Chapter Nine
Jessica was walking around her bedroom, putting things in a pile to pack, when she heard a timid knock. She smiled when she saw Addy with an arm full of boxes.
“Oh, wow. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, miss. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Jessica reached for her arm, pulled her farther in, and closed the door.
“I’m telling you this because I trust you and would miss you.
” She patted the maid’s hand when her eyes widened.
“I will be moving out tomorrow. Today, I’m going to canvas the house and take what I want.
Mostly my mother’s things and pictures.”
“Where will you go?”
“It’s a long story, and you will eventually hear all of it. What I want to talk to you about is whether you would consider going with me.”
“Where, miss?”
“It’s another house in town, larger than this one, and we need you and Lucie if you guys are willing to move.”
“Would we live there?”
“Absolutely. Gideon said there is a wing of the house just for you. He says the rooms are very nice and more like apartments. I’ll have him send a few pictures so you can see them.”
“That doesn’t matter, miss. I’d go with you wherever you want.”
Jessica squeezed her hands. “Thank you. There are very few things I’d miss when I leave, but you and Lucie are at the top, and I’d be sad to be without you.”
She grinned when Addy blushed and smiled brightly.
“I’m going to talk to Lucie now. If you want to go, write a letter and pack, and I’ll have someone come and get you two to take you to Gideon’s.
If possible, I want you out of here before I am.
If not, I’ll have him send a vehicle big enough for all of us and our boxes.
I’m not sure what my family would do, but I don’t want you two anywhere close to them. ”
“It won’t take me long to pack, miss.”
“Good. Let’s head down so I can talk to Lucie,” Jessica said.
The two walked down the steps and into the kitchen, where Lucie was humming and stirring something that smelled delicious.
“Hi, Lucie,” Jessica said.
The cook looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Are you staying out of trouble?”
Jessica snorted. “Now, where’s the fun in that?”
Lucie shook her head but grinned. “What can I get you?”
Jessica looked around. “Can we go somewhere a little more private?”
Lucie’s eyebrows spiked. “Sure. My room is just down the hall.”
“Okay. Good.” Jessica followed the older lady.
Jessica glanced around the room as Lucie closed the doors behind them. Jessica noticed that the room looked like it hadn’t seen a new coat of paint in decades.
The room was on the small side and held a dresser, a queen bed, and shelves for her books and the television. They had to share a bathroom, which Jessica didn’t like.
Lucie narrowed her eyes. “Are you in trouble?”
Jessica grinned. “No. Not this time. I’m going to be moving out of the house tomorrow.”
“Oh, my. Where will you go?”
“It’s a long story that I’ll tell you and Addy.
The place I’m going to is bigger than this house, and I’m told that your rooms are newer and haven’t been used for years.
Gideon hasn’t needed a staff on hand because he’s rarely there.
He’s going to send me pictures, but I guarantee they are better than this.
I want you to come with me if you want.”
Lucie’s eyes widened. “Have you asked Addy?”
“Yes. She’s going, but both of us want you to go with us.”
“How would that work?”
“You’d write a letter saying you have gotten a better job and then pack. It will definitely be better, and he pays more. I’m going to have Gideon send a car for you and your things.”
“What are you going to tell your father?” Lucie asked.
That was a good question. “I’ll figure out something before I leave tomorrow. Do you know if my father and sister will be around?”
“I don’t think so. They were both talking about a small vacation.”
“That’s perfect,” Jessica said. “So, what do you think?”
“That will leave your family with no one to care for them.”
Jessica smiled, making Lucie laugh.
“We’ve never had a gardener because I did all the work. My father is too cheap to hire more than the two of you, leaving you guys to work harder.”
Jessica kept quiet and waited as she watched Lucie consider the opportunity.
“If either of you hates it, I’ll find another place, one that appreciates you.”
“I want to come with you,” Lucie said.
Jessica squealed. “I’m so happy. Addy knows where the boxes are, so start packing.”
“I have some things I’d like to take from the kitchen. They are things I’ve bought over the years.”
“You could take the kitchen sink if you want.”
Lucie laughed. “Well, it seems like there is a lot that needs to happen, so we’d better get busy.”
Jessica couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she packed. She took every box she filled down to the back coat room, so they were ready to go. It was also a place she didn’t think her sister or father ever went to.
The only things she took around the house were mostly pictures and figurines her mother loved. Things that she didn’t think her family would even notice were missing.
Later that day, Jessica heard her father walk into his room and shut the door. She realized she wouldn’t miss either him or her sister and felt a little sad. She had never really known why the two had hated her, but right then, she couldn’t have cared less.
She was packing her clothing in one of the boxes. When she was done, she shoved it into the back of her closet just in case her sister got nosy, and she didn’t want her father to catch her lugging the boxes downstairs.
It was late when she showered and crawled into bed. She lay still, looking up at the ceiling, clutching the phone Gideon gave her. She wanted, in the worst way, to call him just to hear his voice.
Jessica glanced at the clock and sighed. It was much too late to call, so she exhaled and set the phone aside. It rang before she moved her hand away. She snatched it up.
“Hello.”
“I just wanted to tell my mate goodnight and remind her that this will be the last night she will ever sleep alone for the rest of her life.”
A shiver coursed up her spine, and her cum started to slide from her cunt at the dark honey tone of his voice. God, the picture of him naked sprang into her mind.
She let out a tiny growl because now she knew she wouldn’t be able to go to sleep any time soon.
When he chuckled, she knew that he was aware of her situation.
“You’ll pay for this,” she said.
“God, I hope so. It’s killing me to wait until tomorrow to be deep inside your body. I want to mark you so no one else will ever try to take you from me.”
“Mark me? How?”
“I’m talking more about the shifters, and they can smell you on me and vice versa. Humans are usually just afraid of me, so I don’t worry about them.”
Her mind was spinning. He was throwing a lot at her that she would have to deal with, but not right now. Eventually.
“What are you doing right now?” she asked in a sultry voice.
There was silence, and then cursing made her smile.
“You did that on purpose,” he accused.
“What?” she asked innocently.
“You know what. I’m already aching because I need you so bad, and you just had to add to it.”
Jessica grinned. “Kind of like what you did to me. Huh?”
Gideon grunted. “Fine. Paybacks are a bitch, and I know I probably deserved it...”
“Yes, you did,” she said.
“Listen, mate. You'd better get it in your head that I’m the one in charge.”
She bit her lip to keep from snorting. Gideon was in for a shock. If he thought she’d bow down and do anything he said, he was in for a disappointment.