by Celeste Raye
“Let me up, Scott.”
“Wait, what? What just happened?”
“I don’t like you looking at me like that. Like you can’t believe it or something.”
Scott was still looking at her with his mouth open. Jessica didn’t want to meet his eyes. He was laughing at her now, and her feelings for him were shrinking by the moment. Why was he laughing?
“Let me get up, Scott. I could have waited until tomorrow if I wanted a bad experience.”
That seemed to straighten him up, and while he didn’t help her get up, his lips told her that he didn’t want to make it a bad anything. He coaxed her back to the grass and pressed against her core, though this time, it was concentrated on the top, where her small nub of need was swollen. She gasped as he touched her and then whimpered when his attention moved lower.
Jessica watched his arm snake across her body to get between her thighs. She was sure that she was going to burst at any moment, but he was handling her without breaking a sweat, like he did it all the time.
Once he pressed against her entrance again, she didn’t make such a shocked sound. She knew what was coming, and she knew what it was going to feel like as well. Jessica wasn’t ready for it. She wasn’t ready for the throbbing that had started or how badly she wanted it to all be done. She wanted him inside of her.
Her innocence was something that was hers to give away, no matter how much other people didn’t believe that. She did. She didn’t want Jerry to have that part of her, not after his change as of late. Jessica wanted to be with Scott. She wanted him, and she knew deep down that was what was meant to be. Jessica could already feel the pleasure that he brought to her and knew she had more to come.
They just had to get past the hard part, the one part that she dreaded ever since she’d heard about it years ago.
“I can’t believe no one has convinced you to lie with them. You’re gorgeous, Jessica. You must have heard every line in the book.”
She agreed but didn’t know where he was going with it until he mentioned something about how lucky he was that she had chosen him. That’s exactly what she was doing, even if he made it sound weird. She had to wonder, though, now what?
Her pants were pulled off, as well as her panties. The cool air was hard on her senses because the rest of her was burning up.
His hand went back between her thighs, but the massaging and the feelings of pleasure that it brought her weren’t enough. She could do that herself. She wanted something more, something she had been waiting all of her life for. She wanted to be one with Scott; nothing else was going to do.
“Now, Scott. You are making me wait too long. I might change my mind.”
He moved like the speed of light, yanking clothes off and managing to get back on top of her before the cold breeze got to her.
She giggled, and he growled at her. His body heat kept her warm, and then another part of him was touching her, scorching her. She gasped as it moved between her lower lips. Her eyes closed, and Jessica waited for it to be over. It was this strange desire inside of her, knowing that she wanted Scott to be the man that filled her. But she didn’t know much after that. She didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about all of it.
When nothing happened, she cracked one eye open and asked him what was wrong.
He chuckled, but it was strained, and Jessica could see that he looked like he was almost in pain or something. She didn’t know how to respond. She just shrugged. “I’m waiting for you to do your thing.”
“It looks like you are getting ready to be attacked. I want you to enjoy it, Jessica.”
She didn’t know how that was possible considering she’d been told many times that the first time was always the worst. Pain was brought up every time, though sometimes Jessica thought her friends were just messing with her. They liked to see her riled up about it, but it just made Jessica feel like an idiot.
“Let’s just get it over with, Scott.”
He frowned and leaned in to kiss her. Jessica could feel the pressure now on her core, and it was going to take her breath away. She pushed back against his chest, and he wasn’t even inside of her yet. All of the nerves that she’d gathered up to make that happen were now all behind her.
His lips on hers calmed her down and then she felt more pressure. It was enough that her mouth opened in the midst of a kiss. It was hard for her to keep it together when she felt like he was going to tear her apart.
Jessica looked down between their bodies, breaking the kiss.
“Well, this isn’t so bad.”
“Sorry, Jess, but I haven’t even pushed in yet.”
“You’re not in?”
He explained he wasn’t and then captured her lips with his. This time, she felt a stretch and then a pop. The pain was intense and quick.
It took her a minute to realize that he wasn’t moving above her. He was deep inside, giving her time to get used to it all, so Jessica was clenching him, trying to get a feel for what it was like to have him inside of her.
He growled at her a couple of times, telling her she had to quit. She couldn’t, and then Jessica was informed that he wouldn’t be able to stop either.
Her naivety made it so she didn’t know what he was talking about. Then she did. Jessica clung to him while Scott showed her everything she’d been missing.
Chapter Sixteen
Scott saw the way his brother was looking at him, and it wasn’t pretty. He was waiting for them when they got back. Jake didn't say much to Jessica. She told Scott she had to go. After what they had done out in the woods, there were going to be consequences. There would have to be, and Scott knew that before he even got started. The fact was that he didn't care.
“Please tell me that you didn't just do what I think you did.”
Scott shrugged nonchalantly; he wasn't as worried about it as Jake seemed to be.
“Then I won't tell you; problem solved.”
Scott started to walk away, and Jake stopped him. “This will not go unpunished. I just want you to know that, for both of you.”
“And you, brother, are you the one that's going to punish me?”
“No, her promised mate is going to be the one that takes care of it. He's going to want to fight, and I will tell you now, Jerry might seem like a nice guy on the outside, but he is one of the strongest men in the clan. He's been battling since he was a child, and I worry that you will not be prepared for him.”
Scott had also been fighting his whole life, and Jerry wasn't the only one that could turn into a bear.
As much as Scott wasn't worried about it, it seemed like Jake was. Jake asked him why he did it, and Scott told him that he'd already told him.
“I meant it when I said I was in love with her. I don't know the why or the when, but I'm not going to just give her up. She doesn't want to marry him, so she isn’t going to.”
“What happens when you have a messed-up baby because she’s so different?”
Scott just nodded because he hadn’t even been thinking along those lines. He was still in the moment of them being together. He had a ways to go before thinking about the after effects.
“I would love it just the same. I guess it'll be the same as if one of the other ones comes up with an unknown shifter baby. Would it really change anything?”
Jake sighed loudly and then shook his head in exasperation.
“You really don't seem to get what you have done. The last thing we need right now is another battle.”
“Well, like you said, he is going to want to fight, and then it'll be over.”
“It is a fight to the death.”
Another shrug of nonchalance from Scott.
“From my experience, any fight can turn that way, if the other man is willing.”
“But this is the law. You have to fight to the death. You have to kill him or he will kill you.”
Scott didn't worry about it because he had already been told on multiple occasions that the Rebel Bears did not follo
w the rules. Why did they have to follow them now?
“You guys only follow the rules you think matter. When I get him down, I don't want to kill him if I don't have to. I think killing should be reserved for need, not want.”
Jake nodded. “You might not have a choice. He is a fierce competitor.”
“Then, if he comes to me and wants to fight, I will be obliged to fight him. But I will do my best to not hurt him if I can get away with it. I know that I stole Jessica from him. I can imagine that any man that lost her would be beside himself.”
“He would be shamed and probably leave.”
Scott was unfazed by it all. “If that is what he needs to do to be able to deal with it, then that's what he needs to do.”
“You really aren't helping things; you know that, right?”
“I'm not trying to make it difficult, but this isn't something I can back down from.”
“So now that you have impregnated her, what are you going to do? Are you going to marry her?”
Scott looked at him a little funny. “Impregnated her? We just had sex. I mean, sure, it's a possibility. It can happen, but it doesn’t mean it has happened.”
It was Jake’s turned to smile like he didn't have a care in the world. He enjoyed watching Scott's face change, as he explained to him that shifters pretty much guarantee impregnation every time, they plant their seed in their woman if she isn’t already pregnant or taking something from the medicine woman to prevent it.
“That sounds ridiculous.”
“It's just part of our evolution, Scott. There are things you can do, herbs you can drink to stop it from happening, but if nothing is done, then you can pretty much guarantee that she's pregnant.”
Scott's face was a little white now, and his brother was laughing at him.
“So now that you're going to be a father, what do you plan to do? Marry her?”
As much as Scott was in shock about the idea that they already had a child on the way, he still didn't care. All that mattered was that they were together. He was already willing to go to whatever lengths were necessary to keep her.
“If she will have me and her fiancé doesn't kill me first, then yes, I will happily marry her.”
Jake shook his head back and forth. “Just be damn lucky that the ancients are gone because they would have a field day with this. A witch and a human are one thing, but a vampire...”
He let his voice trail off, and Scott was thankful for that. Scott figured he didn’t want to hear the rest. Jake was talking about the woman he loved after all. As a woman that was now carrying his child. Scott sighed out loud.
That last thought was going to take some time to get used to.
Scott had almost made it back to the room that he now called his own before a man stepped in front of him in the hallway. This was her soon-to-be husband, or her ex-fiancé, he hoped. Jerry looked pissed.
“You and I have some words to say to each other. You’re already wearing out your welcome.”
It was a strange way to say they needed to chat, but he ignored it and tried not to get smart about it. Being a smartass wasn't going to help him out at the current moment. He needed to pull himself together and get serious.
“Can I help you?”
“I think you know who I am, and I think you know exactly what I am here for. So cut the shit.”
He knew why Jerry was in front of him. Of course, he did. He had been with his fiancé and he’d had been some of the best sex of his life. Scott couldn’t regret or be mad about that. He wasn’t going to walk into the problem, though, not if he didn’t have to.
“Why don't you spell it out for me. What's your name again?”
“Are you going to tell me that you don't know who is to marry the woman you screwed?”
It was at a point that he should probably say something like he didn’t know what he was talking about. He should have ignored it and pretended like none of it mattered. It wasn't something he could do, though.
“Look, you need to get out of my way. I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't know what's wrong with you, but you need to back up off me now.”
The guy did move, and it was probably because Scott’s veins were now popping out of his neck, and Scott thought for a moment that it might be over. He was hoping for an ending without conflict. He should have known better, though. Scott had worked around hopped-up men wanting to fight all the time. He shouldn’t have ignored the signs.
He didn't get far before he felt the man's hand on a shoulder pulling him back. Scott closed his eyes for a moment and tried to calm himself. Anger wasn't going to help anything.
Scott turned around and saw red when he got hit in the face hard. It was the last thing he remembered.
Chapter Seventeen
Jessica heard about the fight right after it happened. It wasn't the way of the gang. Usually, those types of things would be done in front of everyone, and no one would wonder what the reasoning was for it. Jessica heard it being whispered as she was walking down the hall, getting ready to go see Scott.
She’d wanted to make sure that they were still on the same page. She was about to tell Jerry that she didn't want to marry him, but then she heard about the two of them fighting in the hallway. They were fighting over her, and even though she had known that it was a possibility, it wasn't one that she wanted to really think about.
When she finally found Scott, he was cleaning places on his face that were bleeding, but there was a lot more blood on his clothing. She had to imagine that it wasn't his, because she couldn't find any more wounds with her eyes.
“Are you going to tell me what in the hell happened?”
He looked up at her and smiled. Jessica didn't know what to say, but she was thankful he was fine. As much as she liked Jerry and didn't want anything bad to happen to him, she loved Scott. It hit her like a ton of bricks and almost took her breath away with the realization.
“Where is Jerry?”
“I'm fine; thanks for asking.”
“I can see that you're fine. I can also see that you're covered in someone else’s blood, and I have to assume that it's Jerry’s.”
“Are you that upset that we got into a fight? You knew it was going to happen. It was so I could have you and we could be together.”
Jessica looked away uncomfortably. She knew the Alpha was not going to like her causing all that trouble, even if it wasn't what she’d wanted. It wasn't like she could have stopped it from happening. She wasn't even there when it did. With all that in mind, though, Jake looked at her like she was the devil.
“I’m not happy that you guys got into a fight. I was afraid that it would happen. I was going to find you, talk to you for a moment, and then I was going to break off the engagement with Jerry. I was going to take care of this. I didn't want you guys fighting. I don't want you guys fighting over me. I’m not that kind of girl to like that sort of thing.”
“I can't help it that we did, Jessica. I really couldn’t. I didn’t want to fight him, though I can understand why he wanted it. He lost you. He was basically standing in front of my door when I got in here.”
“And you were happy to oblige?”
Jessica was mad, but she could see he had not wanted to do it. There was guilt in the man's expression, but she still was concerned for Jerry. It wasn't like she loved him or anything, but it didn't mean that she wanted anything to happen to him.
“Is he still alive?”
“I was told that if we fought, it would be to the death.”
She swallowed the hard knot in her throat.
“So, you did? You killed him?”
Jessica couldn't believe Jerry was dead, and it was all because of her. It was all her fault because she hadn't broken it off with him sooner.
“No, I didn't kill him. I know I was supposed to, but I couldn't. I don't even know the guy, and I certainly don't have a reason to kill him. I know that maybe this is your way, but it's not mine. Just because I'm a shifter doesn'
t mean that I have to follow some silly rules that were made thousands of years ago. From what I hear, you guys don't listen to rules that much either.”
She felt a wave of relief wash over her because at least now, Jerry was alive. He was going to be mad, and from the looks of it, he was beaten pretty bad, but at least he was going to live. Jessica could feel the weight of his death lift off her shoulders, and she could stand a little bit taller.
“I am glad you didn't kill him. He is a good man, even if I don't love him in that way. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.”
“Is that the only reason you came to see me? Because you wanted to know if I killed him?”
Jessica looked over at his brothers and asked him in his ear if there were a way, they could get some quiet time alone.
“It’s about something personal, and I don't think you want your brothers to hear.”
When she pulled back, he looked at her with the intensity of desire in his eyes. Almost immediately, he made up an excuse so they could leave. It was so abrupt and such a bad excuse that everybody knew why. Jessica could feel her face hot with embarrassment.
When they were finally alone, she turned to him and asked again why they had gotten into a fight.
“I told you, he jumped me in the hallway. I didn’t plan on it happening, though I did know that it was a possibility. Jake told me that's how things work here. He would try to kill me. He wasn't going to succeed, but I knew it could come down to a fight. I’m just glad that’s all it was. I hope it’s over.”
“You took me away from him; of course, he wants revenge. I should have said something to him last night when I came in, but I didn't want to. I had this good feeling of us being together and I didn't want to ruin it. Now I wish that I would have because none of this would have happened.”
He told her that wasn't true. It was all going to happen whether they liked it or not. It wasn't like he wasn't going to find out. Even if she didn't tell him right away. Scott still had every intention of marrying her, and since it was always better luck to coincide with a full moon and there was one that evening, he pushed his way into what he was really thinking about.
