Calling him had been one of the toughest things she’d ever done, but now that she had, it was like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was still terrified she’d hurt him again, but knowing he was on the way was enough to help her calm down. Still holding onto her phone, she slid down the wall of the building and sat there waiting for him.
Selena heard Jayden approaching from farther down the alley long before she smelled him. Not surprising, since she’d already accepted that her werewolf ears were better than her werewolf nose. Crazy what you come to accept when you don’t really have a say in the matter. Still, his scent was both mouthwatering and comforting as he dropped to a knee a few feet away from her. Staying out of her reach until he knew what kind of shape she was in was smart, she supposed.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” she said, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. Ignoring the urge to throw herself into his arms, she got to her feet. “I haven’t heard anything from Marguerite in nearly ten minutes, so we need to get in there.”
She started for the entrance of the alley, only to find Jayden blocking her path. She pushed down the growl that immediately rumbled up in her throat, forcing herself to calm down. He wasn’t trying to stop her from going. He simply wanted to talk to her first.
She eyed him up and down, noticing he hadn’t worn his uniform. That was good, since a cop’s uniform wouldn’t go over well in a gang hangout. But Jayden didn’t need a uniform and police gear to look the part for what they were about to do. With all those muscles bulging and flexing under that T-shirt, he looked intimidating enough to convince most people to stay out of his way.
Selena suddenly realized she probably shouldn’t have been able to see him so clearly in the darkness, but she was grateful she could. His ruggedly handsome face, so full of concern, was enough to almost make her cry. It was exactly the same way he’d looked right before she’d shoved him across his apartment and stolen his truck.
“I know you’re worried about Ruben,” he said softly, stepping close enough to touch her but refraining. His gaze traveling over her body was almost like being grazed by his touch, and she found herself leaning forward, his presence and scent calming her as much as his touch would have. “But are you sure you’re okay to go in there? Say the word, and I’ll do it myself.”
She swallowed hard. “This time last week, I wouldn’t think twice about charging in there and dragging Ruben out.” She wanted like crazy to reach out and hold Jayden. But she’d lost that privilege when she’d attacked him. “After what happened yesterday, I’ll admit I’m scared. I want Ruben out of there, but I don’t want to hurt anyone. Ruben doesn’t know you, though. If you try to bring him out, it’ll probably get physical. In that kind of place, that could be really bad.”
She expected an argument, but Jayden merely nodded. “I understand. But if you start feeling like you’re about to lose it, you have to tell me. I’ll get you out of there before you hurt anyone, then we’ll figure out another way to get Ruben out. Okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed. “But I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
As she followed Jayden across the street, she shot off a quick text to Marguerite, asking the girl where she and Ruben were.
Second floor. End of the main hallway. Haven’t seen Ruben in a while. Worried.
“Marguerite’s waiting for us at the end of the hall on the second floor,” Selena told Jayden as they began skirting through the cars in the parking lot, heading for the crowd of people hanging around the stairs leading up to the front door of the building. “She can’t find Ruben.”
“Can you track him by his scent?” Jayden asked.
Selena wasn’t sure why the question was so jarring. Considering how good her sense of smell was now, it only made sense she’d be able to pick up on a particular person’s scent. But the idea that she could track any scent through a crowd like this still seemed crazy.
“I don’t think so,” she admitted. “I don’t know what he smells like.”
Jayden looked like he would have answered, but they had already reached the crowd of people standing on the stairs. Instead, he took her hand and started up the steps. Some people complained, but the moment they caught a glimpse of his size, most backed off.
As they neared the landing, two large guys stepped out and put their hands on Jayden’s chest. Both men had a hand behind their backs, and Selena had no doubt they were carrying some kind of weapons. “Private party, and you’re not invited.”
Selena tensed, wondering what Jayden would say to that. But instead of trying to talk his way in, Jayden grabbed the guy on the right by his throat, picking him up and walking up the last few steps, then slamming the man’s body into the double doors. Some people screamed, but most just scattered as the glass in the doors broke and fell out of the frames. The second bouncer seemed stunned, but he recovered quickly. Yanking a gun out from behind his back, he headed after Jayden.
Selena froze at the sight of the pistol. But when she saw the man aim it at Jayden, a snarl ripped from her throat.
One moment, she was on the fifth step from the top, and the next, she was in the entryway, one hand wrapped around the gunman’s throat while the other crushed the fingers holding the gun. She heard a shout followed by small cracking sounds, only vaguely realizing it was the man in her grasp screaming in pain as she broke the bones in his hand.
She panicked as her fangs came out.Crap.She was going to lose it right in the main entryway of the building with people all around. But then Jayden was by her side, his hand on her shoulder, his scent filling her nose.
“Selena,” Jayden said softly. “He dropped the gun. You can let go now.”
A part of her wanted to growl at Jayden for getting in her way, but then she felt one big hand massaging her shoulder, the other pressing gently against her lower back. It was the distraction she needed to regain control, and she released her grip on the second bouncer. The guy dropped to his knees, cradling his broken hand for a moment before scrambling to his feet and running out the door and down the stairs. She noticed he’d left the handgun where it had fallen.
“Breathe, Selena,” Jayden entreated, his voice still low and calm. “Just breathe.”
She did just that for a few seconds, letting her heart rate slow.
“You okay?” Jayden murmured, his mouth close to her ear, his warm breath stirring her hair.
She nodded, surreptitiously sliding her tongue across her teeth, checking for fangs. They were there, but just barely. Maybe she hadn’t lost it enough for anyone to see anything. She glanced down at her fingertips, relieved to see that her claws hadn’t come out.
“Yeah,” she said. “Sorry. I thought that guy was going to shoot you.”
