"You're lucky, Angela. Jake really loves you." Bethany stated as Angela went about unpacking her suitcase.
"What makes you think he loves me?" she asked, her heart skipping at the thought. Neither Jake nor Angela had said those words to each other yet unless you counted Jake's sound asleep confession in her bed that one night.
"Oh please" Bethany said sitting down on the bed and stretching out her long tan legs. "First there's the way he looks at you, kisses you, touches you... He loves you."
"No. I'm just his mate and he...."
"Don't even. Greg and I are mates but we don't love each other. It took Jordan and Kent years before they could even stand to be in the same room together. Of course Raquel and Evan were like you and Jake. Love at first sight hence we have the two little munchkins."
"You really think he loves me?" Angela asked again losing herself in the memories of his kisses and touches and the way he held her every night
"Yes which makes me curious why he hasn't completely mated to you yet." Bethany said without thinking. She quickly realized she had just blabbed too much and stood up shaking out her blond mane of hair. "I'll just leave you to unpack." she stated, starting for the door.
Angela stood in her way. "What do you mean hasn't fully mated to me yet?" she asked. "Trust me we've mated."
Bethany laughed. "I have no doubt that you and my brother have done that." she said, rolling her eyes. "I shouldn't really be talking to you about this. Jake would kill me if he knew I'd opened my mouth."
"Too late now. Answer me or I'll....." Angela stopped talking realizing she was trying to threaten a werewolf who could probably pull her head off without even breaking a fingernail.
Bethany seemed to realize it too and crossed her long slender arms over her ample chest and smiled. "You'll what?" she asked.
Angela chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before responding. "I'll tell Jake." she warned. She saw the fear that crossed Bethany's eyes and knew she had found her weak point.
"In order to fully mate there is a certain phrase that you would both have to say while um....mating. A few tiny steps immediately follow that and then you are fully mated."
"What happens then? What's the difference between being mates and being fully mated?"
"Jake should really be the one telling you about this..." Bethany replied uncertainly.
"I wonder how quick Jake would get here if I screamed...." Angela questioned, moving closer to the open window.
"No don't..." Bethany pleaded. "You pain in the ass little mortal! No wonder Jake loves you. You're as mean as he is."
"Why wouldn't Jake want to tell me about this?" Angela asked.
"Probably afraid of scaring you away." Bethany replied. "Once you were fully mated you would become immortal. And your life would be completely bound to his and his life completely bound to yours."
"Meaning?" Angela inquired.
"Meaning that neither of you could live without the other. Once a couple has fully mated they live together and they die together. Frankly that's why I've never fully mated to Greg. I mean I'm fond of him and the sex is great but I could live without him."
"How dare he keep that from me." Angela said, ignoring Bethany's last comment.
"I've never seen Jake afraid, Angela, and he's afraid of this. He's afraid of losing you. He probably thinks you'll run away screaming and he'll never see you again."
That's just stupid." Angela mumbled.
"He might be a werewolf but he's also a man and men are stupid." Bethany replied with a shrug that was somehow elegant. "Please don't tell Jake I told you all of this. I don't know if you know this but he has a terrible temper." With that Bethany left the room.
Angela finished unpacking and changed into a clean pair of blue jeans and pink t-shirt. She pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail and was about to go find Jake when someone knocked on the door.
She opened it with a smile expecting to see Jake standing there but frowned when she saw the man Jake had fought with in the kitchen instead.
"You're Lane aren't you?" she asked.
He shot her a toothy grin that she was sure would have charmed many women however she had seen the same grin on Tyler's face many times so it had the opposite effect on her.
"And you're Angela. The only person to ever bring out the softer side of my brother."
Angela looked at his blackened eye, scratched cheek and the blood stains seeping through his buttoned shirt where Jake had torn open his arm. "Doesn't look like he was very soft with you." she stated.
"It'll all heal in a few hours. Jake was blessed with the brute strength of the family. I got all the charm."
"I was about to go find Jake so if you'll excuse me..." Angela tried to push past Lane but he stood fast and she couldn't budge him.
"I wanted to talk to you about earlier." he informed her, suddenly seeming very serious.
Angela moved away from him and sat down on the edge of the bed. "What is it that you want to say?"
Lane walked into the room and sat in a rocking chair in the corner. "The kitchen was my fault." he admitted.
Angela was sure, judging by just how uncomfortable he looked doing so, that he didn't normally admit his fault in things however that didn't lessen her irritation with him. "I figured as much." she snapped.
Lane smiled. "Feisty one, huh?" When Angela simply shrugged, Lane sighed. "A long time ago Jake had a girl that he liked. More like a crush I guess you could say and I guess you could also say that I stole her from him. It wasn't anything too serious I never could stand to see Jake have something that I couldn't have."
Angela glared at him with contempt. "You poor baby."
Lane grinned at the snarl in her voice. "You've been around my brother too much." he said. "You're picking up his bad habit of growling every time he gets pissed off."
"Is there anything else you wanted to say?" Angela asked.
"Yes." Lane replied. "Down in the kitchen I may have said some inappropriate things to Jake about sharing you."
"Oh yes I can see that you got the charm."
"I'm sorry." Lane mumbled. " I don't say that very often. I usually live a no regrets kind of life style. But as you can tell by the current state of my face, you mean a lot to my brother. I've seen him mad at me before but he's never attacked me in such a dramatic fashion.
"I want my brother to be happy. He's had a hard life and deserves some happiness. You seem to give that to him and I hope I didn't screw things up. He seems to think that you'll be scared of him now and leave him. Please don't leave him just because I'm stupid."
Angela appreciated Lane's honesty even if she did think he was a spoiled little jerk. She could tell he didn't normally apologize and she had to respect him for doing this for his brother. "Thank you for being honest with me, Lane, and for apologizing. I have no intention of leaving Jake. As a matter of fact I was on my way to go talk to him."
"I'll take you to him." Lane said happily as he stood up. He held out his arm and Angela stood and wrapped hers through his. Oddly enough, she found that she liked Lane. Sure he was cocky, spoiled and a complete jerk but at least he was honest about it.
He led her outside and down a path in the forest. Angela heard running water and when they rounded the next bend she saw Jake standing beside a tranquil river. He turned at their approach and eyed them both warily.
Angela removed her arm from Lane's and distanced herself from him.
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Jake wasn't sure what to make of seeing Lane and Angela together. On one hand he wanted to run to Angela and take her in his arms but on the other he knew that it was impossible to say what kind of bull his younger brother had been feeding her. She would probably be scared to death of Jake for sure now if Lane had anything to say about it.
"I brought her to you, brother." Lane bowed deeply, as if he was some great knight completing a mission and then he turned and began to walk away.
(She's a feisty one brother. I enjoyed her company.) Lane added telepathically so only Jake could hear him.
Jake growled low in his throat and Angela let out an irritated shriek as she picked up a rock and threw it with all of her might. It bounced off the back of Lane's head with a loud crack.
"Stop talking about me in your damn heads!" she exclaimed angrily. Lane rubbed his head but laughed until he was out of sight.
"It's sad really." Angela said turning back to Jake. "The man seems to think he's charming."
Jake managed a smile as he stepped toward her and laid a hand on her cheek. "Are we okay?" he asked.
Angela covered his hand with her own. "Of course we are." she replied. "But we do need to talk."
Jake nodded and led her to the river bank. Angela took off her shoes and sat down dangling her feet in the water. Jake sat beside her.
"Lane and I talked about you." Angela said.
Jake sighed and tossed a stone into the water. "Lane likes to talk." he replied quietly.
Angela smiled. "Yeah, he finds himself to be quite charming. He says you got the brute strength in the family and I have to agree. He looks like he got hit by a bus and you don't have a mark on you."
Jake couldn't help but smile proudly. "Lane, never was much help in a fight." he said. "So did you want to talk about Lane or was there something else on that beautiful mind?"
"Now who's being charming?" she asked with a smile.
"I can't help myself. I feel different when I'm around you. Better."
Angela shifted uncomfortably and Jake knew it was because she was still getting used to hearing a man say nice things to her. It only made Jake more certain that he should have killed Tyler.
"Lane explained to me that he has a history of stealing your women." Angela said quietly as she stared down at the rippling river.
Jake shook his head with a laugh. "That was a long time ago and has nothing to do with what happened. Lane is a spoiled, narcissistic ass who has had everything in life handed to him on a silver platter. He is addicted to gambling, liquor, fast cars and faster women." he said harshly.
"You were worried that he was going to steal me."
Jake shoved his hand through his hair and shook his head. "Her name was Sophia. I had a crush on her. She was a werecreature, a tiger. Lane saw her and made it his mission to have her. She must not have been as nice a girl as I thought she was because it worked."
"Did you love her?" Angela asked and Jake smiled. He could smell her jealousy and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"No, Angela. I did not love her."
"I also talked to Bethany." Angela whispered so quickly that it took Jake a moment to realize what she had said.
"About me?" he questioned, shifting uncomfortably. Lane's mouth was annoying but Bethany's could be downright dangerous.
"Mostly." Angela sighed. "That's what I really wanted to talk to you about."
"What is it, love?"
"She and Greg are mates but they don't love each other. Kent and Jordan spent years not being able to stand each other.."
"What do you want to know?" Jake asked smoothing her hair from her face. She looked up at him and her brown eyes full of fear and hope.
"Are we just mates, Jake, or is there something more? I mean I know how I feel but you...."
"How do you feel?" Jake asked feeling his heart begin to race. He prayed that she loved him as much as he loved her.
"I love you, Jake. It scares me because I don't even know how it happened but you mean everything to me."
Jake felt like his heart would explode. "I love you too." he answered honestly. "I never thought this would happen to me. Having a mate doesn't mean you have love but I love you." Jake kissed her. He tried to show her all his love in that tender passionate kiss.
Angela moaned and pressed her hands against his hard bare chest. She pulled away from him and stood up. He stood too, eyeing her hungrily.
"Are we alone?" she asked. Jake looked around and then back at her.
"Completely." he replied
She smiled and quickly pulled off her clothes and tossed them aside. "Let's go for a swim." she said and waded down into the river, sinking down and letting the cool water cover her breasts. Jake pulled his pants off and followed after her.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hungrily. He grabbed her legs and lifted them so she was floating on her back. He eyed her bright pink nipples greedily as they poked through the surface of the water. He moved his mouth across her skin until she was squirming and moaning beneath him.
Angela stood back on her feet and kissed him eagerly. She ran her hands down his chest and stomach until she found him hard and full and ready for her. He growled deep and pulled her arm away.
"You better stop or this will be over a little too quick."
Angela smiled wickedly. "Maybe we should get started then." she said.
He pulled her close and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Both of them gasped as he entered her and buried himself deeply within her. They sat there motionless enjoying the closeness.
"I talked to Bethany about something else.." Angela said, her face hidden in his neck.
Jake was thrown off by her words. "Why are we talking about my sister right now?"
"She told me that we aren't fully mated and explained to me what that means."
Jake growled and cursed loudly. "I'll wring her damn neck." Angela kissed him hard, no doubt to get his attention back on her. Jake was man enough to admit it worked perfectly.
"What do I have to say?" she asked.
He stared hard at her. "For what?" he asked with confusion.
"To be fully mated to you. Bethany said there was something we both had to say."
"You know what being fully mated means right? You know what you'd be sacrificing?"
Angela sighed and laid her hand on his cheek. "I know exactly what I would be gaining. A life forever with you instead of just the next 60 years or so."
He smiled. "Did she tell you about the life bond?"
She nodded. "I don't want to live without you, Jake. If something ever happened to you I would not want to go on."
"Are you sure about this?" Jake asked. He felt so much happiness in him he thought for sure he would burst.
"I'm sure." Angela replied. "Now what do I have to say?"
Jake could barely believe that this moment was truly happening. The mortal woman he loved was becoming his mate in every way. He would make sure that she never regretted her decision. "Repeat after me but change the names around."
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Angela's body was on fire but her mind was clear and focused on Jake as he continued to speak. "I, Jake, take this woman as my mate. To be eternally bonded to her and only her mind body and soul. My life is hers and hers is mine." He said speaking quietly but confidently as his golden eyes looked into hers.
Angela was surprised at the simplicity of the words and the feelings they stirred within her. She took a deep breath and repeated just as confidently, "I Angela, take this man as my mate. To be eternally bonded to him and only him mind body and soul. My life is his and his is mine."
Jake growled and kissed her passionately as his movements inside of her became faster. She bucked her hips hard against him surprised by the amount of uncontrollable passion coursing through her veins. The way they loved one another was wild and animialistic. Jakes golden eyes were filled with fire as he kissed her neck and brought his lips down to her shoulder. Then his teeth sharpened and without warning he sank them deep into her skin.
Angela cried out with a mixture of pain and surprise but that scream quickly turned to one of pure pleasure. Her body seemed to be soaring and she could not hold back her cries of delight as she shouted his name. ...
Suddenly without knowing why she had a strong urge to bite him the way he was biting her. Jake pulled his mouth away from her shoulder and looked in her eyes. He nodded when he saw the unspoken question in her eyes and she lost all control of herself and sank her teeth into his shoulder.
She found release as she felt his power flowing into her along with his blood. Jake called her name and jerked and shuddered against her.
They both stilled and Jake carried her back up the bank. He sat her gently on her feet and they dressed in silence.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked.
Angela looked around trying to understand why she suddenly felt so nervous. Then she looked at Jake who was shifting his feet and plucking at a bush and realized she was feeling his emotions. "Why are you nervous and why can I feel it?"
"You can feel my emotions, my pain and my pleasure now that we are fully mated just as I can feel yours. There is a link between us that can be opened and closed. You'll learn to control it." he replied. "And I guess I'm nervous because I'm afraid you are going to regret what just happened."
Angela thought back to the words they had shared, the feel of his teeth sinking into her skin and then she winced when she remembered sinking her teeth into his shoulder. She could still taste his blood in her mouth and feel the fire in her veins.
A glance at Jake's shoulder revealed that it was already healed. Only a faint scar remained. Angela reached a hand to her own shoulder and realized only a small scar remained there as well.
"You're immortal now, love, and you share my blood. That means you'll heal very quickly." Jake assured her.
She nodded. "Why did I want to bite you so badly?"
He smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. "It was your body reacting to the wolf in me biting you. It was part of the mating ritual." Angela thought back and remembered Bethany telling her that after the words there were a few tiny steps. That must have been the tiny steps she was talking about.
"Hold on! Am I a werewolf now?" she asked feeling almost excited.
Jake smiled. "No. You are immortal but other than that unchanged." Jake laughed at the disappointment on her face.
"Let's head back before someone comes looking for us." Angela said looping her arm through his.
"No regrets?" Jake asked as they started down the trail.
"About what just happened?" Angela asked. She could feel his tension and she laid her head on his arm as they walked. "I love you, Jake. You are my one and my only. I will never regret what just happened." She could feel his tension melt away. "I thought you were a battle hardened tough guy?" Angela said teasingly. "Are you always so nervous around women?"
Jake laughed loudly. "I love you." he said. "It's true I've been in hundreds of battles but I've only been in love once."
"How do I do that telepathic speech thing."
"That was a sudden change in topic." Jake said with a laugh.
"Sorry." Angela grinned. "But I can do it right?"
Jake smiled at her enthusiasm. "Yes, my love. You are a part of the family now so you can communicate with anyone in my family across long distances. To communicate with any other immortal, you'll have to be within sight of them."
(So I just think about who I want to talk to and then what I want to say?) she said without speaking.
(You're a natural.) Jake replied. Angela beamed with pride.
They walked the rest of the way to the house in a comfortable silence.
"Jake, have you seen your brothers face?" Rebecca demanded as they walked into the large living room.
"Yes, ma'am." Jake replied sounding almost sheepish.
"You better not ever do that again! Your father did not teach you how to fight so you could beat up your own family."
Jake kissed the top of his mothers head and Angela watched her anger melt away instantly. "I'm sorry, mom. I won't attack him again."
"Good... " Rebecca was suddenly very quiet as she looked at the two of them. She glanced at the scar on Jake's shoulder and looked into Angela's eyes before letting out a loud cry of happiness and throwing her arms around them both. "Oh Jake I am so happy that you've finally really settled down!" She turned her attention to Angela. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart."
Angela felt her eyes fill with tears as she nodded. "Thank you, Rebecca."
"Well it's getting late. Why don't you guys go on upstairs and get some rest?" Rebecca urged.
Jake and Angela happily went up to the bedroom, though sleeping was the last thing on their minds.
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A month came and went quickly and Angela learned a lot about her new family in that time.
She learned that they were indeed incredibly wealthy but very down to earth and not the least bit uppity or conceited like Tyler had been with all of his money.
Her new family was also very close and charmingly dysfunctional. Angela spent most of her time with Bethany and Raquel and the twins when she wasn't with Jake. Most of the family worked though it was more simply to fit in with the mortals since none of them needed the money.
Evan and Kent both worked in the nearby town. Evan as a mechanic and Kent as a carpenter. Jordan also worked in town as a secretary at the school that Kaylee and Kaylob attended. Raquel and Rebecca stayed home and took care of the house and the family. Bethany and Greg were runway models and would leave every few days for runway shows in different countries.
Angela discovered that everyone in the family except for the twins, who were eight, was well over one hundred years old. Jake was the oldest of Rebecca's children and after a lot of prodding he had finally admitted to Angela that he was 257 years old. Despite their true ages every adult in the family was an eternal twenty something because that was when immortals stopped physically aging.
In one of her late night talks with Rebecca, Angela had discovered that Jake's father, Charles, had refused to fully mate to Rebecca because he felt the life he led was too dangerous and hadn't wanted her life tied to his. That was why she continued to live after her mate had died.
It didn't take long for Angela to fall completely in love with her new family and every member in it.
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One afternoon while Jake and Angela were in the living room watching the twins coloring pictures he kneeled in front of where she was sitting on the couch so they were eye to eye.
"What is wrong with you, love?" he asked with concern. "I've been sensing your sadness all day and for the life of me I can't figure out why you are sad."
"I'm sorry, Jake. I guess I'm just missing my dad." Angela replied.
Jake smiled, happy that the problem was something so easy to fix. "We were under his strict instructions to invite him for a visit."
Angela smiled happily but then frowned again. "If he comes then my mother will come with him--I can't in good conscious sic her on your unsuspecting family."
"We're a family of dangerous immortal werewolves and you're worried about siccing your mother on us?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"You've met my mother, Jake." Angela said seriously.
"It'll be fine, Angela." Jake said kissing her cheek. "Go in the kitchen right now and give him a call. Tell him where the house is and give him directions to get here. You need to spend time with your family."
"Is that okay now that I'm immortal? I mean, isn't there rules against it?" she asked.
"No." Jake chuckled. "This isn't like the witness protection program. Technically it's frowned upon if we werewolves change in front of or attack mortals but there is no rules saying we can't hang out with them."
"Oh, Jake, thank you so much!" Angela said happily. She hugged him tightly and ran from the room toward the kitchen.
Evan dodged out of her way and glanced back at her as he walked into the living room.
"What is she so happy about?" he asked Jake.
"She's siccing her mommy on us." Kaylee said from the floor. Evan frowned at Jake who laughed.
"Daddy, what does siccing mean?" Kayleb asked.
"It means that Angela's parents are going to come visit us for a while." Jake answered.
"You gonna mate Angela in the mortal way? I mean that's usually what mortal dads want their daughters to do isn't it? Get married?" Evan asked.
Jake shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it and she hasn't mentioned it...."
"Trust me.. She's a woman and I've been mated and married to one for fifty years now. She has definitely thought about it. Your sister has never been mortal and even she wanted to get married." Evan said. Jake frowned and left the room to join Angela in the kitchen.
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