Chapter 39
Jamie stared down at the cellphone in his hand.
Aiden needs some alone time with you.
Why was Mac sending him this message? Had training gone really bad? Oh no! What if he was hurt?
“Is he alright? Did something happen?” Jamie spoke into her mind.
“Not hurt. Was asked about you being captured. Started spiraling. Almost there. See you soon.” Mac ended the telepathic conversation, leaving Jamie somewhat adrift.
His poor Aiden… After being raised by that monster and a succession of dead-eyed nannies to hide his emotions, he was experiencing all the feelings all at once. Well, he also needed some alone time with Aiden, and a pity-party wasn’t what he had in mind.
“How’s it coming?” Iris asked.
Jamie studied the invoices for Tessa’s Treats to the right of his laptop. In addition to his work doing the finances for Tessa’s Treats, Jamie had also recently begun working on the bakery’s social media presence. He really enjoyed the two different jobs—one analytical and one creative. The busier he was, the less time he had to dwell on the past or to worry about the future. Hopefully, there’d be a bakery still standing to promote after their fight to save Grey Lake. He prayed the town wouldn’t be destroyed. He sighed. “Fine, but Aiden and Mac are almost here. I’ll pick this back up tomorrow.”
She smiled. “No worries. Was Deacon with them?”
“I’m not sure.” His shifter hearing picked up the sound of a truck pulling in the driveway of the Jensen home. “Sounds like someone’s back.” He closed the lid on the laptop, stood up, and pushed out his desk chair. He followed Iris down the hall to the front door. As they passed the door to the kitchen, he could hear Annie singing a silly song to Amber. He smiled, thinking about how magical it was that Tessa had been reborn as Amber. She would get to experience her new life in a loving, accepting home, something that many people, especially shifters, never got to do. Heath, Mac, and their family would ensure she would have a wonderful start on a hopefully very-long next life.
The door opened, and Mac walked in with Aiden right on her heels.
“Hi, guys,” Iris said. She held her hand out to Mac. “Come on, let’s go see how the little baby phoenix is doing. It sounds like Annie’s been having fun keeping her occupied.” Iris led her to the kitchen, leaving Jamie alone with a tense Aiden.
Jamie strode up and wrapped his arms around Aiden’s chest, enveloping the slightly taller man in a hug. Aiden immediately relaxed into his arms, tucking his head down close to Jamie’s neck. He wrapped his arms tight around Jamie as if he’d been gone for days instead of a few hours. He felt and heard Aiden breathe him in.
“Are you smelling me?” Jamie asked.
“Maybe.”
Jamie slowly released his hold and leaned back to look Aiden in the eyes. “How did training go?” Jamie asked.
“Fine,” he said. His gaze drifted away from Jamie.
Jamie didn’t have to be a telepath to know it wasn’t fine. He continued to stare at Aiden in silence until Aiden finally spoke. “Are you ready to head home?”
Jamie frowned at the change of subject.
“Mate upset. Needs comfort and privacy,” Jamie’s wolf advised.
“Yeah, let me just grab my stuff, and we can say a quick goodbye and get home.”
*
Aiden pulled the truck into their driveway and parked in the usual spot close to the front door of the farmhouse. He had been quiet on the short drive, his hands clenched on the steering wheel.
Just as Aiden shut off the engine and removed the key from the vehicle, Jamie asked, “Were you able to eat anything before you picked me up?”
“What?” Aiden sounded confused. “Oh, no, but I’ll eat after. I’m not as ravenous after shifting now. I think I’ve gotten more used to the whole process.”
That was true. Physically Aiden seemed well. “Oh, good, but I’ll still make you something.”
“Not right away. In a little bit, OK?” Aiden asked.
Jamie’s stomach clenched. “Sure.” It seemed that Aiden had some big things to discuss or think about. He hoped it didn’t involve doing something even more dangerous. Or leaving Jamie behind.
“Just stay there for a sec,” he said. “Don’t move.”
“OK,” Jamie said.
Aiden exited the truck and walked around the front of the vehicle. Jamie watched. What was he doing? He opened the door for Jamie and held out his hand. Jamie took it and climbed out. That was a relatively new behavior. Jamie didn’t mind. He thought it had more to do with Aiden feeling overprotective of him. He kind of liked being protected for a change. He hoped this wasn’t a prelude to Aiden telling him he was unhappy with him as a mate. He didn’t think so, but after being tossed aside so often in life thus far, it was hard to shake the feeling that happiness, or even stability, was fleeting.
“Mate would never leave you. Neither he nor his beast would survive,” his wolf said.
“I hope you’re right, but he just seems so off. But do me a favor and don’t even think about him not surviving, OK?” Jamie silently told his beast. “I’m worried enough.”
Aiden led Jamie into the house, holding Jamie’s hand the entire way. When he stepped inside, he froze, keeping Jamie behind him. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes flashing orange for a split second.
“You humans seem to do nothing but worry most of the time,” the wolf snipped just as Aiden released Jamie’s hand and closed the front door, sliding the deadbolt into place.
Jamie turned to ask Aiden what he wanted to eat, but before a sound could escape him, Aiden’s hands were on the sides of Jamie’s face, his lips on his. After quickly getting over his surprise, Jamie leaned into the kiss, moaning when he felt Aiden’s hard cock through both of their jeans. Jamie wrapped his arms around his mate’s neck and drew him yet closer as Aiden’s tongue licked into his mouth.
A groan rumbled through Aiden’s chest, which caused Jamie’s cock to throb. He loved that sound. The next thing he knew, he was being tugged away from where he stood. Aiden was leading them down the short hall, walking backwards even as he continued to kiss and nip at Jamie.
Jamie managed to gather his senses long enough to ask, “Where’re we going?”
“Bedroom. I need to be close to you,” Aiden panted. “Need to know you’re safe,” he muttered under his breath. Then quickly his lips were back.
Jamie heard the loud thunk of the bedroom door being kicked open and then felt himself being pulled down onto a soft surface. He blinked and looked around to see he was laying on top of his own bed and Aiden was climbing up on top of him.
Aiden placed deep, drugging kisses on his lips, his cheeks, his jawline as Jamie writhed in a pleasure-induced haze. Jamie ran his hand through Aiden’s hair, earning a sound of pleasure in return. Aiden leaned back, his legs on either side of Jamie’s and lifted Jamie’s long sleeve thermal shirt up his chest, then frowned when he realized it was stuck under Jamie’s body.
Jamie huffed a laugh at the disgruntled look on his face. “Problems?”
Aiden’s look turned heated in a flash. “Don’t be difficult.” But his tone was playful, the corners of his mouth tipped up in a smile.
Jamie snickered as he lifted his upper body up enough for Aiden to take his shirt off. When he grabbed Aiden’s Henley to do the same, he shook his head and grinned. “Nah, not yet.”
Aiden pushed him back down onto the bed gently with one hand as he ran his other over Jamie’s chest and abdomen. He leaned over, caging Jamie with his body, kissing his way from Jamie’s lips down to his neck and then across his chest.
Jamie reached for Aiden’s hair with one hand and clutched his shoulder with the other. Aiden was relentless. It was like he wanted to kiss every inch of his body, as if afraid they were running on borrowed time. Aiden seemed to be in control of his phoenix. Jamie didn’t feel any phoenix fire coming off Aiden’s body at least. This was good. Very good. He was so proud of him. He’d come so far in such a short time. He had to tell him.
“Wait, wait,” Jamie gasped.
Aiden immediately froze, then leaned up on one arm, his other still on Jamie’s shoulder. He studied Jamie with wide eyes. He bit his lower lip. “What’s wrong? Do you want me to stop?”
“What? Oh, no, no.”
Aiden started to lean down once more, but Jamie held him back with one hand. “No, yes. I mean just for a sec.”
Aiden flushed bright red and frowned. “OK, what? Do you not like this?”
“No, I mean yes, I mean… Wait a minute, I’m confused.” He took a deep breath and rubbed a hand through Aiden’s hair, pushing it back from where it kept falling into his face. “I do like this. I like this very much. I just realized you’re in control, well, sort of. I mean you’re in control over your beast. You’re not burning up.” He grinned.
Aiden’s eyebrows rose comically high. “You mean you wanted to stop to tell me that my beast is behaving?”
“Well, yes. I’m proud of you,” Jamie said. Now he felt like a dolt. What a mood killer! What was I thinking?
Aiden huffed a laugh and leaned back down. He placed a chaste kiss on the tip of Jamie’s nose. “You’re incredible.”
“You are, too,” Jamie said. “I love you. I always have, even when we were kids. I’m just pissed that it took me getting kidnapped and your father going full on Terminator before this”—he gestured with his hand back and forth between their bodies—“happened.”
Aiden’s eyes widened. He stared at Jamie silently, still looming over his body.
“What? You don’t believe me?” His cheeks burned. “I know you didn’t feel the same back then. It’s OK. I can still say it.” He closed his eyes as tears threatened. Why couldn’t he control his mouth? Aiden didn’t need to listen to him spewing all these deep thoughts right now. He had more important things to worry about. Aiden’s hands tightened on his face, pulling him from his thoughts.
Aiden finally broke the silence with a chuckle. “Are you done?”
Jamie’s eyes snapped open to see Aiden’s phoenix peeking through his eyes, a soft smile on his lips. He mumbled, “Uh huh.”
“OK, then.” Aiden kissed him deeply. “You didn’t let me get a word in.”
“Sorry,” he murmured.
Aiden kissed him again, taking his breath away and leaving Jamie chasing his mouth when Aiden leaned away.
He leaned his forehead against Jamie’s. “I love you, too. You’re mine. I’m going to make my dad pay for what he did to you. Then I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Or, at least, I’ll try my hardest,” he finished.
“I’m happy when I’m with you. I just want us and everyone here to be safe,” Jamie said.
Aiden lowered his head so he was staring into Jamie’s eyes with a look that could melt steel. He held Jamie’s face still with one shaky hand. “You will be safe. Until the day I die, you will be safe.” His voice was a mixture of his human and beast.
Jamie swallowed heavily, letting his mate’s words tumble around his head. Until the day I die you will be safe. Aiden had said it like some sort of mystical oath. Before he could even think of a suitable response, Aiden’s lips covered his once more.