18. Jace

I should have said no. Should have told her we needed to wait longer, get to know each other more. That would have been the smart thing to do, but my wolf had no patience for that. If I was honest, I didn't have the patience, either.

Growling, I stood, picked her up, and strode down the hall toward my bedroom. My heart slammed in my chest in time with hers. Our bodies pressed against each other, her heat mixing with mine. I'd never felt so much desire as I did at that very moment. Her scent was driving me wild, ripping at any vestige of hesitation I had.

Our clothes went flying as soon as we were on the bed—torn off, pulled down, tossed aside. The sexy one-piece set of lingerie had me grinning slyly at her.

"What's this, now?" I whispered.

Kirsten shrugged, and an enticing pink flush crept up from her chest into her cheeks. "I thought you'd like it."

"I do, but it'll look better on the floor."

I peeled the garment off her, revealing the treasure beneath, and I took a moment to appreciate her body. Curvaceous and taut, her breasts heaving with her breath. Hard, dark brown nipples begging to be licked. I lunged forward, dragging her to me, wrapping my lips around the right nipple, suckling and licking the flesh. The saltiness of her flesh, the tightness of her skin, the sound of her gasping a moan caused my cock to stiffen ramrod straight, pressing against my underwear.

Grazing her opposite breast with my free hand, I circled her nipple with my tongue. Kirsten looked down, watching me with an open-jawed look of pleasurable excitement. Her eyes goaded me on. Running my other hand down her stomach, I teased her with featherlight touches until I found the hot, wet spot between her legs.

"Oh my god," Kirsten groaned, throwing her head back, and I thrust my fingers into her as I flicked her nipple with my tongue.

Reaching forward, Kirsten moved with shaking hands, twisting to get at my boxers. Cool, smooth fingers dipped under my waistband. A sigh of pleasure pulled my lips from her chest as she wrapped her hand around my throbbing cock and pulled it free to stroke me slowly.

She met my eyes. "Do you like that?"

"Yes," I growled, moving my hips in time to her hand.

"I want you inside me," she whispered.

With a grin, I said, "Not yet."

She gave me a sexy pout, but it vanished when I pulled free of her hand, parted her legs, and buried my face in her soaking wet pussy. She cursed, moaned, and cursed again, clutching at my hair as I devoured her. My tongue slid along the full length of her pussy, circling the clit, sucking on it, then sliding back down to fuck her with my tongue. I did that again and again until she was squirming and bucking her hips against my face.

"Oh, god," she panted, thrusting her pelvis toward my mouth. "You're gonna make me come."

"Good." I wanted her to come. I wanted to make her scream my name and thrash in pleasure. I wanted to bestow one orgasm after another on her with my mouth, my fingers, and my cock. My wolf howled in my head, triumphant in his happiness and desire to pleasure her, to give her all that we could.

With my lips wrapped around her clit, I thrust a finger into her, and that sent her over the edge. She dug her nails into the sheets, nearly tearing them as her body rocked in ecstasy. Her stomach muscles clenched as she tried to sit forward, absorbing the pleasure I gave her. Her mouth hung open, face flushed, the pulse in her neck thrumming as the wave of ecstasy washed over her.

Before she'd managed to recover, I rose up, nestled myself between her legs, and slid the full length of my cock into her, slipping deep, gliding along until my stomach was pressed to her. She clenched around me, her legs twining around my waist.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," she cursed through gritted teeth. "Yes. Oh, God, yes. More," she hissed, digging her heels into my ass, urging me deeper. "Fuck me, Jace. Please."

There may have never been better words to hear in the entire history of the universe. Happy to oblige, I did as she asked. Sliding in and out, slowly at first, but picking up speed. A sexy smile spread across Kirsten's lips as I crashed into her body, her nails digging into my shoulders.

Never in my life had my wolf been so happy. Neither had I, for that matter. Feeling her, being with her, was like heaven. Finding your mate was a life-altering moment. Every shifter knew it, but I'd never imagined it could be like this.

Our sweat-slicked skin slipped against each other, and our bellies met with each thrust. Kirsten's body was tensing again, another orgasm imminent. My own was rapidly approaching.

"I'm gonna come," I groaned. "Is it okay?"

She nodded. "Come. Come for me. Don't pull out."

"Fuck."

I lowered my forehead to her chest, moving faster, until fireworks seemed to erupt in my balls and pelvis, sending cascading waves of pleasure through me. Kirsten twitched and trembled under me, moaning as her own climax flashed hot and powerful through her.

My movements became slow, languid. In and out, slower and slower, until I buried myself within her and collapsed onto her, breathing deeply, intoxicated by her scent.

"Holy fuck," Kirsten muttered into my ear, panting for breath. "That was… really fucking good."

At last, I pulled free and sprawled next to her. I pulled her close to me, pressing my body to hers. We both lay there silent, enjoying each other's presence. Now that the initial high was fading, I was able to think clearly again. The connection we'd shared had been bone-deep for me. It had been like being reunited with a part of myself I hadn't known was missing. I wanted to ask her if she'd experienced the same deep connection I had but hesitated, worried it had been one-sided.

Kirsten broke the silence by beating me to the punch. "You are my tether," she said. "I'm sure of it. There's no way that would have been as intense with anyone else. It was almost like we were one person for a while there."

Relief, cool and welcome, washed over my mind. "And I'm positive you're my fated mate. Not from the curse, but because of destiny. You're one with me and my wolf."

Kirsten sat up, her breasts swinging gently, and even though I was exhausted, stirrings of arousal began to form again at the sight of her.

"Can I see him?"

"See who?" I asked dumbly.

She swatted my chest. "Your wolf. Like, up close and personal."

"Oh." I blinked at her. "Sure. Now?"

"Why not?"

A strange excitement filled me at the thought of letting the deepest part of myself out for her to see. How would she react? Would she be afraid? Shocked? Indifferent? I swallowed hard, hoping she would be happy.

I climbed off the bed and looked at her. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, and a moment later, I sat on my haunches before her, looking up from the floor where my wolf now sat. I stared into her eyes, trying to get a read on her emotions.

"Wow," she said, easing off the bed to run her fingers through my fur and smiling.

Relief flooded through me at her reaction. She gazed at me with such wonder in her eyes as she dragged her fingertips through my fur. The elation and relaxation that came with her touch made me whine with happiness.

Her hand on me was a wonderful sensation I'd yearned to feel my entire life. My mate—my fated mate—this close, caressing me, her hands and fingers petting me like that felt amazing. I closed my eyes in rapture as she scratched under my chin and behind my ears. I licked her hand as she pulled away. Reluctantly, I shifted back, standing again. All I really wanted was to sit there and let her pet me for hours.

"And?" I asked.

"You're a cute wolf," she said, her gaze sliding down my naked body. "But this view is hotter."

That night, I had the best sleep of my life, completely and totally at ease in a way I'd never felt before. Having Kirsten asleep beside me, having my mate right there in my arms, lulled me to sleep. Kirsten must have experienced the same relaxing effects because I didn't feel her stir the whole night.

She was still snoring lightly when I woke and eased out of bed. After putting on pajama bottoms and flip-flops, I headed downstairs to make breakfast. Hopefully, she liked bacon and eggs. If I was feeling frisky, I might even try my hand at homemade biscuits. Would that be showing off after the dinner I made the night before? I wasn't sure.

While the bacon cooked in the oven, I cleared last night's dishes from the table. That done, I went about making the biscuit dough and cutting the pieces out, all the while replaying the night in my mind.

A knock sounded at the door while I was scrambling eggs. "Hello? Jace?"

"Stephanie?" I leaned around the corner and saw her walking in the front door.

I had an open-door policy with my council. Unless I'd specifically told them I needed some time alone, they were all free to come by whenever they wanted. Though, usually, they at least waited for me to answer the door before barging in.

Stephanie looked worried, almost harried. "Jace, we need to talk."

"Good morning."

Stephanie froze and turned to look to the stairs where the voice had come from. Kirsten came padding down the stairs wearing an old T-shirt of mine. It swamped her, brushing against her skin a few inches above her knees. She smiled at me, but her eyes widened when she saw Stephanie.

"Whoops. Hi there," Kirsten said to the other woman.

From my vantage point, I could see Stephanie's face. A combination of hurt and disappointment as well as worry and what looked like fear washed across her face.

"I'm sorry," Kirsten said, noticing the look in Stephanie's eyes. Suddenly self-conscious of what she was wearing, she tugged the shirt lower, trying to cover her legs. "I didn't know anyone else would be down here." Kirsten's look of embarrassment faltered and her brows knit together. "Wait, have I seen you before?" she asked. "Somewhere in town, maybe?"

Stephanie recovered gracefully and smiled. "I don't think so. I've not had the pleasure." She stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Stephanie Bridges. I run the clinic in town. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you, too," Kirsten said. She smiled back, but I could still see the look of confusion on her face as she tried to place Stephanie's face. Worry glinted in her eye.

"I'm sorry for, uh, intruding," Stephanie said. "I'll leave you two to"—she sent a hateful glance at Kirsten—"enjoy your morning. Jace, I'll meet up with you later to discuss what I wanted to talk about."

Stephanie gave me one last look before slamming the door behind her.

I moved around the counter to Kirsten, wrapping her in my arms. "What's up? I can see you thinking something."

She ran her hand up my back, making me shiver, but her eyes stayed glued to the front door. "I think I've seen that woman before."

"Stephanie? Was it when you were in town? At the grocery store, maybe?"

"No, not in Crestwood. In St. Louis. Yesterday. Jace, I'm like seventy percent sure that woman was with Eren yesterday."

"Eren?" I said, tensing. "You saw Eren yesterday?"

Kirsten blinked, finally pulling her attention from the door and looking at me. "Yeah. I didn't get the chance to tell you. I didn't want to ruin our night. He ruined the first one, you know."

She proceeded to tell me about her trip to the city and running into Eren and a mysterious woman in the shop, what he said, and how the interaction went. By the time she finished, it was all I could do to contain my rage. He'd followed her? That son of a bitch followed her? He'd probably sent one of his betas to scout her cabin and phoned in when she left. That fucker. And the day after I warned him.

"I told him what would happen," I growled. "He knows damn well what I'm going to do now that he did this. It's bullshit if he thinks we'll believe he just randomly ended up in a women's clothing store two fucking hours from his house at the exact fucking time you were there." I sighed and rolled my shoulders back, trying to stay calm. "I'm gonna start having some of my betas watch out for your place. Check and make sure nobody is hanging around near your property."

"Is that really necessary? I have the ward. That will keep me safe."

"The ward only works around your cabin. I want to make sure you're safe everywhere. Until I've dealt with Eren."

"Wait. I don't want to be the cause of some big fight."

I brushed her hair gently off her shoulder. "Eren made his choice. He knows what the outcome would be when he followed you. He didn't listen, and now I'll deal with it. This isn't your burden to carry. What did he want from you?"

When she told me of his request for fertility help, I was shocked. That wasn't what I'd pictured. It sounded like this friend was Eren himself. The big bad alpha was infertile. That was almost as dark a secret as my own, especially with how tenuous his hold on his pack was. If they caught even a whisper that his line was about to end, it would go badly for him. They feared him, but that type of control only lasted so long. He was probably desperate to have a child to take over and stabilize his hold.

"I'll tell you this," I said when she finished. "There's no point trying to find a cure for him. At the rate that dumbass is going, he's going to be dead before he ever gets the chance to use it."

I went back to the kitchen, pulling the bacon out of the oven and sliding the biscuits in.

"What about Stephanie?" Kirsten asked.

I shook my head and put a pan on the stove for the eggs. "It was probably another pretty blonde. Eren is known for shopping his affection around. He's left a trail of broken-hearted ladies from here to St. Louis. Stephanie is on my council, part of my pack. She'd never do anything with or for Eren."

The uncertainty in Kirsten's eyes gave me pause as I finished breakfast and served her. Stephanie hadn't been happy about Kirsten being a witch. She'd been one of the few to speak out against allowing Kirsten access to town. But would that really be enough for her to turn to Eren—Eren Miller, of all fucking people—to get her point across? I'd known her and her father for decades. I couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it.

Thankfully, the rest of our day went by in quiet peace. I made calls to Langston and Waylan about getting men to patrol the area near Kirsten's cabin. Afterward, we spent the day watching movies and binging TV shows. We had a late lunch of sandwiches and chips. The whole time, I played it off like I was right there in the moment, but I kept imagining tearing Eren's balls off with my bare hands.

Late that afternoon, Kirsten made to leave, and I kissed her goodbye. Standing on my porch, I waved to her as she turned around in my driveway. She'd declined an escort home, which I'd agreed to, but had no plans to actually follow through with. As soon as she was out of sight, I leaped from the porch, shifting and taking off into the forest that ran parallel to the road toward her house.

Her car turned onto the main road. Keeping her in my sight, I sprinted along as she drove, staying back in the forest so as not to be seen. Kirsten arrived back home ten minutes later, and I paced the perimeter of her property after she was safely inside.

What I found only inflamed my rage more. The smell of wolves. Wolves that most definitely didn't belong to my pack. The scent was fading, but still pretty recent. These fuckers had been here today, possibly last night.

There was no doubt in my mind that they were from Eren's pack. The time for playing nice was over. Eren needed to understand exactly what kind of hornet's nest he'd stepped in. He needed to truly understand who Kirsten was to me and what his intrusions meant. Unless he was completely out of his mind, he wouldn't want that kind of trouble.

Staying in the woods, out of range of vision of Kirsten's cabin, I shifted back into my human form and pulled out my phone and called Waylan.

"I want the whole council at my house. ASAP," I said when he answered, then ended the call immediately.

By the time I got to my house, my council had gathered. I never called emergency meetings with the council, so they'd all come running. Waylan greeted me as I walked in.

"The troops have been rallied. So, what the fuck is going on?"

Langston sat beside him, massive feet perched on my coffee table. Abigail was in the armchair across from him, and Stephanie stood off to the side, leaning on the mantle of the fireplace.

I took a seat so that I could face all of them. "Eren Miller. That's what the fuck is going on."

"What's the fucker done now?" Langston asked lazily.

"He's threatening Kirsten Holly. The witch who lives in the old cabin." When I mentioned Kirsten's name, I thought I saw a flicker of irritation on Stephanie's face.

"Threatening how?" Abigail asked.

"He's had some of his wolves staking her place out. He followed her to St. Louis yesterday and accosted her in a store."

I glanced at Stephanie again, but saw nothing that gave away her knowledge of it. I still didn't believe she'd be in league with Eren, but Kirsten had been so sure, I couldn't rule it out completely.

"What does he want with her?" Abigail asked.

"Doesn't matter," Langston said with a sigh. "Kirsten has been given free use of the town, and Jace has put her under his hedge of protection." He looked at me. "Have you told Eren all this? That she's a de facto member of the community here?"

"Oh, yeah, we did," Waylan said. "There is a zero percent chance he didn't get the picture. He knows."

"Well, shit," Langston sighed. "This is cut and dry. It's a blatant act of disrespect and goes against shifter law. You've given him fair warning. I just don't get why he's pushing so hard. Is there something about this woman that's special? I mean, other than being a witch."

"Yeah, Jace," Stephanie added. "Is there?"

Cutting my eyes to Waylan, he bobbed his eyebrows in a way that basically said now or never.

Pressing my hands into my knees, I took a steadying breath and said, "There is. Kirsten is my fated mate, and Eren is aware of that."

Stephanie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head, and her lips flattened in a tight line.

"Yep," Langston said. "That'll do it."

Abigail nodded. "He hates you. Knowing she's that important would spur him on to be more aggressive."

Frowning, I looked at them both. I'd expected more from my revelation. Waylan, for his part, looked relieved by the response from Langston and Abigail.

"You guys aren't freaked out that my mate is a witch?"

Langston waved me off. "Your mate could be a coyote shifter or something, and I wouldn't give a shit. A mate's a mate. Why should I give a shit who you do the bedroom boogie with?"

"Exactly," Abigail agreed. "I trust your judgment, Jace. I agree with Langston. I'm more concerned this jackass is being such a dickhead to your mate."

Stephanie had gone inexplicably silent. When I looked her way, she was no longer looking at us but gazing at the dark logs in the gas fireplace, her face a portrait of misery. There was an ache in my chest at the sight. Not of heartache. I'd never actually felt any romantic link toward Stephanie, but it had been obvious for years that she had a thing for me. She'd probably been holding out hope that one day, I might forget trying to find my fated mate and settle for her. Even if the curse hadn't made it impossible for me to fall for anyone else, I didn't think that there ever would have been a time when she and I would have been together. She was beautiful and smart, but… there was no spark there. Never would have been.

"If Eren thinks he can get away with this," Langston said, "then he'll get it in his crazy little head that he can start making moves on other people in the pack or messing with our business in other ways. He's been toeing the line for years—hell, for decades. I think it's in the pack's best interest to make sure he's no longer a threat."

The words hung heavy in the air. War. That's what Langston was suggesting. There hadn't been a major conflict among the regional packs in almost three centuries. Not since my grandfather had fought and defeated the alpha of the village of Woodridge. That victory had combined the pack villages of Woodridge and Crestview into one larger pack, and the village had been rechristened as Crestwood. Part of the reason for starting the yearly mating party had been to keep the peace among the area packs and try to prevent another war.

"I'm with him," Waylan said. "We've done everything we can, and this douchebag keeps pushing. If he gets away with this, there's no telling what he'll do next."

"Yes," Abigail agreed. "I hate it, but I don't see another way. It would be different if this was a new thing, but Eren Miller has been a thorn in Crestwood's side for a long time. This will never stop."

Nodding, I looked to Stephanie. The others turned in her direction, too, waiting to hear what the final member of the council had to say. She sighed, hesitant, not looking at us at first. I could sense she was working up the courage to say something that she didn't think we'd want to hear.

"Here's what I think," she said. "I feel like it's a little crazy to throw our whole pack into a war for a woman none of us know. Jace, you can say she's your mate all you want, but you only met her like a week ago. Again, like I said at the other meeting, we do not know her intentions." She chopped her hand into her palm to emphasize every word.

"I'll tell you what I said the other day, Stephanie," Langston said, taking his feet off the table and leaning forward. "Our alpha has vouched for her. That's all I need to know."

Stephanie scoffed, mussing her hair with her hand. "Has anyone thought about how this might be a, uh… a set-up? Maybe Kirsten is working with Eren or some other pack to destabilize us. She's a witch. Maybe this fated mate pairing is the result of a spell or something."

"I trust her," I said, doing my best not to let my anger show. "Completely. She is telling the truth. She's not in league with anyone else." I looked her dead in the eye. "That's the truth. No one here is going to change that. No one."

Stephanie stared at me, and I could almost see her resolve weaken. Her shoulders sagged, and the intense look she'd had melted into one of disappointment.

"Okay," she said, letting her arms drop to her sides. "Okay. I agree. You should challenge Eren. I'm obviously not going to get you to see reason. You're my alpha. I'll do whatever you need me to do."

The others relaxed as the tension dissipated, but my own anxiety grew. I wanted to kick Eren in the teeth, but dragging two packs to war? Even a war that was warranted? That was not something to take lightly.

"Are you ready for this?" Waylan asked. "We're gonna beat that fucker. That means when the dust settles, you'll be the alpha of two packs."

"I guess I'll have to be ready," I said.