18. Jax
18
JAX
A low growl unleashes from my chest when I realize Jolie isn’t alone. I have to remind myself that she doesn’t understand what we are to each other yet, but I thought once she knew I existed and was curious about me that she would forget her stupid prince . Not only is that asshole here, but he’s naked with his unimpressive dick out and eager for her.
My fucking mate.
Another growl reverberates through my chest, rattling the heartbeat cradled in my ribs. I stifle the urge to shift into my wolf, though it would be fun to scare the shit out of him.
A few flakes drift toward her, flurrying from between white knuckles. Jolie’s gaze follows the snow hitting her shoulder, and she stills, her pale-blue eyes widening. The rhythmic pulse shared between us stutters before quickening its pace.
You know I’m here, don’t you, Tempest?
I’m thrilled she can sense my presence, but when Blake brings her hand back to his shaft, that hope is replaced with rage.
Is this really happening? Is she truly going to make this pathetic mortal come right in front of her mate?
Of course, she doesn’t know that. Even if she did, it’s not like she’d understand the connection. It goes beyond space and time. Beyond mortality. She exists within me, etched so deeply that not even having my memories erased could tamp down my hunger to be near her. With her.
Consequences be damned.
The disgusting mortal sighs, using my mate’s hand to stroke himself a few times, the movements hollow, devoid of the enthusiasm my mate deserves. “Come on, baby. I’m almost there.”
It doesn’t take a bond to see she’s not interested.
It chisels at my already fragile composure.
My veins freeze and my fists tighten at my sides, a blizzard building within my grasp. The thermostat glowing in the corner of the room drops another few degrees.
I’m going to conjure the first recorded indoor snowstorm in history…
Jolie eases her palm off his cock and clears her throat.
Thank Fate.
Her lashes drop, cheeks stained the perfect shade of pink. “Sorry, hand cramp.” She flexes it a few times, then forces out a yawn, wiggling her fingers for emphasis. “I’m so sorry, Blake. Can we just finish this, um…some other time?”
A slow smile spreads over my lips.
She’s not cramping. Not really. Her every emotion is as open to me as the pages of the journal currently spread across her desk. Which is…odd. She usually hides it when he’s on his way here. I glance over at my answers penned in her handwriting next to her questions from last night. There’s no way she would want this out for him to see. Either she’s suddenly become very careless or… She didn’t actually plan for him to come over.
That gives me a small sense of comfort.
“Seriously?” Blake seems completely dumbfounded. When Jolie shrugs in response, he huffs and tries to guide her back to his dick. She doesn’t let him, though. Instead, she crosses her arms, eyes darting around the room.
Is she looking for me?
He reaches for her hand again. “Just one more minute. That’s all I—”
Before he can finish his whining, I unclench my fists, frost flying into his balls. The idiot winces, hissing out a curse as he releases his grip on himself.
“She doesn’t want you. Now get the fuck out.” It feels good to say it aloud even though I know neither of them can hear me. It’s clear she wants him to leave, and when it comes to my mate, I can’t resist an opportunity to help her out.
Blake doesn’t get the hint from her or me. “Come on, baby,” he continues, grabbing for her.
Not on my fucking watch.
My body stirs and Jolie gasps. Thick paws pound against the floor, fangs stinging as they elongate until my mouth is full of sharp teeth. I happily show them off to the stunned idiot sitting with his pants down on the bed. I rear back on my haunches, displaying my glorious earthside beast with a low growl in warning.
The shrill cry that comes out of Blake before he scrambles off the bed, grabs his pants, and runs bare-assed out the bedroom door is all the reward I need. I didn’t want to shift tonight. Had tried to control it. But the look on his face was worth the unintended intervention.
Oops.
I’m enjoying this far too much, trotting around the room in glee. Serves him right.
That is, until I notice Jolie frozen next to the door. Halting in place, I sit on my hind legs, looking up at her wide-eyed. Her hands splay against the wall, nails digging into the paint as if she’s trying to get as far away from me as possible.
“Th-this can’t be happening.” Jolie’s voice cracks just above a whisper.
Knock, knock.
“You okay? Did I just see Blake slam the door behind him with his pants halfway on?”
“Everything’s fine, Lark,” Jolie squeaks. “I needed to get some rest.” She yawns dramatically. “Shouldn’t you be happy he’s not here?”
“I mean, yeah, sure I’m happy.” Larks confusion is clear even muffled by the door between them. “Could’ve done without seeing his ass but, you know, I guess I’ll take the wins where I can get them… You sure you’re alright?”
“I’m great! Just tired.”
“Okay. Night, Jojo.”
“Night!”
Footsteps shuffle away from the door until there’s only silence and me staring at Jolie pressed to the wall like she can somehow camouflage herself into it.
It takes everything in me to fight off the desire to get closer to her. To nuzzle her and show her how real I am. I don’t want to scare her more, though. So I lie down, averting my gaze to my paws in submission. The idea that she could ever be fearful of me when all I’ve ever done or wanted to do is cherish and protect her cracks a fissure in my chest.
The floorboard creaks. I keep my snout low but glance ahead of me and wait.
She slowly takes one step closer.
Then another.
Then another.
Until two fuzzy, blush-colored socks stop just in front of my paws. Little mugs of cocoa hug around the ankles.
“Jax?” Her voice is brittle, like she’s too scared to ask. “Is th-that you?”
Snapping up to standing, I can’t contain my excitement. “Yes, Tempest! It’s me.”
I bow toward her, jumping from side to side, words bursting out of me even though I know she can’t hear them beyond a series of barks and yips. “You knew it was me!”
In all my daydreams, she would pull me into her arms, and I’d feel her heart beating within our chests in eerily perfect unison. Beautiful acceptance.
Instead, her eyes are wide again, mouth slack. Not the reaction I’d been hoping for.
Shit. Stop scaring your mate, Jax.
Dropping to the floor, I glance up at her.
She shuts her eyes, dark lashes fanning over her cheeks. Her heartbeat flutters against my ribs. There’s anticipation and a faint flare of fear.
I send a prayer to Fate that this works, then zoom to the window and blow some frost across it until it forms one word:
Listen
She opens her eyes and her attention goes straight to the message on the window just above me. If believing in me could manifest my true immortal form for her, then maybe if she opens her mind to hearing my words, she will.
“Tempest?”
“Holy shit.” Her pale stare flicks back to me, and relief washes through my veins.
It worked! I want to go to her, rub my body against hers, comfort her with its soft warmth. It’s so different from my usual chill, but something tells me that will only scare her more. So I stay still and wait, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she steadies her breathing.
Her gaze narrows and she crosses her arms. “You didn’t need to chase him off.”
“I know I didn’t need to. But it was enjoyable.”
“Not enjoyable.” Jolie’s voice is stern, but the corner of her mouth quirks. “Messed up.”
“He clearly wasn’t getting the hint. I just helped things along. Or would you rather I left him to guilt you into pleasuring him further?”
She bites her bottom lip, as if thinking it over, but the movement leaves me entranced. I wonder what she’d taste like against my lips, between my teeth. When we’re finally together, I’ll explore her for days, learning every inch of her.
“I could have handled it.”
“I have no doubts that you could. Doesn’t mean I didn’t like doing it myself. Besides, he deserved it.”
“How do you know what he does or doesn’t deserve?”
“I know enough to know what you deserve.” It’s a better answer than admitting that I’ve observed them before.
Her arms remain crossed and her shoulders stiffen, almost imperceptibly. “And what do I deserve?”
“You deserve someone hellbent on loving you.” The air sweetens, the pulse within me amplifying. I swallow down what the sensations do to me. “You deserve someone who listens, wants to learn you and your body inside and out, sees your presence in their life for the gift that it is. You deserve someone who makes you feel alive.”
It was probably too intense of an admission, but it’s one I need her to know, even if this somehow ends up being the last time she wants to see me.
“Let’s just talk about something else. Like how a giant wolf is in my bedroom, talking to me.” Her pupils eclipse the pale blue of her irises, but her lips are pressed in a firm line.
Shit. I said too much.
Although, she hasn’t asked me to leave and her shoulders aren’t raised or tense. They have lowered. The fear that flowed from her earlier has muted to the backdrop and lessens with each passing moment.
“I’ve been waiting for you to return all day…” She bites her lip again, and I clamp my jaw, not wanting to growl at how much I love when she does it. “Didn’t know if you’d come back.”
“I’ll always come back.” I can’t ignore the way her admission vibrates through my entire being. Maybe she does still sense our bond. When is it too soon to tell a mortal that they are your mate? My words are clipped as I try to stifle my joy, not willing to get overexcited and scare her again. “You were waiting? For me?”
“Yeah. I still have questions.”
Oh. So it’s about what was left unanswered this morning. I huff, trying to not sound disappointed when I speak again. “What do you want to know?”
After hesitating a moment, she crosses the room to her desk. While she hasn’t panicked as much as your average mortal would over a wolf appearing in their bedroom, it’s clear Jolie’s still wary of me. Not that I can blame her. She picks up her journal and plops into the chair next to it, then she sways side to side, tucking her legs under her. Pen in her shaky grasp, she taps at the page.
“Have we met before?” Her voice cracks, then she sucks in a breath, pointing to the two spots vacant of responses on the page. “I-I think I saw you—or your eyes, at least—the day of the accident. My mom’s car crashed with us both inside of it. I know it might sound crazy… Well, probably not considering I’m talking to a giant wolf in my bedroom, but were you there?”
I inhale deeply, using the moment to carefully choose my words.
Don’t tell her you’re her mate, Jax.
I repeat it to myself a few times before I actually respond. “Yes. I was the one who found you in the car that day, below the ice.”
Her brows lift. Then they furrow, creases lining her forehead, so adorable that I want to kiss every inch of them. “Did you pull me from the wreck?”
“I did.”
Her gaze darts to her shoulder, and I know she’s looking at the gashes there, where the glass clawed at her as I dragged her out after she’d died.
“Was there any way…” She pauses a second, then clears her throat. “Could you have saved my mom?”
The hurt in her voice is palpable, stabbing me right through the mark that welds me to her.
“She was gone by the time I found you. There wasn’t time.”
“Oh.” Her disappointment tugs at my gut. As badly as I want to tell her the full truth of it—that I’ll protect her for eternity—I don’t. I can’t say the words. Not yet. Though, there’s nothing I want more than to share the beauty of what we are. Who she is to me.
My love. My mate.
My Tempest.
She’s a storm that’s swept me up and consumed me so deeply that I’m both irrevocably broken and beautifully changed by her. Forever.
“Can I see you? Your true form,” she clarifies.
We sit there in silence a moment as I hold my tongue, choosing my words carefully. Maybe, just maybe, she’s more ready to believe in me than I’m giving her credit for. But I refuse to overwhelm her. To release our delicate truth into the wind just to have it come back and smack me in the face.
“Not yet. But soon.”