Zane grabbed Josh’s calves and hauled him out of the cabin, dumping his still unconscious body onto the ground outside. He returned to the cabin and Richie scooted backwards, palms out, saying,“I’b leabing, I’b leabing!”
Zane narrowed his eyes and growled and Richie slowly got up and ran out the door. Damian stood, glared at Zane then followed Richie out of the cabin. Zane walked to the doorway, watched as the two men picked up the third and carried him to their car. Once they settled him in the back seat, they drove off. Zane closed the door softly, locked it and turned around, nearly bumping into Jackie.
Jackie reached up and stroked his cheek.
“I’m sorry they were such assholes, Zane. Our pack isn’t usually like that. It’s my fault for not telling him about you.”
“You told him here and still he refused to accept it.” Zane paused then asked, “Do you regret that he’s no longer your lover?” Zane watched her carefully, holding his breath as he waited for her answer.
“No. I honestly don’t know what I saw in him in the first place. He was such an arrogant Son of a Bitch! I…we….” She didn’t know what to say to Zane.
“We are mates, Zane. We have some issues to work out, but I would never seek another lover. My wolf would never let me, and I…I wouldn’t want to.” She stroked his cheek with her thumb.
“What about you, Zane? Was there someone else?” Zane shook his head.
“Our pack has few females and they were all given to strong males who support the Alpha. Besides, who would want me? I am a runt. It’s why my parents abandoned me. Females want big, strapping males who can protect them.”
“You were abandoned?” Jackie was astonished that any parent would abandon its child, especially since so few wolves reproduced.
Zane said nothing and she saw the pain in his eyes. Jackie realized he expected her to abandon him as well, simply because he was smaller than typical male wolves. She felt even guiltier for pushing him away after they had been intimate.
How could I have hurt my mate so deeply? Jackie wondered. She was determined to fix her mistakes, to undo the damage she had caused with her selfish behavior.
“Zane…you were amazing. I’ve never seen anyone fight like that. You were outnumbered and yet, you kicked their asses!” She grinned and hugged him. He grunted and she remembered his cracked rib.
“I’m sorry! I forgot. Come, let me see....” Jackie held his hand and pulled him to their bed. He sat down and watched her pick up a medical kit and set it on the bed next to him. She unbuttoned his shirt and carefully removed it. She bit her lip as she surveyed the damage to her mate. His belly was black and blue in several spots. His side had a massive bruise where Damian had kicked him. Tenderly she touched his rib and he winced.
“I think you have a fractured rib.” Zane nodded, it wasn’t his first fractured rib, nor would it be his last.
“I just need some ibuprofen and an ice pack. I’ve had worse.” Jackie blinked.
“Seriously?” she asked.
“It was only three of your pack mates. Once, a dozen of my pack mates decided to show me how weak I was.” His voice was bitter as he remembered the beating he had taken. He had lain on the ground in pain with multiple broken ribs, two black eyes and a broken arm for two days before Delia had managed to sneak out in the middle of the night, bringing him stolen painkillers and tending to his wounds. He had been seventeen.
As he lay there, praying for death to take him, he had wondered why his pack mates hated him so much. He had wondered if anyone could ever accept him, or if he would forever be their punching bag. Delia had been punished for helping him and he vowed that he would never put her in that position again. He worked on his strengths instead of focusing on his weaknesses. He was smaller and faster than his pack mates and used that to his advantage. He learned how to defend himself and before long, they left him alone.
The bitterness in his voice and the way he clenched his fists made Jackie ache for him. She stroked his cheek gently and kissed his forehead.
“I’m sorry Zane,” she said softly. She got up and searched the freezer. Finding an ice pack, she brought it over to him and he held it against his rib. He stiffened suddenly at the cold sensation against his warm skin. He took a deep breath and steeled himself against the pain in his side. She brought him some ibuprofen and a cold drink.
While he took his medicine, Jackie opened the medical kit and removed some antiseptic and a few cotton swabs. She poured the antiseptic on the tip of one swab and swiped it across the cut on his lip. Once all of the blood was gone, she saw the tiny cut, already beginning to heal. By morning it should be a small scar. She looked at his hands, bloody and slightly swollen. She pulled him into the bathroom and washed his hands gently under warm water. The skin on some of his knuckles had scraped off and she applied antiseptic to those areas. She led him back to their bed and once again he sat down. She took out some bandages and wrapped each damaged finger. His fingers would be tender in the morning but fully healed by the next evening.
Jackie knelt down, removed his shoes and socks and he lay on the bed on his side. She went back to the fireplace, threw the twigs into the fire and cleaned up their S’more mess. She went into the kitchen and put the items away. Jackie took a quick shower then returned to their bed. She lay beside Zane, caressing his face, occasionally running her fingers through his sandy blond hair. He couldn’t resist her soothing touch and soon he was fast asleep. Jackie fell asleep a short while later.
Chapter Six
Jackie woke up and found their bed empty. She heard the shower running and was tempted to join him. When she remembered their ‘no sex’ agreement she sighed with disappointment and decided to get dressed. She put on a t-shirt, slipped on a pair of jeans then went into the kitchen to make breakfast. She set up the coffeemaker and decided she would make French Toast for breakfast. She gathered the ingredients and began assembling the batter.
Zane walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. The moment he opened the bathroom door, the tantalizing scent of his mate hit his nose. He inhaled deeply, enjoying her scent. Silently, he watched her cooking as he dressed. He pulled on a pair of boxers then a pair of jeans. Wanting, needing, desperate to see her reaction to his half naked body, Zane decided against a shirt. He returned the towel to the bathroom and joined her in the kitchen.
Knowing it was foolish, he walked up behind her, slipped his hands around Jackie’s waist and kissed her gently on the shoulder. He pressed against her, holding his body tight against hers.
“Good Morning, mate,” Zane said softly as Jackie relaxed against him. She grinned and asked, “Are you happy to see me or happy to have breakfast?”
Unable to resist, he replied, “I’d be happy to have you for breakfast.” She sucked in a breath and held onto the stove as her knees became wobbly.
“Zane…,” she whispered, her voice tight with a sudden need. Her belly tingled as her womb contracted in anticipation. Zane kissed his way across her shoulder, stopping to nibble on her neck.
“Ohhhh….” She bit her lip and couldn’t stop from grinding her ass against his crotch. She felt heady when she felt his erection pressing into her. Jackie dropped the spatula and reached back to caress Zane through his jeans.
Zane bit her neck gently, leaving a mark. He enjoyed the feel of her fingers as she stroked him through the thick fabric of his jeans. He fought his instincts to unbutton her jeans and push them down so he could slip his fingers inside of her. Knowing he wouldn’t stop with just his fingers, he allowed his hand to wander down the front of her jeans, stroking her between her legs. The roughness of the jeans pressed into her clit and Jackie gripped him a little tighter. She gasped as his fingers caressed her roughly.
He rubbed his cheek against hers then whispered in her ear, “We’d better stop, Jackie. Or I might fuck you right here.” Jackie nodded in agreement. Was she agreeing that he should stop or that he should fuck her? She wasn’t sure anymore. All she knew was that her
nerve endings were on fire and she didn’t want to stop touching Zane. She wanted him naked and over her. Or naked and under her. She didn’t care which as long as he was inside of her. She released him, reached over and shut off the gas stove. She moved the pan over and turned around to face Zane.
Zane felt Jackie’s soft lips press against his and his mind went blank. The pain in his side vanished as her tongue brushed against his and her hands slid up his arms, locking behind his neck. His hand slid up to the back of her head and his fingers threaded through her hair, massaging her scalp. He felt her soft hand caress his cheek and she pulled away, breathing heavily. Jackie licked her lips and stepped back. Taking his hands in hers, she pulled him to their bed. It would take at least two weeks for his rib to heal, so vigorous sex was not possible. That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy her mate, or that he couldn’t enjoy her.
Jackie turned Zane so that the bed was behind him and she reached for his jeans. She unbuttoned his jeans and slowly unzipped it. Grasping both his jeans and boxers, she slid them down his legs. She moved so she was kneeling and looked up at him.
“Jackie?”
She licked her lips, held his cock and slipped it into her mouth. Her head slid away then returned, swallowing him almost to the back of her throat. Zane could hardly believe his eyes. His mate was on her knees, worshiping his cock, sucking him deep into her mouth. Jackie’s mouth was hot and wet around him. She sucked him tightly and released him to lick the slit at the top of his cock. She made eager little noises as her tongue discovered the ridge that circled his crown. His fingers weaved through her hair and he fought hard not to push her head down or hold her still so he could pump his hips, filling her mouth completely.
Cold air hit his cock as she removed her hot mouth from the length of him. She grasped him firmly in her hand and she moved around him, licking the slit then down to his sac and back up again. She traced his entire cock with her tongue before slipping it back into the hot cavern of her mouth and Zane groaned.
“Jackie, please,” he begged. One soft hand fondled his sac, rubbing and squeezing gently as she rolled them between her fingers. The other hand fisted his cock and pumped back and forth toward her mouth. She sucked harder on him as her tongue caressed him. The sight of her head bobbing on his cock was Zane’s undoing. His mate, on her knees, loving him with her sexy mouth, it was too much.
“Ahhh, Fuck!” Zane released into her mouth and she lovingly swallowed every drop. Zane’s knees finally collapsed and he fell onto the bed, slipping out of her mouth.
He sat on the bed, astonished at Jackie’s ministrations. She looked up at Zane with a strangely satisfied smile on her face and he caressed her cheek. Finally he found his voice.
“Strip for me, Jackie. I want to taste you.”
“What about your side? Are you sure you can do that?”
“I will not leave my mate unsatisfied.” She shook her head.
“It’s ok, Zane. I can wait until you are better. You can owe me one,” she said with a wink. Zane lowered his head and kissed her gently. He pressed his forehead against hers.
“I never had anything of my own, Jackie,” Zane said softly. “No family of my own. After my parents abandoned me, I was sent from one pack home to another. No one wanted to keep me for very long.” He pulled back and met her eyes. “When your pack came to get me, not one of my pack members tried to help me, even though we outnumbered your pack. My own pack... I’m nobody there.”
Zane held her face with both hands and continued, “I’m tired of it, Jackie. I want something of my own…You. I want you. I want to be somebody. I want to be your mate.” He stared deep into her eyes. “I’ll do whatever it takes, Jackie. Anything. Do you think you could ever forgive me?”
Jackie was still kneeling in front of Zane, her face in his hands. She held his wrists, rubbed her thumbs against the back of his hands, surprised at his admission. Her heart ached for him, for the boy who had no one, for the man who tried so hard to fit in. She thought about Lanie’s advice. Sean was dead. She wasn’t.
“I think that Lanie was right. We can’t change the past, we can only focus on the future. I…I would like for you to be a part of my future,” Jackie admitted.
His happiness was evident, shining brightly in his eyes. Her stomach grumbled and they both laughed. Wanting to feed his mate, he stood, pulled up his jeans and buttoned them. Zane told her to wait in their bed since he would bring breakfast to her. Zane vowed he would spoil his mate, would make sure she never had a reason to regret giving him a chance.
She rearranged herself on the bed and watched him as he finished cooking their breakfast. Jackie had finished mixing the batter, so it didn’t take him long to make French toast. He plated the toast, found some fresh fruit in the fridge and added it to the bed tray he found. He poured out two cups of hot coffee and carefully carried it to their bed. His side ached but the pain was minimal compared to the joy he found in caring for his mate.
Zane and Jackie enjoyed breakfast on their bed. They ate quietly, gazing at each other, enjoying their little retreat. Both of them now understood why their Alpha initially refused to share this space with them. It was also clear why the Alpha Bitch wanted to share it with them. After breakfast was finished, Jackie removed the tray and cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. Knowing he needed to rest, she brought him some more ibuprofen and another ice pack. Wanting him to be comfortable, she helped him take off his jeans. She left him on the bed and showered. When she returned he was still awake on the bed, watching her intently.
“Lie next to me, naked. I’ll behave, Jackie,” Zane promised.
She grinned and undressed. She didn’t want him to behave, but knew he needed a few more hours for his hands to heal. For now, Jackie would have to be satisfied with just touching him. Jackie wanted to face him, throw her arm over his chest, but she remembered his fractured rib. Not wanting to hurt him, she settled on the bed, facing away from him. He turned and positioned himself so that he was spooning her. It didn’t take long for her to feel his erection pressing into her bottom. She sighed as he slipped an arm around her then squeezed her breast gently.
“I thought you were going to behave.”
“I am behaving. If I wasn’t, I’d already be inside of you.”
“Zaaane…,” Jackie’s breath caught and she became aroused at the thought of him buried deep inside of her. He nuzzled her neck, nipped a little spot as his hand toyed with her nipple. Leisurely he pumped his hips, the movement causing his erection to grow harder, longer, and slip along the crease of her ass, down between her legs. Jackie’s breath came in soft pants and she gyrated her hips, gently stroking his cock with her ass. Zane slid his hand down to her thigh, pushed it up so her knee was bent. A moment before he slid into her, the satellite phone rang.
FUCK! he thought as he rolled onto his back. He laid his arm across his eyes, breathing deeply to control his frustration. Jackie reached for the satellite phone, checking the caller ID. Seeing it was from the Alpha, she answered.
“Hello?” she answered timidly.
“Jackie, are you all right?” Lucien demanded.
“Uh, yes. I’m fine, Alpha. Why do you ask?” Jackie asked, frowning.
“Damian is here and he is very upset. He said he paid you a visit last night at our cabin and it scented of sex. He said that Zane forced you and refused to let you leave with him.”
“WHAT?” Jackie shouted as she sat up straight. She was shocked that Damian would go to their Alpha with such blatant lies.
“We…um…I….” Jackie blushed, not wanting to discuss her sex life with the Alpha.
“Jackie?” a familiar voice asked.
Jackie breathed a sigh of relief. It was Lanie, the Alpha’s mate.
“Lanie, it’s not true! I can’t believe he would lie like that! Damian and his friends refused to leave and they attacked Zane, knowing he was my mate. They fractured one of his ribs. You should have seen Zane, Lanie, he was amazing! Even with a broken r
ib, he fought better than any wolf I’ve ever seen! He kicked their asses, Lanie!” Jackie gushed proudly.
Lanie laughed and Jackie grinned while Zane beamed with pride.
My mate is proud of me, of my fighting skills? Though it was cliché, I am a much better lover than a fighter.
Lanie asked about their honeymoon and Jackie replied, “Zane and I are…we’re…working things out.”
“That’s excellent! I’m sorry we interrupted, but Lucien wanted to make sure you were unharmed.”
“Thank you for checking up on us…and Lanie?”
“Yes, Jackie?”
“Thanks for letting us stay here. It was exactly what we needed.”
“No need to thank me, Jackie. We’re pack.”
Lanie hung up, turned to Lucien and explained how Damian had interrupted Jackie and Zane’s Honeymoon. Lucien was livid at Damian’s attack on Zane, especially after Jackie had clarified that he was her mate. He pulled Damian and his two friends outside and reminded them how sacred the relationship was between mates. When Lucien was done, Damian and his two friends were bloody and sore with a few broken ribs of their own.
Not wanting him to feel pain needlessly, Jackie refused to let Zane satisfy her until his rib was healed. Over the next few days, Zane felt increasingly guilty when his mate took care of his needs but refused to let him satisfy her. He repeatedly told her that the pain he endured would be worth it, but she smiled slyly and told him he was racking up quite an I.O.U. He grinned and counted down the days until his rib was healed. Then he would tie his mate to their bed and take care of his I.O.U’s.
Chapter Seven
Zane started a fire and stood, watching his mate sleep. For the first time in his life, he felt content, happy. He tensed when he heard a familiar howl. He covered his naked mate and went outside. He moved through the woods and came to a small clearing.
Jackie woke up with a start. She looked around, searching for Zane. She didn’t hear anyone outside, so she got dressed and went outside. She scented him. His anger. She was downwind from him and followed the scent to a clearing. She paused when she heard loud voices arguing.
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