Page 30 of The Werewolf's Deputy
“I went out for a drink with a coworker. I’m not that late, it’s barely ten.”
James leaned into the truck, his lip lifted into a sneer, but he cut himself off before he could say anything, his nose wrinkling as he jerked back. “Why does your truck smell like sex?”
Jonah’s spine stiffened, and it took work not to let the panic show on his face. He hadn’t thought anyone would get anywhere near his truck, or he would’ve driven with the windows down to expel the scent. Because yeah, it sort of smelled like sex in his truck.
James’s eyes narrowed on Jonah. “Who were you fucking? Or should I say, who was fucking you?”
In an attempt to distract from the truth, Jonah blurted out, “Why do you want to know? Do you seriously want to know about my sex life? You really want to know about the guy who had his dick–”
“Ugh, shut the fuck up,” James growled, shoving away from the truck, exactly like Jonah had hoped. James had always thought Jonah’s preferences were gross. He didn’t usually say anything, he didn’t care enough to bother, but if Jonah said too much, James would make a face and back away from him. Sometimes he’d pretend to retch too, just to add to the effect. It never fazed Jonah, he didn’t care about his brother’s opinion of his sex life, but it was an ace up his sleeve he wasn’t ashamed to use while James was asking too many questions.
Glaring at him from a respectable distance away, James snapped, “You’re sick.”
“Says the guy grilling his little brother about his sex life,” Jonah shot back.
That pissed him off enough that James stormed off. When the front door slammed, Jonah let out a breath of relief,slumping a little in his seat. That was too damn close. He never checked the back seat to see if there was any hint of who he’d been with, and he’d been texting Emmett werewolf jokes when James opened the door. He needed to be more careful. He wasn’t going to lose everything he’d gained just because he was being careless.
After digging around under the passenger seat to find his phone, he headed inside, going straight to his room to change. He needed to shower, but based on the living room light being off, he got the feeling his parents were already in bed and turning the shower on would wake them up. He’d be surprised if they hadn’t heard him come in.
Sure enough, his dad appeared in his doorway just as he was tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper. He looked pissed, and Jonah braced himself for whatever was coming his way.
“Where were you tonight?” Dad growled.
“A coworker invited me out for a drink after work,” Jonah lied. It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. That, he’d take with him to the grave.
Dad didn’t seem interested in arguing with him about it like James had been. He grunted in annoyance, jabbing a pudgy finger at the clock on Jonah’s nightstand. “It’s fuckin’ late. Next time you come home this late, you sleep on the porch. You ain’t wakin’ up your mother just because you care so little about your family that you don't bother comin’ home at a decent hour. Understood?”
“Understood,” Jonah gritted out. He wanted to point out that James came home at all hours and never got this lecture, even when he was stumbling drunk and yelling at his friends who’d dropped him off, waking the whole house. It didn't matter. James could do no wrong. Jonah was the problem.
With another grunt, his dad stormed off, closing his bedroom door with a loud click. Jonah lunged forward, locking his doorand leaning against it. The longer he spent at Spellbound, around people who actually cared about him and his happiness, the harder it was to come back to this house. He was starting to think it wouldn’t be that bad if his family never spoke to him again. It still made his chest hurt to think about, but he planned on setting aside as much of his paycheck as he could after rent for a place of his own. Maybe after a little time apart, they’d remember they cared about him once and miss him.
He dropped onto his bed with a sigh, throwing his arm over his eyes. He wished things were different. That his family didn’t despise him just because he didn’t think the same way they did. A stupid part of him still wished they’d accept him. That maybe if he made money and contributed, they’d at least pretend they didn’t despise him. But was that ever really going to happen? Or was he just deluding himself and dragging out his own misery?
Tossing and turning all night didn’t give him any answers. He got up early to help with farm chores like he did every day, then showered and left for Spellbound before his brother got up and started asking more questions. No one noticed him or said anything, even when his dad passed him on his way out to do some of the bigger tasks like he did every morning. Jonah didn’t get any thanks for his efforts.
Being invisible was the most he could hope for. And after feeling so seen with Emmett, it was a hard pill to swallow.
Pulling into the nearly empty parking garage, he found a spot near the back and parked, but didn’t immediately get out. He stared at the wall in front of him, his mind replaying the way his dad glared at him, the way his brother looked down at him. His mom ignored him, and whenever his sister came to visit, she did the same. Why was he fighting so hard for their approval when they clearly couldn’t stand him?
A gentle knock on his window, so different from the way James had confronted him the night before, made Jonah jump.He spun in his seat, letting out a breath of relief to see Emmett standing there, head cocked curiously and a sheepish grin on his face. When Jonah opened his door, Emmett said, “Sorry. You looked so lost in thought, you didn’t notice me approach. Everything okay?”
It was a question he hadn’t heard from his own family in years, and it made tears prick the backs of Jonah’s eyes. He refused to let them fall, but when he slid out of the truck and Emmett opened his arms for a hug, Jonah didn’t fight it. He sank into the embrace, letting out a slow breath as the tension in his shoulders finally relaxed and he breathed a little easier.
“Yeah. I’m good,” he finally answered. And he was. Yeah, his life wasn’t perfect, and he had a lot to think about, but right in that moment, he was good where he was.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Emmett couldn’t seem to get his mind off Jonah. That had been true since the day they met, but today was different. When he’d approached Jonah’s truck that morning, he could smell the distress Jonah was trying to hide with a tight smile. He settled after a hug, but something was obviously bothering him. But when Emmett tried to bring it up again, Jonah had just shaken his head and said it was nothing.
A cackle drew this attention, and he looked up just in time to see Miles, the resident mage on the Entertainment Division security team, tip his chair on the back legs, smirking at his phone as he scrolled through it. He was supposed to be working reception today, Emmett had been moving everyone around to see where they thrived, but being on his phone playing around wasn’t what he wanted from the man.
With an exasperated sigh, he called out, “Phone away, Miles. They don’t pay you to play on your phone.”
That got him a disgruntled look, but Miles did as he was told, shoving his phone in his pocket with a huff and crossing his arms over his chest. He stared at the open doorway for a long minute before groaning, “I’m bored! What’s the point of having a reception desk if there’s nothing to do all day?”
“Because someone might come with a security concern, and there needs to be someone in the office to receive them and keep them out of areas they shouldn’t be,” Emmett answered patiently. Well, somewhat patiently. He’d have this conversation before, and it was getting kind of annoying.
“So why not put a ward between us and the elevators that only people with the right energy can get through?” Miles shot back, waving his hands dramatically at the open space between the reception desk and the cubicles.
