Ch. 5
Jess POV
I headed down to the kitchen first. Antonio was just finishing dinner and Nick was sitting at the table. Both men smiled at me as I went to take my seat on the left side of Jeremy's spot. Antonio came up and gave me a hug.
"I'm so happy for you two." Antonio said. I looked over at Nick who smirked. They both must have heard Jeremy and I. I smiled shyly. Jeremy just arrived at the doorway of the kitchen. All three of us looked at him. He walked by and patted Antonio on the shoulder, giving him a warm smile. As he passed me, Jeremy stopped and placed a kiss on the top of my head before he sat in his spot. Antonio set down the garlic bread he had pulled out of the oven and sat in his spot. Everyone filled their plates and we waited for Jeremy to take the first bite. After Jeremy had taken that first bite, Antonio had stopped us all.
"I think tonight deserves a glass of wine and toast." Antonio said as he got up from his seat. He grabbed a bottle of Chardonnay (which everyone knew to be my favorite wine) and opened it. Once Antonio poured a glass for everyone, he raised his.
"To Jeremy and Jess. You both deserve happiness and a good life in each other's company. Here's to forever!" stated Antonio. "By the way, we definitely heard you two upstairs. It's about damn time!" Antonio took a huge drink from his glass. I hid my face and turned red. Jeremy shook his head and began to laugh. Nick burst out laughing and took a drink. I looked at Jeremy and burst out laughing as well.
"I told you we were going to catch shit from these two!" I laughed. We all laughed for a good minute. It was my turn to raise my glass.
"I suppose I should reveal a good phrase my mother told me a long time ago." I paused, composing myself after laughing. "As momma said, life's too short for shit men, shit horses, and shit sex!" Everyone lost it. Even Jeremy couldn't contain his laughter. I took a good swig of my wine.
"That's the best thing I've heard in a long time!" laughed Antonio. "At least we know you live by that phrase." He poked back at me.
"Go big or go home." I stated, raising my eyebrows and taking another drink of my wine.
I looked up at Jeremy who was grinning ear to ear at me. I smiled back at him. I was so happy to be home.
After dinner, Jeremy and I volunteered to wash dishes and clean up. Antonio and Nick had headed back to New York City to continue some business, leaving us both at Stonehaven alone. I washed dishes while Jeremy dried them. After we finished, I went out to feed the horses. I sat between them both while they ate, holding my legs and watching as they ate. My little black mare, Movin, came up to me and rubbed her head on me. She was my baby. This little mare had won me a lot of money before I had come to Stonehaven. Movin was the reason I was able to support myself on the run. She paid for my nursing/paramedic school, the truck, the trailer, and was responsible for much of my savings. She owed me nothing while I owed her the world. Horses were my escape from life. From everyday life and werewolf life. She was twelve this year. She was special to me in so many ways. Dad and I carefully picked her breeding, raised her, trained her, and competed on her. She was one of the last pieces of my dad that I had. Epic had walked herself back into the pasture. Movin had laid down beside me. I hugged her face and held her tight. The bond she and I had was unbreakable. I felt a presence behind me. It was Jeremy. Jeremy came to sit beside Movin and I.
"That horse loves you like no other. I think I have some competition." He smiled warmly.
"She's my world, Jeremy. Before us, there was her and I. She's the reason I've gotten this far in life. Because of her, I've got to see some of the coolest places in the country, meet some pretty amazing people, and so much more." I told Jeremy. Movin got up and began to munch on some grass by the gate. It was finally dusk. I put her back in the pasture and headed back to the house with Jeremy. We sat in the Great Room and sipped on some leftover wine from dinner while Jeremy worked on some paperwork and I sat on the couch.
"Clay's coming home tomorrow. You ready to meet my son?" Jeremy asked me. I swirled my wine in my glass and took a sip.
"What if Clay doesn't like me, Jer? I already know how he can be according to rest of the pack." I replied.
"He will be fine. I have already filled him in on what our situation is and he has agreed to not act up." Said Jeremy. I sighed and sipped on my wine again. Just then my phone rang. It was Kayla, my boss. I put it on speakerphone. I had nothing to hide from Jeremy.
"Hey, Jess! I got your text! I'm so glad you're okay!" Kayla said on the phone. I looked up at Jeremy. Jeremy nodded for me to continue.
"Thank you, Kayla. I'm glad to be safe and home again. What's up?" I asked her.
"I was going to ask you if you would like to teach a nursing student class tomorrow afternoon? I know you just went through a whole ordeal, but I think it would be a good distraction. Don't feel pressured though!" she said. I sat on it for a second. Looking over at Jeremy again, he nodded and mouthed "go for it".
"Yes. I'd love to teach it." I replied.
"Great! I'll see you around eleven to go over some stuff! Have a good night, Jess!" Kayla said and hung up. I looked at Jeremy again.
"Are you sure you're okay about me leaving for work tomorrow? Even though Clay's coming home?" I asked him.
"Yes. He said he wouldn't be here until later in the afternoon." Said Jeremy.
I looked over at the clock and it was about nine thirty. I was ready to lay in bed and rest. I threw back the last of my wine. Jeremy beat me standing up, as if he had read my mind.
"Let's go to bed, baby." He said as he moved towards the doorway. I followed. Jeremy guided me up to his room. Unceremoniously, he discarded his clothes at the end of the bed and crawled under the covers. I decided to have a little fun taking my clothes off for him. Don't get me wrong, I was nervous as hell, not wanting to look like a total fool doing so. I pulled my shirt over my head, leaving me in a simple black bra on top. I looked up at Jeremy and seen he was intently watching me. I locked eyes with him as I unbuttoned my jeans.
"Like what you see?" I asked him seductively.
"I can only think of one thing better than this." Jeremy lifted his brows and smiled at me. I turned around and slowly pulled down my jeans, revealing a simple pair of black panties. I felt Jeremy's intense stare at me. The fight of remaining in control showed in them. I hooked the sides of my panties and pulled them down slowly, bending down to show him the best view of me. I pulled myself up on the bed and straddled him, feeling him harden. I leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"How am I doing, honey?"
"Amazing, baby. Keep going." Jeremy instructed me. I sat back up and reached my arms behind my back. I unclasped the bra and let the straps fall down my shoulders, revealing my breasts. I discarded it to the side of the bed. Jeremy's hands came up to my chest. He started at my left collarbone and slowly worked his hand down my chest, taking in the curve of my left breast and worked his way to the right one. He traced his fingertips to the right collarbone. I reached up and pulled my hair out of the messy bun I had it in, letting my hair fall down my shoulders and back. Jeremy's hand came up to pull my hair behind my right ear. His hand went behind my neck and pulled me down to him. Jeremy pulled me into a gentle, passionate kiss. I kissed him back.
After a few minutes, Jeremy smiled against my lips and flipped me onto my back swiftly. The suddenness of it made me let out a sharp gasp. He settled himself between my legs and gently but firmly held his hand on my neck. His other hand pulled my hands above my head. I gazed up at him. Jeremy's eyes looked wild and feral, a look I never had imagined seeing on him. I decided to keep driving him wild.
"I'm yours, Alpha." I whispered to Jeremy. He leaned down and kissed me deeply. He pulled back, leaving his hands on my neck and still holding my hands above my head.
"Say it again." Said Jeremy.
"I'm yours, Alpha. Make me yours." I said a bit louder, looking Jeremy in the eyes. With his eyes never leaving mine, he slipped himself inside me, causing me to arch my back and moan. Jeremy put an arm under the small of my back to position me at a different angle for him. I grabbed the sheets hard and moaned out. Jeremy leaned down and kissed me hard.
"This time we don't have to be quiet. Let it out for me, baby." He said. As Jeremy pulled away, he gently nipped my bottom lip and began to thrust into me harder. I moaned loudly and grabbed his forearms, digging my nails into him. Jeremy brought his hand to my clit and began to touch me as he continued to thrust harder into me. I couldn't contain my orgasm any longer and it overcame me like wildfire. My back arched even more and my moans became silent from the intensity and riding it out. Jeremy slowed but didn't stop, letting me work through it. He stopped and pulled out of me to guide me to my hands and knees. Slipping into me again, I moaned once again. Jeremy leaned forward to kiss my shoulder and began to thrust into me again. My hands twisted in the sheets. His hands ran up and down my back as he kept his pace. Jeremy caressed my hips and bottom as he continued. He slipped his arm around my side and up my chest to my neck. Gently grasping my neck, he pulled me up to him, my back flush with the front of him.
"I love you, baby. You're mine and always will be." Jeremy whispered to me, his pace unwavering. He kissed down my neck and bit down in the crook of my neck, marking me. I gasped. My climax was close once again. I reached my arms behind me and around his neck.
"I love you, Jer. I'm yours." I breathed out. Jeremy's pace quickened in response and my climax came. Jeremy held me up and against him as he stilled and kissed my neck and shoulder as I rode it out. He pulled me down with him, still in me.
"My turn." He told me as he began to thrust in me again. Jeremy grabbed my leg and hooked his arm under my knee. I moved my shoulders so I could somewhat face him. Jeremy captured my lips in a kiss and kissed me deeply, thrusting in me hard. I gasped against his lips. I brought my hand down to my clit and began to touch myself. Jeremy moaned against my lips as well, his own orgasm getting closer.
"Harder, Jer." I urged him on. He obliged and thrusted harder. His arm wrapped around my breasts and he kept thrusting. My moans were getting louder, inspiring him. I reached my peak again and Jeremy finally came inside of me. He stilled, kissed my shoulder and caressed my chest. He placed a gently kiss on my lips.
"So good…So good, baby." Jeremy whispered to me. He kissed me again and pulled out of me. He pulled me closer to him and we drifted off into a blissful sleep in each other's arms.
Jeremy POV
I glanced over at the alarm clock. It was 8am. Jess was fast asleep but it was time to wake her so she could be ready for work. I gently rubbed her bottom and whispered in her ear.
"Baby, time to wake up. You need to get ready for work." She groaned. I kept rubbing her bottom. She rubbed her face and opened her eyes.
"Good morning, love." I told her as I leaned down to place a quick kiss on her lips. She stretched out in bed. "I'm going to make us some breakfast while you get ready." I placed a quick kiss on her forehead. I threw on some dark gray sweats and a black t-shirt on and headed downstairs. I heard her turn on the shower. I made up some french toast and sausage for us. The coffee just finished brewing and I was pouring some into a travel mug for her when she got to the door of the kitchen. She had on her black scrubs and her hair up in a messy bun. God, she looked amazing.
"You look good baby." I told her as I gave her a quick kiss. We sat down and ate our breakfast and I seen her out to her car. I pulled her in for an embrace.
"Be safe, Jess. Let me know when you get to work, okay?" I told her.
"I will, Jer." She said as she kissed me. "I'll see you later." She hopped in the car and drove off.
I went back inside to prepare for Clay to come home. When the clock reached 11am, I decided it would be a good time to go out for a run before he got home. I went out back to the bush I normally Changed behind. After my Change was complete, I began to run through the woods. The wind through my fur. The smell of the pine trees. The smell of Jess on me. It was perfect. Life was perfect. All my pack was doing great in their careers, no mutts were causing any more issues at the moment, and most of all, I had my mate. She came into my life so unexpectedly. I never imagined having a mate or even a female werewolf in the pack. I had been with other women in the past but never felt any connection to them. Before Jess, I hadn't been with one for at least a year. Sex wasn't a big driving force for me. Every once-in-awhile, I'd get the itch. That was easily satisfied by going on a trip by myself, finding a woman at the bar, treat her to a nice dinner, book a nice hotel room, and do our business. I always left the hotel before they would wake up, leave them a nice note, and disappear from their life. I ran through the trees and stretched my legs out. Not before long, I caught Clay's scent. I stopped in my tracks. He wasn't supposed to be home yet. I crept closer to the tree line and caught another scent. A woman.
"Are you serious, Clay?!" I thought to myself. I went to the bush I Changed behind and got a good look at them. I seen Clay lean down and kiss the blonde woman. I had no idea Clay had a woman in his life. Only one thing made this difficult. She was a human. I started to Change back so I could greet them. I couldn't help letting out a small groan of pain while Changing back. The woman looked towards the bush.
Shit. She saw me. This was not good. It angered me. Clay knows better than to bring anyone unannounced. This was our home, our sanctuary. Now I had to kill this woman that he was involved with. After my Change back was complete, I grabbed my clothes, slipped in the back door, and went up to my room to change quick. I threw on a pair of slacks, a long sleeve button up and a vest and grabbed an over coat. I headed downstairs through the kitchen and went through the study. Clay and the woman were looking up at a artifact in the foyer.
"Is it a bear?" asked the woman.
"It's a wolf." I said out loud. Both Clay and the woman turned to look at me. The woman was in her early twenties, slim, blonde, and looked quite friendly. Clay turned to me smiling at me and the woman.
"Elena, this is Jeremy." Clay introduced me to Elena.
"It's so good to finally meet you." Said Elena, holding out her hand. I took her hand and gave it a soft shake.
"I'm sorry I wasn't her to greet you when you arrived." I replied to her. "I wasn't expecting guests." I said sternly. "Come in."
"Honestly, we should've given you a head's up. There's nothing worse than being caught off guard." Said Elena. I smiled at Elena and turned to give Clay a stern look. She walked into the Great Room.
"It's amazing. Clay's description doesn't do it justice." Said Elena.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I put on some tea? Then we'll get to know each other. Clay join me." I turned and walked to the kitchen. I poured the water in the kettle and put it on the stove. I was just pulling it off the stove when Clay came into the kitchen.
"I wish you told me you were bringing a guest, Clayton." I addressed my son. "You've put me in a difficult situation." I seen a ring on his hand, just like hers. "And those rings. Are you married to her?" I asked Clay.
"Engaged." He replied. "I know it's sudden. It's crazy but I can't explain it. I love her." Said Clay.
"Stonehaven is our sanctuary. It's not for outsiders." I raised my voice at Clay as I poured the tea. "You should not have brought her here."
"I can take her to the city. We can stay away." Clay told me.
"I wish it was that easy." I looked at Clay. Realization set in Clay's eyes. I took the tea into the Great Room and started to try to figure out what I was going to do with this girl that saw me Change.
"Where's Clay?" questioned the girl.
"I sent him up to the neighbors to help them with a little problem. He'll be back soon." I told her as I poured some tea in a cup and handed it to her.
"It must be hard being so isolated up her." Said Elena.
"I don't mind the isolation." I told her. Suddenly, I heard nails clacking on the hardwood floor. Clayton. Why would he do this?
"Nice dog!" exclaimed Elena. "Did Clay let him out?" She moved to the end of the couch. Clay approached her.
"Clay." I called out loud to him. He didn't look at me. As he got closer, he glanced over at me. My eyes stared coldly at him. The fact that Clay would deliberately disobey me over this girl made a whole new anger course through me.
"It's okay. I don't mind." Said Elena as she held her hand out to him. I kept my gaze on Clay and slowly stalked towards him. Clay sniffed her hand. When I reached him, I grabbed him by the scruff and the fur on his back. Before I could pull him away, Clay reached out and bit her hand. I threw him towards the doorway and he ran off.
"Did he break the skin?" I asked her.
"No, he just nipped me. It's okay, I promise." Elena said. I grabbed her hand and examined the bite.
"No. No. No. No. No." I muttered. She grabbed my arms to steady herself.
"I think…I think I need to sit down…" Elena said softly. She fainted and I caught her. This did not just happen. I picked her up and brought her down to the cage. She would change at some point today and it was safest if she was in the cage for the First Change if she would survive. I got her settled in the cage and called Jess. She picked up on the third ring.
"Hey, Jer. What's up?" She asked.
"Come home as soon as you can, baby. We have a situation." I told her.
"Jeremy, what's going on. I'm just about done here and can be home in an hour or two." Jess asked again.
"Clay's home and he brought home a human woman. Clay changed and bit her." I explained quickly. "Just come home as soon as possible."
"Okay. I'll finish up here and get home." Jess said.
Jess POV
I hung up and got back to finishing up this class. It took another couple hours to finish. I hopped in the car and hurried home. Jeremy was really worried about this situation. Why on Earth would Clay bring home a human woman? Did he not tell Jeremy first? I reached the driveway and Jeremy greeted me at the door.
"Thank god you're home, Jess." Said Jeremy.
"Jeremy, what the fuck happened? Where's this girl Clay bit?" I asked him. Jeremy paused a moment.
"She was able to survive the Change. Clay was down there waiting for her to wake up but let her out when he shouldn't have and she knocked him out. He's finding her right now." Said Jeremy.
"Oh my god. That's impossible unless you're born with wolf blood." I exclaimed.
"When Clay finds her, we'll put her up in your old room. Let's get your things out of there and in my room before he comes back with her. I expect that she'll be a bit more comfortable in your presence, Jess. Her name is Elena. She's Clay's fiancé. I didn't know about her and Clayton brought her without telling me." Jeremy told me. I grabbed either side of his face and stopped him before he could continue.
"Jer, what happened here that started all of this? There's more that you're not telling me." I asked him. He paused, sighed, and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I was out for a run when they had arrived. Clay had gone into the house to give me a heads up. I was behind a bush Changing back when she turned and saw me. I knew I had to kill her after that to protect our existence. I was able to get inside, change into some clothes, and went down to greet them. I pulled Clay to the kitchen to tell him what I was going to have to do. I went to have tea with her and figure out how I was going to do it and then Clay changed and came into the room. He went up to her and I grabbed him to pull him away from her. As I did that, he bit her. She passed out and I brought her to the cage. I stayed with her, hoping the Change would kill her quickly but it didn't. I helped her through it and she survived." Jeremy explained to me. He leaned his forehead on mine. We went up and grabbed everything that was mine, set it in a corner of Jeremy's room, and went back to change the sheets in my old room. I went through some of my stuff and put some basic necessities in the bathroom for her. I also grabbed a couple things to change into until we could go get her more clothes for the time being.
I was just finishing up when Clay came in carrying Elena in his arms. I came down the stairs. Clay and Jeremy looked up at me. Jeremy ushered Clay to take her upstairs. I went with Clay. Elena was coming to when we got to the room. Clay set her on the bed and she looked at us. She looked terrified. I crouched in front of her to try to make myself less intimidating and more on her level. She had a few decent sized lacerations from fighting with some prey. She looked exhausted.
"Elena, my name is Jess Danvers. I'm Jeremy's wife and mate. Everything's going to be okay. Can I help clean and wrap your wounds?" I asked her. Elena nodded. Jeremy was standing in the doorway and Clay was standing behind me. I could feel a tension between her and Clay.
"Clay, can you go grab the medic bag from downstairs please?" I asked him calmly, trying to be that calm in this unknown world for Elena. Clay left to grab it. Elena stared at the ground and a few tears shed down her face. I handed her a tissue and she took it from me. Clay had returned with the medic bag. I turned to face Jeremy and Clay.
"Guys, can I have a few minutes alone with her? She needs a little bit to calm down and be in a more controlled, calm environment. I'll tend to her wounds and get her situated." I asked them both. Clay looked reluctant but Jeremy grabbed his shoulder.
"We'll head down and make something for dinner. Take your time." Said Jeremy. They both headed downstairs. I turned to Elena again.
"Thank you, Jess." said Elena. "Thank you for getting me a few minutes away from Clay."
"It's no problem, dear. Let me see your arm." I asked her. "Looks like you had a good tussle with a critter. What you go after?" I asked, trying to keep the mood light.
"I think it was a bear or a coyote or something big. All I remember was it was about as big as me and it fought back." Elena said, managing a faint smile. "How long have you been here?"
"I've been here just over a month now." I replied as I cleaned up her wounds.
"Will I have to stay?" asked Elena.
"I won't ever lie to you, Elena. But I think you will have to stay here for quite a while until you learn how to control your Changes and instincts. The first year as a wolf is critical for learning how to maintain control." I told her.
"How long have you been a werewolf?" she asked.
"Both my parents were wolves. Both were born that way. Me and all my siblings were born wolves too. Most wolves don't have their first change until they're sixteen. My brother Jacob bit me when I was six. Luckily, I survived. I eventually forgave him for it but he hated me. So much so that he killed our dad trying to get to me. I had to go on the run for a year to keep the rest of my family safe. After one encounter that almost got me killed, I came here. My family knew the Sorentino's very well, so I called Antonio. Antonio is part of the Pack and Jeremy's best friend. You'll get to meet him sometime soon. He put me on speakerphone so that Jeremy could hear what was going on. They instructed me to come here. After a short time of being here, Jacob had the nerve to come and attack us. Jeremy killed him where he stood. That was also the same night that I found out that Jeremy was my mate too." I explained to Elena. I had just finished wrapping up her arm.
"Wow. That's a lot. So, you haven't been here long either?" Elena asked. I shook my head.
"Originally, I was supposed to "marry" Jeremy to change my last name to help protect me. But that night after he killed Jacob for attacking us, he confessed to me that I was his mate. It was a bit of a shock, learning that my mate was the Alpha. Jeremy is a good man and Alpha. He will teach you how to control the wolf and everything you need to know. I don't know what possessed Clay to bite you. I wish I knew. I don't even know him yet. This was literally the first time meeting him myself." I told her. She nodded. "You can always talk to me about anything, Elena. I'm more than happy to be that comforting shoulder for you."
Elena smiled at me. I got up and went to the dresser. I tossed a pair of black sweatpants, t-shirt, and a light sweatshirt on the bed.
"Do you want to shower quick before we eat?" I asked her.
"Yeah. I could use a shower." Replied Elena.
"I set some shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in there for you. Towels are in the cupboard under the sink. Let me put a wrap over the bandage to keep it dry. I'm going to go change out of my scrubs and I'll come right back, okay?" I told her.
Once she was in the shower, I went and showered quickly myself. I changed into some old scrub bottoms and a t-shirt. Just something comfortable. I threw on a light sweatshirt as well since it was getting cooler for the evening. I got back to Elena's room when she was just finishing up putting her clothes on.
"Is Clay going to be downstairs when we go down?" She asked.
"I'm sure he will be. Jeremy has probably talked to him and told him to give you some space." I replied. I motioned for her to follow me. When we got to the kitchen, Jeremy was just pulling the lasagna and breadsticks out of the oven. He looked up and smiled at us both. Jeremy set down the food on the table, wrapped an arm around me, and gave me a quick kiss.
"Elena, you can have a seat next to Jess." Jeremy motioned to the chair next to my spot for Elena to sit. He paused and waited for the three of us to take a seat. Clay sat across from me on the other side of Jeremy. Elena went to reach for the food first, but I stopped her hand gently. She looked at me as if she was in trouble. I smiled warmly at her and explained myself.
"Lesson number one. The Alpha always takes his food first and has the first bite of the meal before we do." I told her. "He will let us know when it's okay to take our shares." Jeremy looked at the both of us and proceeded to take the first share of the food.
Elena, Clay, and I waited as Jeremy filled his plate and took the first bite. After taking the first bite, Jeremy looked at each of us then nodded his head. We proceeded to fill our plates and continue with our meal. It was a quiet meal to start.
Jeremy broke the silence.
"Clayton, this is Jess. Jess, this is Clayton, my son." Jeremy introduced us both.
"It's good to finally meet you, Jess. Jer has told me a bit about you. I guess I get to call you "mom" now." Said Clay in a light, sarcastic tone with a smile. He seemed like he and I could have some good banter.
"I swear if you call me mom, Clayton, we might throw hands." I retorted back at him, sipping my wine. He smiled at me and gave me a laugh. Elena and Jeremy couldn't hold back a little chuckle.
"Seems to me you're just a little bit tiny there for a fight, small fry. You'd lose in five seconds." Said Clay.
"Just a heads up. I fight to win and I don't fight fair." I raised my brows, giving a little attitude, and took another sip of wine.
"Fine, you win this time." laughed Clay. "I think we'll get along just fine." He said as he looked over at Jeremy.
After dinner, Clay had gone up to his room. Jeremy took care of the dishes while I took Elena with me to feed the horses. She enjoyed it and I showed her how to set up their feed. I grabbed a couple brushes and handed one to her. We brushed on them for a bit. After they finished, we went back inside to the Great Room. Jeremy was sitting in his chair by the fire, reading the local paper. I motioned for Elena to take a seat on the couch while I poured the three of us drinks. I handed them their glasses and took a seat on the other couch.
"Elena, I'm so sorry for what you have gone through today. That should have never happened." Jeremy told Elena. Elena looked at the drink in her hand.
"Thank you. Jess really helped with her talk with me upstairs. I'm still scared of all of this, but I think I'll be okay with time." Elena replied to Jeremy. She turned to me. "Thank you, Jess. I really appreciate you."
"You're welcome, Elena. Let's see how you feel tomorrow and we'll go get you some clothes and stuff in town or the next town over." I told her.
"Good night, guys." Said Elena. She headed upstairs to her room, leaving Jeremy and I alone. Jeremy got up from his chair and came over to sit beside me. He put his arm around me and took a sip of his whiskey.
"I'm proud of you, baby. You helped mitigate this situation well. She seems to have started to trust and even bond with you." Said Jeremy as he leaned over and kissed my neck. He looked it over. "The bruises are already gone. That's good." He stroked my shoulder. I took a sip of my drink.
"Yeah, they were already gone this morning before I went to work. Is everything okay between you and Clay after today's events?" I asked Jeremy.
"I do admit I'm still angry with him for deliberately disobeying me. But I think everything's going to be okay. I told him to give her space. We don't need him driving her to run away again. If you girls go to town, take the debit card out of my wallet and use that. Get her some clothes and other necessities. I'll have you two grab some food for the house and anything else we need too." Said Jeremy.
"I need to grab some feed for the horses too. I'll use my own account for that. Do you have a spending limit for us?" I asked him.
"Spend what you need, baby. We have more than enough money. I promise you we never will have to worry about finances ever." Said Jeremy. "When do you work next?"
"I work next Thursday. I start my stretch of six shifts for the hospital. It's going to be brutal by day four." I replied. Jeremy pulled me close.
"I think its time for us to go to bed too. It's been a long day for us all." Said Jeremy, tossing back the rest of his drink. I did the same and followed him up the stairs to our room.