Claiming His Fire (11 page)

I paced behind the bar, obsessively watching the clock, waiting for Shadow to come out of Rebel’s office. I wasn’t sure why, but I couldn’t fight the need within me to stay close, to check up on him and make sure he was okay. To just be close to him.

“You’re seriously stressed.”

I spun, finding Julian sitting on one of the pleather barstools. He stared at me, his sunglass-covered eyes focused over my shoulder. Blinded in a car accident, if I remembered right. Sad, especially for such a young man.

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “There’s some scary people running around.”

Julian shrugged. “So? You can handle yourself.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Julian shook his head. “I’m blind, not oblivious. I know you can do things most people can’t.”

My mouth fell open, but the words wouldn’t come. How did this boy know anything about me? Before I could answer him, a man walked into the denhouse. Tall, blond, and delicious, but with an air of anger about him. Dangerous, almost. Hot as fuck and pissed as hell, wrapped up in one pretty package.

“Where’s Shadow?” he asked, his eyes barely pausing on me long enough to acknowledge my existence.

“That seems to be the question of the hour,” I replied, pointing toward the back. The man glared at me before turning and heading toward Rebel’s office. I huffed and grumbled under my breath, “Well, isn’t he just Mr. Sunshine?”

Julian giggled. I rolled my eyes and went back to pacing the length of the bar, even more nervous now that tall, light, and deadly had joined my…whatever Shadow was. My nothing. My something. My possibility of something? Damn it, this red thread shit was confusing.

Minutes later, the sound of booted feet rushing toward the bar had me spinning on my heel. Shadow came around the corner of the hall first, his eyes roaming the room until they landed on me, took me in, practically caressed me from the opposite side of the room. My breath rushed out, and my back relaxed as the tension I’d been holding dissipated. He was safe. But oh, the serious expression, the way he looked at me. Like he needed me, like he wanted me. Like he’d been just as worried about me as I was about him.

Shadow hurried over, grabbing my arms gently and walking me backward until he had me pressed against the wall beside the bar. Covering me with his body.

“I have to go,” he whispered, his lips so close, they nearly brushed my cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as we get some shit settled, though. Maybe an hour.”

“Okay.” I nodded and swallowed hard, my insides tying themselves in a knot. Desire and denial raced through me, leaving me unsure of what to say next. Of what to do. Because I wanted to pull him closer, press my lips to his, and set us both aflame. But I also wanted to push him away, get him off me, and run.

Unaware of my inner turmoil, he stepped back and picked up my hands, frowning at my burns again. “Will you be here when I get back?”

I shrugged, fighting to keep myself calm, to not let my confusion show. “I don’t know. I was thinking of heading home once you…”

I trailed off, not wanting to admit that I was waiting to make sure he was okay. His slow, shy grin was proof that he knew what I’d left unsaid. And that he liked it.

Shadow reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, removing a small ring from the rest.

“These are to my apartment upstairs.” He placed the cold metal in my palm. “Second door on the left. Please just stay there. We’ve kicked the asshole who attacked you off property, but I’d feel better if I knew there was no way for him to come across you, just in case. I’ll be back in like an hour, and then I’ll take care of your burns, okay?”

My fingers curled around the key ring automatically, brushing his in the process. Oh, the jolt that small touch gave me. The way it sent sparklers of sensation shooting up my arm. I nodded, clutching the key ring, wishing he was staying with me for just a little bit longer. Still wanting to hide from him at the same time.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “Okay.”

“Good.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead, making a full-body shiver pass through me. “Try not to burn anything down while I’m gone.”

I sighed, craving his lips elsewhere. “I make no promises.”

He smirked as he backed away from me. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

And then he left, following the other guys out the door without a look back. I was still staring after him like a lovesick puppy when Julian giggled again, drawing my attention to him instead of the unholy hotness of my red thread’s ass in tight jeans.

“You like him,” Julian singsonged.

“Shut it, kid.”

He grinned and leaned toward me over the bar. “You llloooovvveeeee him.”

“Do not,” I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. The keys bit into my palm, reminding me of Shadow’s touch, making my stomach clench with something warm and needful. Something almost strong enough to fight back the fear that left me cold.

Julian, being an annoying teenager, shook his head and kept picking at me. “You really lllliiiikkkkeeee him. You want to kkkiiiisssssssss him.”

“I’m so kicking your ass.”

His grin only grew. “Yeah, because that would go over so well with your new boyfriend—kicking the ass of a blind kid. Sure, give that a try. Let’s see how well it goes for you.”

I glowered, really fucking irritated that my bitch glare had no effect on the kid. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

“I know, but I’m an observant pain in the ass, especially for someone who can’t see.” He sat back, his grin falling, his face becoming much more serious. More mature. “You like him and he likes you, but it’s more than that. Just like how Rebel and my sister have more between them than a normal attraction. It’s beyond love, like some kind of connection that the rest of us can sense in the air when you’re in the same room together. Why are you pretending you don’t feel it?”

The weight of Julian’s words slammed into my chest. The bond between Shadow and me was growing even though I still wasn’t sure if I wanted it to be there. Was that growth from real feelings, or was his wolf just trying harder and harder to sink his teeth into me, to force me to submit to this fated mate thing? And how would I know if Shadow really cared about me at all? Or if the red thread was all we had holding us together?

“You smell when you think,” Julian said, yanking me right out of my inner turmoil.

“Pardon?”

“You do. You smell like smoke when you think. It’s different than most people…interesting.”

I huffed. “You’re a little crazy.”

“No, I’m a little blunt. You smell like smoke when you think, and you burn people when you fight them.”

Once again, my jaw fell open, unable to find words to refute his claims. I had a deep, illogical urge to tell him the truth, about witches and my powers, but I couldn’t. It simply wasn’t done. And yet…

“How do you know this stuff?”

“I’m blind, not deaf. And definitely not dumb.” Julian smiled, all casual, as if he hadn’t just called me out for being able to make flames flare from my skin. And for totally underestimating him. “You should probably go up to Shadow’s place and grab a shower before he gets there. He might want you to smell prettier.”

I shook my head, my voice soft and weak when I finally found it. “If he can’t handle me smelling like smoke, he can’t handle me at all.”

His face scrunched up in question. “Who said he wants to handle you? Maybe he just wants to hang out with you.”

“Somehow, I doubt it.”

Julian shrugged and stood up, pulling his cane out from under the bar. “Not all guys want to own you, Smoky. Some just want to hang out around the person they find interesting, even if they may or may not smell like a chimney.”

My mind swirled with indecision and confusion. I stared after him as he turned and walked out the front door, his words cutting straight through the chaos inside of me. That kid had unknowingly given me a place of calm to hold on to, a sense of rightness that hadn’t been there before.

I fiddled with Shadow’s keys, weighing them, weighing my options at the same time. I could leave them here and go home. I could run back to my little rented house that I shared with my sister, then head for the bar to find someone to dance with, to make me forget. Or I could follow the thread wrapped around my heart, risking it all on a pull that only the Fates could have created. To stay or go, give in or surrender. To let the Fates lead the way or walk my own path.

Heart racing, stomach clenching, palms sweating, I sighed and headed for the door.

Six hours.

That’s how long it took me to get back to my apartment. Between phone calls to Blaze and Dante, learning what we could about Aaric’s pack from Beast and Calla, and trying to keep Gideon and Cahill from going wolf and running their asses all the way to North Dakota, I was exhausted. And pissed. There was no way Scarlett had stayed. I’d told her I’d be back in one hour. Six was way more than one. She was finally starting to open up to me, to put her trust in me, and I’d broken that with a lie that wasn’t actually a lie. More a really bad moment of timing.

Reaching up to grab the spare key off the top of the doorframe, I huffed and let loose a small growl. It was an uncontrollable response to the night, honestly. My mood had started turning south two hours into the meeting; at this point, it was completely soured. But when I opened the door, that quickly changed. I smelled Scarlett’s smoky cool scent in my space and that alone calmed me more than all the pep talks and deep breathing could have. I liked smelling her in my den, liked how good it made me feel to know she had been here.

Or was still here.

The gentle sound of her breathing reached my ears, making my heart thump and my mood lighten. She’d
stayed.
How I’d gotten so lucky, I had no idea, but I wasn’t passing this opportunity by. I closed the door carefully and hurried across the room, grinning when I saw her curled up in the corner of the couch like a cat. So pretty and sweet in her sleep.

Not wanting to wake her but also wanting her to be more comfortable, I gingerly picked her up and carried her to my bedroom. She could stay with me tonight, and maybe we could talk in the morning. At least that’s what I hoped. A little time to get to know her before I had to leave for the next mission.

Once I had her in my bed and under my covers, I stood back and just watched her for a moment. Dark hair flowing down my pillow, those dyed bright ends like flames over the white cotton. Her even breathing as she rested, face relaxed and calm. So beautiful. So enticing. I wanted her to be mine more than I’d ever wanted anything, and her being in my apartment gave me real hope that our mating had a chance. That I had a chance.

Exhausted but almost giddy with relief, I made my way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Or rather, sleep. With Scarlett in my bed, unbeknownst to her, I’d have to spend the night on my too-short couch. But the discomfort would be worth it. I just wanted her near me. Especially after the day I’d had. Watching Gideon break down over the loss of his mate had shattered something inside of me, made me desperate to protect Scarlett in a way I hadn’t experienced before. Had she not been here, I probably would have ended up driving to her house. Tracking her. Needing to be sure she was safe.

Gideon knew his mate was not safe, and it had been killing him a little bit more every day as he waited for any piece of information on where she was being held… Would probably rip his heart apart these last few hours before we could get the right team in place to check out the latest lead.

Shaking off the memories of the past six hours, I hurried through a quick shower and brushed my teeth. I tossed on my favorite pair of sweats and, remembering Scarlett in my bed, tossed my T-shirt in the laundry basket. Hell, she seemed to like what she saw the night she brought me food. May as well work that to my advantage.

When I walked out of the bathroom, Scarlett was sitting up in the bed, pressing the blanket to her chest. Her hair sat atop her head in a mess of tangles, black, red, and orange all woven together into a fiery cloud. Her makeup had smudged a bit under her eyes, and her lids were half-closed in a sleepy stare. She’d never looked as beautiful or as tempting to me.

“Hi,” I whispered.

“Hi.” She looked around, bleary-eyed and confused. “Where am I?”

“My bedroom.” I snorted a laugh when her eyes widened. “I figured you’d be more comfortable in here. I’m going to sleep on the couch.”

“No, you can’t do that.” She jumped up, disentangling herself from my sheets. “That couch can’t be comfortable. You should sleep in your bed. It’s okay; I can go home.”

“Scarlett, it’s two o’clock in the morning. I’m not making you drive all the way to Downriver.” I leaned against the wall, trying to look casual even as I fought the urge to cling to her. Damn, I did
not
want her to leave.

She cocked her head and gave me a look that should have warned me off, one filled with bricks and mortar and the possibility of walls going back up. The ones I thought I’d finally blasted through.

“I’ve been out well past two before.”

I stood, unable to think of what to say to that. Of course she had. She wasn’t helpless or on curfew; she could do what she wanted. And right then, it looked like she wanted to leave, which made my stomach sink and my mood drop right back into the darkness.

“Yeah,” I said as I ran my hand over my hair, avoiding her eyes. “I understand that. If you want to leave, I can walk you to your car. But if you’re trying to make me comfortable, you driving through the night won’t do it. To be honest, I’ll probably jump on my bike and follow you home.”

She puffed up, looking ready for a fight until I held up a hand.

“Not because I think you can’t make the trip, but because I’d want to be sure you arrived safely. If you left now and I stayed here, I’d end up worried and waiting for you to let me know you made it. Then I wouldn’t be tired because of the anxiety. If I followed you, I’d end up driving back up here and being awake from the ride. So really, you leaving will just keep me up all night while me sleeping on the couch means I’d get to actually sleep.”