Tate laid beside me on the bed, flicking his tongue over his lip ring. “You’re really going to leave Jack’s protection up tohim?”
I didn’t look up from my book this time. “I know what you’re doing. Stop.”
His fingers trailed up my chest, stroking along my jaw line. “Come on, you know you want to get the jump on these bastards before Julian does. It’d show Jack you are really committed to keeping her safe now.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can keep an eye on both Jack and the professor from here.” I let my shadows cloud my eyes, watching through them to see the professor once more staring at herself in the mirror.
“The professor is tweezing stray hairs,” I told Tate dryly, then switched over to Jack and abruptly sat up on the bed.
“What is it?”
The panic in Tate’s voice should have been enough to bring me back from the scene, but a low growl escaped me as I watched the hunter put his hands all over Jack’s body.
They were in a room with mirrors all around. Different kinds of weapons lined the walls. Daggers. Racks of poles. Even throwing stars. The rational side of me told me they were training. That the only reason he was grasping her hips right now was to help her train.
Except she was smiling at him. Laughing as they spun around the room until she had him pinned on the ground sitting on top of him.
“Kyren, baby.” Tate grabbed my shoulder back in the bedroom, pulling me out of the shadow’s vision. “What’s wrong?”
Flashing my fangs, I climbed out of the bed, moving around the room with a fury as I got dressed. “He thinks he can make me do all the work while he gets to reap the benefits. Oh, no. I don’t think so. Thatpendejois going to pay.”
“Wait, what?” Tate stared at me with growing confusion, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Who?”
“That hunter,” I spat out, shoving my feet into my shoes. “I spent all day tracking his damn professor, and he’s over there, putting his hands all overourgirl.”
Tate chuckled shaking his head. “Oh, babe. You’re gonna have to get over it.”
“Get over it?” I paused midway through putting on my jacket. “Get over it? Jack isours.Not his. He can’t just touch her whenever he wants.”
Snorting, Tate picked up the book I’d been reading, lazily flicking through the pages. “Yes, he can. And if you want Jack to be with us, too, then you better get on board with the new reality.”
I seethed as Tate walked toward me, his hands cupping my face. “Sharing is caring. Be the bigger man, don’t let him see that he gets to you, or he’s going to just rub it in your face.”
My eyes narrowed, muttering under my breath. There was nothing logical about this overwhelming need to keep Jack away from the hunter. It was all pure possessiveness. And yet…
I knew Tate was right. If I went over there, throwing fangs at the hunter while Jack wasn’t a hundred percent sure about me again, then I could lose her for good.
Scowling, I pulled my jacket off, crumbled it into a ball, and threw it across the room. Collapsing on the edge of the bed, my shoulders curled inward as I hung my head.
“Hey, hey.” Tate sat next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “He’s not that bad. Just remind yourself that he cares about Jack just as much as we do and wants to keep her safe. Plus, she loves him.” He lifted my head, brushing his lips against mine. “Just like I love you.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll give him a chance.” I groaned, tilting my head to the side as Tate kissed along my chin and down my neck, his hands already going to the front of my pants. “But, if he thinks he’s going to keep pushing his duties off onto me so he can spend time with Jack, then I can’t be held responsible for what I do next.”
“Of course not,” Tate murmured, dragging his teeth along my collar bone. “It has to be fair.”
“Right, fair,” I repeated, letting him lean me back onto the bed before suddenly sitting up, pushing Tate’s hands away. “Then how is this fair?” Suddenly, I was on my feet again, pacing the room. “I’m here trying to win Jack over again, and he’s making sure that I’m nowhere near her. Chasing after dead end leads.”
Tate huffed, leaning on his elbow on the bed. “They aren’t dead ends.”
“Yes, they are,” I shot back. “The professor hasn’t done anything to indicate she’s one of the rebels who attacked Jack.”
“Okay, fine.” Tate groaned, rubbing his face. “What do you suggest we do?”
I grabbed my coat and jerked it on. “We need to be more aggressive with this. No more following her around.”
Tate shoved to his feet, holding his hands out to me. “Now hold on, Kyren. What are you planning to do?”
“What I should have done in the first place.” A wicked grin spread across my face. “Get answers. My way.”
