Shivers rolled down my spine as I gazed into eyes I thought I'd never see again. I was lost and honestly didn't want to be found. What was it about him that I could never look away?
"Why does your scent seem so familiar," the irritation in my brother's voice jolted me from my daze and I immediately dropped my hand. Just that quickly I'd forgotten that he was standing right beside me, watching like a hawk while my father stood just a few short feet away.
Taking a few short steps back, I looked up at Jaxon noticing his clenched jaw and the tension in his brows forming the very same scowl I'd seen way too many times today. Dominic looked at me with a smirk as I silently pleaded with my eyes and just as his lips parted to answer, my father stepped up placing his hand on Dominic's shoulder and intervened.
"I've been training Dominic since he was sixteen. You may remember his scent from when I'd take you to The Cage during your younger days."
Jaxon shook his head with his eyes still focused on Dominic. I could tell just from the way he was glaring at him that he'd already pieced things together. He was always known for his strong sense of smell that seemed to be heightened even more than the average wolf and the ability to memorize them.
"No, that's not it," he shifted his weight and would have been chest to chest with Dominic had it not been for me standing there. "This the guy from the beach?" He asked, barely moving his lips or taking his eyes off of Dominic.
"Jax!"
"What beach?" My father asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that both his son and his best trainee were engaged in an intense pissing match. Dominic smirked, again, pulling his eyes away from my brother to look at me for a brief moment before his lips parted with something that nearly caused me to faint.
"Jade and I met the other night when she decided to take a late night swim near my beach house. She was caught in the tides and nearly drowned. I ran in after her and took her to my home. Got her dried off and told her she could stay the night since I wasn't comfortable with her wandering around after something like that."
Asshole! I thought as my teeth grind together behind my lips. Jaxon was fuming just as much. I never planned to tell him about Dominic in detail or what really happened between us and judging by the look of anger and disappointment, I could tell he knew that.
He pried his eyes away from the man before him and glared at me with so much hurt, walking out with his hands balled at his sides. Dad on the other hand looked at me in bewilderment and then back at Dominic. His expression was as if he could walk on water at that moment. All the stories he'd shared with us about the man that saved his life in battle came with heavy praise. If dad didn't hold him in high regard before, he sure as hell did now.
He placed his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "I really appreciate that. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost my baby. That makes two reasons why I owe you. Why don't you stay for dinner? It's the least I could do to repay you, right now."
I shook my head discreetly, hoping he'd say no. Of course, he smiled widely and agreed.
"Great! I'll just go help Char finish things up and I'll let you know when it's ready." He smiled back then dashed off down the hall to the kitchen. From the corner of my eye I could see Dominic turning to face me and I refused to meet his gaze. Those eyes of his had a way of making my mind slip and after what he'd done I was not going to give in.
"Jade is a beautiful name." His voice came as a sweet caress to my ears. The way my name rolled off his tongue so easily gave me chills that I tried to hide by turning away from him and attempting to walk off. Before I could take even one step, his fingers slid within the small gap between my arm and my chest and he was pulling me into him so that I was completely in his arms. "Jade," I kept my eyes focused on my still crossed arms which were pressed against a very muscular chest. I wasn't even eye level with his shoulders, but because my boots had such a thick sole, there was an extra inch or two to thank for my current height. "Can I see your eyes, Jade?"
"No." I must have answered too quickly, signaling my desire to give in to his request because he laughed. I couldn't help but close my eyes. Even that had an impact on me.
He tilted my head back with his forefinger. I tried not to look up, but the further my head went back, more of his face came into view causing my heart to take off. His face was so close, too close. I could see the regrowth of stubble on his chin and had to fight back the urge to steal a kiss and trace his lips with my tongue.
Once my eyes landed on his I felt like I was caught in that same whirlwind that had me pinned against the wall ready to give myself to this stranger in so many ways that it almost hurt. I watched as they moved back and forth from mine to my lips and I secretly hoped he was planning to let me feel them again, completely careless to the fact that my parents were in the other room. While his hands slipped into my hair, he trailed his thumbs across my cheeks causing my eyes to close with the sigh that escaped through my nose.
"I packed up everything I could carry and came all this way with no intention of resting until I saw these eyes again. Open them for me, Jade." Still I refused. "Is this my punishment for marking you?" I felt his lips nearing mine but I turned away. "I apologize for my wolf's lack of control, but I have to admit that he has great taste." I smirked, opened my eyes and rolled them so hard that he laughed once again, trying to get me to look at him.
"If that were the case he wouldn't have picked me since I already have a mate."
Dominic's arms stiffened around me and his attempts to get me to look at him ceased. His chest heaved underneath my arms and it took everything in me not to look up to see if his eyes had darkened. I did look up just enough to see that his jaw was clenched and his pulse was beating rapidly in his neck. I could feel his eyes on me, willing me to look up at him or to speak and just when I was about to, the doorbell chimed.
Frantically I ran my fingers through my hair to make sure Dominic's mark was covered while avoiding his eyes once again as I made my way to the door.
"Hi Jade." My jaw dropped slightly seeing Marissa on my doorstep, nervously gnawing on her lower lip. "I uh... really wanted to talk to you about everything. Can I come in?"
All I could do was stare. Did this chick really think after everything, she could just pop up and talk to me civilly? I may not be able to shift but the anger I felt towards her was more than enough to make me do some pretty violent things. Suddenly remembering Dominic, I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, not wanting her to see him and end up losing him to her, too.
Shit. Was I really going there with him?
Leaning against the cool brick wall, I crossed my arms, looking her up and down with a smirk that was nothing short of disgust.
"What you saw is not what you think!" She blurted out as she shoved her hands into her thick blonde hair, pacing back and forth. "I didn't know what else to do, but I knew I had to do something. I don't want Cameron. I never planned for things to hurt you this badly. I just thought that maybe if you saw the real him you'd let your bond break."
I chuckled my bemusement, shaking my head, "So you slept with my mate just to show me that he's no good? Great! Thanks for being such an awesome friend, Marissa. I wonder why in the hell Kenya never thought of that."
I laughed again as I pushed off the wall beside my front door reaching for the knob. Marissa's hand slid over mine and before I knew what was going on, she had me pinned against the door with her body as she stared deep into my eyes.
"I did it so you'd let him go and hopefully come to me." Once again I was looking at her with my mouth agape, unsure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. "Come on, Jade, don't tell me you never knew that I felt this way about you. I purposely had sleepovers just to cuddle with you while we watched scary movies. I've always complimented your hair and the fact that you don't need makeup."
I wouldn't have thought any of this was real until her stare was emphasized by a slight raising of her brows. It was almost as if she was willing me to remember those times. Eventually, Marissa sighed, looking up at the sky for a second.
"See, you never noticed. Not even how I pulled away from you and Kenya. It's supposed to be against our nature, but everything about you goes against our nature, too." She paused again and when I didn't say a word, she continued. "You finding your mate was the worse day of my life, because I knew that jackass Cameron would never see how amazing you really are and when he rejected you I saw my chance, Jade. My chance to try to win your heart."
Still wide eyed, I shook my head in disbelief. The entirety of our friendship had consisted of some strange things that I overlooked and, now, made a lot of sense. Marissa was overly affectionate with me. Very touchy. When Cameron would play the loving mate in front of our parents, she was always in a sour mood. Still, the fact remained that Marissa had a mate out there somewhere and still screwed mine for something that would never work out.
"So you're telling me that you helped drive a wedge between me and my mate for your own gain?"
"He doesn't appreciate you and you heard him say he never will! He is not your forever, Jade!"
"And you're not either! You have a mate out there somewhere and when you meet them, everything you think you feel for me will cease to exist. Even if I were to consider this, I'd be left high and dry when that day comes! You didn't think this through completely, Marissa and it shows. I'm sorry if there was anything I did to make you feel like there would ever be something between us. That's not going to happen, ever. At this point, I don't think we can go back to being friends."
I shrugged her off of me and pushed my way into the house. She was still calling for me when I slammed the door and fell back against it. I don't know what pissed me off more. The fact that she'd done that just to get to me or the fact that deep down I know that Cameron would have cheated on me with anyone given the chance.
"Dinner's ready!" My mother called out from the dining room.
Pulling myself away from the door I noticed Dominic standing a few short feet away from me with a hurt look in his eyes. He backed away, disappearing down the hall, leaving me to question why the pained look in his eyes bothered me so deeply.
***
I woke up the next morning with a burning sensation replacing the strange tingling that surrounded the bite. Adding insult to injury, there was a heaviness over my heart. During dinner last night I tried my best to avoid looking at Dominic, but felt him stealing glances every so often. Filled with a sadness that I couldn't explain, I excused myself and closed myself off in my room like I'd intended to before I heard the voice of a man that was slowly consuming every thought in my head.
Not only am I stuck with this man on my mind, I'm stuck thinking about Marissa's weird confession and the look on Jaxon's face before he left. I should have told him the whole truth. I know I should have. I honestly thought I'd never see Dominic again and that I could put it all behind me.
Much like yesterday, this day was taking a turn for the worse. First, I went to my brother's room hoping to clear the air, only to find that he was already gone. I tried his phone, but it stopped ringing and went straight to voicemail. An obvious sign that he was ignoring my calls. Making my way downstairs I was met by silence instead of my mother's usually chat session with Braden's mother, Loral, as she moved through the kitchen skillfully cooking breakfast with the phone between her shoulder and her ear. Instead of a wrapped plate of hot food that I could really use right now, I found a note saying she'd gone with Loral to catch the early bird shopping specials and my dad had gone to The Cage. That came as no surprise to me since it was his job to train the fighters and he built that center from ground up.
Worst of all, my car wouldn't start and I had no other way to get to school.
Huffing out a frustrated breath, I yanked my bag off the seat and began walking toward campus, kicking myself for not changing out of my three inch leather boots and not grabbing a jacket to go over my exposed shoulder, courtesy of the one sleeve on my sweater, which kept falling down.
Before I even made it to the halfway point my feet started aching. With each step I took I felt like something hard and sharp was digging into them. Damn I wish I would have just stayed in bed today. The wind blew a chilly breeze into my hair, causing it to whip into my face and stick to my glossed lips.
Frustrated and over the whole damned day already, I stopped and pulled off my boots, sighing as the cold concrete eased the pain within my sore feet. After a few minutes, I threw them in my oversized bag and continued walking. The wind seemed to pick up more and since I was walking barefoot, I had very little leverage to help me fight against the strong gusts that were blowing me around like a leaf.
Someone on a tricked out black and red motorcycle rode past me bringing another gust of wind that blew my hair in my eyes. I should have just said 'screw it' and gone back home. Really. Days like this get worse before they get better. Sometimes the best thing to do is go to bed and start over the next day. I needed that desperately.
As I stopped and looked back over my shoulder contemplating it, the person on the bike circled back, stopped beside me, and watched me from behind the tinted shield of his helmet.
"Jade?"
I groaned, knowing that voice right away. Dominic pulled his helmet off and ran his fingers through his hair so smoothly I felt like I was watching a very sexy shampoo commercial and really wished it was my hand running through his thick brown locks. It looked sexier sticking up and out of place due to his helmet. Really sexy. I watched him, fantasizing as he hit the kickstand and slowly sauntered towards me unable to stop undressing him with my eyes. I couldn't help but look at his crotch while he walked.
"Need a ride?"
Only if it involves both of us being naked.
Oh shit.
I shook my head and tried to blink away those thoughts. "No, no I'm fine." I turned my back to him, but he caught my wrist before I could get away. He turned me to face him and pinned me in place with those dreamy melted chocolate eyes that appeared to be even more intense under the day's natural light.
"I don't know how much more of you despising me I can take."
"What I do shouldn't even matter to you. That's why they call it one night stands. You have one night and forget about it. Luckily for us both, that one night didn't really happen. So, the next step is to forget it."
I managed to pull my arm out of his grip, but he caught it again and held me still as he advanced and towered over me like an intimidating giant. The tension in his brows and darkness in his eyes displayed anger that made my entire body quiver... in a good way.
With his free hand he trailed it up my neck, into my hair to move it away from the mark that he brushed gently with his fingertips. His touch induced a moan that I couldn't hold back. He released my hand and gripped my hip firmly before forcefully pulling me into him so that I could feel his response to the sound I'd just made and I had to bite down on my lip just to keep from doing it again.
Dominic leaned further into me, kissing the corner of my pursed lips, then up my jaw line, and huskily whispered into my ear, "See what you do to me, Jade? Everything from your fiery attitude to the way you think you can resist me, stirs my wolf. He wants you so badly and is begging me to let him have control just so he can show you that you're his and this," he lowered his head and ran his tongue along the mark making me moan again as heat pooled within my core. He returned to my ear with a gentle nip, "This proves it."
A part of me wanted to dispute that. However, I couldn't even bring myself to speak. My lips parted and only light moans and sighs came out. I'm not his. I can't be. Every sign we were taught to identify our mates: the tingles when we touch, heightened desire, inability to look away, and feeling of love silently spoken, shutting the rest of the world out, were all present with Cameron. Oddly enough, I'm feeling those things with Dominic, now.
In his stare alone I feel needed, wanted, and as if I was the only girl in the world. His skin coming in contact with mine didn't spark tingles, yet gave me warmth that spread through me like wildfire. Filled me with an undying need to act out fantasies that I didn't even know I was capable of dreaming up. When I was in his arms and looking into his eyes, I was on a cloud that I never wanted to come down from. Then I was reminded each time I think of the word 'mate' that he's not it and suddenly my cloud dissipates into nothingness. A dream I need not to have for my own sanity or at least what's left of it.
"This isn't real, Dominic." He pulled back and positioned himself so that his face was a few inches away from mine, scanning my eyes as if he were trying to figure out if he'd imagined me speaking. "You claimed me. That's the only reason you feel like you want me. But it was a mistake. Outside of this mark, there is nothing between us and we really should stop before things go too far." I lowered my eyes unable to bear the emotions pouring through them. My heart clenched in my chest as I spoke each of those words and deep down I knew that that was more of a mistake than the feelings I got in this man's presence.
"My wolf recognizes you as him mate and there is no mistake in that. Even before I claimed you I felt a pull, Jade. I can't sense your wolf, but mine is telling me that you're his."
My heart clenched again, this time out of sadness. Slipping my hands over his, I pried them away and stepped back, avoiding his gaze, and fighting tears.
"That's because I don't have one. My gene is dormant. I can't hear my wolf, I don't shift, and it's the reason why I was on the beach that night. My mate that I told you about last night thinks I'm a... defect. He doesn't want his kids to be a mistake like I am. So, he rejected me. As much as it hurts to think about it, it's my reality. I'm his mate."
I felt like a baby for allowing the silent stream of tears to pool in the corners of my eyes and furiously swiped them as they rolled onto my cheeks. Cameron not wanting me seemed to hurt a lot more when I said the words out loud. Pulling my shoes out of my bag I quickly placed them on my feet and looked up at Dominic reluctantly.
"Maybe now that you know I'm a disappointment to our kind and not what you probably thought I was, you can move on."
I couldn't bear to see the disgust that I knew was probably in his eyes so I stormed off as quickly as my aching feet could carry me with tears burning a path down my cheeks. A grip on the back of my shirt spun me around until I was facing Dominic once again. He brought his lips down on mine pulling me into a passionate kiss that made my knees go weak as I melted into him. His tongue traced the entire curve of my upper lip before sliding past my parted lips pulling me into a much deeper kiss that took my breath away. To end it, he pecked them individually and pulled my head back peering down through his long dark lashes.
"You're my mate, Jade. I know you are. I feel it. You were sent to me with a broken heart that I fully intend to fix. All I need is one chance and I'll make sure you never remember what it feels like to be unhappy or unwanted."
Out of shock and total disbelief I just gaped at him. He wants me? But what about his mate, his real mate? I honestly don't think I could survive him finding her and can't bring myself to ask him that very question. A part of me hates the idea that there is someone out there that with one look, will own his heart and end the confusion he feels toward me. Something inside of me really wants him and is pushing me deeper into his arms.
His finger pressed against my lips when they parted, successfully keeping me from protesting before he pulled off his leather jacket and put it on me. Leading me back to his bike by hand, he placed the helmet on me, hopped on, and then helped me onto the back of it. Seeing the books peeking out of my bag when I put my shoes on must have told him where I was headed, because he drove off without a single word until we reached our destination.
With Dominic's help again, I climbed off the bike and he followed, carefully taking the helmet off of me and fixed my hair by gently raking it with his fingers. I smiled at the way he fluffed it and tossed it over my shoulder in the same manner I would have. People walking by were watching us, staring and whispering like they always did in my presence and for once, I didn't care. They could gossip about me getting off the back of a motorcycle with a hot guy all they wanted because I sure as hell planned to do the same when I found Kenya.
Once content with the way my hair was, Dominic leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss on my chin and chuckled as I sighed in response.
"Lance wants me to come by The Cage so he can convince me to work for him. After that I want to see you."
"And what if I don't want to see you?" Rather than showing him that the hint of aggression in his tone turned me on, I quirked an eyebrow, dropping my previous smile into a slight frown. I was fighting to shake off the urge to bite his lower lip. While I don't mind word getting back to Cameron that I was being doted on by a hot guy, I don't think me kissing him will go over too well. But then again, he did screw my friend even if it was just a plot for her to get to me.
To hell with him.
I pressed up on my toes and dragged my tongue along his bottom lip and watched his eyes close as he exhaled slowly through his nose. The arm around my waist jerked me closer to him causing me to squeal, but even with me flush against his hard body it wasn't enough. I can't explain it, but I want more than anything to feel every inch of my body covered with his. To be as close to him as our bare bodies would allow.
He bit his lower lip as a dull growl rolled within his chest, "You don't have a choice. Remember, I know where you live and now that your scent in embedded in my brain, I can and will hunt you down if you try to run, again."
I smirked this time, "Am I supposed to be scared?"
His lips twisted into a smile that reached the very depths of my soul. Although bright and breathtaking it was dark and sexy, too. Especially when his eyes locked on mine as he brought his lips dangerously close, "You should be. I'm not as nice as I may seem and I do bite." I shivered in his arms and with strength I didn't know I had, I pulled away, shrugging off his jacket when his hands came up and stilled my movements. "Keep it. I like the way it looks on you."
I smiled probably a little too hard and began backpedaling toward the building with my eyes still locked on his. If I didn't leave him now, I never would. Turning reluctantly I walked off with a smile despite the stares I was getting. I was on that cloud again, floating so high that nothing the wolves around me could do or say at this moment would bring me down.
The halls were oddly empty. Normally there'd be so many bodies filling the space to capacity, making me squeeze through every small space I spotted just to get to where I was going. As I was passing the men's bathrooms at the end of the hall a hand shot out and pulled me inside, slamming me against the wall beside the door. The impact of my back hitting the hard stone wall caused such a loud thud that I screamed. Looking up from the hand that was balled up with my shirt clenched within a fist, I saw the fury in Cameron's eyes and shrunk back from the intensity of inky black eyes burning holes straight through my soul.
He sniffed the air around me and growled, "Who the fuck is he?" I jolted at his tone too scared to speak or even look away. "ANSWER ME! WHO THE FUCK IS HE?"
"I―I―"
"You're a whore is what you are! You were quick to run back and tell your brother that I broke your little heart, but did you tell him what you did to me? That you're fucking some other wolf?!" I swear I heard pain in his voice masked by the venom he spat at me.
"Cam, I didn't―" He cut me off by pushing my head to the side harshly revealing the mark on my neck. A ferocious growl echoed off of each of the walls and the metal doors of the stalls.
"Lying bitch! We felt this and because of you, my wolf is losing strength! The only reason I didn't say anything yesterday is because I couldn't seem to connect with him fully and I refused to let you have the satisfaction of knowing. Now that he's in control, I won't lose him again!"
My heart dropped into my stomach as my fear grew immensely.
His canines elongated as his free hand went into my hair exposing my neck to him further. Lunging forward he sunk his razor sharp teeth into the other side of my neck causing a blood-curdling scream to rip from my lungs. Like a vicious dog, he shook furiously making sure to cause me as much pain as possible. With a twisting motion, he dug his teeth deeper into my flesh and despite the fight, I gave to keep my eyes open, I was overcome by darkness.