Chapter 16 – Jarred
Jarred was walking toward the cafeteria where Wayla liked to eat, hoping to get a glimpse of her, when the air in the yard changed. It smelled like a storm was brewing. Then the power just rolled over like a wave.
Everywhere around him, people were falling to the ground, cowering and holding on to things. He felt the power sweep over him, but it didn’t feel malicious. Just strong. It tasted like… Wayla.
He spun around and saw her standing, eyes closed, with Salis and Irishen. Both of them were standing, but Jarred could see the strain on Salis’s face. Irishen was smiling. He looked fucking proud.
Jarred was rooted in place, unsure if he should leave, then Wayla’s eyes snapped open and landed on him. Immediately, the power swelling around him pulled back, giving him space.
That was her fucking aura.
And just as quickly as the power had rolled out of her, it folded back in. Wayla was shaking her head, looking pale. Irishen’s smile died away and Salis looked some mix of relieved and resigned. It was Wayla’s trembling lower lip that got his feet moving.
Risha heard him coming and rounded on him the second he was close enough. “Tell her she doesn’t need to contain her aura like that,” he snarled.
“Risha.” Wave’s voice trembled. “Look around. They’re all on the ground. I can’t—”
“Precious,” Jarred growled and didn’t slow down. He kept marching until he was pressed against Wayla and then took another step until she was pressed between him and Irishen. “Let go.”
“No.”
His jaguar roared, and instinct took over.
He leaned down and bit her neck hard. The taste of blood blossomed when his elongated canines pierced the skin.
It was enough to snap him out of the haze, but when he tried to pull back, Wayla groaned, the movement pumping a few more droplets of blood onto his tongue.
“Bad pet,” she groaned.
“Well, that’s one way to get her to relax.” Irishen chuckled.
It was only then that Jarred registered that Wayla’s aura was rolling freely again. His jaguar couldn’t quite decide if it wanted to roar or purr, so what came out of him was a weird chuffing sound. He licked Wayla’s skin. He had missed her taste so damn much.
“That’s it, morsel. Let it float. You’re not hurting anyone,” Irishen spoke softly, like he was trying not to spook her.
Jarred nipped her throat again, marking it a bit higher, but not breaking skin this time. Wayla moaned, a quiet sound that he more felt than heard. He wanted to press in even tighter, but she was already smashed between the two of them. Any more and he would flatten her.
Jarred reluctantly lifted his head from her throat and took in her expression. Eyes closed, lips parted, she looked fucking hot. “Precious.” It came out as a demanding growl.
Irishen was fully focused on Wayla and when her eyelids fluttered and a little frown appeared between her eyebrows, he hissed.
“No, morsel. Don’t you dare.”
“But—”
“Jarred, bite her again,” Risha urged and for some reason Jarred’s jaguar was happy to oblige. He leaned down and bit down under his previous bite. Wayla went lax. “That’s it,” Risha murmured. “Feels good, doesn’t it, morsel?”
Wayla groaned, a sound mixed with need and protest.
“You’ve been containing it all so long that now your power is lashing out in protest. You need to let it breathe,” Risha spoke, his tone soothing. “Just focus on Jarred. Forget everything else. How does he feel?”
“Hot,” Wayla groaned.
Risha chuckled. “Mmh. And what is he doing?”
“Lic-licking my neck,” Wayla panted. Jarred added another nip for good measure.
“Keep talking, morsel. Tell me what he’s doing to you.”
“He’s biting my neck like you told him to,” Wayla snapped, some fire creeping back into her voice.
Risha purred. “Would you rather he did something else, morsel? Perhaps sucked your tight little nipple into his mouth?”
“Holy shit. I’m not looking, but I can still hear you guys,” Salis rasped.
Jarred had completely forgotten he was there, but the part of him that wanted everyone to know that Wayla was his didn’t care. He nudged his thigh between Wayla’s legs and rocked his hips. The hickeys he was leaving behind probably covered her whole neck, but Jarred didn’t care about that either.
Mine.
“You’d better stick your fingers into your ears then, angel,” Risha said.
“Stop,” Wayla rasped, her eyes flying open.
Jarred froze, but instead of pushing him away, Wayla’s fingers curled into his hair and towed his head up, lips seeking his in a desperate, sloppy kiss. Then she yanked his head to the side and sank her teeth into his neck.
The ecstasy of that contact floored Jarred. Something shifted inside of him when she marked him back.
“Mine,” Wayla purred.
“Well, fuck. I guess we’re keeping him then,” Irishen groaned just before Jarred felt a trickle of ice caress his cheek.