by Celeste Raye
Now, everything was being questioned. Now, she wondered if she had been too fast to the gate on this one. She should have spent more time looking for a way out. Jessica refused to believe that she had no choice in her own future.
She ducked out of a couple more kisses before he got frustrated with her and left the room.
The problem was, and always had been, that he was a good guy. He was handsome and strong and kind and caring. Everything she should want in a man. He had all of the qualities she needed for her to be with somebody, but even though he possessed everything that she wanted, she didn't want him.
At one point, she had been convinced that there was just something wrong with her. There had to be, because why else would she not care for him? She should. She had figured something was broken in her and that's why she couldn't feel anything. It was the only thing that made sense, but it was not a good feeling to have. Now, after meeting Scott, she was starting to realize that it wasn't her but the choices that were made for her that were wrong.
It wasn't that she was incapable of love or that she couldn't master it. She had picked the wrong person. While Jerry was a good man, he wasn't the man for her.
Jessica knew she was going to go on a run that evening. She also knew that she was going to be looking for someone in particular. It wasn’t her husband-to-be either, that she was so looking forward to seeing.
Chapter Eleven
Scott was a little overwhelmed with the scenario he found himself in. Ever since Jake and the rest of his brothers had walked into his life, everything had been topsy-turvy. Now he was standing in front of some crusty old woman, trying to figure out how it was all going to go.
This woman, who didn’t look like she could stand up on her feet for too long, was supposed to save them all. It didn’t look like the Evelyn he’d been warned about would make it through the day, let alone have the strength to lift curses and the like. She really did look bad, and he actually felt sympathy for her.
All of that sorrow changed in the blink of an eye. One minute, she was on her deathbed, and the next, she was a young woman with vibrant eyes and ruby-red lips that puckered when she talked.
She focused on Scott for a moment, and then she smiled. He was attracted to her almost immediately, his manhood twitching where he stood. He was embarrassed by the reaction of his body. She must have been a hundred years old, even if she didn’t look that way at the moment.
“So, you are the other brother?
Scott agreed. All of his brothers were treating her with respect, and he figured he should as well. Scott had heard a few stories from Jake, but he knew there was more to it. Considering the sort of power that she was said to have, he insisted on taking the safe route and acting like the rest of them. If they thought she deserved their respect, then surely, she would get his as well.
She asked a few more questions that he found were rather personal. She wanted to know what his life had been like as a human and asked him if he wanted to know more about who he really was. Scott wasn't ready for those answers, so he refused. She found it surprising, but still respected his wishes.
“When you're ready, Scott, you should come back to have a conversation about it all.”
He agreed and felt weird with everyone looking at him. He wanted the attention taken off of him. It wasn't all about him after all. This was about a curse and getting it lifted. He asked her about it, and Evelyn smiled.
“You're right; it is time to move on to what you're here for.”
He sat up straighter and wondered if Evelyn could read his mind. It was what he had been thinking. He tried to ignore the paranoid feeling he felt and pay attention to what the witch was saying. He didn't know if he should consider her young or old. She was hard to explain and understand. The only thing he knew for certain was that she had information he would want later. When he was ready for it.
The ceremony included not only Evelyn but Celeste and a few other witches that came over. She introduced them, but Scott was never going to remember all of their names. He was too swept up in the moment. Never being one to believe in magic and such things, he was rather surprised at what could be done with a little bit of chanting and some animal blood.
By the end of it, he felt different. The snake bite was quickly healing. He could feel the poison leaving his body, and Scott thought that it was one of the pros that Jessica had told him to think of. He had been so worried about becoming a beast, but he hadn't realized that there were some very real advantages to it. One of them that he could firmly agree on was healing. He was already feeling so much better, and they hadn't even left the witch’s house yet.
She mentioned something about getting their help with one thing or another, but he knew that whatever she asked for, she could have. He wasn't quite sure where it led to, but he wanted to find out. He would be back to see the witch; that much he knew for certain.
There was another celebration that night, and considering he was feeling better, there was a reason for it. The whole community was safer, but there was also something else in the air. There was a worry that he could see in Jake's face, and then when he was told of a meeting, he knew what it would be about.
There had been a mention about why the Rebel Bears had been cursed in the first place. Apparently, they had tangled with the wrong set of shifters, some old ones that called themselves the Ancients and made the clans adhere to the old ways. Scott didn't have all the information, but it didn't sound good. And since he was a Rebel Bear now, he had to get involved with all of their problems. Being a shifter wasn’t straightforward. There were a lot of enemies and things that could go wrong. Power seemed to have a dark side.
The bright side was that Scott had something to look forward to beyond a few drinks and some dancing and celebrating with his new family. Surely it should have been enough. He had found himself a whole new group of people to belong to. Scott should've stayed for a while longer. The night of festivities was partially because of his arrival. Without him there, they would not have been able to get rid of the curse.
Scott wasn't thinking about that. He went out into the woods, searching for the woman he had seen the night before. The woman that he was supposed to stay away from because if he didn't, it would cause trouble.
He went to the exact spot where he had met her before, hoping that she would still be there. They had not talked about meeting again but he was hopeful that for one reason or another, she would be there.
He knew that it would cause problems, just by the way that his brother had reacted about it, but it did not change the fact that Scott already could see himself going against his promise to leave her be. All she had to do was show up, and then he would know.
He kept telling himself that for quite a while. As much as he was convinced that they were meant to be together, the longer he waited, the harder it was to believe. Scott was about to lose faith when she finally arrived.
Scott melted inside, and as silly as it was to think so, he knew that everything was going to be alright now. Her showing up told him that all the thoughts and feelings and worries that he had, were wrong. Just her presence solidified his feelings. How could the way he felt be wrong?
“I was worried that you wouldn’t show up, Jessica. I would have hated not to have my running partner.”
“I almost didn't.”
“But you did. Here you are, and I’m glad for it.”
She nodded her head and sat down next to him. It didn’t look like she was ready to run just yet.
“I am glad too. I don’t know why I came, but—”
He stopped her from saying anything else. Scott had only one thing on his mind, and he leaned and went for the kiss that was going to tell him everything that he needed to know.
Chapter Twelve
Jessica was taken aback when she first realized that he was going to kiss her. She had this moment when she could have pushed him back and told him no. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer a
gainst his hard chest. It felt good against her own.
She heard the sound of her whimpering, and that's when she pulled away. Jessica didn't know what the hell she was doing. She was supposed to be marrying someone else, and here she was, wrapped up in Scott’s arms. It didn't seem like a good plan, and even though Jessica knew that there was very little she could do about it, she tried to pull herself together. She had to.
“You can't kiss me like that, Scott.”
“Why not? It felt like you wanted it just as much as I did.”
She looked down and couldn't meet his dark eyes. There was an urgency in them.
“I'm not saying that I didn't want it, Scott, but I shouldn't have. That's what I'm saying. Whether I want to or not, I can't kiss you. We can't do this, and I am sorry that I didn’t say something sooner.”
“Why not?”
Jessica didn’t realize that he knew about Jerry. “I'm supposed to get married in a couple of days, Scott. I don't want to string you along. We can't do this.”
He didn't have quite the reaction she thought he would. Instead of being upset about it, or even getting angry that she hadn't told him right off the bat, he shrugged his shoulders and said that he already knew.
“I was informed of that this morning when I asked my brother about you. He said that I should ignore the way I feel about you because all the men in the clan want to be with you. But you picked one, and you've been with him for two years.”
Jessica felt her face getting pink and heat rising from her neck. She didn’t know how she felt, knowing that the Alpha and Scott were talking about her in such a way.
“Jessica, I’m sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you.”
“I just didn't realize that my love life was so transparent to everyone. I certainly didn't know that it was a subject that was talked about.”
“You have to know that you have quite a few admirers. I haven’t been here long at all, and I can see that.”
She shrugged. “I guess. I don't really think about it like that. I have been asked out quite a few times, but it doesn't mean anything. That just means that my exterior is acknowledged as beautiful. That doesn't mean much to me.”
Scott don't know what to say for a moment because Jessica was unlike any woman he had ever been around. It was hard to imagine he would be able to say the right thing. Her mind worked so differently than any other woman he had met, or any person at all, rather.
“That just makes it even worse, Jessica. That just means that you're gorgeous and you don't even know it. Do you know how many men are looking for a woman just like you?”
Jessica waved him off like he was being silly. Scott wasn't joking, though. She really had no idea what she did to a man, or she would probably have a little more cockiness in her step.
“I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even try to flirt with other guys. I’ve just never felt like I wanted to.”
He wanted to believe that those feelings had changed, but he was too chicken to ask her outright. Scott wasn't sure why he was so hesitant to ask those kinds of questions. Maybe it was the fact that he was genuinely afraid of the answer.
“So, are you out here for a run tonight?”
She agreed. “And you?”
“I wouldn't mind a run, but I really just wanted to see you again. I've been busy with a bunch of nonsense, and apparently, I'm not cursed anymore, so hopefully nothing bad will happen.”
“The witch has already taken care of it? That was fast.”
Scott agreed. It was a lot easier than he thought it would be, even if the experience itself was rather strange. He was certainly getting a crash course in the magical world, and meeting Evelyn was definitely going to be hard to top.
“Yeah, Evelyn took care of it this afternoon when we went over there.”
“So, what are you going to do now?”
Scott shrugged because he wasn't really sure. He knew that he had a life to get back to at some point, but he was hesitant to leave behind the new world he had just discovered. He didn't even understand his powers or what all he could do. Scott knew something had to give. He had to figure how what his future was going to hold, but right then, he wasn't interested in that. He was interested in the young woman in front of him. The one that was getting married in just a couple of days and then would be forever out of his reach.
He knew what he wanted was impossible. Jake had told him as much. He had warned him, even, but that didn't stop Scott from wanting her. How could he not? She was making him feel something that he’d never felt before, and he didn't want it to all slip away through his fingers. She made him feel alive.
Jessica had made it so he didn't hate his new situation as much as he had at first. The idea of turning into a bear did not sit well with him. Now he could see the benefits of it instead of all of the bad. She had changed his perception, and Scott was learning very quickly that it could change his life.
“I don't know. I was thinking I was going to stick around here for a little while, but I don't think I'm going to want to watch you get married.”
She blushed and looked away.
Finally, her eyes met his. They looked troubled, and he asked her why she looked that way.
“You should be happy that you're getting married. You don't seem like normal blushing bride, though. Why is that?”
“Let's just say that the marriage doesn't have anything to do with love.”
“So, you don't want to get married?”
She shrugged and waved him off like it didn't matter one way or another.
“Just because I don't want to get married doesn't mean that I won't. My family needs it. It is the only way to bring my family name up in the world.”
“I feel like I don't understand anything since I've been here. Everything is so different. I can't imagine marrying someone if I didn't truly love them. Some people in the human world live together for a decade and never get married. Reputation and name be damned.”
“Jerry and I have never lived together. It will happen soon, though. I can't put it off any longer. It is just how it is. Humans marry all the time for money.”
“Well, I can’t see you marrying anyone for money, Jessica. So, what does Jerry have that makes you have to marry him?”
“He has respect in the clan. I ruined my family’s name when they took me in and they found out the truth about me. I’m just trying to bring it back to where it was before. I have been reminded that it’s my duty.”
“Why is that your job? Shouldn’t that be your parents’ job? And what do you mean they took you in? I think I’m more confused the more you talk, Jessica.”
She sighed loudly. Jessica didn't want to talk about it, and she made it clear when she turned into her bear and started to run. There was no time to talk now because Scott was going to have to work double-time to keep up with her. There was so much that he didn't understand. The ways of the shifters and his new family were far different than anything he had experienced before. It was going to take him time to get used to it.
The problem was Scott didn't have any time. The wedding was in two days. Two days, and then she was gone to him forever. He had a lot to figure out in just two days, but Scott was determined to make it happen. He had to. If he messed up and lost the chance, he would never get it again.
Chapter Thirteen
Jake was worried about the new brother he had not known very long. He wanted to say something to him, warn him a little more strenuously when it came to Jessica, but he didn't think that Scott would listen.
It was obvious that the man was smitten. He knew that he was going to have to bring some truth to the conversation. It was the only way that he was going to be able to turn his brother from a mistake.
Not wanting to have the discussion with him again, he put it off as long as he could, but then he found Jessica and Scott sneaking back into the clubhouse later that night and he knew that he had to say something. Scott just wasn't getting it, and he knew that it would be a
big problem if it wasn’t nipped in the bud soon.
The way the woman’s hair was tousled and Scott was smiling like an idiot, made Jake worry that maybe he was too late. Scott was running on emotions, and he needed to know the full story before he did something he would regret.
Jake found him in the hallway outside of his room and asked him to follow him. He brought him into his own room down the long hallway so they could have a private conversation. Jake didn't want to have anything that he said to be overheard. It could get ugly if it got back to Jerry.
“Are you going to tell me what's going on? You have this weird look on your face, Jake.”
At first, Jake tried to keep it together and put a bigger smile on his face. He didn't know how to approach Scott to get the best reaction. He hadn’t been around him enough to know if he should just be straightforward like he was with Fred and Donovan, or if he had to sweeten it a little bit, like he did with Charlie. In the end, he decided just to come out with it.
“I saw that you and Jessica were coming out of the woods together a little while ago. Please tell me that it's nothing more than a coincidence.”
Scott sighed loudly and made it clear to Jake that he didn't want to talk about it. Honestly, Jake didn't want to talk about it either because it wasn't going to be pleasant. He had tried before to warn him off of her, but apparently, he wasn't listening. All he could hope was that they hadn't been together in all ways. If they had been, there would be hell to pay. Promised mates were as good as married and could request revenge.
“I know that you don't want me to ask these questions, Scott, but I have to. I am the leader, and I need to know what's going on.”
“You really need to know what's going on in my love life?”
Jake swallowed hard and tried to measure his next words. “So, she's part of your love life now?”
