Chapter 818 Chapter 818
Jake followed Blair outside. Turning, he saw Noah was right behind them. “What’s up?”
Blair motioned to the truck. “Rayne had Kobie print off some lists of team contacts.” He glanced at Jake. “If you’re in the mix, you should have them in your phone too.”
Noah blew out a breath. “I hate trying to add stuff to my phone.”
Blair chuckled. “No worries, fumble fingers, I’ll put them in for you.”
“How many are we talking about?” Jake pulled out his phone.
“About a hundred.” Blair grinned.
Jake held out his hand. “I’ll enter them later.” He needed to go talk to Rory.
“You’re really going to leave?”
Jake looked at Noah. “Yeah. I need to help.” He shook his head. “I’m not a warrior or whatever, so if I can keep the teams on the road, I’ll feel better.”
“Your family—” Noah glanced at Blair. “Were they killed by…”
Jake couldn’t handle the pain in Noah’s eyes as he spoke. “I don’t know. I never asked. It’s not something that can be changed, right?”
Noah nodded and looked at Blair again. “When do you think we’ll be going out again?”
Blair blew out a breath. “From the sounds of it, soon. Could be any direction—” He grinned and then blanked his expression. “You have to deal with Emersyn’s situation before you go anywhere.”
Jake watched the color leave Noah’s face. “Situation?” Was something wrong with Emersyn?
Noah nodded but then that haunted look filled his eyes before he spoke. Jake was afraid to ask any more. He’d seen what happened if Noah’s emotions got away on him.
“Emersyn’s cycle is imminent,” Blair said it in a hushed tone.
Jaked looked back at Noah. “Oh. That kind of situation.” Jamming his hands in his jacket pockets, he sucked in a breath. He didn’t like to think about any of the times he’d gone over to Bruce’s for the women there. Even at the time, it had felt wrong to him, but he hated that the females suffered in that way.
“What’s going on with you?”
Jake looked at Blair and then Noah. The angst was less on his face. “What do you mean?”
Blair’s smile was slow. “You’re just off. Yesterday, I thought it was a lack of sleep, but you’re still quiet today, and that’s not a normal Jake state.”
Jake gave him an annoyed look. “Aren’t I allowed to be quiet?”
“Sure.” Blair shrugged. “But you never are.”
Noah nodded his agreement. “You even talk in your sleep.”
Jake scoffed. “No, I don’t.”
Blair laughed. “Yeah, you do, and it’s not even interesting shit.”
Jake looked at the muddy ground and moved his foot back and forth, smoothing it out. “Just thinking about shit.” It wasn’t a lie.
“Uh-huh.” Blair chuckled. “You going to share, or do I have to go ask Coop?”
Jake looked at him. “Coop?”
Blair closed the truck door and leaned against it. “I heard him telling Mari that you had a long battle ahead of you.”
“What are you battling?” Noah asked. He had real concern on his face.
Jake looked from one to the other. “I don’t know why he’d say it was a battle. It’s not. Complicated, sure, but…”
Blair dropped his hand on Jake’s shoulder and squeezed. “What is? Don’t make me bring Kelsey in on this.”
Jake’s eyes widened. “That would be mean. She’s relentless when she wants to know something.”
Blair’s mouth twitched, and then he shrugged.
Jake knocked his hand off his shoulder and then blew out a breath so long he felt light-headed. “It’s Rory. I want to take her to Chicago with me.”
“To keep her safe? Is Coop worried they’ll come after her here?” Blair was frowning.
“That would be a dumb move.” Even Noah grinned in agreement to that. “That’s not the reason, well, the whole reason.” Jake wasn’t worried about them tracking her down now; she wouldn’t be without him being far from now on. He looked down. He hadn’t known he was thinking that way until right this moment.
“What is the whole reason?” Blair was staring at him like he could see inside his head. It was unnerving.
Why was he hesitating in telling them? They’d always shared things with each other, even when it fit into the over-sharing category. “We’re mates.”
They were both silent, just standing there looking at him.
“You’re being serious,” Blair said softly.
Noah scoffed, but that was it. No comment or motion of body went with it. The guy was a little creepy at times when he was completely still.
“I’m serious. She’s not exactly happy being here—” He waved his hand around. “Near other shifters, but…”
“Wait.” Blair held up his hand. “I just remembered. Coop talked about his niece, who hated being a shifter and never admitted it. Rory is that niece.”
Jake turned and looked at him. “Nothing gets by you, does it?”
Blair rolled his eyes. “Sorry, it’s just—” He looked at Noah and then shook his head. Waiting for him to jump into a conversation would never happen. He looked back at Jake. “She’s going to shift; she knows that, right? There’s no way she can be surrounded by this many of us and her animal not want to put in an appearance.”
Jake nodded. “I think she knows and is less than happy about it.”
“What about you? Is she happy with you?” Noah crossed his arms over his chest and watched him.
Jake opened his mouth and then closed it. He had no idea if she was. “I don’t know. She was a bit of a wreck after Kobie and Kelsey told her about everything happening, so we really didn’t get into it.”
Blair looked at the path that led to the house. “You have your work cut out for you.” He looked at Noah. “Mates—” Blair sighed and turned back to Jake. “It’s like running full force toward a wall, not knowing if you’re going to be able to stop in time.”
Noah snorted but didn’t say a word.
“I think once we talk about it…”
Blair started laughing. “Kobie and I talked about it and then talked more—” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Your best chance is to leave for the US, and maybe being stuck in a truck together for the drive will help.” He shrugged.
Jake looked at Noah, hoping for some sound advice and then shook his head. Noah finding his mate had nothing normal to it. That was one hot mess from the start. They were good now, but reaching that point had been painful to watch, he couldn’t imagine how it had been for Noah and Emersyn.
Kobie and Kelsey came out of the shop.
“There is who you should talk to.” Blair pointed.
Jake turned and looked at them. Talk to two women about his mate. He glanced at Blair. “I don’t think I’m ready to go there yet.”
Blair grinned. “Probably wise.”
“Talk to Rory.” Noah looked at him for a second and then turned and walked back toward the shop.
“Yeah.” Jake blew out a breath. She had been smiling and seemed much better than yesterday, maybe things would go better this time.
Blair gave him a light slap on the shoulder. “Good luck.” He strolled away.