Bold & Beautiful

by Christin Lovell

  I turned off the TV and lifted her into my arms. I carried her upstairs as carefully as possible and laid her down on the bed. She immediately turned on her side and snuggled into the pillows. I gently kissed her head, inhaling her scent from the source. My wolf growled as her essence swirled inside my lungs. Feeling him close to my surface again, I pulled back.

  I left her door slightly ajar as I went to my room. I left my own wide-open, fear not allowing me to close her off in case she needed me. I grabbed my laptop and started researching.

  What I found was overwhelming. Sure, it wasn’t as bad as if she had cancer, but she would be on hormone therapy for the rest of her life. And her symptoms and side effects were a mile long. Fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, memory loss… Some of them were scary to imagine.

  I dug deeper into pediatric hypothyroidism and found that surgery seemed to be common. It also appeared to have a link in permanent thyroid tissue loss which could have worsened her condition.

  Autoimmune disease was common in patients with hypothyroidism. I wasn’t prepared to read that it was essentially her body attacking itself, nor was I ready to read the depths of which it could debilitate a person.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. My wolf was angry, in a rage that set my soul on fire. All of this information only drove my need to protect her more. I was pissed at her mother. How the hell could you leave your child who had a medical condition for days on end with no food and no utilities? I would give her mother credit for making sure she had her medicine. The bottles appeared to have been recently filled, but that didn’t erase all of her negligence.

  My phone beeped with a new text message. I slammed my laptop shut, harder than I meant to. I wasn’t coping to well with my mate’s condition. It didn’t seem fair.

  I grabbed my phone off my dresser. Brody had text me.

  Everything good?

  I quickly replied. Define good.

  A few seconds later my phone went off again.

  Guess not. Did you tell her?

  No.

  You in check?

  Barely.

  I’m here if you need backup. Brody was always there if I needed back up. That was part of our bond, part of our future legacy as alpha and beta. He was my best friend for life, in wolf and human form.

  Thanks. I tossed my phone on my bed.

  I felt boxed in. I had so much on my mind, so much in my head. Above all, I couldn’t get over the fact that she was next door to my room and I couldn’t be with her. I couldn’t cuddle with her; I couldn’t do anything.

  Abruptly I heard her breathing change to short, shallow breaths. My heart raced, fear creeping through me. I dashed to her room and found her trembling on the bed. My wolf sliced my chest as dread dried my veins and dehydrated my tongue.

  I rubbed her arm and called her name, trying to wake her. “Aura. Aura. Aura, please wake up. Talk to me, please.”

  Her eyes shot open in alarm; her body continued to shake in tiny quivers. She must have heard the panic in my voice because she grabbed my hand and kissed the inside of my palm. “I’m alright, Jonas. I’m just cold.”

  I remembered that being on the symptoms list. Shit. I didn’t cover her up when I laid her down. It was hot outside. I usually slept without a blanket since my body temperature was slightly higher than normal regularly. I didn’t stop and think.

  I lifted her off the bed with one arm. She screeched, her eyes widened as she clung to me.

  I chuckled. “Werewolf strength, remember?”

  “You were serious about that,” she mused.

  I threw the covers back and set her down. I pulled the blankets up and around her shoulders. I moved closer so she could see me in the limited light from the hallway. “I would never lie to you, Aura.”

  She licked her lips, an innocent move that sent my wolf into a frenzy. That was a werewolf trait, something we did when we were ready to pounce on our prey, when we were thinking about how good they were going to taste.

  Screw it. I walked around to the other side of the bed and slid between the covers.

  “What are you doing, Jonas?” Her tone didn’t reveal much in the way of emotion.

  “I’m a naturally hot blooded werewolf who can warm you up quickly.”

  She worried her bottom lip, her facial features scrunching as she gazed in my general direction. “Jonas, I…” Her voice was tight; her body had stiffened. “I can’t… I mean you can’t…” She sighed. “This just won’t work. We’re from two different worlds, literally. And as great as you are, I’d rather have you as a permanent friend than a temporary boyfriend.”

  My body began to cramp as my wolf broke through my surface in a moment of crushed weakness.

  “Aura.” I balled my hands into fists and fought my wolf with every fiber of my being. I shot up out of the bed and put some distance between us.

  Chapter 26

  AURA

  “Jonas.” Concern. All I had was concern for him. He face was contorted like he was in pain.

  He backed towards the door. In the doorway, he gripped the frame, splintering the wood under his strength. He closed his eyes, lowering his head. His muscles were rolling and coiling but not changing, as if he was fighting the shift.

  His head shot up and his eyes, glowing a bright gold, sought me. He growled a low, menacing rumble from his gut. That’s when I knew he was struggling for control.

  I slid off the bed.

  “Aura, don’t!” His body shook, his veins bulging against his skin.

  I slowly started walking towards him.

  “Aura, stop!”

  I continued, never hesitating. There was one thing I was certain of: I wasn’t afraid of Jonas or his wolf.

  “He’ll bite you.” He was pleading with me.

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re our mate.” He cried out as I heard the first snap of bone. Even though his eyes were glowing, the single word he whispered was all Jonas’. “Run.”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  This whole time I feared Jonas as a temporary boyfriend, if at all, because I knew he would eventually find his mate. I’d been fighting my hope, fighting my body’s natural reaction to him, my body’s instinctual draw to him, because I feared it was one-sided. I would never be a werewolf. I would never truly fit into his world. But he’d proven to me in a short time what he was willing to do for me.

  He’d brought me into his world, made no excuses for my presence and didn’t shun me for our differences, physical or otherwise. He treated me how I wanted to be treated: like I was worthy of love, worthy of being taken care of, regardless of my size. He showed me in everything he did that I deserved more out of life, and he showed me with every move that he would do his damndest to offer it to me. If that wasn’t the type of guy I should commit to, then I didn’t know what was.

  Even now, Jonas was trying to save me from himself. He fought his own need with my best interest at heart. He was giving me a choice when he didn’t one.

  I couldn’t let him suffer like that though.

  I saw the final plea in his eyes before he fell to the ground. His clothes shredded with a loud, rip that echoed through the space. He shrugged his entire body and, like magic, fur sprouted from every pore. His fingers shortened, his nails narrowed and grew. His nose elongated, his jaw breaking and reconfiguring the bottom half of his face into a snout. Even the shape of his eyes changed.

  Watching every painful step of his transformation had me cringing. The pops and crunches that I heard had fear settling heavily in my chest. That couldn’t be easy to endure yet it was a magnificent sight to see. It almost felt like an out-of-body experience, like I was lost in another book experiencing what the main character did. Only, this time, it was real. Jonas was real. I was real. And his wolf was real.

  I stared at the wolf before me. Even now, I knew Jonas was in there fighting to keep the wolf in place, otherwise he probably would have attacked me by now. Slowly, I lowered myself to the floor and s
at Indian style. I swept all of my hair over my right shoulder. I slid my bra strap and tank sleeve down off my shoulder.

  I looked at Jonas. His wolf growled and then whimpered, ever a constant battle between the two drivers. I gazed directly into his eyes. “Go ahead.”

  Abruptly I heard the front door slam downstairs. Footsteps raced up the stairs.

  “Stop!” I yelled, not wanting anyone to spook Jonas. His focus didn’t slip from me for a second.

  “Aura!” Brody called.

  “I’m fine, Brody.”

  He slowly moved behind Jonas, careful not to touch his friend. He studied me carefully. “This isn’t a game to us, Aura. If he bites you, it’s a forever thing. Neither one of you can take it back.”

  I lifted my gaze to Brody. “I know.”

  “What do you know?” he angrily pressed. He mashed his lips together; his brows drew down as his eyes narrowed on me.

  Hm. What did I know? Enough. I knew enough.

  “I know that Jonas takes care of me better than my own mother. I know that Jonas and you stick up for me when no one else will. I know that Jonas has fought for me; he’s pushed for me to have a better life. In one day he’s turned my world upside down.

  “Since the first time I saw him, I’ve felt this pull towards him. I didn’t understand it. I fought my instincts; I fought my hope, especially when I found out what you were. But at the end of the day, it’s not only my decision. It’s both of our decision. If he can look past my overstuffed curves, if he can look past my medical issues, my lack of a perfect family and my less than perfect personality and still care for me, then I can look past the fact that he’s a werewolf. I can look past the fact that there will always be stark differences between us, and I’ll care for him, I’ll love both parts of him the way he-“ I stopped abruptly. I swallowed hard as a new reality settled in. Oh God. This just isn’t possible. There’s no way love could happen this quickly.

  Brody smiled wide; his eyes lit up with amusement. He patted Jonas’ back. “Go get her.” He turned and rushed down the stairs right as Jonas dashed towards me.

  Jonas jumped on me, knocking me backwards and began to lick my face. “Ew! Jonas!” I laughed.

  I squirmed as he nuzzled my neck, his breath tickling my skin. I didn’t even notice he’d moved over to my shoulder until I felt the bite. Stinging pain shot away from the puncture point. As soon as the pain began to pinch, I felt his tongue licking the wound.

  One minute he was a wolf licking me, the next he was human again, holding himself over me and kissing my shoulder.

  “Did it hurt? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He cupped my face, resting his body weight on one elbow as he gazed into my eyes.

  “Only a little,” I admitted.

  The look on his face showed he wanted to say so much. “What you were going to say, it’s true. It’s a known fact that you fall in love with your mate before you ever claim them, or in my case, mark them. It happens fast for us. I know it’s different for you. There’s no pressure. Now that my wolf got what he wanted, I should be able to control him and give you the time you need.”

  “Maybe I don’t love you yet, but it’s the closest thing to love that I’ve known. It is new, and a lot all at once, but I meant what I said. I’m done fighting this, whatever this defines to be.” I smiled up at him. “And as for wolfy Jonas, I’ll play fetch with him in the yard any time he’d like. I’ll even let him lick me and bite me on occasion.”

  He laughed. “We like the sound of that.”

  “So do I. I’ve never had a dog before.”

  “Wolf, not dog.”

  “I haven’t had either.”

  “And I haven’t had a kiss from you yet.” His smile faded as he stared down at me. His eyes focused on my lips.

  I swallowed hard. “Neither have I.” My voice was barely above a whisper, my anticipation climbing rapidly.

  His lips slowly descended upon mine, softly caressing my mouth. He kept one hand on my cheek; the other slid down my body and cupped my hip. Hesitantly at first, I rested my palms on the sides of his hard stomach.

  He moved his hand from my cheek, slipping it down behind my neck. He lifted my head slightly, angling me to deepen the kiss.

  I opened my mouth in unison with his. My body was aware of his every move, sensitive to his every touch. Where once I was cold, now I was warm. My body absorbed his heat, absorbed his strength and fervor.

  His tongue slid along the entrance to my mouth. The taste of him flooded my senses, awakening a new part of me. It was exhilarating; he felt like life, like hot-blooded, energy busting life.

  And it was in his touch that every word I spoke to Brody was confirmed. I was already falling in love with both parts of Jonas. I was committed to him long before I realized I was. He felt right; he fit perfectly against me, beside me and in my life. What I told him in the car was the truth. The werewolf way, with a true mate, did ensure that you ended up with the right person, the best person for you the first time around. And I knew that he was the right person, the best person for me.

  Suddenly, I felt something hard pressing against my lower stomach. I pulled away from his lips, pinching my eyes shut. “Um, Jonas, I think you need to put some clothes on.”

  He chuckled. “Does my nakedness make you nervous?”

  “Um, maybe.”

  He laughed. I felt him kiss my forehead. “You won’t survive long here if you have any discomfort with nakedness. Every single one of us strips down before we shift, and we don’t exactly change back with clothes magically on us.”

  I lifted one eyelid. “Can I at least hold onto my innocence for another day?”

  His smile grew devious. “One day?”

  I smacked his chest. “You know what I mean.”

  He clutched my hand before I could pull it away. He kissed my palm.

  My gaze drifted to his shoulder. “Does this tattoo have any meaning?”

  “It’s customary for father and son to get matching tattoos on the son’s sixteenth birthday. It’s our way of recognizing the son’s step into manhood, and the father’s matching tattoo is his son’s inheritance note. When my dad dies, or when I reach age twenty-five, I will automatically take over his position in the pack.”

  I trailed my fingers along the black tribal design. “You’re definitely a man.”

  “And you’re definitely my mate, but if my parents catch us like this, you’ll be mateless. They just pulled up.”

  I shoved him off of me, immediately closing my eyes. He laughed as he walked out of the room. I got up, fixed my shirt and bra and climbed into bed.

  Jonas appeared in the doorway, already dressed in a new pair of shorts. “I’ll be right back.”

  I nodded my head.

  When he disappeared, I laid back on the bed. Adrenaline had kept me going, but now, extreme exhaustion was setting in. As much as I wanted to say goodnight to him, I was crashing too hard. I’d have to take comfort knowing that he’d marked me, was going to be sleeping in the room next to me and would be there when I woke up in the morning.

  Chapter 27

  JONAS

  I met my parents at the bottom of the stairs. My mom pushed past me and went directly upstairs. My dad gave me a knowing look. They knew. Somehow, they just knew.

  “Was it forced?” Concern wrinkled his brows, but not for me, for my mate.

  “No.”

  “Good.”

  My mother came flying down the stairs. “Next time, please pick up your mess.” She held up a fistful of rags, which were once my shorts and boxers from earlier. She sighed, the fight quickly leaving her. “I’m happy for you, Jonas, but she’s human. Promise me that you’ll be careful.”

  “Careful? Mom, she’s my mate. There’s no one else I will ever be more careful with. It’s instinctual. It’s my responsibility to love and protect her, not hurt her.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. She patted my cheek. “You’ve grown up so fast. You’re going to make a great husband
to Aura one day, and an amazing alpha.”

  “No need to get all sappy, Mom. I’m not moving out anytime soon. I did want to talk to you about Aura possibly moving in though.”

  “She’s your mate, and that makes her a member of this pack. She’ll always fall under the protection of the pack, and therefore have a place stay.” My dad looked at me, respect gleaming in his eyes. He knew the steps I was taking; he knew what I was feeling.

  Every werewolf experiences the impact of finding their true mate at some point, some sooner than others.

  “Thanks.”

  “Just don’t get her pregnant. I’m not certain I’m ready to be a grandpa yet.” The fear in his eyes was amusing.

  I laughed. “We’re keeping it PG for now.”

  My mother breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank heavens.”

  “You two are dramatic.” I shook my head.

  “Wait until it’s your turn.” My dad was the one with an amused expression now.

  “I hate to be nosy, but is her medical condition serious?” My mother worried her hands as she waited.

  “It’s conditions. Luckily they’re not life threatening from what I read, but they are lifelong.”

  “Well, we’re here if you need us. The entire pack is. We told them tonight so they didn’t panic if they ran into Aura on property,” my mother explained.

  “Thanks.”

  My dad looked at his watch. “It’s after eleven. Go get some sleep.”

  “Goodnight, dear.” My mother kissed my cheek.

  “’Night.”

  I slipped into the guest bedroom, closing the door behind me. Aura was curled into a ball on her right side, the blankets pulled up to her chin. Her blonde hair fanned out over the comforter and pillows.

  Even in the darkness, I saw the fresh wound on her left shoulder. Pride surged inside me. She was ours.

  Chapter 28

  AURA

  I groaned, flopping my hand out on the nightstand, feeling for my ringing phone. I groggily opened my eyes. Everything came back to me all at once.

  Jonas put a firm hand on my upper arm. “It’s okay. Just tell me where your phone is.”

  I scrubbed my forehead trying to think straight. “In the front pocket of my book bag.”