elsewhere. She nodded and turned back toward the window.
His frown hurt the bruises on his face left by Brent. With a shrug, Jordan followed the directions, heading south until he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “You’re awfully quiet.” Maybe she was pouting since he was forcing her home. She’d been quiet since returning to her apartment and packing, not giving him any grief, even as they’d loaded up his rented Jeep. Not arguing at all. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Now that was a lie. “Are you upset I kissed you?”
She started, facing him and flashing a surprised smile. “Ah, no. Not even close.”
Well, now. The woman might at least be thinking about the kiss. Their first kiss. The damn moment had rocked his world. His hands tightened around the steering wheel. He should be happy Katie wasn’t obsessing about one kiss, especially since they had no future. But hell, she could at least be sad about that. “Then what has you in such deep thought?”
Several expressions crossed her face, but he couldn’t read any of them. Finally, she shrugged. “Just looking forward to seeing the queen.” Katie turned back to the rushing forest and weak sunshine outside.
There was a time Katie would’ve told him anything—shared everything. Something in his gut suddenly ached. Anger followed ache. “How’s your strength?”
“Same as a human, pretty much.” No inflection rode her tone.
“What’s it like? I mean, living as a human?”
“It sucks. Makes me sorry for them. I mean, I empathize with humans but sure don’t want to be one. Lacking normal shifter strength makes life difficult.”
He blinked twice, forcing down anger and sorrow. “When we find the lair, you stay back. The rules have been clear from day one.”
“Fine.”
Her easy acceptance pissed him off more. He wanted to argue with her. Wanted to see her flushed, angry, passionate, and not so ... uncaring. “You’re really pissing me off.”
She faced him again, a frown between her fine brows. “Why?”
The fact he couldn’t answer that question ticked him off even more. The sight of Baye angled to the side up ahead, leaning against an SUV, brought more relief than it should. Jordan pulled over and then cut the engine. Cypress trees lined both sides of the road, the wind throwing their leaves about. “Just do your job.”
“Always.” She jumped from the vehicle, her boots making imprints in the wet mud as she made her way toward Baye.
Jordan followed suit, his gaze on the most frustrating female he’d ever met. The faded jeans hugged her ass in a way that had his jeans feeling too tight. What the hell was wrong with him? She reached the vehicle, turning to stomp her boots clean.
Her hair had darkened a tiny shade the last decade, turning more sandy blond than golden. Feline cheekbones had sharpened, her pink lips had rounded the slightest bit. But those bourbon-colored eyes had remained the same. She truly was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen—and he’d lived more than three hundred years.
Shaking off the thought, he glared at Baye, taking note of a fat lip and swollen jaw. The fight the previous night must’ve been rough. “Where’s the lair?”
The enforcer studied him, a fathomless expression in his light eyes. “Somewhere close. One of our scouts called with information about a bunch of dead, gutted animals around here. Lance already shifted and is sniffing the best path.” Baye snarled and then winced, finger going to the cut in his lip. “Also, Lance had to kill a human turned werewolf last night.”
Jordan frowned. “That’s new. We haven’t seen a human convert in quite some time.”
Baye scratched his chin. “Maybe not. But they do pop up once in a while. Some werewolf must’ve gotten close to the human population and bitten the poor guy.” Baye tugged Katie’s hair. “I have a sweatshirt in my car as I figured you’d forget yours.”
Jordan swallowed hard to keep the snarl in his
His frown hurt the bruises on his face left by Brent. With a shrug, Jordan followed the directions, heading south until he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “You’re awfully quiet.” Maybe she was pouting since he was forcing her home. She’d been quiet since returning to her apartment and packing, not giving him any grief, even as they’d loaded up his rented Jeep. Not arguing at all. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Now that was a lie. “Are you upset I kissed you?”
She started, facing him and flashing a surprised smile. “Ah, no. Not even close.”
Well, now. The woman might at least be thinking about the kiss. Their first kiss. The damn moment had rocked his world. His hands tightened around the steering wheel. He should be happy Katie wasn’t obsessing about one kiss, especially since they had no future. But hell, she could at least be sad about that. “Then what has you in such deep thought?”
Several expressions crossed her face, but he couldn’t read any of them. Finally, she shrugged. “Just looking forward to seeing the queen.” Katie turned back to the rushing forest and weak sunshine outside.
There was a time Katie would’ve told him anything—shared everything. Something in his gut suddenly ached. Anger followed ache. “How’s your strength?”
“Same as a human, pretty much.” No inflection rode her tone.
“What’s it like? I mean, living as a human?”
“It sucks. Makes me sorry for them. I mean, I empathize with humans but sure don’t want to be one. Lacking normal shifter strength makes life difficult.”
He blinked twice, forcing down anger and sorrow. “When we find the lair, you stay back. The rules have been clear from day one.”
“Fine.”
Her easy acceptance pissed him off more. He wanted to argue with her. Wanted to see her flushed, angry, passionate, and not so ... uncaring. “You’re really pissing me off.”
She faced him again, a frown between her fine brows. “Why?”
The fact he couldn’t answer that question ticked him off even more. The sight of Baye angled to the side up ahead, leaning against an SUV, brought more relief than it should. Jordan pulled over and then cut the engine. Cypress trees lined both sides of the road, the wind throwing their leaves about. “Just do your job.”
“Always.” She jumped from the vehicle, her boots making imprints in the wet mud as she made her way toward Baye.
Jordan followed suit, his gaze on the most frustrating female he’d ever met. The faded jeans hugged her ass in a way that had his jeans feeling too tight. What the hell was wrong with him? She reached the vehicle, turning to stomp her boots clean.
Her hair had darkened a tiny shade the last decade, turning more sandy blond than golden. Feline cheekbones had sharpened, her pink lips had rounded the slightest bit. But those bourbon-colored eyes had remained the same. She truly was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen—and he’d lived more than three hundred years.
Shaking off the thought, he glared at Baye, taking note of a fat lip and swollen jaw. The fight the previous night must’ve been rough. “Where’s the lair?”
The enforcer studied him, a fathomless expression in his light eyes. “Somewhere close. One of our scouts called with information about a bunch of dead, gutted animals around here. Lance already shifted and is sniffing the best path.” Baye snarled and then winced, finger going to the cut in his lip. “Also, Lance had to kill a human turned werewolf last night.”
Jordan frowned. “That’s new. We haven’t seen a human convert in quite some time.”
Baye scratched his chin. “Maybe not. But they do pop up once in a while. Some werewolf must’ve gotten close to the human population and bitten the poor guy.” Baye tugged Katie’s hair. “I have a sweatshirt in my car as I figured you’d forget yours.”
Jordan swallowed hard to keep the snarl in his
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