Page 7 of Fae Devoted
“Well, I’m glad you came.” Something strange in his tone made Johnnie ask, “It wasn’t something to do with the knights again that held you up, was it?”
The Knights of Humanity were getting bolder, attacking the Fae Touched without ramifications beyond the American government’s weak denouncements. The forest on the northern end of the island peninsula was set on fire by members of the hate-group last spring. The wounds on the pack’s running land would take years to heal.
And a few months ago, someone breached security to strike at the center of their magical community. Unknown assailants induced a feeding frenzy during Chess’s peak operating hours, the dark spell inciting the Dádhe to bloodlust inside a nightclub filled with humans. The heinous act set in motion events that threatened Fae Touched sovereignty. The KoH hadn’t claimed responsibility for that incident, but they hadn’t denied it either.
“No, it was personal.” He placed his hands on his hips, stretching his shirt taut across his broad chest. His biceps flexed.
Johnnie’s throat went dry, and she retreated another step.
Personal? The two of them spoke every day. Okay, so maybe Johnnie talked, and Jacob mostly listened. He was a great listener. But if something were bothering him, he would have confided in her at some point. Wouldn’t he?
“Anything I can do to help? Do you want to talk about it?”
He shook his head, posture rigid.
“Are you okay?” she couldn’t stop from asking. He certainly didn’t appear okay; he looked worried.
Jacob’s dark eyes softened, and he held out his hand. Johnnie didn’t hesitate to take it, despite knowing her smell would divulge a tangle of conflicting emotions. Emotions she needed to contain before she embarrassed herself. Been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. She hoped thetanglewould confuse the beta’s sharp wolf-nose.
“Yeah,” he replied. “But I’ll need to leave the island to take care of it.”
“Leave the island?” she repeated, stunned.
He nodded again but didn’t explain. Jacob was as succinct as Johnnie was verbose, a dichotomy that didn’t bother her—until it did.
“For how long?”
“Not sure.” His thumb rubbed her sensitive inner wrist.
“Where are you going?”
“Can’t say.”
Johnnie pinched his forearm, giving the skin a good twist at the end, something she did whenever Jacob’s reticence exceeded her limited patience.
He didn’t even wince.
She tugged free. “You’re leaving Queenstown.”You’re leaving me?“And won’t say why or when you’ll be back. I thought we were…friends.”
Johnnie was beginning to hate that word when it was applied to their relationship. She assumed—was desperate to believe—once the official festivities took place, Jacob would move theirfriendshipto the next level. But maybe he wasn’t waiting for Johnnie to come of age at all. Maybe he never planned on asking her to start the Mating Dance?
No, she couldn’t be wrong about this feeling between them…not again. There had to be another explanation for why he was holding back.
“I’m sorry, Jo, but Ican’texplain, not yet.”
She spun, horrified by the telltale sting behind her lids. It took a moment to respond, to ensure her voice wouldn’t break. “I don’t understand. If it’s personal, why can’t you tell me?”
“It is.” His tone held frustration. “But it’s also indirectly connected to things I’m not authorized to discuss.”
“I see.” She didn’t see. Not really. Was he implying it was tied to Guard business or the pack’s? “When do you leave?”
“Not sure. I’m waiting on a piece of vital information.”
“You won’t leave without saying goodbye first?” Johnnie carefully placed her wine on the nearest table and clutched the waist-high railing, the brightly dressed gathering below a wet blur. The queen set aside the nightclub’s strict black and white dress policy for the majority parties, and most of the guests were taking full advantage of the relaxed color code—Johnnie included.
“Yeah,” he promised from directly behind her again.
“Okay.” She blew out a breath, willing the tears away. “How do you plan on surviving without your weekly allotment of my chocolate chip cookies? I suppose I could freeze an extra-large batch for you to take with you when you go. That way, you’d have a quick fix whenever you needed one…prevent sugar withdrawal and all that.”
