Chapter 13
“ W e’ve got everyone secured,” Cliff reported. “The humans have been placed in a locked storage room, and Daric has administered a sleeping potion on them. Should keep ‘em knocked out until morning.”
“McCall is in a separate room,” Jackson said. “Chained up tight, but Austin is guarding him just in case.”
“Good,” Killian said.
“What about Forte?” Jacob asked.
“Alive,” Cliff said distastefully.
“But we’re not helping him along, though.” Quinn said. “He can heal his own fucking wounds.”
“I wanted to watch over him, but Dad didn’t want me anywhere near that bastard.”
Cliff looked ready to kill, which Jacob could understand. But there were consequences to killing an Alpha, even if said Alpha was a bastard who hurt his fellow Lycans.
“I can’t believe all of you came,” Jacob said. “I only asked Lizzie to watch over us in case something happened.” His father and uncles were there, but so were most of his relatives from New York and Shenandoah. Aunt Meredith had come, along with her mate Daric and oldest son Cross, who transported everyone to Boston using their powers. Astrid, their daughter and her mate Zac. Even Gunnar fought alongside them. Jacob had been stunned to see him, but before he could say anything, Gunnar sent him a knowing smile.
“Of course we came, son,” Quinn said.
“What about the consequences with the council? We invaded another Alpha’s territory. I don’t think Lucas Anderson will be happy with us either.”
“Let me deal with that,” Killian said.
“This isn’t about Alphas or territory,” Jackson added. “This is about family. And we protect what’s ours.”
Quinn nodded. “Damn right.”
“Whatever happens, we’ll face it together,” Connor, who was normally stoic and silent, said.
“Thank you, for everything,” Jacob said. “I should have said something earlier instead of just coming here, but I didn’t know what else to do.” He shook his head. “If the council or Alpha wants someone to punish, I’ll tell them this was all my idea. Sloane wanted to come here and kill Forte by herself. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. “
“We understand, son.” His father placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Believe me, we all do. She’s your True Mate, you’d do anything for her. You were probably terrified.”
I guess the secret’s out , he thought as all the men around him nodded or hummed in agreement. But then again, in this family, it was hard to keep anything a secret. “The True Mate part, I can handle. It’s the being stupid in love with her that’s scaring the bejeezus out of me.”
He wasn’t lying, he would burn the world for her. It wasn’t just about being True Mates. This was so much more. He loved her with his entire being. The words didn’t pass his lips, but his love for her was so much bigger than them both.
But he had seen her hesitation. If she didn’t love him back, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
Quinn laughed. “Don’t worry son, you can figure that out together. Just don’t be a dumbass. Tell her how you feel.”
“Where is Sloane by the way?” After she had cried in his arms, Aunt Meredith had come to take her away.
“Back in Shenandoah,” Quinn said. “Your mom’s there, too.”
He looked around them. “Should I wait?—”
“No, no, go to her,” Killian insisted. “We’ll take care of everything here. Don’t worry.”
“What’s going to happen now?” Jacob hated to leave in the middle of everything, especially since this was all his fault. “With the council and everything?”
Jackson blew out a breath. “The sooner we let them know, the better. And in this case, honesty really is the best policy. We’ll do our best to minimize the blowback.”
“But”—he snapped his fingers—“the diaries!”
Killian’s dark eyebrows drew together. “What diaries?”
“They—there.” Glancing around, he found the black backpack on the ground and retrieved it. “Here.” He explained to them what the bag contained.
“This could change everything.” Killian took the bag from him. “All right, Jacob, we’ll take it from here. You go to your mate. Daric will take you.”
Jacob found his uncle, and the warlock transported him back to Shenandoah, just outside the farmhouse. He rushed inside and found Stella, Lily, and his mother sitting on the couch in the living room, conversing quietly.
“Where is she?”
His mother looked up at him. “Upstairs, she wanted to clean up and?—”
He didn’t even let her finish as he raced up to her bedroom. When he entered, she was leaving the bathroom, wrapped up in a thick bathrobe, her hair wet from a shower.
“Sloane,” he rasped, his emotions stuck in his throat. Her eyes were red and puffy, indicating she had been crying. With her face scrubbed clean, the much-too-big bathrobe enveloping her, and her bare feet, she looked vulnerable and frail. He approached her with a careful gait, as if any sudden movement would cause her to disappear. “H-how are you feeling?”
She let out a sigh and trudged over to the bed to sit down. “I d-don’t k-know.” The way her voice shook made his chest ache. “I thought … I wanted to do it but …” Tears fell down her cheek.
He was next to her in an instant, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’m glad you stopped in time. Forte deserved to die for everything he did, but you would have faced the consequences for taking an Alpha’s life.”
“Wh-what about everyone?” She rubbed the tears away with the back of her hand. “Y-your family, they could get?—”
“Shh, don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything. Besides, thanks to you, we have those diaries now.”
She cleared her throat. “I read some of what he wrote. There was this one woman, Erin … he had her killed just because she spoke out against him. I wouldn’t be surprised if any other mysterious deaths or disappearances from the clan links back to him.”
God, how he wished he did burn Forte to ashes. “We’ll put all the evidence together, and once the council sees it, they’ll put him away for life.” Or worse. “Then your parents will finally get the justice they deserved.”
She looked up at him. “Do you think so?”
“I know it.” He longed to kiss her again, but there was still so much unsaid between them. “Sloane?—”
“Jacob—” she said at the same time.
“You go?—”
“Say what?—”
Her blue eyes blinked up at him as silence hung between them. He wanted to look at those eyes forever, to hold her and never let her go. But at the same time, fear gripped his chest. What if she didn’t feel the same way? For a moment, when he held her after she shifted back, he thought she might confess her feelings. But now that the emotions weren’t running high anymore, she could change her mind.
Don’t be a dumbass. Tell her how you feel.
His father’s words rang in his head. So, he decided to take the plunge.
“Sloane, there’s something I need to tell you.” His heart beat madly in his chest, and for a second, he wanted to run away. But he kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. He knew what he needed to say first. “This might change things between us or it might not. But it’s something you should know. I think … you’re my True Mate.”
“True Mate?” she gasped. “How can you be sure?”
“I can’t,” he said. “I mean, not one hundred percent, unless … unless we had sex and you got pregnant right away.”
Her eyes grew side. “Is that why you didn’t want to have sex with me?”
“Yes. Partly. I mean, I wanted you to have a choice. I wasn’t sure but I couldn’t take that chance either. It wouldn’t have been fair to you if I just tried to get you pregnant without telling you my suspicion.”
“And what if I didn’t? What if we’re not True Mates?”
“Then it doesn’t matter, because I love you, Sloane. I fell in love with you, and while I know you don’t feel the same way, that’s okay. I want to give you all the time and space you need right now. I’ll wait for you, no matter how long because you’re worth it. If you need to— mmm !”
Sloane leapt at him, pressing her mouth to his. After his initial shock and surprise, he returned her kiss, pulling her to his lap. Her arms wound around his neck, and she arched her body into him. Her mouth was sweet and warm, and he didn’t want this kiss to end, but eventually they ran out of air.
“You love me?” she breathed against his lips.
“More than you’ll ever know.”
“I love you too.”
His chest tightened as his heart burst from the emotions he’d kept in there. She loves me!
His wolf let out a yip of happiness and spun around, chasing its tail.
She sighed. “I know you were trying to tell me you loved me before we left for Boston, but I just wasn’t sure then. I’ve never felt this way before, I don’t even know if I’m capable of loving anyone, not with my fucked-up childhood.”
“I understand.” He didn’t think of it that way. Unlike him, who grew up surrounded by a large family that cared for him, no one had ever shown her what love was nor had she seen it herself.
“The past two years I was only focused on my goal of killing Ronan. I didn’t have time to think of anything else. Then you came along.” She smirked at him. “You were so annoying. But also, I could see how much you really cared about everyone. Lily was right, you are very sensitive.” She pressed her lips to his again. “I wanted to say it right away, after Ronan …”
“I wanted you to be sure, that’s why I stopped you. I know you like your independence. I didn’t want you to be tied down with me and kid if you didn’t want to.”
“Well, what about you?” Blue eyes looked straight into his. “How would you feel about being tied down with me and a kid?”
“It wouldn’t be tied down,” he answered without hesitation. “You and any pup we have would be my entire world.”
Her mouth parted, blue eyes softening. “I want that, Jacob. To have a pup with you.”
“Me too,” he said. “When you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now.”
He stared at her, unable to speak as if he’d been struck by a hammer to the side of the head. “Wh-what? Now?”
“Yes.” Her lips pulled back into a smile. “And even if we’re not True Mates, it doesn’t matter.”
His wolf let out a protest, which only solidified his belief that they were.
“I love you just the same, and I want to be with you.”
“Sloane …” He cupped her face with his hands. “I love you too.”
He slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. She tasted like the sweetest fruit, her tongue tangling with his in an erotic dance. She shrugged off the bathrobe, baring her beautiful, full breasts and the rest of her naked body. He moved his mouth lower, trailing along her chin and neck, stopping to place a soft kiss on her wolf tattoo before he bent down to take a nipple into his mouth.
She moaned his name, pushing her chest toward his mouth as she began to grind her hips. He groaned against her breast as his cock hardened under the torturous friction of her heat. He pulled the nipple in deeper, his tongue teasing the nub while his hand found the other breast and played with it.
“Jacob, I need you,” she gasped. “Please—oh!”
He flipped her around so she was under him, though he continued to tease her breasts. Her fingers found the fabric of his shirt and began to yank at it, pulling it over his head with his help. Smiling up at her, he scooted lower until his head was between her naked thighs. “I need to get you ready first, baby,” he said before pressing his mouth against her wet pussy lips.
Her fingers dug into his hair as he ate her out, feasting on her sweetness. He unbuttoned his jeans, letting his cock spring out. Wrapping his hands around his shaft, he began to stroke himself. He licked at her clit, teasing her until she was moaning in frustration.
“Jacob, I swear to God?—”
“Ready, Sweet Stuff?” he asked, raising his head.
“Just fuck me, please. I need you inside me.”
“Whatever you want,” he said with a smirk, then climbed over her. Lining the tip of his cock against her, he pushed into her. She gasped, then sucked in as he filled her. When he was finally all the way inside, he lay on top of her, enjoying the feel of her body under him, and her tight pussy gripping his cock.
“Jacob.” She pushed her hips up at him, her tone needy. “Move.”
He chuckled against her ear. “So impatient …” He raised himself up on his elbows. “Don’t you worry, I’m gonna fuck you good.”
“Just do it, then, and stop talking.”
With a deep growl, he grabbed her ass and began to pound into her. She let out a yelp of surprise, which turned into groans of pleasure as he thrust into her hard. Her legs wrapped around him, her hips angling up to get him deeper into her. He wanted to come then and there, but he held on, biting the inside of his cheek until he bled. She just felt too good, but he wasn’t going to come until she did, at least a few times. When she started whispering dirty things into his ear, he nearly lost it, but he fucked into her relentlessly until her body was shaking with her orgasm.
He didn’t even let her come down, when he turned her onto her stomach, his arms wrapping under her to haul her ass up and slid into her again. She yelped, her fingers grabbing onto the sheets and he pounded into her again. She tried to pull her body up, but he held her down with his chest, pinning her and driving into her until she was screaming that she was coming.
Twice more he changed positions, first on their sides with him behind and his hand between her legs so he could flick her clit until she came. Next she was on top, and he met her every downward thrust with an equal force. As she orgasmed while riding his cock, he flipped her over again so he was between her legs.
“I love you, Sloane.” He buried his face in her neck to inhale her sweet and spicy scent.
Her legs wrapped around him. “Jacob … oh … love you … want to be with you … please … my True Mate.”
He couldn’t hold on anymore and he let go. The pleasure exploding up his spine nearly made him blind. His body shuddered, cock twitching inside her as he flooded her with his cum.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
The sensation was unlike anything he’d felt before. Made him forget everything as his sole focus was on the sensation of coming inside her.
Sensation eventually returned to his body, and his cock slipped out of her. Once he felt his limbs, he lowered himself on top of her. He breathed in her scent, enjoying the way her soft body felt underneath hers. While she didn’t protest, eventually he rolled to the side, pulling her alongside his body.
She slipped a hand down to her belly. “Am I really pregnant?”
He covered her hand with his. “What do you feel? How does your wolf feel?”
A low rumble reverberated across her chest. She chuckled. “I think she says yes.”
His own wolf burst with pride as it answered back with a happy yip. “Mine thinks so too.