Page 11

Chapter eleven

Jake

I really shouldn’t have done that. Hayley is bound to catch on that I’m her new raccoon friend if I don’t stop visiting her. But I saw her in the alley as I was heading back from my post-game night dumpster rounds, and couldn’t stay away.

I can’t even blame Beans this time. I wanted her to hold me and be close just as much as he did.

Dammit, I need to tell Hayley the truth. It might ruin things, but coming clean myself has got to be better than her figuring it out on her own, or worse, someone mentioning to her that the guy she’s seeing is a raccoon shifter.

I’ve already gotten comments from friends asking why I’ve been spending all my time in my human form, rather than my hybrid one. I brushed it off as trying to make Hayley more comfortable as we get to know each other, but that lie will only hold for so long.

I wish I knew how she’d react. Hayley has been a delightful surprise. Her wit, humor, and quirks are far beyond anything I could’ve hoped for. But even a sweet, silly person like her probably won’t take her neighbor stealing her used panties and broken vibrator as anything but a violation of her privacy. Maybe she’d be more accepting of the weirdness if I told her she’s my mate, but I can’t do that.

Hayley wants to fall in love, not have it thrust upon her.

Shit, that’s two secrets I’ve been keeping. I’ve got to tell her the truth.

Not tonight, though. Not while her scent envelops me, infused into my skin and beard. I’m too needy. Too desperate for her.

My cock is heavy and hard against my thigh, and I need to take care of it before I can even attempt to make a plan for revealing the truth to Hayley. My mind’s too lust fogged to think of anything but the desire my mate stokes inside me.

I lose my feeble internal battle to not go get Hayley’s panties from the drawer they’re stashed in. I also don’t resist grabbing the vibrating wand I managed to repair. I’ll let myself enjoy these stolen treasures one last time, knowing that when I tell Hayley the truth, they might be the only vestiges I’ll have left of her if she freaks out and leaves.

I sit on the edge of my bed and stare out toward Hayley’s window. The lights are on, but the curtains are closed, so I can’t see her, and she can’t see me in my hybrid form as I give my cock a lazy stroke. My dick is hard as a rock, the bone inside it that I get from being a raccoon shifter making it primed for fucking for long periods of time.

I take a deep inhale from her pretty pink panties, wishing the scent was stronger. Wishing I could get a fresh pair from my mate. Or even better, taste and smell her straight from the source.

I know she’s turned on around me. I can scent her dripping pussy after we kiss and it’s all I can do not to beg her to let me fuck her. I’ve almost come in my pants multiple times now, from the taste of her lips and the teasing hints of her desire in the air.

Would it turn Hayley on to know how much I want her? That she barely has to look at me and I’m ready to bust.

I lower the panties clutched in my fist and wrap them around my cock, groaning at the added sensation of the soft fabric dragging across my stiff flesh. They look small next to my cock, and for a moment I worry if my mate will be able to take me. I’m a big guy with a thick, long cock that’s impressive even for a shifter.

I close my eyes and groan, pumping my dick at a leisurely pace to match the speed at which I’d ease inside Hayley. She’d be so wet from coming on my tongue multiple times that we’d make it work. I’d go so slowly, making sure she could feel every textured bump of my cock as I fed her an inch at a time.

Eventually, she’d beg me for more. She’s my mate, so she’s made to take me. Made for me to fill with my cum over and over until she’s pregnant.

Fuck , I never thought I had a breeding kink, but now that’s all I can think about. My slow pace is abandoned as I pump my cock at the thought of giving Hayley my load.

I know she wants kids. I’d give them to her whenever she wanted. I’d give her so much cum that it overflowed out of her puffy pussy, to be sure that she has everything she needs from me.

Already close to the edge at that filthy thought, I quickly flip the switch on the vibrator and bring the rounded head to rest lightly on my taint. My hips buck at the sensation that’s almost too much stimulation, and I ease it up to my heavy balls with a hissed sound of pleasure.

I think of Hayley pressing the vibrator against her needy clit, holding it there as I pound into her from behind. All it takes is the thought of her ass jiggling with my thrusts and her pussy squeezing my cock as she comes apart around me, and I’m shouting a curse as I come. Cum splatters in thick ropes across my belly and down onto my hand and the torn pink panties.

I come for what feels like years, making a total mess of myself. It’s so good. The only thing better would’ve been Hayley watching me. No, Hayley, sitting on my face while I did this. Yeah, that would’ve made it perfect.

I switch off the vibrator so it stops buzzing against where I discarded it by my thigh when it became too much to handle. Once I’m cleaned off, I reluctantly place both it and the panties in a trash bag and set it by the door to the stairs to throw out tomorrow .

There’s a pang of guilt as I look at the bag and think about what I’ve done with its contents. I know the mate bond is driving me to do things I shouldn’t. Telling me to protect my connection with Hayley at all costs. Beans is yelling that at me, too, very unhappy about my decision to get rid of his scavenged items.

But it’s time to be responsible, adult Jacob, because that’s who Hayley deserves. Not some trash pervert who lies to her so he can get snuggles by the dumpster.

Many hours later, I have a plan. Granted, it’s not a great one, but at least it’s something. It can’t be any worse than the card I made that said “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m a raccoon shifter that’s been lying to you.”

I don’t expect Hayley to be fine with me deceiving her, but it would be amazing if I’m able to soften the revelation enough that she doesn’t ask for a restraining order against me. Beans would have a full-blown meltdown if that happened—after snuggling with Hayley twice, he’s beyond obsessed with her.

All sides of me are obsessed with her.

I thought about asking Brooks or Gwen for advice, but I really don’t want to get another one of those looks where it’s clear how ridiculous they think I am. I already know I’m strange. I don’t need my friends to remind me of that.

Heart hammering in my chest as I head over to the bodega, I try to put a normal, non-panicked expression on my face as I step inside and the bell over the door rings. My attempt to look calm clearly doesn’t work, because Bettie gives me a concerned look from behind the register.

“You okay, Jake?” she asks, brow pinching together.

“Yeah.” I nod. “Just constipated.”

The wolf shifter teen gives me a bemused look. “Uh, okay. Stool softeners are over there,” she says, pointing toward a shelf.

Great, now I’m going to have to buy constipation meds. What if Hayley comes in when I’m mid-checkout? She won’t accept my invitation to hang out tonight if it looks like I have plans to be on the toilet for most of the day.

I shake my head and approach Bettie, lowering my voice so only she can hear it. “I’m not actually constipated,” I whisper.

“Huh?”

“I’m not really constipated,” I say louder, just in time for Ms. Muldoon, my middle school math teacher, to stroll up beside me with a six-pack of beer in her talons.

“Prunes,” the elderly birdwoman says, patting my shoulder with her wing. “That should fix you right up, Jacob.”

My face heats, but I shake my head again. “I’m not constipated!”

Of course, the moment I choose to exclaim the state of my bowel is when Hayley emerges from the stock room. There’s a strong urge to flee, but I make myself stay put and give her a sheepish smile.

How is she so goddamn pretty? Today my gorgeous mate is wearing a simple pink dress that hugs her body, showing off the curve of her cute belly and the generous swell of her hips. It’s casual enough for working in the bodega, but so damn sexy I’m fighting against popping a boner while standing next to my old teacher.

“H-hey, Hayley!” I clear my throat and clasp my hands in front of my interested dick.

“Hi Jake,” she says, her cheeks burnishing slightly. Hopefully it’s from seeing me unexpectedly and not from second-hand embarrassment about me shouting about constipation.

“I know you think you can eat garbage, Jacob, but you’re not as young as you used to be. Older bodies require more care,” Ms. Muldoon says, clearly not getting the message that we’ve moved on from discussing my digestive needs.

“Okay, sure, thanks,” I say, nodding at the woman as I silently beg Bettie to ring up Ms. Muldoon’s beer and scratch-off tickets so we can stop talking about this.

Hayley raises a brow at me, and I shrug like I have no idea how I ended up in this conversation.

When Ms. Muldoon finally tucks her six-pack under her wing and leaves—but not before recommending prunes again—Hayley approaches with an amused smirk.

“Old girlfriend?” she asks, looking over my shoulder out the front window to the graying birdwoman currently using a talon to reveal the numbers on her scratch-off ticket.

I snort. “Old math teacher. ”

“And the equation of your love didn’t add up?” Hayley grins at me, her playful banter making me momentarily forget why I’m here in the first place.

“No, considering she’s thirty years older than me.”

“Really?” Hayley’s eyes go wide in mock surprise. “I thought given the gray streak in your hair, you had to be in your late-forties.”

Bettie cackles, and I pretend to glare at both of them, crossing my arms over my chest with a huff.

“I’ll have you know I’m a very youthful thirty-eight!”

“So youthful,” Bettie murmurs, making Hayley giggle.

“I’ve had gray hair for most of my life! It’s not because I’m old, it’s because I’m a—” I freeze, realizing what I was about to say. I clear my throat, panic rising. “Fine, I’m old.”

Hayley squeezes my arm, looking up at me through her thick dark lashes as her eyes sparkle with amusement. “Good thing I like older guys.”

“Oh yeah?” I ask, raising a brow and moving a touch closer to her. “How old are you?”

“Thirty-five,” she replies, giggling again.

I want to capture that intoxicating sound with my lips.

“Gross, go make out somewhere else,” Bettie says, breaking the moment.

We both take a small step back, and Hayley smiles, a little more shy now that she’s paying attention to our unimpressed audience.

“So, if you aren’t here for prunes, what made you stop by?” she asks.

I shift in place, trying not to fidget too much and give away my nerves. “I wanted to invite you over tonight.” Bettie makes a grossed out sound and I roll my eyes at her. “If you’re busy, maybe tomorrow night?

My beautiful mate beams at me. “I’m free tonight. I’d love to come over.”

“Wonderful!” A moment passes as we grin at each other. “I have something I’d like to share with you,” I add, trying to sound casual even though I’m terrified.

Hayley’s brow furrows, her smile dimming. “What kind of thing?”

Shit, I’m already messing this up.

“Uh, it’s a show and tell kind of situation. One that’s easier to do when we have some time to be alone.”

“Ugh, is that what you call showing her your dick?” Bettie interjects, grimacing at the thought.

“N-no!” I sputter. “It’s… I… please come over tonight and I’ll explain.”

“Okay…” Hayley’s eyes search my face and my skin itches with my guilt and discomfort.

“Great! Gotta get back to the shop. We’re having a two for one sale and I left everything unattended. See you later!”

I wave over my shoulder as I hurry outside, leaving a perplexed Hayley behind.

Fuck, this is going to be rough. If I can barely keep it together now, tonight is bound to be a disaster.