Chapter 18 #4
I knew I was asking a lot, but after a moment, my father pressed a kiss to my forehead and after a narrowed gaze at my mate, left the room looking annoyed.
Well, that could have gone worse I suppose.
But I also knew how much he wanted me to be happy, so I wasn’t all that surprised, I just hoped he took the same advice.
The two of us had been lonely since my sister and mother left us.
I had a feeling my father hadn’t gone far though but I appreciated the attempt.
“Shit,” I hissed in surprise as a hard body pressed up behind me, having lost visual on Marcellus for only moments. I shivered as his lips skimmed my neck gently, an arm locked around me. Christ, he was so ridiculously hard. I resisted the urge to arch backwards and squirm against him.
I’d dated a few humans and even a few shifters throughout highschool, the latter always more difficult because we knew we would eventually meet our mates.
It was rare for shifters to not make those connections and when their mate passed away, in the case of my father, they rarely re-married.
If they did it was usually other widowed mates.
I was really thankful for never having a long term relationship because being around Marcellus now?
There was no comparison. I blushed thinking about how much older he was than myself and no doubt how much experience he had…
when I had none. Well, I had some but I’d never gone for the full home run.
No one had held my attention enough for that.
Turning into him, I whimpered slightly as he stepped forward pressing me up against the dark bookshelves that covered the back wall behind the desk.
His eyes melted into black pools of liquid heat as I hesitantly reached a hand up to his cut jaw.
His eyes closing as he leaned into my palm, looking as though it caused him immense pleasure. I loved that.
His eyes flashed open as he gently placed a large hand around the back of my neck so I was looking up at him. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you, love?” His voice was a dark low purr, “Nearly two fucking centuries. Two centuries, Jordan.”
“Hate to tell you but I haven’t been alive that long, handsome.” I teased and let my hand fall to his chest, running up and down it gently.
“I am perfectly aware of how old you are and it doesn’t phase me, nor will it phase my brothers. I feel like I’ve been in a fucking fog until about nine months ago. I’m assuming you turned eighteen sometime last March?” He asked intently as I got stuck on that word, brothers.
“That makes bloody sense, I thought I was going crazy. We thought we were going crazy, the house was a fucking nightmare--”
“Who is ‘we’?” I felt like that was a good way to start, right?
“My brothers,” he offered softly, “the four of us live down in Los Angeles, well except for one of them, but he will be back within a day, if I had to guess.”
I shook my head. “I’m a bit confused. Why would they all rush back?”
His eyes warmed. “Because jaguars usually mate as a shadow.”
“Oh,” I breathed in and looked away, “you know it’s possible they won’t like me right? I mean hell we don’t even know each other, and how do they know where we are?”
“Our bond, they realized it the moment I saw you,” he whispered softly, “as for not liking you, I don’t think that is possible, Jordan. Plus, I’m glad my jaguar has stopped fucking growling in my ear, I was going crazy trying to figure out what he wanted.”
I ran a hand over his neck gently and smiled, “Guess you found what you were looking for, huh?”
“More than I could have ever hoped for,” he murmured, dipping his head and pressing his lips to mine as everything inside of me seemed to shudder to a halt.
Oh wow. Without even trying to control my reaction, I was on him, my fingers intertwining with his hair as my back pressed further into the wall.
I let out a soft whine as he groaned, nipping my bottom lip and running a hand up my waist, gripping tightly.
“Jordan,” he growled against my lips, “you taste like fucking honey.”
I inhaled sharply at a loss for words, “I don’t even know what to say right now, Marcellus. This is insane.”
Before another word could be spoken, a roar sounded from outside. Fuck. Lorn was awake. Asshole literally ruined everything.
Maya
Well, someone woke up a bit cranky this morning.
I leaned back into Atlas, the others talking quietly as we waited for Marcellus to come back.
I had been told we didn’t plan on staying to help out or even watch his ‘interrogation’, which was a word that didn’t seem to fit the situation all that much.
Instead, we were essentially ready to go once Croy confirmed one or two things with Marcellus.
I wasn’t going to complain, my father had woken and was glaring at me with enough malice that it was impressive.
Honestly, though, I couldn’t not pay attention to the magic that vibrated off the walls of his cage.
It was nearly as distracting as Lorn, who had shifted and let out a massive roar, before starting to pace back and forth on all fours.
Now, I may be biased because he’s a jerk but he was sort of an ugly bear.
The doors opened and Jordan’s father looked back, offering both Jordan and Marcellus a dry look. Not that they noticed because they were both talking quietly and holding hands. I smiled at the happiness that seemed to radiate from my friend.
Bella meowed from the purse on my shoulder and I put my hand inside to offer her a soothing pet, instantly putting her in a playful mood as she rolled on her back and began to play with my fingers. I winced as she bit one of them but didn’t stop her, distracted as my friend walked closer.
“Are we good? I want to talk about one or two things before we head out,” Croy asked, looking unamused.
“Where the hell are you taking my daughter?!” Pastor Malcolm growled standing up and banging on the cage. I did my best to ignore him, but I saw the dark flash of anger on Sai’s face as he squeezed my hand, probably trying to not get angry.
I didn’t trust the gaze my father had on me, switching between fury and smug satisfaction.
His face was bruised to nearly unrecognizable, nose broken, and a tooth was missing as he grinned, blood dried to his mouth and teeth.
I had a feeling this wasn’t over. I knew they had my father imprisoned but the man looked far too happy for someone that should feel as though they lost. Was it wrong that I wished we could kill him?
But I knew he had important information.
More than that, which I had brought up to my mates, there could be others. Others like myself.
Marcellus chuckled but I didn’t know if it was at Croy’s tone or my father. Either way after pressing a kiss to Jordan’s head she came to stand near me.
“Hi, Marcellus,” I offered to the man, figuring I should be polite.
“Maya.” He offered a small head nod.
Croy growled and the man shook his head, walking a short distance so the two of them could talk.
Instantly, I tugged Jordan’s hand and took a few steps away.
Despite my comfortability, I knew she didn’t like talking about super personal stuff around my mates.
I didn’t blame her. Not sure I would feel comfortable doing so around Marcellus.
“Maya,” she squeaked, “he’s my flippin’ mate.”
“That’s so exciting,” I grinned authentically, “what did he say?”
“So much,” she mumbled, “I feel so overwhelmed, apparently he has several brothers… and they mate as a shadow? Is that a thing? I guess it is, your flight does it. But I’m not sure I can handle that Maya--”
“Hey,” I squeezed her hand, “you don’t have to handle anything. First, just focus on meeting them and see if you even like them. Or heck, if they are even nice.” She smirked as Marcellus let out a frustrated noise at my comment. No idea why.
“You’re right.” She nodded and then frowned. “How long are you going to be gone for?”
“I have no idea,” I stated honestly, “we are going to the Dreki realm.”
“Shit,” she frowned and turned to look at Henry who was unabashedly watching us, “will she be able to text and stuff still?”
“We will make sure she can be in contact,” he assured quietly.
“Perfect!” Jordan nodded and offered me a hug. “See you when you get back?”
I nodded and once Croy was done we were leaving. A weird sensation filled my chest and I had a feeling that when I came back, things would be different. I wasn’t positive what exactly, but there was a sense of change in the air.
I just hoped it was a good change for my mates and I.