It was the scent that alerted him to her presence, and it was soon coupled with the visage of her standing in the lighted doorway.
“Jason?” Rose softly inquired. She took a cautious step inside. Her form became shadowed by the brilliant light behind her.
Jason’s growl softened and he finally went silent. His blazing eyes stared at her. He crouched once more, with his back hunched and a hand on the floor. The other still held the loaded Beretta and clip. He had forgotten to put them down. She had no trouble finding him in the darkness once she closed the door.
“Love?” She tried once more. Jason could smell the slight fear scent as it mingled with her personal odor. There was a hint of blood as well, and he breathed them all in.
And came to find he enjoyed it. He enjoyed the fear he caused.
Quickly, what was left of the human within him pushed that notion away. He didn’t want to hurt her. Somehow, he found himself able to release the gun and its extra clip. They clattered to the floor.
The sound in itself was startling and Rose jumped. She faced him but kept her distance across the room. The fear scent became stronger.
Normally, Jason was not aggressive, even in wolf form, but he felt provoked. And now, his angry feelings manifested in such a way that he didn’t care who he hurt, just as long as he could cause some pain.
No! The human part of him screamed, now trapped within where the wolf had once dominated. This could not be happening. He was going to hurt someone and he didn’t want to.
Rose took a couple more steps closer and stared at him. “Jason…” she began, her voice remained low. “Please don’t give into this.” She knew as well as he did what would happen. Neither of them wanted it.
“Calm down,” she continued and took one more step forward.
Rose wasn’t his target and he knew. His target was the PRDI. His target was the hunters. He hated them. God, how he hated them.
The consuming feeling began to slowly fade. Perhaps the human logic was finally reaching him, or it was Rose’s presence that was comforting. Whatever it was, he became calm. He let out a soft whimper and Rose was almost immediately at his side. She knelt upon the hard floor. Her arms embraced him tightly.
For the first time ever in their relationship, Jason began to cry. Rose became his shoulder to cry on and he buried his face against her neck. His tears wet her skin. Rose remained silent, with her head bent over his. Her hands smoothed down his back. Her hair fell over him as if to create some shield to protect him from this place.
All the accumulated stress, fear and worry now came from him in salty tears. He sniffed once or twice and pulled back from her to wipe his blurry eyes. When his still golden eyes locked onto hers, there was a silent understanding, a wordless exchange of thoughts.
“It’s been so long since that’s happened…” He looked and sounded tired, and Rose knew he wouldn’t readily admit it. She gave a bleak smile.
“It’s okay.”
Those two words were all it took to make him fall silent. As he looked at her, his eyes began to change and became their normal, brilliant blue. They were bloodshot, however, and swollen around the eyelids from the crying. It had tired him out.
Jason stood to his feet, Rose rising along with him. He towered over her in the darkness. He felt dazed and Rose gently took his upper arm and led him to the bed. He complied by sitting there.
He watched her for a moment as she removed his boots and placed them on the floor beside the bed. He fell back against the clean coverlet and closed his eyes. He was tired, sleepy, and his near shift had taken a lot of his energy. He wanted to sleep.
Jason let out a sigh as Rose removed his socks, and then removed her own footwear. He lay there in silence and listened to the rapid beating of his own heart. It had been a close call.
His thoughts were interrupted when Rose climbed over him and into the bed. He could feel her soft hair brush across his neck and face as she moved her hands along his sides and lifted his shirt up. It was discarded on the floor with his socks and boots.
Jason opened his eyes and stared up at her. She leaned over him, looked at him. Her eyes sparkled.
“What are you doing?” he asked softly. Rose smiled gently and gave something of a shrug.
“Nothing.”
Jason fell back against the bed again. His eyes once more closed. Rose’s warm body pressed against him. He didn’t know what she was doing because he fell in and out of consciousness. When she leaned down, bare flesh touched his naked chest. Her ring necklace was warm from her body when it brushed light across his nipple. He opened his eyes with a slight start and began to sit up. Rose pressed against his shoulders, pushing him back.
“What—” he started to ask, but Rose silenced him with a kiss. He kissed back, regardless of the slight confusion hovering over him.
When she pulled back, Jason stared up at her, bewildered. She smiled but it was a different smile. It was gloomy.
“We’ve had so many bad things happening to us lately, love…” she whispered, one of her hands softly brushed pieces of his hair away from his face. Her smile faded, and she tilted her head so her hair fell down past her shoulder and against her bare breast. Wisps barely reached her pink nipple. Jason was transfixed.
“I know…” he said softly, but she silenced him again, this time by placing one finger against his lips.
“I want something good to happen to us, even if it’s only for a moment. There’s been too much stress and too much pain…” Her eyes matched her previous smile. They too were gloomy, and no longer sparkled. They had become a sullen grey, and she stared down at him, as if pleading silently for something.
“Rose, you don’t have to,” Jason protested. He tried to rise from the bed, but Rose prevented him from doing so.
“But I want to,” she stressed. “Even if it’s only for one moment.”
“What are you talking about?” Jason asked vaguely. He was still disoriented from the close call. Rose moved her hands along his chest. She curled her fingers just lightly in the dark hair there. She said nothing more and began planting the smallest of kisses along his exposed throat.
Jason let out a deep breath and did not argue anymore. Her touch was soft and gentle, so very complimenting to her personality. He allowed her to do what she wished.
Her fingers trailed slowly down his sides, tickling just along his ribs. He let out a short laugh, which, in turn, caused Rose to smile happily for a brief moment. Her kisses continued to trail lower, along his chest, and her hands moved across his stomach to the button of his jeans. Soon, his jeans and underwear had joined the pile of clothes growing on the floor.
Jason let out a guttural moan as Rose’s slender hand circled around his hardness. It glided effortlessly along it. He took in a deep breath and held it as she teased him. When he looked down at her, she was still smiling.
She removed her hand from him so she could undo her own pants. As she did, Jason watched her. He sat up on his elbows. He lifted an eyebrow.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked again. Of all the things they should be doing, preparing for an attack, keeping on guard, and Rose was attempting to seduce him.
Not attempting, Jason had to tell himself, but succeeding.
Rose paused when she had removed her pants. Now she stood in just her panties, looking at him. Her hair was already a tangled mess but it framed her face beautifully. She bit on her lip a moment, uncertainly.
“Why must you question me?” she asked softly. She sounded a little hurt. “I love you, Jason. I want to make love to you. I want to share a moment with you. Tomorrow, we may not have this chance. Tomorrow could be the end.” Tears glistened in her eyes and he sat up more.
“Don’t cry…” he whispered. "That's not true. Nothing is going to happen, Rose. Tomorrow, we'll go. We'll get out of here and find another safe place."
Rose sighed and she closed her eyes. "There are no safe places, Jason. This was our only option. Where will we go?"
Jason thought on it while he watched her. She slipped off the panties and Jason searched her nude form. Her hair was dark above her womanhood, curling very slightly. He knew it was soft to the touch and longed to feel it suddenly.
"I don't know," he was able to say. Rose tilted her head as she looked at him. "I'll keep you safe Rose, I promise."
"You've already promised that," she said, forcing a little smile onto her face. "Please keep it…"
A bare sheen of sweat already glistened on her body. She climbed over him and pressed against him as another kiss began. It was a deep and passionate kiss, so like the ones they had when first dating. He gave into it and his hands ran along her back and sides. He loved the feel of her smooth skin against his palms and fingertips.
Her womanhood pressed against him, already wet and hot, and Jason once more let out a moan. Throbbing against her, he lifted his hips up and pressed himself to her in a silent but not so subtle hint of his desire. It was Rose’s turn to moan.
She broke the kiss and gave him a playful and tender nip to the bottom lip.
“Watch it, you.” She grinned down at him. “I’m in charge for now.”
He grinned back. His hands snaked behind her and ran along her ass. The kiss quickly resumed with more passion and desire than before.
The teasing went on for a while and Jason enjoyed every moment. He liked it when she was in charge every once in a while. He smiled to himself, eyes closed.
Now and again, he did something to take Rose off guard, to cause her to moan or gasp, and when he did, he grinned at her. He wasn’t afraid of any reprimands. And besides, she was enjoying as much as he was.
When finally, he entered her and she began the grinding dance, moving her hips in just the right rhythm, the worries and fears of the past few days started to melt away. Jason’s hands supported the small of her back. Her long hair just barely reached his fingertips as she leaned her head back. A sigh of ecstasy passed her lips. Her head tilted back, the necklace at her throat glinted softly.
The movements continued. Pleasure grew then ebbed as she prolonged it for a little while longer. Jason leaned his head back as the final wave of passion overcame him. He let out a groan and pulled Rose closer to him. A moment later, she came. Her body shuddered, and her fingernails dug into the flesh of Jason’s shoulder. She bit hard on her bottom lip to suppress her moan. A small trickle of blood dripped down her lip. He panted heavily and stared as she licked it away.
It was over almost too quickly. They lay there, sticky with sweat and fluid from one another. Rose rested her head against his shoulder and a sigh left her. It wasn’t a content sigh and Jason sat up on his elbow to look at her.
“What is it?” he said softly. His hand smoothed wet strands of her hair away from her face. Rose shrugged and rolled onto her back. She stared at the ceiling. She sighed again, deeper this time. She fully exhaled so her chest lifted and fell quite visibly. Jason watched her breasts rise and fall and then returned his attention to her face. She looked quite sad.
“I don’t know,” she finally said after a short period of silence. She glanced at him. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, but also drowsiness. She wanted to sleep more than talk.
Something was bothering her, but she didn’t want to, or could not say just what it was. Jason really didn’t want to push the issue further. He lay on his side and pulled her close. One arm wrapped around her waist and this time his head rested against her shoulder. A white scar lined her shoulder. It had not yet fully disappeared, but Jason knew it eventually would. He forced himself not to look at it.
“Okay, love. Let’s go to sleep then.”
Jason felt drowsiness lingering on his consciousness as well and he started to drift. He made himself snap awake and he looked at Rose. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow. She was already asleep.
A soft smile tugged on the corners of Jason’s lips, but it went away as his thoughts began to drift. As he stared at her sleeping form, he realized the potential danger of what could’ve happened. He felt a sting of regret and anger at himself.
He looked down at the hand that rested on Rose’s stomach, at the perfectly formed human limb. To think, it could’ve become something deadly and razor sharp with claws. Ruin could’ve come so easily to her, and the others here.
Jason hadn’t voiced it, but he was thankful she had entered when she did. It seemed she was the only thing that could’ve stopped him. He closed his eyes and sighed. He didn’t know just what he would do without her.
As sleep began to overtake him, Jason made a silent vow: He would not risk hurting anyone else unless it was the goddamn hunters following them. He would not risk losing his mate, his whole world. He would not risk becoming the mindless beast Hollywood and fiction played their kind to be. He would not sink to that level.
With that thought in his mind, Jason slipped off into an actual sleep, for the first time in days, but it was hardly content.
Chapter Twenty
He hated the neighborhood with a passion. The pristine sidewalks and perfectly expensive looking houses on the block made Davis feel sick. Anger and jealously curled within him. How quickly he was reminded of the drudgery and poverty stricken upbringing he had endured. He avoided looking out the windshield.
He hated the people who lived in these places. All snobs. They never had to want for anything. He tried not to grimace. It didn’t look like a place the wolves would run to.
It didn’t make much sense.
“We traveled all the way here, for what? This? Are you sure this is the right place, Simon? It looks too…” He was at a loss for the final word, but he was sure it would be understandable what he was talking about.
Simon sat in the passenger seat of the nonmoving van, and he was silent for now. Eric remained in the driver’s seat and it was his large hands the encompassed the steering wheel now. Both stared out the window.
Claire still sat across from Davis. He watched her as she looked toward the front, out the window. She stared out at the neighborhood as if it didn't bother her. Davis quickly reminded himself they were from different backgrounds; she was probably used to places like this.
“Davis, you, of all people, should know their…kind,” Simon spoke the last word with a bitter distaste, “can be anyone, anywhere. They can be middle class factory workers, poor drunken slobs on the street, or rich and debonair aristocrats. It doesn’t matter.”
Davis rolled his eyes, thankful Simon didn’t look back at him at that moment. Claire watched him out of the corner of her eye, but resumed her typing, apparently trying to not seem interested. Eric continued to smoke on his half gone cigarette.
“But why here?” Davis asked. He lifted an eyebrow just a bit. The Beretta in his hand felt warm because he had been holding it a long while. He looked down at it as he wanted for Simon’s reply.
“The PRDI safe house is just there.” Simon pointed it out. It was a large stone two-story building, about a half a block down and across the street from them. Its vast front lawn was illuminated by a few spotlights. The grass looked freshly mowed and the sidewalk out front well cared for.
Davis had to sit up and strain his head to get a clear view of it. His eyes did not go wide, but instead narrowed a bit. He sat back down and resumed playing with his gun.
Claire too had looked at the house, and she had to admit she was impressed. She had been reading the files Simon had thrown at her, and she had gathered that the PRDI was an under-funded institute, quickly become obsolete in this day and age. People had lost faith in it apparently. Claire could understand why.
She didn’t believe much about the supernatural. She still had not been given any proof to support anyone’s claims on werewolves. But, nevertheless, she was involved here, and it couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t like she could exactly get out. As Simon had illustrated earlier, she would have to be dead to do so.
This shit was seriously wrong.
Claire gave a glance at
Davis, who didn’t notice her, and shook her head. She resumed her typing on the word processing program. She had a few more things to add to her journal.
It was without a doubt incomplete, and Claire had a feeling she would be adding to it for a very, very long time.
As Claire continued her journaling, she pretended not to listen in on the conversation. The words idly left her fingertips. Her eyes never really focused on the screen.
“Just how are we supposed to get in there? A place like that has got to have security systems…” Davis said.
A chuckle sounded from Simon. Eric grinned and threw a couple of disapproving glares at Davis now and again, but he never said a word. His dark eyes now focused on the building down the street.
“We’re going to open the door and step in. It’s as simple as that.”
There was a pause and Davis opened his mouth to object. Claire even glanced at Simon with a disbelieving look. He continued before either of them could say anything.
“The PRDI doesn’t deal much with security,” he explained. “They’ll probably have a few cameras and the like and possibly alarms, but nothing more. They’re under-funded, as you well know, and these things aren’t within their budget.” A grin spread across his face. “It makes things a hell of a lot easier for us.”
Davis scoffed and spoke under his breath. “No shit.” He resumed ejecting his clip and snapped it back into the gun. He had done this over and over again, and it was becoming annoying to Claire.
No one said anything else for a long while, and Claire was actually thankful for the break in arguments. She watched Simon as he stared out the window and through the haze of his cigarette smoke, she could see a few lights on in the upper floors of the building. A few shadows moved into the light now and again, but that was all she could see.
Davis’ clip slipped out from the pistol again and it went back into the slot with an audible click. Claire threw a glance in his direction, but she said nothing. She knew he, just like her, did not want to be here. This was not the situation either of them had thought they were getting into. Claire was grateful that she hadn’t gone through what he did. She couldn’t even imagine what that must be like, murdering someone unwillingly, because someone made them, so they could fit in.
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