CHAPTER TWENTY
Jake’s words penetrated the mind that was Gabby’s alone, reverberating over and over there. She didn’t understand it at first, because the beast was strong—so strong that all it wanted was to reject everything and find a kill, to feed the bloodlust that was raging inside her repeatedly.
But she fought it. She fought it every step of the way, already familiar with Jake’s scent and wanting to absorb it into her skin. She fought it because she wanted to understand his words, wanted to hear it and let the beast understand that he didn’t mean any harm. He never meant any harm, and he never would.
What was he saying?
She clawed at her mind. She tried breaking through the barrier within herself, wanting to find out what this man was saying to her. The beast was starting to trust him that much was clear, even if the beast was still very careful about it.
But time was kind and kept being kind to them, and Jake was the most patient when it came to time.
The words started up again, twirling in her mind along with his deep, soothing voice. The barrier she kept clawing at finally gave way to a tiny bit of clearance, and the words stopped blurring all over each other.
I’m in love with you.
The beast stilled. Gabby soared, feeling her heart grow light.
It lasted only for a while as a dark presence entered the premises. Then her human side saw Olivia, and her beast pushed her back and immediately went into defense. But Jake was talking again, and Olivia was talking along with him, and the beast didn’t block the words out anymore as they formed crystal clear for Gabby to understand.
There was a bargain involved, with Olivia asking for Gabby’s body and blood in exchange for their chance to live. Jake kept asking Olivia questions instead of driving her away, and the beast began to grow more agitated as it sensed danger in the form of power, as it sensed that Olivia wasn’t some weakling that could easily be subdued.
Said beast recognized that Olivia had been killed before. What happened?
Jake stepped out of the perimeter, leaving Gabby and the beast alone inside. The beast tried to step out, too, but the lock didn’t allow her to, and she found herself now staring as a battle ensued outside, with lots of sparks and magic flying and Jake getting thrown to the ground repeatedly.
The beast screamed. Gabby screamed along with it, and she began to fight it. The beast fought back, wanting dominance, wanting to make her black out again—but she was so sick and tired of it and so hungry to be let out that she fought tooth and nail without pause.
The beast recognized her dominance now, even within the darkness. Gabby pulled at that darkness, slowly reeling it in like an invisible string and cajoling that inside was better. The darkness was sly and evaded her moves, but she kept on, feeling sweat pouring down her back at the effort it took. Slowly, the darkness slid in and formed into a ball, curling in on itself until it settled like a blanket and slept inside her. Just as slowly, her shifter side came out, the beast retreating and the wolf-fox scenting blood the moment it came out.
Jake’s blood.
Her vision zoned in on him, and her paws stepped forward, intent on removing Olivia’s magic on him. He was gritting his teeth and holding on to his head, and rage flew at her as she vowed to destroy the woman.
But before she could, something else happened.
A blur came at Olivia’s right, too fast to comprehend. Then the woman was yanked to the ground and dragged halfway through before Gabby finally recognized what—or who—was pulling her.
It was Henrietta.
Gabby shifted to her human form, then hurriedly unlocked the complicated perimeter with her human fingers. She sprinted to Jake’s side, feeling for his pulse and finding it unsteady. His eyes fluttered open, piercing her with warmth and relief. She helped him sit up, cradled his injured body in her naked form.
Then she turned her attention to her mother, who was just finishing up with Olivia like no one else’s business.
Henrietta didn’t exactly tear the other woman to pieces, but she might as well have with how she used her teeth—and she’d only half-shifted, leaving her human body and her tailored clothes intact. As a last-minute thought, just as Olivia grew unconscious, Henrietta took out a bottle of glowing pink from her pocket, pouring it on the woman. It made Olivia’s body convulse once before she fell into a deep sleep, one that had the older woman finally standing up and wrinkling her nose.
“I’ve been observing her for about four days now while she stalked your practice session,” Henrietta murmured, her voice perfectly calm—almost like she was explaining her tea preference. “She’s been giving me such a headache, really. Not very bright, either. I mean, who doesn’t have a guard in a large home like this? Obviously, I got rid of them.”
Gabby’s eyes widened.
“Mr. Kismet, can you kindly call Dylan Masters and tell him we have someone we need imprisoned?”
Jake, who was also staring in shock, nodded his head mutely. Henrietta nodded back, satisfied. Then she turned to Gabby and nodded again.
“I told you, my dear. I’ll do my best to protect you. Now get some rest.”
And with those parting words, Henrietta went inside, her heels clicking on the patio tiles as she slid in the door and left them behind.
Gabby could only stare at her back, then at Olivia. Then, at Jake. Feeling like her life was going crazy and this was only the beginning, she could only laugh.
A few seconds later, Jake laughed along with her.
*****
The witch was taken by Dylan, and the ultimate shifter leader promised them that the witch would be taken to a facility where she would never bother anyone again. There was also some promise that the men working with the witch would be dealt with. Jake said something about a witch named Robin, but the conversation was quick as Dylan was out of there right away, with Henrietta tagging along with the insistence of having a business lunch. Before leaving, she instructed Gabby to cook for herself as she had dismissed the staff, too, in her hopes of catching Olivia.
Which meant that Jake and Gabby were all alone.
Awareness grew inside Gabby, but she ignored it like the stubborn person she was and took a shower first—to cleanse her mind, she insisted. But she scrubbed her body until she was squeaky clean, and she lavished herself with her favorite after-shower lotion that made her smell like milky, creamy dessert. She then put on her favorite dress, a white little number that showed off her body and its curves. Lastly, she let her hair loose, long curls that drifted down her back and flowed as freely as she felt.
Jake was in the kitchen, having offered to cook for them. He looked fresh just like her, but so much more rugged in his pants and gray sweater. His orange hair stuck out in all directions. The smell of chicken soup permeated the air, and Gabby watched him for a few seconds as he stirred in contentment.
I’m in love with you, his words filled her mind again.
“I love you, too,” she blurted out.
Her cheeks turned hot when Jake’s hand stilled. Then his gaze snapped up to meet hers, and she found her own words stumbling all over the place.
“I heard you. When we were practicing. I mean, it was all jumbled up at first, but it all made sense in the end. You were saying lots of other things, and I couldn’t hear them anymore—and then Olivia arrived and ruined everything when I’d have wanted to listen more, and—”
Her words stopped in a gasp when she felt his hands—his big, large hands—on her waist, backing her into the kitchen counter.
“I want all of you,” he said. “That’s what I said.”
Gabby blinked, his scent drifting in her senses and making her tingle. “Oh.” She tilted her head. “We can take it slow. Yes. Okay. We can…”
Her words trailed off into a moan when he began to kiss her neck. Her hands went to his hair to pull him up, but he was just as stubborn as she was.
“Yes, we can…” he rasped. “You’re my mate. We have all the time in the world.”
Her eyes widened at the declaration, and her heart did a little somersault. Then his fingers were under her dress, sliding her panties down and plunging inside her core with no warning—but no warning was needed because she was already wet and aching for him.
Only him.
“You look great in this dress,” he breathed out, finally coming up to kiss her hungrily on the mouth.
She bit his bottom lip and sucked on it, reveling in his groan. “Thank you.”
“I want it off you,” he demanded.
Gabby laughed, but soon the laughter turned to moans as he did his own request and began to almost tear her dress off before tossing it on the floor. Not about to be one-upped, she did the same, actually tearing his shirt before tugging his pants down and giddily wrapping her fingers around his pulsing shaft.
The sneaky man wore no underwear.
And she loved it.
She rubbed her thumb against his pre-cum, spreading it, then stilled and bucked as he pressed on her clit with his own thumb and had her shooting up in pleasure right on the spot. She cried out, then cried out his name.
The fiend.
Laughing, moaning, Gabby vowed to do the same.
They did it on the kitchen counter. They did it on the floor. They finally transferred to her bedroom, where he ordered her to drop on her hands and knees so he could take her from behind. Her moans turned to cries, and her cries turned to screams as he pleasured her like there was no tomorrow, even while his words told her that yes, there was going to be a tomorrow for them—and many more days to come after that.
After their third round, they crashed on the rug of her bedroom floor, where she rubbed her fingers on his belly and took in their combined scents.
“I’d like to introduce you to my mother,” she said.
“Sure,” Jake replied without missing a beat. “She’s one hell of a woman.”
“Can I introduce you as my future mate?”
“Future and present mate,” Jake corrected. His teeth shifted into fangs, and he rolled her onto her back.
Gabby laughed again, happiness filling her. They proceeded to mate right then and there and didn’t stop until their fifth round.
The darkness inside her remained buried deep inside her for a long time after that.