Chapter 44
BAILEY
Jase turns up with food for me too, despite my lack of a breakfast order.
After he gives out all the containers, which Roxy has put names on, he sits beside me on a couch in the waiting room.
I open my container and see a bacon, egg, tomato, and cheese wrap with a side of tots.
He leans over to whisper in my ear, “Figure since you like to be a copycat, you might copy me today and eat what I buy you instead of acting like a martyr and starving yourself.”
Relief floods me for some reason. He doesn’t seem angry at me after all.
“Good call,” I say. “Gonna sip my copycat coffee now, too.”
He winks and it sets off a swarm of fireflies low in my belly.
By the time folks are finished eating, the Creeds have been chit-chatting with Amie and amongst themselves.
It’s not quite jovial, but it’s obvious they’re trying to distract Val.
And I surmise that Gwen is like her mom, subdued and worried.
Taylor seems angry. She’s got an edge to her right now that I don’t usually see.
And it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s pissed at Sherry for making everyone worry like this.
Jase’s father is quiet, but doting on his mate. Jase shovels his breakfast without talking, looking angry. I’m just sort of here, though I do have an appetite for a change, so I finish my whole breakfast.
In time for Sherry to have another dose of that drug, Dr. Blakely and Cat are back, so they take care of that behind closed doors before reporting to everyone that more of Sherry’s injuries are improved, that she’ll likely need shifts every few hours for the next twenty-four hours to get where they’d like to see her.
On a positive note, Cat gives us all an update on how things are going with Cicely and Jared and it’s good news.
I miss her and look forward to a proper catch-up.
“Sorry about that,” Jase says beside me. “Joel told me things were good with them and with all this other shit, I forgot to tell you.”
“Oh,” I say. “It’s… um…”
“Should’ve told you straight away. I apologize.”
“You were dealing with this. I understand,” I say softly. “I accept your apology.”
He looks at me for a long, questioning minute, but Tyson comes in and his attention turns that way as Cat gives Tyson the update.
When the conversations break into smaller groups, Jase slips outside, making a phone call on his way.
Dr. Blakely sits on the couch across from me.
“Hello,” I say.
“Hello, lass. This drug at one dose reconnects shifters with disconnected wolves. Increase that dose and it forces a shift. Triple the dose and it could wake a latent wolf.”
I jolt in surprise.
He goes on, “No guarantees that you have one, but this drug is going to be used in clinical trials on half-blood shifters. It’s one of the reasons I spoke to you about that data position opening up.
If you have a latent wolf, the drug could jostle her.
We had some success with that in one out of three cases in one of our earlier clinical trials.
If you’d like to try, I’d be thrilled to add you to one of our trials. ”
My jaw is about to drop in a mixture of utter shock, excitement, and devastation all at once. But Jase is walking over here. And he looks annoyed.
“There’s plenty of the drug here if you want to try as an experiment.
Also…” Dr. Blakely looks uncomfortable with Jase closing in, but rolls with it.
“I know you were a little disappointed with how things went with the law change request you submitted. I wanted to check in with you personally about it and see that you’re all right. ”
Jase stands by Dr. Blakely with his arms folded across his chest, lip curled, eyes hard.
“I’m… adapting. Thank you.”
“I understand why you went to Lucinda based on the subject matter, but I’m always available to help with any issues related to the SCC for our kind. Please don’t hesitate to ask me for help.”
“No offence, Dr. Blakely, but you’re an alpha. I think I made the right choice. That females aren’t even allowed in most packs to request a bond severance is prehistoric and as our representative on the council, I’m frankly disappointed you haven’t already addressed it.”
“You’re not wrong,” he says with a shrug. “Priorities are ever-changing in my position. Anyway, we’ll all be meeting via video chat next week to discuss a task force. Lucinda said she invited you to participate. Have you given it thought?”
“Yes, and I’d be interested in learning more. Thank you,” I tell him. “I’m glad to catch up with you, actually. Is there a job description for the Alaska position you invited me to apply for? I’m wondering if it might be possible that it can be partially remote.”
I’m about to explain that I might not be able to be that far away for that length of time for a number of reasons, one of them being what’s going on with Jason’s sister, and also that I want to be nearby when Stacy gives birth.
But he looks at Jase and again at me and gently says, “Some aspects are very classified, so I see the position being done on site. Though, I’m surprised you’re asking. I assumed that would be off the table based on Jase identifying you as his fated mate.”
“It’s not off the table,” Jase says.
“Well… good,” the doctor replies, eyes bouncing between us briefly before focusing on me.
“I’ll write something up and send you an email.
If you’re interested, let me know and we can talk.
I assume accommodation would be required for both of you there and the facilities for employees are spacious enough to accommodate a couple. You’d be traveling with Bailey, Jase?”
“Absolutely,” Jase says. “If she goes, I’ll be tagging along.”
“I have to tell you, it’d be a fairly demanding position,” Dr. Blakely warns.
“I believe you’re well-suited to it. You should know it could be forty-five or fifty hours most weeks.
The occasional week could be thirty hours, but others could be as many as sixty.
I don’t think it’d be a correct assumption to think you could juggle with your current duties here for the duration of this project, lass. ”
“I could arrange coverage. That’s not a problem,” I say softly, unsure of how I feel about Jase budding into this conversation. “I have some events I need to be in Arcana Falls for, so that’s a concern.”
“You’d be an asset to my project, so I’m willing to be as flexible as the project allows. I can’t make any promises about being able to do any part of it remote, but… we could see how things unfold.”
“And I can keep myself busy when Bailey’s working.” Jase adds with a shrug.
“If I take the job,” I remind him.
“I’ll get that description and an offer sent to you and we can talk,” Dr. Blakely says. “I’d be looking for someone to start in four to six weeks.”
“Okay, thanks. I appreciate you thinking of me. I’ll look over the job description once you’ve sent it.”
Grey walks in, Ronnie, and Vivi trailing him.
Grey’s eyes sweep over Jase and me, and his eyes look hard for a second. His lip half-curls before he clears his expression.
Can he smell me on Jase? Jase is wearing the same clothes as last night.
My brother jerks his chin up in greeting, aiming it in our direction and everyone other than me and Gwen go into the room where Sherry is.
“You’re gonna seal this deal today, aren’t you?” Gwen asks.
“I don’t know if I’m coming or going right now.”
“The way you’re watching him? It’s like before you were mad at him. Go for it. Put the poor guy out of his misery, Bailey.”
I don’t quite know how to reply to this.
“You should do it soon, you know? Especially given he didn’t feel Joel’s panic in his council connection when all this was happening last night. What’s your phone number?” She pulls out her phone.
I ramble it off, feeling guilty. Jase is becoming disconnected from his council brothers because of me?
“There,” Gwen announces. “You’re in the family group chat.
I’m gonna dash.” She gets to her feet. “See you at the next family shindig, yeah? Mom and Dad’s anniversary is in two months.
I’ll be flying back for it and bringing my beau to meet everyone.
We’re doing a family dinner. We’ll let you know what you can bring. ”
“Um… yeah. Sure. See ya, Gwen.”
My phone dings and I avoid the urge to look.
This lasts all of about two minutes, when I open it and see I’m added to a chat named Creed Chatter.
***
When everyone comes out of the other room, Val comes to the couch across from where I’m sitting and grabs her bag, looping it over her shoulder, eyes on me.
“We’ll bring her home tomorrow. Taylor, Cat, and Amie will give me some training and then we’ll make up a little schedule for her care. It’d be best she continues to sleep until the baby is born and then Riley’s mate will see about helping her with the bond.”
I say, “Well, if you need any help at all, say the word.”
“You’re very sweet, Bailey,” she says and rushes over and gives me a hug. “Just come over. Whenever. Company will be good.”
“Okay,” I manage.
Jase hugs his mother and Taylor before he does the same to Cat, thanking her for her help. He shakes Dr. Blakely’s hand and then waves to the rest of the room before grabbing my hand.
I say, “Bye everyone.”
Jase’s dad comes over and gives me a hug, so Jase lets go of my hand.
“Thanks for bein’ here, Bailey.”
“I’ll be sending positive healing vibes Sherry’s way,” I say.
Amie follows us out so she can head home after hugging me and giving me a look loaded with meaning.
Jase notices, but he doesn’t say anything.
“You two want a ride?” Amie asks, pulling out her car keys.
“I’m okay. I’d like to walk,” I say. “Thanks, Amie.”
She waves.
“Thanks, Amelia,” Jase says and turns to me. “You need to go to the library?”
“No. Misty is looking after it.”
“Misty?” he asks. “She’s from Brody’s pack?”
“Uh huh. I sent her a text message this morning. She’s loving it. Wants to open a library for their pack when they move.”
“Ah,” he says.
“They’re moving soon, I hear,” I continue.
“Yeah,” he replies.
“Um, yeah,” I go on kind of nervously. “So, I took a day off so she can run the show for the day. Um… Brody claimed his mate last night,” I add, “So they’ll be starting their life together, I guess.”
He taps his nose to signal he can smell that fact and we keep walking.
I don’t know what to do with my hands. It’s an odd sensation, but I’m wishing he would’ve grabbed my hand again after his dad let me go.
If I could muster up some nerve, I’d grab his hand.
“I guess the moon helped Adelaide decide she was finally ready,” I say pointedly.
Jase doesn’t answer, seems like his mind is elsewhere, so I drop it, feeling dejected as we walk the rest of the way in silence.
Once we get to his front door, he sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, saying, “With all that today, I didn’t get a chance to work out my plan for our date tonight. Mind if we have that tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks,” he says, opening the door and signaling for me to go ahead.
As I’m moving through the doorway, he distractedly mutters, “Call you later.”
He drops a kiss to the side of my head before he shuts the door behind me instead of coming inside, leaving me alone and discombobulated.
Before he went to the clinic, he said he wanted to talk about last night.
I just finished making it known I took the day off.
But he’s gone.