Page 20 of Jake

Chapter Five

Jake shut the door tight, and sucked a breath. The scent of her desire called to him, his wolf pacing with regret as he walked away. Jesus fucking Christ, he cursed inwardly. He glanced to his hard-on and adjusted his cock.

When he’d woken this morning, he’d sworn not to touch her again. Last night had been a lapse in judgement. Jake struggled to understand why the hell he was so damn attracted to her. Despite the shit storm at the party, his protective instinct roared, and he couldn’t simply turn her over to Logan. If he didn’t know any better he’d think his wolf knew her, but there was no fucking way. Wolves only mated wolves. Yet the second she knelt onto the bed, presenting herself to him like a king cake on a platter, his cock had hardened to steel.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Jake repeated out loud as he attempted to shake off his arousal. “She’s nothing. And even if she were something, she doesn’t belong to you. Help her find her sister and then sort your own mess.”

Jake stopped short at the top of the stairs as the loud clang of a pot sounded from downstairs. What the fuck is it now? Bounding down the steps, skipping every third one, he tore into the kitchen. The smell of fresh pastries hit him as soon as he entered the room. The refrigerator door slammed and the vampire came into view.

“What in the hell are you doing in my house?” Jake asked. He glanced to the plate of food on the counter and shook his head.

“You know…you’re a little uptight for a wolf. Did anybody ever tell you that?” Quintus asked, peeling back the wax paper from a stick of butter. “Where do you keep your utensils?”

“Are you serious?” Jake ignored his question and switched on his coffee maker. He opened the cabinet and snatched a bag of the French chicory.

“You need to relax.” Quintus slid open a drawer and selected a knife, “Ah, this will work.”

“Maybe I’d be a little more relaxed if I didn’t have a certain vampire in my life. No offense but after New York, I never expected we’d cross paths.” Jake opened the coffee, scooping the grounds into the filter and slid it into the machine.

“True. True. I supposed we’d never meet again.”

“You fucking attacked me.”

“As I recall, you were in my town. My club.”

“You threatened Kat,” Jake countered as he added water to the well.

“You misunderstood my intentions.”

“I don’t think so. You wanted to bite her. To drink her blood.”

“Well, yeah. That’s pretty much how it works, wolf. I’m a vampire. Do you need a lesson on our requirements?” Quintus picked up a cinnamon roll and began to spread butter onto it, continuing to lecture Jake in a nonchalant manner. “I drink blood. I need it to survive. Some tastes better than others. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Kat’s was tasty. I think that about covers the basics.”

“What in the hell are you doing here?” Jake blew out a breath, and rummaged through the cabinet for coffee cups.

“Breakfast?” He bit into a pastry and moaned. “So good. I got beignets too. Croissants. Plenty here.”

“Thanks. I guess,” Jake said, a hint of irritation in his voice as he opened the refrigerator in search of cream. “Answer the question. And while you’re at it, how’d you know where I was and how’d you get through the wards?”

“I know lots of things. You don’t get as old as I am without resources. Your wards are good, but not good enough. I’ve spent a lot of time with witches. Picked up a few tricks of my own.”

“What the hell do you want?”

“I want to discuss the female you brought home with you.” Quintus made his way to the kitchen table, sat down on a chair and popped the remaining bite of food into his mouth.

The hair on the back of Jake’s neck stood at the mention of Kai. His wolf growled in warning, threatening to shift.

Quintus held up a defensive hand. “Settle down there, Alpha. I’m not here to harm her. Or you.”

“What in the fuck is wrong with everyone? I’m Jake. Jake Louvière. Wolf. Not a beta. Not a fucking Alpha. Jesus, already, will you all stop?” As long as his feet were on Acadian soil, he’d never consider himself Alpha. Having Kai and Quintus call him by that title bored a hole in his stomach. Jax’s words never left his mind, but until he led a pack, he wasn’t Alpha.

“I’m very old, you know.” Quintus raised an eyebrow at Jake.

“So you keep tellin’ me. Coffee?”

“Please.” Quintus nodded. “You know, I’ve been around Alphas in the making.”

“Yeah, so have I. Logan. He’s my Alpha.” Jake poured two coffees and set them on the kitchen table.