Jesse hadn’t relaxed, even with Karl gone. If anything, he was tenser, his silence unreadable as he examined the table in front of him, his hands clenched into fists.
Belatedly, Matt wondered if Jesse were reacting tohisresponse to Karl’s news. Karl had a dominant streak that he’d had to learn to tame when he came to the pack, and while he respected Matt, he was never intimidated by him. Jesse, though, was already wary of Matt, and he was perceptive enough to have read Matt’s reaction, no matter how tightly he’d locked it down.
Well, Jesse was right to be wary, because Matt was beginning to think he had been somewhat economical with the truth.
“What is it you didn’t tell me about that pack you ran into?” His words were hard and inflexible, just like he felt right now. He wasn’t going to lose people again. Notthispack.
Jesse sat in silence for a beat longer, like he was thinking, before he looked at Matt.
“It didn’t make no sense, and then it stopped,” he said. “But after I had that run-in with them, there were times I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched.”
There was no hint of deceit in his eyes, but Matt had to be certain. He couldn’t take any risks. “Tell me exactly what happened when you met them.”
Jesse stiffened, defiance his natural reaction to being ordered around. But after what looked like an intense struggle with himself, he gave a small sigh and his fists unclenched.
“Was minding my own business one night, running the fidgets out of my legs, y’know?” His voice was quiet. “I guess I must have been upwind because there was no warning, just all of a sudden, these wolves in my way. I thought I must be on their territory, so I didn’t argue, just tried to light out of there, but they didn’t let me. Herded me like I was a goddamnsheep.” Indignation threaded through his voice.“Course, I turned on them, but there was more of them than me and they knew what they were doing. Thenheappeared from out of the trees.”
Jesse paused, his eyes distant as if seeing that moment all over again. “Biggest damn wolf there ever was, black, powerful, and downrightmean,” he said. “Way meaner than a typical alpha—no offense. Something about him gave me a bad feeling. I thought if I didn’t get out then and there, I might never get out, so I ran over the top of one of them.”
He pressed his hand against the wound on his side. Healed now, from all Matt could tell, but he’d be left with one hell of a scar. “Not before the bastard took a lump out of my flank. I don’t know how I made it, but I guess if you spend enough of your life sneaking around to avoid being noticed, you get good at it, and I had the feeling I was running for my life. That’ll give you speed, y’know?”
Matt was frowning. Jesse was right—it made no sense. Any pack would run an interloper off, maybe after teaching him a lesson first, but herdinghim? Then again, criminality wasn’t restricted to non-shifters. “Did you see something you shouldn’t have? Stumbled across a pot farm, maybe.”
“Figure I might have spotted a pot farm for myself.”
“Maybe theythinkyou saw something, and they’re following you to silence you.”
Matt rubbed at his temples, tension spiking again. Jesse had brought trouble to his doorstep, and he had plenty he wanted to say about that, but hecouldn’tset him loose on his own with a pack like that on his heels.
Jesse would have to stay, at least until Matt dealt with the threat. He glanced at Jesse, who was staring back, blue eyes sharp and wary. Like a wolf scenting a trap.
Yeah. This was going to go down real well.
Chapter Eleven
JESSE
“You’re going to have to stay here until they’ve moved on or been dealt with.”
Matt’s words landed like a punch, turning all his guarantees upside down and ringing with the easy authority of someone who wasalwaysobeyed.
Jesse was on his feet, chair shoved back and ready to run for the door.Damnit—he’d relaxed. He’d believed Matt. He’d thought he was in control, but all along, everything that happened to him was Matt’s decision.
But his duffel was in his room. If he ran now, he’d have only the clothes on his back.
“You can’t make me stay.” It was supposed to be a statement. Instead, it came out sounding desperate, a waver in his voice he’d give anything to take back. “Youcan’t,Matt.”
Matt leaned back in his chair, surveying Jesse from under slightly lowered lids. Jesse couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“It’s for your own—ah, damn it,” he said. “I never listened when someone told me that. But look, Jesse, a pack like that would tear you apart the minute they caught up with you. Give them a day or so, just long enough to get bored and wander off again when they realize they can’t get to you, then you can go wherever you want.”
Jesse stared at him, sifting his words for truth.
“It’s an alpha thing. I need to protect you. Just let me, will you?” For a plea, it sure came out aggressively. Then Matt swallowed and said more quietly, “Trust me, Jesse.”
God, what was Jesse supposed to do with that? Because the shocking thing was, somehow hehadcome to trust Matt a little. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, when trust had stopped being a foreign concept. Maybe it was the way Matt looked at him when he was talking, like Jesse mattered. Maybe it was just that something made Jessewantto trust Matt, even though he didn’t know how. Whatever the reason for it, Jesse believed Matt wasn’t going to force him to stay forever.
But Jesse couldn’t roll over and give in. That would make Urban think he was in charge of Jesse, andnoone was.
