Chapter 9 – JAX
JAX
The words hang between us, her name on my lips like a prayer I shouldn’t be saying. Every instinct screams at me to pull back, but my body won’t obey.
Instead, I lean closer, drawn by forces stronger than logic or fear.
Her pulse flutters wildly in her throat, visible in the soft hollow where neck meets shoulder, making my wolf fixate on that spot, on the place where my mark should go.
She’s ours, he reasons. She’s able to handle us.
My hand moves without permission, fingertips grazing the skin there.
She shivers at the contact, a soft moan escaping her lips, that shoots straight to my cock, which aches to be inside her.
“You should stop me while you still can,” I murmur against her mouth, giving her one last out, even as my hips press forward, letting her feel exactly what she does to me. Her eyes fly wide at the contact, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of colour remains.
“I should,” she agrees.
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with.” I warn. The spike of arousal in her scent makes my control fracture. My wolf surges forward, desperate to claim what’s ours, and I bend my knee, shoving it forward to part her thighs.
“What if I don’t care?” Her voice is breathless and challenging, even now. Her hands fist tighter in my shirt, holding me close rather than pushing me away.
The last thread of my restraint snaps.
I reach up and bury my hands in her hair and wrap the silken lengths around my fist, using it to gently tip her head back. The position exposes the elegant line of her throat, pale skin begging for my teeth.
“Jax...” Warning or plea, I can’t tell.
I dip my head, dragging my tongue along the side of her throat.
Gods, she tastes like mine. Like heaven and bad decisions all rolled into one.
I growl, the vibration passing from my lips to her vulnerable neck, and her body arches into me, a needy sound escaping her that makes my wolf howl in triumph.
She wants us. Even though she knows we’re broken, she wants my mark. Craves it.
My thigh pushes against her core, and she rocks into it immediately with a whimper, seeking friction.
The heat of her against my leg, even through clothes, rubbing her scent along my jeans as she takes her pleasure, threatens to undo me completely.
I press harder, giving her what she needs while my own control shreds to nothing.
“That’s it,” I growl against her skin. “Yes.”
She whimpers, hips moving in small, desperate circles, eyes locked onto mine, as I keep my hold on her hair, forcing her head to stay back so I can stare at her pretty face as she chases her release.
I could watch her like this forever, coming apart because of me.
My wolf preens at reducing our strong mate to this beautiful, needy creature. I graze my teeth across her marking spot, not biting, but threatening. Promising.
She freezes for a heartbeat, then melts against me with a moan that goes straight to my cock.
“Please,” she breathes out, though neither of us knows what she’s asking for. “I can’t. I’ve never…”
A knock at the door breaks the spell and pours cold water on the moment.
I curse as Camille blinks hard, eyes rapidly shifting back to their normal colour, as reality comes crashing in, and she pulls away from me, cheeks still rosy. “Oh God.”
What was she about to tell me?
Outside, a voice calls out. “Hello? Is anyone here? Please, my baby...”
I step back from Camille, who’s still leaning against my thigh, so fast, that she nearly stumbles but catches herself on the counter.
“Fuck,” she mutters, regret all over her flushed features. Her lips are swollen, hair wild, and her eyes glazed with need. She looks thoroughly debauched, and my wolf wants nothing more than to finish what we started.
The knock comes again, more urgent. “Jax? He won’t stop crying, and his fever...”
“Coming.” I straighten my clothes, then move to the door. Behind me, I hear Camille’s shaky breathing as she tries to compose herself.
When I open the door, I come face to face with Melissa, one of our younger mothers, cradling her six-month-old son. Tears stream down her face, and the pup’s cries are weak, with a rattle that shouldn’t be there.
“Bring him in,” I say immediately, switching to healer mode. “How long has he had the fever?”
“Since last night.” Melissa sobs, following me to the examination table. “He’s had a cough for the last few days, and I thought it was just teething, but then he stopped nursing and...”
I tune out everything except the pup in front of me. Check his temperature, his breathing, responses to my examination. The fever is high, but not yet dangerous. An infection, throat and ear, by the looks of it. Common enough, easily treated.
“He’ll be fine.” I assure Melissa, moving to prepare the appropriate medicine.
From the corner of my eye, I see Camille watching. Her expression is unreadable but soft as she stares at the pup, who wraps his fingers around mine as I scrawl some instructions on a notepad beside me.
“I should go and give you your privacy,” Camille says, giving Melissa, who is so worried about her son that she’s only now noticed her presence.
With a kind smile, she’s already moving toward the door while I work, slipping away to avoid dealing with what’s just happened.
“I’ll check out those locations and speak with Dean.
You’ve given me enough information to work with. ”
She’s retreating, pulling back and re-establishing a professional distance. Her hands tremble slightly as she smooths her hair and puts it back into a high ponytail that my fingers itch to yank back out.
“Wait…” I go to stand, but she holds up a hand and cuts me off. Her phone buzzes, and she frowns as she glances at the screen and slides it back into her pocket.
“You have a patient.” She waves me off, not meeting my eyes. “Do what you need to do. I can handle things from here.”
She’s out the door before I can respond, fleeing. Through the window, I watch her stride away, spine straight, but moving too fast to be casual. Running from what’s just happened.
It’s probably the smart thing to do, but my body disagrees.
“Is she okay?” Melissa asks, bouncing her now-calmer baby as I pack some supplies into a paper bag for her to take with her before placing my written instructions inside.
“Fine,” I lie, turning back to my patient. “Just a bit shy.”
I focus on showing Melissa how to administer the ear drops, but Camille’s scent still clings to the air, making concentration difficult.
After they leave, I stand in the empty clinic, processing what’s just happened. The taste of Camille’s skin lingers on my tongue. The memory of her body moving against my thigh makes my cock throb persistently.
But more than that, I saw through Camille’s mask. The professional investigator facade cracked, revealing something wild and hungry underneath. The sweet, innocent act she puts on for the male competitors is just that. An act.
I got a glimpse of the real Camille, my mate, and she’s brimming with fire and barely leashed need.
My wolf wants to see more of that side, to let her untamed side go free.
Now that he’s had a taste, staying away will be impossible. My wolf won’t allow it.
The investigation is our only safe ground now. I’ll help her solve this case, protect her while she catches whoever’s sabotaging the Games, then get her out of my territory before I do something that can’t be undone.