Chapter 15
BAILEY
“Oh my gosh!” Mom rushes in. “What was that?”
“The Young sisters said they’d help me,” I whisper.
My heart feels like it’s going to pound straight out of my chest.
Jase was furious. Livid. Scary.
I want to barf.
I look out the window and see Jase and my father talking on the street. Jase squats and picks up the silver photo frame I threw out the window. Gosh, that was really irresponsible of me. Someone could’ve been hit!
He looks up at me, so I quickly move out of sight.
“Did you see how far he flew back? He could’ve been hurt, Bailey!”
“Excuse me, Mom,” I mutter as I move into my bathroom and shut the door before I grip the vanity and stare into the mirror.
My heart is pounding too hard. My skin feels clammy. My chest is tight.
I regard my reflection as I pull in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Jason Creed. Fated. Fated to Jason Creed.
Anger bubbles up in me just as my phone chimes from my pocket. It might be starting to sink in, and I can’t let it or it’ll take me out.
Outside the door, Mom knocks gently, saying, “Bailey, maybe you should go with him. Talk things out.”
I open the door. “I don’t want this.”
“But this is Jase. Your Jase.”
No. My Jase was a figment of my imagination. The Jase outside is completely different. I don’t want this one.
The house phone is ringing. Mom rushes out, muttering, “One second.”
I sit on the side of the tub and pull my phone out of my pocket. I’ve got a text from Cicely.
Cicely: I don’t know where you are, if you’re back or still in Italy chasing Jase. I have no idea if up is up and down is really down, but things are beyond wonky for me if you haven’t heard.
I write back.
Me: I just got back. Wonky is the whole vibe apparently because get this!
Jason Creed identified me as his mate. No, I’m not celebrating.
I’m mad as hell. He’s a jerk. I told him I reject him.
And he thinks it’s all a big joke. I know the Youngs are trying to help you with your problem.
I’m so sorry btw. If I wasn’t across the ocean in the biggest drama of my life I would have been here for you.
But we’re having our dramas concurrently so there’s not much I can do for you and definitely nothing you can do for me.
I would love nothing more than to come out there and offer you moral support if nothing else (not like you want me cooking meals) but the big jerk prob won’t let me anywhere near you because of your mate so if there’s anything I can do, please let me know and I’ll certainly try.
Cicely: I want to hug you and congratulate you. This is everything you’ve wanted. But … if he’s been shitty to you, I say make him grovel!
Me: I don’t even want a grovel. It’s hard to explain.
Cicely: Shit. I’m sorry Bailey. Very sorry.
Me: Sorry for what you’re going through, too. I can’t imagine…
Cicely: Maybe you can help me. Can you see what you can find out about a shifter pack in Utah near the Wyoming and Colorado borders? And specifically Jared Stone? And if there’s something I can help you with, let me know.
Me: I don’t think I can get to the library until tomorrow. But as soon as I do, I’ll see what I can find out. Thanks for the offer but I’ve got a little bit of help here. For the moment, at least.
Before I’m finished typing the message, Mom is knocking on the bathroom door, so I finish it off with:
Me: Shit. Gotta go.
“Come in, Mom.”
“Hey,” Mom says softly.
My phone chimes and I see her reply.
Cicely: Thank you. Good luck.
“Just a sec,” I say to my mom before I type out my reply to Sis.
Good luck to you, too. TTYL
I give Mom my attention.
She gives me a sad smile, looking like she doesn’t know how to deal with me.
“He needs to go. Why won’t he just go?” I ask rhetorically because I know the answer.
“Sweetheart, you know how these things work. You’ve seen it enough times lately and everyone knows how it goes.
An alpha can’t help but feel compelled to sweep his mate off her feet and take her home for all the fun stuff, which he can’t wait for.
What he’s doing is completely natural to him, natural to all alphas.
Your reaction – it’s not abnormal, many women are hesitant, resistant.
I know I was nervous about how fast your dad wanted things to move, but when an alpha knows, he knows.
And he thinks togetherness… if you catch my meaning… ”
“Believe me, I caught it.”
“They think togetherness plus a bit of purring can solve anything.”
“He’s been treating me like garbage for weeks now and suddenly, what? He thinks he can just move in, and I’ll go along with it because his nose tells him he can do whatever he wants to? How is that okay?”
“Baby girl, this is exactly where you wanted to be. You’ve been waiting for this since before your first training bra. This is Jase. You’re hurting him right now and I’m not saying I don’t understand but–”
“Does it make sense to you that I feel this way because he’s hurt me? He hurt me a lot, Mom. He’s made me feel awful one too many times.”
Jase is in the doorway now, looking at me, looking like what I imagine an addict searching for a way to get his fix might look. And it’s not a good look. It’s scary. The only solace is that he can’t do anything about it. Yet.
“I’m not leaving, Bay. I’ll stay here the three days if I have to. And then I’m taking you home. I’ve made it a few days already, at least I know you’re safe, and I can breathe easier because I’m able to keep you that way. I’m so sorry I hurt you. I really am. Please let me explain.”
Mom is smiling like he’s a saint.
How irritating.
“I don’t want to hear anything you’ve got to say, Jason.”
His expression goes sad. And I refuse to let it ding my armor.
Mom pipes up. “What do you feel like for dinner, Jase?”
“You are not making him dinner!” I protest.
“Anything is fine, thanks, Carrie.”
“You love my mini bacon cheeseburger meatloaves and twice-baked potatoes, don’t you, Jase? Honey glazed carrots?”
“I sure do,” he says.
“Mother!”
She looks at me.
“You are not making him his favorite meal!”
“He has to eat,” Mom defends at the same time as I hear Dad’s voice.
“He needs to be near you, Bailey.”
“I’ll make up the spare room,” Mom offers.
“It’s all right; I’ll sleep on the floor beside Bailey,” Jase asserts.
“Absolutely not,” I tell him.
“Oh, here’s the trundle bed, Jase,” Mom offers and walks over, pulling on the drawer under my bed to show him.
“Mom!” I protest at the same time as Jase says, “That’ll do just great, Carrie. Thank you.”
“No!” I shout.
Dad steps into view and shoots me a disapproving look. “Jase is your fated mate, Bailey. It’s important he’s close to you. Either you go to his house, or he stays here to see you’re okay. He needs this.”
“What about what I need?” I ask, then whisper, “You guys aren’t on my side.”
He gets the red carpet rolled out and I’m treated like I’m being unreasonable. How is this real?
Dad says, “You’re angry, so it’s making you emotional.
He’s been forced to hold back on his natural instincts, so it hit his emotions.
You two are like oil and water right now, but it’ll all blend once he…
” Dad swallows and then mutters, “claims you.” He makes a face like those words taste awful and since I’m his daughter, I guess they would.
He clears his throat, then finishes with, “Bottom line, you two need to work it out, which means you two need to be close to one another.”
“So, he’s angry and emotional and gets to treat me like shit. I’m angry and emotional so I get to suck it up? Dad, that’s so chauvinistic! Do you hear yourself?”
“We’re on your side, Bailey,” Mom insists.
Dad rubs his forehead like I’m giving him a headache.
“You two gonna work things out?” I fire back. “Are you gonna do that if you’re sleeping on the couch or hiding in the garage, Dad?”
Dad’s expression hardens. Mom’s face saddens.
Jase is staring at the photo in his hand, looking contemplative. We’re all standing here saying nothing for a long moment before Jase says, “Please don’t go to any trouble on dinner. I can call over to Roxy’s and get some food sent over for all of us.”
“Nonsense,” Mom argues with a wave of her hand, “I’ll go get that extra bedding, then I’ll go to the supermarket. My cheesy meatloaf and twice-baked potatoes sounds good to me, too.” She rubs my back before she leaves, like I just need a bit of soothing and I’ll be fine.
Unreal.
So, from what I gathered from conversations earlier today, I’m rejecting Jase and Jared is rejecting Cicely.
How weird.
Cicely is fighting. But Jared is likely just trying to keep her safe from his feral wolf.
And Jase is fighting. But only because of his alpha instincts? And maybe also because of his pride. Not because of true feelings for me, that’s for damn sure.