Tornado_A Paranormal Romance Read online

  Ava sprang to her feet, only to fall back with a cry. Sweat broke out on her forehead.

  “What the fuck?” the wolf looked utterly perplexed.

  “You’re part of that gang,” Ava spat out. “Melanie was right, you’re going to sell me as a sex slave!”

  The wolf’s eyes darkened. “We don’t do that. There’s plenty of crime that we do partake in, but not sex trafficking.”

  Ava glared at him in response. She knew all about the brothel that one of the other chapters ran over in Ivywood. But the suspicion cleared from her mind as she considered him. No… he wouldn’t be part of something like that. She sighed, exhaustion washing over her.

  “So, a vampire attacked me.”

  “Astrophel. He bit you, and the venom will make you sick for a while.”

  “I feel fine, other than a headache,” Ava said. When she focused, she could remember a little bit of the vampire attack. It was the only reason she wasn’t completely doubtful. “I suppose I’m a little tired… but I have to go home.”

  The wolf gripped her wrists, keeping her in place. “He wants you. If you go home, he’ll go after you again. But he can’t get you here. This place is charmed against vampires. Even a king like Astrophel can’t break in unless he brings his whole guard. That would be as good as declaring war on the Brotherhood and they don’t have the numbers to take us on. Not to mention that if humans knew about them, they’d nuke the shit out of their mountains.”

  The wolf gave her a rakish grin which had her heart thumping hard. Ava shivered as the absence of her panther was felt more keenly. She wasn’t going to show weakness, though. Even if she was certain he wouldn’t hurt her, she wasn’t stupid.

  “So, what’s your name, Kitten?” he asked.

  “Ava,” she said after a minute.

  “Jackson.”

  A flush rose in her cheeks as she remembered being underneath him, his hardness between her thighs, his lips on her throat. All without even knowing his name. Something twisted in her stomach painfully—whether guilt or her stomach wanting to throw up, she didn’t know.

  “You’re very pale,” Jackson took her hand again. “Like I said, you’re sick. You’ll pull through just fine, but you need to go back to bed. Come on.”

  Ava didn’t find it in herself to protest. Jackson picked her up with ease, earning a little gasp from her, and carried her up the stairs. When he deposited her back on the bed, she almost asked him to lie down with her. Her eyes were sooo heavy…

  “I’m leaving—after—I wake up,” she muttered.

  “I’d like to see you try.”

  She shot him an annoyed look, but the smile on his face made something flutter within her. Her eyes drifted shut, but that smile remained in her mind as sleep overtook her.

  ***

  Fever colored her dreams, and Ava wasn’t sure what was real and what was fantasy. Jackson helped her drink soup broth. He carried her to the bathroom and held her upright in the shower, he sat next to her when her eyes fluttered open in the moonlight, he laid cool clothes on her forehead and often talked on the phone, growling and snapping.

  The fever seemed to last for days, each day worse than the last.

  She wasn’t sure how much time went by before she woke in the bright daylight, her mind clear. Considering how close to death she had felt before, she now felt oddly… rested. Like she’d had the sleep of her life, not that she’d been so deathly ill. The room was empty.

  “Hello?” she called.

  Jackson came then, smiling when he saw her sitting up. Ava stared at him, wondering how long she had been at his house, how much time she’d missed from work.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “Hungry,” Ava said.

  He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

  He disappeared, and she heard his footsteps on the stairs as he climbed down. A few minutes later, he was back with a tray of food that he put on her lap. Plain toast, some orange juice, and a small cup of applesauce. Not much of a feast, but about all her stomach could take after being so sick. Ava ate slowly, not wanting to throw it up again.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed, and Ava stared at him curiously. He’d been caring for her for who knew how long. Why? What was she to him? He didn’t strike her as the Florence Nightingale type.

  “I think that was the worst of it,” he said. “Your fever broke last night, and I think your shifter immune system has kicked back in. You were lucky. It could have been much worse.”

  “Thank you.” Ava smiled hesitantly, though genuinely. “What a way to find out vampires are real, eh? How long have I been here?”

  Jackson clucked his tongue. “Two weeks.”

  “What?!” Ava made to jump out of the bed, but the wolf caught her and held her down. She hissed at him, batting his shoulder. “Let me up! Everybody is going to be worried sick!”

  “I texted your work saying you had a family emergency. Your friend Melanie took a bit more convincing, but she thinks you’re in Denver with your parents. If you think that I’m going to let you leave this house while Astrophel is out there, you are very wrong.”

  Ava crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Are you going to, what, tie me up?”

  He grinned. “Only if you want me to, kitten.”

  Ava blushed just thinking about that, trying not to imagine herself with her legs splayed and tied, helpless to his wants.

  “Am I just supposed to stay here forever?” she said hotly, annoyed by how her body reacted to the image. Annoyed by his stupid, smug, handsome face. “I have a job, a life. I worked hard to get what I have; I’m not letting some vampire creep take it away from me.”

  “Then stay. You won’t have a life if Astrophel gets to you,” he said, his arms crossed over his chest.

  Ava opened her mouth to snap back at him, but she held her breath instead. She had never been sick a day in her life, like all shifters. And this Astrophel guy had nearly killed her. Vampires might seem fantastical, but it was as good as any explanation… as long as she accepted that Jackson was genuinely here to help her.

  “So, what’s going on?” she asked to keep her mind from wandering.

  Looking into his eyes was as comforting as it was disconcerting, and the only reason that Ava wasn’t panicking was the fact that he soothed her somehow, even as he made her angry.

  “Astrophel is a very powerful, very old vampire. He’s king of a clan that resides in the mountains. Me and my people keep an eye on them, keep them from crossing the border.”

  “You aren’t doing such a great job, are you?” Ava asked.

  He gritted his teeth. “A shifter killed a vampire a while ago. According to our treaty, it means we have to hand a shifter over to him. An eye for an eye. He wants you.”

  A shiver ran down her spine. “Why me?”

  Jackson shrugged. “Either it’s random or he saw us in the woods and decided to fuck—sorry, mess—with me.”

  Her stomach twisted, the toast sitting uncomfortably in her gut. “He chose me… to get to you? Why?”

  He shrugged again. “I killed his son.”

  Great. She was stuck in the middle of a blood feud. Her stomach churned worse and she had to wonder if it was wise to stay here with Jackson. “Why did you kill his son?”

  “He killed my mother.” A wry smile crossed his lips. “My parents were the alpha male and female of the Coalfell chapter—the front line against vampires. The Savage Brotherhood does more than control the local crime life, Kitten.”

  “You don’t look like the leader of a superhero squad that protects the town. You look like the kind of guy who rides around, sits in a bar, drinks, takes a new girl home every night. Rinse and repeat.”

  He grinned. “All of those things are true.”

  Ava rolled her eyes, flushing under his gaze.

  “I’m a biker—a pig, if that’s what you think,” Jackson said. “And yet I’ve kept girls like you alive for decades. The same kind of girls wh
o cross the street if they see me walking toward them.”

  “Can you blame them?” Ava asked.

  He gave her a dry grin. “You really think tattoos and leather tell you who I really am?”

  “No. You’ve shown me who you are.” She meant it to be a compliment. After all, he’d cared for her for two weeks while she was sick. His eyes flashed, though, and she could tell he was thinking about how their… play in the woods ended. She quickly continued. “What are we going to do about Astrophel?”

  “I’m going to kill him,” Jackson said.

  “How?”

  “It’s none of your business,” he said. “All you need to do is sit here until he’s dead.”

  Ava opened her mouth to argue, but he stood up, staring down at her.

  “I have to go call my sister, tell her you’re awake. Astrophel’s going to get impatient to have you sooner or later. We have to find the shifter who killed the vampire—if the vamps killed him, then Astrophel’s claim on you is moot. But you’re still not fully recovered. Try to eat and get some rest.”

  Ava hesitated a moment before nodding. She did feel sleepy… Jackson stared at her for another long moment before nodding. He left without another word, leaving Ava wondering what that look was really about.

  Chapter Four

  Jackson

  She was going to be alright. Jackson stood in Ava’s doorway watching her sleep, just as he had been doing for the past two weeks. This time was different, though. She was still weak from the venom, but she was out of danger. The vamps hadn’t tried anything so far. They weren’t any closer to finding out who the shifter that killed the vampire in the woods was, though. It would be helpful if they had a copy of the pictures, but vampires weren’t known for being helpful.

  Her hair fell into her face as she shifted slightly. Jackson would have given anything to push that hair away. Looking at her sleeping peacefully, he wanted to kiss her eyelids and her lips. A moan left her lips and he wondered what she was dreaming about.

  Jackson snorted. His cellphone buzzed and, with another snort, he snatched it out of his pocket. His wolf snarled when he saw who it was, and he quickly retreated to the downstairs.

  “Typhoon,” he greeted, keeping his voice flat. “I thought you’d be in contact earlier than this.’

  “And I thought you’d get your head out of your ass on your own. I guess we were both wrong.”

  Typhoon was the alpha of the Savage Brotherhood. While Jackson was alpha of the local chapter, Typhoon ruled them all. It was an old organization, having served as a barrier between vampires and humans long enough that even some shifters had forgotten about their enemy’s existence. Typhoon wasn’t much older than Jackson himself, but he had a strength behind him that nobody could deny.

  “I’ve received an official complaint from Astrophel,” Typhoon continued. “You’re blocking him from his chosen payment. What the hell are you thinking?”

  “We don’t know that the shifter who killed that vampire is even alive. If the vamps killed him, then he’s their payment.”

  Typhoon snarled. Even over the line, it made Jackson’s hair stand on end. His wolf snarled back, although he bowed his head in subservience on instinct. He’d seen Typhoon take out far older, stronger, and more experienced alphas for smaller betrayals than this, not to mention the sheer number of vampires he’d killed.

  “Shadow told me you fucked her.”

  Jackson bit back another snarl. Why the hell would Val tell him that? He thought about Ava’s face, the flush in her cheeks as they found completion together, the way her wild scent increased when she had welcomed him into her.

  “I’m not letting the corpse get his hands on her.”

  “So, it has nothing to do with the shifter that killed the vamp.” Typhoon’s snarl became more pronounced. “Give her up, Tornado. We’ve been hit too hard the last few years to give up more for one girl, no matter how big her tits are.”

  Jackson opened his mouth to snarl at his alpha not to speak about Ava that way, but he stopped himself. Why was he feeling so protective of her? They hardly knew each other. Was she really worth losing his life over?

  His wolf growled and snapped at his throat, furious at him for even thinking such a thing. Jackson pushed it down. Ava was under his protection because he didn’t let anybody die at a vampire’s hands for nothing. Especially not Astrophel, who only chose her because of the connection they had shared in the woods.

  “I’m not handing her over,” Jackson hurried to continue before Typhoon could snarl again, “until I have evidence that the shifter who killed that vampire wasn’t already killed, I refuse to accept his claim to a life. We can’t just let them walk all over us.”

  Typhoon snarled again, but it wasn’t as angry this time. “Fine. I’ll deal with Astrophel, you find this shifter and verify he’s alive. And do it quick. I’m not a patient wolf.”

  Typhoon hung up. Jackson shoved his phone into his pocket and shook his head. Not a patient wolf? Understatement of the century.

  ***

  Somewhere around dawn, Jackson was woken by the front door slamming. He was alert at once, a growl in his feet, as he sprang off the couch. Val shot him an annoyed look as she walked into the living room. Three tow-headed girls trailed after her. The oldest, Artemis, gave him a sleepy smile.

  “Hi, Uncle Jackson.”

  Jackson smiled at his three nieces, though his heart plummeted at the sight of them. Something had to be wrong if Val dragged them out here. Was she that worried about Astrophel?

  “You three go upstairs and get some more sleep,” she told them, her voice the softest it ever was. The girls obediently trotted upstairs. Val waited until they were gone before she turned to him with a glare.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Your guys got busted, that’s what,” Val said, her voice dripping with irritation. “All because you haven’t been around to keep them in line.”

  Jackson swore loudly, but Val smacked him hard. He winced, rubbing his arm. “What do you mean, they got busted?”

  “I mean that the idiots decided to pull a job tonight. Eric was supposed to be driving, but he was drunk. They thought they’d be cute and not keep me in the loop. Blizzard has them now.”

  Jackson cursed. He hated when the sheriff got involved in his business, especially since Cunningham had been one of them once, before he’d yellowed out to become a military guy and a cop.

  “Cunningham,” he spat. He’d lost the right to his nickname when he left the gang. “I’ve told him not to mess with my guys.”

  “And he’s told you to keep them straight. Blizzard doesn’t care if you run your business, but he’s not going to let you screw up and get him in trouble. He’s pissed. You’d better talk them out of jail, what with your kitten upstairs with a vampire on her tail.”

  Jackson glanced upwards. He didn’t want to leave Ava alone, but she wouldn’t be alone. Val and the girls were here. With a half-groan, half-sigh, he headed for the door.

  “Be nice,” he called over his shoulder, then was gone.

  His mind was full of Ava as he drove to town. The heat in her eyes, her anger, the wild animal in her was what he wanted almost as much as he wanted a real smile from her. He had kissed her lips, felt both that smile and that animal. His wolf longed to be with her every moment of the day. Even now it whimpered at leaving her.

  There was an explanation for that, but Jackson refused to even consider that she might be his mate.

  It was impossible. He had heard about what it would be like to meet his mate—every shifter had. It was supposed to be magical, without any of the bickering. Jackson found it hard to believe that she could be his mate if they couldn’t even get along enough to hold a conversation without fighting. Still, when he kissed her, his entire body felt like it was becoming part of a whole for the first time.

  Just thinking about it pissed him off, mixed his feelings up so that by the time he got to the sheriff’s office and local jail, h
is jaw was tight, his whole body wound up.

  He was not in the mood for Cunningham’s games and slammed the door open. He glanced around, catching sight of the older wolf. His eyes darkened as he stalked over.

  Cunningham gazed at him coolly. “Masters.”

  “Cunningham.”

  The sheriff stared at him, holding the door open. Jackson held the man’s eye as he stared across the desk. The two had formed an uneasy truce a long time ago, one that felt like it was on thin ice every time they saw each other. It was almost as delicate a balancing act as the treaty with the vampires.

  “So, what’d you pick them up for?” Jackson said eventually. No use in pretending that he didn’t know what he was there for.

  “These morons tried to rob a jewelry store in Oak Town,” the sheriff said, shaking his head. “No one was hurt, but the owner saw their faces. I’m charging all your guys. This was sloppy, Masters. You’re getting cocky.”

  “No, Cunningham,” Jackson growled. “We have a deal. You know that.”

  “Our deal is that your guys don’t get caught, and I don’t go looking for them. Your guys got caught tonight, Tornado. The Savage Brotherhood does their job, and I let you off the hook as long as you don’t fuck up. They fucked up. They put themselves on the radar. I have no choice—"

  “Listen, Cunningham,” Jackson growled as he leaned on the desk. He loomed over the sheriff, but Cunningham didn’t so much as blink. “I need those guys out there. Astrophel has—"

  “Astrophel’s involved?” Cunningham’s expression went from cool to focused. He got to his feet. “For how long?”

  “Couple weeks,” Jackson grunted. “Vamp was killed by a shifter, he’s claimed a panther. I’ve been keeping her in the safe house while looking for proof that the shifter that killed the vamp is still alive.”

  Cunningham swore explosively. He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and glared at Jackson. “What the hell, Tornado? That’s the sort of thing you tell me before it gets this far. And what the hell were you thinking, sending those idiots on a job while there’s a vampire threat?”

  “They acted without permission and will be punished for it. But I need them, idiots though they are, patrolling the borders. Nobody else can protect the humans and shifters from the vamps. Only my guys are equipped to handle it.”