Hunting Jessica

by Elizabeth St. John

  “I got this,” Rayce said deeply. He took my hand. “Come with me,” he said licking his lips.

  CHAPTER

  25

  Rayce showed me every room in the home. It was equipped enough for a large family. We ended up on the porch swing. The same kind I had enjoyed as a child on my parent’s porch. Jay and Marie were inside in one of the huge rooms burning off their energy. As we rocked, I couldn’t help but fight with some feelings I was having. I hated to even think it but Gage lied to me about having a home already. Now Rayce had hidden it from me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  “Jessica, I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “I was that,” I said.

  “You have a unique taste for old homes. I bought this home and restored it, for you,” he explained.

  “For me?”

  “I know it’s not Victorian, but I do hope you like it.”

  “I love it,” I smiled up at him. “What do we do now? Move me in?”

  “That’s my plan. Do you have a different one?”

  “I would love nothing more than to move into this house with you, Rayce,” I confessed. “We need change, and I think this will be a perfect start.”

  He smiled, “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

  “What did you think I would say?” I giggled.

  “To tell you the truth, I was nervous as hell. Every time I thought about telling you, my palms would sweat.”

  “Did you think I would reject you?”

  “You are sort of, insistent,” he snickered.

  I laughed and hugged him, “I just know what I want.”

  “Come, I want to show you something,” he said and pulled me up to my feet. We walked the long porch until we got to the steps leading to the back lawn. With my hand in his, he led me to a large white privacy gate. “Not only do I know your taste in homes. I also know what else you love.”

  He turned a latch and pushed the gate open. What I saw was a glorious garden. I literally gasped at the sight. It was full of color. Every flower planted in the garden had only begun to bloom. In the middle of the garden was a water fountain. The statue was a cherub holding a clay pot. The water was coming out of the pot and cascading into a little pond.

  “All of this is yours.”

  “Oh, my gosh. Are you serious?” I asked excitedly.

  “The fish will come soon. It was too cold to have them yet,” he said smiling. “I left a space over there so you could plant what you like,” he explained while pointing behind the fountain.

  “This…beautiful,” I said choking down the lump in my throat. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him to me. I loved him for not only doing these things for me but for loving who I am. He would do anything for me. “Thank you.”

  “Are you happy, babe?”

  I looked up into his beautiful chocolate eyes and smiled, “You make me beyond happy.”

  “I’m glad to do it,” he said. “Everything is in your name, so you don’t ever have to worry.”

  His words gave me pause. “Why would you do that?”

  He sighed, “I just want to make sure you have everything you need, just in case.”

  Fear washed over me, “In case of what, exactly?”

  “In case things go south for me.”

  My eyes watered as the tears threatened to fall, “No. Don’t do this.” I stepped away from him. My heart was hammering in my chest. I couldn’t even think about him not being with me.

  “Jessica, calm down. It’s only a precaution,” he tried to explain.

  “No. It’s a preparation for your death and I won’t have it, Rayce. I won’t!”

  He walked up to me and forced me to look at him. Tears were already staining my cheeks. “Babe, there is nothing wrong with being prepared.”

  “You’re acting like you’ve already lost,” I cried.

  “Life has no guarantees.”

  “But we do, if you forfeit,” I stated. “We can run away from here. Leave everything behind and be happy together, forever,” I was sobbing now and begging him to stay with me.

  “You know I can’t do that.”

  “Yes. You can. We can.”

  He sighed deeply, “Babe, I have a responsibility to my pack.”

  “You have a responsibility to yourself…and me,” I whispered.

  “I didn’t do this to start a fight with you. I know how worried you have been. I want you to take comfort in knowing you have security,” he explained.

  “I know, and I love you for that.”

  “That’s good to know, and that’s why I want to ask you something,” he said and got down on one knee. My face flushed, my stomach jumped into my throat, and I began to hyperventilate. “Jessica Hale, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  I was going to swallow my tongue if I couldn’t get any words out. My entire body was shaking. “Yes, Rayce. I will marry you.”

  He smiled and pulled a small red velvet box in the shape of a heart out of his pocket. The hinges creaked as he opened it, revealing one of the biggest diamonds I had ever seen in my life. I had never been a glitz and glam sort of woman but I loved it instantly. He took my left hand into his and looked up at me as he slid the ring onto my finger. “I will love you for the rest of my life,” he promised.

  “I will love you forever,” I said crying happily.

  He stood, took me into his arms, and planted a passionate kiss on my lips. I gripped his hair tightly to hold him closer. Our fight was forgotten and all that remained between us was heat.

  He pulled away from my mouth and licked my throat slowly, all the way down to my cleavage. His lips and tongue never left my body as he lowered me to the soft grass of the garden.

  I raked my fingers through his thick hair as he lifted my shirt and kissed my stomach softly, slowly working his way lower. My legs shook with anticipation to his touch.

  I watched him closely as he sat up and unbuttoned his shirt slowly, revealing his muscular chest and stomach. The perfect curls of his chest hair trailed down below the hem of his jeans. I licked my lips as I took in the sight of my fiancé. I quickly tried to lift my shirt but he stopped me.

  “Let me do that,” he said while watching me with smoldering eyes. His hands lightly drifted up inside my shirt and stroked my sensitive skin. I allowed him to strip my shirt and bra off. My body burned for him but he took strategic steps to drive me wild with lust.

  He finally opened the button of my skin-tight jeans and slipped them down my hips. I lifted them up slightly so he could get them off easier. I laid there in the cool grass in only my white cotton panties, exposed for him.

  I had never had sex out in the open before, but it was exhilarating. Taking the chance on getting caught caused my blood to burn. He positioned himself above me and placed one more boiling kiss to my lips.

  “I want you, Rayce,” I whispered as I swam in desire.

  The zipper of his jeans came down and he quickly entered me. I released a moan of pleasure into the cool night air. He tried to control his strokes but I needed him to find his release. The sexual heat was building between us. His face was buried into my neck and I felt his sharp teeth against it. Electrical currents flowed through my body.

  “Are you ready to be mine…forever?” he asked as his thrusts grew slower.

  “You are mine, and I am yours, always,” I moaned as my orgasm threatened to wash me away. I held onto him tightly as he brought me to the brink. The instant his teeth cut into my flesh, my world exploded into a burst of color. Wave after wave of passion washed over me. Every sound echoed in my ears. An animalistic growl came from his feeding lips and he found his release.

  “I couldn’t be happier, Rayce,” I said happily as he caught his breath against my chest.

  “One more bite,” he said.

  “I already feel different,” I said smiling.

  “He looked up at me, “How do you mean?”

  “When y
ou bit me, my orgasm was magical. Everything seemed to come alive in that moment,” I explained as joy consumed my body.

  “You’re…welcome?” he teased.

  “Can we go inside? My ass is getting cold,” I confessed.

  He laughed at me but found my clothes for me. He had tossed my jeans over his shoulder and they almost landed in the fountain.

  Once inside, he led me to our soon to be bedroom. I sat down on the large bed and took a look around the room. I could definitely see us living there. It was a future I didn’t want to let go. He had gone to great links to make me happy. He would never know how lucky I felt. I never thought anything like this would happen to me. I was convinced that I was destined to be unhappy forever.

  While he was in the bathroom, I took it upon myself to take another look around the house. I walked down the hall and looked out of the window facing the garden. It was so beautiful and I couldn’t wait to see it in the daytime.

  I began to imagine children running around the lawn while I tilled the garden. Though it terrified me, it had to be done, in order to protect our future. “He’s right. We can’t walk away from this,” I whispered to myself.

  I walked back into the bedroom at the same time he was exiting the bathroom. He looked up at me, “What are you thinking?”

  I sat down on the bed and sighed. “I think you’re right to stay.”

  “Really?”

  “It scares me to death, but if we are going to have a future, you must,” I confessed. He sat down on the bed and I continued as I looked down at the gorgeous ring on my finger. “I’m ashamed that I asked you to leave everything behind and run.”

  “You’re not mad that I took precautions?”

  “I’m actually pissed that you automatically thought you would lose, forcing you to take them.”

  “Babe, I couldn’t rest if you were left without anything. I needed to do this, even if it were the last thing I did,” he explained.

  “I know the reality of what could happen,” I said as my eyes burned. My entire body began to sweat. I wiped my brow. “but do we have to talk about it now?”

  He smiled, “Not at all,” he said softly and rubbed my back gently.

  I took a deep breath and let it out, “Good. Only positive thoughts from now on.”

  “Agreed,” he said and kissed me softly. My head was pounding. “Are you alright, babe?”

  I reached up and grabbed my head with both hands. It felt like there was a burning underneath my skull. “My head is killing me,” I said as pain coursed through it. “Geez, It’s hot in here.”

  “No. It’s not hot. Here, lay down,” he said and helped me find a comfortable spot on the bed. The pain rolled down my spine and I cried out in pain. I was trying to control it but I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Jessica, talk to me. What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “It feels like my brain is on fire,” I growled. If I said one more word I could bite my tongue off. I locked my teeth together. Rayce called for Jay who was still in the house somewhere. A rolling began in my stomach and I wrapped my arms around myself. I felt like I was climbing a huge mountain and at any moment I could go tumbling down it. My whole body was shaking. My bones were going to shatter into a million pieces, I knew it.

  “What’s wrong?” Marie asked in a panicked tone. She climbed up on the bed and pulled me into her arms. She held me tight as if she knew what was going on. She was holding my bones together.

  “What’s happening? What should we do?” Rayce asked frantically.

  “We need to get her outside, now,” Jay expressed urgently.

  Rayce reached for me and lifted me off the bed. My body was violently shaking. He held me tightly against his body as he carried me downstairs. A blast of cold air hit me as he walked outside. It felt like my blood was boiling. I risked my tongue and spoke, “Rayce, I feel like I’m falling and I can’t stop myself.”

  “Rayce, put her down,” Jay demanded.

  As he placed me on the cool damp grass, I felt my ring slip from my finger. The one thing that symbolized our future was gone from my finger. I reached for it, but the rolling began to intensify. I clawed at the ground, trying to hold on and keep from falling. Marie came over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

  “Jessica, fall, honey,” she said. “Let it happen.” Her voice was so soothing. “Jessica, it’s going to happen anyway. You should go for the ride. I know it’s very difficult to let go, but if you do, you will feel much better. Before you know it, it will all be over,” she explained.

  I didn’t want to let go, I felt like I was going to die if I let go. “I…can’t.”

  “Jessica, you are getting what you want. Let go,” she said softly.

  “Don’t worry, cousin. She will be fine,” Jay explained as Rayce walked back and forth nervously.

  I rolled over onto my back and looked up at the sky. The stars I had looked at for so many years seemed to glow like little fireballs in the sky. I took a deep breath and let it out into the cool air. Marie was right, as I focused my eyes on those stars, and began to breathe in and out at a steady pace, I began to feel much better.

  The night’s sky was so beautiful in the country. I could still feel the shaking but I had better control over it.

  “That’s it. Just relax,” Marie said gently next to me.

  My body shook, sweat caked against my body, and the pain was intense. My heart thundered in my chest. I rolled over to my knees and gripped the thick grass between my fingers. Fire was about to come out of my ears but I let myself fall.

  Suddenly, all the pain was gone. I could hear the sound of my breathing whooshing in and out of my lungs. My heart was a steady beat. I let my ears listen to the fountain in the garden as the water trickled into the shallow pond below it. I could hear a drumming sound coming from behind me. The smell of Rayce entered my nose. I knew he was close. But, his smell was different somehow.

  “Jessica, everything is going to be okay,” he said.

  I turned to face him and he was in his hellhound form. I jumped back on my wobbly legs, a little surprised. Why would he change? Were we in danger? I smelled the air and I didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. I could feel the grass below my hands and feet, it felt like silk against my skin. Every tiny shift of the earth vibrated under my feet and hands. I looked down, what I saw wasn’t my hands at all. They were now huge paws with long sharp claws. The color of the fur on the paws was rich auburn. The same color as my hair but more brilliant. The color shimmered under the moon light. “Jessica, how are you feeling?”

  I didn’t know what to say. How did I feel? Well, I didn’t have any more pain in my head or my body. I didn’t feel like I was having a heart attack. I wiggled my toes and watched as the claws dug into the ground with ease. I laughed a little in my head. Other than maybe a little bit more in tune with my surroundings, and my body had sprouted fur, I felt fine. I felt strong and full of energy. My legs wouldn’t work right. It was as if I was trying to learn to walk again. I tried to focus on communication. I tried to reply with my mind but that didn’t work. I had to actually try and talk. I opened my mouth and my tongue grazed against my sharp teeth. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work, but I had to try.

  “I feel…wonderful.” My mind struggled to control my mouth at first. I was still trapped in my human way of thinking. My body would have to learn how to control both sides of me now. I had no idea it took this much work. “It’s a little challenging,” I confessed.

  “Your body will adjust,” Rayce said with confidence.

  Marie was about to jump out of her skin with joy. She was hopping up and down and slightly clapping her hands together. “We are all finally together,” she said almost crying with joy.

  “Well, how do I look?” I asked.

  “You are beautiful,” Rayce said in awe. If my face wasn’t covered in fur, he would see I was blushing. I looked into his beautiful glowing green eyes. I couldn’t believe how much his eyes changed. I love his choc
olate eyes but the glow of the green was stunning. They danced across my face.

  CHAPTER

  26

  It took me quite a while to turn back into myself. Once Rayce instructed me on how to let myself turn back, it was a different feeling altogether. When my bones went back into place, it felt like I was getting a massage, and the mist surrounding me cooled my body temperature.

  Rayce sat with me on the porch swing quietly with his arm draped over my shoulders. I couldn’t have felt luckier than I was in that moment. My past had been nothing but a roller-coaster ride of horrible experiences. Life since Rayce has blossomed into magnificent possibilities.

  Going from thinking he hated me to now knowing he loves me, has filled me with hope for the future. In order to move forward, I had to open my book. I didn’t want anything looming to surface later, ruining us.

  I put my head down on his shoulder, “Rayce, I have a few things that I think you should know.” His body remained relaxed next to me. “But, I fear what I’m about to tell you may jeopardize our future together.”

  “Your past is what made you who you are today, and I love this person,” he said softly, stroking my arm with his thumb.

  He always knew what to say but I was afraid what I was about to tell him would turn him away. It was something taboo, something that was frowned upon, and it would break my mother’s heart if she knew. It was a struggle for me to make the final decision, but it was for the best.

  I took a much-needed breath. It shook as I let it out. Shame washed over me as I finally spoke the words, “I had an abortion.”

  His breath hitched and he leaned forward slightly, causing me to sit up away from him. His chocolate eyes burned with questions as they danced across my face. The sadness behind them, “Why would you do that?”

  “I had no other choice.” My voice was suddenly defensive.

  “No other choice?” he growled slightly and stood from the swing. He marched over the stairs and stepped out into the yard.