by B M Griffin
“Why just one of us?” Adam asked.
“Because I’d appreciate it if one of you would watch the restaurant while Megan and I go out for dinner. I don’t want to spend the night looking over my shoulder,” Jared glanced at Megan. “I’ve been guilty of doing that too often, and Megan deserves more, and tonight I want to be present for her.” He turned his attention back to Adam. “Demetri already made it clear he isn’t afraid to go after her, so I don’t want to take any chances.”
The women in the room had great big smiles on their faces, but he wasn’t embarrassed by his feelings for Megan. He’d spent the better part of their time together since they met, worrying about keeping everyone safe, Megan included, instead of making sure she knew just how much he felt for her. That was going to change going forward.
“I’ll keep an eye out for the two of you tonight,” Shayla volunteered.
“Thank you.” He turned to Megan and reached for her hand. “You ready to get out of here?”
She tilted her head up and gave him a quick kiss before she said, “Absolutely.”
****
Jared knew Megan’s favorite place to eat was Mama Maria’s because she loved their Italian Chicken pasta. He didn’t want their night out to feel like it was pack business, so he asked Shayla to just keep an eye out from outside the restaurant. Besides, he knew Shayla and Megan enough to know that there was no way Shayla would be able to sit in the restaurant without trying to listen in on their conversation. Megan might want to tell Shayla all about their night out later, but he didn’t want anyone drawing attention away from the two of them while they were together.
Megan knew exactly what she wanted, so they both ordered as soon as the waiter came to the table to ask what they wanted to drink. “I love this place,” Megan said, lifting her wine glass to take a swallow of Moscato.
Jared smiled in return, “I know, that’s why I wanted to bring you here. I know we have been butting heads a lot lately, but I just want us to enjoy ourselves tonight.” He reached across the table and lifted Megan’s hand to his lips, and he placed a kiss over her knuckles. “I haven’t been showing you how much you mean to me – and that stops tonight. You deserve someone who is devoted to more than your safety, and I promise I am that guy. I want you safe, but more than anything I want you to be happy, and to make sure you know how much I care for you.”
Megan met his eyes and said, “I care about you as well. I wouldn’t be so sure about becoming,” she glanced around, like she was making sure nobody was too close before she finished her sentence, “a werewolf. I love Shayla, but I wouldn’t make such a life-altering decision just to be a part of my friend’s world. But I would do it for you, because even when you’re driving me crazy putting my safety ahead of your own, I know that I want to be with you.”
Jared felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off his chest. He had honestly not even considered he was a part of her decision to become a werewolf, not in any way other than her wanting to be able to protect herself so that he might back off a bit. He reached forward and cupped her cheek, and was happy when she leaned into his touch. “I can’t begin to explain how much it means to me to hear you say that.”
The three words he’d wanted to tell her since they met, and he knew he’d found his other half, the person who was supposed to be his mate, were on the tip of his tongue when the waiter showed back up with their food. They both ate quietly, until Megan pulled her cloth napkin from her lap and wiped her mouth before tossing it onto the table next to her empty plate.
“That was delicious,” she patted her belly, “but I’m stuffed.”
“Good,” Jared put his fork down and looked for the waiter so he could pay the check. “What I really want to do with you requires a little more privacy.”
Megan smiled knowingly. “If we need privacy, we should probably go to my place. A lot less people there.”
Jared stood up and pulled her to her feet in front of him. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. “You sure you’re not already some kind of mythical creature? I swear you can read my mind.”
Megan chuckled and Jared turned toward the front of the restaurant, practically dragging her out the front door. When he spotted Shayla watching them discreetly from the bushes on the outer edges of the parking lot, he sent her a silent order letting her know she could go back to the packhouse. Megan was not going to be out of his sight for the rest of the night. He couldn’t even remember the last time they’d had any real alone time together, and he planned to take advantage of every single minute they had.
When they got to Megan’s house, she quickly unlocked the door so that they could get inside. Jared held the door open for her to enter ahead of him, then he shut the door behind him and made sure to click the lock back in place. Megan was on him the moment he turned. She grabbed his face, letting her hands move toward the back of his head, so that her fingers were at the base of his hair, and she pulled him down to her and kissed him so hard, he felt it all the way to his toes.
Jared groaned into her mouth and reached down and gripped the back of her thighs, lifting her off the ground, and pressing her tight to his body. Megan responded by wrapping her legs around his waist, and when she rocked her hips, grinding herself against him, he thought he would explode right there. He gripped her harder and drove his tongue into her mouth, then turned so that her back was against the door and pumped his hips, letting his erection massage Megan right where he knew her sweet spot was pressed against him. He knew she wanted him, he could smell how wet she was, and he’d been dreaming about what it would be like to fill her since he first laid eyes on her. But he’d made himself wait, because he knew what it would mean for him if they ever made love, and he needed to be sure that Megan wanted the same thing. After her admission earlier, that being with him was one of the reasons she wanted to become a wolf so badly, he was pretty sure they were on the same page, but he needed her to say it before he could take this any further.
He broke away from her, and slowly sat her feet back down on the ground, so that he could take a step back. If she wasn’t ready, it was going to be nearly impossible for him to walk away. If he had any chance of being strong enough to do it, then he needed for there to be a little space between them. Megan stepped toward him, but he held his hand up and shook his head slowly. He was trying to get his breathing under control so he could speak.
“Is something wrong?” Megan asked. Jared could hear a twinge of hurt in her voice and he hated that she was clearly feeling rejected by him. But he would not be able to forgive himself if he went through with making love to her, without her knowing what it would truly mean.
“I need to be sure,” he said, his breathing finally slowing enough his chest was no longer heaving.
Megan took a step toward him, but the way she wrapped her arms around herself told him she’d taken his statement personally. “After everything we talked about today, you’re not sure you want to be with me? Now’s a great time for you to bring that up, Jared! What the hell?”
He closed the distance between them immediately, and took her face between his hands, letting his eyes take in every detail of her beautiful face before he met her eyes. “I never want you to think that again. I want you more than I have ever wanted anything or anyone in my life, Megan. It’s taking all my strength not to have you right here, against this wall.”
A Cheshire grin lit up Megan’s face, and she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed herself closer to his body. “I don’t see anything stopping you.”
He groaned and let his head drop down to her shoulder, and with his face pressed against her neck, he breathed in her scent. “Trust me, I’m running out of willpower myself, but it’s important you know what it means for me if we do this, because there will be no going back, not for me anyway.”
Megan moved back and he lifted his head so they were looking at each other. She looked as serious as she had earlier, when she told him why it was so important to her that she b
e able to protect herself. “Whatever it is, Jared, don’t think it’s just you in this. We are in this together. Just tell me.”
His lip twitched as he held back his smile from hearing her say those words. He was afraid to get to happy until she knew what she was agreeing to. “I told you earlier that my inner wolf was drawn to you as soon as we met.” He paused and when Megan nodded, he went on, “Well, when a werewolf finds someone they feel that way about, they see that person as being theirs, and that’s why I can’t help being so protective.”
“Yes, I understand,” Megan agreed.
Jared rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “My wolf has already decided you’re his, and I want nothing more than to call you mine, and because of that strong connection, if we make love my wolf will claim you. We will be considered mated in the eyes of all other werewolves. We can sense when another wolf is mated. It’s like some part of each person is altered in some way, and their scents become mingled. I think it is meant to be a warning to anyone considering going after a wolf’s mate that they are taken.”
“So, it’s forever?”
“Yes,” he ran his fingertips over her cheek. “We mate for life, and we really have no control over it. Once we’ve found the person who our soul recognizes as our other half, they are it for us.” He kissed her softly, letting his lips linger against hers when he said, “You, Megan, you’re it for me.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes.
“Even if you aren’t ready for this tonight, even if you don’t ever feel like you’ll be ready to make such a powerful commitment to me, I want you to know that you’re it for me. I’m never going to find anyone I want more than you, and I want to be with you more than you could ever imagine.”
CHAPTER TEN
Megan
“So, you’re saying, when we make love, you will be mine forever?”
Jared nodded. “Yes.”
Megan leaned forward on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him until they were both breathless, then she brought her hand to his face and he leaned into her touch. “I’ve been yours ever since you yelled at Adam for bringing me to the pack’s home and our eyes met. I wouldn’t have decided to become a permanent member of your pack, of your world, if I hadn’t already known that you’re the only person I’ll ever want for the rest of my life. I am yours and knowing that becoming your mate means you’ll be mine forever, only makes me want to make love with you every day for the rest of my life.”
Jared had her in his arms before she could blink, and he kissed her with an unbridled urgency, like she was the very thing he needed to survive, and maybe that was the case. She knew that she needed him more than she needed the air she was breathing. Being tied to him forever was more than she’d ever dreamed possible. Jared didn’t say another word. He continued kissing her, their lips caressing each other’s, and their tongues entwining with a passion so consuming, Megan thought she might burst.
After a minute or so, Jared started walking toward the back of her house. He didn’t come up for air, until he put her down beside the bed in her room. Megan immediately brought her hands to the buttons at the top of her shirt, and began undoing them one by one. Jared did the same with his own shirt, then his pants. When he bent down to pull his pants over his feet and remove them, his eyes remained locked on Megan, taking in every inch of skin she revealed as she slowly removed her clothing, like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. He hadn’t even touched her yet, and already Megan felt like she was the most cherished woman on Earth.
Once they were both naked, Jared slowly closed the space between them. He softly ran his knuckles down her bare arms sending chills through her body. When he kissed her this time, it was slow and methodical, his lips melding to her completely, and his tongue traced every inch of her mouth like he was memorizing the feel of her mouth connected with his. Slowly, he laid her back on the bed, then he trailed kisses up her body, his hands caressing the trail his mouth left along her skin.
When he reached her lower abdomen, Megan arched her back as the heat from his touch sent pleasure throughout her body. He cupped her left breast in his hand while he trailed hot, wet kisses over her right breast, and when he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Megan whimpered, sucking in a sharp breath, as the sensation went straight to her core. She gripped Jared’s hair and pulled. He got the memo and finished moving up her body, until his head hovered just above hers. She pulled him down until their lips connected and she lightly bit his bottom lip, then she moved her hands down to his back, and arched her body into his and he groaned against her mouth.
“You’re killing me,” he said, through gritted teeth.
She moved again, rubbing herself against his hardness and they both hissed. “Then do something about it.”
The words were barely out of her mouth, before Jared gripped her thighs and wrapped them around him. He paused just before he entered her and met her eyes. “You sure?”
“Completely,” she said, breathlessly.
He brought their lips together as he slowly pushed inside her. Megan met him thrust for thrust, as he moved inside her, pleasure building with every roll of his hips.
“Oh god,” Megan cried out, as she buried her face in Jared’s neck.
He moved his hands down and slipped them beneath her, gripping her ass and lifting her slightly, changing the angle of their connection, and then he began thrusting into her, hard and fast. Megan’s climax hit her like a strike of lightning, and Jared held her tight while she trembled, and his release followed right along with hers.
Afterward, he rolled to his side and pulled her into his arms, holding her as close as possible. Megan laid her face against his chest and closed her eyes breathing him in and relishing the feeling of being held tight within his arms.
Jared kissed the top of her hair, then rested his cheek there while they both laid together quietly, allowing their breathing to go back to normal, as they enjoyed being in each other’s arms. Several minutes went by without either of them uttering a single word, and Megan felt herself drifting off to sleep. Just before she was taken under by sleep, Jared moved his face and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then he whispered, “I love you.”
A smile crept across Megan’s face and she shimmied her body closer to his, wanting to be connected with him from head to toe. In a quiet, sleepy voice, she spoke against his chest, “I love you, too.” She knew that he heard her when his arms tightened around her, and a low growl rumbled through him, making his chest vibrate against her face. Megan fell asleep quickly and she did not stir all night, unless her dreams about the two of them repeating their lovemaking counted.
****
Bang!
The sound of a door crashing in had Megan and Jared out of the bed in an instant.
“Stay here. Lock the door,” Jared told Megan, on his way out of her room.
Megan hesitated, but when she heard more crashing and what she was certain had to be fighting. She grabbed the gun she kept in her nightstand, then headed for the bedroom door and swung it open. She kept the gun aimed in front of her, while she made her way toward the front of the house. Four wolves were fighting in her living room. Even if she hadn’t known Jared’s a wolf, the fact that the fight was three on one was a big clue just which wolf was her newly claimed mate. From what she could tell, Jared was putting up a good fight, but he was outnumbered.
When one of the other wolves leapt at him, and he yelped, she just reacted. She squeezed the trigger, her gun aimed at the wolf who’d lunged for Jared. She would not stand by and watch them hurt him. They’d come to her home and she could only assume that they were there for her; no way she was going to allow them to hurt Jared, or worse. If they wanted her, she was right there and ready for them.
The wolf jerked back and howled when the bullet ripped through his side. He stumbled away from the others before falling to his side, whimpering in pain. The harder he panted, the faster the blood seeping from his wound pumped out
of him, soaking the carpet beneath him. Megan adjusted her aim and put her finger on the trigger for a second time. Just before she could squeeze the trigger and take down a second wolf, she felt a strong arm move around her torso, and then the edge of a sharp blade was being pressed against her throat. She felt the sting of the blade, as it broke her skin just enough for a small trickle of blood to drip down her throat.
“I wouldn’t pull that trigger if I were you,” a voice spoke into her ear.
Jared must have noticed what was happening, because he lunged at the two remaining wolves and made quick work of incapacitating each of them, clamping his jaws around their throats one at a time until they stopped fighting and laid still on the floor. Then his attention was on the man who held Megan captive. With his teeth bared, blood coating his sharp canines and soaking the fur all around his mouth, he looked more terrifying than anything Megan ever imagined, still she was not afraid of him. She knew that, even in this form, he recognized her, and there was nothing he would ever do to hurt her.
The man holding her at knifepoint tightened his grip on her and took a step backward, forcing her to move back with him. Jared let out a warning growl and moved forward, but he stopped in his tracks as soon as the man spoke.
“Jared, we both know how this works. You come any closer, and I’m going to be forced to kill your little girlfriend here.”
Recognition hit Megan when he spoke that time—Demetri. This was Kevin. He’d come for her, just like Jared had been worried they would. If only they hadn’t waited, they would have been back at Jared’s with the pack, and she would probably be at least halfway through her transformation, and when she woke up, she’d be a werewolf. Instead, they were ambushed in her home and her weakness as a human was giving Demetri the upper hand.
Jared shifted and stood in front of her naked, covered in blood, which she knew was a mixture of his own and the three wolves who’d ambushed him in her living room. “Let her go,” he demanded. His jaw was clenched and Megan was amazed he had been able to get those words out.
