Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Is there a reason why you won’t stop glaring at me?” Ashley asked, not bothering to look up from the cup of blood in her hands as she released a shaky breath, really hoping that she didn’t react like the last time.

“I’ve got a few questions that I need to ask you,” the man that loved to glare announced, making her bite back a sigh.

“Of course, you do,” Ashley murmured as she raised the cup of blood to her lips and-

Did everything in her power not to moan.

God, it was so good, Ashley thought, painfully aware of the man watching her every move. Thankfully, it wasn’t uncontrollably groan-worthy good, which meant that she could finish off every last drop of blood without having to worry about embarrassing herself. As soon as she was done, she placed the empty cup down on the coffee table and slowly exhaled as everything stopped hurting.

Now she knew without question that the solution to her problems was fresh shifter blood, Ashley thought as she pulled off her headphones and placed them on the table next to the mug. Unfortunately for her, that was going to be a problem once she was on her own.

Then again, Ashley amended when she caught the murderous glare aimed at her, something told her that it was going to be a problem now. Kale was barely here, which meant that she was going to have to ask Jacob for-

“You’re not drinking from Jacob,” Kale bit out, making her frown in confusion even as the man in question walked into the house completely naked and headed for the kitchen with a murmured, “How’s it going, Asshole?”

She was going to have to start leaving a change of clothes by the front door for him, Ashley thought with a sad shake of her head as she watched Jacob walk into the kitchen and-

Grabbed her box of Fruit Loops.

She’d been looking forward to having them for breakfast tomorrow morning and the bastard knew it. When he saw her watching him, his lips pulled up into that taunting smile that was going to get him bitch-slapped one day as he made a show of eating her delicious sugary cereal, knowing that she wasn’t going to do anything about it.

He was like the annoying little brother that she’d never wanted, Ashley thought as her eyes narrowed on the large bastard as he headed upstairs and-

“Careful,” Kale bit out evenly, reluctantly pulling her attention away from the man that enjoyed tormenting her for his own entertainment to find Kale watching her through silver eyes.

“He’s not going to hurt me,” Ashley said absently as she bit back a disappointed sigh. She’d really been looking forward to the artificially flavored, sugary treat for breakfast.

“No, but your mate might not appreciate finding out that you’re looking at other men,” Kale drawled, making her frown as she looked back at him and…wow, did he look pissed.

“Are we talking about the same mate that I’ve never met, has no interest in me, and can’t be bothered to acknowledge my existence in any way?” Ashley asked, blinking innocently. “Are we talking about that mate?”

Jaw clenching, and wow, did that look like it hurt, Kale bit out, “You’re mated.”

“And unclaimed,” she felt the need to point out with a nod only to stop nodding when his silver eyes actually flashed brighter.

“You’re a job and Jacob knows better than to cross that line,” Kale said only to growl when Jacob yelled, “No, I don’t!” from upstairs, making her lips twitch as she did her best not to laugh.

Not that she was interested in Jacob because she wasn’t, but she already knew that he wasn’t interested in her. He treated her like a kid sister and went out of his way to annoy the shit out of her every chance he got. When she was painting the upstairs closet, he’d locked her inside and refused to let her out until she sang, “I’m a Little Teapot.”

Twice.

Then there were the times that he liked to sneak up on her and scare the crap out of her, when he stole her food, flushed the toilet when she was taking a shower because he enjoyed making her scream, and looked for new and interesting ways to torture her to help pass the time. That time that he woke her up by releasing a snake that he’d found while patrolling, in her room more than proved that he wasn’t interested in her. Especially since he’d spent the entire time laughing his ass off at her while she’d been cowering in the corner, threatening his balls.

He really was a jerk, Ashley thought as she sat there, watching Kale as he continued glaring at her. The fingers on his right hand absently tapped against the armrest while she sat there, wondering why he cared. She considered telling him that she wasn’t interested in Jacob, but…

It was none of his business.

* * *

He wasn’t goingto fucking ask.

He wasn’t.

He didn’t care if she wanted Jacob because she could fucking have him, Kale told himself as he forced his attention away from the woman that had apparently forgotten that he was there to…fucking sigh when he realized that she was watching a romantic comedy. Of course, she was, Kale thought, drumming his fingertips against the armrest as he glanced back at Ashley as she grabbed the coffee cup and headed back to the kitchen.

It was time to go, Kale decided, getting up and heading to the door, deciding that he’d wasted enough time on this bullshit. He needed to get back to Manhattan and find the little bastard before he could-

“Why does that jerk keep eating all my snacks?” Ashley mumbled sadly, drawing Kale’s attention back in time to watch her nibble on a sandwich as she dropped down on the couch with a heavy sigh and-

Female Pytes could only eat food when they were pregnant.

Kale shifted his attention from the small woman devouring her sandwich with happy little sighs to the large shifter now fully dressed, coming down the stairs as a low, menacing growl tore from Kale’s lips, drawing Jacob’s attention. Kale watched as the other shifter frowned in confusion as he glanced at Ashley and back again, only to sigh heavily.

“She can eat food as long as she has blood,” Jacob explained as he reached over and swiped the sandwich out of her hand and finished it off in one bite.

“I really hate you,” Ashley mumbled sadly as she got up with a pathetic groan and headed for the kitchen.

“I texted you about it last month,” Jacob said, stealing Ashley’s abandoned Coke and finished it off before adding, “You didn’t respond.”

“I’ve been busy,” Kale said as he found himself glancing over his shoulder and watched as Ashley grabbed everything that she needed to make another sandwich.

“Speaking of busy,” Jacob drawled, bringing Kale’s attention to find the other shifter gesturing absently around them as he added, “I think I’m wasting your money by staying here. She’s not going anywhere.”

“You’re staying,” Kale said as he watched Ashley walk back into the living room with another sandwich and-

“God, you really are a jerk,” Ashley mumbled with a resigned sigh when Jacob reached over and stole her sandwich.

“You knew this,” Jacob murmured happily as he devoured the stolen sandwich while Kale watched them, noting that Ashley looked like she wanted to throttle the bastard.

He looked for any signs that there was more to that look, wondering if there was something going on between the two of them only to realize what he was doing as he dropped back down on the incredibly comfortable chair. He didn’t care what she did as long as she stayed out of trouble, Kale told himself as he sat there, glaring at the little bastard that better keep his fucking hands off his mate.

“She’s not ready to be alone,” Kale bit out.

“Which is why I fully plan on checking in on her and dropping by at every opportunity, but she doesn’t need a babysitter,” Jacob said, shrugging it off.

“Please tell me that you’re not talking about me like I’m not here,” Ashley said with a sad shake of her head as she went to take a sip of her Coke and-

“Thanks,” Jacob said, plucking the Coke out of her hand and finished it off.

“He doesn’t need to watch me. I’m not going anywhere,” she said, shrugging it off as she got back up and headed for the kitchen.

“And why is that?” Kale asked as he watched Ashley walk back into the living room and sat down as far away from Jacob as the couch would let her, somewhat appeasing him.

“You mean besides the obvious?” Ashley asked before releasing a soft sigh. “Where would I go?” she asked with a pointed look at the bracelet on her wrist instead of answering him. Not that she needed to when they both knew that she had nowhere else to go.

“You’d be alone,” Kale pointed out, making sure that she didn’t expect him to drop everything to stay with her because that was never going to happen.

“That doesn’t bother me,” she said, shrugging it off, but he knew that she was lying.

“I was hoping to take the job that the Council offered me. Seems they’re curious about a couple of unusual blood orders and they’re hoping that I can track down where they’re really going,” Jacob drawled with a pointed look at Ashley, letting Kale know that he didn’t have a choice.

Not if he wanted to keep his mate safe.

“Do it,” Kale said, watching as Ashley pulled a throw blanket around herself and settled in for a long night.

“I’ll head out in the morning,” Jacob said, swiping Ashley’s Coke and headed for the stairs, leaving Kale with the woman determined to ignore him.

“Are you going to answer my questions?” he asked after a few minutes.

“Are you going to answer mine?” she countered, making his lips twitch as he watched her.

What was it about her that intrigued him? Kale wondered as he watched Ashley as she struggled to keep her eyes open. When she eventually fell asleep, snuggled up against the corner of the couch, Kale stood up and moved to leave only to find himself standing over her, running the back of his knuckles along her jaw, unable to believe just how beautiful she was and hating himself for noticing.