Chapter Forty-Three #2
“Yo, what the fuck was that, man?” he yells.
“Daddy slayed the alpha,’ huh?” I mockingly parrot what Casey said in a teasing tone.
“Why don’t you tell me how the story went?
Tell me how you slayed the big bad wolf.
I’m all ears!” I hold out my arms, letting him know I’m ready whenever he stops pretending he can’t get past Jay and actually wants to take me on.
He yells at me, pacing. “What the hell are you talking about?” He looks down at Jay.
Internally and madly, I laugh. Like she’s going to save him.
“This guy, Jay? You like this guy? Yo, this dude’s crazy. I know you see it.”
I point to myself. “I’m crazy? I’m crazy? Crazy is pretending to have murdered someone for clout then lying to your daughter about it. Then, showing up around me like you didn’t have a hand in it all. That’s crazy.”
“Yeah? You wanna see crazy, motherfucker? Let’s go!” Jeff breaks through Jay’s hold.
With quick reflexes and the skills to boot, Jay snatches his arm. Turning into him until her back is toward me. She throws him over her shoulder, causing Jeff to fall flat on his back with his arm still locked in Jay’s grasp.
Holy shit. I smile to myself.
Jay holds him there.
Jeff’s anger shifts from me to her. “What the hell, Jay? Whose side are you on?”
“This isn’t about sides. What we did was wrong. Caleb has a right to be angry, but this has to stop. I don’t want to fight anymore. The whole thing should’ve started and ended once Colin died. It wasn’t our battle—it never was. We were used. Let. It. Go.”
Jeff looks from Jay to me. He’s not fighting her hold anymore, but the strain in his face and the veins popping out of his forehead show me the fumes haven’t died.
“This is done. You hear me?” she yells in his face. “It’s done. Take Casey and go.”
“You don’t get to tell me—”
In the voice of a strong luna, Jay orders, “Go!”
Her roar sends chills up my spine and ruffles my wolf’s fur. It’s mouthwateringly sexy to hear her bark orders. Immediately, I turn to mush.
Baring his neck, Jeff looks unhappy about being put in his place by a she-wolf in front of his daughter and the man who just sucker-punched him.
Reluctantly, he stands. “Come on, Casey. Let’s go.”
“But I don’t wanna—”
“Now, Casey!”
With a pout, Casey scrambles out and grabs his hand.
Once they disappear into the trees, Jay fans herself, and her breathing picks up, both signs of the start of a panic attack. She plucks off her clothes in a hurry and heads for the water. She submerges herself. Concerned, I peel mine off and follow her.
Once she resurfaces, her breathing is back to normal. I guess she can see the worry etched on my face because she sighs. “I’m fine.”
I nod, but the worry doesn’t leave my face. I hate seeing her upset. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that in front of Casey.”
“No, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you about Jeff. If I had known, we’d see him, I would’ve said something.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. He wore your father’s death like a trophy. It was never okay.” She throws her hands up. “Ugh, I’m so mad. I should’ve known.”
“I guess I ruined your birthday, huh?” I rub the back of my neck.
“What?” Her eyes soften. “Are you kidding me? This is the best birthday I’ve ever had. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”
Given today’s mess, it bothers me that my gesture to reunite her with Jeff and Casey for an afternoon was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. She deserves so much more than the bare minimum. I’ll spend every day trying to prove that to her.
“Listen—” Jay starts to ramble and goddess if she isn’t the cutest thing when she does. “—Despite everything, I don’t blame you if you still hate me but—”
“Wait, wait, hold up. You think I hate you?” My brow furrows together, and I’m sure the shock is etched all over my face.
“Don’t you?” she asks softly.
I shake my head. After everything, how could she think I still hate her? “I hate what you do to me.”
“I’m not doing anything to you.”
I smile and gnaw on the inside of my cheek at the ridiculous notion. She does everything to me. “That’s what I hate the most. You don’t even have to try, and I still find myself obsessed with you.”
Jay searches my face for any indication that I’m lying, probably thinking this is another means to humiliate her.
I wonder how horrified she’ll be to find out I mean every word.
She opens her mouth, unconvinced I—who, up until this point, has been nothing but cold to her—could possibly feel warmth toward her. I can’t blame her hesitation.
Her voice shakes. “You’re—You’re obsessed with me?”
“Unless you can tell me a stronger word for it, yes.”
Her eyes dart back and forth between mine as her mind appears to be racing a million miles a minute. “But what about Medein?”
I step toward her and hook a crooked finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to mine. “I’m in love with you, Jay. Madly. Deeply. I can’t think of anyone else. There is no one else.”
She blushes, flustered from what must be, to her, an absurd confession.
I can tell she isn’t sure what to do with my declaration, so I make it easy on her and kiss her. Our kiss deepens, and I lift her into my arms, and she wraps her legs around my waist, spreading herself open for me.
Our tongues massage each other. Her nipples peak and harden against my chest. Her skin is wet and slick against mine in the water. I’ve waited so long for this—more than just this moment—that I can’t wait any longer.
A frustrated growl escapes me and into her mouth. “I need you to get there, Jay.”
“I’m there,” she breathes. “Fuck me, Caleb. Please.”
Even through the water, I can smell her arousal and hear that pussy pulsing.
I bite my lip and moan. “Oh, you know I can’t resist you when you beg.”
I position myself at her entrance and thrust upward in one motion. I stretch her walls, burying it inside until she can’t take any more of me. My hands slide to her hips, holding her firmly in place, pumping relentlessly in her heated center until both of us are delirious.
“Mark me.”
My eyes roll to the back of my head, and I groan.
Ah, she’s killing me.
As much as I want to, I can’t. Her wolf isn’t ready yet.
I moan. “Not yet.” But fuck did I want to now.
“When?” she groans.
“Soon.”
She whimpers at my promise.
I force her eyes to mine as I thrust upward into her. She’s in her head again and listening to the self-doubt. “Look at me.”
Her gaze locks onto mine.
“I want you. More than you could ever know. It’s taking everything in me not to mark you right now.
I said ‘soon,’ and I mean it. Everyone will know who you belong to.
Until then, I’ll have you screaming my name.
Mark or not, know that you are in every way damned to be mine, Jay.
Hopelessly and completely mine,” I growl.
She swallows her self-doubt and nods. “Yours.”
“Good girl.” I nip and suck at her neck anyway, allowing myself only a taste and trusting not to take it any further.
Her nails dig into me, and I moan. I imagine they are her teeth sinking themselves into me, and it’s enough to have me tumbling over the edge.
Our breaths come in ragged bursts. It’s everything to watch the pleasure in her eyes unfold and unravel around me. And knowing I had something to do with it.
My hand is around the back of her neck, our foreheads touching as we breathe into each other.
Coming down from the high, she utters the most delectable words, “I love you, too.”
***
Seeing Jay stand up for Bloodhound to Jeff solidified my devotion to her.
Now I just need to tell my mother.
If I’m honest, I don’t need her blessing. I will be with Jay, regardless—but it’d certainly be easier if Bloodhound’s current Luna was on board.
I left Jay with Dax to train. I told her I had some urgent matters to tend to.
I find my mother in my father’s study. Whatever she is doing can wait because I can’t. “Mom, I need to talk to you.” I look around the room, at all the people in it. “Alone.”
My mother nods to the patrons, excusing them.
When we are the only two remaining, she asks, “What is it, sweetie?”
“It’s about Jay. She isn’t who you think she is.”
Her mouth forms a hard line. “Go on.”
“She killed dad.”
I brace myself for the worst, searching her face for any sign of anguish. I expect tears, screaming, even dodging a thrown object or two, but it never comes.
Instead, calmly, she says, “I know.”
I blink rapidly, “You do? How?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t recognize her scent from my mate’s body?” my mother scoffs. “I’ve been searching for it everywhere.” She stands to put away a file in a cabinet, then closes it. She doesn’t even slam it.
Not once did my mother scream, throw a fit, show Jay any lick of distaste or make Jay feel unwelcome. And, yet she knew this whole time. She sits at the desk and reaches for the newspaper.
“How did you not tear her to pieces?”
My mother chuckles softly. “Oh, there were times I wanted to, believe me. But strangely enough, I wanted to get to know who she was. Come to find out, she’s thoughtful, kind and patient. She’s got a good moral compass on her.”
My wolf and I beam at how highly our mother speaks about Jay. This is going better than I thought.
“I’m slowly integrating her into pack life.”
“Right. That was the king’s choice, correct? What’re your thoughts on this method?”
“I didn’t agree with it at first, but I’d like to think this is what Dad would have wanted. That’s the kind of leader I want to be—someone who looks to restorative justice rather than unnecessary killing.” I’m still trying to get a good read on her opinion. “What do you think about it?”