“No…”
“Did he help things along?”
“He didn’t have to. I was like a crazed sex maniac, and just humped him until I came, which probably didn’t take long.”
She laughs, then sobers. “Sorry to laugh, but sweet summer child…” She pats my cheek. “You broke through and got to him. He understands what you need. I’m sure it was very hard… pun intended… for him to hold back.”
My eyes roll.
“Then what happened?”
“I did it again after kinda sorta pleading a little, but he wouldn’t actually let me plead with him. He was beingoh so reasonableand logical… telling me I was just moon drunk.” I roll my eyes.
“And then?”
“And then after the second dry-humping sesh, I fell asleep on him until I ran off this morning. He followed me home and I backed into his truck by accident. We were just sitting down to talk about it when Joel called about Sherry.”
She looks confused but clears her expression. “So, he stuck with you all night…”
“I slept on him.On topof him.”
She smiles. “He managed to stay, not run off and tear up the forest while leaving you hanging… letting you get what you needed… as best as he could while not giving in to you being moon drunk? Wow. Bonus points for him, I say.”
“What I needed last night was for him to claim me and do it while I was in that uninhibited ho state, so I wouldn’t be so terrified of it!”
She shakes her head. “Did you hear me at all? He gets it. Hegetsit, Bailey. Jase knows where he fucked up and he’s trying to do the right thing. Congratulations. You got through to him. You turned things around with him.”
“I wasn’t trying to do that though. I waslegitbroken. I was a wreck. I still kind of am. Because I feel like I fucked it all up. He really hurt me and I reallywasa wreck and the last few days he’s been incredible. He could’ve just carted me off and nobody would’ve stopped him, just like Sherry and Wyatt Meadows. Just like…” I shake my head, unwilling to finish that sentence to remind her of an unpleasant similar situation. “But how broken would I have been?”
“Maybe not–”
“I think I would’ve been, Amie. Bad!”
“And that’s probably why he didn’t take what was offered last night. You’ve shown him your pain. He understood. He took your reaction to him seriously. It took him a minute to comprehend it, yeah… he was being quite an entitled alpha male about it all at first, but he got there, didn’t he? He’s evolved, Bailey, and though I’m still kinda new here, I already knownot all alphas are. Not naming names… cough… my brother-in-law… cough. But also… that’s why he didn’t take you last night. That’s why he’s been planning romantic dates. If you give him the slightest inclination of a green light tonight without a moon event thingie… I bet he will rock your world. Oh girl… he’s proving he’s exactly who you thought he was before things went shitty. You guys got through the blip and he’s a better man for it. Plus, that tattoo on his neck of your name? I’m jealous. I might nag Mason about it incessantly until he tattoos my name on his body.”
“Ugh.” I clasp my hair in my fists. “I don’t know. Especially with what happened today. Maybe I shouldn’t push anything. Maybe I should go home and give him the space he needs with his family.”
“Maybe you should do just what you always do. Be here. Be near him offering support. Things will settle here. Sherry’s gonna survive. Erica did a protection spell over her baby and that’s probably why she survived at all. She’s got to be pretty messed up to have jumped, so I do think it’s right to keep her sedated. The rest of us can make sure that baby is born healthy and then Erica can work some magic so Sherry can have her life back. Maybe even being a little less of a cunty bitch.”
“I don’t know if she really wanted to die or if she just wanted to lose the baby, but it’s ugly imagining her being in an induced coma until she gives birth. It’s also ugly imagining her wanting to end her own life. I can’t fathom it.”
“Thankfully Cat had access to that medication.”
“I’d say. Things tend to work out that way around these parts, though.”
“From what I’ve seen so far? I agree. Jared might not have wanted to get in touch with his wolf via that drug, but the factthat it was brought here for him is helping Sherry. Things might not make sense at first sometimes around here, but look at the whack of things that have happened lately. They eventually tend to make sense. Besides… might be nice for you to ease into life as Jase’s mate without your least favorite in-law for a while.”
I blow out a sigh before changing the subject. “How are you doing?”
“Morning sickness notwithstanding? Pretty fucking awesome.”
“Mated life is good?” I ask unnecessarily because her happiness is written all over her.
“Life has never been better,” she tells me. “Mason is everything. Every. Thing. I couldn’t be happier. Except maybe seeing some of my good friends happy – namelyyou. I look forward to hearing that from you, girlie. And… if Doggo tattoos my name on his body somewhere… that’d make life even more golden.”
Jase is doing whatever he can do to show me it’ll be worthwhile, so why does it all still feel so strangely out of reach?
Amie breaks my stoic silence.