Forbidden Alliance: A Werewolf's Tale (Forbidden Alliance Trilogy) (67 page)

A war between
the
packs was just on the ho
rizon, that was what Jay Dee w
as worried about at the moment, and it was upsetting her greatly.

“After centuries of working for me brass, I would immensely enjoy simply throwing it at all
of
the problems
you
find on
your
doorstep so we may enjoy life to its fullest without having to worry of…it does not matter, Duckie. Truth be told, I rather enjoy the exceptional view when you duck under the hood. Can you fault a man for that?” I asked
with a smirk
.

She blushed and looked away from me. “You are ridiculous, old man.”

“Sometimes,” I agreed. “Will you do me the honor of escorting you to dinner this evening?”

“
Sure,” she mumbled.

Buggers. She said yes
,
however,
the look on her face hints that an argument is fast approaching.

“Is something troubling you, Duckie?”
I reluctantly asked.

Jay Dee pulled her hair
tie out and ran her hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “
They’re having another council meeting.
The packs from the entire state are gathering.
..even Grandpa threatened to bring his pack up here if it went to war.
This has gotten ridiculous
,
and the potential bloodshed
...
They act like it’s the end of the world.
Some assholes got killed,
big deal. They totally started it!
Attacking
Jarvis
was completely
inexcusable considering
who are parents are
.
I’m more of a gray area
since
I’m not biologically related but that isn’t stopping my parents from arguing the point.”

I
offered her my arm and escorted her around to
the passenger side
.
“
My apologies, Duckie. I should have spoken up in regards to the potential aftermath of such rash decisions. Though it was yours to make,” I quickly added when she opened her mouth to argue with me, “
however,
as your partner, one who
m
is much older and more experienced in the mythical world, I should have offered you advice instead of pouting and arguing with you. My apologies, it shall not happen again.”

Jay Dee cocked an eyebrow. “I’m getting that vibe
which says
you deserve an ass beating for some reason. What aren’t you telling me?” she demanded.

I closed her door and reluctantly joined her in the driver’s seat. “Nothing of proven
consequence,” I assured her and pulled out of the garage.

Jay Dee waved to Joe and he smiled and nodded, then started closing up shop for the day.

I
looked to the
tree across the street and Abigail and Steffen both nodded thei
r understanding: they would head home once we were
out of sight
.

Since the altercation at the county fair, those who accompanied us to Lummi have been taking turns keeping an eye on Jay Dee when she’s in public. Mum keeps
watch at night as
I struggle to get some
rest
while the woman I love softly purrs in my arms. Reign and Sky, along with most of the
ir
pack, acc
ompany Jay Dee hunting; she acted
as if
she
hadn’t
noticed that they were
maintaining a perimeter
,
but I was confident she was
well
aware of it.

“I’m about to ask you something
. But
I don’t want you to freak out or drive off of the road, or get all crazy and read into it more than what it is, okay?”
Jay Dee said softly once Lummi was behind us.

I looked over at her from the corner of my eye; s
he
was
wringing her hands in her lap,
nervously
chewed
on
her
bottom
lip,
and
both
knee
s
bounc
ed
wildly.

Bollocks! She knows.

“What is it, Duckie
?
” I
asked; m
y voice
cracked
and was
thick with emotion.

“Well,” she
started and
closed her eyes tight,
then
her words spilled from her
lips
so fast that I don’t think
that I
heard her
correctly
, “
t
his isn’t the nicest outfit for dinner, and I know that you aren’t going to take us to a fast food place, so can we stop someplace so I can get a new outfit, something nicer, maybe a dress or something?”

I pulled onto the shoulder and put the
car
in park.
I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t breathe.

Jay Dee huffed, and crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “You don’t have to be a dick about it. You’ve been super mentally preoccupied lately and I thought it might cheer you up to play dress up with your life-sized Barbie doll, that’s all.”

I shook my head in aspiration; she was spot on, and playing dress up, and undressing, with her was exactly what I needed to help organize my thoughts, but most importantly, put into perspective of just how much I needed her in my life.

“
It is not that,” I assured her, wiping the tears from my eyes. “
You scared the hell out of me!
I thought you were going to break up with me or something
far worse. Bloody
hell, Duckie!
You
cannot
do that to me
…remember, I am as
old as dirt
, thus I
could have
had a heart attack
.”

“Shut up,” she groaned.
“I told you not to read into it.”

“
Me Duckie, I am
going to make a whole damn novel out of
it
, and there
is not
a
bloody
thing you can do to about it.
I se
e a new wardrobe in your future
!
”

“No!” she argued as I pulled back onto the main road.

“Already done,” I smugly informed her
; that was exactly what I needed without knowing it
.
“
Duckie, I do not
know why you think that shopping is a death sentence.
Good
God,
Woman
, you have
an
arse backwards way of thinking.
Did you actually think that I would say no?
I
have
given you me pl
atinum card many, many times
,
and
you have
yet to use it
for something other than cleaning the axel grease from under your nails.
”

“Shut up,” she groaned.

Of course I wasn’t about to shut up, I needed to feel the familiarity of our bantering, of our difference which made me feel complete
since
she was everything I wasn’t and I was exactly what she refused to be, and it made me realize that our two polar opposite sides made one
perfect
person, a complete soul, and
that
our love was worth fighting to protect.

“Duckie, I would
slip money in
to
your billfold or purse
yet
you do not have either…that shall be resolved soon
.”

“Oh god,” she groaned and bashed her head against the headrest. “Forget I said anything, please. Just take me home.”

I shook my head. “Duckie, a
s ridiculous as it sounds
, I am even
more excited
to go shopping simply because you
asked.
That mean
s
something
to me
, Duckie.
I want
you
to need me,
just
as I need you,
even if
it is
just in a monetary sense.
”

Jay Dee gave me a look. “You want me to be like that soul sucking bitch you married?”

“God no!” I snapped at her and she cocked an eyebrow. “My apologies. You and Sam are nothing alike, and for that I am eternally grateful. You do not realiz
e, Duckie, how much I need you, and sadly,
you do not apparently need me. You are a strong, self-sufficient
werewolf
and woman who could rule the world if it tickled her fancy, instead, you merely want what is best for everyone else. I love that about you, I truly do, yet I hate that about you as well. So, in a very roundabout way, even if you merely need me in a monetary means, that is more than I deserve thus I will embrace it.”

Jay Dee groaned and, once again, bashed the back of her head into the headrest. “You are ridiculous. I need you for more than just money…obviously since I won’t take your goddamn money. Tanis, is it so hard for you to believe that I love you for you
,
and not for what you can buy me?
”

I smirked, looking over at her. “Duckie, it floods me heart with warmth and love that you love me despite
m
e
few
flaws and
many
indiscretions. Believe it or not,
I have not questioned
how
you
could
not
love someone as brilliant as the man, the myth, the
legend
you find
yourself in the presence of,
” I
said
.

She gave me a look. “You know what, correction, I merely love you for your overabundance of humility. You truly are the embodiment of it.”

I smiled wide. “I
hear
that often.”

Dramatically she sighed. “Some people’s vampires.”

“No, not some people’s vampires, I am your vampire and only yours,” I smugly reminded her.

Abigail told me where to go
when I text messaged her for an update
, and she
called ahead to have some items pulled for
Jay Dee
, that way
she wouldn’t get a chance to change her mind.

I sat
in one of the leather chairs
reading the email Rayland sent on my phone
while the clerk helped Jay Dee find something to wear.
Of course Jay Dee
complained endlessly under her breath, hysterically laughed a few times, and either punched the wall of the dressing room or
fell into it a couple of times
; with her it was impossible to tell which.

‘I was able to confirm that Toran left Washington by means of a schooner. Sadly, you know as well as I what that means. I am sorry, Tanis. It looks as if a war is on the horizon
since
he is keeping to the rules of engagement. When I know more, you will know more. Please, I beg of you, keep the crown safe until Toran returns.- Rayland’

“Bollocks,” I hissed, fighting the urge to throw
the phone across the boutique. This was getting even more complicated than I had ever imagined.

“If you laugh
you are never gett
ing laid again,” Jay Dee warned
, effectively pulling my attention.

“I
would
never
,” I assured her
, deleting the email before pocking my mobile.

“Remember, I’ve never walked in heels before so if I break my ankle
or neck,
I’m kicking your ass,” she
sternly warned
.
“Dude, I’m dishing out threats of violence and you haven’t even seen me yet.
I think you’re right,” she said with a chuckle, “I have issues.”

“Duckie
, I never
said you
had
issues-”
I started to assure her, but
every coherent thought I had was lost when she stepped out from the dressing room.

Calling Jay Dee
beautiful
would
have been
a crime, sexy an insult, stunning
was
close but not nearly enough
. She
was
breathtaking
. The
short
,
black silk cocktail dress
sinuously hugged each of her curves, and
the
black lace top
had a
nude underlay
which
made
it
appear sheer,
and
the neck
line
cut
down far enough that her breasts
were
presented like
beautifully wrapped Christmas present
s
.