Chapter 18 #3
Me: Go to the hollow first and bring muffins from the good coffee shop as your entry fee to Sideshow Bailey who does not want to jump Jase’s bones now or ever.
She sends me a thumbs up and then puts in brackets (Right. Wink wink).
She thinks I’m playing a game.
***
“This isn’t me making him work for it,” I whisper to them in our little huddle by my desk.
“Most everyone thinks he deserves it. And there’s a pool.
People are betting on when you’ll give in,” Leona whispers, toying with her strawberry blonde ponytail.
“And most of them figure it’ll happen before tomorrow.
Though some are saying when the spell wears off the day after tomorrow, so he’ll just cart you off to his house and claim you there.
If he makes it. You might wanna send your parents out so they don’t have to witness your claiming in their living room when Jase unleashes a weeks’ worth of pent-up rutting urges on you. ”
My mouthful of coffee goes down my throat like acid at that notion.
Audrey says, “Is it true you left him in a witchcraft bubble in Slovakia?”
“Slovenia,” I correct. “And technically, yes.”
Audrey and Leona showed up a few minutes ago. Jase is outside right now, talking to Lincoln, so now they’re pummeling me with questions.
I add, “I’m not just making him work for it, you guys.”
“You should. He’s been an assclown for the past month or two around you,” Audrey pulls her long dark hair back and twists it into a bun and fastens it with one of my pencils before she reaches for her sprinkled donut.
“I can’t get over you and Cicely getting picked by alphas the same week. Wild.” Leona shakes her head, giving me fake stink-eye.
Audrey, Joel’s cousin, is a year older than I am.
Leona is two years older than me and she’s Riley and Tyson’s cousin.
We’re all pretty tight. Everyone in the pack knows how I felt about Jason because Sherry never wasted an opportunity to publicly humiliate me for it, but these two know it from me directly.
These guys along with Cicely have all watched me pine for him like a pathetic fool.
They saw how affected I was after the fallout of what Audrey coined DanicaGate…
the event between Jase and Dani the night of Erica’s party.
And when I told them I was done with him after how he treated me, refusing to discuss it with me when I tried multiple times via phone and text the following day, not to mention how he bit my head off when I answered the phone to him at my brother’s place, the girls were mad on my behalf.
But now they’re acting like it’s just a matter of time before I just get over it.
And from what they’re saying, this is the talk of the village right now. The hive is buzzing between news of Cicely and the news of Jase and me.
Of course the consensus is that he’ll claim me and I’ll get over it, regardless of how I feel right now.
Because that’s how things tend to work. The alpha’s identified female doesn’t have a say because he’ll just cart her off to where he’ll claim her, purr for her, and change her mind – like we’ve seen happen.
Around these parts our super alphas are like rock stars and all the mating-aged girls want the distinction of being chosen.
And I’m not the only one who’s hoped it’d be Jase.
Jase is a lot like Riley in that he’s front and center, always looking to be available to help anyone in the pack that needs it.
Though most girls say they’d be happy with any of them, Jase is the only one I’ve had eyes for regardless of how attractive the rest of them are.
Because it’s Jase. Jase, my brother’s best friend.
Jase, who’d always been in my daily life.
Jase who was my knight in shining armor multiple times throughout my childhood and my adolescence.
He used to tease me that his name was my first actual word.
And I believe it. There was never a time when he wasn’t in my life.
But I had blinders on. Because all the time I wanted him, I never realized how important it would be to me to have someone actually want me back – not only have me because of the way I suddenly smell.
“And then there were two,” Roxy says, coming in with a big box that smells like breakfast. “Congrats, girlfriend. Told you!” She drops the box on my desk.
“Breakfast for you and Jase. Part one of my honeymooning contribution to keeping you well fed. When we catch his mating scent and the deal is sealed, I’ll send over steak dinners for both of you. ”
“Thanks for breakfast, Rox,” I say, “But there won’t be a need for that post-mating dinner because if I have my way, the mating won’t be happening.”
She told me a while back that she had a strong feeling Jase would identify me as his mate. I figured she was saying it to make me feel better after I watched him flirt with Dani.
She says, “You’re mad and I don’t blame you for being mad at him, girl, but believe me, you want it to happen with a super-alpha.”
“You hooked up with Jase once, didn’t you?” Leona asks.
Roxy shoots her a look.
“I already knew,” I mutter. “I don’t care.”
Roxy has, to my knowledge, fooled around with Jase and with Mason, though with Jase, I’m pretty sure it was a good twelve or fifteen years ago. They were teenagers. With Mase it wasn’t all that long ago.
“Why would you bring that up, Lee?” Audrey asks aggressively.
“Because Roxy once told me how awesome super alpha sex was. She’s had it with two super alphas so I think you should tell Bailey how awesome it’ll be.”
“I don’t want to know,” I say and immediately regret the fact that I don’t sound as convinced as I mean to sound.
“All I’m gonna say, because this goes against girl code, but you do look interested…”
I’m not, but I don’t manage to get that out of my malfunctioning mouth before she finishes with, “It’s been eons since Jase, but it was memorable. Very. And I can’t imagine how much better it’d be with the extra perk of maturity not to mention being his fated mate.”
“Knotting,” Leona adds unnecessarily.
“Ugh,” I mutter. “Please. No more information.”
“Biting,” Leona tacks on with an eyebrow wiggle.
I give her the finger.
“You’re a virgin, right?” Roxy asks.
My face goes red. And then even redder because Jase is looking over here, tuned in to the conversation despite the twenty or thirty feet and the glass wall between us.
Linc is staring at the floor, amusement on his face. Jase is staring right at me. His eyes burn into me. Shit. He wants me to answer Roxy’s question.
Rox’s and the other girls backs are all to him so they don’t notice.
I give her my best death stare and say nothing.
She looks over her shoulder and when our eyes meet again, she mouths sorry.
The other girls look over their shoulders too.
Stacy is coming up behind Jase and Linc with Grey. She says hello and gives Jase a quick hug before Grey waves at us, opening the door for her.
She’s heading my way with a huge grin and a bakery box in hand.
I’m being showered with food. Leona and Audrey brought me a box of my favorite banana walnut muffins from Drowsy Hollow, my nose tells me Roxy’s banana chocolate chip pancakes and bacon are inside that other box, and now Stacy is bringing me something, too.
I smell cookies as she approaches, looking about ready to burst with excitement.
“Congratulations!” she pretty-much sings.
“Why are you all congratulating me? I reject this shit.”
Stacy blinks in surprise.
I feel immediately guilty.
“Sorry, that was bitchy, Stace. Please forgive me.”
“What’s wrong? Is it really that bad?” she asks.
“It’s a fucking disaster,” I whisper, looking over to the lobby where Jase and Grey are now in a huddle, Grey’s hand on Jase’s shoulder. Linc must have left.
“You’ll make up,” Leona whispers.
“He’ll make it up to you now that he knows who you are to him and knows how hurt you are,” Stacy adds, rubbing my shoulder.
“Don’t bet on it,” I deny.
But they’re all betting on it. In a pool!
Because they’re hoping that fairytales and wishes upon stars do come true.
And I’m so glad that they did for Stacy after all she’s been through, but I have a new wish.
A wish to spare frightened or repulsed females of the fear associated with a rut-hungry alpha bearing down on them with lust in his eyes.
“I’m going to need you all to sign my petition,” I tell them. “A petition that gives female shifters a chance to hit the pause button if an alpha is determined to mate her against her will. And please, tell everyone else, too. I need as many signatures as possible. As fast as possible.”
“Pause button?” Roxy asks.
“Yes. I want a process whereby she can reject him if she so wishes. Perhaps a mediation takes place where she can list why she wants the bond severed before it happens.”
“But it’s… biology,” Stacy says.
“The natural order,” Audrey adds.
“An alpha claims he can’t stop himself,” I say. “And that’s not fair to a frightened or repulsed female. So there needs to be a mechanism in place to stop him so she can state her case and maybe they can sever his urges the way a bond can be severed.”
“Brody’s stopped himself,” Leona puts in, and she’s right about that.
Her cousin has managed to keep his urges at bay. And he’s definitely alpha. But he’s put his mate’s needs first, which I didn’t even know was possible when an alpha identified his mate.
“Erica helped,” Stacy says. “His control began slipping the other day and Brody was about to hit the rut and he locked Addy in a room to keep her safe from him while he called Riley and asked for help. Addy was pretty scared. Erica gave him something and … well… he’s keeping his distance now.”
“That’s a shame,” Audrey remarks.
“Yeah,” Stacy says. “I think Addy’s ready for him to make a move and now he’s giving her too much space.”
“Shit,” Leona mutters, then looks at me. “How would he be stopped? If your petition goes through, I mean?”
“A witch would have to intervene, I suppose,” I say.
“There aren’t witches near every pack though, are there?” Stacy asks.
“No…” I say. “It’s a conundrum, but it certainly can’t go on like this. Look what just happened to Sherry! And nobody did anything to stop it.”
“Jase wanted it stopped,” Audrey says.
“But that SCC doctor guy was here,” Leona mutters.
“And then…” Audrey continues, “Sherry agreed to it when Stacy’s brother played up how great Silver Hills was, where she’d get to be queen.”
Stacy scoffs. “Queen of what? Junk?”
Audrey goes on, “And it didn’t help that the SCC doctor was right here pushing for it because nobody’s supposed to interfere in an alpha’s claiming. If he wasn’t here, I bet Stacy’s brother would’ve died that night and saved everyone some trouble. Sorry Stacy.”
“No apologies necessary,” Stacy waves her hand. “Things happened how they were supposed to happen. As hard as all that was.”
“You doin’ okay, though?” I ask her. “You and Grey? Because you lost your brother and he lost his bio mom and as awful as they both were, it still has to be… emotional?”
“I am more than okay,” Stacy says. “The biggest part of that being because of Grey. And the second… knowing my old pack is in good hands under Brody’s leadership.”
“Brody’s awesome,” Leona agrees.
“And dreamy…” Aud muses.
“And soon-to-be taken,” Stacy adds, showing she’s protective of Addy.
“I know, I know, “Audrey says. “Wonder what me and Leona will be left with is all. A lot of the good ones are taken now.”
“Your cousin isn’t…” Leona wiggles her eyebrows.
Aud rolls her eyes. “Lee isn’t Bailey-level crushing on her best friend’s brother but not far off.”
“Not true,” Leona says with a pout and then changes the subject. “Have you guys seen the state of Sherry? She’s a wreck. Now, I’m not her biggest fan…”
“None of us are,” Roxy mutters.
Leona goes on, “But she should not have had to go through that.”
“She helped me,” Stacy defends. “Sherry did her best under the circumstances. She helped as best as she could when he kidnapped me. I should go see her.”
“You seem like a genuine, sweet person, so word of warning: Sherry Creed is toxic,” Roxy states. “And most folks are saying she got what she deserved. No offense.”
Stacy gives her a tight smile. “She’s family now. Even though her and Wy were only together a few days, we’re trauma bonded.”
“Just watch your back,” Roxy advises, then turns to me. “Wouldn’t be shocked if she’s still got a whole lot of bitch under all that trauma. Anyway, gotta get back to prep for the lunch rush, but hang in there, Bail. Give him hell.”
She opens her arms and I step up for a hug. “Thanks, Rox.”
She whispers, “Big hell. He deserves it. And you deserve that happy ending. I hope you get it and he soon realizes what a gem you are.”
When I break free of the hug, Jase is walking in, Grey behind him.
“Hey,” I greet my brother.
“Hey. Joel’s comin’ over. Wanna dig in and see what we can find out about Jared’s pack. You still down to help?”
“Absolutely,” I say.
“She needs to eat first.” Jase is unpacking the box Roxy sent, but he looks at Grey’s mate. “Those cookies for us, Stacy?”
“Um… actually they’re for Bailey. She can decide if you deserve any of them.” She flashes a smile.
My new sister-in-law is fantastic.
Jase chuckles good-naturedly.
“Do the right thing and I’ll bake you two dozen, Jase,” Stacy adds.
“And what’s the right thing?” Jase asks.
“Respect her,” Stacy says simply.
I roll my eyes.
Jase frowns while continuing to set up the food. He doesn’t respond. Probably because he doesn’t get it and doesn’t want to admit that.
My face heats up.
Jase opens a box of bacon, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, and toast before setting it down. He opens the second box. Banana and chocolate chip pancakes with bacon.
“Asked Rox to make your favorite,” he says, sliding the box closer to me.
Of course it was Roxy who knew, not Jason.
“Roxy gets the credit,” I say because the smell makes my stomach growl. “Since breakfast is from Roxy, not from you, I’ll eat it.”
Jase looks at me with a wounded expression. I look away, grabbing the box of food and a set of cutlery before rounding my desk.
The girls hang around most of the day, taking care of people who come in to check out books or… in many cases… be a looky-loo seeing me here working with Jase sulking on the nearby couch. I get the ball rolling on stuff as well as dig up as much information as possible about Jared’s pack.
By the time Audrey and Leona leave, I’ve slipped them a piece of paper with the URL to my newly posted petition.