Chapter Ten
Waiting around for Jett to come back was agonizing. She was worried for not only his safety, but the safety of the others who went out to search with him. What if there were more than three wolves out there waiting to attack them? Though she really didn’t know Jett that well, he was still her mate. She felt that fact to her bones the moment her defenses came tumbling down on their own. She’d had no choice in the matter because her heart took over and any plan to push him farther away was doused the second she realized they were meant for each other.
She had to start throwing caution to the wind and go after what she wanted, and what she wanted was Jett. Sure, their encounters weren’t the optimal meetings she would have liked, but she had to trust in faith they were brought together for a reason. Going down the road less traveled was never easy, but if Jett was willing to forgive her for being such an ass to him and see past their obvious differences, than she would do whatever she could to make the relationship work. Besides, this wasn’t a run of the mill boyfriend/girlfriend type of thing where you date for a few months and break up when you get on each other’s nerves. According to Eira, being mated meant having a deeper kind of connection and a responsibility to protect one another, especially with matters of the heart. You were no longer two separate beings but became one soul to share for eternity. Tatum inwardly smiled. The thought of always having someone by your side was comforting. She’d never had that before. Jasper was her best friend, sure, but it wasn’t the same as having someone who would walk through the fires of Hell and back to save you because they couldn’t survive a day without their other half.
Tatum padded over to the window overlooking the distant woods and mountains. Looking down she observed a few people walking, some were holding hands, and it warmed her heart to think they were able to relax and have a good time because Jett was out there keeping everyone safe. Maybe this mating thing was her destiny after all. What more could she ask for? Jett was kind, considerate, and didn’t back down from her at all. He was definitely an alpha and that fact turned her on. He obviously didn’t have a fragile ego, so she felt like she could be her true self around him without making him feel inferior. She didn’t think anything would make Jett feel less of a man, errr...wolf, than he was. He was confident and that was evident with every heated glance he flashed her way.
Jett had given her his number before he left as well as the front desk in case she needed anything while he was gone. She decided to call him because she was beginning to worry about him and his brother but got no answer. After four calls going straight to voicemail, she called the lobby to find out if they’d seen them. Getting no confirmation that they were safe in the building, Tatum began to pace. What if Jett were out there bleeding to death in the woods? What if he needed help and no one knew where to find him? Bile began to rise in Tatum’s throat and she just couldn’t stand around while her mate was out there on his deathbed. She grabbed her jacket off the rack and swung the door open.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jett snarled as he stepped past her and closed the door. “Didn’t I specifically ask you to stay right here with the door locked?”
Hand on her hip, Tatum’s dismay came to a full halt. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Jett’s dark eyes bored into hers as he stalked toward her, making her walk backwards until her back hit the wall. He placed his hands on either side of her and growled. “I’m talking to you.”
She could feel the heat of skin emanating off his body and she found it hard to breathe despite how mad she was that he spoke to her the way he did. She swallowed hard, but still held her ground. “I was worried something might have happened to you, you jerk. Why didn’t you answer your phone when I called?”
He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Wolves don’t have pockets. I had to leave my phone behind with my clothes.”
Another hard swallow racked Tatum. “You were naked?”
“Only for a second. I can’t afford to keep ripping my clothes every time I shift. I am huge, you know.”
“How huge?” Tatum’s voice was only a whisper now.
Jett breathed across her parted lips. “Enormous.”
Before she had a chance to respond his lips were on hers; his tongue delving into her open mouth. His hands were still on the wall, but he still managed to touch parts of her that hadn’t been awakened in years. His sucked her bottom lip between his teeth; biting, nipping, teasing her until she was gasping for air. She stabbed her hands through his hair, wrapping the silky black strand around her fingers as she tugged.
He groaned against the skin of her neck. “Give me what I want.” He grazed his canines along the curve of her neck. “Let me make you mine.”