Page 11 of Bullied Pregnant Mate (Silver Meadows Wolves #7)

When Jenks puts the coffee down on the table next to me, it startles me a bit. I was so distracted looking out into the forest, I almost slipped right out of reality.

The words float through my mind, slightly ominous, like a warning.

The spirits are restless. The Ancient Ones walk again.

“Are you okay?” Jenks asks, sitting down across from me again. “Should we head into town and get you a doctor?”

“No, it’s okay,” I answer, picking up my coffee and taking a sip. “I’m just feeling the vibrations from the forest very strongly. You know what my talent is, don’t you?”

“Actually, I don’t,” he says, shaking his head. “I have no idea about any of the witch stuff.”

“Well, since we’re married, you should probably learn. All of us have special talents we are strongest at. Rarely, a witch can master more than one. Even more rare is a witch who can master them all. We call those sorcerers—or enchantresses.”

“I like the sound of that,” he says with a grin. “I think you’ve enchanted me.”

I blush. It’s not just the look in his eye, either. He’s sitting in front of me, wearing nothing but skintight swimming trunks.

I never guessed he was so muscular underneath that wizard’s cloak he used to wear.

“Is that your talent?” he asks. “Enchantment?”

I shake my head, then frown. “Actually, it kind of is. I sense energy—auras, spirits, even nature. So, I can read people and feel if there are incorporeal entities around. Sometimes I can hear them speak.”

“Wait,” Jenks says. “Does that mean you know what I’m feeling, right now?”

The question startles me a little. I’ve never looked too closely at his aura, just in case I saw something I really didn’t want to see. Now that he’s asked, I can’t help but tune my vision to his higher vibration so I can try sensing his emotions.

His aura is mostly blue-green, meaning he’s calm, but ripples of orange and pink scatter at the edges.

That’s leftover aggression from the fight. A bit of anger and uncertainty.

I keep looking, and Jenks lets me. As I watch, he seems to bring down all of his shields to let me inside.

Deep in his core, flickering at the deepest part of himself, is a flame of pure crimson. The color shifts from deep maroon to bright hues of blood, and it shocks me.

Lust. Pure, unadulterated desire.

This can’t be right!

Jenks reaches out and touches my hand, and even though I flinch, I don’t pull away. As his eyes draw me in, I wrap my fingers around his and squeeze, feeling the heat growing between us.

“Can you feel that?” he asks very quietly. I nod, not wanting to trust my voice.

Jenks reaches up with his other hand and strokes my cheek, brushing my hair behind my ear. The light touch of his fingers sends shocks running through me, and he smiles in wonder.

“I can feel you,” he says, surprised. “I felt that shock run through you.”

Smiling, I squeeze his hand again. “We’re open to each other right now, so maybe you’re sharing my powers with you a little. Or you’re naturally sensitive.”

His eyes darken, and clouds of black and purple threaten the edges of his aura.

Doubt. Pain.

“It’s okay.” I reach up to touch his cheek. “Don’t think about that right now. Just feel me.”

His beautiful blue eyes clear, and relaxation slowly flows through his body. The flame of lust in his core brightens again, flickering as it grows and deepens in color. My own rises in response, and my breath speeds up as the heat spreads between my thighs.

Oh, God, I want him. I’ve wanted him for so long.

Suddenly, I pull away, breaking contact. Memories from high school suddenly pour through my head, all my lust and longing colliding with pain and rejection. I even scoot my chair back a bit to put more distance between us.

“I’m sorry,” he says abruptly. He looks extremely awkward for a second, like he’s about to make a joke or do one of his silly tricks. Instead, he takes a deep breath and smiles warmly.

“Thanks for fixing me up,” he says. “You really didn’t have to.”

Did I just get a glimpse into the old Jenks? Has he always made jokes or done tricks to deflect from when he feels awkward, or vulnerable?

“No problem at all,” I reply, my voice coming out a bit hard, though that’s not my intention. “I should be thanking you. You saved me, after all.”

“Anytime,” he says, and his voice is so raw and honest, it sends goosebumps all over me.

“You also made breakfast,” I croak, trying to cover my flustered reaction.

“Well, I almost made breakfast,” he chuckles. “I should go and finish. It won’t take long to fry up the pancakes now the batter is done.”

“I’m just going to go and get ready,” I say. “We’re heading into town soon, yes?”

“Yes,” he agrees. “I’ll call Bae and see what he wants to do.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

I leave the room quickly before I lose control of myself. The second I’m away from Jenks, arousal floods through me, making my body ache and flaming my cheeks bright red.

It looks like he feels the same as you, so what are you so afraid of?

Nothing. Everything.

I hurry to get dressed, hoping that focusing my mind on something else will distract me enough that I can calm down. It doesn’t work—images of me and Jenks twisted together in a passionate embrace keep dancing through my head, and my body throbs with an urgent need I’ve never felt before.

This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to fight this?

Maybe I shouldn’t.

After I get ready, I go back to the kitchen, where Jenks has a big stack of pancakes waiting on the counter. He goes to get dressed while I eat, and I’m grateful for the space between us.

That was too close. I don’t want to do anything I’ll regret.

By the time Jenks gets back, I’m done with my food and stacking up the dishwasher. Jenks makes a small sound of dismay.

“I told you, you don’t have to do any of that,” he chides. “Just let me spoil you.”

“I’m really not used to being spoiled,” I answer. “Besides, I like to help.”

“You can keep that attitude if you like,” he says in a firm tone. “But I’m determined to bring you around to my way of thinking.”

I can’t help but smile back at him. “Well, okay. I’ll try not to resist too much.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he answers. “I like a challenge.”

Now I’m blushing again, and I can’t hide it. The moment that follows is so intense, the air feels electric. Just when I feel I can’t take it anymore, Jenks grabs his keys and clears his throat.

“We better get going. You’re all good?”

“Yes,” I say quickly, grabbing my purse. “Let’s go.”

I expect the drive into town to be awkward, but as soon as we get into the car and I turn on the radio, a classical sonata comes spiraling out of the speakers.

“Sorry,” he says, reaching out to switch it off.

“No!” I reply, stopping him. “I love classical music. This is Mozart, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he answers a bit bashfully. “No one knows this, but I play classical music to relax. Most of the beats I mix on the turntable are inspired by the old masters.”

“I think that’s cool, Jenks,” I say, meaning it. “I never thought I’d meet someone I'd be able to share it with myself, so you don’t have to feel awkward.”

He smiles, glancing over at me with wide eyes. I can tell he’s still a bit embarrassed but also pleased that he was able to show a vulnerable part of himself and be accepted for it.

We drive into town, listening to the lilting melodies swirl between us. I can feel our auras reaching out to each other, entangling, joining, and almost dancing together.

This kind of synchronizing can only happen if—

No, it can’t be! How can we be fated lovers if he rejected me?

The ugly thought shatters my peace, and as Jenks parks the car, the magic between us dissipates. When he reaches for my hand, I actually jump a little.

“Both pack and witches are inside,” he says. “We should make an effort to look united.”

“You’re right,” I say, letting him take my hand. Immediately, sweet music seems to surround us again, and I realize I really don’t want to let go of him.

I’m so confused. I’m getting something I always wanted, but now I can’t accept it.

When we come through the door to the back of Shelley’s, the atmosphere is tense. Amanda and Lucy are sitting at the table along with Nate, Bae, Rider, and Carson.

“Good to see you,” Bae says, waving us over. “You sounded pretty serious on the phone, Jenks. You’ve got some news to share about your patrol?”

“Yes, Bae, thanks for coming in,” Jenks answers. As we walk towards the table together, he doesn’t let go of my hand, and I feel like it isn’t just to put on a good show.

He needs me. He needs my support. And more than that, I don’t want to let go of him.

The realization hits me like a bucket of ice water.

I feel safe with him. I feel safe with the guy who terrorized me!

As we sit down at the table, I see Amanda giving me a questioning look. I gather my energy quickly, smiling at her to show her I’m okay.

She’s an empath, too. Even if she’s not a mind reader like Nell, I have to be careful.

“Okay, Jenks, what news do you have?” Bae asks.

He sighs, glancing away before meeting Bae’s eye again. “I saw a strange wolf on patrol last night, right out at the edge of the border.”

“Why didn’t you tell me immediately?” Bae demands sharply.

“I didn’t know if it was worth reporting,” Jenks says. “I don’t want to make excuses for myself, but I am new at this, and I couldn’t even be sure it was an enemy wolf. The scent was kind of familiar.”

“Definitely not an Ancient One?” Carson asks.

“No,” Jenks affirms, shaking his head. “Not big enough.”

“Where did you see him, exactly?” Nate asks.

“Past the second high ridge, near the pass.”

“That’s closer to our patrols than I’d like,” Nate states. “He could be talking intel back to Decker, or Kelta.”

“Everyone, stop,” Bae orders, waving his hands. “What happened, Jenks?”

“Well… nothing. We just looked at each other, then he ran off.”

“But that’s not the whole story, is it?” Bae asks.

Jenks shakes his head. “No. This morning, I heard Alisa screaming. I ran out the back, and she was running towards me, two wolves chasing her. I jumped straight in, and there was a brief fight before they backed off.”

“Did you injure them?” Bae asks.

“No,” Jenks answers. “Not seriously, anyway. It was like they didn’t want to fight me.”

Bae glances at Carson, who gives him a hard look. “That just doesn’t make sense,” Carson says. “You’ve never been on security patrol, or in the warrior class. Why would they avoid fighting you? They should have ripped you apart.”

Carson’s words invoke a brief, violent image in my mind of Jenks laid out on the snow, torn open and bleeding. I yank my mind away from it and grip his hand even more tightly.

“Carson’s right,” Bae says. “This makes no sense.”

“One of them was definitely the wolf I saw last night,” Jenks says. “Big black guy with a silver-dusted ruff. The other one was brown and gray, slightly bigger. He blended into the environment really well.”

“Hmm,” Bae considers, rubbing his chin. “Anyone got any ideas?”

Rider shakes his head. “Rogues, maybe? Passing through, or looking for refuge.”

“Possible,” Bae replies. “But why would they chase Alisa down and not hurt Jenks?”

“Maybe she startled them,” Nate says. “They might have come in with good intentions but gotten spooked.”

“I’m sorry, but this sounds like Decker or the wild wolves to me,” Amanda says. “They’re the ones that hate witches. They came to kill Alisa.”

“We don’t know that—” Bae starts.

“We do!” Amanda snaps, cutting him off. “Don’t forget, I’m the one who got fucking kidnapped, and I dealt with an Ancient One personally. I know what I’m talking about.”

“But then they would have hurt Jenks,” Lucy points out. “I hear you, Amanda, but why would they just run when Jenks showed up?”

“Maybe they thought he had reinforcements,” Carson offers. “Or thought it was a trap or something.”

“Look, I don’t think we’re going to figure this out right now,” Bae says. “All we can do is increase patrols and concentrate on the area around Jenks’s place a bit more.”

“I agree,” Nate answers. “I’ll get some reinforcements in.”

“Thank you,” Bae replies. “Is there anything else before we get going on this?”

No one says anything, but I can tell by the anxious look on Jenks’s face that this is far from over.