Page 7 of Snatching Jackie (Wintermoon Shorts #5)

JABARI

J ackie leads the way into the bar area, occasionally looking back at me with those enchanting eyes. The bar is surprisingly empty—just a human bartender polishing glasses behind the counter and a couple of passengers at a far table.

She felt so damn good in my arms earlier, even if it was just for that brief moment when I had her over my shoulder. The scent of her, the way she squirmed slightly before I had to put her down—it was everything to me.

Jackie glances back at me again, her sweet face warming with a blush I can sense even from a few feet away.

The confidence in the way she moves draws my eyes to her curves, the way her swimsuit hugs her hips and her skirt flows softly around her thighs with each step.

There’s an easy rhythm to her movements—effortlessly graceful and quietly captivating.

We approach the bar counter, and the bartender shoots me a strange look before his expression shifts into a practiced smile for Jackie. He’s human, and a frown forms on my face, sharp enough to make the man clear his throat nervously.

“What can I get you, ma’am?” he asks Jackie, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

She looks to me, eyebrows raised in question, and I realize she’s expecting me to pay for her drink. I stuff my hands into my pockets, pull out a stack of cash, and hand it to her.

“Here, for your drink,” I say.

Jackie laughs, the sound musical and genuine. “I don’t need that much,” she says, but I keep holding out the money until she sighs, reaching out to delicately pluck a single bill from the stack with careful fingers.

“I’ll have a sweet tea with lemon, three sugars,” she tells the bartender, who smiles and takes the bill.

He glances at me, swallowing visibly. “I’ll get you a water.”

“A water?” Jackie furrows her brow, turning to me with curiosity in her eyes.

“Shifters only drink water,” I explain, watching how her lips part slightly in surprise.

“Oh...” she says, tilting her head slightly.

“How much do you know about the lore of Wintermoon?” I ask, but my question fades into the background as the bartender places her glass in front of her and hands her a straw.

I’m completely distracted by the way she pulls the straw from its paper wrapping, her fingers moving without fuss.

She dips it into her glass, stirs it once, then brings it to her lips.

Is it even possible to be jealous of a straw?

Because right now, I am. Her lips close around it, and I have to force myself to look away.

Jackie giggles when she notices me staring. She puts the glass down and looks around the bar. “Can we sit at a booth or something?”

“Y-yes,” I stumble over the simple word. “Of course we can.”

The bartender puts a pitcher of water on the counter, and I grab it, gulping it down in a few long swallows, desperate to cool the heat building inside me.

“Damn,” Jackie says as I place the empty jug on the counter.

“Another,” I tell the bartender, who nods.

“Shifters drink A LOT of water,” he explains to Jackie with a wink that makes me want to growl.

I let Jackie lead the way as she walks through the open space, hips swaying with each step, before sliding into one of the booths, making herself comfortable.

I want to sit beside her, feel her warmth against my side, but I know that might be too imposing.

Instead, I slide into the seat opposite her, immediately missing her proximity.

The bartender approaches our table and places the fresh pitcher in front of me. “Would you like anything off the menu?” he asks. “Jabari here is one of our lead chefs, obviously on break, but he makes great cuisine.”

Jackie shakes her head. “No, thank you,” she says with a polite smile that somehow manages to be both professional and warm.

The bartender gives me a wink before walking off, which annoys me more than it should.

She sips her tea, her fingers wrapped elegantly around the glass. “So, what is it you need to speak to me about? What’s the urgency?”

“How much do you know about the lore of Wintermoon, and the fated scent?” I ask again, studying her reactions.

She shrugs, her shoulders rising and falling in a fluid motion.

“If I’m being honest, not much at all. I’m exhausted from my own human politics, and I never cared to learn about the lore or politics of supernaturals.

I just know you exist, nothing more.” Her directness is refreshing. “What does that have to do with me?”

I clear my throat and run a nervous hand over my chest. How exactly am I supposed to approach this? Do I just outright tell her that she’s my fated mate? My bear is clawing at me to do so, but how would that make her feel? Will she reject me? Maybe I should start with getting to know her better.

But when a familiar voice starts echoing through the bar, I realize this discussion is about to be cut short.

“Ah, Jabari, I told you I was going to check on you,” Kade says, standing confidently in front of our table, her long blonde hair with partial braids flowing over her shoulders. Her blue eyes sweep over the scene, sharp and curious.

Jackie takes one look at Kade, notices the sheriff’s badge on her fitted shirt, and gives her a nervous wave. “Hi.”

Kade sniffs the air slightly, then her eyes narrow. She looks at me, then back to Jackie, then to me again, and finally back to Jackie. Her expression shifts to one of absolute horror.

She clears her throat and draws in a sharp breath. “This is not fucking happening right now. ”

I can smell the anxiety building in her scent. She’s about two seconds from losing it.

“Kade...” I start, but it’s too late. Kade literally has a meltdown right in front of us.

She starts pacing frantically, biting her nails, her blonde braids whipping around with each sharp turn. “This is not happening, this is not fucking happening right now.”

Jackie gives me a strange look. “What does she mean? What’s wrong?”

Kade stops, her face scrunched up in horror, eyes wide with panic. “You found your fated mate on the cruise? How did I know this was going to happen?” She throws her hands up. “I knew, I KNEW your pretty fated was going to walk right on this ship and tempt your bear!”

She tops mid-step and puts a hand to her chest, her breathing rapid. She looks at Jackie with wild eyes. “Can vampires have strokes? I think I’m having one right now!”

“Stop scaring my mate,” I growl, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

Kade glares at me. “Excuse me?”

“Excuse me?” Jackie echoes, her voice rising. “What’s happening here?” She lets out a nervous laugh. “There’s a mistake. I’m not fated to anyone.”

“I could smell the fated scent the moment I teleported on this ship,” Kade insists, pointing at Jackie. “You are, in fact, fated, honey.” She freezes, putting a hand to her forehead. “Honey. HONEY. That’s what you smell like. Fucking honey!”

I slide out of the booth, clearly irritated with Kade as Jackie stares at both of us like we’ve lost our minds. And clearly, we have.

I stand, towering over Kade, my presence filling the space between us.

Kade starts pacing again. “We don’t normally do this, but I’ll just have the captain dock on the tourist island, let the humans walk around for a few hours while I get you two off my ship.”

“You know what?” Jackie says, sliding out of the booth and standing with us. She looks directly at Kade, and we both see the irritation flashing in her eyes, her confidence unflinching even in the face of supernatural beings.

“You both listen to me right now,” she says. “I’ve had a shitty week, and I spent my hard-earned money on this cruise. I’m not going to let two supernaturals disrespect me or ruin my vacation because you have a hunch I might be fated.”

Kade just stares at her, momentarily stunned by her boldness. Then she points at me. “You clearly don’t know the first thing about the lore of Wintermoon. And just so you know, bear shifters are notorious for being petty. He’ll sink this fucking ship to get to you.”

She throws her hands up. “You know what? I don’t have time for this. I’ll get you both off this ship right now.”

I grab Jackie by the arm and pull her behind me, then stand protectively in front of her, shielding her from Kade. “Don’t piss me off, Kade. You’re not teleporting my woman.”

Kade glares at me, her eyes flashing with fury. “Fine, but you better get control over that wild bear of yours, do you understand me?” She punctuates each word by jabbing her finger into my chest.

I notice Jackie’s breathing start to quicken behind me, and I step back, looking down at her with a smile. Her heartbeat is picking up, her breathing becoming labored, her face flushing. She’s piecing things together, and reality is settling in. She understands. She’s mine. My mate, my woman.

“I’m not leaving this ship or you, you big mean bear,” Kade says, crossing her arms defiantly.

“I’m fated?” Jackie asks, her voice small but clear. “I’m really fated?”

Kade looks to the bartender and sighs. “Make his human mate a Long Island iced tea, heavy on the ‘long.’”

She throws her hands up in exasperation. “Fucking hell, Mother Fate. It’s always the bear shifters. Always the bear shifters I have to teleport.”

Jackie presses a hand to her forehead. “I think I need to lie down.”

“I’ll take you to your room,” I offer immediately, my voice gentler than I thought possible.

She gives me a faint smile and lets me take her hand in mine. I place my other hand at the small of her back and start guiding her out of the bar. The warmth of her skin against my palm sends electricity through my entire body.

“You can nap, and I’ll explain things more clearly once you wake,” I tell her, trying to sound reassuring.

She just looks up at me with another feigned smile, but her scent tells me everything I need to know—it’s a complex mix of excitement, fear, anxiousness, and confusion.

Is she going to reject me?

I hope not. And so does my bear.