It had been a ruse, of course, but she’d been too young, too naïve to see it. Lucas followed them back to their pack lands, then had his minions take her hostage. Publicly, he’d challenged her Alpha father. Privately, Lucas told her father than unless he submitted in combat -—the ultimate shame for an Alpha -—he and his males would commit unspeakable acts with his teenaged daughter. Her father had sacrificed himself for her; she could do no less for him and the rest of her family.
She’d held Lucas off for ten years, but he was out of patience. Matt was so strong, so capable. If anyone could find a way out, it would be him. But then she realized that no one, not even Matt, could take on Lucas and hope to win. He was simply too powerful. Too evil. And too many people had already been hurt because they’d tried to protect her.
Jessie kissed his chest and reluctantly began to build the shields in her mind and heart, the ones that would allow her to do what she had to do. Lucas was right about one thing. She was strong. She would do whatever it took to make sure her family was safe, including giving up what might be her one chance at real happiness. She had a feeling that had her wolf not been suppressed by the amulet, it would be howling in grief at that moment. Matt would be a perfect mate for her. It just wasn’t meant to be.
It wasn’t as if she could explain that to him, though. He wouldn’t understand. Any Alpha worth his salt believed two things with absolute conviction: 1) he’ll always win, and 2) he’s entitled to anything he wanted. So no, the simple truth wasn’t going to cut it. The only thing it would accomplish would be to get a lot of good people killed. Or worse.
“I’m sorry, Matt. You’re right. It is sudden.” She tried for a smile, wiping at the tears that had spilled unknowingly. “I’m just... overwhelmed, I guess. I need some time to process this.”
He ran his large hand up and down her back, long strokes meant to soothe, while he kissed the top of her head. “I get it. But this is real, Jessie. What we have.”
She nodded and continued to play the part of the naïve human. “You’re right. And it scares the crap out of me.”
He chuckled at that. Tilting her face up with a finger beneath her chin, he kissed her wet lashes, then each corner of her mouth. “Don’t be scared, Jessie,” he breathed. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
He kissed her then, a tender kiss that was nothing like any of the others. It went far deeper than a good time and great sex. It held promise and hope... and goodbye. She sank into it, opening for him, tasting him one last time.
“I’ll give you some time, okay?” he said, kissing the tip of her nose. “But not too much.”
“Not too much.” She smiled back at him, though her heart was breaking inside.
“I’ll be back around dinner time.”
“Okay.”
He leaned down and kissed her again. “I don’t want to leave, Jessie.”
“I know.”
“I’ll just be in my room, okay? If you want to talk, or something. You know, in case you can’t wait ‘til dinner.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Gotcha,” she laughed softly.
“Okay, then. I’m going now.”
“Okay.”
“See you in a bit.”
“Okay.”
“And Jessie? Breathe, baby. It’s all going to be all right.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. She’d make sure of it.
Jessie closed the door behind him, then laid her forehead against the cool surface as she locked away every what-if currently trying to worm its way into her reasoning, looking for some way out. But it was pointless. There was no way out. Images of her parents, her siblings, filled her mind along with the chilling knowledge of what would happen to them if she failed to return.
She waited five minutes, then she began to pack.
* * *
Matt cursed as he paced back and forth in his room. He really shouldn’t have just blurted it out like that. Jessie wasn’t a Were, after all. She was human. And humans tended to think about things a lot more than shifters did. Shifters put a lot of trust into their animal instincts, but humans were constantly second-guessing theirs.
Jessie wasn’t like any human female he’d ever met, though. She had reveled in their passionate play as much as any she-wolf, so he knew that physically, at least, she was in tune with her baser nature. She was smart, too. She just needed some time to process it, like she said. After thinking about it for a few hours, she would come to the same conclusion he had: they were perfect for each other.
Thank God he hadn’t gotten into the whole Were transformation thing, though. Given her reaction to the mention of marriage, he might need to rethink his aggressive timeline. Maybe he should ease off, start smaller. Invite her back to Mythic. He could keep her close while acclimating her to his world. That would probably work better. She definitely seemed like the type to dig her heels in if she felt she was being strong-armed into something, which was one of the things he found most appealing. She would make an excellent Alpha female.
Assuming, of course, he didn’t mess this up.
Or maybe she needed a strong hand. Maybe this was a kind of test to see if he was worthy. The human version of a wolf’s show of strength and prowess. When more than one wolf wanted to claim a female, they fought for her, showcasing their strength and skill so the female could pick the best mate. Maybe this was something like that. Jessie was a very strong female. Maybe she wanted him to prove that he was capable of handling her.
Damn! It was all so confusing! Matt ran his hand through his hair and blew out a breath. He didn’t pretend to understand females, human females especially. But he knew someone who might. Pulling out his phone, he touched the first contact on his list.
“Hey, Dani.”
“Hey, big brother,” she said, picking up on the first ring. “Yes, everything is fine here. No, you can’t come home early.”
Matt chuckled. Maybe he had checked in a few times more than necessary. “Good to know I’m missed, but that’s not why I’m calling.”
“Oh?” Dani asked doubtfully. “Then why are you calling?”
“I met someone.”
“Well, that was kind of the point,” Dani said, the smirk evident in her voice. “You really needed to blow off a little steam, Matt.”
“No, not like that. I mean, I met someone.”
Several long moments passed by in silence as that sank in. “You met someone? At the beach?
“Yes. Her name is Jessie, and she’s smart and funny and sexy and beautiful.”
“So what’s the problem? Mate her ass and bring her home so Carly and every other single female will stop dropping by every five minutes, hoping to get a little inside info on how to snag the big bad Alpha. Although,” she mused, “I am getting lots of free stuff.”
If only it were that easy. “She’s balking.”
Dani laughed. “Yeah, right. Like that would really happen. She’s playing hard to get, bro.”
“I don’t think so. She’s... human.”
Dani stopped laughing. “What? I don’t think I heard you right. Did you say she’s human?”
“Yes.”
A long pause stretched between them. “Um, are you sure about this, Matt? Fucking human females is one thing, but...”
“Yes. My wolf has decided. It wants her.”
Dani whistled softly. “So what are you going to do?”
“Well, I asked her to marry me, and she kind of freaked out a little.”
“You what?!?”
“Asked her to marry me,” Matt said defensively. “Isn’t that what humans do?”
Even over the phone connection, Matt had no trouble hearing the smack of her hand across her forehead. “You’re an idiot.”
Matt growled in warning. Dani ignored it. “I mean, who proposes after a couple of days? Then again, I guess that could be pretty romantic,” she added. “Especially if you did it up right. Yeah. Fancy dinner. Roses. Moonlight. Beach. I take it back, big brother.
You’re brilliant.”
Dinner? Flowers? Moonlight? Matt smacked his own head. Why hadn’t he thought of any of that? Females ate that stuff up.
“You didn’t do any of that, did you?” Dani’s voice asked quietly over the phone. “What, you just had sex with her and said ‘let’s get married’?”
Matt’s silence spoke for him. It hadn’t gone down exactly like that, but it was close enough.
“Crap, Matt. No wonder she’s freaking out. How are you going to fix this?”
“That’s why I’m calling you,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know about this stuff.”
Dani released a long sigh. “If I were you, I’d step back and try again, but do it right this time. Start with dinner, and I mean a nice place, with actual tablecloths and multiple forks and stuff. Oh -—and roses, or any kind of flower. I’m guessing you have no idea what her favorite flower is, do you?”
Hell, no, he didn’t know what her favorite flower was. How would he know that? He grunted.
“Right, so definitely go with roses then, you can never go wrong with them. What about a ring?”
A ring? Shit. He didn’t have one of those, either. “No.”
“Of course not,” Dani mumbled. “Well, that’s kind of important, especially to humans. They can’t mark each other, so they need some kind of a symbol to represent their bond. Pick up something quick and maybe kind of corny, something that will remind her of the beach and how you guys first met. Tell her it’s just a placeholder. That you have the perfect ring in mind but you have to have it custom made or something.”
“Okay,” he said, wondering exactly where he would get something like that. He thought he might have seen a couple of cheap jewelry places on the boardwalk with all kinds of beach-related stuff. That could work.
“Then do something romantic, like a walk on the beach in the moonlight. Going down on bended knee wouldn’t hurt, either.”
“You think it will work?”
“Yeah, I think so. You’re actually kinda hard to resist when you lay on the charm. Besides, you’re cutting it a little close if you plan on bringing her back with you.” She paused, then said, “Don’t worry, Matt. If your wolf says she’s the one, it’ll all work out.”
Matt thanked her and disconnected the call. He felt much better after he talked to Dani. She made it seem so easy. Really, he should have thought of all that stuff himself. Maybe if he hadn’t been so obsessed with the more physical aspects of their relationship, he would have.
Forming a plan in his mind, Matt prepared for their date. He was not going to bring up marriage again. They were going to have a nice dinner, maybe go for a moonlight stroll on the beach. He’d tell her a little bit about himself, and convince her to share a little bit about herself, too. Then he’d spend the rest of the night making sweet, tender love to her. And somewhere in there, he’d introduce the idea of going back to Mythic with him. He’d give it a day, maybe two, then take her down to the boardwalk and buy her some little trinket like Dani suggested.
Yeah, that would work. And if it didn’t, well, he was an Alpha. He’d bite her and take her back with him anyway. She’d come around, once she realized the truth.
He knocked on her door, wondering if maybe he should have gotten flowers. Dani said roses, but that was easier said than done. They were at the beach. Where the hell was he supposed to find a florist around here? There was probably one further inland, but he didn’t have time for that now.
Matt made a mental note to buy her lots of flowers later, preferably after he had marked her. Maybe a single flower, every day, a reminder of his commitment. Yeah, he grinned to himself, that would be nice, romantic. She’d like that.
He knocked again, receiving no answer. She must still be in the shower or something. He’d give her another minute or two, and then he was heading in. The flimsy locks the hotel placed on their doors might keep out humans, but they wouldn’t be very effective against a powerful Were like him.
Matt leaned closer, listening intently for the sound of movement. He heard something in there and immediately stiffened. A man’s voice? In Jessie’s room?
Matt reached down and turned the handle. Surprisingly, the door wasn’t locked. He frowned. Why wasn’t her door locked? Unlike the front entrance to the room, the back had an old fashioned key and bolt device, one that could be clicked back to keep the lock from engaging, allowing the guest to move freely between the room and the personal balcony space. Had he inadvertently left it that way when he’d left earlier?
He swung it open and stepped in to confront whoever was in his mate’s room... and saw that it was empty. The voice that he’d heard was coming from the television, some human announcer droning on and on about something or another.
“Jessie,” he called out, flicking the mute button on the remote control.
No answer. He glanced around. Everything looked neat and tidy. The pizza boxes were gone, the trash can emptied, the bed made. Clearly the maid had been here since he’d left.
“Jessie,” he repeated, louder this time, in case she hadn’t heard him. He didn’t want to walk into the bathroom or bedroom and startle her.
The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle, a ball of unease coiling in his gut. “Jessie?” he called, walking through the suite. There was no sign of her. He checked each room in a matter of seconds, but she wasn’t there.
Had she gone for a walk, perhaps? Or maybe stepped out to get them some dinner so they wouldn’t have to leave the room...?
His heart thumped when he saw the envelope on the small desk with his name on it. Opening it, he extracted the small, single sheet of note paper within. Written on the hotel’s stationary, he felt the bold strokes of her handwriting like slashes across his chest:
Matt,
Thank you, for everything. I will never forget you.
Jessie
Matt gripped the note, sinking down onto the chair as the air left his lungs in a rush. Jessie was gone? No, she couldn’t be gone. She probably just stepped out, knowing he’d come by and find the note and think she’d left. Yeah, that’s it. Her nerves probably got the best of her, and she freaked out.
She’d be back.
And when she did, he’d be waiting.
Chapter 8 – Not Exactly a Glass Slipper, But...
As the hours passed by without Jessie’s return, Matt’s confidence began to waver. An inspection of Jessie’s room revealed that the closets and drawers were devoid of personal belongings, and provided no useful clues.
Which left him at a bit of a disadvantage, really. Other than recognizing her as his mate, he didn’t know much about her at all. Not her last name, nor where she lived. And he had no way to get in touch with her. He should have marked her when he had the chance. Then he would be able to find her anywhere.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again, he thought. That was going to be the first thing he did when he had her again, because he was going to find her.
Matt paid a visit to the front office, pleased to find an attractive young woman manning the desk. By simply walking through the door, he had garnered her attention. By smiling, he had ensnared it completely. And with a few strokes of a skilled finger, she had told him everything she could.
Jessica Smith had not formally checked out. Her room had been paid in full (with cash) through Saturday. No address, phone number, or email was provided. The only information the desk clerk had on her was the make, model, and license number of the vehicle she’d been driving, something all guests had to provide if they wanted to park in the hotel’s private lot.
It wasn’t much, but it was something.
Although he knew it was a long shot, Matt prowled the parking lot anyway. Well-placed security cameras kept him from shifting completely, so he remained in human form and allowed his wolf to rise close to the surface. Grimacing from the odors of gasoline, exhaust, sweat, and piss, he concentrated on looking for the gray Malibu with the Delaware plates, blocking out everyt
hing but Jessie’s scent.
He found where the car had been, the space now occupied by a yellow VW bug. He walked around the Beetle, looking for some additional clue, but he was already thinking of his next move. It would be all but impossible to follow the scent from here; there was just too much traffic, too many people who used the main thoroughfare that ran the length of the island, to discern one quickly fading scent. As soon as he got back to the room he would call Malcolm and ask him to track down the plates.
Just as he was rounding the back bumper of the Beetle, a flash caught his eye. Matt took a step back, then crouched down, looking beneath the vehicle. There! Something was catching the light.
Matt extended his arm, his hand closing around a small, oval shaped object. He pulled it out and looked, recognizing it immediately. It was the stone from the necklace Jessie had been wearing! Separated from its chain, the gem sat heavy and warm in his hand.
He hadn’t paid much attention to it before; there were plenty of other things he’d been focusing on when she was in his sight, but there was no doubt it was hers. He ran his fingers over the smooth stone, recognizing it immediately: moonstone. Despite the gravity of the situation, Matt grinned. Of course it was. What else would a werewolf’s mate choose for herself?
Tucking it into his pocket, Matt made one final check around the space, then went back to his room to call his spymaster.
* * *
Jessie clenched her teeth and gripped the steering wheel harder, resisting the nearly overpowering urge to take the exit that would turn her around and send her back to Ocean City. Just as she had the last six exits before. With each one, it became increasingly difficult to keep going.
Her wolf was awakening, gaining more control every minute, and it was pissed. Somewhere in the course of her hasty departure, she’d lost her amulet. Without it, it was impossible to keep that part of herself completely contained. After nearly a week of being subdued, it wanted out.
Wolf Out of Water: Mythic Series, Book 4 Page 7
