge, almost glowing, while the cool light sparkled on the lake’s surface.

I pulled my wool coat tighter around me. The howling was getting louder. I scanned the trees, wondering what the wolves were so riled up about. When I came out earlier, they’d sounded musical, like they were singing to the moon, but now…they seemed more urgent. Upset.

Ridiculous. I shook my head, leaning on the railing. Animal communication was
not
one of my psychic talents. Probably for the best. My hands were full enough already.

My breath puffed in front of me like fog. Jared was right about angling the deck toward the west. He’d been thinking about the sunsets, but the full moon was pretty stunning, too.

I turned to go back inside when something rustled in the pines to my left. Moving closer to that side of the deck, I squinted into the shadows. My heart skipped a beat as I held my breath. It was probably a rabbit scurrying through the snow. But still.

As I stepped back, a snout poked out, and one step at a time, a large brown wolf came into the moonlight. He sniffed at the air and then stared up at me. My heart raced. He was gorgeous, with bright almost-orange eyes. I should’ve been terrified, but the deck was up about eight feet off the ground, and the railing added another three feet. No wolf could jump that high, not even the massive creature watching me.

I gasped as two more black wolves burst into the clearing. They were large, too, one with dark eyes and one with green. They chuffed at the brown wolf, bumping him with their shoulders. The green eyed wolf snapped at him, biting his snout.

“Hey! Leave him alone.” I grabbed a pine cone from the floor of the deck and tossed it at the aggressive green-eyed wolf.

Why was I getting involved? Wild wolves were dangerous.

But something about the brown wolf seemed…I couldn’t describe it rationally, but in my gut, I knew this wolf would never hurt me.

The other two turned in my direction, barring their teeth, deep growls echoing up. The brown wolf jumped forward, spinning around to snarl at the other two.

Protecting me.

It couldn’t be true. But again, my unique schooling taught me to trust my instincts. I didn’t understand the drama below me, but I appreciated the gesture.

“Mom?” I turned to find a bleary eyed Charlie poking his head out the door. “I had a bad dream—” Suddenly wide awake, he raced for the railing, staring down at the wildlife below us. “Wolves. Real wolves.”

Charlie took a deep breath and frowned a little.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked up at me, confusion lining his face. “I’m not sure, but that brown wolf…”

“He seems like he’s protecting us.” Speaking of, I needed to keep my son safe. “We should get back inside.”

I spared one last glance at the wolves. The brown wolf glanced up at me and chuffed as if he approved of my decision to get in the house.

Once we were inside, I closed the door and locked it. Charlie still seemed shell-shocked. I draped my arm around his shoulders. Every single time I touched him I worried my heart might explode. Such a gift.

“Still upset about your dream?”

“What?” He looked up at me like I’d snapped him out of an alternate reality. “Oh. Yeah. I’ll be okay, Mom.” His attention shifted to the back door leading to the deck. “Will Jared be back tomorrow?”

I nodded. “He told me he’d be here in the morning to work on the deck, and then we’re going to the Masquerade.”

“I better get back to bed. I have school tomorrow.”

“You sure you’re okay?”

“It was only a dream.” His eyes met mine. “But those wolves were real.”

He turned and ran toward his room. I stared down the hall, replaying his words. Did his bad dream involve a wolf? Glancing at the back door, I couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe my son was psychic. I’d always watched for any signs, but other than claiming he could hear and smell things, I’d never witnessed anything.

Maybe he heard the wolves howling while he slept and they became part of his dream. Probably much more likely than a premonition.

But still.

I’d have to pay closer attention.

S
itting at my desk the next day, I read the email from the escrow company. Damian’s deal was going through. He’d be living near me and my son. What if he found proof that I went to Brightwood? Would he be coming back here to confront me? Or worse?

The unanswered questions had my hands burning, and the window fogged in my office. Worrying wasn’t helping. I tried to relax in my chair and focus on my breathing.

“Excuse me, Ms. Goldstone.” Madison peeked in my door. “Can I come in?”

Horrible timing. I let out a slow breath, counting. “Sure.”

She sat across from me. No sign of her iPad. I waited.

“Um. Tonight’s the Masquerade.”

“Yep.” I paused. She still didn’t jump in. “Is something wrong?”

She shook her head. “Not really.”

“Something’s not right… You wouldn’t have come in here if it was.”

Madison heaved a sigh. “I hate to even mention this.”

I was going to shake her soon. “I’m listening.”

“My date fell through for the party tonight, but one of my sorority sisters is staying with me, so I wondered if I could bring her with me instead.”

Why would I care? Luckily that remained in my inside voice. “I’m not sure why you’re asking my permission.”

“My friend is a journalist.”

I raised a brow. “Aren’t we throwing this big party for publicity?”

She nodded, her eyes brightening. “Yes, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to have the press attend.”

I shrugged. “I doubt many news outlets are going to be itching to run a story on our annual Halloween party, but any publicity is good publicity, right?”

Madison popped out of her seat. “Great! I can’t wait for you to meet Vivi. She’s smart and savvy. You’ll love her.”

“Guess I’ll see you both tonight.”

She vanished from my office. I leaned back in my chair. Madison was intelligent in spite of the act she played at times to get what she needed. She didn’t have to ask my permission to swap her date for her college friend, but she did so that it would be in the open with me that the press would be in attendance.

This way, she didn’t have to ask me outright if she could invite them. That girl deserved a raise. I had to tip my hat to a woman who used every asset to achieve her goals.

As long as the goal was to benefit my company, I was good with it.

She also succeeded in distracting me from my anxiety over the Severino deal.

I popped the end of my ballpoint pen. Rapidly. He couldn’t have found anything concrete connecting me to Brightwood except my first name. I’d been naïve to keep it, but at the time, I had no idea my school had bad intentions. For now, Damian might have suspicions after his hand got singed, but no proof. I had a new identity, including ID and social security number. No ties to my family either. He’d be playing a hunch, and if Nero was as top secret as he led me to believe, he wouldn’t risk it.

But I’d be cautious either way.

I glanced at the clock. Two hours before I could leave to get ready. These final inspection docs weren’t going to review themselves. With any luck, they’d distract me from thinking about Jared in his body hugging Wolverine costume.