Strange Love

Russ let out a heavy sigh as he looked out over the water from the ferry.

"I'm sure this wasn't the birthday adventure you had in mind, huh..." Jaden had followed him onto the top deck of the boat shortly after they'd loaded. The tension between him and Ry was making her feel highly uncomfortable. It was all too obvious that something was going on between the two, but she wasn't brave enough to ask. She'd heard from several people around the palace that the prince had a very short temper, though she'd never seen it herself. She was well aware of what an alpha wolf's temper could look like however... and she didn't want to see his. Deciding to keep the conversation within a safe perimeter, she leaned over the railing beside him. "I have to say, it would be nice to explore some more of these islands someday."

Russ smiled down at her. "It would... hopefully together, the two of us..." His smile widened. "It would make up for spending my birthday on a boat, in a mad hurry to be a crazy vampire back to the palace and island."

She frowned. "Do you truly believe that's where he'll be headed?"

Russ shifted his gaze back out over the water before slowly nodding. "I do... The night we rescued you guys, he'd been caught and brought into the basement of my palace for interrogation..."

Her brows knitted. "Why was he brought there?"

"He was after Jos and not only is Jos also under Poseidon's protection but a very important person to me as well..." His expression hardened. "That bastard made the trials impossible to win... I was glad to see him knocked down a few pegs that night..." His frown deepened. "But I guess it hadn't occurred to me at the time, that having him brought there could endanger so many lives."

She slid her hand over his. "You did what you thought was right at the time. You had no way of knowing he would escape. Besides, I'm sure between your friends and the guards it would be easy enough to fight off one man."

Russ let out a troubled shy. "Yes... one man... But the vampires don't tend to fight fair..." He turned and took both her hands in his. He held her gaze. "I want you and the girls to start training as well. I know you all have some massive primal skills, but I'd like to see that fine-tuned for situations where shifting is harder or even impossible."

Her eyes widened. "You... you do?"

He nodded. "Yes. Why wouldn't I?"

She glanced away. "I... I only ȧssumed after seeing... what we did... you wouldn't want to have any of us trained farther."

It was his turn to look surprised. "On the contrary. It makes me want to even more."

The scowling face of her ex-intended came to mind. "You don't... find strong females distasteful?"

He laughed out in shock. "I wouldn't know what to do with a weak one!" His eyes popped open wider. "Not that I'm saying you or any of the girls are weak- just that..." A smirk curved his lips. "Maybe it's better to let you get to know my guardians better. Then I'm sure you'll understand."

***

Arei couldn't help the chuckle that rumbled through his ċhėst as he watched the adorable silver-haired boy that was his dearest love struggled with the men's garments she was trying to put on. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her, tugging her strange frame against his ċhėst as he worked the belt for her. "There... now can I ask why you're in this form again?"

Jos tilted her head as she glanced at him from over her shoulder. "I wanted to help with the training today since Rin won't be able to for a while... and it's easier this way..."

He arched a brow, a smile curving his lips. "You mean less likely that men will approach you?" He lowered his mouth to hers. "Unlikely... You'll only end up confusing them more."

She let out an irritated sigh as she stepped away from him. "Well, I'd rather train confused men than ones who spend the entire time trying to grope me or fight each other for my attention." She let out another long huff of air as she flopped down on the edge of the bed and laid back against the mattress. "I'm just so tired of the attention... it's been too many years..." She lifted her head off the bed and met his questioning gaze. "You're the only man I want attention from nowadays..."

He walked over to her and held his hand down to her. "And how is that going to work against men who naturally like men? They'll be even more attracted to you." He tugged her to her feet and into his arms.

She pushed away from him once again. "Stop... It's weird when I'm in this form..."

He tugged her back to him as he bent to place a light kiss just below her ear. "Then shift back."

Jos frowned as she gave in to the seductive feel of his lips against her neck. "I can't... Russ will be back today as well... I... we're finally able to talk like we used to... If that means only ever seeing him in this form from now on then so be it. Smack my ȧss and call me Josh!" She let out a loud squeal and leaped forward as a hand smacked against her ȧss. She turned and sent him a glare.

"What?" He chuckled. "I was only doing as you said."

"Can we just go now?" She asked as she stomped by him.

He chuckled again as he followed her toward the door leading to the driveway. He walked ahead of her and pulled open the door to the SUV. "You know, it's fine to be upset about Shelly leaving, but you don't have to take it out on me."

Jos let out a long sigh as she climbed into the vehicle. "I know... I'm sorry... It's just so frustrating." She turned her gaze to him as he climbed in on the driver's side. "Do you think I want to run around like this all the time just to get some semblance of peace?!"

He cupped her face and rubbed the pad of his thumb across the rough jawline of her current form. "Probably no more than I like ċȧrėssing a man's face... but here we are." A smile curved his lips. "Besides, I was only going to suggest you take that frustration out on the men you train today." He gave her a wink as he turned his attention to the stirring column.

Russ was waiting in the back driveway of the palace with Jaden by his side as they pulled in. Jos's irritation quickly melted at seeing his happy child-like smile. She quickly grabbed the gift bag from the back seat and turned her attention to the door. She frowned as her hand trembled on the door handle.

Arei chuckled as he made his way around the SUV and opened her door. He took her hand in his and studied it for several seconds. "Even in this form, your hands are so small and dainty." He lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Don't worry so much. I'll be close by the entire time."

Jos swallowed hard as she nodded. "I just want things to go back to how they were... without all this awkwardness..." She didn't tug her hand away as he led her toward the waiting couple.

"Hey! You guys made it!" Russ called out as he rushed forward and pulled Jos into his arms.

Jos pulled away a heated blush covering her face and ears. She lifted the gift bag toward him. "We... got you a birthday present..."

"Thanks!" He said overenthusiastically as he pulled her into another tight hug. "Though you being here is enough."

Jos nodded in embarrassment as she pushed away and stepped back to Arei's side. "I just wish Shelly and Rin could have come with us."

Russ shrugged. "I can't blame Rin for wanting to get as far away from this place as possible. Honestly, I was shocked when he agreed to stay with you guys in the first place. He's been on eggshells ever since- coming back." His smile brightened. "Speaking of which, I was going to see if maybe you would be willing to help train the girls. I figured they'd be more comfortable with you instead of a bunch of dudes." He glanced over his shoulder. Seeing that Jaden was standing some way away from them looking awkward, he caught her hand and tugged her over.

Jaden struggled to maintain her normal stoic expression as she nodded in agreement. "The prince thought it would be a good idea if the girls and I had some formal training in self-defense."

Arei sent her a wide smile as he wrapped an arm around Jos's shoulder. "Of course. I couldn't agree more." He looked around the driveway. "So... where is Ry? Is he already at the training area?"

Russ's carefree expression faded, morphing into a combination of irritation and embarrassment. "Yeah..."

Arei arched his brow as he glanced back and forth between the two werewolves. Deciding it would be best to ask Ry instead of these two, he turned his attention to Jos. "Will you be alright if I go ahead and join him?" When she nodded, he bent and gave the top of her head a light kiss before turning and heading toward the training area.

Jos blushed as she turned back to face Russ and Jaden. "So... how was the trip?"

Russ let out a heavy sigh. "It would have been better had Marcus not ruined everything, but the one day we did get to get out and have some fun was great, wasn't it?" He turned his attention down to Jaden.

Jaden could feel a blush burn her cheeks and the tips of her ears as she met the gentle, aqua eyes of the silver-haired man. His build was much smaller than the most other men who frequently visited the palace, holding an almost feminine quality. His long hair was pulled back into a sloppy bun similar to the one Russ was wearing. She averted her gaze, her cheeks heating more as the intelligent aqua eyes studied her. "It... it was nice. We took a lot of pictures."

Jos smiled warmly down at the girl. "Oh really? I'd love to see them. Did you guys make it to the night market?"

Jaden nodded. "Yes, it was amazing! I'd never seen such rich culture anywhere!"

Russ pulled out his phone and handed it over to Jos before wrapping his arm around Jaden's shoulder. "Yeah, I was telling her how I'd like to do something like that in this area before you guys pulled up." He pointed to where an old crumbled fountain stood with stagnant water in it.

Jos nodded as she studied the picture. "It was kinda like this... before." She frowned as she handed his phone back. "I'll search through some more of the boxes later and see if I can find some pictures of the palace that Cam took."

Jaden tilted her head as she looked back and forth between the two men. Once again she got a strong feeling that there was something... many things still unsaid between the two. She cleared her throat, interrupting the awkward silence. "Think you for agreeing to help the girls... and I... I'll go let them know and meet you at the training area." She quickly turned toward the palace, unable to deal with the strange tension radiating between the two men regardless of how easy their conversation seemed to be going.

"Oh wait!" Russ called out as he caught her wrist. "Here." He handed her his phone. "You were wanting to show them the pictures too weren't you?"

She blushed as her eyes moved from his hand around her wrist to the strange look reflecting in the aqua eyes watching them. "Oh... um yeah... Thank you." She quickly took the phone and turned back toward the palace.

Jos frowned as she watched the slender girl hurry away. "You need to be more gentle with her. You can't grab her and force her to your will like you used to with me... and others..." She turned her worried eyes away from Jaden's departing back up to Russ, anger flaring in their depths. "You haven't already hurt her, have you? She seems... different than before..."

Russ tented his brows. "You see that too?" He shook his head as his attention moved to the now empty doorway she'd disappeared into. "I've held myself back more than I ever imagined I could. I've not hurt her... but you're right something has changed..."

Jos tilted her head, studying him. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a few seconds before a wide smile curved her lips. "Is it likely she's imprinted on you as well?"

"What?!" His wide eyes met hers.

Jos shrugged a grin still spread across her lips. "Doesn't it work both ways, imprinting that is?" She continued talking through her conclusions as they headed toward the training area. "It's possible she's experiencing the same feelings as you."

Russ's wide eyes moved from the familiar thoughtful face beside him up to the second-floor windows of the palace. "You really think she could... have feelings..."

Jos laughed. "Yeah, why not? I mean you're a wonderful, beautiful man... when you're not brooding or being a forceful dɨċkhead..."

An irritated smile curved his lips. "I deserve that one, I guess..."

Jos giggled. "Yeah, probably more, if we're being perfectly honest."

He walked over to where the training weapons were and grabbed two blunt swords. "How about I let you beat my ȧss as payback?"

A playful smile curved Jos's lips. "Deal!"