by Lauren Wood
“Will they have access to the territory?”
Jackson shook his head. “If they come looking for sanctuary, they can find it in the holding grounds out back. No one will enter the main territory without the express permission from Micah, Brent, and myself. If you need sanctuary, you will have access to part of their territory as well, but no one can enter their lands without the permission of their de’Massier and his cabinet.”
Mark nodded. “Looks fine to me,” he said grudgingly.
“Any other questions?” No one said anything. “Excellent. Drop off your votes, and let’s get this over with.” One by one, the members came by and dropped off the pieces of paper. Jackson gave the box to Lynette to tally the votes, and everyone took their seat.
“What’s with the human staying with you?”
Jackson turned a frosty gaze to the speaker. Nora was an older woman, and she had no issues speaking her mind. Jackson thought briefly about ignoring the questions, but even Lynette had stopped counting and stared at him. He sighed.
“Natalie is a guest of mine. She’s having a problem with a bear pack member from California. I believe that she’s in danger, and I’ve offered her my protection.”
The pack shifted uneasily. It was rare that they had a dispute with another bear shifter territory, and he could tell that they didn’t like the idea of housing a human.
“She’s having issues with one pack member or the whole pack?” Nora pushed.
“I said one member,” Jackson said.
“You also said that you that you didn’t trample through my gardens that one full moon. You lied.”
“Nora. I was eight.”
“I’m just saying,” the woman said pointedly.
Another member raised their hand. “Is it a high ranking official?”
“Second-in-command,” Jackson said begrudgingly. “But we’ve spoken to the alpha. We’re not starting a war here. We’re just keeping an eye on things.”
“Everyone’s in favor,” Lynette said quickly. She snapped the box closed. “It’s unanimous. We just need Micah to sign it tomorrow.”
Jackson nodded. “Dismissed.”
One by one, the pack members got up to leave. “I know it was you,” Nora said as she walked out.
Jackson turned to Lynette. “Thanks,” he muttered. “I don’t know how Micah does it.”
Lynette smiled. “He thinks you do it better. The fact is that you’re both born to wield power, and you both hate it.” He stood up, and she wagged his finger. “Sit down, young man. We’re not done.”
“Lynette, I’m acting alpha,” Jackson said with a smile.
“And I changed your dirty diapers. Sit you ass down.” He chuckled as he took a seat. “Tell me about this Natalie woman you’ve got in the condos.”
“There’s not much to say. I caught her stealing a jacket from the store. Apparently she’s been on the run for a few days, and I guess she wasn’t prepared for our chilly nights. Paul is her ex-boyfriend, and I guess he’s a real piece of work. All reports indicate that he’s coming after her.”
Lynette cocked her head. “And she just told you all of this.”
“No. I had to pry it out of her and investigate,” Jackson said before she could accuse Natalie of lying.
“So you were in the middle of it before you realized exactly what you were in the middle of,” Lynette said slowly.
Jackson winced. “She was scared, Lynette. I can sense her fear. What was I supposed to do?”
“I’m not saying that you did anything wrong.” She gathered her things and stood. “Your mother raised you to protect others. She would be proud of you.” Lynette paused behind him. “Natalie is awfully pretty.”
Jackson clenched his teeth. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
Lynette chuckled. “Nora’s right. You are a liar.”
She left the room and him alone with his thoughts. He sighed and sat back. When he saw the situation from the perspective of others, the whole thing seemed insane. Brent thought she was a security breach. After all, she was a thief. The pack saw her as an outsider, and he was putting them all in the middle of it by keeping her here. And he’d involved himself even before he knew what was really going on.
The whole thing was ridiculous. But he couldn’t ignore what he felt. No one affected him quite like Natalie. He felt like he was supposed to protect her. And he didn’t need to explain himself to anyone.
* * *
It was clear that the Woodland pack was wealthy. Their territory was vast and complete with its own set up of small businesses. Just along the edge were the smaller businesses including two diners, a convenience store, an entertainment hall, a salon, and a library. On the adjacent side was a grocery store, a post office, a coffee shop, and a mechanic. While it wasn’t unusual for shifters to leave their territory for their day-to-day activities, it was clear that this pack liked their conveniences close by.
Natalie slid into a table at the coffee shop and sent out tentative waves of energy. She felt no hostility. Younger shifters stared at her with mild curiosity and older shifters out right stared. It was obvious that they were still trying to adjust to the changes their alpha had made.
She kept her eyes down and slowly drank her coffee. Jackson had told her that no one would bother her, but frankly, while she felt like she could trust Jackson, she knew that not everyone could be monitored all the time. People’s moods changed for no obvious reasons.
But here, she could finally breathe. Slowly, she felt the eyes drift away from her, and she sighed. How had her life come to this?
And more importantly, why, after everything that happened with Paul, was she so willing to trust another bear shifter? It’s not like her intuition hasn’t been wrong before.
She shivered when she thought about her last interaction with Paul.
“Where the hell is it, bitch?” His eyes were wild with rage. Natalie pressed herself against the wall and tried to make herself as small as possible.
“Paul, I didn’t take anything,” she said softly.
“Don’t lie to me! What happened? How did you figure it out? Did you finally feel that something wasn’t right? Did that weird power of yours finally kick in? I’m going to kill you!”
Someone knocked on the door, and he immediately calmed down. She watched in horror as his twisted face returned to normal. “Get in the bedroom,” he hissed. “And don’t make a sound.”
She scurried to the bedroom, but rather than waiting for him to attack her, she grabbed her purse and her jacket and snuck out the window. Without a second thought, she began hitchhiking. She needed to get as far away from him as possible. And she knew that he’d come looking for her.
“Natalie.”
A jolt ran through her, and she lifted her gaze. Jackson was seated in front of her. “Are you okay?”
“You keep asking me that question,” she muttered. “I’m fine. I just needed some extra caffeine.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Because you are planning on running?”
“No,” she said softly. “It’s a full moon tonight. I imagine I won’t be getting much sleep.”
He reached across the table and took her hands. She felt a warm jolt as his thumb caressed her skin. “I don’t know what it was like with the last pack that you were with, but you have nothing to fear here. The condo is as secure as it comes in this territory. As long as you don’t leave, you’ll be fine. And even if you do, I suspect you’ll still be fine. We teach everyone in our pack how to remain as human as possible during the shift. We might look like bears, but we do recognize you. We mostly just hunt in the woods and run around like a bunch of wild animals.”
“And your alpha returns tomorrow?” she left the question she really wanted to ask unspoken, but Jackson seemed to read her thoughts.
“Micah will protect you. He’s my best friend, and trust me, he’s as fair as they come.”
She looked up from her coffee. “Jackson, I haven’t actually thanked you yet.
Or apologized. I know that you don’t need me, but I’m not this woman. I don’t steal from people or piss shifters off. I was just looking for acceptance, and I got more than I bargained for. So thank you for not having me arrested.”
He smiled at her, and suddenly, she was filled with warmth. He squeezed her hand and left her without saying a word. And suddenly, she was confused. She barely knew him, and already she had mixed feelings inside her. It wasn’t like Paul. This was something entirely new.
Chapter Five
It was almost two o’clock in the morning when she felt his vibrations. Cold. Calculating. Cruel.
Her eyes flew to the door. The full moon lit her room, and she’d been watching the window all night. She told herself she was just keeping an eye on things, but she knew she was just hoping to keep see Jackson.
But it wasn’t Jackson on the other side of the door.
Bile rose in her throat as fear bloomed. Paul had found her.
He must have sensed her fear because he roared on the other side. It was hardly human, and she screamed. Immediately, the door began to shake. He must have been throwing himself at from the other side.
Jackson had already told her that she’d be the only person in the building, so she knew that no one was coming to save her. She immediately began scouting the room for a weapon. Paul was a powerful shifter. It was only a matter of time before he found his way in.
Panicked, she tried to calm down. There was an assortment of things she could use. The lamp. A wine bottle. The television. But nothing was large enough to take him out cold. Racing to the kitchen, she found a large butcher knife. Gripping it tightly, she slid to the floor and shook.
The door splintered and cracked, and suddenly, she could feel his waves of anger and triumph as clear as day. Looking over the counter, she opened her mouth and screamed.
Paul was mostly in human form. Though his arms and legs had shifted, he was still caging the bear. “Natalie,” he called to her in a singsong voice. “Don’t you want to give me a kiss?” His head turned and their eyes locked.
Natalie jumped up and brandished the knife. “Go away, Paul.”
“Stupid bitch. You thought you could run from me?” he roared. “You thought you could seek protection from another pack? No one is as strong as me! No one!”
He shifted fully into a bear and launched himself at her. Natalie screamed, but Paul never touched her. Out of nowhere, another bear ran at full speed at Paul, and they both tumbled on the floor.
It was clear that they were both powerful. Paul was black and grisly, but this new bear was sleek and grey. Both were angry, but one was protective. She felt his energy reach out to her and comfort her.
Jackson.
Paul must have decided that the fight wasn’t worth it. Or he knew more members of the pack would be arriving soon because he bounded out into the hall and disappeared.
The grey bear turned to her and snorted. Natalie trembled, but she didn’t back down. He didn’t approach her though. After a few minutes of eye contact, he curled up on the floor and went to sleep.
* * *
She hadn’t slept. Jackson was still passed out on the floor. At least, she hoped it was Jackson. It felt like him, but she was having trouble trusting her own instincts these days.
As the sun rose, she heard the cracking of his bones. Turning her back to allow him some privacy, she waited until the transformation was finished. When she turned, he was staring at her.
And he was stark naked.
Her breath caught in her throat as she quickly averted her eyes. Reaching over, she snagged the edge of the blanket and tossed it his way. “Here you go,” she muttered.
“Are you okay?”
She felt the intensity behind his words, and she finally looked at him. “Peachy,” she squeaked.
“Damn it,” he swore. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t touch me. He’d been in the room for less that two minutes before you showed up.”
Jackson frowned. “But I felt your fear before that. That’s why I came.”
“I don’t know what you mean by that, but I was scared. I could feel him getting close, and I panicked.”
He stormed closer to her and snagged her chin. “Tell me the truth,” he said harshly. “Were you scared of me?”
“You?” she jerked her chin away. “Hardly.”
“Then why are you still holding the knife?”
Her eyes settled on the weapon that she still gripped in her hand. She didn’t even realize she was holding it. With a sigh, she let it clatter to the tiled floor. “Just in case he came back,” she muttered.
“He’s big. Powerful,” Jackson muttered. “But he’s not alpha.”
“Probably because he’s crazy. He only partially shifted so he could taunt me.” She shook her head. “How did he get onto your territory?”
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” There was an intense heat behind his words, and she shivered. Without warning, he pushed her up against the wall. Natalie’s heart pounded. This wasn’t fear or aggressions. This was purely sexual. “I was scared for you,” he murmured.
Her hands slowly reached up and tentatively touched his skin. “You had excellent timing,” she whispered.
Jackson leaned down and inhaled. “You are so intoxicating,” he murmured.
“And you’re still coming down from the affects of the shift. I know it can be arousing,” she managed as she swallowed hard.
His hand came up and forced her chin up. She gasped when she saw the lust in his eyes. “It’s not the shift, and you know it, “he murmured, and his mouth descended.
Natalie moaned. His kiss was urgent and demanding, and she was only too happy to comply. Her lips opened eagerly, and her tongue reached out to taste him. Jackson growled and deepened the kiss.
Her hands wrapped around his neck for support. Her legs were already growing weak, but Jackson was soon cupping her ass and pulling her towards him. The sheet did nothing to conceal his erection, and she rubbed herself on him eagerly. “Natalie,” he moaned. “You’re driving me crazy.”
But she hadn’t had nearly enough. As she braced her back on the wall for support, she wrapped her legs around him. Even through her clothes, she rubbed herself on him. Everything inside her was hot, wet, and ready. She needed him.
Suddenly, the wall disappeared. Jackson carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. “If you’re not ready,” he whispered. “We can stop.”
She leaned up and slipped her shirt over her head. “Don’t leave me,” she begged. “Please.”
He closed his eyes as if he was battling his own demons, and then he unwrapped the sheet and pressed his body against her. She shivered as he trailed kisses down her body. There was something entirely new about the way he made her feel. This wasn’t just sex to burn away the extra energy. This was about a desperate need, seduction, and passion.
Jackson stroked her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra, and the erotic sensations cascaded through her body. She struggled to breathe and gain control of her body, but he was already removing her bra. Before she could even react, he had one nipple in his mouth and another one rolling between his forefinger and thumb.
“Jackson,” she cried out. Christ, she was about to come just from this.
“Everything about you is absolutely perfect,” he murmured. Her toes curled, and she whimpered in despair when he finally released her. “Don’t worry,” he said with a smile. “We’re not even close to done.”
He slid her sweatpants down, and she gripped the sheets in anticipation. At the rate he was going, she wouldn’t last much longer. She felt his fingers graze the outside of her panties, and her hips twisted in need. “Touch me,” she begged. “Please.”
“Oh my sweet Natalie,” he breathed. “It would be my pleasure.” He pulled her panties down, and almost immediately, she felt his lips on her inner thigh. It was insane what his kisses did to her. She bit her lip to keep from moa
ning loudly as she felt the warmth of his tongue trail higher and higher. Suddenly, he slipped a long finger inside her and pressed his thumb gently to her clit.
She reacted violently. Without warning, her climax broke, and she arched her hips up and cried out as she convulsed. He held on, and when her body finally relaxed, she reddened. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Jackson leaned up and captured her lips. “Do not ever apologize for an orgasm,” he said harshly. “I love a woman that can enjoy pleasure, and believe me, if I have my way, you’ll have many more before the night is over with.”
And then he was gone, sliding back down her body. He nipped gently at her outer lips, and she fell back against the pillow. He teased the outside of her most sensitive spot gently until finally, he licked her clit.
Still sensitive, she gasped and gripped his hair. “More,” she urged him. He rumbled in laughter, but he didn’t apply any more pressure. His licks and nips were gentle and teasing, and soon, the tension began to build inside her again.
“Fuck,” she whimpered. Sex had never been like this before. She’d had orgasms and she’d felt passion, but this was love and torment and seduction and pleasure weaved all into one action. The air was thick with need as she tried to arch her hips and urge him to do more. He didn’t need a second signal.
She gasped as he slid two fingers inside her. They curled over that sensitive spot inside her, and his warm and wet tongue slid over her clit. Over and over again, his fingers and tongue urged her higher and higher until she finally peaked. She clawed into the bed helplessly as her orgasm took control once again.
Finally, he released her and slid up. Settling his weight over her, he kissed her gently. She tasted herself on him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. His heaviness settled between her legs, but he made no move to go any further.
“You…I…” she hesitated. What was she supposed to say after that?