Chapter 12: Chapter Twelve - Mason

My wolf shoved and pushed until he was at the forefront of my every thought. There was no way to get his wants and needs out of my head. It was a poison in my blood. A taunting in my ear that I couldn’t say no to, because I didn’t want to. He wanted me to pursue Jessica and make her ours. Despite the elephant sitting in the corner of the room.

The one who told me not to make a move until I informed Jacob of my…desires. She looked over her shoulder as I marched toward her and her doe-like eyes widened.

I curled my fingers into tight fists at my sides. She stopped at the end of the aisle and angled her chin upward at me as if waiting for me to say something. I knew she wanted me to admit the connection by the look resting in those too-blue eyes. To admit the feelings but I couldn't form the words on my tongue.

My mouth opened as my wolf inhaled her sweet flowery scent. “I’m not scared of Jacob,” I said softly. “I respect him. There is a huge difference between those two things."

Jessica lifted a dark eyebrow. “No one said you were afraid of him.”

“You’re right, you didn’t say it, you implied it.”

She dragged her gaze away from mine to her shopping cart. “I didn’t mean it rudely. I just don’t want Jacob telling me what I can and can’t do. I'm too grown up for that."

I swallowed the urge to say the things I wanted to. “I understand.”

She pushed the shopping cart forward and made a quick left. “However, he’s not my friend, so I can tell him how I feel a lot easier than you ever could."

I tilted my neck, watching as she grabbed the things she needed and placed them into her cart. I wanted her to tell me how she felt without pulling it from her. However, the idea of coasting her to admit something twisted my stomach into raging hot coals of lust. I wanted to watch her mouth as she admitted everything she felt inside. And I made myself a promise that I would see that happen eventually.

“How do you feel?” I asked, sliding my finger along the shelf as I walked with her.

“Hypothetically,” she said, avoiding eye contact. "This is a hypothetical conversation."

She’s lying, my wolf said.

There was laughter in his voice. Being she did not know about werewolves, she didn’t realize that I could sense all of her inner needs. When her skin flushed when I got too close. Or how her heart rate picked up when we were close.

“Of course, hypothetically,” I said.

She looked over her shoulder and it told me she had picked up on my sarcasm. The good thing was that I knew she wasn’t lying about not wanting Seth. I could feel that she felt the connection though she didn’t realize the severity of it.

Mates were forever and she didn’t even know if she wanted to stay here longer than a few months. It was a problem I’d have to deal with eventually.

I had to tell Jacob the truth. I just didn’t know how.

When Jessica finished her shopping, I slipped my debit card into the payment terminal before she could. She attempted to reach out and grab the card but I swatted her away.

“Consider this a welcome to Slade Springs present.”

She sighed heavily even though a blush coated her cheeks.

I helped her load the groceries and climbed into the driver’s seat. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said. “But thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome. Do you need to go anywhere else before I take you home?”

“No. I’m all set.”

We drove back to the estate in silence. My wolf took a backseat thankfully. I helped her bring the groceries inside and scratched the back of my head.

“Do you need help putting these away?”

She shook her head. “Nah, I’ve got it. However, I do want to thank you for paying for my food. Can I cook you dinner soon?”

“I’d love that. I don’t get too many home-cooked meals anymore.”

“Now, I’m not Gordon Ramsey, but I can make spaghetti if you like that. Maybe some garlic bread, too?"

“That sounds great. Just let me know in advance and I’ll adjust my work schedule.”

Jessica nibbled on her bottom lip and my blood warmed at the sight of it. “How about tonight?”

I lifted both brows. She was antsy which only added fuel to the fire scorching me. “I’m off today, tonight would work.”

“Good,” she said, nodding her head once. “You can come over around 7ish if that’s okay.”

I wasn’t on patrol duty tonight so I could get to her house without being hounded. It would also give me a chance to search the perimeter of the estate on the way home.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

I left her swiftly with a giant smile on my face. I didn’t want to get my hopes up but knowing I was going to spend the afternoon with her twisted my heart with ‘what-ifs.’

What if things went well? What if I kissed her as I’d been wanting to since she arrived? What if I broke my promise to myself and just went after what I wanted for once in my life?

My head was so far gone that I almost didn’t smell the foreign scent as I touched my door handle. The wind sent an unfamiliar wolf smell all over me. The utter surprise of it stalled me for several seconds. Then my wolf took over and pushed me toward it. I followed it into the woods surrounding the estate.

The path it took was chaotic. It zigzagged through the woods, up trees and down which didn’t make much sense to me until I thought about it. Wolves didn’t climb trees. But lycans did.

Lycans were deranged wolves with a thirst for blood. They were made originally from a witch’s curse, which spun out of control decades before. The scent didn’t stop until it reached the creek several yards behind the estate. My wolf whined as I lost the trail. It was close to her house.

Part of me wanted to go tell Jacob right away. Then again, he’d pull all of us out for patrol tonight if I did.

I was greedy and I wanted to have dinner with Jessica. I rubbed the back of my neck while searching the dense forest to no avail. No one looked back at me. The scent wasn’t too old but not fresh enough for me to believe they were in the area. The need to have dinner with Jessica was bigger than my wolf's need to find this lycan right away.

He could wait and get over it.

He ran circles inside of me as I walked back to my truck. The idea of having something to chase excited him but it scared me senseless. I couldn’t let some lycan stalk around the estate and hurt her.

When I got back to my truck, I slid into the driver’s seat and decided to wait until tonight to tell Jacob. Sue me for wanting to spend time with Jessica.

It wasn’t what a Beta should do. A Beta always keeps his pack informed. A Beta keeps his town protected. But the need to keep Jessica close and safe was deeper than anything I’d ever felt in my life. It was bone-deep. Overwhelming and brutally attacking my restraint.

My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I drove back to the pack house. My wolf was thirsty for the blood of a fight, while I longed for a night alone with Jessica. Because I was certain I wouldn’t leave that house without tasting her.

One kiss wouldn't hurt anything. Until it did.