Chapter 38

Jesse glanced in the mirror to see Thera still giving him that look. She had not been fond of the boat ride at all. Kolten had been a little more than nervous with her behavior the whole trip. Evanna on the other hand was almost hanging out of the boat and asked so many questions that some of them even made him pause to think of the answer.

He glanced over at her, the trip had been more motion than she was used to, so she was sleeping now. Which wasn’t surprising, she’d gotten so excited with the gift his mom had left for her. Leave it up to his mother to think of something like a warm jacket. He was so used to the cooler temperatures at home, he hadn’t thought of it. The fact that she’d gotten Evanna a black jacket and Leah a white one told him that his mother understood their needs more than he did.

Thera moved forward and bumped his shoulder.

“Ten minutes, girl, and then I promise I won’t stick you in a boat or car for a few days.” She huffed out a breath against his neck, telling him she still wasn’t impressed with this trip. “You’ll like the land,” he said quietly, “hills, lots of trees, and more rabbits than I can figure out what to do with.” He grinned, knowing Thera would have a purpose for them.

“Are we there?”

He glanced over to see Evanna was wide awake again. “Soon.”

“This jacket is so warm I think it made me pass out.”

Jesse grinned, “you didn’t have to zip it up to your neck.”

“I have never seen a coat like this before, it’s so puffy, but not heavy. I might never take it off.”

“It’s getting colder up here; we may even see some snow while we’re here.” That made him think of boots. “We’ll have to get some winter boots for you too.”

“I like these boots.” She tapped her feet on the floor mat.

“They won’t be very warm in the winter.”

Evanna laughed quietly, “I had the same pair for five years, anything is warmer than that. Leah was going to figure out how to line them with fur this year.”

He couldn’t argue with that. “Now you have access to stores and won’t have to make anything with furs if you don’t want to.”

“I guess we do. I still want to see inside a grocery store,” she looked over at him and grinned, “Kobie told me about them.”

Jesse laughed, “I don’t know if taking you into one is a good idea. So far, you’ve liked everything you’ve eaten—we may end up with more than we have room for.”

Her expression sobered, “then we give it to others that need it.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. It shouldn’t surprise him that she’d think of others, it was part of who she was. He could only nod. Looking out the window, he pointed to the left, “my property starts here. “

“Where that fence is?”

“Uh, yeah.” It shocked him to see a fence was already up along the border of his land. His father had worked some kind of magic making it happen so fast. It wasn’t along the roadside yet, but still, he had no idea they’d started it. “It’s not fenced in completely yet, so we’ll have to keep an eye on Thera for now.” On cue, she shoved between him and the door. “Hold on.” He grinned and put the window down a few inches so she could scent the area.

Evanna put the window down on her side too and inhaled slowly. “It’s so clean here.” She sounded happy with that.

“I chose this location because it’s not near any big towns, no manufacturing or anything to pollute the air.”

After the coats and fence, he didn’t know what to expect when they reached the trailer. He pointed, “there’s a river just over that hill, it’s not too deep for most of the property, but it’s great for a swim in the summer.”

“Are there fish? I love fish.”

“Yeah, there’s some when it’s not running fast.”

She nodded her head but didn’t look away from the scenery.

“I had my dad get a crew here to work on fencing, but I can’t decide if we need a gate at the entrance or leave it open and put one closer to the house.” He smirked when there is a house.

“Papa Low said seeing the gate from the house was best.” She still didn’t look at him as he turned and went up the lane.

“The house is framed in, foundation poured, but there are no interior walls yet.”

Now she turned and looked at him, “I can help, Papa Virgil taught me how to build, we fixed up all the houses, even the roofing.”

“Another pair of hands would be great.” He’d had Calum and Foster help him out with the framework and trusses, but their lives didn’t allow for a lot of free time at the same time to finish it. “I might hire someone to get the rest of the outer walls up, to seal it up for the winter.”

Her seatbelt was off now, so she could lean forward and look around. “Do you get a lot of time here?”

“Not lately. There’s too many out there that we need to find.”

She nodded, a somber expression on her face. “I’m good with traveling,” she glanced at Thera, “I don’t know about Thera and Leah though.”

“How is Leah after the trip?”

She paused for a moment, staring upward, “she’s quiet, in no hurry to come out.” She blinked, “new things scare her a lot.”

“I hope she’ll be comfortable here. There’s no one around for miles and with the placement of the house, or trailer, for now, you can scent anyone coming from any direction.”

“That’s good. You’re a smart man, Jesse.” She looked back out the window.

He didn’t say anything as they crested the hill, and the skeleton of the house became visible. Every time he saw it, he pictured what it was going to look like when it was finished, now though he was glad it wasn’t finished because he’d like Evanna and Leah to have some input on how the inside was done.

“It’s going to be big.” She said quietly.

“The interior design is just roughly figured out right now, I haven’t decided if I want more rooms or more of an open concept.”

“Can I see the plans?”

He nodded, “yeah if you ignore the bad drawings, I have all over them.”

She chuckled, “I can’t draw at all, so I won’t judge.”

He pulled the jeep up to the side of the house and motioned to the trailer. “It’s not fancy, but it’s a bit bigger than the one at Blair’s.”

“It’s warm and dry, that’s all that matters.” She was out the door before he could put it in park. Thera was right behind her.

By the time he got out she was standing where he planned to put a big deck and looking down over the property.

“Jesse, this place is beautiful.”

He went over and stood beside her and looked down at it. “This view right here is why I picked this land.” He motioned to the house, “I’m thinking big bay window so I can sit there and watch the sun go down.”

She nodded and then turned and looked at the house. “It’s even bigger now that I’m standing beside it.” Her brow creased, “were you planning for a big family?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know, I just wanted options.” He motioned to the trailer, “I spend so much time in a vehicle or motel, I just wanted space to roam when I’m home.”

She walked beside him, “I get that. I don’t mind being in the vehicle but getting out is always good too.”

“I’ll get the bags in a minute.” He unlocked the door and opened it, motioning for her to go in. he followed her and held his breath. When he went up the steps, he didn’t even recognize the inside. “I asked my mom and sister to come to clean it up and air it out.” He looked around, wondering where they put all the papers that had covered the table.

Evanna slipped her boots off and went in further. “Oh look.” She went over to the table leaned down and inhaled the scent of the flowers that were sitting there in a vase. She titled her head, and picked up a piece of paper beside them, “welcome to the family.” Straightening she turned and looked at her, “you told your family we’re mates?”

He nodded, “yeah, considering I’ve never brought another female here, I thought some explanation was needed.”

She smiled. “I’m glad.” She shrugged, “that you don’t bring other females here.” She tapped her chest, “I get, I’m not sure, not good feelings when I think about it.”

Jesse grinned, “that would be your cat being territorial. I get the same every time another male so much as glances in your direction.

“Really?” She bit her lip, “I thought it was just me.”

He shook his head, “no it’s not.” Kicking off his boots, he went over and opened the fridge. It was fuller than he’d ever seen it. Evanna came over and looked around him in it.

“Your mother is a good shopper.”

Jesse grinned, “yeah her and my sisters.”

Evanna moved by him and slid the door to look in the bedroom area. “There’s one bed.”

Closing the fridge, he rubbed his hand over his jaw, “the uh, couch pulls out, I’ll crash there.”

“Shouldn’t it be me that sleeps there? This is your place.”

He leaned back against the counter and shook his head, “no, this is our place,” he smirked, “well, temporary place until the house is done.”

“This is home?” Her voice was quiet, almost as soft as Leah’s was.

“It is.” He cleared his throat, “I’m not going to rush you or-or Leah, with marking you,” he grimaced, “even my cat knows that, so you have lots of time to adjust. And,” he was nervous now, “don’t think I brought you here for that because I didn’t. I just wanted to uh,” his cat was oddly silent inside him as he bumbled his way through this, “for us to get to know each other, for, uh, you to have somewhere quiet to adjust...”

She spun around and launched herself at him. Grabbing him around the waist, she rested her face against his chest. “I love it here. I didn’t think I needed to know where home was going to be, but I was wrong, and I did.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her and closed his eyes. He’d wanted to hold her since the moment he’d laid eyes on her and this was the first real embrace between them. “I should have thought of that sooner, rather than dragging you all over the place.”

She shook her head but didn’t release him, “no, no. It was great at Blair’s, we were okay there, I just thought Leah was the one needing home and permanence, but now that I’m here, I feel like I can breathe.” She loosened her grip enough to look up at him, “thank you. I don’t know how to be a mate, Jesse, I don’t-I just don’t, but we’re going to try.”

Touching the side of her face, he looked down into those deep dark eyes and his chest felt like it might burst with so many emotions. “I don’t know either. It’s just been me all this time. Finding my mate never even crossed my mind, so I guess we’re going to have to muddle through this as best as we can.”

The intense look in her eyes started to fade. “I’m glad you came up our mountain.” She frowned, “What is it?”

Her look changed to confusion, “It’s Minn, she’s being all,” she gave her head a slight shake, strange. I’ve never felt her be like this.”

Jesse chuckled softly, “oh that.” His own cat felt like he was rubbing against him as if somehow, he could get closer to her cat. “Mine is too, being all-loving and gentle right now.”

“What is that?” Her eyes were wide when she looked back up at him.

He squeezed her in his arms gently, “it’s because we’re this close, they like being close.”

She leaned back and looked down between them, “if I suddenly get hairier it’s because it feels like she going to push right through my skin.”

Tipping her chin, up, he studied her face for a moment, “I think I know what will settle them down.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” he lowered his head slowly, “this.” He brushed his lips over hers gently, not wanting to kiss her the way he’d been wanting for days now. When she leaned into him more, he kissed her again, taking his time to slowly taste her. His cat was still now, waiting. He couldn’t stop the low rumble in his chest as he lightly put his hand against the back of her head, making sure to avoid touching anywhere near her neck, and deepened the kiss. When she hesitantly touched her tongue against his, he thought he might lose his mind if she pulled away now.

Her taste burst through him, making his cat shudder. So sweet, a taste that was uniquely hers. He knew her scent had hints of something close to citrus in it, but he never imagined that he’d taste that.

When she reached up and grasped the back of his head, he had to fight to control the kiss and not take it too far. His cat cautioned him that they didn’t know what would upset her and what wouldn’t.

Tearing his mouth away, he sucked in oxygen and then had no choice but to kiss her some more. She had a tight hold on his head and breathing seemed to be the last thing she wanted. Without warning, the kiss changed and now he sensed a sweeter taste on his tongue, hers was still there, but more was added to it. The pressure of her grasp changed but only for a moment and then she moaned quietly, and his cat forced him to pull away. It was too soon. They had to be careful with her.

Resting his forehead against hers, he listened to their combined breathing as it filled the silence in the small space. “Is Leah close?” He needed to understand.

“Mmm, for a moment yeah.” She dropped her head to press her ear against his chest, “we were, what does the doctor call it?” She rubbed her cheek over his chest, “co-conscious I think that’s it.” Lifting her face away, she looked up at him with alluring lust-filled eyes, “you sensed her?”

He had to fight not to pick her up and carry her into the bedroom with the look she was giving him, “yes, well, tasted her for a second.”

“We have a taste?”

He growled playfully, “a taste, your own unique scents, both are driving me mad right now.”

She slowly smiled at him, “your taste is better than anything I’ve had in my mouth—ever.”

Just the image that popped into his head with her words made him startle. He gripped her shoulders and pushed her back a few inches. “We need to get out of this little space and run or something.”

“Minn is good with being with your cat, but I almost want to just stay here with you, like this.”

Jesse nodded and moved her back a little further. “I want to stay here like this too, but right now the reason isn’t right—it’s called lust and my whole system is drugged with it now.” He leaned down and kissed her mouth hard for a second, “and if I don’t get out of here, I’m going to end up rushing you and I don’t want to do that.”

She licked her lips and looked up at him. “I don’t understand what that means, Jesse.” She rolled her eyes, “I do, sort of, I’ve watched movies with Aunt Tillie, but I don’t know what—how...”

“Hey,” he leaned down so she would look at him instead of his chest, “there’s no rush, we can take the time, go slow.” If it kills me, he thought, and it just might.

She nodded, not looking at all assured by what he said. “I don’t want to disappoint you. I-we’ve never cared about that before, what someone else thought of us, but with you it’s...”

“You’re not going to disappoint me.” He offered her a playful look, “in fact my cat and I are very happy you have no experience with that.”

She took a ragged breath, “yeah?”

“Yes. Just knowing I’ll be the only man you’ll ever be with makes the animal side of me very happy.” That wasn’t entirely the truth, as a man, he would enjoy killing anyone that even looked at her with sexual intent in their eyes. “So, no rush, we can take all the time you need.” He really wanted to pull her into his arms again, to feel her against him, but even his cat was issuing warnings of how bad that will be.

“All the time in the world,” she smiled, “Aunt Tillie used to say that.”

“Yes, all the time in the world.” He made a pouting face, “just maybe not years or anything, okay? I won’t survive that.”

She laughed and it hit him right in the gut. The sound vibrated through him. “Okay, run, then we’ll get the stuff brought in.” He stepped back as far as the small space would let him. “I want to show you the property.”

With a smile on her face, she took off her jacket and lay it down carefully, smoothing it out on the couch before straightening. In that small movement, he realized she’d never really had anything new in her life and he wanted to give her the world, Leah as well.

Stripping her shirt off over her head and tossed it on top of the jacket. Jesse’s breath got caught in his throat as she stood there topless in front of him. He’d seen her naked before, but not while lust was fueling his system. Clearing his throat, he stepped around her, trying to keep his eyes from staring at where his mouth wanted to be. “I’ll be outside.”

She nodded and undid her jeans, “it feels like rain, so I’ll just leave my clothes here.” She looked him up and down as if to say, ‘why aren’t you taking yours off?’

With jerky movements, he undid his boots and took them off. Pulling his shirt over his head, he tossed it in the direction of the sink. His hands went to the button on his jeans and then he paused. She stood in front of him now completely naked. As his gaze moved down over her, he realized she was tanned everywhere, with no strap lines anywhere. At that moment he decided the gate was being built away from the yard, so no one could see her if she chose to wander around without clothes. He’d never get any work done, but he didn’t care.

“Are you all right?”

Blinking, he looked back at her face. “Yeah, uh, fine, just thinking.”

She smiled, “about a run I hope,” she motioned down her body that he didn’t need attention brought back to, “I’m ready.”

His mouth dried out. “Yeah,” he croaked. He couldn’t take his jeans off in front of her. Not only was the shift going to be uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to scare her or have to explain why he was so hard it hurt.

“I’m so happy, Jesse.” She gave him a big grin and then moved fast into his arms. “I liked it at Blair’s, but it felt awkward, you know?” She pressed her cheek against his chest. “Sometimes no clothes rubbing all over you feels right.” She looked up at him and then frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Not a damn thing.” His voice was gravelly, lust was riding him hard right now. “I have, uh, no problem if you want to walk around naked—while we’re here, but please don’t do that around others, I’d have to claw their eyes from their skull.”

She nodded, “no, I get that. It bothered me when you had no shirt on around Kobie and Shaelan.” She leaned back and smoothed her hand slowly over his chest.

He couldn’t stop the low growl as she touched him. Grasping her wrist, he stopped her from moving. “Okay, we have to go for a run now.”

She looked confused, “did I do something wrong?”

He shook his head quickly, “no. No you didn’t. I’m just,” he moved his tongue around in his mouth to create saliva so he could speak, “very turned on right now.” Her expression told him she didn’t understand, “very excited to be this close to you.”

She looked relieved, “is that it? I feel so...”

He put his finger over her lips, “don’t say it. I’m really struggling right now.” He didn’t need her to tell him she was turned on as well, he could scent that. Grasping her shoulders lightly, he pushed her a foot away from him. “I need to go outside and shift.” It was going to be painful in some areas and that’s why he usually avoided it, but he needed his cat right now, his cat that would put a stop to doing something stupid that could scare her. His cat would stop this drive to sink his teeth into her neck and mark her, right here, right now.

“Okay,” her tone cut through him like a blade. She didn’t understand.

Still holding her shoulders, he made a point of looking down at the bulge in his jeans and then back to her face. She was looking at the front of his jeans now, and he honestly couldn’t decipher what the expression in her eyes was. “As I said, very excited.”

“I’ve never,” she licked her lips and he had to bite his to not moan, “the movies didn’t show me that.”

“I know, that’s why I just need a moment to shift.”

“Are you okay? Shifting like that?” She reached a hand out to touch the bulge and he jumped back before she could.

“I’ll be fine, I’m just really turned on right now.”

“So you want me? Now?”

He clamped his teeth down on his tongue so he wouldn’t answer and say what his lust-hazy brain was thinking. He tasted blood but kept his mouth shut and nodded.

She blushed a small smile on her mouth, “okay. Do you want me to wait here or do you need help?” She reached her hand out again.

Jesse stumbled past her to the door. “I’ll be fine, just give me five minutes.”

“Okay. Give a roar when I can come out.”

He didn’t reply. He almost fell down the step getting out of there. Closing the door, he leaned his head against it and then swallowed down the blood in his mouth. Closing his eyes, he reached for his cat, he needed him right now. His cat was there, a little stunned right now. Jesse didn’t lose control, ever, he’d also never been tempted like he was right now. Pushing away from the trailer, he walked stiff legged to the end of it. Thera was there, she lifted her head and scented the air in his direction. “Don’t even start with me.” He told her and undid his jeans. Having a mate was going to test his control to its absolute limit he realized. Peeling his jeans off, he took a few deep breaths, this was going to be painful. He grit his teeth and focused to let his cat come to the surface. “Help me out.” He whispered to the animal inside, “we have to handle this the right way.”