She scoffed, “They can heal wounds. Beat the hell out of you and then heal them, to do it all over again.” I opened my mouth but there was nothing I could say to that. The only way she knew was from experience and my chest tightened as I imagined the hell she must have been through.
“I’m a virgin,” I burst out, starting to get desperate. And I was desperate if I was using my lack of sexual experience to convince my mom to take me back to the guy who really wanted to change that fact. “If he planned to use me that wouldn’t be the case right?”
My logic seemed to confuse her, but she lowered her hand from the steering column. “He said he was your mate.”
“He is, but we haven’t had sex,” I said, proud of myself for not blushing as I discussed my lack of a sex life with my mother. “We bonded emotionally,” I explained, stretching the truth just a tad. We had an emotional bond, but it had been helped along by a lot of kissing, touching, and intention. “We marked one another, an act that has saved my life.” I ducked my head, smiling a little. “He’s teaching me how to open and close the bond link so we can communicate. I can feel it now, stretched, but its still there, proof of how strong our bond is,” I declared, proud of the relationship we had together.
“That’s impossible,” Mother denied, shaking her head. “No.”
“Yes,” I stressed, emphasizing the single word. “And there’s a female shifter.” I could see the denial in her eyes and hurried forward. “Her name is Anna and she’s part of the Navarre Pack. She’s a full Pack member, protected by the others but she also protects them. They treat her as an equal.” Mom blinked rapidly, confused as I turned her world view upside down. “And they have a woman on their Council, Anna’s mom.” I pushed, finally seeing the chink in her armor. “And Leah, a human girl, saved their Alpha from a dangerous bone break.”
“They never would have allowed that,” Mom muttered, wanting to deny my words, but finding it impossible in the face of my conviction.
“The Hanleys would never allow it, but they aren’t Hanleys. They saved me from the Hanleys. Dom killed two of them when they tried to attack me,” I continued passionately. “And another wolf shifter protected me when a Hanley came after me,” I added, avoiding mentioning that Liam had been a Hanley too. “If you were watching me then you know that the motel has several women staying there.”
“I wasn’t watching the motel,” she clarified, tossing her hair. “I had Bruce keep an eye on you.” Somehow, that was worse and I was starting to rethink my decision not to tell Dom about this Bruce guy.
“Well, with the help of Dom’s sister most of the Hanley women escaped and are seeking sanctuary with us at the motel. The Navarre Pack has been protecting them.”
Her expression was impossible to read as she said, “They escaped?”
“Yeah, just like you did twenty years ago,” I told her, surprising myself when I reached for her hand. “You survived and I’m so thankful for that.”
“I left them behind,” she murmured quietly. “I couldn’t take them with me and succeed.”
“Sometimes surviving is all we can do,” I said honestly. “Everyone has to make that choice for themselves.” I hadn’t forgotten that some women had chosen to remain with the Hanley Pack, a fact that still irritated Sam.
“Doesn’t ease the guilt,” she answered, her words matter of fact, but I could see the cost in her eyes. A lifetime of my mother’s indifferent parenting was starting to make sense. Acts that had seemed callous and cold took on a new meaning.
“You tried to stop me from leaving with Dad,” I said, my fingers tapping against her hand. “You did everything you could think of short of telling me the truth.”
“God, your father,” Mom replied, pressing her lips together. “Of all the godforsaken towns in the world, he had to pick Banks, Idaho.”
“In all fairness, he was drunk and there were darts involved,” I told her and she sent me a sideways glance.
“That doesn’t help,” she said wryly. “It makes more sense now, but it doesn’t help.”
“You even tried to bribe me with Europe,” I continued, seeing the effort for what it truly had been, a last ditch effort to save me from myself. “How did you even make that happen?” Last time I remembered Brian hated foreign things, people, or places.
“A lot of convincing in the form of sexual favors,” she answered bluntly and I winced.
“That was more than I needed to know.”
“I thought you could handle sex now,” Mom retorted waspishly.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I need an account of your sex life,” I snapped back and she snorted. “Why send Monster?”
“Honestly?”
“Honesty would be preferred.”
“He missed you and some part of me thought that maybe he could protect you,” she answered simply, her shoulders lifting. “They might give into the wishes of a shifter pup if it meant he initiates into their Pack sooner.”
I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that. On the one hand, she showed an understanding of Monster that I hadn’t thought she possessed, but on the other hand….
“You were going to sacrifice Monster like some kind of pawn?” I couldn’t filter the horror out of my voice and I wasn’t sure I wanted to by that point.
“He would have been treated like a king,” she said, dismissing the fact that I was upset. “Shifters are the prizes in their world.”
“You couldn’t have known that! They might have abused him or worse twisted him into thinking like they do,” I argued, irritated by her lack of concern. “I’ve seen the power of an Alpha, what they can do if unchecked, how they can force a shifter to do something they don’t want to do.”
“Exactly,” Mother cried in satisfaction. “You don’t want to put yourself under that kind of control. This pack may be perfectly nice from what you say, but I know you’ll be safe away from their control.”
I made a last ditch effort, “You can’t guarantee my safety away from them either. You can’t protect me from the world.”
“No,” she said. “You’re right. I can’t, but I can save you from being a breeding female,” she spat the term in disgust, “I can give you the chance to follow your dreams, to go to college, to not get stuck in a tiny town full of backwards, controlling men.”
The venom in her tone combined with the fervor in her eyes convinced me I wasn’t changing her mind.
“Son of a bit-” I bit the rest of the curse off, sighing as I resolved myself to Plan B. “Mother,” she sent me a suspicious glance at the abrupt change in her name, “I really wish it didn’t have to be this way,” I said, not giving myself time to change my mind as I threw a punch that would knock her out for the foreseeable future. She crumpled back onto the seat and I mumbled, “Sorry, not sorry,” as I climbed over her and put the car into gear.
Chapter Twelve
Jess
After driving for hours, the bond with Dom became steadily stronger, but remained silent. I poked at it constantly, but the link remained quiet, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I drove over endless road.
I replayed the conversations with my mother, her complete conviction that I was making the wrong choice, that I had no future if I stayed with Dom, and I realized a few months ago, I would have agreed with her. It was a hard thing to acknowledge that she’d shaped me more than I’d thought. My desire to go to college, to stay independent, my lack of relationships had all stemmed from her teachings. If I hadn’t come to Banks and experienced life firsthand I might have missed the whole point of life.
“What the hell?”
“Language, Mother,” I caroled over the seat, peeking in the rearview mirror to see her. “Really, you’d think you were raised in a barn.”
“I can say that, I’m the adult,” she said petulantly. “And really, was this necessary?” She held up her hands, showing where I’d tied them together with a scarf I’d found in her suitcase.
“Absolutely,” I answered. “I h
ave no idea what you’re capable of after the whole kidnapping thing.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Also, I see you have luggage, but I have nothing. You couldn’t have packed a bag when you kidnapped me?”
“Rescued you and I still have your clothes from when you left home,” she sniffed with a shake of her head, her posture impeccable even with her hands tied. “At least you put my seatbelt on.”
“I didn’t want to get pulled over,” I explained. “It would have ruined me rescuing myself.”
“You’re making a mistake,” she said, refusing to make eye contact as she glared out the window. “You’ve never listened to me and now you’re making the mistake of a lifetime.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Mother. I did listen to you. For years.” I gave up looking at her through the rearview mirror, instead focusing on the road. “The difference is this is my mistake to make. My choice. My decision.” I sighed. “You’ve done your job. You told me your reasons why, and now you need to trust me to make the right decision for me, even if it’s not the one you would make.”
She scowled, her expression set as she glared at the thick wall of trees rushing past the window. After a minute, she swallowed, licking dry lips as she whispered, “I don’t trust them.”
“Then trust me, Mom,” I answered, my voice thick. “Have my back, be my champion in a dangerous world, don’t run, fight.”
We rode in silence after that, both consumed by our own thoughts, mine becoming increasingly violent as the bond link remained silent.
I parked the car in the motel lot right before sunset, leaving Mom in the backseat as I stormed into the apartment.
“Bunny,” Dad cried in relief, spotting me instantly as Monster ran up to me, throwing his arms around my waist.
“He better be dead,” I muttered in a low voice, causing Dad to rear back as he heard my need for blood. I squeezed Monster until he squeaked, wiggling for me to let go.
“He’s not dead,” Dad assured me. “He may wish he were when he wakes up, but he’s not dead.”
“Wakes up?” I repeated in disbelief. “WAKES UP? He’s fucking sleeping? Do you know how many times I tried to reach him through that damn bond and he’s sleeping?”
“Well,” Dad said in wheedling tone and my eyes narrowed as I crossed my arms.
“What did you do?”
“I might have got him drunk,” he confessed in a rush.
“Drunk? You got my mate drunk while I was essentially kidnapped? What the fuck, Dad?”
“In all fairness, I waited until I knew you were safe,” he claimed, holding his hands up.
“I’m safe now. As it is right now,” I pointed to the floor. “In your presence, back home. Any time before now was an unknown, because I couldn’t contact Dom,” I finished between gritted teeth.
“You may have a point,” he conceded, lowering his hands. “However, you now have my blessing to be with him. I think he’ll be good for you. Also, he’s a happy drunk,” Dad added, nodding like that made a damn difference. Monster had steadily been backing away as we spoke, not ready to be in the crossfire of my anger.
“And where is the happy drunk?” I asked dangerously and Dad pointed to the couch. I started for it, not sure if I was going to hug the big bastard or hit him.
“Where’s your Mom?” Dad inquired delicately.
“In the car, trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey,” I tossed over my shoulder as I stared down at my mate, curled up on a couch that was at least two feet too short for his larger than average frame.
“What should I do with her?”
“I don’t care. Call the sheriff and have him deal with her,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. “Maybe a night in jail will help her see things my way.”
“Okay, I’ll just go check on her.” I heard the door open and close behind me as he left the room. My irritation with Dom grew as I watched him sleep, not disturbed in the least by my absence.
I reached down, not sure what I intended, maybe a sharp pinch under his armpit, but the second my hand touched him, he murmured, “Jess,” and my anger melted.
“I’m such a fucking softie,” I muttered, climbing over the edge of the couch and dropping on top of him. He grunted at my weight, but didn’t wake up and I wondered how drunk my father had gotten him as I snuggled into his side. His arms came around me, cocooning me, and the exhaustion of driving for over sixteen hours straight caught up with me and my eyes drifted shut.
“I’m still mad at you,” I grumbled as I gave into the need to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Jess
“You’re a lightweight,” I heard when I woke up, the words laced with amusement.
“I don’t know what the hell he gave me,” Dom grumbled under me, his chest rumbling. “Some concoction guaranteed to set me on my ass.”
“I don’t know, man,” the voice replied, as I finally recognized it as Trent. “I’ve tried his concoction a few times and never been laid out for hours.” He let out a low laugh. “Think that makes you a lightweight.”
“Yeah, well, I know not to drink with him anymore,” Dom declared, his hand stroking my back and even though I was pretty sure I was still mad at him, I also wanted to purr like a kitten and snuggle closer. That might alert them to the fact that I was awake though and this conversation was amusing if nothing else.
“You remember any of it?” Trent asked, his laugh cutting off, probably at Dom’s glare.
“Unfortunately, I remember all of it,” Dom admitted. “The good thing is Thomas gave me his blessing to be with Jess and to initiate Monster into the Pack.” I felt him move underneath me, his arms holding me steady. “With their understanding and agreement, of course.”
“Of course,” Trent seconded. “And you think they’ll agree?”
“No idea,” Dom replied. “I’ll be lucky if Jess doesn’t castrate me after last night and Monster….who knows.”
“Well, he might be more willing if he knew Dylan was part of the Pack,” Trent mentioned and I felt Dom groan. “We’ve got to talk about it, Dom. Unless I misunderstood what happened?”
Dom made a noise. “I don’t even know what happened,” he answered honestly. “I remember wanting him to shift back to human and sending the command, but it shouldn’t have worked.”
“You think he did it on his own?”
“It’s possible, but the timing –”
“Yeah, seems unlikely.” I heard the rustle of a wrapper and then the distinct clack of a sucker hitting teeth. “I’m starting to think this Pack of yours is nothing but a band of misfits.”
A laugh rumbled out of Dom as his hand came to rest on the back of my neck, his thumb unerringly finding the mark at the base of my throat. His touch caused it to burn and sent a fiery heat through my body.
“Pack of mine now? I thought you agreed to be my Beta, that makes it ours,” Dom commented, his thumb slowly gliding over the spot and distracting me from their conversation.
“You have Jess,” Trent responded, the distance in his voice breaking through the spell Dom was weaving.
“I do, but she’s not a shifter,” Dom replied, his words simply factual. “She can’t act as my Beta.”
Trent let out a disbelieving chuckle. “I’ve seen a few mated pairs over the years, and the two of you blow them all out of the water. Your connection is unbelievably strong and when the bond is complete? No telling. I’ve heard stories that I thought were impossible. Seeing the two of you, now I’m not so sure impossible exists.”
“Stories?” Dom questioned and I mentally cheered as he asked what I wanted to know.
“Alpha mates,” Trent stated. “A pair that have a bond that can transcend any distance. Stories that mention a bond so strong, the Alpha’s mate could link into the Pack bond.”
“That’s….”
“Impossible? I might have agreed yesterday until I saw you keep the bond with Jess over hundreds of miles. You complete the bond between you and I bet you she can commu
nicate with us. There’s no telling what else is possible.”
“I’m eager to find out,” Dom replied, pressing lightly against my mark. “Grab Liam, find out what’s going on with her mother. She might want to know when she wakes up.” His voice changed slightly when he said wakes and I heard Trent stand up.
“Glad you’re alive, Jess,” Trent said as he walked past the couch. “Eavesdropping is a nasty little habit. You might hear something you don’t like.”
My head popped up, hair spilling around my face as I retorted, “Like the fact that I’ll be able to hear all your boy Pack secrets when I’m fully bonded to Dom?”
Trent gave an exaggerated shudder. “What a terrifying thought.” He rolled the sucker in his mouth, sending me a wink as he strolled to the door. I propped myself up on my elbows using Dom’s wide chest as a brace.
“How did you know?” I demanded, studying him as he laid beneath me.
He chuckled as he told me, “The bond alerted me the second you woke up. I’ve been eagerly waiting.” He brushed the hair from my face, his face chagrined. “I owe you an apology.”
“Damn straight,” I declared, as I attempted a mean face. “Drinking with my dad while I’m kidnapped! What kind of mate are you?”
“One who is abjectly sorry,” he said, his tone contrite. “And one who has learned his lesson.” He held his hand up, “I solemnly swear,” I waited for him to say, “I’m up to no good,” but instead it was, “To never drink with your father again.”
I sighed dramatically, deciding to let him off the hook, mostly because trying to look angry with him was almost impossible when he pouted apologetically. “He is persuasive. And you couldn’t have known you’re a lightweight,” I tacked on, unable to resist.
“Lightweight?” He growled, rolling to his feet in one smooth motion, barely jarring me as he held me firmly against him. “You want to say that again?” He dared me as I hooked my legs around his waist.
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