by M. L. Briers
“I don’t need a heart attack over my eggs…” Wade said, and she gave a small chuckle.
“Sorry, explain first, got it…” Meredith tossed back.
“That’s a good idea…” Caroline nodded, and her daughter took to frowning at her.
“Good idea? You feeling ok?” Meredith asked.
“Just peachy…” Jared offered for his mate as he rounded the counter and moved to sit next to her at the table…
“You two didn’t…?” Meredith asked and her mother looked agog…
“What?” Caroline snapped on a scowl.
“Just asking – he might have had a little howl and I didn’t hear it…” Meredith shrugged a shoulder.
“I can assure you I have a big everything,” Jared offered back.
“Too much information,” Wade growled.
“So, we should all go?” Caroline asked, changing the subject rather rapidly.
“To pick up your things?” Jared eyed her for a long moment as she took a moment to consider it.
“Something like that,” Caroline said, evasively.
“Something like that or that?” Jared pushed. His wolf had started to claw within him…
“That…” Caroline said matter of factly, like she’d said it and it was out there and she didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“Well…” Jared stuck out his chest and grinned a wolfish smile … then she elbowed him in the ribs and he quickly deflated.
“Stop strutting like a peacock.” Caroline snapped.
“Do you sharpen those with your she-demon claws?” Jared grumbled.
“What do we do about Jasmine?” Caroline asked, ignoring her mate’s jibe and turning her attention back to Meredith.
“What’s to be done?” Meredith shrugged. “I certainly don’t have the answers.”
“We’ll need to make it a quick trip out and back…” Wade growled at the thought of leaving pack land. It certainly wasn’t a good time to go.
“Fear of being away from home?” Caroline asked.
“I need to be here for Sam when he…” Wade muttered the rest, but Meredith got the gist and fidgeted in her chair.
“If,” she offered back. “If he goes rogue.”
~
~
~
Sam wasn’t quite sure what he expected. He’d watched them go. Wade and Jared were in the front of the large pickup truck, and Jasmine was sitting in the back with her family.
He thought that he’d feel something break, snap, maybe even rip apart within him, but instead there just seemed to be a heavy weight in his stomach and an empty space that was growing in his heart.
His beast had started to claw and growl inside of him at first. It wanted to force the shift and run after Jasmine – hunt her down and make sure that she didn’t leave, but he’d bonded that cage tighter than hell to hold the wolf within, and now it sat within him – quietly – too damn quietly…
He certainly didn’t trust that the beast was done yet. He fully expected that the wolf would make its presence known one way or the other, and he was waiting for it.
He just had to pray that when the beast did break free of him and take over that his mate was far enough away that he couldn’t follow her scent.
~
~
~
“No! There – there – take that one…” Meredith leaned forward against her seat belt between the two front seats and poked her finger at the fast approaching sign. Wade shot right by it and the turning… “You … missed it.” She grumbled a curse or two…
“Can you trust that I know where it is that I’m going?” Wade grumbled and she snorted her contempt for him.
“You’re male – what are the odds?” Meredith announced as she flung herself back against her seat and rolled her eyes.
“Back seat driver…” Wade grumbled.
“Better than a front seat one – trust me – we all saw how that ended.” Caroline offered and Meredith shot her a long look.
“Well, we all know men navigate using their penis, so good luck with that,” Meredith huffed.
“Can you not say the P word?” Caroline sighed.
“Well if you can’t say the word what are you going to be like when he starts…?”
“Meredith!” Caroline shot her a dark look mixed with disbelief.
“Mother!” She offered back with a wide grin at the sight of the matriarch trying to vanish from sight as she pushed down in her seat.
“This way’s faster…” Wade offered back over his shoulder.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” Meredith said, catching and holding his attention in the rear view mirror as she beamed him a wicked smile full of mischief.
Then she turned her attention towards Jasmine…
“How you doing?”
“I’m fine,” Jasmine batted the question away.
“You’re quiet…”
“Quietly fine.”
“Sounds it…”
“Mother!” Jasmine bit out.
“Jasmine!” Meredith offered back in the same tone that she’d used for her own mother.
Jasmine folded her arms and turned towards the window to watch the scenery go by. If Meredith knew one thing about her daughter it was that move signalled her retreat from the conversation.
She eyed her for a long moment.
She certainly didn’t look fine…
Nothing about anything to do with Sam and Jasmine felt fine.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
~
“Talk to me, Jazz…” Meredith said as she flung open the top of the suitcase that she’d hauled from beneath her bed and waited with hope that her daughter would respond.
Jasmine pulled open the door to her mother’s closet and eyed the row of clothes; even that sent a shiver of doom through her body.
“It’s nothing…”
“It’s something – you’ve got a face like a slapped kipper…” Meredith shot back.
“You know, I’ve never understood that expression.” Jasmine sighed.
In truth, she didn’t much care either, but it was a way of deflecting her mother from the real problem, and that damn problem was that she felt … lost.
“Me either, so – back to you…”
So much for deflecting.
I should have known that my mother would be like a dog with a damn bone.
I don’t want to be here right now …
I want …
Oh, the hell if I know what I want!
“Let’s talk about what you’re taking for now and what you’re leaving behind…” Jasmine tried to deflect the conversation away from herself once more.
“Well, I’m taking my mother and leaving my daughter, because she’s a stubborn mule…”
“Mum!” Jasmine sighed.
Struck out twice, third time lucky?
“I know that you don’t want to talk about…”
“Then can we not?”
“Sam!” Meredith said, and Jasmine felt the sad thump of her heart and the ache within her. “There I said his name.”
“So you did,” Jasmine didn’t elaborate.
“Now you say it.”
“It.”
“What?”
“You said say it.”
“Oh, time warp back to when you were five…” Meredith berated her.
“I don’t need to say his name. I’m fine…”
“You’re not fine if you can’t even bring yourself to say his…”
“Sam!” She announced, turning back towards her mother and lifting her hands at her sides with a shrug. “There, said it. Happy?”
“It’s not me that’s unhappy, Jazz…”
Jasmine turned right back to the closet again at the sight of that knowing look in her mother’s eyes. It was mixed with sympathy and concern, and none of those things thrilled Jasmine one little bit.
“You know…” Meredith started and Jasmine’s shoulders slumped on a sigh. “It’s okay to admit that you made
a mistake.”
“When I make one then I’ll be sure to send everyone an email.” Jasmine tossed back.
“Look, I get that you don’t want to talk about it…”
“Obviously not…” Jasmine lifted her hands and dropped them again in exasperation. “Which is what I’ve been saying…”
If there was an Olympic event for not dropping a subject my mother would win hands down … or come a close second to my Gran.
“Why don’t you just come back with us and…?”
“That doesn’t work…” Jasmine said on a shake of her head. “I need to stay away from him if he has any chance of not going rogue…”
“Yeah, I think that ship might have sailed, baby girl.” Meredith offered back and Jasmine pivoted right back around to her again.
“What? Have you heard something?” Jasmine demanded.
The concern that she felt for Sam welled up inside of her and slammed into the need to know how he was … It was strange, stupid even, that she would feel that way when she’d walked away from him, but it was there inside of her, and she couldn’t do a damn thing to change how she felt.
“Nope. Not yet, but he met you. His beast stated its claim – just because he never got to mate, to bond, doesn’t mean that those bonds aren’t already there between you. Which is probably why you look and feel like a cat that just stepped onto a lava pit…”
“Cat on a hot tin roof…” Jasmine said, almost absently.
“No – I like mine better…” Meredith assured her.
“It’s just the mating pull working its way out of my system…” Jasmine said on a sigh.
“It’s not that simple, kiddo. Just because you’re not a she-wolf, doesn’t mean that you didn’t develop some of those bonds too.” Meredith said, trying to coax her daughter to open up.
Jasmine stalked towards the bed and hovered for just a moment. Then she turned and plopped her backside down.
Her body felt heavy – like she’d suffered a loss – and yet he was still right where she’d left him. He hadn’t died…
He’s not gone … he’s just … far away … too far…
No, I can’t think like that.
I can’t miss him …
How can I miss him?
All we did was fight – and growl – and fight – and …
Goddess, do I miss him?
That’s not possible. The man drove me nuts with his growling and his bad mood …
And those eyes …
Nope, eyes don’t make a relationship…
He saved my life … which doesn’t mean that I’m bonded to him or anything …
Bonded to him … how bad would that really be?
Aside from the whole, we can’t spend five minutes together without wanting to kill each other thing … except for last night … but that was different, that was silent contemplation…
This is crazy!
I made up my damn mind and I’m sticking to it.
No man – no wolfman – no way.
“You look lost.” Meredith said, as she sat beside her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“I’m not lost.” Jasmine lied.
“You can give it another chance you know, before it’s too late?”
“Don’t say too late.”
“Before he goes ro…”
“Don’t say the R word!” Jasmine snapped back.
“I know what will cheer you up right now,” Meredith said and Jasmine turned her sad eyes on her mother. “Let’s go zap Wade!”
“Your mate?” Jasmine gave a small giggle.
“Yeah, well. A mate’s gotta take one for the team, right?” Meredith shrugged.
“Not so much…”
“Ok, then you can zap gran…”
Both women turned to stare at each other with evil little grins on their faces.
“Trouble with that is Gran will zap me back.” Jasmine offered.
“Maybe not. Maybe she’s gone senile already…” Meredith frowned. “I really am a horrible person.”
“Yeah, but don’t take it to heart because you learned from the best of us.”
“Gran can be quiet formidable sometimes,” Meredith sighed. Then she frowned at the thought of her mother finding her mate. “Poor Jared. I kind of feel sorry for him.”
“I think that man will give gran as good as he gets.”
“Oh Goddess, the two of them together, and me as the third wheel…” Meredith grimaced at the thought.
“If I were you … I’d throw your mate under that particular bus,” Jasmine offered back.
“What about you?”
“I’m not going anywhere near a bus with you around.”
“You’re going to be all alone here…”
“I’ll be fine, mum.”
“Don’t say fine.”
“I’ll be…” Jasmine shrugged her shoulders, but she couldn’t come up with another word if her life depended on it.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
~
Sam didn’t want to hear the truck cutting up the dirt track into the property, but his damn ears picked up everything anyway.
His wolf was right beneath the skin and that damn beast wasn’t happy – hell, he wasn’t happy, but he was trying to live with the consequences of his actions.
He’d taken to doing all of the manual labour tasks around the area that needed to be done, just so that he would have an outlet for the pent up anger within him. That had led him to the barn, and he was keeping his head down and his mind occupied as best he could.
His wolf wanted to run. It demanded the shift, clawing within him until he felt as if he was going to go stir crazy trying to keep it at bay.
Frustration gnawed at his soul and he just felt so damn on edge that he could have willingly have put his fist into the face of the next person that darned to say one damn word to him.
He’d screwed up. He knew it and the rest of the pack knew it too.
He’d gotten the sympathetic looks all day, which was another reason to hide himself away in the barn.
One more – how you doing? And he was going to kill someone.
Jasmine was long gone and he had to deal with that fact … His beast couldn’t – the wolf still had a mind to burst free of him and chase across the county to find her – to claim her as his…
Stupid damn wolf!
He could feel the change within him.
He could feel the beast becoming more dominant – less manageable.
He didn’t blame the wolf – if he’d done his best to woo the woman then she might have stayed…
I gave up old friend…
I screwed up and then gave up … I’m sorry.
His beast whimpered just once and then growled at him. An accusation. A demand to go and make it right.
Pride before the fall…
I shouldn’t have been so damn beta … so damn … stupid.
She was human, damn it.
A witch, but still a human, and I went in with both feet stomping, growling, and demanding…
Damn fool…
His beast clawed at his very soul…
I should … damn it!
He tossed the wrench that he’d been holding across the barn. The loud thud from its impact with a pillar didn’t make him feel any better…
I have to … swallow my damn pride and go on bended knee to woo her back!
That’s it!
She’s human … they like that male grovelling thing …
I can drive down there and win her as mine …
Mine… His wolf growled – stating its claim and liking the newfound way that the man was thinking.
I could stay here and wallow in self pity or I could go and get my damn mate back!
Sam turned towards the door and started for the exit. He felt the rush of emotion within him – felt the newfound optimism in his step – and then he felt the hard thud of the metal bucket that slammed into his calf and pitched him forwards towards th
e straw covered floor…
He managed, within a step or two, to regain his balance. His fingertips brushed the concrete, but he forced his body upwards … only to have to duck the flying yard broom that was coming towards him …
“What the fu…?” Sam growled out as the thing parted his hair on its way to crashing to the floor behind him.
Sam fisted his hands. His body was tense and he was ready to take on anything…
His eyes started to scan the area, and he scented the air … nothing!
He heard the sound of rustling coming towards him from behind and twisted his body around; just in time to see a bale of straw coming right for his chest … and that was something that he couldn’t get away from…
His eyes widened with recognition of what came next. The impact hit him hard and centre mass – sweeping him off his feet, and sending him crashing into the loose straw with the damn thing lying on top of him…
Sam roared in anger.
His beast tried to push forward, and he tried to keep it at bay as he tossed the bale from his chest and snapped his torso upwards.
His eyes caught sight of something high up in the loading window in the side of the barn … an impish figure that was darkened by the halo of the last blast of the sun before it went down for the night…
Sam bounded to his feet. Scenting the air and still left wanting of a scent to pip down his attacker, but he had a damn good idea…
“Oh wait …” Jasmine’s voice seemed to echo in the tall building and within his mind as his heart got firmly lodged within his throat and pounded out a fast beat within his ears. “Did you say not to use magic…?” She offered down to him.
With a roar that started inside his beast and flowed through his very soul; he started a fast run towards her … he launched himself at the first bale, his hands palmed the next block, and he swung his legs up and over them, before he thrust upwards with his knees as soon as his feet had made contact, and then he was hopping from one to the other as he climbed skywards towards the decking of the next level.
“You damn well know I did, witch…” he growled as his feet hit the hard boards and he stalked towards the opening…
“I get do and don’t mixed up…” Jasmine offered back.
She flicked her wrist and sent a small storage box hurtling towards him across the floor.
