Page 10 of Timber Hollow

10

No take backs

eight days to full moon

T he next morning when I emerge from my room, I find Jay waiting. Wearing jeans and a red flannel, his hat on backward Jay stands propped against the wall, that infuriating smirk already on his face.

"So what was that about?" Jay quips, blue eyes roaming down the bare expanse of my legs below the oversized hoodie I had thrown on.

"What was what?" My hackles are already raised, set off because of lack of sleep. Now that I know Jay is sleeping mere feet away from my room, I haven’t been able to get farther than dozing.

All I can think of laying there in the dark, is his hands on my body. The way it had felt waking up with a man in my bed, and not because they'd woken me for morning sex. I can’t even remember the last time I'd slept in the same bed as someone and not been constantly groped or poked and prodded at. I honestly don’t know what to do with the memory. Fuck, I'd been splayed across him, it would have only taken a quick tug, freeing me from the confines of the lace panties I'd been wearing, a shift of his hips- and then his cock would have been inside me. Filling me.

Jay Temple had always known how to make my body sing. And now, dammit I fucking remember it and can't get it out of my head.

" I'm your boyfriend now?" Jay asks, the smirk blooming into a full-blown smile. It is the same one he'd worn at Coyote Bills last night, seeing me behind the Slap Shot bar. And that look in his eye was the same, and it is that one that had made me lean just a little further over the bar, dropping a kiss to the side of his lips before I'd smacked him right across the face.

Jay hadn't broken eye contact with me before shooting back the liquor. And then he'd dropped another bill on the bar and said another.

And now all I can think of is how he’d say that word between my legs.

"Oh, that. Uh... Well. I only told Ivy that because she's my boss. I'd be fired for doing what you asked me to do to a normal patron. So in name only, and only while you're at the bar, yes you are my boyfriend." I stammer, moving my hand in a placating wave. Trying to ward him off. Jay shifts, moving off of the wall to invade my space. I nearly had been fired, if I am being honest with myself. "Uness we have a big fake fight and break up outside the bar."

"And I'm not normal?" Jay fires back, and I can see his wolf rising in the depths of his more blue than green iris. He completely ignores my solution to the mess we're in.

" Ugh, you're so fucking frustrating! That is not what I said. " I growl, feeling my wolf pace inside my mind. She wants out. She wants to play with Jay.

Wants to run in the fields with him like we did a lifetime ago.

"It's okay , baby girl. You adore me." Jay replies, grin pulling his mouth apart. Flashing too white teeth at me, resting his tattooed arms above our heads on the doorframe.

"Yea? Who told you that?" My heart skips a half beat, his scent filling my nose. Pine. Leather.

"You did," Jay replies easily, so sure of himself. That lazy smile still plastered across his face.

I narrow my eyes at him."That was a long time ago, Jay." I finally answer, pushing way past him, and knocking his shoulder.

"No takebacks!" He hollers after me, letting me walk down the hallway. I give him the finger over my shoulder.

Today is my day off, and the Full Moon is almost upon us.

The Hunters Moon Festival is this weekend as well, and Coyote Bills is closed for the event. Realistically, today would be a good day to go find Magnus Temple.

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!

Jay is already under my skin, asking to go see his dad is only going to earn me more teasing. He fucking has me and he isn’t even trying. I really should cut my losses and go look for somewhere else to live. There is bound to be another apartment to rent in Timber Hollow, right? Right?

Going down into the kitchen, I open the fridge to see what options for a beverage there are. I can’t eat yet, still too restless for an appetite, but I want caffeine. Need it really, if I am to have a battle of wits with Jay all day.

Lucky for me, it seems there is another caffeine junkie in the house because, on the second shelf, there is a row of the original flavor of Redbull, and a row of blue cans next to them. I grab one of the blue ones, intending on thanking whichever one of my roomies is the culprit, and paying them whenever I figure out who it is.

I hear Jay's footsteps down the stairs, following my trail into the kitchen, and to the fridge.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask Jay when he crosses the threshold for the kitchen like we hadn't just had a moment in the hall upstairs. Unable to stand still, I hop up onto the island counter, the cold granite biting into the backs of my bare thighs.

"You can ask me anything," Jay’s reply comes easy as he opens the fridge and roots around inside. When he emerges holding a can of original flavored Red Bull, I can’t help the soft smile on my face, feeling my wolf pace in the confines of my mind. His iris flashes when we lock eyes, there and gone again in a blink. His wolf is hovering close to the surface of his mind, too.

I clink my can with his, popping the top and taking a deep sip of the bubbly, blueberry battery acid-flavored liquid before I voice my request. Of course it is Jay, to stock the fridge with caffeine. Of course.

"Will you take me to see Magnus?" I ask, picking at the skin around my nail with my thumb.

"Why would I do that?"

"You know why."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do Jay."

"I really don't. Enlighten me."

I sigh, then reply "You're going to make me spell it out, aren't you?"

"Yep." Jay deadpans, his full lips making a pop. And now I’m just thinking about his lips, and fuck me–Jay knows how to kiss. I can still feel his mouth pressing into my skin, moving against my own. Can feel his hands on me in the dark confines of Coyote Bills. In the darkness of my room.

"So I can officially declare my intentions to rejoin the Pack. I want to stay in Timber Hollow."

Jay's blue-green iris bore into me, clawing down into the depths of my soul as he remains silent across the kitchen from me. I take a sip of my drink, if only for something to do with my hands.

"Yeah, I'll take you. Go get dressed." Is his eventual reply.

I nearly spit out my drink, not anticipating his easy acceptance. "Just like that?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

He shrugs, his mountainous shoulders rising to his ear. "You're Pack."

I try to ignore the butterflies in my stomach, the way that my heart begins to race at those two words. I really try. But if Jay still considers me Pack, then maybe that means Magnus would too.

Leaving my Red Bull on the counter with Jay, I all but sprint up the stairs to pull pants on my legs, run a brush through my hair, and throw a t-shirt on over my head, oversized hoodie forgotten on the floor, immensely grateful I’d decided to shower last night before bed.

It's been a long long time since I'd seen the Alpha, and the last time I'd been in front of him in the Packhouse, the fifteen-year-old version of myself had been proudly spouting off facts from science class telling our very large and powerful leader that Alpha wolves are bullshit. It's a human concept, and does not occur in the wild so why should I have to listen to his crusty, dusty ass?

I can still remember the way that Jay had a coughing fit trying to cover his laugh. Magnus' response, of course, was " magic, girl" , sending teenaged me to my knees with his Alpha power. The mystical magical part of being a shifter had fascinated me, once upon a time. Before I'd lost interest in those sorts of things. Before I hated being reminded of Dad, who had been Magnus' Beta before he died.

This is going to be a fucking shit show . I try not to dwell on it too much as I fly out of my room, still buttoning my jeans.

Jay is standing at the bottom of the stairs, both of our drinks in hand, keys dangling out from under the cans. He waits very patiently for me to slide my feet into sandals. "Where is everyone else?" I ask, taking my drink from him, and leaving through the door he opens for me.

"Packhouse. Alex and Helena are going to have a baby, so the whole family is up there." Jay replies, crossing the lawn and opening the passenger door of a sky-blue Nissan Skyline GT.

"Oh. Well, this will be interesting. Whole family huh?" I say, sliding into the seats, anxiety rippling in my gut. Jay closes the door behind me, then walks to the other side, easily turning the engine over. I can't help but admire the flex of his fingers on the shifter, and his grip on the steering wheel. Beyond Jay's brother though, I haven’t interacted with his family… like at all.

Sure there had been the occasional event that the Alpha spoke at but I hadn’t ever been in the spotlight.

Jay had been as much of a mystery to me then as he is now. Maybe even more so.

"Yup," Jay says, turning the music on and advancing us down the street with practiced ease. It's been a long time since I've been home, but even so, I remember the way to the Packhouse. The hulking building is situated in the center of town, opposite the town hall which was only used for obtaining official documents one needs to merely exist on the planet. We drive down the side streets until we're at the main intersection, passing the entrance to the logging yard where all the large machinery is stored.

I don’t need Jay to go see Magnus, but having at least one person with me before I beg to come back into the Pack feels better than going by myself. "How come Alex and Helena aren't staying at the Packhouse?" I ask, slipping my feet out of my sandals, and folding them up in the seat with me.

Jay's blue-green eyes cut straight through me as he shifts gears, tracking my movements. "How come you aren't staying at the Packhouse, Artemis?"

My cheeks heat. " Because then everyone would have known I'm back immediately."

"Were you not going to stay?"

"I don't know."

Jay lets the silence stretch for all of about forty-five seconds before he says "So, you know this whole dating but not really dating thing could work in both of our favor."

I swear the switch was flipped on gravity. "What do you mean?"

"Well. It's been a long while since I've seen parts of my family, and since they will absolutely be up my ass about being single, having a-" once again his eyes cut to me as he shifts gears. "- girlfriend for the first time in…a while would take some of the attention off of me."

"Ahh, so you want arm candy? Or do you want the full girlfriend experience?" I sass, just as the light turns yellow, and then red, bringing us to a complete halt. Jay's undivided attention swings to me in this little car.

Again, I wonder where gravity went.

"Darlin, I want everything."

Nervous laughter bubbles up, and I fight for words for the entire red light. "So what does being your girlfriend- fake girlfriend- entail?" I eventually manage to ask.

Jay answers immediately."What does it entail for me to be your fake boyfriend when I come to see you at Coyote Bills?"

"You're going to come see me?" At this point, I'm all but turned sideways in my seat, entirely focused on Jay, and not the drive—or our destination.

"Answer the question."

"You first," I demand.

"Nope."

" Jay." I huff, barely able to keep the smile from my face.

"Artemis," he responds. Jay is smiling though, and once again I am transported back into the body of seventeen-year-old me. I don't know how to reconcile the two versions of Jay.. or myself.

"I don't know. It entails acting…" I flail for an answer for entirely too long before I decide on saying "like a boyfriend would."

"Are you going to kiss me again?" Jay asks just as we reach the Packhouse, pulling straight into an empty spot in the back of the building. You need special access—the Pack code to enter the doors back here.

"Not… Not uh, if you would rather not…I'm sorry if I crossed a boundary the other night." I say, bracing for the rejection. Suddenly, the texture of the dash is the most interesting thing in the world.

Jay remains silent, exiting the car and coming around to my side. He opens the door, going so far as to reach in and unbuckle my seatbelt. As the strap rolls away, Jay all but growls in my ear "No, I'm counting on it." Then he recedes, dutifully holding the door open for me.

This is a bad, bad idea.

Jay and I aren't alone, there's a group of people out back, gathered around the open door for the kitchen. Saint is among them, his shaggy blonde bun visible even over here. Looks like I'll be crossing a gauntlet already.

Was that planned, did Jay want an audience for our entrance?

"So does anyone know we're not actually dating?" I ask, gathering courage as I exit his vehicle. My wolf is content as can be right now, practically comatose within the inky confines of my mind.

"Nope. Saint and Dante probably suspect, but Alex and Helena have no idea what happened." Jay says, and his eyes shift silver for one single moment.

"Hmm," I hum, unsure of what to say next.

Jay's eyes turn sharp as he cages me against the side of his car. "Did you tell anyone that we're not really dating?"

I gulp, the crisp air of October feeling like ice in my veins. "No one on this side of the Mississippi river."

Jay smiles, that lazy self-assured stretch of his lips over his teeth that I have no idea how to handle. I have no idea how to handle Jay anymore, either it would seem.

"By the way, you would." I blurt, breaking the silence I have no idea how to navigate. Jay's eyebrows scrunch together.

"What?"

"Get a car that matches your eyes."

I am rewarded with Jay's full, bright laughter that draws the attention of at least a few people gathered by the kitchen, that silver flash of his wolf running against the current of his mind. He takes another step towards me, his body fully pressing me against the car, his hand coming around to grip the back of my neck. My hands land on his broad shoulders, not pushing him away but not gripping him tight either. I'm very aware of our audience, and there is absolutely nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

"If you were actually my girlfriend I would kiss you right now," Jay says, tightening his grip on my hair, exposing my neck, and running his arm down my side. His hand lightly grazes the back of my hip, down the line of my thigh. And then, when he lowers his mouth to my pounding pulse, lightly nipping it Jay asks "Are you prepared for that kind of attention?"

"And what is this, right now?" I ask breathlessly, my fingers tightening on his shirt.

"A show. If I don't act like myself then they're going to question it. So it's either keep it a secret from everyone, or we loop them in. Which is it?" Jay murmurs against my neck, the grip on my hair as firm as ever. His tongue darts out, licking before his teeth close over the spot– and I have to stifle a moan.

"You're going to do this in front of your family?" I pant, and he pulls away from nuzzling my neck. I hate myself for regretting the loss of contact.

"Make me laugh like that, and maybe. Is that a problem?" Jay gives me the time to consider, even if he is only centimeters away from my face. I'm sure from where his friends are standing, this looks a little different.

"Why?"

"Consent is sexy, but you'll get forehead kisses regardless," Jay replies, watching my face. I'd be sent straight to hell for lying, but I will never ever admit just how hard my heart skipped a beat at those three words.

"Well... I'd hate for anyone to think something was amiss." I finally answer, widening my legs a fraction, his thigh slipping between my own—just a little.

"So it's a secret that we're not really dating?" Jay murmurs, eyes flicking down to my mouth.

"I suppose. Why?"

"So I can kiss you whenever I want?"

"When we're in public together." I retort.

Jay lowers his face towards mine a fraction, his eyes never leaving my face. "And are we in public right now, Artemis?" I wish I could read his thoughts, and see what is going on behind those mercurial eyes.

"Yes, Jay. I suppose we are." I simper, trying to hide just how hard my heart pounds, the thrill that has shot up my spine when he says my name again. The moment stretches, and I endure it, feeling all the world like my heart is going to pound straight out of my chest.

Jay drops a kiss on my forehead, and then steps away. The cool autumn breeze rushes back in, raising goosebumps along my arms. "Let's go." He says, reaching his hand out for me to grab. When I immediately don’t lace my fingers through his he says "It's a hand Artemis, not a snake."

"Shut up," I reply, ignoring the outstretched limb and my sudden rampant irritation as I make my way through cars to the door everyone is congregating around. Jay's laugh skitters against my spine. "I am so fucked. " I mutter under my breath, anxiety bubbling up. Just thinking about being in front of the entire Pack again is making my skin crawl.

"Not yet you're not," Jay answers immediately, having caught up to me easily.

" Shut up ," I repeat, practically snarling at him. Without warning, Jay grabs hold of my arm, slamming me against the rough brick wall of the Packhouse. My hands once again grip his shoulders with trembling fingers.

"I know it's been a long time since you've been home, but-" Jay begins.

"Don't patronize me, Jay."

"I'm not. If you would be quiet for a minute-"

"Fuck you." I snarl in his face, moving to push out of his grip.

"Anytime, Gorgeous." Jay snarks back at me, pushing my spine firmly against the brick, that same lazy self-assured smile back on his face. I shift on my feet, ignoring the way heat has unpooled low in my belly, the way my wolf has begun pacing in my mind again.

Another snarl rips free of my throat as I think of ways to get out of his hold that won’t immediately signal to those just out of earshot that we are definitely not dating. The tips of his ashy brown hair tickle my fingers, and I am tempted to thread my fingers through the strands and pull his mouth to mine. The kiss from the bar flashes through my mind again and again.

"Are we making out or fighting, Artemis? I'm getting mixed signals here." Jay asks, his eyes flicking to my mouth and back up in a heartbeat.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Fighting."

Jay smiles, a full, wide smile like he used to. Not lazy and self-assured, not sly and devious. "For now."

And damn me straight to hell but I want to change that.

I'm so fucked.

" Why do you say that?" I ask, completely ensnared in that blue-green gaze.

"Because whenever you get bratty, you get heated . You don't think I remember it?" Jay whispers in my ear, nibbling on the lobe, trailing hot kisses down my neck, scraping his teeth against my skin, pushing his hard thigh between my own.

Fuck him and his fucking memory.

"Wha-what are you doing?" I mumble, hips surging towards him. Jay’s hands grip my waist, spanning my ribcage. He might be holding me similarly to the ways that Ethan liked to, but there is a thrill down my spine— not dread—when Jay does it.

"I told you, a show. Now listen to me." Jay begins, speaking against my throat, capturing both my hands behind my back. "It's been a while since you've been back, and some things have changed."

"Like what?" I can barely focus on what he is talking about. Half of me wants to bolt, run away again, and never return. The other half wants to climb Jay motherfucking Temple like a tree and ride him until the Sun goes down.

I need to fucking get laid. That's what the problem is.

"Magus… is not nearly as lenient as he used to be," Jay says, crossing the hollow of my throat, trailing little kisses along my skin.

"What does that mean?"

"For you? I don't know. Just be careful." Jay says as he pulls away from my skin to look me in the eye, still holding my hands captive behind my back.

"Never."