Alright, chapter 4! Sorry I've been gone for so long. But even now that I'm back, please don't be expecting regular updates. I'm still full time in school and have a bunch of writing for that, but I've missed you guys and writing for fun. Also, I am still planning on updating FBS. I promise a new update for Will is going to be up hopefully by next weekend.
So this chapter is very lemony. Sorry, I know a lot of you are looking for plot and twists. Don't worry. We get a peek and some hostility. But first our alpha couple has to bond a little bit. We start to see a little more softness from Jake. And a new fight between them. Also, sorry for all the typos. Even rereading it, I don't catch them.
*Disclaimer*
Please Enjoy!
RPOV
Ren came awake slowly, blinking at the sunlight streaming through the window. She'd just had the best sleep of her life, and she knew why. Jacob had been fierce in his taking of her body. Not one for working out, she wasn't used to the tightness of her muscles, and every single one of them hurt. Last night had been the most amazing of her life so far. God, it didn't matter that she and Jacob didn't love each other. Love with sex was overrated in Ren's mind. Sure, it might make it better, but not having another experience to compare to last night, she wasn't sure she cared. The pain in her body was a delicious mark.
Okay, so she probably should have felt violated, but honestly? Nope…just no. If anything, she couldn't wait to do it again. Maybe her sex arrangement with Jacob would work out after all.
Groaning, she stretched out on the bed. On her stomach, she went up on her elbows and realized two things. One, Jacob wasn't there. Two, she was hogging the bed, laying diagonally. She'd been hugging Jacob's pillow to her face. Abruptly, a pile of her clothes appeared beside her. Frowning, she rolled over onto her back, clutching the sheet to her chest. Jacob was standing on her side of the bed having just come from the closet. He was naked in the sunshine, and she could see smears of gold and red paint on his russet skin. There was also a darker red that she suspected was blood. Flashes of last night reminded her that she'd set her nails into his skin as he made her come over and over again. She shivered in her patch of sunlight.
"Mmm, good morning," she said.
His expression stayed cold. "It's one in the afternoon. Get up. We need to shower."
Glaring up at him, she went to her elbows again. "You know, you could try not being such an asshole. We did just have amazing sex all night. And if you didn't have a stick up your ass right now, you'd probably be getting more as we speak, like I see you so obviously want to." Indeed, his shaft was quickly growing again. Feeling mean this afternoon, she went to her hands and knees, giving him a spectacular view, and crawled off his side of the bed to get to the bathroom. Turning back, she gave him a winning smile, grabbed her clothes, and went to take a shower. She was going to take her sweet damn time so he could have the cold water.
When the hot water hit her body, she moaned a little. The shower was huge and had two showerheads with different functions. Reaching up, she turned one of them into a pulsing jet that massaged her muscles while she did her normal shower stuff under the other one. Ah, she could get used to this life. If only Jacob would quit the stoic king crap and act like a man. Last night, they'd been perfect together. When she'd said something hurt or winced, he would back off and work her up to it. He was a superb lover, not that she had experience before him, but still. But outside of the lust and sex, he was a coldhearted bastard. She had no idea where Adair had gotten his load of crock about Jacob, but he was wrong.
Turning around to put her wash cloth up, she yelped and dropped it instead. Jacob was standing in the shower doorway behind her, watching.
"How long have you been there?" she demanded. What, she couldn't get privacy now?
Instead of answering her, he moved through the water to stand in front of her. Abruptly, his hand shot up to grip her hair at the roots, yanking her head back and pushing her body to his. Fear made her go still except for her harsh breaths. Pain made her cry out, but he didn't loosen his hold. His eyes flashed amber and his canines lengthened as he put his face next to hers. "The last person who spoke to me as you just did didn't come out of a coma for three months."
Little alarms went off in Ren's head. She'd heard about the tempers of the werewolves, especially the alpha males. Every warning said to tread lightly because this wasn't foreplay. He was pissed. However, along with the fear came anger and a need to lash out with words. So, even though she knew she stank of fear, she kept her cool as best she could. Moving closer to him so that their bodies touched, she looked him in the eyes when she said, "By that punishment, I'm going to guess it was a male. And it pissed you off, your highness. But I am not that male. And something," she rubbed her stomach against his erection, "tells me that you liked it coming from me. So stop trying to scare me into submission, Jacob. And take," she pulled out of his grasp even though it hurt, "your hands off me." Done with her shower and thoroughly pissed off, she backed toward the door, keeping her eyes on him. "The sex might be consensual, but I refuse to be abused. I don't know you well enough to know how you rule this pack, but that is not how you will act with me." Still keeping her eyes on him, she pulled down a towel and wrapped herself in it. "I bet they've never seen softness from you. I bet they don't know how gentle you can be."
"Shut up," he growled.
"Too bad," she spat. "I saw it last night. With how you treated me. A vicious killer would have forced himself on me no matter my pain, but you didn't. I was terrified of you, just like everyone in the town told me I should be. And then last night, I saw the man, the human inside you. So you can toss me over your shoulder and feel me up all you want, but I will never believe you'd ever actually hit me. But don't you ever put your hands on me like you just did again."
His growl turned to a snarl. "Shut up, Ness." It was a threat. Plain and simple. Those eyes stayed amber, glaring at her. Glancing down, she saw that instead of losing his erection, it had grown harder.
"Is that why you hide from them?" she continued to goad him, happy with his heated reactions. She tried her best to keep her attention off his body. "I saw you last night, taking that sheet to the elders, how you avoided your own people. Do they know anything about you?"
Again, he was on her so fast she couldn't comprehend his movements, backing her toward the wall. He snarled in her face, snapping his teeth. Though his hand was around her throat, he added no pressure, providing evidence to her argument.
"Is that self-hatred I see in your eyes, Jacob?" she whispered, her anger dying down.
They just stared at each other, his hand at her throat. And then he lifted his lips, just a baring of teeth. He pushed away from her. "Get out."
While he turned to the shower, moving in jerky movements, Ren grabbed her clothes and shakily went into the bedroom. Collapsing on the edge of the bed, she relearned how to breathe but remembered his hand at her neck. With the power he had in his body, he could have easily crushed her throat without breaking a sweat, but he hadn't. Maybe she'd judged him way too fast. There was something good in him, but it was buried too deep. She was starting to believe that he was known as vicious because that's how he wanted to be perceived. He made himself look that way.
A piece of her aching for him, she looked down at her left hand and traced the burns with her other hand. They still hurt, but the hot water from the shower had helped release the heat. Looking at them, it hit her that she was married. The man in the shower, the man who'd just taken her virginity, was her husband. And she'd stripped away his arrogance for just a moment to glance a piece of his soul. All her life, Ren had been told that she was good at reading people. Jacob was a stranger and a mystery to her, but looking at her hand, she was determined to strip his soul bare. This man may not have wanted a mate, but he needed one. And now, Ness was going to be what he needed. A queen to his king.
When the shower cut off, she hurried into her underwear. She'd pulled on her jeans and a ribbed undershirt and started towel drying her hair as he walked in, hips wrapped in a towel. Water beaded on his naked torso. Silently, he stalked around her to go for the closet.
"Jacob?"
He just stopped on her side of the bed, but didn't face her. At least he'd stopped to listen.
Dropping the towel, she walked around the still messy bed to stand just behind him. Ren pressed her burned hand to the center of his muscular back. "I'm sorry."
"Don't," he said sharply.
"It's who I am. I do something wrong and I apologize. Please let me."
After a couple heartbeats, he half turned toward her. He gave a curt nod.
Letting out a deep breath, she moved around him so that she could face him. She'd been taught to look someone in the eye when apologizing. "I shouldn't have said what I did. You have your reasons for what you do with your pack. And you are their king. I'm an outsider forced upon you for unknown reasons." Reaching out, she took his scarred hand with hers. "I've only been here for three days. We don't know anything about each other, but I know this. We are bound to each other." She squeezed his hand. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life fighting with you. I'd like to get to know you, to become a friend. Civil, remember? Part of our agreement."
At first, she thought that maybe, she'd gotten through to him a little. His eyes had softened a touch, brows losing the scowl. But then, he seemed to come to a conclusion. His expression tightened, eyes going cold. "Your apology is accepted as long as you never challenge me again. As for the rest, I will never be more to you than the only man in your bed and the father of your future children." With that, he pushed past her to go into the closet. "Finish getting dressed. Today, you meet the pack."
Fighting the tears, Ren took a deep breath, swallowed her emotion, and squared her shoulders. She tugged her shirt on before braiding her hair, and then stepped into her shoes. Jacob didn't take too long to get dressed, and he seemed surprised that she'd waited on him. He covered it with a scowl. She followed his broad shoulders down the stairs and then made a pit stop at the kitchen to grab a bakery muffin. She was starving. Grabbing a second one, she handed it to Jacob. He shook his head.
She tilted her head. "Please? If I'm this hungry, I know you are. Since I'm meeting the pack, we probably won't be back for a while. You need to eat."
He stared at her a moment before cursing and taking it.
Ren hid a smile behind his back.
"Stop smiling. It's just a muffin," he said over his shoulder.
Her eyes went wide as she paused. "How did you-?"
"Know? I can smell it."
Rushing to catch up with his stride out the door, she asked, "You can smell a smile?"
With an actual smile, he reached behind her to close and lock the door. "You'd be astonished of the things I already know about you just by your scent."
"Like?" she asked eagerly. She'd actually managed to get him to start talking. But then again, they were now out of the house. They'd agreed to act cordial in front of the pack. However, right now, she'd take what she could get from him.
"You love your books. Yesterday, when I tossed your book on the floor, that's when you got really angry. And you really love to cook. Just now, I could still smell your joy from the day before of being in there." He peeled the muffin and dug in.
But she was too fascinated to let it go. "But you knew all of that without my scent. What else?"
Finished with the muffin in three huge bites, he stuffed the paper into his pocket and then turned to her. He lowered his head so their cheeks brushed, his warm lips at her ear. "I know you like it when I say 'cock'. Last night, you got flustered and your body bucked against mine every single time I said it. Even now, your body is warming up, flushed with heat. You want to go back into the cabin, lock us up, and ride my cock the rest of the day and night. Despite the fact that we're at each other's throats. That's the traditional way of an alpha couple. They fight and they fuck. Which is the exact agreement we made."
Fuck. Him. As she flushed, she cussed him out in her head. Goddammit, sonofabitch. Her body was warm and wet. Gritting her teeth, she turned her lips to his ear. "You evil bastard," she hissed.
Straightening up, he laughed low and dark. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he turned her to look out at the cabins. Wolves and humans were milling around. The females were talking, some of them in various stages of pregnancy. Children darted back and forth. The older kids ran around with footballs or soccer balls. The younger kids played tag or chased each other with sticks around the bonfire that was already lit up. It wasn't as built up as it had been the night before, but it still gave off considerable warmth.
As they walked, Jacob seemed to don a new persona. He kept a small smile and nodded to those who bowed to him. When he introduced Ren, they'd bow again, offering her something to eat or drink, or maybe a trinket from their home. She tried to gracefully decline, but not having had any friends before coming here was catching up to her. Other than in a business manner, she didn't really know how to interact with these people.
Looking around her, Ren realized that Jacob wasn't the only one who needed someone to breathe life back into them.
JPOV
Ness was surprisingly skittish around the pack. Jacob watched her while she shook hands with wolves, but looked shocked when the males would bow over her hand and kiss her skin. Some of the younger single males would keep their mouths on her just a little too long for Jacob's taste, pulling a low growl out of him. Instantly, they would back off and go to their knees in front of him. Ness would give him an arch look over their heads. He just shrugged. She didn't understand. He was pack leader and whether or not he wanted a mate, the wolf inside him recognized her as his. There would be no sharing. Period. And Jacob, as a human, had never been into the sharing thing either. As they'd walk, he'd wrap his arm around her waist possessively, fingers playing at her sensitive hipbone. She shivered every time.
Right now, they were walking further out. Many of the older couples preferred to stay at a distance, wanting time for themselves, which was fine as long as they participated in pack events. And the elders were out this way as well.
"Wait, wait!"
He and Ness turned at the little voice yelling after them. Liddy was running toward them, her braids flying out around her. Her mother, Theresa, wasn't far behind, an anxious look on her face like she was worried how they'd react to being interrupted. Honestly, Jacob tried to avoid the children. He wasn't at all sure he was worthy to be around them. Both Adair and Ness had been right in what they'd each thrown at him.
Surprising him yet again, Ness grinned. "Hey, you!" She held her arms open and the girl ran into them, hugging his mate around her waist as if Ness had known the girl since birth.
Theresa bowed low to me. "I apologize, my king. She wished to meet our new queen."
"It's alright, Theresa. No harm," he assured her with what he hoped was a comforting smile.
She nodded, wrapping her shawl tightly around her shoulders and watched her daughter.
Ness had knelt down, petting Liddy's braids. "And what's your name?"
"Lydia." Her face fell. "But everyone calls me Liddy."
Nessie frowned. "You don't like it?"
"I do, but I like my name better."
Ness nodded as if that were the most logical thing in the world. "Well, then I shall call you Lydia if that's what you like best." The girl glowed. "My name is a mouthful."
Lydia's eyes widened. "What is it?"
"Renesmee."
"Wow."
He couldn't help the chuckle even when he saw Nessie try not to grin.
Ness nodded. "Yeah, but most people call me Ren. It's a lot easier. However, you can call me whatever you want."
"Really?" Lydia had moved closer to run her hands over the weight of Nessie's own braid.
Ness nodded again. "Absolutely." She tapped Liddy's nose. "Those cookies were amazing. Did you make them?"
Grinning again, the young nodded. "Momma helped with the harder stuff, but I got to put everything in the bowl and then put them on the pan. I even tasted the dough to make sure they were perfect."
"Well," Ness said proudly, "You did a fine job. Jacob didn't even get any. You'll have to make some more for him. I'm sure he'd love them, too."
Bowing her head, Lydia looked up at him from under her lashes. He could scent that she was both scared and nervous to be around him. They just stared at each other, him at a loss as to what to do.
Nessie looked over the girl's head to him. "Jacob? Wouldn't you like to try her cookies? They were really good." She gave him a look that said try. Somehow she'd known that he didn't mingle with the pack often and therefore didn't know how to placate them, let alone relate to his own people.
Clearing his throat, he knelt down onto his haunches, looking from Ness to the girl's mother and then down to Lydia. "Hi, Lydia. Is it okay that I call you Lydia?" She nodded slightly. "I'm pretty sure you and I haven't officially met since you came to live with us, have we?" She shook her head, chin still lowered to her chest. Reaching out, he gently put a finger under her chin to lift her eyes to his. He smiled when their eyes met. "There. That's better. A pretty girl like you should never hide her face."
He could see Ness trying to hide another smile. He refrained from rolling his eyes at her.
Lydia's smile was dazzling.
"Even better," he praised. This was getting easier. Maybe he did still have a bit of human charm left. "Now, about those cookies. How soon can you get them done?"
Her eyes widened before she looked to her mother. Theresa smiled. "Tonight. We could have them done after dinner."
Beside Jacob, Nessie grinned. "Perfect. I'll come pick them up when I drop off the plate of yours that I still have."
Instantly, Theresa bowed her head. "That's not necessary, my queen. We would be happy to pick it up and drop off the treats."
"Nonsense," Nessie said, waving it away. "Jacob and I are going to go for a walk after dinner. We'll just stop by then."
"We are?" he asked, surprised that she'd made this plan without consulting him. Not that it mattered. It was just a walk, but still. He got a little hot just thinking that she'd confidently told him what they were going to do. Damn mating.
"Yes, we are," she said, chin lifted, eyes daring him to protest.
"My queen-," Theresa started to protest.
Ness held up a hand. "Please. Really, it's nothing."
Now the woman went into a full bow. Other wolves passing by stopped to stare. "I apologize, my queen. I did not mean to tell you what you can and cannot do."
Hurrying forward, Nessie pulled her up. "No, don't be sorry. You didn't do anything. We're okay. I promise."
Theresa still looked spooked that there would be repercussions. With Jacob, maybe. He didn't like to be argued with, but that was because he was the king, the alpha of the dominant. He was rarely, if ever, questioned. Only Adair and Nessie had had the balls to question him, to defy him. Theresa glanced up at him, a question in her eyes.
He shrugged. "What happens between you and my mate is not my business unless she comes to me or is threatened."
Lydia went to her mother, hugging her legs.
Theresa petted her daughter's hair as if it were a comforting gesture. Probably was. Again, wolves were creatures that sought comfort.
"I'm sorry, Theresa," Nessie said. "I didn't realize…I'm just very new to this. But I can tell you that I am not a queen type. You don't have to bow or curtsy, or call me your queen. In fact, I kind of prefer it. Unless it's some pack event that makes it necessary. Honestly, I don't know what kind of queens you're used to, but I can assure that I'm not the kind to strike you down if you make a mishap. And arguing with me? It's refreshing, actually. So please, don't feel like I'm going to…I don't know, whatever it is mean queens do."
Jacob understood the tears that pooled in the female's eyes. She'd been abused at the hands of her last alpha female. Lydia was the illegitimate daughter of the queen's mate, and had been about to turn her anger onto the child. The king had ordered Theresa and Lydia away because he wasn't willing to let go of his arranged alliance with the queen to mate Theresa. So to protect them, he'd petitioned Jacob for shelter for the two of them. Of course he'd agreed. But he knew that Theresa had at least been uneasy about Jacob taking a mate. Often times, the chosen queens were obscenely dominant, which for some reason, came with a side order of cruelty and sadistic tendencies. It would just take time of Nessie being around for the pack to realize that she was nothing like most queens. Dominant, yes. But he knew she wasn't cruel. She was only twenty years old, born in a small town with all American parents. He knew the citizens of this town and had known Bella Cullen, then Swan, many years ago. Her father and his had been good friends and probably still were. Jacob hadn't been back to see his family since his return to the Pacific Northwest. And he had no plans to visit even though they knew that he was here. His father and twin sisters had been the only people to be able to read him like a book, and he had no desires for them to know or guess at what events had taken place to make him king.
Jacob motioned toward Theresa to join him. "Nessie, will you stay with Lydia while I speak with her mother. It's okay, Theresa," he soothed when the female looked worriedly over her shoulder. "She'll be fine."
Reluctantly, she went with him while Nessie asked Lydia to walk her around.
He walked toward the bonfire, Theresa following.
"My liege, again, I apologize. I know that you and your queen were busy."
Smiling a little, he turned toward her. "She was right, you know. You don't have to apologize for everything. And it's okay to ask questions. But I think that I should be apologizing to you."
She gasped, eyes widening. "Whatever for?"
Rubbing a hand over the back of his neck, he said, "I should have been more involved in your settling here, and I wasn't. You and your daughter had been through hell before coming here."
Reaching out, she touched his arm. But pulled back almost immediately with a sheepish look. He sighed in his mind, wishing that he could have that comfort, that peace. The wolf in him missed contact. He was king of the pack, but not part of the pack.
Theresa wrapped her arms around herself and faced the fire. "Don't be sorry. You're a king and are busy. I know that. And you have many wolves here which means that you don't really have time to see to us individually." Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at him. "We're grateful that you allowed us here. We feel safe." When she turned back to face the fire, he saw the flash of uncertainty in her eyes.
Stepping up next to her, he put an unsteady, comforting hand on her shoulder. He wasn't used to being comforting or touching other wolves. "Theresa, I promise you that Ness is not like your old alpha female. She's twenty years old and raised here with good people. I knew her mother back before I was infected. Good people. I promise. And I do believe that Lydia has found a new best friend."
"So young," she murmured, "to be thrown into our world."
"And I did the throwing. But so far, she's done remarkably well with everything. Even if it's only been three days."
"If I may, my king, how old were you?"
"Jacob. Call me Jacob when we're informal. Please. And I was eighteen."
Though Theresa was younger than Jacob, she turned to him with a motherly look of sympathy. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
He frowned. "For what?"
"Whatever you had to go through before you became king. It's a hard life for any dominant wolf, especially those rare wolves who are kind like you. There aren't very many kings who can boast generosity or compassion. Not like you can. You're a good man, and a good king."
If only that were true, he thought as he stared into the fire.
RPOV
Lydia was so excited to be escorting the queen around. She happily introduced Ren to everybody, including all the elders from the night before. Carina, Rajani, and Idalina were all mated to the elder males, Elan, Pierce, and Victor. Elan was their leader and mated to Carina. He was the one who had presided over the ceremony last night. Tall and regal but still fit, he looked more like a king than Jacob. But he insisted he could never pull off Jacob's job. He was more of a scholar than a fighter.
Pierce and Victor had agreed. Both of them looked like normal, middle-aged men. The three women kept giving her suggestive glances and smirks. No doubt about the mating. Ren could just imagine that they were dying for details. They were attractive females, even if they were older, and Jacob was a very attractive king. It made sense that any woman would want to know what kind of lover he was. The looks made Ren wonder if he'd ever lain with a female from his own pack. Had any of these women known his body, known what it felt like to have him inside them?
The thought bothered her. For some reason, she felt like raising her lip and baring her teeth. She was baffled. Jacob had only been in her life for under a week, her husband for less than twenty-four hours, and her lover for even less than that. The only thing she could think of that she was a naturally territorial person, which she would have never known because she'd never had a boyfriend before. Now, she had a husband. A very attractive husband. Ah, crap. Alpha female reactions much? Geez.
After the introductions to the elders, Lydia thankfully pulled her away into the woods. Ren followed, the girl's hand gripped tightly in hers.
But they didn't get far. The scantily clad female from the ceremony came out from behind a tree as if she'd been waiting for Ren. Beside Ren, Lydia squeaked, squeezing Ren's hand.
"Well, well," the woman said. "Jacob's little human."
"What do you want?" Ren demanded.
She shrugged. "To talk."
Yeah, right. "Lydia, go back to your mother."
They shared a look and Ren nodded. The girl took off, braids flying out behind her. Ren made sure she made it out of sight near the elders' cabin before turning back to the she-wolf.
She jumped to find the woman just in front of her. She was shorter than Ren and absolutely tiny. But Ren knew the female was older though she looked the same age as Ren's mother and an infected wolf. She glowed like a candle in a dark room.
Ren kicked up her chin. "Who are you?"
She smirked. "The name's Odette. I'm the alpha female."
"I've seen you before. You've been in the bookstore. What do you want?"
Odette stepped into her personal space. The amused expression left her face, replaced by threatening coldness. Her eyes bled to amber as she spoke. "You might be Jacob's little human, but I am the alpha female here. He and I will rule the pack. Your only job is to give him young."
Ren frowned and narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"
An evil grin curled her lips. "You conceive and bear his pups. He and I raise them to take over the pack. You're merely a breeding mare for the two of us. A surrogate, if you will."
Disgusted, Ren waved it off and turned to leave. "That's a lie. And you're sick."
Odette grabbed her arm and spun her around. "You really think he cares for you? He knows nothing about you. Nobody does, except that you reek of his scent. He bedded you only because the ceremony called for it. And because I was the one who talked him into taking a mate. Only a female with favor could talk a king into something like that. And it's because we're to rule together, the children you bear ours to raise."
Ren ripped her arm away from the wolf, well aware that Odette allowed her to do so. "I don't know who you are or who you think you are, but my children will be my and Jacob's children. You'll have to take them from me over my cold dead body."
Odette's hand whipped out to grip Ren's hair, yanking it. Growling, she snapped her growing fangs near Ren's throat. "It will be a pleasure. Make sure to give us two just in case the first doesn't work out."
"Bitch!" Ren spat despite her growing alarm.
"How kind of you to notice."
"Hey! Odette, let her go. Now." Ren recognized Mindy's voice even with the slight growl.
Snarling, Odette turned to Mindy. "You dare order me?"
Out of the corner of Ren's eye, she saw Mindy tense, fists balled up at her sides. "I'll challenge you if you force me. Now let my queen go."
Odette growled again.
Adair came out of the woods. "She may not be able to order you, but I can. Let Ren go."
Ren was growing increasingly nervous when Odette still didn't let her go. Instead, she tightened her hold on Ren's hair.
Prickling energy sizzled in the air, wrapping around them. Adair was growling low and loud. "I said let her go! Now!"
Roughly, Odette pulled Ren closer to her so they were face to face. "Remember what I said, little girl." Then the she-wolf tossed her away before stomping off.
Adair and Mindy crowded around her before she could blink.
"Are you okay?" Adair demanded.
Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath before facing him. She plastered on a small smile. "Yes. I'm fine. Thank you."
He gave her a look that said he knew she was dishing him bullshit. "What did she tell you?"
"She just told me that she'd never see me as queen. She's the alpha female." A lie, but no doubt something Odette had been thinking.
Adair growled again. "Don't look too much into it. She'll come around once you spend more time with the pack. You are our queen. But as a dominant alpha she'll challenge you."
"Will it always be physical?"
He answered with his own question. "Do you know how to handle a weapon?"
Ren took a shaky breath and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "My uncle gave me a silver-bladed dagger. He taught me how to use it. I also know some basic hand-to-hand."
More respect crept into his eyes. "From now on, every time you leave the cabin, make sure you have that dagger. I'll have Zeke pick an enforcer to shadow you."
"Is that really necessary?"
"For now, yes. You're going to be challenged by others. Not physically like with Odette, not at first, but if things heat up, you'll want another wolf to step in. I suggest you tell Jacob about this. He'll want to know."
"Why? He's made it clear that he doesn't care about me. You were wrong about him, Adair."
Mindy and Adair shared a look.
Mindy stepped forward. "Look, you two may not be lovey-dovey, but he's made it clear that you're his mate. He made a vow before the pack to take care of you, to keep you safe." Then she got a look in her eyes and cracked her knuckles. "However, if you want me to challenge her, just say the word and it's done."
Ren was tempted but shook her head. "No. Something tells me that I need to deal with this myself or she's going to keep at it no matter if you best her."
Mindy nodded. The red streaks in her hair now looked like battle make-up. "Suit yourself. I'll go see what she's up to." After a head bow to Ren, she nodded to Adair before taking off.
Adair moved closer. "What really happened, my queen? And what were you saying about Jacob?"
Getting tired of people wanting to know her personal stuff, she glared up at him. "Listen, I know you're trying to help, but stop. Please. This is my personal business. And Jacob's. I shouldn't have brought him up. He and I will work it out."
For a long moment, he just stared at her before going into his own bow. "I apologize, your grace. It was not my place."
Now a sense of weariness fell over her. Sighing, she said, "Just get me back to Jacob without anything else happening and we'll be fine."
He hurried to obey.
Later that night, Ren lay on her side, facing away from Jacob. They'd had dinner and gone to get the cookies from Lydia. Jacob had loved the cookies as evidenced by the fact that there were only a few left. After dessert, they'd separated. Jacob had gone to his office and she'd settled into her room with her music up and a book in her hands. But no matter what, Ren hadn't been able to concentrate on the words. Instead, Odette's voice kept rushing over every thought.
Now, as she lay in bed, the voice fired up again. Jacob hadn't pushed for more sex, maybe sensing that she wasn't in the mood. A nervousness had started to gnaw at her gut. Ren didn't actually know Jacob. How could she discard what Odette had said? She'd never seen the king and the she-wolf together or interact in any way, which come to think of it, could be seen as odd. She was the alpha female. Shouldn't they be talking every now and then, collaborating? Maybe they kept their "thing" under wraps because it wasn't a norm for two wolves to be mates. It was actually a very bad idea. So…could she be a "breeding mare" for the two of them? Was she to be a puppet, queen only in name while Odette ruled behind the curtain?
Behind her, the bathroom door opened. The bed moved as Jacob slid under the covers. She felt his fingers skimmed her bare back, and couldn't help the flinch or the tensing of her muscles.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a deep voice.
She took a deep breath. "What makes you think something's wrong?"
He moved closer. "Because you've been quiet all night, since we got back to the cabin before dinner."
She smirked despite her mood. "What are you saying, that a woman can't be quiet for that long without something being wrong?"
His chuckle was warm against the back of her neck. "For most women…"
"I'm not most women."
A warm, heavy arm snaked over her hips under the blankets and pulled her flush against his body, which was ready for some nefarious play. Again, despite her mood, she shivered at the feel of his heavy erection against her ass.
His lips pressed to her shoulder. "I'm aware you're not most women. Call it instinct. Something's wrong."
Yet again, he surprised her with his mood. Calm and warm, he was so different than he had been that morning. It was like every morning he woke up determined to push her away, but then by the end of the day had found it too grueling a project. Rolling over in his arms, she rested on her back and looked up at him. Ever since his formal introduction with Lydia, he'd been softer, quicker to smile. Maybe he truly wasn't that far gone into monsterhood.
So she decided to mention the incident. "I may have had a run-in with Odette in the woods."
His brows pulled down into a fierce frown, the gentleness fading. "What happened? Did she threaten you?" Instantly, his hands started roaming her body. Not sexually, but as if he feared that the other wolf had hurt her. "Did she hurt you?"
Thrown by his reaction, Ren stilled his hands on her body. "No. She didn't hurt me. But she made it clear that I wasn't her queen." With his fangs bared, she teetered on believing Odette and telling Jacob everything. Stroking his arms to try to calm him down, she said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
This softer, more protective Jacob was one she could really learn to love. "If we had children, who…who would raise them?"
His frown deepened. "What are you talking about? We would."
"And who's 'we'?"
His expression turned bewildered. "You and me, Ness. We're their parents. Why are you asking me this?"
She shrugged the best she could in his ever tightening grip. "No reason. Just curious."
"Liar. What did she say to you?" When Ren wouldn't meet his eyes, she could tell that he was piecing everything together by her odd questions. "Did she threaten to take our kids from us?" he snarled.
Sensing a rage outburst, she hurriedly stroked her hands over his neck and jaw. "Not us. Just me. She called me a breeding mare, saying that she and you were going to rule the pack together and raise the child or children. She made it sound like you two have a thing, and that the mating is a front to hide it, saying that she's the one who talked you into taking a mate."
Jacob snarled again, his expression fierce. "That stupid bitch," he spat, echoing her from earlier.
And now Ren had her answer. Odette was full of shit. Jacob was well and truly hers. She almost smiled but didn't when Jacob pulled away from her to get out of the bed. He paced naked around the room, rotating his neck and flexing his hands into and out of fists.
Ren sat up, holding the sheet to her chest. As Jacob glanced at her every now and then, she wondered if he was going to tell her something.
"Jacob?" she asked.
He ran a hand though his black hair. "Ness, I do what I can to still be king and appease my people. Odette made a good argument as to why I should take a mate. My pack feels safe here. If I were take a female from here as a mate, it would cement us here, create a bond. Other wolves have taken human mates, which is great. But it would be a better sign of us staying if the king were to do it. Odette convinced the pack of this. They wanted me mated and to have an heir even though I don't think I should even be having kids. You saw me today with Lydia."
Hugging her knees to her chest, Ren rested her chin on them and smiled a little. "I saw how good you are with her. Jacob, I know it's a sore subject, but why do you avoid the pack? They're your people."
He shot her a glare. "That's not what we're discussing. We're talking about Odette and the children."
She must have surprised him when she said okay because his eyebrows rose in surprise. No need to poke the bear when he was already pissed. So she decided to let it go. Maybe one day he'd open up to her. Already they were making progress.
"You want to know what I saw today from you?" she asked.
"What?"
"Humanity. Charm. You were great with her. Every little girl likes to know that she's important. And you're the main male in her life, Jacob. It was wonderful to see. I have no fears that you'd be a great father."
He studied her as if he thought she was lying. "Really?"
She nodded, her hair sliding over her shoulders. "Really. Within the space of two seconds you both went from uncomfortable to grinning at each other. You being the father of our children isn't what concerns me."
Coming around the bed, he sat down on the edge at her feet. He picked up one of her curls and twirled it between his fingers. "Then what does concern you?"
Ren swallowed hard and wouldn't meet his eyes. "That Odette was right and you'd take them away from me," she whispered.
With a low trickle of a growl, he put a finger under her chin to lift her eyes to his. "Ness, there is nothing going on between me and Odette. There never has been and never will be. I made a vow to be true to you and only you. From now until the end, I will not know another woman's body. And our children? Ours, mine and yours. I would never take a child away from its mother. Never, Ness. Do you hear me? We may have our problems, but I don't hate you. I know I've been a bastard, and I know this has been hard on you. There's so much about living here that you don't understand. I'll deal with Odette-,"
"No," Ren interrupted. At his look she amended herself. "Adair and Mindy got her away from me. Adair is arranging for Zeke to have another enforcer shadow me. And he told me to start carrying my silver-bladed dagger. I know how to use it. If I'm to truly be queen, then I need to learn how to deal with this. If other human queens did, then so can I. Please. If you intervene, then she'll just get worse."
"I don't like it."
"I know. You're used to doing things as soon as you think of doing them. I get it. But now you have a queen whether you wanted one or not. Please let me deal with it. If I can't handle it, I'll go straight to you or Adair. I promise."
"That's not why I don't like it."
She frowned.
"You're my mate, Ness. And the wolf inside me recognizes that. Anyone who hurts you, he wants to see their blood run."
Again, she was flabbergasted by his reaction.
"But are you asking me?" he continued. One of his hands had moved to rub over her calf still covered by the sheet.
She nodded. "You're the king. You'll end up doing what you want, so yes, I'm asking."
He took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll give you some leeway."
Smiling, Ren reached out to rub her hand up his muscular arm. "Thank you." Was he truly trying for her? That mixed with his obvious protectiveness had her body warming for him. The heat of his hand through the sheet was now more than just comforting.
Reaching further up, she rubbed her hand over the nape of his neck. When he looked at her, she rose to her knees, letting the sheet fall where it may. His dark eyes went to her breasts, hand to her hip. Moving around, still gripping his neck, she moved to straddle his thighs. He watched her silently in surprise. His shaft was hard between her legs, pulsing at her sex. Ren reached between them to lift up and position him at her entrance. His breath rushed out as she sank onto him inch by inch. It was slow work seeing as how he was huge and she wasn't as wet as she'd been the night before. And he let her go at her own pace, fingers digging into her hips. Her head went back when she felt him hit the end of her. He was seated so deeply inside her that she felt him pulse and jerk. His lips went to her neck as she rotated her hips over him, trying to make more room. One of his hands skimmed down to grip her ass, following her movements.
"So tight," he whispered against her collarbone. "God…squeeze me."
She did, clenching her body. He groaned and then fell upon her breasts in a manner of a starving man, licking and sucking. While his mouth was on one, his hand was on the other, rolling and pinching her nipple. Her own hands gripped his shoulders and then roamed them and his back, reveling in his strength. His powerful arms bunched and corded as he held her while she rode him.
Where her boldness had come from, she didn't know. But what she did know was that this man was hers. If he was to get sex, it would be from her. Could only be from her. And he had just made her feel important for the first time since she'd come here. That deserved some sort of reward. Maybe that was how she could learn to navigate him. Reward him with sexual pleasure when he did or said something that pleased her.
Under her, he somehow managed to thrust up. "Jacob," she gasped.
"I knew you wanted to ride my cock again. And I told you that this would happen, didn't I? Earlier today."
Taking her lips with his, he started to lean back, thrusting more and more as he gained leverage. Soon, he lying on his back with her on top of him. Both of his hands gripped her hips and kept her still while he plunged into her over and over. She broke the kiss to yell out.
"Take it, Ness. Take it all." He gave a particularly vicious thrust that had her bucking up off his chest. "That's it, female. Tell me how you want it."
With a renewed ferocity, she rode him harder, faster. Leaning back, Ren put her hands on his knees and fucked him. His now amber eyes watched where they were joined, clear hunger on his face. She knew he wanted to taste her again. That had been one of his favorite things to do to her the night before. He liked the taste of her after he'd come inside her. Apparently, their mixture of salty and sweet was like a fine wine for him.
On top of him, she could feel his cock jerk more and more inside her. Her own body rushing to catch up with him.
"Almost," she whispered. "So close, Jacob."
He reached down to thumb her clit.
"Fuck!" she yelled, already used to thinking that kind of language around him. He'd liked her yells the night before, always rewarding her. He did this time too with another deliciously deep thrust.
And she broke. Gripping his thighs, tearing them up with her nails, she screamed her pleasure to the ceiling. Shoving herself onto him so that he was buried all the way, she felt her body clutch him, milk for the seed ready to blow in his shaft. After one deliberate squeeze on her part, he yelled out, his come pulsing inside her, hot and thick.
When she was done writhing, she went to collapse back on his legs, but didn't get the chance. Gripping her ass, he lifted her up off of him. They both hissed when his semi-erect cock slid out of her. Before she fell back, his hands moved up to the middle of her back, holding her up. It took a moment of muddling through the post-orgasmic haze to realize he was moving her hips toward his face.
He was going to have his wine now.
When he set his tongue and lips to her sensitive flesh, she yelled out again and writhed over him. Sitting up, she reached down to spear her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. He fed at her the way he had at her breasts, lapping up everything her body had to give out. He wouldn't get everything because he'd come so deep inside her. She'd wake up in the morning to her thighs coated in his orgasm, which was okay with her.
Again, she was quickly approaching her orgasm, her gut clenching as he fed at her. Like she'd done with his shaft, she rode her hips over his tongue. One of his hands left her back, that arm moving. He was stroking himself as he pleasured her.
The image sent her over the edge. This time, she was careful with her nails, but ground her hips to his mouth. Her moans brought out his growl and a moment later, she felt a couple hot jets hit her ass while his one hand held her up in the center of her back. His chest strained underneath her and she could feel his hips moving.
When he was done spending, Jacob gently rolled over to lay her back down where she'd started off. He lay on his side, one of her legs under his waist and the other over his hip.
"Well," she gasped. "I think we found our middle ground. Your tongue is ridiculously sinful."
He chuckled with dark masculinity. "What would you say if I told you I'd never done that to a woman before you?"
"I'd call you a liar."
"Then you'd be wrong."
Somehow, she managed to open her eyes and look down at him. His hair was sexily mussed, amber eyes glinting with deep satisfaction. His come coated his lower chest and stomach, sliding over his skin to drip onto the sheets. A thrill of possessiveness shot through her. He'd come for her and her alone.
Sensuously, she rubbed her foot up and down his side. "You've really never done that with another woman? Never kissed her anywhere besides her mouth?"
He shook his head, running his fingers over her thighs all the way up to her sensitive inner thighs. "No, never."
Her voice was breathy when she asked, "Then why me?"
His eyes grew dark with lust. "Your scent, our scents mixed together, call to me. It's irresistible. I have to put my mouth on you." He moved to crawl up her body and gave her one last slow lick between her thighs, making her groan, before he laid out beside her.
She rolled to her side to look up at him. "Have you ever had a woman's mouth on you?"
Again, he shook his head.
She raised her eyebrows. "Really? A man with your experience has never had that? Surely, you'd have women lining up just to taste you."
"I turned them all away. It never appealed to me."
"And what about me?" she asked, looking up at him from under her lashes.
His breath shuddered out as his amber eyes darted down to her lips. Ren looked down his body to see him hardening again. She found herself wanting to be the first woman to give him this even though she had no idea what she was doing. Hell, she didn't know what she was doing when they had sex, but apparently she was doing something right because he always orgasmed multiple times.
"I see," she muttered, reaching for him.
Surprisingly, he gripped her wrist. "Not tonight."
She frowned. "But you-,"
"I'll be fine. And you're exhausted."
She was pretty tired after being introduced to over two hundred wolves in less than a day. Her belly was still full from dinner and cookies. And her body was pleasantly sated, having worked off some of the carbs from the meal. She nodded against the pillow, letting her eyes droop. Jacob reached around to pull up the sheets and blankets.
He didn't pull her into his arms or touch her again. Instead, he rolled over to his side onto his back and stared at the ceiling with a hand tucked up behind his head. She watched him with heavy-lidded eyes. What was he thinking? Was he going to be cold and stoic tomorrow morning the way he'd been today?
Honestly, she was too damn tired to care. She'd deal with him tomorrow. There had to be some way to reach him. Nobody was too far gone to be pulled back. He cared just enough to respect her in human ways regarding their relationship and kids. Though he cared nothing for her, he'd acknowledged his vows. How could a monster be that compassionate? Answer was, he couldn't. Jacob was salvageable.
Ren just had to figure out how to get to him. And just before she fell asleep, she made her own vow to do just that.
JPOV
A week had passed since his mating to Ness. After their shared moment that second night, things had gotten easier. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to be indifferent toward her that next morning. It didn't seem right after she'd initiated the intimacy. And he knew it was going to be a slippery slope from there.
When they weren't out among the pack, they were in the cabin. After routine morning sex and then breakfast, Jacob would go to his office and Ness would work around the house or go into her room to read. Most days, sitting at his desk, he'd zone out, thinking about her in their bed. Her skin painted in early morning sunlight or silvery moonlight. That woman was addictive. Cursing, he'd stomp out of his office and seek her out. She received him every time, no matter where she was. She hadn't yet sought him out, probably not wanting to bother him. It wasn't bragging on his part yet to think the she didn't want him because every time he found her, she'd look up at him as if she'd just been thinking about him in bed. He'd set upon her ravenously and she'd hungrily taken everything he'd had to give her.
Shaking himself now, he picked up the bill in front of him and tried to focus. Though he wasn't great at taking care of bills and money, he forced himself to so that he wouldn't have to dump the responsibility on someone else even though there were a few wolves who'd be willing and happy to do it.
Jacob managed to get a few of the bills done and everything balanced. He snorted. They had enough money to support the entire country. But this day and age, things were cheaper than they had been in the economic decline. Not to mention this pack was extremely old, one of the oldest original packs. There was a lot of money to balance.
The bills weren't the main issues of the king of a pack. There was a pile of requests from both his pack and other surrounding packs. Mating arrangements, transfers, and requests to get jobs in the towns. Sometimes Jacob cursed himself for making the pack go to paper requests instead of being able to just knock on his door. But he hated being bothered. If he was home, he wanted to feel like he was at home instead of work. Except, he was the king. Kings always worked. Maybe Ness and Adair were right. Maybe he should start interacting more. He hated that they looked at him with fear when he was out and about. They knew what he'd done to get into this position.
But wait. What the hell was he thinking? Jacob needed to remind himself what happened to him all those years ago. Being nice and warm toward a wolf had gotten him nothing more than being a sacrifice to a king by a pretty she-wolf. Gemma had royally fucked him over.
He sighed over a request for him to come anoint a pup to be born within the next week or so when the door across the room opened. Nessie poked her head in.
Jacob shook his head. "Whatever it is, I can't right now. I need to get through this pile."
A stubborn look he was beginning to learn set into her eyes and jaw as she sauntered into the room. "Good thing I'm to be quick, then."
He raised his eyebrows as she rounded the desk. Going behind him, she set her small hands to his shoulders. And knew exactly where to put them. He groaned as she kneaded his shoulders and arms.
After a few minutes, she rolled his chair back and turned him around before kneeling between his legs.
"What are you doing?" he asked, breath a little shaky.
Ness reached for the button on his jeans. "For nearly two weeks, you always seem to know when I'm burning for release, finding me and taking me. And I've realized that there's something that you still haven't gotten from me. Something in which you're still a virgin. And that just doesn't sit right with me."
Down went the zipper.
He'd avoided asking her for this. She was finally acclimating, getting to know the pack. Zeke had put Cris as her shadow, and so far, Odette had backed off. More than anything, Jacob had wanted to pulverize her for what she'd told Ness. But he managed to keep his promise to let Ness handle it.
But every time he looked at her lips, he imagined them wrapped around his aching shaft. Watching her eat was the sweetest torture. Ever since he'd admitted to her that he'd never had this done, he'd been helpless to keep from thinking about it.
Jacob hissed when her fingers wrapped around him to pull his cock out. He'd been hard the moment he'd seen her hips swaying in his direction. The wolf in him knew she was his and so did the possessive man he'd been before being infected. He was married to her by wolf laws, but even what was left of his human self saw the ceremony as binding. His body reacted to his wife.
She gave him a few good, tight strokes before leaning in. Her eyes on his, she darted her tongue out to lick the already slick head. His shout echoed in the room and he thought he'd come right there. But then he felt something even more amazing when she sucked the entire crown between her lips. His shaft was so thick that she couldn't touch her thumb and middle finger around him, but her jaw widened over him, her cheeks hollowing out as she sucked him down. Closing her eyes, she moaned around him.
Coming up for air, she gasped, "You taste good. Salty and thick."
God…damn. She licked the slit at the head where a pearl of moisture beaded. She savored the taste, closing her eyes.
He couldn't stand it anymore. Wrapping his fists in her hair, he nudged her head toward him. "God, Ness. Please. Stop teasing."
Her eyebrows rose at his begging, but he couldn't help it. He desperately wanted her mouth on him. Her grin was pure satisfaction before she opened her mouth and sucked him down. His body bucked involuntarily, his hands gripping the arms of the chair.
Ness used both hands and her mouth on him. She'd never done this before, but damn if he didn't want to call her a liar about that. She stroked him so good, tongue and teeth skimming over him expertly. Letting his head fall against the back of the chair, he closed his eyes and concentrated, gripping her head while she bobbed. His groans and grunts were sharp and tense as his cock filled to the brim with his seed.
She must have sensed he was close because she pulled back just long enough to pull her shirt over her head. Her bra was a red push-up number. It had him panting watching her creamy, generous breasts pump up and down with her breaths. Her mouth was tight and hot, just like her core when he was inside her. No matter how many times or how much he stretched her, she was always deliciously tight.
While she kept sucking on him, he couldn't help but reach down, fingers dipping into her bra to roll her tight nipple. She groaned around him, the vibrations causing his body to spasm, balls going tight.
"So close, Ness. Keep going, baby."
Taking a deep breath, she removed her hands and took him all the way in until her lips met his body.
He growled. "Son of a bitch."
Jacob just barely kept from bucking up.
When she came up for air, breasts heaving, he reached down to grip her hand around his cock and pumped himself the rest of the way off using her hand. His balls tightened painfully just before his come shot out in hot jets. He yelled as those jets landed on her breasts and neck. He grunted until he was done spending, then sat back, panting.
Ness peeled their hands away from him, knowing that he would be sensitive. While he caught his breath, Ness cleaned the both of them up with her shirt, carefully maneuvering around his sensitivity. Gently, she tucked him back into his jeans and buttoned them back up. Done with that, Ness stood up and went for the door.
"Where are you going?" he panted.
Her grin over her shoulder was all feminine satisfaction. "To fix lunch. Gotta make sure you're fed. You tend not to eat unless I make you. You can return the favor for this little interlude tonight."
And then she was gone. Body loose and satisfied, Jacob cleared his throat and bent back over his desk. How had she known that he needed just what she'd given him?
Before she came back to grab him for food, he actually managed to get through a couple dozen of the requests, his mind oddly cleared.
As they ate the chicken scampi and garlic bread, Ness asked him about all the work he'd been doing.
"So what is all that stuff?"
"Requests mostly. Mainly from our pack."
"Requests?"
He nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Yeah, you know like wanting to go find a job in the town or an acknowledgement of a mating. Or a transfer. Once word gets out that I've mated, things should start coming in for you. It'll take a little longer since we have the wall separating us from the rest of the world."
Her eyes widened. "Me? What would I be getting?"
"Gifts. From other queens. Also early betrothal proposals for any future kids of ours."
Ness frowned, slowly chewing her food, thinking about what he'd just said. Jacob sat there and smiled. No doubt she was mulling over that last one thinking oh hell no. The same as he was. Done with her food, she put her napkin beside her plate and put her elbows on the table. Clearing her throat, she rested her chin on clasped hands.
"Betrothal proposals? Seriously?"
Jacob nodded grinning around the neck of his beer bottle.
"So like, claiming a stake on our first born son and daughter?"
"Pretty much. Any kids we have really. If I were to accept any of them and say we only have one son and one daughter, then I'd have to fulfill the proposal's void with something else that the other pack might want from me."
"Such as?"
He shrugged. "Any sort of favor. Shelter behind the wall. An alliance in case of war. Immediate transfers. Things like that."
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you considering any of them?"
"Absolutely not. Don't you worry about that." Jacob reached across the table to grip her wrist. "I promise you that anything that concerns our children we'll deal with together. Everything."
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Thank you. What else do you do?"
"Attempt to take care of bills."
"Attempt?"
"I'm not great at it, but so far so good."
She shrugged. "I can do it. I did the bills at the bookstore. That way you could spend more time on pack things. Let me take care of the mundane crap."
Again, she surprised him. "Really?"
"Why not?" Getting up, she took their plates to the kitchen and started cleaning up. "It would give me something useful to do. Right now, I'm feeling like I'm mooching. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to have so much time to read. But also, I need something to do."
Jacob got up to help her pile the dishes into the dishwasher. "If you feel confident that you can, I'll go over everything with you tomorrow."
Her grin up at him was soft and beautiful. "Great."
They were in a groove, but it was disrupted with a hasty knock on the door. Frowning, Jacob found Adair on the other side looking out of breath and a little panicked.
"What's wrong?"
"Sadie," he panted. "She's gone into labor."
Sadie was the name of the female who'd sent the request for the anointing next week.
"I thought she wasn't due for another week."
"She's not. Something happened to trigger the labor. But that's not the problem. Doc says the baby's fine."
"But-?"
Adair was about to answer when Ness appeared beside Jacob. "What's going on?"
Adair ignored her. "Jake, Doc says Sadie may not make it. She and Bryce want you there for the birth to anoint the child before she succumbs."
Nessie's hand went to her mouth as she looked up at Jacob. "You have to go."
Now Adair looked to her. "Sadie wants you there, too."
Jacob shared a look with Ness and nodded. Taking her hand, he pulled her out of the cabin and closed the door behind them. The three of them rushed to the medical cabin. A loud, ragged scream welcomed them into the building. Immediately, Ness moved to the side of the bed. Nessie stroked Sadie's sweat-soaked hair back, taking a rag to wipe her forehead. Bryce was on the other side of the bed, letting Sadie dig her nails into his hands. The male looked up to meet eyes with Jacob. They were devastated. Sadie was human. Unfortunately, it was common for human females to die on the birthing table delivering the pup of a wolf. Something about the quick gestation period of wolves sent the humans into shock. She-wolves giving birth lived nine times out of ten.
Jacob grabbed a nurse. "Talk to me."
It was clear she didn't like being stopped, but the one to stop her was the king so she made time. She sighed. "Her vitals are everywhere. More than likely we'll have to perform a C-section. The child is ready to come out but she can't push."
"Do what you have to, do you understand?"
For a moment, she looked confused by his actions. Jacob cared for his people, but from a distance. He never showed emotion around them. The fact that he was now mated to a human female who'd agreed to bear his young forced him to watch this play out. Just because he didn't love Ness didn't mean that he wanted her to die giving birth to his child or children.
The nurse's eyes flickered from the doctor and Sadie before she nodded. "Of course."
Jacob went to stand beside Ness. Sadie looked up at him as though surprised he was there. She was a beautiful young woman with brown hair and deep green eyes. He tried to smile reassuringly. Feebly, she reached out a dainty hand to him. Completely flabbergasted, he took it, his larger hand swallowing hers.
It ended up that they did have to perform a C-section. Jacob, Bryce, and Nessie never left her side as her son was brought into the world and the pack. It was touch and go once the baby was out. Her vitals plummeted, skin going pale. At the same time the doctor was sewing her up, they fell on her, making her breathe, getting her heart to beat again.
Through the oxygen mask she managed to say, "Do it, please. Anoint him."
Bryce leaned over her. "Shh, sweetie. Don't talk, just rest. He needs his mother. Please."
A moment later, the doctor handed Jacob the baby. Standing so Sadie could see him, Jacob used some water from a nearby glass to trace the pack's symbol over the boy's forehead and said the ceremonial words welcoming the pup into the pack. Sadie sighed and smiled, laying back on the bed. Nessie kept petting her hair. When Jacob was done, he handed the baby to his father. Bryce gently held his son, looking down at him with infinite love, before laying him across Sadie's chest.
This day was so full of shocks that Jacob just accepted that the scene affected him. His chest ached just a little, gut clenching in hopes that the child would keep his mother.
"I don't believe it," the nurse said from beside Jacob.
"What?" he asked.
She motioned toward all the monitors. "She's leveling out. We were sure that she wouldn't make it."
Nessie joined them. "A mother's need to protect her child, I guess." Jacob looked over at her. Her voice held a note of sadness almost as if she knew from experience. He made a note to ask her about it later.
The three of them watched the new family.
Bryce looked up with a tear-stained face having heard the nurse say Sadie was going to be okay. "Thank you," he whispered.
Sadie met Jacob's eyes.
And he remembered what had pushed him to become king.
A little later, after making sure that both the baby and Sadie were going to be okay, Jacob led Nessie outside only to find a large group of pack members standing around the building. A good number of them were females. They stood blinking up at him, clearly expecting an update.
He cleared his throat, a pit of nervousness in his gut. "As you've heard, Sadie went into labor a week early. I want you to rest assured that both mother and baby are doing just fine." I sigh of relief went through the group. "There was a time when Doc didn't think she'd make it, but she did. Sadie and her son are resting for now. I want them to have a couple days before she has visitors. They need time to recoup. I ask that you give them that."
Adair came out behind them. "Doc says at least three days."
Jacob nodded. "Three days. If you truly want to help them, I'm sure they wouldn't mind having their home prepared for their release. Sadie would greatly appreciate it. And I know I would."
The women started to mutter and break up into groups. No doubt they were all assigning themselves something to do. Beside him, Nessie squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. "Shall we go home?"
He nodded. Together, they walked hand in hand. Slowly, they made their way through groups of the pack, stopping for small chit-chat. Jacob had just gone over some of their requests so he spoke to them about it in detail so that he knew if he'd made the right decision. Nessie chatted with a lot of the females already familiar with a lot of the ones who lived around them. With over two hundred wolves, not everyone could live near each other. Some preferred the secluded cabins in the woods. It was like a small village. Even trading happened. Some homes were better at producing one thing while others better at another. They'd trade their hobbies.
But Jacob knew that both he and Ness still had their minds on what had just happened, what they'd witnessed. Jacob had never actually seen a child being born before. It was a new experience for him. One he wasn't going to forget any time soon. As well as Sadie's relief at his presence. He hadn't known that he truly meant that much to these people, not in such a personal way. And then, she'd also wanted Nessie there, her queen. That spoke volumes to Jacob. They really liked her.
Eventually they made it back to the quiet of their cabin. Ness went back into the kitchen, but instead of doing anything, she put her hands on the counter and leaned into them. "Well, that was…intense."
Jacob only nodded.
"Is…is that normal?"
He could hear the fear in her voice. But he didn't want to lie to her. "More normal than you might think. Human females giving birth to pups have a higher death rate than she-wolves."
She let out a shaky breath. "Why?"
"Something about the quickness of the gestation period. Pack females give birth anywhere from two months to four months after fertilization."
Her chocolate eyes widened. "That's it? Then the body must go into shock. That's what it was."
"Probably." The look on her face tugging at him, he couldn't help but walk over to her and rub his fingers over the nape of her neck. "Listen to me, Ness, you're strong. You'd make it. I know you would."
She looked up at him. "You really believe that?"
"I do. It's not just strength of body. It's also strength of will, and you have that in spades." He put his finger under her chin. "It's one of the reasons I picked you. I could see it in your eyes."
She didn't answer him, just continued to stare off.
He took her hand and pulled her away from the counter. "Come on. I'll show you the bills, maybe even some of the requests so you know what I have to consider before answering. It'll help take your mind off of everything else."
Managing a weak smile, she followed him upstairs to the office. He didn't think he could ever look at that damn chair without getting hard from remembering her wicked mouth on him. But he sat down and pulled her into his lap. Arms around her body, he moved around, showing her everything in paper and online so she'd know where to go as well as passwords.
"We'll buy you a laptop so we can each have our own settings. Until we can get our resident tech geek to sit down with you to find out your preferences, you can use this one."
She nodded while he turned to the large stacks of requests. "And now for the fun part," he said sarcastically.
Together, they sat there for hours going through everything. She was amazed at how many babies were coming due within the next week to month. It was fairly common, but with such a large pack it was the reason Jacob had decided to move back up here to the Pacific Northwest. There was tons of land up here that could be bought. And he had purchased a lot of it. The large river nearby cut through part of his territory. There were several running trails and meadows. It was good training area for the young growing up here.
"What's it like?" Ness asked.
"What's what like?"
"Being a wolf? I mean, you were human once. What's it like to wake up and realize you're something else? Can you feel the wolf inside you?"
Clearing his throat, he sat back. This wasn't something he liked to talk or even think about. But he decided to try. "It is different. As a human teenager, all I worried about was money and sex. Enough money to pay bills and sex just for the pleasure. After I was turned, it became a game of survival. Sex with alpha females to keep me safe until I learned the rules of the pack. Sex turned into the currency for me. Money didn't become important until after I learned how to fight to take care of myself. And then I became king. Sex was sex again. And money…well, this pack is very old. You saw the numbers. It's not really a worry for us right now."
Turning in his lap, she studied him with a sympathetic look. "That sounds terrible, what you had to go through."
His smile was wry. "Yeah well, that's just the overview. You don't want the details. Trust me."
Her brows pulled down into a small frown. "What if I do?"
He sighed. "Ness, don't. Please."
She studied his face before nodding. "Okay. Sorry for pushing."
Reaching up, Jacob brushed a curl from her cheek. "Since I told you something about me, will you answer something for me?"
"Sure."
"What did you mean in the medical cabin about a woman protecting her child? There was a look on your face like you were remembering something."
Not meeting his eyes, she looked down at the sleeve of her shirt, picking at the thread. "You know my mother, right?"
"I did, a little. Our dads' were good friends."
"Well, when she was pregnant with me, I…I almost killed her. She'd been told that a pregnancy was threatening to her life. She decided to keep me. That's probably where I get my strong will, huh?" She smiled fleetingly. "During labor, she bled profusely. Her vitals plummeted. When she told me the story, reluctantly mind you, she said that what brought her back was that she wasn't ready to leave me. There were so many things she wanted to do with me and for me that she refused to leave me. I never thought I'd see that kind of love in person. And now I learn that I might have to go through it myself. It's a lot to think about."
Watching her, he kept touching her hair, trying to give her comfort. He was a wolf who knew she needed comfort. "It wasn't your fault, Ness. She chose you over her own life. It was a sacrifice for you. There's no reason for you to feel guilty. You were a baby who couldn't make your own choices."
"I know. I just love her so much. It's hard to imagine my life without her."
Dammit. She plucked at his humanity. He'd told her that it would be a few months before he'd let her leave the territory to visit her family, but that was because he feared that she'd use his leniency to stay away from him and the pack. But over the past week, they'd found a happy medium now that he'd cooled his temper. Having her intimate in his life was still hard to handle, but it was sometimes nice to know that someone was there, just the presence could be comforting.
"Would you like to go see her?"
Shock widened her eyes. "Really? Like now?"
He shrugged, fingering a curl at her waist. "We could go tomorrow. I've showed you all the bills and stuff."
"We?"
"I am your husband now. Unless you want to go alone. Then Cris will have to take you."
Her overjoyed expression was worth it but also surprised. Probably because he'd given her a choice. Her answer likewise surprised him. "I want you to go with me. If you knew my mother, I'm sure she'd love to see you again."
"I don't know about 'love', but it might be nice to see her again. And Edward. Although, if I remember correctly, he didn't like me much."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Bella and I hung out sometimes. She was kind of a crush of mine."
Gasping, she leaned back and smiled at him. "You crushed on my mother?"
He chuckled. "Yeah well, she was fresh blood. She moved here her junior year. I knew most of the girls on the rez. Bella was the long lost police chief's daughter."
"Is your father still here?"
Another sore subject. "On the rez, yeah. With my sisters."
And he knew her next question. "Have you seen them since you've been back?"
"What does it matter?" he demanded, voice sharp.
Her expression closed. "They're your family, Jacob. They'd want to see you. And they know you're here."
In an instant, his irritation bubbled to the surface. He growled. "Drop it, Ness. It's my choice."
Letting out an irritated breath, she stood up. "Fine. Be a jerk about it, but the point is the same, Jacob. Family is family. They keep us sane. You're just being selfish even though I'm sure you have what you think are good reasons." Digging into her pocket, she took out her new cell phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"My mother to let her know we're coming tomorrow."
Reaching up, he snagged it from her hands.
"What the hell, Jake? Really?"
"We'll surprise them."
"Why?" And then her expression evened out. "Oh, I see. You think she'll tell my grandfather who will then tell your father." She threw her hands up. "Fine. Whatever. Keep it. I'm going to go make dinner."
And then she left. Growling, he slumped back in the chair. Dammit. She just didn't understand. Granted, he didn't tell her his reasons. Sitting there, he supposed her definition of a husband meant sharing stuff like that. Jacob wasn't used to being personal and sharing. He'd isolated himself, keeping his secrets, avoiding the uneasiness of the pack.
Rubbing his palms over his face and hair, he sat up and went back to work until she called him for dinner.
Alright, alright. Yell at me for being gone so long. But I still love you. I'm going to try to at least update both stories once a week. Don't hold me to it, but I will try. Now, be sure to tell me what you think. I need your feedback to know what you need from me! Love y'all! xoxoxoxoxo