ScottyBgood, I took your advice and added to the chapter. I'm sure you'll see what I mean when you get to that part. Thanks for the suggestion. Enjoy!
When I woke up I found myself in a place I wasn't at all familiar with, but I felt safe none the less. I sat up only for a fair skinned arm to bring me back down again. Jade was lying next to me, all patched up with an obscene amount of bandages. She held me to her warm body and stroked my face.
"Relax first before you start trying to move. You've been through a lot," she cautioned me. I nodded and did as she said. The second time I sat up she let me. I looked around at the warm tone of the room. It was neat and comforting with colors that reminded me of the woods. Drawings and sketches littered one wall and the desk against it. An easel was set up in the corner, a forest half painted on it while finished works were leaning against the wall behind it. A keyboard on a stand stood in the corner by the closet with sheet music and lyrics scattered over it like it was another desk. I didn't think Jade was as into the arts as the room clearly suggested. I looked to her to see that she was watching me with her head propped on her hand.
"Is this your room?" I asked her, just to clarify what I already knew. I couldn't explain it but I could feel her in everything around me. She simply nodded. I got out of bed to take a few steps. I kept my left arm close to my body, the thick bandages keeping it from moving much. Jade jumped out of bed to carefully touch the injury.
"Slow. It took a lot of my blood to heal you but you still have a long way to go," she cautioned. Heal me? What was she talking about? She picked up on my questioning expression.
"Wolves in the same pack can heal each other with their blood. Now that you are my mate you are a part of the pack. You carry a part of me now, my strength so that you can fight off danger. Your senses may be a tad stronger than normal. We'll be able to sense and track each other easily too," she shared. I stared at her in awe.
"I felt something like that when I attacked Beck," I murmured, more to myself.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it took effect already. You'll be able to call on it more often when it strengthens. All in time of course," she tacked on with a soft smile. Wow, that sounded amazing. I let that information sink in while I looked around. I stopped at a cork board full of various pictures of the pack. A curly haired boy and red haired girl caught my eye. That must be Robbie and Cat who I haven't met yet. The others I recognized. I was about to turn away when a picture of Jade and a very tall but good looking man stood out to me. It was the only picture of him. A young Jade sat on his shoulders with a big smile. He was looking up at her with a smile of his own. I jumped when Jade spoke up right behind me. I hadn't heard her move closer.
"That's Alec," she stated, a hint of pain in her voice. I brushed the worn picture with my fingers, comparing him to the man I had sometimes seen, and then turned to look at Jade. I was surprised to see she had tears in her eyes. Strong, unafraid, snappy, no nonsense Jade was crying.
"Jade…" I whispered, wiping at her tears. She stopped me by gripping my hand in hers and brought it to her mouth to place a kiss on my knuckles.
"I thought I would lose you. I already lost Alec and I couldn't handle it if I lost you too," she mumbled, closing her eyes so that more tears fell. She pulled me to her and wrapped me in an embrace that wasn't tight but still told me she was happy to have me in her arms. I returned it the best I could with one arm.
"Wolves mate for life, remember? I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Tor. I wouldn't have been able to go on. My wolf would be weak, my heart would be shattered, and I would lose that part of myself that you carry. None of that would hurt as much as losing you. I'm just so glad you're all right," she told me, gripping me a little tighter.
"I'm not going anywhere, Jade," I reassured her. She kissed my forehead and then captured my lips with hers. I let her sweep me away in loving bliss until she pulled away.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, Vega," she reprimanded, pulling back to smack my good arm. I cringed but smiled, happy the old Jade was making an appearance.
"Ow, you didn't have to hit me," I complained. She just did it again and then kissed me before I could complain.
"Come on. I want to introduce you to a close friend of mine," she told me, interlocking our fingers so she could lead me out of the room. We traveled through a hall, down the staircase and around it to take a staircase down into a basement room. I followed her around the corner to see a wide spaced room packed with four cribs and a bed. The redhead I saw in the picture was lying in the bed holding a bundle while the curly haired guy from the picture was holding another. The redhead looked up, her face somewhat tired, but she instantly smiled wide when she saw us.
"Jadey, so you finally brought her," she greeted cheerfully.
"Hi Jade," the guy added with a grin.
"Hey you two. This is Tori, my mate. Tori, this is Cat and Robbie," Jade introduced. I lifted a hand to wave a greeting, my tongue tied and a blush rising at Jade's introduction of me. Cat giggled.
"You were right Jade, she does blush a lot," she commented, making me blush even more.
"Yeah, she's worse than Robbie back when he wouldn't grow a pair and just pursue you," Jade responded with a sly smirk.
"Hey! I was taking it a step at a time. Plus, things were crazy and I didn't want to put any pressure on Cat," he argued. Jade scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"No, you took too long and put pressure on yourself. Cat was ready," Jade shot back. This time Cat blushed and Robbie stuttered as he grew flustered.
"Jade, be nice. They're busy as it is," I pointed out, gently gripping her arm. Jade gave me a look and I returned it so that she just groaned and rolled her eyes in a way that I knew she would relent. I smiled and kissed her cheek as a reward.
"Aww, Jade, you listened," Cat observed. Jade growled and then sighed.
"Well, that's it for me. You guys have fun raising the pups. Vega, let's go," Jade commanded. I laughed and let her drag me from the room.
"Nice meeting you! Congratulations!" I called to them. I barely heard their thanks and good-byes because Jade already dragged me up the stairs and out the door.
"Let's go check on the others," Jade told me, walking over towards the living room area.
"Hey, listen to this," I heard Mike speak to the others. I automatically listened in too and heard a guitar play a melody I wasn't familiar with. It grew in strength and then Ryan made a sound of excitement. I smiled when I rounded the corner to see the pack in various degrees of injury spread across the room. Ryan and Charlotte were the only ones without a scratch. Mike had his left arm and middle bandaged with a few cuts and bruises. Hector was the worst off. He had his left arm and right leg in a cast. His body was in bandages and so was the side of his head. Despite the injuries, I knew they healed fast and just needed the bandages and casts to make sure everything set right. I walked into the room to cheers and greetings.
"You came in right on time. Mike was going to regal us with his mad guitar skills," Ryan spoke up. I looked to Mike who was holding a guitar, a small amp by his feet turned down low. Jade and I took a seat on the floor by Charlotte who was smiling fondly at Mike, waiting for him to continue.
"Go on, Mikey," Jade encouraged with a nod. She took my hand after, her thumb rubbing circles. Mike looked to Charlotte and she nodded too. A grin lighted his features and then he got comfortable. Ryan scooted closer and gave Mike a look that said he was ready. It looked like he was joining whatever song they would be singing. Mike started again, the guitar playing clear and fluid. His voice joined the melody a second later and it was then I was sure he would have been right at home on stage performing in a band.
"Off through the new day's mist, I run. Out from the new day's mist, I have come. I hunt...therefore, I am. Harvest the land...taking the fallen lamb," he sung, his voice a strange mix of passionate and lucid. Jade smirked next to me, her head bobbing to the music. She seemed to know the song. Hector grinned from his seat on the couch. Even Charlotte was into it. Jade noticed my wandering eyes and leaned close to me.
"It's our favorite song. You'll see why," she spoke softly in my ear. She leaned back and gave Mike her attention again. I made a point to focus on the lyrics.
"Off through the new day's mist, I run. Out from the new day's mist, I have come. We shift...pulse with the Earth. Company we keep...roaming the land while you sleep," Mike continued, his foot tapping now. A feeling of familiarity crept up on me.
"Oh...(Shape shift) Nose to the wind. (Shape shift) Feeling I've been. (Move swift) All senses clean. (Earth's gift) (Back to the meaning) Back to the meaning of...life!" Mike sang with more power, Ryan singing in the background to intensify the song. Understanding dawned on me then.
"Bright is the Moon, high in starlight. Chill in the air, cold as steel tonight. We shift...call of the wild. Fear in your eyes...it's later than you realized," Mike went on. I caught Jade singing along looking, to me with a cunning grin. I raised a brow at her and turned back to Mike.
"Oh...(Shape shift) Nose to the wind. (Shape shift) Feeling I've been. (Move swift) All senses clean. (Earth's gift) (Back to the meaning) Back to the meaning of...life!" Mike shouted while the others joined Ryan in the background then sang the last line together. They created such energy that I was getting pulled into the excitement too. I began to wonder if it was a pack thing. While Mike played a short solo Jade released my hand and got up to sit next to him. I watched her go with curiosity. She took over for the next part of the song.
"I feel a change...back to a better day. (Shape shift) The hair stands on the back of my neck. (Shape shift). Wildness is the preservation of the world...so seek the wolf in thyself!" she growled, Mike filling in the background this time. Her smooth voice easily morphing into a hard edge to match the melody he strummed. All eyes were on her, their leader, and mine couldn't move off her either. It was mesmerizing. As soon as she was done the others joined in for the background as she finished the song.
"(Shape shift) Nose to the wind. (Shape shift) Feeling I've been. (Move swift) All senses clean! (Earth's gift) (Back to the meaning). Back to the meaning...of wolf, and man! Yeah!" she shouted, all of them finishing together. Mike strummed a few more notes and then stopped, almost abruptly. He set aside the instrument casually but I was blown away with their easy synchronization. They were truly a pack and the song summed them up perfectly. It amazed me how well they played off each other and the subtle way they took cues from one another. I couldn't wait to learn everything I could about them and join that effortless flow. I wouldn't have to wait long by the buzzing feeling I got just by watching them sing together. I could already sense their pull and I felt right at home. Jade patted Mike's shoulder before she offered me a hand up. I took it and she pulled me to my feet.
"I love that! It's so awesome!" Ryan crowed excitedly. There was a small playful scuffle between him and Mike. They were laughing now, only for Hector to regain his irritation from his injury and reprimand them for bumping into him.
"You guys, settle down. Some of us are hurt, you know," he sternly reminded them. Ryan was known to bring about Mike's playfulness as easily as he could anyone in the pack. Mike gave Hector an apologetic smile and settled down, understanding as ever. Charlotte scooted over to bump him with her shoulder and make a face at Hector when she had his attention. He chuckled and Hector just rolled his eyes while Ryan snickered. I found an opening to speak up now that I could after witnessing the power of the pack.
"Wow, speaking of that, you guys look awful," I commented jokingly.
"Ah shut up, Vegz. Or should I call you singvogel?" Ryan piped up playfully with a dramatic accent I assumed was German.
"No one calls her that but me," Jade growled at him, stepping forward to possessively wrap me in her arms. Ryan laughed and Mike joined him. Charlotte smiled and Hector raised an amused brow.
"What does that mean anyway?" I questioned.
"It means song bird. You know, because you're my song bird. That's why I sometimes call you my little wren because some of those birds are so small and inconspicuous but they have loud, and often complex, songs. They also have a rather bold side to them," Jade explained, resting her chin on my shoulder so that her lips were at my ear. I shivered, bringing a smirk to her features.
"Aww, you have a meaning to her nickname? That's so sweet!" Ryan said in an overly dramatic tone that now resembled a very peppy girl. Jade let me go and stomped over to him.
"Dammit Ry, get over here so I can kick your ass!" she screamed. He yelped and got up to run from the room. She chased after him but I caught her by the arm and pulled her back to me where I silenced her before she could start her rant. I pressed my lips against hers and invaded her mouth with my tongue seconds after, taking her completely by surprise. I was actually being aggressive for once and boy did it turn Jade on. I blamed it on the song and the collective energy it produced. I could feel her body heat up and her hands gripped at my waist, tightening then pulling me flush against her.
"Get a room guys. If I have to be stuck on this couch I don't want to have to watch you swallow each other," Hector spoke up. I pulled away with an embarrassed chuckle but Jade outright laughed.
"Ok then, I'll see you guys later. I have to walk Vega home," Jade told them.
"Yeah, 'walk her home'," Hector repeated, holding up his hands for air quotes. Jade smacked his head on the way past the couch he laid on. He rubbed his head and scowled. Charlotte stood from her seat on the ground to hug me and Mike stood to pat me on the back and ruffle my hair.
"You did good, Vegz," he commented. I didn't know exactly what he meant, but all of their approving gazes were enough to keep me from asking. I didn't need to know. I just nodded and let Jade take my hand to lead me out. We came out of the house I had seen many times from the outside but had never been inside until now.
"I think you'll fit right in," Jade told me approvingly, taking my hand in hers so that her shoulder nudged mine every so often now that we were walking.
"Yeah?" I replied happily. She nodded.
"Definitely. I could feel how attuned you were to us already," she responded. I grinned and gripped her hand tighter. She squeezed back. We walked at a slow pace and I glanced over at Jade to take in her battered complexion. Her beautiful fair skin was bruised around her left eye and jaw, though it was faded. By the way she walked I could tell she was still dealing with injuries I couldn't see, yet instead of resting like the others, she chose to look after me, even when the threat was gone. Beck was dead and I was sure his pack was either wiped out or way too small to be of any real danger. Speaking of that...
"Jade, what happened? You know, with the other pack," I asked her carefully. She glanced around before returning her eyes to me.
"Beck got the better of me. I thought I failed you until you jumped over me like a mad women and took him out. You went into hysterics after that and fainted. You slept the rest of the day at my place. You scared your grandmother so bad she marched over to bang on our door, demanding to see you. She knew exactly where to look. When she saw that you were fine and that Andre was with us too she went back home. Not before ripping us a new one and warning me that I better try harder to take care of you," Jade explained, laughing at the memory.
"Man, I had never been so scared shitless by a human until I met your grandmother. If she had been waving around that crossbow again I would have really been cowering. I was so scared I couldn't even swear at the guys when they teased me after she left. Keep in mind, they had no right since they were just as scared as me. Maybe even more than me," she continued, an amused grin on her face. I laughed and leaned into her.
"So, how's Andre?" I asked next.
"He's fine. He woke up cursing himself for letting you down but I told him what you did. He was really impressed and told me that someone like me was a perfect match for you," she answered with a roll of her eyes. I just smiled. Good old Andre, always trying to point out the truths in a teasing fashion.
"Anyway, we patched him up good as new and then his father came looking for him. He wanted to wait for you to wake up but his father wouldn't allow it, what with all the wolves around. I guess he was uncomfortable. So, he took him home," she continued.
"I'm glad he's ok, but it doesn't make sense that his father shouldn't trust you after Andre helped you and you essentially kept him from dying and even let him in your home," I told her with a shake of my head. She nodded in agreement.
"I know. Hunters are idiots. You should know, look at Andre," she joked with a small smile. I smacked her arm but I couldn't keep the smile off my face.
"So, um…" I began, stalling now that we had made it to my front door. I didn't want the moment to end just yet. It felt like too short of a time that I got to spend with her, even though I had been with her since yesterday. Jade quirked a brow at my hesitance, the expression striking me as sexy. Why did almost every expression she made do nothing but distract me? I bit my lip and then licked it, trying to think. Jade's eyes followed the gesture before they flicked up to meet mine.
"You know, your grandmother kindly let us off with a warning. I don't want to see what she'll do if I don't return you home promptly like I said I would once you woke up," she mumbled, her voice inflection carrying something with her serious tone. I gave up trying to solve it and answered her instead.
"Oh, ok. I guess I'll get going then. Bye, Jade," I muttered in return. I kissed her cheek and then turned to open the door when she trapped me against it. Her hand grabbed my chin while the other held me firmly by the back of my neck, fingers drifting into my hair. Her mouth was on mine seconds later, delivering a heated, knee weakening kiss that had me moaning into her mouth. She pulled away to pin me down with her eyes again.
"Get in that house and be a good girl, Vega. I'll be around to see you later. Maybe then you can show me how much of a bad girl you can be," she breathed in my ear, making sure to drive her point home with a nip to my ear and her leg sliding between mine to brush against me tauntingly. My body tensed in arousal and a whimper fell from my lips. Jade kissed me again as if she was trying to catch the sound and revel in it.
"Will you be a good girl?" she asked me with a devilish smile, her lips millimeters from mine. I bit at her lip and then slipped my tongue in her mouth. This time she groaned. Heavily, might I add. I pulled away to tease her with my own seductive grin.
"For now," I whispered, smiling when her eyes instantly darkened, showing just how much she wanted me at that moment. I successfully turned Jade West on and I was going to leave her like that until tonight. I stroked her cheek and then pushed her away so that I could open the door. She stumbled back in a daze. It was the first time I ever saw her less than graceful. I blew her one last kiss and then shut the door, grinning from ear to ear on the other side. I practically skipped to my room so I could change and then went to find my grandma so I could let her know I was home and in one piece. I found her in her room, putting away the crossbow she had given me. She turned to glance at me and caught me looking at the helpful weapon.
"They were kind enough to return this to me," she remarked, shutting the weapon case which was styled to look like an old record player.
"That's a great hiding place," I commented. She smiled and shuffled over to sit on her bed. I followed and sat next to her.
"Grandma, are you disappointed that I still ended up with a wolf in the end?" I asked her, hoping for the best. She gave me a caring smile and then patted my knee.
"Victoria, you deserve someone who loves you with everything they are, wolf or not. Of course, it would have been easier to be with someone of your own kind, but I can't complain. Jade loves you and she can take care of you far better than any human can. Well, except maybe Andre. You two get along so well and he has training-" she rambled, but I just waved a hand at her to stop.
"The problem there is we're just friends. I can't see him like that," I cut in. She smiled, one that told me she understood.
"Of course. I was just thinking out loud," she responded. I nodded and waited for her to continue.
"As long as that horrible wolf, Beck, didn't get a hold of you then I would be happy with whoever you chose. Again, bonus points if they take care of my little granddaughter like the princess she is," she said, pinching my cheek and laughing when I pushed her hand away. She knew I hated that, which is why she did it anyway.
"Magic sugar castle and all, huh?" I mentioned, remembering the wish I had made when I was six. I even remembered telling her, whispering it to her like it was a huge secret no one could hear or it wouldn't come true. She laughed at the memory we were both thinking about and nodded. We fell into comfortable silence until she spoke again.
"Is Jade everything you ever wanted?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern. She really wanted to know if Jade was the one, if I was certain of the choice I had made. I took her hand in mine and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Yes, grandma. She's everything I ever wanted and more," I told her truthfully. She returned my smile and squeezed my hand.
"Good. I want nothing less for you. Tell Jade that she's welcome here whenever she wants and to stop by often. No granddaughter of mine will be caught seeing someone who doesn't even visit an old woman like me," she joked. I chuckled and made a mental note to tell Jade in those exact words.
"Will do. I'm sure Jade would be honored, even though you aren't nearly that old," I replied, just as playful. Once we said our good nights and exchanged hugs I retired to my room. The thought of telling Trina everything about Beck came to mind, but I shoved it away. No serious topics for now. That could wait. Instead, I laid in bed contemplating when Jade would show. I wasn't sure if I should just go to sleep and she could wake me up or if I shouldn't even bother and just stay up waiting for her. I took a few more minutes to decide and then I chose. I began stripping under the blankets and deposited the clothes at the foot of the bed. I lied on my back and stared at the ceiling with a smile. It was time I got the drop on her this time. I didn't have to wait long when I heard something heading upstairs. The strange thing was, it wasn't footsteps. It sounded like the click of nails on the hardwood floor that muffled when they traveled over the carpet in the landing outside my room. The door creaked open and I looked over to see Jade in her wolf form, her icy eyes with a hint of green staring at me.
"This better not be some bestiality thing you're trying to pull," I warned her jokingly. She shifted and laughed, shaking her head as she took a few steps towards the bed. She sauntered in a slow and exaggerated way, succeeding in drawing my eyes to the way her body moved. The light of the moon shone in through the window, highlighting her in some places while darkness still covered others. She was beautiful. Even the thin scars scattered over her body added to her beauty.
"Very funny, Vega. I showed up like that because, believe it or not, your grandmother basically invited me in," she responded, climbing on the bed to sit by my feet.
"What?" I replied in confusion. She nodded.
"Yep. She actually installed a dog door in the back by the sliding door. Neat, huh? Whenever I want I can sneak in here and have my way with you," Jade growled, crawling over me.
"I...you really think she...why would she do that?" I stammered, even though I had a feeling that choice was made for a very obvious reason. My grandmother was showing her approval of Jade. Now she could walk in when she was invited over or sneak in whenever she wanted. Either way, she was welcome in the house. The thought made me more than happy.
"Beats me, but I like it," Jade stated, carrying on the conversation with a lick of her lips. She dipped down to lick mine slowly. All thoughts scattered when my mouth opened and her tongue swiftly entered. My hands came out from under the blankets to tangle in her long locks. Her own hands began to move the blankets aside. I forced her tongue from my mouth and pushed her off me before she could. She fell on her back with an agitated huff, but her breath caught when I threw aside the blanket myself and straddled her. The heat rolling off her body increased as I leaned over to plant my hands on either side of her head, my fingers digging into the sheets.
"What? I said I wouldn't be a good girl for long," I told her, my voice turning sultry with desire coursing through me.
"And that is one of the many reasons why I love you," she gasped in a low and husky tone, running her hands up my front until one of her hands caressed the skin of my marked shoulder and the other dragged back down to grip at the small of my back. I smirked and began a slow rhythm, rocking my hips into hers, watching as her back arched and her eyes closed while moans and whimpers escaped her mouth. Her hand on my back dug into my skin in an effort to make me speed up. My hands paid special attention to her body while my mouth stayed busy at her neck and shoulders. I worked down until I could enter her, taking her fast and hard. I watched in fascination when she came undone, crying out my name and clinging to me.
My wolf lover, my mate. I was all hers and she was all mine. I loved her so much and we would be together forever. She was strong and protective but I was able to break her down in our most intimate moments. Despite the feeling I got when I made her feel this way, I was not opposed to handing over control so that she could do the same to me. When she held me down to reciprocate she treated me with the utmost respect and care, her touch bringing me over the edge with firm strokes and just a hint of rough handling. By the third round I was completely worn out and falling asleep on top of her. She held me around the middle and fell asleep with a small yet content smile. I kissed under her chin and then brought my mouth to her ear.
"I love you with all my heart," I whispered. Her arms tightened on me and her smile widened in response. I rested my head on her chest and let the steady beat of her heart lull me to sleep. And so, Little Red Riding Hood fell in love with The Big Bad Wolf. The story had it wrong after all. I liked the original ending, but I had to admit, the ending of this one was way better. And what an ending it was.