Wolf's Kiss Ch. 07

Jake immediately jumped out of the truck and called to the men and wolves to stand down. He gave them instructions that Shayna couldn't hear and the wolves turned back into the compound also vanishing from sight. The two men remained at the gate when Jake got back into the truck and drove to a small parking lot on the right of the property. Before getting back out of the truck, Jake turned to the two women in the backseat.

Looking from Shayna to Marisa, he asked "Are you okay?"

Shayna slowly nodded her head. "I think I almost wet myself but I'm fine now."

She still looked a little shell-shocked but Jake smiled at her humor. He knew he was right to love her, she definitely had spunk. Marisa on the other hand didn't look so well. She had an anguished expression on her face and Jake thought he could understand why. Coming face to face with him after all these years must have been hard to say the least.

"I'm sure everything will work out," Jake said. "Just stay put for a few minutes while I go talk to my brother."

Sebastian stepped out of the building in front of them and waved. Shayna smiled and waved back, still finding it hard to believe they were Werewolves. Even watching the large wolf that confronted them moments ago seemed surreal.

Turning back to Marisa, Shayna could see that she was upset by the encounter and put her arms around her, taking on the nurturing role. Marisa welcomed her great-granddaughter's comforting embrace and hugged her back. She felt a bit guilty and hugged her a little tighter. She'd felt so drawn to him that she hadn't considered Shayna's safety had she opened the door. On some level deep inside, she didn't think he came to harm her but she still couldn't take any chances.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled back from Shayna and planted a smile on her face. "I'm okay, sweetie. Just a little shaken up but I'll be fine."

Shayna looked skeptical. "If you say so," she said. "That was Gerard, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, that was him," Marisa answered and looked away. She realized now that ever since that last night at the St. Simon compound, she'd merely suppressed her feelings for him. Her need to protect her husband had taken over, provided a diversion for her until it became obvious she couldn't stay. She truly loved her husband but she didn't feel her soul stir as it did when she was near Gerard.

But she'd never intended to go back to Gerard either and thought the time and distance between them would dissolve the desire to mate. She was terribly mistaken and for the first time in a long time, Marisa didn't know what to do.

Jake came back to the truck and opened Shayna's door. Shayna hesitated for a nanosecond before accepting his hand to help her out. As she tried to comfort Marisa she was also trying to steady her own nerves. She was literally among a pack of wolves and had no idea what to expect.

Jake put his arm around her waist and leaned in to help Marisa out as well. Not that they needed the help but he was a gentleman and did what gentlemen do...most of the time. He certainly wasn't having gentlemanly thoughts about what he wanted to do to Shayna when he finally got her alone in his house.

When Marisa stepped out of the truck, he locked the door and handed her the keys.

"Marisa, there is one thing I have to ask of you," he said.

She looked up at him, wondering if there was a condition to his helping her with Gerard.

He must have guessed what she was thinking because he shook his head and chuckled.

"It's just that I think you should do whatever it is you do to unmask your scent. You have to trust that we'll do anything necessary to protect you, but we have to be able to trust you as well," he said.

Marisa breathed a sigh of relief. Of course she trusted him, he was in love with her Shayna and Shayna was in love with him. She quickly said a chant in Chinese and her natural lemony scent immediately came forward.

Jake inhaled and held his breath, memorizing her scent identity. While Marisa's scent was light and pleasant, it was Shayna's spicy jasmine scent that he wanted to immerse himself in.

But business came before pleasure as his parents were waiting for them in the community hall. They'd been expecting Jake and Shayna since the previous evening when Sebastian had told them of the intruder in Shayna's apartment. And now that Gerard's mystery woman had been revealed, they wanted to know everything right away so they could take whatever action they felt necessary.

The three of them squared their shoulders, each laboring under different burdens, and prepared to face the inquisition.