Chapter 38: Chapter Thirty-Eight - Mason

The woman staring back at me blinked several times.

This couldn’t be real, but it made sense.

She had wolf blood on both sides. She’d found her mate and been bitten. Had it activated something inside of her?

Jessica chuckled under her breath and gave me a death glare. Her anger was out of the ordinary. This wasn’t a mood swing. My wolf could feel the irritation radiating off her in waves.

“You think I’m a wolf? I’ve already told you that I haven’t heard anyone talking to me in my head, Mason. Could someone please get me something to eat?”

Stan looked over at me again. He had turned pale as a ghost. Maybe he was afraid for her to be dragged into this world. Or what she would turn out like since she had a double bloodline. Either way, he looked scared.

“I’m going to get you something to eat,” Stan said, leaving me with her.

I shot him a death glare over my shoulder. A new wolf was dangerous. They were on edge, unable to control their emotions and uneasy.

I turned to Jessica, and she eyed me up and down. “I’m not a wolf,” she said again, her voice rising. "This is ridiculous. You're both being ridiculous."

I put both palms upward in a surrendering way. “Jessica. Everything you’re experiencing right now we’ve been through. It’s different for you because you’re older, but the heat. The starvation. The mood swings. It’s all wolf-related.”

She cursed under her breath and rubbed her palms over her face aggressively. “This is madness. I’m just sick and now I’m hungry.”

She tore off the bed. Brushing past me, her skin touched mine and I felt electricity zap down to my toes. I reached out and grabbed her wrist and she easily maneuvered away from me.

She noticed her swiftness but didn’t comment on it. “I need food. Now. Like yesterday."

I held in my laughter. That bone-deep hunger was nothing to play with. A hungry wolf meant a loose one. One that couldn’t control his or her desires.

I followed Jessica down the hallway and the stairs. She moved lighter on her feet. I began to notice the swiftness in her moves and the ease. If she noticed it, she didn’t say.

Stan stood in the kitchen with Jacob when we made it downstairs. Jessica stopped in the doorway and scoffed. “Where is my food, Dad? You’re down here jabbering with Jacob? I’m starving. Here I am thinking you'd have me something to eat."

Jacob’s gaze moved to mine and held. The exchange was swift, but full of so many thoughts and words.

“Why is everyone staring at me? I’m starving. How many times do I need to say it…”

Seth poked his head up from the refrigerator, walked over and shoved a hamburger at her chest. “Here. My leftovers from last night. I could hear your complaining all the way downstairs. Someone get this woman a cheeseburger."

Jessica didn’t even comment. She inhaled half of the burger in one bite. We all watched as it disappeared down her throat and she pushed her hair from her

eyes. “So much better,” she mumbled.

Jacob laughed, and then tossed his head back. I didn’t see what was so funny. She was going to shift into a wolf while we had lycans on the loose. “Can I talk to you?” I asked Jacob.

He met my gaze and the laughter disappeared. He sensed my irritation. “Sure.”

Jessica watched me walk outside with Jacob. Once the door was shut, I pointed toward the pack house. “That is not funny, Jacob. If she is shifting. Do you remember the things we went through? Not only is she going to be in pain, but we have lycans in the town. If her wolf takes over, she won’t be able to stop it from going after the lycans. They'll kill her. My wolf can't take that kind of pain."

Jacob stepped forward and put his palms on my shoulders. His alpha instants hit me, and I instantly calmed down. “Mason, I understand your unease. I truly do. Everything is going to be fine. We have Uncle Stan here to help. There are chains in the basement…”

My wolf shoved to the forefront and Jacob gave me a warning look. “If we need to chain her, we will. We have to keep her safe. We keep her fed, and happy right now. This could happen quickly, or it could take a month or so. There is no need to panic. I don't have a mate, but I understand your worry. But don't worry. It won't help, I promise."

I took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm panicking. It's not like me."

Jacob removed his palms from my shoulders. “I don’t want to get into your personal business, but you need to make sure she stays happy in every aspect of her life.”

I gave him a look. “Are you asking me to make sure she’s thoroughly fulfilled, Jacob?”

He shrugged. “You know it helps calm a wolf.”

“Well, Stan is going to be in the house. I don’t want him to hear anything.”

Jacob chuckled. “Stan understands a wolf’s needs. I’ll keep him busy. You don’t worry about that…”

The door opened and Jessica stepped outside. “Why are you two out here whispering? I don’t like it. If you have something to say, say it.”

Jacob reached into his pocket and roughly tossed his cell phone at Jessica’s face. I leaped to grab it, but he blocked me with his arm.

Jessica caught the cell phone right in her face. She went cross-eyed looking at it, and then looked at both of us in shock. “You did not just toss that at me.”

Jacob snorted. “And you catching it isn’t a shock? You’re going to shift soon. We have things to talk about. I’m going to start dinner, so you won’t get hungry. We’ll talk afterward.”

He walked toward her, plucked his cell phone from her hand and then shut the door behind him. Jessica’s gaze shifted toward mine. The look of shock turned into fear.

I walked over, bringing her to my chest, I held her there. Her heart raced against my chest, and my wolf wanted to do anything to keep her safe. To make her happy.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

I ran my palm over her head and then kissed her hair. “It’s scary but once you shift, it’s over with.”

“I won’t be hangry anymore?”

“No, that doesn’t go away. You have to stay fed. The emotions will level out and you won’t be scary anymore.”

She pulled away from me. “I’m not scary.”

“You were scary in the bedroom. I thought you were going to attack me over that soup for a second.”

Jessica smiled. “I was so hungry. I’m sorry. I just never expected anything like this. They probably think I’m looney at the bank now. Did you drop that picture off?”

“Yeah. The door was locked, so I slipped it into the mailbox.”

Jessica nodded and nibbled on the side of her fingernail. “What am I going to do about The Eagle? I can’t go to work feeling like this and eating hamburgers from my desk every hour.”

I slid my palms around the back of her neck. “We’ll work it out. But Jacob is right. There are lots of things we need to talk about. This isn’t going to be easy, Jess. Especially since the lycans are here.”

Jessica looked out at the forest. “Will I be able to feel them like y’all?”

“Possibly. You’ll go through an array of new things. I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

Jessica furrowed her brow. “Did the wolf come out because you bit me?”

I shrugged. “Probably. Your bloodline reacted to it. It’s normal for your wolf to realize other wolves are around.”

Jessica looked over her shoulder toward the pack house. “You promise I’ll be, okay?”

When she looked back her eyes shimmered in the setting sun. A golden hue came and went just as fast as she blinked.

“You’re going to be just fine. I promise.”