He needed to make it clear Zoe and Chloe were off-limits. Since they weren’t STAT, Austin and Colt didn’t know he was a werewolf, but they’d quickly learn he wasn’t someone to piss off if they messed with the twins.
McKay had gotten the twins part-time jobs at the FBI headquarters building while they attended college. Though he’d done it as a favor, Jake suspected McKay hoped to recruit Zoe and Chloe into STAT. McKay didn’t seem to know a lot about betas, so to him, one werewolf was probably as good for covert work as the next, but there was no way in hell Jake would ever let the twins do anything dangerous.
No more than he’d let them hang out with two guys who were way too old for them—and not nearly good enough.
“Then I guess thanks are in order. I appreciate you helping them out,” Jake said, moving past the twins to shake both men’s hands in turn, squeezing hard enough to make sure Austin and Colt got the message. “I’m Jake Huang, the girls’ legal guardian. Zoe and Chloe are more important to me than anything, by the way,” he added, lowering his voice. “Which is why if I heard someone did something to make them unhappy, I’m not sure there’s a limit to what I’d do to that person.”
Jake had no doubt the twins heard him but didn’t care. As long as Austin and Colt got the message. From the fear in their eyes, he was pretty sure they had.
Before either man could respond, Jake chuckled and good-naturedly slapped them on their shoulders, telling them they should grab a beer sometime.
“Anyway,” he added with a grin, “it’s been a long day and I’m sure you two need to get out of here.”
Austin and Colt exchanged looks before nodding.
“Um, yeah.” Austin looked at the twins. “We’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
Colt echoed the sentiment, giving Zoe and Chloe a nervous smile as he and Austin headed toward the door. Jake followed, closing the door behind them. When he turned around, it was to see both girls standing there, Zoe with her arms crossed, Chloe with her hands on her hips, disapproval obvious on both their faces.
“Was threatening them really necessary?” Zoe demanded. “They were just helping us move furniture. They didn’t try anything.”
“I’m sure they didn’t, but believe it or not, I was once those guys’ age.” He walked back into the spacious living room, ignoring the synchronized eye roll they gave him. “I know what they were thinking when they volunteered to help.”
Zoe and Chloe opened their mouths to argue, but he spoke before either could get a word out.
“Look, I’d love to stand here and discuss in detail why all men are pigs, but that’s not why I came home early. I’m going on a mission.”
The twins both tensed.
“Already?” Chloe asked, her blue eyes widening in obvious trepidation.
He sighed. “I know. I didn’t think I’d be in the field this soon either, but unfortunately, I have to leave immediately.” A glance at his watch had him adding, “In fact, I need to be downstairs to catch my ride in fifteen minutes.”
Chloe chewed on her lower lip. “Where are you going? Is it dangerous?”
Jake carefully schooled himself before answering. Betas could sense when their alpha was anxious, angry, scared—everything. The girls would freak out if he gave away even a hint of how dangerous this mission might be.
“I’m going to London. And no, it’s not dangerous,” he said.
The twins relaxed a little at that, although Chloe was still regarding him with an expression that suggested she knew he was holding something back.
“How long will you be gone?” she asked quietly.
He opened his mouth to tell them a couple days, but it would only make them worry more if it took longer.
“I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “But I promise I’ll Skype as often as I can.”
Zoe and Chloe exchanged looks, then laughed.
“You don’t even know how to Skype,” Zoe pointed out.
He chuckled. “Okay, you got me. But I’ll figure it out.”
“We’ll hold you to that,” Zoe said. “Or we’ll start burning up your phone with text messages, and we know how much you hate typing with those monster-sized fingers of yours.”
Running over, Zoe and Chloe hugged him, telling him to be careful while he was in London.
“Do you want us to wait for you to get back to go pick out our puppy?” Chloe asked when she and Zoe pulled away.
Damn. He’d completely forgotten. They were supposed to go to the shelter and adopt a rescue tomorrow. It was all the girls had talked about since they’d moved there.
Jake shook his head. “I don’t want you and the cute little furball to wait on me. You two go and pick him—or her—out.” He glanced at his watch again. “Crap. I have to pack.”
Crossing the living area, he headed down the short hallway that separated the bedrooms from the rest of the apartment. His was the one at the farthest end and also the biggest of the three. Painted a light sand color, there were two dressers in addition to the king-size bed and two night tables.
Grabbing his weekender from the closet, he stuffed it with a little of everything, not exactly sure what he’d need. Before he’d left the office, McKay mentioned he and his teammates would get weapons once they got overseas, but beyond that, he wasn’t sure if they’d be running the mission in tactical outfits or business suits. He’d just grabbed his toiletry kit and toothbrush, trying to think if there was anything he was missing, when his werewolf hearing picked up hushed voices from the kitchen.
“What do you think about inviting Austin and Colt over for dinner tomorrow night?” Chloe asked softly, as if she thought that would keep him from hearing. “We could order pizza or cook them something. As a thank-you for helping with the couch and stuff.”
“They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Zoe pointed out. “And since Jake won’t be home, the guys would definitely be cool with it.”
Jake shook his head as he picked up his bag and headed out of the bedroom. “You two know that I’m still here, right? And that I can hear every word you’re saying?”
Zoe and Chloe were leaning back against the granite-topped island that separated the kitchen from the living room, grinning like they were the funniest people in the world.
“Yeah, we know,” Zoe said.
“And that you could hear us,” Chloe added. “We just wanted to give you a reason to Skype a lot while you’re gone.”
He snorted and dropped his bag on the floor, then walked over to wrap his arms around them in a group hug.