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Adrian forced his breathing to stay calm and maintain an even heart rate, but damn. He hadn’t been this excited in a long time. He’d found Jaz and would get more information tonight to help him gather evidence to prove her innocence.
He loved being a shifter when it meant the ability to scent the truth in her words.
It was a fair fight. I did not murder Kaiser. He attacked me.
She should stand in front of his boss and say those same words.
She couldn’t lie to a shifter.
The Guardian would clear her name.
Jaz kept giving him directions. “Continue on this road and I’ll tell you when to turn.”
He sensed her pulse rising from anxiety and he had an idea why after finding no body on their way out. “I’m guessing the other jackal in the van snuck back to remove his partner’s body parts and sanitize the area, but the scents will remain. They aren’t known for any sense of valor when it comes to fallen pack members. That points at removing the body as a cleanup, not just a sidekick coming back. Who do you think are behind the jackals?”
Her hesitation countered her words. “I don’t know.”
Not entirely true. Adrian wanted peace between them, but that wouldn’t happen if she kept secrets at this point.
What was she hiding?
He wanted to clear her name and go to Tanza to give the woman closure. But would Tanza accept her shifter ability to scent the truth in Jaz’s words or would she just want to punish the person who killed her brother?
This might not be as easy as he thought.
Priority one had to be getting SCIS off Jaz’s back.
Adrian had never been pushed off the trail of an enemy or stopped from bringing one to justice, but Jaz wasn’t his enemy. She needed a friend, not a white knight. Either way, he could help her out of whatever trouble she seemed to still be in besides the Kaiser killing.
Jaz was no damsel to be saved. She was a warrior through and through, but everyone needed to know someone had their back. He’d needed his brothers in arms to survive missions.
Who fought beside Jaz and watched her six?
He wanted to be that person, especially now that he had his answer about why she killed Kaiser. Why should she open her arms to him after he’d shown up hunting her?
In her shoes, he’d throw up walls, too.
He’d just have to breach those walls. He needed enough concrete evidence the Guardian would accept. If Adrian delivered that, plus convinced her to meet his boss to give her statement, he could ask for the Guardian’s support to clear her with SCIS.
That was only if he could explain why the Guardian should intervene. Okay, so his plan had holes. He’d find ways to fill them. His best move for gaining more information might be to simply lay out everything he knew for Jaz, then ask her to come with him to tell her side to the authorities.
Shifters had to accept truth they scented.
He’d have to convince Jaz to go with him.
No, Mad Red ordered.
Oh, hell. Adrian glanced at Jaz who stared out the side window, ignoring him. He spoke to his wolf mind to mind. I’m trying to be fair with Jaz and with Leonard.
Golden wolf will run, Mad Red stated as if positive.
Adrian said, If that happens, we’ll find her.
His wolf came back with, You ask for human body after wolf fight. I gave, but I can stay wolf. If you make golden wolf run, I run with her.
What the hell? Adrian frowned, trying to make sense of what was going on with his wolf. He drove in silence, pondering Mad Red’s threat. The only reason for his wolf to make that threat had to be because he cared for Jaz’s wolf.
Could that be?
When had their wolves communicated to know anything about each other?
Adrian asked his wolf, Have you been talking to the golden wolf?
All Mad Red said was, Golden wolf listens. Golden wolf smart. Golden wolf mine to protect.
How had his wolf and Jaz’s interacted? Adrian asked, Are you saying you want her to ... mate?
Golden wolf is mine, his wolf made clear.
Adrian suffered a flash of jealousy.
Jaz’s wolf had a relationship with Mad Red when he didn’t have a connection with his wolf? This complicated the hell out of things. Adrian cared about Jaz and wanted to see her free to live her life. He could be honest enough to admit he wanted to spend time with her, but the further his wolf moved away from him, the less chance Adrian had of surviving long.
What would happen to Jaz if their wolves bonded in some way? Could Mad Red pull that off with the Gallize energy?
Shit fire. Like Adrian needed one more fucking complication?
How was he going to take Jaz in to clear her name if his wolf threatened to force the change and stay in wolf form?
Adrian couldn’t fight on two fronts right now.
Jaz told him what turn to take next and returned to looking out the window.
Adrian told Mad Red, Give me one chance to talk to Jaz. I promise not to take her in if she can share enough intel so that I can clear her name without having her meet with the Guardian. He would be the best hope we have of SCIS ending the hunt for Jaz. She said the golden wolf killed Kaiser’s wolf because he attacked first. Has her wolf shared anything we can use that Jaz hasn’t told me?
Adrian waited for an answer and got none.
That was not encouraging. He added, All I’m asking for is the chance to get all the answers so we can face Tanza and claim we did our job. You agreed to do this for Leonard. You were friends with his wolf.
Mad Red said, I wait for now. But not if you make mistake.
No pressure there.
One conflict down, one to go.
Jaz oozed hurt and not just from her wounds. She’d been disappointed he showed up asking about Kaiser. He didn’t want her hurt or angry with him.
Not tonight.
He’d fought Mad Red all day and his conscience over tracking Jaz the rest of the time.
Everything had become so jumbled in his mind. He wanted to just spend a little time with her tonight as friends. He gave her a suggestion. “What do you say we call a truce tonight and you stop thinking I’m going to take advantage of you being injured? I’m not going to trick you into going with me. I’m not that guy. If you choose to tell your story to people who I believe who can help you, then I’ll be there to support you. But that would be entirely your decision.”
When she turned to him, a flicker of embarrassment lit her expression. This time, when she gave him the next turn to take, her voice lost the brittle edge from earlier.
They had covered at least three miles already. Had she intended to limp all that way?
Probably. Jaz had a stubborn streak a mile wide.
So did he.
