Chapter Eleven
“Oh man, that was the longest shift ever,” Cassie complained as they climbed into bed that night. “Was it my imagination or was everyone staring at us?”
“Your imagination. Well, mostly.” He winked at her, and she blushed.
“Jay, what were you talking about when you told Reed about petitioning advisors?”
“I’d like to petition the pack advisors for you to be accepted as a full packmate. It means you’d truly be part of the pack, you would be included in everything, be allowed a voice, be able to contribute.”
“Who are these advisors? And why did you never mention this to me?”
“Well, we have a temporary setup at the moment, with the enforcers acting as the advisors, Laney too. When Cooper took over the pack, he got rid of any advisors Zachary used. They were corrupt.”
“Cooper doesn’t vote?”
“Well, yeah, he can have the final vote if necessary, but he generally only votes if there’s a tie.”
“Great, that’s great.”
“Don’t worry, everything will be all right. We’ll win, I know we will. I didn’t tell you because I had to check with Cooper first. I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case he said no. It’s up to you, though. We don’t have to go back to the pack at all. We can join another pack.”
When he’d declared that he was willing to leave the pack for her, she’d felt a weight shift from her. Despite his reassurances, she’d still been worried about living with the pack. She would never have made him choose.
But to know he’d choose her—it was everything.
He rolled onto his side, resting his head on his hand as he peered down at her.
“You have a family, Jay, a family who loves you. I’d kill to have that. I’m not going to let you simply throw that away. I trust you. I trust that you’ll always be there for me. If I’m miserable or unhappy, I know that we can work together to fix it. I haven’t changed my mind. I’d still like to try to live with your pack. Let’s petition the advisors and see where things go from there.”
“God, you’re amazing.”
She sighed. “If only there was some way you could change me into a werewolf, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
He gazed at her silently before leaning down and taking her mouth in a kiss so intense he almost swallowed her whole. When he pulled back, she leaned forward, trying to recapture the oblivion of that kiss. It took her a while to realize he was talking.
“That is…the most selfless thing anyone has ever offered to do for me. You amaze me, Cassie. Thank you.”
“I was serious. If I could, I would.” She stared at him, wondering why he couldn’t meet her eyes. “But there’s no way, is there? Werewolves can’t change humans.”
“Baby, even if I was allowed to change you, I would never put you through that.”
She frowned. “Wait, what do you mean, allowed? It’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“Not impossible, just dangerous and forbidden. See, when the packs came out, the Alphas all had to swear that they would never allow a human to be changed. It’s a law that is policed by the packs, and it means instant death for the werewolf who breaks it.” He swept his hand over her hair.
“Apparently, it’s very traumatic, with few successes. I wouldn’t risk your life to change you. There’s no reason for it. We can still do anything we desire with you as a human.” He placed a hand on her stomach. “Including having children.”
She took a deep breath.
“I never thought about having children.”
“I’ve thought of it,” he said huskily. “I’ve dreamed of you pregnant with our child. And none of our children will ever feel alone or abandoned or rejected or worried that they don’t have their parents’ love.”
“How many kids are we talking about here?”
“Oh, half a dozen or so.” He grinned. “Much as my brothers annoyed me growing up, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Cassie bit at her lower lip. “Hmm, speaking of siblings, it turns out I may not be an only child.”
“What do you mean?”
“Are there other, umm, beings like you?”
“There’s no one like me.” He smacked a kiss on her lips, laughing as she took a fake swing at his head.
“I don’t mean that. I mean, are there other beings besides werewolves?”
He stilled. “Why would you ask that?”
“There’s something I haven’t told you.”
He didn’t speak, but his eyebrows rose.
“After my talk with Reed, this guy sort of, well, appeared. I’ve met him twice before. His name’s Brynn. He introduced himself when I first got here, but when Josh arrived, he disappeared. Josh never saw him, and I didn’t think I would see him again. Anyway, he turned up again after Reed had given me his little spiel about how I should leave you. It was really weird. He was giving me advice on what to do. He told me I had to stand up to Reed or your brother would walk all over me.”
“What did he look like?” Jay demanded.
She described him.
“And you think he’s your brother?”
“Well, he told me we had the same father. Weird huh?”
“What makes you think he’s not human?”
“He’s always just appearing and well, disappearing. And the way he moves, it doesn’t look right. It’s like he doesn’t walk, he glides. He was beside me one moment then two yards away the next, and I never saw him move. And he knew that you and Reed are werewolves, in fact, he seemed to know quite a bit about werewolves.”
“Really?” Jay’s voice was serious. “If he was a werewolf, I would have caught his scent on you.”
“Yeah, I don’t think he’s a werewolf either. His touch is really cold, I’m pretty sure if I was that cold, I’d be dead. If anything, you guys tend to run hot, not cold.”
“Can you think of anything else?”
She shook her head. “Not really, but sometimes I’ve had this feeling of being watched.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about him earlier?” he scolded.
“There was a lot going on,” she replied defensively.
He reached for his phone. Cassie sat up beside him, listening as he had a curt conversation with his brother.
“Reed doesn’t have any idea who or what he is,” Jay explained as he closed his phone. “But he said he’ll be on his guard.” He ran his hands through his hair, sending it into disarray. “We have to leave soon, and we’ll need to be careful he doesn’t follow us.”
“I don’t think he’s a threat to me. Why would he help me if he meant me any harm? And why would he claim to be my brother and then try to hurt me?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t like the fact that he’s been watching you. I can’t take any chances with your safety. Is there anyone who would remember your father? Is he listed on your birth certificate?”
She shook her head. “My mother would never answer any questions about him. Someone else in Landon might remember him. Mom lived there her whole life. It’s not exactly a large place. Everyone knows everyone else’s business.”
“Wouldn’t someone have told you about him, then? Spoke about him?”
She frowned. “You’re right, they would have. Still, I’ll ask around anyway. It’ll give the gossipers something to talk about, me trying to find my dad.” She sighed.
“How come you never left Landon?”
She shrugged. “I always wanted to. But then mom got sick in my last year of high school. I’d always worked in the school library, it seemed logical to move into a job at the public library. The money wasn’t great, but it was enough to take care of mom and myself. Then when she died, well, I guess I was too scared. I had nobody, at least in Landon I knew everyone. There are nice people who live there too.”
She tugged him down until he lay next to her, then wiped the frown lines from his forehead.
“Let’s worry about figuring this all out later, okay?” She dragged his hand to her breast, her nipple stiffening instantly.
His gaze was immediately drawn to her naked body.
“You’ll tell me straight away if you feel as though you’re being watched, or if you see him again.” It was more an order than a question, but she replied anyway.
“Uh-huh.” She thrust her chest up, pushing her breast against his hand.
“Insatiable little thing, aren’t you?” he murmured, his voice thick.
She reached down and lightly stroked his half-erect cock. “Is that a complaint?”
“Hell, no,” he gasped as she ran her thumb over the head of his cock, dipping slightly into his slit. She started to slide down his body, but he halted her, his hands holding her shoulders.
“Don’t you want me to?” She licked her lips.
“Oh yeah, I want. Roll onto your back, though.”
She rolled over, and he knelt over her, his cock above her mouth.
She leaned up and licked his balls. He moved back with a shout.
“Don’t move.” He stared at her sternly. She giggled unrepentantly.
“You let me do the moving, Cass, you just—”
“Lie here with my mouth and legs open? I think I can manage that.”
He grumbled, and she laughed again.
He guided his shaft down to her mouth, running the head over her lips until she opened them. He slid into her mouth.
She let him set the pace. Her hands cupped his balls, squeezing. Her thighs rubbed against one another, trying to alleviate some of her own arousal.
“Shit, shit, shit. That feels so good, Cassie, you wouldn’t believe.”
She used both hands to grab his ass, cupping, massaging.
He let out a guttural groan. “I’m gonna come.” She pulled him in closer as he came with a shout. She smiled, and as he withdrew, she grabbed the base of his shaft, holding him still so she could have a last, lingering lick of his, again, half-erect cock.
He rolled back onto the bed, breathing heavily, a light sheen of sweat covering his body. She rolled over and played her fingers over his nipples. He laid his large hand over hers, stilling her movements.
“Ahh, babe, I could die a happy man.” Leaning up, he took her mouth in a sweeping kiss.
“You’ve worn me out.” He closed his eyes and lay back. “I think I need a nap to recover.”
She whacked his shoulder. “Tease.”
His face remained expressionless, eyes still shut as he spoke. “You know how to take care of yourself, don’t you?”
She let out a startled bark of laughter. “Jerk.”
He rolled onto his side, moving her onto her back. “In fact,” he teased, grinning. “Why don’t you give me a little show?” He lifted her hips and placed two pillows beneath them, spreading her thighs. Then he lay on his side across the bottom of the bed, his head positioned for prime viewing between her legs.
“Don’t you want to come?” he asked her innocently when she didn’t move.
Jay lay there gazing at his gorgeous mate. Her skin gleamed. He ran his hand over her leg, loving the smooth feel of her against his calloused palm. In his world, he was frequently surrounded by danger, darkness, and intrigue. As an enforcer, he often saw the worst in others. But Cassie was sweet and good. She had fast become his shelter. When he was with her, he could relax and be himself.
She didn’t see herself as he did, didn’t see herself as beautiful. He was determined to work on that, though. Bit by bit he’d build up her self-esteem until she had no choice but to realize how much she meant to him.
He knew she thought herself lucky to have him, but he was the lucky one. She brought light, laughter, happiness. He simply could not live without her.
She was hesitating, and he thought she wasn’t going to comply. But she moved her hand slowly down to her slit and slipped two fingers inside her passage, coating the two digits before she held them up to him.
“Oh baby,” he murmured huskily, leaning in to lick her fingers clean of every drop of dew. He then dragged her fingers into his mouth and sucked them. He let them go reluctantly, riveted as she returned those same fingers to flick at her clit.
He could barely decide what he desired more, to watch her bring herself to orgasm or to replace her hand with his tongue, to lick up more of that delicious dew, to suck on that sensitive little nub.
He decided to hold back…this time.
“So beautiful. Keep going, that’s right, make yourself come.” He kept up his praise, letting her know how much he appreciated what she was doing, that she was letting him watch her reach fulfillment.
Her fingers sped up, her thighs quivered, and she let out a sharp cry as she came. He immediately moved, pushing her hand aside to suck hard on her clit, prolonging her orgasm. He couldn’t resist one long, sweet lick of her slick lips before he rose, pulling her into his arms to kiss her deep and long.
* * * * *
The next morning, they lazed in bed. She sat between his legs, her back resting against his chest. He was leaning back against the headboard, his magical hands massaging her shoulders. She felt lazy and content.
“Can I see you change?” she asked.
His hands stilled on her shoulders. “You sure?”
“Yes,” she replied firmly, knowing the reason behind his hesitation. “I’m not like Lia. Trust me.”
He moved, slipping out from behind her. He stood beside the bed, staring down at her until she thought he was going to change his mind. But then he sighed, running his thumb across her lips. Slipping her tongue out, she licked him.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I won’t be,” she replied. She knew Lia’s reaction, her betrayal, had hurt him. She was determined to show him how amazing he was, wolf and all.
The change happened quicker than she’d imagined—a smooth movement of muscle and skin under a shimmering glow that disguised most of the transformation.
Then he stood before her, a magnificent creature. He was long, taller than she’d thought he would be, with beautiful light-brown fur thickly covering his body. He shook his head and snuffled, making her smile. When she looked into his eyes, she saw Jay staring back at her. Walking over to the bed, he laid his massive head on the mattress and watched her, waiting for her to move to him.
Crawling over, she lay on her stomach and rested her head beside his. This left her neck in a vulnerable position, easily in reach of those massive jaws. It was a show of trust and of love.
“You’re gorgeous,” she whispered in his ear, reaching up with one hand to scratch the fur around his neck, surprised by how soft it felt. “I love you.”
A lick on her throat was her only answer, and it was more than enough.
* * * * *
“You weren’t frightened.”
He shouldn’t have been amazed, but he was. He lay beside her, his head resting on her stomach, more at peace than he could remember feeling in years.
“No, I wasn’t.”
Her acceptance soothed him, and he felt the wolf purr, settle within him more fully. The bond between man and wolf had mended a great deal since he’d been with Cassie.
He yawned, tired after his rapid change between human and wolf then back again.
She ran her fingers through his hair.
“You’re beautiful. Powerful and deadly, sure, but I wasn’t afraid. I felt as though I knew your wolf.”
“The wolf always knew you. I wished I’d listened to him earlier. After Lia, I spent a long time in human form. I contained the wolf as much as I could. I completely dominated him. It got to the point that I could barely feel him. We were like two separate parts. But whenever I was around you, he pushed at my hold on him. Once I started to listen, I discovered that he’d always known you were ours.”
His mouth met hers in a sweet kiss. “Love you.”
“I love you, too.”