Chapter 14 - Jillian
"God, you look great." Hope, one of the witches I had gotten to know, said in an eager voice.
She was part of the witch group that I had become friendly with.
Everyone always thought the witches were evil and people who couldn't be trusted, but I knew that was far from the truth.
They were the sweetest and most forgiving people that I knew.
"Thank you," I said, giving Hope a smile in return. "I haven't seen you guys in a few months. Where have you been?"
The girls traveled around a lot in the darkness.
They were out placing protective barriers around homes and trying to counteract any magic that had been done.
The Alphas were trying hard to find an answer, but what they didn't understand was that the darkness left a mark when it came.
The girls said it was like a bad omen. People ended up with bad luck, and troubled times followed them.
The witches moved through the packs, trying to heal what was broken.
"Busy," Hope said, giving me a tired expression. "But we continue forward."
I felt for them because they understood. When I got back and was broken beyond repair, Hope had helped me. She cleansed my aura, but when it came to my mind, it was something I would have to fix.
Claire reached a hand out, giving my shoulder a squeeze in understanding. I smiled at her. "Where are Jessie and Tara?"
"They were making a stop before they came."
"God, I haven't seen them in forever," Sam said, looking stunned.
Sam had been the one to introduce me to the witches. I had gotten along well with Sam and found she was soft-hearted and sweet. Being a seer, she understood what it felt like to be different. Not entirely one thing.
After everything had happened, she'd taken me to see Hope. She told me she couldn't watch someone so bright and full of life slowly burn out. She wasn't wrong.
"So, Alpha Maddox then?" Hope asked, glancing over towards him. “He's a looker."
"Oh god," I groaned. "Please don't."
Hope leaned closer as we walked back to the table where we were sitting. Sam, Katie, and Nina were still sitting there waiting. "Is he good in bed? I bet he's good in bed."
I thought of last night and how his lips felt against mine. For once, I just felt my mind shut off, and I could relax. I wasn't worried about being alone. I wasn't worried about hearing the voices or if I was crazy.
I could focus on his lips and where his hands were resting. I focused on his warmth and how it made me feel, how safe I felt. I felt safe.
"You will never know," I said as I sat down.
Sam raised an eyebrow at us. "Know what?"
Hope smirked. "I asked her how Maddox was in bed, and she doesn't want to share the details."
Sam snorted next to me, and I glared at her. She started to laugh, which then caused everyone else to join in. I couldn't help the smile that pulled at my lips.
"What is so funny over here?" I looked over my shoulder as Tara and Jessie stood behind me. I pulled myself up and gave each of them a hug, feeling they were hugging me back just as tightly.
"We were talking about Jillian's sex life," Nina said, waving a hand at the extra chairs. "Take a seat and enjoy the details."
I rolled my eyes. "There are no details. Nina, you were supposed to side with me on this."
Nina laughed. "I would normally, but your cheeks are all red, which tells me there is something to tell."
Was my face red? Was I blushing over the thought? No. There was no way.
"It's the liquor I've had," I said, feeling it was better than admitting I was blushing.
Nina laughed. "Okay, if you say so." I could hear in her voice that she didn't believe me.
I sat back down and smiled at Tara and Jessie. "It's great to see you guys. Thanks for coming."
"We couldn't miss a party put together for you. Besides, we were in town."
It was nice to catch up with them. It was even nicer to get my mind off all my issues and forget about what had been happening over the past few weeks.
"Has anyone heard any news about the darkness?" Sam asked, leaning back in her chair with a grim face.
All of their heads seemed to shake, minus the witches, and we all perked up. Hope looked at Tara and Jessie, who looked back at her. You could tell from that look it was something juicy, something secret.
"Hey, quit the eye thing and tell us," Nina said, waving a hand.
Hope looked at us. "Well, we're not really supposed to say anything, but they might know who is doing this."
"What!" we all said in unison, leaning closer to her. "What are you talking about?"
"Nina, do you recall an older teacher that Frank maybe mentioned?"
Nina nodded. "Yeah, he was having his brother look into a teacher because she was possibly connected to this."
"Well, years ago, a man lost his son, but this kid just disappeared from everything. Paper, online, and in-text. There was no information about this kid or the parents. Besides word of mouth, which isn't always trustworthy."
"Apparently, all the Alphas were there."
Sam shook her head. "It's not possible. None of them remembers being together like that. They didn't even all meet until they were older."
Hope frowned and reached into his pocket. She slid a picture across the table. "Frank asked us to talk with the teacher. She had a broken mind, but we did piece things together."
We all looked down at a photo of kids who were maybe five years old. They were all standing in the middle of the woods. You could see the faces in all of them, looking so happy, and in the middle was a boy.
"She told us that the guys were all playing near a river when the dam went out. The waters got too high, and they all were pulled further down. Only the strong survived."
My stomach dipped.
Sam covered her mouth, and Katie pulled the picture closer.
"He died?" I asked softly.
Hope nodded. "And they were all training to be Alphas. The father was livid, accusing the boys of killing his son, and the Council had to cover it up. So, they wiped all the guys' minds and slapped an NDA on the school and the town. Everything was erased."
"Fuck," Nina leaned back in her seat.
Hope nodded. "Yeah. I told Frank a couple of days ago, and he told the guys."
"So, the dads pissed? Okay, but how is that connected to everything?"
Tara frowned. "Yeah, that's it…"
I felt like my mind was blown. "Wow," I said, shocked. "That's…. that's a lot."
Hope nodded. "It is, and it's on the downlow. They aren't sharing this yet until they know more."
I looked over my shoulder towards where Maddox had been standing, and I found he wasn't there. I sat up a little more, searching for him. I spotted him near the food, now talking with a woman. She was stunning looking with long legs and a golden tan. I could tell she was a shifter.
She had long black hair that looked silky under the light. She laughed as she spoke with Maddox, who smiled at her in return. They looked comfortable, and she reached out, placing her hand on his chest as she laughed.
Something tugged in my chest, and I bit my cheek. I watched her hand grab at his tie. She said something, and he laughed.
My stomach flipped, and I looked away.
"Jillian."
I jumped and looked to my right as Joshua was walking towards me with a woman in his arms. I couldn't help but smile as I pulled myself out of my chair. "And you must be his wife."
The lady smiled, nodding her head. She extended her hand towards me. "Rachel. I've heard so much about you."
"Likewise," I said with a chuckle. "I didn't know you would be coming."
Joshua nodded. "Maddox said it was a big party for you, and I thought what better time than to have you meet Rachel now."
"Where's your son?" I asked.
"We left him with my mom," Rachel said. "He has a lot of energy, so she said she was going to take him out to the park while we were here."
"Looks like a lot of people showed up," Joshua said, looking around. "My birthday party wasn't even half of this."
Rachel snorted. "She's married to the Alpha, sweetie. There are going to be a lot of people."
I watched the way they looked at each other, and I couldn't help but feel jealous. Joshua had found someone who loved him, and I could tell she loved her.
"You guys are cute together."
Rachel blushed. "Thank you. He's my other half."
I looked over my shoulder at Maddox. I found him still with that woman. They were still talking, and it angered me. Would I ever have that? Would someone consider me their other half? Look at me like I was the light in their world?
"There's lots of food," I said, side-stepping them. "Do eat. If you excuse me."
I turned, making my way out of the party. I headed inside the hotel, needing space to breathe. I stepped inside, thinking I was alone, when I felt someone grab my hand as I headed towards a hallway.
"Where are you going?"
I looked over, seeing it was Maddox. He looked at me with a frustrated expression.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
He frowned. "I can tell from your eyes that's not true."
I pulled my hand free and took a step away from him. "Jesus, are you counting how many times I'm going to the bathroom or something?"
He crossed his arms. "No, but I can see in your face that something is wrong."
"Nothing is wrong," I said instantly, knowing I said it too sharply.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "You were quick to go on the defense."
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Aren't you busy anyway? I don't… having someone touch and fix your tie?"
His eyebrows went up. "Are you talking about Harper?"
I knew it wasn't just Harper. I could see it in the way that people looked at him. They were all undressing him with their eyes, wanting to know what sat underneath. Harper had her hands on him today, but who would tomorrow? Who would be next week?
"I just think it looks a little tacky when you have a woman that's not your wife touching you."
Maddox pulled a hand up. "Oh, hold on. You just had a man hugging you."
"That's Joshua, and he's married with a kid."
"And the other one?"
I didn't recall his name, but I also didn't ask to be hugged.
"A hug is nothing compared to a woman grabbing your tie and twirling her fingers in it." I shrugged. "Just saying."
I turned and headed down the hall towards the bathroom. But I could hear Maddox was hot on my tail. "Jillian, I'm not done talking with you."
I didn't answer as I opened the bathroom door. I pulled it shut, but Maddox had already grabbed the door and pulled it open. He leaned in the doorframe, not letting me shut it.
"I'm done talking to you," I snapped. "Now, go away."
"That's not how this is going to go. You just accused me of flirting with someone when you were doing the same thing."
I let go of the hand and scowled. "I was not." I was practically yelling now.
He stepped into the room, and the door shut behind him. "I beg to differ. A man laid his hands on you. He touched your shoulder and your hips."
"How would you know he touched me and where?"
He smirked, stepping closer to me. I backed into the stall and was caged.
"The same reason you know how she grabbed my tie. You were watching me. Why do you think that is?"
"Because we're married," I grumbled, feeling the space grow hot. My eye went to his lips, and I tried hard to look away. I wanted to ignore this hunger in my belly, this ache to be closer to him.
Maddox reached a hand up, his fingers soft on my chin. "Well, I was watching you because I was jealous. I don't like the idea of another man touching you, even if it's to hug you."
I swallowed as I felt his other hand land on my hip. His fingers curled around my skin, and a shiver rolled over me.
"And I'm going to guess that you were doing the same. Does that sound right?"
I slowly nodded as my eyes went to his lips. I felt hot, too hot. The room suddenly felt suffocating, and I felt every nerve in my body seeming to falter.
He leaned closer, his lips pressing against mine softly. But it was only a moment before I wrapped my arm around him, and the kiss became hot. His lips crashed against mine violently, and his tongue slid over mine in a fight.
We were panting, gasping for air, yet kissing each other like our lives depended on it. We stumbled back and hit the door. I heard the door click as the lock was turned into place. Maddox hoisted me up, grabbing my ass, and spun us towards the counter.
He hoisted me onto the counter and kissed me deeper. His hands placed onto the mirror, and I leaned back, feeling my shoulder and back hit the coldness of the mirror.
I wrapped my legs around his waist when I felt it. He was rock hard. I couldn't help but be shocked.
I panted as he ran his tongue down my neck, kissing my breast. He pulled at my dress, sliding it down, uncovering my top. "You are so fucking hot," he growled at me, his fingers tight against my skin.
I watched as he stared at me. Hunger swam in his eyes, and I felt my insides squirm. This wasn't the first time I'd done this, but this was the first time I felt like I was being looked at. Like someone was actually looking at me like I was something worth looking at.
He grabbed at my bra, unclasping it in the back, and tossed it onto the ground. I sat there watching him as his eyes took me in. His hands reached out, his hands warm against my breast.
I moaned as his fingers were gentle against my nipples, tugging at them. He kissed me again, my back firm against the glass.
"You are stunning," he growled between kisses. "Fucking A, Jillian. You're giving me the hardest hard on I've ever had in my life."
I blushed as I watched him unzip his pants. Maddox pulled his cock free, and my eyes stared at him. I'd seen dicks before, and I'd had several boyfriends, but Maddox had a reason to get the woman. I'm sure they talked.
"Do you know how to use that thing?" The words just slipped out, and I quickly realized just how embarrassing the question was.
Maddox, however, looked smug. "Oh, trust me, I know how to use this." He reached his hands down, shimmying my underwear off. "I haven't had any complaints."
"You can have a nice dick and not know how to use it."
Jesus, what the fuck was wrong with me?
Maddox braced his hands on my hips, his smirk only growing. "You think I have a nice dick?"
I couldn't find words now. My mouth opened and closed like a fish. I swallowed, feeling my face grow hot.
"I've had a lot of sex with men who have nice dicks, but I've never come." The words just spilled out. Lord, I didn't know why I was saying them, maybe because I didn't just want this to be sex. Maybe because I wanted this to mean something, to feel something.
Maddox smirked, his hands reaching lower. "Oh, I'm aware women need more than a nice dick, Jillian."
His fingers slid over my clit, and every nerve seemed to come alive. My head slammed into the glass as my toes curled at the contact.
"And let me make this clear. I'm not just a nice dick. I'm your husband, so your pleasure is just as important as my own. There will be no sex without a big finale for you."