Page 29 of Snatching Jackie (Wintermoon Shorts #5)

JACKIE

Three Years Later

I give a few of the women assistance with their makeup, helping them find the right shade for their complexion. The cruise ship’s lighting is unforgiving—too harsh and bright—but that’s what makes my seminars so valuable. If you can make your foundation blend here, you can make it work anywhere.

“Just like that,” I encourage, leaning over Monet’s shoulder as she struggles with her blend. I take her brush and demonstrate the correct motion against her medium chocolate skin. “Circular motions, not straight lines. The key is building up thin layers.”

“Thank you,” Monet says, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. Her voice drops to a whisper. “I cried when I learned you were fated to a bear shifter. I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”

I smile, squeezing her shoulder. “Mother Fate found a way for me to be here.”

“I just want to be ready for my wedding,” she confesses. “And I will now, thanks to you.”

Pride swells as I complete my circuit around the room, offering final tips before wrapping up the seminar. These women come from different economic classes, different backgrounds, but in my class, they’re just women who want to feel beautiful. And that has always been my mission.

After dismissing the class, I make my way out to the docks. The lake stretches out before me under the summer sun. The light dances across the surface, and I feel myself relax.

I close my eyes, letting the gentle breeze caress my skin.

Jabari is somewhere around on the ship with our son, Omari, who’s quite the handful.

At three years old, he’s already showing his bear temperament—stubborn, playful, and fiercely protective.

He’ll be starting at the academy soon, and I’m going to use my quarterly seminars on the cruise ship to keep busy.

These moments of quiet are precious to me now. A chance to reflect on the whirlwind my life has become. A thriving business, a big, beautiful family that spans beyond my shifter clan, and now I’m a mother. I haven’t gotten pregnant again, though not for lack of trying. I have a hunch as to why.

Jabari’s bear.

I laugh to myself, shaking my head. I’m the one doing the chasing these days.

The air shifts around me, and I smile, feeling Jabari’s hands come around my waist and pull me back against his chest. The solid warmth of him grounds me.

“I was waiting for you to come and hover,” I say, not opening my eyes.

His deep chuckle vibrates against my back. “How was the class?”

“It was good. Everyone caught on quickly.” I turn around to face him, running my fingers over his clean beard. He keeps it trimmed now—one of my small victories.

I study his face, thinking about how we met, how he looked at me the first time. It’s the same look always, just this gaze like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world to him. Even after three years, it still makes my heart skip.

His green eyes twinkle. “Kade has Omari for the night. She’s taking him to the pool on the roof with Leah.”

I smile, running my hands up his massive arms. “Isn’t it great how we have on-call babysitters without even asking?”

He leans down and kisses me. It’s a tender kiss, full of love and adoration, his hands smoothing down my curves, stealing a touch from my ass. When he pulls back, I’m just dazed, a little breathless like the first time.

“How about a date night then?” I suggest, licking my lips.

“Will you run from my bear?” he asks, voice dropping to a growl.

I slap his arm playfully. “You know we can’t do that here. We’ll sink the ship.”

He laughs, the sound rich and full. “Or you can chase my bear. You know how much he enjoys running from you now.”

“You know I still don’t know how I did it,” I say, shaking my head in wonder. Even after all this time, the way I tamed his bear—the way we reversed the typical mate dynamic—remains a mystery.

“I think it’s just the natural order of things,” he says. “I’ve always been a man who wanted a strong woman. That woman is you. So confident, so courageous, never afraid to take on a challenge. Even when you ran from my bear, you knew the risks, but you still went after what you wanted.”

“I wanted you,” I say simply. “Fully.”

He smiles down at me, that smile that still melts me from the inside out. “Now you have me. You’ve given me a confidence, my bear a confidence we didn’t know we had. And you’ve tamed us.”

I giggle, remembering an incident from a few days ago. “Not all that much. You almost threw a radical in the Detroit River at the docks.”

He shrugs, unrepentant. “It’s better than sinking the ship again.”

“Cook for me,” I say, changing the subject. “Make me some mac and cheese, and I’d like to work something out with my bear.” I lower my voice, hand on his chest. “I want a baby girl cub.”

He smiles and pulls me into another kiss, then starts walking with me down the deck. His hand engulfs mine, warm and secure.

“My mom and dad want to visit for Christmas,” I tell him, watching his reaction from the corner of my eye.

He feigns a smile, but I know why he’s hesitant. Hibernation.

“It’s only for a few hours,” I assure him. “They understand the hibernation period.”

“I will do whatever you want me to,” he says, pulling my hand up to his lips and gently kissing the back of it.

I pause by the waters and look out again, still in disbelief that all this happiness started from a day of chaos. I wouldn’t change that moment for the world.

He watches the waters with me, keeping me close against his side. The rhythm of his heart against my ear is my favorite sound in the world.

“I change my mind. How about we have dinner in bed instead,” I suggest, looking up at him through my lashes. “I just want to be alone with my bear for now.”

He turns me around, then takes his finger to my forehead, tracing it down over my nose and brushing over my lips. It’s his way of saying “I love you”—more eloquent than words could ever be.

“I love you too, Jabari,” I whisper. “Always and forever.”

He kisses me again, and I melt into him.

I start walking, holding my hand out for him, and this time, he doesn’t leave me hanging. He immediately takes my hand in his, twirling me around in a dance as we make a detour for our cabin on the ship.

“I’m excited for our vow renewal,” I tell him as we walk.

“I really like my suit that you made for me,” he says, “but can I be barefoot? I hate the shoes.”

I just laugh and nod, swinging and twirling, happy. Little does he know, he can have whatever he wants. I’m just enjoying the privilege of being beside him while he lives in his greatness. Jabari is still Jabari—clueless, but lovable.

As we walk together, I think about how my story unfolded.

I thought Jabari snatched me away from my life, but the truth is more complex.

I was snatched into Wintermoon, yes, but I also snatched pieces of myself I never knew existed.

Strength. Courage. The ability to chase what I want, even when it terrifies me.

And perhaps the most beautiful thing I snatched was the freedom to be truly, completely myself—a confident woman who could tame a bear with nothing but her heart, a businesswoman who found her purpose, and a mate who discovered that love isn’t about being claimed, but about choosing each other every single day.

They call me Big Jackie of Wintermoon now, and I wear that title with pride.

The End