Wolf Slayer (The Order of the Wolf) (3 page)

Chapter Four

Okay, what the fuck?

Jaylon refused to look behind him even though he was desperate to make sure she was following him. It took all his power not to command her to do so. Lusting over her picture was one thing, but seeing her in real life? That was like nothing he had been prepared for. His wolf clamored for control, urging him to lay claim before someone else did. He’d been riding the edge since Dave told him of her imminent arrival and now that she was in the house, his wolf wanted fangs in skin ASAP.

Mine. Now.

He sucked in a deep breath, before letting it out with a low growl.

“You don’t have to do this.”

And suddenly she was almost in line with him, her stealth a little unnerving.

“Huh?” he grunted.

She made to take her suitcase from him but he yanked it away and kept walking, leaving her behind a few steps, puzzled by his behavior to be sure. He congratulated himself on his classy moves; winning the lady over with his personality was so not going to happen.

“What is up with you?” She was next to him again, her mouth-watering scent making his dick even harder. Like it wasn’t steel already from just the sight of her.

She touched his arm and his wolf practically leapt from his body. He dropped her bags to the floor, then bullied her back until she was pressed up against the wall. Her eyes were wide with shock. Not fear, he noted, but surprise. His wolf liked that. In his mind, he was screaming to back up and get his shit together but his body had other plans. He had to force himself not to grind his rock hard cock against her stomach.

He stared down at her, getting lost in those blue eyes. His breath came out in hard pants as he desperately tried to reel himself in. He wanted to taste those pink lips, shove his tongue into her mouth and explore her. He wanted to run his hands up her sides, feel her ribs, her lean curves, cup her breasts, tease her nipples. He
wanted
so bad that he ached.

“Your eyes have the most beautiful golden streaks in them. Are you wearing contacts?”

Her question was like a slap of cold water to the face. His wolf was pushing through. His eyes turned golden when he was the beast. A trait he and Raven shared, perhaps because they’d been bitten by the same wolf so long ago.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly as he forced himself away from her. “I am.”

She nodded slowly, then bit her bottom lip—sexy as all hell.

He turned away, grabbed her stuff and continued toward the guest room.

“I can manage this myself.” She was next to him again, keeping pace.

“No, Mayhem said—”

She jumped in front of him, effectively halting any further steps. “I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own bags. And I don’t need, or want, an escort.”

She was tall, but still only came to his shoulders, her fists clenched and her jaw set. Her eyes were determined but all the same, he could hardly take her seriously when she had a spray of cute little freckles decorating the bridge of her nose.

“That’s too bad.” He sidestepped her and continued. She was tough, and he liked that. Her fierce stance the same one he’d seen in the forest. By the weight of the bag on his shoulder, he guessed the bow she’d been using that day was in the case. She was probably desperate to have her weapon at hand, especially if she was a trained Huntress candidate. “Most women would appreciate a man who was willing to help them out. You could be a little more grateful.”

One second he was walking, the next her legs were tangled with his and he was on the ground. He hit the floor on his side with a grunt and she clambered on top of him. She rolled his arm behind his back, effectively pinning him in place with her weight. Or at least, that was what he let her believe. If he was human, she definitely would have him beat, but being a werewolf, he could get out of her tricky little maneuver in seconds. He just didn’t want to—not with her straddling him the way she was.

His cock strained harder against his pants and he rolled onto his stomach, forcing her to adjust her position and sit on his ass. He wanted to laugh aloud at the sheer bliss of it all.

“You gonna let me up?” he growled, putting on an act of anger when all he really felt was total and complete lust. If he could only compel her to grind her pussy against him, he’d be in heaven.

“You gonna stop being a prick?”

He forced his smile back and craned his head to the side, his hair a tangled mess that partially obscured his view of her. “I’m just following orders.”

“Nah, you’ve been a dick to me from the moment you walked into that hall downstairs and I want to know why.”

Tread lightly. Say something nice.

“You’re too pretty to be a security guard. I wasn’t expecting that.”

A war waged on her face. She was obviously battling not to be flattered.

“Thought you might be a groupie.”

Wrong thing to say. Her expression crashed into a cold blank slate and she released him from her grip then quickly jumped up. “I take my job to protect very seriously. I’m not here in service to any of you men, and just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m any less capable of kicking your ass.”

Jaylon rolled over, brushed his hair back from his face and chuckled. “I didn’t mean any offense.”

She retrieved her bags from the floor. Hastily slipping on the shoulder strap of her weapon case as she stood, she wouldn’t make eye contact with him. “Just tell me which room is mine. I’ll find my own way.”

Jaylon sighed, accepting defeat this time. “Turn left, third door on the right.”

“Thank you,” she said curtly as she walked over his legs and disappeared around the corner, leaving him feeling slightly empty.

He was gonna need to get a handle on his speaking skills. His ability to offend even shocked him a little.

Chapter Five

A groupie? What the fuck?
She knew she’d been acting like a lusty perv, no better than the women outside the gates but really…a groupie? Did she really radiate that kind of vibe? When Jaylon had backed her up against the wall, something inside of her had melted, pooling quite profoundly in her panties. He was incredibly sexy, more so in person than in the pictures she’d seen. He gave off this powerful punch of something both deadly and delicious. But what came out of his mouth was just garbage.

Ugh. Men.

She’d been waiting her whole life to be claimed by a Hunter, and now that day would never come. She didn’t exactly have a ton of experience in the romance department but she was pretty sure men didn’t act like total jackasses when they found a woman attractive…did they? He had called her pretty, though, and judging by the huge bulge in his pants, he was interested. But if he thought of her as a groupie, what did that mean?

A fuck and that’s it.

She was already flirting with the professional boundaries in her mind. She needed to get her shit under control.

Aubrey made it to her room and burst through the door. She dumped her stuff on the floor with an exasperated sigh. She might be trying to rebuild a life now that she wasn’t going to become a member of the Order, but that didn’t mean she had to put up with treatment from men like Jaylon. Just because her body ached for him didn’t mean anything.
Right?
There were plenty of other men she could feel that way for. Ones not associated with the band. Ones who weren’t quite as devastatingly gorgeous. And arrogant. And…

She slumped on the bed. Problem was, she hadn’t felt that way toward another man…ever…in her life. Until now.

Her instincts were off. Her body betrayed her logic. She glanced toward the ensuite.
Take a shower, wake up, get to work.

“Okay.” She smacked her knees then rose from the bed. “Snap out of it.” She beelined for the bathroom, hoping a cold shower would get her thoughts back on the job and nothing more.

Aubrey ran her hands down her slick body, her thoughts drifting as the near scalding water cascaded over her, her muscles easing with each sluice.

This is heaven.

Nobody really took a cold shower did they? What a waste that would be. She sighed as she ducked her head under the stream, soaking her hair, the heat making her scalp tingle. She’d always found a hot shower to be the epitome of relaxation, had never really been much of a bath soaker, but given the limited availability of heated water at her family’s home, she’d always been restricted to something quick and lukewarm. To be able to douse herself like this was a much appreciated luxury and she planned on taking full advantage.

It’d been a long journey, not so much in the physical sense since the mansion wasn’t too far geographically from home, but psychologically, emotionally…yeah, uphill battle at times. It took a lot of mental exertion to suppress those feelings of being discarded. To suppress the jealousy that threatened to explode if her thoughts even grazed the knowledge that her sister was at that moment training with her Hunter. That her sister was discovering her newfound powers, whatever they were—Aubrey hadn’t bothered to ask—developing under the guidance of her destined mate. She didn’t want to hate her twin but each day that went by, she felt the separation more profoundly and the envy blanketed her so completely that it became harder and harder not to give into it. Why couldn’t she have been chosen too? Why wasn’t she just as worthy as her twin?

The last time she had spoken to Corra was the day before, right after Aubrey had gotten a call from Dave letting her know she’d landed the security job. She’d called to speak to her mom, just wanting to touch base before she left with the band, not entirely sure when they were flying overseas. She’d been on the phone for mere minutes when Corra had hijacked the call, acting as if nothing was wrong—happy, giddy almost, and desperate to convince Aubrey to come to the Order’s compound where she would “fit in.”

“Fit in, Corra? Yeah, right.” To be looked at with pity by the Hunters, surely by the other Huntresses, who all knew that she’d been training her whole life, that her parents had led her to believe that she’d be one of them one day. A chosen one. A wolf slayer. “No thanks.”

“This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. You’re my twin, my soul mate.”

Aubrey scoffed, “Not anymore.”

“You’re just sulking.” Corra teased, taking liberties with a relationship that had splintered. “Come to the Order so I can show you what I can do. Teach you a few new tricks. Come on, sis. You belong here.”

“I don’t belong there, not with you, not with the Order. I’m starting life anew, Corra. I’m putting all this Huntress bullshit behind me. Including you.”

The conversation hadn’t lasted much longer. Her sister had started to weep, not great wracking sobs but the heavy, almost silent kind of crying that really nailed you in the gut. Aubrey didn’t take any of it back, though. Not one word. It was cruel and she knew it, but that was what pain did to a person. It made them come out swinging at the easiest target. Okay, scratch that, it was what pain did to Aubrey: turned her into a total asshole.

Behind her closed lids, Aubrey’s eyes burned, tears threatening to slip past those guarded gates. It was better for both her and Corra if they stayed apart. Aubrey knew that even if her sister didn’t or wouldn’t accept it. Aubrey’s bitterness would only grow, and as much as she wanted to be happy for her sister, things were poisoned by this rejection. You couldn’t spend your whole life chasing your dream only to watch it come true for someone else and be unaffected. That kind of strength was for the real heroes. It turned out that cutting away a piece of your heart was the easy part; keeping yourself from bleeding to death was the real battle.

Aubrey turned her face into the stream of water, holding her breath and blasting herself until her lungs screamed and those bitter thoughts fled.
Move on, move forward.

Taking a step back, she snatched a bottle of body wash from the side of the shower and poured out a generous dollop.

And then there was Jaylon.

Fuck.

It was like her brain was set to sabotage—just thinking his name made her body tingle. She wanted to run her tongue down the side of his neck, slide her fingers through all that silky hair, grip his firm ass as he pumped deep and hard and…

She shuddered, imagining how he’d stretch her out, how he’d no doubt ease that ache of hers, how he’d coax the blooming desire that rested deep in her core every time she saw him.

She slid her fingers over her nipples, teasing as she circled both aching buds at the same time before continuing down to her clit and rubbing there, stoking the fire that already simmered. She wanted to feel him under her while she rode his cock, her breasts bouncing with each stroke, her clit grinding against his shaft. She wanted him to take her from behind, his hands on her hips, holding her up as he drove deep into her, or cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist as she stared into those gorgeous eyes while he took her, his hands curled into her hair holding her to him.

Her orgasm crested with sudden ferocity and she cried out, bracing against the wall of the shower as the waves rolled through her. This was what the man did to her, her thoughts a burning lust. She could only imagine what he could do to her in real life.

And that was something she really didn’t want to find out.

Chapter Six

He was pacing.
Pacing!
And battling the urge to go up to her room and escort her to the kitchen, now. His wolf was just as anxious, wanting her in his proximity, preferably at his side—no, better yet—under him with fangs and dick deeply embedded. He was a mess and getting worse by the minute.

“Where is she?” he growled, his voice guttural, raw. Barely holding his shit together.

Darcy was sitting next to Raven, hand entwined with her mate’s. She looked up at him and winked. “Feeling a little riled up, Jay?”

“Gonna have to get control over that rage there, buddy.” Dyami came from behind, smacked him good and hard on the back. “Women don’t like to be rushed.”

Jaylon growled again, “Mayhem said an hour…”

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Aubrey stepped into the kitchen, her hair wet, her cheeks pink. “I was in the shower a little longer than I thought.” Her gaze skittered over his before focusing on the rest of the group.

“No worries. We want you to make yourself at home.” Darcy motioned to the coffee maker. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thank you.” Aubrey shook her head as she snapped her gaze to look at Mayhem. “I just want you to know that I’m usually punctual, you can count on me. I take my work very seriously.”

Mayhem nodded. “I trust Dave’s judgment. He says you’re the best and I only want the best guarding Darcy.”

Aubrey pulled a cell phone from her back pocket and swiped her finger across the screen. “I’d like to start with the schedule, routine, anything that will help me understand how you like to structure things. Dave mentioned that Darcy needs security during the day only…”

She was avoiding looking at him—that much was obvious, despite how hard he willed her to do so. He had to wonder if his behavior earlier had pissed her off more than he’d realized. He said she was pretty, hadn’t he? Didn’t women like compliments?

She was more than just pretty though. She was heart-stoppingly gorgeous, with a body that stoked him to the point of discomfort. She fuelled his fantasies, had since he’d first seen her. In his mind, he’d taken her in every possible way a million times already as he stroked his cock. But it wasn’t enough. Not even close. He needed to slake his lust with the real thing and his wolf wanted its mate.

He stifled a growl, biting his bottom lip and clenching his fists at his sides as he watched her. She had no problem looking at the other men, including Dyami, which was pissing both him and his wolf off tremendously.

Look at me, damn it!

“Darcy is usually on her own during the day and likes to explore,” Mayhem said with a little smirk. “Which isn’t a big deal in the US. But Raven and I are feeling the need to have an escort for Europe. It’s our first tour over there in some time. As I’m sure you can understand, the fans get a little territorial around here and we’re just not sure what to expect over there.”

Aubrey nodded. “I was thinking a small team would suffice, maybe two men, some muscle to get between Darcy and the fans. I noticed on my way in that your groupies”—she cut a hard look at Jaylon before returning her gaze to Mayhem’s—“can get a little riled up and physical. I’m thinking a wall of muscle will be good.”

Ah, yes, he’d called her a groupie.
That’s right, dumbass, women don’t like to be described as sluts.

Aubrey swiped her finger down the phone. “I’ve got a couple of men in mind, reliable, good guys…”

Raven growled and pulled Darcy closer to his side. “No males will touch my woman. Fans and security included, unless it’s to protect from deadly threat.”

Aubrey glanced up from her phone, her finger poised over the touch screen, an eyebrow cocked. “If you would prefer female security…”

Mayhem shook his head as he glanced at Raven briefly. “Your idea is acceptable. A wall of muscle is an apt description for what we’re looking for.”

“I don’t want to smell them on Darcy,” Raven added, his voice gruff once again.

Aubrey cocked her head to the side and frowned. “Smell them…”

Darcy tsked and quickly crossed the distance to Aubrey. “Ignore him,” she said with a dark look in Raven’s direction. “He’s the possessive sort.” She touched Aubrey’s arm briefly and motioned to the phone. “Continue with your ideas.”

Aubrey jerked her arm slightly and chuckled. “Ouch, you zapped me again.”

Darcy smiled. “Told ya it happened a lot. Sorry.” She turned around and winked at the group.

“No worries,” Aubrey said as she rubbed her arm then looked back at her phone. “Um…what was I saying?” She scrolled through her notes and gave her head a shake. “Right, two men, both armed. I’ve had extensive weapons training, as well as hand to hand combat and defense but I’m best with—”

“A bow.” Jaylon blurted, desperate to interject, to force her gaze his way once again.

Aubrey snapped her head to the side, practically knocking him on his ass with her stare. “I was going to say gun.” Her frown deepened. “How did you know I use a bow?”

Smooth. Way to play it cool.
“I carried it upstairs didn’t I? I’m no stranger to hunting. I know the feel of a recurve over my shoulder.”

She held his gaze. “You could tell it was a recurve just by carrying it in a bag?”

Damn it!
No,
I could tell it was a recurve because I saw you take a shot at a werewolf.
“Dave said you mentioned it in your interview, a hobby.” He lied. Darcy made another move toward her but Jay gave a minute shake of his head. At this rate, Aubrey would be so hopped up on whatever spell Darcy kept pumping her with that she’d soon forget why she was there at all.

“That’s right!” Dave nodded. “You did mention it briefly and it’s on your resume.”

Aubrey glanced at Dave. “I did?” Her frown deepened, as she almost certainly wondered why she would put something like that on her resume. It wasn’t really a skill that would come in handy for a personal security job.

“Heightened perception will be an asset. It’s a valuable skill to have. Dave will get whatever security clearance is necessary for the weapons needed.” Mayhem nodded in Dave’s general direction. “Any other questions you have can be answered by Darcy. We’re late for work.” He nodded at each of the men, leaving Jaylon for last. “Downstairs in five. We’ve got a few new songs to work on.”

Jaylon knew what
that
look meant.
Get your ass downstairs and stop fucking shit up with Aubrey
. But he couldn’t help it. It was like his brain shut down when he was near her. He needed, with every ounce of his being, to touch her, especially now as a tendril of her wet hair fell loose from the rest, and slipped across one eye. He wanted to be the one to brush it back behind her ear, to run his fingers down her cheek, along her jaw. He wanted to see if her skin felt as silky smooth to the touch as it looked.

Aubrey glanced from Mayhem to Jay and held his stare once again, those blue eyes of hers piercing him with questions. She opened her mouth and he snapped out of his reverie. “There’s a gym in the basement with everything you might want for a workout.” He shrugged as he dragged his gaze down her luscious body. “You look fit. I figured you’d want to know.”

Her eyes widened for a moment before crashing into a look of utter confusion. “Um…okay…thanks.”

“And if you’d like to do some target practice with the bow, the west lawn is safe. No one goes there.” He left before anyone could argue—more importantly, before he would say anything stupid or insulting. Besides, he had some shit to do.