"The wolf has a theory. It's the stuff of fiction, but so aren't the rest of us." Jude didn't give any indication as to whether he bought into Bailey's idea or not, but his actions spoke louder than his words-or his tone of voice.
Lily tilted her head and eyed Bailey, considering. "You're talking about Spider Man, aren't you?"
The question was ridiculous by nature but as Jude had said, it wasn't like the notion of werewolves and lion shifters were any more far-fetched than comic book entities.
"Not really." Bailey scratched his chin and then gave a shrug. "Maybe I am, yeah. It would work different, though, not the mask and webs shooting from the wrist deal from the movies. But a transforming bite? If one species can do it, who's saying another can't? Yeah," he said, nodding thoughtfully. "Yeah."
His pale eyes went a little vague, illustrating, along with his fading voice, the inward path taken by his thoughts. Lily listened for another moment but she wasn't really following anymore.
"Do you have everything taken care of here?" Jude asked as he ended the call, pulling Lily's attention back to him.
"More or less. Spider shifter?" She prompted.
"They aren't known but that doesn't mean anything. Someone's looking into it now."
"Okay," she said, releasing a deep breath. "What's the plan now?"
Jude rubbed a hand over his bare chest, prompting her to bite her lip again, this time for all different reasons. She wanted to follow the path of his fingers, stroke him until he purred, and it didn't matter one bit that she should be thinking about spider shifters and personal threats.
His next words cut off her wandering thoughts before they got too warm. "Bailey's going to scrape the … evidence … off your car and drive it to the Jungle so someone can look it over. I'm going to take you by your house so you can pack a bag."
She was already shaking her head before he finished. "I don't want to just run from my home. My brother … " she trailed off, thinking of Rhys's pride. She didn't know what he'd gotten up to while he was gone, but whatever it was, she doubted he'd overcome his sense of failure, his perceived loss of masculinity. If she left, she'd be saying that she didn't trust him to defend their home, that he wasn't strong enough to protect her. Without explaining a credible threat that even he would agree was beyond him, she couldn't do it.
"I can't," she repeated, squaring her shoulders against Jude's darkening expression.
They stared at each other, wills clashing in a quiet storm, as though Bailey weren't standing right there. Jude's stern expression was formidable, but she remembered how she'd felt there on the floor with him, like a powerful creature in her own right. He'd given her permission to own that strength and she wasn't about to surrender it now.
But there was a saying about power and responsibility. It whispered in her inner ear when Bailey let out a low, long whistle. Amusement and a touch of mockery carried in the sound. She didn't hesitate. Dropping her gaze, she fixed it on the arm of the sofa and nodded. "Car keys are in my bag. I'll get them."
Bailey started to chuckle but Jude issued a warning growl and the wolf shifter coughed to cover his blunder. Her stomach sank. She didn't need a primer on shifter etiquette to understand that her ability to resist such a powerful creature's will, that he'd allowed it when there would be no contest in a demonstration of physical dominance, had damaged Jude's image, uncovered his weakness. Bailey didn't strike her as the loyal type willing to keep a secret. Soon, too many would know the lion shifter now had a vulnerable spot.
Ashamed of her mistake, stunned by the discovery that she was that vulnerability, she didn't say anything while the two men finalized the details of Jude's plan. To her relief, they didn't linger long before going outside for one last sweep of the area.
Alone, she deflated and leaned heavily against the sofa. She was still sitting there when Jude returned, minus the easygoing expression she'd come to associate with him. And wearing a fresh t-shirt.
She hadn't really expected a flirty smile, but that grim set to his mouth was not one she wanted to see, especially now, knowing she'd caused it. He glanced at her but didn't say anything as he double-checked the blinds over the windows. The silence stretched while he headed to the back, presumably to go over the security system her new company had put into place.
"Should I apologize?" She finally asked, genuinely unsure.
"No. I'm man enough to accept your strength." He reappeared, took one look at her, and his expression-it wasn't exactly gentle, but some of the edges left him. "This isn't the place to talk."