Chapter 8
F or the next two nights, Jacob, Sloane, Stella, and Cliff went on runs in their wolf forms after dinner. On the third evening, Jackson, Jordan, Jack, and even Lily joined them. During the day, he and Sloane would watch Stella as she trained with Jackson on how to control her wolf. It had reminded Jacob of those summers he spent on the ranch with his cousins, bringing back good memories. Back then, of course, it was only family around him. He reminded himself that Stella was family too. And as for Sloane …
Well, he didn’t know what she was, really. Despite all the time they spent together, neither of them had brought up what happened at the club, and then there were a few moments here and there when he was truly tempted to just kiss her again and pull her into some dark corner. Each time they would shift into their wolves, he tried his hardest not to look at her naked body, but she was making it difficult. She would always shift near him, taking time as she removed her clothing or put them on. And, of course, he caught her ogling him a few times, which, frankly he didn’t mind at all.
He knew she wanted him too, but for some reason, there was something holding him back. There was a feeling in his gut, something that wouldn’t go away, an inkling that he didn’t want to verbalize because he was afraid it might be wrong.
Or it might be true.
“Jacob, would you be a dear and put the biscuits on the table?” Lily asked.
Every morning, Jacob woke up early to help his grandmother prepare breakfast. He didn’t cook or bake, but he enjoyed being in the warm, cozy environment of the kitchen. “Sure thing, Grams.” Leaning down, he opened the oven door and took a whiff of the freshly-baked bread inside. “This is so?—”
“You’re here.”
The hairs on the back of Jacob’s neck stood on end, and he quickly shut the oven door. “Who—Gunnar?”
The man standing in the doorway from the backyard grinned. He was about Jacob’s age, tall, blond, with piercing light brown eyes. “Hello, Jacob.”
“Hey, man.” He strode over to his cousin and enveloped him in a hug.
Growing up, they had been the two youngest boy cousins and were both hybrids, and so they’d been quite close. But he hadn’t seen his cousin in months, not since the final battle with the mages, but even before then, it had been a very long time since Gunnar had stepped out of the Shenandoah territory. A few years back, there had been an accident at a club he owned in New York City where he had lost his control of his powers and knocked out all the patrons, and thus he had to come here for his and everyone’s safety.
Guilt crept into his chest. Truly, he had forgotten about Gunnar all this time, which made him feel like an asshole. “Man, I’m sorry I haven’t visited. Before or even in the last few days since I arrived.”
“It’s all right, I understand.” Light brown eyes peered at him. “Jack told me you were here, but I didn’t want to interrupt or anything.”
“Interrupt? What?”
He flashed Jacob a cryptic smile. “Nothing. But, I was curious about your guests, Grams. I hope you don’t mind me just showing up.”
“Ah yes, I’m sure Jack talked your ear off about them.” Grams snaked her arm into his. “And of course I don’t mind. I told you, you’re always welcome here. This is your home. I’m glad you finally decided to come here, after all this time.”
Jacob frowned. “You’ve never come to the house for breakfast?” If he had been in Gunnar’s shoes, he’d be here every day just to eat Grams’s cooking.
Gunnar looked at Lily sheepishly. “No.”
“He wasn’t ready then.” Lily’s voice cracked, and her eyes turned misty.
“Hey, what’s going—Gunnar?” Cliff blinked as he stood in the entryway, Stella beside him. “Dude, is that you?” He walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good to see you, man. This is Stella, my True Mate. Stella, this is my cousin, Gunnar.”
“Hello, Stella, nice to meet you,” he greeted.
“Nice to meet you too. Are you visiting?”
“Not quite. I?—”
“Oh God,” Sloane moaned dramatically as she entered the kitchen. “Stel, I can’t believe you talked me into waking up so early—oh, hello.” Sloane eyed Gunnar appreciatively. “Who are you?”
Jacob gritted his teeth as his wolf, too, growled unhappily. Of course she would notice his cousin—Gunnar took after his father and with his large stature and blond hair, he looked like a dreamy hot Viking on the cover of a romance novel.
“You must be Sloane.” Gunnar’s eyes flicked at Jacob reassuringly. “I’m Gunnar, nice to meet you.”
“He’s our cousin, he lives here too,” Cliff explained.
“Why don’t you all help get the food ready so we can eat?” Lily suggested. “Everyone should be coming down any moment.”
They all busied themselves as they set the table and put the food out, and soon Jackson, Jordan, and Jack came down, and they sat down. The Alpha initially seemed surprised at the new addition, but said nothing.
Jacob eyed Gunnar, itching to ask him what he’d been doing for the last couple of years. If he’d understood it correctly, he never came to the house to join them for a meal. But, everyone around him acted normal, and there didn’t seem to be an opportune moment to bring it up. Maybe I can ask him myself later.
Though breakfast was usually a quick affair since there was a lot of chores and training to be done, Jackson had seemingly allowed it to go on a more leisurely pace. Eventually, though, he stood up and subtly reminded everyone that they were just starting their day.
“It’s really nice to see you, Gunnar,” he said to his cousin after they finished cleaning up the kitchen. Since everyone else had to go work or training, the two of them volunteered to wash up.
“Yeah, it’s nice. I should get back to my cabin, though.”
“So soon? Why don’t you hang out? Are you coming back tonight for dinner?”
“I don’t think so, but thanks for asking.”
While he was disappointed, Jacob understood. From what he’d heard, after what happened back in New York, he had a hard time being around a lot of people, which is why he decided to live out here in Shenandoah.
“But you can visit me anytime. Just ask for directions to my cabin.”
“I might just do that.” Like he promised to Grams that he would visit more often, he reminded himself to stay in touch with Gunnar. “Let me see you out.”
They walked out to the porch, where Grams and Sloane sat on the couch, laughing as they chatted over coffee. For a moment, she looked so lovely, with the early morning sun bathing her face and hair in a golden light, that his breath caught in his throat.
“Leaving already, Gunnar?” Lily asked.
“I should go, Grams. Thank you for breakfast. It was nice meeting you, Sloane.”
“Nice meeting you too, Gunnar.”
He turned to Jacob. “I’m glad you came.” Gunnar embraced him. “And I just wanted to tell you when it comes to her, follow your instincts.”
Jacob stiffened. “What?”
Gunnar stepped back. “Just think about it. You already know the answer,” he added cryptically. “See you later.” With a wave, he trudged off.
Jacob could only stare at his cousin’s retreating figure, that feeling in his gut returning. He’d heard … certain things about Daric’s family and his powers, but never really confirmed anything.
“Hey, wanna go find Stella and Cliff?” Sloane said as she popped up beside him.
It had been their daily ritual now, to find her sister wherever she happened to be training, to encourage her and cheer her on. Jacob had been impressed by Stella’s progress, considering she’d only been here for a few days.
Plus, it was a good excuse to spend the day with Sloane.
“Sure.”
“That’s it, Stella!” Sloane cheered as her twin shifted back to her human form and ran to her to help her re-dress. Jacob stayed where he was, and of course, turned and averted his gaze, as did all the other males around them. This morning, after they had finished their chores, Jackson wanted to work on Stella’s shifting speed. While she could control her shifts, she still took a long time to change. Lycans had to learn to quickly slip between forms as those moments in between human and wolf were a Lycan’s most vulnerable state, leaving them open to attack by an enemy. The faster they switched, the sooner they could defend themselves.
“I think I almost got it that time.” Stella took a gulp from the water bottle Sloane offered. “I was just having a hard time at the end.”
Jackson strode over to them once Stella was dressed. “Sometimes it’s tempting to just let your mind wander while you’re inside your wolf. But you still have to maintain some control.”
“My wolf … she wanted to keep me locked away.” Stella shuddered. “It was scary.”
“Don’t be afraid.” Sloane rubbed her back. “She’s trying to test your boundaries, Stel. But you gotta show her you’re in charge.”
“Exactly.” Jackson nodded in agreement. “Our human part is the leader, the alpha. We tell our wolves what to do, including when we want to change.”
“You all do it so fast.” Stella’s expression fell. “I feel like I’m always lagging behind.”
“It just takes practice.” Cliff enveloped her in a hug. “Muscle memory, for both you and your wolf.”
Jackson rubbed his chin. “Don’t forget, you’re also pregnant. I’m afraid you’re the first person I’ve trained who’s carrying a pup, so I’m not sure if that affects it. Perhaps your wolf is being extra protective. But really, Stella, you’re doing a great job.”
“Even better than Devon,” Austin snorted.
The Alpha threw his head back and laughed. “Well, that was a different case. Devon was a stubborn SOB. The only way I got him to cooperate was because of Charley.”
Stella wiped the sweat off her face with the towel Cliff handed her. “I’m beat. And starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Cliff teased. “But, yeah, can we go back to the house for lunch, Uncle Jackson?”
“No, not today.” Jackson held up a hand before anyone could protest. “What I mean is, I thought maybe we could all use a break. I called Momma earlier, and she’s got lunch set up by the pond. I thought we could use some R and R for the rest of the afternoon.”
“No more chores?” Jack raised a fist in the air. “Yes!”
They all trudged toward the large swimming pond on the property, just east of the main house. Jacob recalled spending many hot days cooling off at the pond, so this was another activity he was looking forward to. As Jackson promised, Lily was already there, maneuvering two large picnic baskets onto a folding table.
“You should have called us, Grams,” Jacob admonished as he helped his grandmother with the baskets.
Lily tsked. “I’m a Lycan, Jacob. I’m strong enough to carry these and more.”
“But you shouldn’t have to.”
“Hey, let me help too,” Sloane said as she came up behind them. “Lily, did you lug all this all the way over here? You should go sit down and relax.”
“For crying out loud, I’m not an invalid,” she complained.
“We know, Grams.” Jacob sighed. “It’s just … you spend all your time caring for everyone around you, but who takes care of you, huh?”
“Go and spend time with your family,” Sloane added. “Shoo!”
Lily’s expression softened. “All right, I guess I’m outnumbered.” The corner of her mouth tugged up and she winked at him. “You two make a great a team, by the way.” With that, she turned on her heel and left.
Jacob frowned, wondering what that wink meant. Surely Lily didn’t suspect?—
“Look at us, working together to bully a nice old lady.” Sloane chuckled. “C’mon, let’s get this food out before Stella comes over here and starts ripping the baskets apart.”
As soon as they laid out the food, everyone came over to fill their plate. Sloane opted to sit next to Stella and Cliff on a picnic blanket under a tree, and while Jacob’s first instinct was to follow her, he instead found a spot next to Austin.
“This is nice,” Jacob remarked. “Just like those days in summer when we visited.”
“Yeah.” Austin took a bite of his fried chicken and swallowed. “Sometimes I miss those days. Though not the part about being a kid, you know what I mean?”
“You mean having a bedtime and homework? Yeah, definitely not.” He laughed then took a swig of lemonade.
“Say,” Austin began. “I was thinking, how ’bout you, me, and a couple of the guys go out tonight?”
“Can I come too?” Jack piped in.
Austin rolled his eyes. “Sorry, squirt, this is a boys-only night out.”
“Ugh, no fair.” Jack crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you gonna go to the strip club?”
“None of your business.” He flipped her cap around then tweaked her nose, which earned him an outraged shriek.
“Ugh! You’re so immature.” Jack stood up and took her plate with her as she walked toward Lily and Jackson.
“So, what do you say, Jacob?”
Jacob’s gaze drifted toward where Sloane sat, chatting with her sister. A breeze blew by, lifting a few locks of her golden hair. A warm feeling settled over his chest and his wolf lay down and let out a contented sigh. “Naw, I think I’ll stay in tonight.”
“Really? Are you sure you’re my cousin, Jacob?” he teased. “The Jacob I know wouldn’t hesitate to go out for a night of fun.”
True, he’d usually be the one raring to go for a night out. But this time, it just didn’t feel right. “You go ahead and have fun, though.”
“Suit yourself.” He glanced over at Cliff and Stella. “I guess Cliff won’t want to join in either.”
“I don’t think so.”
A wistful look passed over his cousin’s face for a brief moment, one Jacob didn’t miss. While he wasn’t someone who meddled in other people’s lives, he had overheard some stories over the years. Austin was the oldest among them, yet he still hadn’t married or even had a serious relationship. According to family gossip, though he’d been engaged once when he was younger, he broke up with his fiancée because he couldn’t accept she wasn’t his True Mate.
Jacob once again looked over at Sloane, a familiar sensation forming in his gut. Gunnar’s words came back to him, though if he were being honest, they’d stayed in his mind, and he hadn’t been able to forget them since this morning.