21. Kirsten

"Who pissed in your Cheerios?" Harley asked as I stomped into the house, slamming the door behind me.

Ignoring her, I walked over to the kitchen, pulled open a cabinet, looked inside, then slammed it, opened another, and slammed it, too.

"Can I help you look for something?" Harley was staring at me like I'd lost my mind.

I guess I had. Jace had made me so fucking angry, I could barely control the rage sputtering inside me. I wished Tinsley was still here, but she'd headed back to the city early that morning to check on her shop. It would have been nice to get her guidance because my magic was interacting with my emotions. Feeding them.

Finally, I put my hands on the counter and lowered my head, inhaling long and slow. "I'm a little angry, that's all," I said through gritted teeth.

"No shit," Harley said with a chuckle. "What did the big idiot do this time?"

"Not important. I'll deal with it later."

Harley opened her mouth to say something more, but thought better of it. She knew me well enough to let me be when I was in a mood. Besides that, a few moments later, the door opened, and a group of people came walking in.

Another wave of irritation flooded over me. I'd forgotten a bunch of people were coming up to cook dinner for the people training out in the woods. The only thing that soothed my rage was that Lory Shelton was among the people hauling in bags of food. The owner of the salon was one of the few people in town I'd managed to befriend since I"d first arrived.

She grinned when she saw me. "Long time, no see."

My anger abated a little, and I smiled back, tamping down my magic and bad attitude. "Hey there."

She gave me a quick hug, and I helped unpack the groceries. Harley joined us, and soon we were all busy cooking a meal for over a hundred people. Lory, Harley, and I spent most of the time chopping onions, slicing tomatoes, and shredding lettuce while someone else went outside to start cooking dozens of burgers on Jace's grill.

"So," Lory said, eyeing me, "how have things been?"

"She's pissed off at her boyfriend," Harley said, then put her hand out. "I'm Harley, by the way."

"Lory," she said, taking my friend's hand. "That bad?" she asked me.

I huffed out a breath. "He's just a big, dumb idiot. That's all."

Lory and Harley shared a look, but they didn't say anything as we worked. It was nice to zone out. A couple of women on the other side of the kitchen island were making what looked like the world's largest bowl of potato salad, and I moved over to help them. I didn't know them as well, so the chance of them asking about Jace was lower.

I didn't want to be antisocial with my friends, but the more they asked about what had happened, the angrier I'd get, and I was already angry enough. Why the hell had Jace been so short with me? He'd been ready to explode. What had I done to make him so mad? Or was it even me? Had something else irked him, and he'd taken it out on me? Either way, it hadn't been warranted.

An hour or so later, with burgers, hot dogs, salads, and even three pans of brownies set out, the training session ended. Dozens of people came through, grabbing paper plates and moving through the makeshift buffet. Jace was among them, and I ignored him, too mad at him to even look at him, much less talk.

"Kirsten, can we talk?" he asked as I scooped macaroni salad onto a younger shifter's plate.

"Nope," I said, not deigning to look at him.

Jace huffed, grabbed a plate, and stalked off to join the others.

Harley came over to my side and whispered in my ear. "Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on with you two?"

"Nothing," I said under my breath. "It's fine."

"You two are being ridiculous," she said before moving away to leave me be.

If I talked about it, I was afraid I'd end up getting angrier. The last thing I needed was to blast out a wave of angry magic in a house full of shifters.

The group scattered around the living room, dining room, den, and the front and back porches to eat. After everyone had eaten, I wiped my hands on a towel.

"I'm going to go rest," I said to Harley, then raised my voice and sent a pointed glance at Jace. "I don't want my presence to upset anyone."

Jace's shoulders slumped, and a miserable expression crossed his face as I stomped toward the stairs. Even as I went, I noticed the awkward silence in the room. Had that been childish of me? Yes. Had it been a little cathartic? Also, yes. It took every ounce of my being not to slam the bedroom door behind me. I sank onto my bed and grabbed one of my books, flipping through pages of spells and potions.

After a few moments, a faint knock came at the door, and Jace entered.

"Hey," he said.

Gritting my teeth, I gave him a faux sweet smile. "Oh, hi. I was just reading about how to turn jackass men into toads. Do you want to help me practice?"

Jace sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. "I'm sorry, okay? None of that was about you."

"Then what the hell was it about? Because it sure seemed like it was about me," I shot back.

He stared at the floor for several seconds. As angry as I was, I could see he was trying to work up the courage to say something he didn't want to say or was maybe embarrassed to say. Strange. I'd never known Jace to be that way.

Finally, he sighed and said, "During training, I was getting a little…" He paused, grimacing and shaking his head. "Jealous."

Frowning, I tossed the book aside. "Jealous of what? Me?"

"You, yes. And Flynn, and Langston. I was out there, and they know what they're doing. Flynn's so goddamned powerful, and Langston's capable, too. If I vanished today, I think everything would go exactly the same. Then when you walked out of the forest and that magical aura surged out, I realized I wasn't even in the top three." He sighed again. "I know I'm being a stupid child about it, but I've never really had to deal with that. It's dumb, but I can't get it out of my head that I don't really matter."

His words struck me like a kick in the chest. Jace Stone thought he didn't matter? The man was a walking force of nature. Was Flynn strong and powerful? Sure, but he didn't have the experience Jace did. He had never led a pack and didn't know half what Jace did about it.

"Those feelings are valid," I said, not wanting to belittle his emotions. "Even if I think they don't make any sense."

He snorted. "Sure seems like they do."

I stood and crossed the room. Seeing how miserable he looked, my anger dissipated. Placing a hand on his chest, I lowered my face until I could meet his downcast eyes.

"You are strong, brave, kind, just, and driven, Jace. Is Flynn a stronger alpha? Yeah, maybe, but that's something he got from genetics. A twist of fate, a flip of the coin. It's not something to be proud of. Do he and Langston know a lot about strategy and tactics? Yes, but they were in the military. They trained for this and were taught how to train others. You weren't. You can't be upset about that. Have you trained to be a doctor?"

"No," he said.

"Does that mean you're jealous that Reese or Stephanie can sew wounds closed or reset a broken bone, and you can't?"

He smiled then. A rueful and humorless smile, but I'd take it.

"You can lead," I continued. "Langston can't do that like you can. Neither can Flynn. In battle, is the general always the best soldier? Probably not. What they do know how to do is get their people to do the right thing for the right reasons. That's what you can do. No one else. Without you, none of this would be happening right now. Do you think anyone would have pushed Eren like this if you hadn't led the charge? Without you, we wouldn't know half the awful things he's done. This pack and the others would be sitting ducks, unprepared, waiting on him to attack."

The smile on Jace's face became a bit more natural, so I pushed forward, trying to dig him out of his funk.

"Your town is thriving; your people love the hell out of you. No one is suffering or wanting. You shifters always talk about fate. Well, this is your fate. To be the best leader this town could have at this moment. To bring others together and achieve what you need to."

A low, rumbling growl shuddered in Jace's chest as he raised his eyes to meet mine. My breath caught in my throat at the deep, powerful desire I'd never seen before.

"Do you mean that?" he asked in a low, husky voice.

"Of course I do."

His eyes darkened. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Kirsten. Hearing you say that."

"Y–yeah?" My mouth was completely dry, and despite the anger that set my blood on fire a few minutes before, the look he gave me sent a bolt of need pulsing between my legs. My knees trembled, and my breath left me short, little pants.

"I want you," he rumbled. "I need you. Can I have you?"

My lips felt numb. His alpha aura washed over me in a carnal blaze. It collided with my magic, making my head spin. An intense desire surged up inside me. I wanted him. I wanted him badly.

Swallowing hard, I said, "Yes, you can have me. You can do whatever you want with me."

With a snarl, he was upon me, scooping me up and barreling me backward to the bed. He tossed me on it, and I bounced a little from the impact. My anger, irritation, and worry vanished as whatever magic resided in shifters flooded into and around my own. Heat radiated from me, and I tugged my shirt up over my head.

Jace gazed down at me with hungry eyes. He grabbed his belt and yanked hard, not even bothering to unbuckle it. The leather snapped in two at his supernatural strength, tearing several belt loops along the way. Tossing the ruined belt aside, he fell to his knees in front of me and grabbed my hips, dragging me to the edge of the bed. He pushed my skirt up to my waist and pulled my thong to the side. Struggling with my bra, I arched my back and moaned as his tongue flicked over me.

The sounds coming from him were a cross between lust and animalistic desire. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought he was really devouring me. He slid his tongue along my pussy, then circled my clit before slipping low to probe my ass, marking me with ecstasy.

As he fucked me with his tongue, he awkwardly pulled off his pants, and I discarded my bra. Digging my fingers into his hair, I pressed his face closer to me.

Mouth half open from the rapture I felt, I took a shuddering breath. "I want you in my mouth, Jace."

He grinned up at me, then stripped down until he was fully naked. Climbing on the bed, he swung one leg over my head and faced my pussy. His thick cock grazed my lips as he lowered his mouth to my clit. I opened my mouth, greedily taking him in, as I curled my hand around his shaft at the base.

Every time we were together, it was like the first time—intense and uncontrollable. A nearly feral shifter and a mad witch writhing in desire, like we were teenagers desperate to explore all the wonders of sex. Any other time, I'd think it was ridiculous, but now I wanted to enjoy the ride.

His cock touched the back of my throat, and I groaned as he thrust into my mouth. He continued to feast on me, adding a finger, sliding it deep as his tongue slipped and slid along every inch of me. Knowing I was giving him pleasure heightened my arousal, adding to the sensation of his tongue on me. As I stroked and sucked him, I lost myself, allowing all thought, all worry to vanish. I wanted him to come. Needed to feel his body shudder and know that I'd been the one to do it.

Jace thrust his hips, fucking my mouth with his cock. My tongue slid over his shaft and tip, my cheeks hollowing out as I sucked eagerly.

"I'm gonna come," he grunted, trying to pull away.

With my free hand, I grabbed his ass and pulled him closer. He moaned in understanding and went back to eating my pussy, this time with even more fervor. Soon, my own climax began to build, the embers being breathed to life into a raging inferno.

I moaned around Jace's cock as I came, hard and sharp. Jace didn't stop as I writhed beneath him. Spurred on by my orgasm and the release of tension, I pulled Jace closer, stroking and sucking him harder and faster until, at last, he called out my name as he came.

He tasted sour, bitter, and sweet all at once. As I swallowed, I couldn't imagine being closer to him, and a faint smile crossed my lips as he collapsed atop me, his hips at my chest, face resting on my thigh, panting for breath.

"Fuck," Jace said. "That was amazing."

Once he'd regained his breath, he settled beside me and pressed his lips to mine softly. "I'm sorry. You were right. I shouldn't have been acting that way."

"Everyone gets those feelings of insecurity. Just tell me next time. Okay?"

"There won't be a next time, but yeah, I'll tell you."

"Let's get dressed and head back downstairs. I don't want everyone to think we're up here doing it."

"But we were up here doing it," Jace said with a laugh.

"Yeah, but that's not the point," I said, chuckling with him. "Come on."

When we got downstairs, we saw the group had departed. Harley and Tank were in the kitchen, doing dishes.

"Oh, look," Harley said, beaming at us. "Freshly fucked and happy again."

"Uh… I'm going outside," Tank said, face flushing at Harley's words. He dropped the plate he'd been scrubbing back into the water and fled out the door.

Harley pouted. "Did I make him uncomfortable? Too bad. I didn't think he was a prude."

"He's a little conservative," Jace said. "You can't blame him, though. He was born in the early ‘60s. The whole flower-power and free-love thing didn't get too deep into rural Missouri. He's a bit old-fashioned."

"Yikes," Harley said. "Makes sense why he's got the hots for Tinsley. They're both old as hell."

"Hey!" Jace said, looking affronted.

Harley shrugged. "What? It's the truth. You're old as hell, too."

Before they could start bickering, I said, "I should run out to the store before it closes. That meal cleaned us out."

The sun was close to setting, and if I didn't go now, it would be too late.

"I have some work to do," Jace said. "Tank will go with you."

"Great."

"I'm coming with," Harley said, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "I need to get out of here. Get some fresh air."

Ten minutes later, Tank was driving me and Harley to the grocery store. The drive was quiet. Tank looked exhausted, but the goofy expression on his face made me think he was daydreaming about Tinsley.

"Let's do this," he said as we pulled up in front of the grocery store.

Tank insisted on pushing the cart while I strolled through the aisles, grabbing what we needed. Harley, of course, loaded the cart with more than was necessary.

"We don't need two gallons of ice cream," I said as she put the containers in the cart.

"Listen." She gave me a withering glare. "I just found out I'm destined to be a shifter's mate. I need ice cream, okay? I've got to drown myself in something, and I don't want to be hungover tomorrow."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and nudged the cart so Tank knew to head up to the register. He tried skirting around it, but I grabbed the front and steered him toward the cashier. "Wake up, Tank. We have to pay first," I said.

Tank frowned. "I don't think you know how this—"

"Tank," I said, cutting him off. "I'm really tired, okay? I don't need anyone explaining how to buy groceries."

Harley and I started unloading the cart while Tank stared at us like we'd lost our minds. The cashier looked somewhat uncomfortable as well. Did I stink or something? Things weren't this weird the last time I'd shopped here.

Finally, the manager hurried over, waving his hands at us.

"No, no, don't worry about this. You're free to go on," he said.

I bristled at that, suddenly remembering how the crowd at the gathering had treated me. I'd thought more people had come to understand I wasn't here to ruin their way of life or curse them. Seems I was wrong.

"You don't want to sell us this stuff?" I asked. "My money isn't good here?"

The man, seeing the anger flash in my eyes, shrank back and shook his head. "Oh goodness, no! That's not it. You're Jace's mate."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's what I was trying to tell you," Tank said, his head lowered and a hand on his forehead.

"You don't need to pay," the manager said. "It's taken care of. The alpha doesn't pay, so neither does his mate."

I stared at him, dumbstruck. "But… I had to pay the other day when my friends and I were shopping."

It was as though I'd told him his favorite dog had died. He went pale and sputtered.

"Miss Holly, I am so sorry. That must have been a new employee who isn't familiar with our policy. I apologize."

Still too confused to really understand, I said, "So, Jace doesn't pay for anything?"

The manager chuckled wryly. "He tries, but we always say no. He does so much for us that we can't, in good conscience, take his money."

I couldn't help but smile. That statement alone solidified what I'd told Jace earlier. His people loved him wholly and completely, and he'd proven to them that he would do anything for them.

"You're sure?" I asked. "I don't want to insult you or take advantage of you."

"No, ma'am. We are positive. We'll help you bag it up, though." He turned to the cashier. "Brianna, give me a hand."

"Hi, Brianna," I said to the woman as she started tucking our items into bags.

She grinned at me. "Hello."

Harley and I helped them bag up the groceries. I looked at the manager and asked his name.

"Oliver Vaden. It's lovely to officially meet you," the man said, extending his hand.

I shook it. "I'm glad I got to meet you. Now that I know your names, I can say hello the next time I'm in here."

Both Oliver and Brianna looked pleased, and by the time the three of us were loading the groceries into the truck, I felt much better. The evening was clear, the air cooler than it had been last week. The lights in the parking lot turned on as the sky turned dark.

"Anything else you need?" Tank asked as he buckled his seat belt.

"No, I think we're good," I said.

Tank pulled out of the parking lot and turned right on Main Street. It was Friday, and people were heading to and from restaurants and shops. For such a small town, it had quite the bustling nightlife.

"What's going on over there?" Harley asked, pointing to a building near the intersection.

"That's the movie theater," Tank said. "It's small, only two screens, but it gets tons of business. Shifters are old-school," he added. "We do streaming stuff, but we still love the theater experience. Some of us are old enough to remember vaudeville and stuff, so we—what the fuck?"

He looked down, pumping the brake pedal. "The brakes aren't working!"

The street was on a slight decline, the truck picking up speed toward the intersection. The traffic light turned red, telling us to stop. At least a dozen people were crossing the street.

"Tank?" Harley asked worriedly.

"I can't stop," he said, the words coming out in a rush.

Ahead of us, men, women, and children crossed the street. The sidewalks to either side had people everywhere. There was nowhere to go. We had to stop.

I reached out, trying to use some sort of spell to slow the tires, but nothing worked. I couldn't make a connection without seeing the tires, and I still didn't have the skill to cast a spell on something moving so fast. The truck barreled forward. Tank slammed his foot on the brake over and over and yanked on the emergency brake. It didn't work. No one ahead of us had noticed yet, and Tank was too preoccupied with the brake to blast the horn. In a last-ditch effort, he threw the truck into neutral, but we were still going too fast.

Summoning all the magical energy within me, I threw out a massive cloud of protective magic around both Tank and Harley, then tossed up a wall of energy in front of the truck, only ten feet from a mass of people. The truck slammed into it. It took a split second for me to realize I hadn't extended the protective bubble around myself.

The front of the truck crumpled as though it had crashed into a brick wall. The old truck only had lap belts, and my upper body went flying forward, my head slamming into the dashboard. My skull bounced off the leather and plastic, and a sound like a high-pitched siren exploded in my ears. Nausea swirled in my gut, and the outer edges of my vision went hazy and gray.

Dazed, I heard muffled screams and shouts from outside the truck. The screams from inside, however, were crystal-clear and agonizing.

"Kirsten? Kirsten?"

Was that Harley? My arm seemed to be made of lead as I raised my hand and touched my temple. My fingers came away bloody. I had a sudden and powerful sense of déjà vu. Blinking, I looked around to see if Eren was there to drag me out of the car like the last time this happened.

Then darkness consumed me, and the last thing I heard was Harley's frantic screams.