by T. S. Ryder
"No." Jace tugged his hair, a nervous tick of his. "I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No. The first three months I could hardly do any schoolwork because I missed you so much. It would have been hard with a baby, yeah, but we would have made it work."
"I'm going to go back to the city tomorrow," Clarissa interrupted. "I'll release a statement that we broke up because I'm pregnant with another man's baby."
Amanda's eyes widened and Jace's jaw dropped. Both spluttered, but Clarissa shook her head, still smiling. It was like she was enjoying this.
"I'm not pregnant."
Jace's shoulders relaxed. "Then why are you going to say you are?"
"Because in the big scheme of things, it doesn't matter what people think about me. I have a job offer up in Alaska, which is what I've always wanted, but it won't be enough for the townfolk to forgive you, Amanda, for being with the man you should be with." Clarissa shook her head, a brief look of anger crossing her face. "They'll blame you for breaking up the 'perfect' union even though it should be obvious to everyone that you two are mates."
Amanda and Jace looked at each other. Her heart pounded. All these years she forced herself not to hope while it broke her heart not to be with him. She always thought she was just a pathetic girl to keep pining for the high school boyfriend who broke up with her. The thought that they were mates often occurred to her, but she stubbornly refused to believe it.
"My indiscretions will keep the public eye off of you for a while," Clarissa continued. "And hopefully, it will be enough that the pack will start accepting you as their Alpha's mate. In a few months, I'll announce that I had a miscarriage."
"You shouldn’t have to lie and ruin your own reputation," Jace said, taking Clarissa's hand in his. "I'm sure that we can figure out—"
"No. You two have already lost a lot of time together. I'd rather just get out of your way. I'll miss you," she added, touching Jace's face. "You're a great guy, and I would have been a really lucky girl if you had actually loved me. But I want you to be happy."
Jace kissed her lightly, making Amanda turn away. Her heart was still pounding so hard she thought it might just burst. What if Clarissa was reading too much into the situation, and Jace didn't actually still love her? After years, repressing her hopes was too ingrained in her life for her to just flip a switch and jump back into his arms. Even if they were mates, they had been apart for so long. They had to get to know each other again; they still had to learn how to act around each other. And then there was Logan to think about.
"I'm going to bed," Clarissa said, standing. "I think you two have some things to talk about."
"Clarissa," Amanda started, but the human shook her head.
"There isn't anybody I'd rather give him up for than you. I've put a lot of thought into it and it's the right thing to do." Her fingers trailed over Jace's shoulders. "Although it would have been nice to have sex just once."
With that she left them alone, staring at each other over the flickering light of the dying fire. Despite how late it was, Amanda was brimming with energy. Grabbing the bucket of water she had to put out the fire, she poured it over the coals.
"I'm going for a run," she said. "Want to come with me?"
Jace nodded. Soon they were off, their paws pounding the earth, dodging trees and ducking under branches as they ran side by side. To her surprise, Amanda actually outstripped Jace. He was in such good shape that she thought she would be the first one to give up, but when he barked at her to stop, she ducked behind a bush to shift back and slip the loose dress she had brought over her head
"It's been far too long since I've run in my Wolf form," Jace said when he emerged from his own spot wearing a pair of jeans. "I can run further than that as a human, but…"
"You're going to have to do better than that as Alpha," Amanda teased.
"Yeah." Jace groaned as he lied down on the forest floor.
Amanda laid down beside him and he put his arm around her. The familiarity was so relaxing and she smiled. "So do you think it's true?"
"That we're mates?"
"Yeah."
Jace rolled, gazing down at her. "What do you think?"
Amanda stroked his cheek. "I love you. I have from the first time I saw you."
"When I broke up with you on graduation, you didn't fight me."
"I was trying to do what was best for you. I thought if you knew I was pregnant, you wouldn't go to Harvard. You'd give up your dreams and end up never leaving the town to become the billionaire lawyer you are now. I wanted to fight. I wanted to follow you to Harvard and never let you go, but…"
"But you did what you thought was best for me. I did what I thought was best for me, too. And I'm so sorry." He cupped her face. "I never stopped loving you, either. Throughout these past six years, I wondered if I ruined my chances with my mate because of my pride… Did I?"
Amanda shook her head. She rolled, pressing her mouth against his. The familiar sensation of sparks heating her blood surged back and she moaned, pressing her body against his. His hands tangled in her hair as he answered her urgency with his own. He rolled, pinning her under his body. Their lips parted—
"No." Jace scrambled away, shaking his head. "No, I can't. I'm sorry."
Amanda lay there, stunned.
"Half an hour ago I was dating another woman. It's not respectful to her or fair to you to jump into this so quickly." Jace inched forward again. "I'm sorry."
Amanda pushed herself up, her cheeks heating. "I understand."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. We'll get there, Jace." She found his hand and squeezed it. "We just need a little time. We should get back to camp now."
Jace squeezed her hand back. "Thank you, Amanda."
"For what?"
"Being you."
"Oh. Well, in that case, thank you for being you, too. And I love you."
Jace smiled. "You don't know how good it is to hear you say that again."
"Probably as good as it feels to say it. I love you."
"I love you, too. But you're right. We need to get back to camp. Clarissa isn't the outdoorsy type… will it bother you if I sleep in the tent with her tonight?"
Amanda shook her head. "I know you love me. That's all I need right now."
Chapter Ten
True to Clarissa's word, she left the next day. Logan asked where she was going, but was satisfied with the simple answers he got. Unlike his parents, he didn't need any prompting to happily fall into the new dynamics that the three of them had. They stayed out in the bush for a week, just getting to know each other better, until their food ran out. Logan would have gladly stayed and forged, but Amanda was concerned with the amount of school he had missed already, and they packed up and headed home.
She had a dozen missed calls from Betty, who eagerly told her every scrap of gossip related to Clarissa's supposed infidelity. The media storm lasted for several months, but just as Clarissa had hoped, the pack and humans who lived in town had an instantly improved view of Amanda and Jace's relationship. Instead of people stopping her in the grocery store to accuse her of trying to destroy the pack, they were now asking when the mating ceremony would be, or if she was pregnant, or assuring her that Logan would be perfect as the next Alpha.
During this time, Jace built the house he promised for Amanda, and the three of them quietly moved in together (much to Betty's dismay; when Amanda was packing the last of her boxes, the human tearfully declared she would never again have a housemate as good as Amanda). By the time the papers started publishing that Jace and Amanda were living together, they had been doing so for so long that the pack didn't so much as bat an eye.
The official ceremony where the Alpha leadership of the pack was passed from Jace's father to Jace happened without much global attention. The town was in a happy frenzy for days, but soon enough everything settled into a new normal. And it was good.
***
Amanda sat in bed, a book on her knee
s as Jace entered the room, scrubbing his hair dry after a shower. She didn't bother pretending to read the book as she admired the contours of his body. His physique was amazing, everything from the sculpted pecs to his six-pack. She loved him just as much as the gangly, pimply teen as she did now looking at him as a heartthrob, but the improved view didn't hurt anything, either.
Jace grinned at her, moving the book off her knees. Amanda's heart rate spiked. There was something that she needed to tell him, but it looked like he had an idea that she wasn't going to say no to… His lips brushed hers gently as he crawled onto the bed, caging her with his body, leaning her back against the headboard.
"God, I missed you," he whispered, nipping at her lower lip.
"We've been together all day."
"No, I mean the past six years." Jace's gaze warmed with love as he cupped her face with a hand and kissed her again. "If I could go back and change things, I would never have left you behind."
"You've said that." Amanda smiled at him. "All is forgiven, my love."
Jace buried his face into her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Amanda hummed in satisfaction, digging her fingers into his scalp, pulling him closer. It took a few months of getting to know one another again before they first allowed themselves to abandon themselves into passion again, but now it was a regular occurrence–making up for lost time.
"I love you," Jace said, for probably the hundredth time that day. He was definitely making up for lost time. "I've always loved you."
"I love you, too." Amanda ran her hands down his back. "I love you more today than I did yesterday."
"Why?" Jace pulled back, looking worried. "What did I do yesterday?"
"Nothing." Amanda shook her head. "I was just trying to be romantic."
"Oh." Jace laughed softly, returning to her neck. His hands worked their way under her nightgown, tugging it up over her head, leaving her bare to his gaze. His hands roamed her body, igniting a fire deep inside of her, and Amanda returned the favor, loving the way his smooth skin felt so warm under her fingers. She didn't think she would ever get used to how right she felt when she was with him.
The fires grew hotter as Jace kissed her collar and moved lower, stroking her thighs with a soft touch until Amanda let her legs fall open. She grasped him as his fingers slipped over her skin to her pleasure center, answering stroke for stroke until they were both undulating towards each other, gasping and writhing while their lips pressed together and parted.
"Always so good," Jace sighed.
"Always," Amanda agreed, rolling her hips towards him, indicating she was ready.
Jace chuckled at her impatience, kissing her breasts and continuing to use his fingers for several moments until she was trembling on the edge, almost ready to beg.
He slid inside her easily; they found their rhythm without effort, the fires in their blood mixing together, making both of their bodies hot. Everything felt tight. Pleasure blinded Amanda until it was too much and she bowed her body towards her mate, dragging her fingers over his back and locking her ankles over his hips as she pulled him deeper inside her. Jace made a choking, growling noise, kissed her hard, and they plunged together, bodies snapping back and forth, cries mingling as their rhythm grew haphazard.
Eventually, they stilled and shared a tender, chaste kiss while their bodies were still twined together.
"I love you," Jace groaned. "I wish I could stay inside you forever."
"I do, too. But then who would take care of Logan and the pack?"
Jace flicked his tongue over her collarbone. "Speaking of which… I'm certain that you're my mate."
"Me, too."
"So?" Jace leaned back on his elbows, raising a brow at Amanda. "How about it, Mandy?"
"How about what?"
"We do a mating ceremony for the pack. Maybe a wedding, too, for the media to report on so that we don't have paparazzi trying to break into the mating ceremony. I officially name Logan as my successor, and then we all live happily ever after."
Amanda considered for a moment. Jace was the Alpha, so after the official ceremony, his mate would be recognized as the Alpha female by the pack. He had already been easing her into her new responsibilities. She wanted to continue working, but with everything she was going to have to do for the pack, it meant she had to cut back her hours at the office. On the other hand, she had taken up a position as a receptionist for Jace, which meant she wasn't just going to be a housewife or arm candy at important ceremonies.
"Mandy?" Jace looked a little worried. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. I was just lost in my thoughts. I never thought that the whole ceremony thing was going to be necessary for me, but with your position… I'll adjust to being in the public eye. So, for our mating ceremony… I would like it to take place out in the bush."
Jace grinned and kissed her. "Sounds wonderful. And for the—"
"Before we start talking more shop talk, I have something to tell you," Amanda grinned at him, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm pregnant."
Jace's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Amanda nodded.
A fiery kiss answered her. Amanda laughed into Jace's mouth as he held her tighter, kissing her as though he was never going to let her go. Which he wasn't. Never again would they be separated from each other. Amanda pulled him closer, closing her eyes.
My mate, my love, she thought. My forever.
*****
THE END
Paranormal Shifter Romance: The Werewolf Boss's Baby
Description
A curvy gal climbing the corporate ladder PLUS her disturbingly sexy shifting boss PLUS an enemy lurking in the shadows…
Clara Maddison has fought her way towards the top of the corporate ladder every day since she was hired to work for Snyder Inc. She has no desire to let anything get in the way of her path. She is strong, independent and determined to one day become the CEO of the company.
That is, of course, until she meets Mr. Snyder himself...
Nathaniel (Nate) Snyder is everything that Clara has ever pictured her dream man to be. Dominant, witty and mysterious, there is something about Nate that drives her wild...
But she finds out that there’s more to Nate than meets the eye after accepting an invitation to join him for drinks after work. Clara is thrown into a world of shapeshifters and power struggles even more intense than those in the corporate world.
On top of it all, Clara can’t shake the feeling that someone or something is following her, watching her from the shadows and waiting to strike...
Will Clara be able to accept what Nate really is? Can she shake off her stalker? Will Nate protect her? Find out now in this steamy billionaire romance...
Chapter One
This job was going to be the death of her.
Clara Maddison’s cerulean eyes narrowed in on the stack of papers on her desk that seemed to be growing instead of shrinking as the day went on. All she was supposed to do was go over the accounts from the past quarter and put them into the system, and yet, as the day wore on, her coworkers continued to show up with files they had found buried in their desk.
It looked like it was going to be another late night for her.
Clara had been working for Snyder Inc. for over two years as a project manager. Her job was to develop and manage the construction of new restaurants, clubhouses and stores under Snyder’s growing veil of influence. It was not to work on files that should have been processed the previous quarter.
Unfortunately for her, the woman who was supposed to have done the work she was completing now had been fired two weeks before, and she was left cleaning up the mess that was left behind. Her direct supervisor had insisted that it be her that completed the project because she was the most likely to get it right.
She should be flattered, she told herself, but she wasn’t. She was just irritated that her plans for the night had to be canceled so that she could work well into the night.
Groaning softly as she sat bac
k in her chair, Clara reached back and pulled her shoulder-length, chestnut brown hair free from the tail it had been constructed in since earlier that morning. She was a powerful woman in the company, working her way up the ladder quickly, and soon she was hoping she could work her way onto the board of directors. She always believed that her strong, curvy body looked better in pantsuits than it did in street clothes, and if she had her way she would be running the corporation before she turned twenty-eight at the end of the year.
That did, unfortunately, mean she had to do a lot of extra work around the company.
The last of her fellow employees had left over an hour ago, the groups chattering about their after-work plans. She had been invited to join several of them, but of course, she needed to stay behind and finish her project or risk the wrath of her supervisor, Mr. Snyder’s personal assistant Jeremy.
She wasn’t sure why, but she was pretty sure that Jeremy hated her. The man seemed to make it his personal goal to keep her at work late or ruin her weekend plans. On top of it, she had caught him staring at her out of the corner of her eye on multiple occasions. It was never in a friendly or even flirtatious way, either. It always seemed to be threatening and angry.
It took all she had to convince herself that she was just crazy.
Jeremy was the least of her worries at that point. If she wanted to get out of work before midnight she had quite a bit to get done. Her plan was just to keep working until the files were all digitalized, but unfortunately, she hadn’t eaten all day and her stomach was starting to sound like a war zone.
Grimacing as her stomach rumbled, Clara let out a grumble and pushed back her chair. She could at least go around the corner and find herself something to eat. Snagging her purse where it was hidden away under her desk, she quickly exited the workspace and headed for the elevator.