He doesn’t wait for me to respond, just walks off and disappears into the woods the same as the others did, and I’m left all alone.

  Funny how the tables have turned.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Jensen

  I leave the nest but don’t go back to the inn like I should.

  The cabin I end up at looks different than I remember. It’s in much better shape than the last time I saw it. There’s brand-new stain on the outside logs, flower boxes in the windows, and the front porch is twice the size it was. It’s also decorated with wicker furniture and potted plants—which is something I’ve never seen on our house before. Normally, your childhood house looks smaller as you get older, but this one only seems to have gotten bigger.

  Before I can change my mind, I walk up the front steps and knock twice on the door. I shove my hands into my pockets as I wait, mostly to stop myself from fidgeting or even running away.

  The door is pulled open a moment later, and I see my brother standing on the other side of the screen door.

  “Well, fuck me,” he groans. “You’re the last person I expected to see when I opened my damn door.”

  “You gonna let me in or what?” I grunt.

  “I should leave your ass out there, honestly. Maybe catch heatstroke or something.” He moves forward, pushing open the screen door. I walk in, moving past Jase, and ignoring the shake of his head.

  I enter the living room and look around as he shuts the door.

  Everything in here looks like it was given an entire remodel. There’s new paint, new molding, new furniture... all of it.

  “What do you think? Everything’s brand-new,” Jase says, looking around the room as if he doesn’t live here and see this shit every day.

  “Not entirely sure...” I’m being honest. Everything in here looks good, but I was looking for the comfort of nostalgia, and I guess I won’t be getting it here. I only hope he had the sense to keep some of our parents’ things and didn’t upgrade them too. I don’t bring that up right now though, because it isn’t the time—it’s not what I’m here for.

  “Needed something to do to stop me from going back to old habits. Fixing everything up around here was a good distraction. Wasn’t so easy when I ran out of shit to fix though.”

  I look at him from the corner of my eye. His hands are shoved into his pockets and he looks relaxed, pride on his face as his eyes scan the room again. It still weirds me out that looking at him is like looking in a fucking mirror. I wonder if any twins ever get used to that? Or if it’s only because Jase and I are so disconnected...

  “So you relapsed, then?”

  He looks at me with a cocky smirk, and his only response is to shake his head before he moves deeper into the house towards the kitchen. I follow him, wondering if coming here at all was the best idea. When I reach the kitchen, Jase is bent over, looking into the fridge.

  “I got lemonade or ginger ale.” He straightens and looks at me over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. “Or you can have old-fashioned tap water.”

  “What? No Fiji?” I snark. He scoffs, telling me he doesn’t even know what that is. “Never mind. I’m good.” I hold up a hand and he gives me a shrug before reaching in to grab a can of ginger ale, shuts the door, and pops the top to take a quick sip. The fact I saw no alcohol in that fridge fills me with a sense of relief I didn’t know I needed. I’m glad Jase is actually in a good place... or seemingly.

  “Why are you here, Jensen?” he finally asks.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you wanted me here.” I point towards the ground, raising a brow.

  “No. I wanted you with Skye. Never said anything about you coming here.”

  I move deeper into the kitchen, glancing at the paintings hanging on the walls. Nothing is familiar. “You should be more specific next time. Thought you meant here in Blackcreek.”

  The sigh that leaves him is loud and I can tell he isn’t trying to hide his annoyance. I’m pushing his buttons and his patience is running thin. I can’t stop myself though. I’ve made it a habit to be as cocky as possible and piss people off any way I can to keep them far away. Breaking those habits is hard. It’s like a defense mechanism my body refuses to shut off, even when it isn’t needed.

  I take in the fresh coat of paint in here, not at all understanding why he would choose such a gaudy shade of red for the kitchen, but to each his own, I guess. I will admit, the red goes well with the dark stain on the moldings and of the countertops and furniture, but there aren’t enough windows in here for such dark colors.

  “Have you seen her?” he asks. I turn around to face him, shoving my hands in my pockets once again because it seems I don’t know what else to fucking do with them.

  “Yep.”

  “I take it didn’t go well?”

  “Went just fine.”

  “That so?” He cocks his head to the side. “Where is she, then?” He looks around the room as if she’s going to pop out somewhere. “Don’t see her with you.”

  “Jase,” I warn.

  “What? She’s gotta be here, right? Since everything is so fucking perfect for you all the time, I assume she’d be up your ass like she used to be. Like—”

  I slam my fist on the kitchen table so hard it cracks. He stops talking and I look up at him, chest heaving, and point a finger. “Shut the fuck up,” I growl, letting my hand drop to my side and ball into a fist.

  “Why? What’s the fucking point, Jensen? Doesn’t matter what I say or what I do. Nothing matters to you, does it? You think I’m stupid, don’t you? Think I don’t know why you’re here? You didn’t come here for her, asshole, and I hope you didn’t let her think that either.” He takes a step closer to me, holding out a finger, and pointing it at me aggressively. “If you pull some shit like you did last time, so help me, I’ll fucking—”

  “You’ll what?” I move in on him, getting right in his face. “You’ll do what, Jase? You’re the one who told me to come here, remember? You’re the one who found a way to get your sorry ass across the US just to cause a fucking scene at my job and tell me to come back here and save her. Why wasn’t that a concern then, huh? What’s changed your mind in a matter of days?”

  Seems really fucking weird if you ask me, and I suddenly realize that something is going on here, and I’m not so sure I want to know what it is, because if it has to do with Jase, then it’s no fucking good.

  He starts to chuckle a deep, raspy laugh, and shakes his head. “She doesn’t need you to fucking save her, Jensen. You know, with all you got, all that money and fancy shit”—he flicks his wrist, motioning around the room—“one would think you’d have a brain to go with it. Oh, wait!” He snaps his fingers. “Money can’t buy you one of those.”

  “What are you talking about?” He takes a step back, drinking some more of his soda.

  “You really have no fucking brain, brother.”

  I narrow my eyes before taking a step back, knowing if I don’t put some space between us, I’ll knock him out.

  I have no idea what the fuck he’s talking about either, which is only making me angrier.

  “I didn’t come here for you or for her.”

  “I know that,” he says with a smirk.

  “Then what the fuck are you talking about?!” I shout. This motherfucker always has to play games. He can’t just come out and say what he means.

  “Skye didn’t even know I went to you. She didn’t ask me to, didn’t say a fucking thing about it. In fact, I haven’t heard her speak your name or anything to do with you in years, J.”

  “So, in typical Jase fashion, you did this shit for you? Just like I thought. What is it this time, Jase? Money, drugs? You got someone trying to kill you?” I never actually thought she told him to come get me. That isn’t something Skye would do, but the problem is, even if she were in trouble she wouldn’t have come. At the end of the day, though, it wasn’t the deciding factor in coming here. It was work.

  “Nah, man. Thanks for the vote of confidence though. It has nothing to do with me actually. Well, not directly. Skye doesn’t know I went to you, but I did do it for her. Well, for all of us really. She can’t lose this pack.”

  I purse my lips and nod when the pieces start coming together.

  “So you put it into my head she needed me, and what? Just hoped I would care enough to come back? I fucking left, Jase. It was my choice. Why would I come back just for her?”

  He shakes his head, grinning. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah, because of—” I pause abruptly, looking at Jase again, catching the look in his eye and that slimy grin on his face. Jase makes the better bad guy any day of the week. I can be an asshole, but Jase is a fucking ruthless dick.

  “You forget we’re brothers, Jensen? Forget how well I know you? I knew you wouldn’t come back here just for her, or for me, or for this fucking pack. So I did some digging. You know, you really should get better security in that office of yours. It wasn’t hard to find your most profitable clients, figure out what they like, and narrow shit down. Putting the bug in their ear was the best part, and what better guy to send this way to scope things out than one who was from the area? I only had to make him promise he wouldn’t say he knew because then you wouldn’t come at all.”

  “You spoke to Norwick?” I say in a low voice, my bear stirring within me. I clench my jaw, straightening my spine as I try and tamp down the rage I feel over his admission.

  Jase just shrugs, placing his can of soda on the counter. “Easy to start up a conversation when he thinks I’m you. But, before you say anything about that, no, I didn’t pretend to be you. That was the whole thing. He had no idea you had an identical twin brother, or that you weren’t even from the area.”

  “What the fuck is the point, Jase? And why are you telling me all of this now? How do you know I won’t just head back home on the next plane?”

  “Because I know you. And more, I know her. She may act like she’s fine, but she’s been different ever since you left. Skye is smart and strong, but she hates when things are unfinished. You left her without answers, and she wants them. Especially at a time like now, when anxiety is higher than ever.”

  “You really are a selfish prick, you know that?” How fucking dare he play on her anxieties. The whole pack is at risk, and here he is playing games? What the fuck is wrong with him?

  “It’s for the greater good,” he says.

  “Oh, ‘cause you suddenly care about someone other than yourself? You’re selfish, you’ll always be selfish, and nothing will ever change that,” I spit out.

  “Just like you?” he asks with a tilt of his head.

  I huff out a laugh, about to turn and lay into him—because yeah, I was just saying that about myself, but this is different—when the sound of the front door opening fills the air.

  “Sweetie, I’m home!” I turn towards Jase with a confused look. His expression doesn’t change. His gaze stays on me as if he’s waiting for me to make a move. “Where are you?” the female voice calls out again.

  “In here, baby,” Jase responds, his eyes still glued to me.

  Footsteps sound on the wooden floor and a moment later, a girl I haven’t seen in years steps through the door. She meets my eyes first, a wide smile on her face until she notices Jase. Her smile turns into a frown, and she looks between the both of us, her brows furrowing before her eyes finally settle on me as they fill with recognition.

  “Jensen?” Her voice is soft, unsure. “Oh my gods, Jensen!” Her face lights up, and she moves towards me as quickly as she can, and my eyes lock onto her large, round belly. She hugs me as best she can, turning her body sideways, but it’s still awkward.

  “Sweetie, you didn’t tell me Jensen was coming by!”

  “It was just as much a surprise to me, babe.”

  I blink in disbelief as Mara, one of the bears from our pack, lets go of me and waddles over to Jase, rising up to her tiptoes to meet him for a kiss. He wraps his arm around her waist and holds her close to his side, his other hand rubbing over her clearly pregnant belly. To her, it must feel sweet, but the look in his eyes tells me it’s all possession.

  “Are you staying for the baby shower?” Her eyes are wide and bright, her smile huge. She’s oblivious to the tension in the room as she watches me, waiting for an answer.

  “Baby shower?” I look to Jase, but she answers.

  “Yeah, it’s on Tuesday. I know it’s not traditional, normally they’re done on Sundays, but I get paid double-time on Sundays so I didn’t want to take the day off. Jase told me I could stop working weeks ago, but I’ve got so much energy I don’t know what to do with it.” She huffs out a laugh. “So you coming or what? It’s gonna be big. Probably a bonfire or something since the last one was canceled due to the rain.”

  “I, uh... I’ll try,” I finally say before taking a few steps towards the door and then stopping, turning towards Jase and Mara. When I left six years ago, Jase didn’t have any mates, and I’m not even sure if Mara is his mate or just some chick he knocked up. I don’t care enough to ask either. “I gotta go. It was nice seeing you, Mara.”

  “Nice seeing you!” she calls out as I scurry towards the door like there’s a fire on my ass. I can’t get far enough away from the house. My head is reeling, spinning, and I don’t know what to think of any of this.

  So much in my own life has changed over these last six years, so why the fuck am I so shocked things here have done the same? Did I expect time to freeze here? I mean, of course not. I left knowing they would keep up with their lives, move on and do better... so what the fuck is my issue?

  Doing what I should have done earlier, I leave my brother’s property and head towards the main trail to make my way back to the inn, not sure why I thought coming here was a good idea in the first place, and pissed that I keep thinking it, yet my ass still hasn’t gone home.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jensen

  I’m just outside of Blackcreek territory when I hear my name called. I pause and turn, finding Jordy emerging from a group of trees not far from where I came out. How long has he been following me?

  I really need to start paying attention to my surroundings. I can’t keep letting these people get one up on me. My plan was to come here and avoid everyone, especially the people from my past, yet I keep running into them the most.

  I give a what’s up tilt of my head while internally groaning. Jordy has always been a weak spot for me. He holds a special place in my heart no one will ever be able to reach. There is just something about his innocent-yet-will-tear-your-head-off-if-you-mess-with-people-he-loves attitude. He’s a teddy bear.

  He’s always been the person I can open up to. The person who understood parts of me others didn’t. He’s one of those people you can tell anything to and he won’t judge you, not even one bit, but because of all this, it makes it really hard to get upset with him, or take my anger out on him. He’s a kind soul.

  “Can we talk?” he asks as he gets closer.

  I glance around us. “Here?”

  He frowns. “I can’t take you back to the cabin, Jensen.”

  I sigh and run a hand through my hair. I’m tired of these woods, sick of this place. I can’t think straight. I need a break.

  “Come back with me,” I say suddenly, not sure I even heard the words coming out of my mouth. It registers when I see the shocked look on his face.

  “To town?” he asks carefully.

  I shrug. “Yeah, I’ve got a room at the inn. It’ll be quiet...”

  He chews on his lip before looking over his shoulder for a long moment. He then looks back to me and nods once. “Okay.”

  We walk side by side back to the inn without saying a word. I’m thankful when I step inside to find the front desk empty and Redd nowhere to be found. I’m not in the mood to deal with him or his questioning looks and sneers. I lead the way up the stairs, feeling Jordy close behind the entire time.

  I pull my keys out when we reach the top floor, and spend at least two straight minutes trying to get the damn thing to work in the lock. I fight my anger, not wanting to look like a complete dick in front of Jordy—for some reason, he just does that to me, and I don’t know if I love it or hate it.

  He waits patiently, not saying a word, just looking around the place and taking in the decor around the small room. Just about every inch of the wall is covered by a photo. Either painted or photographed, but all of something naturistic. Jordy also doesn’t offer to help, probably because he knows I’ll just snap at him.

  And I hate that because I would and he doesn’t deserve it. It turns my stomach to think he’s on edge around me. I don’t want that. Yet, I’m the one who created this new version of me. This is how I want people to act around me, so why is it different with him?

  Finally, when the door is unlocked, I push it open and hold my arm out to allow Jordy in. He nods and walks in. He looks comical standing in this room. He isn’t much bigger than me, a few inches taller and maybe forty pounds heavier, but he’s not too far off from touching the ceiling and everything in the room looks small in comparison to him, like when Alice grows really big... only, this is what he looks like all the time.

  Though, since I’m not much smaller than him, I guess I probably look ridiculous in here too, and the thought of Luka joining us only makes me chuckle.

  After I step in, I close and lock the door, place my key on the end table, and pull my wallet out of my pocket before putting that down too. I point towards the small armchair in the corner of the room and take a seat on the bed. As Jordy sits, the chair creaks under him and he slowly eases into it, a bit of terror in his eyes. It wouldn’t be the first time he broke something by sitting on it. I doubt it would be the last either.