“If you flirt with my mate again, Dad will be the least of your worries.” Jaytee growled the warning.
“Just so you know,” Moonbeam said sassily, “I wasn’t checking you out because I wanted you to come over. I was trying to figure out what kind of jerk would act like that.”
Hell yeah. Jaytee liked the fact his mate had such a fiery spirit. When Moonbeam had bolted from the café, he had thought… Well, Jaytee wasn’t sure what he’d thought. He hadn’t been expecting to find his mate, but the guy’s scent confused him.
Moonbeam wasn’t a shifter, demon, vampire, or any other kind of supernatural species Jaytee had encountered before. He wasn’t human, either.
The wind shifted, carrying his mate’s scent toward him. Jaytee inhaled deeply and let out a low growl as he recognized the same sweet vanilla and sandalwood fragrance from the café, the same scent that had made him feel as if he’d been punched in his chest.
That was how he’d known Moonbeam was his mate.
But there was something else hidden beneath it. In the café, Jaytee had felt a brief hazing of his mind when he first caught a whiff of Moonbeam’s scent.
Now the breeze brought that intoxicating aroma straight to Jaytee, filling his lungs and thickening the haze in his mind. His canines throbbed with a strange sensation as they threatened to descend on their own, and his wolf was going apeshit.
Jaytee shook his head, feeling the tension in his body as he tried to clear the fog in his mind. What was happening to him? Moonbeam’s scent was fucking with his senses.
At the sound of heavy breathing, Jaytee glanced behind him and saw his brothers’ eyes filled with hunger, their pupils dilated and focused on Moonbeam.
Damon shot forward. Jaytee tackled his twin and slammed him against the building. They exchanged ferocious blows, but Jaytee managed to gain the upper hand by pinning Damon’s throat with his forearm, cutting off his air supply.
“Don’t you dare touch my mate,” he snarled through gritted teeth. “Or I’ll forget you’re my own flesh and blood. Pull your shit together.”
Despite his own struggle to control himself, Jaytee had snapped out of the haze as soon as he felt Damon’s grip falter. He had to protect his mate, even if it meant fighting against his own brothers.
Jaytee swung his head around, fearing Jax had gone after Moonbeam while he’d been fighting. But Jax seemed to have snapped out of it. His gaze was focused on Damon, not Jaytee’s mate.
“You two have drawn a crowd,” Jax said. “Police cruiser is heading this way.”
Where was Moonbeam? Jaytee looked to where his mate had been standing moments ago, but the guy was gone.
Since he knew nothing about his mate, Jaytee released Damon and sprinted toward the side of the building, throwing over his shoulder, “Clear things up with the deputies.”
Moonbeam was already skittish. He’d run from the café, and what had Jaytee done?
Damn near knocked his twin’s head off in front of his mate. That was what gutted him right down the middle. Instead of letting his brothers distract him, Jaytee should have given his full concentration to his mate.
The sound of a police siren echoed in his ears, a reminder of the chaos that had erupted only moments ago as he reached the side of the building and looked around.
“Looks like my family isn’t the only dysfunctional one,” Moonbeam said.
Jaytee stilled at the sweetest voice he’d ever heard. Light and airy, like musical notes floating on a breeze. He drew in a deep breath to calm his racing heart, afraid any sudden movements would cause his mate to bolt again.
Turning slowly around, Jaytee spotted the guy leaning against the brick wall, his hands clasped in front of him.
There were only a few moments in life that had taken Jaytee’s breath away. He could probably count them on one hand, maybe two extra fingers if he stretched it. But this moment surpassed all of them.
It wasn’t just because Moonbeam was stunningly beautiful but also the fact that Jaytee was staring at his mate.
After a long 1600-mile road trip to visit their cousins, Jaytee was exhausted. Though it had been a fun journey, he’d been ready to head straight home.
But Damon insisted he couldn’t drive another mile without some coffee. Despite his twin pissing him off seven ways from Sunday most of the time, if Damon hadn’t convinced him to stop, Jaytee wouldn’t have met his stunning mate.
His grin widened as he tried to ease the tension between them. “That little beef with my brother?” Jaytee chuckled. “Just a typical Thursday.”
“What would you call it on a Friday?” His mate’s smile was like a pink rose blooming in the midst of a hurricane, the calm and delicate beauty standing out against the chaotic backdrop of tension and panic.
“Guess you’ll have to stick around to find out.” The words rolled off his tongue with a playful lilt.