by Morgan Rae
King. He truly was worthy of worship.
His large hands cupped her rear and took the sides of her panties.
“How much do you like these panties?” he asked her.
“They’re a lost cause,” she murmured. She’d soaked them completely.
Unceremoniously, he ripped them from her legs like tissue paper.
Whimper.
Holly’s impressive, lengthy vocabulary dried up in her throat.
“Come back in my lap,” he told her.
She didn’t have to be told twice; she practically launched herself at him. Holly straddled him now and folded her legs on either side of him. She reached down and wrapped her hand around his cock, urging him inside of her. He was big, and it’d been over a week since he’d been inside of her. Even as drenched as she was, her body protested lightly at his intrusion. But with a throb it gave way, pulling him deeper inside of her.
Jacob was solid underneath her, like an ancient oak, and her fingers curled around his shoulders, nails digging in. His hands cupped her rear, holding her against him, but he let her set the rhythm and pace. His dick felt hot and delicious inside of her and Holly knew then and there that she wouldn’t be able to slow down. She rocked against him, quickly, her hips slamming down on his. The chair arm hit the table with a pattering thunk-thunk-thunk with every thrust. Holly gasped, her head dropped against his chest, and she lost herself in his scent, his old wood, deep earth scent. She heard him moan, felt his fingers tighten on her ass, and then heard her name drop from his lips. “Ah…God…Holly.”
“Please,” she begged, teetering on the edge, tight, so tight around his cock, as she rode him in short, frantic humps. She could feel her clit bump against the base of his meaty cock and her thighs quivered. “Please, please, please…”
“Cum for me,” he growled.
That was all it took for Holly to come crashing down. She cried out loudly, and her nails dug divots into his skin as her body clenched hard around him. She throbbed in tight pulses that never seemed to end, they just dragged on and on, leaving her shaking and whimpering and grabbing at his neck, his shoulders, his hair. She heard him moan, a throaty moan from deep in his chest, and his teeth dug into her bare throat as she felt him shoot deep inside of her, hot and thick, filling her. She covered every inch of him in kisses, loving kisses, needy kisses, and tasted his salty sweat.
They caught their breath. She leaned her head against his chest and listened as his heartbeat slowly spooled down.
Like this, with her body molded into his, Holly felt like they were one being that had split apart long ago. How else to explain the way they fit together so perfectly or how they came together despite all the odds stacked against them?
“Dinner was real good,” he said and reached around her to pluck up a piece of potato between his fingers—like an animal—and plopped it into his mouth.
She giggled against his chest, delirious. “You just like the seasoning,” she teased.
“Mm. That too,” he said, sucking her taste off his fingers. His mouth closed around hers then and she felt herself succumb to his kiss, intoxicated by this Beast of a man who was so quick to claim her every chance he got. I’m his, she thought and she felt the mark on her throat burn.
And he’s mine.
Chapter 50
They fucked again that night, in front of the fire, and then once more in bed. Jacob was animal, virile, insatiable, and Holly was drunk on his need. Every time his fingers brushed her skin or his teeth grazed her throat or his dick grew hard and strong in her hand, Holly felt how much he wanted her, how much he needed her, this rugged, Alpha man. She felt powerful, rich, precious, like her veins pumped with gold. She was Helen of Troy, capable of toppling even the strongest of men with a smile or, in her case, a blush.
Holly couldn’t tell exactly which one of their entanglements that night finally stuck, but she was certain that, yes, that had to be the night that put her right here, staring down a positive pregnancy test.
A flurry of emotions jostled around in her chest. Holly tried to get her mind focused.
Alright. Think, Holly. Make a list. She jotted down:
Various ways Jacob might react to the news
Best-case scenario: unabashed joy and gratitude.
Pros: wild cowboy celebrations and a lifetime of happiness.
Cons: wild cowboy celebrations.
Worst-case scenario: he is so shocked he turns into a bear on the spot.
Pros: a new bearskin rug.
Cons: losing the father of my child and my one shot at happiness.
The worst-case scenario was—for lack of a better word—bad. Very bad. Catastrophically bad. But she had to tell him. One way or another. It was just a matter of when—
A knock on the door startled her upright. “Everything alright in there?” Jacob’s voice leaked through the bathroom door.
“I—yeah—” Holly fumbled to pick up the pregnancy stick, which had fallen into the sink in her surprise. “One second, please.” How to get rid of it? He’d see it in the trashcan; could she flush it down the toilet?
“Take your time. Five minutes till you gotta head out for class.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Frantically, Holly scrambled around the bathroom. She grabbed her dirty clothes, wrapped the stick up in them, and then made to leave. On second thought, she flushed the toilet behind her, just in case he was listening in or something. Her paranoia was reaching an all-time high when she exited the bathroom, bundle in hand. Jacob had left—probably downstairs waiting on her—so Holly shoved the bundle of clothes and pregnancy stick in her bag and then hoisted it on her shoulder. She took one quick glance in the mirror before heading downstairs and picked up a hair tie, pulling her hair back. Made her look less frantic, she decided.
Jacob was in the den by time she got there and she smiled prettily at him. “Ready,” she said cheerily.
He glanced up with his eyes only, dark orbs under his heavy eyebrows. A hint of smile rose from his lips. “Y’look good,” he said.
Her heart vibrated in her chest. “Thanks,” she said. Why was she so afraid of this man? He was her husband; hell, she should be able to tell him anything, especially this. “Listen,” she blurted out, “there’s something we have to talk about—”
“Well, don’t do it on an empty stomach,” Jacob said abruptly. He held out a plate of toast and eggs for her.
Holly didn’t realize how hungry she was until she saw the food. She sat down beside him and instantly started scarfing it down. “Thanks,” she said between mouthfuls.
“Prepping for hibernation?” he asked, amused, as he watched her devour the plate of food.
“These eggs are really good,” she told him. “What’d you do to them?”
“Scramble them.” Then he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Everything tastes better when it’s been beaten.”
“Even you?” she challenged.
He lifted his eyebrows. “There something you wanted to tell me?”
She glanced at the clock. They had to leave in two minutes if she wanted to make it there in time. Not half enough time for celebrating, asking questions, making plans. She’d tell him later. Tonight. She shook her head. “I forgot.”
“Bad teacher.” He gripped the top of her head in his big hand, gave it a playful squeeze and a kiss. “I’ll talk to you later, then. Love you.”
“I love you too,” she said, and meant it. As though she were sending him off to war or far, far away. It felt like she was, too. Tonight was a game changer, for better or worse, that much was certain.
Chapter 51
They split up outside the house with a kiss—Jacob revved up his work truck and Holly hopped in the Buggy. She’d puttered halfway down the hill when she spotted Trish waving her down on the side of the road. She slowed just long enough for the young girl to catch up.
“Morning, Mrs. Holly,” Trish said and propped her elbows on the open window.
“Good morning,” Holly smiled. If Trish was calling her Mrs. Holly, all polite and proper, the young girl clearly wanted something. “I’m on my way to campus. Do you need a ride into town?”
Trish shook her head. “Um…not really.” The young girl looked over her shoulder as though to make sure no one was watching, long dark hair tumbling down. When she spoke again, her words came rapid-fire. “Look, Mom’s out with Jacob and Dad’s working on the farm, so we have the day off and I thought…maybe…since you’re going there anyway…I know, before, you mentioned…um…”
Quiet panic filtered over the young girl’s expression and Holly couldn’t help but smile. “Do you want to come with me to Elmswood?”
Trish lit up like a Fourth of July night sky. “Yes. Please.”
Holly lifted an eyebrow. “What would your mother say about that?” She was already on Cassidy’s “shit list.” She didn’t need to make matters worse. Holly knew how adamant Cassidy was about keeping Trish on the ranch rather than letting her go to college. While Holly didn’t agree with the choice, Cassidy was Trish’s mother, and there were some lines she didn’t want to cross.
Trish gave a little shrug. “I’m not applying. Just looking.”
Holly hesitated, but…at the end of the day, Trish was eighteen. She could make her own decisions. Besides, if Holly was being honest with herself, she saw a lot of herself in Trish. She couldn’t help but water the budding academic in the young girl. Finally, Holly relented with a small nod and said, “I could use an assistant for the day.”
“I’d love that,” Trish said eagerly. “Thank you.”
“Thank you. You’d be doing me a favor.” Holly stalled the car long enough for the young girl to clamber in and shut the door behind her.
Chapter 52
“So what’s your secret?” The engine rumbled as tires spat out dirt and rocks.
“What do you mean?” Jacob kept his eyes focused out the road, straight ahead, but he could feel Cassidy staring at him.
“Come on,” Cassidy scoffed. “You’ve been normal lately. Well, normal for you, anyway. You don’t look like you’re itching to burst out of your skin. That’s an achievement for you, right?”
Jacob acknowledged her with a grunt. “You know, Brent was a much quieter copilot.”
“Then you should’ve thought about that before you chased him off.”
Cassidy had a lot of great qualities, Jacob thought, but her inability to keep her every thought from falling out of her mouth was going to get her in trouble someday. Yes, without Brent around, she was Jacob’s new right-hand man…well…right-hand woman. His Beta-in-charge. But that didn’t mean she could now question him at every turn, and he shot her a look that told her that, in not so many words.
Cassidy, predictably, crumpled in her seat. Backing off, tail tucked. “I’m just saying,” she grumbled, but then effectively dropped it, and that was all Jacob needed.
Brent was a sore spot. Jacob understood Cassidy’s position well enough: Brent was her brother and she’d go down in flames defending him. But Brent was Jacob’s brother, too, and Jacob had made the only call he knew how to make.
Jacob was Alpha of the clan for a reason. He knew how to make the hard decisions. The rest of the clan could pout and roll their shoulders back irritably at his choices, but they’d all fall in line if they knew what was good for them. Brent was a brother, a hard worker, and a best friend. But he was also a traitor, and Jacob had made a very clear example of him. You’re either with the clan, or you’re against us. Easy as that. Black and white. Jacob didn’t do well with greys.
Still, he knew this was a hard time for everyone. There was going to be a little chatter from the clan. Mercifully, Jacob cut Cassidy some slack and steered the subject away from Brent. “It’s no magic trick. Holly’s been working with me. Helping me get the animal out of my system, I guess.”
Jacob caught a glimpse of Cassidy’s eyebrows hiking up her forehead from the corner of his eyes. “Do I wanna know?”
A sly smirk crooked over his lips. “Probably not.”
“Well, good on you. Keep it up.” The truck thu-thumped over a divot in the road and the tools and equipment rattled around the open hatchback. “So your Beast is…contained?”
“Seems so.” Jacob could feel those eyes on him again, trying to crack beneath his surface.
“How many transformations have you got in you? Honestly. Until you go…full bear.”
Jacob’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Hard to say.”
“Hard to say or you just don’t want to say?”
He shrugged and tried to keep the tightness from his voice. Tried to sound casual. As though the harder he pretended he was okay, the more everyone around him would believe him. “Two. Maybe.”
“Christ.” He could hear the passenger seat grumble as Cassidy sank back into it. “What are you going do with that? You think you can just…go the rest of your life without changing? Ever?”
“We’ll figure it out.” Now Jacob’s voice was tense, reaching the tether on his patience.
“You and Holly?” There was more than a question in Cassidy’s voice; she sounded downright skeptical.
“Yeah. Me and Holly.” Jacob pulled the truck into park outside their client’s address and killed the engine. “Less talking, more working,” he told her, successfully putting a period on the conversation (for now, at least) as he got out of the truck and got to work.
Chapter 53
Holly couldn’t help but find it endearing when Trish walked on the Elmswood College campus as though she were stepping onto the red carpet at the Oscars. Her already big brown eyes widened to drink in every sight, every school building, and every student. Once they got closer to the admission building, however, Trish sidled up to Holly like a shaken Chihuahua.
“Relax,” Holly tried to reassure the young girl. “We’re just here for a visitor’s pass.”
Trish nodded, her voice no doubt locked behind a bundle of nerves in her throat. Holly remembered the feeling well. Even Holly—who had been to numerous schools to study and, ultimately, to teach—felt her insides butterfly with anxiety the first time she stepped onto a fresh campus.
She obtained the visitor’s pass for Trish and introduced her to the admissions facility as someone who would possibly being applying next year. At the ranch, Trish was well-spoken, bold, and determined. Outside of it, Holly realized just how sheltered the young girl was and she seemed barely able to squeak out her hellos and thank yous.
Holly ushered her through campus and gave Trish a quick tour before she had to run to class. Holly had three classes to teach that day and she let Trish sit in with her. Holly was happy to have the young girl in her class—it was refreshing, at least, to see someone actually paying attention to the lesson. On her lunch break, Holly brought Trish into her office.
“What do you think so far?” Holly asked as she settled in behind her desk.
Trish took a seat across from her. “It is really interesting…thanks for taking me.”
“Of course,” Holly said. “We’re family, right?”
“Yeah.” Quietly, Holly was hoping she might get Trish to open up, maybe talk about clan life. If anyone knew how to win hearts at the Red Moon Ranch, it would be someone who’d grown up there. Like Trish. And Holly was very aware that, even though things between her and Jacob had never been better, she could still use some points with the rest of the clan—specifically, Trish’s mother, Cassidy. Instead, Trish’s fingers played over Holly’s desk and then she knit her eyebrows. “Are these old newspapers?”
Her eyes had landed on the article from Eyes on Etna that Holly had photocopied from the lab. Holly hesitated, not sure how much she should tell the young girl, and then she said, “Yes…I’ve been doing a little research.”
“About what?” There were Trish’s eyes, ever-curious.
“About the area, mainly…around Red Moon Ranch.” Holly tried to keep it vague.
“This guy,” T
rish said, pointing to the black-and-white photo in the paper, “Roger or Robin or something...like a hunter...right?”
Holly tried to keep a poker face. “How do you know that?”
Trish shrugged and then flipped the page, looking through it. “Mama Mae has stories...I used to love to get her to talk and just sit back and listen. They spent their lives here, you know? She and Pops.”
“You mean...your grandfather?” Holly asked, trying not to betray herself with the edge of excitement that lingered in her voice.
Trish nodded and took one of the mints Holly had in a seashell bowl. “Yeah. Pops.” She unwrapped the plastic and popped the mint in her mouth as her eyes scanned the black-and-white Eyes on Etna.
“Do you…remember any of the stories?” Holly asked. She tried to keep her tone casual but, internally, her heart was thumping in her chest. If Trish had a lead on this…if Holly’s intuition was right…maybe they were one step closer to finding a cure for Jacob’s moonlust once and for all.
But Trish just shrugged again and Holly was reminded of how young she was. Apathetic teenagers. “Not really. Just bits and pieces. You should ask Mama Mae. She’d tell you.”
“Of course.” Holly made a mental note to do just that when they got back, even though she would have preferred it to come from Trish’s mouth. Despite their age difference, Trish seemed to be the only one of the clan members Holly could really talk to. “Are you hungry?” she asked, hoping some food might jog the younger girl’s memory.
Trish perked up and nodded her head rapidly. Holly smiled. “I’ll pick up something from the cafeteria...do you want to come or stay here?”
“I’ll stay, if that’s okay,” Trish said. Despite her persistent efforts to come visit the school, now that she was actually here, Trish had turned gun-shy. All the students, the classes, the waterfall flow of pupils in and out of each room…it had to be overwhelming for her. Baby steps, Holly thought to herself. And then she thought: baby. Her hand wanted to rest on her stomach just to cup it, feel it, but she didn’t want to be too obvious, not until she’d told Jacob anyway, so she forcibly kept her arms at her sides.
