"I… I thought that you felt out of place the other night."
Bree narrowed her eyes. "I did."
"Well, if you had a dress that was even finer than what the other women, none of whom were even half as beautiful as you, were wearing, that you'd feel more comfortable. You deserve the very best, Bree. I don't know why you won't allow me give it to you. I don’t understand."
Bree couldn't stop her lips from turning up in a soft smile. No, Jakob didn't understand, but it wasn’t fair to fault him for his ignorance. His intentions were actually sweet in their own way. She couldn't help but be flattered.
Jakob watched her face. Even when he was angry and frustrated with her, his mate was still the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. He relented. "Why don't you tell me where would you like to go tonight?"
Chapter 8
They sat on a bench, packed in like sardines, while the home team hit a baseball into the stands and the crowd roared. Bree stuffed a hot dog into her mouth while Jakob cringed as the man next to him sloshed beer on his Italian leather shoes.
"Would you try to relax?" Bree said.
Jakob sighed. There was no winning with this woman. He gave her Dior, and she wanted hot dogs. He laughed to himself. Of all the females for the fates to pair him with, why a woman so different from himself? Because she challenges you in a way no one else does.
His breath caught in his chest. My god, that was true. In his day to day life, he was surrounded by ‘yes’ men. Even his pride, who he relied on for everything, dared not contradict him. Bree challenged him on everything. She completed a part of his life he hadn't, until now, realized he was missing.
"I love you," he said.
"What?" she screamed against the sudden roar of the crowd.
"I LOVE YOU!"
Bree's jaw dropped. Love? That couldn't be true. They'd just met. They were wrong for each other in every way. The guys behind them snickered. An older woman to Bree's right shoved her hard. Bree looked at her.
"What are ya? Simple or something? Go on and kiss him, honey," the woman said.
Bree laughed, she couldn't help it. This whole thing with Jakob made no sense, but she thought, no she knew, that she was pretty enamored with him too. She leaned towards Jakob and did as the woman suggested.
When her lips landed on his, the world felt right, and all the passion that burned within her, the passion that she had up until now buried deeply within, rose to the surface. She suddenly could not imagine being without this man. Not now, not in a thousand years. She wrapped her arms around him and somewhere a flash went off.
***
The game turned out to be fun. Bree loved baseball, and Jakob, once he relaxed, enjoyed himself too. Bree was right. Not everything they did had to cost a lot of money. He smiled at her across the table in the late-night restaurant she'd insisted upon, picked up his beer mug, and threw another peanut shell on the floor.
"Where'd you ever find this place?" he asked.
She laughed. "It's a pretty popular restaurant. You know, for us low-class folk."
Jakob’s eyes burned into her. "There is nothing low-class about you, Bree."
He was always so intense, Bree found her cheeks flushing and wasn't even quite sure why. "I love you," he said again. The look on his face left no room to doubt his words.
She smiled. She felt the same intensity, but was it… love? "I... I…"
He leaned across the table and kissed her. The electric surge between them felt like a physical hammering in Bree's chest. He took her hand in his and held it tightly. His hands, so large, swallowed hers up. "Marry me."
Bree almost spit out her beer. "What?"
"You heard me," he said. His eyes were incandescent in the low light of the restaurant. Peanuts crunched under feet as people moved around. Bree stared at Jakob, searching his face to see if he was joking. His skin began to glow like a firefly. His eyes burned. She looked around to see if anyone else had noticed.
"Jakob... you're glowing."
His eyes immediately darkened. It was like he'd flicked off some internal light switch. "Sometimes I have a hard time controlling myself around you," he said.
"What's going on?" she asked. "That wasn't just a trick of the light. You really were glowing."
He smiled a crooked smile and cocked his head. "You're right." Bree waited, but he just kept smiling. "You haven't answered my question," he said.
"You haven't answered mine," she replied. Bree felt her nerves jump. Jakob wasn't going to let this go. But marry him? She couldn't... could she?
"I... don't know. I need to think." It sounded kind of lame, but she didn't have anything better.
"What is there to think about? You're mine. Don't you feel it?"
Her pulse throbbed in her chest. "Yes."
"Then what is it?"
"I just... A thousand things," she spat out, exasperated. "I don't believe in marriage. There's no such thing as happily ever after. We only just met. How can you be so certain?" Bree heard the words that she was emitting, and they made sense, they really did but her heart, she knew, was captured.
His eyes were hypnotizing and Bree wondered if they would start to glow again. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.
"Won't you tell me what's going on with you?"
"Yes, but not here."
Jakob paid their bill and they took a cab to the park where they'd first kissed. The night that had started off all wrong, had ended so right. They were back at the very place Bree now loved most, because it would forever remind her of Jakob.
They paused on the bridge where they'd first kissed. "I'm going to show you something," Jakob said. "Don't be afraid.”
The moon was almost full and it shown so brightly against Jakob's skin, he almost looked effervescent. Jakob began undressing. Bree's eyes bulged and she turned her head. "What are you doing?" she said in a loud hissing whisper.
"It's necessary," Jakob replied. She refused to look, but couldn't resist a peek or two. His muscles, already impossibly huge, looked even bigger once his shirt was off. Her eyes trailed over his body, down... down... until they stopped at the mass he usually had hidden in his pants. It was just as large as the rest of him. She blushed and averted her eyes, but then caught that strange glow coming off him again. As she watched, his eyes changed color. Their normal golden brown turned lighter and lighter, almost a yellow gold. His face began to shimmer, and his fingers and toes began to grow.
Bree's jaw dropped open. She started to scream, but then his eyes caught hers and held her. They were different, yet the same. The gentleness... the love he felt for her, it was still there. This was still her Jakob. Hair sprouted all over his body, a magnificent golden mane framing his fierce, proud, leonine face. Jakob dropped to the ground on four large paws before her. She reached out a trembling hand, uncertain if he was in pain. There before her, Jakob, the first richest most eligible bachelor in the world, the man who had asked for her hand in marriage this evening, had changed form from a man to a lion.
Chapter 9
He skulked around her gracefully yet powerfully, as any proud lion might do.
"What the—" Bree's voice failed her. When Jakob sat in front of her, his large face was at eye level with her. She trembled, her knees too weak to move, her voice stuck in her throat. Jakob’s large tongue darted lazily from his mouth and slurped at her cheek. She gasped, then broke into a wide grin.
"Are you kidding me?" she squealed. "You're a freaking werelion? That's awesome!"
Jakob licked her face again. Bree dug her hand into his thick golden fur. His gaze held steady against hers and Bree felt like he was trying to communicate. She closed her eyes and listened. Very faint, like a niggling in the back of her head, she could hear him. Only hear wasn't the right word. Feel. It was like a gentle tugging at the nape of her neck, pulling her senses from her and using them to signal her brain. Jakob wanted to run.
Bree wasn't much of a runner, but she'd do the best she could. "What about your cloth
es?" she asked. He looked towards a tree and Bree nodded. She gathered them up and placed them behind a tree hidden in shadows. When she turned back, Jakob was sprinting ahead of her.
"Wait for me!" she squealed, and ran after him. He was just out of her range of vision when two men stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"Hello sexy mama," one man said, his hair long and dark.
"What’s a nice girl like you doing running through parks alone at night?" asked his freckled companion. His hair was red with wild waves of blonde running through it. He was holding something in his hand. It shimmered in the moonlight, and Bree recognized the outline of a knife.
"Make it easy on yourself and do exactly what we say, and you’ll come out of this alive?" the dark man said.
Bree tried to scream, but it caught in her throat. The two men advanced towards her, not wasting time. Bree turned to run. Just then, the lion appeared. His lips drew back, revealing fangs that could puncture a brick.
"What the—" the freckled man said, holding up his knife, “Easy there, fella.”
Jakob had no intention of easing up. The desire to protect his mate was too primal, Jakob leapt at them. The blade of the knife was short, but it dug into Jakob's shoulder as he jumped at the man. That didn’t stop him from digging his teeth into the man's arm. The freckled man raged and flailed.
Bree watched, horrified. There was nothing she could do. She hated feeling helpless. The dark man jumped at Jakob, but when Jakob turned his attention to him the man fled. The freckled man tried to limp away but Jakob ripped his thigh apart and let him drop, then ran after the other one. They were too far off for Bree to see. All she could do was listen—human screams and lion roars. It seemed like an eternity. Please be okay please be okay. Finally, Jakob staggered back into sight. He ran to her, licking her face with his bloodied muzzle, then transformed back into a human.
Bree threw her arms around him, and Jakob held her tight.
***
"Are you sure you're okay?" Bree asked for the thirtieth time.
Jakob was touched by her concern, but assured her that he was fine. She eyed him suspiciously, but had to admit that the wounds he'd suffered were nearly gone. It had only been an hour since the attack.
"What about you?" Jakob asked. She handed him coffee and nuzzled next to him on her couch.
"Me? I'm fine. Thanks to you." She reached out her hand and let it rest in his. He intertwined his fingers with hers.
"You're not at all upset by the shifting?"
"Hell no!" Bree sat up and looked hard at him. "I think it's amazing. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. How did it happen? Were you bitten, like a werewolf?"
Jakob thought Bree looked especially cute when she got excited like this. "No. I wasn't bitten, I was born into it, but my great-great-grandfather was. The trait has since passed down."
"That's amazing! Do your brothers have it to? What about your mom? Can girls be were lionesses?"
"We prefer the term shifter, lion shifter. It's much rarer to find a female shifter who has lion abilities, but not unheard of. My brothers are brothers not in the human sense, but that we all belong to the same pride."
"Can I meet them?"
"Of course. Once we're married, you'll be an important part of our family. You already are, in many ways, but once we are mated, even more so. A King’s mate is almost as important as he is."
“King? What do you mean King? You mean… you’re a… a King?”
Jakob nodded. “Once we’re married, you will be a Queen.”
Bree was quiet. Jakob wished he could read her mind. With his pride, he nearly could. Not always, but when it was important he could pluck their thoughts from their head. Bree's lips formed a slight pout; the red from earlier this evening had faded to a solid pink that Jakob found delicious. He leaned across Bree's couch to taste her but she put one hand on his chest, preventing him.
"I can't marry you," she said. "I mean, maybe... maybe one day." Just referring to marriage as a possibility at all was enough for Bree to hyperventilate, but now he’s saying that marrying him would place her in a position of royalty.
"But why wait? Nothing will change. I'll always love you. Please, don’t say no, at least consider it."
Bree nodded to appease him, but in her heart, she didn't think she could do it. Jakob just didn't get it. He may be her mate, but everything in her life had taught her not to trust love. If he knew her parents, he might feel differently. She bolted upright on the couch and threw her hands out to the side, smacking Jakob's nose.
"Ouch," he said.
"I'm sorry. I just remembered..." The look of horror on her face alarmed Jakob. His shifter senses immediately rushed into overdrive, alert for any sign of danger.
"What is it?" he asked, standing and searching her small apartment.
"I... I told my parents you were my date for their anniversary party." Jakob turned and stared at her, she was almost hyperventilating.
"Of course I am, and I would love to meet your parents," Jakob said, thinking that would calm her.
"Oh God," she moaned, almost like she was sick. "It's gonna be a nightmare."
Chapter 10
Bree's phone started buzzing around nine. She had just walked into her office and was greeting the day with a white chocolate latte and cinnamon roll. She glanced down and saw her mother's phone number. There was no reason to talk to her mother so early in the day. That was the last thing she needed after the shock of last night which hadn’t worn off at all.
Jakob had sat on the couch with her for a while after agreeing to go to her parent's party, but Bree couldn't relax and enjoy herself. Jakob's touch sent sweet murmurs over her arms and up her neck, but the sweetness was tainted by the rising panic in her throat. What was she going to tell her parents? And what was she going to tell Jakob? She'd promised to think about marriage, but she could hardly take the idea seriously.
She sat in her office and waited for her first couple to enter, so she could begin the routine of convincing them they still had a chance at happiness.
***
Jakob stood across from Blake, who faced him with Mark, Randall, and Tony just behind him. Only William seemed to be horrified at the idea Blake had just put forth. The rest of the pride stood back to watch.
"What do you mean you think Jakob should be dethroned?" William's lips drew back and a roar rose in his throat like a thunderstorm.
Jakob was calmer. He'd had all night to think about it. Arriving home from Bree's, his thoughts of her luscious curves and sweet scent had been interrupted by a stray thought from Blake. Jakob had caught it, like plucking a feather out of the air. Blake wanted alpha status. Blake wanted to be King of the pride. Jakob had sensed it coming, and perhaps if he hadn't been so involved with Bree these last few days, he would have been able to prevent it from snowballing to this point.
"You think you're better than me?" Jakob asked, in a cool and even tone, exposing nothing. His eyes, however, dared Blake to cross a line. Jakob stepped closer. Mark and Tony retreated a step. Blake stood his ground, inching his head higher towards the ceiling.
"You should all be expelled for this," William roared and shifted, ripping his clothes so fast they exploded all over the room.
Mark put his hands up in a placating gesture. "We only think Jakob should consider letting Blake rule for a while. We're happy for him that he found his mate, but it's not right to ignore his pride and break the business deal we've all spent months on."
Blake emitted a low roar and stepped towards Jakob. Jakob was ready. He'd always been the fastest, the biggest, it was part of his alpha origin. He shifted in an instant and jumped behind Blake, pushing him to the ground before he could blink. Blake tried to shift, but Jakob forced his will onto him and held the shift at bay, forcing him to remain human. Blake was helpless under Jakob's heavy paws and razor-sharp teeth.
"I was only thinking of the pride," Blake said, his voice muffled by the thick carpet his f
ace was smashed into. He tried to portray himself as calm, but they all heard the speed of his heartbeat as Jakob bared his teeth.
***
Bree's mother called and called, but left no messages. After the seventh call, Bree finally started getting worried. What if something had happened to her father? At lunch, she dialed her mom's cell and had to hold the phone away from her ear when her mom answered.
"Oh, my god Bree! Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed.
Bree's ears rang. "Tell you what?"
"That you're dating the richest man on Earth!"
Bree's heart sank. "You didn't call about Dad?"
"What? No, your father's fine. He's just as excited as I am."
"I did tell you," Bree said. "Sort of."
"Oh, Bree, honey," her mother went on as if she hadn't heard her. "This changes everything. Our anniversary party isn't just for us anymore. It can be a celebration. My daughter and the catch of the century."
"It's not that serious," Bree tried to say.
"That's not how it looks in the picture."
"What picture? Wait a minute, how do you know about all this?"
"Oh, honey it's all over the papers!"
"It is?"
"Of course! You can't date a man like Jakob Moore and not have the news spread. He's the most eligible bachelor in the world. The world."
Bile rose in Bree's throat, stinging it. "Mom, I've gotta go, I'll call you later." She hung up and walked to the corner newsstand. Sure enough, on the front page of The Daily was a picture of her and Jakob, lips locked, the crowd at the baseball stadium behind them.
***
Bree took the rest of the day off, feigning illness. When she pushed Jakob's doorbell, her heart was thudding like a drum. A man with light hair and matching eyes answered. He seemed to know who she was. "Jakob's upstairs," he said. "Please, come on in."
The man seemed nice enough. He gestured for Bree to enter, but she stayed outside. "Can you just tell him I'm here, please?" But the man didn't have to. The second she'd arrived, Jakob had sensed her. He was already at the door.
Bears of Burden: WYATT Page 68
