Jennifer Ashley - Feral Heat

And then the bastard human, who’d been involved in some nasty business regarding Shifters that Ellison and Deni had helped clear up, had deliberately run down Deni on her motorcycle, robbing her of control and any sense of tranquility. Tonight, coupling with Jace and now having him hold on to her was the closest she’d come to finding peace again.

Deni turned onto the 183 and headed north. She was sure Jace would tell her to pull over any minute so he could take over the driving, but he didn’t. Jace kept his arms around her, his body leaning with hers as she made the turn and joined traffic.

Deni started to shake again as traffic thickened, cars and trucks surging around them to head for Austin from points east of San Antonio. Jace’s warm hands moved on Deni’s belly, as though he knew she needed his reassuring touch. Deni felt a little better, but when they reached Lockhart, she pulled off to a gas station.

“You can take over now,” she said, sliding off the helmet.

Jace didn’t dismount. “You’re doing fine. Keep going.”

“Jace, come on. I’m scared. The wreck really messed me up. The guy who did it was trying to grab me—he was kidnapping Shifters.”

Jace’s eyes narrowed. “I heard about him. He didn’t get you though, right?”

“Only because there were too many other people around. He nearly killed me.”

“But he’s dead now.” Jace spoke with conviction. Dylan must have told him some of that story.

“Yes.” Deni swallowed, her mouth dry. She wondered if Dylan had told Jace exactly how the man had died, and Deni’s part in it. “My mind knows that I’m safe, but my instincts don’t. The wolf inside me hasn’t fully processed it yet, I guess.”

Jace kept frowning. “I see that. But I’m right here with you. Show yourself you can do it. Don’t let him win.”

Deni wanted to—she truly did. Her brother had given her similar advice: Don’t let the asshole take everything away from you .

Wise words, but still, it was hard. “What if I black out?”

Jace shot her a grin. “I’ll wake you up.”

“Jace, I can’t. ”

“You’re wrong. You can.”

Deni grasped the handlebars. She used to love to ride, she and Ellison going all out on the back roads, side by side, racing. She missed it.

She gave Jace a challenging look. “What if I get off right here and refuse to ride?”

Jace shrugged. “Then I take the bike back to Liam and send you a cab. Or you can shift to wolf and go cross-country.”

“Oh, thanks.”

The grin returned. “Or, you can drive.”

He was a shithead. A sexy one. Damn it.

Everything in Deni wanted to do this. Waiting at this gas station for a cab certainly didn’t appeal to her, especially not with the few good old boys starting to eye them. Humans and Shifters weren’t supposed to tangle, but out in farm and ranch country, in the middle of the night, rules didn’t always stop anyone.

Deni slapped the helmet back on her head. She revved the bike and pulled out of the gas station, opening up the engine once she got out of town to make it throb.

Wind rushed past her, the bike rumbled under her, and Jace, hard-bodied and hot, hung on to her. Deni still felt the ache of their rough lovemaking, and knew she carried his seed inside her. What would happen if that seed took root? The thought of having another cub frightened her almost as much as riding did, but it elated her at the same time.

Deni navigated them onto the 130 then off when the 183 split from it again, and kept on straight north for Austin. She was sweating by the time they hit Austin proper, Jace’s jacket cutting the bracing wind. The increasing traffic made her panic rise once more, but Jace was there, caressing her, his touch calming.

Excitement hit Deni when she rolled into the mostly deserted streets around Shiftertown and pulled the motorcycle up behind the bar Liam managed. She swung off the bike after Jace dismounted, and yanked off her helmet.

“I did it. Goddess, Jace—I did it!”

“Yeah, you did.” Jace swept his arms around her and pulled her against him. “You were great. And you didn’t even pass out.”

Deni was too buoyed to respond to the remark. She gave him a hard kiss on the mouth, loving the taste of him. Her excitement increased, her need for him not slaked. Jace didn’t discourage her. His kiss turned hard, his hands on her back strong.

Deni made herself ease away from him, though he remained holding her a moment, his eyes dark green in the moonlight. Shaking a little, Deni stepped back, slid his jacket off, and handed it back to him, though it was a shame to watch him cover himself.

Jace shrugged the jacket on then took a backpack from one of the saddlebags and slung it over his shoulder. He put his arm around Deni. “Come in and have a beer with me?”

This was Deni’s chance to tell him she needed to go home, to wait for her sons to get in from work, her brother and his mate to return from their date. To go back to watching everyone else live, while she sat in the corner and tried to stay sane.

To hell with that. Deni squared her shoulders, slid her hand through Jace’s offered arm, and walked in with him through the back door.

They emerged into the loud bar, half full of Shifters. A tall Shifter covered in tatts spied them and stepped in front of Jace.

“Liam wants to see you,” he said with his characteristic brevity, then turned around and walked away.

“That’s Spike,” Deni said. “Man of few words.”

“I’ve met him.” Jace took Deni’s hand and led her through the crowd, making his way to the black-haired Irishman leaning on the bar. He wasn’t tending it—Shifters weren’t allowed to serve alcohol. A human barman did that.

Liam Morrissey turned as they approached, as though sensing them come, which he probably had. He wouldn’t have been able to hear them over the jukebox, or smell them over the odors of smoke, alcohol, sweaty humans, and Shifters who’d also just returned from the fight club. But Liam had the uncanny knack of knowing where everyone was at all times. Liam was tall, like his brother, Sean, and had the same intense blue eyes. Those eyes took in Jace, then Deni, then Liam leaned forward and pulled Jace into a Shifter welcoming embrace.

Jace dropped his backpack on a barstool and let Liam enfold him. Because the two had met before and liked each other, the hug was more cordial and less wary than many alpha male exchanges. No veiled hint that each would rip out the other’s throat if they had half a chance. Just friendship and camaraderie, arms tightening on each other’s backs.

Liam released Jace, turned to Deni, and pulled her into his arms as well. This hug was more reassuring, the Shiftertown leader trying to calm one of his own. “Well done,” Liam said quietly into her ear, and Deni warmed with pleasure.

Liam released Deni and found Jace right next to him. Right next to him, as in slap up against him. Jace’s eyes had tightened, and he pinned Liam with a warning stare.

Liam reached past Jace for a half-filled bottle of beer he’d left on the bar and held it without drinking. “Spike and Ronan told me what happened out there with the cops.” He gave Deni a grin. “I see you two already celebrated.”

As she had under Sean’s scrutiny, Deni flushed, but Jace looked unworried. “Have you heard anything from Dylan?” Jace asked him.

Liam lost his smile. “They took Dad downtown. My mate is with him, and so is Sean. They told me not to come.” He nodded, as though he agreed. “Kim knows what she’s doing.”

Liam’s mate was a defense lawyer who now specialized in defending Shifters. Liam was right that she was plenty competent, and Dylan and Sean were good at keeping human attention away from Shifters. Deni saw the tightness in Liam, however, sensed his need to race to the police station and use any means necessary to extract his father.