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Jake
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ALREADY EXHAUSTED, white spots appeared in front of Jake’s eyes when Winston and Brandi went into action. He was drained further when the ghosts used the veil to get everyone back to their base. His ears were ringing and he would have fallen to his knees if Mirra and her mother hadn’t been there to catch him.
“Lucky bastard,” one of the alphas muttered as the hunter was escorted into the cottage by the two exotic beauties.
Smiling inwardly, Jake allowed himself to be led to the elevator. He leaned against the wall, uncaring that he left smears of blood and worse on the wooden panels. With the aid of the two women, he made it to one of the bathrooms, then closed the door in their faces.
“We will be right here if you need our aid to undress,” Mayra called out, then laughed seductively.
Shaking his head at the tempting offer, Jake stripped off, then shambled into the shower. Sinking to the tiled floor, he let the spray wash over him. The water ran red as it was sucked into the drain. Resting his elbows on his knees, he put his hands over his face as memories of the battle surfaced.
He’d been like a man possessed as he’d fought his foes. The temper he’d inherited from his father had taken control and he’d allowed it to happen. Unseelie rage had ridden his body like a demon, flogging him into killing everything that had come within his reach.
Images from his past tried to work their way to the surface, but he fought to hold them in. He didn’t need that baggage to weigh him down. Not now and not ever. No one knew about his origins, except that he hailed from Texas. Thanks to his fae glamor, everyone he met forgot about him after six months or so if he remained out of touch. His family was long dead and he was the only one left now.
Dropping his hands, he tilted his head back and let the water wash his face clean. He wished he could wash his memories and guilt away so easily, but it wasn’t meant to be. Some burdens could be buried, but they were always with him. He’d done what he could to make up for his failings, yet he would never be able to undo the past. He could only move forward, searching for absolution and never quite finding it.
Gathering his strength, he eventually struggled to his feet and lathered himself in soap. It took a few rinses before he finally got all of the gore out of his hair. Drying himself off, he left his ruined clothes in a hamper and wrapped a towel around his waist. Carrying his gun and what was left of his ammo in one hand, he opened the door to find the two female alpha werewolves waiting for him.
“We fought for the right to spend the night with you,” the blonde said, eyeing his tall, muscular body appreciatively.
“We weren’t able to best each other,” the brunette added. Both women were European and had exotic accents. Whatever wounds they’d suffered during their fight had already healed.
Mustering up a charming smile, Jake slung his arms over their shoulders. “Now, now, ladies, there’s no need to fight. There’s plenty of me to go around.”
They almost made it to his room before his towel was stripped away. Wolf whistles erupted from a group of true shapeshifters that rounded the corner ahead. One of the women slapped him on the butt, giving him a prelude of what his night was going to be like.
With a wink and a grin at their audience, Jake allowed himself to be herded inside his room. Even in his exhausted state, he was certain he could muster up the strength to please these ladies. He’d better, or they might make him regret taking both of them on at once.
