Charles narrowed his gaze on his little brother. What the hell was going on? Had he missed something? Was it his imagination or were sparks electrifying the air? His hair even stood on end, and without moving his head, he gazed around in wonder at the rest of the family where they stood rooted to their spots.
Jessica wasn't stupid either. She hadn't let go of Charles' arm yet, and now she gripped him once again with renewed strength. "Do you think … "
"Not sure what to think," Charles communicated.
"Well, I'll be." Reese wrapped an arm around Jessica and pulled her tight.
"This could work." Nancy bustled around, grabbing wrapping paper and boxes off the floor. She didn't take her gaze off her youngest child, but Charles thought he saw a tear as she scurried past. She busied herself as she always did when she was stressed. She sure as hell didn't need to clean house for these particular guests. Fuck them.
Richard headed for the kitchen. "I guess it's settled then." He was uneasy and shifted nervously as Charles watched him cross the room. "More coffee anyone?"
Charles shifted his gaze back to his young brother. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if he gave a few pointers. Shit. Who wanted to give their little brother, barely an adult, pointers about how to make a girl seem to belong to you. And he sure as hell hoped that's all this was, a mustered-up wave of altruism. He couldn't even contemplate the alternative. They were both so young.
Glancing at Reese and then Jessica, he spoke to them silently. "Gonna go … supervise this … pretend mating. Be right back."
"Good plan." Reese squeezed Jess tighter. It wasn't far from anyone's mind she too could be in danger if these assholes recognized her by looks or scent.
Charles made his way past Tessa and her kids on the floor. Her husband, Aaron, glanced at him but remained tightlipped. Lucky bastard.
Charles coughed as he approached Michael and Alyssa. The girl was staring at his brother with a combination of emotions; shock, fear, trepidation, and, fuck it all, lust. Hopefully she was simply attracted to the man and not falling for him hard. He was a good-looking guy as far as Charles figured, but still … He was twenty. "If you're serious about doing this, Michael, you're going to have to smother her in your scent so it seems you two are extremely close lovers on the cusp of a claiming. Otherwise, no one is going to buy the ruse."
"I think I can handle it, bro." The cocky bastard didn't even look at Charles. Instead, he took Alyssa by the hand and left the room.
Shit.
The two walked down the hall, and Charles hoped to God Michael used his big head instead of his little head with this woman.
He'd barely turned around toward the Christmas mess when a second knock at the door made him jump. That was fast.
Chapter 16
Jessica could smell a wolf. Make that two. Her senses were super heightened since she'd mated only days ago. And the men on the other side of that door were wolves.
Her hands sweated, and she wiped them on her jeans. She was a grown woman, not a ten-year-old child. She could handle anything now. She could face off with anyone who threatened her family, not cower in the corner and watch them be killed this time.
"Is that what you think, hon? You think if you'd done something different your parents would still be alive? You think you could have prevented their cold-blooded murder? Jess? You were ten. Just a small child. You can't blame yourself for their deaths." Reese pulled her in tighter and backed them away from the front door as far as possible.
Charles acknowledged their silent conversation as he walked past with a glance, but he didn't stop. He simply brushed his hand across her arm on the way by.
Her flesh tingled where he'd left his light touch, as though he were still kissing her.
Jess glanced at Reese. She hadn't realized until just now he was right. She'd blamed herself all these years. Well, not precisely for the murder of her mom and dad, but for her cowardice with regard to being frozen inside the house watching the scene unfold.
"You are not a coward. You are completely the opposite, in fact." Charles didn't turn around, but he communicated his thoughts with his hand on the front doorknob.
With a jerk, Charles yanked the door open. His father, brothers, and the other mated men squared off at the entrance. Even with all the testosterone filling the space, Jessica had a clear line of vision directly to the two assholes she'd hoped to never lay eyes on again in this lifetime. She sucked in a breath. Even knowing there was a good chance these same men would show up to get Alyssa the same way they'd come to collect Jessica all those years ago, she was still unprepared for the onslaught of emotion that warred inside her.
"Are these the same men, babe?" Charles asked. No one had moved an inch or said a word yet.
"Yes." Even telepathically her word sounded breathy to her ears.
The bastards had barely changed in twelve years. They stood there all cocky, sure of themselves. They'd shot her parents in cold blood and irrevocably altered her life. Her blood boiled as she glared. She'd given them her power. Realization dawned. They were still controlling her from halfway across the country like a weak victim. Jessica had allowed these murdering beasts to make her flinch at her own shadow.
Not anymore. Her spine stiffened as she resolved to take control of her life. No longer would she be a victim. Jessica stood taller, shook herself free of Reese's arm wrapped around her, and watched how this scene unfolded.
"Excuse our intrusion on this special holiday, but we believe a member of our pack is staying here under false pretenses. Perhaps the girl has lied to you, made up a story that has caused you to protect her."
Richard took the lead. "No one is here but family and impending family. You are misinformed. There are no pack members other than those who belong." His words were perfectly selected. Ambiguous.
The taller, skinnier man opened his mouth to speak, but the shorter, chubbier asshole shushed him with a look and a hand. "I beg to differ. I can smell our packmate from here. Alyssa is her name. If you'd hand her over. She's a runaway. Her parents are very worried."
A throat cleared from just outside the kitchen area to Jessica's right, and she turned to see Michael with his arms wrapped around his fake intended, her back pressed against his front. "Alyssa is my mate. She will not be returning with you to your pack. Tell her parents she is safe and sound and happy." Michael's performance was so perfect Jessica could have been fooled herself as to his intentions where they concerned Alyssa. In fact, after he spoke, he tipped his head down and kissed her. Jessica was certainly convinced. They looked exactly like two people very much in love.
The short man spoke. "You have not claimed her yet."
"No. She's very young. I'd like to give her some time to acclimate to the idea first. Common courtesy when the woman in question is just barely an adult." His jibe didn't go unnoticed by anyone. "When the time is right, I will be claiming Alyssa. Not beforehand. I won't force her to speed through her youth just because we are mates."
Lost in the litany, Jessica even forgot this was all a hoax. Wasn't it?
The two hired killers stood at the door with their mouths hanging open, unsure what to do. Seemingly at once, their gazes landed on Jessica, and they gasped. "You," they said in unison.
Jessica cringed under the scrutiny and then remembered her new resolve. She narrowed her gaze. Her fists clenched at her sides, and her wolf hovered beneath the surface unexpectedly.
"That's right." Charles inched forward, his threatening frame taking up the door and entering into the personal space of her childhood pack members. "And I bet you two were in a heap of trouble when you returned to the pack without Jessica. She was just a child. You told them you'd killed her. You lied." He let each statement hang in the air for several seconds before he spoke the next. "Bet you never expected to see her again, did you?"
The fat man lurched forward before he could stop himself, one foot inside the house. He narrowed his gaze on Jessica and bared his teeth.
Jessica backed up, stepping behind Reese. She needed to get control of her wolf. A few steps more and she was in the hallway. If she didn't remove herself from the bastards' line of sight, she'd lose it. Her senses were so heightened she could hear everyone speaking as though she were standing right among them in the foyer. Her pulse rate soared, and she leaned against the wall to cool her forehead.
"Both of those women belong to our pack." The deep voice sounded firmer as the fat man regained control.