Jackson’s expression hardened. “Maybe I messed up, but that’s no excuse to kill you.”
“Yeah, but she might not have snapped if you’d manned up and talked to her. She’s lost it, Jacks.” I whirled my finger by my ear. “Like seriously psycho and she is out for blood. Don’t forget, I’m not the only target here. Tonya’s gone. All those other girls down in Nashville too.” The collateral damage of Vicki’s jealousy took my breath away. Was there anything she wouldn’t do for revenge?
He rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t know she was going to do this. No sane wolf would.”
I frowned. “How did she find a rogue in the first place?”
Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know. They’re rare and I have no idea how she got him up here without being killed herself. Rogues are the werewolves of legend, beasts that are half man, half wolf and the only language they speak is violence.” He sucked in another lungful of air. “I smell lots of people. Was someone besides Vicki here?”
I nodded. “Mara and Sara. They said you sent them?”
Jackson ran a hand through his dark hair, fatigue creating shadows under his eyes. “Oh yeah, I forgot. We ran into them out in the woods. I told them to come here since our house was close by.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what their parents were thinking, letting them run wild like that.”
“Their parents went feral and they showed up here looking like they aren’t being properly cared for. I don’t think anyone’s been watching out for them. I fed them and tucked them into the guest bedroom for the night.” I gave a wry smile. “I promised pancakes for breakfast by the way.”
Jackson glanced at the clock on the wall of the entry way. “That’s about four hours from now.”
On cue, his stomach rumbled and I laughed. “Let me guess, you’re hungry now.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “Yes for lots of things.” His eyes began to gleam with desire and his hands were suddenly travelling my body.
I twisted away from him. “We’re not alone.”
“We’ll be quiet,” he promised as he pulled me back into his orbit and cupped my breasts.
“How about some food first?” I asked. I hadn’t eaten dinner and the girls had consumed all the popcorn. Jackson wasn’t the only one feeling hunger pangs.
He gave a curt nod. “Food sounds good. I could use the extra energy.” The wicked smile that split his lips left no doubt as to how he planned to use all that energy.
For a second time that night, I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We washed them down with whiskey and then stumbled to bed, unsteady from fatigue and the buzz of alcohol.
In bed, Jackson cradled me for a long time, hands stroking my hair, then my shoulder down to the curve of my hip. “I thought about you all day. Were you safe? Were you okay?”
I gave a soft laugh. “Same here. I tried to see your wolf, but you were too far away.”
“I’ve heard some packs are telepathic.” He kissed my cheek. “I wish we were. It would make it easier to be apart.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” I wiggled my bottom against his rising hardness. “Did you just want to talk all night, Jacks?”
He ground against me. “Hell, no. I want my mate beneath me, screaming my name.”
“No screaming. Not tonight,” I reminded him.
“Okay, fine. I’ll settle for a hoarse whisper then.” He nuzzled my neck and I turned toward him so we could kiss.
His lips were tender on mine, but soon he couldn’t hold back. He ravished my mouth, beard stubble scraping over my soft skin, teeth worrying my bottom lip. Our tongues tangled and I moaned, arching up toward him.
This man made me lose my mind. I couldn’t get close enough to him. My wolf seemed to agree and, in my mind’s eye, she pressed herself up against Jackson’s wolf.
When he moved his attention to my breasts, he whispered one command to me. “Touch yourself.”
My breath caught at the power in his voice and my hand moved before my brain even understood his words.
“We’re going to make you come together.” He lowered his head after that and took a nipple into his mouth while a hand went to pinch the other. Deep, hot places inside me quivered and pulled tight.
Jackson nipped my nipple with his teeth, the pain making me gasp and immediately want more. Releasing me, he said, “Now, when I go slow, you go slow. When I go fast, you go fast. Got it?”
I nodded, too breathless to speak. A fire burned in me, one that couldn’t be put out with water. This little game had me ready to combust.
He resumed toying with my nipple, alternately taking it deep into his mouth and whipping his tongue across the sensitive tip. I kept pace with him as best I could. My nipples became harder and harder, stiffening into high points that begged for more. I squirmed underneath Jackson as a pulse throbbed inside my core, beating like a second heart beat. Soon it would explode and pleasure would spill out, flooding my senses.
Sensing I was on the brink, Jackson intensified his efforts. Bunching my breasts up in his hands to bring their tips closer, he became merciless. Biting, scraping, whipping each tip in turn until my entire body brimmed with desire. The whole time, he growled, low and soft in his throat. The sound shook my breasts with exquisitely rough vibration.
I came with almost no warning, my body arched and my mouth open in a silent scream. Jackson watched my face and our eyes met, his intent, mine glazed.
When the last of my orgasm faded, he lifted my hand away and sucked on my fingers, tongue tickling my palm. Just like that, the orgasm became a drop in an ocean of desire. My body clenched tight with need. I wanted him inside me. The orgasm hadn’t been enough, not even close.
“Jacks,” I whispered.
“Clo,” he said.
I wrapped my hand around his shaft to make my point.
“You need something?” There was a gleam of mischief in his eye.
“You. I need you.” I parted my legs in invitation.
When he finally took me, I couldn’t suppress a sharp yip of excitement. Behind my eyelids, my wolf was yowling. To quiet myself, both inside and out, I sank my teeth into his neck. Jackson returned the favor and we marked each other. We both crested at the same time after that.
The orgasm shook me with the intensity of raw voltage. I filled my mouth with the curve of his shoulder to keep from screaming as my body shuddered around him. Jackson grunted as my teeth broke his skin and bit me again as well.
Bloodied, our bodies slick with sweat, we collapsed on the bed, side-by-side.
“Wow,” he said quietly. His hand sought out mine and gave a squeeze.
I squeezed back. “Yeah. That was something wasn’t it?” I thought for a second and then said, “Was it like this with the other girls?”
“Clo...” He started, sounding unhappy.
I cut him off. “I’m not being jealous. I genuinely want to know. Remember, you’re my first.”
“And only.” He squeezed my hand again, harder this time.
“So answer the question.” I turned my head to look at him. Jackson’s dark chocolate eyes were heavy-lidded with fatigue and satisfaction.
“No, it was never like this with anyone but you.”
“Because I’m your mate.”
He nodded. “You’re my everything.”
The sincerity of his words made me feel a little mushy inside. Even my wolf managed to look sentimental, instead of her usual boring, death stare, she actually blinked. Maybe she was surprised. I snuggled up against him, basking in the heat of his body. My body temperature ran on the high side, but Jackson was pure alpha furnace, perfect for a cold winter’s night.
There might be a rogue out there and dozens of angry, she-wolves scorned gunning for me, but just then, with Jackson’s arms and body wrapped around me, his words still ringing in my ears, life felt perfect.
Was this love? Would we last? Was the mating really a thing for us? I didn’t know. I hadn’t even
had a boyfriend let alone sex before Jackson, but, for a brief moment that night, I believed our mating bond that transcended anything the world could throw at us.
Chapter Ten
Morning came painfully early. The giggling of the girls woke me and I groaned when I saw the sun shining outside. Some days, mornings should do the world a favor and hit the snooze button. Only good things could come from longer nights. More sleep, more sex...what’s not to love?
I hauled myself out of bed and stumbled into the master bathroom where I threw cold water on my face and rinsed the post-whiskey consumption taste out of my mouth. For his part, Jackson just rolled over and covered his head with a pillow, hiding.
I left him be since he’d been running through the forest for hours the night before and needed the rest more than I did. I went into the kitchen where I tried to remember how the hell to make pancakes.
Mara and Sara swarmed me the second I appeared.
“Are you going to make pancakes for real?” Sara asked, bouncing in circles, her eyes wide with excitement.
I nodded, still not quite capable of speech yet that morning, and the girls cheered. Fumbling with the coffee maker, I started a much needed caffeine infusion. While it brewed, I found the pancake mix and blinked blearily at the directions on the box. Why did the words have to be so tiny? They made my head hurt.
A knock on the door saved me from cooking before my brain came online. I went to answer it and found Chief Mueller on the front porch. His eyes were red with lack of sleep and his evergreen and woodsy scent was stale as old bread. The morning had spared no one it seemed, except small children.
He took off his sheriff’s hat when he saw me and held it in front of him with both hands. The khaki brown of his uniform was creased, as if he’d worn it longer than twenty four hours, which was a distinct possibility. “Morning, Chloe. My shift’s over and I thought I’d stop by on the way home. This a good time?”
“Of course, Chief.” I motioned for him to come in. “I’ve got coffee brewing. Would you like some?”
He shook his head. “No thanks, I’m hoping to go to bed soon. I’ll take some water though.”
I filled a glass with water for him and poured myself a generous cup of coffee. Joining the chief at the table I asked, “How are things going? Did you find Vicki or the rogue alpha?”
“No, sorry to say, we have not. We did find traces of the rogue’s scent mixed with hers. There were signs of a struggle in the brush and fresh blood. Looks like Vicki’s bitten off more than she can chew.”
I winced, picturing her at the mercy of the rogue. She’d done it to herself, but I couldn’t help but feel some sympathy. “Were you able to track them?”
“For a bit. The trail goes cold not even a quarter mile out. Cuts off on the main road.”
I frowned. “How does a scent just go dead like that?”
He sighed, his face slack with fatigue and defeat. “Damned if I know.” He finished his water. “I’ve got one of my deputies poking around asking questions. So far, we’ve established that Vicki was in Nashville around the same time as the women down there disappeared.”
I sat back in my seat, unable to comprehend that kind of evil. I shook my head. “I thought she was just a bitch. I would have never believed she was capable of something like this.”
The Chief nodded. “It surprised all of us. She’s young and beautiful, with her whole life ahead of her.” He sighed. “But Vicki really hates you, Chloe. We interviewed some of her friends, and, apparently, all she’s been talking about lately is about getting rid of you.”
I put a hand to my chest as my heart began to race. “Oh my God.” It hurt to be hated that much. I was a good person. Maybe not the best wolf, but I was still new and people needed to give me a chance. I didn’t deserve to die. I hadn’t chosen Jackson, our mating wasn’t preplanned just to spite her. Surely Vicki knew that?
Chief Mueller gave me a sympathetic look. “Listen, the other reason I stopped by was to pass on a message from Cal. He asked me to tell Jackson to meet at his house around three. We’re working in shifts now, round the clock.”
I nodded. “Okay, I’ll let him know.”
The chief stood up and I followed suit.
“Thanks for stopping by,” I said.
He gave me a wan smile, looking dead on his feet. “Never a problem, you’re the alpha’s mate after all. Call me if you need something.”
“Same here, Chief.” I smiled at him. “It works both ways, right?”
He nodded. “Yes, it does.” He looked over to where Mara and Sara were watching cartoons. “Those the Klempoff girls?”
“Yeah,” I said, filing away their last name for future reference. I’d been so busy feeding them and then dealing with Vicki and her rogue assassin that we’d never gotten past first names. “They spent the night.”
He fell silent for a moment, taking in their frayed clothing and slight frames. “This pack’s been missing a woman’s touch these last few years. It’s good to have you. Betty would approve.”
“Thanks,” I said softly. “I thought I would take the girls shopping for some new stuff and maybe pay a visit to their grandmother’s house. Things don’t seem right.”
Chief Mueller patted me on the shoulder. “That’s a real good idea, Chloe. I’ve been worried about those girls.”
Chapter Eleven
The pancakes I made after Chief Mueller left were an advertisement for the axiom of ‘under promise and over deliver.’ I’d promised light fluffy pancakes, but could only deliver over cooked pellets, half of which tore when I flipped them. It wasn’t my finest moment in the kitchen.
Mara and Sara didn’t complain and gamely doused the pancakes with extra syrup. I tried to make up for the mess with the deer sausage. Jackson didn’t hunt in human form, but the guys who did passed on some of their bounty to us. Thankfully, the sausage only required the ability to operate a microwave and I could manage that much at least.
Jackson joined us eventually and rumbled ‘good morning’ to the girls. I relayed the Chief’s message to him and said what I could about Vicki without the girls overhearing anything. Jackson wasn’t happy, but he took the news in stride, saying, “We’ll find her. She can’t hide for long, now that we know it’s her.”
We ate breakfast in companionable silence, mostly because the girls had inhaled their food like a supercharged vacuum and then made a beeline for the television in the living room. I smiled as they scampered off, remembering how much I’d loved cartoons as a kid myself. Jackson finished the last of pancakes, even eating the ones that were black on the bottom. I wimped out and went for the sausage, unwilling to eat my own cooking. Then Jackson cleared the table and started loading the dishwasher.
I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as I took my plate into the kitchen.
He smiled at me. “What’s that for?”
“Doing the dishes.”
Jackson shrugged and leaned in close to whisper, “I heard somewhere that this is like porn for women. Tell me, are you wet? Does this make you hot?” He made a show of soaping up the griddle I’d used to make the pancakes. Instead of scrubbing, he caressed the pan with long, even strokes, all the while staring at me meaningfully.
I giggled. “Jackson stop.”
He frowned in mock outrage. “What do you mean stop? You know what they say, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” He abandoned the dishes then and grabbed me, pulling me close for a kiss.
My knees went weak as his lips took possession of mine. The weight of his hands on my hips, the way his thumbs dipping inside the waistband to stroke my skin made my heart flutter. My wolf did a little happy dance, her delicate paws prancing on the ground, ears straight up and tail wagging. She loved it when Jackson was dominant with me.
He came up for air a second later. “Well, Clo?”
“Well what?” I said, my voice breathless.
“Can you take the heat?”
I held his eyes with mine
. “Yeah, I can take the heat.” I glanced over my shoulder, checking to make sure the girls were still entranced by their cartoons. Then I slid my hand down and massaged him through his jeans until he was nice and hard.
He hissed. “Clo.”
I removed my hand and kissed his cheek again. “Wait until you see what I do when you mop the floor.” With that, I sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving him slack-jawed.
“Wait. Mop? What?” he called after me, utterly confused. “That wasn’t the plan, Clo.”
I just laughed and disappeared into the bedroom intent on getting ready to take the girls shopping. I could still hear Jackson talking to himself in the kitchen, completely flummoxed.
“Do we even own a mop?” he muttered as he banged and clanked dishes around.
I shook my head as I eavesdropped, big smile on my face.
***
Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt topped with a warm sweatshirt, I went into the living room, sitting on a chair while I put on my most comfortable hiking boots. I considered malls to be the true wilderness of the world. Give me the great outdoors any day. Shopping required more gear than any forest. The girls didn’t even notice me, completely hypnotized by some kid’s show with a color palette so psychedelic it made me wince.
Boots laced, I clapped my hands together to get their attention. “Come on girls. Time to go.” I retrieved my purse from its hook by the front door and slung it over my shoulder. Then I grabbed Jackson’s truck keys from the foyer table. His extended cab pick-up could seat four, whereas my tiny Toyota barely held two. “Turn off the TV.”
“Have a good time, ladies” Jackson said as he put the soap in the dishwasher. “I’m going back to bed.”
I gave him an arch look. “No mopping?”
He grinned. “I’ll mop later. The kitchen and then the bedroom.” His voice dipped low on the last word and he gave me a hard, pointed look that made my stomach clench. “You’re going to beg me to mop.”
I smiled sweetly at him. “Sounds awesome. I can’t wait.”
Jackson made an expansive gesture with his hands. “Oh, it will be the most amazing, fantastic mopping in the universe.”
The Alpha's Mate (Werewolf Romance) Page 8