Page 12

12

KELLY

T he defeated look on Jacob’s face made my heart hurt for him. Ugh. I’d heard him thanking whoever was on the phone, so why did he look this hurt? I hated that we’d fought earlier, and while his injuries were healing, how could I forgive myself for the pain I’d caused? He didn’t need that kind of drama in his life.

“Actually, it’s…” He sucked in a breath and placed his head in his hands, massaging his temples. “No, I’m not okay. I won’t lie and say I am.” He ran his hands through his hair. “When we escaped the first time, the mercenaries drugged me to near unconsciousness. I drove us from that abandoned gas station, but it was a struggle to keep the car on the road. I thought burning myself with the car’s cigarette lighter might snap me out, but I didn’t trust my coordination. Instead, I called my brother for help.”

The last thing I remembered from that night was Jacob collapsing on me and struggling to breathe under his weight. All I knew was that I’d tried to fight the men, but they’d heavily drugged me. The memories were painful, and I chewed on my lower lip, trying to force them out of my head.

“What happened?” I stalked to the couch and tucked my legs beneath me. My hand slid over his muscular back, trying to ease some of his tension.

“I pulled to the side of the road so I could use my phone without crashing the car as I dialed his number. I reached his voicemail, so I left a message. But…” He glanced my way before staring down at the plush rug. “Apparently, he didn’t bother checking his voicemail until earlier this week. The entire Pack heard the message. They played it during a meeting. And…” He tugged at his hair, his voice breaking. “The man who rescued us from the cage? He was a new member. Shot in the chest.” A look of abject horror washed over his face when he turned to me. “I wish we’d gone back to check on him.”

I pressed a hand to my mouth, unable to believe my ears. The memory tore through my thoughts, and I was back there, sneaking through the forested area with the man who had helped us.

My heart pounded in my chest. I couldn’t believe we’d been rescued from the research facility and had successfully—at least so far—escaped. Then again, I didn’t want to let myself dream that Jacob and I could leave here and be safe. Not after last time. We’d been on our way to safety when the mercenaries found us and dragged us back to captivity.

The gas station’s parking lot wasn’t safe. That much was certain. A woman with red hair had her face shoved into the gravel, and the man who’d found us took off in her direction. Part of me wanted to stay and help the two of them, but my primal side wanted to flee. To make the escape we’d failed to achieve before and save ourselves.

Jacob and I held hands as we ran, trying to gain as much ground between us and the research facility as possible.

A gunshot rang out in the night. The woman cried out the name “Ethan!” in alarm.

I froze in my tracks, feeling Jacob almost wrench my arm from its socket. I glanced over my shoulder, not that I could see them. “Should we do something?” My voice trembled. We needed to make sure everyone was okay. Faintly, the sound of other werewolves running through the trees and gravel crunching beneath their feet in the parking lot caught my ears.

“We need to get ourselves to safety. The others will help him.” He didn’t look happy about leaving them, but I let him lead me away.

Jacob’s hands on my shoulders brought me back to the present.

I shook my head, guilt gnawing at my gut. What had we done? I slumped back against the sofa. If we’d stayed, we could have helped. Maybe I should have pushed Jacob on the subject, but the thought of being recaptured and put through more tests… I never wanted to suffer through that torture again.

“I…” Words stuck in my throat. The rest of what he’d said finally penetrated my muddled thoughts. “W-wait… what? Your brother only told your Pack about the message you left him earlier this week?” Fear and disgust warred inside my belly. I couldn’t imagine how Jacob must feel.

I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his chest. We needed to be there for one another. I buried my head against his chest, letting his musky scent ground me.

“It shocked me too. It hurts so badly. Other stuff happened as well. Things I should’ve been there to help with. My friend’s dad, our Alpha… he nearly died.” He rested his chin on top of my head. “Still, I can’t believe my brother didn’t care enough to check. When he came by last night, he acted like everything was okay. I sensed something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. Now… I don’t know how to feel about him.” He hugged me close, his hand wandering over my back. Those caresses made me want to curl up even tighter to him, listen to his heartbeat, and just breathe.

I bit my lower lip, not sure what I should say. This wasn’t a competition of whose family sucked more, but he needed to know he wasn’t alone in his pain.

“I’m so sorry, Jacob. I don’t know what I’d do if I were in your shoes. To have a family member do that…” Part of me wondered what his relationship with his brother had been like before this. My family had made life difficult for me growing up. The second time they’d thrown out or burned everything I owned because I didn’t live up to their expectations, I knew something had to change. I saved my money so I could move across the country to attend Winter Forest University. Their creative writing program was well-regarded, which sparked my interest in the school. Writing had always been my escape, even when my family tried to crush every part of me that didn’t fit their mold. Studying it felt like a minor rebellion. “I know what it’s like to be hurt by people who should care for you. It’s hard.”

I rubbed my cheek against his chest. “We haven’t really talked about our lives and family, but… There’s a reason I’m not close to my family. They never supported me. Always put me down. Made me feel like an embarrassment. I tried so hard to please them, to be the perfect daughter. I never felt like I wasn’t a burden. During my sophomore year of high school, I’d had enough. I researched colleges, saved money, and made plans to come here.”

Jacob held me close, his breath caressing my ear. Just his warmth and presence gave me the strength to continue.

“That’s why I moved here on my own. I broke things off with them to have a life that wasn’t under their control. Where I didn’t have to feel less than. I could just be me.” Now felt like a good time to confess. “That’s why what I’ve built… My college experience, my apartment… They mean so much to me. They’re something I made possible. No one else.” I glanced up at him. “That’s why those things are important to me. But this differs from what you’re going through, obviously.” Crap, maybe I’m going too far. “But yeah, I want you to know you’re not alone.”

“Thanks, babe.” His hand continued to stroke my back. “I did not know. I hate you had to deal with that, but I’m glad you told me.” He exhaled slowly. “It makes me feel… I don’t know. Like I understand a bit of what it’s like. Like I’m not the only one trying to figure out how to deal with family bullshit.”

A shiver raced down my spine. “It’s fine, I guess. I don’t keep in touch with my family. But thanks. Their loss, right?”

“Hell yeah. I’m lucky to have you, babe. And hey, you’re not alone anymore, okay? I’m right here. School and your place are important. We’ll take care of that together.” He tilted my chin up. Those words meant a lot. He cared. But I had to look after my own finances. I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—expect him to pay for what I needed. That wasn’t me. I provided for myself. Always had.

His phone buzzed on the sofa, signaling a text message.

I met his gaze, wondering if he would pick up again. Instead, he pressed a kiss to my lips. The sensation of warmth burned through me, vanquishing the icy darkness within until I felt like I was on top of the world. I wanted nothing more than to finish what we’d started earlier.

He pulled me closer, and I deepened the kiss, stroking my tongue over his lips before dipping inside his mouth. Climbing out of bed this morning had been hard. But I wanted to return there in Jacob’s arms.

I trailed my hand down his chest toward the hem of his boxers, wanting to feel him inside me. Maybe the full moon heightened my lust, but I cared so much for Jacob too. Regardless, I slipped my fingers beneath the waistband.

His hand circled my wrist, and I looked up at him, hoping I wasn’t stepping out of line. We’d gone from talking about terrible family crap to making out. It was a little weird.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked.

The easy quirk of his lips relaxed me a little. “Are you?”

His smile was infectious, and I grinned back. “Of course I am. What do you think I’m doing?” I brushed another kiss to his lips, then trailed my mouth to the edge of his before moving lower to his jaw, his neck, his shoulder…

A low groan escaped him, his grip tightening on my waist. “Kelly, that feels incredible.” His hands didn’t stay still for long. One traced a slow path up my back, the other slipping to cup my face as he tilted my chin up. His pupils were blown wide, his breathing heavy. “You drive me insane, you know that?” His thumb slid over my lower lip, slow and deliberate. “You’re stronger than I could’ve imagined.”

“Yeah?” My voice came out in a whisper. “You’re just saying that because I ripped your clothes off and gave you a concussion, huh?”

“Maybe.” He smirked, but there was something raw in his expression. “Doesn’t hurt that I now know some of what you’ve been through, what it took to get you here… You’re fucking amazing.” His lips brushed against mine, softer this time. “And you light my body on fire.”

Desire and need poured from his words, and it stoked the flames within me.

“Take me, baby.” I straddled his lap, savoring the surprise in his emerald green eyes. “Let’s spend the rest of the night in one another’s arms.” The saucy words felt like they should’ve come from someone else. I’d never been this bold and brazen, but he changed that. I sucked in a breath as Jacob gripped my butt and squeezed it in his massive hands.

“Your wish is my command.” He brushed his lips against mine. “But we’ll need an intermission to shift. Our beasts need their chance at freedom too.”

The thought of letting my beast roam free worried me, but Jacob had helped me through it last time. Hopefully, it would go better now. Before I could ruminate on the topic more, Jacob rolled to his feet with me in his arms. The sudden move ripped a yelp from my throat.

I tightened my grip on his shoulders and waist. “What are you doing?”

“Unless you want me to tear your clothes off, we need to change positions a little.” His eyebrow lifted like it was an obvious answer, but I wondered if he’d noticed my mind swerving into unsexy territory.

“Oh, that’s all?” I wiggled in his arms, feeling his thick cock pressed against my core. A mischievous idea came to mind. “Let me down then.”

His gaze scanned my face. “Of course.” He hesitated before relenting. “What are you planning?”

“Nothing at all, baby. Just making sure you don’t need to buy me new clothes.” I winked at him, then tugged my tank top off. It dropped to the floor beside us.

“Mhm…” His warm hands immediately cupped my bare breasts, drawing my nipples into tight peaks between his fingers. “You’re so beautiful, Kelly.” The way he pinched and rolled them had my inner walls fluttering. He knew what my body craved.