Chapter Twenty-One
J ost finished his call with Apollo and closed his eyes, smiling to himself. Apollo was worlds apart from Jenrick, and Jost was ecstatic to have found him. Putting his car in drive, Jost pulled away from the nursery and began the journey home. He could barely keep still in his seat, his mind thinking about all he could do with Apollo. There were some nerves there as well. Thoughts of how Jenrick had treated him lingering, but he knew deep inside he could trust Apollo. He could feel it through their connection, and it helped ease his worries.
Another night with his mate, kissing and touching and making love. Jost thought that was what they did together. They made love. Apollo touched him in a way that showed Jost how much Apollo cherished him, and now he had someone who treated him with dignity and respect. He knew what he’d had with Jenrick was anything but that. The looks Jenrick gave him that Jost interpreted as love were anything but. Now they seemed calculating, and they made Jost shiver inside. It mystified him how he had fallen for someone like Jenrick, but then again Jenrick had showered him with small gifts and such affection that Jost fell for it, and he’d learned a painful lesson.
Not with Apollo, though. When Apollo had told him they didn’t need to move in together until Jost was ready, Jost knew fate had sent him the perfect shifter. Maybe he’d gone through his awful relationship with Jenrick so he’d know when he’d found the right shifter. From an early age, he’d wanted to mate and have cubs, but he wanted to have a career too. Jenrick had promised him the world, and Jost had been young and immature, so had easily fallen for the lies and Jenrick’s charm. Now that Apollo was here, Jost knew he’d never have to worry again. He could feel Apollo. It was the most wonderful thing in the world, being able to feel how much Apollo cared for him.
Jost stared ahead as it began to rain, and switched his windscreen wipers on, leaning forward so he could see. Flicking his lights on, Jost noticed how dark the sky had become and winced when the rain lashed the windshield as the wind picked up. A storm had arrived, and he wanted to gather his things then go home to Apollo.
Go home to Apollo. Yes, home was Apollo.
As he had that thought, the wind buffeted the car, and Jost gritted his teeth as his grip tightened on the steering wheel. He automatically slowed, and then he noticed a car off the road ahead of him with its hazard lights on. Jost slowed as he passed, seeing someone bent over staring at the engine, the hood providing some shelter, but not much. Jost pulled in and grabbed his umbrella, then hopped out of his car and ran over.
“Can I help you?”
“No, Jost, but I can help you.” Jost staggered back, staring into Jenrick’s dark eyes, that narrowed and hardened as they glared at him. “I’ve been waiting for you. A little birdie told me you’d mated. They weren’t happy about who’d you mated, either, but I’ll deal with him later. Now I need you to come with me.” Jenrick lunged at him and Jost spun around and bolted for the trees. A flash of heat washed over him, his body heating up, but Jost ignored it as he ran.
“Fuck you!” Jost shouted as he ran into the trees, ignoring the scream Jenrick let out. As he ran, he patted his pockets, and winced when he realized he’d left his phone in his car. He’d have to circle back and get to his car, then drive away before Jenrick caught him. He should have done that first, but instinct had him bolting away. “Shit.”
“I will get you, Jost, and then I’ll make you suffer!” Jenrick screamed from far too close behind, which meant he had to be catching up. Why now? He’d been gone for almost a year, so why was he here now, and who had told him about Apollo? “Jost!” Jenrick screamed. At least it was raining. The rain should help to hide his scent. Jost carried on running through the trees and burst out into a field, then saw a stream off to one side. Sprinting over to it, he jumped in then ran downstream, following it until he was certain Jenrick hadn’t seen what he’d done. The cold water did nothing to stop the heat that ebbed and flowed inside and a quick sniff of his skin confirmed Jost was entering his heat. Why now? Was it because he’d mated Apollo that his heat had come in before it was due? Getting out, he ran back into the trees and headed to where he thought he’d parked his car, ignoring the changes in his body.
It felt like hours later when he ran out onto the road, then looked both ways, spotting his car to the left and some distance away. Gritting his teeth, Jost ran towards it, listening for sounds of pursuit but not hearing any. All he heard was the wind and the rain. His teeth chattered due to the ice cold water that had soaked into his clothes, which were still wrapped around his legs, but he’d almost made it.
Reaching his car, he skidded to a stop, almost fumbling with his keys and dropping them. He pressed the button and opened the car, then got in and grabbed his phone. He called Apollo, who shouted his name as soon as he answered. “I’m fine. Jenrick’s—”
Next thing Jost knew, he was on his back on the road staring up at Jenrick, who threw his phone as far as he could. “You stupid fuck. Who did you call?” he screamed at Jost before kicking him in the side. Jost curled up and let the rain fall on him, cooling his overheated skin as Jenrick stormed around, shouting. He knew not to draw attention to himself. That would only inflame Jenrick more.
Jenrick charged over and grabbed Jost’s coat, hauling him up and dragging him over to his car. Jost knew he couldn’t let Jenrick force him inside. If that happened, then Apollo would never find him because his scent trail would be gone and with his heat in the early stages, he couldn’t have Jenrick picking up on it. Twisting, Jost shrugged out of his coat and kicked Jenrick’s knee at the same time, and bolted back into the trees. Heat rolled through his body, and Jost gritted his teeth. He had to find a place to hide that would disguise his scent, more so now that he was going into heat. He also had to hope Apollo would find him first. Hopefully, Apollo would call the authorities as well.
He heard his name being screamed and ran on, ignoring the branches that slapped at his face, and the rain that ran down his face. He was a lion shifter, and that thought had him pausing. Should he shift and try to fight Jenrick? No, because Jenrick was larger than him in both forms. The fight would be over in minutes, if not seconds. “Fuck,” he murmured.
Pausing, Jost listened for sounds of pursuit and heard them off to his left, so he spun and ran right then fell to the floor as his body pulsed with need. “Not now,” he muttered, as he pushed back up. He jumped over logs, ran through bushes and splashed through puddles in the hope of creating distance between them. Jost didn’t pay any attention to his surroundings but would slow periodically to listen. He could still hear Jenrick behind him, and he sounded closer. Sucking in a lungful of air, Jost stopped and tried to remember where the stream had been, and whether he was near it. He could use it again to cover his scent—which he desperately needed now that he was going into heat—then climb a tree to hide.
“Jost!” Jenrick screamed, and it was far closer than Jost had realized, which meant Jenrick was gaining on him.
This time, though, he didn’t run, he thought. He turned around on the spot, looking at what he had at hand, and picked up a thick, heavy branch. Swinging it a few times, Jost nodded. It would do. Seeing a thick tree trunk ahead, Jost hid behind it, the branch held ready to strike Jenrick as soon as he appeared. He tensed his grip on the branch, slowing his breathing. He stood still, his focus on the sounds Jenrick made as he crashed through the trees after him.
Of course, Jenrick didn’t need to hide the sounds he made. He was an alpha and could easily overpower Jost, so Jost had to use the element of surprise to his advantage if he was to have any hope of escaping, and he wanted to escape. He couldn’t let Jenrick get to him. Not now. He’d scent Jost’s heat and that would be it. Jost had an amazing mate who he adored. No, loved, and wasn’t this just the best time to realize how strong his feelings for Apollo were? Apollo was the only one he wanted. Closing his eyes, he listened to Jenrick screaming at him and tightened his grip on the branch as the distance between them lessened.
Holding his breath, Jost waited as Jenrick neared him and when Jost heard a twig snap right by the tree, he stepped out and swung the branch. To his surprise, it worked. The branch hit Jenrick in the face. Jenrick fell to the ground, screaming in anger and pain, and Jost hit him again, then scrambled back when Jenrick’s lion roared to the surface.
Jost threw the branch at Jenrick and sprinted away, hoping he was heading back to his car, but realizing he had no idea where he actually was. He looked at the ground, seeing it undisturbed, and knew he wasn’t going back the same way he’d come, but he could do nothing right then. Jenrick roared behind him and Jost knew Jenrick had shifted. He was fucked if Jenrick got hold of him.
Falling hard, Jost lay stunned, then pushed back up, wincing when pain flared in his knee. He stared down, seeing the rip in his jeans and the blood flowing, and whimpered. Fuck. His blood would be a beacon to Jenrick along with his stronger scent. Spinning around, Jost bit his lip, then grabbed a handful of mud and smeared it on his wound before limping on.
A huge roar rocked the area and Jost slammed his hands over his ears but kept moving forward. Jenrick was so close, there was no way for him to hide his scent. Blinking, Jost let the tears fall but struggled on. He wanted to see Apollo again. Wanted to spend his life with him, having a family and raising them together. He wouldn’t let Jenrick take that from him. He wasn’t a victim anymore.
Slowing, Jost turned and waited for Jenrick to appear. He was going to make a stand and suffer the consequences. He was done running. He wasn’t that omega anymore. He was stronger now, and he was mated.
Jenrick roared as he jumped close to Jost and Jost stood still, waiting for Jenrick to make his move. He had no idea what he would do, but he wasn’t running anymore. Jenrick prowled in front of him, his mane shaking as he roared. Jenrick’s huge incisors gleamed, saliva dripping from them, and Jost had the thought that Jenrick might actually be crazy. Pawing the ground in front of him, Jenrick lowered his furry head and, with narrowed eyes, watched Jost.
Jost remained still, waiting and wondering what Jenrick would do to him. He’d never faced Jenrick when he’d been like this. He’d compromised, apologized, tried to reason, but that was the past, Jost wasn’t doing that anymore. Whatever happened, he would face it head on.
When Jenrick shook and changed forms, Jost gasped, surprised. Jenrick stood naked and charged Jost, grabbing him around the waist, lifting him off the ground and slamming him to the ground. The air whooshed out of Jost, leaving him stunned, and he turned his face away when Jenrick tried to kiss him. Jenrick bit his jaw, causing Jost to wince in pain, then grimace when Jenrick lapped at the wound he caused.
Jost waited until Jenrick moved over him and then he rammed his uninjured knee into Jenrick’s balls. Jenrick cried out and Jost pushed him off and scrambled up, crying out at the pain he felt. Pushing up off the ground, Jost stumbled, fell, then got back up again, narrowly missing Jenrick’s lunge at him.
His head snapped up when he heard his name. “Apollo!” he screamed and headed toward his voice, ignoring Jenrick’s roar of rage behind him. By the sound of it, Jenrick had shifted back into his lion and Jost cried as he stumbled toward where he hoped Apollo was. There, up ahead, Jost heard sounds of movement and whimpered before screaming Apollo’s name again.
Close. Apollo was so close, then Jost hit the ground and shrieked as claws raked across his back, the weight holding him down. His face was slammed into the ground, and he couldn’t breathe, then suddenly the weight was gone.