I’m a little shocked, but I’m also feeling relieved. “You could be my savior here with this situation,” I whisper.
She waits for me to elaborate, so I pull her hand to tug her outside, hoping Jase can’t hear. She follows me to the end of the driveway.
“The last thing I need is for Jason Creed to go into the rut the minute he’s free, roughly taking my virginity on that cold basement floor. He’s been locked up inside that bubble and it’s got him mad at me. And it’s got me freaked out.”
She winces.
I continue. “I don’t know what level of control he’ll have after all that time. Brody Savage demonstrated self-control with Addy because she was sexually assaulted, but Jase is pissed at me. And pissed that I’m pissed, which is just so… male of him.”
“Ain’t that the truth? It’s a default emotion for alphas of any species to get mad at women for having the audacity to be angry with them.”
“And he’s being a cocky jerk. He thinks the minute he gets his hands on me I’ll give in. And I’m really mad at him, but what if thatdoeshappen?”
“He’s pretty hot. You probably will,” she whispers.
My face contorts with disgust. Because that’s the last thing I want right now. To let him just have his way.
“I don’t want to just melt when he gets his hands on me. He gets to be a complete asshole to me for weeks and weeks and then he gets to just growl and soak my underwear and take me? That’s not fair. I don’t want to be a doormat. He hurt me!”
“Erica got Brody some help. Because Adelaide really isn’t ready, Erica whipped up a concoction for him to help him with his urges. Maybe we can do something similar.”
My eyebrows fly up. “A concoction?”
“What is ityouwant, Bailey?” she asks. “Want it so he can’t make his dick work? An alpha male prides himself on his cock. Giving him a limp noodle for a while would certainly knock him down a peg.”
I shake my head. “I want space. Distance from him. I need a minute to myself when this is all over to figure some stuff out. I was thinking about moving to Alaska to work for the SCC for six months in order to avoid being here to see who he mated with.I had given up hope it’d be me. And now that he says it is. It’s a disaster!”
Oh shit. Here come the tears.
She pulls me into a hug and I say into her pretty, fragrant blonde hair, “I don’t want someone who only wants me because of biology.”
She squeezes me. “Oh honey, fated mates aren’t just about biology.”
“That’s what it feels like. He’s known me my whole life. He was so awesome growing up. He was always there. He always had time for me. And he showed me how gallant and sweet he could be so many times. But he’s been a dismissive asshole to me lately.”
“Probably because he knows you have a crush on him and he doesn’t want you pining for him when he’s about to mate.”
“He could’ve done it differently, though, couldn’t he? Did he have to be so cruel? And well, I’m not pining for him now. I don’t want him to just get to put his hands on me just because something in his nose tells me he has that right. What kind of a life is that for me? Only mated to him because of how I smell?”
I pull the baggie from my bra and hand it over. “There’s a Starling power suppression necklace in there, too. Your Aunt Mimi made it. I thought it’d help. I didn’t know I couldn’t use it.”
She blows out a long breath. “I’ll use some of my good will to buy you some time. And I’ll talk to my sisters once we get some things squared away. Don’t fret, dear cousin. Just give the necklace back to Grey when you get home.”
“You can buy me some time? For real?”
“Absolutely. Told you I owe you one…”
12
JASE
I’m about to come out of my skin. Bailey has been out of my sight too long and this shield must be fucking with my scenting abilities because I couldn’t smell her at all for a couple minutes. Being unable to physically track her has been frustrating as fuck. But now I smell her again along with the additional scent of Danica Young.
They’re coming down the stairs together as I’m raking my hands through my hair.
“Jase,” Danica greets.
I haul in a steadying breath as I take in Bailey, who is looking anywhere but at me.