New Beginnings (21 page)

“Enough. Stop.” He growled at Victoria.
“You’ll kill her.”

Victoria withdrew and slashed her wrist open
with her teeth, letting her blood fill the wound. He really saw the
wound for the first time and it scared the hell out of him. All of
his Alpha magic churned through him as he snarled, “Jess, damn it.
Open your fucking eyes.”

Her eyes snapped open to glare up at him,
but then her expression softened as her gaze locked on his. “Don’t
order me around, baby.” She whispered.

“Only when I think I’m gonna lose you, love”
he promised.

All the noise stopped except for the
collective intake of breath. Then there was a round of ooh’s and
ah’s.

Jess surprised him then. She pushed herself
up to a sitting and flipped off the roomful of people. Then she
took his face in her hands, and kissed him long and slow.

When she finally pulled away, she announced,
“So yeah, we mated. Mind your own damned business.”

Slater stood and lifted her in his arms.
“I’m taking my mate home to make sure she’s okay. We’ll be back
eventually.”

Quiet, shy Lincoln came over. “I’ll take
care of everything, Jess.” He placed a hand over the pink puckered
flesh of Jess’ chest and kissed her forehead. There was a flash of
brilliant light. Before Slater could figure out what the hell was
going on, Lincoln took a quick step back and gave her a beatific
smile. “Don’t argue with Slater. He’ll take care of you.”

Peace and calm flooded Slater and he just
nodded, almost as if he couldn’t stop himself. He walked through
the crowd that parted for him, and out the doors.

Once outside, Jess put her hand on his
chest. “Wait,” she looked down at herself and felt where the wound
had been.

He looked too. It was fully healed.

Her eyes went wide. “Put me down.”

He grumbled, but did as she asked. “Are you
sure you’re okay to walk? Victoria took a lot of your blood? I’m
not sure what Lincoln did, but there is no way you’re
recovered.”

She rolled her pretty blue eyes. “Yeah, I
was near death there, but I’m fine.”

His eyes shot up to hers and he gasped. “You
knew and you didn’t tell me?”

She shoved her hair behind her ears and
sighed heavily. “Why worry you? I couldn’t change it. I only knew I
woke up to find you in tears. I lived. We’re both fine now. So it
works.”

Scooping her closer, he meshed his mouth
over hers and caressed her tongue in a sweet dance.

“I love you,” he whispered when he finally
pulled away. “Let’s get you home and changed. Then we can figure
out what the hell happened.”

She nodded. “It wasn’t Liam who shot me.”
She shook her head. “It was Gregory, wasn’t it?”

“I don’t think he meant too, but we’ll talk
to him after you’re not a bloody mess.”

She eyed him up and down. “Bloody mess? I
got news for you, babe. You’re pretty bloody messy yourself.” She
winked and strode off to his truck. “Call Brody, he can drive us
back.”

Jess moved to the guest bathroom so she
wouldn’t make a mess of their room, and stripped out of her blood
soaked clothes. She felt fine. In fact, her shoulder looked fine,
except the blood.

Slater came in behind her and brushed his
fingertips over where the bullet hole was supposed to be. “I can’t
believe it’s just gone.”

Jess knew that was mostly Lincoln, but if it
hadn’t been for Victoria sucking out the silver poisoning, she
would be done. She owed both of them big time.

“I’m fine, Slater. We still need to talk to
Gregory.”

He got all growly. “I don’t want you
anywhere near the bastard who shot you?”

She laughed and turned around. “I don’t
think he meant to. You said it yourself. We do need to talk to him.
He’s stupid, but he will go back home and leave me alone after
this. I promise.” There was hope for the dumbass yet.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“And you,” she teased but stepped away from
the warmth of his embrace to climb into the shower and turn it
on.

Jess just hoped the bar was cleaned up by
the time she got back. She couldn’t wrap her head around what had
happened. It was all a blur. The only thing that was clear to her
was that Slater was hers and they were okay.

Still, something seemed disjointed.

“What is it?”

She shrugged, and then felt his body press
up against her back.

“Talk to me, Jess,” she warned.

“Are you going to kill him?”

He snorted. “Gregory?”

“Yeah.” Maybe that was the problem. She
didn’t want him to die if he really was trying to help. Even if he
fucked it all up like everything he did.

“Sweetheart, I’m not going to kill him. I’m
going to talk to him, first. If it turns out he wanted you dead
because you mated me… well, then all bets are off.”

She flipped around and glared up at him, but
he smiled down at her. “You better hear him out.”

“I have every intention of it now that I
know you’re in one piece and in my arms. You’re everything to me,
and I’m not going to attempt to hide that. I can’t. Not now.”

Good, because the whole pack knows that I’m
your mate. I’m half surprised they didn’t burst out in
applause.”

He laughed, “Probably better they didn’t.
You were pissed when you came around.”

She ducked her eyes, but a sheepish smile
curved her mouth, “You ordered me to wake up. I don’t like
orders.”

“I know, but I wasn’t going to lose you.”
His hands curled under her ass as he lifted her. Her legs wrapped
around his waist just before her back hit the wall and he glided
deep inside. “Mine, and I’m yours, and I’m not letting you go for
anything. You can kick my ass later for ordering you to wake up,
but you were fading. I needed you to know that you couldn’t leave
me.”

Jess moaned long and deep when he found her
end. “Forgiven. Now shut up and fuck me like you mean it.”

“Not slow?”

“No, need answers. Hard fast, then we go.”
Her nails dug into his ass as he slid out and drove home like he
needed to be one with her. “Better.”

He grunted and withdrew, only to slam in
harder. She loved the way he made her feel. His rhythm picked up
and he didn’t disappoint.

“Mine,” he rasped out.

“Mine,” she repeated.

His mouth covered hers, his tongue matching
what their bodies were doing. It was hard and fast but so damned
good. They both spiraled over into release as they drowned in the
kiss.

He stood there for a moment, his forehead
against hers as he tried to catch his breath. “Don’t ever scare me
like that again.”

“Yeah, ‘cause that was all my fault.” She
snickered and pushed him back. “Tonight you can make love to me all
night long. Now let’s go.”

“You’re right.” The two best words any man
could say came out of his mouth as easily as anything could. Their
connection was back and solid, and she was happy, even after all
the chaos.

* * * *

Brody pulled up just in time for Slater and
Jess to step outside. He looked a little shell shocked, but he
waved as Slater took Jess’ hand and pulled her toward the
truck.

Slater opened the door and lifted Jess
inside to sit in the back.

She turned around and narrowed her eyes at
him. “I’m fine. We covered this.”

“You’re also little, and his truck isn’t
tiny,” he kissed her nose and climbed into the front seat.

“Yes, but my attitude makes up for my
size.”

Brody closed his eyes, and shook his head.
“The jail?”

“Yes. And Brody, I know you never asked for
this,” Slater reached over to squeeze his shoulder, “but you’re my
second now.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I sort of figured that. I
can handle it. I always do. I’m sorry I didn’t stop her from
getting hurt.”

Jess thumped Brody upside the head. “Hush,
Brody. You couldn’t know someone else was going to shoot anyone.
You stopped Liam from blowing my brains out, and if you haven’t
noticed,” she pulled her shirt aside to show her perfect shoulder,
“I’m totally fine.”

Brody glanced back and then stopped the
truck to stare. “Shit, Jess. Blood was all over the place. You had
a hole straight through you. How the hell is it gone? That was
silver.”

Slater coughed. “Victoria sucked out the
silver poisoning. She helped heal it. I’m still not sure how it’s
completely better, but she’s fine.”

Brody nodded and went back to driving. “So,
second, huh?”

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to do any more
than I already do. You’ve been my go to guy since you became a
wolf. You’re trustworthy, and unfortunately, Liam stopped being
reliable a long time ago.”

Brody nodded but didn’t offer his
opinion.

“Speak your mind, son. I want to know what
you think.”

“He’d been slipping since I met him. My
becoming enforcer didn’t help shit, but I guarantee he wasn’t right
in the head long before that happened.

“You’re right. I just hate that I refused to
see it sooner.” Slater sat back in his seat and pushed his hands
through his hair. It was still loose to let it dry.

Jess’ small hands massaged his shoulders and
she leaned close to whisper in his ear, “Stop stressing babe. He
was an old friend. It’s understandable. You wanted to see the best.
It’s easy to miss the bad when you’re so close. Let it go.”

He nodded and turned his head to steal a
quick kiss. “Thank you.”

* * * *

Back and forth Jess went. Part of her wanted
to beat the shit out of Gregory because ultimately it was his fault
Slater nearly panicked. The other part of her just felt sorry for
the stupid as shit bastard.

She walked back to the cells. Hayden gave
her a funny look before his eyes slid to her shoulder and back to
her eyes.

“Yes, I’m all better. Don’t stress,” she
told him.

He nodded, a smirk quirking his lips. He
patted her back and she got a glimpse of him sprawled on his back
with a little nymph with purple hair draped over him. She froze and
rubbed her eyes. Amethyst was still just a kid in her mind, she
didn’t want to see her and the big bad earth fae all rough and
tumble, but she felt the love between them.

“What is it?” He asked gruffly.

Slater paused to look at her.

With wide eyes, she shook her head.
“Nothing.”

The good sheriff nodded and left them
alone.

Gregory was a mess. He was hunched in the
corner of the cell, tears streaming down his face. Slater crying
over her tore at her heart. She just wanted to laugh at Gregory,
and maybe that wasn’t fair, but the shooting was his fault.

“Greg, knock it off, and talk. Slater’s not
going to kill you, unless you give him a reason to.”

Slater moved closer, but he was relaxed,
even though his tone was gruff. “We just need to talk. I need to
know what happened. You’ll notice that I was busy worrying about
my
mate.”

Gregory blubbered, “He… he had the gun
pointed at her… her head. I wanted to st… stop him. I couldn’t let
him hurt her.” He finally looked at Jess. “You’re all right? I… I
didn’t kill you? You aren’t a ghost?”

She laughed out loud. He was so damned
pathetic. “No. I’m fine. Now tell us why you were here in
place.”

“Liam convinced me you weren’t happy here.
That Slater was holding you here even though you wanted to come
back to me. I just lost it and came out here, and… and….”

Slater cleared his throat. “Who were you
trying to shoot?”

“Liam, of course. I may have screwed up with
Jess, but she’s a good woman. I was trying to protect her. I can’t.
Obviously.” He broke down, just sobbing.

Slater guided her back out to the lobby. He
half laughed. “Yeah, I get why you were avoiding the pathetic
bastard.”

“Don’t remind me,” she grumbled.

“He can go home, but if he ever comes here
again without a really damned good reason, I’ll send him packing
with a few injuries of his own.”

“Fair enough.” She sighed in relief.

“Hayden, make sure he gets on the first
plane back to San Francisco when he’s not a blubbering mess.”

“Will do.” Hayden nodded.

Two months later, Jess was staring at
herself in a full length mirror in some snazzy hotel suite in
Vegas. Her wedding gown was simply exquisite without being insanely
over the top. It was silk, strapless, and had subtle beading on the
bodice. The skirt flowed to the floor without a pesky train.

She couldn’t get over how beautiful she
looked. Her hair was pulled back from her face and done in loose
waves.

The door opened and Jess looked over her
shoulder to see Victoria walk in with a sour expression. She waved
her hand up and down, “Everything is in place, why the wait?”

Jess glanced at the clock and back at
Victoria. “Nervous. Why did you leave Slater? You’re the Best
Woman.”

“I’m also walking you down the aisle.
Besides, Slater is down there getting antsy.

Jamie came out of the bathroom and snapped
at her, “Seriously Jess, hurry your ass up already.”

Jess smoothed her hands down the elegant
fabric. “I can’t believe I let him talk me into this.” She
sighed.

Victoria pulled her hands away. “Listen
doll, Slater is going to love this dress. Trust me. It’s beautiful.
Now let’s get down there before he thinks you ran away.”

“Pfft, as if,” Jess snorted. “That man is
stuck with me.”

“Yeah, well he was grumbling just a moment
ago that you were taking too long,” Vic challenged.

Her brows shot up. “It’s not even time
yet.”

Jamie laughed out loud. “He’s the Alpha, I
can’t imagine he wants to wait for his woman.”

Jess shot her twin a look. “Just remember.
You promised not to tell Fallon. I can just imagine what she’ll
think.”