Page 51 of Bad Blood Wolf

Flynn said, “The two of you seem to care a hell of a lot about each other for people who’ve only known each other five days.”

Jasmin didn’t know what to say to that. She had no way to explain the explosive feelings she had for Brody, the physical effect he had on her. Not just sex, but that ache in her chest when he was hurt or sad. The need to make it better.

“Do you love him?” Flynn asked.

That was another impossible question. “I don’t know. You’re acting like I’m some kind of normal person with normal emotions, who has my life under control or some shit.”

Flynn gave a tiny shrug of acknowledgement. “That said,” he persisted, “any relationship that’s this intense in this short a time…”

“He’s not my mate.” Jasmin felt like her jag was about to panic. “Stop saying that. Jaguars don’t do that.”

Flynn gazed at her for a long moment. Then he said quietly, “Maybe they don’t. But maybe you do. Maybe that’s why you left them.”

He heaved his bulk out of the chair and walked downstairs, leaving Jasmin staring out at the falling snow.

Brody woke up a few hours later.

Jasmin had been sitting in his room, watching him sleep, watching the lines of pain and weariness gradually smooth from his face.

Did she love him?

How could she possibly know that? She didn’t even know what love felt like. If this rollercoaster of happiness, ecstasy, uncertainty and pain was love, she wasn’t sure she wanted any part of it. Only, the thought of being without him hurt more.

And when those gorgeous blue-green eyes opened and a smile lit up his face at the sight of her, Jasmin’s heart melted.

“You didn’t kill me after all,” he said. She shook her head.

“You scared me,” she rasped out. “I thought you were dead.”

“I’m sorry.” He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then held out his arms.

She couldn’t stop herself. She crawled into bed beside him, wrapping herself around him, the heat of his skin warming her all the way inside her heart. She pushed everything out of her mind except for the sweetness of his kiss, the hardness of his body, the way he needed her and wanted her and cherished her.

“You’re the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me, Demazon,” he whispered. “Let me love you, even if it’s just for a little while.”

They were in the room-sized shower in the bathroom, with its dozens of spray heads and steam heads and massagers, when Xander burst in without warning and tossed an entire bucket of snow all over them.

“Snow fight!” he yelled, and bolted.

Brody staggered against the wall, laughing like an idiot. Jasmin let out a yowl and bolted after Xander, turning jag as she went, and splattering water and slush all down the hallway.

Brody turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around himself, and followed the trail of water.

The crew was outside, Tank and Lissa in human form, throwing snowballs at each other and yelling at the tops of their lungs.

Jasmin pounced on Xander, rolling him over in the snow, and smooshed his face into a drift with her paws. He struggled out of it, sputtering and cursing, and reached down to make another snowball.

Sloan came bounding across the clearing in cat form and skidded to a stop, throwing snow in all directions and knocking Xander down again. He rolled over on his back, wiggling in an ecstasy of happiness, making Brody laugh.

Snow leopard. Right.

Behind him came Flynn. His lion was huge, tawny gold with a black mane, and he pounced on Tank, holding him down so Lissa could wash his face with snow, giggling madly. The two bears and Xander shucked their clothes, and then the whole pack was rolling and roughhousing in the snow, sending up clouds of powdery white.

Brody watched them, sadness welling up deep inside him.

This was the kind of crew he wanted to belong to. Hell, he already felt like he belonged to them.

But Jasmin was holding back. There was something in her that wouldn’t let her tear her walls down, accept that they were mates, love him with her whole heart.

If things were different, he’d keep annoying her cat with love and friendship so hard she wouldn’t be able to resist him. He’d lock his jaws and hold on with everything he had, never giving up until he’d made her happier than she ever dreamed she could be.

But she was right not to love him. He knew she was his mate; she was it for him. But they couldn’t be together. He was going down, he knew that now. He’d lost his battle with Monster Wolf. He had to go, and take his secrets with him.

He watched her stalking Sloan, who was delirious with snow-fever. She paused, suddenly, and looked over at him, invitation clear in her eyes.

What the hell. No one could blame him if he wanted one perfect day before everything went to hell. He dropped his towel and shifted to wolf, and went to play in the snow with the crew he would never have.