by Jade Alters
“It’s okay, Jessica. I promise. If I believed it wasn’t safe for you to be here, I’d take you straight home. Trust me.”
“I do.”
And though I’d only known him for a while, and though my instincts screamed that it was crazy to stay here, on a deeper level it was true. I did trust Blake. I trusted him enough that his hand in mine, solid and sensible and careful, was enough to soothe away the blindness and terror of that stretch of lonely time in the dark.
Blake
When I woke up in the middle of the night, it wasn’t too unusual. There was a lot on my mind, and I didn’t need much rest to get by. What was unusual was the sensation I had of discomfort. That there was something else I had to do before I went back to sleep.
I frowned and swung my feet out of bed. The air still carried a light scent of iron-rich blood. Ordinary human noses were not so sensitive, but it still felt wrong to keep Jessica in such a violent environment — safe though it was. I made my way out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me so as not to disturb Stone. I wasn’t even sure what I was heading out to do before I caught sight of her.
Jessica was standing at the end of the corridor, leaning on the sill to look out of the window into the darkness. From the light glow of the candle beside her, I could make out the shape of the torn bodies of our attackers in the yard — left deliberately, to discourage any further attempts.
“Is that them, out there?” she asked, voice soft and quiet.
I was surprised that she’d noticed me. Even more so that she didn’t sound openly horrified at the thought of it. Instead, she sounded numb. Distant.
“It is,” I confirmed. Only then did she look over her shoulder to take me in, the thin straps of her night dress not offering much protection against the nighttime cold. I could see the skin on the back of her neck raising and resisted the urge to touch her — to warm her up with my shifter’s higher body temperature. Instead, I kept my distance. Let her keep her space as she turned back to face the dark.
“It looks like a bobcat got to them or something,” she noted. “Maybe something even bigger. You sure it’s okay to leave them out there?”
“There’s nothing that can get inside,” I assured her. She picked up the candle, lingering a few more seconds before she looked my way. “I promise. You’re safe here.”
“It’s you boys I’m worried about,” she said. “I didn’t know there was such dangerous wildlife out here.”
The knowledge that I’d have to tell her the truth about our nature swelled up in me, but this wasn’t the time. Stone and I hadn’t even had a chance to talk to Hale and Preston about it all yet.
“We’ll be fine,” I said. “What about you? You okay? Can’t sleep?”
“That’s a lot of questions.”
She smiled at me, and I felt my built-in stiffness begin to ease away. I didn’t spend much time with Jess alone, and doing so now only made me more certain that she was our one mate. I could practically feel my lion calling out to her from inside me, lifted up by the sight of her smile.
“I’m fine,” she answered, after she saw me smile back. “I mean… I’m not. It was scary being down there. Imagining what might be happening to all of you. It shook me, but I’ll be okay.”
“Probably best not to look outside in the light,” I suggested. “It’s a mess out there.”
“Think I’d have been standing at this window so long if I was squeamish?”
Jessica had a point, but it only raised another question. “How long have you been here?”
She sighed. “Too long. I meant to get a drink, but I just got… stuck, I guess.”
I tipped my head towards the kitchen. “C’mon. Go have a seat in there. I’ll make you something.”
“I can get myself a glass of water,” she insisted, bumping her elbow into mine as she passed me. Her eyes caught on my bare torso, her playful smile melting into something a little less guarded — a little less measured. Clearly, she liked what she saw; it encouraged me to meet her gaze, and skim my eyes over her body too.
“I’m sure you can,” I said, delayed. “But let me do this for you. You just… rest.”
Whether she was actually convinced or just knew I wouldn’t give up the fight, Jessica relented and made her way to the couch, peering over the stiff back cushions to watch me fill the glass. Even in the low light, her blonde hair still shone, and there was an otherwordly glow to her skin.
No doubt about it. She was my mate. It didn’t surprise me that the others felt this way too.
“Sorry,” she said, sinking back behind the cushions a little as I caught her looking.
“What are you sorry for?”
I made my way over, and took the seat beside Jessica on the couch as I handed her the water. She seemed almost hesitant — not afraid of me, but not quite comfortable with me either. I shifted away, just a fraction, but she leaned right in to make up the gap.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “You’re just kind of intimidating, I guess.”
She hadn’t taken a drink yet. The condensation formed against the glass, and her eyes remained focused on mine. I tried to soften my smile, leaning back against the back of the couch.
“I don’t try to be.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s just a natural thing. Hale is the same way.”
“Not the others?”
She gave me an awkward smile, hiding behind the glass. She must have been paying attention to all of us. That was a good sign. “Not in the same way, no. Stone feels like… I don’t know. He’s more approachable, somehow. And Preston is just… Preston.”
“He’s quiet, huh? Soft.”
“To a point.”
Jessica angled herself towards me a little more. Did she even know she was doing it? I turned too, elbow perched on the back of the couch to hold up my head. She was only a foot or two away from me.
“Well, I’m sorry for being unapproachable.”
“It’s not that,” she insisted, cheeks blushing up. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I hummed, watching as she finally remembered the glass of water was for drinking instead of hiding behind, and the way her full lips pressed against the rim as she drank. “I guess I can be a little over-serious, though.”
“You just have a lot of responsibility.”
“We all do, really,” I said, not wanting to take credit away from the rest of my pride. “But yeah, I do. I’m glad you understand. I don’t want to be unfriendly to you.”
“I certainly wouldn’t say that.”
My eyes drifted down to her upturned palm, sliding across the couch cushion towards me. Unthinking, I took it, and felt the warmth of her hand in mine — the spark of attraction that flew between us. I rested my thumb on her wrist, touch light enough to feel the rhythm of her pulse as it lifted and quickened.
“We’re all so lucky to have you here,” I told her. Even though I knew the others would never listen in I still kept my voice low, saving what I said just for her. “I’m lucky to have you here, even if I’m not too good at showing it.”
Jess smiled. For a second, I thought I’d said too much too soon. She kept her silence, just holding my eye contact for a few beats. Then she gave my hand a gentle squeeze and shifted closer beside me, her side pressing into mine.
My arm shifted over her shoulder, natural and fond. The longer we spent curled up together, voices too quiet to disturb the night, the more that contact felt something more than fond. I could feel my whole body pulling towards her, both human and lion. I was a 30-year-old man, and this wasn’t the first time I had been close to a woman like this. Far from it — but there was something different about her. Something in her scent that drew me to her. Something that promised there was more than a physical connection building between us, even in our comfortable silence.
“You’ve been so kind to me,” she said, after a while. The empty glass lay forgotten on the table, light reflecting off the rim — and her eyes. It to
ok me a beat to notice that I was staring, falling forward into the blue.
“You deserve a lot more than kindness.”
It wasn’t supposed to be a euphemism, but I saw her smile widen, slow with shy restraint, and matched it. If she wanted to take it that way, I wouldn’t stop her.
“I’d like a lot more,” she admitted.
I leaned back, feeling her follow me into the space. When she climbed across my lap, I felt the weight of her body press into my lap — felt my cock stir to attention underneath her, unrestrained in the loose fit of my sweatpants.
She gasped, rocking her hips against me. The strap of her night dress fell down over one shoulder, and I leaned to kiss the bare skin it left, tasting the night air on her body.
“Blake…”
“I don’t want to rush you,” I said, even as my heart pounded against hers. Even as I could feel my lion stirring. Eager. Desperate. “If you want to go slow. If this isn’t what you want…”
“I want it. I do.”
Without a second more to waste, I pressed our foreheads together, drinking in the moment. I wanted to savor the sensation of being close to her for the first time, but I couldn’t wait for long before nudging her nose with mine, and meeting her lips for a deep, long kiss.
I could feel her melting against me — the light pressure of her chest against mine, her nipples forming soft peaks below the thin fabric of her night dress. I could feel her breath picking up as we kissed, and her hands raking through the short sides of my hair.
“God,” she said, pulling back a little and cupping my face. “What are you doing to me?”
“I haven’t even started,” I said. I slid my hands up her thighs, fingertips creeping beneath the soft cotton of her night dress. Jessica shivered closer, knees tightening around me. My hands traveled further up, and I let her shuddering breath guide me to continue, feeling her lean closer and the hot air of her breath against my neck as my fingertips ghosted the front of her panties.
“Blake…”
I groaned, catching her lips again as I rode the sensation of her friction against my cock. She ground down into me, keening and moaning. When she let her dress fall away from her top half, pooling at her waist and exposing the soft, smooth mounds of her breasts, I leaned forward to kiss them. “You’re beautiful.”
Her hands trailed down, leaving a line of fire across the sharp-cut lines of my abs. I could tell what she wanted even before she began tugging at my waistband. Taking her weight, I lifted both her and my hips so that she could tug my sweatpants down, and relished in the eager gasp I heard as she found nothing but skin underneath.
“God! You’re so big. I want you so bad.”
Without my sweatpants between us, I could feel her panties damp against my cock. She was desperate now, arching her back and rocking down into me.
“Fuck, Jessica. You’re so wet.”
She moaned, lifting one of my hands down to guide it to the crotch of her panties. I rubbed a small circle over the front of her sex, enjoying the rippling sounds of her pleasure, and then pulled the fabric gently aside.
“Please, Blake. I can’t wait any more.”
I kissed her again, humming my agreement, and only broke away to guide my cock to her entrance. I lifted her slightly, ears tuned to the soft staccato of her enjoyment, and let her come down on me. Felt the sweet heat of her — the perfection of sliding together.
“Oh, God, Blake…”
She was already moving on me, rolling her hips forward to ride her pleasure out of me. I would have given her anything she wanted, and wouldn’t stop her for the world — so I kept my hands on her hips, carefully guiding and lifting her as she loved herself on my cock.
Even now, it felt like more than sex. When I saw the bounce of her breasts, or the red flush across her collarbones, or caught a glimpse of her beautiful sex, it took my breath away. It was so much more than the physical pleasure we felt — and it was we. I could feel her excitement magnifying mine. Knew that I couldn’t feel good unless she did.
Her eyes fluttered shut, head tossed back as she rode herself closer to her peak.
“Mmm.”
“Yeah, Jessica,” I said, massaging at her hips with tight hands. “God. Just like that. You’re so fucking perfect.”
I could have lost myself just watching her. I almost did, but only when she came did it finally push me over — only when her eyes screwed up tight, mouth falling open as her back arched hard, body clenching around me and shuddering with the intensity of her pleasure. I came too, thrusting up inside her with a quiet groan of pleasure, and holding her there close against me. We were close enough to kiss, but for a few long moments we just caught our breath, noses pressed together and with her arms wrapped tight around me.
“Oh my god,” she said. The tension in her body loosened and she shifted forward against me, suddenly loose and soft against my bare chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close as I felt her heartbeat finally begin to slow.
“Uh-huh,” I agreed. After all these years of searching, I’d never felt such an intense connection before, not least the first time I’d been with a woman. I didn’t want to let her go. Didn’t feel like she wanted me to. I kissed the cool dampness of her forehead, and let my mind focus on the rise and fall of her chest — the squash of her breasts against me. “You are… absolutely perfect.”
“No,” she insisted, nuzzling into my shoulder — but I could feel her smiling, and I smoothed my hands over the small of her back.
“Yes,” I insisted. “Perfect. Just… incredible.”
Sometime in the night, I’d have to take her back to her room. We couldn’t wake up in the morning, still surrounded by the scent of sex, as the other North men made their way through the room — but for now, at least, we could just stay like this, wrapped up in each other. Wrapped up in the moment. At peace.
Hale
The more time passed by, the more all of our lives began to revolve around Jess. Though we hadn’t had time for the group meeting Blake wanted until today, it was growing increasingly obvious that we all felt the same way about her — and that none of us were jealous about that. When she smiled at Preston, or touched Stone’s shoulder as she reached for something beside him, it felt just as natural as it did when she blushed at me.
It also felt particularly obvious that we were all beginning to worry about her. Those smiles and blushes didn’t seem so frequent any more. It could still be the attack frightening her, I figured. It had been less than a week. Still, there was a palpable concern in the air.
I didn’t know whether she could be our One Mate, or if this was just a wild coincidence. It wasn’t my call to make. But judging by Blake’s decision to have us meet outside today, where Jess couldn’t hear us, I could begin to guess.
We stopped in the woods. At intervals of ten meters or so, there were scattered remains to remind our one-time attackers that they were not welcome here. It was unlikely that they’d return, but we all had our guard up in any case — noses filled with the rusted metal scent of old blood, and the occasional cloying hint of decay.
Our eyes all fell on Blake, waiting for him to speak. Normally I’d be making a joke, but now didn’t seem like the time to fool around.
“Alright,” he said, looking between all of us. “We should talk about Jessica.”
“She seems… low,” said Stone, not missing a beat. It didn’t surprise me that he was first to speak up. As much as we all adored her, she and Stone had been totally comfortable around each other right from the very beginning. “That’s my main concern.”
“I agree,” said Blake, holding up a hand. “But I also want to make sure we’re all on the same page here. We’re all feeling something for her.”
Stone nodded, eyes focused and intense. Preston nodded too — but slower, and more deliberate. He cleared his throat.
“I want to be upfront,” Preston said. “We slept together. About a week ago, once I wasn’t so sick. It just kind
of… happened. It felt right.”
My heart flipped. I felt no jealousy whatsoever — just a prickle of excitement that she felt comfortable enough to be with Preston like that. To think that sometime soon, she might want to be with me too.
Preston’s eyes darted between all of us, checking for signs of anger or displeasure. He didn’t find any. Instead, Blake nodded.
“Me too.”
“You have?” Stone blinked. If I didn’t know him so well, I might think there was a little envy in his tone, but I heard that uptick in his voice for what it was: surprise. “When?”
“The night of the attack,” said Blake. “She was awake, standing at the window. Of course, I had to make sure she was okay, and… one thing led to another.”
“I think I understand, then,” said Preston. “I assumed she was scared of another attack, but… maybe she just feels guilty. Hasn’t really been looking at me so much recently.”
“Of course,” I piped up. “She wouldn’t know what the hell a One Mate is even if she did know we were shifters. She’d just feel like she was… I don’t know, going behind our backs. She probably has no idea what the hell’s going on with her.”
Stone’s lips pressed into a firm line. “We’ve got to tell her.”
“Right now?” I scrubbed at my jaw, unconvinced. “I don’t know. If she’s already down, what’s a shock like that going to do to her? I think we should wait. Maybe she’ll get an instinct for it. Not the shifter stuff, but… with the four of us, at least.”
“Somehow,” said Preston, “I don’t think it’s as easy as that. For all we know, she thinks that being with multiple guys is immoral whether it’s with permission or not.”
“Some humans do it,” Stone pointed out.
“But not all of them.” Blake folded his arms. His voice had that tell-tale firmness; he’d made his decision, and as pride alpha, we were instinctively ready to follow. “Preston is right. Monogamy is pretty much the default setting for humans. She may already feel like she’s doing something wrong; I don’t want to overwhelm her with expectations. Let’s just take it easy and give her some time to come to terms with everything so far. Give her some space. Yes?”
