Chapter 11 #2
“He’s been a dick. Such a dick. It’s made me question everything I thought about him.
The dream Jason I was in love with doesn’t seem to be anything like the reality Jason and I would love for him to not be able to get anywhere near me.
I would love for him to feel a sliver of the pain I’ve been feeling.
I know that makes me sound awful, but I can’t help it.
I don’t want him to get out of that bubble unless I’m somewhere he can’t get to. ”
“Serious?”
“Very. In fact, I’d like to run away where he can’t find me, then petition the SCC to change their laws about females having no say over who claims them, which I’ve already been thinking about organizing a petition for.”
“We’ll talk.”
I straighten up. “Meaning?”
“Let’s get that flower out of there, get the poor guy fed and watered, and we’ll talk some more before we let him out. Lead the way?”
I’m a little shocked, but I’m also feeling relieved. “You could be my savior here with this situation,” I whisper.
She waits for me to elaborate, so I pull her hand to tug her outside, hoping Jase can’t hear. She follows me to the end of the driveway.
“The last thing I need is for Jason Creed to go into the rut the minute he’s free, roughly taking my virginity on that cold basement floor. He’s been locked up inside that bubble and it’s got him mad at me. And it’s got me freaked out.”
She winces.
I continue. “I don’t know what level of control he’ll have after all that time. Brody Savage demonstrated self-control with Addy because she was sexually assaulted, but Jase is pissed at me. And pissed that I’m pissed, which is just so… male of him.”
“Ain’t that the truth? It’s a default emotion for alphas of any species to get mad at women for having the audacity to be angry with them.”
“And he’s being a cocky jerk. He thinks the minute he gets his hands on me I’ll give in. And I’m really mad at him, but what if that does happen?”
“He’s pretty hot. You probably will,” she whispers.
My face contorts with disgust. Because that’s the last thing I want right now. To let him just have his way.
“I don’t want to just melt when he gets his hands on me. He gets to be a complete asshole to me for weeks and weeks and then he gets to just growl and soak my underwear and take me? That’s not fair. I don’t want to be a doormat. He hurt me!”
“Erica got Brody some help. Because Adelaide really isn’t ready, Erica whipped up a concoction for him to help him with his urges. Maybe we can do something similar.”
My eyebrows fly up. “A concoction?”
“What is it you want, Bailey?” she asks. “Want it so he can’t make his dick work? An alpha male prides himself on his cock. Giving him a limp noodle for a while would certainly knock him down a peg.”
I shake my head. “I want space. Distance from him. I need a minute to myself when this is all over to figure some stuff out. I was thinking about moving to Alaska to work for the SCC for six months in order to avoid being here to see who he mated with. I had given up hope it’d be me.
And now that he says it is. It’s a disaster! ”
Oh shit. Here come the tears.
She pulls me into a hug and I say into her pretty, fragrant blonde hair, “I don’t want someone who only wants me because of biology.”
She squeezes me. “Oh honey, fated mates aren’t just about biology.”
“That’s what it feels like. He’s known me my whole life. He was so awesome growing up. He was always there. He always had time for me. And he showed me how gallant and sweet he could be so many times. But he’s been a dismissive asshole to me lately.”
“Probably because he knows you have a crush on him and he doesn’t want you pining for him when he’s about to mate.”
“He could’ve done it differently, though, couldn’t he?
Did he have to be so cruel? And well, I’m not pining for him now.
I don’t want him to just get to put his hands on me just because something in his nose tells me he has that right.
What kind of a life is that for me? Only mated to him because of how I smell? ”
I pull the baggie from my bra and hand it over. “There’s a Starling power suppression necklace in there, too. Your Aunt Mimi made it. I thought it’d help. I didn’t know I couldn’t use it.”
She blows out a long breath. “I’ll use some of my good will to buy you some time. And I’ll talk to my sisters once we get some things squared away. Don’t fret, dear cousin. Just give the necklace back to Grey when you get home.”
“You can buy me some time? For real?”
“Absolutely. Told you I owe you one…”
12
JASE
I’m about to come out of my skin. Bailey has been out of my sight too long and this shield must be fucking with my scenting abilities because I couldn’t smell her at all for a couple minutes.
Being unable to physically track her has been frustrating as fuck.
But now I smell her again along with the additional scent of Danica Young.
They’re coming down the stairs together as I’m raking my hands through my hair.
“Jase,” Danica greets.
I haul in a steadying breath as I take in Bailey, who is looking anywhere but at me.
“Danica,” I mutter.
She looks me up and down and correctly reads my vibe.
She says, “Any involvement by my coven to put you and Bailey in the same space came from indications it needed our intervention. We had no knowledge of any nefarious plans by anyone.”
I can’t hide my annoyance, and I won’t hide the fact that I do blame them. I say, “I don’t appreciate being blindsided when I was trying to help. In fact, I take issue with being treated like a chump.”
“I’d say that’s fair, but let’s not pretend your motives were altruistic,” she states.
This gets my hackles up and I don’t hide it, though she seems unaffected by my kill stare.
Bailey shuffles uncomfortably while Danica goes on.
“My understanding is that because of the spell we put on the artifacts, they did a locator spell to find you. How they knew you’d planned to accompany me to deliver them safely, we don’t know for certain, but Alta is known to dabble in gray magic for fact-finding.
Now, I’m here to help,” she goes on, “so let me follow up with Erica and Aphra to see what we can do to get you released. Excuse me.”
She climbs the stairs and Bailey is standing at the foot of those stairs looking uncomfortable, looking anywhere but at me.
A growl erupts, showing my frustration as I pace some more, claustrophobia hitting a new level as I push away the annoyance at Danica’s attitude.
I’m beyond ready to get the hell out of this shield, this house, and back home.
I want to grab my mate and pull her close, tell her how good it’ll be, see if feeling her eases my need.
While I’d love to immediately put my money where my mouth is and show her how good it’ll be, I’m not claiming her here where all this shit happened, where we’ve been stuck.
Maybe instead of taking her home immediately, we’ll go on a trip.
Have our mating at a swanky resort, far away from the pack and any other potential drama.
Yeah, I like the sound of that. My near-boiling blood simmers slightly.
Her eyes are on me briefly, before they dart away. And I know she caught the smile I just flashed.
“Know what I’m thinkin’ about, Bay?” I ask, stopping as close to her as I can physically get.
“Obviously not,” she mutters, adjusting her eyeglasses and shrinking, like she’s worried about me touching her.
“I’m thinkin’ instead of going home, you and I should check into a nice hotel. Somewhere with a hot tub. Or even better… our own private beach. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like you’re delusional,” she mutters, looking like I’m offering her another shit sandwich.
“Delusional?”
“Go wherever you want, Jason. Just know that I’m not coming.”
“Believe me, babe… you will be coming,” I say low, my meaning clear.
But the look on her face lets me know I’ve just dug myself into an even deeper hole.
“It’s just all sex and arrogance with you,” she accuses.
“It’s not. That might be where it starts but believe me, it’s not everything. You just gotta get over your snit to find out what else there’s gonna be.”
“Snit? Snit?” She makes an exasperated sound, stomps up the stairs, and slams the door.
***
It feels like an eternity goes by before I hear Danica coming down here. She sits on the bottom step and rifles through the bag she brought.
“So, I’m going to help you,” she says, looking up at me. “But before I do–”
“Where’s Bailey?” I cut her off, not liking that my nose is telling me she’s not close.
“Bailey’s not here.”
“What do you mean Bailey’s not here?”
“Bailey got a cab to the airport.”
“She what?”
“Seems like you’ve got your work cut out for you, Jase,” Danica advises. “And while I don’t think it’s a lost cause, I urge you to take this time apart to consider the best way forward.”
My blood thunders in my veins with so much pressure it feels like my head is about to blow off.
“What the fuck?” I demand, my voice lethal.
“I advise you to think carefully about the best way to win the heart of your mate. You may think it’s yours for the taking but I assure you, you’ll do serious damage if you don’t handle things the right way. And that damage might be more difficult to undo than you’re prepared for.”
“Get me out of here so I can catch up with her!”
“I urge you to reflect on why Bailey might be resistant to you.”
“And I urge you to get me the fuck out of here before I lose my goddamn mind! That’s my mate, I’ve been stuck in this bubble, before that I was stuck in restraints, unable to touch her, unable to protect her, and I need to rectify that now.”
She says nothing.
“Right now!” I add.
“If I get you out of there, what will you do?”
“If?”
She waits, cocking one eyebrow.
I let out a sound of frustration. “Of course I’m gonna go catch up with her and do what I’m supposed to do.”
“And that is?”
“Claim her. Protect her. Take her home and start our life together.”