Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen - Mason

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi.

The attempt at calming myself with counting wasn’t working. It felt the same as counting sheep to fall asleep.

Jessica swallowed and she nervously dropped her gaze back to her plate. She twirled her fork around her food again and slipped it into her plush mouth.

My thoughts were hardly holy at the moment.

I wanted to reach across the table and drag her across it and into my lap. This was madness. I’d always heard stories about finding your mate but no one I knew had lived it.

Besides Jacob and Jessica’s grandmother. However, that was far before my time. I'd only heard stories.

I watched her eat as if I hadn’t just said what I said. “What does that mean?” she finally asked.

I took a bite of my food, barely keeping myself contained. Through a forced voice, I said, “I don’t know.”

Which was a lie. I did know but I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t tell her what I wanted to say. You’re my mate. Mine. No one else’s. I wanted to tell Jacob the truth. I’d never felt so out of control. Not even when I was a pup and learning how to deal with my wolf.

She laughed and took a bite of her garlic bread. “I didn’t mean to toss that on you so soon in the afternoon. I was hoping to wait until you left so I could crawl into bed and die a slow death.”

I laughed. “There is no reason to die a slow death. You’re not the only one that feels it.”

She glanced up at me. “That’s good to know that this feeling isn’t one-sided.”

Go to her, my wolf pushed. Kiss her. Touch her.

I cleared my throat. “I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

I got up and left against my wolf’s urges. The wood whined as I shut the bathroom door and pressed my forehead against the back of it. My wolf shoved and pushed to gain control but I couldn’t allow him to ruin everything.

When I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my eyes were golden and my skin flushed. “Stop it,” I begged him. “I have to take this slow.”

He rarely listened to me but for some reason, he backed off. Placing my palms on the bathroom counter, I stood there for far too long trying to control myself. He'd never pushed me so hard before. Not even during our first shift.

Jessica’s soft footsteps came down the hallway and she hesitated by the door. “Are you okay, Mason?”

I straightened and made sure my eyes were their normal green before I opened the door. She looked worried standing on the other side, her face angled up to meet my gaze. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t sick.”

Stepping forward, Jessica backtracked against the hallway wall. I took another step until I was inches from her. “Tell me it’s okay to kiss you.”

Jessica became still and a small sigh left her throat. Placing my palm beside her head on the wall, I leaned forward, my mouth inches away from hers. “Tell me it’s okay.”

Jessica shook her head slowly. “Tell me you want to.”

I grinned. “I’ve wanted to since the first time I saw you, Jessica.”

“Then do it,” she said softly.

The dam broke and I diminished the distance between us. Her mouth tasted like candy-covered sin. My skin ignited and engulfed my entire body in flames.

She lifted onto her tiptoes and tangled her fingers into my hair. The moment her fingers touched my skin my wolf howled in pure bliss. It was the best kiss I’d ever had.

She opened her mouth in a silent invitation and I stroked my tongue into the warmth. My hands sank over the curve of her waist and settled on her upper thighs. I lifted her to my waist and pressed my hips against her open thighs. The small sounds coming out of her mouth settled smoothly over me. Warming me. Burning me.

It was the kiss of fate. As corny as it sounded I knew in that moment that Jessica Lowery was my mate.

The distant sound of tires on the gravel drifted out of my mind. Someone would have to pry me off her at this point. She lifted and rolled her hips down against mine and my wolf came undone.

I circled my hand around her wrist and pressed it against the wall above her head. “Don’t tempt me. I'm hardly keeping it together,” I whispered my voice low because of the closeness of my wolf.

She nodded slowly, her eyes at half-mast as I leaned forward and kissed her neck. She hissed under her breath as I inhaled her sweet scent. I would eventually mark her but that was not something I could do tonight. I was sure she’d freak out if I sank my teeth into her neck and a mark appeared on her skin.

I fought my wolf’s need to do it when footsteps thundered into the house.

I dropped her to her feet and stepped back away from her. The few seconds of looking at her flushed skin and heavy-lidded eyes had me undone.

I hadn’t had enough of her. She ran her index finger against her bottom lip and wiped away the aftermath of our kiss.

“Mason! Jessica!” Liam shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway.

Jessica cleared her throat and attempted to adjust her clothing. “Down here.”

Liam rounded the corner as she stepped down the hallway to meet him. He instantly stilled at the sight of us. I was sure he knew everything that just happened. Not just by her quick breathing but the smell of lust in the air.

He made eye contact with me for several short seconds that felt like an hour before looking at Jessica. “I’m sorry to barge in on you but I need Mason’s help.”

She nodded. “Sure. Sure. If you have like five minutes, I’ll pack up some food and y’all can eat it for dinner.”

“Sure,” Liam said.

Jessica disappeared quicker than Liam had arrived. He shook his head at me. “You’re opening up a pot of shi—”

“She’s my mate,” I said.

Liam paused. “You’re sure?”

“I’m positive,” I said.

Liam smiled and for a brief moment, I felt like everything would be okay. Then I thought about our town’s secret and Jacob’s objection to luring Jessica into it.

Her grandmother had known. Why wouldn’t she?

“Have you told Jacob?” he asked.

I scoffed. “No. I don’t know how to tell him.”

Liam looked back over his shoulder. “Well, we have bigger fish to fry right now. Someone just saw a monster uptown at the bar.”

My heart stilled. “What do you mean a monster?”

“A lycan,” Liam said. “Jacob sent me to find you. We're meeting at Maurice’s.”

My wolf ran circled with anticipation while guilt slammed me in the chest. I kept my mouth closed because I didn’t want to incriminate myself. If I had told them about the lycan beforehand, we may have found him before he made it to town.

I found Jessica in the kitchen wrapping us the rest of the spaghetti. “Here you go. You can take it to the others and share it.

She was still flushed when she met my gaze. Liam took the hint and grabbed the leftovers. “I’ll meet you outside.”

Jessica sighed loudly. “That was…”

I stepped forward, leaned her head back, and kissed her again. This time it was calculated and sweet. Easy and contained. “It was perfect. I’ll text you later after I meet with the boys.”

She nodded, the question of why lingered between us but I left before she could ask it.

My wolf’s anticipation mixed with a longing to go back to her. I knew deep down I wouldn’t be able to keep this a secret because I couldn’t stay away from her. No matter what anyone said.